Jude + Hank = B.B.F. (Best Buddies Forever)

Today was Jude's second day of preschool. He absolutely LOVED his first day last week. This morning he seemed a little less excited, but only because he was tired and wanted to play with his new cars he got  on a trip to the mall with Aunt Na yesterday. As he sat, sleepily, in front of his bowl of blueberry oatmeal this morning he said, "Hank's my best buddy ever."

Hank has been with us a long time now. He was purchased on a trip to Target with my mom, just weeks before I was to leave for Ethiopia to meet Jude. I was telling my mom about how a co-worker of mine commented that I was "pregnant like an elephant" with Jude. She was pretty accurate in her statement, as elephants carry their babies for 22 months (the longest of any land animal, fyi) and I waited on Jude for 24 months. So when we saw Hank, brown and fleece with tan elephants all over, my mom insisted she buy him for Jude.

I never intended for Hank to become Jude's best buddy. In fact, at first any old blanket seemed to do. Then, the blanket had to be fleece. And eventually, the blanket had to be brown and covered in elephants. And so their friendship began. Hank and Jude have been through a lot together.

 first Christmas in America

 first trip to the zoo

 first trip to Hilton Head, SC

 and of course, hanging out and playing cars

 Hank mostly just likes to sit back and observe

and Hank was there to support Jude when 

he became an American citizen

I guess I can see why they are best buddies. And after his bowl of oatmeal, Jude was suddenly energized and ready for school. His teacher commented on how much he loves school and how smart he is. And so far he hasn't needed Hank while he's at school, but he does tell Hank how much he missed him when they reunite for his afternoon nap : ).

first day of school

Today was Jude's first day of pre-school! After much debate we decided to enroll him for 2 days a week for half a day, mostly for the social interaction with other children. Plus, we love the school and especially the director. We've been preparing for this day all summer. Jude and I have been reading books about school, watching his favorite Barney episode about school, and talking about school for weeks. I guess all of the preparing paid off, because, as we pulled into the parking lot this morning, he was kicking his little blue Converse with excitement. He exclaimed, "School!" and "Happy!" as I opened the car door to get him out. When we got near the door to enter the building, he said, "I walk." I set him down, handed him his Lightning McQueen lunchbox and rolling Thomas backpack, and he carried them all by himself. He looked like a little man!

When we reached his classroom, he walked right in the door and never turned back, not even to say goodbye. It may sound sad to some moms, but I was so relieved and proud that he felt so secure and confident. We have come a long way, and separation anxiety seems to be a thing of the past (at least for Jude; I, on the other hand, still get a little anxious : ).

I was able to snap this photo when we entered the building, but he was definitely too excited to focus on the camera. However, you can still see that he is grinning from ear to ear.

We've been reading a book called School about a little family of mice who go off to school and the baby mouse, Bitty, sneaks away to go to school with her brothers and sisters, even though she's too little. In the end, Mama Mouse comes to school and picks up Bitty to bring her back home. Jude always reiterates this part of the story and says, "back home with Mommy?" and then hugs me. I'm already looking forward to our "reunion" when I pick him up today. I can't wait to hear about his day!

some updates...

I thought I'd revisit some previous posts after having a few folks ask "whatever happened with the...?"

Update #1:

So, for starters, we'll begin with the garden. Many of you may remember the beginnings of our garden back in April...also known as Jude's dream playground full of "dut."

Well, here are some pics of our garden today...

And now for two "mystery" pictures...please help me out on this one. Our wonderful neighbor saw our attempt at a garden this spring and brought us several plants he'd already started in small pots, but none of them were labeled. We spent a good month trying to guess what some of them were. This next one looks like some type of cabbage, but I have no idea how you "pick" it, or how to know when it is ready to be picked! It definitely looks like it's almost ready for a Cabbage Patch kid to sprout, so help me out if you are a gardener...Mom? Sis? Anyone?

