Summer is Finally Here

The last time I wrote, we were recovering from Caleb’s 2nd birthday. It’s a month later…we’re still recovering. J Actually, we’re just getting used to having a 2-year-old around. It seems like Caleb got some sort of memo that he was supposed to start behaving differently when he turned two and he followed it to the letter. We’re seeing a lot more independence and a lot more tantrums. We’re using our time-out timer a lot more often and saying “no” a lot more than we really want to. Don’t get me wrong – Caleb is still a sweetheart. He loves his Mama and Daddy to the ends of the earth and back, but he’s just coming into his own and finding his voice. He knows what he wants and knows that he’s willing to fight to get it. Unfortunately, that has meant some hitting and kicking, but (fortunately) no biting. We know we dodged a bullet with that one. Caleb comes home from daycare about once or twice a week with a bite mark on his arm or shoulder. We are well aware that this age group is prime for biting…and being bitten.

May was a fun and busy month for us. Rudy and I spent most of the month wrapping things up at work and getting ready for the end of the school year.

Mr. L. gave us quite a scare on Monday, the 19th. He had gone in for some tests on his heart earlier and requested further testing due to his family history. When he went in on the 19th for the angiogram, the doctor found major blockage in his arteries. He ended up having 3 stents put in immediately and has to go back for more in about a year. The doctor said that it was a good thing that he came in because he was well on his way to a massive heart attack. We are just grateful for preventative medicine.

Rudy and I celebrated our 9th anniversary on the 22nd. Kelly came to babysit and we went to dinner at Crabby’s. He sent me roses at work and gave me a beautiful card at home. I gave him a piece of paper saying that we had a cabin reserved at Big Cedar Lodge. It’s just hard to believe that next year is our 10th anniversary!

We went to Hot Springs on Friday (23rd). It was a long drive for Caleb, but he made it most of the way without difficulty – thanks to the portable DVD player! (I would like to personally shake the hand of the person who invented that thing!) When we got to Mom and Mr. L’s, Caleb’s first order of business was to see the “big boat.” It amazes me what he remembers. Once he was satisfied that the big boat was out there, he was okay to play inside for just a little while before going to bed. When I got up on Saturday, I couldn’t find anyone in the house or outside. Then I noticed that the boat was gone. Mom and Mr. L. had taken Caleb on a boat ride early in the morning. On Saturday, Rudy mowed their lawn because Mr. L. was still on restrictions. Mom and I went shopping while Caleb napped and then we all went out for a boat ride. Caleb absolutely loved the boat! He said over and over (and over and over….) “BIG BOAT.” He loved watching the boats and feeling the breeze. I thought he would be fussy because his life jacket was so hot and confining, but he didn’t seem to mind. I think he would’ve worn a lead vest if it meant he got to go on the BIG BOAT.

On Sunday, Rudy fished off of the dock a little bit and we all had a pretty relaxing day. We ended up going for another boat ride that afternoon and then came home to a ribs and chicken dinner. Monday morning, we left for home, hoping that Caleb would take a nap in the car. No such luck. He was awake (and grumpy) all the way home. We got a call from the Wilhelms inviting us to a Memorial Day cookout at their house. Rudy and I decided that we’d take a chance on it, but we both agreed that as soon as Caleb got grumpy, we would head for home. Wouldn’t you know – as soon as dinner was served, he had a meltdown. We ate very fast and then excused ourselves. When we got home, it was bath and bedtime and then we all just collapsed from exhaustion.

On Tuesday (5/27), I had Bunco and on Wednesday (5/28), I had a dinner with the people I work with. Thursday (5/28) was Rudy’s end-of-the-year concert. Jan came up on Friday (5/30) and Rudy grilled scallops for us. Rudy and I left for Big Cedar Lodge on Saturday afternoon and had a wonderful time. Our cabin was perfect and we enjoyed the lodge grounds a lot. We kept saying that we wished it wasn’t so expensive so that we could bring Caleb back for a weekend. He would LOVE it. BTW – I would like for it to be known that I managed to beat Rudy at both putt-putt golf and trivial pursuit!

We came home on Sunday while Caleb was napping. That evening, we went to the pool for a little while and then got ready for our last week of school. I worked on Monday (6/2) and ½ day on Tuesday (6/3). Rudy works until 6/4 and then we’re all off for the summer. Thursday night, Rudy and I are going to see Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood at Razorback stadium. We have some doctor’s appointments on Thursday and Friday, including Caleb’s 2 year check up. Rudy is going to deer camp for a work weekend with Mr. L. this weekend. Caleb and I are staying home and doing some fun Mama and Caleb stuff. It’s FINALLY summer…

Click below to see Caleb and Daddy having fun at the pool:

2 year pictures

We got these taken yesterday. I love the way they turned out!

