Christmas is a few days away and people keep asking me, "Are you ready?" I always answer, "I'm as ready as I am going to get." While I still get perfectly giddy on Christmas Eve and I love, love, love the gift giving (and receiving!) aspect of Christmas, I could also be perfectly happy just spending the day with my friends and family... Watching the lights twinkle on the tree... Using laughter as our soundtrack... Wishing that the day would never end.
I often get sentimental about my times with friends and family, not just around the Holidays, but anytime I get to spend such joyous times with them. I find myself watching the room and the interactions taking place around me, thinking that there is something magical about these moments. The moments where you look around and think, "This is why I am here. This is what is important to me. I have more blessings than lights on the tree." And you wish that the moment didn't end. And in some ways, they don't. I keep those moments wrapped, like gifts under the tree, close to my heart and soul and use them to propel me through the times that don't seem so magical.
My wish for you this season is that you find your moment to cherish.
What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace. ~Agnes M. Pahro
I often get sentimental about my times with friends and family, not just around the Holidays, but anytime I get to spend such joyous times with them. I find myself watching the room and the interactions taking place around me, thinking that there is something magical about these moments. The moments where you look around and think, "This is why I am here. This is what is important to me. I have more blessings than lights on the tree." And you wish that the moment didn't end. And in some ways, they don't. I keep those moments wrapped, like gifts under the tree, close to my heart and soul and use them to propel me through the times that don't seem so magical.
My wish for you this season is that you find your moment to cherish.
What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace. ~Agnes M. Pahro
Here's another post about animals. I'm not one of those crazy animal people, really, I'm not. But I do love my dogs and they provide a lot of entertainment in our house.
Chris packed up his winter clothes and left them in a bag next to his side of the bed, which is about 3 feet away from his closet. I never asked why he did it but I refused to move it. So it just sat there. All summer. It's been a giant purple eyesore, but I just refused to move it. My husband, who is obviously not a clean freak, throws clothes on top of the bag. Clothes that are dirty. Clothes that are clean. Clothes that he only wore for a few hours and plans to wear again (but he never does!) Recently, he started taking the winter clothes out of the bag, but the bag is still there. Winter clothes are spilling out of it. He kicks off his shoes there too, so now the shoes are beginning to multiply. His semi-clean already worn clothes are starting to pile up. It's a mess.
Saturday night our 115-lb Bullmastiff decided that he wanted to forgo his warm dog bed... because the duffle bag was calling his name! He tried and tried but he just could not fit inside of that bag and he settled for laying on top of it, snuggling with Chris's warm clothes. Last night he did the same thing and he was sound asleep this morning when I was getting ready for work. I couldn't help but take pictures.
Oh, and the reason why Chris bagged up his clothes? (I finally asked after 6 months.) He needed more hangers.
Chris packed up his winter clothes and left them in a bag next to his side of the bed, which is about 3 feet away from his closet. I never asked why he did it but I refused to move it. So it just sat there. All summer. It's been a giant purple eyesore, but I just refused to move it. My husband, who is obviously not a clean freak, throws clothes on top of the bag. Clothes that are dirty. Clothes that are clean. Clothes that he only wore for a few hours and plans to wear again (but he never does!) Recently, he started taking the winter clothes out of the bag, but the bag is still there. Winter clothes are spilling out of it. He kicks off his shoes there too, so now the shoes are beginning to multiply. His semi-clean already worn clothes are starting to pile up. It's a mess.
Saturday night our 115-lb Bullmastiff decided that he wanted to forgo his warm dog bed... because the duffle bag was calling his name! He tried and tried but he just could not fit inside of that bag and he settled for laying on top of it, snuggling with Chris's warm clothes. Last night he did the same thing and he was sound asleep this morning when I was getting ready for work. I couldn't help but take pictures.
Oh, and the reason why Chris bagged up his clothes? (I finally asked after 6 months.) He needed more hangers.
Two weeks ago, Chris rescued a dog. He was outside working in the garage when a little black, bow-legged, raggedy old dog walked up to him. The dog had a collar on but no tags. He seemed tired so Chris gave him some water and then walked him around for a little bit asking the neighbors if they knew who the dog belonged to, but no one knew. So, Chris did what any animal-loving person would do, he decided that we would keep him overnight and take him to Pets, Inc. in the morning if we hadn't heard anything. He named him Buster, took the dog inside and introduced him to our giants, and gave him a bath. Our dogs were fine with Buster, though Buster wasn't crazy about them at all. Chris took Buster with him to pick up Cameryn from school just in case there was a scuffle with Buster and the giants while he was gone. Cameryn adored that little black dog and it was love at first sight. She liked that he could sit in her lap.
I was at work while all of this was going on. I printed off some FOUND DOG posters and Chris hung them up around the neighborhood when I got home but we didn't receive any calls. Poor little guy wouldn't eat anything but a dog biscuit and would follow Chris where ever he went, I felt terrible because I knew that this was someones dog and they were probably worried sick about him. Buster and Chris slept on the couch that night. Chris tried to get into the bed, but Buster jumped up and down and whined because he couldn't get up. I didn't want the dog on the bed (because then the other two would think that they could get on the bed!), so Chris and Buster shared a blanket on the couch.
Cameryn woke up at 5:30am and was thrilled that Buster was still there. Chris's phone rang at 6:50am, it was Buster's owner and he was so relieved that we had his little black bow-legged dog, whose name was actually Henry! We told Cameryn that Buster's Daddy was coming to get him. She was so sad. Chris took Buster outside and Cameryn cried and cried until I walked her out so that she could say goodbye. Buster's owner was so thankful that we had given him a good home for the night. He lives just a few houses away from us, but we had never seen him because they have a fenced in back yard - the grandkids left the gate open and Buster got out. He is quite the little escape artist!
Cameryn still asks about Buster every now and then. Last night, someone knocked on our door, when I opened it, there was Buster's dad with a gift! I told him that he didn't have to bring us anything but he said that Buster would have had a fit if he didn't say thank you. Cameryn opened the gift -a holiday pillow and blanket. I asked her if she would like it on her bed and she said "No, it's Busters!" She carried it out to the living room and put the pillow on her chair and the blanket behind it. I know that she is waiting for him to come back one day! And he just might, but at least we can take him home. The gift, and seeing Cameryn's reaction, warmed my heart last night. We have so much to be thankful for during this Holiday Season.
I was at work while all of this was going on. I printed off some FOUND DOG posters and Chris hung them up around the neighborhood when I got home but we didn't receive any calls. Poor little guy wouldn't eat anything but a dog biscuit and would follow Chris where ever he went, I felt terrible because I knew that this was someones dog and they were probably worried sick about him. Buster and Chris slept on the couch that night. Chris tried to get into the bed, but Buster jumped up and down and whined because he couldn't get up. I didn't want the dog on the bed (because then the other two would think that they could get on the bed!), so Chris and Buster shared a blanket on the couch.
Cameryn woke up at 5:30am and was thrilled that Buster was still there. Chris's phone rang at 6:50am, it was Buster's owner and he was so relieved that we had his little black bow-legged dog, whose name was actually Henry! We told Cameryn that Buster's Daddy was coming to get him. She was so sad. Chris took Buster outside and Cameryn cried and cried until I walked her out so that she could say goodbye. Buster's owner was so thankful that we had given him a good home for the night. He lives just a few houses away from us, but we had never seen him because they have a fenced in back yard - the grandkids left the gate open and Buster got out. He is quite the little escape artist!
Cameryn still asks about Buster every now and then. Last night, someone knocked on our door, when I opened it, there was Buster's dad with a gift! I told him that he didn't have to bring us anything but he said that Buster would have had a fit if he didn't say thank you. Cameryn opened the gift -a holiday pillow and blanket. I asked her if she would like it on her bed and she said "No, it's Busters!" She carried it out to the living room and put the pillow on her chair and the blanket behind it. I know that she is waiting for him to come back one day! And he just might, but at least we can take him home. The gift, and seeing Cameryn's reaction, warmed my heart last night. We have so much to be thankful for during this Holiday Season.
 |
| To: Our Friends From: "Buster" For Taking Care of Me |
For those of you who are wondering, no, I am not driving around in stealth mode silence. When I bought my car, they were kind enough to give me a handy dandy identification card that had both of my codes on it. They were in my wallet all along so I drove around in super secret silent stealth mode for nothing. I know Cameryn is happy. I think she got really tired of hearing me sing!
***
Our office is on the fifth floor of the building and there are 4 other companies on our floor. We all share the bathroom. All of the bathrooms in our building have a couch and a chair in it (which I think is totally weird and disgusting because we all know that not everyone cleans up after they go) and so many people sit there and talk on the phone or talk trash about their coworkers. The things that you can learn in the bathroom... I find it highly amusing. There is one woman (who I refer to as Sleeping Beauty) who takes a nap on the couch two times a day - she is prepared with a pillow, eye mask and large cardigan that she uses as a blanket. Currently the bathroom on our floor is being renovated so we have to go to the fourth floor. I haven't seen Sleeping Beauty down there at all this week. I wonder how she is coping? Or if her coworkers think she is cranky.
