Frazzled LaShawn

Rite of Passage…

July 9, 2009 at 12:28 pm | In Crazy Woman with ALLLLL those kids, Family, Kids, Photography | Leave a Comment

Learning to ride a bike without training wheels is one of those childhood milestones most of us remember. I don’t remember when I started riding on two wheels, but I do remember watching my brother learn. Strange memory I have.

Austin learned to ride a two wheel bike when he was 6 1/2 years old. We tried the whole push him and let go thing, but all that did was freak him out that he was going to fall going full speed. So we finally decided to just let him do it on his own. And a few days later he did.

We have always said Brodie was going to learn sooner. He has always had a better sense of balance than Austin. In most things he is pretty willing to try most everything and worry about consequences later. For some reason this hasn’t been the case when it comes to the bike. For the last year he has barely touched his bicycle. He rides the scooter everywhere. I kept mentioning that we should take off the training wheels and give it a go, but he refused. On things like this my parenting philosophy is just let them be and eventually they will be ready.

This week it was time. Brodie asked Daddy to take off the training wheels, which Jason was more than happy to do. Brodie will be 7 next month and I think he wanted to be able to say he was 6 when he learned.

Austin was glad to help as well. Since Austin taught himself to ride we thought that Brodie could probably do the same.

He fiddled and adjusted his seat and everything just right.

Then he started pushing off and trying to peddle.

Determined to master it…he was off.

Austin watched on as Brodie kept going.

And going.

Within five minutes he was circling our cul-de-sac without stops. He was a natural. He then told me he wishes he would have let us take off the training wheels sooner.

I hate to say it….I TOLD YOU SO, BRODIE!

Moving…

July 7, 2009 at 11:21 am | In House construction craziness | 3 Comments

I mentioned a few days ago that we are going to move this fall. Well, I didn’t go into detail then becuase we were working out some details and getting things finalized. But now….WE ARE MOVING HERE!

Looks like an empty lot you say?

To you maybe, but to me it looks like home already. Obviously, the house isn’t actually THERE yet. But isn’t it a beautiful lot? See that big tree back there?

Back behind that is a greenbelt. I have visions of my boys scaling the fence and climbing that tree and making it a fort.

We are one of the first people to build on the block.

We agonized over what the right decision for our family was house wise. We have rented for the last several years waiting for the right time to buy and waiting to figure out WHERE to buy. Tricky. We finally decided we needed to do it this year. It was the right time.

We started looking everywhere near us. All my communities within 15 miles of us. We were looking for a LARGE one story which is basically impossible living in the areas we wanted to be in. So then, we gave up on that idea and just started looking. We had a pretty good price range to work with and were looking on the higher side of that just to get in a good area.

Then one day we came upon this development being built IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, very close to our #1 town pick (in fact should the boys go back to public school they will be in one of the best districts in the metroplex). We started looking and due to a slow economy they had SLASHED the prices of these houses. We hadn’t really thought about buying a new construction, but went in and talked to them and toured a few houses. SOLD! The amount of stuff we are getting for our money is amazing. Plus, this house is WAY below our budget. A huge bonus for someone like me that is completely against having a house payment where I can’t afford to do all the other fun things in life.

The biggest decsion we had to make was between two floorplans. One was bigger and one was still big (100 sq ft bigger than our current house which is plenty big), but had a better layout for my personally. The bigger one was a two story, the smaller one was a one and half story. In the end we went with the smaller one and we are very happy we made that choice. It is plenty of house for us, won’t waste energy like the two story, is much more manageable for me cleaning wise, has a GREAT layout, and has TONS of storage the bigger one did not have. All in all I am happy.

Soon Jason and I will be going to the design center to pick out all of our features (flooring, cabinets, counters, etc.). VERY exciting!!!!

Stay tuned over the next several months of work in progress pictures!!!

Baker Kiddos…

July 6, 2009 at 2:16 pm | In Photography | 2 Comments

My friend, Shana, was out of town for a few days and my partner in crime, Brad and I took some pics of him and the kids together as a surprise for her birthday. I was informed today by her that he finally let the cat out of the bag, so now I can post pictures of her darling kids. Behold…the Bakers make cute kiddos!!

