We got to meet my nephew Kyle for the first time who is a doll baby! I think he and Tate will be able to get into some real trouble together before too long.

 

 

Drue's other favorite little dog friend, Sassy. We even got her a little stuffed dog that resembles Sassy for her birthday since she talks about her so much.

 

 

Cute shot of Kyle and Carrie.

 

 

The kids all thought Uncle Joel was a hoot! Drue was enthralled with his "magic acts". She also liked to comb his hair.

 

 

Cozy little pallets on the floor of our room. The first night we were there the kids pleaded with me to sleep on the floor with them so I slept between Drue and Tate. The next night I slept in the full bed in the room, but in the morning they all ended up with me anyway.

 

Joel kept saying "I'm convinced there are no bass in this pond", then one afternoon proved himself wrong...in a BIG way! He also shot a deer while we were down there but poor Bambi's picture didn't make it on here.

I understand a little more where the term "cabin fever" must have originated from. The last full day we were there, it was rainy, so the kids were all cooped up inside most of the day. Which is hard when there is such a wide expanse of outdoor fun to explore waiting just beyond the window panes. All in all we had a great time. It was fun getting to spend time with all my family, which doesn't happen too often these days. I'm very thankful for all of them.

More Middle Child Memories

The other night Reese got sent to bed early (as punishment) and Tate was already in bed. So I asked Drue if she would like to snuggle with me on the couch and watch a "Mommy" show (aka HGTV decorating episode of some sort).

A few minutes went by when she snuggled in even closer and said, "I like this."

I kissed the top of her curly head and she went on to say, "Tate isn't crying....Reese isn't talking....I'm having peace and quiet. I like this."

Rub a Dub Dub

I cannot begin to recall the last time I took a bubble bath.

No, really. My memory of a relaxing soak beneath the frothy bubbles cannot connect with any recent timeframe.

I rolled my sleeves up at work today because I got warm, but quickly jerked them down again to cover my dry, scaly, white arms.

So I decided that a nice long soak in the bath was warranted this evening. Complete with skin so soft oil and Mr. Bubble. Of course, all the children were intrigued. I mentioned to Reese that I was going to take a bath.

"Can I come?".

"No".

"But I'll be real quiet."

"Still no".

She went bounding off and I thought that was the end of it. A few seconds later, the CD player in Tate's room started blaring. I listened more closely to the music and realized it was her lullaby CD I played from the very first night I brought her home from the hospital.

That was the most relaxing music she could come up with to play for me. I thought that was so sweet! And I thought it was funny that she remembered me explaining to her that the difference between Mommy bubble baths and kid bubble baths were that mine had more relaxing and less rubber duckies.

Drue bopped in about that time and wanted to stay. Her request was declined as well. She couldn't tear her eyes off the full bath of bubbles. "I just want to see you get in".

After that I told her she had to sneak out of the bathroom and shut the door.

Ahhhhh.....I settled back.

47 seconds later Tate burst through the door and stopped in his tracks when he saw me immersed in HIS bathtub. He made a beeline for me but his entrance was denied also.

Not much later he snuck back in the bathroom, completely nude, except for a huge smile and I couldn't say no. In he climbed and just sat at the other end of the bath beaming.

Reese followed and made herself at home as well.

I felt bad that Drue was missing out so we called to her. Reese said, "Drue! Come join the family fun bath!".

So my third little visitor was added to my shattered moment of peace.

Reese said, "I wish our bathtub was bigger....so Daddy could get in too!".

Needless to say, I will be drawing up a lawsuit for Calgon on the grounds of false advertising....

Jolly Ol' Visit

 

I wasn't quite sure how to approach this years' visit with Mr. Kringle. Should I try and prepare the children weeks before our impending visit, randomly plopping them down on strange mens' laps who happened to be sporting a white beard? Or should I take the surprise attack tactic and leisurely walk into the mall whistling a merry tune, then BAM, "Kids, we're going to see Santa today"?.

I chose the latter. I thought that would be the less painful way, so they wouldn't be able to spend too much time worrying about it. Kind of like the time I went to the dentist for a "consult" and was told, after I was secured in the chair that I would, in fact, be getting a root canal that very day.

