All Things Ada

Christmas Eve

2009-12-24T08:59:00.006-05:00

Merry Christmas Eve!!!

For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given,

and the government shall be upon his shoulder

And his name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father,Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

He the Mighty King has come!

Making this poor world his home

Come to bear our sin's sad load--

Son of David, Son of God.

He has come whose name of grace

Speaks deliverance to our race;

Left us for his glad abode--

Son of Mary, Son of God

--Horatius Bonar

Christmas Is Coming... as is John shortly after

2009-12-22T16:39:00.003-05:00

I just arrived at my mom's house this afternoon, and I think I am about to sneak away for a nap. (Ada is currently down for a nap)

We spent the weekend at Scott's parents' house, and now Scott and his dad are on the way to Georgia with all of John's furniture loaded in the back of Scott's dad's truck. I am one relieved mama knowing that tonight John's room will finally be furnished. And Scott has a few days off of work for New Year's, so I think we will get the painting done then. It will be miracle of all miracles, but John's room just might be done before he gets here. There is a chest of drawers that I would like to purchase from Ikea, but it's not life or death if that isn't done before he arrives. Let's be honest, John would have been fine with a pack n' play in the corner of the master. The nursery is more for the mom, don't you think? But I sure will be relieved to have it done!!!

I am starting to get a bit nervous about his arrival--both labor and delivery and the weeks following the big day. I am anticipating how drastically life changed after Ada was born, and it's hard to ever be prepared for that kind of change. I am praying for peace throughout it all. I remember thinking this before Ada was born, but I can pray all day long for specifics about delivery day, but really, what I need most is peace and the knowledge that God is carrying me through it, step by step, no matter what events take place. Ada's delivery could not have gone more smoothly, so of course, that is what I hope for. Oh there is so much to think about and anticipate and worry about--if I give in to that sin tendency;)

In the mean time, my discomfort level is growing, so I imagine that in another month I will be willing to go through whatever I need to go through to get this baby out!!

For now, I will focus on Christmas day that is just around the corner. I am excited for Ada to see all of her surprises, and it's fun to share the excitement with the cousins. I am sure there will be many pictures to post in the next few days.

Real Life on a Rainy Day

2009-12-18T11:22:00.011-05:00

Last night, with nothing in particular on the schedule, Scott and I decided to put Walk the Line in the dvd player and take it easy. Apparently we took it too easy, as we both forgot that the dinner dishes had not been dealt with. That was quite the sight to wake up to this morning. Bowls of leftover spaghetti still on the kitchen table. Oh man.

Now I am dealing with this reality.

Last night I also decided to finally stamp and address Christmas cards, which was going so well until I ran out of stamps. And with the rain currently flooding the streets outside, I am having a hard time gathering up the energy to load us into the car and tackle the post office. It never goes well, even on a sunny day. So, this project is half finished and Christmas is a week away.

In the mean time, Ada is watching too many cartoons and giving into the temptation to open the Christmas gifts that are wrapped only in gift bags. I finally found some gift bags for her to play with, and I showed her how she could put her current toys in the bag and "pretend." She calls the presents surprises, and she keeps saying, "Happy Birthday!"

We have also spent lots of time coloring. My big pregnant self keeps squeezing into these tiny chairs upon Ada's insistence.

In the mean time, the rain just keeps pouring down outside my window.

Random

2009-12-16T08:06:00.006-05:00

32 weeks today--woo-hoo. I am quickly making my way through this pregnancy. So soon we will be meeting little John Thomas.

In the mean time, this little bit has molded herself to my side. She doesn't like to be away from me for long. How will she react when John is here? I'll deal with that then, I suppose. Mom put it into perspective for me one time when she said that it will be one of Ada's first opportunities to die to self. She probably won't like it, but it sure will be good for her little heart.

I'm on the computer? She's right there with me.

I need to dry my hair, no problem. She'll just finish her Christmas tree project on the bathroom floor.In the mean time there is still Christmas celebrating to do. Mom sent the garland and the stockings, and I am loving it. Much better than that cheap fake garland that I did have hanging on the fireplace.

And "Cake" is here with us today. Still sleeping of course because she doesn't have a two year old for an alarm clock. Ada and I, on the other hand, like to get up with the sun. Have a good Wednesday, everyone!

Menu Plan Monday

2009-12-14T09:11:00.004-05:00

I haven't done menu plan Monday in a while, but I have realized that it is a great way for me to remember what I have planned for the week. I forget what I am supposed to cook for dinner one night? I simply turn to my blog. Plus Scott likes to see it in writing, online.

And, it's fun to link up with every other blogger out there who is also trying to maintain some semblance of order and nutrition and budgeting in their weekly lives.

Anyway, here is our week

Sunday night--we had frozen pizza

Monday night--chicken pot pie, broccoli

Tuesday night--bean soup, cornbread

Wednesday--Kate ("Cake" as Ada calls her) will be here, so I think we might go eat Mexican just to get out of the house, plus I have a BOGO coupon, so you know. Or we may eat Mexican for lunch and then do whatever for dinner--don't panic, Scott, we can talk about this:)

Thursday--the ever faithful spaghetti dinner. We do this almost every week. Ada loves spaghetti, and I use whole grain noodles (that I get for mostly free) and sauce that I get for less than 1.00, and I add some broccoli on the side, and Ada gets a nutritious meal that she will actually eat.