Ohhh I tell ya they are cute ones:

And we figured Shana might like a picture of Brad alone:

Don’t say you are bored…

July 2, 2009 at 9:56 am | In Crazy Woman with ALLLLL those kids, Family, Kids, life ramblings | 3 Comments

I decided we are going to start “school” some time after the 4th holiday. We will be moving some time this fall (coming in another post) so we will need to take a short break around that time. Since we are starting soon I have tried to give the older boys a pretty easy time lately.

But they said they were bored ONE too many times and I snapped:

You Capture. Summer.

June 24, 2009 at 9:57 pm | In Photography | 21 Comments

This is my first week participating in You Capture (you need to go read I Should Be Folding Laundry…great blog).

I have to admit I am not a fan of the summer. I don’t like the hot at all. However, I do love some of the sights of summer.

I love bubble blowing after supper.

I love dog piles.

Despite my hate of the heat, I love that early summer has such beauty.

Just a mom…

June 23, 2009 at 9:43 pm | In Crazy Woman with ALLLLL those kids, Family, Goals, Kids, Photography, life ramblings | 3 Comments

I have been on pretty much all sides of the Mommy Wars. You know the Mommy Wars. The constant battle over who has it harder and who is in the right. Who is raising their children the right way and who is ruining their children forever. Yes, those Mommy Wars.

I began as the young mom. I married at 18 and had my first son at age 19. Then, I was a stay at home mom for the first 11 months of my oldest son’s life. After those 11 months I went back to work full time. So I was a working mom. I was also a military wife at the time. Anyone knows that being a mom within the military life is a different world all its own. Then I was the stay at home mom to two. Then back to work. THEN the big one….I was a single, full time working, part time student mom.

Are you still with me?

Then I was the stay at home mom again. Then we added son #3 and son #4. So now I am the stay at home, homeschooling mom of four.

All this to say, I understand where almost every woman is coming from. I understand the need to feel important to yourself and to the world as something other than “just a mom”. I understand that deep down desire to be the most important person in your child’s world. I understand the wanting to stay at home and be with your children as much as possible. I understand the need to have a life of your own outside your home. I understand that sometimes being a mom can be a drag. I also understand there is no more important job in the world. I also know, that no matter what stage of motherhood I have been in I have ALWAYS had terrible guilt about something. Guilt about dropping my kids off with strangers for nine hours a day. Guilt about not feeding them enough vegetables. Guilt about yelling too much or not paying enough attention. Guilt, it’s what we moms do.

So I am here to say that I know that 99.9% of moms are good moms that only want what is best for their children. I believe in my case that is to be a stay at home, homeschooling mom. What is best for you and your kids? I don’t have a clue. I don’t pretend to know. On the same note, no one outside God, me and my husband can dictate what being a good mom to MY kids looks like.

In the end…..my name is LaShawn. I am just a mom.

Cause our Dad is the best..

June 21, 2009 at 1:54 am | In Uncategorized | 1 Comment

WINNER….

June 20, 2009 at 9:36 pm | In Blog Business, EA Sports Active 30 day challenge | 2 Comments

The winner (as determined by Random.org) of the NEW EA Sports Active for Wii is KRISTIN from The Schell Cafe

Kristin has some SERIOUSLY yummy stuff happening over at her blog, check it out!

Thanks for all who entered! Kristin, expect an email shortly!!!

Bubbles…

June 19, 2009 at 9:15 am | In Family, Kids, Photography | Leave a Comment

Dip your pipe and gently blow.

Watch the tiny bubble grow

Big and bigger, round and fat,

Rainbow colored, and then

SPLAT!

~Margaret Hillert

A Giveaway…

June 16, 2009 at 12:57 pm | In Blog Business, EA Sports Active 30 day challenge | 10 Comments

You will remember that I recently posted about the EA Sports Active that I have received. Due to our recent power outage and my extreme laziness I will be restarting my 30 day challenge next week. Want to join me for free?

I have a brand new EA Sports Active to give away to one lucky reader. This thing is really awesome. I will be giving it away to one random commenter.