Welcome to Westridge Academy!

It has been a long while since I updated my blog, but I thought that it was time to brush off the cobwebs. 

For those who are new here, I am Gabrielle, a first time homeschool mama to two. I have a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Masters of Science in Educational Psychology. I work full time at an office manager for a local university. I have 3 children ages 11, 8, and 5 months. My husband and I have been married for 14 years, and we have a sweet, orange beagle called Maple.

Lennon and Mama at 2 months old.

 Now for the life update for all my other readers:

During the year of our Lord 2020, a new little person joined our family of four. Now, we are a Watson Party of Five. Little Lennon is just 5 months old. He knows nothing of the world around him except his immediate family and both Gavin’s and my families. He has rarely had interactions with our friends and certainly none with coworkers, PTA, baby classes or even some of our besties. It has been a weird 5 months in our life, and I am sure yours too. However, this is life in a pandemic, and I am grateful for being able to work from home, care for my family, and be alive when so many people are ill or dead.

We found out when Lennon was four months old, that I was still immunocompromised from pregnancy. My body has not fully healed itself from the trauma that is pregnancy and birth, so on one of my very few excursions out of the house, I picked up a minor virus. It began as a low-grade fever and within days I was begging for that low-grade fever and chills to return when I was running fevers ranging from 104—106.7 regularly. I wound up in the hospital with sepsis, tachycardia, and systemic inflammatory response syndrome for several days. While being treated, the doctors could not determine what caused my mystery illness. I was in the covid wing of the ER for over 24 hours while they tried to admit me to a nearby hospital (all local beds were full). Luckily, both of my covid tests came back negative, and I was transferred by ambulance to a hospital just minutes away. It took me another 2 weeks to recover from my ordeal. As a nursing mother, I am not sure if my milk supply has fully returned yet, but I hope so. Lennon does not seem to notice too much. That was a long story, but I am happy and healthy for the most part, BUT this was the leading reason is why we chose to homeschool this year.

I spent a total of 5 days in the hospital in June with sepsis.

 Also, I still scrapbook, and I still bargain shop. I rarely practice photography, but do it for friends and family when I can. I am also a freelance resume writer when folks need their resumes updated. Check out my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/watsonresumes

Disney tri-fold interactive scrapbook folio that I created in July 2020.

 So, this post is really about our reasons to homeschool:

I am immunocompromised, and we have an infant with a developing immune system.

Lennon at 4 months old.

There are some other reasons of course that we chose homeschooling for our family too, but those are not important. I am proud that we have successfully survived AND THRIVED through our first week of homeschool. I am here to tell you that it is doable, even if you work full time. Give yourself grace. Be flexible, and you do not need everything to start homeschooling. 

 

Our very first day of homeschool ever, July 27, 2020, all the kids enjoyed their first day.

In the next few posts, I will talk about our academic calendar, our method/curriculum, our homeschool space (aka dining room), our daily schedule, our reference materials, and keep updating you on our daily lives. 

You can also follow my journey on Instagram @fromwatsonwithlove – I post pretty much daily, and share a lot of stories.

Leave some love, if you enjoy posts like these or you are on a similar journey to ours. I would love to be part of a community of #newhomeschoolers.

Disclosure: Bear in mind that some of the links in this and other posts are affiliate links. If you click on them and make a purchase, I may make a small commission. I only link to items that are tried and true for our family. I will not link to items or services that I do not like. The commission I make, if any, is minuscule.

Need a "new to you" photo lens?

I just got an email from Borrow Lenses that is it time for their annual used inventory blowout aka their biggest sale of the year! Get 20% off all used gear with this code - USEDGEAR20. If I wasn't saving money for Disney World, I would be ALL over this! I love renting lenses from them when I need something for a wedding or family portrait sesh.




Good luck purchasing the best lens for you! I'll be uploading pictures later from Harper's kindergarten graduation; can't wait to share these with you!

Playroom Pin-spiration.

Well you've all seen the mess that was the playroom. After relocating all toys, furnishings and random stuff (headless Barbie dolls), GG and I decided that it was time to seriously sort through, purge, and reorganize the kid's stuff.

Honestly, I said I would never be that parent; you know the spoiling kind, but oh, it's so easy to overspoil you kids. You don't even know you're doing it. Gifts for holidays, special occasions, and random things bought on clearance or at the Dollar Tree throughout the years REALLY adds up. Then YOU (actually I), have a huge, overwhelming mess on our hands.

Pictures of our playroom show that everything had a place and a space.  It was a functional room for the kids, but it was kind of always an eye sore for me. Not my favorite room in the house. It desperately needed paint on the walls, ceiling, a new light fixture, and oh that carpet, yeah stains ALL over it. It's' an old house; what else can I say?

Since the big mess that fell from the heavens (or the ceiling), we've been granted the money to actually update this space in a big way.

