We found out a couple of weeks ago that Caleb had been assigned a speaking role in the daycare's annual Christmas program. I cringed inside, but took advantage of the advance notice to prepare him for the fact that there would be a lot of people and a lot of cameras. I was hoping that we wouldn't have a repeat of the Jitterbugs incident or even the Christmas program of 2009 or, for that matter, the Christmas program of 2008. (Obviously, we haven't had a lot of luck with Caleb being on stage.)
This morning on the way to daycare, Caleb told Rudy that he was ready for the whole thing to be over with. Bless his heart.
And, now, I present to you the Christmas program of 2010:
Caleb was absolutely adorable in his crooked little crown, rope-tied robe and tennis shoes. He carried that gold box like it was the greatest thing ever. He was so excited that he even took off down the aisle too early. Ms. Elizabeth headed him off at the pass, turned him around and took him back where he was supposed to be. It didn't phase him, though. He stood back there and waited for his cue and did it again. And he did it without any hint of apprehension. He was so proud of himself and we must've told him a million times tonight how proud we are of him. Whew...glad we survived that.
There are lots of picture on Shutterfly of the program and the Christmas party that followed it. You might notice that Nola is suspiciously absent from this event. That's because she was at home. She was supposed to be an elf, pushed along in the daycare stroller, leading the way for Santa Claus at the end of the program. But a mild case of pink eye kept her (and me) home from school today. Nana came over and watched her so Rudy and I could go to the program. I was sad when the stroller went by with that empty seat, but there was just no way we could take her. I guess we'll see how she does next year when she's an angel in the program and she walks down the aisle with her class. (Hard to believe, isn't it?)
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Caleb's 1st Razorback Game
I absolutely cannot believe I forgot to write this post. I just looked back through my blog and realized that it was missing. Let me back up for a minute, because this one is important!
Rudy had to go to St. Louis for a band contest the weekend of October 23rd. I had planned to go to the Arkansas vs. Ole Miss game with my friend Jamie, but she cancelled because she was sick. I decided to take the best date I could think of: Caleb. He was beyond excited about it. I was nervous, because the weather forecast for the game was really really bad. I packed a bag with ponchos, a camera and a few other things we might need. We left early so that we could park close.
When we got to campus, we walked through the Trough and down to the pit to see some friends who were tailgating. Caleb asked me several times to show him where Big Red lives because he has a book about Big Red going to college. We stood right on the walkway as the football team made their way from their buses to the Broyles Center. We were standing by some cheerleaders and they were so sweet to Caleb, even gathering around him for a picture.
After the walk-through, we made our way up Razorback Rd to see Aunt Harolyn and Uncle Poppie at a tailgate party.
We got into the stadium in plenty of time for all of the pre-game festivities and Caleb stood there in awe as the band played, the Hogs took the field and everyone cheered. He was pretty reserved until the second quarter, but started to come out of his shell just before halftime. He was excited to get stadium snacks, including a giant pretzel, a hot dog, a gatorade and some popcorn.
I thoroughly enjoyed having my little guy with me at an event that I love so much. Unfortunately, the weather didn't hold through the whole game. There was a major storm that came through, causing the stadium to be evacuated twice. We took shelter in the concourse with everyone else until we finally got in touch with Rudy's co-worker Richard, who met us to take us up to the indoor box where they were sitting. We watched the rest of the game, including a second evacuation from the comfort of the box. Caleb loved that. He made himself right at home in front of the window, cheering and having himself another hot dog. When the game was over, it was still raining. Richard and Ginny drove us to our car and we headed straight for home. We were worn out.
I wouldn't trade 10/13/10 for anything in the world. I took my big boy to see his first Razorback football game, watched him call the Hogs with the best of 'em and, to top it all off - we beat Ole Miss. I look forward to taking Caleb to the games with us next year.
