Our Summer 2020 Garden

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The kids and I had such a great time planting and harvesting our vegetable and fruit garden last summer. So we’re giving it another go this summer as well. My green thumb may be more of a black thumb when it comes to houseplants and flowers but grateful I seem to be able to keep fruits and vegetables alive. Here’s a look at what we’re growing this summer.

Friday Five Recently | Week 7

How is it back-to-school time already?  We've been rocking and rolling with homeschool for about three weeks now and I'm still trying to figure out how Summer Break went by so quickly.  Listen, I'm not the biggest fan of overly structured days, getting up in the morning, and having to cut back on my night owl hours.  In the words of Drake, "I come alive in the nighttime." So needless to say it's been an adjustment around these parts.  Anyways, I hope that the 2019-2020 school year has gotten off to a great start for your families.  Here's a look at what we've been up to during my Summer hiatus from the blog.

Recently . . .

Gardened | Our gardening adventures have continued.  I'm so happy the kids and I decided to start growing our own food again. We had a small veggie garden on our balcony when we lived in our old apartment.  So it only made sense to give it another go now that we have a yard with even more space and we can actually plant into the ground.

I will say that it hasn't been all smooth sailing but it's been a great learning and bonding experience for us.  We've enjoyed eating food we grew from seed and via our own hard work.  We recently came back from a trip to my hometown and discovered that our watermelons have finally decided to grow!  We were shocked and excited.  Bambi and his mama had been eating up our watermelon vine and buds every time they bloomed.  I had made up my mind that I was going to take up the vines and plant something else but I'm glad that I didn't.

Realized | While we're on the subject of gardening, I've had the realization/revelation that I've become really passionate about growing my own food.  So much so that I want to give it a go doing it on a larger scale and throw some animals into the mix.  Basically, I want to start a farm.  I'm not shocked by this as I come from a line of sharecroppers and have family members who have/had farms.

I've written about how my mom has an excellent green thumbs and our house was always full of plants growing up.  I've also talked about how I spend time helping my great uncle in his garden and the fun I had shelling peas and shucking corn on his screened-in porch with my siblings.  I just wish I would have realized how passionate I would feel about farming and how right it would feel deep down in my bones before I went to college and studied fashion merchandising.  

Now I'm looking into taking some agriculture classes.  Better late than never for sure.

Started | Somewhere between late June and early July, I hopped back on the couponing bandwagon.  Honestly, I'm wondering why I ever stopped to start with.  I'm not out here clearing shelves, but my favorite total at checkout has become $FREE.  I will say that couponing feels so much easier though this time around.

I'm sure that YouTube couponers and my couponing groups has a lot to do with that.  It's easier to find sales and the guesswork is pretty much taken out of doing matchups.  Not only has couponing been a great way to save money, but it's helped me to earn money as well using cashback apps like ibotta, Fetch Rewards, and ShopKick.  I'll go in-depth on this in a later post.

Mourned | This summer has not been kind to my family as a whole.  A little over a month ago my Aunt G passed away.  While wasn't out of the blue because she had been sick and was in and out of the hospital which ended in her having to have her leg amputated, it's still an adjustment.  The first two weeks after her funeral were the hardest for me.  Memories of her kept popping into my head at will and I'd have rush off to the bathroom to cry in peace.

Aunt G is on the right in the hat. 

One of my cousins passed away the same day after he heard about her passing.  He was on his way back home to attend the funeral.  I'm not going to go into all of the other people from our family who've passed away this Summer but it's just been a reminder that my aunts, uncles, great cousins, etc. are all older now.  So I know death is to be expected in some cases, but it damn sure ain't welcomed!

Resonated | I stumbled across this post that talks about how we should Stop Accepting Apologies That Aren't Accompanied By Changed Behavior and it really resonated with me.  I think a lot of us struggle with putting our foots down, cutting people off, and leaving harmful situations be it romantic, platonic, and/or professional relationships.  We allow people to continue to mistreat us, disrespect us, and waste our time.  We stay mad for a little while, they give us an apology and empty promises, and we bury our emotions and open our arms and hearts right back up to them time and time again.

I don't want to get too deep or sound too preachy, but accepting apologies without changed behavior is something that's heavily promoted in Black families.  Maybe not as much in this generation but enough that we still need to work on it.  I'm sure many of us have been told to accept so and so's apology for the millionth time because "we're family."  I know I've heard this, both directed and not directed at me, more times than I care to recount.

It took me a long time to realize that a lot of people let others continue to hurt them out of fear.  Fear of being alone, fear of not what's next, fear of losing something/someone familiar and not wanting to have to start over or move on.  Reading this helped to me to come to terms with the fact that I want to break this cycle with my kids.  Also, I want to be conscious of what I'm teaching them about forgiveness.  I want them to know that it's okay to not forgive immediately.  

Some wounds won't heal overnight or ever.  Take your time. Also, I want them to know that forgiving someone doesn't mean you have to keep them around and give them the opportunity to screw you over again.  I want my kids to know their worth and what they are worthy of.  I want them to be ruthless about cultivating an environment that is safe and healthy mentally, emotionally, and physically.

Let's chat in the comments!  Have your kids started school yet?  If so, how's it been going?

Recently | January & February Edition

Does anyone else feel like 2017 doesn't like them recently?  Just me? Okay.  January got off to a slow start.  And I just knew February aka Black History Month was going to be LIT for our family.  I mean Beyonce announced that she and Jay-Z were having twins on the first day of Black History Month, so how could I not take that as a good omen that February was going to bring great things?

Alas, we got hit by the flu not once, not twice, but three times last month.  So we pretty much on house arrest because I'm NOT about that spreading germs life.  Plus, I'm a light weight when it comes to heavy meds and was pretty much out of it.  Voluntary house arrest wasn't all that bad though.  Here's a look at what I've been up to recently since the last time y'all have seen me here on the blog.

Thankful Thursday | A Weekly List Of Gratitude

I can't believe that Thankful Thursday came back around so fast.  I guess 2017 is going to be much like 2016- Fast!  This means that I'm going to have to be more diligent than ever at documenting the happenings of this year.  After if life has taught me nothing else, it's that time waits for no one.  But enough of that let's jump into what's on my list of gratitude for this week.

