Santa Cometh...And Santa Goeth Away

Another Christmas has come and gone. Whew. I had no idea that Christmas with a 2 1/2 year old would be as exhilarating and as exhausting as it was. But, yes - it was fun and wonderful and this will be a LONG post...a lot has happened in just 2 days.

We left for Hot Springs on Tuesday morning after spending Monday running those last minute errands. When we left home Tuesday morning, our area was under a "winter weather advisory." Nothing was falling from the sky and it was well over freezing, so we headed out as planned. It was a good thing we left when we did. Apparently, we hit the right spots at just the right times. It started to rain shortly after we left home. By the time we got to Mountainburg, it was 28 degrees and the roads were starting to get a little slick. Rudy made the wise decision to take I-40 to Little Rock and then go from there to Hot Springs. We've tried to travel Hwy 71 from Ft. Smith to Y City and Hwy 270 from Y City Hot Springs in inclement weather before and it was a disaster. We weren't willing to take any chances this year. The roads were a little slick off and on and we passed by a couple of sand/salt trucks on the way. We were listening to the radio and heard that after we passed through, it got really nasty on 540. With some steady and smart driving and a cup of Starbucks coffee, Rudy got us to Hot Springs without the slightest mishap.

When we got to Hot Springs, we were all pretty wiped out. I took a nap. Everyone else visited and Caleb played. I enjoyed some glorious "Mama's house sleep." The absence of responsibility just put me right on out.

On Christmas Eve (Wednesday), Aunt Harolyn stopped by to see us (read: Caleb). Then we somehow got Caleb down for a nap. After his nap, we opened our Christmas presents. Mom and Mr. L. gave me a great assortment of things that I can use: socks, razor cartridges, hair products, a scarf, some gloves, a Chick-Fil-A card, my annual snowbaby, a cool art print of a giraffe, a vegetable chopper and some much-appreciated money. Rudy got some socks, some workout clothes, some PJ's, a bottle of cologne, a season set of The Office, a Chick-Fil-A card and also some much-appreciated money. They also gave us a sign for our house that says ARKANSAS - Home is where your story begins. Caleb opened gift after gift! In addition to the easel that was delivered to our house, he got some clothes, a Cars case, a build-a-book, some trucks, a doctor kit and a cooking kit. Mr. L's sister, Joyce, also gave him a puzzle and a hand-crafted wooden helicopter. We gave Mom a food processor (she asked for it!) and I gave her the Mamma Mia DVD. We gave Mr. L. a big frying pan and a meat thermometer. Caleb gave Pops a framed picture from their fun time at deer camp. We also gave them (and all of Caleb's grandparents and great-grandparents) the 3rd annual photobook of Caleb's year.

Once the gifts were opened and the thank-you hugs given, we all got ready to go to the Lockes for what has now become known as "the good food." Our annual Christmas dinner at Pepapa and Anna Joyce's is amazing. We always have prime rib with mushrooms, twice baked potatoes, green bean bundles and AJ's amazing ice cream with hot fudge dessert. This year, Caleb decided that he REALLY liked his Aunt Kim and wanted to sit near her. So - we moved his new Cars table into the dining room where he could join the "big people" and be near Kim. Rudy , Julie, Chris and I stayed in the kitchen at the "kids' table." With Caleb in the other room, Rudy and I managed to enjoy every bite of our food completely. With exceptionally full tummies, we moved into the living room after dinner to open gifts. Caleb got a movie, 3 books and a limited series framed print for his room from Aunt Harolyn. Jimmy and Kim gave him a "super fast race car" (Caleb's words, not mine). Julie and Chris gave him a personalized CD and some candy. Pepapa and Anna Joyce gave him the Cars table and chairs set, a big stuffed frog and an awesome puzzle case with some puzzles in it. They also gave Rudy and I some money and I got a very cool purse for Razorback games! Aunt Harolyn cracked me up this year by giving me one of my old books - a Family Circus book. In it, I had practiced writing my name in cursive and dated it 1983. I was seven. We don't exchange gifts between the adults at the Locke family Christmas, but we do play Dirty Santa. As usual, that was the source of some laughs! Surprisingly, most everyone was on their best behavior this year. There weren't a lot of steals. We had a great time seeing everyone at Christmas. We really missed the Spencers and look forward to seeing them next year...hopefully. Also - it was an especially joyous Christmas this year, because Kim's cancer is GONE! Last year, she was just dealing with her diagnosis and the past year has been an exceptionally trying one for her and all of us who love her. We are so very blessed to know that she is healthy this year...and despite what she would tell you - her hair is growing back very cute! Praise be to God for Kim and for all of our family!

We came home from the Lockes and nearly crashed into the bed. Rudy slept with Caleb. Mom and I got everything ready for Christmas morning. (wink, wink) I had a hard time sleeping that night. I was so afraid I would miss seeing Caleb wake up to find Santa's gifts. I ended up getting up way before him. Finally, I woke he and Rudy up. Initially, Caleb had a hard time waking up. Then I said, "Santa came to see you." He popped up out of that bed like burnt toast! Once I got him out of bed, he ran to the Christmas tree and was so excited to find his presents from Santa! He got the Buzz Lightyear and Woody dolls that he asked for as well as a talking Lightning McQueen, a Cars case that launches the cars across the floor and a magnetic letter puzzle. He was so excited! He was a little confused about why Santa wasn't still there but got over it pretty quickly. After the excitement of the Santa gifts waned a little, we ate a wonderful breakfast and then got ready to drive to Sherwood.

We made it to Memmie and Poppie's mid-morning on Christmas Day. Memmie and Poppie have lived in their house longer than I have been alive. It has been a LONG time since I have seen that many people there. Roll call: Memmie, Poppie, Mary, Ron, Hannah, Chris, Rebecca, Beth, Tomoe, Rudy, Haley, Caleb. Plus - we had the added fun of seeing Dewey! (Hannah and Chris brought him with them from Louisville.) At first, Caleb was his usual reserved self, then he came out of his shell and had a blast! He loved playing on the Wii and quickly took to Beth, calling her his friend. Anytime he couldn't see her, he asked, "Where my friend?" After an amazingly good traditional Christmas lunch, we all sat around and visited for a while. We haven't seen Mary and Ron's family since I was pregnant with Caleb! When Caleb started getting a little restless with all of the chatting, we moved into the living room to open yet another round of Christmas presents. Memmie and Poppie had asked me to get a gift for Caleb from them, so I got him a scooter. I made sure to bring his helmet, so he could try it out while we were there. He loved it! they gave us a very generous gift of money as well. We gave them an electronic indoor/outdoor thermometer. They are just so hard to buy for!!! Mary and Ron and the girls also gifted us with homemade stockings (Hannah-the-seamstress!), books, paint-your-own dinosaurs, a Diego backpack, a beautiful piece of pottery, a Razorback hat (for me!) and a Razorback magic 8 ball (for Rudy). Caleb started getting very tired and very cranky earlier than we expected. We decided that before he could meltdown, we'd say our goodbyes and head for Hot Springs. It takes a while to say goodbye to that many people, but we managed and headed out the door. Once we got back to the house, the crankiness continued until Caleb finally said, "I want to go night night." I took that cue quickly and he and I headed for bed.

Once we were snuggled up in the bed, Caleb decided that he wanted to talk to me. I thoroughly enjoyed my Christmas night conversation with my sweet little boy. He talked all about everything that we had done and seen and all of the people he loves. It was a time that I will treasure for a very long time. I thought a lot of how Mary must have felt looking at her little boy on Christmas night and wondering what the world had in store for Him. I cannot imagine her joy or her pain. It is amazing that mothers see the miracle that their child is and can be, but hers was even so much more. What an amazing way for me to spend a little part of Christmas night.

