This weekend is the annual Homeschool Bookfair I attend in my area.  One of my favorite parts of my homeschooling year!  I thought I’d share a post I wrote last year titled “Homeschool Bookfair Survival Guide.”   Some of my favorite tips to enjoying the bookfair….

Have you ever been to a homeschool bookfair?  They can be totally crazy and completely overwhelming!!  But they can also be a great resource and a huge blessing to a homeschool mom.  I’ve compiled a list of tips from my own experience with bookfairs – and the tips of other experienced homeschool moms – to help make the most of your time at the bookfair!

TIPS FOR MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR HOMESCHOOL BOOKFAIR EXPERIENCE:

1. Make a plan of action for the day
   
• Why are you going?  To look at/buy curricula? To listen to the speakers?  Both?
• Map out your plan of action for the day –  i.e. what workshops you want to attend, on which days.  What day(s)/time you will browse and buy curriculum.
• Check out the map of the vendors ahead of time to have a good idea where everything will be – especially the vendor booths you really want to visit
• Take into consideration – your children.  Will you have them with you? One day, both/all days, or not at all?  Don’t forget to include them in your plan of action for the day.
2. If you know what curricula you want for this year – bring a list: Make a list of the items you need to purchase and their prices.
3. When you walk into the bookfair – shock might overwhelm you! Take a deep breath!   I promise, it’s is going to be ok! Stay focused and stick to that plan of action!
4. Take that list and head straight for the used curriculum booth - that is, if you don’t mind buying used, and are looking to save some dough!  And, that is also assuming your bookfair has a used curriculum booth.  Ours usually has a couple of them.  You need to get to that used curriculum booth first thing if possible, to score the items you need at great prices – before they get picked through and disappear!  It might be a little crazy at that booth for a while, but can be worth it.
5. If you don’t know what curricula you want to use – bring a list of things you would like to browse, see, and get your hands on!
6. Be prepared to have your world flipped upside-down! You might be going into the bookfair feeling confident in your choice for curriculum for the next year.  One year, I went to the fair, and had already purchased most of the curriculum I thought I was going to use.  However, after talking with the author of another curriculum(one that was a completely different style that what I was going to use), and seeing how wonderful her philosophy on teaching was, and her curriculum was – I was totally torn.  I wandered around that bookfair totally bewildered.  I felt God was tugging at my heart to use this new curriculum I had found – that it was what He wanted for our homeschool – but on the other had, I had already purchased all of this other curriculum!!  At that moment , my mama homeschool world was flipped upside-down!  And, of course, I ended up going with the one that deep down, I knew God was showing me to use!!
7. To follow up #5 - Listen and look with a discerning ear and eye. Some materials are GREAT, but do not fit your family’s philosophies or way of homeschooling. This is a tip from a friend of mine – a veteran homeschooling mom!  While God might show you something amazing at the fair that you have never seen before or thought of (that He is calling you to use) – the flip side of that is being enticed by things that might not necessarily be the right thing for your family – even though it looks wonderful!  And there will be many wonderful things there – so be careful!!
8. Wear comfortable shoes – you will be doing a LOT of walking and standing all day!!
9. What do you do with your kids? Well, if they are really young, you might consider finding a sitter for the day.  The bookfair is a long  day for anyone – but especially a small child/toddler.  Not bringing the littlest ones  just might make everyone’s day a little more pleasant.  For kids that do come with you – be sure to bring activities and snacks!  I have been bringing my kids for the past couple years now, since they were 4 & 6 – and they have done great – even sitting through hour-long speakers.  I just had to be equipped with food and fun!! Lol!
10. Bring address labels – I saw this tip on our bookfair’s website, and thought it was a great one!  Bring some of your address labels with you, for times when you are signing up for a drawing or for a catalog!  It will save you a lot of time and effort to be able to just stick a label on there instead of filling out the form!
11. Bring a large, but comfortable bag.  Bring something that is large enough to carry what you need for the day (purse items, lists, snacks, activities for kids, etc) and also have room to stash at least some of the books you buy at the fair.  But also try to pick something that will be comfortable to carry around all day.  Our bookfair does not allow any type of rolling bag – but if your’s does, that would be a wonderful way to carry everything around!
12. Don’t buy something at the first booth.  Think about how “your” children learn, not children in general.  Stick with your budget!  {These are a few great tips from a fellow homeschool blogger and Hip Homeschool Moms Team Member!}  Thanks Louanne!!
13. Bring some cash along with that credit card.  It is possible that not all vendors will accept credit cards – although most probably will.  Also – you might need to buy some lunch/snacks!
14. If this is your first time, and you think you might be totally lost/overwhelmed -go with a friend.  Follow her around at least for the first part of it, until you feel comfortable enough to branch out on your own.

