School Started..Empty Your Pockets!

It's the beginning of the school year and if you have more than one child it can become very expensive!!

We are still in our first month of school, we have regular school and our youngest is in Pre-K, and already have so much going on in both!! The best part is that it ALL costs money!! 

We started with picture day and yes, my daughter in Pre-K had picture day. They should be coming in soon. So, there goes $100 for pictures! You have to make sure you get enough for all the family you know ;). 

Next, we got the fundraisers! Kaylee, in Pre-K, even has a fundraiser!! She is selling coupon books for $25 each, and Dillon is selling magazine subscriptions for the middle school which average $20-$25. So, of course we have to buy from each, then starts the phone calls and visits to the family, friends and neighbors. 

Now, today we have Bike Day at my daughters Preschool where she took in her bike and helmet to ride with her school. She was so excited and well she already has a bike, so this is a free one! Also today though, the middle school is having a carnival and so Dill woke up with his hands out...LOL. I do have to say though, I drove past and was actually jealous!! That fair looked so fun I wanted to go!! We never had those when I was little!!

Anyways, all these events had me thinking about how much the start of school really costs! I mean, this is after the school clothes shopping, new shoes, book bags, binders and school supply shopping! No wonder we parents like the summer so much too!! 

Have a great school year!! The time seems to go by faster and faster so cherish every minute of it!!

Welcoming My Little Niece~Aliyah!!

This morning I got the kids off to school and right after I got back from taking Kaylee to Pre-K I received a phone call from my mom telling me that I was going to be an aunt again today. My brother's girlfriend went into labor this morning and was now at 8cm dilated. 

Welcome to the family Aliyah

So, my mom, little brother and I headed up to the hospital to welcome her (they were having a girl). When we got there we started talking about labor and having my kids...she wasn't handling the labor pains very well so we were talking about how I handled it or how my mom did. Anyways, I started remembering how amazing pregnancy was for me. I mean there was some miserable moments, of course lol, but just having a life you helped create growing inside of you....it's just amazing!!


And then I thought about the labors I went through, and though I handled them well they were no picnic either, but that feeling that I hot right when they placed each baby on my belly. I remember crying happy tears with each baby and the joy, happiness and amazement that came over me. It was like a rush of emotions but a wonderful feeling. I may not be explaining it well, however it made me miss when my babies were babies. They grow up so fast!! 

Aliyah born 8-28-12 7lb 1oz 19" long

Anyways, after all the waiting and reminiscing my brother, Bill, came out and tol us we just had a 7lb 1oz and 19in long baby girl named Aliyah. I was so excited to go and see her and they told us we had to wait an hour before we could go in!! I was sooo mad!! But, when I finally got to see her I was so happy. She on the other hand wasn't quite so happy, she was trying to eat her little fingers. I think she was hungry so after her bath they decided to top her off with a little bottle. 

She was so tiny with a head full of hair!! It was so cute. And so I have to say that I am pleased to welcome my adorable new baby niece Aliyah to our family! Aliyah got her first bath while I was there and boy did she hate that!

I missed holding a little baby. I mean Dill's taller than me, Kiera is coming real close to my size and Kaylee is going on 5! Babies are just so cute and tiny and I love teaching them everything!

These feelings are making me think maybe we should try for a fourth, maybe another boy to make it even lol. But, we'll see......

Budget Friendly Best Wet Dog Foods for your pet

When searching for the best wet dog food on a budget several factors come into play: price, availability, and of course, delicious meal selections! While your first instinct is to run to the local grocery store to pick up dinner for the dogs, there are some more affordable alternatives that can feed your pups on a budget.

School's Already Starting!!

Kiera and Wolfie

Today is my oldest daughter's first day of school! My Princess Kiera has just started 5th grade and I know she will do great! 

Kiera is our little smarty pants, she is always on the honor roll and never wants to miss a day just to get the attendance award! LOL She has always been very dedicated to her school work as well as everything else she does. Kiera always wants to succeed at what she does and we are so proud of all the hard work she does to make sure she has done her best. 

I don't think any mother could ask for a better daughter. She's kind, thoughtful, an excellent sister and helper too. I am so proud to have such a wonderful daughter :) This post is to wish my babygirl a fantastic start to a new school year!! We all love you Kiera!!

