My toddler is AMAZING!

After reading the title of this blog you probably think I am going to write about all the wonderful cute things my toddler does on a daily basis. Wrong! Trust me he is adorable and wonderful, but he can do things that make me shake my head and wonder how I am going to survive the terrible twos that are quickly approaching!

1- I still can't figure out how he can DESTROY a room in a matter of seconds.
2- Why does he find the toilet so interesting?????
3- Does he really need to bathe in his food?
4- He sleeps in on the days I have to get up early and wakes up early on the days I want to sleep in.
5- When you cloth diaper the surest way to get your child to poop is to start washing diapers. It never fails!
6- Cute outfit means it will be dirty before you get out the door.
7- I would really love to eat a dessert without having to share it or wait till nap time. He doesn't feel the need to share dads dessert, just mine.
8- Must he hit his head EVERY time he falls down.
9- He can't put his clothes on by himself but he sure can take them off.
10- He can barely walk on uneven ground but he can climb the step stool and scale the kitchen counter.

If you have kids you totally understand what I'm talking about. If you don't have kids then enjoy the quiet because I'll be dropping mine off at your door soon. Trust me, I need a babysitter for about  an hour so I can maintain my sanity today. :)

Drybees

After talking about cloth diapers I started thinking about which ones are my favorite. I would have to say that I absolutely love my Drybees diapers! They are the best!

A few months after Finnegan was born I decided that the normal cloth diapers weren't working well for night time use. I asked my friend Jenny, who works as a Field Consultant for eLeMeNO-Pee, what she recommended for night time. Her recommendation was the Drybees Fleece Diaper. This diaper has worked so well for us. I stuff it with two inserts and put it on him before bed. In the morning when we wake up his bed is dry and the Drybees diaper has kept everything contained.

Drybees diapers not only keep your baby dry but they breathe well and they come in a variety of  colors. 

Diaper Duty

  Well with all the post about babies I thought maybe I should write a post about diapers. Most of my friends already know I use cloth diapers, many of them do too. They are much more affordable and cuter than disposables. I also use cloth wipes because if you're going to wash diapers you might as well wash the wipes too and save even more money.

  When it comes to cloth diapers there are tons of choices available. Check out Simple Mom  to learn more about the different types of cloth diapers available.


  Cloth diapers really aren't that much different than using disposables. Instead of throwing them out after one use, you just wash and reuse. One other great thing about cloth diapers is the resale value. Cloth diapers hold their value really well. Just check out ebay and you will see how easy it is resale your diapers.

  Look at that baby, his diaper is cuter and more stylish than those plain old disposables! If you're on the fence and thinking you might like to try them out then take the Change 3 Things Challenge! What could it hurt to try something new!

Birth # 3

  This one is much longer and has a lot more detail. One reason is because I wrote it a few months after he was born. The second reason is because my doula was taking notes. Thanks Erica!

I had a feeling my 3^rd baby would be born before his due date. He decided to make his appearance at 36 weeks and 6 days. My first child was a medicated vaginal birth and I don't remember the labor and only some of the delivery. My second child was an emergency c-section. I was determined to deliver my 3^rd child in as natural a way as possible in a hospital. My doctor was agreeable to a VBAC since I had delivered my 1^st child vaginally. So my husband and I asked a good friend to be our doula and prepared for our VBAC.

  Finnegan decided to make his appearance on January 9, 2011. I woke around 3 am feeling slight contractions that were far apart. I decided to sit in my living room and watch some television. Around 5 am I decided to take a bath and wait to see if my contractions continued. At about 6 am I decided that my contractions were starting to move closer together so I woke Vinson up and told him what was happening. My contractions were coming between 7 and 5 minutes apart so we decided to make the 45 minute drive to the hospital.

I called my doula Erica on the way to let her know we were going to the hospital and she said she would meet us there. We arrived at the hospital in the early morning and made our way to labor and delivery. The hospital was very quiet.

The nurses took us to a room and started getting us settled.  The nurse checked me and said I was  4 1/2 cm, -2 station, 80% effaced. I was put on monitors for the baby's heartbeat and contractions. Erica arrived and greeted us. The nurses decided to start an IV and we informed them that the Dr. had told me I could have a heplock with IV fluids nearby and used only if needed. After several tries at starting my IV line the nurse still was unable to get it in the vein and had an anesthesiologist start the line. Not long after the nurse came in to start fluids. We again informed her that my Dr had told me I could have just the heplock. She left and returned with the Dr who then got into an argument with us about IV fluids. The nurse started the IV fluids and they stayed in until after delivery.