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO A HOMESCHOOL BOOKFAIR? 

WHAT OTHER TIPS DO YOU HAVE FOR MAKING THIS A LESS-OVERWHELMING EXPERIENCE?  HOW DO YOU GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR TIME AT YOUR BOOKFAIR?

My little Zoe’s personality at it’s finest!

My kids and their cousins had an impromptu Easter dance party, and when the camera’s out Zoe is in her element: the spotlight.

She sure keeps life fun!

I can’t believe 2 weeks have already gone by since we found out the gender of our baby – and I haven’t posted about it yet!  My blogging is seriously lacking lately!!

Anyway, most likely you already know, if you follow my blog FB page, personal page on Facebook, or instagram.  But of course I can’t let exciting news like this go unspoken on the blog!!

We are SO excited to be welcoming another sweet little

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GIRL!!!

I had told my husband earlier in this pregnancy that way back when we were trying so long (3 yrs) to conceive, and I would get to the point that I felt it seemed it would never happen….I would have this small little feeling in the back of my mind that one day God was going to give us a baby girl named ______ (we aren’t announcing our name until she’s born!).  It felt like such a crazy thought and it would only come suddenly and unexpectedly when I felt the strongest feelings of  ”I just don’t think we will ever be able to have more children.”   So, throughout this pregnancy I had felt we were having a girl, but doubted that feeling a lot, thinking I was totally crazy for my reason on why I thought that!  Such a weird mixed feeling of, “I feel like this is something God seriously put on my heart,” and “I’m totally nuts”!  Anyway, needless to say, I was pretty excited when we heard “It’s a Girl!!”

So here we are, 2 weeks after finding out we’re having a girl, and we just had another sono today.  Everything still looked great  with her, praise the Lord!  I am also feeling her kick a lot now, which is such a comforting, awesome feeling!  We go back again in another 2 weeks for another sono.  My Dr is so sweet and understanding – he is giving me extra  ”reassurance” appointments right now, during the part of the pregnancy that is the scariest for me (16-20 weeks).  I was 18.5 today for my appt, and will be 20.5 at my next one!  So thankful for all of the prayers for our sweet baby and for peace for us!  I can feel God answering them!

Our menu for the week…
(I no longer have to cook wheat and corn free – woohoo!  The kids are now over their sensitivities!)

MONDAY:  Roasted Chicken, mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli

TUESDAY:  Extra-curricular night: Grilled Hotdogs, fruit salad

WEDNESDAY:  Tacos, rice, beans

THURSDAY:  Lasagna, salad

FRIDAY:  BFD: Pancakes, eggs & sausage

Dessert this week: Strawberry Shortcake

Linking up with the Organizing Junkie!

The weather is beautiful here right now.  In the 80′s all week.  The wild flowers are in bloom, so we headed out yesterday for some pictures in the bluebonnets.  Every Texan’s yearly springtime tradition!

I had Trevor snap a few of the baby and me too!  I think he did a pretty awesome job!

Our sweet baby at 15.5 weeks!

Our menu for the week.
(All meals are wheat and corn free)

(Things unused last week are carried over to this week)

MONDAY:  Garlic Herb Salmon, Salad

TUESDAY:  BBQ Baked Chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans

WEDNESDAY:  Shrimp Tacos/Bowls

THURSDAY:  Stroganoff, roasted asparagus, glazed carrots

FRIDAY:  Homemade Pizza

Linking up with the Organizing Junkie!

