A Bit All Over the Place

One week down, seven to go. Overall I'm pretty happy with this first week without the strongest Lockhart. I'm really tired which is just proof of how much Chris does around here. But we kicked off our first week of school, attended Eucharistic Adoration followed by daily mass, speech, attended National Night Out, went to 10th CAB Org Day, had a friend stay the night, and went to a birthday party. Not too shabby if you ask me. I have actually been more active than I had intended. My original game plan was to just become a hermit and see everyone in October. Really I think keeping us moving has helped keep the days moving.

The week ahead isn't quite as packed, which is fine. We have a play date on Thursday, speech, mass on Friday (it's a holy day y'all), and a small birthday celebration that evening, plus school. Still busy, but maybe not as tiring.

Tomorrow I am taking all three kids to mass alone. I am sure I have done this before, but I'm pretty sure Simon was still in the car carrier so it wasn't too bad. We have done daily mass, but it's only about 20 minutes and less people. We will see how tomorrow goes. Sanctification,  right?

We still haven't heard anything about WOCS or flight school. It's been three weeks, Army! I'm impatient, and I'm afraid to pray for patience since it will likely result in more waiting. Again we will survive.

Before I wrap up this really random, boring post...how much maintenance is a beta fish? And I am asking this as someone who really wants to do NOTHING to care for a pet. I'm sorry, I'm not an animal lover. Don't get me wrong, I am not a supporter of torturing animals...I'm just not a good pet owner.  I barely meet the basic needs of my kids some days.  Anyway...Owen desperately wants a pet. The kid is trying to catch flies and ants to claim as pets. If a beta isn't too much work I would consider getting him one...maybe.  I do think it would be good for the kids to have a pet to take care of.  I am genuinely asking...if I forget to have Owen feed the fish will it die? Do I have to clean the tank/bowl? Rereading this paragraph I sound so whiny...sorry...maybe I should let him keep catching flies.

Random, unrelated pictures of the kids.

As always, if you made it to the end...treat yourself to a cookie or pie or wine. :)

First Week of School

I don't have a computer since Chris needed to take it to Virginia with him to do homework and whatnot. So I am using this handy app that will likely result in more typos than normal and weird photo and paragraph layout.  I don't know. If I use the app I usually edit on the computer before posting...so this may be weird. 

So, Chris and I been planning and discussing and prepping for this week for a long time. Well it's here, and it is nothing I could have expected or even thought to have asked for, honestly. The kids have been in general very receptive to the fact that we have to do school. My kids are so bright! I know that kids are like little sponges, but I had no idea how much! I am sure we will hit concepts that will not come as easily as this first week, but so proud of what they have been able to do. This week was such a blessing, and it is reassuring that God really does want this for our family for right now.

Right now we are just schooling 4 days a week with some light work like calander and coloring the other 3 days.  Tomorrow we are having show and tell per the kids' request.   Sure thing little ones! Owen's hand is tired because he's not use to writing and coloring so much in a day.  He has been in occupational therapy for some time now, and I'm glad he has had that time to really improve his fine motor skills. I'm sure he would have given more of a fight this week otherwise.

Amelia is not quite ready for the reading curriculum, but she's doing some of the work with my help and she's retaining part of it. Plus she's getting some cutting, coloring, gluing, and writing time in.  I think she might be able to really start this program in about 6 months. But for now she will float through with Owen and pick up some of the information along the way. Owen is doing really well. He's got 3 sight words and their helpers down. I can't wait for him to read me a story at some point. Again, it's only been 4 days, and my guess is we will hit some road blocks soon.

The math, I think, Owen could handle the next level, and this level is perfect for Amelia. I plan on moving him up in January.  Right now we are just getting into a rhythm.  Picking curriculum was kind of a guessing game so it's nice to see it in action. And who knows, it's only 4 days so my premature assessment could be completely off base.

I really have had a lot of fun this week. I wish it would stay like that, but I know the excitement will wear off and parts of it will become mundane to an extent.

I hope I haven't annoyed anyone with all the statuses and photo updates...and now this blog post about school.  I will try to scale it back a bit.

I have attached photos but I really don't know how it will look when I publish this post. Thanks for dealing with me and my shenanigans.  :)

The Hormonal Fuse

The hormonal fuse is oh so short these days. My poor kids...really. I hope after this pregnancy I have a more loving approach.  And hopefully this pregnancy doesn't do too much emotional damage that they end up needing counseling because I can't handle them smacking their food, talking all day long, and their need to be fed...every single day...several times a day. Future Owen, Amelia, and Simon...please know I feel as crazy as I appear. I know you are just being kids, but sometimes I react before I think and let's all hope and pray that once Becket is here your mom will be a little less crazy. I do love each of you, dearly.

I feel your pain, Simon.