I would be remiss not to mention that Rudy turned 33 on Christmas Day! It is always so important to me to make sure that his birthday doesn't go unnoticed. I love birthdays so much and his often gets pushed to the back burner because everyone is wrapped up in Christmas. Rudy asked for tickets to see one of his favorite comedians, so that's what I gave him for his birthday. He is always so humble about his birthday and graciously accepts everyone's wishes with, "Thank you and Merry Christmas to you." I don't know that I could be so gracious. So...HAPPY BIRTHDAY RUDY! Thank you for unselfishly spending your special day with my family. I love you.

This morning, when we woke up, Rudy and Mr. L. were gone to deer camp. They will be back on Sunday. Rudy looks forward to this every year. He can put away his thoughts of work and anything else and just sit around the fire with the guys, hope for a deer and relax.

Mom, Caleb and I went to Little Rock today in search of some new bedding for Caleb. When we get home, we're taking the front rail off of Caleb's bed. We searched high and low and couldn't find anything short of buying a whole crib set. No thanks and no way! The trip was a bust, other than our fantastic (and slightly nostalgic) lunch at Buffalo Grill. By the time we left our last store, Caleb was falling out in the floor throwing a fit. He was tired and wanted to go home. If you see me on the news sometime soon, don't be surprised. I swatted Caleb's rear-end in the parking lot of Burlington Coat Factory in front of God and everybody. Yep - sure did. There was nothing that 1-2-3 Magic was going to do to adjust that child's attitude at that point and there weren't enough M&M's in the whole city of Little Rock to bribe him to behave. I was pleased as punch when he asked to watch a movie on the way home. He didn't say a single word from Markham St. to Mom's house. Hallelujah!

When we got home, Mom called a lady who has made several things for her in the past and asked her how quickly she could make a comforter for a crib. She said if we got the material to her tomorrow, she can have it by the time we leave on Monday. I left immediately for Hobby Lobby and picked out some great fabric. Mom is taking it over there in the morning! Again...hallelujah! When I got home from Hobby Lobby, Caleb met me at the door and said, "LaLa made me cry." I looked at Mom expecting her to say that she had to get on to him and he melted down again. She said, "No, Caleb, you made LaLa cry." Uh-oh. Come to find out, he pushed his limits quite a few times while I was gone. Through a series of events, Mom eventually pretended that she was crying. She said it didn't phase the little stinker. I'm sure glad we have a few days at home before we have to go back to school/work. It's going to take an act of Congress to get this kid back in his routine and back to his usual easygoing self. I put him to bed tonight and when I went in to check on him, he was laying flat on his back, arms out and he was honest-to-goodness snoring - not breathing heavy - SNORING. I just laughed and covered him up, hoping he'll get a good night's sleep.

Oh...speaking of Caleb crying - he fell this morning and smacked his cheekbone on (get ready...) the toilet. He had a fight with the toilet and the toilet won! He looks like he took a good left hook to his right cheek. He has a complete circle right on the apple of his cheek that is bright red and is about the size of a silver dollar. I hope he doesn't wake up in the morning with a black eye.

We have no more big plans for our trip to Hot Springs. We're expecting some visitors tomorrow here at the house and planning to stay in and relax as much as we can. We don't want a repeat of today - the little monster needs to rest.

So, Santa, thanks for everything. You've done your job for the year. Now, go away and let us get back to normal. Well, almost...we can certainly hold off on going back to work!

Taking Roll 'Cause I'm Curious

I look at the Feedjit list of where everyone is coming from when they arrive here at my little piece of the web, but I'm so curious about who is actually reading what I write. I'd love to know who is reading, so if you don't mind...leave a comment on this post, or send me an e-mail: haleyvillines@gmail.com

Edit 12/26 - Thanks to everyone who has commented! If you haven't commented or e-mailed yet, it's not too late. An author really should know her audience...HA!

Christmas begins...

On Friday, I got to go to Caleb's daycare Christmas party. It was hilarious! There were 12 kids, a slew of adults and a whole lot of new toys for the classroom. Those kids were on those presents like lions on a baby wildebeest. Initially when the gifts were open, Caleb played with the dumptrucks and cars. Then, he saw present that he most wanted to get his hands on: the princess dress-up trunk. He stalked the little boy who was wearing one of the dresses and as soon as it was available - he jumped on it. He ended up with this lovely ensemble for the rest of the party: I think the rosettes and the purple high heels add the perfect touch, don't you?

When the party was over, Caleb and his classmates changed into their angel costumes for the Christmas program. We had been practicing Caleb's song for weeks! He knew the whole thing...including the hand motions. Everybody sing along now...(to the tune of Wheels on the Bus): The angels bells went ding-dong-ding, ding-dong,ding, ding-dong-ding; The angels bells went ding-dong-ding, the day that Christ was born (The angels horns went toot-toot-toot & the angels drums went rat-a-tat-tat...) Really, it was very creative and we were quite excited. Jerry, Sherry and Rebecca arranged their travel so that they could be at the church for the program. Rudy hustled home from work so he wouldn't miss Caleb's debut performance. We endured the singing of 2 other classes and finally, it was time. The angels marched in, holding their line-up rope, escorted by their teachers. They climbed the steps and stood on the stage. The music started. Caleb put 2 fingers in his mouth and froze like a deer in headlights. He seemed to be looking around for me, probably because I told him I'd be there to watch him. He didn't sing a single word. (Here's the best video I could manage. We're hoping to invest in a real video camera soon. Caleb is on the far right, towards the bottom.)

Regardless of the freeze-up, he was a very cute little angel.

After the program, we went into the foyer for cupcakes and punch. Santa was there, so we got a few more shots with him...and Caleb got in one more plug for Buzz, Woody and some cars. We also made sure to tell Santa that we would be at LaLa's for Christmas morning. Just in case he didn't already know.

After the hoopla was over, we said farewell to daycare for 2 whole weeks! We headed home and met Rudy, Jerry, Sherry and Rebecca. We all hung out at the house for a little while before heading to Las Palmas for dinner. YUM!

Saturday morning, we hit the ground running to get ready for the Villines family Christmas dinner at our house. Rudy baked a ham and we made hashbrown casserole, green bean bundles, creamed corn, rolls and deviled eggs. It was quite an undertaking for our first holiday hosting experience! Caleb asked all day about when his "Cousin Elle" would be getting there, so he was excited when Rudy picked up Todd, Tammy and Elle at the airport and made it back here just in time to eat. We hosted Jerry, Sherry, Rebecca, Tom, Alan, Terry, Steve, Todd, Tammy and Elle. Whew - that's a houseful of people! We had a great time, though! The kids loved playing together and everyone had a chance to visit and catch up. Jerry, Sherry and Rebecca gave Caleb a big tractor-trailer truck that is a case for his cars. He LOVES it! We are grateful to have a home where we can host a family meal and grateful to have a family to host. I think we'll definitely do it again!

When the last of the Villines family trickled out into the bitter cold night, Rudy, Caleb and I all but crashed into bed. We were pretty tired! Caleb's cough got to him in the middle of the night, so he ended up in bed with me and slept until almost 9:00! Yeah!!!

We went to Ft. Smith today for Christmas with Jan, Grandma, Chris, Todd, Tammy and Elle. Again, the kids had a blast playing together. Jan prepared a fantastic meal for us and Caleb received some fun gifts: 2 dinosaur books, Happy Feet (movie), a Curious George book and stuffed animal, a tabletop sandbox, Fridge Phonics, a tractor and a doctor's kit. He's modeling parts of the doctor's kit here: After dinner, it was evident that Caleb was starting to meltdown. He had missed his nap and been so overstimulated by the events of the past two days - it's a wonder he didn't just collapse in the floor. Being the trooper he is, though - he managed to keep it together until almost the very end. He said some tearful goodbyes, then fell asleep in the car about 30 minutes after we left Jan's.

Now, we're home again for a quick turnaround before leaving for Hot Springs on Tuesday morning. As I write this, the laundry machines are humming and I'm enjoying my last few moments of our Christmas tree. I'll take it down shortly after we get home next week. The boys are both sound asleep (vision of sugarplums dancing in their heads?) Tomorrow is packing and last minute errands for Christmas.

