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."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"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."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"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!

Infirmary Update

Not much time to write, just wanted to let everyone know that we are ALL going to work/school tomorrow. Caleb has bounced back beautifully and I'm getting a little better every day. Rudy is ready to get out of the house!

We carved pumpkins tonight and they turned out great! It was the first time Rudy and I have ever carved pumpkins in the 12 years that we've known each other. Caleb was appropriately grossed out by the "pumpkin guts" and like helping us pick up all of the seeds that fell on the ground. He was upset that he couldn't do any of the cutting, but he liked the idea of the activity. He even blew out the candles when we came in the house.

Mom and Mr. L. will be here tomorrow evening to share the fun of trick-or-treating and to take care of Caleb while Rudy and I go to homecoming. It should be a fun weekend...as long as we stay healthy.

Oh...and Rudy and I voted today! Yeah!!!!

"Daddy's a Superman"

WARNING: THIS POST IS ABOUT THE STOMACH BUG AND IS WRITTEN FROM A MOM'S PERSPECTIVE. IT MAY NOT BE FOR THE SQUEAMISH...

We went to bed last night at a decent hour. I took some awesome cough medicine and my antibiotic and hit the pillow. Rudy was snoring before I fell asleep and the baby monitor was whispering the sound of the wave machine in Caleb's room. Somewhere in the 1:00 hour, that all changed. I heard Caleb start to call for me. In my narcotic-induced fog, I checked the clock, but can't remember the exact time. I told myself to stick to my guns and make him cry it out. After all, he slept through the night Sunday and Monday. Fifteen minutes later, he was still crying, " Mama, Mama, Mamamamamama..." I tapped Rudy on the shoulder and told him that I needed for him to go check on Caleb to see why he was crying. I honestly would've done it, but waking up from a hydrocodone sleep is tough! He got up and I quickly heard him come back to the bedroom. I asked what was up and he told me that Caleb had gotten sick. He threw up in his bed. Immediately, my maternal guilt set in. I let him lay in his throw up for 15 minutes, calling for me and I didn't go get him. How was I supposed to know? Rudy told me to stay in bed since I'm already sick and he would take care of the situation. I grudgingly agreed and just as I started to doze off again, I heard that sound. I jumped out of bed, threw on a pair of PJ pants and headed (still foggy) into the living room. Rudy, still waking up, was determining the best way to help a vomiting 2-year-old at 2:00 in the morning. Unfortunately, Caleb had thrown up on the floor in the living room. When he stopped long enough, I helped him to the bathroom and held onto him while he finished throwing up. It was one of the saddest things I've had to do as a mom. It was the first time he's been old enough to understand that he needs to throw up in the potty. I kept telling him to "spit in the potty" and he would do just as I said. When he was finished, I took him in the living room and held him while Rudy spot-cleaned the carpet and stripped Caleb's bed. Caleb asked me what Daddy was doing and I told him that he was cleaning up. Caleb's response was priceless, "Daddy's a Superman." I agreed with him 1000 percent! After that, he told me one other time that he needed to "spit in the potty" and sure enough, he did.

I got Caleb a plastic bowl to hold in case he needed to throw up again, but he didn't want it. He kept giving it back to me. Knowing that he needed something "just in case," I decided to make it more appealing. I took the cup in the bathroom where we still have some potty training stickers left over. I put truck stickers all over the cup and took it back to Caleb. I told him it was his "truck chuck cup" and if he needed to throw up and couldn't get to the potty, that was the place to do it. He grinned and took the cup like it was the greatest thing in the world. Score one for Mama!

Rudy insisted that I go back to bed in order to go to work today and that he would stay home. I did and he stayed up with Caleb the rest of the night, holding him and helping him when he got sick a couple more times. When I got ready to leave for work, they were still in the recliner, exhausted from a long, hard night. It broke my heart to leave them like that.

Rudy tells me that Caleb only got sick once more during the night and at some point, it switched to diarrhea. That has been the case all day long. When I called home mid-morning, Caleb was soaking in an oatmeal bath and Rudy was going to put some cream on his bottom. The poor kid was miserable. He has felt better off and on today and tonight. He enjoyed playing cars tonight and understood when I told him that he couldn't have any milk until his tummy was better. He napped from 1:30 until almost 6:00 and asked to go back to bed at 8:15.

