D week days 1 and 2

So D week started off full force:

Monday: Dinosaur day
Practicing the Letter D after we read a fun story about D the dancing Dinosaur.

We then put dots on D the dinosaur

 and then made D dance

 Dinosaur puzzle

Making a dinosaur out of the letter D

More practice with writing the letter D

Finished the day by watching the Land Before Time

Tuesday: Dorian Day
as always we started the day by practicing writing the letter D

We feed Dorian donuts!

Decorated donuts

then painted a special D canvas for Dorian's room with his special letter D

A little more about me

I know I have been good about posting preschool stuff and not so great about updating things going on in my life.  I guess I have been trying to ignore everything as things seem to be moving very quickly.  I know a while back I mentioned that I was seeing a doctor about back and leg pain I have dealt with ever since the car accident and surgeries ten years ago.  The doctor I was seeing essentially said my pain and injuries were outside her scope and there was nothing more she could do for me. I appreciated her honestly and her making sure I was able to get the information needed to another doctor:

After meeting with the second doctor, many things were confirmed.  Basically, there are two probabilities:1. I have severe nerve damage; meaning either a pinched or damaged nerve(s) or 2. having my spinal column suffer 60-70% damage during the accident and L1 shatter, my pain very well may be residual affects of spinal injury.  I am blessed to be alive and walking, but my spinal column was seriously damaged and I may still be (and forever be) experiencing pain from that.  Both doctors agreed that I needed x-rays and MRIs done to ensure the four pounds of hardware in my back are in no way damaging or making situations worse.  until then, I have been given A LOT of medication.  I am most excited about the nerve medicine as that is where I hope the problem lies and if this medication can help me manage this pain, then I will be elated.  I was also given muscle relaxants, pain pills, anti inflammatory cream and lidocaine patches in a hope to find relief and find what works and what does not in an attempt to help locate the source of the problem. 

For years I have suffered with this pain, with promises from the doctors that it would get better.  Give it time.  Let my body heal.  Loose the weight.  Loose the volume of breast. Wear different shoes. Well I have done it all and my road had run out.  I always looked down at having to take medication for pain and instead buried within myself and pushed through it.  Situations are different now.  I am a full time, single mom.  24-7 I am in charge of my 1 and 3 year old and my body is worn out.  There are still areas on my back and knee that just about kill me if they are touched and I feel like I am somehow failing when every time a storm rolls in it is TV time for the kids just so I can sit on my heat pad.  It is getting to the point, that since I never have the break I need to recharge my mind and rest my body, my ailments are cutting into what I can accomplish on a day to day basis.  This is why I began seeing a doctor again after so long and it feels good to have the validation that this pain is real, it is serious and I am doing great considering.  I am learning to be okay with taking medicine when I need it and recognizing when it is okay to hurt a little and when to take medication because I don't have to hurt. 

C week!

C week has been a blast, might go back to posting daily as it takes forever foe all these pictures to load.  As always, I am astonished at how much the kids are retaining and how much fun we end up having.


Monday: I started off with introducing the letter C, with C the caterpillar

My sin tracing over the letter C I made out of leaves

 My son putting the letters in order as we reviewed

My son is still writing with both hands, I am so very impressed

We then made our own caterpillar, making the letter C out of circles!

We then read The Very Hungry Caterpillar

We finished the day by crawling like caterpillars

 Tuesday: Cookie day. My son does his worksheet and circles all the c

The kids then took turns feeding Cookie Monster his cookies

Of course, we then had to make our own cookies.

While the cookie baked, we did a little scavenger hunt where my son blew out all the candles (abt 8 of them purchased from the dollar store) and labeled everything that starts with C

Our C cookie!

 Wednesday: C animal day

I purchased a very small cow for $.50 at some store and used it as a game.  I would hide it in plain site and my son would find it.  I would make the c sound c, c, c, c getting louder when he got close until the c, c, cow was found.

 Thursday: we colored cakes with frosting

then we built castles with sugar cubes. We all had a lot of fun this day!

My son was very proud of his work.