Thankful Thursday

Hello February and Black History Month!!  One month down, eleven more to go.  Did you guys miss me?  I know, I know, I kind of just disappeared from the blog and social media for a bit, but I'm back now.  So let's hop into this.

My 2017 Goals & Resolutions

Happy New Year!  Hello 2017.  While I wouldn't consider myself a traditionalist, one tradition I love repeating year after is setting my goals and resolutions for the incoming year.  This year was no exception.  I'm excited and anxious to get started crossing accomplishments off my list!  Keep scrolling to see what I'm hoping to accomplish over the next 12 months.

And Then She Was Eight

Before having children, I had no idea that I was so sentimental/emotional about birthdays.  The following is a letter that I wrote for Moo on her eighth birthday.

Dear Moo,

This special day comes around every year.  You'd think that I'd be prepared by now, but I'm not.  At least not emotionally.  I know that for you birthdays are about spending time with your favorite people, getting out of school early, presents and special lunches with sweet treats.  Also, I know that you feel like it takes forever for your birthday to get here. (You spent all summer reminding us how far away December was).

But for me it seems like the time in between each birthday isn't long enough.  Time is one of the things almost everyone wishes they had an unlimited supply of.  There have been so many different moments your life that I wish I could have hit a freeze frame button on so that we could have dwelled in those moments forever.  Unfortunately time is ever constant.  Always moving forward and these years. with you (and your brother) seem to be passing by in the blink of an eye.

On this special day, I want you to know that I am prouder than ever to have been chosen to be your mommy.  I speak for the family when I say that you fill our lives with joy, happiness and lots of sparkles!  I love that over the years you've taught me a lot of things.  You've taught me the importance of being carefree.  You've taught me so much about learning to love myself as I am in any current moment instead of focusing on how others (or even myself) wish I were.

Your compassionate spirit and willingness to lend a helping hand to others have always been admirable traits.  I love that you don't allow people (or yourself) to put your in a box.  You can be a quiet introvert one minute, then an adventurous extrovert the next.  You absolutely love dolls, but you keep a collection of Thomas & Friends mini trains.  Dressing up and dabbling in makeup are your all-time favorite activities, but don't let being fancy stop you from getting down and dirty in the dirt either.

The list of qualities that I love about you is endless.  And I'm not just saying this because I'm your mom.  You light up and bring sunshine to any and every room place you go.  You're amazing like that!  Seriously, people stop to compliment me all the time on "what a happy, bright and beautiful child" I have whenever we're out and about.

My prayer for you on your eighth birthday isn't for time to slow down, though I wish it would.  Instead I pray that you continue to be compassionate, kind, gentle, loving, adventurous, fearless and uniquely you!

I love you, Moo!!

You're well on your way to changing the world.  I'm just happy that I get to come along for the ride and help navigate along the way.

Happy Birthday,

Mommy

Thankful Thursday

Happy Thankful Thursday y'all!  I hope this week has been good to each and every one of you.  Last week was a bit draining and I ended up not getting a post up last Thursday.  This week has still been draining, but overall better than last week.  So I'm happy to be back sharing all of the things I found in my life to be grateful for this week.

For example, I'm so thankful that we had a three day weekend.  Halloween was on Monday and schools in our area were out.  Although, I forgot to turn off my alarms, JJ and I got to sleep in.  Moo is an early riser for the most part and still woke up bright and early.  However, she did a great job of entertaining herself with breakfast, her dolls and some YouTube for Kids so that I could some extra rest.

Speaking of Halloween, I'm grateful that our Halloween raining streak came to end this year.  The kids were good sports about not having costumes because I really thought it was going to rain and we'd end up stuck in the house like the last three years.  We were able to get out and go trunk-or-treating at one our favorite churches.  My little guy did well the entire night, especially when the crowd got bigger.  He stayed calm and when he had had reached his limit, he politely asked to go home and was patient as we worked our way back to our car.

It's such a blessing to see all of the progress he's made and continues to make everyday.  I still weep sometimes when I remember the days when he couldn't even day "Mommy" or he'd freak out in crowds or totally lose it when he heard music or other loud sounds.  I remember when his pediatrician wasn't sure he'd walk without therapy and maybe even leg braces because the muscle mass on one side of body was so much less than the other.  If ever I need a reminder that God is real, I don't to look any further than my son.

While we're on the subject of JJ, he's totally rocking out in homeschool and for that I am grateful as well.  I've taught other people's children, but for some reason it's so much scary teaching my own.  The first month of homeschooling, I definitely worried whether or not I was doing a good job, but now I know that I am.  I've reminded myself that part of the reason we're homeschooling is so that we can move at a pace that is best for him and so that he can be in an environment that gives him the freedom to learn in the ways he is most comfortable.

Moo is such a busybody and is always twirling, trying to do flips and practice gymnastics on the furniture.  She took a bit of fall a few days ago and caught her arm in rather uncomfortable position on one of our couches.  I'm so grateful that she didn't break her arm because as I watched the fall happen I thought she had.  It's hard watching your children get hurt because you're too far away to get to them to catch them.  We'll be heading to the doctors probably tomorrow because she said that it started back hurting today, but I'm giving thanks in advance that we won't leave with any bad news.

Lastly, I'm thankful that I'm making progress on my goal/resolution to improve my photography skills.  I've been really reading, researching and even taking a photography class - Become a Better Photographer on Udemy (sponsored link) -  and I feel like all my hard work is paying off.  I was very pleased with the photos from my POPSUGAR post.  I still have more room for improvement, but this is a start.

What are you giving thanks for this week?

Recently | November Edition

Happy November y'all!  2016 is coming to a close in give or take 60 days.  As usual, I feel like this year went by way too fast, but I won't complain about it.  This year been full of changes for me and my family that I know will lead to bigger and better things in the upcoming New Year.  Since I haven't been updating you guys on all of the happenings around these parts very often, I thought a Recently post was in order to bring y'all up to speed.

Started | I've been keeping a secret from you guys.  For almost two years I've been having a strong desire to officially become a member of the BookTube aka YouTube for book lovers/nerds (like me) community.  I thought I was going to start my BookTube journey last year, but chickened out.  Also, I chickened out earlier this year.  It just felt like some sort of elite club that I might not be cool enough to be a part of.