Rudy is staying home with him again tomorrow because of my work obligations. If we need another day on Friday, it'll be my turn. We're just crossing our fingers that we don't get it next. Mom and Mr. L. are supposed to come up on Friday for Halloween and to watch Caleb while Rudy and I go to the last football game of the year. We have really been looking forward to their visit and hope it doesn't get cancelled.

Monica and I were laughing via e-mail today about Caleb's tummy troubles on his first Halloween. I don't know what's up with that, but it needs to stop! This is not a tradition we need to carry on!

As for me, I'm still coughing. I feel a little better, but not back to normal yet. It's hard to tell what's pneumonia, what's lack of sleep and what's stress. The combination isn't healthy, that's for sure!

Here's hoping for a speedy recovery for the little man, a miracle that Rudy and I don't get it, my recovery from pneumonia and a Bootiful Halloween. I'll keep you updated...

Cough...Hack...Cough

You know how I've been saying that I have this nagging cough that just won't go away. I've been calling it bronchitis. I was wrong. According to my 3 hour visit to convenient care tonight, my bronchitis has turned into walking pneumonia. I had to get a Rocephin shot in my hip (OUCH!) and I'll be picking up a variety of prescriptions at WalMart tomorrow. I was just too tired to go get them tonight! Seriously - walking pneumonia. This was supposed to be a healthier year for us.

Pumpkin Patch

Rudy met Jan at the Rudy exit (funny, huh?) to get Caleb this morning. They got home just as I was getting up and around. Caleb came in feeling the after-effects of a weekend with Grandma. I promptly put a movie on for him. This gave him some thinking time and gave us some breathing time before any of us had the chance to irritate each other. It has quickly become evident to Rudy and I that it takes Caleb some time to get used to the expectations of home when he's with any of his grandparents for an extended period of time. We're okay with that, we just have to make sure we remember. After the movie, Caleb ate his lunch at a snail's pace and then I put him down for his nap. He cried for a ridiculously long time before finally going to sleep.

At about 3:00, Rudy woke Caleb up and we got ready to go to the pumpkin patch. We went to the same one that we went to last year and it was just as much fun. When we got there, Caleb was a little grumpy from the hour-long ride. (I know - an hour to go to the pumpkin patch! It's worth it!) We went straight to the pumpkins, but he wasn't happy with that. We tried to get him to play on the hay jump, but he fussed and cried when he fell down. Then we let him play pumpkinball, but that frustrated him. We tried the slides and he did great until he cried when he couldn't do the big slide by himself. That's when Rudy pulled him aside for an attitude adjustment. After a stern talking-to, Caleb's attitude improved tremendously and we had a wonderful family evening together. Here are some of the things that we did:

The Hay Ride: We even saw some deer while we were on our 45 minute hay ride...

Of course, we picked out a few pumpkins and posed for some pictures:

Caleb liked pumping water for the duck races:

His favorite thing of the day was riding the cow train. He rode it 3 times. Rudy and I each rode it with him once and then he told us he could "do it by myself."

We took home a couple of pumpkins to carve this week:
And Caleb picked out a pumpkin that was just his size!
This is one of my favorite family activities that we do. I love fall and I love being with my boys at the pumpkin patch!

Birthday Friday and an emotional loss

As I said in my last post, I turned 32 on Friday. If you've read that post, you'll know that it caused some introspection and gratitude to come from my heart and mind right through my blogging fingers. It has been an interesting weekend, to say the least.

Friday started with one of the most uncomfortable IEP meetings I've ever been a part of. I won't even go into details, because those of you who don't live in the world of special education would be bored to tears. Suffice it to say, this wasn't a good one. The rest of the day went reasonably well. I did my usual work with kids and paper shuffling. I even stayed after school for about an hour to tie up some loose ends. Rudy took Caleb to meet Jan in Alma, because he was staying with her all weekend. She and my mom share taking care of Caleb on Razorback game weekends and she had volunteered for this one. To keep her from having to pack up and leave her house for the weekend like she usually does, she kept Caleb in Ft. Smith. From what I understand, they both had a blast.

When Rudy got home, he took me to dinner at one of our favorite indulgent restaurants, Cafe Rue Orleans. We came home stuffed to the gills, but managed to have a little birthday cake that he had kindly gotten for me. Around 9:00, Chad and Ronni Fellers got to our house to spend the night. They were in town for the Razorbacks/Ole Miss game on Saturday and spent Friday night with us.