We came prepared. Tate's favorite "blue key" (blue blanket) was still in the drier when we left home so we grabbed his second favorite "kee key" (green blanket) and were on our way. I figured he would have to be pried off my person like last year and I wanted the poor little guy to have at least an ounce of comfort during his 30 seconds of misery.

I also thought the surprise tactic would work well on David, too. He hasn't graced us with his presence during too many of these visits in years past. And I didn't want him to try and talk me out of going on his day off. We had planned to get the Christmas tree this afternoon after we all picked Reese up from school. As we were pulling the van out of the school parking lot, I announced we would first be making a quick stop to see Santa. This was met with mixed responses. Reese was excited and started planning what she was going to ask him for. Drue said, "Nooooo". Tate just loves all things Christmas and looked eager. And David said, "WHAT?!".

There was no line. Just one little family was still milling around the big guys' knee. Tate ran on ahead and began exploring the little village props. Reese was right up with him. Drue was trying to blend in to the back of my jeans and holding tight to my hand.

Santa greeted my herd and I got into position to run after a screaming Tate. Tate did run. Toward Santa! And hopped right up on his knee like he was his long lost Grandpa, grinning from ear to ear. Reese hopped up on his other knee. And for one tiny second I thought this visit would go off without a hitch.

I turned to finagle Drue off my pant leg and position her just right on the arm of the oversized chair, but she was having no part of it. She didn't make a scene. She just quietly kept saying "No....no.....no". I know, I'm heartless. All for the sake of a picture.

I first tried to talk her into standing next to the chair. "No".

David pointed to a smaller chair behind us that I could pull in front and have her sit on. "No".

Santa was sweetly trying to coax her somewhere near the vicinity and had heard us calling her "Druebie". He thought her name was "Ruby". So he kept saying "Here Ruby, come over this way....".

He finally said, "I have an idea".

Which I enthusiastically repeated to Drue, "Santa has an idea!".

He let us in on his plan to stand behind the chair and have all the kids sit in the chair.

I could have kissed him. If David hadn't been standing 5 feet away next to the camerawoman....

Reese and Tate slid off his lap and assumed their positions. That's when Drue got up there and leaned into Reese. That was so sweet to watch. Sisters who can fight over who gets to sit at the front of the bath and get upset when the other one looks out their car window....can always count on each other in their time of need.

Early Chritmas Gift

I need to be posting about our trip to Alabama for Thanksgiving but I have been busy playing on my new toy that David got me.

The kids and I rolled into town at 9:15 Saturday night from Alabama. David was closing that night so he wasn't home to greet us. The kids were still kind of wired from the ride and, since I was not stopping for ANY REASON that last 2 hours of the trip, they were all hungry, thirsty, etc. So I got them a small snack and headed down to the basement to connect with the outside world via internet. I had been without it for 5 days!

I plopped down in the desk chair and discovered that a piece of notebook paper was taped over the computer monitor that said "Stop! What are you doing? Don't you want to play a game with me?" It directed me to go to where cookies were "easy to bake" so I headed upstairs to Reese's easy bake oven. There I found a clue that led me to a "place of reflection" around the fireplace....the mirror.

That sheet said to get Reese, have her stand on a chair in the kitchen with a camera, and take my picture while I opened a box with my surprise in it.

I still had no clue as to what it was and was totally surprised to open the box and find a laptop computer! I have been wanting one. I just thought it would make things a whole lot easier. Even when I just have to google something real quick, the kids either get into trouble upstairs while I'm in the basemen,t or they all file down there after me and cause such a commotion that I can't even remember what it was I was going to look up.

So I was just THRILLED to get my very own laptop...that I will graciously share with David...sometimes. It has already come in very handy...I googled a recipe without ever having to leave the kitchen...I plugged away on it one night all cozy under the covers of my bed.

It meant even more to me that David had taken the time to come up with a little scavenger hunt complete with little clues. Sweetness.

Guess I better take back the tie I got him for Christmas...