Playset and Lots of Talking

For Caleb's birthday, we went together with Mom and Mr. L. to buy Caleb a backyard playset. We also put all of the money that he got for his birthday into the purchase. The shipment of 2 giant boxes arrived the week after Caleb turned 2. Rudy and I spent over an hour sorting and counting screws, bolts, washers and other assorted hardware to make sure it was all there and easily accessible. Last Sunday, we sorted out all of the lumber and labeled it to make sure we knew what was what and to make sure that all of the parts were accounted for and we could find them. There were 2 boards that needed to be replaced, so Rudy called and got those shipped out to us. We started putting the pieces together bit by bit and by Thursday, we had a slide, a glider and a rockwall/ladder. On Friday night, we hit it hard and started working to get the playset functional by this afternoon. We spent all day yesterday working on it and all morning today. When Caleb went down for his nap at noon, we had the fort built and everything else assembled. It just needed to be pieced together. When he woke up from his nap, he had a fully functional playset, complete with 2 swings, a glider, a slide, a picnic table, a dirtbox (supposed to be a sandbox, but we're not going to put sand in it), a rockwall and a fort! He loves it! He can even climb the ladder by himself. He spent the entire afternoon and evening playing outside today. Grandma Voise came over for dinner tonight and we all enjoyed watching Caleb play.

Caleb has become so independent lately and it's fun to just sit back and watch what he does. We're starting to hear more and more "I do it" and "Sha-Sha's turn." (He's still calling himself Sha-Sha and we have NO IDEA why.) He also likes to tell us "Mama's turn" or "Daddy's turn." My personal favorite is, "Good job, Mama!" I get praised for the strangest things - and sometimes for nothing at all. I could get used to that. :) On Friday, when I picked him up from daycare, I had trouble getting the car to start. Just as I was getting frustrated with it, Caleb piped up from the backseat with, "Uh-oh, car stuck." Then, when it finally started, he said, "There ya' go!" I cracked up laughing as I pulled out of the driveway.

Just when you think a 2-year-old is going to be the death of you...they do something to light up your life.

Tornado

We went to dinner at Rudy's grandmother's house last Saturday night. It was a gorgeous evening. We were sitting outside before dinner, enjoying the cool temperatures and the breeze. All of a sudden, the tornado siren went off. I scooped up Caleb and made a run for the walk-in closet. Everyone else followed us inside and stopped at the TV to see what the fuss was all about. Come to find out there was a tornado in Benton County. It wasn't really close to Grandma's house, but we stayed in the closet to be on the safe side. Rudy was in the bedroom, watching the TV and giving me updates. I got a little anxious when he said the storm was about a mile or two from our house. Once the threat passed, a little hail fell and that was all that we saw of the storm. Unfortunately, not everyone was so lucky. Come to find out, Caleb's daycare was hit by a tornado. It was a pretty small tornado, but did some significant damage to the daycare and the area around it. We got a call on Sunday that Pine Crest would be closed until at least noon on Tuesday. Rudy decided to take off work on Monday to stay with Caleb. They had a great day ~ playing, going to Fayetteville to hear the band in one of Rudy's classes and they even came to have lunch with me. On Tuesday, Caleb stayed with my friend Heidi who lives nearby. She's a stay-at-home mom of one of the kids that I see for therapy. She was so awesome to agree to keep Caleb. I dropped him off at her house at 8:00 on Tuesday. When I picked him up at almost 4:00, they were playing in the driveway and enjoying the beautiful weather. Heidi said that Caleb was super-easy to take care of. I was glad to hear that. I was afraid he would show the true 2-year-old side that we're seeing more and more of.

Caleb went back to daycare on Wednesday. The school still has some damage, but the toddler wind has been determined to be safe. Whew!

I Thought He Was Kidding

Rudy went turkey hunting on the morning of April 27th. It was his only chance to go all year because we've had so much rain and so much other stuff going on. He left earlier than I care to imagine. He goes way out in the middle of the middle of nowhere - no, that's not a typo - it's really that far out there. The last time he went he made a photocopy of his topographical map and highlighted the area where he would be...just in case.