***
Cameryn is still loving the Little People Nativity scenes. Her Elf, Toot, brought her the last two this week. She loves the animals, especially the hee-haw (aka donkey) and the three camels, but she also likes Baby Jesus! Yay! She even took Baby Jesus with her to school. Yes, he sat in her cubby all day, but it's definitely better than when my family used to tape him inside the toilet tank.
***
I think my feet have gotten bigger. The shoes that I am wearing today feel too short. And no, I do not need to cut my toenails. They are trimmed, not pedicure perfect (because really, who has the money or the time to do that?) but they are presentable. Anyway, my shoes feel too short. I haven't worn these particular shoes since last week and they were fine last week. Huh.
***
I put my underwear on inside out. I really hate it when I do that. I feel weird all day.
***
I am almost done Christmas shopping. I am both relieved and sad. Relieved because I know that I don't have to spend any more money or fight traffic on my lunch breaks but sad because it means that the Holiday's are almost over. I just love all of the lights and decorations! Last night I had a wrapping marathon and spent two hours wrapping gifts. I am so anxious to give everyone their gifts and see their reactions. Especially all of the kids! I just know they are going to be so excited!
***
Our office is on the fifth floor of the building and there are 4 other companies on our floor. We all share the bathroom. All of the bathrooms in our building have a couch and a chair in it (which I think is totally weird and disgusting because we all know that not everyone cleans up after they go) and so many people sit there and talk on the phone or talk trash about their coworkers. The things that you can learn in the bathroom... I find it highly amusing. There is one woman (who I refer to as Sleeping Beauty) who takes a nap on the couch two times a day - she is prepared with a pillow, eye mask and large cardigan that she uses as a blanket. Currently the bathroom on our floor is being renovated so we have to go to the fourth floor. I haven't seen Sleeping Beauty down there at all this week. I wonder how she is coping? Or if her coworkers think she is cranky.
***
Cameryn is still loving the Little People Nativity scenes. Her Elf, Toot, brought her the last two this week. She loves the animals, especially the hee-haw (aka donkey) and the three camels, but she also likes Baby Jesus! Yay! She even took Baby Jesus with her to school. Yes, he sat in her cubby all day, but it's definitely better than when my family used to tape him inside the toilet tank.
***
I think my feet have gotten bigger. The shoes that I am wearing today feel too short. And no, I do not need to cut my toenails. They are trimmed, not pedicure perfect (because really, who has the money or the time to do that?) but they are presentable. Anyway, my shoes feel too short. I haven't worn these particular shoes since last week and they were fine last week. Huh.
***
I put my underwear on inside out. I really hate it when I do that. I feel weird all day.
***
I am almost done Christmas shopping. I am both relieved and sad. Relieved because I know that I don't have to spend any more money or fight traffic on my lunch breaks but sad because it means that the Holiday's are almost over. I just love all of the lights and decorations! Last night I had a wrapping marathon and spent two hours wrapping gifts. I am so anxious to give everyone their gifts and see their reactions. Especially all of the kids! I just know they are going to be so excited!
I'm a pet owner. I certainly don't claim to know everything that there is about animals, how to raise or how to train an animal, but I do have pets that are well trained. I do have strong opinions about pet owners and their responsibilities to their pets. There have been several stories in the news about abandoned animals. Animals left out in the cold. Animals being abused. There was recently a story in the Upstate of SC of a dog being set on fire, just because. This kind of behavior is despicable. I don't condone cruelty to animals and I would like to "do unto others" in these situations. I feel that if you choose bring an animal (or a child!) into the world that you have a responsibility to care for them in every sense of the word.
That being said, IMHO pet owners have a responsibility to train their pet and give them the boundaries that they need. Yes, in case you were wondering, we are avid Dog Whisperer watchers in our house. We have read his books. We have tried his techniques. They work. But if, and only if, you take the time to work with your dog. Chris has much more experience than I do training animals and as much as I bust on him for being "Mr. Animal Planet", I do appreciate and respect his opinions on behavioral training. Chris has worked long and hard with our two dogs to ensure that they are not dangerous to other people or to other animals. He has also worked with Cameryn to be sure that she knows how to behave around our dogs and how to approach a strange animal. That being said, yes, we have had a previous incident with our Bull mastiff having aggression towards animals that come onto our property "uninvited", so we are definitely not perfect or strangers to dog aggression issues. Since then, we have gone back to basics and worked to make sure that it does not happen again.
My mother has two dogs, a Cocker Spaniel and an English Bulldog, both female. They are her 'babies'. Both have similar, minimal training which has resulted in bouts of chaos. They have no boundaries, no rules, no limitations. They get little exercise. The Cocker Spaniel is seriously the most hyper dog I have ever seen. She NEVER calms down. Recently, they have been fighting. The Cocker Spaniel instigates it and the Bulldog reacts. The Bulldog, being the stronger of the two, actually tore tendons in the Cocker Spaniel's leg. Naturally, my mother blamed all of the aggression the Bulldog because she is stronger. Dogs don't bench press, they don't know their own strength- it's not the Bulldog's fault just because she's bigger and stronger! We have encouraged my mom to get in home training because she may end up hurting herself when trying to break up their fights. She instead chose to go to a Behavioral Specialist that took blood to see if either of them were hormonally imbalanced and GASP! both of them came back normal (DUH!) Last night my mom was bit on the face. Both dogs were on her bed and my mom was attempting to get into bed. I don't know exactly what happened but the Bulldog bit her on the face. After a late night trip to the ER and a few stitches later, my mom is okay. For now. What happens next time?
I am tempted to hire an in-home dog trainer for my mom but know that she will be offended. She has no control, but needs to gain some quickly before her house, literally, has gone to the the dogs.
That being said, IMHO pet owners have a responsibility to train their pet and give them the boundaries that they need. Yes, in case you were wondering, we are avid Dog Whisperer watchers in our house. We have read his books. We have tried his techniques. They work. But if, and only if, you take the time to work with your dog. Chris has much more experience than I do training animals and as much as I bust on him for being "Mr. Animal Planet", I do appreciate and respect his opinions on behavioral training. Chris has worked long and hard with our two dogs to ensure that they are not dangerous to other people or to other animals. He has also worked with Cameryn to be sure that she knows how to behave around our dogs and how to approach a strange animal. That being said, yes, we have had a previous incident with our Bull mastiff having aggression towards animals that come onto our property "uninvited", so we are definitely not perfect or strangers to dog aggression issues. Since then, we have gone back to basics and worked to make sure that it does not happen again.
My mother has two dogs, a Cocker Spaniel and an English Bulldog, both female. They are her 'babies'. Both have similar, minimal training which has resulted in bouts of chaos. They have no boundaries, no rules, no limitations. They get little exercise. The Cocker Spaniel is seriously the most hyper dog I have ever seen. She NEVER calms down. Recently, they have been fighting. The Cocker Spaniel instigates it and the Bulldog reacts. The Bulldog, being the stronger of the two, actually tore tendons in the Cocker Spaniel's leg. Naturally, my mother blamed all of the aggression the Bulldog because she is stronger. Dogs don't bench press, they don't know their own strength- it's not the Bulldog's fault just because she's bigger and stronger! We have encouraged my mom to get in home training because she may end up hurting herself when trying to break up their fights. She instead chose to go to a Behavioral Specialist that took blood to see if either of them were hormonally imbalanced and GASP! both of them came back normal (DUH!) Last night my mom was bit on the face. Both dogs were on her bed and my mom was attempting to get into bed. I don't know exactly what happened but the Bulldog bit her on the face. After a late night trip to the ER and a few stitches later, my mom is okay. For now. What happens next time?
I am tempted to hire an in-home dog trainer for my mom but know that she will be offended. She has no control, but needs to gain some quickly before her house, literally, has gone to the the dogs.
I'm disappointed today along with a dose of more than slightly annoyed. There is a new, unexpected and reoccurring trend in my life right now that I would really like to kick in the ass and drag by the ears all the way to the dump. I'm hoping that it won't be a permanent trend, but for right now, it sucks. I don't like being blown off by people that I care about. I feel used. I'm a good friend. I deserve to be surrounded by the same.
***
My dog wanted to go outside at 2am. He started panting like it was 100 degrees in our house but really his Saint Bernard cold weather sensors went off and he just wanted to go outside and lay in the really cold grass for awhile. I was annoyed, naturally, but when I opened the door to let him out I was awestruck by how clear the skies were. The stars were incredible little jewels and I felt like I had my own magical, twinkling, secret gift at two in the morning.
