Judgement and chronic illness

   Hello, It has been a while since my last post. I want to talk about something that has been pressing on my heart.... Passing judgment onto others. I recently have been the victim of some clammer. People who do not even know me saying I am faking being sick, look to good to be sick, etc. I suffer from P.O.T.S. and E.D.S.  they are invisible illnesses. Meaning you can not always see they symptoms they cause me.

     What is P.O.T.S?

well I am glad you asked... P.O.T.S. stands for Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. It is a form of autonomic nervous system dysfunction. Some symptoms are: rapid heart rate, changes in BP, lightheadedness, fainting, dizziness, chest pain, shortness of breath, among many others.
http://www.dysautonomiainternational.org/page.php?ID=30 

What is E.D.S.?

Ehlers Danlos Syndromes are a group of rare inherited conditions that effect connective tissue. I have HEDS. Connective tissue supports skin, tendons, ligaments, bones, organs, and blood vessels. Some symptoms are: hypermobility, dislocations, easy bruising, body aches, among many others.
https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/ehlers-danlos-syndrome-facts#1 
  
      Let's get back to the judgment of others. It is very easy to judge someone without knowing the battles they face everyday. Everyone is battling something. Some things are more visible than others but it does not mean the invisible battles are not present. For some like myself we look perfectly fine on the outside but on the inside it's a whole different story. It may be hard to believe when someone doesn't "look sick" Does sickness really have just one look? I think sickness looks different to everyone. Each person has a different perspective of the look of sickness. Maybe to one its being pale, or overweight, under weight, or loosing hair, or in a wheel chair. Sickness does not have one look. There could be things you can not see or a person having feelings you can not see. There are many ways to be sick. It is not all cut and dry. On days when I feel my worst that is when I try to make myself look my best. Just because someone does not look sick does not mean they are not sick. Who are we to judge someone and define what sickness looks like?

   Am I asking for people to talk because I push myself so hard? I force myself to put on my best smile and push through the debilitating symptoms when I am out and about. I refuse to seem weak. Those closest to me have seen my struggles. Others see what I allow them to see. I was just in the hospital but chose to not post anything about my scare. I refuse to give this illness anymore merit than it is worth. I have shared my story and health issues only to be bashed by others with the same illness. I must be faking because they can't do what I can. Truth is symptoms affect us all differently. We all fight differently.  Some may not have a heart rate as fast I do, but have to use a wheel chair to get around. We are all in this together. It is not a competition to see who is sicker. For me, part of how I deal with the life changing illness I got is to fight harder than I ever have. I am very stubborn ( sometimes too much so) and though some days I can barely get out of bed I refuse to let an illness define me or control who I am! I was in a place where I forced myself to do way too much in order to prove myself worthy. I pushed myself to the point of passing out just so I wouldn't seem sick or weak. I have learned that it is not worth trying to prove yourself to others and no matter what you can or cannot do you are worthy and worth it and amazing. 

      I have POTS which was most likely brought on due to a Lyme battle I had years back. I had lyme so bad I lost the ability to walk. I have since recovered but do have some lingering overlap symptoms. With POTS I have a very fast heart rate upon standing, I get a dangerously low heart rate at rest, I get frequent headaches, I have passed out, I am dizzy a lot, I feel light headed, My pupils dilate on and off affecting my vision, I get chest pain, I feel like I never get enough oxygen, I get palpitations, my heart misses beats, and I am exercise intolerant. Thing that seem simple like cooking, going shopping, or taking a shower cause my heart rate to spike. I have great difficulty in many tasks that would seem so simple to you. I also have HEDS that is hereditary. I have always been hyper mobile, and had frequent broken bones and dislocations. Being bendy was my party trick. Now I suffer from joint pain and neck instability. I bruise like a peach and am unable to do much of the things I used to for fear of breaking something. I broke both my sesamoid bones from going for a walk and my pinky from combing through my hair, just to name a few. I also suffer from migraines and have endometriosis. I have a benign brain tumor that I have to get an MRI every year to check for growth. Even though benign if it grew it would cause me vision issues. I face these struggles daily. This is part of me. Am I sharing because I want sympathy? NO! I am sharing to prove a point things are not always what they seem. It is easy to judge not knowing the facts.  I am doing my best just like so many others with illnesses you can not see. It is already hard enough to deal with never mind adding the judgement of others.