He called me at about 10:30 and said he was on his way home. I automatically assumed he had killed a turkey because why else would be coming home that early? He said that he hadn't killed a turkey but that he had been in the woods long enough. He then began to tell me about sitting in the woods with a gun strong enough to kill a turkey and seeing a BEAR. Yep. A bear.

No, this is not the exact bear that Rudy saw. Just a bear - exactly like the kind of black bear one might find in the mountains of Arkansas.

Back to the story...

So, Rudy is hunting and sees a bear. He then tries to calmly return to his truck without losing sight of the bear. As he is doing so, he hears a huge splash and looks toward the nearby pond, where he sees a BIGGER BEAR. Apparently bear number one was the offspring of bear number two. Now - I'm no hunter, but I know that you don't come between Mama Bear and Baby Bear and get away with it easily.

Rudy was fortunate. He managed to get back to his truck safely and had just enough phone battery to call me to say he was coming home. It took a while for it to settle in that my husband had just seen a real bear that was not in a zoo. Once that sunk in, I was more than a little freaked out, but just glad that he made it home safely.

On a slightly freakier note - just before Rudy called me to say he was coming home, Caleb was playing with some animal toys and looked up at me and said, "Grrrr, Daddy." Spooky!

Caleb's 2nd Birthday

Caleb turned 2 on Friday, May 2nd. We celebrated his birthday with cupcakes in his class at daycare. My supervisor at work was nice enough to let me leave a little early so that I could be there for the fun. The cupcakes were a hit - but I owe a HUGE apology to all of the parents in the classroom. I made the mistake of getting cupcakes with blue and green icing. Oops. The teachers put t-shirts on them to keep them from getting completely covered in icing, but their hands and faces were stained blue! (The green ones weren't as bad.) I felt awful! Even after soap and water washing, those kids were little Smurfs! The worst part was the next day when I changed Caleb's BM diaper! It was neon green!!! I honestly had to call Mom in the room to witness it. Gross!

After the cupcake party, Caleb and I came home and relaxed for a little while. Mom got here about 4:15 and we visited for a little bit before going to get dinner. Spaghetti is one of Caleb's favorite foods, so we went to the Olive Garden for dinner. Rudy was playing at a concert in Fayetteville, so he didn't get home until after Caleb was asleep.

On Saturday, we woke up in party mode. Mom and I grabbed lunch at McAlister's, got my haircut, and picked up balloons, cake and ice cream. We made it back in time to get Caleb ready for his party and head for the neighborhood clubhouse. We tied the balloons on the fence, put out the cake and plates and waited for our guests to arrive. We had a great turnout for the party. Here's who came: Mom, Jan, Grandma Voise, Michael (Jan's friend) and a co-worker, Donald, Stacy, Aurick and Alivia Schmidt, Leslie, Jackson and Grace Lyons (and Les' friend, Ginny), and our neighbors Shalini, Davey and Jacob. It was a fun party and Caleb got lots of fun presents. He didn't cry once - which I was happy about!

Saturday night we were exhausted. Rudy went out and got a pizza and we stayed in to play with Caleb's new toys.

My Baby's Not a Baby Anymore

It's just impossible for me to wrap my mind around the fact that Caleb was born 2 years ago tomorrow. I have thought all day today about how miserable I was 2 years ago today! But - I finished my last grad school class exactly 2 years ago today and what a relief that was!


We went out for our 3rd annual May 1st BBQ dinner tonight. I know it's a strange tradition, but I like it.


I'm leaving work a little early tomorrow to join Caleb and his class for their afternoon snack. I'm taking cupcakes for his birthday. Mom is leaving work at noon so she'll be here shortly after we come home. Rudy has a concert tomorrow night, so he won't be home until late.


Saturday is the big party! We're just having friends and family meet at the neighborhood park for cake and ice cream, but I think it will be so much fun! Caleb loves to play on the playground and I know he'll love all of the attention. The weather is supposed to be beautiful, so hopefully we won't get rained out.

Chatterbox!

I've created a monster! Caleb talks so much these days that I wouldn't even know where to begin to tell about everything he's saying. My favorites are:

• Daddy? (or Dewey, or truck, or airplane, etc) Where go?
• Airplane - hear it?
• Hey, baby!
• Ewww, icky!
• hoocut (haircut)
• ahmos (animals)
• Ewww, poop - diaper.
• Shhh, (pause) - hear it?
• counting: "wee fo, wee fo, wee fo" (3,4,3,4,3,4)

In addition to that - we're just having fun and enjoying spring. Every afternoon (unless it's raining), we spend time outside playing, going for walks, checking on our flowers, watching the big kids play, using our sidewalk chalk, etc. It's just a fun time to be a little boy - and a little boy's Mama. Caleb doesn't know yet that he's getting a swingset for his birthday, but he's going to LOVE IT! He loves to go to the park to slide and climb, but the playset at the park doesn't have swings. We may never get him to come inside!