***
Cameryn has discovered her nose. She tells us when she has a booger and then she goes for it before we can get her a tissue. Yesterday I told her that there were germs in her nose and that she should keep her fingers out of it. She said, "Germs? Oh, okay." And that was it. She didn't go digging for the rest of the evening. This was the conversation last night when I was putting her to sleep:
C: "No picking nose. Germs in there?"
"Yes, Cameryn, germs in are your nose. When you pick your nose you get germs on your hands and then germs on your toys."
C: "Oh. Germs on fingers. Germs on toys. Germs on the floor. Mommy has germs? Daddy has germs? Madison has germs? William has germs?"
"Yes, Cameryn, we all have germs. We don't want to share our germs."
C: "Share, Mommy! Be nice!"
"No, Cameryn, we share our toys, but not our germs. Don't share germs."
C: "Oh. Okay. No share germs. No pick nose. Germs in there. Why?"
"That's right, germs are in your nose, don't pick it. Please go to sleep, Cameryn."
C: "Germs go to sleep too?"
The mind of a two year old is a wondrous thing. And yes, the first thing that she did this morning was point to her nose and say, "Germs in there!" I'm glad that the point got across.
***
The battery in my car had to be replaced. Normal maintenance of a car owner. However, the heart of my car is the technology package which works off of a code. The battery replacement forced a reset of the computer in my car that needs to be activated with the code. The secret code. The code that I have tried to guess over and over. The code that forces me to be SOL and riding down the rode in silence. Because my radio won't work. My cd player won't work. The freaking 1980's cassette player in my 2008 car won't work. I cannot even plug in my ipod. I do however, get to see an annoying red light that continuously flashes and lets me know that my anti-theft is working and tracking. Damn technology.
***
It's cold outside. I like it. Because it feels like Christmas. And that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
***
My dog wanted to go outside at 2am. He started panting like it was 100 degrees in our house but really his Saint Bernard cold weather sensors went off and he just wanted to go outside and lay in the really cold grass for awhile. I was annoyed, naturally, but when I opened the door to let him out I was awestruck by how clear the skies were. The stars were incredible little jewels and I felt like I had my own magical, twinkling, secret gift at two in the morning.
***
Cameryn has discovered her nose. She tells us when she has a booger and then she goes for it before we can get her a tissue. Yesterday I told her that there were germs in her nose and that she should keep her fingers out of it. She said, "Germs? Oh, okay." And that was it. She didn't go digging for the rest of the evening. This was the conversation last night when I was putting her to sleep:
C: "No picking nose. Germs in there?"
"Yes, Cameryn, germs in are your nose. When you pick your nose you get germs on your hands and then germs on your toys."
C: "Oh. Germs on fingers. Germs on toys. Germs on the floor. Mommy has germs? Daddy has germs? Madison has germs? William has germs?"
"Yes, Cameryn, we all have germs. We don't want to share our germs."
C: "Share, Mommy! Be nice!"
"No, Cameryn, we share our toys, but not our germs. Don't share germs."
C: "Oh. Okay. No share germs. No pick nose. Germs in there. Why?"
"That's right, germs are in your nose, don't pick it. Please go to sleep, Cameryn."
C: "Germs go to sleep too?"
The mind of a two year old is a wondrous thing. And yes, the first thing that she did this morning was point to her nose and say, "Germs in there!" I'm glad that the point got across.
***
The battery in my car had to be replaced. Normal maintenance of a car owner. However, the heart of my car is the technology package which works off of a code. The battery replacement forced a reset of the computer in my car that needs to be activated with the code. The secret code. The code that I have tried to guess over and over. The code that forces me to be SOL and riding down the rode in silence. Because my radio won't work. My cd player won't work. The freaking 1980's cassette player in my 2008 car won't work. I cannot even plug in my ipod. I do however, get to see an annoying red light that continuously flashes and lets me know that my anti-theft is working and tracking. Damn technology.
***
It's cold outside. I like it. Because it feels like Christmas. And that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
We took Cameryn to see Santa! She was SO excited. She told Chris that she was going to ask for a dunebuggy and a horse (no fatherly influence there, really) but when she sat down she told Santa that she wanted "Lotsa presents." Santa laughed.
Chris forgot the camera so these are from our phone. Yes, my child has on pink shoes with a red shirt and red socks. They are her favorite shoes.
Santa was kind of obsessed with Cameryn's Mickey Mouse socks. It was a little strange.
Cameryn rode the carousel while they waited for me to get there. There wasn't a peacock so she rode the tiger! I love the look on her face in this picture.
We went to see Santa during the week because last year we waited for 2 hours on the weekend. Thankfully, the line was short and there were only 3 other families in front of us. The line moved quickly until the mother in front of us decided to torture her screaming one year old child by insisting that he sit on Santa's lap while they jingled bells, and clapped, and sang songs. Over and over and over. The mother, grandparents, and the nice picture elves must have tried for 20 minutes while the rest of us stood around and tried to be nice. Screw nice. Santa got up and told the mom that while he understood how important the picture was, they did have to keep the line moving for the other children.
I love Santa.
Chris forgot the camera so these are from our phone. Yes, my child has on pink shoes with a red shirt and red socks. They are her favorite shoes.
Cameryn rode the carousel while they waited for me to get there. There wasn't a peacock so she rode the tiger! I love the look on her face in this picture.
We went to see Santa during the week because last year we waited for 2 hours on the weekend. Thankfully, the line was short and there were only 3 other families in front of us. The line moved quickly until the mother in front of us decided to torture her screaming one year old child by insisting that he sit on Santa's lap while they jingled bells, and clapped, and sang songs. Over and over and over. The mother, grandparents, and the nice picture elves must have tried for 20 minutes while the rest of us stood around and tried to be nice. Screw nice. Santa got up and told the mom that while he understood how important the picture was, they did have to keep the line moving for the other children.
I love Santa.
Two year olds have obsessions.
Cameryn is animal obsessed. (She truly is her father's child!)
Earlier this year, Cameryn found the first Shrek DVD in our entertainment unit and I put it in for her to watch. She was in love. She carried around a plastic Shrek toy for months. We couldn't leave the house without it. We have Shrek coloring sheets. Shrek stuffed animals. We have had to watch the Shrek Holiday specials over and over and over. Most little girls, when they talk on their pink play phones, call their Mommy and Daddy. Or their BFF. Or their Grandparents. Not my kid. She calls Shrek. Or "Hee-Haw" (aka Donkey.)
I have been talking to Cameryn about The Christmas Story and the Birth of Jesus. A few weeks ago, my mom bought Cameryn the Little People Nativity Sets so she has something to reference on a daily basis. The first set is the Inn at Bethlehem, which contains the Inn, Innkeepers, and a few animals. Each morning on the way to school I tell her about the birth of Baby Jesus and why we celebrate Christmas. She pays me no attention until I tell her that there are animals at the Inn, then she gets excited and talks nonstop them, asking a million questions. I am hoping that she will have the same enthusiasm about Baby Jesus soon too. (But not like the Ricky Bobby enthusiasm from Talledega Nights. Jesus did grow up. "He was a man! He had a beard!")
Cameryn talks in her sleep. I can never figure out if she is actually sleeping or if she is awake so many times I have to go into her room just to be sure. The past few nights she has been awake. Monday and Tuesday night I went into her room and she told me that there were frogs. Couldn't I hear them? Wednesday night she told me that there were baboons in her closet. I can chalk this up to an active imagination and too many trips to the zoo. But yesterday? Yesterday when she woke up, she insisted that there was an owl by her door and as we walked out of her room she said that it was flying up the stairs and that she wanted to go touch it. I played along for a minute and then I realized that this kid was serious. She saw an owl! The only thing that I could think about was that silly owl from Harry Potter but Cameryn hasn't seen Harry Potter. Where does she come up with this stuff?
I recorded Beauty & the Beast over Thanksgiving (I just love the 25 days of Christmas on ABC Family!) Cam said that the Beast wasn't a Beast, it was a tiger and she refers to the Beast as "Tiger Beast." I, being the girly person that I am, was sure to point out Belle! After all, what girl doesn't like a princess?!
Mine. Duh. What was I thinking?
For two weeks, we have had to skip every scene with Belle and go right to the "Tiger Beast."
This morning Cameryn and I sat down to have breakfast together. I put her breakfast on a Disney princess plate that has Belle, Cinderella, and Aurora on it. She said, "Look Mommy! It's Belle! I like Belle!"
I did a little happy dance.
YES!
She may be my kid after all.
Cameryn is animal obsessed. (She truly is her father's child!)
Earlier this year, Cameryn found the first Shrek DVD in our entertainment unit and I put it in for her to watch. She was in love. She carried around a plastic Shrek toy for months. We couldn't leave the house without it. We have Shrek coloring sheets. Shrek stuffed animals. We have had to watch the Shrek Holiday specials over and over and over. Most little girls, when they talk on their pink play phones, call their Mommy and Daddy. Or their BFF. Or their Grandparents. Not my kid. She calls Shrek. Or "Hee-Haw" (aka Donkey.)
