Logan's height and weight

From 18mo-20mo he grew just short of 1/2 an inch, his 'slowest' growth spurt to date in his life.

From 20mo-22mo he grew just over an inch and a half, so he is officially 3ft tall at 22months old.

He also weighs in a 31-32 lbs depending on the day - it's pretty 50-50 when we weigh him so i'm not sure what to classify him at lol so we'll just say 31-32.

No specific topic..just random stuff

1. Sometimes I really dislike the aspect of a child's life where they change so much. Just when we finally feel like we have a grip on Logan's sleeping he throws us a curveball. Logan sleeps through the night with no need for us about 60% of the time, the other 40% we have to attend to him once and we're okay with that! But as of the past few days he is just -not- going to bed well! He cries and cries and cries - tonight was about an hour. We don't believe in the cry-it-out method to a point, so our theory is usually let him cry 5 mins, then 6 mins, then 7, etc and attend him inbetween...of course once we reach 7 mins he's usually settled and asleep but not tonight! So we finally coaxed him to sleep but it was a battle. I don't believe it's anything we've necessarily done wrong and it's more linked to his personality becoming more apparent and he's just in a phase of life (age 0-4) of constant change! BUT knowing that doesn't necessarily make it any easier. Not looking for advice i'm strictly venting.

2. Bowen is phenominal! I have had some outstanding success stories one of which seems to be possibly making drastic changes on a young girl with ADHD (combined with some supplements she started to take, not prescribed by me but things I definetly understand why they'd help). Even myself - I have been going to the chiropractor for a hip pain that i've been experiencing (because there is no Bowen practitioner for me to see close by) and I had to see her 3 times a week to keep it from being in pain, and when I stopped seeing her for a week I could barely move by the end of the week. Well my Bowen weekend module 6 I just had we practice every and all procedures on each other and after two days of that I could NOT move! lol I was in SOOO much pain...however, the next day it was better, and the next even better and the past 2 days have been virtually pain free! That is a semi typical Bowen response to feel worse before you feel better -especially- in a case where you have had too much work done on you (ex: a classroom setting). I wish I had easier access to see one of my classmates but I can't spare the round trip 3+ hours it would take me...a shame. I taught Michael the one procedure though to help me out in those moments of distress so as it was starting to slightly resurface today I nipped it in the butt (lol that's funny to me because the procedure is more or less on the butt)

3. I would really like Spring to arrive! -sigh- The past two days have been highly unusual weather wise...it's been overcast, foggy, and misty ALL day long...it's gloomy and depressing and has kept me from travelling to a few destinations I had planned to go.

4. Dear spouses and significantly others who do the dishes: Please rinse the sponge and rag out at the end of the dish washing experience. Thanks and much appreciated! :)

lol well I think that's all? At least it's all I can handle today - i'm pretty tired so despite the fact it's not quite 9pm I think i'll 'hit the hay'. Night all!

Bowen to the next level!

Wow I am feeling very overwhelmed with my Bowen work these days - I have to get 20-25 case studies finished by June 4th (that is 2 people twice at the minimum), and I have recently decided to take on getting started on an online Anatomy class which is a requirment for Bowen to get my BOWEN certificate. I qualify for my completion certificate from MRC but I would like to have the Bowen academy certificate because to me that's the one that really matters.

My overwhelming is mainly financially driven. Before June I also plan to complete my First Aid training (another requirment), and to get my Malpractice Insurance confirmed (another requirement) which is a few hundred dollars... and I signed up for my Anatomy class which I am taking out of the States actually because it's Bowen-specific and it's literally HALF (or less) the price of the one offered at MRC. I was really waffling if I wanted to take on the anatomy class but this lady allows you one year to complete (MRC allows 3 months), and I signed up for two classes so she actually will give me two years if I needed it (which I hope isn't the case). Just with everything in my life I really didn't want to do the anatomy this year BUT I want to take some more Bowen classes offered over the coming months and years which specifically teach you 'advanced work' and 'shortcuts' - they want you to have the material down pat before teaching you such things, whcih makes sense to me, but there are certain requirments..and frankly my life is busy yes but it's not necessarily going to get easier within the next few years so I decided just to jump in with both feet and a little blind ;)

lol, but I love knowing that I'm continually learning! AND I realy have been meaning to take an anatomy class for awhile, this one is thankfully specific to my current field of study so it will teach me what I need to know (and more of course).

