I've been invited to try Time4Learning for a month in exchange for a candid review. Their online program can be used for homeschool, as an after school tutorial and for summer learning. My opinion will be my own, so come back and read about my experience. You can write your own curriculum review, too!

For Kristine

A Letter to Hallie on Your 10th Birthday

My dear Hallie,

It is easy to miss how quickly your children are growing up. It happens day by day and you don't notice it. As I was looking at the picture from last year's letter, it is amazing to see what a young lady you are turning into! You are at least a couple of inches taller and your hair is longer, and your face looks so much older. How did all of this happen in just one year?

I say it all the time, but it is just so true, you are such a grown-up, mature girl. I am constantly having to shoo you away from the adult conversations, because you would much rather be there than playing with the "children." This year you have continued to be such a great help to me. You are so good about pitching in and doing more than your fair share.

You are such a cool kid. You have such a knack for knowing how to act in every situation.

You have been really developing your own sense of fashion this year and it is really fun to see. For most of your life you have not cared too much about what you wear, but this year that is changing. I am seeing you define yourself in your own way, and outside of my shadow. You have a drawer full of clothes, but you pretty much wear the same few shirts, the ones that you picked out yourself.

I hope you know what an amazing, special girl you are. I hope you never lose sight of the things that make you special. You have some wonderful, natural talents that you have been given by your Father in Heaven.

I love you,

Mom

A Letter to Hayden on Your 5th Birthday

My fabulous Hayden,

Five going on twenty-five. You love all things "grown up." You constantly talk about the future and when I am a grandma and you are a mom. Your visions all include a sports car and lots of money to buy whatever you want. Lots of shoes and jewels I imagine.

The other day when you were dreaming of the glorious day when you are older, I explained that there are hard things that come along with growing up as well, like paying bills and responsibilities. I didn't think much of it, but a few days later you said, "mom, I have been thinking about what you said about growing up, and I am a little nervous about it." I was glad to hear that, I am not ready for you to be all grown up yet.

You are my glamour queen. The more flash and glitz, the better. A few weeks ago you asked your teacher at church if she was wearing a Bump-It (a thing you put in your hair to get that big sassy hair). I was not surprised because you have been talking about Bump-Its forever now. You keep asking if I will buy one for you.

You are so good with people. You have a way of sucking them in and wrapping them around your little finger and getting them to do whatever you want. You are a such a little flirt and you already know how to bat your eyelashes.

You have matured so much this year. You are listening and doing what you are asked more than ever, and sometimes you are even downright helpful. You are doing so well at school. I was so surprised when I volunteered in your classroom a fee weeks ago. You are attentive and on task and you do everything you are told.

You are so sweet with Jaxton. You mother him and talk so sweetly to him. You are always saying "come on bub, let's go play." You love playing store, or school, or house. You are the store keeper/teacher/mom, and Jaxton is Jeremy. I don't know why or where you came up with this name for him, but he brought me a name tag the other day and asked me to write my name on it. I said "J-A-X-T-O-N spells Jaxton" and he said "no, my name is Jeremy."

My silly, crazy, imaginative girl, some days it is exhausting being your mom, but I wouldn't have it any other way. You keep me on my toes and you are such a fun addition to our family. I love you so much!

Mom

A Letter to Jaxton on Your 3rd Birthday

My favorite boy in the world (Jaxton, Jaxty, Boy),

Happy Birthday! I can not believe that you are three! You are the best, sweetest, fun boy a mom could ever want. There were no terrible twos with you. In fact two was a breeze. You are such a well behaved little boy, you are sweet and loving and the little prince of our house.

You love music and singing. Often when one of your favorite songs comes on the radio, you tell the girls to be quiet because "this is my part!" Many nights you sweetly sing to yourself in your bed. Your favorite song is The Itsy Bitsy Spider, with Twinkle, Twinkle in a close second. And you love Justin Bieber and know nearly as many words to his songs as the girls.

You are quite the little conversationalist as well. You speak very well and very clearly. Having three older sisters has given you quite the vocabulary. You have the funniest little gruff voice that sometimes is hard to understand because it is so froggy. Except when you are whining, then it jumps about 3 octaves!

Life is interesting being the only boy with three older sisters. You are such a paradox. You are carrying a purse and a baby in one minute and karate chopping everything the next. We were watching a movie last week and you were snuggled super tightly into my chest, but whenever there was a fight scene you punched your arms wildly in the air along with the actors on the screen, it was too funny.