I have been talking to Cameryn about The Christmas Story and the Birth of Jesus. A few weeks ago, my mom bought Cameryn the Little People Nativity Sets so she has something to reference on a daily basis. The first set is the Inn at Bethlehem, which contains the Inn, Innkeepers, and a few animals. Each morning on the way to school I tell her about the birth of Baby Jesus and why we celebrate Christmas. She pays me no attention until I tell her that there are animals at the Inn, then she gets excited and talks nonstop them, asking a million questions. I am hoping that she will have the same enthusiasm about Baby Jesus soon too. (But not like the Ricky Bobby enthusiasm from Talledega Nights. Jesus did grow up. "He was a man! He had a beard!")
Cameryn talks in her sleep. I can never figure out if she is actually sleeping or if she is awake so many times I have to go into her room just to be sure. The past few nights she has been awake. Monday and Tuesday night I went into her room and she told me that there were frogs. Couldn't I hear them? Wednesday night she told me that there were baboons in her closet. I can chalk this up to an active imagination and too many trips to the zoo. But yesterday? Yesterday when she woke up, she insisted that there was an owl by her door and as we walked out of her room she said that it was flying up the stairs and that she wanted to go touch it. I played along for a minute and then I realized that this kid was serious. She saw an owl! The only thing that I could think about was that silly owl from Harry Potter but Cameryn hasn't seen Harry Potter. Where does she come up with this stuff?
I recorded Beauty & the Beast over Thanksgiving (I just love the 25 days of Christmas on ABC Family!) Cam said that the Beast wasn't a Beast, it was a tiger and she refers to the Beast as "Tiger Beast." I, being the girly person that I am, was sure to point out Belle! After all, what girl doesn't like a princess?!
Mine. Duh. What was I thinking?
For two weeks, we have had to skip every scene with Belle and go right to the "Tiger Beast."
This morning Cameryn and I sat down to have breakfast together. I put her breakfast on a Disney princess plate that has Belle, Cinderella, and Aurora on it. She said, "Look Mommy! It's Belle! I like Belle!"
I did a little happy dance.
YES!
She may be my kid after all.
Cameryn is obsessed with elephants. She even pretends that her arm is an elephant trunk and will make an elephant noise as she moves her arm up in the air.
Like clockwork, Cameryn comes into our bedroom around 5:30 every morning and crawls into our bed. I don't mind that she comes in, but she will only sleep in the middle of my pillow which causes me to be very uncomfortable. So I lie awake staring at the ceiling, trying not to fall off the bed, while listening to Chris snore as he and Cameryn sleep the morning away.
Yesterday, apparently, Cameryn wasn't asleep. Chris let out one heckuva snore. Cameryn must have thought that they were playing animal sounds and that Chris was pretending to be a pig or something because the next thing I know Cameryn pretends to be an elephant.
I almost fell off the bed because I was laughing so hard.
I love my kid.
Like clockwork, Cameryn comes into our bedroom around 5:30 every morning and crawls into our bed. I don't mind that she comes in, but she will only sleep in the middle of my pillow which causes me to be very uncomfortable. So I lie awake staring at the ceiling, trying not to fall off the bed, while listening to Chris snore as he and Cameryn sleep the morning away.
Yesterday, apparently, Cameryn wasn't asleep. Chris let out one heckuva snore. Cameryn must have thought that they were playing animal sounds and that Chris was pretending to be a pig or something because the next thing I know Cameryn pretends to be an elephant.
I almost fell off the bed because I was laughing so hard.
I love my kid.
Our radio statio has a contest right now.. Be a Hot Mess like Kesha and win tickets to see her in concert. No, I don't like Kesha and I usually change the station when her songs come on but perhaps I could enter and win this one. I am definitely a Hot Mess most days.
I am not one of those women that always looks totally put together. You know the women that I am talking about. No matter what time of day it is they always look like they could be a cover model for InStyle. Their hair is perfectly coiffed. Their makeup looks like it has been airbrushed. They have clothes that fit to a T. Their jewelry is right in line with the current trends. They look polished. Effortless.
Sigh.
Nope. Definitely not me. I change my outfit 3-4 times before I actually walk out of the house (my husband calls me Mr. Rogers) and even then I may not be happy with the way that it looks. Currently my hair is in desperate need of a cut and foil. I just noticed that I shouldn't be wearing these shoes with these pants because it looks like I have on high waters. My makeup is applied once a day. I wear the same jewelry everyday. Because I tried wearing bracelets but I cannot type with them on and I usually end up just taking them off anyway. I like necklaces but long ones drive me bonkers and short ones usually end up under my shirt. Normally by lunch my makeup is gone and my hair has made it up into some sort of wanna- be-bun-ponytail thingy. And this isn't just on the weekend, people. This is everyday. Current fashion trends make me uncomfortable. I'll pass on the high waisted pants and skirts. Skinny jeans are not my friend. Boots tucked into my pants make me look like an Oompa Loompa.
How do these women do it? How do they look so put together? They need to share (with me and Kesha).
I am not one of those women that always looks totally put together. You know the women that I am talking about. No matter what time of day it is they always look like they could be a cover model for InStyle. Their hair is perfectly coiffed. Their makeup looks like it has been airbrushed. They have clothes that fit to a T. Their jewelry is right in line with the current trends. They look polished. Effortless.
Sigh.
Nope. Definitely not me. I change my outfit 3-4 times before I actually walk out of the house (my husband calls me Mr. Rogers) and even then I may not be happy with the way that it looks. Currently my hair is in desperate need of a cut and foil. I just noticed that I shouldn't be wearing these shoes with these pants because it looks like I have on high waters. My makeup is applied once a day. I wear the same jewelry everyday. Because I tried wearing bracelets but I cannot type with them on and I usually end up just taking them off anyway. I like necklaces but long ones drive me bonkers and short ones usually end up under my shirt. Normally by lunch my makeup is gone and my hair has made it up into some sort of wanna- be-bun-ponytail thingy. And this isn't just on the weekend, people. This is everyday. Current fashion trends make me uncomfortable. I'll pass on the high waisted pants and skirts. Skinny jeans are not my friend. Boots tucked into my pants make me look like an Oompa Loompa.
How do these women do it? How do they look so put together? They need to share (with me and Kesha).
We didn't have any plans for the weekend. I needed to clean our house after having company last week. Chris was working Saturday and Sunday, so it was just Cam and I.
Or so I thought.
Cameryn and I got up at 6:30 on Saturday and played until 7:30 when she wanted to wake up Chris. Chris got up and was sitting on the couch drinking his coffee. Cameryn and I went into the office because she wanted to do her ABC's online (Fisher Price website!) About 15 minutes later I heard a loud BOOM! and then an "Oh!" I called out to Chris and asked if he was okay. No answer. I called again. No answer. I got up from the chair, running into the living room while Cameryn trailed behind me. My heart dropped into my stomach, Chris was face first on the floor. Coffee was spilled everywhere. His glasses had fallen off and were bent. "Chris! Are you okay?" He looked up at me and was totally disoriented. Cameryn, obviously sensing that something was wrong had started crying. Chris tried to get up, but I made him just sit there while I figured out what the heck just happened. He said that he doesn't remember getting up off the couch or walking towards the kitchen. He walked 5-6 steps towards the kitchen and fell face first, between Cameryn's toy box and the coffee table. He does have a red mark on his head, he obviously hit it somewhere, and rug burn on his knee, but otherwise he is/was okay. He sat on the couch with Cameryn while I cleaned the carpet. I asked him if he had ever done that before, he said no. I asked him if he wanted to go to the doctor, he said no. This was not the answer that I wanted to hear. This wasn't a normal occurrence for him, so obviously something was wrong. I asked him to call his mom (because I knew he would listen to her) and she recommended that we go to the doctor. He ate while I dressed Cameryn and off we went. We waited for an hour or so before he was finally seen. His sugar was low, even after his meal, but otherwise he was fine. His EKG and vitals all came back normal. They sent off his blood work to check his insulin levels and we should have that back in a few days. We are wondering if he is hypoglycemic as it runs in his family. He didn't go to work on Saturday, thank goodness, and we had a lazy Saturday. I cooked chili and we watched the SEC Championship game.
Chris did go to work on Sunday, he said that he is feeling fine. I have asked him to try and eat something every few hours to keep his sugar levels up. He did eat a snack in the morning, but didn't after lunch. I have set a reminder on my calendar at work to text him every 3 hours to eat. I don't want to find him face first in the ground again!
Or so I thought.