I realize that gifts aren't the important thing about Christmas, but to keep a record and to keep me honest on thank you notes, I'll also add that Caleb has gotten a Toys R Us giftcard from Doug & Lisa and an electronic bowling game from Todd, Tammy and Elle.

12/22 Edit: We opened gifts here at home tonight before leaving for Hot Springs tomorrow. Strictly for the sake of the scrapbook and my memory, Rudy and I gave Caleb: some Cars figurines, a WonderPets search and find book, a doctor dress-up set, a cowboy dress-up set, some play food with pots and pans, some football PJ's, a sweatshirt with a bulldog on it, a camo vest, a recorder, an echo microphone and some play-doh. He quickly retreated to his room to introduce the new cars to the old ones and played "racecar" for quite a while before coming back out to make a big mess in the living room with the toy food. It was over an hour later that he decided to venture into the dress-up stuff. The cowboy suit didn't go over too well. He didn't like the bandana and that was the end of that. The doctor set only had a lab coat to wear, but he paired that with his other new doctor playset and I got a thorough physical. He's all kinds of excited about going to see LaLa and Pops tomorrow. He must have asked me a hundred times tonight if I was "packing up" then threw a holy fit when I told him it was time to go to bed. He seemed to think we were leaving tonight. Oops. He's asleep now. We'd better hit the ground running tomorrow morning or he's going to come unglued!

And so Christmas begins...

Croup

I'm thinking of changing the title of this blog. How does "Infirmary Report" sound? Catchy, huh?


Fayetteville schools were closed on Monday, so Rudy took Caleb to the pediatrician to try to get something to stop the cough that developed on Sunday. Also - Caleb had some strange welts show up on his arms and his face on Saturday night. We think maybe they were related to the massive amounts of LaLa's banana bread that he ate over the course of 2 days. The bread has pecans in it and he's never had pecans. That was the only thing we could figure out that was different that might have caused welts. (Side story: Caleb was riding home from school in his carseat and found the bag that had his leftover banana bread from breakfast. He asked me what it was and I told him. He then ate it and said, "Mama, I want more 'nana toast." I thought that was pretty funny!) Anyway...the doctor prescribed allergy medicine. Our pediatrician has prescribed allergy medicine approximately 80% of the times that we have gone to see him. The allergy medicine never does anything and we end up going back 3-4 days later, seeing a different doctor and finding out that Caleb has either a bad respiratory infection, an ear infection, pneumonia or our new one...croup. We tried the allergy medicine and whaddyaknow...it didn't work. Caleb's teacher told Rudy that he couldn't sleep yesterday at naptime because of his cough. He "slept" with me last night because he was awake from approximately 1:00-3:00 coughing his head off. I called the pediatric clinic this morning to try to see a different pediatrician but everyone was booked solid. We ended up at not-so-convenient care again, like we usually do. When we finally got in to see a doctor, she listened to him and said that he probably had croup. She wrote a prescription for a steroid (not orapred) and put him back on albuterol. We came home with a Happy Meal and Caleb is now in bed. I can hear him coughing and it breaks my heart. He's coughing so hard that I'm afraid he's going to throw up. I wish I could make it better. I hope the medicine helps...fast.

Tomorrow is Caleb's Christmas program at school. I'm hoping to get some video of it and (of course) a bunch of pictures. I found out today that they have costumes. He's going to be wearing angel wings. Mrs. Natalie said that he doesn't like them. Figures. He does know his song and the motions that go with it. Should be interesting.

Jerry, Sherry and Rebecca are coming to see us tomorrow. They are hoping to get here in time for the Christmas program. We're going to go out to dinner tomorrow night. Saturday afternoon, we're hosting the Villines family for Christmas. There will be approximately 12 people at our house Saturday night for dinner. Rudy is baking a ham and I'm making hashbrown casserole, green bean bundles and deviled eggs. We're also having rolls, corn and a couple of pies. Rudy and I are excited about this. We've never hosted a Holiday meal before. Fingers crossed...

Santa

We did it! We got a good Santa picture this year! Whew - just one of those things you hope for every year and feel pretty fortunate if it happens.

I haven't written anything since I had strep throat. Yes - I am feeling better. My throat cleared up about 24 hours after starting antibiotics...as promised by the doctor. I was back at work on Tuesday and we rolled through the rest of last week as usual.

We were excited to have an extended visit from Mom this week. She came up on Thursday afternoon and stayed until this morning. She spent Friday visiting some Rogers school and getting some information about year-round schooling. She met me at Westside after school and went with me to get Caleb from school.

Once Rudy got home, we went to the Promenade to see Santa. We got there when he was on "feeding his reindeer" so we had to wait about 25 minutes, but we were first in line when he got back and Caleb did awesome! Before we went, we started talking about what he would tell Santa. With a little coaching from one of Santa's helpers (AKA: me), Caleb practiced asking Santa for some things that just happen to be hiding in our guest closet. As soon as he got the go-ahead, he climbed in Santa's lap and said, "I want Woody and Buzz Lightyear and cars." The boy knows what he wants in life and I guess he's not afraid to ask for it. I couldn't hear the other things he said to Santa, but we managed to coax him into looking in the direction of the camera and got the money shot! $15 later (Thanks, LaLa!), we left the food court headed for MiMi's to eat dinner. Once we got in the car and drove away, Caleb started asking about his toys. I guess he thought he was going to get the toys when he visited Santa. I never even thought to prepare him for that. So - we talked about Santa having to go back to the workshop and how we have to wait until Christmas. Then we talked about how Santa is going to come see us this year at LaLa and Pops' house. He seems to be okay with that, but he did ask me again today if he could go see Santa again today.

Caleb's behavior at dinner was less than stellar, so by the time we were finished eating, we were ready to go home! He wasn't behaving badly - he was just so busy and we were just so tired from the week. We had planned to go to Fayetteville to see the Lights of the Ozarks, but we scratched that plan and went home to put on our PJ's.

Saturday was a lazy day. We sat around all day, playing with Caleb and visiting with Mom. Rudy cooked a fantastic dinner for us and then he and I went to Stacy and Donald's Christmas party. When we told Caleb we were going to a party and he was going to stay with LaLa, he decided that they would have a party too - a Lightning McQueen party to be exact. He immediately started asking for cake. When we left for the party, he and Mom were in the process of making a cake. They ended up having a party in the living room. Mom said that they were having a great time, then Caleb said, "We got no balloons, LaLa!" She assured him that the next time they have a party, they will have balloons. It's funny what kids associate with a party. I guess for Caleb, it's cake and balloons.

When it came time to wind down for bed, Mom was trying to turn on our TV and she told Caleb that she couldn't figure it out. He said, "I show you, LaLa!" and went over and pushed the power button. Mom said it was a little embarrassing that her 2 year old grandson had to help her turn on the TV, but she saw the humor in it too!

I woke up during the night feeling queasy and have had tummy troubles all day. I'm starting to think that my body is rebelling against Sundays. I seem to be sick every Sunday. It's ridiculous!

Rudy played in the Christmas musical at FBC Springdale today. He came home between services and took Caleb to the park while I took a nap. After the evening service, the two of them went to eat at Red Robin.

Tonight, we're looking at the possibility of some crazy weather - including some ice and snow. Of course, we're hopeful for a snow day, but not holding our collective breath...

Oh Holy Night...

I have to hear this every year to know it's really Christmas. I laugh every single time. I swear, it'll bring a tear to a glass eye.

SNAFU Weekend - Strep Throat

First, let me say that Poppie is home from the hospital and recuperating well. Praise the Lord and thank you Baptist Hospital!