Erica brought me water and peanut butter crackers to help keep up my strength and quench my thirst. The fluids they were giving me had me going to the bathroom frequently.

The Dr checked me again at 11:20 am and suggested rupturing my membranes. I was put back on monitors. After discussing the options with Vinson and Erica we decided to proceed with having the Dr. rupture my membranes. I was now  5 cm, 80% effaced, -2 station.

My contractions were still easy and regular. I got a break from the monitors and was able to sit on the birthing ball and move around. Even though I had no monitors to carry around I had the IV line that followed me everywhere.

Around 1 pm the nurse came to put me back on the monitors. She was having trouble finding the heart beat, mostly because the baby wouldn't be still. She went to get the Dr. who came in and told me I would have to stay on the monitors. This meant no more moving around and I was to stay in the bed. Erica recommended an internal monitor. I didn't really like the idea of an internal monitor but at least I would be able to move around. The Dr came in and inserted the monitor and then left.

I sat on the birthing ball for a while and then moved to the rocking chair. At some point my sister-in-law Gaylen joined our birthing party. My brother, Claude, decided he would sit in the waiting room and since we didn't have a name yet he took the baby name book and sent ideas to us via text.

  The contractions were getting a little stronger and I was having to concentrate during them. At one point Erica suggested everyone in the room should be quiet during my contractions. That didn't work out well. I felt like I was performing on stage. I told them to keep talking.

At 3 pm the Dr. checked me again and I was at  7 cm, 100% effaced, -1 station. I sat in the rocking chair but it was getting harder to find a comfortable position especially with the fetal monitor that felt like it was pinching if I sat forward.

4:15 pm and they are checking me AGAIN!  8 cm, 100% effaced, 0 station. The constant checking is getting really annoying and so is the nurse. The contractions are getting even more intense and I can feel it in my back. I am moaning through contractions now. A few times I held my breath and Erica gently reminded me that moaning through them would help. She was right but sometimes it was really hard not to hold my breath. I had Vinson pressing into my lower back with his fist to help ease some of the pressure. That helped some but it still hurt a lot!

Somewhere around 5 pm three nurses came in to check on me. I was in the middle of a contraction and saying get out, get out, get out. Vinson told them I was talking about the baby but they didn't seem amused and quickly left the room.

At 5:45 pm the nurse came in, checked me and said I was at a 9 and could push through to a 10. I was in pain and decided okay lets push. The nurse then left to get the Dr.

Erica had warned me that I would come to a point some people referred to as the Ring of Fire. Boy was that an understatement!

The Dr. returned with a whole crew of people. By this point it was hurting a lot and there wasn't a comfortable position to be found. My Dr. decided I should be in the most painful position possible – on my back. I am now starting to experience the Ring of Fire. Can't even begin to explain that feeling! The Dr told me to push. I shook my head and said “I can't”. Of course everyone says yes you can. Like I had any other choice anyway.

At 6pm I started pushing and screaming at the top of my lungs because it hurt. At 6:04 pm Finnegan Michael Mouser mirrored my cries with his own as he entered the world in a gush of fluid. The pain I felt diminished quickly. Now it wasn't the screaming pain but an, ouch that hurts, kind of pain. The sight of my baby boy made me forget about everything else. My first words were “he's so tiny” and compared to my other two his 6 lbs. 4 ozs. was tiny. The Dr. laid him on my chest and I couldn't believe he was finally in my arms. I held him for a little while then gave him to the nurse so she could clean him up and check his vitals.

I must say that after having had a birth with meds and a c-section, I couldn't believe how great I felt after this non-medicated natural birth. I didn't need pain meds, I was wide awake for everything, and an hour later I walked myself to the bathroom without any help.

Birth # 2

The birth of our 2nd child was not how we thought it would happen. We expected her to arrive in much the same fashion as her big brother but she had other plans. She had been breech just a few weeks before her arrival but had finally turned so we expected nothing out of the ordinary.