Cameryn and I got up at 6:30 on Saturday and played until 7:30 when she wanted to wake up Chris. Chris got up and was sitting on the couch drinking his coffee. Cameryn and I went into the office because she wanted to do her ABC's online (Fisher Price website!) About 15 minutes later I heard a loud BOOM! and then an "Oh!" I called out to Chris and asked if he was okay. No answer. I called again. No answer. I got up from the chair, running into the living room while Cameryn trailed behind me. My heart dropped into my stomach, Chris was face first on the floor. Coffee was spilled everywhere. His glasses had fallen off and were bent. "Chris! Are you okay?" He looked up at me and was totally disoriented. Cameryn, obviously sensing that something was wrong had started crying. Chris tried to get up, but I made him just sit there while I figured out what the heck just happened. He said that he doesn't remember getting up off the couch or walking towards the kitchen. He walked 5-6 steps towards the kitchen and fell face first, between Cameryn's toy box and the coffee table. He does have a red mark on his head, he obviously hit it somewhere, and rug burn on his knee, but otherwise he is/was okay. He sat on the couch with Cameryn while I cleaned the carpet. I asked him if he had ever done that before, he said no. I asked him if he wanted to go to the doctor, he said no. This was not the answer that I wanted to hear. This wasn't a normal occurrence for him, so obviously something was wrong. I asked him to call his mom (because I knew he would listen to her) and she recommended that we go to the doctor. He ate while I dressed Cameryn and off we went. We waited for an hour or so before he was finally seen. His sugar was low, even after his meal, but otherwise he was fine. His EKG and vitals all came back normal. They sent off his blood work to check his insulin levels and we should have that back in a few days. We are wondering if he is hypoglycemic as it runs in his family. He didn't go to work on Saturday, thank goodness, and we had a lazy Saturday. I cooked chili and we watched the SEC Championship game.
Chris did go to work on Sunday, he said that he is feeling fine. I have asked him to try and eat something every few hours to keep his sugar levels up. He did eat a snack in the morning, but didn't after lunch. I have set a reminder on my calendar at work to text him every 3 hours to eat. I don't want to find him face first in the ground again!
Our family was blessed with two more girls to love! The girls, Anna Michaela & Laura Margaret, were born in Boston on Wednesay, December 1. Their mom, Maggie, is a superhero for sure. Their dad, Matt (Chris's brother), is a little overwhelmed but already head over heels for them. Maggie will be able to go home this afternoon but the girls will have to stay in the hospital for another week or so. Though overall healthy, Anna and Laura are in NICU as they are slightly premature. Laura had an episode of apnea on Wednesday night (which is somewhat common since her lungs aren't fully developed.) Both girls are currently on feeding tubes. We had good news this morning that Anna was in a regular crib as she is now regulating her own temp. Please say a prayer for them! I can't wait to meet these precious babies!
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| Anna Michaela |
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| Laura Margaret |
I told Shana that I was a little nervous about putting wrapped presents under the tree because Cam will want to open them right away. Since Shana has three kids, I figured that she was a good one to consult about this. She said that she remembered feeling that way too but that she just told her kids that if they played with the wrapped gifts or tried to open them that she would take them away. Brilliant! Why didn't I think of that?!
I got the cutest paper again this year from the dollar bins at Target and the rolls are the prefect size for the smaller clothes and toy boxes! I wrapped a few gifts for our nieces and nephew and carried them out to the tree. I told Chris that if Cam touched or opened the gifts that we would take them away. He said, "Why put any gifts under the tree? Santa brings them all anyway." I'm sure that I made a strange face and some odd noise as I stared at him in disbelief. WHAT?! What in the heck is this man talking about? The gifts aren't for her, they are for her cousins and Santa isn't bringing the gifts for her cousins. Plus, presents under our tree that she cannot touch is a prime learning opportunity.
This is the first year that we really have to worry about the presents and our "family" traditions (last year Cameryn, 14mo, couldn't have cared less about the tree and presents.) My family always had presents under the tree to and from our family. Our presents from Santa came on Christmas Eve. He brought us our dream gift, unwrapped, and filled our stockings. Christmas morning we would all sit around and unwrap each gift, one by one. Yes, it takes hours but it is a lot of fun to see each person really relish in the moment.
Apparently, at Chris's house where they had four kids, they didn't have any presents under the tree the days leading up to Christmas. Santa brought all of them. Maybe his family chose to do it this way because it was easier than having four kids shake the presents everyday trying to figure out what they were. I'll have to ask his parents. However, I have been to his house on Christmas with all four kids (before we all got married and had our own kids!) and it was chaos. They were like savages! There was wrapping paper flying around, glitter hung like fog in the air and I had no idea where my gifts were. I sat there dumbfounded watching them tear into gift after gift. There was no moment to savor. The whole thing was over within minutes.
After I got done staring at my husband like he was some kind of Christmas alien, I put the gifts under the tree. And then I relished the moment.
I got the cutest paper again this year from the dollar bins at Target and the rolls are the prefect size for the smaller clothes and toy boxes! I wrapped a few gifts for our nieces and nephew and carried them out to the tree. I told Chris that if Cam touched or opened the gifts that we would take them away. He said, "Why put any gifts under the tree? Santa brings them all anyway." I'm sure that I made a strange face and some odd noise as I stared at him in disbelief. WHAT?! What in the heck is this man talking about? The gifts aren't for her, they are for her cousins and Santa isn't bringing the gifts for her cousins. Plus, presents under our tree that she cannot touch is a prime learning opportunity.
This is the first year that we really have to worry about the presents and our "family" traditions (last year Cameryn, 14mo, couldn't have cared less about the tree and presents.) My family always had presents under the tree to and from our family. Our presents from Santa came on Christmas Eve. He brought us our dream gift, unwrapped, and filled our stockings. Christmas morning we would all sit around and unwrap each gift, one by one. Yes, it takes hours but it is a lot of fun to see each person really relish in the moment.
Apparently, at Chris's house where they had four kids, they didn't have any presents under the tree the days leading up to Christmas. Santa brought all of them. Maybe his family chose to do it this way because it was easier than having four kids shake the presents everyday trying to figure out what they were. I'll have to ask his parents. However, I have been to his house on Christmas with all four kids (before we all got married and had our own kids!) and it was chaos. They were like savages! There was wrapping paper flying around, glitter hung like fog in the air and I had no idea where my gifts were. I sat there dumbfounded watching them tear into gift after gift. There was no moment to savor. The whole thing was over within minutes.
After I got done staring at my husband like he was some kind of Christmas alien, I put the gifts under the tree. And then I relished the moment.
My dad came to visit! He showed up just as Cameryn woke up from her nap (perfect timing, Dad!) Cameryn pushed Nong and my Nana out of the way so she could get to Papa. I just love how excited she gets when she sees her grandparents (All 7 of them!) We sat around and played inside most of the afternoon as Cameryn started running a fever. (Side Note: I read an article today that a pediatrician near our area has been treating Adenovirus. An illness that acts like strep or flu, but tests negative for both. The illness is virus with fever, sore throat, and runny nose, so it should be treated with antibiotics. I think that my pediatrician missed that memo back in October/November because it sure sounds like what Cameryn had for 6 weeks!) Papa brought Cameryn an adult torture device - one of those dolls that talks when it moves. Or talks when something around it moves. Or talks when the world turns. My poor dad had the thing in his car for 5 hours and he couldn't turn it off without busting open the package (and he "couldn't do that" because the package doubles as a rocking horse). He covered it with jackets and suitcases and he still listened to it. Plus he brought a ride on train for my neice that beeped and honked at him when he hit a bump. Anyway, Cameryn kept throwing the doll at me and the doll kept saying, "I did a flip! I'm silly!" And of course Cameryn thought that it was the best thing ever. Me, not so much. I turned the doll off. She doesn't seem to care. Laurin-1, Papa/Doll-0
Sunday night my dad mentioned to Cameryn that we may go to the zoo in the morning. Apparently my dad forgot that a two year old lives in the now and does not understand future tense. The child was off the wall for the rest of the night naming all of the animals in the zoo, what sounds they make, what animal she would ride on the carousel (the peacock, DUH!) My dad just stood there laughing as she bounced all around. And then, because it was already past her bedtime, I had to put her to sleep after that. Fun times.
Monday morning Cameryn woke up and started talking non-stop about going to the zoo. Unfortunately my dad had to get some work done (since he lives/works in Vietnam, he only has a few hours that he can work simultaneously with his company while he is stateside) and we were not able to go to the zoo but that didn't stop Cameryn from talking about it. We told her that we had to wait for cousin Quinn to arrive before we could go to the zoo. We took her to the grocery store instead but for the next 3 hours Cameryn walked around saying, "Wait. Cousin Quinn. Zoo." Yes, child. WAIT.
Cousin Quinn finally arrived after naptime! I know that my Nana was filled with joy being able to see her two great-grandchildren play together! Cameryn played well with Quinn and brought her all of the "baby" toys and put them in Quinn's lap. Since Quinn isn't mobile yet I know that she appreciated it as well. I made sure to tell Cameryn what a big girl she was and thank her every time she did something nice. She didn't like that Quinn took away some of the attention from her Papa though. Cameryn went into her room for quiet time and I followed her in and asked her if she was jealous. She responded and said, "I NOT DEALOUS!" (She definitely was.) She did con her Papa into a horsey ride though, it was comical to watch for sure! We ordered Chinese for dinner and had enough food to feed most of my neighbor's. My family can eat. Plus we made turtle brownies and a cake. YUM!