Last week was a pretty normal week for us. We worked and played and carried on with our routines. On Friday afternoon, I picked up Caleb and took him to buy a new coat. We were hoping to go to the Lights of the Ozarks on Saturday night and maybe even go see Santa. While we were out shopping, I started feeling a little jittery. We finished up our shopping and headed home. I felt really tired all night and just couldn't get warm. At one point, I was in the floor by the fireplace, wrapped up in a blanket. Anyone who knows me well knows that I don't usually get cold. I'm the first to wear short sleeves in the winter because I typically run warm...and I get cranky when I'm hot. So, me sitting by the fire with a blanket is out of the ordinary. When Rudy put Caleb to bed at 8:00, I went too. I slept like a rock all night and most of Saturday morning. I got up on Saturday and did laundry, but had to sit down between loads and ended up taking a nap. My throat was sore and splotchy with huge tonsils, but I wasn't running fever, so I discounted the idea of strep. I thought it was just tonsillitis.

Rudy and Caleb played all day on Saturday and I loved listening to them laugh and have fun - even while I was feeling crummy. I just wished I could join them! They went out for pizza on Saturday night and brought the leftovers home to me. I could hardly swallow the pizza, but it tasted so good. Shortly before bedtime, Caleb told us he didn't feel good. This was the first time he's ever done that, so I wasn't sure if he was serious or if he was saying it because he knew that I didn't feel good. Again, Caleb and I went to bed around 8:00 and I was out like a light quickly! At 2:30, I woke up to the sound of Caleb crying from the other end of the house. I shot out of bed and went to his room. I didn't even have to turn the light on to know that he had thrown up. The smell was awful! I picked him up out of his bed and took him to the bathroom to clean up. Rudy was hot on my heels and took the unpleasant job of cleaning up the bed. He actually had a t-shirt tied around his mouth and nose. If it weren't the middle of the night and if our child wasn't sick, the whole scene might have been a little bit funny. But - it wasn't. Caleb never threw up again. I put a folded sheet on our bed (just in case) and put him in bed with me. Rudy slept on the couch. We woke up Sunday morning and Caleb was fine. He watched cartoons in bed with me for a while and then I took him to Rudy. I was feeling absolutely horrible. My throat was almost completely swollen shut and both of my tonsils were totally white. Ugh. I went back to bed and Rudy and Caleb alternated between playing and watching TV most of the morning. I alternated between sleeping and finishing laundry the rest of the day. Rudy cooked a wonderful dinner that I could hardly eat and we called it a night early.

This morning, I woke up still feeling gross. I went on to work because I'm already starting to run short on sick days. When I got there, I went straight to the nurse's office. I asked her to take a look at my throat and told her I hadn't had any fever, but was worried that it might be more than tonsillitis since it was still hanging around. She told me I needed to go straight to the doctor for a strep test. I gathered some things from work and went to the walk-in clinic. The doctor there took one look at me and said that there wasn't even any reason to do a strep test. She could tell me by looking in my mouth and listening to my symptoms that I had it. She prescribed an antibiotic and sent me on my way. After an hour and a half wait at WalMart for my prescription, I stopped at McDonald's for a milkshake and some lunch. The milkshake was wonderful, but I couldn't swallow the lunch, so I threw it away. Do you know how hard it is to throw away hot McDonald's fries???? I came home and got in the bed - goofing around on the computer for a while before falling asleep for the majority of the afternoon. Now, I'm going to try to get some work done and maybe get started addressing the Christmas cards. The doctor said 24 hours on antibiotics and I should be good to go back to work. That's a good thing because I have a crazy schedule this week!

Last Year's Santa Picture

Does anyone think we can possibly beat the Santa picture (complete with obscene gesture) from last year?

Maybe we'll give it a shot this weekend. Short of Hooters girls and a keg, how much worse could it get and still be legal?

Memphis

On our way home from Nashville (Springfield), we planned to spend the night in Memphis like we had on our way there. Only this time, we were going to have some time on our hands. Well, it only made sense that we would change our reservation to stay downtown so that we could do some fun stuff and then not have to drive all the way back the way we had come. So, while I was taking a potty break, Rudy got us a room at the Doubletree in Memphis. Holy cow - we were right across the street from the Peabody. Other than the TGI Friday's in the lobby, we were livin' in high cotton! While Rudy was getting us checked in, Caleb immediately noticed the "alligators" (elevators) that were glass. He was all jacked up about riding in those and when we finally got in to go up to our floor, he held on for dear life and his eyes got as big as saucers. He loved riding those alligators. :) We got up to our room and changed clothes before walking over to the Peabody. I can remember being 5 or 6 and watching the ducks in the fountain at the Peabody. I thought that was the coolest thing ever! It was so important to me that Caleb get to see the "March of the Ducks." We got there waaay before the ducks even thought about marching, so we let him hang out by the fountain for a while. Don't ask about the hood...for some reason, he thinks he needs it.We also looked at the huge gingerbread house and Caleb was enthralled by the player piano. We tried numerous times to get a decent family picture in front of the gorgeous Christmas tree. These are the best of the worst:

And then we got this one in front of the fountain. It's easily one of the best pictures of Rudy I've ever seen, but what's up with the faces Caleb and I are making?
Anyway...back to the ducks. Because we were there so early, we staked out a spot right on the red carpet and right at the bottom of the stairs that the ducks use to come out of the fountain. Caleb was more patient than I expected with the long wait, but finally, the duckmaster started the presentation and we got up close and personal with the Peabody ducks. I swear, I didn't even use my zoom on these!
After all of the duck excitement, it was time to eat. We walked down to Beale Street and had dinner at BB King's. (I know...mother of the year, right?) Caleb was enthralled with the live music and did a little highchair dancing to prove it. He liked watching the drummer and tried to do his own drumming on the table. He may have eaten 5 bites of his dinner. Here's Caleb on Beale Street when he took off running out of sheer excitement:

We walked back to our hotel fully expecting to turn in early (7:15?) or spend then next hour riding up and down in the alligators. When we passed the Peabody, Caleb saw the horse-drawn carriages. He asked his Daddy very sweetly if he could ride the "hearses" (horses) then was so distraught when Daddy said no. I guess he got to Rudy, because the next thing I knew - we were at an ATM getting money to pay the carriage driver. We went on a very nice (but chilly) carriage ride through several of Memphis' downtown parks and saw some beautiful Christmas lights. (We had an interesting encounter with a homeless man in Confederate Park who greeted us with "I hate white people" and several expletives that I won't quote here. Caleb entertained us later by repeating "I hate white people" when we got back to our hotel room. At least he didn't repeat the expletives.) Here's a picture of us on the carriage:

We left Memphis around 9:00 this morning, headed for home. When we were somewhere around the Stuttgart exit, my cell phone rang. It was my Memmie, calling to tell me that my Poppie was in the hospital in NLR with pneumonia. I told her we would be there soon. When we got to the hospital, we found out that Caleb couldn't go in the room, so Rudy stayed in the lobby and rode the escalators with him while I visited with Memmie and Poppie. Poppie said that his doctor told him that he came to the hospital early enough this time that the pneumonia shouldn't be too bad and he should be able to go home in about 4 days. I'm praying that is true. I switched off with Rudy so he could go up for a quick visit and so Memmie could see Caleb. I left the hospital with a heavy heart. It's just so hard to see my Poppie sick and honestly, Memmie isn't feeling much better. She's has chronic and severe pain that is keeping her from doing the things that she enjoys doing. I hate being too far away from them to help. All I can do from here is pray. I'll call to check on them frequently and if I need to go back down there this weekend, I will.

We got home this evening around 5:00 after driving part of the way home in snow. It started snowing on us around Altus and stopped right before we got home. There were times when it was pretty thick, but nothing is on the ground at our house. We got everything unpacked and the laundry started. Caleb played and played with his toys when he got home and then I gave him a bath and put him to bed. He hasn't made a sound since I closed the door 2 1/2 hours ago. Now it's my turn to hit the bed too. Rudy is already asleep and I should've been asleep a while ago. A busy week awaits...

Thanksgiving

I can't believe Thanksgiving has come and gone and tomorrow is December 1st!