Anyways, if you see me hiding under a rock somewhere it's just the stress! LOL Wish me luck!!

Easter Ideas

So I had a brilliant idea relayed to me - I can't remember where I heard it but it's definetly what we're going to do for Easter this year! I would love if people would comment their easter traditions they have with their child(ren) also because this is the first year Logan -kind- of will appreciate the fun behind an Easter egg hunt!

I really don't like to give Logan sugar too often because it has a negative effect on him, so obviously Easter is one of those kind of traditions that can get really sugary if a person gets too caught up in the hype of the commercialization Easter has become.

First and foremost Easter is about the Saviour and the crucifixion so I haven't found a fun way specifically to work that into my plan for the day (as far as a 2 year old goes), but I also think there's an element of fun in the Easter Bunny, but I don't want to lay out tons of chocolate eggs and treats to find because frankly i'll end up eating way more of them than I feel comfortable and I only have ONE child this Easter, so my plan B is this: Logan LOVES putting coins into his piggy bank - whenever he finds change he goes straight to his piggy bank lol..so i'm going to put a coin or two (probably pennys nickles and dimes lol) into those plastic eggs and hide THEM all over! Of course we will hide a few little treats because that is a fun element - the occasional chocolate egg or Logan's favourite chocolate bar hidden somewhere is part of enjoying Easter :)

Anyways, LOVE to hear others ideas!

Adoption update

We have been reviewed by the adoption board and are officially approved :) Very exciting phone call to get this morning!

Homeschooling update

Last night I was informed by a good friend about an information night that the Cochrane Home Educators association (CHE) was having - so I decided that I would attend, despite the fact i'm a few years from needing to register, etc. I learned SO much and really was able to concrete my decision into my head. It was really great. The format was they had everyone go around and tell their story as to what brought them to homeschooling or why they were considering homeschooling or in some cases why they like homeschooling (there were homeschool students and homeschool graduates present also)

Let me share with you what I learned:

1. CHE offers lots and lots of specialized care for their families - ex: every friday they rent many facilities at Cochrane's community centre - the kids call it "gym day". They also have art classes and if they happen to have a specialized teacher coming in, if I understand correctly Friday is the day they would be available to be seen (a science teacher for example).
2. There are 98 -families- registered in Cochrane this year, that's not including how many kids each family has.
3. There are 4 types of homeschooling. I forget the exact terminology but i'll explain each type.
     a) Type 1 you follow the Alberta curriculum 100% (which means your child will be expected to do all the standarized tests in gr 3, 6, 9 & 12)
     b) Type 2 you follow the Alberta curriculum for certain subjects and find your own curriculum (or way of teaching) for the others
     c) Type 3 you follow whatever curriculum you choose to teach your children
     d) "no"schooling - which means you allow your children to choose what they want to learn when they want to - and it's typically not done through bookwork. (Before you judge this method I have now met multiple children who are extremely intelligent, and as of last night even met one who has a university degree in business)
4. There is funding available to you for your homeschooling venture. I was never 100% sure on this, so now I know. The above types are what determines what kind of funding you recieve. Type 1 gets you the most, type 2 is next, type 3 is next - and i'm not sure if you get any with no-schooling.
5. Cochrane allows you to do a mixed schooling so if you wanted to send your child to school part time for certain subjects and teach them the others you can.
6. Kids aren't homeschooled just because they are struggling
7. Social aspect is all based on the parent and how they involve their children in the communities available to them. Frankly this concern when I was fully judgemental on homeschooling was an issue but as I have sat down and pondered the concept I got to thinking that my biggest issues with public school was the social aspect! Junior High is what destroyed me emotionally, and I even had poor image thoughts as early as grade 4! Its possibly I would have been better off if I had been homeschooled (emotionally and academically). ...so if anyone tries to tell me Logan won't be socially apt because he is homeschooled is completely out of line because that is an outright lie.
8. I learned that each homeschooling parent has their moments of doubt and uncertainty and they suggested giving it at least 3 years before passing final judgement because the first your you are figuring things out, the 2nd you doubt yourself and the 3rd you finally are getting a grip on things! lol

