Saturday, August 10, 2013

Wha? Why I Suck at Blogging.

1 year. Almost to the date is how long it has been since I have posted. I really don't know how some mom's do it balancing home, homeschool, and blogging. Sometimes I forget to shower. (yeah you might not want to get too close, good thing you are just on the other side of a screen).

When I started this blog I wanted it to be something that would take the homeschooling world by storm. Now I realize I just don't have the time or desire to be that blog. Don't get me wrong, I am glad they exist to share ideas with people just like me, I just don't have the ability to multi task like I did in the good ole days.

So now I intend more to make this blog about us and what we do to document a full school year. (you know, in case Harvard or Yale want to make sure we actually went to school one day!)

As a year has passed - a lot has changed!





Big E is now almost 6 and we started first grade last week. She is loving to read and continues to boss her little sisters around daily.


Little E just turned 3 and keeps me on my toes like nobody's business! Her hearing has greatly improved but we still struggle with her ADHD and sensory issues on a daily basis.



Baby E is now 14 months old, walking, babbling, man has she got a personality on her! At about 6 months it was like magic and her vision just turned on. Something we were told could happen but we didn't want to have false hope. Now if only we could get her sleeping through the night!!

I hope to post some fun things we do over the next weeks and if you care to follow you are welcome. We are just a laid back homeschooling family, happy to have you stop by!

Saturday, August 18, 2012

I Can Do This.

After a LONG time away I am finally feeling well enough to get back to the school room. It has been a really tough year for me emotionally and physically and I would like to share how I have been feeling. Tired and defeated mostly. Ever since finding out we were pregnant with baby #3 last summer it seemed as if everything in life was in a fast downward spiral. I knew I would have to be on bed rest because of my pregnancy so that I was prepared for. But then my husband lost his job. And we lost our house (not because of finances but we were renting and the owners sold). It was a good time I suppose to be able to lean on our families. We found out our 2 yr old has something called sensory perception disorder on top of her hearing and language difficulties. It was a long year.

Little E now 2!


Around the time baby #3 was born things were starting to look up. Baby E was born in April and we had just bought a new house. My husband had been back to work for a few months and finances were much better. But I was struggling with a major case of baby blues. It was difficult doing anything. Then we found out our baby was also going to be facing a life with disabilities being legally blind. She was diagnosed with CVI (Cortical Visual Impairment) and it sent a whole new whirl wind of worries and stresses my way.

Big E (5) and Baby E (3 months)


I started to wonder if I was even going to be able to handle homeschooling. My oldest is 5 this fall and I have had her curriculum ready for this next year for a while. But I began to worry that I would not be capable of teaching her while trying to sort out the day to day goings on of 2 other children with disabilities. Would she get left behind, forgotten? And how will I be able to homeschool the other two when the time came?

After a summer of feeling sorry for myself and my family I knelt down in earnest prayer and asked my Heavenly Father what he would have me do. Would he give me the strength and patience to complete this task I was undertaking?  I was met with a resounding YES! The truth is, no one is more equip to teach and nurture my children than I am. At least that is, as long as I am in the right state of mind. I am sure that there will be many trial ahead but I am also sure that there will be many triumphs as well. I love my children more than anything in the world and remembering that love has given me the strength and belief in myself I had seemed to have lost.

My Reasons for Living :)


I apologize to any readers who had been left in the dark by our absence. I am sure all of your lives went on as normal with out our Internet presence. But I just want other moms (and dads!) to know that everyone struggles with their choice for schooling. It is never easy whatever your circumstances are and I want people to know that they are not alone in their fight. This post was not meant for anyone to feel sorry for me, I did enough of that for myself. But I am here, ready to love and teach and I hope you will continue to join me on that journey.