You and Hayden play house for hours and hours and you love being her little son and calling me grandma. And she teaches you all of the naughty things that she knows. You two are frequently cohorts together in mischief, but you are not as good at being sneaky as she is and you usually get caught. Fortunately for you, it is impossible to be angry with you because you are so repentant and you have your lip trained to stick out and look so, so sad when you are in trouble.

You have been quite the little copy cat, but I am seeing more and more boy in you as you are establishing yourself as your own person and not just mimicking everything your sisters do.

You still are the sweetest most affectionate little thing. You are like a little baby monkey, wrapping your whole body onto whoever is holding onto you. You love to give hugs and kisses and laugh every time you kiss someone on the lips.

I love you so much and couldn't imagine our lives without you!

Love,

Mom

A Letter to Avery on Your 7th Birthday

My Sweetest Avery,

Happy Birthday my sweet, beautiful, girl.

You are my, girly-girl. You are always so feminine and proper. You love to have your hair done and will seriously sit for hours to get it done. Your only requests for today were that we have coconut cake and I do something fancy to your hair.

Mom and dad had so much fun shopping with you last night. It was so fun to see you trying on all of the dresses and watching you twirl in front of the mirror. You are getting so big! And yet you are so much the girl you have always been.

Even when I was pregnant with you, you didn't cause much trouble. You kicked just enough to let me know you were still alive in there. And then when you were born, you weren't even crying. I was afraid that maybe there was something wrong with you, but there you were just peacefully staring up at me.

And that is very much how you are today. You don't like to be in trouble, and you do your best to steer clear of it. You often look at Hayden with a shake of your head wondering why on earth she would try and cause so much trouble, because you would never dream of it.

You are truly just GOOD.

You have learned to read this year, and you love your teacher Mrs. Sugnet. It has been fun to see you become your own little person at school outside of your sister's shadow. You are not so shy this year and you are even getting quite brave and a bit pushy ;)

It is such a blessing to be your mom and to watch you learn and grow.

I love you,

Mom

A Letter to Hallie on Your 9th Birthday

(One of my New Year's resolutions was to start a new tradition of writing each of my children a letter on their birthdays)

My dearest Hallie,

Happy Birthday! It is hard to believe that another year is passed so soon, but it is not hard to believe that you are nine years old because really, you are nine going on at least twelve. You are such a beautiful, mature, sweet girl and I am so grateful for you.

You are such a good help to not only your dad and I but also to each of your siblings. Just yesterday, Avery was doing her homework and getting a little frustrated. Without being asked you sat down next to her and walked her through it. Last week when I was on the phone for a while after a really hard day, I came out of my room to find that you had washed all of the dishes and started to fold the laundry. These are just two of the thousands of acts of service you have performed over the last year.

You are so thoughtful. You are always thinking of others. You like to write little notes and cards for us. You also have done your best to steer clear of all of the drama at school with other little girls. You would never want to hurt others as you have seen others do.

You have really picked up a love of soccer and running around this year. You come home from school every day with sweaty hair. I flat iron your hair every day and then when I pick you up from school your hair is a curly mess!

You are very creative and have such a great imagination. You have become quite a good little artist and you make really beautiful drawings.

I love you so much and I am so glad that you are a part of our family. You are such a good example to not only your younger siblings but also to me.

Love,

Mom

Sewing

Lately if I have a spare moment there are two places you can find me. One is at the thrift store and the other is behind my sewing machine. I have always enjoyed sewing, but the cost has really held me back. But then I came across all of these fun websites that show you how to re-purpose old clothes into fabulous finds. I was inspired!

First I stared with adding a little trim to some plain Jane shirts Hayden had. By the time the third kid in a row is wearing the clothes, they have really lost their magic.

Then I moved onto pillowcase dresses.

And shirts I made from pillowcases.

(Hayden is really excited about it)

And then I did a bit of reverse appliquéing. So fun, but I have run out of plain shirts to fix up.

Then came the mother of all projects. A dress for Hayden made from an old men's shirt I picked up at Thrift Town for $1.00. I am in love with it. She has worn it 3 days in a row, and I have been just fine with that.

She was feeling like quite a ham today. We got 40 good shots in. She was making a different face in each.

And then one of mother boy for good measure. He is such a little copy cat. He has to do everything his sisters do.

Anybody want to hit up Thrift Town with me?

**Here are some of my favotite sites:

My Mama Made It

Ruffles and Stuff

Made

Blueprints