We left for Nashville on Tuesday at 4:00. After a stop at Whattaburger in Russellville and several potty breaks, we made it to Memphis, where we spent the night in a hotel. It was around 10:00 when we got there. Caleb hadn't slept a wink, but had been stuck in his carseat for the better part of 6 hours. (As a matter of fact, Caleb didn't sleep a wink in the car the whole trip!) Thank goodness for the DVD player...quite possibly the best investment we've ever made! When we checked in and got to our room, Caleb went crazy! He was grinning ear-to-ear and running all over the place. It took everything in my power to get him to wind down and go to sleep. It was midnight before the little stinker closed his eyes and it was 6:00 when they popped open and he was ready to go all over again. We left for Nashville around 8:30 and got there about 12:30. Rudy and Doug went to the airport to pick up Sherry and I tried my hardest to get Caleb to take a nap. No dice. He never went to sleep. I ended up giving him a bath before the rest of the family got there and we played with the toys that we brought for him.

Doug & Lisa hosted us at their home. Jan and Grandma Voise stayed at the house, along with us. (Caleb slept with Jan all 3 nights, which was wonderful!) Kathy and Dan and Sherry stayed in a hotel nearby. Anyone who knows the Voise family knows that there was WAY too much food and it was WAY too good to turn down. Thanksgiving dinner was traditional, but featured the usual family recipe twists. We all ate until we could hardly breathe and then had dessert, which pushed us all over the edge into Thanksgiving oblivion. On Friday, some of the family took a daytrip, but I stayed home so Caleb could get a much-needed nap. While he slept, I decorated for Doug's 50th birthday party and Lisa's NOT-50th birthday party. Then, Dan and I watched as the Razorbacks (surprisingly) beat LSU in the annual Friday-after-Thanksgiving football game. I was super excited about that! Rudy got home just in time to see the last 3 Arkansas plays, so I wasn't the only one yelling and screaming! When the rest of the crew came in, the kitchen frenzy started all over again and the birthday party was in full-swing. We (again) had a ridiculous amount of food and Kathy showed a photo slideshow that she put together for Doug of a bunch of old pictures. It was fun to watch everyone laugh and talk about the pictures.

For the most part, Caleb was very well behaved during our stay. He loved that Doug and Lisa had a cat. I even heard him tell the cat, "You my buddy." He also loved that the house had stairs that he could race his cars down. He was a little nervous about all of the commotion and I was more than a little nervous about having a toddler in a house that isn't set up for toddlers. Doug and Lisa have some beautiful and irreplaceable pieces of pottery, glass and crystal and also some very nice media equipment, not to mention their off-white couch and carpet. Between Rudy, Jan and I - we managed to keep tabs on the little one. He did accidentally knock a wine glass off of a table and spilled red wine on the carpet, but I cleaned it up quickly and (I think/hope) it didn't leave a stain. There were a few time-outs given and a few tantrums thrown, but considering that we were at someone else's house, we were surrounded by people and sleep was limited - I'd say we did pretty great.

Making Choices

I had to work on Monday and Tuesday before Thanksgiving, but Rudy didn't. He hunted Monday morning, but Tuesday morning, he stayed home and took Caleb to daycare. This is the e-mail I got from him. Can you tell that we talk to Caleb a lot about making good choices, not bad choices?

Date sent: Tue, 25 Nov 2008 09:52
From: Scott Villines
To: Haley Villines
Subject: Good Morning!

Caleb had a good morning. He woke up at 7:45, just as I was getting out of the shower. He was so funny. When I went into his room, he was a little upset. There was a big wet spot in the middle of his bed where his pull-up had leaked. He pointed at the wet spot and said in a very regretful voice, "Daddy, I made a bad choice." It was so sad but so funny too. I explained to him that it was okay, he was asleep and his pull-up leaked and that wasn't his fault, but he was insistent that it was his fault and he made a bad choice.

Deck the Halls and Stuff the Turkey

One of my pet peeves is rushing the seasons. Flip-flops are on the shelves with the Valentines, school supplies are in the stores before the 4th of July, then Halloween stuff starts showing up in August. Honestly, the Christmas trees were up in the entryway at WalMart on November 1! I remember, because Caleb said, "Mama! Christmas party!"

I have never put up a tree before Thanksgiving. It is one of my traditions to put up the tree the weekend after Thanksgiving while watching A Christmas Story and Christmas Vacation. I light the holiday scented candles and break out the snowmen! This year, though, I had to break my own rules...and I hate breaking my own rules. I put up the tree today. I must admit...it's beautiful - almost beautiful enough for me to sing a Christmas song on November 23rd, but not quite. Our house is now cast in a warm glow that contrasts the cold air outside just perfectly. I compromised and lit a candle, but went with "cinnamon toast" since that could be Thanksgiving or Christmas.

The reason for my rule-breaking is that we are leaving for Springfield, TN (a Nashville suburb) on Tuesday night and we won't be back until Sunday. We're looking forward to the time with the Voise family for Thanksgiving, but the drive is going to be a tough one. It's 8-9 hours normally, but when you throw in a toddler, it's going to be more like 10-11. We decided to bite the bullet and spend the night in Memphis to break up the trip, but that means leaving on Tuesday instead of Wednesday and getting home Sunday instead of Saturday. So - knowing that I'll be exhausted next weekend and absolutely not feel like putting up a tree, I did it today. Now it's done and I don't have to worry with it when we get back. However...I will not decorate outside until after Thanksgiving...the wreath on the door continues to the be the Razorback football wreath, the pumpkins stay on the doorstep and the (dried-out) mums stay in the pots until we get back. Here are some pictures:

This is the wreath I made for football season this year. Even though it may be the worst football season I can ever remember, I like it anyway:

Here's the living room this afternoon. I did my usual snowman-only tree, but loved having a new pre-lit tree this year! The ornaments on the mantle garland are some that are just special to us - things we've picked up on vacations, some "baby's first year" and some gifts that we've received. I know, we need a tree skirt - Rudy is getting one at WalMart as I write this. And Monica always says there's nothing so sad as a Christmas tree without gifts. I'm working on it. They are purchased, just not wrapped!

After I got the tree put up, I was so excited to pull out the box holding my Willow Tree nativity set. I bought it a few years ago with some of the money that I got for Christmas. It's such a simple set, which makes it beautiful.As usual, with the Christmas decorations comes my snowman collection. It freaks Rudy out and he likes to give me a hard time about it. They are just so whimsical and festive and some of them are downright beautiful. I have the scattered throughout the house, but the highest concentration is on the bookshelf...out of Caleb's reach:And hanging on the back door is this stocking, embroidered "Haley 1976" - I've never had a Christmas without it. It's starting to get a little fragile and showing some wear, but so am I!

The Week that Was

We survived another week of work, life and toddlerhood! Yeah, us!

Last Sunday, I read 1-2-3 Magic, a discipline book for parents of 2-12 year-olds. Since I put it down, Caleb has been great! I've only had to implement it once and that wasn't until Thursday. I'm not complaining...I just wish I had read the book earlier. :)

The week was pretty normal for us - just work/school, band practice, blah-blah-blah. I did take Caleb to the doctor on Thursday afternoon because he just has a cough that won't go away. We got some antibiotics and the doctor said it was a good thing he had those tubes because this probably would've been a nasty ear infection. Whew...

On Friday, Caleb's daycare class had a Thanksgiving feast. Each child was supposed to bring a can of their favorite vegetable. The teachers put the veggies in a crock pot and served that to the kids. I managed to get to Caleb's school just as it was starting. He wanted nothing to do with that feast! He ate a little bit of his roll, but none of the veggies. I wasn't surprised.

Rudy took Caleb to Jan's on Friday night. I was supposed to go to Branson on Saturday with Monica, but her life got crazy and she couldn't go. I decided to stay home and get our Christmas shopping done locally. I went to Target on Friday night and literally got every single gift bought in under 3 hours. I was worn out when I got home, but glad to have it done! I slept in on Saturday and then spent the afternoon working. Rudy and Caleb went to see the Morrises and then came home late Saturday afternoon. We had a low-key evening last night.