Friday night--probably frozen pizza again as we prepare to leave home for the week.

Scott has the entire week of Christmas off--can you believe it? He normally works all the way up to Christmas day, traveling to Alabama when he gets off work on Christmas Eve, missing the Christmas Eve service and usually whatever yummy meal Mom has planned. Is it Prime Rib Roast again, mom? But this week, we are leaving Saturday morning and spending several days with Scott's family. Then on Christmas Eve morning we are traveling to Scottsboro to have Christmas with my family. All of that to say, that this week I am trying to clean out the fridge and pantry a bit.

For breakfast we will eat the usual eggs, peanut butter toast, yogurt, etc. etc.

And Lunch will be sandwiches, bananas, tangerines, applesauce and maybe mac and cheese one day for a treat.

I am also planning to make buckeyes. I have all of the ingredients, but I need to buy some wax paper. I have done no Christmas baking whatsoever, and buckeyes happen to be what I am craving, so I think I will make those tonight. We'll see if I actually get to it.

So there you have it...the ever glamorous Moore family menu;)

Book Wish List

2009-12-13T13:13:00.003-05:00

We are all home from church today as Ada is still recovering from her cold, and we wanted to keep her away from the nursery. And Scott and I are now in the thick of what she has been suffering from all week. I finally took Ada to the doctor on Friday morning, mainly for my peace of mind, and she did have an ear infection. She is taking an antibiotic for that, and she seems to be doing much better. I on the other hand will be glad to get to the other side of this thing.

Anyway, as Ada is napping right now, I am resting in bed as well, with the lap top as my companion. Because we are done with Christmas shopping, and Ada's birthday is still months away, I am excited to begin using my swagbucks to purchase books off of Amazon rather than toys. My book list is long, ya'll. So very long. I have my own book list, two of which I already ordered--For The Children's Sake and Let Us Highly Resolve. I plan to do much reading over the next couple of years as we begin to make decisions about Ada's education. I am glad that she is still only two, and I have much time to read and research before I have to put anything into practice.

In the mean time, I also want to choose wisely the books that I read to Ada. I have already surrounded her with her favorite picture books--you know Elmo and Curious George and Dr. Seuss and such. I stock up often from the dollar section at Target and various other places. And I think those books are great, as any time she spends with a book makes me happy. But I also want to be intentional about the books that I choose to purchase and spend time reading aloud to her.

My current list includes the following books

Poems and Prayers for the Very Young
The Complete Poems of Winnie the Pooh
A Family Treasury of Little Golden Books
The Real Mother Goose
The Little House
The Little Red Hen
A Hole is to Dig
Make Way for Ducklings
The Little Engine that Could
Peter Spier's Rain
The Story of Creation

Most of the above titles I can get used for very little money on Amazon. And of course with Swagbucks, I will pay nothing out of pocket. And right now, the 5.00 Amazon gift card only costs 40 swagbucks rather than 45--woo-hoo. I currently have 10.00 worth of gift cards, and I am excited to get our library of "classic children's books" started.

Remember you can also get in on the swagbucks action by signing up here. And of course, if you sign up it benefits me because I earn points for all of my referrals;) We were able to spend less than 50.00 to buy all of Ada's Christmas because of gift cards earned on Swagbucks. I have made over 200.00 so far. It's crazy, ya'll. Really, you should sign up.

On another note--what are your favorite children's books? Ones that you remember reading and loving as a child? I am always up for suggestions.

I made my list from this classical education website--check it out.

p.s. I will be sharing many more thoughts about Classical Education over the next couple of years as we approach the age when Ada will begin school. The whole method fascinates me, and I spend way too much time reading about it and researching it and getting my hands on whatever information I can find. The above website is a wonderful source of information. I can spend hours just on that one site. Do I have any readers out there who were educated classically? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Good News on this very cold Thursday Morning

2009-12-10T07:59:00.003-05:00

“The heart of most religions is good advice, good techniques, good programs, good ideas, and good support systems. These drive us deeper into ourselves, to find our inner light, inner goodness, inner voice, or inner resources.

Nothing new can be found inside of us. There is no inner rescuer deep in my soul; I just hear echoes of my own voice telling me all sorts of crazy things to numb my sense of fear, anxiety, and boredom, the origins of which I cannot truly identify.

But the heart of Christianity is Good News. It comes not as a task for us to fulfill, a mission for us to accomplish, a game plan for us to follow with the help of life coaches, but as a report that someone else has already fulfilled, accomplished, followed, and achieved everything for us.”

—Michael Horton, The Gospel-Driven Life (Grand Rapids, MI; Baker Books, 2009), 20

(From Of First Importance)

Long lay the world world in sin and error pining
Til he appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!

Weary is a good word to describe how I have been feeling lately. Weary of budgeting and finances; weary of housekeeping and the mess that never ends; weary of braxton hicks contractions and many, many extra pounds to carry around. What a reminder that anything that might make me weary this morning has been answered in the birth and death of Christ!! I pray that I might rejoice today in spite of trivial circumstances that might make me feel discouraged!!

The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger
In all our trials born to be our friend

Sick, sick, sick

2009-12-09T18:18:00.002-05:00

We opted out of any and all flu shots here at the Moore household for various reasons, so I have been hoping and crossing my fingers (and really trusting the Lord) to make it through flu season without the flu, especially with a toddler and pregnant mom included in this three person family.

