Challenges Ahead

When I titled the name of my blog Adventures of the Adams' Family, I definitely did not realize that we would be venturing into the biggest adventure our family has ever ventured on:  The Adventure in the Land of Unemployment and Social Services.  The reason we have "decided" to partake in this adventure that 13% of the American population are on is because Larry has been laid off.  Wow, I never thought that this would happen, but I have decided to see this as something that will strengthen our family's faith and reliance on God.  The past five days have probably been the most stressful  and scary days of my life ever.  It has been more stressful than graduating high school, graduating college, moving to a new country without knowing a soul, leaving the military, and having children combined.  All the other would be scary moments in my life have never given me this total feeling of helplessness and unknown.  For those of you that know me, I am the type of person that starts to stress when something does not go according to the way that I have planned (this is not a very good quality when your husband tells you that company is coming over and then they don't show and you start to think evil and ugly thoughts of what kind of person your would be guest is.  I am working on this terrible quality.)  So when Larry informed me that we will not have an income to support our family, I of course started to go into panic mode.  This did not help my husband who was probably panicking on the inside also.  I know that I probably should have stayed calm and reassured him that we would be ok but instead I PANICKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Now that I have had a few days to let the news set in and also research options, I know that we will be fine.  God has a plan for us and although He has not made it clear yet, I know that at the other end we will be better off.  On the second day of unemployment, I read this verse:  Jeremiah 29:11: "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.   Then two people on facebook put this verse up as an encouragement.  I realized that Go has a purpose for our family and to fulfill this purpose, the Lord had to close the door at Otis and push us into this new adventure.  I will fully trust the Lord and His wonderful plan that He has for our lives. 
Because we are now embarking on this new adventure, I may not be able to blog as many shopping trips and meal ideas.  Or rather I may change the focus of the shopping trips and recipes.  I have not decided which direction I will take that part of the blog.  For now I will probably blog everyday life.  I hope that even with the changes, that those of you who read my blog will continue to follow it.  I look forward to sharing my new adventures with all of you.

First Week of School and other happenings.

So the Adams' girls have survived the first week of school.  I have to say that it went better than expected.  The first day was hard on me but not on the girls.  Larry took the morning off so all four of us got up super early (6:45am to be exact) in the morning to prepare for the first ever first day of school.  And of course because I was over thinking and over anticipating we were up way too early.  It was actually fairly easy to get everyone fed and dressed.  We were actually ready to go by 7:30am (school doesn't start until 8:30am.)  We even stopped at Dunkin Donuts to get coffee for the adults but we still ended up at the school at 7:50am.  Yes, we were that early for the first day school.  For those of you who know me and my love of all things Gilmore Girls, I am reminded of the episode where Lorelai and Rory are talking about Rory's first day of school and how Rory told Lorelai that school started way earlier than it actually did.  Well, of course they like the Adams' family showed up way to early for the first day of school.  Once we did finally take Lorelai up to class, she was super excited since three of her friends were already there.  Larry and I dropped her off and prayed that she would obey her teacher and adjust to the school environment.

"A" for Adams or for Alphabet.

Waiting to go to school.

At her desk.

When I went to pick her up, she was super happy to see me.  Though she was not as super thrilled by all the questions that I had for her.  None of them had taken a nap that day so she was super tired when I finally went to pick her up.  She actually took her backpack and hid behind it so that I could not see her and continue to ask her questions.  Needless to say she slept really well that night.
The second day of school was picture day so again we were up relatively early so that I could do her hair.  This time not as early as the first day though.  Lorelai was again super excited to go to school.

Back view of the hairstyle I did on Lorelai.

Side view of the hairstyle.

Yes they actually have school ids.

 Along with taking pictures for school pictures, this year the academy decided that each child would have a school id.  So here is the school id and the picture in the id is the picture that we will get as the school picture.  I'm actually pretty please with the picture and can't wait to get the copies.  Lorelai also started learning her phonics on the second day of school.  She was able to tell me what sound A makes.

The rest of the week went as well as the first two days if not better.  She started learning her numbers as well as a bible verse and her phonics.  She also attended her first chapel day.  Chapel is once a week on fridays and this is where various speakers come in and give a short sermon or lesson to the children of the academy.  This week our  Pastor preached a message on that no matter how good or bad we are, God still loves us at least that was the general jest of it.  I wasn't actually at chapel.)  However, when I asked Lorelai what she learned, she said that "Pastor told them to close their eyes and that they were dead."  Um......I almost had a heartache when I heard that.  I didn't know whether to laugh or to call my Pastor up and demand to know what in the world was he teaching my 4 years old.  But of course when I was told what he actually did talk about, it is just funny what a 4 year old tends to remember.  Lorelai also by Friday could recent all of Psalm 100:1 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord all ye lands.  And she did well enough all week to receive a good behavior prize.  To prompt good behavior, each child has a apple tree and if they do not have an apple removed from the tree than they receive a prize.  I am super proud of Lorelai at how well she is adjusting and how much she is actually learning and its only the first week.  I am excited to see how much she will learn this year.

Chapel day uniform.

I feel the need to mention that Abigail on the other hand is not doing as well adjusting to the fact that Lorelai is now in school.  Everyday as we drive away she is in the backseat crying "Lorelai, Lorelai."  Its very sad and it makes me want to cry because it is about the saddest sound I have ever heard.  I am praying that Abigail will do better this week and not miss her sister as much as she did this first week.  We are also going to start potty training Abigail this week.  Though she does not seem to understand the idea of going potty just yet.  Though she does like to go and sit on the toilet and laugh.  Oh well, I know that this is another area that the Lord will be testing my patience.  Praying that this week will go as well or better than the past week.