Anyways, this year I've really been working on getting more comfortable being in front of the camera and shooting videos.  So last month I decided that enough was enough.  I took the plunge and became a BookTuber!  You check out my first video below

So far everything has been great.  My channel is still fairly new but already I've made some new friends and even gotten my first BookTube shout out from another more known and established BookTuber, Olivia from iLivieforbooks.  I'm super excited to have a dedicated space to fangirl over my favorite books and authors as well as to talk about writing.

Loved | Last month I was cleaning out the kids' iPad and realized that I'm raising a future model and a mini photographer/videographer.  Can who's going to be which?  Maybe the pictures below will give y'all a clue.

I absolutely loved this pictures of Moo with her personality really shining through.  I'm pretty sure I shared them with all of my family members as well as on my Instagram and the YUMMommy Facebook page.  They were just too adorable not to share.  This wasn't her only photoshoot either.  Not to be outdone JJ snapped these pretty decent shots of his bff Thomas the Tank Engine and Luke.

Celebrated | For the last three years it has rained on Halloween here.  We purchased costumes for the kids the first two years, but skipped buying them the third year.  We were only going to be home chilling on the couch with our favorite snacks and watching our favorite Halloween movies anyway.  Fast forward to Halloween 2016 and we skip costumes again because I'm expecting our tradition of Halloween Rain to continue.  Guess what y'all?

It didn't rain this year!  The kids asked to go trunk-or-treating at our favorite baptist church and I obliged them.  Although we didn't have official costumes (Moo found a Doc McStuffins dress up shirt and JJ wore a 'Zombie Ate My Homework' shirt), we still had a blast celebrating Halloween with some friends from our old neighborhood.  The kids got to play games like pin the nose on the pumpkin, JJ took his first hay ride and we got to get inside a real fire truck!  Next year we'll be back to buying costumes.

Last month we also celebrated the fact that Moo has pretty much tested out of her grade level according to the standardized testing they took at the beginning of the school year as well as the gifted and talented test.  The testing only allowed for second graders to test to a fourth grade level.  Moo maxed out in the reading department and did pretty much the same in the math.  She's already exceeded her end of the year goals for both.

She had been mentioning being a little bored in classroom, but I thought that she was only saying that because she wanted to homeschool with her brother.  I'm glad we have test results to prove that she's actually bored because she's so far ahead of her classmates.  Her teacher has recommended some apps and learning sites for us to use at home so that she can be more stimulated on her intellectual level.

Watched | Let me just off saying that I've pretty given up watching cable tv.  Between the horrible campaign ads and just not being able to find anything to keep my attention, I've spent a lot of time on Netflix these past few months.  I was beyond hyped when I found Marvel was filming Luke Cage and stalked Netflix for it daily just in case they released it early.  When they finally did, I binge watched it and y'all that show did NOT disappoint.  I'm already wondering when season 2 will start filming.

I finally watched the last episode of Orange Is The New Black.  I know I'm super late, but I had been putting it off because with everything going on in our society, the race issues and inequality issues were just hitting too close to home and I needed a moment to not get swept up even more in my frustration and anger.  Needless to say I cried some angry tears and a few tears of sorrow.

So I've become a bit obsessed British and foreign crime shows.  The Fall, featuring Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan, is my favorite and it felt like it took them forever to release the third and final season on Netflix.  I was not prepared for the way it ended.  Also, I binge watched Marcella, another British crime show, that really had me on the edge of my seat.  I don't know how to talk about these shows without spoiling it so I'll say just check them out, but be aware that they are a bit graphic and dark.

Disliked |  There's no easy way to put this.  So I'm just going to come right out and say it.  For the past few months I have really disliked having neighbors.  A few specific neighbors to be exact.  I don't want to go into details, but let's just say that we you have share parking spaces, a lawn and other property, please considerate, clean and respectful.

The kids and I are looking forward to moving to the country where we can have our space.  Will we miss the convenience of city life?  Of course, having Target two miles away is hard to give up, but my sanity and detached living are more important.  I'm looking forward to the New Year when our closest neighbor will be several yards away.

What have you guys been up to?

Thankful Thursday

Happy Thankful Thursday y'all!  Please forgive the absence/lack of Thankful Thursday posts around these parts.  Somehow Thursdays have become my busiest days.  Also, homeschooling JJ has completely taken over my life and free time, but I'm NOT complaining.   I had a few unfinished Thankful Thursday posts from last month just chilling in my Drafts folder.  Today I woke up determined to get this week's post published and not dumped in Drafts with the others.  So let's jump right on in.

My baby sister recently celebrated her birthday y'all.  I'm so grateful that she was blessed to see another year of life.  Although, life has always been unpredictable and something meant to be cherished, I feel like in today's society it's even more imperative that we truly cherish what a gift it is to get older and celebrate our birthdays.  There so many folks who haven't and won't make it to their next birthday this year.  Just last week a school near our county was shot up by another kid.  A few people were injured, but one little boy died from his injuries.

This tragedy was a very sobering moment, especially since it was so close and happened in my home state.  Then a fellow creative in one of my creative groups on Facebook loss her 8-week old baby yesterday.  She said that she had the perfect pregnancy and delivery.  Her daughter was doing fine and had just had a checkup, but then she stopped breathing on Monday and things just went downhill from there.  We can be here one moment and gone in the blink of an eye.  Celebrate life EVERYDAY!!

Moving on to happier news, I'm thankful that JJ is crushing this homeschooling thing.  The first few weeks I told I was going to go out of my mind because I was putting so much pressure on myself.  Then, I remembered that God put it on my heart for me to homeschool my little guy.   He never gives us more than we're capable of handling.  While everyday isn't smooth sailing, JJ is definitely learning  and his passion for learning is really blossoming.

However, JJ isn't the only one excelling in school.  Moo is doing great in second grade at her old school.  They got tested for their reading levels the second week of school.  Guess what?  Moo tested over her reading level and has already met her end-of-the-year reading goal!  I'm so proud of her, but also a little worried because I hope that I'll be able to keep her entertained once she joins us in homeschool next year.

Lastly, I'm grateful that we got to have a mini-vacation recently.  One of my older cousins got married at the beach and we decided to make it a weekend trip.  The kids and I packed up, met up with my mom and then drove to stay with my brother for the wedding.  When I say that the reception was lit, I mean it was LIT!  Whenever our family gets together, especially us cousins and siblings, we party and turn up.  I even got a chance to go out sans the kids with my brother and sister for a sibling turn up session.