The guys got up early on Saturday morning and played golf. Ronni and I slept in! It was a real treat for 2 moms. After the guys got home, Ronni and I went to the Promenade to do some shopping and then came home. We all got ready to go to the game and said our goodbyes. Rudy and I went to the Wilhelms' tailgate party and then walked up to the Alumni house for dinner before the game. We headed over to the stadium in time to witness the bizarre goings-on. It was Coach Nutt's first game back at Arkansas since leaving to coach at Ole Miss. The Arkansas fans were brutal to him. The boos were louder than any I had ever heard. Initially, I clapped for him - giving him the benefit of the doubt and showing some gratitude for the improvements that he brought to our University while he was here. My mind quickly changed, though. When he brought his team back out after warm-up to start the game, he held them back until our team came on the field. This classless act caused our team to enter the field to a chorus of boos, rather than the cheers that we always greet them with. His players proved to be as classless now as he allowed them to be when he was at Arkansas. I hated the thug behavior when it was our guys and I hate to see it from other teams. Now we have a coach who doesn't stand for that and I am glad. We ended up losing the game following a completely bogus offensive pass interference call that brought our fans out of their seats in disgust and anger. Then, Nutt proceeded to stay on the field long after the game was over. He was surrounded by cameras and milked it for all it was worth. By the time he finally left the field, most of the crowd was gone, his players and some assistant coaches had taunted our fans in the stands and he had officially lost any and all respect I ever had for him. I was standing outside after the game when 2 of the Ole Miss staff members walked by. One of them said, "I just love the looks on the faces as we pass by." As Rudy and I got to the elevator, I realized that we were going to have to get on with them and we decided to take the stairs. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to hold my tongue after a comment like that. We left the stadium disappointed and disheartened. The only good thing about the night was that the Wisemans and their friends invited us up to watch the game with them in their luxury box. At least we weren't freezing and packed in our seats like sardines.

We got home and it didn't take me long to crash in the bed. Rudy stayed up for a while, trying to avoid the Razorback message boards and playing video poker. After a celebratory Friday, it was a miserable Saturday night.

32.

I have been telling people that today is the 3rd anniversary of my 29th birthday. Yikes. 32. Thirty-two. 32. Thirty-two. No matter how many times I repeat it, I am thirty-something.

On the other hand...
I have an amazing husband who loves me like I could never imagine anyone would. He absorbs my faults and celebrates my successes. And he got me a cake - chocolate with buttercreme icing, which is my favorite. The fact that he knows (and remembers) that is pretty cool. Oh...and he got me a gold and silver Razorback watch. He loves me. He really loves me. Not that I ever doubted it...or needed gifts to prove it. He loves me.

I have a son who surprises me every day with his ability to make me laugh, cry, feel and tolerate things that I never thought I could. He is a blessing and a joy and the only miracle I can ever remember being a part of.

I have parents who think I'm special and tell me so and are my greatest cheerleaders, no matter how insignificant the cause.

I have 3 living grandparents who have been a blessing all of my life. They show me things and teach me things that only grandparents can teach. I am so grateful.

I have an unbelievable extended family whose journeys make me believe that everything is possible with God. I know that as long as I hold His hand, I am connected with them, no matter what.

I have friends that support me, carry me and comfort me. I have friends that laugh with me, celebrate with me, love me and know that they can count on me even when the world is spinning too quickly to hold on. They are the family that extends beyond family.

I have a career that keeps me stimulated and I know that because of it, we can pay the bills and I can touch the lives of children in a good way, which many of them need so desparately.

And most of all, I have the blessings of God that give me all of these things and more. What else do I need?

The Bad and the Good of Late October

There is nothing on this planet that makes me cringe as much as a whiny child. Guess what...I now have one. Since Caleb's surgery on the 10th, he has whined like there is no tomorrow. It makes me crazy!!! Let me back up a little and please excuse me if I whine.

