preschool

Why Gluten Free?

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We are going on 1 month of gluten free living and I couldn’t be happier with the results! I never talked much about the struggles we would encounter in our day with little Miss K.Bear. Not because I was trying to “hide” anything but simply put it was our “normal”. K.Bear has always been our spunky, ‘spirited’, strong willed, and just ‘more’ everything child. She is super bright, cute, funny, and a “little mommy” at heart. K.Bear has never “really” slept through the night (yes, she will be 4 in August) that means very little sleep for Mommy! She always seemed to “fly off the handle” at the blink of an eye and I truly couldn’t do anything right at times! She nearly potty trained herself at just over a year old…normal? She has been my tiny little ball of ‘spunk’ for years!

None the less, I am her mother and God blessed us with this beautiful baby girl….we trudge along…what is a mother to do? Things were getting worse by the day and I was quickly reaching a breaking point.  “Night waking” and “night tantrums” 2-3 times a week at 1:00/2:00 in the morning for nearly a year has been the norm. I would literally get up at that time out of “routine” and pray she would sleep through “it” tonight. Taking her to the van (yes, in the cold) to “shock” her out of “it” (while, this was certainly not a cure it did help a little). Exhausting, draining, emotional, and confusing…I was riding a K.Bear roller coaster!!

The bottom fell out; it was Saturday night (tantrum…hit 1:00AM lasting 30-45 minutes…in a freezing van) back to bed for some sleep…normal?!?

Sunday…a tired, exhausted child is never fun to deal with….the day seemed to be going “as usual” a cranky moment here, some play, and some more whining… nothing really out of the ordinary for a Sunday afternoon. K.bear requested a snack before dinner (animal crackers) so I proceeded to give her some while I prepped dinner. The initial requested immediately turned into I want more (mind you she hadn’t even eaten one yet!) …rolling on the floor because I only have her 2 more in the bowl (it is dinner time after all)…and I quickly watched my child “lose it”…for 2 1/2 hours!! She never recovered….

and there began our gluten free journey!

I share our story with you in hopes of helping others in a similar situation. This is just a ‘glimpse’ of the puzzle I began to piece together…and look forward to sharing so much more with you in the near future!

WEE Review : Are Parents Really Necessary?

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I just finished reading another WEE Book; Are Parents Really Necessary? A Guide to Preschool Education. I was so excited when I found this WEE Book in The Old Schoolhouse store. It was as if it were written for me!

Some of you that know me personally know that homeschooling has always been a longtime standing interest of mine. I have read about it (long before I had children), researched it extensively, and prayed about it daily. Is homeschooling indeed the right choice for my family?



This little WEE book is packed and I do mean “packed” with research, statistics, and valuable information on the importance of parents in a child’s life! Especially when related to his or her education. Having one child that is of preschool age and another that will soon be trailing quickly behind I know first hand how quickly these years fly by. As any parent wants for his or her child a good education is not asking for much. That being said does the NEA (National Education Association) really have our children’s best interest at heart? Or are there underlying motives (i.e. financial gain?) Why do we send our children to school when they are barely out of diapers? Are our children indeed benefiting from this push for earlier education and longer days (i.e. full day kindergartens)? Explore these and many other “aha moments” while reading Are Parents Really Necessary? A Guide to Preschool Education.



So if you are like me and still not 100 percent certain that homeschooling is for you your families, preschool can be a great time to give it a “try”! “WEE” invite you to join us on our journey.

Raising a Leader

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Raisingaleader

I have always been one to make my own decisions, not follow the crowd, and be a leader! So, why since having children it is so easy to buckle at the knees and conform? This was the question I pondered at 5:00 AM as I showered (in peace I might add)! The answer I came up with was this; it is one thing to be a leader for ourselves and stand out but we don’t want our children to stand out or be different. Or then again do we?

School is well underway and my oldest daughter recently started 3 year old preschool. She is at a great school with wonderful teachers and a great curriculum. However, there appears to be a missing link. I always thought I would homeschool my children. I begged in Highschool for my Mom to homeschool me ( I didn’t even know what it was…but, I begged anyways!). This random request then led to a 10 year long research project. I have read books, made lesson plans, and stayed up for hours dreaming of what “a perfect school” would be like for my children. {A special note I thought of homeschooling long before there were kids in the picture!}

Jump forward; now there are kids in the picture and I sent them to school?! What??!! I buckled at the knees you could say. I did what everyone else was doing in fear that my child might lag behind? I sent my baby girl to school! Some would say “Great job, she has to get used to it at some point!” while others would say “Awe, why did you send her the best place for her is at home with you – she’s only 3!”.

My thoughts are this she is chugging along in school just fine (well, once she is in the door that is). The morning battles, crocodile tears, and the “I don’t want to go to school” is really what rips my heart out. Why do we force our children to conform at such a young age?

My Mom mission continues; I promise to my children I will not “buckle any longer” to the ways of the rest of the world.

What example would we be setting to our children to be independent thinkers if we became followers ourselves?