And now, this one made me laugh pretty hard. I was certain it was squash. It had beautiful yellow blooms and I even had 2 others tell me they also thought it was squash (I don't think they looked that closely : ). I kept thinking it was going to turn yellow. If I waited long enough.

I waited until it became gi-normous and couldn't stand it any longer. I brought it inside, sliced it open, and lo and behold, it was a cucumber (I know, I know, you knew that from first glance, didn't you?). I broke out the Ranch dressing and had a snack, celebrating that I actually grew food that I could eat, with my own two hands. It's such a rewarding hobby.

Update #2:

The Farmers' Market Interview.

Well, it never actually posted, so it must have been really bad : ). Not really, I just think they decided not to continue writing on the market at that particular time. Or at least I am going to tell myself that. Moving along...

Update #3:

Flowers for Addis

I told you I would post pics of our flowers at the market. Here are a few.

I also snapped this picture of our sweet boy. I love his interest in our soap. There is something so cool about seeing him hold the product that helped bring him (and now his future sister) home to us. He holds it to his nose and makes really loud sniffing noises and says, "Mells good, Mommy!" I love his expression.

Update #4:

Baby girl.

We are in the homestudy and paper work process right now. We are on a wild goose chase, visiting government buildings, getting physicals, drug tests, fingerprinted, having our septic tank inspected, etc... I forgot how much I disliked the paperwork the first time around. I imagine it must be similar to the way a mother experiences the pains of labor, yet miraculously forgets just how bad it really was and decides to do it again...and again. God's grace. Yet I know in the long run the paperwork is really the easy part. This part, I can control. It is the "wait" that unnerves you and becomes almost unbearable. I have almost forgotten how difficult that was. But it was worth every second. 

crack, with butter on it

I think age 2 and a half is magical. Jude is a little man now, full of ideas and opinions and...just life. He now has an opinion about what he wants to do, what he wants to eat, to wear. He even tells us which way to go when we're driving! He is very observant, and if he feels like you are taking a different route than what is familiar to him, he will ask you to turn around or go "dis way," as he points his finger in the opposite direction.

As far as his clothing, he is most particular about his shoes. Up until recently, I could not get him to wear flip flops (which he lived in last summer) and he only wants to wear his checkered Vans slip ons. It does not seem to matter to him when I explain that they do not match his outfit : ). Also, if he ever asks to wear his white shoes, it is important to know that he is asking for his "light up" shoes : ).

When it comes to food, he eats about 10 different things. Among his favorites are frozen Go-Gurt (with "Light Queen on it" aka "Lightning McQueen") and peanut butter crackers or "crack, butter on it" as he puts it. He is constantly cracking us up. Here are a few of his favorite phrases of the moment:

Awwwwe, Mence! translation: Awwwwwe, Mannnn!
Wok woll, Mommy! translation: Rock n' Roll, Mommy!
Yes, way! his response to "no" or "no way"
I uh ew! translation: I love you!
Carry you, Mommy? translation: Will you carry me, Mommy?

Yesterday was monumental as it marked our 18th month of being home as a family. And today was extremely monumental, but I will let Jude tell you why...

Yes, we finally completed Jude's "re-adoption" process this morning. He is now a full-fledged American citizen with a Georgia birth certificate and his name is officially "Jude Abreham Pruitt" rather than "Abreham Richard Pruitt" which is what his name legally became when we adopted him in Ethiopia (adoptive father's first name, his birth name, our last name). We were allowed to snap some pictures with the judge. Richard made fun of how giddy I was during the whole process, but hey, I'm the mama and that is what mama's do when it comes to their children's big moments in life. So forgive my cheesy, over-the-top smile, but I was proud...

We had the privilege of having the wonderful Judge Conner finalize our case--she was so awesome that at one point she even got down on the floor to play cars with Jude!

Jude asked me to "Click. Pic." his line-up of cars

Jude showed Tow Mater to Judge Conner

How awesome is she?