The last time I posted, we had had "A Strange Day." That was the start of what turned out to be a nasty bout with bronchitis for me. It's now 11 days later and I'm still coughing. We were supposed to go to the Pumpkin Patch with friends on Sunday (10/12), but I spent the day in bed with fever. I spent the nights of the 13th and 14th laying awake and coughing. I actually went to the guest room so that Rudy could sleep. On Wednesday, the 15th, I went to the doctor and ended up with a ZPac, which helped but didn't knock it out totally. I also got some fabulous nighttime cough medicine. If hydrocodone had a fan club, I'd be a member. It turned out to be the only way I could stop coughing long enough to sleep. Caleb has also had a cough for quite a while. We thought the antibiotics after his surgery would solve the problem, but he's still coughing and now his nose is running too. Aaaggh! Silver lining: he doesn't have a ear infection! Rudy was a super-dad during all of this. He took full responsibility for Caleb while I had fever and continued to take care of him most of the week since I was feeling so crummy.

I had the day off on Friday, the 17th and it was a busy day! I took Caleb to school and came home to do laundry and pack for our trip to Hot Springs. We also had the carpets and living room furniture cleaned to rid ourselves of the remants of having an indoor dog and potty-training a toddler. Yeah!!!! After the Sears guy left, I called Stacy and met her for a quick trip to the Hammonds center craft fair and lunch. We went to get Caleb at school and came home to meet Rudy. Not long after he got home, we hit the road for Hot Springs. We made it there without any trouble. It was one of Caleb's easiest trips in a while! Hallelujah!

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Hot Springs. Mr. L was at deer camp, but came home on Sunday morning before we left. Rudy played golf at Hot Springs Village with Chad on Saturday morning and Mom played with Caleb while I slept in. Unfortunately, Caleb hasn't taken too well to sleeping in the "big bed" with siderails at Lala's and one of us ends up having to sleep with him. Again...thank goodness for hydrocodone. :) Shortly after I got up, Aunt Harolyn came by to see us and then Pepapa and Anna Joyce came over. Caleb and Mom spent some time outside collecting acorns for Pops to feed the deer. I went shopping while Caleb napped and got an outfit to wear Saturday night. When I got home, Rudy was there and got ready to go over to Little Rock. We went to dinner and then to UALR for the Air Force Band Concert. Our friend, Chris was playing a trumpet solo, and it was our first time to see him play professionally. I think the last time I saw Chris play was at our wedding 10 years ago! After the concert, we all went over to Chad & Ronni's house for a little bit and then Rudy and I drove back to Hot Springs. When we got home, Caleb was sound asleep in Lala's bed. I'm not sure which one of them enjoyed that snuggle more.

On Sunday, Mom treated me to a special birthday lunch! She made my favorites: crawfish ettoufee and chocolate pie! Yum! After our early lunch, we hit the road for home. We made a short stop in Ft. Smith to see Jan and her friend Sue, then came home.

Of course, in our family, it seems that someone always has to be sick. Rudy woke up during the night Sunday with a stomach bug. He went to work on Monday, but came home early after a trip to the doctor. He was officially quarantined to the bedroom until this morning.

Sunday night, I went to bed at 9:30, thinking I would get a good night's sleep to prepare for a busy week. No such luck. Caleb woke up at 12:00, crying. I put him in the guest bed with me and we both went back to sleep. He woke up at 2:00 and whined/cried until I had to get up at 5:45 to get ready for work. I put him back in his bed at some point during all of that and he cried so hard, I thought he was going to be sick. So, I started the week on minimal sleep. This week is parent-teacher conference week for me, so I knew it would be busy. I left school at 4:30 on Monday and picked up Caleb. We went to the grocery store and then came home for dinner, bath, play and bedtime. I admit...I bought him a new movie at the store so we could have a low-key night. It worked. I put him to bed at his regular time and then had some work to do. It was midnight before I could get to bed. Of course, Caleb woke up at 12:30 screaming. I thought I was going to cry, but my Mom abilities kicked in and I sucked it up. He kept saying that his ears hurt. I gave him some pain medicine from his surgery and he went right back to sleep. Again...I love hydrocodone. We both slept most of the night and made it to school on Tuesday morning.