Almost 2 weeks ago I went in for my 12.5 week visit to the dr.  I got to have another sono!  Yay!  I am loving having sono’s every time I go in.  It is super comforting!  It is so different seeing a perinatologist (high-risk ob).  I first have a sono with the sonographer,  And then when my perinatologist comes in he also does a sono himself, carefully looking at all the details of the baby.

At this appointment he said that everything looked great with our baby.  He/she was even measuring a week ahead, so growing well!  My Dr said I will get another sono at my next appt (I’ll be 16.5 weeks), and we should be able to find out the gender at that appointment!  I am pretty excited about that since it is the first time a dr has ever let me find out that early!

I am glad I made the switch to my high-risk dr.  It is not my ideal choice for prenatal care, but in the situation I am in, it is definitely ideal.  If that makes sense.  I would rather go with a more natural route, like a midwife.  However, I feel, at least for this time around, going with a perinatologist eases my anxieties a little, as I feel it is the best option for me and the baby.

I’d like to report that I have no worries, but that is totally not true.  There is quite a bit of fear, worry, and anxiety that has gone along with this pregnancy.  I often feel like I am just waiting.  Waiting to see what happens.  Waiting for the next appointment.  Waiting to get past that 20 week mark, and then waiting to see what happens after that.  I’d totally be lying if I said it isn’t a bit scary.  It is.  But in all that, it reminds me of my weakness, frailty, and sinful heart – and my need to fully depend on Christ each and every day.  I know nothing is certain in life.  There are so many things we take for granted in everyday life.  That we, or our children, or spouse, will wake up tomorrow morning.  That our car will make it safely from point A to point B.  Life feels pretty safe for us most of the time.  And then we forget to rely fully on God.  I think it’s when things don’t go right in life, when they turn out the way we did not expect them to, that we see our weakness and realize our need for dependence on Christ.  We don’t like to admit we are weak.  We like to think things are under our control, and things will always go fine.  But, that is a dangerous place to be.  Being in a place of seeing our weakness and need for Christ is way more uncomfortable – yet at the same time – way more peaceful.  You know what I mean?

So, that is where I am right now!  A big mixture of joy, fear, elation, worry, excitement, and anxiety – but at the center of it all, knowing and trusting that God is in complete control of everything, and thankful that He has me in His hands!

Our menu for the week.
(All meals are wheat and corn free)

MONDAY:  BFD: Pancakes (some blueberry, some banana, some GF), eggs, fruit

TUESDAY:  (Extracurricular night) Grilled Hotdogs, chipotle seasoned sweet potato fries

WEDNESDAY:  Chicken Tortilla Soup, Salad

THURSDAY:  Shrimp Tacos/Bowls

FRIDAY:  Stroganoff, roasted asparagus, glazed carrots

Linking up with the Organizing Junkie!

Our menu for the week.
(All meals are wheat and corn free)

MONDAY:  Grilled Chicken, squash, cheddar mashed potatoes

TUESDAY:  Texas Spud – BBQ Baked Potato, garden salad

WEDNESDAY:  BBQ Beef Sandwiches,  fruit salad

THURSDAY:  Mostaccioli, salad

FRIDAY:  Burgers, sweet potato oven fries

SATURDAY:  Leftovers

Linking up with the Organizing Junkie!

I know it’s been quiet around here.  I haven’t posted since announcing our BIG News!

I’ve just been exhausted.  And nauseous.  Just trying to get by each day with the bare minimum….feeding the kids, and teaching school.  Cleaning….what’s that again?  Facebook?  Blah!  Even taking pictures?  No thanks!  I just dont feel like anything much that I usually do.  But I know we must press on with our schoolwork, and so I do.  And food…we have to eat…at least the kids do.  I dont always feel much like eating.  I have been so blessed by sweet friends from church who have been helping me feed my family for several meals.  They are such a sweet blessing to me!