Friday: we had a story about coconuts and hung our coconuts on the tree.

 C, c, c, cars!

 Cleaning cars at the carwash!

Then to finish off the week we played candy land!

As always we had such a blast.  Already excited and ready for D week!

Life is good

The title pretty much says it all.  Life is good.  As of September 3, I started a whole new list of goals (similar to the goals I set and accomplished during my Last Year of your life challenge) I want to accomplish this year.

Personal goals:
1.Finish my memoir.  I know I have been saying this for a while now, but I think it will be the final nail needed for closing up the past and leaving a complete record for my children if they desire to know any of it.  To be honest, it might even be something I might try and publish, but for now the goal is to finish the last year or two worth of chapters.
2.Learn to use and be comfortable with my air brush.  yup, that's right.  My awesome boyfriend invested in a very fun (and expensive) tool to help me further my cake business and add to my skills by learning how to use an air brush and color things with food coloring.  I am very excited about it, but still need to start practicing.
3.Visit someplace new.  There is so much to experience and I am the type of person who stays where I am comfortable , so this year, at least one, I will visit someplace new. 
4. Teach/complete a full year of pre-school for Dorian.  Well as you can see so far I have been successful in this one.  However it takes A LOT of prep work, which is worth every minute of it, but I also know I still have lows and little motivation at times, so this goal give up on me or on Dorian.  we have only completed two weeks so far, but it has already been such a blessing.  Our schedule  is reliable and set, creating an easier day for both me and the children.  I feel validated in contributing to the lessons and proud as my children thrive and learn.  Even my one year old can point at an A, say it is an A and then go a, a, a.  However, it would be great to have your support every once in a while just to get the encouragement to keep going :)
5. Maintain a size 12 pant size and a size medium shirt size.
6. Create enough pieces (crochet) to sell at a craft fair.  I am always making baby blankets for friends and dresses for my daughter.  Matt has very lovingly expressed on several occasions that he feels I have a talent people would want to purchase.  I have sold several pieces in the past to know what it sat a quality I could sell and be proud of.  Matt said I needed to get enough to sell so that he can get me a booth at a craft fair.  I think it is a great goal to fill some tv time with the kids and expand a craft I already enjoy that I thought this was a great idea.
7.Do FHE every week.  Sadly, I am already slacking on this one. I need to learn to make this easy and not as elaborate as preschool or it will never get done.  I am thinking we will start by discussing the articles of faith and why they are important and finding a way to incorporate it into our bedtime routine.
8. Attend the temple at least once a month.  Now this is something that I already do, but it is important enough I want to keep it a priority.
9. Make a trip.  There are serveral places I would like to visit (TX, TN, IN) and I feel I will never do it unless I commit (hence the goal).  Plus I am hopping to take Matt with me as my mom recommends a road trip with a boyfriend or girlfriend as you spend 24/7 with the person, helping one see capability and or stressors to work on.
10. Experience 5 new things I have never done before.  As you know, I spent all last year working on Cherish 2.0 so why not add new experiences to the new upgraded model, which in the end just furthers the upgrade.

Matt and I made several shared goals we plan on working towards together, and while I will not share them all, here are the two I am most excited about:
1. Read the Old testament and Book of Mormon all the way through: having only started 5 days ago I am already behind.  Matt has already finished Genesis while I am just now getting to Genesis chapter 30.
2. Get married.  Yes, that is our goal.  This is something that will take some time as we are still learning and taking our relationship slowly, but in terms of thinking ahead this is something we both want.  Both Matt and I want to be sealed in the temple for time and all eternity, but Matt, having been newly baptized will have to wait until March/April until that is even possible.  We are at the step in our relationship where we are beginning to discuss the future and all that it will entail and we are both very excited about it.

My relationship is going very well, my kids are happy, healthy and learning, my business is taking off and I am happy with my spiritual goals and achievements, that life is good. I still have some personal trials (including my health, that prayers would very much be appreciated) but the trials at this point pale in all the things I am blessed with.  I love you all so much and feel so blessed that you take the time to read what I write.