Before I let you guys go, I just want to say thank you to everyone who continues to support this blog.  I greatly appreciate you.  Also, to all my fellow East Coast readers, be safe as we wait for Hurricane Matthew to pass.  Pray for us y'all.  Here in the Queen City, we're already getting lots of rain and winds are expected to pick up over the next day or so.

And if you haven't already, go enter my latest giveaway!

What are you thankful for this week?

Adventures In Homeschooling

This Summer we really enjoyed spending long days at the pool and our month long vacation at my mom's in July.  However, as the start of the school year got closer and closer, I couldn't help the waves of anxiety that washed over me.  I had a choice to make.  For a while I had been praying as well as weighing the pros and cons of whether to enroll JJ into traditional school with his sister or to put on my teachers hat and teach him at home (homeschool).

Like most parents, I take my children's education and emotional well-being seriously.  So after much consideration, some research and a slightly passionate conversation with the Mr, I finally decided that homeschooling was the right the move for JJ.  Since making my decision, I feel like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders and I sleep much better at night now.  When it comes to homeschooling, there are several reasons/factors that make families choose this option over traditional school.  I can't speak for every homeschooling parent, but I can share with y'all why homeschooling is the right fit for us.

Why Homeschool Works For Us

• One-On-One Learning

My biggest concern about enrolling my little guy into a traditional kindergarten class was that he wasn't going to get the one-on-one attention he'd need to be able to keep up with the rest of the class.  JJ is a slow learner.  He's also a special needs child.  At the school he would have been going to with his sister, each teacher usually has 15 to 20 students, usually closer to the 20 students range.  It just wouldn't be possible or feasible for his teacher to be able to pull him aside to work one-on-one with him all day.

Also, JJ can be easily distracted.  We did a trial run of homeschooling for about a week during Summer Break and he kept getting distracted by his sister.  This is why I made the decision to let her continue with traditional school and not to join us at homeschool.  I can see my little guy's focused being pulled into a million directions inside of a regular classroom.  He'd be overwhelmed in no time.  And when he gets overwhelmed he shuts down.

Lesson  Plan and Schedule Flexibility

Slow learners often times get frustrated easier and more often than the rest of us when they can't get a concept.  This frustration can get more intense in situations where everyone else around them seems to be getting this concepts.  I've seen this time and time again with JJ when he's observed his sister, cousin or a friend do something that looks easy but proves to be a challenge with him.  His frustration is more heightened when he's around his peers compared to when he's frustrated about the same thing when it's just him and I.  This is where having a flexible time schedule comes in handy.

In homeschool if he gets more frustrated than usual about something, I back off that concept for while until he cools down.  Then I can take as much time as needed to break the concept into even more smaller aspects and approach it that way so that he doesn't get overwhelmed.  Furthermore, I have the flexibility to throw in subjects like Spanish, STEM and even a little Home Economics.  I'll go more into detail about schedule and lessons in my weekly updates throughout the school year.

More Hands On Learning

Moo's biggest complaint about school is that all she does is sit at her desk while working on worksheets, copying work from the whiteboard or reading.  Sure she gets a few minutes of carpet time to listen to a story, but she's still sitting.  She's her happiest on the days when her class goes to art, music and P. E.  Her kindergarten year, she got to do science and is bummed that they she hasn't had science yet at her new school.  Long story short, she's not getting enough hands on learning.

JJ is very much a hands on learner.  He learns more and better by doing and through dramatic play.  Sitting down for hours at a time doing worksheets is not his speed.  Trust me, I've found that out in these three short weeks of us homeschooling.  So now I'm incorporating more out of the box learning activities and am finalizing the plans for our first of many field trips.

Lunch

I'm sure parents of children with school allergies can relate to how stressful it can be to get a school to fix your child's lunch properly.  Moo's first year of school, I had to rope in a little help from her teacher and the school nurse to get the cafeteria manager to stop playing games with me and fix her lunch as outlined in her diet order from her Dr.  Once they knew I had witnesses and wasn't afraid to take the matter to the superintendent, it was smooth sailing and Moo had a blast telling me what she ate everyday.  Fast forward to last year when she got rezoned to a new school and the shenanigans have started up again.

If I can't trust her school to get her lunch right and she only has food allergies, how can trust them with JJ who has more food allergies than Moo as well as sensory issues with certain food textures?  I can't.  Cafe Mom it is for the win!

Family Time

Have you seen those spoofs of parents praise dancing and jigging for joy on the first day of school after their kids hop on the school bus and it drives away?  Yeah, I'm not that mom.  Growing up my mom worked three jobs and we didn't get to spend as much time together just enjoying being a family as we should have.  The bills had to get paid and we had to eat.  On the list of things I would change about my childhood, spending more time with my mom and siblings is at the top of my list.

My mom, aunts, cousins, great cousins are educators.  So, I don't have anything against schools in general.  I appreciate and admire how hard teachers and all the school staff works, but what I don't appreciate is how much time it takes away from our family time.  School starts for Moo around 9 AM.  They have to be in the classroom by 9:15.  They're supposed to get out at 4:15 PM, but they way that car rider line is setup, she doesn't get in the car until 4:30 or 4:40 PM.

Listen, if you live in a city be it Charlotte, Atlanta, NYC or wherever, I don't have to tell you that certain times during the day you just don't want to get caught in traffic.  Moo's school lets out right at the start of rush hour traffic.  We make it home at 5 PM or a little later usually.  Then, we have to do homework, study, chores, dinner, and bath time to do it all over again the next day.  We have very little time Monday through Friday to just enjoy being a family.

Honestly, if JJ wasn't so easily distracted, Moo would have be homeschooling right along with us.  But I want him to really get the basics down.  However, next school year, I'm pretty positive that I'll be pulling her out of her current school to join us at home.  There's so much I want us to experience and explore and I don't want to feel forced to squeeze everything in over a weekend or just during Summer Break.

Again I can't speak for every parent, but these are my reasons for taking control of my son's education and homeschooling.  We're three weeks in and it's been challenging, but more rewarding than anything.  All the worrying, praying and convincing his dad that this was the right move has been worth it.  Join us every week starting Monday, September 19th for our Adventures In Homeschooling series as we chronicle our journey in homeschooling as well as a linkup.