Her arrival began with some light contractions. Vinson stopped by the house between his college class and work. When he came in he asked me what was going on and I told him I thought I was having some contractions. He called the doctors office but they were closed and the answering service said they would page the doctor on call. The answering service called us back a little while later and said they couldn't get through to him but they would keep paging him. We decided because it was a 45 minute drive that we would go to the hospital.

On the ride to the hospital the contractions stopped but we were so close to the hospital we decided to go on in anyway. When we arrived the doctor was just coming out of surgery. The nurse told him she would take care of it but he said since he was already there he would go ahead and check on me himself. They hooked me up to the monitors and the doctor checked everything out.

After a few minutes he asked the nurse to get a new belt for the monitor because he didn't think the one we were using was working. She came back with a new belt and hooked it up. The doctor looked at the read outs and shook his head and said lets change to another room because this monitor seems to be broken.

We settled into another room and got a whole new monitor. The doctor looked at the new read outs and seemed very puzzled. They decided to give me a caffeinated drink and used a machine on my belly to try to stimulate the baby and get her moving but she didn't. The doctor started to get very troubled and said that the read out was showing a heart rate but it wasn't changing at all. It should have changed with the mild contractions I was having and the stimulation.

The doctor recommended we break the amniotic sacks. We agreed and he did but there was no amniotic fluid. He sat with both of us and told us that we had two options. We could either do a c-section or deliver naturally. We asked what he recommended. He said I know you want to deliver naturally but if you do I  don't know what you will have, if we do a c-section you will have a baby tonight. We told him if that's what he recommended then we would go with the c-section.

After we made the decision there was a flurry of paperwork to sign and the anesthesiologist came in to give me an epidural. The anesthesiologist just happened to be the same one from our second birth class (yes we took a birth class again). After getting the epidural they moved me onto a gurney and strapped my arms down. The epidural had my arms shaking terribly. They wheeled me to the operating room and started delivering our baby. When Kaia was born she let out one cry. I was so happy to hear that cry because it meant she was okay and I started crying too. The doctor announced she was a boy and we were all very confused.

Here's what I didn't know! My baby only cried once because the lack of amniotic fluid caused her lugs to be stuck together and she was unable to breathe again. Vinson and the anesthesiologist kept me distracted so I wouldn't hear what was going on with Kaia. The nurses were having trouble finding her heart beat but the neonatologist found her heartbeat and told them to bag her. I got only a brief, blurry glance at her as they wheeled her out of the room. The reason the doctor told us she was a boy was because she had a pound of extra fluid in her body and was very swollen.

They put me under and had Vinson leave while they sewed me back up. I came to twice and talked to the doctors. Once telling them that what they were doing didn't feel very good and the second time I heard the Dr. say "Count the instruments we don't want to leave any behind".

When I woke up I was in recovery and very thirsty. It's weird the memories that stay with you. Vins and his mom were there and he let me know that Kaia was in NICU and the doctors were taking care of her. When I woke again I was in a hospital room and my parents were there.

I didn't get to see Kaia until later that day. I had to be wheeled to the NICU in a wheelchair because I was so groggy from the medication they had given me. I was able to touch her but not hold her. No one knew what was wrong with her, only that she was very sick.

Later they told us that she would have to be life flighted to Oschner's in New Orleans. Kaia went on a helicopter and Vins left immediately for New Orleans. I had to stay in the hospital and recover. Three days later I was finally able to see her again.

At Oschner's they figured out that she had a heart problem that occurred in utero and that we were lucky that she had survived long enough to be born. She was two weeks old when we finally got to hold her and at one month old we got to take her home!

Birth # 1

My first child's birth. All I can say is WOW! There was so much I'd read about but so much I still didn't know. You see a doctor every month and then near the end every other week but they don't give you much info.

His birth started with me leaking amniotic fluid that morning. I called the doctors office and got the on-call dr. He rudely told me that it was probably just my bladder leaking. I was pretty sure I would know if I peed on myself! I nicely told him thank you and hung up.

We decided to slowly make our way to Lake Charles. We stopped at the Factory Connection Outlet and when I got out of the car and stood up the amniotic fluid started leaking again. We decided we should just go ahead to the hospital.

When we got to the hospital they checked me in and did a strip test to see if it was amniotic fluid and got an inconclusive result. Probably because all the amniotic fluid was gone by that time. They called the doctor and because I wasn't having contractions and my blood pressure was a little high he told them to start me on pitocin. Looking back the blood pressure issue was probably because I was nervous about being in the hospital and because the first nurse had me laying on my right side.