Today, I put up the Christmas tree. (More about that in the next post.) Rudy and Caleb went to the grocery store and I worked on getting everything done here. Caleb LOVES the Christmas tree. Before I ever got it out of the box, he started dancing around and saying "Christmas party, Christmas party!" When I started putting it together, he was crazy! I plugged it in while he was in the bathroom and when he came back, he stopped in his tracks and said, "Oh, it light up!" He was so excited! I wish I had it on video! I don't know how we're going to keep him out of the tree. He's fascinated with it. We didn't have a tree last year, because we were moving. This is the first tree we've had since he's been mobile. I put the unbreakable ornaments on the lower branches...

We leave for Springfield, TN on Tuesday night to spend Thanksgiving with the Voise family.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Our Weekend

We had a great weekend! On Friday, I had professional development at school and ended the day with "personal development" at a local restaurant with several co-workers. It was the first time I've done anything socially with any of my co-workers at my new school, so that was nice. Rudy and Caleb met me there and we had dinner together, came home and I was sound asleep by 9:00.

On Saturday morning, Rudy went hunting in the beautiful Ozark mountains. It's a little nerve-wracking when he does that because he's out there by himself with very limited cell phone service and last spring he saw some bears out there. He didn't see any bears this time, but did see several deer. The bucks were too small to be legal and he missed a shot at a doe. He enjoyed his time out there, though.

I'm a little embarrassed to say that I was also nervous about my day alone with Caleb. That sounds crazy, but with the way things have been going lately, I was just afraid it was going to be a stressful day of tantrums. However, my little man was an angel! We had an amazing day together! I think God must have known I needed a reprieve from the terrible twos because it was one of the best days I can remember having with Caleb in a long time. We stayed in because it was very cold outside, but we played and worked puzzles and read books all morning. He was even cooperative in the bathtub!

When Rudy got home from hunting, I packed up my scrapbook stuff and met Stacy at SSD for a crop night. It was so relaxing to be there visiting with my friend, being creative and working on some really fun scrapbook pages. I was excited about what I got done. I'm caught up to Caleb's birthday party, which means I'm just over 6 months behind. I don't know if I'll ever be completely caught up again! Maybe this summer? Stacy and I left SSD at about 11:30 and I climbed in bed around midnight. I had trouble turning my brain off and watched TV for a while before finally falling asleep.

Caleb woke up at some point during the night and Rudy went to get him. He slept with him in the guest bed for a while and then came in and woke me up about 6:00. His neck was hurting again, so he took a pain pill and I took over with Caleb, who I THOUGHT would go back to sleep since it was so early. No such luck - he was rip-roaring ready to go! I finally convinced him to watch TV while I dozed a little on the couch for about an hour. He didn't quite get the concept of letting me sleep. It seemed like every few minutes, he would come over and talk to me or put a puzzle on me or dump out a bucket of Matchbox cars. I finally threw in the towel and got up to make breakfast. We played a little after breakfast and then watched Toy Story. It was the first time he's ever really made it all the way through that one and he loved Buzz Lightyear, but the mean kid (Sid) really scared him. He climbed up in my lap for a snuggle when Sid started being mean to the toys. After the movie, I tried to get him to eat some lunch, but he just wanted milk. He's very congested right now and I can imagine that he wasn't very hungry. He drank his milk and then when I told him it was time to go potty before nap, he ran from me. He went in his room, hid in the corner and wet his pants. So much for that little angel from yesterday, right?!? I changed him pretty quickly and put him down for his nap with some books. I got in bed with a book and read for a little while before taking a wonderfully long nap.

A funny note:
Caleb discovered the magic of the washing machine yesterday. He carried his potty stool into the laundry room, climbed up on it and kept opening the washer lid. He would open it and say, "Those are my underpants!" laugh hysterically and then close the lid. A few seconds later, he would open it and say, "I see my shirt! It has water!" I had to finally distract him so that the washer could finish its job! It was one of those moments where you see the world through a toddler's eyes and you're amazed right along with him.

I got tagged...

I have been "blog tagged" and secretly love this kind of stuff (online quizzes, fill-in-the-blank e-mails, etc) so I'm playing along!


The rules are as follows:
1. Link to the person who tagged you. (Katie and Emily are listed on the side bar)
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random thoughts about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post.
5. Let each person know he or she has been tagged.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is posted.

Here are my 6 random thoughts...
1. I get completely overstimulated in Hobby Lobby, Office Depot and any bookstore. I love them.
2. I am left-handed. The only things I can use my right hand for are typing, using a computer mouse and (TMI) using toilet paper.
3. If I had it to do over again, I'd choose a different profession.
4. The only vegetables I like are corn, potatoes, beans and peas. Lettuce makes me gag.
5. I made it to the 2nd round of try-outs for Wheel of Fortune a few years ago.
6. I never make my bed unless company is coming, even though my mom taught me to make it every day.

I tag Monica, Becca, Jenn, Georgia, Stephenie and Nikki. Have fun, girls!

I Don't Care

This morning was ridiculous. Caleb has completely lost his mind and he's pushing me to lose mine. He was perfectly fine when Rudy got him dressed and he was perfectly fine sitting on the bed watching Higglytown Heroes. At 6:55, I told him it was time to turn off the TV. That's when the fits started. Heroes was over and there was some sort of filler going on until the next show started. He wasn't involved in a TV show, so that wasn't the problem. The problem is that he throws a fit anytime I ask him to do something or tell him it's time to do something. He finally managed to turn off the TV (Heaven forbid I should do it!), get off the bed and turn off the light (again...if I do it, the fits start all over again and I'm not about to worry about who turns the light off...I'm better at choosing battles than that!). We made it to the kitchen to put his cup in the sink - another thing that he has to do himself. Finally - we made it to the bathroom. I decided to try letting him think he was making the decisions, so I asked if he wanted to go to the potty first or brush his teeth first. Of course, he chose to potty first and as soon as I got started helping him with his pants, he changed his mind. Due to the fact that his pants were already around his ankles, I insisted that we continue with the original plan. This caused another fit. I finally got him dressed again and we struggled through toothbrushing. Then he wanted to take a car with him to school. I'm fine with that, but it took him forever to choose one. By the time we finally got out the door, it was 7:18. I was flabbergasted by all of Caleb's screaming and crying and flopping to the floor. He probably said the word "NO" 50 times in that 23 minute span. Once we got in the car, he decided he didn't want the toy that he had, so he threw it on the floor. Two minutes later, he was screaming for the toy. I had reached my limit. I'm embarrassed to admit that I yelled at him. I really yelled. Not only did I yell, but I yelled, "I don't care!" Of course, my yelling didn't help anything, it really only made it worse. When we were about halfway to Caleb's school, he got very quiet, then started talking to me like nothing had happened. When we pulled into the parking lot, he asked me if Mrs. Natalie was there and I told him yes. At 7:32, when I was already late for work, we walked in the door at Caleb's school. He saw Mrs. Natalie and took off running for her. Of course, after the morning we had, it was hard to convince myself that he wasn't choosing her over me. At her encouragement, he came back over and gave me a hug and kiss and told me goodbye. I told him I loved him and walked out the door with a heavy heart. These tantrums have been escalating, getting more and more frequent and seem to be the worst with me, though Rudy has had to deal with some tough ones too. I cried all the way from Caleb's school to mine, remorseful for yelling at him and telling him that I didn't care. Those words are very hurtful to me for some reason. It's important to me that Caleb knows that I care about what he cares about. Maybe that's ridiculous, but it's true. When I got to work...very late...I e-mailed Rudy and shared an overview of our morning. We wrote back and forth and he gave me some very kind words of encouragement, for which I was extremely grateful. We both agreed that we're looking forward to the day that this phase ends and our even-tempered Caleb is back. I stopped on my way home today and bought a book about discipline that comes highly recommended. I'll be reading it this weekend and trying to implement some new strategies ASAP. I'm not sure how much more of this I can take. I'm burning out pretty quickly and I don't like it. I'm open to any suggestions anyone might have on dealing with toddler tantrums!

