Last Call For Shoppers

hey guys,

I am going to close my 31 Party on Wednesday, so take some time to browse the catalog and order some Christmas presents!!

I have used and used and used every bag that I have from 31.  They are all great, and each one is so versatile.  The perfect gift, right?

Here is the link.  Check it out.  Order some gifts.  We all win.

I am 100% copying Jessica with this post.  Plus my friend, Mary, also suggested that I copy Jessica, so I am going with her suggestion ;) 

So, because everyone talks about how John looks just like Scott, (and I realize that, it's true, he does), I thought I would do a little John/Laura Beth comparison, to see if he has anything of mine other than my melancholy disposition;)  

so, there you go.  I realize that I am a bit younger in my pictures, but these are the only pictures I could find to steal off my mom's blog. 

By the way, I am just noticing the little potty in that last picture--looks like Ann was being potty trained.  John also spent a lot of time in the bathroom when Ada was being potty trained--see, a similarity.  Just kidding.

But seriously, do we look alike at all?  I need pictures of baby Scott on here for a true comparison, I guess.  I think that Scott was a leaner baby, so John has my chubbiness.  I love that body fat is what I have passed on to my children;)  I'm infamous in my family for the doctor's remark about me as a baby--"remarkable weight gain."  Hmmm...seems like I remember that the doctor said the same thing to me when I was pregnant with Ada.  Just kidding again. 

Okay, off to do Sunday, get ready for Monday, type things. 

(Will be back tomorrow to talk 31 Party again.  My party closes on Wednesday, so get to shopping)

Thanksgiving in Chattanooga

I am basically going to let the pictures speak for themselves. 

Our family had a lovely Thanksgiving, and I especially enjoyed our walk along the river bridge after dinner. 

Happy Thanksgiving!!!  I am overflowing with gratitude for so much, and the people in these pictures are high on that list!!

John wasn't loving the photo session as this point.  Can you guess where I was standing in relation to this picture?

Our sad attempt at a family photo.

we missed you, Sarah!!  For readers who don't know me personally, this is me with my youngest sister Kate, and Ann, my 18 months older than me sister.  Sarah, who is next after me in the line up was at home in New Orleans today working at Starbucks (she's an artist). 

And here you have the whole family.  We never take family pictures.  Ever.  so this is a bit monumental. 

And Kate with the older cousins, headed to the walking bridge.  The kids love Sarah and Kate--the "cool, fun" aunts.

perfect day for a walk!!

Don't forget the youngest of the cousins!!  Precious girl.

Now, let the Christmas Season begin!!

Thanksgiving Tree

so I had big plans this year to make a Thanksgiving tree at the beginning of the season, and then add a leaf with something we are thankful for each day.  But, the best laid plans... you know.

However, I was determined to get that Thanksgiving tree done, so today, with one day left, we did it, by golly.  The Thanksgiving tree is done.

In the midst of "crafting," Ada requested a silly picture

And what is Ada thankful for, you may be asking?

Just a few highlights...

--clouds.  Because they are puffy and get us rain.

--Lucy.  Because her daddy got a new job.

--paper.  Because we get to draw on it.

--Mrs. Jessica, "your friend."  Because Mr. John got three jobs.  (can you tell that the economy has affected our prayers?  And that Ada is always listening.  John has recently started a new business where he waterproofs crawl spaces, so "getting three jobs," means he sold three separate jobs.)

--rain.  Because it makes the plants grow.

As you can see, Ada is thankful for friends whose fathers received new jobs, but she didn't want to add Scott's new job to her leaves.  Believe me, I asked, because I am certainly thankful for Scott's job this Thanksgiving!! 

I am also very thankful that John seems to be turning a slight corner in his eating habits.  He has eaten a greater quantity of food in the past few days, and he has a new love for fruit.  He can't get enough.  All kinds of fruit--blueberries, raspberries, banana, tangerines, pears, and I think that is all he has tried so far, since he decided that he does like fruit, I mean.  (I am very allergic to apples, so I am hesitant to give it to my kids, though they do eat it from time to time).