Thankfully, we have made it this far with no flu---thank you, Lord!! But we are suffering from very bad colds around here. I noticed on Sunday afternoon that Ada's nose was a little runny and by Monday night, things had taken a turn for the worse. In fact, little Ada spent half the night asleep in my bed. That has happened, once, yes, once before in her short life. She is not able to sleep in our bed. We have tried it countless times in an effort to expedite the bedtime process in the middle of the night or at times when sickness has taken over her body. She always tosses and turns and shifts and then sits up and asks for Ada's bed. Well, she made it from 11pm- 3 am on Monday night, and then sure enough, she sat up and asked for Ada's bed. Up until 3 am, I was reliving those newborn days--one night in particular.

When she was about three weeks old, I was in Scottsboro for some much needed help from Mom and Ann (have I mentioned that I didn't respond well to the newborn stage?), and mom had to go out of town, so I spent the night at Ann's house. She was living in the rental house at the time, and there was no extra room, so Ada and I took Ellie's bed, and Ellie slept with Ann. I was nervous that night because it was the first night that I felt completely on my own with Ada. There was no Scott or mom to relieve me if I had a mental break down in the middle of the night (I am half joking). Anyway, Ada slept okay that night, waking up every couple of hours for her bottle of pumped milk and a dry diaper, but I lay in bed afraid to move a muscle for fear I would wake her up, and needless to say, I slept none. It was a long night, and I was happy to see morning because I was able to stop pretending that I was going to fall asleep. Ann fixed a big pot of coffee, which helped tremendously that morning.

Well, Monday night, I had the same experience. I was desperate for Ada to sleep, knowing that sleep would help so much in the healing process, so I found myself being pushed out of the bed by a 22 lb two year old. At one point, she was stretched across the middle of the bed, snoring, and I was doing everything in my power not to fall to the floor. I was quite relieved when she made her 3 am announcement that she wanted Ada's bed. I then slept soundly for four hours, and I was reminded of how precious four solid hours can be in the midst of sleepless nights. You know what I mean? In those first few weeks of motherhood when you announce to your husband, and to whomever else will listen, "I slept for four hours straight last night!!!!," and you are so thrilled about this. I think this week is a trial run for me, a reminder that I can do the newborn thing again, that I will survive.

Last night, when Ada was finally asleep for the night, and it looked like it might last all night, I was rudely awakened by a very strong storm outside my window. I can't sleep through storms like that. For the next two hours, I kept hitting Scott on the side, asking him if we should check the news--he wasn't worried about it, by the way. I finally moved to the couch, and I slept for maybe another hour before Ada woke up for the day. I found myself battling the same throbbing in my throat, head, and ears that I am guessing Ada has been dealing with all week. Luckily, Scott took the day off to work from home, and he allowed me to go back to bed for a couple of hours.

I have to say that if this is the worst it gets the flu season, we will take it!!

Christmas Tree Craft--Ada's newest obsession

2009-12-07T18:27:00.009-05:00

Today is Monday--obviously--but this means I have two extra kiddos join us for the day. Which actually works to my advantage because I get more housework done on Mondays than any other day of the week. Why? because Ada is entertained.

However, three kids does equal lots of energy inside one house, and today it was just too cold to spend any time outside. So...I moved to plan B. I looked around my house and took inventory of what I had on hand--construction paper, scissors, and glue sticks. And here is what I came up with.

Why the fruit loops you ask? I was inspired by Ann. I thought we could glue the fruit loops onto the trees as ornaments. Turns out that a glue stick isn't strong enough to hold a fruit loop to construction paper. It is barely strong enough to hold construction paper to construction paper. The fruit loops became a group snack bowl.

When they were finished with their craft, Ada thought it would be a good idea to hang the trees on the pantry door. Truly, it was 100% her idea, and of course I complied.
Jessica, please forgive the germ sharing and the zero nutritional snack. They sure did love the community fruit loop bowl, though.

Ada also loved the Christmas tree. And for the rest of the day, every ten minutes, she asked if she could make another Christmas tree. Which would be fine if she would just use crayons to decorate, but she wanted the trunk and the star and the cut out shapes, but she couldn't really figure out the glue stick on her own. So...I ended up making lots of Christmas trees today.

In fact, when I got home from tutoring this evening, here is what I found.
But doesn't the pantry door look festive?

Baby John

2009-12-05T21:34:00.003-05:00

Well, Baby John (as Ada calls him, never just John), continues to make me one sick woman. I am curious if this has anything to do with it being a boy pregnancy rather than girl...hmmm...it really has been so different than my pregnancy with Ada.

I was sick all day yesterday, and I eventually had to cancel a tutoring session, and then I woke up at 5 am this morning because I was so sick to my stomach. I went to a friend's baby shower, and once I got home I immediately climbed back into bed and promptly fell asleep for four hours. I didn't feel tons better when I woke up. Ada and I were supposed to go to a birthday party this afternoon, but I slept right through it.

I am guessing that this has something to do with indigestion? Maybe as John gets bigger, I get sicker? I don't know, but it's no fun.

What are happier things that I can tell you? Not so happy, of course, is the fact that Alabama is now the SEC champion. The good news is that Ada continued to scream "War Eagle, hey" throughout the game, and I certainly didn't tell her that Auburn wasn't actually playing. I am glad that she knows where her loyalty lies;)

Happy, positive, what do I want to say? A four hour nap is pretty positive. I am so thankful for Saturdays and Sundays when Scott lets me sleep for as long as I need to in the afternoons. And I am thankful that he is dealing with the dinner dishes as we speak. Thank you, husband, it is much appreciated.

