Things to say

There are several things that I am feeling really excited about these days.

First things first, look what showed up at my house this week...

Okay, it didn't just show up, Scott's parents were oh-so-generous, and they bought it for us as an anniversary gift.  I was giddy with excitement.  Our vacuum hasn't worked for a while, and that is just not okay.  I would use the vacuum every once in a while, just to go through the motions, but I basically just pushed dirt around.  Well, I first read about this vacuum over here at this wonderful blog, I then researchd it on Amazon, and it was even on sale at Target.  The stars really aligned on this one.  Anyway...it truly lives up to the hype.  I love it.  I can't thank Scott's parents enough!!

Thanks to Mary, I just finished reading the above book yesterday.  Warning:  it will make you want to do nothing but sit around all day reading quality literature to your children.

And during John's NICU stay, I read the above book.  The Well-Trained Mind is a must read if you plan to homeschool using the classical method.  It is an incredibly practical book that walks you through each step of the classical homeschooling process.  Love it.

And I am in the process of reading The Case for Classical Christian Education.  Because Ada is only 2 1/2, I am trying to read all I can before her schooling years sneak up on me.

And thanks to the above books and wonderful, wonderful swagbucks, Ada will soon be reading these; they are in the mail as I type this.  I just keep checking them off the list as I earn more swagbucks.

In addition, we are checking out stacks of books every week at the library.  Ada picks her own books, so they aren't always my first choice, but that's okay.  I try to sneak in a few of my own choices every once in a while.

And finally, I am loving this blog--Uber Chic for Cheap.  I don't even know how I stumbled upon it, but I love it, love it.  It really speaks to my need to stick to a budget and possess a decent wardrobe.  Check it out!!

I would tell you that I am excited that Ada is potty trained and that John is sleeping through the night, but none of these things is actually happening.

I thought Ada was potty trained.  All signs pointed to her being potty trained, and then we had a major set back day, which involved lots of urine on the floor.  I then put things on hold while Scott's parents were here, but it's back to the grind tomorrow.

And based on the last two nights, John is back to eating every three to four hours during the night.  Last night I was so tired in the middle of the night, that I woke Scott up and asked him to go get the pan, but I meant to ask him to go get John.  He, of course, said, "What?!!!" and I told myself to concentrate really hard, and that time I said, "will you go get the soap?"  For some reason my brain and my mouth were not cooperating.  I don't even know why I woke him up because I was perfectly capable of getting John myself.  And then today, while Ada napped and I was lying in the bed nursing John, I fell asleep and woke up 30 minutes later, and he was still nursing on the same side.  Not good, ya'll, not good.

But we'll get there.  Sleep will come.  Ada won't start kindergarten in diapers.  It's all a process, right?  One day at a time.  One foot in front of the other.

p.s Happy Cinco De Mayo.  We had guacamole for dinner to celebrate.

Book Wish List

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.

I am sinking deeper and deeper in

Well, folks, I am starting Harry Potter number 4 tonight. I can't stop.

In the mean time, my house is a wreck, and I am spending all my free time (i.e. nap time and night time) reading in an almost maniacal way.

This is what I do with books like this. I devour them. I almost can't even enjoy it. I will blink and realize I have read my way through all six books, and I will have no where to go from there.

This is the beauty of being an English major. I read stories like Frankenstein and Macbeth and Canterbury Tales. Amazing stories. Wonderful stories. Timeless stories. But I didn't devour them. I read them and studied them and analyzed every word, and at the end I remembered every detail. It helps that I taught them all several times. But they didn't hold me captive the way that Harry Potter does.

Scott is working his way through book one, and he won't let us rent the second movie until he reads the second book. In the mean time, I am going crazy over the wait.

p.s. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow, and I am so excited to hear the baby's heart beat. But, I have to fight my way through 8 am Atlanta traffic to get there. Yikes. I'll be back with a report on that.

Live Blogging from the Double Tree Guest Suites

I have a little time all to myself this afternoon, as Scott is at the church getting ready to be a groomsman in Sheffer's wedding, and mom, Mary Ann(my aunt/mom's sister), and Sarah, are in McDonough with Ada, so I decided to blog a little bit.

I have to leave for the church in a little over an hour, but I am soaking in all of this quiet rest. So wonderful. So refreshing.

I just finished reading the first in Robin Jones Gunn's new series about Katie Welden--Christy Miller's best friend. I felt like I was hanging out with old familiar friends. Loved it. Loved it. And I so hope Ada will read them all one day. I am sure she will say, no way, mom, they are so old fashioned, or whatever term she might use, but they have so much truth hidden in the middle of good escape type story telling.

In the middle of all of that reading, I also found time to have lunch with my hubby. We headed over to Atlantic Station around noon, and lo and behold, H & M is officially open as of yesterday. And it is glorious in all it's inexpensive fashionable perfection. But as inexpensive as it may be, we have no room in the budget this month. Sad. So very sad. I was practically drooling over all of the adorable clothes...including the ones in Ada's size, but not this month. The sewing machine may have to wait until I have had a chance to spend a few dollars at H & M. How can I not? It was two floors filled to the brim with cuteness just waiting to be tried on by me.

So, there's a quick update on what's going on with us this weekend. We are sleeping in, enjoying a fun wedding with Scott's friends from G-ville, and as always when we are away from her, missing Ada.

Peculiar Treasures

Okay, I am hoping, hoping, hoping, that I have a reader out there who also grew up reading the Christy Miller Series. If so, you will be thrilled to find out that there is a new series starring none other than Katie Welden herself, titled Peculiar Treasures. I am so excited, and I think I might have to become 14 again, just so I can read these books. Wow. Please tell me someone shares in my excitement.