Okay, I am now back, several hours later to finish this post, and I have to add another thankful--

that Scott got home today at 3:30!!!  I was so surprised when he walked in, and I am always thrilled for him to arrive home early.  Happy Thanksgiving to us.  We celebrated by using a B1G1 coupon at Moe's, which fed the whole family, and I didn't have to cook--woo-hoo!!!

In the morning we are headed to Chattanooga to have Thanksgiving lunch with my family, minus Sarah and Kate (actually, Kate might be there, I am not sure), at the Back Inn Cafe in Chattanooga's art district.  My mom actually cooked a Thanksgiving meal a few weeks ago because Sarah isn't able to be home for actual Thanksgiving day.  And since Chattanooga is a reasonable drive for us, that is our plan for tomorrow.  We are headed out bright and early, as we assume that traffic will be a bit insane. 

So...that sums up our Thanksgiving Holiday.  How about you?  Big Turkey Day plans?  Anyone headed out for Black Friday deals?  I have become a wimp about Black Friday, and I prefer to stay cozy at home.  Plus, I haven't seen any "blow me away" deals over the past two Black Fridays.  Have you?

I am almost done with Ada and John's Christmas shopping though.  I snuck out tonight after dinner and purchased Ada's big gift--a princess bike.  Today was the last day I could use a 10.00 Target coupon, and, you know, 10.00 is 10.00, so I was sure to meet that deadline. 

I am now moving into the rambling on and on zone, so I will end here.

But, I must remind you, go here, browse through the precious items that you will find there, and order something!!!!

Virtual Party

Well, in honor of Black Friday and to officially kick off the Christmas shopping season (as if Christmas shopping hasn't already begun!), I am hosting another Thiry-One gifts blog party.  Get excited.

If you will recall, back in the summer, I attempted to host an online party, and a few people ordered, but the party was rudely interrupted by a little thing called, "Scott losing his job."  But now that life is back on track, we are going to try this again ;)

If you are not familiar with the thirty-one product line, I urge you to check out the online catalog for yourself.  What you will find is a line of monogrammable bags, storage containers, lunch boxes, and various other gifts to suit any person or lifestyle.  Seriously--you will be able to find a great and personal Christmas gift for anyone on your gift list!!

I personally own the organizing utility tote (works perfectly as a diaper bag if you need a gift for a mom-to-be), the large utility tote (great for traveling, trips to the beach or pool, carrying sports gear, etc. etc.), and two thermal totes (we use both as lunch boxes, one for Ada, and one for the rest of us).  There are several other items that I have my eye on, and I hope to earn enough "credit" through this party to purchase a couple of new things for myself as well as for other people on my gift list.

Okay, now that we have covered the products, let me give you the details of how an online party works.  Follow this link, browse the online catalog, and then be sure to click on my name to order so that I receive credit for your order.  Remember that almost all of the products can be monogrammed, and there is a base price of 7.00.  Whether you do one letter or an entire name, 7.00 total. 

And if you spend a total of 31.00, you are eligible to buy one of five items for only 5.00.

You can choose from

the all-in-one organizer

The soft wallet

The Cinch sack

The zip-up pencil pouch

or the Flat Iron Case





So, you spend 31 dollars by going to this link, browsing the catalog, and ordering through my name, and you can order one of the above items for only 5.00!!  Each item comes in several different patterns, and, of course, can be monogrammed for 7.00.

So...get to shopping!!  And I will be back each day to remind you to shop ;)

p.s. My thirty-one consultant (and dear friend) is Kate Ford.  Feel free to call her if you have any problems ordering or have any questions about your order.  Her cell # is 410-474-0559.  Or, you can e-mail me at lbrmoore@gmail.com.  Thanks, guys!!!



The Day's Tasks

The task at hand for each child--and this was before 8 am.  (hence the terrible lighting)

Now, it is after 4, and Ada is in their room playing with her kitchen, and John is playing with his "choo-choo."  We have done other things in between then and now, but those two activities do seem to be their main task each day.