Tuesday was a LONG day for me. After school, I had parent-teacher conferences until 6:45. On Monday night, I had called our fabulous superhero babysitter, Kelly and worked out a way for her to take care of Caleb for me on Tuesday night. She came by my school and got my carseat, then went to Caleb's school to get him. They went to an early dinner at McDonald's and then came home to play. Rudy was still quarantined. When I got home, Caleb and Kelly were playing happily. Caleb told me he had to go potty, so I took him. My heart sank when I realized that he had diarrhea. I just knew that he had gotten Rudy's virus and we were in for another few days of misery. After a few more trips to the bathroom, I finally got him to bed. I called my principal and told her I wouldn't be at work on Wednesday and settled in for another long night. I got to bed at about 10:15 and, as expected, Caleb woke up at 2:00. Again, he told me his ears hurt. I gave him more pain medicine, took him to the bathroom (no diarrhea!) and we climbed in the bed. The pain medicine wasn't as effective this time. He fussed and cried and whined for over an hour while laying in the bed with me. He finally fell asleep around 4:00. We got up at 8:00 this morning and he played and watched TV while I dozed on the couch and counted down the time until his nap. After lunch, I finally got him in HIS bed for a nap and started some laundry. Then I hit the bed and slept like a rock until Rudy got home. Rudy woke up Caleb and took him to his follow-up appointment at the ENT. I went to school to get some work to bring home. I'm not sure why - it's not like I've even looked at it tonight! I guess I just needed to get out of the house and that made me feel productive. When I got home, Caleb was playing and Rudy had dinner almost ready. It has been a pretty good night. Rudy has felt so much better and enjoyed playing with Caleb tonight. He put him to bed not long ago and we've agreed to let him cry a little longer tonight before going to rescue him.

Everyone is going to school tomorrow. Rudy and I both have parent-teacher conferences and I have someone coming to my school to watch Caleb and another teacher's child. Good heavens, I hope it's a better day.

Now...for the update from the ENT. Nothing. He told Rudy absolutely nothing. He said that Caleb's ears looked fine. He wasn't worried about anything. He suggested a steroid for the inflammation that may be causing the ear pain, but Rudy turned it down. Caleb doesn't handle steroids well. We'll just keep giving him Tylenol and Motrin. Rudy said that Dr. Lee considered another round of antibiotics, but decided against it. I guess we're just going to have to ride this storm out with a test of patience.

Caleb's whining is ridiculous, but I don't know how much of it is because he doesn't feel good and how much is him being a pain. He will throw a holy fit and whine and cry, then look at me and say, "Mama, I not crying anymore." Usually, when he whines, I ignore him or tell him that I can't hear his words when he's whining. When it's the middle of the night, I tend to cave a little quicker. I'm just too tired to deal with it at 2:00 in the morning. I know I shouldn't get him out of his bed and sleep with him in the guest bed. I know that goes against every logical parenting rule. But...usually that cycles through about 2 or 3 nights every month or so. Not a big deal. Now, this has been going on for almost 2 weeks. It's not just getting old - it's old already.

I know I've written a lot of negativity in this post, so let me finish with some positives.

• Caleb has learned some pretty amazing things the past few weeks at school. He's starting to pretend a lot and his language has exploded once again.
• There is a child in his class that likes to try to scare the other kids by talking about ghosts and monsters. With Halloween coming soon, we've been tying to tell him that ghosts and monsters are pretend. When he starts talking about them at night when he goes to bed, I spray some air freshener that we call "monster spray" and he seems okay.
• As usual, he sings a lot. The new favorites are "Where is Thumbkin" and "Old MacDonald."
• Yesterday, Caleb walked into the living room with his blanket wrapped around his shoulders and told me that he was a princess. I thought that was pretty funny.
• Last Monday, he told me that it wasn't raining, it was just sprinkling.
• With all of the fall decorations out right now, he likes to point out all of the "squarecrows."
• When he is in the car with Rudy, Caleb likes to "help Daddy drive" by pretending that he is holding a steering wheel. He actually turns it the right way most of the time.
• He also likes to tell everything "Happy Birthday" - especially Taco Bell and the cows that we pass on the way home. That's a game that he and his Daddy made up one day and he's holding on to it.
• Caleb has started playing with his toys by "making them talk." He'll hold an Elmo figurine and say, "Hi, Elmo" then, "Hi, Caleb."
• Caleb's sense of direction seems pretty impressive to Rudy and me. He knows which way we turn to get places and if we don't go that way, he gets upset. He can also guess where we're going based on which way we're going.
• And, to make things truly positive...I would venture to say that Caleb is now fully potty-trained. He goes days between accidents. When we were in Hot Springs, I asked him if he needed to go potty and he said no. He then went into the bedroom, closed the door and wet his pants. I asked him why he did that. He said he "want to play, not sit on the potty." That's a pretty good sign to me that he can control his bladder. He's just being two.