Do you homeschool?  If so, what has been your biggest challenge?

Thankful Thursday

Happy Thankful Thursday!  I never get tired of typing or saying this out loud.  I don't know about you but I get excited when Thursdays roll around.  Reflecting on all of our victories, no matter how small or big, from the week gives me a weekly reminder of how blessed my family and I truly are.  Thankful Thursdays are my reminder that I'm not doing this thing called life on my own.  There's a greater and higher power at work in my life and the lives of my loved ones.

This week I am giving thanks for my baby brother seeing another birthday!  Sadly, we aren't able to celebrate it with him, but we've scheduled a weekend trip next month to go visit him.  I have no doubt that we will celebrate.  The kids are beyond excited to see him and spend time at the beach since we didn't get to make it during Summer Break.

I'm thankful that the Mr is on board with me homeschooling JJ.  I really prayed on it and asked God for guidance and just felt in my heart that he would benefit better from learning in a one-on-one setting right now.  Kindergarten is really where the major foundations of grasping certain skills starts.  I don't want him to get be lost in the shuffle or a sea of other students.

We decided that Moo would continue going to traditional school for now because I NEED to make sure JJ doesn't have any distractions.  Speaking of Moo, I'm thankful that we got to meet her second grade teacher today.  She seemed nice and very personable.  We'll see how the school year goes though.  We found out Moo's teacher from last year went back to teaching 5th grade.  Thankfully though she's still at Moo's school and I can always go to her for advice and to get the scoop on Moo's current teacher.  I'm forever grateful that she taught Moo last year and that they bonded so well because I know if I ever need someone to lookout for her, she would do it.

Lastly, I'm grateful that my niece had a great first week back to school.  She started school last week and so far things are going well.  I feel so old because she's almost a teenager y'all!!  For reason I just don't feel like I should have a niece (or nephew) anywhere near teenage years.  I'm definitely proud of her though because she's smart as a whip and overall a great a kid.

She's so chill, laid back and a book nerd just like the rest of our family.  I'm thankful that I've been able to see her grow from a baby to a preteen.  Knowing Moo has such a great role model in her older cousin makes my heart happier than words can express because those two are like sisters and inseparable whenever they're together.

What are you giving thanks for this week?

Thankful Thursday

Happy Thankful Thursday everyone!  Can you believe it's August already?!  Dear Summer Break, where did you go?  Please come back because I'm not ready for the school year to start yet.  I mean I'm positively prepared for the first day and all, but I just want a little bit more time of sleeping in and being able to jet off to my mom's on a whim.   Seriously though can we push school back to like the middle of September?

Enough lamenting over the end of Summer Break, this week I'm thankful for that Moo had a great visit at the dentist.  It had been a while since she had been thanks to our busy schedules.  Therefore, she was a little nervous.  We had been praying about her upcoming visit for a few days and she did very well.  She did have a cavity or two, but nothing to stress over.  The dentist said her teeth were very clean and was a little stumped about why she was getting cavities.

Sensitive teeth run in my family on both sides, plus due to food allergies she doesn't get quite as much calcium and Vitamin D.  I'm going to see what else I can do on my end to fix that.  Otherwise her mouth got a clean bill of health.  She was super excited that she got a token for the prize/game room and a new toothbrush kit.  She hasn't let that toothbrush kit out of her sight yet.  Can't mad that the girl is obsessed with taking care of her teeth!

I'm also thankful that we'll be having a mini family reunion next month!  One of my favorite cousins is getting married and I couldn't be happier for him.  We've been waiting on him to settle down for a while and he's finally found his true love.  I'm looking forward to dancing, celebrating their love and partying the night away with my other cousins, aunts, uncles and our soon-to-be new extended family members!  The best part is we'll be at the beach!!

Can you say mini vacation?!  The kids are already over the moon about because we'll be staying with my brother and they just adore him.  We seriously don't get to see him enough during the year because of the distance and he's a law student now!  I'm stoked that we'll have a lawyer in the family soon.

Lastly, I'm excited that the Mr got a new job!!  I've been really hush hush about him leaving his old job here on the blog because I wanted to respect his privacy and I really couldn't say too much.  I'm not ashamed to admit that things have been a bit tight money-wise but as the scripture says God never forsakes us.  He is our shepherd and we shall not want for anything. {Psalm 23}   All I can say about his new job is that is that it's still in the law enforcement field.

What are you giving thanks for this week?

I have received information and materials from JOHNSON & JOHNSON CONSUMER, Inc., McNeil Consumer Healthcare Division, LLC.  The opinions stated are my own.  This is a sponsored post.  #PositivelyPrepared #BacktoSchool #CollectiveBias

Back to school season is upon us.  The last few days of summer vacation are flying by.  For some of us getting our children ready to head back into the classroom can be both a cause for celebration and a bit of a headache.  No worries moms (and dads), I have you covered.  Keep reading because I'm going to teach you how to be positively prepared for the first day of school and rock out the school year like a pro.  I even created a few printables to help out even more and make these steps easier to remember.

How To Be Positively Prepared For Back To School

Set A Routine/Schedule

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a big fan of routines.  It's part of the reason why I love Summer Break so much.  However, not having detailed routine or structure time schedules during the school year would be a headache waiting to happen.  Maybe even a migraine.  It's important to set routines for morning time, after school and bedtime.  The easiest way to create a customized back to school routine with your family is to sit down and list out all of the tasks you all have to do in the mornings, afternoons and evenings like breakfast, homework,  bath time, football practice, etc.

Next you want to set what time your days will start (wake up alarm) and end (lights out alarm).  Then from there you can start pencil in which tasks can/need to be during a certain part of day (morning, after school or bedtime).  Take it a step further and add specific times during which those tasks are done if needed.  For example, we're in the house from school by 4:30 PM.  Moo knows that first thing we thing we do after school is snack time. (Click on the image above to download your printable)

Remember being consistent and committing to these routines is equally if not more important than setting them.  I recommend starting/practicing your back to school routines two weeks before school actually starts to get your family adjusted to your new schedule and to also work out any kinks.  Don't forget if things change like your child signing up an additional extracurricular activity, just go back and adjust your routine/schedules as needed.