Also good news--my mother made me the stockings and garland that I wanted from Etsy. She says the garland is not exactly like the Etsy one, but I am still excited!!! She is putting it in the mail on Monday.

And...Ada continues to keep me laughing. Though I spend much time praying for patience, she also makes my days so much fun. She is one big party--we spend much of the day dancing, singing, joking, laughing, and the list could go on and on and on. She truly never stops. In fact, I know it is nap time or bed time when she becomes even more wound up than usual. She has no off button--except for when she feels shy, then she becomes attached to me.

Anyway, nothing much to report here, but I felt like checking in. I hope you are all enjoying your Saturday night!!!

Cell Phone Issues

2009-12-03T14:58:00.002-05:00

I am having serious cell phone issues--college friends, does this take you back to our days at Auburn?

Seriously, ya'll, one day after finally getting a new cell phone because my other one bit the dust, I dropped my brand new cell phone in a glass of diet coke. I was notorious for things like this.

Well, I have been needing to get a new cell phone for a while, and finally, it has made the decision for me.

So until this weekend, if you need to get in touch with me, call the house. I promise I will answer.

If you need the number, e-mail me--laura_rhodes@hotmail.com. I check my e-mail every five minutes;), so I will get the message.

Worth a Try

2009-12-03T08:04:00.004-05:00

This morning's feeble attempt at potty training.
A Curious George Christmas special on PBS and chocolate milk in the sippy cup. Plus I have promised a treat if she actually uses the potty. So far, she jumps up every ten seconds and says, "all done. I want a treat." and then I have to explain that she has to use the potty, not just sit on it, in order to get the treat.She is still running around diaperless, so maybe this will result in a successful potty experience--we'll see.

Update: After an accident on the living room carpet, I have decided to put a diaper on Ada and try again tomorrow. I'll be honest with you, I have been dreading potty training since Ada was first born. It just seems so hard to me. Advice anyone? Too many more accidents, and this 30 week pregnant girl will be putting potty training on the back burner until May, when life has hopefully settled down again.

In the mean time, I have a long to do list, and I need to pry myself away from the computer and get to it.

Great Reminder

2009-12-02T11:05:00.002-05:00

I am absolutely stealing this from another blog--one of my favorite blogs of all, in fact--but I really wanted to pass it on. It is such a good reminder of why I need to be in the word every single day--even when life is crazy and hectic in the midst of Holidays and preparing for a new baby and general grumpiness:) (this is when I especially need to be in the word, I suppose).

“Man does not live by bread alone,” God declares in Deuteronomy 8:3, “but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”

Just as we can’t survive without physical food, neither can we thrive without spiritual food. We cannot live without God’s Word. As our bodies require daily physical nourishment, so our souls need daily spiritual nourishment.Our morning bowl of cereal won’t sustain us for three weeks. Neither can our souls subsist on one dose of God’s Word.

As D.L Moody explains:

“A man can no more take in a supply of grace for the future than he can eat enough for the next six months, or take sufficient air into his lungs at one time to sustain life for a week. We must draw upon God’s boundless store of grace from day to day as we need it.”

We can’t truly live unless we sit and listen. So let’s daily “take in a supply of grace” through God’s Word and prayer.

thank you, Girl Talk!!

More about the garland

2009-12-01T17:09:00.008-05:00

I decided to peruse Etsy a bit to see what they had to offer in the way of Christmas decorations, and look at this fun garland that I found. I think it would be just the thing to decorate my fire place, especially if it was paired with these stockings!!I don't if Etsy has clearance sales after Christmas, but I am keeping my eyes open in hopes that next year these things will find themselves a part of my Christmas decor.

By the way, this little bit has been an extra big stinker lately. Yesterday she opted to not take a nap at all, and I prayed for patience all day long. Today we spent the morning at the library's story time, and she did, praise the Lord, take a two hour nap. I have been feeling first trimester nauseous combined with third trimester huge, and I just can't handle no nap days right now. One more week of tutoring, and then I am done (except for one student)--hallelujah. Only a few more weeks, and there is much to get done before John makes his appearance.

Who knows what Ada will think of John. Last night she was once again pretending to take John from my stomach, opening her arms and saying in a baby voice, "come here, John." Once she "had him in her arms," she proceeded to toss him up into the air, and she told us he was stuck in the sky. Oh dear. Let's hope that doesn't really happen once he's here;) There was another time that she "had him in her arms," and she tossed him down the stairs. I'm going to have to keep my eyes on this big sister or else John is in big trouble.

On to Christmas

2009-11-28T22:26:00.007-05:00

What you are looking at is the first ever Moore family real Christmas tree. In fact, this is the first time that Scott has ever had a real tree. We are fairly excited about this.

You see, our first Christmas together, we were living in our tiny basement apartment, and we bought the smallest artificial tree known to man.

The next Christmas, we were packing up the apartment to move to this house, and I planned to not even decorate. At the last minute I put up the tiny artificial tree.

And last Christmas, our first Christmas in this house, mom gave us her old artificial tree. We were excited to put that one together because we knew it was a nice tree as far as artificial ones go, but when we were halfway through putting it up, an essential piece broke, and we were once again treeless.