With Much Love and Hope,
Mama Fuller

Friday, May 11, 2012

Growing Garden

We moved into a new house at the beginning of April and one of our goals was to have a garden. In the past I have not had much luck with gardening. In fact, you could even say I have a black thumb. My grandmother used to have the most beautiful plants, it was like an art to her. So we started by sewing some seeds the first week of April and lucky for us, it has been raining like we live in Seattle! Usually this time of year we have already been put on city water restrictions! Needless to say, our little garden has grown into something beautiful! I love that I can share with the girls the importance of self reliance and how it can affect our lives for the better.
Our pepper plants are starting to grow
Our watermellon, none so far :(
Little E with our first zucchini
Big E with the zucchini

First we made sure our raised box was tilled and ready for plants!
The beginnings of our cucumbers!
Our HUGE Serrano pepper plant!
We have TONS of zucchini
Our first little Thai chili!









Its amazing what some rain can do!


Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Oven Baked Naan Bread




After 2 weeks of being forced to stay off my feet and out of the kitchen with recovery from surgery, I was so happy to be able to get back in the kitchen. Big E and Little E joined me today and we made some naan for our curry dinner.


The hazards of baking with a baby in your arms. Floured toes!!


If I have one weakness, it is bread (or maybe cake). I love it in all shapes and forms and it loves to shape and form me! We have a love/hate/eat kinda relationship.


Ingredients:
(As adapted from Fine Cooking) 

2 cups lukewarm water
1 tsp. active dry yeast
1 cup milk
6 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground sea salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Fennel seeds, black onion seeds, and ground pepper for seasoning.
Click here to find out more!



To make the dough: Put 1/2 cup of the water in a cup or glass and stir in the yeast. Heat the milk in a small saucepan to lukewarm, about 100°F. Pour the milk and remaining 1-1/2 cups water into a large bowl. Stir in the yeast mixture. Stir in about 2 cups of flour, stirring always in the same direction, until smooth. Stir in the salt and continue stirring in flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough is too stiff to stir but is still soft. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Wash, dry, and lightly oil the bowl. Knead the dough until it's smooth, 4 to 5 minutes, incorporating only enough flour (by keeping the work surface dusted) to prevent the dough from sticking; the dough should be quite soft and not tight.
Put the dough in the bowl, cover with plastic, and let it rise in a cool place for 8 hours or overnight. If you're not ready to bake yet, punch down the dough, put it in a plastic bag, and refrigerate it for up to 3 days.
To shape and bake: About 1-1/4 hours before you want to serve the breads, set an oven rack to an upper-middle rung. Put a large baking stone or unglazed quarry tiles on the rack, leaving a 1-inch gap around the border. Heat the oven to 500°F.

Pull the dough away from the sides of the bowl and transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough in half, putting half of it back in the bowl (covered) while you work with the other half.
Cut the dough half into five equal pieces. Shape each one into a ball by rolling the dough on the counter or by using both hands to turn it, round it, and smooth it. Put the balls to the side or back of the counter (flour the surface), and brush each with melted butter. Cover with plastic and let rest for 20 minutes. During the last few minutes of resting, prepare the remaining dough the same way.
Dust a rimless baking sheet or peel lightly with cornmeal or flour. Put one risen ball of dough on the floured work surface and push it out with your fingertips to a 6- or 7-inch round; don't turn it over. Set it aside; repeat with a second risen ball. Bake the breads until their rippled tops have light golden spots and the bottoms are golden, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove them with a peel or long-handled spatula, transfer to a rack to cool for about 5 minutes, and brush with more melted butter, if you like. Wrap them in a cotton cloth to keep them soft and warm. Repeat the shaping and baking process with the remaining 8 balls of dough.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

And then there were 5......