Prepare Ahead

I'm NOT a morning person, but of one of the things that helps me to function to better when I have to get up early during the school year is being prepared ahead of time.  I get a jump start on the next week of school by washing, ironing and hanging Moo's uniforms up on the weekends.  Then the night before each day I hang a fresh uniform on the rack behind the bathroom door.  After she brushes her teeth, this makes it easier to for her to then get dressed for school without the stress and fuss of trying to find uniform pieces and ironing them the morning of.  It also keeps us on schedule and allows for a little bit more time of sleeping in.

So anything that you can prepare ahead, do it.  Work smarter, not harder y'all!

Keep Necessary Medicines On Hand

You guys know that school is Germ City.  It's just a fact of life.  Moo stayed catching germs from school her kindergarten year, getting sick and then spreading those germs to us at home, mainly me.  She caught the flu and almost ended up in the hospital.  She wasn't back at school a month before she was home again after catching Strep Throat from a classmate.

The kids and I both survived those sick moments and more not only with the help of antibiotics, but also with a little help from our favorite OTC medicines.

Children's MOTRIN® has been a staple in our household for years.  It tackles and relieves a fever and pain like no other pain relievers we've tried with the kids.  It's long lasting (up to 8 hours), is recommended for kids 2 to 11 years old and comes in a variety of yummy flavors- Bubble Gum, Grape and Berry.

At the end of last school year, I got sidelined when I suffered a severe back, shoulder and neck muscle sprain.  Not fun or convenient at all when you have little kids to chase after and take to school.  I was still in pain after I finished my prescription meds until the Mr introduced me to TYLENOL® 8 HR Muscle Aches & Pain.  It was perfect for me because I really didn't want to start on prescription meds again (they can be addictive), but I didn't want to deal with muscle aches either.  Recommended for children 12 years and older, TYLENOL® 8 HR Muscle Aches & Pain acts fast and lasts all day up to 8 hours!  Did you know TYLENOL® is the #1 brand of pain reliever recommended by doctors?

I'm no stranger to BENGAY® and was super excited to find that my Target carries Ultra Strength BENGAY® Cream (recommended for children age 12 and older).  This perfect for me to use on days when I've worked my back too much and need to soothe my muscles or in case I sprain something else.  What can I say taking care of kids and everyday life activities can be tough on our bodies.  Spend a day volunteering to lift boxes of books and supplies at your child's school and you'll be reaching for your Ultra Strength BENGAY® Cream too!

I purchased up all of these products from one of my local Target stores.

Here's the quickest and easiest tutorial you'll probably see this year.

 How to be Prepared When Sickness Hits at Home, On the go and at School

Step 1: Head to your local Target and pickup the following:

- 3 Children's MOTRIN®

- 2 TYLENOL® 8 HR Muscle Aches & Pain

- 2 Ultra Strength BENGAY® Cream

- 1 box gallon zipper sandwich bags

- 1 pack of permanent markers

Step 2: (For Home) Store one of each product in your medicine cabinet or a cool,

dry place that is hard to reach for children, but easy for you.

Step 3: (For On The Go)  Use tape to secure measuring cup(s) to medicine bottle(s).

Then place one of each product in sandwich bag and close.  Drop bag in your purse or

diaper bag.  Store out of reach of children.

Step 4: (For School)  Use tape to secure measuring cup(s) to medicine bottle(s).

Then place one of each product in sandwich bag and close.  Drop bag off to school

nurse and/or front office.  Pick up leftover medicine at end of school year

~ Other JOHNSON & JOHNSON OTC Products to Consider ~

- Extra Strength TYLENOL® TYLEONAL® PM

- Children's TYLENOL ®

- MOTRIN® IB

- MOTRIN® PM

Seriously who has time to deal with the flu and body aches?  We sure don't and neither do you or your family!  Get positively prepared with the right pain relief for you and your family at Target.  Pick up your printable below so you can have this tutorial handy for many years to come.

As a parent of two and having worked in the classroom, I know that it is very important to start the school year off right and headache free.  Therefore, I sincerely hope these tips, printables and tutorial will help you and your family have a smooth start to the school year.  Here's to more laughs, no tardies and enjoying the 2016-2017 school year with your children!

How to you make going back to school easier for your family?

Thankful Thursday

 

Oh July, where have your days gone?  It's hard to believe that we have slightly over a week left in this month.  Summer Break came to a close quicker than I expected.  I feel like I'm in the minority, but I'm NOT looking forward to school starting back up.  If anything all the recent tragedies have made me cherish this uninterrupted time with my family even more.  So much so that I think we're going to give homeschooling a try, but that's another post for another time.

This week I am giving thanks for time spend with my loved ones.  For the last almost three weeks we've been enjoying the comforts of staying with my mom back in my hometown.  We came down for my niece's 11th birthday and ended up pretty much staying, going home for clothes and to visit with the Mr twice.  I feel a little sad that his job isn't as flexible and he hasn't been able to come with us.

Nevertheless, this stay is important.  Now that I'm in my thirties, I'm realizing just how older my mom is and how much older her siblings are.  For the first time in a long time, I'm reminded that life is fleeting and can be taken in an instant.  Before this trip it had been well over two years since Moo and JJ had seen my aunts or any of their cousins outside of my niece!  I didn't want to the next time they spend time with them to be at a funeral.  I want them to get to know and love my aunts like I do.

I'm thankful that I got to run to in one of my cousins and his family at the library.  He's in the military and we haven't seen each other in over five years.  Unfortunately, he hasn't ever been stationed anywhere close to home.  I'm so grateful that he's in good health and has been blessed enough to return home safe and without any injuries from every mission that he's been on.  I'm even more grateful for his sacrifice that he makes everyday in serving our country.

Before our trip to my mom's Moo almost had a hospital stay.  Long story short she was having a severe allergic reaction to something and we couldn't get her hives under control.  She had been taking Benadryl for two days and by day three the hives had gotten worst.  Her whole body was almost covered.  So we called the pediatrician and she said to take her to the emergency room ASAP.  I'm so grateful that when all was said and done, she only needed a few days worth of steroids.

Thank God it wasn't something worse.  However, I did have a brief meltdown after everyone went to bed that night.  I felt (and still feel) guilty that I have passed my kids bad genes.  While I didn't have food or pet allergies as child, I was definitely sick often and saw the inside of my pediatrician's office and the hospital ER more than my siblings.  I know that I can only do so much in terms of controlling my kids' health, but that doesn't the stop the mommy guilt during moments like this.  I hate seeing my children suffer, but what mom doesn't?

