Prayers, Warnings, and Stuff Christians Like

Please remember to keep the family of Todd & Angie Smith in your prayers. Todd's sister, Nicol, just lost her little boy to what apparently has been determined as SIDs. If you remember my previous posts about Angie, she and Todd lost their little girl, Audrey a few months ago. This family has suffered some devastating losses, so they need our prayers.
And a quick warning; blog posts will be few and far between in the upcoming week, considering that VBS starts this Sunday and will run until next Friday. Then that same weekend, Bryan, Gracie, Kayla (my sister) and I will be going to Atlanta to visit the zoo and the aquarium. Please pray for us during out travel/trip because this is Gracie's first official vacation away from home. That is part of the reason we're keeping it short and sweet.

And in other news, I have absolutely fallen in love with Jon over at Stuff Christians Like. Not a romantic kind of love, just a "gosh you are so funny and you think God is funny, so why didn't I think of that?". Jon's website is absolutely awesome, touching on subjects from church dates to one of my favorite posts about Thinking faith is an event.
Not to steal from Jon's own blog, but my absolute favorite part of this particular post can be found right here:

I think that is something we Christians forget that we need to be found. We think it's already happened. We ascribe events to our faith and say things like, "I became a Christian in the fourth grade" or "I gave my life to Christ last year." I like the present tense better. I like how words like becoming and being and giving, capture that faith isn't so much an event as it is an experience. It isn't so much something you do once, but rather something you do. We need to be found. Not once in a single moment of salvation but daily. Hourly even, we need the God of the universe to come running. To find us. To know us and love us.

I don’t know where you are right now. Maybe you’re found, maybe you’re lost, but regardless, please know that there is a father watching your road. It is all he does. His beard is growing long, his stomach is going empty as he waits by the road for you. He won’t leave. He can’t leave as long as you’re still out there. You need only get up and go and wait for the sound of desperate feet in the distance.


I am absolutely floored, amazed, and in love. Jon you are awesome!

Tuesday Toot

So I mentioned in my last post about some "exciting news" I had, which I consider the beginning of a major accomplishment. Before I got pregnant with Gracie, I had joined Weight Watchers with my mother-in-law. Please, all the anti-diet people who are reading, just hear me out for a second.
Weight Watchers is by far the best diet I have ever been on. No joke. Weight Watchers allowed me to continue enjoying the foods that I love, only in moderate portions. And some things are considered "free" point items (most green veggies) so you can literally eat all you want of those!
Anyway, over the last few months I've noticed a serious decline in my overall health. I understand that I am overweight and have been for most of my adult life, and probably (from the looks of my parents) that there is a good chance I'll never lose ALL the extra weight. But I believe I lost a total of 40-50 pounds on Weight Watchers the first go-around.

And now, I'm doing it again. I'm not going to the meetings, but I am familiar with the point system and how it works. I also have an activity slider, so if I work out I earn extra points. (You have to understand Weight Watchers to know what the whole "point" thing is about).

Anyway, when I was perusing the internet this morning, I found out that Curves is offer three weeks of membership FREE if you bring in three milk caps! And it's literally down the road from my church, so it might actually work out. Curves is great because you go in 30 minute workout sessions that work around your busy schedule.

That said, I look forward to Tuesday Toots in the future so I can share my weight loss tips, secrets, and struggles with all of you. Please keep me in your prayers. Dieting is not something that comes easy for me, I am not ashamed to admit that I am a boredom muncher. And leave me a comment of encouragement from time to time!

Edited to add: By a decline in my overall health, I do NOT mean that I have been diagnosed with anything serious. I've just noticed that even going to bed and getting 7-8 hours of sleep, I'm still exhausted the next day. I also have very little energy, and feel weak alot. I think that the majority of my health issues have to do with my weight, and I don't want to cause any future health problems by continuing this vicious cycle of unhealthy eating habits.