Here is what you see:

 Here is what you don't see:

I.V. medications to get heart rate down after a silent heart attack

unable to stand without fainting

 heart rate standing to sitting to back to standing

name that activity? This was my sitting in the shower heart rate.

resting heart rate while being in the hospital recently

      It is very easy to pass judgement upon things you do not know or see. I myself am guilty of it. Let's do better and be more understanding to the battles of others seen or unseen.
I hope this post will inspire others to judge less and support more. We should be lifting others up. You never know what someone is facing. Just be kind. Til next time!


xoxoxo

I am a P.O.T.S. warrior!

     Hey ladies and gents! Today I want to talk to you about my Fight with P.O.T.S. When I first was diagnosed I wanted to throw in the towel and give up. This disease took everything from me very suddenly. I was good one day and sick the next. It came on that fast. Things quickly spiraled downhill. I didn't want to fight. Everything was too hard. Walking up stairs, washing dishes, laundry, and the simplest of tasks became a struggle. I felt like a burden to those around me. A dead weight. Some days I could not even get off the couch. I still have days like this. The difference is I changed my mindset about it. I know I will have bad days but that doesn't mean they will all be bad days. I accepted this as the new me and decided to fight!

     Having an invisible illness means you cant see the symptoms I am experiencing. You cant see my racing heart, super low blood pressure, the dizzy spells, fatigue, muscle aches, pains, heat intolerance, nausea, and G.I. dysfunction. I worried about what others thought and if I was good enough. Sometimes I still do. But I know I am giving 110%. I am giving it my all and fighting as hard as I can everyday.

     I push through and refuse to give up. It is not easy by any means. I have many days where I am feeling defeated and down. I sometimes want to give up. I feel its unfair I have all these added struggles. I am jealous of the people who can do whatever they please with no physical limitation. I am mad at the people who take the ability to do things for granted. I feel down on myself and think I am not good enough. I think this is a normal part of having  an illness like this. Its ok to have bad days and feel sorry for yourself, as long as you don't stay there too long.

earlier this week after a bad episode

     I have decided that I want to workout like I used to before getting sick. I wanted to build back some muscle I lost from not being able to workout. I was feeling very self conscience and needed a change. I failed many attempts and threw in the towel more times than I care to admit. I started slow and learned to pace myself. I try to get some sort of workout in everyday. Maybe it will only be a 10 minute walk, but hey that is better than nothing at all. some days working out is out of the question. I am too symptomatic. Tomorrow is another day! Every workout is a challenge and I have to push through. I spend half of the workout laying on the floor recouping from 1 set of something. The point is I do it. The workout I do should take about 15 mins for someone without my struggles. It takes me about 45 mins. I am seeing results and noticing that some days it is easier. I sometimes flare after a workout and crash for the rest of the day. I like to workout close to end of the day so I can recoup at night.

heart rate after walking up stairs

    I focus on the fact that I am able to homeschool my daughter. Some days she brings her work to me in bed. When I am so symptomatic I cant get up. But I am doing it!  I take care of my family, pets, and house. Plenty of days the house is messy, laundry not done, dishes in the sink, and we order pizza because I am too off to cook. But everyone is cared for and happy. I participate in turtle rescuing which is and has always been something I am passionate about. I attend co ops for my daughter's schooling. We have outings and play dates. Some days we have to cancel and that is OK. I am doing the best I can with the circumstances I was given. I have had to adapt to things and find a way to make them all work. Everyday I have to push and fight. It is not easy but it is worth it.  You too cant fight! Focusing on what I can do and not what I cant do has helped me. It has made me thankful for everything I can do and made me fight that much harder. I hope this post has opened the eyes of some and inspired you to fight! P.O.T.S. does not define us!

     Til next time xoxox

DIY jewelry cleaner

    

      Hi guys, so for this post I would like to share with you my tried and true, Pinterest find, jewelry cleaner. I stumbled across this jewelry cleaner recipe when I was on Pinterest  in the wee hours of the am when I should have been sleeping. That is how Pinterest rolls.... You start looking up a recipe you most likely will never make, and then end hours later with pandas wearing hats!!  Its addicting and a trap lol. Anyways back to the DIY cleaner. It works awesome and it consists of things you already have in the kitchen! Win Win in my book. My ring sparkles like when I have it cleaned at the jewelry store. I don't always clean my ring.... okay okay ...  I really am bad for jewelry cleaning! But when I do clean it , this is my go to! I use this on gold and platinum with real gemstones. Not sure if it's safe for sliver so use on sliver at your own discretion.