This year we decided, that's it, Ada is old enough to "get" Christmas, it's time to buy a real tree. And when I saw Home Depot advertising a 19.99 black Friday special, we jumped on it. And we couldn't be happier.

It's amazing how festive a house feels when that slight scent of pine fills the air. Don't you agree? And Ada loves it. She is having a really hard time not taking all of the ornaments off though.

Here, she is sharing the joy of the tree with her baby doll.

And after all of that tree excitement, it was clearly time for the baby to go "night-night."Each year that I have been married, I try to stock up on new Christmas items during the after Christmas clearance sales when things are 75% off. The first couple of years I focused on buying ornaments and last year I bought different items to sit around the house. This year my goal is to find very real looking artificial garland. Where do I find this? Please advise. My current garland, bought at the same time as the first artificial tree is oh so puny.
Do you have a favorite place to shop for Christmas decor? After Christmas Pier 1 is a go to for me, but I need some ideas for nice wreaths and garland. Really, help me.Besides getting my house decorated for the Holidays, I also ordered and picked up our Christmas cards. I am so glad to have these two things done. I so wanted to enjoy Christmas this year despite the long to-do list, and this weekend we are making it happen.

Merry Christmas to all!!

And now for Thanksgiving

2009-11-28T07:58:00.006-05:00

First things first--what a game, right? Oh my word. I thought I was going to die. Ada finally did get alarmed at the end when her mother was on her knees talking to the television like a crazy person. She ran into my arms and said, "it's okay, mommy." I laughed and gave her a big hug and told her that I was just having a fun, and then she smiled, relieved, and shouted, "touchdown."

I also turned to Scott at the very end, when I knew only a miracle would allow us to win (and oh was I hoping for a miracle), and I said, "I think I might cry. I really might cry." What a game!!

Scott was gracious in the midst of Alabama's victory, and we survived watching the most intense Iron Bowl game ever together in the same room. (I don't think that sentence structure is exactly correct. Forgive me.)

I drowned my sorrows by immediately heading to Home Depot with Scott and Ada, where we picked out our 19.99 Frasier Fur'. What a deal. It is about 6 ft. tall, which is the perfect height for our ceilings (unlike most people, our high ceilings are upstairs, not down), and after putting Ada to bed, Scott and I decorated the tree and the rest of the house with Christmas music playing in the background.

But, I need to blog about Thanksgiving before I talk about Christmas. Of course I am thankful for so many things, this little stinker being one of the main things, but what stood out to me this week was rest. I was so thankful for rest. Because I was away from home with no projects calling my name, I napped every afternoon. As soon as Ada lay down for a nap, I lay down for a nap, and I felt so good all week. What a difference in the evening when I have two hours of deep sleep under my belt!!

Here is Ada on Thanksgiving day (which was Wednesday night for us). She loved this baby doll--Bitty Baby. Do ya'll know American Girl Dolls? As a child I had two dolls--Samantha and Molly--and they were like real little girls to me. Anyway, we are thinking that Ada might get Bitty Baby for Christmas. We have not had to spend any money out of pocket for her Christmas gifts, so we thought we might splurge on this one gift, and it will still come out to be a very inexpensive Christmas.

While the kids waited for dinner to be ready, "Cake" graciously played barbie games with Ellie and Ada. Apparently you can design your own barbie, and Ellie loved it. Every five minutes a little girl was requesting that one of the aunts play a game on the computer. Ada decided to start eating early. As soon as she saw food on that plate, she went to it. She loved her carrots.My favorite dishes? The green beans, the dressing (my absolute favorite!!), the sweet potatoes, and the spiced peaches. Really, I loved it all.And my big pregnant belly didn't stop me from enjoying seconds!! Here is the "sister's and husbands" table.The grandparents' table. My dad's mother joins us for Thanksgiving each year. My grandmother is 86 years old and in insanely good health. It never ceases to amaze me. She is as sharp as ever, and she loves her Auburn football!! She is also up to date on current events and pop culture--she even knows what facebook is. Crazy.This little guy got his own individual seat right next to "Near." I can't resist him and that precious face. If you look at his mouth you will see that sweet potatoes were one of his favorite dishes. And the kid's table. Complete with a table cloth underneath, just in case;)So another Thanksgiving is behind us. And how thankful I am. For so many things. Two of the things I am most thankful for are cuddled up on the couch right now watching cartoons. I am warm and cozy in my house, and my stomach never feels empty for long. The list could go on and on and on.

And now I have a grocery list to make. In all seriousness, I am super thankful for couponing. It has saved our family so much money over the past couple of years. The Lord has been good to show me so many ways to make that pay check stretch. He has provided in abundance!!

Quick Iron Bowl Post

2009-11-27T17:07:00.002-05:00

I need to post about Thanksgiving and all that it involved, but I wanted to quickly say this.

Ada is loving the Iron Bowl. She is so hyper, feeding off the energy of Scott and me. By the way, she said, of her own accord, "War Eagle, hey," just a minute ago. Though she screams whenever either one of us screams, so she is definitely rooting for both sides.

Seriously, she has gone crazy. She is running in circles around the house, with her hands in the touch down position. In fact, a minute ago, I found her blue pacie under the living room chair, and she screamed and raised her hands in a touchdown position. I wish I had a camera.