A little while after being there the nursing shift changed and my new nurse was one from the birthing class we had taken. The first thing she did was tell me to lie on my left side. When they started the pitocin she told me that the contractions would get painful and if I wanted pain meds it would be best to get them early on as they may not work as well further into labor. I went ahead and asked for the pain meds. They put me on Demerol and I fell asleep. I don't remember much after they gave me the meds. I remember coming out of the fog a few times and going to the bathroom once. They tried to get me to use a bed pan but that was just crazy.

At some point I came to enough to tell them I needed to push and they wheeled me to a delivery room. I remember it being all very sterile and bright. By this time I was in a lot of pain and just wanting to go back to sleep. Vinson held my hand and after just a few pushes Tanek was born at 12:56 pm, weighing 8 lbs. 5 oz. The doctor held him up for me to see but my glasses were back in the room so he was mostly blurry. He had a good set of lungs and let us know about it.

The next thing I remember is being back in my hospital room with Tanek swaddled in a blanket. Vinson, my parents and Vinson's mom were all there oohing and ahhing over our new bundle of joy. I fell back into my medicated haze.

When I woke in the morning I was still a little groggy but happy to have my new baby boy in my arms.

Birth Rite Louisiana

Birth Rite Louisiana is a great group. Their mission statement is "Birth Rite Louisiana is a volunteer based organization working to lower neonatal and maternal mortality and morbidity through education and activism.  We seed and support birth networks throughout Louisiana as well as facilitate activism and awareness events"

They have a great support group online and in person. If you are planning to have a baby check them out. They have lots of birthing knowledge to share.

Business of Being Born

My plan this week is to put up several post about birthing babies. For my first post I thought I'd start with the documentary The Business of Being Born. Click here to see a trailer for the film.

The Business of Being Born was an eye opening experience for me. I already knew about some of the issues they talk about but found out a lot more when I watched the film. If you are planning to have a baby please educate yourself about birth or else you will be giving someone else control over the most amazing experience you will ever have in your life!

I plan to share the stories of each of my children's birth here as the week goes on. Each one was different and taught me so much about birth. I wish I had known more before I had my first baby. I hope YOU will know more before you give birth.

Alexandria Zoological Park

Last week we took our family to visit the Alexandria Zoo . The weather was beautiful and we had a fun day together. The thing I like most about this zoo is that you can see the whole zoo in a few hours. The walkways are nice and shaded and the kids love the playground.

Koi Fish - Photo by: Kaia Mouser

 We always start our visit by feeding the fish in the pond. The monkeys were in an especially playful mood and entertained us by swinging on ropes and acting silly. We rode the train, another activity my kids love to do at the zoo.

The otters were out and swimming. The bears, lions & tiger were also out enjoying the cool weather. Peacocks could be found roaming the zoo as well as the fat squirrels that enjoy the other animals food.

Photo by: Lucrecia Mouser

The zoo is currently undergoing renovations and upgrades. Some parts of the zoo were roped off for this purpose but there was still plenty to see and enjoy. While this zoo doesn't have the big animals, elephants and giraffes, they still have plenty of animals to keep the kids attention.

Next time you are looking for something to do in Alexandria check out the Alexandria Zoo.

Driving Blind

One of my husbands childhood friends has a degenerative eye disease that may eventually cause him to be blind. His brother also suffers from the same diagnosis. They recently put together a documentary and we had the honor of being able to view it. They traveled across the United States and filmed their experiences of seeing the beautiful sights of America and talking to wonderful people they visited along the way. The film is full of beautiful scenery and images I realize I never stopped to appreciate. The story is heartwarming and raises awareness for a disease that most of us have never even heard of before.

Visit the websites below to view movie trailers and stills from the film. Donate to their cause and if you get the chance, see the documentary. It is an unforgettable experience!

For trailers and info: Driving Blind Website
Like their Facebook Page and stay updated on film festivals they are attending.

Oogie, Oy Song/Cheer

My husband put together a song/cheer that is fun at campfires. Check it out and share it with your friends:)

Giveaway Winner!

