OUR HOME

Here is a snapshot of our home- or at least some important parts of it. Feel free to ask any questions about our home and we will answer them below...

Home: We try to make home a warm and loving place. We chose a home with smaller bedrooms and large living areas on purpose. Yes, privacy is important, but so is spending time with family... and when the family areas are larger and more comfortable, that's where kids want to be :) ...Granted this philosophy would be more applicable for older children than for the current 5-year-old who is constantly wrapped around my legs... but hey, we try to look to the future! As far as cleanliness goes... well, I try... (can we just leave it at that??) ...okay but really, but there are always cluttered closets and drawers, laundry that isn't done right away... and toys everywhere. I really could keep it spotless if I spent every spare moment with that goal in mind- but let's face it, there are other things I would rather be doing. I try not to let it get out of control, but if you come to our house and it's not spotless... well, tough!

Nutrition: We try to eat as nutritiously as possible. I admit I may even be considered a little bit of a health-nut, because I will do everything in my power to give my children the best that I can and help them make healthy choices. I want to protect the health of my family! So yes, the less processed and more natural, the better (especially when it comes from our own garden), and we try to avoid junk... That being said balance is important too... Reagan sure does look forward to eating at McDonald's on her birthday, but she honestly doesn't seem to miss it on the other days.

Education: Schooling is great, parental involvement is better. Although Reagan is only in Preschool right now, I enjoy spending time teaching her and helping her succeed. I can't wait to be more involved in her classroom when she attends Kindergarten this fall.

Discipline: Where to begin... Well we've tried just about everything- and it seems like we try something new every week. Time-outs work good for us... and obviously follow-through is key. We tried spanking a couple times. We felt even worse about it than she did... and it didn't help the behaviors change, so spanking was out. Mostly, we try to make the punishment fit the crime... if she colors on the walls, she gets to scrub it off with a washcloth, if she has an attitude, she gets time to chill out and then gets to think of a few nice things to say instead. That seems to work, for now... With every age and phase we get to re-evaluate. What worked in the past doesn't work forever, but we try to use discipline as a teaching experience so *hopefully* we can discipline as few times as possible before the lesson is learned.

Family Time: Family Time is very important to us, which is why we love that our Daddy can work from home! ...but one-on-one time is just as important. Daddy-daughter, and Mommy-daughter dates are a regular occurence... and Mommy-Daddy dates too :) Each relationship adds strength to our family, so it's important to us to make sure each relationship gets the attention it needs and deserves... we just wish there was another relationship or two to nurture! :)

Family Motto: Wirricks stick together! ...and never ever give up!
(We reserve the right to add to our motto according to our family's needs!)