Okay, that's all. I just had to record Ada's reaction to the 2009 Iron Bowl. (and give my sincerest apologies to the Auburn football team for ever doubting their ability). Hang in there, Tigers!!

Checking In

2009-11-23T17:05:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone.

As usual when I have been away for awhile, I felt the need to check into the blog for a second.

We are vacationing away in Alabama. We spent the weekend with Scott's parents and siblings and other extended family, and now Ada and I are here at my mom's house enjoying the company of sisters and cousins.

It's always good to be with family, and Ada loves her Mae-Mae, Pop, Near, and the rest of the crew.

Remember our plan to transfer the furniture? Well, we woke up to a downpour yesterday, and our transportation was an open bed truck, so plan B immediately went into effect. We are now going to rent a U-Haul sometime during the Christmas holidays and make the move then. In the mean time, Scott promises that we will get the painting done. Will you join me in holding him accountable;) For some reason, I can't imagine why, he just isn't as worried about our house decor' as I am.

What else, what else, do I want to tell you?

We are getting a real tree this year. I am super excited about that, but I am also nervous that our marriage won't survive the purchasing and putting up of the tree. I have heard that things can get a bit testy when a real tree is involved:)

But before all that, there is a Thanksgiving feast to be eaten. Ours will take place Wednesday night, so that Sarah and Kate will have Thursday to travel back to Auburn in time for the Iron Bowl. Have mercy on the Tigers, right? I predict that it's not going to be pretty.

Scott and I will also get out of dodge, since we are in a divided family, and it is best that we don't all watch the game together.

Happy Thanksgiving, my internet friends (real life and otherwise). Enjoy the food and let the Holiday Festivities begin.

Ada strikes again

2009-11-19T09:51:00.007-05:00

I have been busy, busy this week trying to clean this house before I go out of town for Thanksgiving and return with the Christmas season upon us.

Because of all the cleaning, I know it has been quite the unfun week for Ada. She has watched too much television and been bored in general, I think. I mean, in the midst of the bored, she has played with her doll house and her kitchen, and she has come up with other various pretend activities, but in general, I am guessing it's been a long week for her. However, my downstairs is (was) clean, so at least I have something to show for it. (Some of upstairs is clean. There is still much to do before tomorrow afternoon).

Well, this morning, after we spent some time sitting on the couch, eating eggs, cuddling, and watching Curious George, I continued with my to-do list, but I do have plans to take Ada to the park later this morning so that she can get some much needed fresh air and exercise. Though I had promised Ada that we were, in fact, going to the park, I am guessing she reached her wits end and decided to take advantage of my distracted state. When I stopped for a second to see what was going on, here is what I foundWhen I asked her about the situation, she explained that her stuffed animal needed to go "night-night." Obviously an entire roll of toilet paper is a necessity in the night-night process.

And here she is posing with her masterpiece.Note the unpainted walls. They are driving me crazy. Again, football is preventing the completion of those walls.

What else has Ada come up with to entertain herself? Jumping in her old exersaucer. She climbs in and out on her own, bounces up and down really hard, and announces that she is either baby John or baby Andrew. I hope it survives Ada, so that John can enjoy the exersaucer.

Quick Ada Story

2009-11-16T22:06:00.002-05:00

Just a quick story before I head to bed.

Today, Ada was upstairs in my room as I was getting ready to go tutor, and she noticed my gigantic stomach. She started talking baby talk to my stomach, holding her arms out, saying, "here, Baby John, come here Baby John." Then she pretended that she was holding him in her arms and rocking him like she does her baby dolls, and then, this is what tops it all. She pretended like she was stuffing him in her stomach, and she said, "I want to carry him in my stomach."

Oh my word, she makes me laugh.

Sunday Night

2009-11-15T21:29:00.003-05:00

Last night when I was on the phone with my mom, she observed that my blogging has slowed down quite a bit.

I'll be honest with you...I'm a bit cranky these days, and I am afraid it will show up on the blog;)

You can all pray for poor Scott and Ada, as I am guessing I am not the easiest person to live with right now. But hallelujah, third trimester starts on Wednesday, and I am taking this thing one day at a time. That's all you can do, right? And soon I will be staring into the face of a precious newborn.

In the mean time, what's on the agenda for this week and the weeks there after as we prepare for his arrival.

Remember my big plans to have everything done before Thanksgiving. Well, you can all laugh with me now. The good news is that all of John's furniture will be arriving next week, when Scott and his dad (I think his dad is coming) drive it to our house after we celebrate Thanksgiving with the Moores this coming weekend.

That means that this week, I must, must, must go through and throw away unused toys. Many of the toys are moving downstairs to what will one day be a dining room? Maybe? Who knows? Right now, the room holds my china cabinet (as I dream of one day actually using my china), my computer desk (where I am typing as we speak), and lots and lots of toys--a dollhouse, Ada's kitchen, and random other things. I moved everything upstairs to declutter downstairs, but then I realized it was much more practical to move it right back down. So there you have it. The makeshift office/play room. I may change my mind and move it all back upstairs to what is now deemed the junk room. We'll see.

In the mean time--PAINTING. It has to happen sometime between now and February. It makes me nearly panic just thinking about it. Scott promises it will get done, as he reminds me that there are only a few football weekends left. Ahhhhhh--I might scream.