So needless to say after listening to the couple dozen stories and ideas and suggestion (and seeing the major support in the CHE) I really firmed up my decision, so if people ask me now I can confidently say that my children will be homeschooled. This is all of course circumstantial - if we move from Cochrane before then and there isn't as much support or activity available to us to utilize I might change but my first instinct is that I will still continue through with my plan, it just might be a little more work than if I were here still! I love my child(ren) and want the best for them and to me personally this is the best for them.

Reading

I am writing this blog to kind of unravel my thoughts on paper and maybe get even more insight to my recent epiphany/realization about myself. When it comes to reading I am a very quick reader - like I can finish 150-200 page novel in an hour/hour and a half (depending on distractions and how interesting the book is). I'm not trying to brag, just trying to lay the facts as I delve deeper into my thoughts.

Side note: why and where did my speed reading abilities root? Well the earliest memory is when I was about 5 years old, maybe 6 or 7 ish, my dad took speed reading classes and I remember that I learned to read around the age of 5 (I had an older brother learning so I wanted to as well - Ben is 19 months older than I)...anyways, I specifically remember sitting in church and while the congregation was singing a Hymn, I would 'race' my dad reading the verses. How? I would tell my dad when to start and we'd both start reading, then as soon as I was done the verse i'd announce it to him - of course asking if I had beat him, and most of the time he let me win i'm sure lol, but it was beautiful moments we shared together. After that I just wanted to read fast like my dad I guess. Then I remember once I started school and into grades where the teacher would tell us to read something, then put our heads down when we were done, or something like that - I always wanted to be first. Whether it was to feel accepted or whether it was I wanted to feel 'smart' because I could read fast I couldn't really tell you (it wasn't intentional). That was about grade 4 that we started doing textbook work I would say, which is also when I moved into a new school, town, and new classmates.

Anyways, i'll tell you my realization, I don't know how to thoroughly read. When I read, I skim read. When it's a book or story that truly entertains me, I still skim read just a little less than if it were something that didn't 100% interest me. I can tell you everything that happens in the book because I have read it just in a different way than many others do.

But this explains so much to me! For instance:
1. School: I was never a great student academically - I passed many of my classes with a passing grade. I never really understood that because I felt like, and still feel like i'm quite intelligent, but in school I could never excel. Thinking back on it, the work I did best on was when teachers didn't do much more than copy a sentence out of the textbook and you had to find the rest of the answer. You know the ones, you find the key words and the answer is right there. But if I had to thoroughly read something and understand it and interrpret it - I never did well. I would have a basic understanding but I didn't know -how- to read it deeper.
2. The Scriptures: I am presently delving into reading the Old Testament cover to cover - something i've never accomplished in my life. Holy Smokes! I am strugging SO hard. I can't stay focused on one word after another. I sit there reading and next thing you know i'm to the next page but haven't 'read' anything! So i'll go back and force everyword into my mind and will have gotten even less than when I read it the first time - in fact reading word for word breaks it down too slowly that my brain physically can't internalize it.
3. Bowen: I absolutely love everything to do with Bowen and want to learn more, more, more! I sit and read my notes, my textbooks, and I truly can't read it word for word, I have to read it skim reading 3 or 4 times to get as much as I can out of it, but cannot go deeper or slower than that. I am terrified because I have to take an anatomy course, and they offer one via online learning, which is potentially good for me - but it requires straight reading! Not only just reading, but reading ANATOMY...I need classroom teaching, but at this point that's not feasable for my lifestyle to take a class that way. I'm nervous..