Wild tales

Okay.
So I just overhead Gracie tell Elmo something about the post office as she's putting his pappy in his mouth (Elmo is a stuffed toy. Please keep this in mind).
She then told Elmo something else about the poost office - that Mawmaw lives there. I am scratching my head in utter confusion at the simple thinking of a two and a half year old. She must have misunderstood what I said when we sent Mawmaw her first colored picture. Or when we shipped her "important" mail to her.
Then I started thinking, maybe kids (toddlers more specifically) don't think that far ahead. You know how they say that younger children have no real conception of the whole "out of sight, out of mind" thing? The hide-the-toy and then show it again game doesn't work until they understand that just because the toy is gone, it isn't actually gone. Is that making any sense? That's why normally until they are somewhat older, they cry when you leave the room. Even if the room you step into is just outside the door, it is confusing to them because when Mommy is gone she's GONE!
Maybe Gracie can't understand the concept of Mawmaw living someplace other than where she always has. That's why she still associates our new living arrangements as "Mawmaw's house", but she has yet to tell me that Mawmaw just isn't here. Now, she does understand when I tell her that Mawmaw is in Qatar, but then I have to wonder if she even knows that Qatar is another country. My guess is she probably doesn't.

Lets add to the strangness factor. I know I've never posted this here before, and may not have even told some of my loyal blog followers about it. Okay, so I know that some people who hear the word "Kah-kah" might actually giggle because they are thinking of something that is eliminated from your body, but I believe "Kah-kah" is actually the name (or nickname) of Gracie's imaginary friend. Now, my sisters think I'm nuts. Nana Kay understands! Gracie talks about this person (Kah kah) like she has a family, and even point blank told me this morning that Kah-kah is her friend. As a parent, what do you do with this information?
Do you encourage it, as I've heard we're supposed to encourage "imaginative" play? I mean, what's more imaginative than an imaginary friend?
It doesn't really freak me out I guess because she's an only child, and while she has been in child care surrounded by other kids, she is currently just being taken care of by my sister, Kayla, so she's alone most of the time. Granted, we play with her in her room and with her toys but what about the times when she might play by herself?

Now that I'm done pondering the strangeness of my morning, I'm headed off the CVS and Walgreens to see if I can succeed in some of the same bargains Mrs.Nespy found!
I'll post my Tuesday Toot and some more exciting news this afternoon.

Gracie & Jackson

Okay so for those of you who are totally in the dark and have never, ever heard me mention Miss Amy Wade (which would be strange, because I have mentioned her alot on this blog) you might also not be aware that Amy has her own blog about her little family, particularly her little boy, Jackson.

And I know I haven't mentioned this before, but Amy, her husband Jeremy, and I are in the same Sunday School class at church. And after one invitation was extended weeks ago, it has now become part of our routine for me, Gracie, and Bryan to meet the Wade's at Zaxby's for dinner on Wednesday nights before church. I agree with Amy in that Zaxby's is reasonably priced for a sit-down restaurant, which technically doesn't let it fall in the "fast food" category. Plus, Gracie loves the chicken strips. I, however, am not impressed at all with their lack of toddler-friendly kids meal toys. Maybe I should write a letter.

Anyway, if you kind of hop between my blog and Amy's, she made a post today about scrapblog. Which is where both of us came up with our new blog headers. And in the spirit of loving everything about that website, I snapped a few cute pictures of Jackson and Gracie tonight. I went to scrapblog and created a page and wanted to share it with y'all!

Murphy's Law

**This was originally posted around 5:30 this afternoon but because of computer malfunctions and Tina's softball banquet, it was saved as a draft instead**
Be careful what you say to others. Take my word for it, please. God is everywhere and he sees and knows everything you do. When you feel justified at taking some annoyance out on the helpless Apple Care rep who is busy locating your information, YOU might feel justified but God might see you picking on someone who doesn't deserve it.

My lesson at taking my frustration out on others taught me just how easily my whole day can get screwed up. Maybe it's teaching me a lesson, I don't know. It started at my dental appointment and went from there. Suffice it to say if I could call back the poor Apple Care rep and apologize, I probably would.