Lastly, I'm so thankful for everyone who has used their voices whether on social media or their blogs to come together to support the Black community (and other minorities) after all of these recent senseless shootings.  Police violence against people with brown skin has gotten out of control.  Or as a few people pointed out, maybe it's always been out of control but we're just now broadcasting it through live video and this is the first time we're actually seeing it.   At the same time I am thankful for those in law enforcement (my husband and cousins included) who are working hard to make sure that we know a few bad cops/law enforcement officials don't speak/stand for all of them.

We are in trying time folks.  There's no better way to say it.  We have to continue to be vocal about our frustrations, demand answers and try to build a bridge law enforcement in our area.  We have to get out here in the trenches and get our hands dirty.  That means if you see someone getting pulled over and you're not in hurry, why not pull off to side of the road and be a witness.  Get to know your police chief and a few of your local police officers.  You will find that they are NO different than us.  I'm heartbroken over the recent killings of innocent police officers.

That does not help the cause, but distracts from it as so many people have attached those killings to the Black Lives Matter movement, which in itself is very peaceful and against violence.  Instead express and channel your frustration by writing letters to and calling your town and state representatives as well as  being active in your community overall.  You'd be amazed at all the volunteer needs you can find in your communities.  Be smart, be safe and spread love y'all!

What are you giving thanks for this week?

Thankful Thursday

 

It's Thankful Thursday!  For some reason I feel like this week went by extra fast.  It feels weird considering it's been rainy this week and usually when it's rainy time seems to drag on, but this not this week.  Thankful Thursday got here again sooner than I was expecting it to.  Nevertheless, I am grateful that it's here.

This week I am giving thanks for the lost things that become found.  A few years ago I decided to switch back to Team Android after not being so impressed by Team iPhone.  Well, I had no clue that when you switched phone brands only your number and carrier account information switched with you.  I'd switched to Team iPhone during my pregnancy with JJ and it wasn't until he was almost two years old that I switched to a Samsung Galaxy.  My iPhone with filled with over one thousand photos and videos of my kids.

I'm taking JJ's first Christmas and Moo's first Southern snow day.  Well, I thought I had lost all of those photos until I was filming a video for my YouTube channel and needed a bigger memory card.  I put the memory card into my computer just to check to make sure I didn't have anything on it and low and behold it did.  I got comfortable, preparing to just delete whatever was on the card, but then I clicked on one of the folders and there were all the photos and videos I thought that I had lost.

I have no clue how they got on there since iPhones don't have memory card slots.  It's a miracle for sure.  Maybe, I was able to get the photos through my iCloud or something and forgot that I put them on a memory card, but I'm glad that stumbled across this memory card.  One of the videos that I had mourned the loss of was of JJ taking his first steps at the library.

I cried watching rewatching those clips today.  Unfortunately, I did lose the video of Moo's first steps.  I transferred from my phone to my computer and the file got corrupted, but to think that history was almost repeating itself a second time, I was heartbroken.  Words can't explain how thankful I am to have these documented memories restored to me.  Moments like:

This was JJ's first day home from the hospital.  I (we) was so tired because my milk came in late while we were in the hospital which meant that he was nursing around the clock trying to get every last bit of colostrum he could.  To make matters worst his weight dropped and they were threatening to keep us both another day.  The Mr caved and gave him one bottle of formula which made me turn into a crazed mama bear.  My heart was set on having a second successful breastfeeding experience and a part of me just knew he was going to end up having a dairy allergy.

This was Moo's first ride on the light rail.  Can you tell that she's excited.  It was also one of those rare days that Daddy was able to tag along with us because he didn't have to go to work.  She was over the moon to have him sit with her and listen to her chatter about all the sights outside her window.  My heart was so full this day.

While Moo has always been her brother's biggest fan, the same couldn't be said about him.  It was hard getting these two in a picture together because JJ did not like sharing his spotlight.  That sucks when you're like me and just want to capture the simple everyday moments.  But this is one of my fave photos of my two heartbeats.  I was taking a break from folding laundry to hang out on the bed and watch TV.

I absolutely love this picture of Moo!  Her smile is just so adorable.  Seriously, could you resist this sweet face?!  Looking at how small she was here only makes me want to try harder to appreciate these years before she goes off to college.  Times flies.

I feel like JJ's first flew by.  He was just beginning to start teething (hence the drool) when I took this picture and he's been growing full speed ever since.   He was such a low maintenance baby and is that way for the most part.  Such sweet memories!  I can't wait to print these pictures out and put them in photo albums.  I didn't capture these moments to have them waste away on a memory card.

Lastly, this week I'm thanks for my siblings!  Hands down they are best and I wouldn't trade them for the world.  They always know the right words to say and are constantly doing what they can to be supportive of YUMMommy.  I love you guys!

What's on your gratitude list this week?  Let me know in the comments below.

Thankful Thursday

 

Happy Thankful Thursday!  This week in the YUMMommy household was rather uneventful, but I'm grateful.  The heat has been unrelenting and we've been staying indoors to keep cool.  Well, except for Monday when we went to the pool.  Speaking of which this week I'm thankful that Moo has overcome her fear of going out into the pool.  For years the farthest we could get her to go in a pool where the steps.

That was totally fine for me because that meant I only had to help one kid battle around the pool- JJ.  It's so weird seeing how they have swapped roles with each other.  When Moo was a baby she loved water.  Bathtime was her favorite time of the day, while JJ was NOT a fan of water at all until he hit age four.  Now, he's a water lover and she's not.  But she surprised me Monday and asked me to take her paddling around the deep end of the pool.

She did great a job.  I'm looking into our budget to see if we can move some funds around to pay for family swimming lessons.  The Mr already knows how to swim, but doesn't because he's not a fan of public or community pools.  So maybe he'll tag along for a refresher if we do take some.   Swimming lessons would really help to boost Moo's courage about being in the water and would give me a peace of mind about JJ's enthusiasm for water.

I'm thankful for all of the Booktubers and blog bloggers that have been raving about Sarah J. Maas' A Court of Throne and Roses.  I read a few pages in the library and can't wait to fully engross myself into it this weekend.  But from what I did read, I know that I'm going to love this Beauty and the Beast fantasy-style retelling.  I feel like it's been so long since I've read a good YA (young adult) series.  I probably stopped reading YA after the last Twilight book, speaking of which I heard there's a new addition to the series that was recently released.