I just had another epiphany/realization. This reading problem likely is why I struggle with testing! Most multiple choice questions you have to truly read it, understand it, internalize it, then read the 4 option answers and THEN choose the 'best' answer. Hello! That isn't how my mind works.. no wonder I barely passed my high school classes, and no wonder I passed my college courses with a barely passing grade!

Anyways, so of course I can read and of course I am intelligent, but this is just some new information that I have learned about myself that may just help me (I'm not sure how yet) with my future learning - and my future teaching of my children.

The reason I started thinking about this is because when my father-in-law was here he mentioned how quickly he read, and I mentioned out of the blue that it's really a curse because if he's like me, I read a book in a night and then have nothing else to read! Then it's harder to find things to read because you've 'read everything' so to speak. So the curse is really deeper then that and i'm glad to have at least recognized it at this point in time.

Cleaning success

I wanted to share the success I've had with my 'chore chart' I have been following. I have added to it on my printed off version, but this is more or less my system. It's been lovely to be 'on top of' everything! The duties i've assigned myself are fairly simple when done in isolation, and by spending a mere 20 minutes a day working on a specific assignment keeps my house in pretty good shape! Logan also loves to assist me. He loves sweeping and mopping, and he loves holding the spray bottle and a paper towel to clean mirrors/windows! Also, I have a list of occasional duties that I am working on creating - things that really truly don't need to happen weekly but i'd like to see them happen monthly, or at the very longest every 2nd month. Example: This past week I washed the walls in my kitchen. On other days I will wash other room walls, wash the fronts of cupboards, clean fridge/stove, or I will do things like reorganize or sort Logan's toys, etc. My goal is never to have to do a spring cleaning!

The other joy of my list is that if I miss a week due to appointments or not being home, I feel no guilt because it will be done in a weeks time!

Frankly this system just works well for me! My house is in a manner that is pleasing to me and I can have my entire home tidy and clean within 10 minutes if I should happen to have company coming last minute which is a great accomplishment.

PS. You will also note that I do not do anything specific on weekends other than 'house maintenance' to keep the house tidy - it's nice to be able to just spend time with my boys :)

SUNDAY	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY
WEEK 1	Vacuuming + Mop Kitchen Floor	Gather Garbage’s	Bathrooms	Windows/Mirrors in Logan's reach	Laundry Day + sheets
WEEK 2	Vacuuming + Mop Kitchen Floor	Gather Garbage’s	Dusting	Windows/Mirrors in Logan's reach	Laundry Day
WEEK 3	Vacuuming + Mop Kitchen Floor	Gather Garbage’s	Bathrooms	Windows/Mirrors in Logan's reach	Laundry Day + sheets
WEEK 4	Vacuuming + Mop Kitchen Floor	Gather Garbage’s	Dusting	Windows/Mirrors in Logan's reach	Laundry Day

Logan's Sleep Training: Results

I have been asked alot about this, so I'll let you know that most of the time Logan now sleeps through the night - and by definition of an 8 hour stretch in a night Logan -always- sleeps through the night. If Logan is to wake up, it's either within an hour or two after going down (Michael just talks him back to sleep from outside the door - he doesn't require a bottle anymore), or he'll wake up briefly between 5 & 6am (Michael again just talks him back to sleep).

The best part about this process is Logan is on an extremely accurate schedule. He wakes up at 7:15am, he naps from 12-2 (and I have to wake him up by 2 98% of the time), and goes to bed at 8pm. This schedule is almost on the dot every day - if it strays i'm always very surprised. I even have his 'feeding' times to a T - he'll even ask if I haven't gotten him a snack by 2:30!

Our next steps (which i'm in no rush) is to start transferring his bottles into sippy cups at those three times - bedtime, nap and morning. The morning will be the first to go, then bedtime (he doesn't go to sleep with a bottle I better clarify, he has one downstairs while winding down watching a show), and lastly naptime.

So our goals I think have been met! The only problem at this point is that I haven't taken a shot at bedtime and am not sure what will bethe case when I do...but at this point we're okay with that - Michael has built a beautiful routine that I should be okay when the time comes. He is home every night until at least spring thaw occurs, and that's at least another month away before I need to stress!