Tonight, we went to a free event at the UofA called Farm Friends. Several area 4H clubs brought farm animals for kids to see and pet. Caleb didn't really want to touch most of the animals, but he loved the baby chicks. He watched them intently for long periods of time and went back to them over and over. He did not like it when a sheep bleated really close to him. He cried and said, "No, Baa!" He liked the rabbits a little bit and seemed to enjoy looking at all of the other animals, but he really didn't want to touch them. I can't say that I blame him.

This weekend is going to be a busy one for us. We're going to Touch-A-Truck on Saturday morning and Razorfest on Saturday afternoon. Caleb will LOVE Touch-A-Truck and Rudy and I will love Razorfest. We're hoping it won't be completely exhausting for all of us, but we know we'll have fun. I'll try to get pictures up on Shutterfly on Sunday.

What we're looking forward to...

We are so excited about the upcoming event TOUCH-A-TRUCK. These days, Caleb loves "bih tuhs" (big trucks), "tah-tuhs" (tractors) and pretty much anything with wheels, so we know he's going to love Touch-A-Truck!

Check it out...Touch-A-Truck

Easter, Caleb's solo trip to Hot Springs and other stuff...

Spring Break became another SNAFU for us as Rudy's back went out on Monday night and he spent 3 days flat on his back in the bed with the heating pad and a Vicodin prescription. I spent the days with Caleb and we entertained ourselves the best the we could. Caleb, of course, realized that something wasn't quite right, so he didn't sleep at night, which meant that I didn't sleep at night. It was a trying few days, but we survived...yet again.

On Friday morning (3/21), I took Caleb to the Easter egg hunt at his school. He didn't quite get what was going on, but once he realized there was candy in the eggs, he was all over it! He would open up the eggs, take out the candy and drop the empty egg on the ground. He used his Lightning McQueen Easter "basket" that Jan and Elle picked out for him.

After the egg hunt, I took Caleb to Krispy Kreme for a doughnut and then we came home to get ready to go to Sherwood. We loaded up in the car and headed out to see Memmie and Poppie for Easter weekend.

We had such a great time at Memmie and Poppie's house! We went to the park on Saturday and to church on Sunday. Caleb got TWO Easter baskets and lots of love and attention. Of course, once Caleb went to bed, the 4 adults played marbles and had so much fun! It's one of our favorite things to do.

On Sunday, we took Caleb into "big church" for as long as we could. He made it about 5 minutes into the sermon before he decided to start talking. That's when I took him out to the foyer. We stayed out there until the sermon was over and then rejoined the family in the pew. Caleb loved all of the singing and looking at all of the people!

After church, we went back to Memmie and Poppie's house for lunch. Mom and Mr. L. came to get Caleb after lunch. They took him back to Hot Springs with them for 3 nights! Everyone expected him to cry when they took him, but he looked out the window of the car and said, "Bye-bye, Mama! Bye-bye, Daddy!" Rudy and I drove back home after they left and it was VERY QUIET at our house.

While Caleb was in Hot Springs, he played outside with LaLa and Pops, went to Little Bitty City with Maddox, had a cookout at Brad and Harolyn's and just generally got spoiled. Mom said that he didn't cry for us at all. What a brave little man we have! Mom brought Caleb home on Wednesday and spent the night with us. She took Caleb to school Thursday morning and then drove back to Hot Springs.

On Saturday night (3/29), our friends Bryan and Casey Wilhelm came over for dinner. They brought their daughters, Caroline and Claire. Caleb had a great time playing with the girls and we enjoyed visiting. We're really hoping to do more with the Wilhelms now that spring is here and we can get out of the house more!

This week has been just as crazy as most. On Tuesday (4/1), I drove down to Hot Springs to spend the night before going to a conference in Little Rock on Wednesday. Jan came up after work to take care of Caleb, because Rudy had rehearsal for a gig that he's playing next weekend. When I got home on Wednesday, Caleb absolutely broke my heart into a million pieces. I was so excited to see him and Rudy when I got home. As I was unlocking the door, I could hear Rudy saying, "Guess who's home, Caleb!" When I opened the door, Caleb said, "Lala!" and then realized it was me instead and laid down in the floor crying. I was heartbroken. It wasn't until the next day that he really even had anything to do with me. It hurt my feelings so badly, but now he's decided that he likes me again and we're doing okay.