Oh...and to top it all off, Caleb had two accidents at school today. He went through both of his pairs of extra pants.

I love this boy with every ounce of my being. I'm equally amazed at how wonderful and how hard parenting a 2-year-old has turned out to be.

Finally...A Dry Day

Caleb stayed dry ALL DAY at school! Hallelujah!!!! I tried to treat him for it by taking him for ice cream after school. He ended up throwing an unholy fit in the ice cream place and screamed all the way home. Fortunately, Rudy pulled in the driveway at the same time as us and intervened. Sometimes I wonder if we'll survive the year of being two. I'm sure I'll wonder the same thing about three...and four...and five...

Potty Training Regression

On Monday and Tuesday of last week, Caleb wet his pants at school. We chalked it up to me being sick and his routine being "off." Then, there was Wednesday.

I typically get Caleb to daycare about 15 minutes before his teacher gets there. For the earlybirds, there are 3 staffed rooms - one for babies, one for toddlers and one for "big kids." When I got there last Wednesday and took Caleb to the toddler room, I was told that since he had turned 2 1/2, he was being moved to the big kid room. No problem, I thought - we're used to change. Well, the big kids are BIG. Caleb is the youngest in the room and some of the other kids are 4 and 5 years old. They are going to kindergarten next year, for crying out loud! I tried to get over that and dropped him off and made a mad dash for work. I was hoping that me being back at work and us being back in our routine would put an end to the wet pants. Nope. Caleb has wet his pants at least once - sometimes twice - every single weekday since last Monday. Usually, it happens in the mornings. I talked to his teacher about it last week and we decided that he was just getting used to the change of the new morning drop-off and still getting back in the swing after me being quarantined for 2 days.

Today - I learned the real story! I was determined to get him there early enough this morning so that I could take him to the bathroom before I left for work. We managed to do that and when I took him into the dropoff room, I told the teacher that he had just been to the bathroom so he should be okay. She then told me that she wasn't sure why he was having accidents. After all, she told him that if he needed to go, he could just go - she even showed him where the bathroom was. WHAT?!?! He's two and a half. He cannot go to the bathroom by himself. First, he still struggles to get his pants and underpants down, much less up. This is true even when they are elastic waist pants, which he wears 90% of the time. Second, he's not tall enough to successfully potty standing up. About half the time, he ends up wetting on himself instead of in the toilet. He needs help. He needs someone to help him with his clothes and help him either sit on the potty or get a stepstool to stand up. I'm sure the look on my face told the whole story. I told her that he didn't ever go to the potty by himself and that he would need help. She seemed a little taken aback by that, but I was so shocked I didn't know what more I could do. I left there completely flabbergasted - after telling Caleb goodbye and asking him to please keep his pants dry at school. I bounced this off of a couple of teachers at school and they all assured me that I wasn't asking too much and I wasn't babying Caleb by helping him go to the bathroom.

On my way to pick him up this afternoon, I kept thinking, "Please let him be in the same clothes I dropped him off in!" Again...nope. He had an accident in the classroom today. Mrs. Natalie seemed to think it was because he didn't want to give up his rhythm sticks - somebody else might get them while he was gone to the bathroom. I'm not sure. I don't know why he's having so many accidents. I know some of it is natural and to be expected. I've read all about potty training regression. I'm not freaking out...I'm just frustrated.

Mrs. Natalie assured me that she would talk to the morning dropoff lady and would make certain that Caleb is not expected to go to the bathroom by himself anymore. She also promised me that she would make sure that Caleb knows that too. We've agreed to give him a little more time and to be a little firmer with him than we have been when he has accidents. We agreed that going back to pull-ups isn't the right answer by any means. We're all just hoping this is over soon! The staff is tired of cleaning up accidents and I'm tired of washing soiled clothes every night.

Has anyone else been through this?

Deer Camp

Last Friday, we (again) hit the road right after school. Rudy dropped off Caleb and me at Mom's in Hot Springs and continued on down the road to deer camp in Fordyce. Saturday morning, Mom, Caleb and I got in the car and drove down to meet the boys there.

When we got to camp, Rudy was still on his stand, but some of the guys (Mr. L. included) were back at the camp. Everyone was talking about what they saw and didn't see in the woods that morning and making plans for the afternoon hunt. Caleb was thrilled to see "Pops" and we quickly got him changed into his deer camp clothes - Carhartt overalls, and orange shirt and a camo jacket. He was awfully cute...as deer camp attire goes. We roasted hot dogs for lunch and never even considered trying to get Caleb to take a nap. He rode the 4-wheeler with Rudy and again with Pops...and again...and again...and again. We also took Caleb's mini-4-wheeler and he enjoyed riding it all over camp. One of the guys brought his first grade son and he had a real 4-wheeler, so Caleb was enthralled with doing whatever Matthew did!

Rudy also took Caleb and I for a family ride through the woods, which was a nice getaway for us all. We listened to the Hogs lose yet another football game and spent the evening around the firepit and roasted some marshmallows for s'mores. It was nice to have Mr.L's new camper to sleep in - plenty of room, a bathroom and even a fridge. When we got up on Sunday, the guys went out to hunt again and Mom, Caleb and I took our time getting up and around. When Rudy got back from hunting, we started packing up our stuff to hit the road.

Before we left, Jessica and Jason brought in the does that they had killed. Caleb wasn't so sure about that. Of course, he had no idea that the deer were dead. He wanted to feed them, because we had told him that the grain in the shed was deer food. We told him that he couldn't feed them because they were sleeping. He was okay with that, except that their eyes were open. I tried not to be squeamish as he petted the deer's back (far away from the bullet wound!). Then he told us all that one of the deer had a "boo-boo." That was the end of that. Mom and I distracted him and moved him on to other things.

Neither of the guys in our family got a deer this weekend, but that wasn't really what it was about this time...at least not for me. On the other hand, Mr. L. got a 9 point buck this morning - the biggest deer he's ever gotten.

Kim and Mel on Channel 7

I've posted before about my Aunt Kim and her sister, Melanie and their simultaneous fight with breast cancer. What a blessing these two are and they are determined to share their story with other women. Because of them, I'll be asking my gynecologist for an early mammogram when I go for my annual visit in a couple of weeks. I'm sure their story will amaze you as much as it amazes those of us who know them. You might even shed a tear...I did!

If the embedded video (below) doesn't work, try this link.

My Post-Election Post

"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer."

~ Barack Obama's Acceptance Speech, 11/4/08

I am extremely pleased with the outcome of the 2008 Presidential election. I have supported Barack Obama for quite some time and I am energized by the thought of his presidency. Rudy and I felt very strongly about this election and hoped beyond hope that it would turn out the way it did.


First I'll address the race issue, because it seems to be the topic on everyone's table. Last night was an amazing night in American history. It was one that I wasn't sure I would ever see in my lifetime, but I was brought to tears by the emotion of the events that I watched unfold in front of me. No, I didn't hold a personal stake in having an African-American man elected President and I certainly didn't vote for Obama because of the color of his skin. The personal stake that I held was seeing someone break a barrier that has been in place for too many years. Yet another barrier broken means a step closer to equality in our country and for that, I rejoice. (After all, maybe next time, it will be the gender barrier, which I do have a personal stake in.) As a white, middle-class female, I cannot say that I know what racism feels like, but I can say that I have seen it, witnessed it and been angered by it firsthand. I understand prejudices. They usually have a basis in something that has been experienced or something that has been taught. What I don't understand is letting prejudices stand in the way of relationships and opportunities. Just because I expect someone to be something, that doesn't mean that I can't give them the opportunity to prove me wrong...or right. I am happy for the African-American population of this country today. I can only imagine what it is like to experience this victory from their eyes. For the generation who experienced the Civil Rights movement first hand to experience a black man becoming the President of the United States...that must be unbelievable. For the younger generations to experience a hope that their parents only wished for is amazing. And for the very young to never live in a time when it wasn't possible is beyond belief. I graduated from Little Rock Central High School and through that experience, I have witnessed the pride that the leaders of the black community take in the successes of their ancestors and their children. I also know that, just like white people, they (as a whole) are shamed by their children's transgressions and the transgressions of those who went before them. My time at Central gave me the opportunity to learn about a culture different from my own. And as students, we were all encouraged to learn about the history of our school. I think it is because of that opportunity that I feel the incredible sense of hope that I feel now. Another barrier has been broken and for that I am grateful.