The winner of the Paparazzi Giveaway for October is Melissa Dartez! Congratulations Melissa, you won one free piece of Paparazzi Accessories.
Readers continue to visit our blog frequently as you never know when we will have another contest! Plus check out and like my Paparazzi page on Facebook!

My Favorite Baby Shops

This post is a little plug for some of my friends who sell baby products. They each carry great products and give the best customer service. They will take the time to help you figure out what works best for your family and budget. Check them out!

eLeMeNO-Pee - This company is based in Louisiana but is also in 6 other states. You can find them on Facebook and they have a Website , they also have a store in Lake Charles, LA. They mainly deal with cloth diapers but also carry other natural products for mom and baby. They have consultants who serve smaller areas to give you a more personal shopping experience.

Eden; A Natural Living Boutique - This business is in Alexandria, LA. You can find them on Facebook . They offer natural products for mom and baby plus Doula Services. You can also contact them for help with breastfeeding and birth classes.

Milk 'n Mama's - Their store is located in Crowley, LA. You can also find them on Facebook . From maternity clothes to breastfeeding products to baby items, they have lots to choose from. They also offer breastfeeding classes.

If you are looking for help with birth, breastfeeding or natural products to care for yourself or your baby, then give these places a chance to help you. They are owned by women who care about the health of moms and babies.

American Heritage Girls

We are currently in the process of starting an American Heritage Girls group. We are all very excited about this new group! After a few years of being unsatisfied with Girl Scouts we decided to look into American Heritage Girls. I prayed for several months about the decision and we finally realized that American Heritage Girls would be the right choice for our daughter and our family.

The following information comes from the American Heritage Girls website: American Heritage Girls is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the mission of building women of integrity through service to God, family, community and country. The organization offers badge programs, service projects, girl leadership opportunities and outdoor experiences to its members.

If you haven't heard of American Heritage Girls check them out. They just might be what you are looking for when it comes to an extra-curricula activity for your daughter.

 Click here to visit their website:  American Heritage Girls Website

Ping Pong Ball Scout Song

This is one of our scouts favorite songs! Kids of all ages and adults have lots of fun doing this song!

Giveaway!

  Hello readers! I hope you've been enjoying my blog. I've decided to have a little giveaway here at A Mortal's Musings. One lucky winner will receive a free piece of Paparazzi! The contest starts today October 18, 2012 and will end on October 31, 2012 at midnight. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment below and your email address. We will do a random drawing on November 1, 2012 from the comments on this post and will notify the lucky winner November 1, 2012 by email.

  If you haven't heard about Paparazzi then you will now! Paparazzi is $5 jewelry & hair accessories. Yes, you read that right $5! I am an Independent Consultant and would be happy to show you more of our products. You can even have a Paparazzi party at your home and earn free jewelry. Your friends will love getting to shop for stylish accessories especially when they find out each piece is only $5. There are no sales pitches or hard sales. I simply set up my products and your friends shop :)

If you are looking for a fun new job or just a little something to supplement your income, Paparazzi is always looking for new people. You make 45% profit on each piece you sell plus you earn commission when others join your team.

Want to find out more about Paparazzi? Click here!
Visit my Facebook Page:  Magnolia Charms

Become a Paparazzi Consultant!

I've been an Independent Consultant for about 3 weeks now. Paparazzi is easy to sell. I am even putting it in the local Twisted Scissors Hair Salon this week. Don't miss out on an excellent opportunity to join the company!

Paparazzi is fabulous and you can sell it too! Check out the website here: Paparazzi

Loving the Paparazzi!

I am loving Paparazzi! The jewelry is fashionable and the price is excellent! You can't beat that. So far I have loved every piece of jewelry that came in my kit. I sold almost half of it already and put in an order for more. I look forward to making this business grow! If you want to learn more about Paparazzi and are interested in becoming an Independent Consultant then check out this page: http://www.paparazziaccessories.com/9508

Here is a video of what was in my $300 kit:

Paparazzi Jewelry

I just became an Independent Consultant for Paparazzi last week. If you haven't heard of them then check this site out http://www.paparazziaccessories.com/9508 .

All of the jewelry & hair accessories are just $5! It is fun, cute and so affordable! We do house parties but there are no sales pitches, catalogs or high pressure sales. I arrive with the jewelry and you and your friends can shop till you drop. You get your items that day and your friends don't have to hang out the whole time.