As you know Chris is leaving the last 2 months of this pregnancy for ALC. And we will begin homeschooling August 4th. I'm excited and nervous. I think this will be great to start while chris is gone. Something to keep us all busy. But the crazy!!! I am worried about this hormonal fuse that seems to be a little bit shorter everyday. It's just kindergarten, Nicole! I know. But I already feel the third trimester drag that makes me want nothing more than to lounge on the couch. I hope to push through. I will be rearranging our schedule since we are no longer moving next month. So, I am going to rethink our approach to each day.  Then I will get everything copied, laminated, and prepped as needed.

Yes, your mom is nuts, Owen!

I have a little mental list of things to get done this weekend with Chris home. Mostly homeschooling prep...some baby prep (washing car seats)...Oh I can't wait for the end of this pregnancy.  I get to snuggle the newest Lockhart. This fall and winter will be the best, yet. More love to go around to keep us warm here in Northern New York. 

Sleep through the pain, Amelia..Simon she's not hungry.

Sorry for all the rambling. I am full of lots of conflicting and quickly changing emotions lately and the best outlet I have is here with you lovely readers.  You're awesome! Anyway. That is all for now.

Say My Name!

You guys!!!! I am still kind of freaking out about the news we got on Thursday!  The kids manage to keep me busy, but I have fleeting thoughts throughout the day that remind me it's happening.  We do not have any dates about when Chris will be classed or when we will PCS, but we will have that information soon enough.

AIT graduation almost 5 years ago. 

He took me flying after he got his private pilot licence 6.5 years ago.

Chris is still going to ALC in Virginia August 3rd-September 30th.  My due date is September 26th which is always a great twist.  I'm blessed with some great friends here so I'm sure I can get to the hospital.  As much as I don't want another October baby, I guess it won't be the end of the world if he waits to show up until Chris is home from ALC.

I'm sure you saw the 30 week pic on FB or IG, but whatev!

Speaking of this baby, I guess it is as good a time as any to announce the name we have chosen.  Waiting until the baby actually arrives to announce some think would be best, but I really like calling the babes by their name evening through social media on the trusty and not so trusty interwebs.  So why wait?

So as you know we had that little online poll.  I just checked 52% for Becket and 48% for Sebastian.  Neck and neck for sure.  The poll wasn't going to sway our decision, but as close as this one was we definitely weren't pushed to reconsider.

Anyway, unless we have a huge change of heart when we see this little guy in real life he will forever be known as.....

Becket Roger Lockhart.

And if he is anything like his siblings he will arrive September 29th or 30th, weighing over 10 pounds, and labor will be fairly quick.  But who knows, maybe he will be early, under 10 pounds, and I will labor for days.  Time will tell.

Day 9 of Sacred Heart of Jesus Novena.

Okay, I am going to keep this short and sweet because I am just in an erratic head space.  Tonight we will complete our first family novena.  Chris and I have done novenas together in the past, but this was the first time that the kids were apart of it.  They are remembering the basics though.  We are praying for nine days to the Sacred Heart of Jesus for Chris's selection into flight school. Owen has been awesome at remembering what day we are on.  Day 5 I totally thought it was day 4, but he was right.  Amelia is picking up the prayers rather quickly.  I think Owen is too, but he's less confident.  We even found this at a thrift store on day 2 for $.99

Before we hung it on the wall Amelia would hold it above her head for everyone to see it while we prayed.  Presh!

Well, today on Day 9 we will be praying in thanks giving.  Results came out a day early and Chris was selected for flight school!!!

Q-S means Qualified - Selected!

I am so proud of my husband.  He has worked very hard for everything leading up to this point.  We are thankful for all the support and mentoring he has received in the past 5 and a half years in the Army.  We are beyond thankful for all the prayers that everyone has offered up for us.  Flying has been something he has been working towards when we first started dating 12 and a half years ago.

This man y'all!!! 

Answer Me This #1

I'm linking up with Kendra at Catholic All Year for the first time.  Actually, linked up with her about a year ago but this is the first time for Answer Me This.  I've thought it would be fun to participate in the past, planning to do so the next week, and then I would miss it again...story of my life!  But not this week baby!  I'm linking up.  So make sure you head over to Catholic All Year to read other's Answer Me This.

1. How did you get your name?

I'm not 100% sure where my parents found the name Nicole.  Maybe a baby name book.  I do know that they had a boy name ready to go, Ryan.  On the way to the hospital, my mom told my dad that she knows they are having a girl and they needed a name. She said, "I like Nicole." And my dad said "Okay".  I think that's the story anyway.  Marie is after my dad's grandmother.  My siblings and I all have middle names after someone.  Chris and I have continued that middle name tradition with our kids.  Owen Clarence (Chris's grandfather), Amelia Rose (my dear friend Julie), Simon Paul (my dad), and #4's middle name will be Roger (Chris's dad). Clarence is the only first name, the rest are middle names.  I think Marie was my great-grandmother's first name, but I could be completely wrong about that.