Swimming Lessons

Kaylee

My littlest daughter, Kaylee has had two sets of swimming lessons now. Which we thank my husband Nathans' grandfather for finding and signing her up for them :)

She went through the YMCA in our area both times and she has done a wonderful job!! We are so very proud of her for going from being scared to go in without her floaties to not ever wanting to wear them! I couldn't believe the confidence that the lessons gave her, it was truly a fun and exciting experience for Nathan and I as much as it was for Kay, and she was the one taking the lessons.

Her first set of lessons was indoors at our YMCA and were in the spring time. They taught her things I didn't even think of like what to do when you hear thunder or see lightening and what to do if they would see someone in the water in trouble. They made the kids aware of their strengths as well as their weaknesses too which I thought was great. What i mean is they taught them that they are strong enough to help someone in need in the water but not quite strong enough to help them themselves, and that what they needed to do to help is to get an adult, things like that. To be honest, when I thought about the lessons it didn't even cross my mind they were going to teach them these things. 

Her second classes were more recently this summer and were held at our local outdoor community pool before hours. These lessons were more of a hands on swimming experience and she did wonderful!! I definitely recommend to get your toddler swimming lessons if you are able to. It was great for her and she is like a little fish, she loves the water!!! 

Anyways, again we are so proud of her!! way to go Kaykay!!! :) 

Kids Are SO Different Now a Days!!

It's almost like lately I started to realize that kids are getting so expensive now, more than I can remember we'll being. I think it's because technology wasn't like it is now back then. It's like they don't want to go out and get exercise and just play anymore.

I mean I was really thinking about this, I'll start with cell phones, I didn't have a cell phone until I turned 18 and got my own whereas these days it's not normal for kids as young as 10 to not have a cell phone and to boot, they can't just have any cell phone now, it has to be a touch screen smart phone!! 

Next, I am moving onto video games, back when I was a kids we started with an atari, then we ended up with Nintendo's and Super Nintendo's or Sega's and we only had one system! If we were lucky we had a handheld Gameboy too lol. Now my kids have a wii, PS3, DSi, and PSP!! 

IVF Success Rates

When considering In Vitro Fertilization, IVF, the most important factor they consider are the IVF donor success rates. 

According to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology, or SART, IVF “Of all infertility treatments available IVF offers the highest chance of success per cycle.” This is great news for women considering infertility options!

IVF donor success rates vary but can range between 30-67% depending on a variety of factors. Some factors include reason for infertility, the lab you use for treatment, the type of egg you choose (donor or own) and age.

Keeping a Family Split Civil

As a mother of three I am really close to my kids. They are my life and I am sure if you are a reader of this blog you have children too. Well, what you may not know is that my two oldest children are to my ex. 

Ending a relationship when there are kids involved is one of the hardest things I ever had to do. But, when I weighed the pros and cons, it was in their best interest. You see the kids saw us fighting constantly and that's not a good for them to see. I didn't want them growing up seeing that and thinking that it's a normal relationship. I mean of course we all know that all couples fight sometimes and that's OK, normal and even healthy. But, there is a point where the fights are too often, inappropriate and aggressive and it's not healthy for the couple, let alone the children. 

So, when you get the point where enough is enough where do we go from there?

What Age should My Child See A Dentist?

Many parents don't really know when your supposed to take your child to his/her first dentist appointment. There are a lot of parents who fail to take their child to the dentist for the first time until they are between 4-5 yrs old. 

My daughter, Kaylee (4yrs old)

As parents I am sure we can all agree that one of the most important things we can teach our children is good health and in order to be healthy, you have to have good oral hygiene habits. This includes taking good care of your teeth. Making sure that your child brushes his/her teeth at least twice daily is a great way to teach good oral hygiene, but when should we take them to the dentist? 

Preteens

So, I have some "Preteens" in my house and have noticed that they sure do change quickly from the cute little munchkin to a mini adult! My son's voice seemed to change overnight along with his attitude. It's as though he went from girls having "cooties" to being "in love" with every girl he dates, which by the way only lasts a week or two!! haha It's like they go from being just happy go lucky to being so dramatic all the time. Of course it doesn't help that my son has ADHD too!

It is remarkable what a persons hormones can do! Just how much they can affect and change your emotions, thoughts and even your actions. It's hard to remember when I went through this, but I know when I was pregnant my hormones would go crazy!! I would be happy one minute and crying the next some days. I guess it's a lot like puberty in a way. these kids are growing up so fast and are changing so quick, I can't blame them for not knowing how to react to things.