Even though I feel pretty icky most of the time, I am so thankful.  I know this first trimester of pregnancy can be tough, and I am looking forward to the second, when hopefully, I will feel more vibrant!  But I know that feeling like this for a little while is producing something wonderful.  A new sweet precious child being added to our family.  It makes it all worth it!

So, although things are quiet on the blog, I am still here, gettin’ by, day by day….and still so overwhelmed with thankfulness for this new precious life God has blessed us with!

Oh – by the way – I have a picture of our little one taken a little over a week ago.

So cute, huh?!  ;)

I am overjoyed to announce that we are expecting again!!  I had a positive pregnancy test on January 6th, soon after we returned from our trip to FL – the perfect New Year’s gift!!  I am so very, unbelievably thankful to the Lord!!  It’s been killing me to keep it a secret from my family, friends, and blog readers as long as I have.  I usually tell the news right away.  I am not one who likes to wait until the “safe zone” of 2nd trimester, because, if you’ve been reading here for long you’ll know, 2 trimester has not been a “safe zone” for me.  I’d rather tell people right away, and have all the prayers I can for this new little one, and our family.  I don’t really know why it is that I waited a little while to share the news this time.  It’s definitely not because I was waiting for a safe time to tell.  It is also not because I don’t want prayer.  I think I have just been enjoying the news, and enjoying the joy our family has shared in this news, and being the only ones who know it for a little while.  Especially since we have been through some really tough losses together, and some tough long waiting through infertility.

The day I had the positive test, I was beside myself with JOY!!  I seriously fell to the ground thanking and praising God for blessing us with this new little life!  It has been almost 3 years since we lost our last son, Corbin, and I had not been able to conceive since then.  (I do have to allow for the 6 months I was recovering from surgery and not allowed to get pregnant, so technically about 2.5 years of not conceiving).  And because we have also lost our two sons, it has felt like an eternity since we last had a baby.  When this little one arrives, Trevor will be almost 10 and Zoe will be almost 8!  I have not had a newborn for almost 8 years!!  That feels so weird and crazy!

From the moment I found out we were expecting this little one, I told the Lord that I would thank and praise Him for this child every single day I have with him/her.  Even if that means I will again not meet this child face to face.  I am enjoying this little life He is creating in me – now!  I know and fully trust that the Lord has already planned out each day this child will live, and every detail of his/her life.  There is no reason or need for me to worry and fret about “what might happen,” or to allow myself to think about all of the “what if’s.”  I am asking God to give me the grace to fully trust Him in His sovereignty, might, and goodness each and every day of this child’s life!

So, as for the nitty gritty details….
I have been SO unbelievably exhausted!!  Especially beginning in week 5.  The nausea started at the end of week 5 – blech!  BUT – I am so thankful for these unpleasant symptoms as I know they mean I have a new sweet little baby growing inside of me!

I went to my first prenatal appointment at 6 weeks, and left that appt feeling weird and unsure of what I was feeling.  As I had time to process everything and let it settle in my mind, I realized I was very unhappy with the new Dr I am going to for this pregnancy.  I did not see her at my appointment (only a nurse), and would not see her until I am 10.5 weeks (that is IF she is there – she has been know to cancel for my appts in the past).  With the high risk nature of my pregnancies, I can’t exactly wait until I am 10.5 weeks to start seeing a Dr.  I was also informed by the nurse that I will rarely see the Dr throughout my pregnancy, and that basically, I’d be lucky if she made it to my birth!!  Wow!  Although she promised me last year that she would be able to give me the care I needed being a high risk pregnancy, I realized that simply is not true.  I am so glad I figured this out early on!  I have decided to go solely to my high risk Dr. whom I feel will give me the best possible care and pay the closest attention to my bloodwork and things that need to be watched throughout this pregnancy.

Oh yes, I am about 7 weeks now, and we are looking to welcome our new little one into this world around September 15th, 2012!!