I'm a proud mama today.

you still there?

I'm sure there is a good chance I have lost any readers who have followed this blog--I've somehow managed to make it almost a month without posting. I honestly thought I would post a lot more during the summer, but somehow life just got even busier. However, a busy life makes for good blog posts--or at least good pictures : ).

We spent this past week with "Aunt Na" and her family at Hilton Head Island. We had a great week, but I will let the pictures speak for themselves.

Jude with Uncle "Woy"

Jude and Uncle "Woy" had a lot of fun together...

digging in the sand...

riding bikes...

sword fighting...

and napping.

Actually, Jude did a lot of napping...

I know this one is sideways, but it was too cute not to share

And this was Jude only minutes before, seeing fireworks for the first time...

don't you love how he kept his hand close by,

just in case he needed to cover his ears?

We had a lot of great family time together...

 no one told me I was supposed to make my "mad" face...

oh, I love this kid...pure joy

and on our last night, the 3 of us had a grand finale...

Jude's first movie! 

Jude was glued to the screen the entire time. He didn't move or talk (except for the occasional "Go McQueen!") the entire time. He did, however, cheer LOUDLY at the end, when all the cars returned home to Radiator Springs. He held up his Tow Mater truck and yelled, "Back Hooooome!!!" He was so excited and so proud. As for Richard and I, we had more fun watching Jude than the movie : ).

Tomorrow we return to the Lilburn Farmers' Market, this time armed with my newest, latest project: 

Flowers for Addis

This time last year, I was making some little fabric flowers for a headband for myself, and I started thinking about adoption and how I felt called to return to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and it just kind of dawned on me. Addis Ababa means "New Flower." I would make these flowers to raise money to return to Ethiopia for a child that God has handpicked for our family. Flowers for Addis.

I will be sure to post more pictures of Flowers for Addis after tomorrow's market. And if you are reading, I promise not to go so long without posting again. We've just been having too much fun!

where there is Love, there is God

My Farmers' Market friend called me at noon yesterday to tell me that I was going to be interviewed at 6:00. The local online newspaper wanted to feature my little soap booth, my little story. I felt nervous, inadequate.

I was in the car, on the way to drop Jude off at "Na's" so he wouldn't be isolated to our little booth for four hours while we worked the market that evening. I started praying about what I would say in the interview.

I'm learning a lot about myself these days. Over the last few years, I've gotten more and more "quiet." I can't explain exactly why and it's hard to put my finger on it. I guess I avoid drawing attention to myself or being in the spotlight, because it opens the door for people to make judgments; an invitation for others to express their opinions. And sometimes I'm afraid my skin won't be thick enough and that someone's words might penetrate and hurt. Somewhere along the way, I just started keeping things to myself.

So as I was driving in the car, I prayed. I asked God what He wanted me to say. How much would I share? Would I tell the world (or at least all of Lilburn) about His part in our story?

Jude fell asleep on the drive. I looked at him in the rearview mirror as I thought about my words, our story, our miracle. I thought about this story I'd read from Mother Theresa's book, Where There Is God, There Is Love, the day before:

A few weeks ago, I had the very extraordinary experience of this tenderness of God for the little one. A man came to our house with a prescription from a doctor. He said the child was dying, his only child was dying in the slums of Calcutta and that medicine could not be got in India anywhere. It had to be brought from England. As we were talking, a man came with a basket of medicines. He had gone round to the families and gathered half-used medicines for our poor people. And there he came, and right on top of that basket was that medicine. I just couldn't believe because if it was inside, I would not have seen it. If he had come before or after, I would not have connected. I just stood in front of that basket and kept looking at the bottle and in my mind I was saying, "Millions and millions and millions of children in the world--how could God be concerned with that little child in the slums of Calcutta. To send that medicine, to send that man just at that time, to put that medicine right on top and to send the full amount that the doctor had prescribed." See how precious that little one was to God Himself. How concerned He was for that little one. --Mother Theresa