On that note, as we are forced to once again guess about which toys to buy for Christmas that the kids will actually play with, Ada's play kitchen and each of her melissa and doug food sets have been everyday toys.  Every single day.  Her Bitty Baby, (American Girl baby doll) on the other hand, spends most of her time in the doll bed that also never gets any play time.  It's such a guessing game, isn't it?  

Most likely, Ada's main gift this year will be a bicycle with training wheels (a princess one of course), and John is getting a fisher price ramp/car garage thing.  I looked at the train sets at Target forever (because John only has a hand-me-down set right now), but I am opting to wait until he is older to decide which train set to go with.  I need to see if it is a lasting interest.    Plus, his birthday is in February, and I need to save a gift for that.  Other than that, I am not sure what little things the kids will be getting.  I am not on top of things this year.  I have bought their stocking items from the Target dollar section (I waited until closer to Christmas last year, and everything was picked over), but other than I am still trying to come up with some sure way to know that they will actually play with the things that I buy them.  What will the big gifts be at your house?  I might find some inspiration from you.  And anyone who has children a bit older than mine, can you recommend toys that have consistently been played with at your house?  I really don't want to add yet more clutter to my house, but I feel it is almost inevitable.

Okay, off to do a quick house "pick up" before I face the dreaded 5:00 "witching hour."

Reflecting on the Semester

I think I will try to do a little Tuesday school update each week, every other week, something like that...

I definitely want to spend some time reflecting, processing, and recording our homeschooling experience, and where else would I do that except for right here, for all the world to read ;)

I am chilling a bit when it comes to teaching Ada to read.  I am realizing that she just may not be at the reading point yet.  She can tell me the sounds of every letter of the alphabet, can name words that start with each letter, and can pick out sounds of letters in the middle of words, but she can't blend.  She's not catching on.  So, for now, I am giving it a rest.  She will be five in August, and will then officially be in Kindergarten, and we will tackle it again then.

In the mean time, we will be focusing on her memory work each week.  She is absolutely capable of memorizing her "facts" each week (as is every four year old--wink, wink), and she likes doing it, for the most part, so that is our focus this year.  The reading will come.  The math will come (this is after much assurance from Ann), our focus this year, at four, is the memory work.  It's not about the facts, by the way, it's about training her mind to memorize.  It's the same concept as training your muscles to run.

We are the end of semester one of Classical Conve rsations, and I am looking at an eight week break for the holiday season (huge bonus of Homeschooling!!!)  We, of course, will continue to review at home, but there isn't any new information to take in.  We can just take our time, review, and get ourselves ready for next semester.

Now that we are halfway through the year, I can confidently say that I love CC.  I really, really do.  I love the community.  I love that I have the support of like minded moms.  I love that Ada can enjoy a classroom setting where she is around other kids.  I love the accountability and the structure.  And I love that the purpose of CC is to know God and make Him known--because that's it, right?  That's why we do what we do!

When we first began the semester, I felt very overwhelmed by all of the information to learn each week, but I see now that it works.  That if I have an off week, there is built in time to catch up, and that it honestly does get easier.  The brain is being trained to memorize, so it becomes routine.  And I am thrilled by all of the facts that I am storing in my brain.  We are only eight weeks in, and already it is so much easier for me to sort history into a correct timeline, and in gaining that information, I am much more equipped to evaluate history.  I am loving re-educating myself!!  So I am especially thankful that Ada is learning how to store this information from the get-go.  And as a family we are memorizing the scripture together, which Ada will then learn to translate into Latin next semester (which is not as crazy as it sounds, I promise!!!)  Scott's doing it, I'm doing it, not John since he is still mastering the English language ;)  I think the word that sums up how I feel is gratitude.  I am so thankful that this is even a possibility for us.  That I am able to be at home with my kids, that I have the freedom to choose how to educate my children, and that I live in a town where CC is available (Tutti, if you by chance are reading this, thank you SO MUCH for getting this started in Henry County!!!)