You will need:
* a bowl
* aluminum foil
*1 tbs baking soda
* 1/4 cup vinegar
* 1 cup hot water
*  a squirt of dawn dish soap
* old toothbrush

Place the aluminum foil at the bottom of your bowl. Then add the baking soda. Next add the hot water and the vinegar. Plop your jewelry in the middle, and let the fizzing do the work. I leave my rings in there about a minute. Then I take them out and scrub with a toothbrush. Rinse well in hot water.

Voila! Now you have super clean and sparkly jewelry with none of the harsh chemicals!

Til next time, xoxox

Garage Girls Jewelry (GIVEAWAY!!)

     

      Hi there, So for this post I would like to share with you all some awesome jewelry that is car themed for us ladies. Perfect for a gear-head girl like myself. As a car girl I struggle to find  pretty stuff to wear that is car themed. Lets face it most car stuff is more geared towards the fellas. Arianna Courte founded a business that provides us car girls with an awesome yet elegant collection of jewelry.  She has so much to choose from.  

Head on over to Garage Girls Jewelry and check it out!
 www.GarageGirlsJewelry.com
 
 Car Girls Jewelry has offered my readers 10% off their entire purchase. Use my unique code: CUPCAKE to apply the discount. How awesome is that? You get to support a small business, get awesome jewelry, and a discount!! Anyone who knows me, knows I love a good deal!  Head on over to Garage Girls Jewelry and treat yourself or that special someone.


follow on instagram

@Garage.Girls Instagram

like on facebook
www.facebook.com/GarageGirlsJewelry

Here is what Arianna had to say about herself and her business.

"Hey girls and guys!! My name is Arianna or @2JZGRL.

     I grew up at the racetrack with my father, and started driving when I
was 13 years old. I was 14 years old when I took my first pass down the
track and ever since then I was hooked. I did drag racing for a while then
got into auto cross and finally drifting. I have a black on black 5 speed
Lexus IS300 (first born), S14.5 240sx with an SR20 swap that I drift for
fun. I managed a Formula Drift team for 4 years, and now I'm pursuing the
exotic world.

      I love to work on cars, race, drift, modify and design different
things.

     How Garage Girls came to be:

        I had been searching for years for jewelry & accessories for women
that were into cars and motorsports. I found close to nothing when it came
to rings, necklaces, and things like that. So I decide to take this
opportunity to make my own line of accessories for women and men!! I'm proud
to say this business (that started out as a personal hobby) has grown so
much!! I had no idea that I would be where I am today. I strive to provide
the best quality from my manufacturers and set a good price point as well.
Most of my products are hand made by me :)  I don't do this solely for the
money, I do this because I think we as women need to band together and
promote a healthy, supporting, and uplifting roll in the motorsports
community."


GIVEAWAY!!!  

  See that awesome turbo ring pictured above? One of my lucky readers will receive a turbo ring!! How exciting! To enter all you have to do is comment below with your favorite car. Deadline to enter is 1-15-18 by 10 am. I will then randomly select a winner using random.org. Good luck to all who enter. 

 DISCLAIMER: I was sent merchandise in exchange for my honest review. All views are mine and mine alone.

Til next time, xoxox

9 Things not to say to someone with an invisible illness.

      In honor of Dysautonomia month I thought I would share a list of 9
things people with invisible illnesses do not want to hear. I have heard these so many times myself regarding my illness, and let me tell you these remarks do not help in any way! I have POTS ( Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) and EDS (Ehlers Danlos Syndrome) Both are invisible to others but my daily struggles are very real. As are the struggles of other invisible illnesses. OK lets get down to business! Here they are in no particular order of importance.

IT COULD BE WORSE.......
     I absolutely hate this one. Makes my blood boil. You are correct it could be worse, but that does not diminish what I am going through or make it less difficult to deal with. Just because other illnesses are worse, it does not all of a sudden make my illness better or easier to have. Down playing my illness because others have it worse is not helpful at all. Everyone faces battles differently.