And it just kind of hit me. This interview really had nothing to do with me. At least, I knew it had nothing to do with me. What if our little soap booth could just show people even a glimpse of how much He loves them...how much concern he has for the little one...and them. God was so concerned for Jude that He planted a little seed in our hearts that grew and led us 7,698 miles across the world to a foreign country and a foreign child to bring him home and into our family and call him our own ("God sets the lonely in families"-Psalm 68:6). We could never have orchestrated anything so perfectly. It was God's plan and it is His love that is so beautiful. Where there is love, there is God.

And as far as my interview, I will let you know once it posts. I was on video, and I'm sure I was awkward, so if anything you may have a good laugh. I have to run now, I hear my son calling for "chocolate milk" from his crib : ).

pure127 at the Lilburn Farmer's Market

Friday night was the opening night of the 2011 Lilburn Farmer's Market. We had the privilege of selling our soaps at the market once again this year. Check out our booth!

And now, I share with you my latest project...

"goldfish in a bag" glycerin soap! 

I wish that I could take credit for this super-cute idea, but a friend of mine saw it somewhere and, knowing I'm a soap maker, passed along the idea. It was so much fun, and the best part is seeing just where the fish end up floating around. Each one is incredibly unique and they were a hit with the kids!

We love the market for many reasons, but one reason is that we love getting to know the other vendors and hearing about how their business came to be. Many of them started with a dream and it is incredible to hear how their dreams became a reality. We were lucky enough to be booth "neighbors" with Brandi Barnes Shelton of Just Add Honey and taste her incredible tea. We also had the privilege of meeting her daughter, Janiyah, who is a 13-year-old photographer in training. She took these amazing photos of our soap! Thanks, Janiyah!

We look forward to another exciting week at the market this upcoming Friday!

Vinny's Lullaby

Jude has recently started singing. It is the sweetest, cutest, most entertaining thing my ears have had the privilege of hearing. I'm sure every mother feels that way when they hear their child sing for the first time.

Richard and I were eating dinner and entertaining Jude ("dinner" & "entertain" seem to go hand in hand when talking about a 2 year old, don't they?) when he unveiled his latest talent. We were taking turns singing to Jude because we recently discovered that he doesn't like hearing Richard sing and, well, it's kind of funny to hear him ask his daddy to "stop, please." We were trying to see if he had the same reaction when I would sing, so I started singing this lullaby:

Close your eyes, little one. 
Close your eyes, little one.
Sleep time is here.
I'll hold you near.
And when you wake,
I will be there.


Jude's eyes lit up, and he started swaying back in forth in his high chair and singing along to the best of his ability. It sounded something like this: "...eyesss...oneeeeeee. hereeeee...nearrrrrrrr. wakeeeeee...thereeeee. Yea!!! I DID it!!!"

I really shouldn't have been surprised that he recognized the song. I've sang it to him every night for over a year now. But to realize that he actually had the words memorized was pretty cool. And now I have to share with you the back story on this lullaby.

I heard this lullaby as a child. I was 5 years old when I watched the 1985 Alvin and the Chipmunks episode, A Chipmunk Reunion. And I remember this endearing moment in the movie when Alvin, Simon and Theodore's mother sang them this song:

That song always stuck with me, even though I haven't seen the movie or heard the song in over 25 years. But when I became a mom, the song--the tune, the words--it just seemed like the perfect lullaby for my baby boy.

Yesterday morning, Richard came downstairs to find me crying hysterically. While searching for Vinny's Lullaby on the internet, I came across several other videos from the same episode and I had the realization that the chipmunks were orphans. Their mother gave them up as a last resort because she knew she couldn't take care of them and wanted to give them a chance at life. You can go ahead and laugh now. Richard did. Especially when he realized I was crying to this:

I guess there is a reason that song always stuck with me :).