During the transformation through puberty, our preteens are lost. Any little thing that happens is like the end of the world and can devastate him/her at the time. But, we parents also have to remember that they are still kids and it will pass quickly. In fact, my son has been going through these ups and downs for the past week because of a break up with his girlfriend. it is pretty interesting actually. One minute he is so upset and it's the end of the world because he is so "in love" with her and the next he's talking about how he's thinking about dating this other girl. 


I just take a step back, breathe and remember that he is just as lost with this as I am at times and we will get through it one step at a time. All we can do as parents is deal with the situation at hand and be there for them. :) If you have a preteen or teen and are going through this as well, feel free to comment and share your story.

Child ADHD- Raising a Child with ADHD: Happy Mothers Day!

Child ADHD- Raising a Child with ADHD: Happy Mothers Day!: Being a Mother is the greatest gift in the world!! it is also the toughest job in the world! Being a Mom means restless nights with...

It's the weekend!!

I love my kids to death, but I am so glad it is the weekend. I don't have to worry as much about things like homework, sports, field trips, meetings etc. It's nice to just sit at home and hang out with my family without all the stress of bills and school. I was hoping to do something fun this weekend especially today since the weather was finally nice, but of course they are calling for rain :(  So, instead we have stayed inside played some video games and watched some movies. Yes, i like video games. I am one of those weird mom that like them haha. It gives me some quality time with my 13 yr old son If it keeps raining tomorrow I think I'm gonna play some board games with the fam. But, hopefully it's nice out and we can go for a walk or go to the park. I love the weekends, there's so many fun possibilities!!I hope you all are enjoying your weekend as well :)

~S Overly

Spoiled by Grandparents!!

My youngest daughter, Kaylee (pictured), is 4 years old. Every time she comes home form Nana and Pappy's house she is a "brat"!! Everything is "Pappy let me" or "Pappy said I can". It has gotten to the point where I hate it when she goes to spend the night because I know she's going to act like this for a day or two when she gets home. However, she doesn't give her preschool a problem!! This is my husbands parents i am talking about by the way, and it's not really Nana it's pretty much Pappy. Now that she is getting older and knows that "Pappy is to give her everything", she knows and understands that she is spoiled by him. At this point it is even frustrating for him because now if he tries to tell her No she knows if she throws a fit that he will feel bad or it will bother him enough that he'll give into her. 


She just came home yesterday from time with her grandparents and is already is yelling and acting like she knows she is not to act here at home. I don't want to keep her from him, but I need to do something to stop all this spoiling! It is completely out of control! We need to make a list of the boundaries we have here at home and tell him he needs to implement these boundaries when she is with him, like it or not. Hopefully I can figure this out!! Wish me luck!!


~S Overly

Poor Dill

Dillon is going to his fathers house in Ohio today for a visit. I'm not looking forward to the 7 hour drive there and back, but, Dill doesn't want to go at all. He had asked to call his dad last night and asked him if he could just stay home, and of course his dad said no. Dillon has been upset since then, I feel so bad and wish I could make him feel better. I have been trying to tell him a the positives of going there (seeing his half sisters, playing the Xbox 360 he has there etc.) it just doesn't seem to matter

Little Sponges

Lots of parents send their child to preschool before starting kindergarten. My own daughter is currently enrolled and attending one and I think it is wonderful! If your child goes to a preschool or stays home with you during the day, know that a family's role in your child's life is still the most tutorial.

ADHD Info Help

If you would like to learn more than just what I find out check out this ADHD Ebook. You can purchase this Ebook and learn all you can to help yourself, child, relative or friend better understand what they are going through, why and what can be done to help!

Kaylee Issues!!

Well, Kaylee is now 4!! She just turned 4 on January 25th! However, as much as my husband and I fight with her she thinks she is supposed to get what she wants when she wants and doesn't want to listen. It seems like everything is a fight with her. We have started a time out on her bed when she isn't listening. She gets a warning first! I have been looking around online for something to help us out with this issue! It all started when we stayed at my in-laws for a little bit before we bought our place. "Pappy" would never let her cry and would give her anything she wanted even if we told her no already. So, i feel like this made her not respect us the way she should. 
However, she goes to preschool and does great there! She listens and they say she is such a joy to have! I have 2 older children and have never had this problem! I can only think that at home it's in the back of her mind that "Pappy would let me do it" so maybe she thinks it doesn't matter what we say. 
I really hope there are others out there that have this issue with their children! Like I said, I have been looking for something out there, even a book to help with this, if you are a parent with the same problem look at my links at the top of the page, they might help and I will post another regarding this particularly if I can find it! Have a great day! 
~S Overly