So I did what every other digital woman does... I pinned. I have finally found  a color scheme, a vision for organization, and all the little details in between, that I believe will make this room, my most favorite room in the house. All I need now is a lot of storage options, seating, a place for the TV and DVD player, a new rug, a functional play table and a new home for the kid's play kitchen.

It all started with the inspiration room that I found on Pinterest designed by Jen of I Heart Organizing.  I'm sure you've seen it as well.

Inspiration Room (I Heart Organizing)

I love everything about this space. The storage/seating area is perfect for small rooms like our 11.5' x 11.5' playroom. We have a great hand-me-down Pottery Barn Farmhouse table and chairs. I plan to paint the top with chalkboard paint as well, such a clever idea. The colors of this room really speak to me as well, but I wanted to go with softer shades. I've decided on aqua, yellow, grey with pops of dark teal. Before actually choosing room colors, we first picked out our new flooring. We went the cheap route and got North Perry Pine (vinyl wood plank) from Lumber Liquidators. It was marked down to $0.79/sq ft. I used an additional 20% off coupon and got 2520 sq ft (my house is 2506 sq ft) for $1725 (after discount and taxes). Yeah my husband and I saved a ton by choosing a much more resilient flooring than traditional wood or laminate. AND we got enough of it to cover the ENTIRE house. There will be a lot of weekends of tearing up old carpet, prepping floors, and laying down our new tile, but it will be worth it come next year when all of our flooring is installed.

Floor (Lumber Liquidators), Fan (Amazon), Bins (Walmart)

Our new ceiling fans (bought 5 of these beauties...) will go in all of the bedrooms (including playroom) and the scrap room. Hunter is a wonderful brand, and these were discounted at Amazon to $69.95 each, yes another awesome steal! The grey design bins will go in our new cube storage from Walmart (just like Ikea, just cheaper with great reviews).

 

Soft Mint (Benjamin Moore), Galvanized Bin (Walmart)

 This beautiful paint was the inspiration for the walls in the playroom. I went super cheap though and bought a gallon of "oops" paint at Home Depot. It is Glidden and the name is chipped off, so I can't figure the name. It is very similar to the above color, perhaps more aqua with more blue in it. Still VERY close and for only $9.00 I couldn't pass it up. Also I love the BHG Galvanized bin for taller toys like the Stars Wars light sabers and swords that we have.

Lamp (Target), Toss Pillow (Target)

 Of course no room is complete without a beautiful, cheap lamp ($25), and love decor. I love, love this yellow pillow.

Toss Pillow (Target), Rug (Target)

 And I have plans to sell off our freshly, professionally cleaned green shag rug and replace it with this yellow gem. The Target toss pillow really inspired me to change my color scheme to include only aqua, dark teal, grey, and yellow, so, stinkin' cute.

Playroom Closet, Bookshelf (Walmart, Ikea)

In our playroom, which is a bedroom (technically), we will have storage in our closet similar to this. We have shelving almost identical now, but we plan to move the shelves and make space for the play kitchen to have a home.  Additionally, we plan to buy one of these BHG 8-Cube Organizer (like Ikea, but cheaper alternative), to hold books, bins, TV and lamp.

Floting Shelvesa, Art Supply Storage

Last but not least, we have a cheap bookshelf that I plan to repurpose as art supply storage with plastic shoe boxes and these wonderful hanging galvanized tins (I own all this already), just going to pretty it up a bit. I'm thinking a beautiful dark teal on the white bookshelf. It could use some prettying up.

Well that's the plan. Our room will take a different shape, VERY similar to the inspiration room. The cube storage will come from Walmart and fit perfectly in the space. I have it all measured out.

I can't wait to start slapping paint on the walls. Tonight we are going to texture the ceiling. Once that's done, we'll remove the current light fixture and get to town painting that sucker. I LOVE white ceilings. Makes low (8ft) ceilings like ours seem more open and taller.

On another note, I've been spending a lot of time organizing in my head.... putting toys in their various baskets. I plan to make some pretty little labels to make it easy to keep clean too (just like the inspiration room). I mean we will have 16 storage cubes to fill (the other 4 will hold books) - so this is how I plan to organize them:

1. Cars

2. Large Legos/Duplos

3. Blocks

4. Barbie

5. Little people

6. Disney figurines

7. Dora play set

8. Loving family

9. Action figures

10. Dinosaurs

11. Animals

12. Puzzles

13. Foam blocks

14. Wooden toys

15. Educational toys

16.

 Under the Farmhouse table will be a large bin that holds train stuff.

The bottom floor of the closet will have the kitchen and our 3 tiered rolling cart next to it. I plan to house kitchen food/plates, baby dolls/accessories, and misc. dress up items (keys, wallets, money, cards, jewelry) in those bins. If there is enough room, I'd like to place hooks on the side to hang dress up clothes.