We are so thankful, and would appreciate your prayers!

As always, I carry over anything unused from last week’s menu.  Also, our menu includes meals that are Wheat & Corn Free (for our daughter’s sensitivities)!

MONDAY:  Roasted Whole Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans

TUESDAY:  Real Beef/Gluten Free Hot Dogs, Kettle Chips, Fruit Salad

WEDNESDAY:   Tuscana Potato Soup, Garden Salad

THURSDAY:  Gluten Free Spaghetti with turkey meat sauce, steamed broccoli

FRIDAY:  Chicken Teryaki Stir-Fry

SATURDAY:  Leftovers

SUNDAY: Chili, salad

Special Breakfast this week:  Baked French Toast

Special Dessert this week: Apple Pie &  GF Apple Crumble

Linking up with Menu Plan Monday at I’m an Organizing Junkie!

Need Real Food Help and Ideas?

I didn’t mean to have this long of a gap between the Beach Edition, and this next one. I have been having some photo uploading issues with wordpress, but have FINALLY figured out the problem!!  Yay!

On to the photos!  Our reason for going to Florida over the Christmas/New Year holiday was to spend time with my sweet grandparents who live there!  We had so much fun staying with them for 5 nights!  They are a couple of the best grandparents ever, and I miss them already.  I am so thankful that the kids got to spend this lengthy time with them and get to know them better!!

Playing Headbandz

Playing Horshoes with Grandpa - one of his favorite activities

Grandma giving Zoe a tour of all of her plants/flowers

Zoe and Grandma

Grandpa and Zoe

The kids putting on a little concert with their new instruments from Grandpa and Grandma

Granpa yo-yo-ing..showing us how its done!

Yes, I know, I am a day late…
This is what happens to me when my husband is off of work for 4 days!  I totally ditch my routine!

But here it is, better late than never, my menu plan!

As always, I carry over anything unused from last week’s menu.  Also, our menu includes meals that are Wheat & Corn Free (for our daughter’s sensitivities)!

MONDAY:  Ate out

TUESDAY:  BBQ Chicken, broccoli, baked potato

WEDNESDAY:   Burrito Bowls (fajita chicken, black beans, cilantro lime rice, refried beans, lettuce, pico, quacamole in a bowl)

THURSDAY:  Tuscana Potato Soup, Garden Salad

FRIDAY:  Meatloaf (made with ground turkey & GF bread crumbs), mashed potatoes, green beans

SATURDAY:  Leftovers

SUNDAY: Chili, salad

Special Breakfast this week:  Baked French Toast

Special Dessert this week: Apple Pie &  GF Apple Crumble

Linking up with Menu Plan Monday at I’m an Organizing Junkie!

Need Real Food Help and Ideas?

Time for another week of Menu Planning!  As always, I carry over anything unused from last week’s menu.  Also, our menu includes meals that are Wheat & Corn Free (for our daughter’s sensitivities)!

MONDAY:  Burgers, fresh winter fruit salad, beans  (bun-free for Zoe, and Cheese-free for Jared)

TUESDAY:  Pot Roast in the Crock Pot with carrots & potatoes, garden  salad

WEDNESDAY: Grilled Lime-Cilantro Chicken Breast, Black beans, broccoli

THURSDAY:  BBQ Beef Sandwiches made with leftover pot roast from Tuesday, tossed salad

FRIDAY:  Burrito Bowls (fajita chicken, black beans, cilantro lime rice, refried beans, lettuce, pico, quacamole in a bowl)

SATURDAY:  Leftovers

SUNDAY:  Potato Soup, Garden Salad

Special Dessert this week:  Pumpkin Dump Cake and GF Pumpkin Bread with corn starch free icing  (need to use up the rest of those pumpkins from our garden!!)

Special Breakfast this week: Whole grain Blueberry Pancakes with real Grade B Maple Syrup & a Wheat & Corn free version for Zoe, eggs, fruit

Linking up with Menu Plan Monday at I’m an Organizing Junkie!

Need Real Food Help and Ideas?