Rudy had to go to St. Louis for a band contest the weekend of October 23rd. I had planned to go to the Arkansas vs. Ole Miss game with my friend Jamie, but she cancelled because she was sick. I decided to take the best date I could think of: Caleb. He was beyond excited about it. I was nervous, because the weather forecast for the game was really really bad. I packed a bag with ponchos, a camera and a few other things we might need. We left early so that we could park close.
When we got to campus, we walked through the Trough and down to the pit to see some friends who were tailgating. Caleb asked me several times to show him where Big Red lives because he has a book about Big Red going to college. We stood right on the walkway as the football team made their way from their buses to the Broyles Center. We were standing by some cheerleaders and they were so sweet to Caleb, even gathering around him for a picture.
That Strange Virus
This is a photo-free post. When you read it, you'll know why. For one thing, you don't want pictures of this. For another, I didn't exactly have the time or energy to take pictures...
Nola was sick with fever on and off all of Halloween weekend. On Sunday night, she had fever, so Rudy stayed home with her on Monday. She was fine all day long, but when I got home that evening, her fever hit again. Rudy had to go to class, so I took both kids to the walk-in clinic. The doctor who saw Nola was very nice and did a great job of listening to my concerns about the fact that she's been sick so much. He diagnosed her with yet another ear infection (yes, her tubes are still in!) and wrote a prescription for an antibiotic. He recommended that she be seen by an ENT soon to have her ears suctioned yet again. On Tuesday (11/2), I stayed home with her. I had been having urinary tract infection symptoms for a while, so I took the at-home opportunity to go see a doctor. Turns out, I did have a bladder infection and got an antibiotic for that. I took Nola to the ENT and got the fluid suctioned out of her ears, went to vote in the mid-term elections and then headed for home. She went back to school on the 3rd. Antibiotics are a good thing.
Life was totally normal for the rest of that week. We worked, Rudy went to school, the kids went to daycare, Nola and I took our antibiotics, etc, etc, etc. Then, there was November 8th. Exactly one week after spending a Monday night at the walk-in clinic...
Rudy was at class. I put Nola down to bed just like normal around 7:30. I bathed Caleb, put him to bed and sat down with a heavy sigh at about 8:15. I remember thinking, "Aaah. Quiet. I've been waiting for this all day." That's about the time I heard Nola start crying. I figured she had just woken up for a moment like usual, but she continued to cry, so I went in to her room to check on her. I didn't turn the lights on. I was just going to cover her back up, maybe pat her back and walk out. When I went in, she was up on her knees, holding onto the side of the crib. I reached in to lay her back down and that's when I realized that she was wet. I thought her diaper had leaked. I turned the light on and realized that she had thrown up in her crib...a lot. I picked her up and put her in the bathtub with her clothes on. I gingerly took her PJ's and diaper off and gave her a bath. Once I got her dressed again, I sat in the big chair in the living room and held her for a while. She fell back to sleep and I put her in her bed. Rudy and I debated about daycare on Tuesday and decided that unless she got sick again, we would consider it a fluke and take her in. She slept through the night, woke up hungry and went to daycare. We thought it was all over until she did the exact same thing on Tuesday night. Rudy stayed home with her on Wednesday. She was perfectly fine all day long. Wednesday night, she threw up again. The pattern continued until Saturday night - the first night that she didn't throw up. She was fine Saturday and Sunday, so we figured it was over. Monday (11/15), she did it again. I stayed home with her on Tuesday. When I took her back to daycare on Wednesday, the worker in the classroom told me that all but one of the kids in the classroom had the exact same virus - throwing up only at night. Who ever heard of such a thing?!? Once the virus passed, she developed a rash and then it was all over. (knock on wood...)
In the midst of all of that was opening weekend of deer season. Rudy and Caleb went to Fordyce on Friday, 11/12. Mom and Aunt Harolyn came up to visit Nola and I, even though I warned them about Nola's virus. They stayed at the house all weekend, playing with Nola and enjoying a change of scenery. I spent all day Saturday doing my Christmas shopping and got it all done! I love having all of the gifts bought before Thanksgiving. It makes the whole holiday season so much less stressful. They left on Sunday morning and the boys came home on Sunday evening (without any deer meat...thank goodness).
