Love those 90's!

I was listening to XM 54- Lucy- in the car tonight. I love this station because it plays the music- they call "alternative rock" that was popular during my college years (90's). My husband, a bit older than me, listens to the 80's station. There is also a 90's station, but it is actually a lot of pop type songs that I did not get into. I just love having the satellite radio!

One of my latest favorite promo lines is "For the generation that did not understand Twin Peaks, to the generation that does not understand Lost." So true!

Tonight there was a song from Jane's Addiction and Red Hot Chile Peppers--- it was great!

Blogtipping Day

I am joining in with other work at home mom blogs to blogtip other blogs.
I learned about this from Bev's Easy Craft Site.

Blogtipping Definition: Blogtipping is where you publish a blog post in which you link to three unsuspecting blogs and offer three compliments and/or one helpful tip to each blogger. (Or adapt those numbers to your own preferences; the principle of selflessness is what matters most here.) Blogtipping is a refreshing and useful surprise that can start a blogger’s month with a huge smile!

It is great to find other blogs that have wonderful information and to encourage others to view your blog. If you would like to participate July 1, visit our Smart Mom forum for more information. I will post the blogs I tip from this blog here, but check out the other two blogs, Smart Moms Biz and 4fabmoms to see who I tipped too!

My blogtipping for this blog... These are members of the Smart Mom Forum.
1. Core Insight Blog- read this great article on stress. Suzy has great information and support!
2.My Friend Amber's New Blog- HomeSchoolDiva- it is new, but already full of information.
3. The DollyMama- a great site to view and fun things to read.

A Day At The Beach

June 1 is truly summer in Florida. It is normally the beginning of the hot days, only getting hotter.

It will only get hotter from today!

My husband decided earlier this week that we should go to the beach today. Now we are in the middle of a drought, and they said rain was coming, but who thought it actually would!

We did get to the beach on the west coast around 10:30 am. It was a little hazy and windy, but not bad. The water was unusually cool, I thought, but since I live near lakes that are very warm, I thought maybe I was confused.

So it starts to sprinkle about 1 and a half hours after we get there. We stayed and let the kids play. Then it gets a little harder, but still not too much. But we did leave to go home.

One the way home... it was 68 degrees in Florida on June 1! I tried to research the lowest temp for this area, and all I found were averages for Tampa- high of 89, low of 75!

So who knew, the day I finally get my husband to go to the beach, we have a cold snap! In JUNE!

P.S. After I wrote this blog, I found out that we actually have a tropical storm in the Gulf. It would have helped if I had checked the weather... but we are thankful for the rain. It is suppose to rain all day tomorrow too. At least we got in a few hours!
P.S.S. The low today got down to 66 degrees- in JUNE!

We have had a success in potty training.... well almost!

My daughter is just over two and we have been working towards potty-training, but not forcing the issue. But since she has wanted to be naked the past few days, it has actually helped, because she will "hold it" when she does not have a diaper on. Well tonight, she started crying and I put her on the potty chair and SUCCESS! But only a little bit. She stopped. And then she started crying again, so I tried again, but she would not go. So I put her on the actual toilet with a potty seat on it and she started screaming like a crazy person! BUT she did finish up! BUT she kept screaming. So although this is a success, I think it could be trauma too, so we will just let it go and see what happens. I am not in any rush... well, yes I am- to be without diapers would great!

My Dear Friend Amber is Homeschooling

My children are young, but I am often asked if I will homeschool them. The same goes for my friend Amber, who is beginning her homeschool journey.

I am a pro-home school certified teacher. I do almost all the homeschool evaluations for my county, since most teachers either don't think parents should be home schooling and/or they tell the parents they don't think homeschooling is a good choice. Most parents that I encounter do actually do a very good job at teaching their children. The curricula that is available for parents to use that has everything they need, with full details and explanations of how to teach to their child. There is even DVD driven curriculum that parents can use at home so they are not the teacher, just the facilitator. There are now two programs, available in some states, to have public school at home. These companies, Connections Academy and Florida Virtual Academy (obviously Florida only), give all the materials and guidance, but the child does not have to go to school each day. I think that some children and parents do not even need a curriculum since there are so many resources on the internet. I also think that there are so many ways to homeschool that parents should not limit themselves to the way they were taught. Books and worksheets are not the only way to teach a child content and facts. Parents have the choice to be creative. And just like when I was a teacher, many things can be called learning... games, discussions, art, explorations, field trips. As a homeschool parent, aren't you homeschooling every day and every minute? As parents, aren't we constantly teaching our children?

I think homeschooling is a wonderful thing. I think that if the parent has the desire to keep their child at home to learn, they should. I think some children should not be homeschooled and parents who should not teach their children. I believe each parent has the right to choose how to school their child. I am thankful that there are so many options and we have the freedom to choose.

Will I homeschool? I have a least one year to decide. My son is not attending K-4, he will stay home with me. He has a summer birthday, so he may not even start when he is 5. My husband and I will decide that when the time is right.

Until then, I hope I can be a resource to my friend Amber in the coming year and to other parents that choose to school their children at home.

Rick is Home

After another chest x-ray yesterday, they let Rick come home. He has to blow into this tube a few times per day to keep his lungs working and he has to go back to get a CT in 4-6 weeks. Other that that- it is an answered prayer! On Saturday, they actually moved him to the transplant floor- I guess because they want any transplant patients on the floor, no matter how long it has been. The funny thing, it was like going from the Super 8 hotel to a Ritz. His first room was small, old, nothing on the walls, and a view of the former courtyard that is now enclosed by buildings. He moved to a view of the bay and Raymond James Stadium, a room with a couch, a chair, pictures and a clock on the wall, and one nurse to every 3-5 patients! Too bad he only got that room for the last 24 hours! I told him to request that earlier if he has to go in again... which he won't... but just in case. :)

We do have to change our summer plans, we were going to go camping (which Rick did not want to really do anyway) and the doctor told him that was out- we can go to the beach, but not to camp! That sounds good to me!