Monday night I sat around with Zach and Tina and chatted for awhile. Funny how much things have changed since last year! We talked about our kids, their wedding, what the future holds. I really enjoyed it! Plus, Tina is awesome and so easy to talk too! I am so lucky to have three wonderful woman who I can call sister-in-law!
Tuesday it was raining, but that didn't stop up from going to the zoo. Cameryn LOVED it! It was Quinn's first trip to the zoo and she loved feeding the giraffe's and watching the gorilla run around. The gorilla stopped right in front of us and made a face. We all thought that he was being a ham while we took picture after picture of him. He just stopped to pee.
My family left after we got home from the zoo. I cried. I'm getting teary eyed just thinking about it now. I think that I will always cry when I say goodbye to my dad after he visits. It just makes me sad. I'll get over it in a few days, I always do.
I was so tired after everyone left but it was too late for Cameryn to nap and boy was she in rare form. I begged her to lay down on the couch with me for a few minutes but she refused. She's just too busy for that. She did pass out around 7 and I wasn't far behind her!
Pictures are here.
My weekend, overall, was just fantastic. My family rocks.
Sunday night my dad mentioned to Cameryn that we may go to the zoo in the morning. Apparently my dad forgot that a two year old lives in the now and does not understand future tense. The child was off the wall for the rest of the night naming all of the animals in the zoo, what sounds they make, what animal she would ride on the carousel (the peacock, DUH!) My dad just stood there laughing as she bounced all around. And then, because it was already past her bedtime, I had to put her to sleep after that. Fun times.
Monday morning Cameryn woke up and started talking non-stop about going to the zoo. Unfortunately my dad had to get some work done (since he lives/works in Vietnam, he only has a few hours that he can work simultaneously with his company while he is stateside) and we were not able to go to the zoo but that didn't stop Cameryn from talking about it. We told her that we had to wait for cousin Quinn to arrive before we could go to the zoo. We took her to the grocery store instead but for the next 3 hours Cameryn walked around saying, "Wait. Cousin Quinn. Zoo." Yes, child. WAIT.
Cousin Quinn finally arrived after naptime! I know that my Nana was filled with joy being able to see her two great-grandchildren play together! Cameryn played well with Quinn and brought her all of the "baby" toys and put them in Quinn's lap. Since Quinn isn't mobile yet I know that she appreciated it as well. I made sure to tell Cameryn what a big girl she was and thank her every time she did something nice. She didn't like that Quinn took away some of the attention from her Papa though. Cameryn went into her room for quiet time and I followed her in and asked her if she was jealous. She responded and said, "I NOT DEALOUS!" (She definitely was.) She did con her Papa into a horsey ride though, it was comical to watch for sure! We ordered Chinese for dinner and had enough food to feed most of my neighbor's. My family can eat. Plus we made turtle brownies and a cake. YUM!
Monday night I sat around with Zach and Tina and chatted for awhile. Funny how much things have changed since last year! We talked about our kids, their wedding, what the future holds. I really enjoyed it! Plus, Tina is awesome and so easy to talk too! I am so lucky to have three wonderful woman who I can call sister-in-law!
Tuesday it was raining, but that didn't stop up from going to the zoo. Cameryn LOVED it! It was Quinn's first trip to the zoo and she loved feeding the giraffe's and watching the gorilla run around. The gorilla stopped right in front of us and made a face. We all thought that he was being a ham while we took picture after picture of him. He just stopped to pee.
My family left after we got home from the zoo. I cried. I'm getting teary eyed just thinking about it now. I think that I will always cry when I say goodbye to my dad after he visits. It just makes me sad. I'll get over it in a few days, I always do.
I was so tired after everyone left but it was too late for Cameryn to nap and boy was she in rare form. I begged her to lay down on the couch with me for a few minutes but she refused. She's just too busy for that. She did pass out around 7 and I wasn't far behind her!
Pictures are here.
My weekend, overall, was just fantastic. My family rocks.
Yes, I realize that it has been a week since I last posted. I had a 6 day weekend (don't hate) full of family. I tried to post but as soon as I sat down Cameryn woke up from a nap. So, let's start from the beginning....
Thursday - Thanksgiving! We all got up early so that we could go to my mom's. Cameryn refused to wear her Thanksgiving outfits. She kicked and screamed and cried and said NO THANK YOU over and over. She wanted to wear her pajamas to Grandma's. On Thanksgiving. I am not one of those people who dress up their child everyday in outrageously priced smocked outfits and plaster giant bows on their head but I do think that you should look "nice" on Holidays. My child didn't get that memo and insisted on her monkey pajamas. Telling her that she was going to end up on the People of Walmart website because she refuses to wear anything but pajamas didn't seem to sway her. So, we let her wear them in the car and changed her when we got to my mom's.
Of course, I started cooking as soon as we arrived and I didn't stop until we sat down. My brother and his family were 2 hours late with the Turduckin and I threatened to leave before they got there. I seriously HATE when people are late. My mom insisted on doing a toast before the meal and handed us all champagne glasses. Cameryn said, "I want one!" So my mom handed her a little appertif glass full of juice. We say, "Cheers!" and clink our glasses together while Cameryn watches on. Cameryn looks at me, looks at my mom and takes her little glass and bangs it up against my mom's glass and says, "Cheers!" Champagne and juice went flying all over my mom. Awesome. We sit down for dinner and my mom starts handing out pumpkin soup (that only my mom and brother ate.) My husband doesn't want to wait on the main course so he starts spooning food onto his plate. Except it wasn't a plate. It was the gold charger that goes under the plate. So I tell my husband that it's a charger and not a plate and he looks up, straight faced, and says, "What am I charging? I don't have my cell phone." Classy. My mom just walked out of the room. My brother almost spit out his soup. The rest of the meal was fine. Cameryn didn't eat a thing.
Friday- Black Friday! And I missed it. Sigh. Next year I will make it out. Even if I have to drag my kid with me! It was pouring rain and Cameryn was pooped from Thanksgiving. We ventured out to the grocery store (we were the only two people in the whole store) and that was about it. She took a 3 hour nap while I cleaned the house and did laundry. How does a family of three create so much laundry? I don't mind folding the clothes but putting the clothes away makes me want to cry. I would pay someone to put away our clothes. Cameryn doesn't mind it though. I fold it and she balls it up and puts everything in the bottom drawer.
Saturday I put up our tree while Cameryn napped. Our BFF's were nice enough to donate their 9ft tree to us. We had a tiny 6ft Charlie Brown looking thing that my dogs could knock over if they barked loud enough or wagged their tails too hard. I was so excited that I finished putting it up before Cameryn woke up! The look on her face was priceless as she said, "WOW!" I couldn't wait until Chris got home so that we could all decorate our tree as a family! After dinner we put on Christmas carols and I handed out the ornaments to Chris as he helped Cameryn put them on the tree. It lasted 5 minutes. Cameryn said, "I all done," and walked away. I was slightly annoyed. This was not working out how I imagined it. And then I looked at our tree. Cameryn had put all of the ornaments in one spot (which I expect from a 2 yr old) but then I look up, where Chris was placing his ornaments and they are all in the same spot too. I totally made fun of him. I decorated the tree, by myself, while Cameryn watched Dora and Chris played on his phone. My family has great Christmas spirit.
Sunday Chris had to work early so Cam and I played at home for a little while before our lunch date. Gary and Debbie live in FL but were on their way back from NC where they were visiting my SIL. Cameryn was so tired during lunch because it was around her naptime but she was very good and sat next to her Grammy and PopPop. She fell asleep on the way home and I carried her into her room but she woke up as soon as I walked out of her room. I bribed her and told her that if she went to sleep that she would get to see her Papa when she woke up. It worked!
I took loads of pictures this weekend. You can see the Thanksgiving pictures here.
Thursday - Thanksgiving! We all got up early so that we could go to my mom's. Cameryn refused to wear her Thanksgiving outfits. She kicked and screamed and cried and said NO THANK YOU over and over. She wanted to wear her pajamas to Grandma's. On Thanksgiving. I am not one of those people who dress up their child everyday in outrageously priced smocked outfits and plaster giant bows on their head but I do think that you should look "nice" on Holidays. My child didn't get that memo and insisted on her monkey pajamas. Telling her that she was going to end up on the People of Walmart website because she refuses to wear anything but pajamas didn't seem to sway her. So, we let her wear them in the car and changed her when we got to my mom's.
