Back To School Shopping!

On Monday the kids and I took a trip to Target for some school supplies. I really only bought school supplies for Jacob's preschool and Lillian's Tot school since I didn't have a list of supplies for Kyle and Lindsey with me! I have decided to save myself around $70 a month plus gas by not sending Jacob to preschool this year. Although the preschool he would have gone to is much cheaper than what I shelled out for Kyle and Lindsey's preschool! I went to the dollar section at Target and managed to get lots of things that I was looking for! I also went to the dollar store and got a few more things. I am thinking of doing more of a Montessori type preschool/tot school for the kids.

Here is a run down of what I found in the dollar section at Target:

Foam Clock

Foam shapes

Small letter stamps (I have larger ones already)

Number stamps

ABC flash cards

Dry erase boards with lines

Sidewalk chalk

Wall pocket holder

Weather charts (I like these because they are much larger than the ones I already had)

Wooden pencil pointer (to use with the wall pockets)

Three containers for sensory boxes and/or work to be done. I'm thinking about getting more!

From the local dollar store I found maps, a two sided map puzzle, Cars alphabet book and number cards, cute foam letters and numbers and cute little bins to put things in and out of.

I also bought a Crayola dry erase crayon set which I really like! I only bought one since I wasn't sure how well I would like it, I need to buy two or three more! So far I think I have spent around $30 on those supplies listed above, I also ordered a laminating machine that I am so excited to get in the mail and start laminating everything! This summer I have been doing summer school with the kids and they don't seem to mind doing the things I have for them! At first I was the mean mom, but now they like seeing what things we will be doing next. There are so many websites with such neat things that I have found for them to do, not sure I really want to send that back to school so soon. At least I will still have Jacob and Lillian to make lesson plans for and then one day my own classroom full of kids! Blessings, Lisa

One Thousand Blessings

#286-295

286. Eating elephant ears with the kids at the fair

287. Pork burgers on the grill

288. Not having to be outside when it's 100° out

289. Having a slight breeze on 98° day

290. Planning preschool for Jacob in the fall

291. Lillian going potty for the first time on her little pink potty

292. Watching Lillian try to use a bowl and spoon by herself with not much success

293. Going to Target with four kids

294. The dollar section at Target

295. Knowing that I'm not the only mom that thinks Target should have a drop off center for the kids!

To learn more about One Thousand Blessings, visit Ann's blog, A Holy Experience, and take the dare to count as many blessings in which the Lord has blessed you with!

Fair Time!

Our county has started on one of the hottest weeks so far this summer, what perfect timing! Kyle had his tractor driving on Saturday, the first day of the fair. He did a great job as usual, he only hit two stakes, I would have hit every stake! I didn't get very good pictures of him this year since someone coincidentally needed to use the potty once it was Kyle's turn and someone else was ready to leave so she could eat and take her nap! Kyle was the last driver when they drew out numbers!

Chad is in an antique tractor club which gets together every year during the fair to show off their tractors. Usually every night during the fair we have a carry-in dinner for all of the members to eat. I made a home aid blueberry pie the other day with fresh blueberries that I had picked myself, with a little help from Lindsey! Lillian was a little less-enthused watching me bake my pie! She even fell asleep with the spatula I gave her!

Lindsey liked holding the little baby chicks!

Lillian liked playing with daddy's hat!

Jacob liked driving his tractor!

He even gave Lindsey a ride!

We've had the little tractor since Kyle was Jacob's age!

That little tractor has been driven many miles by them boys! We still have a few days left of the fair, we didn't make to the fair tonight since Chad worked late and it was way to hot out! I think it's supposed to be even hotter tomorrow!!!! Blessings, Lisa

One Thousand Blessings

#276-285

276. The fair starting

277. Watching Kyle at his tractor driving contest

278. An antique tractor club

279. Being in an antique tractor parade

280. Seeing Lindsey's exhibits at the fair

281. Catching up with people that I haven't seen in awhile

282. Jacob being in his first kiddie tractor pull

283. Watching Kyle and Lindsey in the kiddie tractor pull

284. Picking blueberries at the blueberry patch

285. Making a blueberry pie with fresh blueberries

To learn more about One Thousand Blessings, visit Ann's Blog A Holy Experience, and take the dare to count as many blessings in which the Lord has blessed you with!

One Thousand Blessings

#266-275

266. 4-H projects completed and ready to go

267. Watching Lindsey use a glue gun

268. The kids finishing up their summer reading program

269. Kyle determined to read more so that he could get the prize he really wanted

270. Taking pictures of Lillian in a pretty white dress that Lindsey wore at about the same age

271. Getting a really good deal on a table and chair set for my front porch

272. Meeting and talking to a nice lady while on a bike ride

273. Helping a little girl find her glasses, then finding out they were only sunglasses not prescription glasses

274. Going on a bike ride with Lindsey

275. Bright pinkish colored clouds as the sun sets

To learn more about One Thousand Blessings visit Ann's blog, A Holy Experience, and take the dare to count as many blessings in which the Lord has given you!!!! Blessings, Lisa

Nine Months!

Where did June go?! It's July already! Lillian is now nine months old and growing like a lily flower. Oh the things you can do, you have the Ms. America wave down, you wiggle or find your toes when I ask "wheres your toes?", wrinkle your nose up which is really cute, clap your hands, you really don't use your pacifier anymore which is a good thing since I would typically have to look for it under your bed at 2:00 in the morning and then have to stubble to the bathroom to wash it, you like to read your favorite books, eating is another one of your favorite things to do, you really don't like to wear cute headbands and not to fond of wearing a sun hat, you still love your music, you like to stand up with help, crawling is so not your thing, instead you roll around and scoot to get something! I have been lifting your little bum up to the crawling position and rock you back and forth which you like to do. Someday you will do that all by yourself and then get into everything!

Obviously you are teething and like to chew on anything you can get a hold of! (You need to learn to keep your dress down dear, your bloomers are showing!) You love to watch the other kids play, they are a great source of entertainment, you like to be outside and love love love to swing on the swing with me! You laugh and laugh when we swing together and you even hold onto the swing chains like a big girl!

You sure know how to pose for the camera! You have not one, but two teeth in now and working on two more! One on top and one on bottom, your smile is so cute. People always gush all over you when we go somewhere because you are so stinkin cute! You still do not sleep through the night, and get up at least once every early morning around two or three. One of these you will sleep through the night all by yourself! You are such a doll baby and we love you to pieces!!!! Blessings, Lisa

One Thousand Blessings

#246-260

246. Finding Lillian's other shoe in the lost in found

247. Taking the kids out for a swim

248. Lindsey being somewhat back to her normal self

249. The way Lillian wrinkles up her little nose

250. Lillian getting her second tooth in

251. Baseball being completely done

252. Watching Lindsey jump off the diving board for the first time (with a life jacket on!)

253. Jacob warming up to the idea of getting in the water

254. Tractors in my front yard

255. Watching Chad with his antique tractors

256. The kids excited to watch the parade

257. Kyle having his friends sleep over

258. Watching the fireworks

259. Going out on a late night cruise on the tractor

260. Chad finally getting around to building another book shelf for the playroom

261. Living in America

261. The people that fought for our freedom

262. A small town Sesquicentennial

263. The Declaration of Independence

264. Taking the kids on a nature walk through the park

265. Spending quite time at the library with the kids

To learn more about One Thousand Blessings visit Ann's blog, A Holy Experience, and take the dare to count as many blessings in which the Lord has given you!!!!