As some of you may have notice I have been absent from the blog world for about 6 months. After being on bed rest for most of my pregnancy, in March I had to go to the hospital in preterm labor and was put on strict bed rest. I was in and out of the hospital the whole time but I am happy to say we were able to keep our newest little missy in until 36 weeks! Eisley Aurora was born April 20 and we are so happy to have her home! Unlike my other two daughters, she didnt have to spend any time in the NICU and I got to room in with her the whole time we were in the hospital. Mama and baby are both doing fine and our family is slowly adjusting to being a family of 6! I am looking forward to getting back in the classroom and getting back in touch with the blog world! Thank to all of you who sent kind words asking how we were all doing, I am glad to know I have made some great blog friends over the last year! And of course, here are some photos of the baby for your enjoyment because, who doesn't love a cute little preemie newborn! :)














Saturday, December 24, 2011

A little Update

Hello Everyone! I miss talking to you all and blogging so much! I feel like I have so many ideas running around in my head and no outlet! I have been keeping a journal by my bedside to jot down all of my ideas. Erin and Elleri have been enjoying meeting new friends at their daycare and seem to really enjoy the constant buzz of having so many other children around them. Seeing them grow socially around their peers has led me to seek out some more homeschool groups in town for socialization. There aren't tons but there are some - perhaps I will need to start a good group this next fall. I can't wait to have them back at home so we can all learn together again!

I have started a new part time job as a Disney Destinations Travel Specialist. It is so fun because it is something that I am passionate about and I can do from home on my current limited mobility and I can continue once we can start school back up! So (shameless plug for my new business!) if you or anyone you know is thinking of planning a Disney vacation this next year have them contact me - jessica@travelwiththemagic.com - my services are FREE and I can help get you a great deal and plan your itinerary!




Of course, what I am sure most people would like an update on I am sure is how our new baby is growing! My pregnancy has been fairly bump free so far(except for the one growing larger on my belly!). I have been on blood thinners to help prevent blood clots since I have had them before and am at high risk. Been told to keep most of my normal daily activities to a minimum (heavy cleaning, being on my feet too much, picking up the kids, ect). I am now 22 weeks and a couple weeks ago I started on progesterone shots to hopefully help keep this baby in and baking a bit longer! We are getting close to the time frame where I have gone into labor with my 2 girls (between 26-28 weeks) so we are of course getting nervous and trying to do all we can to stay stress free. We had our ultrasound a few weeks ago and everything is looking fabulous with baby. We found out we are expecting another GIRL!!! We are so excited! Now just to think of a name!

I just wanted to thank everyone who has sent kind words and been keeping us in your thoughts and prayers. I will try to give another update in the coming weeks. I hope all of you have a wonderful holiday season and your new year is filled with many joyous blessings!

Monday, October 17, 2011

Saying Goodbye for Now

After a little over a month of complete chaos around my home and in my life I will be saying goodbye to this blog, at least for now. We found out in August that we are expecting baby number 3 in the spring. I have been super sick complete with trips to the ER. A few weeks ago I had some cramping and bleeding and was asked about my lifestyle. Well, I homeschool, I own my own business, and I work 3 graveyard shifts a week at a vet hospital(which means I don't sleep for 36 hours on a regular basis). My husband is not home a lot due to his job so the majority of the housework and child rearing are left to me. In a nutshell, my life is high stress and this is a problem. Since I am already a high risk pregnancy and both my girls were premature I have been told to all but be a vegetable for the next 5 months. My girls will either have to be put into public school and daycare or we will have to hire a nanny. This makes my heart very, very, sad. Not because I have no faith in the public school system (though honestly I can't say I have TON) but because I have so much cherished the time that I have gotten to spend with them watching them grow and learn. Hopefully, this won't mean the end of my goal to homeschool, but a brief pause in my attempts. In a good light, I have decided to use my now seemingly ridiculous amount of free time to start a different blog that will focus on another aspect of my life. Or perhaps I should say my desired life. My Dr wants me to focus on me and making/keeping my self healthy and sane. I need a slower pace of life. Its funny, because that is honestly what I have always wanted. I think I am going to look into my dreams of opening a Homestead Inn and Spa and finding a way to just simplify life. If you are interested in following my new pursuits (I admit, I am not 100% sure what they will be yet, but it will be an adventure to be sure!) I would love to have you join me over at www.longingforasimplerlife.wordpress.com I wish you all the best and thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping to inspire me everyday to remain such a hands on part of my children's life.

Warmest Wishes,
Jessica Fuller
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