Anyway, this week, I plan to deep clean because on Friday we all three travel out of town to begin Thanksgiving festivities. I will not return to Georgia until the following Friday, and then my house needs to be ready, as it will be time to "deck the halls." The practical part of me says that I should simply skip decorating this year, but I can't do it. I just can't. I love Christmas, and because Ada is old enough to get a thrill out of Christmas trees and lights and everything else, the nurturing thing is kicking in, and this house will be Christmasy. My mom never failed to make Christmas magical, and I will carry that on to my children. Ada is very into birthdays right now, so I think at some point we will celebrate Jesus' birthday with a cake and singing. I told her today that Jesus birthday was coming up, and she promptly began to sing "Happy Cake to Jesus--" her version of the Birthday Song. I am thinking that at two, that is the most she can relate to what is really happening at Christmas time--Jesus' birthday. I am sure we will read stories and such as well.

So, that's what is going on here. I don't mean to neglect the blog, but I also don't want to complain about things not worth complaining over, so some days I think it best to remain silent. Scott would most likely agree;) He has been very kind and gracious. Last night I told him that I couldn't understand why he and I don't get along lately, and he remained silent, never pointing out that the real culprit is me.

I will say this--I love being third trimester pregnant in the fall so much more than in the summer. Oh, that is the understatement of the century. I am not swollen; I am not sweating every second of every day; and I am not nearly as miserable as I could be!!! Thank you for a February baby!!!

And on that note, let third trimester begin...

Thursday

2009-11-13T09:08:00.015-05:00

Note: I wrote this Friday morning, but because life happens, I am just now posting it. I wanted to post it despite the time delay since it was already written.

Yesterday was a good day.

After spending all morning checking off tasks, I realized that Ada was very restless, and I needed to get that little girl outside. I told her that if she would give me a half hour to take a shower and get dressed, we could then spend a long time out in the backyard. She agreed.

The weather was gorgeous. It was cool enough for long sleeves and shoes, but sunny enough to be very comfortable. Here is what we did. Hannah and Ada made up this game. They scoop up grass clippings and the clippings serve as various objects--food, drink, etc.

Ada announced that the grass clippings inside this cup were "foffee" (coffee, for those of you who don't speak 'two'). After being at Near's for a week, Ada fixes me "foffee" quite often.

And now she is gathering the ingredients for soup. Yum.
Bubbles were also on the agenda, along with sidewalk chalk. The chalk was extra fun because it was wet from the rain earlier in the week. It gave the chalk a paint like consistency.
When I wasn't being served "foffee," I was sitting in the sun reading this book.Have you read it? It's a good one. Wow.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes from today's chapter.

The gospel is not at all what we would come up with on our own. I, for one, would expect to honor the virtuous over the profligate. I would expect to have to clean up my act before even applying for an audience with a Holy God. But Jesus told of God ignoring a fancy religious teacher and turning instead to an ordinary sinner who pleads, "God, have mercy." Throughout the Bible, in fact, God shows a marked preference for 'real' people over 'good' people. In Jesus' own words, 'There will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.'" (54)

Grace is shockingly personal. As Henri Nowen points out, 'God rejoices. Not because the problems of the world have been solved, not because all human pain and suffering have come to an end, nor because thousands of people have been converted and are now praising him for his goodness. No, God rejoices because one of his children who was lost has been found."

Finally, I loved how Philip Yancy ended the chapter,

Mozart's Requiem contains a wonderful line that has become my prayer, one I pray with increasing confidence, 'Remember, merciful Jesu, That I am the cause of your journey." I think he remembers.

All of the above sections of the chapter reminded me of a chapter we recently read in my Thursday women's bible study. As I have mentioned, we are studying the Psalms, and a few weeks ago, we studied Psalm 103, which we all agreed is a strikingly beautiful Psalm. Read it and study it if you haven't, or even if you have.

Here is my favorite portion,

He does not deal with us according to our sins,

nor repay us according to our iniquities

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;

as far as the east is from the west,

so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

As a father shows compassion to his children,

so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.

For he knows our frame;

he remembers that we are dust.

Psalm 103: 10-14

Daily I am thankful that He remembers that I am nothing but dust, yet he loves me anyway.

What a merciful God we serve!!!

p.s. for some unknown reason, blogger is not letting me put space between my paragraphs. I apologize because it makes for some unpleasant reading.

Bad Hair Day

2009-11-10T08:53:00.003-05:00

Ada's hair on a good day...Ada's hair on a bad day, fresh from bed (she did not want me to take this picture)And after I have tried to do something with it. Bless her heart, her hair reacts strongly to whatever the weather is doing. I think it's going to be a pony tail day.

By the way, if you look closely in the picture above, you will see a big knot on Ada's head. This happened yesterday when I was out of the room, so I am not sure what happened. Ada keeps some sort of knot or bruise or cut on her. It's a side effect of running, jumping, and climbing 24-7. By the way, before the knot on her head, Ada had already fallen and hurt her mouth badly enough that blood was involved. Really, it's a weekly occurence.

Tutoring, tutoring, tutoring

2009-11-09T22:09:00.005-05:00

I have just finished tutoring for the night, and I am exhausted, but Scott is not home yet, (He is watching NFL with some guy friends) and it is pointless for me to try to go to sleep without him here. I can't do it.

So...I blog.