Nola was sick with fever on and off all of Halloween weekend. On Sunday night, she had fever, so Rudy stayed home with her on Monday. She was fine all day long, but when I got home that evening, her fever hit again. Rudy had to go to class, so I took both kids to the walk-in clinic. The doctor who saw Nola was very nice and did a great job of listening to my concerns about the fact that she's been sick so much. He diagnosed her with yet another ear infection (yes, her tubes are still in!) and wrote a prescription for an antibiotic. He recommended that she be seen by an ENT soon to have her ears suctioned yet again. On Tuesday (11/2), I stayed home with her. I had been having urinary tract infection symptoms for a while, so I took the at-home opportunity to go see a doctor. Turns out, I did have a bladder infection and got an antibiotic for that. I took Nola to the ENT and got the fluid suctioned out of her ears, went to vote in the mid-term elections and then headed for home. She went back to school on the 3rd. Antibiotics are a good thing.
Life was totally normal for the rest of that week. We worked, Rudy went to school, the kids went to daycare, Nola and I took our antibiotics, etc, etc, etc. Then, there was November 8th. Exactly one week after spending a Monday night at the walk-in clinic...
Rudy was at class. I put Nola down to bed just like normal around 7:30. I bathed Caleb, put him to bed and sat down with a heavy sigh at about 8:15. I remember thinking, "Aaah. Quiet. I've been waiting for this all day." That's about the time I heard Nola start crying. I figured she had just woken up for a moment like usual, but she continued to cry, so I went in to her room to check on her. I didn't turn the lights on. I was just going to cover her back up, maybe pat her back and walk out. When I went in, she was up on her knees, holding onto the side of the crib. I reached in to lay her back down and that's when I realized that she was wet. I thought her diaper had leaked. I turned the light on and realized that she had thrown up in her crib...a lot. I picked her up and put her in the bathtub with her clothes on. I gingerly took her PJ's and diaper off and gave her a bath. Once I got her dressed again, I sat in the big chair in the living room and held her for a while. She fell back to sleep and I put her in her bed. Rudy and I debated about daycare on Tuesday and decided that unless she got sick again, we would consider it a fluke and take her in. She slept through the night, woke up hungry and went to daycare. We thought it was all over until she did the exact same thing on Tuesday night. Rudy stayed home with her on Wednesday. She was perfectly fine all day long. Wednesday night, she threw up again. The pattern continued until Saturday night - the first night that she didn't throw up. She was fine Saturday and Sunday, so we figured it was over. Monday (11/15), she did it again. I stayed home with her on Tuesday. When I took her back to daycare on Wednesday, the worker in the classroom told me that all but one of the kids in the classroom had the exact same virus - throwing up only at night. Who ever heard of such a thing?!? Once the virus passed, she developed a rash and then it was all over. (knock on wood...)
In the midst of all of that was opening weekend of deer season. Rudy and Caleb went to Fordyce on Friday, 11/12. Mom and Aunt Harolyn came up to visit Nola and I, even though I warned them about Nola's virus. They stayed at the house all weekend, playing with Nola and enjoying a change of scenery. I spent all day Saturday doing my Christmas shopping and got it all done! I love having all of the gifts bought before Thanksgiving. It makes the whole holiday season so much less stressful. They left on Sunday morning and the boys came home on Sunday evening (without any deer meat...thank goodness).
November Thankfulness
Lots of people on Facebook posted something that they were thankful for every day in November. I did mine from November 1st through Thanksgiving Day.
Here's my list:
Here's my list:
- Rudy. God has blessed me with a loving, patient husband who gives 1000% to his family. He is more than I ever imagined a man could be.
- I'm thankful for my sweet Nola. Even when she's sick (which is most of the time), she's a happy & precious little girl. Her smile lights up a room & her snuggles warm my heart.
- I am thankful for my vivacious Caleb. He is the true definition of a 4-year-old boy. Just when I think I might sell him for a quarter, he makes me laugh and melt and swell with pride. I can truly see God's fingerprints when I look at him.