Before becoming a mom, I was really passionate about education, so now that I am talking about my own children, the passion goes up about a million notches.  And everything that I read about the classical method (and there is much to learn!!!) absolutely makes sense.  It just makes sense, and the more I learn, the more I know that I can't "go back."

So, I apologize for the boring, wordy post, but, like I said, it's helpful for me to process as we move along in the school year.

(Ada and me at CC.  She is presenting her favorite bible story--the students have to do a presentation each week, and it has been so fun to see each of them grow in confidence from the first week.)

Weekend Recap and a Good Deal

Look at me, blogging again ;)

I just wanted to post a few pics for the family--and anyone else who might be interested.

Saturday, which started out rather cold, ended up being mild enough to spend the afternoon at the park.  We have a park about two minutes from our house that is perfect for John.  One end is big enough for Ada to enjoy and the other end is small enough for John to enjoy without me having to constantly be by his side.  It's a win-win-win situation ;)

I know this is such a mom thing to say, but I feel like John is turning into a little boy right before my eyes.  But, of course, he still has so much baby in him.  I want to some how soak it up and enjoy it in the midst of the day-to-day stress.  If only someone could figure that one out, right?

Ada also loved the park.  When we tell her we are going to the park, you would think we had said Disney World, and I'll keep her thinking like that for as long as I can ;)  (on that note, I am starting to suspect that she thinks the Disney Store at Perimeter Mall is actually Disney World--we took her to that store one time last year, and if she ever talks about Disney World she reminds me of a "castle" that was inside the store.  Hmmm...I won't be correcting that thinking anytime soon)

(Ada has learned that she is supposed to smile for pictures, so this fake smile is her go-to look when the camera is on her).

On top of a fun afternoon at the park, I was able to sneak away for not one, but TWO, girls only events.  One Saturday morning with the women at church--a favorite things brunch, which I thought was such a cute idea!!  Everyone had to bring a favorite item under 10.00, and we did a little gift exchange.  The item could be anything from a cleaning item to make up to a favorite scent.  Are you following me?  I took a Bath and Body Works wall flower because, once I figured out how to correctly plug it in;) (which is not hard to figure out--only it was for me),  I have loved my wallflower.  The perfect amount of scent--not too overpowering.  I have salted caramel plugged in right now, and it smells so good that it makes me crave caramel popcorn (not a great side effect of that scent).

Then, on Saturday night, I had a mom's night out with the other moms from my CC (Classical Conversations) group.  That was a fun chance to get to know the other moms outside of the school setting, and with no children distracting us.  I crave time with other adult women now that I am a stay at home mom, and this weekend's events were much needed!!!

And we ended the weekend with haircuts for both of the children yesterday afternoon.  It was John's first "official" hair cut, other than my mom and Ann cutting it, so that's a milestone, right?  And it was Ada's first hair cut since she experienced her strange hair cut "phobia" last year, so a big event all around.  They both did GREAT, so much better than expected--probably because of the suckers they got to eat while getting it done.

Ada wasn't too thrilled about the hair dryer--she didn't say anything, but obviously I could tell by her face.  She doesn't like for the hair dryer to get too hot, and I am guessing it was too hot for her. Also, notice the teddy bear sticking out from under the cape.  She had her blanket with her too--anything to get the hair cut done.

So that was our weekend.  It was a good one.

And, I want to pass along a great deal on Christmas cards if you haven't ordered any yet.  Bloomspot is a daily deal sight, and they are offering 25.00 worth of Christmas cards for 10.00.  The Christmas cards are through Vistaprint, and I looked through all of the offered designs.  Be warned, there are some really tacky ones, but there also LOTS of really cute ones.  And, of course, if you sign up through me and order this deal, I will earn some money...so, if you need Christmas cards, go for it ;)

Okay, off to do Monday type things...

Five Minute Friday: Unexpected

So, I know it's Saturday, but I am jumping onto the five minute Friday bandwagon anyway.

Unexpected.

It's unexpected, really, how this small, south of Atlanta town, is really beginning to feel like home.