Last night, we had a great dinner with Grandma Voise, Jan, Todd and Chris. It was good to have the 3 brothers together - even if it was just for a short time.

Today, (4/5), we went to a birthday party for Jackson Lyons. It was at JumpZone - a place with inflatable slides and bounce houses. Caleb loved it! Leslie's brother-in-law, Kyle, took Caleb on all of the slides - even the great big ones. He thought that was so much fun! I just can't believe that Jackson is FIVE YEARS OLD!

Now, Caleb is napping. Whew! We are going to dinner with all of the Voise family tonight and he needs to be well-rested.

On a sad note, Rudy's Grandpa Voise died on Easter Sunday at 5:15 PM. He passed away at the hospice center. His memorial celebration is tomorrow afternoon, so the whole family is in town this weekend. Grandma has been handling it as expected of a person who just lost their life partner. She says that the grief comes in waves, but she is trying to do what she can to be active and to stay positive. We've promised her plenty of time with Caleb to keep her spirits up and we've offered her our guest room anytime she wants a change of scenery. She and I went to get pedicures and manicures on Thursday afternoon and it was very therapeutic for her. She's decided to do that more often! I think she's going to be just fine.

Easter Bunny...or not

I tried to take Caleb to have his picture taken with the Easter Bunny this afternoon. He wanted absolutely nothing to do with it. He didn't cry or scream or anything, he just wouldn't go within 5 feet of the rabbit. I didn't force the issue, since that's not what Easter's really all about anyway. After our first try, I told him it was okay and we walked around the mall a little more. When we passed back by, he was showing a little more interest, so I thought we might be in luck. Nope. He stood about 5 feet from the bunny and waved, said, "Hi, bunny," blew kisses and laughed, but he was NOT going to touch that rabbit. I can't say that I blame him...who ever heard of a human-sized rabbit, wearing clothes and walking on 2 legs? No wonder kids are freaked out!

Spring Break

It's finally here! We're on Spring Break as of today! Yeah!!!

Thanks to everyone who has asked about Rudy's grandfather. He's hanging in there. He has made it much longer than anyone expected. Yesterday, the old hospital in Rogers closed and the new one opened, so he got to take an ambulance ride across town to the new facility. We feel like the doctors will probably transfer him to hospice before long, but we aren't really sure what's to be expected.

Thursday night, we went over to the Voises house to visit with Grandma, Jan and Jan's siblings who had come in to see Grandpa and to take care of the unpleasant, but necessary end-of-life business. As awful as it sounds, we all had a wonderful visit and enjoyed spending the evening catching up. We invited everyone over to our house on Friday night for dinner and ended up having 12 people (including us) in our home. It was one of the best evenings I can remember in a long time. The circumstances for the visit were grim, but I think it made everyone appreciate each other more and made for a very family-oriented night. Saturday, we finished off the family time with a dinner at the Voises. Rudy has gone to see Grandpa every day since he's been in the hospital and I've stayed home with Caleb.

We were supposed to go to St. Louis on Friday for Spring Break, but changed our plans due to the need to be with family. We decided that even if Grandpa makes it another month, we needed to be here during this time. Looking back on that decision, it was a good one. We ended up not needing to be here for a funeral, but we did need to be here for the events of the weekend. We'll be making a trip to STL soon, though!

Our week is going to be pretty relaxing and low-key. I did some shopping this afternoon and Rudy is going to do some work tomorrow. Wednesday, Rudy is taking Caleb to Spiro to see the Morrises, and I'm staying here to get caught up on some paperwork. Thursday, we are planning to go to Tulsa to the zoo. It's supposed to be 72 degrees and sunny - perfect! On Friday, we are going to Sherwood for Easter weekend with my grandparents. My mom is coming over on Sunday to get Caleb and is going to keep him at her house until Wednesday. It's going to wierd around here without him!