A Strange Day

When we went to bed last night, Rudy said, "If Caleb wakes up during the night, please wake me up and I'll take care of him." I didn't argue one bit. When I heard Caleb crying at 4:00, I promptly tapped Rudy on the shoulder. From that point until I woke up at 8:15, I slept harder than I've slept in a long time. I woke up rested and without a headache for the first time in 2 weeks. I just knew it was going to be a great day! I came into the living room and found Caleb and Rudy playing, which is one of my favorite things to see. Rudy then offered to make breakfast, but needed a few ingredients so he headed to Walmart to get them. Caleb and I stayed home and played while he was gone. When Rudy got back, he made Ziploc omelets for us. They tasted much better than they looked and we all enjoyed having breakfast together. After breakfast, Rudy and I were talking about our plan for the day. Caleb was doing so great that we even considered going to the pumpkin patch, but decided to wait another day to make sure he was up to it. Rudy suggested that he take Caleb to the park for a little bit so that I could have some time by myself to scrapbook or do whatever I wanted. Again, I didn't argue. I quickly got out my scrapbook table and went to work. The boys came home from the park and played in the living room for a while. While I was cropping, I noticed that my headache had come back, but didn't think much about it. I've actually gotten kind of used to it lately. However, this didn't stop at a headache. I started feeling really gross pretty quickly. About 11:00, I called for Rudy and he came and walked me to our room where I laid down on the bed to try to make the world stop spinning. I wasn't sleepy or tired, just very dizzy and out of sorts. I covered my head with the blanket and before I knew it, I was sound asleep. I woke up at 3:00, feeling better, but still groggy.

Rudy told me that Caleb had never really taken a nap and that they were both pretty tired. Apparently, Caleb threw both of his blankets, his pillow and his stuffed animals out of his bed and reached over to pull a basket off of his dresser and into his bed. He had partially taken off his shirt and had managed to put his arm through the neckhole. The basket that he grabbed was full of things that we use off and on - diaper cream, Vicks cream, a thermometer, etc. It's a miracle that he didn't smear the creams all over the walls.

Rudy and I each managed to take showers before the Razorback game started at 4:00. While we were watching the game, I noticed that Caleb felt really warm, so I took his temperature. Sure enough, he was running a fever, which was expected after his surgery yesterday. I gave him some Tylenol and he continued to play. Rudy grilled burgers and made fried potatoes for us for dinner and they were yummy. After we ate, I still didn't feel so great, so I took my temperature and found that I, too, had a fever. Yuck. I took some Tylenol and hit the recliner to watch the rest of the game. While we watched the game, Caleb pretended to play football in the living room. He took his little football and crouched down. Then he would say, "hut!" and take off running in a circle around the couch. Eventually, he would fall down and say, "I tackled!" It was pretty stinkin' funny!

Caleb surprised me today. I took my contacts out and put on my glasses, then came into the living room where he was playing. He rarely sees me in my glasses, so he said, "What's that?" I said, "Mama's glasses." His response: "Oh, you beautiful." It made my day. I knew that I didn't look beautiful to anyone but my little boy. I hadn't fixed my hair after my shower, wasn't wearing makeup and had on my awful glasses, but Caleb thought I was beautiful and that's all that counts.

On a happy note, the Hogs managed to pull off their first SEC win of the year against Auburn tonight. Hallelujah Hog! I honestly didn't think we'd win another game all year. It's been a tough season so far and it's far from over.

What a day!

Surgery Success

Caleb did great in his surgery this morning! We got there at 7:30 and waited just a little while before we were called back for the prep work. It was hard to turn him over to a stranger and know that she was going to put him under. I distracted myself with a Southern Living magazine and Rudy read the paper. It wasn't long before Dr. Lee showed up at the door and called us back to the consult room. He said that Caleb's ears looked perfect and that he had no problem removing the adenoids. The nurse came to get Rudy and I from the waiting room just as Caleb was waking up. I held him for about an hour while he slowly emerged from his anesthesia fog. As he woke up, he started to talk a little more. He seemed to feel a little queasy, but wouldn't take any crackers. We made it home right around 10:00 and I held Caleb while Rudy made us a late breakfast. Caleb wouldn't touch his breakfast, but Rudy and I were starving! After breakfast, I took Caleb into my bed and we watched a little TV and rested while Rudy went to get some groceries. At one point, Caleb said, "Mama I want medicine my mouth." I guessed that his throat must be hurting, so I gave him a dose of the painkiller that the doctor prescribed. Since then, he's been much more like himself. He is singing and playing and watching Sesame Street. The only thing I've been able to get him to eat is ice cream and fruit snacks. I told him to enjoy it now, because tomorrow he's back on "real" food. Speaking of that...I got some wrong information yesterday. This morning, when I asked the doctor about a note for soft foods only at daycare next week, he looked at me like I was crazy. He said that with adenoids, there's no need to restrict his diet. He can have whatever he wants. Our only restriction is to keep him from playing too rough for a few days. I think we can manage!