YOU DON'T LOOK SICK....
     Well gee thanks. I am glad that I don't look sick but, that does not change that I am in fact sick. Just because I don't look it doesn't mean its not there. And knowing I don't look sick doesn't make me feel any better in any way. You would not say to someone who lost a loved one "You do not look like someone who suffered a loss." So why say it to someone with an illness?  It is not a compliment.

YOU ARE WAY TO YOUNG TO BE SICK......
     Age is completely irrelevant to sickness. Anyone at any age can get sick. I get this one a lot, being 32. Honestly it makes me feel guilty and embarrassed that I am sick. Being young does not automatically mean being healthy. 
     I am going off topic for a second to share a story with you that happened to me at the fair. We went to our local fair and my daughter wanted to see the swimming pigs. It was very hot out. I had used all of my energy and power to go and not let her down. I found a bleacher seat and sat with my daughter 20 minutes before the show started. I wanted to ensure I would have a seat and not possibly faint and ruin my daughter's fair trip. I was already struggling in the heat. Hot temperatures cause my symptoms to be worse. So we sat and waited for the show to start. Little Miss Sass sat on my lap.  As it got closer to the start time, people started to pile in. Our bleacher was full. A lady maybe 40 with a crutch and aircast on her foot came over to me and said "Would you move so I can sit? You are so young and healthy and don't need to sit." I told her I too needed to sit. She couldn't see my rapid heart, or that I felt as if I couldn't breath. She didn't see my fear of passing out and failing my daughter. She then said as she pushed into me and squeezed onto the bleacher where there was no room "I have a fractured foot and need to sit more than you do you can move." There was a nice elderly couple who squished over to make room for us. I replied that I too have a fractured foot but you cant see it because I don't have a huge air cast. I pulled off my shoe and showed her the insert  that allows me to walk without a cast. Then I said I have a heart condition you cant see which requires me to sit to not pass out! She said something in return but I ignored her and enjoyed the show with my daughter, despite being stuck like a sardine next to this arrogant woman. Many assume being younger means healthier is my point to sharing this story with you. Moving on to my list.....

I WISH I COULD LAY AROUND ALL DAY....
     What a slap in the face!  Yes, because it is so nice to miss out on everything and have to lay around because of your illness.  I really love that I have to stay in bed while my child plays outside with her father and I cant participate. I love not being able to do the simple things others take for granted. Such a blessing.

IT MUST BE NICE TO NOT HAVE TO WORK.....
     People with chronic illnesses are not lazy and would love to be able to work. To have a sense of independence and generate an income. So no, having a illness that prevents you from working is not nice.

EXERCISE MORE AND PUSH THROUGH....
     Exercise is very important to everyone and we should all be doing it. I agree with that. My heart rate hits 135 just from standing alone, So working out is not as easy as some may think. Many start with a rate of 75  I am starting double that. I exercise to the best I can but there is lots I can no longer do. It is not a matter of not wanting to, its a matter of not being able to. If I "push through" chances are I will faint! I will also feel worse the next day for pushing myself to do what my body is no longer capable of.

THINK POSITIVE......
     I am a positive person and I try to see the bright side of things. I have tried to ignore my illness and pretend as if its not there.  It is not a mind over matter thing. Telling someone their symptoms will go away if they think positive is not helpful. It can not be controlled by thinking positive.  I am positive of that! lol

YOU SHOULD TRY......
     Let me stop you there, don't you think they have tried it all? They don't want to be sick so have tried everything under the sun to get better. They have tried all that has been offered from their doctors and medical professionals, as well as things seen on support groups. Unless you have the illness or are a medical professional you should leave this one alone. 

YOU NEED TO GET OUT MORE.....
     This is basically a guilt trip. A person with a invisible illness knows this. You are just stating the obvious. The obvious they cant do! This makes them feel guilty because they cant get out more. If the could they would. They are doing the best they can and doing what their body allows. So pointing out things that they missed or saying they should make it a point to attend something is just hurtful and putting them in a tough spot.

 So there ya have it! My top 9 things of what not to say! Til next time
 xoxo

I am a Potsie!

     Hi all, so many of you do not know this about me, but I am Potsie. "What is a Potsie?" you ask.... Well its a group of people who suffer from POTS. I happen to be one of them. Up until now I have not gone public about my condition. To be honest I have not yet wrapped my head around it. I was embarrassed and unwilling to except this as the new me. Since Dysautonomia awareness month is October I figured it was time to share my story with you all.

      First off What is POTS?