2. Do you have a set time for prayer in your day?

No, not really.  We manage to say prayers with the kids every night before bed.  We are improving saying the blessing before meals.  Dinnertime is becoming more frequent, but not every time. There have been a few times we pray after we have eaten because we forgot.   Breakfast and lunch get skipped more often, but it's getting there.  Neither Chris or I grew up praying before meals regularly, so trying to make this a priority and breaking habits is taking some work.

Most of the time my prayers are randomly said.  When something crosses my mind I will offer it up.  Our day to day living is going to change as we embark on homeschooling this year.  I have scheduled prayer into our day, but I'm not great with schedules.  My plan is to make a visual daily timeline, so the kids can help keep me on track.  They often remind us to pray before meals, so I think this will eventually work.  The visual reminder will likely help me, too.

3. Did your mom work, stay home, or both?

Mostly worked.  She was home for the first few years of my life, and then began to work.  For a while she would be off work around the time I was getting out of school.  And there was a summer where she was able to stay home with us.  Overall she worked.  I think she would have really liked to have been able to stay home with us, but it wasn't in God's plan for her.  

I'm really grateful that I get to stay home with our kids.  Most days, I enjoy having them around.  After an hour or two I start to miss them when we are separated.  I love that I'm available when Chris is off work.  Combating schedules in one of many reasons we are choosing to homeschool, and it is one of the reasons I am grateful to be home.

4. Do you vote?

YES! I even do the research that is necessary to vote in the right person for smaller titles. 

5. What is your favorite drink?

Diet Pepsi.  I know it's terrible for you, but I really like carbonated, aspartamey goodness.  I have stopped buying it for the house, but I will still order it if we are out to eat.  I have been known to drink a good amount of sweet tea, too.

Adult beverages...beer, wine, cocktails.  Middle of the road leaning toward sweet, but not too sweet and I prefer chilled.

6. How are your photography skills?

Ummm, mediocre at best.  Every so often I will snap a few gems, but mostly the ones I really love turn out blurry or dark.  I have a fancy-ish camera that I mostly keep on auto because I just don't know what I'm doing.  There are some people who are really talented with their trusty camera phone.  I specialize is dark grainy camera phone pictures that I just make worse with filters.  It's all good.  Even if my skills do not improve I will try to continue to capture our lives with low quality images.  Hopefully, my kids will appreciate it down the road. 

Here are some of the low quality images that I love! 

Weird flash

Blurry

Dingy weird lighting

Blurry and weird lighing

My finger!

Too dark.

My kids are weird :)

So don't forget to head over to Catholic All Year for others' answers to these 6 questions!

Little of This, Little of That.

Attempting to to use the app again...let's see how this goes, shall we?

We have several projects going on right now. I still need to unpack our suit cases from our trip to NC. Fill Owen's dresser and remove the shelves currently holding his clothes. Some things need to be hung.  Arranging our patio (seriously that's a project). And the biggest project is assembling our swing set.

It's pretty old but in good condition.  We are painting it with this Rust-Oleum Restore hoping that the cold winters here will not wear out the set. So far it seems like our efforts will be worth it, but it's a slow process.

I had planned to start school next week with the kids, but various things might not make that possible. We will start by the 4th of August at the latest.  I was going to only have 5 weeks of school until we were going to start traveling to AK, but since orders were canceled I have a little bit of flexibility.

I'm really trying to remain busy. Next week is the board, and I hopeful things will go our way, but I'm not very optimistic that it will.  I have no reason to be pessimistic other than trying to protect myself from disappointment. Our family is currently saying the Sacred Heart Novena for his selection.  The kids are grasping simple concepts of a nine day novena which is pretty cool. Amelia holds this picture of "The Secret Heart of Jesus" for everyone to see as we pray. It's sacred not a secret, Amelia...get it together ;) Their absorption is making me a little hopeful for the school year.

99 cent thrift store find

My friend Ashley just wrote a review on some materials at Holy Learning.  There is a 15% off code, too.  They have some neat material for teaching kids the faith. I'm starting my list now. I have no experience yet with the product, but I think it will be to have whether you are homeschooling or not. It's worth a look. Promise.

Thanks for voting on my little poll. Last I checked it was almost 50/50 with Becket in the lead by a vote or two.  I got to see the babe today, unexpectedly. He has some big ol' cheeks, y'all! The 20 week ultrasound his face always looked like a skull. But clear as day were his chubby cheeks. Can't wait to see him and compare him to our other 3 monsters. I have to go back in 2 weeks to review my blood sugar.  I'm so grateful they are letting me skip the terrible 3 hour glucose test. I almost vomited and or pass out last time. No bueno.

29 weeks today (or yesterday I guess). I was going to do a belly shot but I recently posted a 28 weeks shot on Instagram.  It just seems too soon. Maybe 30 weeks people. If I remember.