I haven't blogged in a few days because I haven't had the energy to think of what to say. Ada is back, thank goodness, but she is a double-edged sword in that she is one big ball of energy that never stops. On top of that, she is super attached to me these days. I am guessing she senses that something is a-changing around here, and she doesn't want to give up her mama. Every time Scott tries to help her with anything--juice, bath, diapers, bed time, etc, she says very adamantly, "no, daddy, it's mommy's turn." Ya'll, it's always my turn. And this little girl of mine that normally demands to walk everywhere now wants to be carried by me. She knows that's something's coming. She has to.

Well, on top of motherhood, I have tutoring every night. And I am so thankful for the tutoring because it allows me to stay at home with Ada while bringing in a tiny bit of income every week, and let's face it, I love all things education. Truly, I loved teaching. Other than wife and mom, I was certainly created to teach. But I will eagerly give up the tutoring after Christmas as I anticipate John's arrival. I am tired, you know?

Here is my schedule each week.

On Mondays from 4:30-5:30, I tutor a middle school girl, who I will refer to as B. Middle School B. is a delight to tutor because she is a great student. She just needs a little extra help here and there. So every week, we study whatever she has coming up that week, and I help her with whatever questions she has. You know, spelling, history, simple algebra. It's an easy hour, she is polite and works super hard.

Then from 6:00-7:00, I tutor a seven year old boy, J. Seven year old J. is a math student, who is struggling BIG TIME with his multiplication tables. It's a sad situation because he has great grades in all of his other subjects, but he is failing math. And I am his tutor. Crazy, right? We are drilling, drilling, drilling the multiplication tables, and then we spend a bit of time working on longer multiplication and division. In the mean time, he continues to skip half of the problems on his tests just because he doesn't feel like doing them. So much so, that I have promised him his favorite candy any time that he leaves no problems blank on his test. He is a funny little guy, and he always makes me laugh, as he often tells me that his brain is broken. He also always has great excuses for why he didn't bring his math homework home again. It's an uphill battle with this little guy. But he is slowly learning his multiplication--he almost knows through his fours, and he has a few sets that he can fly through in less than ten seconds. We make a really big deal about that because I think much of the problem is lack of confidence.

So, that's Mondays and Wednesdays--Middle School B. and Seven year old J.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I tutor seven year old G. She's a tough one. Though she is seven, I often find myself saying the same things to her that I say to Ada--don't throw the pen across the room, don't write on yourself, look in my eyes, etc. etc. When I first started tutoring G., she could barely read at all. Getting through one page of a simple "learn-to-read" book usually involved tears on G's part. However, she now reads first grade level books on her own, and we even recently read a Beverly Cleary book together--her reading one page to my two pages. I thought we would never see progress with G, but all of a sudden she is improving in leaps and bounds. We still have really good days and really bad days, but it is exciting to see the improvement she has made. We are now working on writing, which is super tough. Getting through a two sentence answer to a question usually ends in tears, but I am not discouraged when I remember where we started with her reading.

As with anything that I do, I get very emotionally attached to my students. I just don't know how to do things in a detached way. Though I loved teaching, it always left me emotionally exhausted. I had nothing left to give at the end of the day. Tutoring has that same effect on me on a much smaller scale. I want to see progress. I want the students to feel confident. I want them to understand the joy of learning and discovery. And all of these feelings leave me with the potential for exhaustion every single night.

But, I only have another month until I give it up for a while. I will turn all of this energy to Ada and John.

By the way, I also tutor online, which is why I am just finishing for the night. But it is much less exhausting as I am sitting at home talking to a computer, so my emotions are not nearly as involved. In fact, we are looking into buying me a lap top so that perhaps online tutoring will be all I do after John is born. We'll see.

So there's a glimpse into this other part of my life other than the mothering and homemaking and such.

Back to Scottsboro, I go

2009-11-05T23:27:00.003-05:00

I am headed to Scottsboro tomorrow morning to pick up my stinker of a girl.

I don't think I could stand one more day away from her. I feel a bit lost when she is not here. I have talked to her on the phone every day that she has been gone, but I am ready for a big hug and some quality cuddling. It has been nice to rest, rest, rest, though, and I have enjoyed lots of quality time with Scott. I am well aware that soon, very soon, we will be moving into the newborn days where we will often be parenting and sleeping and eating in shifts, so I appreciate quality time more than ever. I also now know that the newborn stage is fleeting. It won't, in fact, be that way for the rest of our lives. (No one could convince me otherwise after Ada was born. I was sure that Scott and I would never again find the time to talk or eat or even breathe.)

Good news, by the way, I got the all clear on the glucose test, so no follow up tests and no diabetes. Woo-hoo. One step closer to having this baby.

I am feeling oh-so-pregnant today. I noticed as I was tutoring tonight that I can no longer comfortably cross my legs. My stomach is simply too big. And my poor bladder. I need to move into the bathroom because I spend so much time in there. In between tutoring sessions tonight, I had to run into a gas station. I needed gasoline and a pick-me-up snack and diet coke (my energy was rapidly dropping). The gas station attendant was an older man from India, I think. He asked me how much longer I had, and I told him. He smiled very kindly at me, and he said with a strong accent, "this is a hard time, isn't it?" Something about the way he smiled at me and asked that question just made my night. He then said, "but at least it's not summer." Something tells me that he is married with children. He seemed to understand pregnancy so well, and his kindness absolutely touched my heart.

Anyway...I have nothing much to say tonight, except that our house feels extremely quiet and empty without Ada here. We need that little girl back.