Prayers, Please - Surgery Tomorrow

Caleb goes in for his new set of ear tubes and an adenoidectomy tomorrow morning. We are supposed to be at the outpatient surgery center at 7:30 and they expect to take him back at 8:00. The surgery should take anywhere from 15-30 minutes. We'll be there for a while afterwards so that they can make sure he comes out of the anesthesia okay and can eat/drink without getting sick. He can't have anything to eat after midnight tonight. Rudy has graciously offered to get up with him at 11:30 tonight to try to get him to drink some milk and eat a snack, then go back to bed. Poor little guy will be so confused. First, we've never woken him up in the middle of the night. Second, he ALWAYS has a cup of milk when he wakes up in the morning. This is without fail. The first thing he usually says when we get him up in the morning is, "I have milk, please?" Tomorrow, he has to not only go without his beloved milk, he can't have anything at all. For the first set of tubes (Feb '07), this was the worst part of all. He was so hungry when he came out of surgery that he practically inhaled his bottle. That made his ears pop, which hurt and made him cry like I've never seen before. It was heartbreaking.

I know this comes as no surprise to anyone. When I called the nurse this morning to get our arrival time, I had questions.

1. What's the recovery?
1 day for the tubes
4-5 days for the adenoidectomy
lots of pain relievers for the first couple of days and then fade those out
soft foods for 5-7 days
"take it easy" (no rough play, etc) for a week
no major travel for 2-3 weeks (Darn, there goes that tropical vacation we had planned)

2. When can he go back to school?
probably Monday, maybe Tuesday

I'm nervous about 2 things. First, my child is going under general anesthesia, which is always scary. He's two and they are going to put him to sleep. I know he will be anxious because we won't be with him and he'll be taken into a very strange place by people he doesn't know. Then they will start poking at him and he'll feel pretty helpless. I'll feel helpless because there's nothing I can do to help him. Second, the fear of the unknown is not my forte'. I want to know what to expect. There's no way to know in this situation. I just have to hope that Caleb will be a trooper and if he's not, I have to be patient until it passes.

I'll try to post something sometime tomorrow, but I don't make any promises. Hopefully, he'll sleep quite a bit to sleep off some of the painful time, but who knows!?! In the meantime, please say a little prayer for Caleb tomorrow morning and for his parents who are just hoping this will help.

Caleb's Musical Taste

We were in the car tonight on our way back from dinner at Chili's and I had listened to all the Backyardigans and toddler music I could handle. Jokingly, I turned my iPod to the Chingy song, "Right Thurr" (the clean version, thankyouverymuch). Caleb piped up from the backseat and said, "I like this song! I like it!" and started dancing in his carseat. Rudy and I cracked up! Unfortunately, he didn't like several of my other song selections. He did, however, say that he liked Jimmy Buffett. He is my child, after all.

I'm Haley Villines and I approve this message.

I've never been into politics. Most of it goes over my head or bores me to tears. This election has my attention, though. I believe that it truly is the most important one I've ever experienced. This time around, I'm adding a category to my list of demographics: parent. Now I vote as a Christian, a wife, a mother, a daughter, a woman, an educator, an advocate for those who can't advocate for themselves and a moderate environmentalist - among other things.

My decision has been made for a long time. I'm voting for Barack Obama. I supported Hillary Clinton in the primaries. I was disappointed when she didn't win. Now, though, I fully support the Obama/Biden campaign. I'm not completely thrilled with the choice of Biden for VP, but I'm comfortable with it. I understand it. I like his story, his ideas and his message - I just don't always like his tactics. He's a little too typical politician for my taste.

I support what the candidates stand for and I support the promise that I not only hear, but also FEEL when I read/watch/learn about their platform. I'm not fooled by politicians. I know there is a lot of junk under the surface and I know that promises are empty, but I believe that it is in the best interest of my family and my country to vote for the Democratic ticket this year. I hesitate to use the word "change" because I think it has lost its meaning in the melee of election season, but it fits. I'm ready for a change. Enough is enough.