     POTS is an acronym for Postural, Orthostatic, Tachycardia, Syndrome. Pots falls under a form of dysautonomia. Like all dysautonomias , POTS is characterized by dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system controls many "automatic" functions like blood pressure, heart rate, blood vessel and pupil diameter, movement of the digestive tract, and body temperature.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ch6ipV3M4yo
    
 Symptoms:

     One of the main symptoms of POTS is orthostatic intolerance. This is because the autonomic nervous system is not functioning correctly. Constriction of the blood vessels that normally occurs during the sitting to standing transition are decreased or not there at all. The vessels not constricting properly leads to blood pooling in the lower extremities, resulting in a shortage of blood to the brain and heart. The heart beast faster trying to make up for the lack of blood. This causes tachycardia. Usually a POTS patient will have a spike of 30 or more beats per minute from sitting to standing. The shortage of blood causes dizziness, light-headedness, and potentially fainting. 

     Symptoms seen in POTS are:
* fatigue
* headache
* heart palpitations
* exercise intolerance
* nausea 
* brain fog 
* shaking
* syncope
* coldness and/or pain in extremities 
* blood pooling
* chest pain
* shortness of breath
* hot flashes 
* abnormal sweating 

     POTS can strike at any age, gender, or race but, it is most often seen in women of child bearing age. (15-50)  In fact 80% of people who have POTS are female.

     The cause of POTS is not always clear. However it is thought that viral illnesses such as Lyme or lupus, pregnancy, trauma, or surgery could be the cause. Many often have symptoms begin after such. Sometimes no underlying cause can be found. Many suffer from POTS but still little is known about it. It was first discovered in 1993.

Treatment:
     Some treatments are medications such as Midodine, Fludrocortisone, or beta blockers, increased salt intake and drinking lots of fluids. Some POTS patients have to get I.V. saline infusions.

          I was first diagnosed in March of this year after many doctor appointments and un-answered questions. I started having symptoms years back not knowing it would lead to this. I would get light headed,  very dizzy, short of breath, chest pain, and palpitations. Many doctors just ignored my concerns and said That I just had anxiety and prescribed anxiety meds. I knew something wasn't right so I continued to try and find answers. Every time being told it was just anxiety and not to worry.  Summer of 2016 I fractured my right foot and had to stay off of it for a while as it would not heal. Once I started to get move active again. I noticed that I couldn't walk 10 feet without shortness of breath. I had a few black out episodes which was blamed on dehydration.  I was a super active person before the fracture so all this struck me as odd. I started to become aware of my heartbeat and noticed it was faster than normal. I made an appointment with my new primary care doctor in Nov. She took my concerns seriously and ordered a ekg. It came back normal. Then she had me wear a halter monitor. It showed periods of tachycardia. beats up to 160 per minute. She referred me to a cardiologist who ordered more tests. A VQ scan to rule out blood clots, and a stress echo. The VQ scan was normal. During the stress echo he noticed that my Blood pressure went dangerously low and my heart rate spiked during the transition to standing from sitting. He stopped the stress echo after 2 minutes of treadmill walking because my heart rate got too high. That was it I had my diagnosis. I was so happy to finally have a diagnosis and a cure! I did not know what POTS was. I never heard of it so I assumed it was a simple take this and boom my life was back! Then he said " I wish I had better news for you or that I could go in there and fix it but I cant." He proceeded to tell me that there was no simple fix, no silver bullet. He prescribed a beta blocker to keep heart rate down and told me to up salt and water intake and sent me on my way. I took the news very hard. Became shut down. I just wanted to be able to run with my child, take the dogs for hikes, go on dates with my husband, and just be how I used to be. I tried the beta blocker, than another, than another. Every time my blood pressure would go way too low. My cardiologist said he couldn't offer anything else so sent me to a specialist. More tests and meds I couldn't tolerate. I am in a better place mentally now but still have my moments of despair and anger. I desperately want my old self back but I know I am still me and POTS didn't change that. As of now I drink banana bag I.V. solutions on really bad flare days and I increased my water and salt intake daily. Some days are better than others. I am learning to adapt to this condition and learning my limitations. I have symptoms daily and have had to miss out on a lot of things. Things I once enjoyed I can no longer do but, I know "this too shall pass!" At first I felt defeated but now I know I will defeat POTS.  I may always be a Potsie or I may not but I know for now, I am going to fight, be happy, and enjoy life! I know sometimes this will be tough but I also know I am stubborn as nails and will push through!

