10 on Tuesday

It is Tuesday, January 1st, 2013...wow, what a great way to start the year!!  I have set goals for 2013 and I hope that I am able to make it a point to stick with them and make them new routines. I am posting all of these goals here in hopes that my readers and friends will help keep my accountable and remind me when I get behind :)  I know a few of you who will keep me in my place and that is all I will need :)

1.  My first one is a photo a day challenge the entire year. I plan to take a photo of each of my children daily (and hopefully post them the day I take them). It is so hard for me to remember to take out my camera daily but when I do I tend to go a bit overboard. I want to make sure that I can capture my kids through this year as they change, grow, learn, discover and create.

2. My 2nd goal is to spend at least 30mins a day reading with each of my children.  This may be combined or individual but I want to make sure it is at least 30mins a day (sometimes easy other days are hard, but I need to get better at making it a solid routine)

3. 3rd goal is to make time to talk and pray with each of my children and get them to engage in the prayers more.  Both Madelynn and Joshua are very good about praying for family/friends who are sick or hurt but I want them to learn that we don't have to just come to Jesus when we have a need, that they can go to Jesus always.

4. 4th goal is to set a solid devotional time daily where I can dive into the Word, get lost in the music, and open my heart fully to what the Lord has to say and reveal. This is always my plan/goal but I have allowed life to take hold too often that I really need to make this a MAJOR change and priority.

5. 5th goal is to continue to have devotional time and daily scripture reading with my children   While we were up north over Christmas 5 chapters of the Bible was listened to daily (Bible on CD) and after the first day there Joshua was asking to listen to scriptures every day after breakfast. I want that to be the norm in our house too.  Even if life goes on (dishes, coloring, kids playing) while it is running, just to have it on daily will make a huge impact in our lives.

6. I want to make time daily to get outside with the kids, despite my dislike for cold temps.  I am really good about this in the nice weather, or even rainy weather, but the winter is not something that I enjoy but I want to change that get out and walk or play with them outside.

7. I want to hold myself accountable, will you do it too?, to stay on track with school and keep pushing through it.  We have really slacked since Thanksgiving-despite the kids asking for it-and I need to make it a point to press through things.  With this I need to stick with my timeline and not push school off until 'later' because it is easily neglected and forgotten.

8. I want to continue to scrapbook monthly and stay caught up within 6 months.  I am starting this year caught up in Madelynn and Joshua's book through July 2012 and I have not started Emma's book yet.

9. I would like to lose 15lbs this year, putting me well below my lowest weight that I recall in my adult life. I have done amazing, now 5lbs lighter than I was when I got pregnant with Emma (which was previously my lowest weight), but I want to do better.

10. I want to pick up my business and keep it running.  I have my first class kicking off the end of January but I want to kick it up a notch and hold classes at home, through the AH school district like I have in the past, and I want to making Sign Language standard communication in our house (the kids know so much already I want to keep it going and in use so they don't forget it).

Ten on Tuesday

I have been wanting to blog about something other than school for a while but my time has not allowed for much when on most days I had 5 kids ages 4 and younger in the house.  When some were sleeping others were not so my blog has been greatly neglected...until now!!  

Here is some Ten on Tuesday to give you a glimpse into current life (or life the last few months) here in the Harrison Household:

1.) We are in our FINAL week of Pre K with Joshua!!  This has been a year long process that I have really slacked on!  When we first started last September the plan was to do through all 26weeks only breaking for Christmas.  Well, that worked well, until Christmas, then it kind of got put on hold/stalled as morning sickness kicked in and made the next 22weeks VERY difficult with other children in the house.  Since then we have been playing catch up and it has taken us a long time to get to this final week!!  I will be grateful for the break-until October-when we start up K4! Joshua is REALLY excited for the math and reading that will come this next year!!

2.) The kids have enjoyed watching the construction happening on our new apartment complex that will open May 2013.  We can look out our windows and watch them every step of the way.  They have just recently finished (well are finishing I guess) the underground garages and getting ready to put up the first floor.  It is suppose to open up May 1st, 2013 and we are first on the list for a 3bedroom apartment.  We cannot wait!! Right now we will have all 5 of us crammed into a 2bedroom unit, which works, but its crowded in the bedrooms.

3.) Speaking of adding a new baby-we are coming down to the end of this pregnancy and I have mixed emotions about it.  This may, in fact, be our last little one and though I agree-looking at finances-I long for a large family and I LOVE being pregnant.  However this pregnancy, especially the last month and a half, have been rough as I have dealt with preterm labor and contractions that last for days at a time.  It will be bittersweet to have our little girl in our arms, but I know we are ALL excited to meet her!!

4.) Joshua and Madelynn got to participate in Family Style VBS this past August and since then Joshua's love for dancing has boomed! He's always loved music and dancing but lately it is all he does.  He wakes up and wants music on.  He wants everyone looking at him while he dances and he has remembered a lot of the movements from the VBS dancers :)  Here are some recent dance moves-thanks to the movie Puss and Boots: the litter box dance: 

5.) Madelynn also loves music, song and dance, but she is usually found singing!  She sings about everything and anything and makes up her own songs throughout the day.  It does my heart good to listen to her sing! And I love this picture that a dear friend took of Moo singing while we were out playing.

6.) Wow, this is harder than I thought it would be-coming up with 10 new things to talk about.  I think I always get to this point in this post and I sit and scratch my head.  Hmmm...Well, we are now 38wks pregnant and baby girl has become REALLY active lately.  The kids are so excited for their baby sister to arrive.  This morning Madelynn climbed into my bed and said "Mom, I want your Emma to come out. I want to nuggle her!"  And this has been repeated a LOT today.  And nuggle means snuggle in 2 year old talk :)

7.) A have found a new addiction this pregnancy and it is CUCUMBER WATER.  It is so refreshing on hot days and super easy to make.  I just peel a cucumber, slice it up and add it to cold water-letting it sit/seep in the fridge for a while then enjoy!  So far today I have drank nearly 3quarts-that's 96oz of water!!!  

8.) The MN State Fair is going on right now and we are debating on going.  Well, actually DAN is debating on going. I don't like the large crowds being surrounded by people I don't know and almost everywhere you turn you see a little kid/baby crying in their stroller because they are bored, hot and tired.  Do you and your family go to the State Fair?? What is your favorite things to see and eat there??

9.) Laundry...does it ever end???  Normally I don't mind doing laundry-I always found it relaxing until I have to put it away.  Now that I am 9m pregnant and I have a front loader washer and dryer it is more of a chore just to add the clothes to the correct spot as I cannot bend over and breath at the same time.  Each day, each load, brings me closer to meeting baby girl and I know I will miss all the feelings pregnancy, however I think touching my feet and bending while breathing will be things that I enjoy greatly!!

10.) Ten things!! I made it!!  Whew that was kind of tricky!!  I will end this on a birth note: did you know we are planning a WATER BIRTH?  I will be delivering at Abbott in downtown Mpls and have the chance to deliver baby girl in water with my midwife, Dan, both kids and a VERY DEAR FRIEND who will be taking pictures!! Oh I can't wait to share our little Emma Lou with all of you!!!