Caleb's latest adventures

Caleb continues to amaze and bewilder us every day. He is a true toddler and is showing his desire for independence on a very regular basis. Here's the latest:

• Several weeks ago, he started saying, "Uh-uh Mama" or "Uh-uh, Daddy." Now, he says, "night-night, Mama" and "night-night, Daddy." He tells EVERYTHING night-night and sometimes even gives kisses along the way...to the walls, his toys, the phone...everything. He knows it's funny and does it just for the laugh!
• Two-word utterances: In addition to the greetings and farewells, Caleb is now putting two words together on a regular basis. He says, "Mama's shoe," "My bed," "bye-bye car," etc. Tonight at dinner, he even said, "Thank you, Daddy." Sometimes he also puts things together that crack us up!
• Puzzles! Caleb is the puzzle king! He can work an inset puzzle like nobody's business.
• Planes, Trains, Trucks, Tractors and Cars - The child loves things that go! He got so excited this weekend because the builders in the neighborhood broke ground on some new houses, so there were "tactuhs" everywhere...and they were moving dirt around!
• Animals - Caleb loves to say hi to animals. If he sees a dog, he says, "Hi, dog." If he sees a cat, he says, "Hi, meow kitty." He has also learned lots of animal sounds that are pretty funny. My favorite is the donkey who says, "hee haw hee haw."
• Independence. Caleb wants to feed himself and gets very angry when we try to help. He uses his spoon for yogurt, applesauce, mac & cheese, etc. He also wants to do things like pull his own wagon, throw things away, carry everything. The down side of this is that he doesn't like for his hand to be held much anymore - not even in a parking lot or store. He knows it's not really a choice to walk by himself, but he likes to try to do it anyway and then throws a fit when I won't let him. Oh, well.
• What's in that diaper? - We have not tackled the process of potty training yet and we probably won't until summer at least. However, Caleb is showing some interest in all things toilet related. When I ask him if he is stinky or if he pooped, he will either say "no" or ignore me. That way I know that he hasn't. If he has, though, he points to his diaper and says, "poop." He has also started calling his boy parts, "pee pee" and likes to point this out to me anytime he is naked. He also pointed to his father's "pee pee" this weekend - much to Rudy's chagrin.
• Speaking of diapers - we have moved up to size 6 diapers! Holy cow! Well, Sam's doesn't carry Pampers in a size 6, so I switched to Huggies. Not a good idea! Caleb's diaper has leaked every night this week. He wakes up in the middle of the night crying because his PJ's and sheet are soaking wet. This requires me to get up and not only get him back to sleep, but also change his diaper and PJ's - usually around 2:00 or 2:30. Instead of changing his sheet in the middle of the night, I have resorted to putting him in the guest bed with me. I get very little sleep when I do this and really should just change the sheet and put him back to bed. I'm tired. Caleb kicks, rolls, sits up and does everything but a handstand when he's in that bed. I end up sleeping on about a foot of the edge of the mattress while he's laying sideways taking up the rest of the bed. Tonight, Rudy stopped at the store and bought size 6 Pampers. I just hope they can do the trick!
• Caleb's dancing hasn't improved, but his overall motor skills are developing great. He is now running everywhere, walking backwards, walking sideways and climbing all by himself. He loves to go to our neighborhood playground and climb on the playset, then slide down the slide. His fine motor is coming along too. He loves to "daw" (draw) with crayons and sidewalk chalk.
• And then there's his affinity for being dizzy:

Okay...enough of all of that. Caleb-Bug is doing great. He's been well now for a few weeks and we're seeing lots of personality coming out of him. He has his tantrums and his laughing fits. He loves to play chase and ball with his Daddy and loves to blow raspberries on his Mama's tummy. He is a true blessing and we are so grateful that he is in our lives!

An Update

No, I'm not sick anymore. Stacy reminded me on Friday night that according to my blog, I was still screaming. Sorry! I know I'm about 2 weeks behind on blogging.

Let me just say that strep throat is the curse of the devil himself. It was horrible. I was in the bed from Monday night until Thursday morning. I hurt all over and had absolutely no energy whatsoever. I literally did not touch my child for over 48 hours. It is ridiculous to be in the house with your child and not be able to get within 10 feet of him. Anyway - I got better and I went back to work at noon on Thursday.

It was a good thing that I got better by the weekend, because we took Caleb to his first Razorback basketball game on March 1st. We were really nervous about it. On our way there, I told Rudy, "This is either going to be one of the best things we've ever done, or one of the worst." Caleb was awesome! He loved the music, the cheering, calling the Hogs, watching the people, the "bah-beh-bah" (basketball) and (most of all) his pompon. He made it through the entire game without ever leaving our seats and then afterward, we went down to thank Mr. Gunter for the band guest passes and we got to have our picture taken with Pat Bradley. That was really cool since he was so awesome around the time Rudy and I were at the U of A. After the game, we walked around a little bit, then went to dinner at Jose's. Caleb was a doll the whole time. He must have known how important it was to his Mama and Daddy for him to enjoy his first true Hog experience. We feel like we have indoctrinated him well. :)

We had a snow day on Tuesday, March 4th. It was a fun day at home. The snow was gone by noon, so we all went to the mall in Fayetteville and then out to dinner.