- I'm thankful for my mom who raised me with strong values and a strong work ethic. I'm thankful that she loves me unconditionally and that we survived my teenage years intact.
- I'm thankful for "Mr. L." who married my mom even though the package deal included an adolescent girl. He filled a role that I needed filled, though I didn't know it at the time. I'll never forget him teaching me to drive and telling Mom we didn't need a plan if we had to stop on the inters...tate. He's the world's best Pops and loves my kids beyond my imagination.
- I'm thankful that I have a job. I may not always love it and most of the time it provides more stress than joy but I get a paycheck every month and that's more than a lot of people can say. It's even better on the occasional days when I feel like I've made a difference for a kid.
- The right and ability to attend church services with the great people at Central UMC. We continue to try to get more "connected" as our time there continues.
- My cousins Becca & Julie. Becca and I tormented "Poor Little Julie" but the 3 of us always ended up giggling when we were supposed to be sleeping. The fun we've had (& continue to have) at the kids' table "is illegal in 32 states" so fah. I love you girls!
- My Memmie & Poppie. They made sure I grew up knowing about my dad after he died when I was 4. They showed me what strength in the face of overwhelming adversity looks like. Though we have very different ways of looking at the world and the Word, they are my spiritual guideposts. I can't imagine the day I have to live without them.
- I'm thankful for my friend, Stacy Schmidt. When we worked together, the kids thought we were sisters. We can go weeks without talking and pick up right where we left off or we can talk every day. Sometimes we don't even have to say anything at all and we understand each other. That's what friendship should be.
- While I don't always agree with the actions of our military, I'm certainly thankful for the unbelievably brave men and women who willingly volunteer to put their lives on the line every day in the name of protecting freedom. Happy Veteran's Day to all of those who have served in our Armed Forces. Thank you.
- Uncle Jimmy. It's not just because I thought he was the coolest person ever when I was a little girl or because he asked if he would get his own FB post this month. It's really because without Uncle Jimmy there wouldn't be an Aunt Kim!
- Harolyn Gray Holmes is such an awesome aunt that she "invited herself" to my house for the weekend. She kept my mom company while I did all of my Christmas shopping today and did a great job of entertaining Nola as well. She has always treated me like I was one of her own and I love her dearly!
- I was able to buy Christmas presents for my family without worrying how to pay for them. We aren't wealthy, but we have maintained through these difficult years when so many others haven't been as fortunate and now face the struggle of what can be left off of the grocery list so that they can give their children something for Christmas. I am grateful that I don't carry that burden.
- I'm thankful for my in-laws, especially Jan Beaty, for raising my husband to be the man that he is today.
- I'm thankful for my kids' daycare. It is so comforting to know that my kids are safe and loved when I'm not with them during the day. We have been blessed with some wonderful caregivers who I trust with my greatest treasure every day.
- I am blessed to be on an awesome team of SLPs who make me laugh and let me vent and challenge me to do my best. We're in the trenches together and I'm always proud of how we support each other when one of us struggles.
- a quiet Friday night at home
- modern amenities in the comfort of my home. For example, I don't have to worry about lugging laundry to a laundromat. We are blessed to have the things we too often take for granted.
- I'm thankful to have been raised and in a time and place where faith, family and friends were the highest priorities and where manners, respect and graciousness were expected. I pray that my children will learn the same.
- I'm thankful for the technology that allows me to stay in close contact with those I love and reconnect with those who I wondered if I'd ever hear from again.
- Right now, I am thankful for a little bit of quiet time in my house all by myself with the knowledge that "the holidays" officially start in approximately 36 hours. Feels a little like the calm before the storm.
- I'm thankful that I don't have to wonder if I'll have a warm (and overly abundant) meal tomorrow. I pray tonight for the lonely hearts who don't have a family to share Thanksgiving with.
- Most of all, I am thankful that God blessed my life with the love of Jesus, a family who raised me to know Him, a country that allows me to praise Him and the personal relationship that I have with Him. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)