If you are looking for something fun to do and make money you should should join my team. People love inexpensive jewelry so it practically pays for itself. In two days I was able to sale $100 worth of jewelry without much work. If you have questions just let me know!

The Most Bang for Your Buck

Went to Fred's today! Here's a little secret - where I live Fred's will double coupons up to .70 on Saturday's. That means you can catch some really good deals if you have the right coupons. Today I stopped by Fred's and got these items:
Yakisoba meal - Price $1 - coupon .50 - after doubling I got it free!
Welches Grape Jelly - Price $2 - coupon .55 - after doubling cost was .90
Dawn Original dish liquid 14 oz. - Price $1.15 - coupon .50 - after doubling cost was .15

These are all items we use and for a fantastic price. Now I'm on the lookout for Sunday's paper and the coupons in it. Hope they give me something I can use at Fred's!

The Hunger Games - Book

I stayed up till 3 am reading The Hunger Games! Great read! The Hunger Games holds your attention. I had trouble putting it down and couldn't stop until I reached the end.

There are two more books I need now. Can't wait to see if they are as exciting as the first. Guess I will be buying those soon.

The movie is in theaters and I am taking my family to see it next week. I hope it turns out to be as good as the book!

Helping Scouts Change the World

 Changing the World - Week 2 :
After the hail storm David Haas Memorial United Methodist Church was left with a lot of broken windows and debris to clean up. Boy Scout Troop 101 holds their weekly meeting at the church. My husband is the Scoutmaster and my son is a member of the troop. I went with them to last nights meeting to help clean up.

The upstairs windows on the back side of the church had all been boarded up but there was still glass through most of the upstairs rooms. As the boys arrived for the meeting we handed out work gloves and brooms and got to work. We were able to sweep up most of the glass from the rooms but there are still boxes and storage items that will have to be gone through slowly to pick out pieces of  glass.

The boys worked hard and accomplished a good deal by working together. The meeting rooms are now ready for use again. Good work Troop 101!

Hail Storm

Woke up at 1:20 am on April 5th to the sound of hail on our roof. It steadily got louder. After a minute or two my husband came to the bedroom and said go get in the bathroom. I grabbed the baby and joined the older kids and the dog in the bathroom doorway. It now sounded like someone was throwing baseballs at our house. We all sat quietly waiting.

It didn't take long for the rain water to start coming in under the living room door. I handed the baby over to the older kids and grabbed towels to put at the door to keep the water out. While I was doing that we heard a window break. A piece of hail had busted a living room window.

Just as quickly as it started, it stopped. We called my mother in law next door to make sure she and her aunt were alright. They were fine with no noticeable inside damage. We cleaned up the glass from the window and covered the hole. Vins went outside to check for further damage but couldn't see much in the dark.

Everyone started to calm down and we all returned to our beds. A friend texted me to see if we were okay. Her dad and a friend had busted windows and damaged vehicles but no injuries.

We were just about to doze off around 2:30 am when another friend sent a text to check on us. Her family was fine but she had lost several windows to the hail and the hatch that leads out to her roof had blown off and let rain and hail into the house. She said her sister had lost all the windows on one side of her house and had hail damage on their vehicles. She also told us that the depot in town had lots of windows blown out.

The depot isn't far from the church we attend so Vins decided he better go check it out. He left and not longer after our electricity went out. The older kids came trailing into the bedroom scared about the electricity so I let them climb into bed and we tried to settle in and get some rest but the lights kept flickering on and off.

Vins came back about the time the lights decided to return. He said our church had lost all the windows on the back side - upstairs & downstairs. It was a mess but thankfully all the stained glass in the sanctuary was fine.The pastor and another church member were also there checking the damage.

We finally went to sleep knowing that we had only a few hours rest before we needed to get up and attend a church members funeral.

The next day we found out just how much damage the town had sustained. Almost everyone had busted windows, damaged cars and limbs and debris in their yards. A friend of ours lost almost every window in her house and had water damage in every room. Her yard still had hail covering the ground at 8 am. Her trees were all damaged and her trampoline was on her fence.

In the light of day we could finally see exactly what damage the storm had given us. The siding on our house has tons of hail damage. Our vehicles also have pings all over them from the hail. Not sure about the roof on the houses or barn yet. Limbs are scattered all over the yard and will take lots of time and muscle to clean up.