This past weekend, I had a scrapbook crop at the neighborhood clubhouse and then we spent the rest of the weekend just being a family and hanging out. It was perfect.

We found out today that Rudy's grandfather is not doing well in the hospital here in Rogers. He has kidney failure and congestive heart failure. His time left with us is expected to be limited, so we are praying for a peaceful journey for him and for the peace of God to be with Grandma.

Spring Break is next week and it can't get here quickly enough.

I would scream if I could...

I have strep throat.

This Is Not Funny At All

I woke up this morning with a sore throat and feeling kind of sluggish. I chalked it up to a couple of nights in a row of Caleb waking up during the night and needing help to get back to sleep. By mid-morning, I was feeling much worse and by the afternoon, I could hardly focus my eyes. I took my temperature and had a low-grade fever. By the time I got home, I had a fever of almost 101. I called Rudy and he took Caleb to the mall to play and for dinner. I managed to sit in the recliner for a while and got caught up on 3 weeks of Project Runway before I couldn't stand it anymore. I started shivering and aching and had to climb in the bed with my warm PJ's and the thermometer. I've been here ever since. I know it doesn't make any sense to get mad about being sick, but I am. That's just all there is to it. I'm furious about the fact that I'm sick again. Now I'm out of sick days and if I have to miss school tomorrow (highly likely), I won't get paid for it. I'm tired of being sick.

An Update for the Scrapbook Calendar

2/14 ~ Valentine's Day: It was a beautiful day, so Caleb and I played outside after school. We went for a wagon ride and blew bubbles in the driveway. Rudy was asked to substitute for the conductor of the U of A Campus Band, so he was a little late coming in. When he got home, we went out to dinner at Acambaro. 2/15-17 ~ A trip to Hot Springs: We drove down to Hot Springs on Friday after school. Caleb was awesome in the car and didn't really fuss much until the last 30 minutes or so. That's when I really wanted to start fussing too, but I didn't think it would be a very good example. :) On Saturday, Aunt Harolyn came over to visit and then we took Caleb to meet Drs. Jim and Elaine McNiece. Mom, Mr. L. and the McNieces have been friends for years! After that, we took Caleb up to the backside of the racetrack so that he could see the horses. Mr. L. has a friend who is a horse trainer, so we were able to go back to his barn, where Caleb could really get up close and personal. Caleb loved it! Last year, he wasn't so sure about those big animals, but this year, he was enthralled. He even reached out to pet them.

We had a relaxing weekend with Mom and Mr. L. and enjoyed our visit tremendously, but it was time to pack up and head home on Sunday.

2/18 ~ I was out of school on Monday, so I took advantage and made 3 doctor appointments. I got all of my systems checked out and given the go ahead and also managed to get a pedicure while I was at it. It was a busy - but productive - day.

2/23 ~ Aurick's 6th Birthday Party: Caleb was invited to his first Chuck E Cheese birthday party on Saturday. I took him when he woke up from his nap and he had a great time. He even danced with the big kids! I was so proud. I may never forgive Stacy for introducing him to Chuck E Cheese's...just kidding! The best part was that Caleb wasn't afraid of the costumed Chuck E. I was happy to see that, because we're taking him to his first Razorback basketball game on Saturday and I sure would like to get a picture of him with at least one of the mascots!

A GREAT doctor visit

We went to see Dr. Harmon today for a re-check on Caleb's ears and respiratory system. Praise Be...we got a good report. He said that everything is completely okay. We were so excited!!! So - we're not going to have to get tubes this year. However...the first ear infection he has, we are going straight to the ENT and requesting that he put in tubes immediately. Dr. Harmon agrees with that gameplan and we're going with it.

Stomach Flu...again

Back in early September, I wrote a post about our family having the stomach flu. I hoped I would never have to write another one. Yet, here I am - just 5 short months later, reliving the whole thing.