A while back, I subscribed to get e-mail updates from the Obama/Biden campaign. I delete most of them without opening them, because I simply don't have the time to read them all. This one came today and caught my attention. The purpose was to encourage people to send an e-mail to their families to "educate" and spark conversation about Obama. I'm not into forwarding e-mails. Like me, most people aren't interested in reading forwards. However...you're here, so you must be in a reading mood. I've copied and pasted some of the sample e-mail into this post (below) so that maybe someone who is undecided will feel the excitement that I feel about this election.
I've been thinking a lot about the election and how important it is to our family.
I've decided to support Barack Obama, and wanted to let you know why.
There are many rumors floating around out there, so here's some information about Barack's positions on things I know are important to you:
-- Economy: http://my.barackobama.com/EconomyFlyer
-- Health Care: http://my.barackobama.com/HealthcareFlyer
-- Education: http://my.barackobama.com/EducationFlyer

More information Obama's position regarding a variety of issues can be found here.
Watch Obama's speech from the Democratic convention here.
See a video about who Barack Obama is, where he comes from, and what his values are.

Extra-Curricular Activities

I am in a dilemma. Maybe you can help.

Caleb's school is offering a class (for an extra fee, of course) called Jitterbugs. The class is basically a "dance" class, but it is co-ed and geared toward both boys and girls. The class would take place during the day at Caleb's school. We would only see the results when they have a RECITAL. (That word brings back some ugly memories!) I wouldn't even consider it, but apparently, they had a trial class today and Caleb's teacher told me that he loved it! He was one of the only ones to stay in "his spot" and apparently, that 's a big deal. He loved the music (not a surprise) and loved learning the movements to the songs. He even told me himself that he did a fire truck dance. Plus...he got a Skittle and a stamp on his hand.

My dilemma is that if Caleb is going to participate in some sort of extra activity, I'd like to be a part of it. We really enjoyed going to Gymboree this summer. I've been debating going back for a while now, but we needed to iron out some financial wrinkles first. BUT...he loved Jitterbugs. Then, there's the other factor. My cousin (3rd or 4th...I'm not sure) has opened The Little Gym in Rogers. I'm totally open to supporting my family member, but there is a waiting list for the only evening class for Caleb's age group. Hmmm...

Here's how I make decisions:

Jitterbugs:
Pros - Caleb loved the trial class and it's the least expensive option
Cons - Rudy and I don't get to be a part of it, except to attend the recital

Gymboree Music Class:
Pros - Rudy and/or I could go with Caleb; no sign-up fee; seems to be a lot like Jitterbugs, but without the recital
Cons - it's on Monday nights and it's not age-specific (could be anywhere from 6 mos-5 years)

Gymboree Play Class:
Pros - Rudy and/or I could go with Caleb; no sign-up fee; Caleb is familiar with the class structure
Cons - it's not age-specific and it doesn't start until 6:30 on Wednesdays

The Little Gym:
Pros - Rudy and/or I could go with Caleb; it would support my family member who owns it; it is focused on teaching new physical skills and it includes music
Cons - there is a waiting list for the only class we can go to; it's the most expensive option

What do you think? Vote over there on the right underneath that adorable picture of Caleb...
Oh, and I reserve the right to veto. It's my motherly prerogative.

Yahooey.

I love technology. I love that I can type something in my living room while wearing my PJ's and within seconds, my friends and family can read it on their computer in their living room while wearing their PJ's. I love that they can read it when they want, not when I have a minute to talk on the phone. I love that I can post pictures of our family for people to see. I love that I can buy gifts without setting foot in a store, that I can check my bank balance at 2:00 AM and that I can keep up with friends from almost 20 years ago.

I don't love people who take technology and twist it to hurt other people. Someone hacked my Yahoo account. I had the same e-mail address through Yahoo for over 9 years. When I started my new job, I opened a Gmail account because my school district blocks my access to Yahoo. Today, I found out that some unknown person tapped into my Yahoo account and sent a potentially virus-laden e-mail to my entire address book. So, to all who received the e-mail about the "great website" and the deep discounts, I hope that you didn't open the link. I hope that if you did open the link, there isn't any damage to your computer. And...I hope that this never happens to you. It is maddening.