I'm amazed by the amount of people who believe everything they hear from their best friend's cousin's hairdresser or read on the internet. After all, ANYONE can write on the internet. (I'm doing it right now...how hard can it be???) People...please check your facts before you go spreading false information. Snopes.com is a very reputable site. At this link, you can read the background information on many of the rumors about Barack Obama. Barack Obama is not a Muslim, he is a Christian. Barack Obama is not a Socialist. Barack Obama was born in Hawaii, not in Africa. Barack Obama is not going to make your taxes go through the roof. (Unless you're filthy rich. And in that case, can I have a loan?)

I also understand that a lot of people are nervous because of some of the people that Obama has associated with in his past. Let me just ask, if you were running for president, would you want everyone you've ever been associated with to be known by the entire world? I know that I have had acquaintances, even family and friends who have made public statements that I don't agree with. Why would you judge my worthiness based on the thoughts and actions of someone I know?

Finally, I have to talk about something else that has bothered me throughout this election and continues to be under my skin today. I am absolutely shocked by how many people seem to think that you can't vote Democrat and be a Christian. Last night, right after Obama was announced as the winner, I logged on to Facebook to celebrate with some other Obama fans and to see what everyone had to say. I was completely blown away by the anger and tension that I could almost feel emanating from my computer screen. People became almost irrational. Several people went so far as to say they were moving to other countries. Many changed their status to request that all "believing people" who were disappointed in the results should immediately start praying because this could not possibly turn out good. I even heard mention of the rapture. Let's think about this...We have had Democratic presidents before and the world did not end. In light of that, I also have to say that I am glad we live in a country where we can hold those opinions and make those statements even if I don't think they are logical. The 2 Bible verses that I posted last night (1 Tim 2:1-3 and Romans 13:1-2) were the result of one of my Facebook friends noting that it WAS indeed time for us to pray. The Bible tells us that we are all to pray together for our leaders, no matter what our personal opinions are. What a smart (and rational) man he is to think of that instead of the fight-back responses I was quick to think of. I'm still struggling with the role that religion played in this election for so many people. My belief is that God gives us the intelligence to vote with our own minds and the compassion to vote with our own hearts. He knows the plans He has for us. This includes the plans He has for our nation and our world. Who are we to question and most certainly, who are we to question each other's faithfulness based on which way we vote?

Now that this election is over, my hope and prayer is that we can all put the nastiness of politics behind us and come together to support our president-elect and his cabinet. He said it best last night,

"So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other."

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"For that is the true genius of America - that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow."

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"This is our moment. This is our time - to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth - that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes We Can."

Yes We Can!

This will be a short post, because it is late. I have much more to say, but I'll save it for another time.

I am elated that my child will grow up in a country where the color of a person's skin does not limit his ability to be whatever he wants to be.

Now, as a wise person reminded me earlier tonight, let us join together and pray for our new leadership as the Bible itself commands us to do:

1 Timothy 2:1-3 (New International Version)
I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone– for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior.

Romans 13:1-2 (New International Version)
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.

This Can't Be Happening...

After a wonderful weekend of Halloween fun and family time, I woke up this morning at 4:15 with that horrible nauseated feeling that says that it's not going to be a good day. I made it to the bathroom in time to throw up and have spent the rest of the day either in the bed or in the bathroom. I've even had fever and the oh-so-fun achiness that comes along with it.

If anyone knows of a way to keep from getting every bug that comes through town, please tell me. I'm really tired of this.

Halloween Home Run!

I picked up Caleb from daycare just as his Halloween party was ending. He was already pumped up about trick-or-treating. We managed to kill a little time by straightening up the house while we waited for Mom and Mr. L. to get to our house and for Rudy to get home. It was a little tough to figure out the logistics of it all, but we managed. After dinner, we suited up our little man in his baseball costume. (We are super-grateful to the Heidi and Ian for letting us borrow the costume!)

As soon as we got the costume on him, he started to throw a fit. My Halloween nightmare was coming true! We had been prepping him for it for a while and every time I mentioned it, I was met with whining and "no costume, Mama!" We even had a dress rehearsal in the living room one night where Caleb put on his costume and said "trick-or-treat" to Rudy. Rudy was pre-armed with a sucker, which he promptly gave to the whiny 2-year-old. We immediately praised him and pointed out that when you wear your costume, you get candy. He wasn't buying it. So, I spent the week leading up to Halloween thinking that it was going to be a total bust. Sure enough, the costume went on and the fussing started. Pops tried to convince him that he looked cool, we all tried to take pictures and Caleb just scrunched up his face and tugged at the costume. I wasn't letting that stop us. We loaded up in the wagon with the Elmo bucket from last year and headed across the street to the Colemans. Caleb wanted Pops to go with him, so they slowly crept up the sidewalk to meet Mrs. Angie. Caleb immediately covered his face with his hands and wanted nothing to do with it. Again...I wasn't giving up. We plopped him back in the wagon and headed for more houses. At the next stop, I went to the door with him. Illustrating that he didn't really get the concept yet, Caleb tried to give his candy to the lady that answered the door. How cute is that? Once he realized that he was GETTING candy, not giving it away, he was the king of the trick-or-treaters! As soon as the door closed, he turned around, ran toward everyone waiting at the end of the driveway and yelled, "I got candy!" This continued until the poor little guy was just so tired he could barely say, "trick-or-treat." He sure did like having Pops here to trick-or-treat with him. A few times, he decided that he wanted to go to the door by himself and told Pops and me to "stay there." That didn't really work out so well, because when the people would answer the door, he would freeze up and we'd have to come to his rescue. My favorite moment of the night was when one of our new neighbors tried to put a full-sized candy bar in Caleb's bucket and he gave it back to her and told her, "It's too big." I told him to just say thank you, but he was worried about it fitting in his bucket. He needs to learn that we are lucky to live in a town full of WalMart vendors who give away things like full-sized candy bars at Halloween!In the end, Caleb loved Halloween and he got lots of oohs and aahs over how cute he was in his costume. He was definitely the only baseball in HearthStone this Halloween. Amidst a lot of animals, cartoon characters and ninjas, our little baseball was an all-star! Rudy and I even got in the spirit of it and wore our Cardinals jerseys! When we got home, we dumped all of Caleb's candy out on the floor and let him have a few pieces, then we watched his Elmo Halloween movie and it was time for him to go to bed. The little one was exhausted, but still talking about trick-or-treat! He enjoyed answering the door and giving out candy a couple of times after we got home, too. It was such a fun night!

Saturday morning, Rudy cooked a yummy breakfast for us and then he and Mr.L went to Fayetteville for the Razorback game. I was supposed to go with Rudy, but really just wanted a relaxing day at home with Mom and Caleb. That's exactly what we had. Mom and I did laundry and straightened up the house. She did a little shopping during Caleb's naptime and I did a little relaxing. When the boys came home, we got ready to go to dinner at the Monte Ne Inn chicken restaurant. We ate until we were all sick and then came home to just spend time together. It was a great visit from my parents! I'm so glad they came up this weekend!

The Hogs won yesterday in their game against Tulsa. We were all glad about that! Wins are few and far between this year!

Today, Rudy has gone to scout for deer and spend some time in the woods, enjoying fall. Caleb and I ran errands this morning and now he's taking his nap. I have tons of work to do, but wanted to get all of this written first. It was a great weekend - one I definitely want to remember!