This, I moved here kicking and screaming because it was so far from my beloved midtown and Highlands place, seems to fit me to a T more and more everyday.

And, it's especially unexpected how much this tiny rental house seems to envelop my family in a way that no other house has.  

Could it be, perhaps, that God's plans, though always unexpected, always make the most sense in the end?

Could it be, that it's really true, always, that he is working everything together for my good.  Even when it feels so much the opposite of good.  He's working it out.  Always.

Recipe Blog

Hey guys,

is anyone even still reading this poor, forgotten blog?

Anyway...Scott and I are trying to get our eating habits back on track, and we are using weight watchers as the means to do that.  I love weight watchers.  To me, it is just so balanced.  And sometimes, when life is C-R-A-Z-Y, my eating habits are anything but balanced--too much, too little (usually too much), so I am happy for weight watchers to do the thinking for me.

Anyway...on that note, I have discovered this website with great recipes and weight watchers points already calculated.  Love anything that lightens the load.

I thought I would pass it along.

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/02/crock-pot-santa-fe-chicken-425-pts.html

And, by the way, Scott if you are reading this, (probably not because he is at work and his new job does not allow for personal computer time), the above link will tell you what we are having for dinner (spooned into fajita sized tortillas--2 pts. for the tortilla, if anyone is interested).

Okay, time to do a little "schooling..."

Rambling

it's my usual "check-in" to say how much I wish I was blogging more, but I'm not....

Ahhh...that's me groaning...I keep saying it, but nothing is changing.

I can't even gather my thoughts to know what I want to say about the day-to-day.

Well...a big break is coming.  We have eight weeks off from CC for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  We meet next week and then we are off, so that will provide me with some much needed "catch up" time.  I have also ordered a new reading curriculum with plans to begin after Christmas.  I am also about to order the manipulatives to go with the already purchased math curriculum so that I can also begin that after Christmas.  I will be back soon with more curriculum info.  I love hearing what other homeschoolers are using, so I will throw my choices into the conversation.

Despite feeling overwhelmed, I am also more certain that classical education is what is absolutely right for our family.  Two Saturdays ago, I attended a CC practicum which was incredibly encouraging as I was reminded why I am doing what I am doing.  I want Ada to learn how to learn; that is the goal.  Well, the main goal, as CC says, is to know God and make him known--and I believe that by "training Ada's mind well" she will be better equipped to know Him and make Him known!!

So...that is the education update.  It's still hard--maybe it always will be?--but more than ever I believe in what I am doing.  I believe this is God's will for me.  For Ada.  For the Moores.

As for the other kiddo--my little stinker, John-John.  He is as much a stinker as always, but his vocabulary is growing rapidly.  He is always telling me something; it's just that a lot of the times I can't understand what he is saying.  But the words that I can understand multiply everyday.  When he is in a good mood, he is so funny. And when he is in a bad mood, he is still my little cutie (though it drains me a bit.  A lot.).  He is loving all things trains, cars, anything with wheels combined with a ramp.  I have visions of a train birthday party for the big two years in February.  (Though I really don't do "big" second birthdays, but still, a train theme).

Christmas is coming...quickly.

The decorations are up around town, and I sort of love it.  I LOVE Christmas.  Do you?  I want to pray that I don't become bombarded with the pressure to make it "just so" for the kiddos, and instead just enjoy the season celebrating the birth of Christ.  I read a wonderful book during Christmas last year that helped me maintain perspective.  I will link to that with the curriculum post.  It's worth passing along.

And on that note, I am slightly obssessed with this blog post by Nancy Wilson's daughter over at the Desiring God blog.  I need to read it all the time to be reminded of how what I am doing right here in the home is my mission field, so, on the off chance, that someone else needs that reminder (are you also bogged down in the everyday?  Losing sight of the big picture?), read this post.  It's so very encouraging.  I actually have never read anything by her that wasn't encouraging.

Okay, so what you have here is me throwing all of my rambling thoughts onto paper and hitting the publish button.  I hope I made some sort of sense.