Here's how it all went down...
We all survived the respiratory junk that hit us at the end of January. It cost us a fortune in medications and nearly cost us our sanity (remember the steroids?), but we survived intact. Jan was up for the weekend, so we went out for a nice dinner at Cafe Rue Orleans on Friday night. We thoroughly enjoyed it - as always. Friday and Friday night, Caleb had a little bit of diarrhea, but we chalked it up to his antibiotics and didn't think much of it. On Saturday, Jan agreed (quite willingly) to keep Caleb so Rudy and I could have a day out together. We decided to take a chance on getting tickets at the arena for the Arkansas vs. Florida basketball game, so we went to Fayetteville. We did manage to get pretty great seats and had an absolutely fantastic day together. We watched the game, celebrated the big win with the other crazy fans, went shopping and went to dinner. Rudy even bought me a new iPod for Valentine's Day! Before the game, I commented to Rudy that my stomach didn't feel very good, but I just thought it was because I was hungry. During the game, I started to feel a little queasy and almost feverish, but I pushed it off because I was having so much fun. Rudy called a few times during the day to check in with Jan and Caleb and she said that they were having a great time, but that his diarrhea hadn't stopped and that he was developing a terrible diaper rash. She called us at dinner and said that we should probably come home pretty soon, because he was absolutely miserable and needed some really strong diaper cream to stop the rash. We left as soon as we could and stopped at Walgreen's for diaper rash treatment. When we got home, poor Caleb was in terrible shape. His diaper rash was so painful that he just couldn't be consoled during diaper changes. We were still blaming the antibiotics for his troubles...

I went to bed late Saturday night with a splitting headache and woke up Sunday morning with THAT FEELING. I laid there in misery for a while before I made my first sprint to the bathroom to throw up. That continued throughout the morning and went downhill from there. I definitely had the stomach flu. (In the meantime, Jan had to go help her mother take her father to the hospital. Grandpa's health has been really poor this past few months and he needed some pretty significant medical attention.) Rudy took over taking care of Caleb who obviously had more than just the antibiotics upsetting his stomach. Caleb was a different child than I have ever experienced. He cried at the top of his lungs all day long. He had to be held constantly and could not be satisfied by anything at all. I couldn't lift my head off the pillow without throwing up, so Rudy was completely exhausted by noon. We also knew that the way things were going - there was no way Caleb would be going to school on Monday and that I probably wouldn't either. That's when we decided that we needed to call for backup. I called my mom and she agreed to come up and take care of Caleb. She made it to the house at about 5:00 - just about the time the flu hit Rudy. I was as sick as I have ever been on Sunday night. I could not walk from the couch to the bed by myself. Mom was amazing (as usual) and did everything in her power to take care of Caleb and me and managed to get all of our laundry done at the same time. Somehow, Rudy managed to go to work on Monday. Mom left after going to Wal Mart to get prescription diaper cream for Caleb and Gatorade for me.

Monday and Tuesday nights, Rudy had concerts at the middle schools, so it was just Caleb and me. They were both very trying nights. We were both tired, both still not feeling great and both cranky. That doesn't make for a very good combination. But - we survived and our whole family had a great night last night. Rudy had another concert tonight and Caleb and I had one of the best nights together that I can remember. We played and read books and had dinner together. It was a complete turnaround. I'm praying that we are through being sick for a while and that we can enjoy some time together this weekend without any of the distractions of being sick, tired and cranky.

Do Tears Freeze?

So, we thought we'd be super-parents and take Caleb out to play in the snow yesterday. After all - kids love snow and he seemed to think it was pretty awesome last year, even though he was only 8 months old. Here's how it all went down:

All morning, Caleb went to the window and said, "'no" (his attempt at "snow") and laughed and looked in absolute amazement. So...after Caleb woke up from his nap, we started the bundling. We all put on a couple of layers and asked Caleb if he wanted to go outside. His normal response of, "'side! 'side! 'side!" was a pretty good sign that we were headed out for some fun! At first, his eyes got big, then he managed a half-smile. Then I picked up some snow and let Caleb touch it. He REFUSES to wear gloves or mittens, so I didn't push that too hard. Even though there wasn't much snow, we got out the sled and Rudy pulled Caleb down the sidewalk a couple of times.

After that, things went downhill fast - and I'm not talking about sledding. Caleb freaked out. He cried when we tried to go for a walk, when we tried to go inside and when we tried to put him in his wagon. He was so upset! I asked him if he wanted to go inside and he cried harder. I asked him if he wanted to play and he cried. I'm embarrassed to say that it took me WAY too long to figure out that Caleb's idea of "outside" was very different from what he was experiencing and he was not handling it well. When I asked Caleb if he wanted to go outside, he expected to go out and find grass and concrete and sunshine. Even though he could see the snow through the window - that was just not his idea of what happens when we go "outside." We finally came in and stripped off the outer layer of clothes. He calmed down after a while and we went on with our normal lives...inside the house.

We have a 2nd snow day today and we are NOT going outside.