Why I Started Blogging

 Organizing All My Thoughts

My husband has mentioned several times in the past that I should start a blog. There really wasn't a reason for him to suggest this, or at least one that I can remember, just that I should. He and I both have talked for the last half a year that we should journal about Covid-19 and what is happening in our lives. I've never been very interested in journaling or blogging until recently. There is more happening right now in my life than in any other time. I have found myself in a unique position that is worth documenting. Eventually, I hope, it may be a blog that is followed for others to glean information and ideas from. In the meantime, it is my journey that is exciting. 

In this segment I wanted to share all the topics that I will be touching on in future posts. They will not all be covered in every post, but over time each will be showcased! Some posts will be dedicated to one topic where others may cover several. 

Bear with me while I navigate becoming a world famous blogger. Just remember that you get to say "you knew me when..."!! 

Becoming a Stay at Home Mom

I have been a parent for 19 years and for 17 of those I never thought I would ever want to be a Stay at Home Mom (SAHM). I loved my career as the principal of a k-5 charter school in Oregon and couldn't imagine leaving my career. But, as life tends to do, mine has evolved and changed. These are some of the main things leading up to this decision:

• After having my 3rd baby I really felt a loss over taking him to daycare while I was at work. I continued on though and just kept going. 
• My 12 year old does better with a parent home with him before and after school and to have more focused time. 
• I found myself pregnant with baby number 4 and could hardly stand the idea of having to leave another baby. 
• My husband and I discussed it and decided that we could make my dream of being home with the kids a reality. 
• The advent of the Corona Virus, COVID-19, was a huge push to finalize this decision. 
• Read my About Me to learn about my family! 

Focusing on becoming fit and healthy

About 3 years ago I discovered the best plan for getting healthy! Shortly after hitting my goal weight I found out I was pregnant. I gained close to 50 pounds with that pregnancy. A year ago I was almost back down to my goal weight, I had about 9 pounds to go and then.....you guessed it....I was pregnant! I am now almost 4 months postpartum and ready to get back to it! I'll be writing a post solely for sharing how I did it and what worked for me! This is all in an effort to get myself back to it again. If I share with everyone here then I will be more likely to do it! I have even toyed with a weekly update on my weigh in and how I did for the week. What do you think? Would you be interested in that?

Homeschooling - 7th grade and preschool

This is thanks to Covid-19 hitting the world how it did. With schools doing Comprehensive Distance Learning (CDL) and the risks inherent in working out of the house, it made the most sense for me to stay home and keep the kids here with me. 

For now Autzen will be following his CDL plan for his 7th grade year. I'll share our schedule and what has worked, and of course what hasn't. I have also created a plan for Barrett for preschool. It's loose but focused. 

Just like being a SAHM I never thought I would want to homeschool my kids! Here I am. Hammering it out!

Minimalist living....maybe?

Oh goodness, folks. I just don't know about this one. We have a goal of living a minimalist lifestyle. I just don't know how this will look for us. What does this really mean? We will be exploring this concept and figuring out how it looks in action. 

Downsizing from 3,400sqft to an RV, say what?!

Downsizing and living a minimalist life are not the same thing. We have to purge and gut our possessions this month. We will be moving out of our current house that we have filled to overflowing. We are starting out by moving first to a studio apartment then to an RV. We'll be living in the RV while we build a vacation home at the beach. Our possessions are being separated into three categories, donate/dump, storage for future use and what we need right now for the studio and RV.

Navigating ADHD in an almost 13 year old, 'nough said

If you live with ADHD/ADD or have a close loved one with it (especially a spouse or child) this may be relatable to you. My kiddo is an incredible guy that is learning to navigate a world with very specific structures with a brain that takes its own path. I'll share ideas and resources that we have found useful...useful to a mom of an ADHDer and useful to those with it. 

My brother and dad are both ADD as well. I have said throughout my life that I am not ADD, but I was raised that way! I can generally keep up with the mental jumps and help with finding misplaced items. 

Crocheting Projects

You know, this is fun for me and something I may share. But I don't actually see the big picture of how this could look here. I am currently working on my biggest project yet! But, it's a secret one!!! I suppose I could share pictures of previous projects. What would you like to get from this portion? Share in the comments!

General Musings

I'm sure I'll have other ideas and thoughts that I'd like to share and explore here. Who knows what will come from me! It's as much a mystery to me as it is for you.