The second shelf in the closet will hold our Little People playsets, doll houses, and small lego bin.

The third shelf in the room will have stuff animals that we refuse to get rid of - all the Disney stuff pretty much. WE love Disney at our house.

The small bookshelf will be repainted and house markers/pencils, crayons, scissors/glue/paintbrushes, and chalk in little hanging pails. Coloring books, drawing pads and paper will be housed in magazine holders, and clear shoe boxes will hold stamps, paints, craft supplies, and art supplies.

That's all folks. Our playroom pin-spiration. I hope you feel just as inspired to organize and update rooms in your house on a thin budget. I plan to post more pictures of the room in progress as well. Just need to get my camera hooked up to the ipad. Forgot to do that today.

[a little change]

Oh bless this slight change in the weather, and bless this new semester in school. Bless the little changes that happen in our families, in our thinking, in our creativity, in our desires, in our fashion choices (yes,  those too), and the good changes that are happening around us all the time.

Change can be rough for many folks, but oh goodness, I appreciate and accept change; I wish big change happened more often. I just get bored. I can't help it. My mind is always wondering off to other things... if you know me personally, you know exactly what I'm talking about. My husband can certainly vouch for this.

Right now, I am feeling especially motivated in my life.  I feel motivated to pursue my passions as a family life educator and get out there and help people who are the inspiration for all of my work.

Although I am spending more time than ever at work and school, I am committing more time to my family that I didn't balance so well before.  We have a wonderful routine, and it is working rather well.   

How many of you have struggled with your children going to be at night? Well, for our family, it has been a battle for years with our 4 year old.  She fights going to bed, practically every night.  I am taking a graduate Family Relations course this semester, and my first assigned reading for the class dealt with the topic of  good parenting resulting in misbehavior in children; read this article if you have a few minutes, especially if you have little kids; it is definitely worth your time: "Good Parents, Bad Results" from US News and World Report. Well, after reading the article, I came to the conclusion that some of my parenting skills, weren't really cutting it. Despite spankings and time outs, my daughter was still acting out literally everyday!  So I made a change in our nighttime routine: 

After bath time, we lotion up, pick out jammies, brush hair, get a cup of water, and pick out two books, 1 for brother and 1 for sister. I tell them before we read the story, "We are going to read two books tonight, then you're going to lay down, and I will sing you one song tonight." We snuggle in bed and read our books. By this time, Harper wants to talk about the story or ask me questions about the coming day, or whatever pops into her little head. I engage her, listen, and answer. I don't shush or poo-poo the conversation. It's the little moments like these that we as parents are meant to treasure. They go by too fast. I sing my song; it's usually "Make You Feel My Love" or "Hushabye Mountain" while I lightly touch her arm or back. Then I give a kiss and a hug. Check on Sawyer in his bed, tell them goodnight and leave the door open a crack as I step into the hallway.

We've been practicing this for a few weeks now, and yes, we sometimes still have trouble, typically about one night per week; overall, our nights have greatly improved.  It is just taking the time to answer the often silly and mundane questions, be engaging with your children, even if they are fighting sleep; give them the attention they crave in a positive way.

I am simply putting off my 'important' mommy stuff, and spending quality time with my children during those few moments that we have together throughout the day. It is just so important.

Also, I am feeling motivated to scrapbook again after a short break that lasted a few months.  I took time off from blogging because I had nothing new to share that I wasn't sharing on Facebook, but I realize that not everyone who reads this blog is my Facebook friend.  So I have been scrapping lately, at least 1-2 times per month and a little more. I've been taking more pictures, that I now need to get developed, and I am instagramming like a crazy person.

Just to sum up the last few months:
- Sawyer began fully walking last week
- I'm in my third semester of grad school
- GG and I spent our 7th wedding anniversary in Vegas this summer
- I visited Memory Lane Inn with my friends and family in July
- Sawyer turned 1 in June 
- I attended the Great American Scrapbook Convention in June and assisted the awesome Donna Downey
- Harper turned 4 in April
- Harper is a preschool home-schooler as of August
- GG and I bought a new-used 2010 Scion XB back in May
- March you know, came and went, nothing memorable that I can speak to
- February, I turned 27.

That is all I have to share for now, but I will do my very best to keep you all informed of fun stuff, scrapbook pages I've completed, family fun that we are having, etc, etc.

Since I've been out of touch, what are you lovelies up to? I hope that you're still being creative and pushing yourselves to make time for fun in your lives.

Happy Anniversary to GG and me.

The kids in our playroom one morning.

Making funny faces.

Morning giggles and snuggles with my lovelies.

Someone is climbing onto everything.

A little bit of summer scrapping.

A night out in Vegas. It's nice getting dressed up.

This month's Slop Crop in Frisco, TX. I'm in the teal shirt.

With Love,
Gabi Watson