Anyway...my crummy day is almost over. Here are those pictures I promised in my last post.


Our preschool Mission Friends class on WMU Recognition Night.
Back row: Bella, Camryn, Rett, Avery J.
Front row: Faith, Gracie, Avery S., Abby, Noah, Graham

Gracie with her Mission Friends plaque

Up close photo of Gracie in her Mission Friends t-shirt

Gracie, in her swimming pool. Milo decided to join her.

Gracie swimming.

Pappy Gate Continues...

Thank you, Amy Wade, for the "Pappy Gate" mention. That is almost what it's turning into!

So from my last post, you know that Nana Kay started the attempt to initiate Pappy Gate. Gracie has been pappy-free since bedtime Friday night. However, Saturday she had her emotional breakdown but I never budged. We managed to get through that. Sunday afternoon, we went down for a nap just after church. She asked for it then and when I said no, she lightly giggled as if she had been joking anyway.

Last night when she went to bed, she asked for it but didn't cry. Twenty minutes later, after I'd left the room, loud wailing can be heard all through the house. When I go in (which I don't normally do, unless she's having major issues like she apparently was last night) and sit down with her, she's again doing that "crying so hard I can't catch my breath" and insists that she needs her pappy. I assured her she didn't need it. I told her how proud I was of her that she was going to be okay without it. She wanted Mommy to sleep beside her. I told her I had to sleep in my bed. She didn't want to go to sleep. I told her she had to or she'd be grumpy. (This is the only way I know to reason with her that she needs a nap or needs to go to bed).

I am sure that compounding her pappy withdrawal is the fact that we are trying to potty train as well, but she seems to catch on to that quickly except she's not going! Miss Priss seems to think that sitting on the potty qualifies her for an "any-nim" (M&M). When I tell her she has to potty to get one, she very simply informs me, "Mommy I'm trying!!".

And just in mid-post, as if reading my mind, she tells me she needs to potty. We're off! I'll post some pictures of Gracie playing in her swimming pool later.

MONUMENTAL MOMENT

Okay, so I'm slipping in here really quickly before a trip to Circuit City to share my HUGE news in "Life with Gracelynn" history. I realize I might've said this before, but I'm seriously being honest. Typically because of our work schedules, Bryan and I usually designate Friday night as Gracie's day to spend the evening with Nana Kay. Nana Kay lives in Montgomery, and this way she and Gracie get to spend some much needed quality time together.
So Nana Kay tells me on Saturday that Gracie went to bed Friday night without a pappy (read:pacifier) and didn't even ask for it. At nap time Saturday afternoon, the same thing occured. So I'm feeling very confident that by Saturday night, she'll have forgotten all about her precious "pappy". Not so fast, Mom. I had to talk my child through a literal nervous breakdown. She, sobbing, told me she needed a pappy, and I (being the adult and quick thinker) very politely said no. I explained that big girls who go to preschool who are learning to tee tee on the potty, they don't need a pappy. YES I DO she wailed. I wasn't going to budge. Not even for desperate, sobbing, can't catch my breath crying that ensued.

And then I said very calmly, "Please stop." She takes a few big gulps, looks very sternly at me and says, "Mama I can't find my pappy ANYWHERE!!!" Brilliant. So I said, kind of softly, "Do you think, maybe, that one of the babies (sorry Jackson, no offense) in your class at church may have found it?"

"BABIES don't NEED a pappy, Mama!" she cries. Silly mother. What was I thinking?

"No, Gracie, babies DO need a pappy. Big girls DON'T." so then I tried to remove the pappy from the topic of conversation (since the tears had stopped) by offering a teddy bear, her stuffed lamb. I suggested saying our prayers, which we did. She rolled over and I left the room, breathing a sigh of relief twenty minutes later when a quick peek revealed she was sound asleep. Without her precious pappy.

VICTORY!!!!