We are just very thankful there were no injuries or loss of life due to the storm. Property can be replaced but you can't replace your loved ones!

Changing the World

We can all change the world. Each persons small action can have a huge impact on our world. So today, I am going to start changing the world!

Week 1 - I signed up for the Change 3 Things Challenge! I've been using cloth diapers on my baby for about a year now.  Recently I've been busy and haven't been as diligent about using our cloth diapers so today I am going to get back on the wagon.

Save money & the enviroment. You can take the challenge too!
Visit this site and sign up: Change 3 Things

Time 4 Learning is Worth the Money

Between working part - time, volunteering for scouting and homeschooling, each day was getting harder to plan. School work was no fun and it was becoming a struggle to get the kids through their lessons. I also needed a simpler way for the kids to do school when I wasn't home. I was a little skeptical when a friend suggested Time 4 Learning, even though, I still decided to give it a try.

We've used Time 4 Learning for a month and I can truly say it is worth the money. My children are enjoying the lessons and are much more willing to start school each day. I feel less stressed. I don't worry about planning lessons and what is next on our learning list. Time 4 Learning has it all at our finger tips!

On the days I have to leave them with a sitter I know "school" will still get done. They know exactly which lessons they are expected to complete. When I get home I can check that days progress on the time 4 Learning website.

The lessons are user friendly and easy to understand. They cover a wide range in each subject. At the end of a lesson they even list more resources you can use to get more in depth in that particular subject.

I like being able to pull up a report of what my kids worked on each day and how they did on quizzes and test. It helps me to know which areas need more work and which areas they comprehend.

My favorite thing about Time 4 Learning is being able to move my kids forward in the subjects they excel in and moving them back in the subjects that need more time and work. Every kid has a subject that they love and work through quickly. Being able to move to a higher level gives them a sense of accomplishment and keeps them from getting "bored" with that subject.

I plan to continue using Time 4 Learning and will recommend it to all my homeschooling friends!

This post is entirely my opinion,  the content was not written by Time4Learning, I was compensated by Time 4 Learning.

Ron Paul in Louisiana

Congressman Ron Paul at Louisiana College

  My husband and I had the pleasure of seeing Congressman Ron Paul today at Louisiana College. Dr. Paul gave a wonderful speech in his campaign for presidency.
  There was around 700 people in attendance all clapping and cheering. If you haven't heard him speak about the issues then you should try to find an event near you!
  Louisiana will be holding primaries tomorrow so don't forget to cast your vote!

Unnecessary Labor Induction Increases Risk of Complications

I speak to many women who have been induced for no specific reason. This article from Science Daily talks about some of the potential risk of unnecessary labor inductions: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120306131531.htm

Time 4 Learning - Week 1

We have used Time 4 Learning this past week. I must say that so far I have felt less stress when we start our school day. The children seem to find it less stressful too.

I like that some of the lessons are interactive. Some of my 12 year olds lessons require him to look up info and then write about it. He doesn't like that part but I do. It is taking some getting used and some trial and error. We are still trying to figure out exactly how many lessons they need to do in a day, but I think we should be able to figure out it this week.

Time 4 Learning

I've been invited to try Time4Learning's online education program for one month in exchange for a candid review. My opinion will be entirely my own, so be sure to come back and read about my experience! Find out how to write your own curriculum review.

Zatarain's House Party

Ever heard of  House Party ? This site gives you fun parties to host from different sponsors. You sign up and if you are chosen, you get to hold a house party and they send you a party pack from the host company.

I recently won the Zatarain's Mardi Gras party. They sent me a box of goodies with coupons to purchase Zatarain's food.

We invited guest through the House Party website and then waited for party day.

We had a blast trying out the Zatarain's dishes and visiting with friends.

Sign up with House Party and maybe you can win too!

New Year - New Decisions

It's a new year! It's 2012 and much has changed. In 2011 we welcomed Finnegan to the family, my job started expecting me to work more hours and be on the road more, and we are leading a Boy Scout troop & Girl Scout troop. It's getting harder to keep up with our homeschool schedule.

Looks like we need a simpler approach to homeschool. I am thinking about trying out an online course. I need something that the older kids can do on their own but will challenge and keep them interested in learning. It also needs to be affordable.

Guess my online journey into homeschool begins today! Wish me luck!