Earlier this week I had a bit of writer's block and didn't get much added to my novels.  Today my characters have been busy chattering away in my head.  Scenes have been coming and going.  I can't wait to write them all and move these stories forward.  I'm thankful that I've learned to respect MY writing process more and have come to terms with the fact that I'm just not a fast writer.  And I don't want to be.  At least not with my first debut projects.

Lastly, I'm thankful that Moo continues to make new friends everywhere she goes- the library, the park, etc.  Her light definitely shines bright and serves as beacon to draw others to her.  I hope that light never goes out and that she will find a greater purpose to use her light and voice for.

What are you giving thanks for this week?

Our 2016 Summer Break Bucket List

One week.  That's how long we've been on Summer Break as a family.  It feels strange considering most of my family and close friends have been on break since the middle and/or end of May.  Don't love schools that get out late?  Not I.  Anyways, we spent our first week just relaxing, sleeping in and really not having any rhyme or rhythm as to what we wanted to do, but I've decided that we need to experience a few adventures.

You know, have some actual planned activities.   Sure it's nice to sleep in and we're enjoying the flexible to come and go as we please immensely.  However, I don't sleeping in, watching tv and doing nothing to be ALL that we do this summer.  So with a little input from the kids below is our 2016 Summer Break bucket list.

Our Summer Break Bucket List

• Go to the beach:  We haven't been to the beach in ages, which is pretty awful considering my brother lives at the beach.  The kids have been asking when they will get to see Uncle Lenny since they haven't seen him this year.  Talk about crazy!  Plus, JJ hasn't been on an actual beach like sand, seashells and the wide open ocean since he was in my womb.  I'm sucking it up and taking the four drive to hang out with my brother and catch some rays (with sunblock of course, I sun burn).

• Visit a friend: Now that we are officially a two car household, there's no excuse to not visit one of my best friends.  She lives a little under 3 hours from me and we've been trying to connect in person for a year.  However, the timing was never right, she was either sick when I could use the Mr's car and then there was that time she came all the way to the Queen City, but the kids and I had the stomach virus.  The stars have finally aligned and I can't wait to hang out with her and her little cutie!

• Have a cookout:  Three years.  I haven't grilled outdoors in three years y'all!  This is nuts because I'm the griller in my family.  I've gone from grilling out year round to not grilling since our grill got stolen three years ago.  Whelp, it times to blow that dust off my grilling skills and there's no better time than this Summer to start testing out new burger recipes.

• Join a book club:  Y'all already know that my love of books knows no limits.  I'm the woman who has so many books, I broke two bookshelves because they just couldn't hold the weight of my books.  I've passed my passion for books and words on to Moo and she's been asking to join a kiddie book club.  Likewise I'm wanting to join an adult book club so that I can get my fangirl on with other book nerds.

• See a waterfall:  We were watching a movie a few weeks ago and Moo asked me if I've ever seen a waterfall.  Of course I have because we have a small one in my hometown.  It dawned on me that aside from TV and pictures my kids have never seen a waterfall.  So we're rectifying this situation before school starts back.

• Hike/walk a nature trail:  I think we'll be doing more walking than hiking.  My kids can be a bit unsturdy on their feet.  So we're going to walk at least three of the numerous trails we have here in the Queen City.  I feel blessed to have all the advancements of city living, but the comforts of country life as well.  Not many cities offer both.  I would like hike a more advanced trail sans the kids before September tho.

• Build a sandcastle:  We've always been so unprepared on our trips to the sandbox.  Two weeks ago I finally invested in some pails and shovels for the kids and this week we're going to complete our sandcastle building toolboxes by adding a few sandcastle molds to our collection.  Then we're going to schedule a day to get up early, head to our favorite park with the good moldable sand and build until our hearts are content!

• Visit the Farmer's Market:  When I was a kid, my mom would take us to the farmer's market almost every Saturday and sometimes on Sunday.  I want to start up this tradition with my kids.  We've only been to one of our farmer's markets and that was a few year ago when JJ was still able to ride comfortable in a stroller and was still breastfeeding.

• Have a bubble party:  Who doesn't love bubbles?  JJ's former speech therapist used bubbles as part of his therapy to help him open up and get comfortable.  So bubbles will always have special meaning for our family and be a part of his story.  Why not get a few gallons of bubble mixer, a bubble machine and just go crazy?!

• Decorate t-shirts: Moo's class was supposed to tie dye t-shirts the last week of school, but they never got around to it.  So we're adding it to our list and JJ can join in on the fun.  This will be another first for them because they've never tie dyed anything before.

• Watch the sun set:  A few nights ago we drove around to get a good view of the Strawberry Moon.  The kids loved it.  So I think hanging out at one of our local parks and enjoying the sun set will be equally enjoyable.  I love that my kids love nature and the beauty of God's creations.

• Attend an outdoor movie:  This is something I've personally wanted to do since I was a kid.  Now that I have kids, I get to mark this first off my list and theirs.  Two birds, one stone. Kinda of.

• Host a family game night:  Not just any family game night either.  I'm talking about the ultimate family game night with Grandma, Auntie Cat, and Cousin O!  Scrabble, Connect 4 and UNO are just a few of the games we'll play.  We'll have everyone's favorite snacks and maybe even end the night with a movie- Zootopia.

• Keep a Summer journal:  What better way to keep track of our Summer adventures than through a journal.  Mine will more than likely be a combination of pictures, video and writing.  Also, I'll be sharing our adventures here on the blog as well.  This will also be a good way to help Moo keep up her writing skills and help JJ get better with his handwriting and started on learning how to spell.

• Read 100 books:  Last Summer we read over 100 books and I'm hoping this year we'll do the same.  We've been reading more chapter books than picture books so I'm not sure.

• Explore the Queen City:  I've been in Charlotte for over a decade and still I go to my same old stomping grounds and favorite neighborhoods.  This Summer our goal is to venture out and explore new places and parts of our beloved city that we haven't.

Now that you've read what's on our Summer Bucket List, why don't create your own.  Right-click and save the FREE printable below to get started.

What will you put on your Summer Bucket List?