Til next time xoxo!
 

I posted this picture on social media. Everyone seen a  happy mom with her little girl and dogs,and that is true. What they didn't see is this mom who had to stop every 15 feet to catch her breath, trying to hide her symptoms from her child. They didn't see my pounding heart, and the blood pooling in my feet causing them to be blue. They didn't see the pain or dizziness I hid the entire time so that we could enjoy the beach as a family. They didn't see that it was almost dark because, by the time I felt well enough to go it was almost night. Invisible illnesses are there and real. Just because you do not see it does not mean its not there. Look deeper and you will see.  Be kind to others. You never know what battle they are facing!

A day in our homeschool life, how it all started?, and an experiment!

      Hey there, so for this post I thought I would share what a typical homeschool day is Like for us and how we started this journey.  First let me show you our homeschool room. I scoured pinterest for inspiration and put together our very own homeschool room. There are so many elaborate, awesome, rooms out there. We have a simple school room but it works for us.

reading corner

Organization shelves. Each cube is a different subject. We use colored folders and dividers to organize the work for each subject.

Her work area. The ball helps with her concentration and posture.

  A little background on what led us into our homeschool journey....

     I started homeschooling Little Miss Sass after kindergarten. She went to a small, private school for K. They were great to her but she didn't thrive there. She has some sensory issue and had a tough time in a school setting. She did not interact well with the other kids and was sad everyday.  She struggled with certain tasks and assignments. She was just miserable and grouchy and having a tough time. I started looking into homeschooling her and we made the decision to give it a try for 1st grade. Homeschooling works for us and she is now in 3rd grade. She still has a tougher time making friends but homeschooling has really pulled her out of her shell. We are able to cater to her needs more and adapt things to make it work better for her. We engage her by incorporating her interests  into our daily lessons.

This is homeschooling. Trip to the beach learning about tides and creatures of the sea.

      We usually start our school day with the time, date, and month. Then we go to numbers and math. Next is snack and break. Followed by spelling and writing. Her writing is phenomenal! After that is language and 20 mins of quiet reading.  We then have lunch and outdoor time. We finish our day with science, history, and geography. Most of the time we do school in our pj's lol. Perks!! My name should really be cupcakes and pajama pants!!! 

     This particular day Little Miss Sass showed interest in spiders. We have a Nat Geo spider book we read, used plastic spiders for multiplication, ( 1 spider has 4 legs, how many legs do 4 spiders have?) and I came up with a few fun activities like crawling like a spider and playdoh spiders. She asked "Why don't they stick to their web?" and "How do they eat?" well that meant experiment time! I came up with 2 experiments to answer her questions. If you want to try these with your own littles you will need.....

A paper plate
Tape
A small cup of oil ( about a TBS)
Sugar cube
A dropper
A small cup of water 

For the first experiment "why don't they stick to their web?"

     I put some tape sticky side up on the plate.To keep it in place I rolled a small piece of tape to make it double sided and put it underneath the bigger, sticky side up piece. I did this 2 times so we had 2 sticky side up pieces. 
      I had her walk her fingers over the tape. She noticed she was sticking. I told her that is how they trap their food. The bugs crawl or fly into the web and get stuck.
     Next I gave her the small amount of oil. I had her dip her finger tips in the oil and then walk her fingers along the tape. What happened? Her fingers did not stick. I explained that spiders do not stick to their web because they have an oil on their bodies that prevents them from sticking, just like her fingers dipped in oil.

She was so happy to know why they don't stick

For the experiment "How do they eat?"

     I gave her a dropper, a small cup of water, and a sugar cube. 
     I told her the sugar cube is the bug that got stuck. The dropper with water in it is the spider injecting his venom into the bug.
     Next I had her drop water on the sugar cube and watch what happened. The water dissolved the sugar cube the same way the spider venom liquefies its preys insides so it can drink it up.

We went for a nature walk looking for webs to observe. We also found some leaves for a spider craft.

Observing a web

 We ended our spider fun with a craft. She used glitter and glue to make a web and leaves to make spiders and bugs.

Little miss Sass! The face says it all

proud of her finished product

   
  This is what homeschooling looks like for us. I hope you enjoyed! Til next time!