Of course, I started cooking as soon as we arrived and I didn't stop until we sat down. My brother and his family were 2 hours late with the Turduckin and I threatened to leave before they got there. I seriously HATE when people are late. My mom insisted on doing a toast before the meal and handed us all champagne glasses. Cameryn said, "I want one!" So my mom handed her a little appertif glass full of juice. We say, "Cheers!" and clink our glasses together while Cameryn watches on. Cameryn looks at me, looks at my mom and takes her little glass and bangs it up against my mom's glass and says, "Cheers!" Champagne and juice went flying all over my mom. Awesome. We sit down for dinner and my mom starts handing out pumpkin soup (that only my mom and brother ate.) My husband doesn't want to wait on the main course so he starts spooning food onto his plate. Except it wasn't a plate. It was the gold charger that goes under the plate. So I tell my husband that it's a charger and not a plate and he looks up, straight faced, and says, "What am I charging? I don't have my cell phone." Classy. My mom just walked out of the room. My brother almost spit out his soup. The rest of the meal was fine. Cameryn didn't eat a thing.
Friday- Black Friday! And I missed it. Sigh. Next year I will make it out. Even if I have to drag my kid with me! It was pouring rain and Cameryn was pooped from Thanksgiving. We ventured out to the grocery store (we were the only two people in the whole store) and that was about it. She took a 3 hour nap while I cleaned the house and did laundry. How does a family of three create so much laundry? I don't mind folding the clothes but putting the clothes away makes me want to cry. I would pay someone to put away our clothes. Cameryn doesn't mind it though. I fold it and she balls it up and puts everything in the bottom drawer.
Saturday I put up our tree while Cameryn napped. Our BFF's were nice enough to donate their 9ft tree to us. We had a tiny 6ft Charlie Brown looking thing that my dogs could knock over if they barked loud enough or wagged their tails too hard. I was so excited that I finished putting it up before Cameryn woke up! The look on her face was priceless as she said, "WOW!" I couldn't wait until Chris got home so that we could all decorate our tree as a family! After dinner we put on Christmas carols and I handed out the ornaments to Chris as he helped Cameryn put them on the tree. It lasted 5 minutes. Cameryn said, "I all done," and walked away. I was slightly annoyed. This was not working out how I imagined it. And then I looked at our tree. Cameryn had put all of the ornaments in one spot (which I expect from a 2 yr old) but then I look up, where Chris was placing his ornaments and they are all in the same spot too. I totally made fun of him. I decorated the tree, by myself, while Cameryn watched Dora and Chris played on his phone. My family has great Christmas spirit.
Sunday Chris had to work early so Cam and I played at home for a little while before our lunch date. Gary and Debbie live in FL but were on their way back from NC where they were visiting my SIL. Cameryn was so tired during lunch because it was around her naptime but she was very good and sat next to her Grammy and PopPop. She fell asleep on the way home and I carried her into her room but she woke up as soon as I walked out of her room. I bribed her and told her that if she went to sleep that she would get to see her Papa when she woke up. It worked!
I took loads of pictures this weekend. You can see the Thanksgiving pictures here.
Nicole told me to stay at home and eat PB&J tomorrow. She may be on to something.
**
I am honestly wondering why anyone is working today. I doubt that our firm will be busy at all considering that we haven't done much of anything this week. I am a firm believer that if the kids have off of school that adults shouldn't work either. Yes, I realize that my child is not school-aged but I still believe that it should apply to me.
**
Why is the conditioner bottle smaller than the shampoo bottle? It should be bigger. I always use more conditioner than shampoo and then I have to buy another bottle of conditioner before I need shampoo. This creates a problem because I rarely use the same type of shampoo and conditioner two times in a row.
**
I am getting fat. And I don't like it. I need to go for a run. Or do a FIRM video. Something. Good god. My ass may have its own zip code by the end of the year. I may have to boycott the desserts tomorrow. And the mashed potatoes. But I will not boycott the bottle of Chardonnay.
**
I still have no idea what I am getting people for Christmas.
**
I have a 6 day weekend. Don't hate.
**
I am honestly wondering why anyone is working today. I doubt that our firm will be busy at all considering that we haven't done much of anything this week. I am a firm believer that if the kids have off of school that adults shouldn't work either. Yes, I realize that my child is not school-aged but I still believe that it should apply to me.
**
Why is the conditioner bottle smaller than the shampoo bottle? It should be bigger. I always use more conditioner than shampoo and then I have to buy another bottle of conditioner before I need shampoo. This creates a problem because I rarely use the same type of shampoo and conditioner two times in a row.
**
I am getting fat. And I don't like it. I need to go for a run. Or do a FIRM video. Something. Good god. My ass may have its own zip code by the end of the year. I may have to boycott the desserts tomorrow. And the mashed potatoes. But I will not boycott the bottle of Chardonnay.
**
I still have no idea what I am getting people for Christmas.
**
I have a 6 day weekend. Don't hate.
We finally nailed down our plans for Thanksgiving. We are going to my mom's. You're shocked, I know. We wanted to spend the day with Chris's family, but it's a 4 hour drive to their house in NC and four hours back and Chris has to be at work at 4:30am on Friday. So, we're driving an hour to my mom's house. Keep your fingers crossed that we will be eating at a decent hour.
I love going to my mom's for the holidays because that is where most of my memories stem from. Everything is perfectly placed. There are even themed napkins to use (but only for the appetizers). We have lots of food, enough food for 20 people - appetizers, palate cleansers, soup, bread, the main course, and four kinds of dessert. And yes, you must try everything, even the damn brussel sprouts. But, my brother and I draw the line at beets. Every single year for as long as I can remember my mom serves beets and every single year for as long as I can remember my brother and I hand the plate back to her saying, "NO!" Those red slimy things are DISGUSTING. Last year she served pickled beets thinking that we might enjoy them a little more. I don't even eat pickles. Why the hell would I want a pickled beet? But, seriously, the food is fantastic, we eat too much and we all dread the clean up.
It's total chaos.
My mom wants to cook everything her way, there will be no new traditions born in my mom's house. Meanwhile, my brother (who is the next budding Iron Chef) wants to cook things his way. Mainly because his way much more time efficient. My mom, bless her heart, is a fantastic cook but god is she slow. When my mom cooks, my brother and I end up in the kitchen helping her, bumping into each other, trying to get things on the table. The TV will be on in the kitchen because my mom has to watch the parade and my mom will say "Next year, we should just go to New York and watch the parade." The bread will get burnt the first time it goes in the oven, my brother and I will snicker (because seriously, it wouldn't be normal if my mom didn't burn the bread) and my mom will start crying because we snickered at her and now the meal isn't perfect. The potatoes will get cold because the turkey isn't done. We'll make the gravy and forget to put it on the table. My mom will make pumpkin soup, which no one will eat.
While we are cooking, Chris and my Uncle will sit on the couch shaking their head, eating too many appetizers and talking about what time it is. Chris will tell me to hurry things along because he has to get home. I'll say, "I know, I'm doing the best that I can. I'll drive home, you can rest, it's okay." He'll say, "No, I'll drive, just hurry up." Cameryn will terrorize the dogs.
By the time that we sit down, everyone is exhausted and annoyed. My mom will have a terrible headache, take two bites of her food, start thinking about the past, get teary eyed and excuse herself from the table. My Uncle will get irritated. My brother will make snarky comments. My husband will just laugh and roll his eyes. Cameryn won't eat a thing.
Good Lord.
This year we decided that we will all cook something to take some of the pressure off. My brother is going to make the bird (well, birds) and the stuffing. He wants to make a Turduckin - a turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken. My mom will make the appetizers and the sides. I am making dessert (I totally lucked out!)
But, the banter has already started... My mom doesn't want a Turduckin, she wants a free range bird from Trader Joe's. And she doesn't want my brother to make the dressing, she wants to make the stuffing (yes, there is a difference!) She doesn't know if we will like cornbread dressing (which is a little more "wet" than traditional stuffing and it is more difficult to "stuff" inside of the bird.) She told me that I had to make pumpkin pie because she has to have pumpkin pie. My brother asked for Red Velvet Cake or a cheesecake (but can it be no-bake?) My mom said that she will make the Red Velvet Cake because she will use my grandmother's recipe and I can make the cheesecake (preferably NOT no-bake.)
Oh, and this year we've added two new elements since my brother got married and had a kid.
I repeat - Good Lord.
We are *supposed* to eat by 2pm.
Keep your fingers crossed.
I love going to my mom's for the holidays because that is where most of my memories stem from. Everything is perfectly placed. There are even themed napkins to use (but only for the appetizers). We have lots of food, enough food for 20 people - appetizers, palate cleansers, soup, bread, the main course, and four kinds of dessert. And yes, you must try everything, even the damn brussel sprouts. But, my brother and I draw the line at beets. Every single year for as long as I can remember my mom serves beets and every single year for as long as I can remember my brother and I hand the plate back to her saying, "NO!" Those red slimy things are DISGUSTING. Last year she served pickled beets thinking that we might enjoy them a little more. I don't even eat pickles. Why the hell would I want a pickled beet? But, seriously, the food is fantastic, we eat too much and we all dread the clean up.
It's total chaos.
My mom wants to cook everything her way, there will be no new traditions born in my mom's house. Meanwhile, my brother (who is the next budding Iron Chef) wants to cook things his way. Mainly because his way much more time efficient. My mom, bless her heart, is a fantastic cook but god is she slow. When my mom cooks, my brother and I end up in the kitchen helping her, bumping into each other, trying to get things on the table. The TV will be on in the kitchen because my mom has to watch the parade and my mom will say "Next year, we should just go to New York and watch the parade." The bread will get burnt the first time it goes in the oven, my brother and I will snicker (because seriously, it wouldn't be normal if my mom didn't burn the bread) and my mom will start crying because we snickered at her and now the meal isn't perfect. The potatoes will get cold because the turkey isn't done. We'll make the gravy and forget to put it on the table. My mom will make pumpkin soup, which no one will eat.
While we are cooking, Chris and my Uncle will sit on the couch shaking their head, eating too many appetizers and talking about what time it is. Chris will tell me to hurry things along because he has to get home. I'll say, "I know, I'm doing the best that I can. I'll drive home, you can rest, it's okay." He'll say, "No, I'll drive, just hurry up." Cameryn will terrorize the dogs.
By the time that we sit down, everyone is exhausted and annoyed. My mom will have a terrible headache, take two bites of her food, start thinking about the past, get teary eyed and excuse herself from the table. My Uncle will get irritated. My brother will make snarky comments. My husband will just laugh and roll his eyes. Cameryn won't eat a thing.
Good Lord.
This year we decided that we will all cook something to take some of the pressure off. My brother is going to make the bird (well, birds) and the stuffing. He wants to make a Turduckin - a turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken. My mom will make the appetizers and the sides. I am making dessert (I totally lucked out!)
But, the banter has already started... My mom doesn't want a Turduckin, she wants a free range bird from Trader Joe's. And she doesn't want my brother to make the dressing, she wants to make the stuffing (yes, there is a difference!) She doesn't know if we will like cornbread dressing (which is a little more "wet" than traditional stuffing and it is more difficult to "stuff" inside of the bird.) She told me that I had to make pumpkin pie because she has to have pumpkin pie. My brother asked for Red Velvet Cake or a cheesecake (but can it be no-bake?) My mom said that she will make the Red Velvet Cake because she will use my grandmother's recipe and I can make the cheesecake (preferably NOT no-bake.)
Oh, and this year we've added two new elements since my brother got married and had a kid.
I repeat - Good Lord.
We are *supposed* to eat by 2pm.
Keep your fingers crossed.
I started putting out Christmas decorations on Friday night. I collect snowmen and I have tons and tons of them, but I chose carefully and only put out my absolute favorites. I felt like the house would be too cluttered between all of the decorations and Cameryn's toys. I just love them!
My mom buys those crazy animated singing Christmas toys. We must have ten of them. I picked three and put them out for Cameryn. She lines them all up, turns them on, and sings along. It's totally obnoxious. But she likes it, so whatever.
My mom buys those crazy animated singing Christmas toys. We must have ten of them. I picked three and put them out for Cameryn. She lines them all up, turns them on, and sings along. It's totally obnoxious. But she likes it, so whatever.
Last year my mom got this crazy reindeer on a stick that moves its head around and sings "Jingle Bell Rock." Cameryn was terrified of it and would run away crying when we brought it out. I ended up just hanging it on the door upstairs to our guest room. My mom was visiting this weekend and Cameryn was on her way upstairs with her - I was a little hesitant about the reindeer, but Cameryn was totally enamored with it! She tortured my mom's dogs with it and chased them around for two days. Poor things!
My mom bought Cameryn an "Elf on the Shelf." Cameryn was okay with it at first. She named it "Toot" and gave it a hug. When we explained to her that the Elf was watching her during the day and reporting to Santa Claus at night she freaked out. "No, Elf! No, Santa! No thank you! Elf no watch me!" She would sit on the couch and watch that little Elf out of the corner of her eye, like it was going to jump off the mantle and attack her. Poor girl. I moved the Elf last night and this morning when she found it in its new spot she said, "No Elf! I scared!" Hopefully she'll get used to him soon, otherwise we may have to put the Elf away and try again next year. I don't want to ruin the whole Santa experience for her.
My mom got Cameryn the Little People Christmas story scenes. They are precious! We let her have the "Inn at Bethlehem" and we talked a little about it. We have the "Three Wise Men" and the "Nativity" sets as well. Since Baby Jesus isn't in the "Inn at Bethlehem" set Cameryn took another baby and placed him in the stable. So cute!
When I was little we had a wooden Nativity set. My mom would set it up and then someone would get to hide baby Jesus until Christmas morning. However, if someone found Baby Jesus then that person would get to re-hide him. We did this for years. That poor baby would end up in someones shoe, the tree, the dog food, the toilet, riding the donkey in the stable. We had a lot of fun with it. Until someone re-hid him and "forgot" where they put him. We never found him. I guess we could borrow a baby from Cameryn's Little People. Or maybe I should just get my mom a new Nativity Set.
I love the Holiday's. I love the warm and fuzzy feelings. The glitter. The bows. The cold weather. The food. The lights. The sounds. The people in ugly sweaters. I love shopping for gifts (at 4am on Black Friday!) and wrapping presents. I love sitting around the tree on Christmas day and opening each gift one by one.
I do not, however, love figuring out what to give people for Christmas. I have mixed feelings about gift cards. I love getting them. I hate giving them. I feel like the gifts that I give should be more personal. I think about what people have said in passing - things they would really love to have one day. I spend hours surfing the internet for the perfect gift for each of my family and friends and scour the store shelves on my lunch breaks. I wonder each and every time I purchase something if they will like it because I don't want to give them something that they have to return. Have you seen the return lines after Christmas? Awful. I love to shop. I hate returning things. I can only imagine how terrible it is for the Scrooge's who hate shopping and then they have to return something. And please, don't give me that line, "Oh don't worry, I love everything that I receive!" It's such a load of crap. I have never seen one person enjoy every gift that they are given. Let's be honest here, some gifts are so much better than others.
So, let's make everyone happy. Make a list. Please.
I do not, however, love figuring out what to give people for Christmas. I have mixed feelings about gift cards. I love getting them. I hate giving them. I feel like the gifts that I give should be more personal. I think about what people have said in passing - things they would really love to have one day. I spend hours surfing the internet for the perfect gift for each of my family and friends and scour the store shelves on my lunch breaks. I wonder each and every time I purchase something if they will like it because I don't want to give them something that they have to return. Have you seen the return lines after Christmas? Awful. I love to shop. I hate returning things. I can only imagine how terrible it is for the Scrooge's who hate shopping and then they have to return something. And please, don't give me that line, "Oh don't worry, I love everything that I receive!" It's such a load of crap. I have never seen one person enjoy every gift that they are given. Let's be honest here, some gifts are so much better than others.
So, let's make everyone happy. Make a list. Please.
I spent Tuesday afternoon at Williams-Brice Stadium where the Gamecocks play! Shana and I had a great time going "behind the scenes." We were very thankful that the rain stopped long enough for us to get some great pictures! First, we had lunch in the press box with guest speakers Shane Beamer and Todd Ellis. Then we got to go to multiple "levels" of suites! They were SO plush. I'd love to sit up there and watch a game, especially early on in the season when it is so hot. We then went to the Locker Room (and yes, some of the players were in there!), Players Lounge, Weight and Training Rooms (where we met Craig Fitzgerald, Strength and Fitness Coach), Team Meeting Rooms, and then to the Proving Ground for practice.
We had an awesome afternoon!
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| Our view from the Press Box |
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| Bob Fulton will always be "The Voice of the Gamecocks" |
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| Shane Beamer, Special Teams/ Recruiting |
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| Todd Ellis |
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| Tile Floor on the Suite Level |
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| Wall Art in the Suite |
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| Cocky |
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| Graphics in the Suite |
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| Graphics from the Training Room to the Locker Room |
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| Graphics from the Training Room to the Locker Room |
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| Gamecock outside of the Locker Room |
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| Locker Room Entrance |
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Inside the Locker Room |
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| Practice Schedule for Nov. 16 |
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| Garcia's Locker |
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| Alshon Jeffrey's Locker |
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| Marcus Lattimore's Locker |
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| Shana & I on the Field |
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| The Tunnel |
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| Shana & I |
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| Dead Center |
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On the Field |
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Looking up from the Field |
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| The Old Football Weight Room, now the Weight Room for Multiple Athletic Departments |
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| Track for Sprints |
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| Tires! |
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| Craig Fitzgerald, Strength Coach |
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| Players leaving meetings and going to practice |
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| Heisman Trophy |
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| Marcus Lattimore |
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| Stephen Garcia |
We had an awesome afternoon!
