Christmas 2008 Highlights

We had a fabulous, fun, love-filled, mostly relaxed "Week O' Christmas" and we certainly hope you and your family did, too. I've collected my favorite pictures to share and here are just a few pictures from our travels and celebrations:



We are back at home, enjoying a very relaxed week together as a family and NOT looking forward to getting back to work next week. January and February will be VERY busy months for Scott. Lots of traveling! Look for news about a big decision we will hopefully have to make in the beginning of February.

Before the busy season begins, though, we will kick-off the new year with a short cruise to the Bahamas next week! Can't wait!!!

Come back tomorrow. Hopefully I'll be able to design my New Year's blog before midnight tonight! I may see the ball drop after all...

I have failed...but I'm OK with it!

Scott and I work very hard to teach Sam that Christmas is about giving to others, not about receiving all your heart desires. It is my intention to never ask Sam what he wants Santa to bring him, but rather to ask him what he would like to give others. It is so important to us that Sam never believes that the world and Christmas revolve around him (even though our world does!) We never want him feeling entitled to anything, but rather thankful and blessed for everything. So we make a conscious effort not to go overboard with Christmas gifts. Each year, we arrange everything we've bought him and then I step back and say "Gosh, we hardly got him anything." And Scott says, "Exactly." and I'm brought back to our goals and away from the credit cards! Don't get me wrong. I could buy him a truckload of fun new toys. But I am pretty sure that God charged me with nurturing his precious angel into an unselfish, thoughtful, empathetic servant who will grow up to care more about others than about how much he has. He will value the memories that we have created as a family, not the goodies we gave him. He will feel like the most loved child in the world not because he has more toys than he can handle, but because we play with him from sunrise to beyond sunset.

That rant out of the way, I have to tell you that I have already failed!

A few weeks ago, Sam's grandmother started asking him about Santa and what he wanted Santa to bring him. Sam had never even heard of Santa before that. We didn't "do Santa" his first two Christmases. So I realized that Scott and I had come to the point in time that we were going to have to talk about and make decisions about Santa. All of a sudden, it became a really big deal to me and the question of whether or not Santa would be visiting our house this year got me thinking. I grew up believing in Santa and he was still visiting my home during my college years. But, with our goals in mind, I wasn't sure if I wanted that for Sam. How could we merge our desire for him to be a giving child with this perfectly wonderful tradition that focuses on receiving. On the other hand, I didn't want to be the one to deprive him of this cultural, commercial rite of passage, either. So, in the end, we decided that we would indeed introduce Sam to Santa this year. (Not what I consider to be my failure.)

And boy, am I glad we did! It has been so much fun watching Sam figure this whole Christmas thing out. He loves decorations and lights! I've been watching him with a teacher's eye. He's hearing so much talk around him about Christmas and Santa and you can just see him putting the pieces together to form this new schema that grows everyday. In the last three days, he has started wishing people "Merry Christmas!"

My failure you ask?

We decided to have Christmas morning at our house on Monday morning, before all of our travels. (I'll blog about our wonderful, special morning later.) A few days before "Christmas" we started really talking about Santa and noticing him all around us. We explained how Santa was watching him and would bring him something special for being such a good boy. And then, because I was so caught up in the excitement, I did it. Before I knew it, I went there. I actually asked Sam what he wanted Santa to bring him. (Gasp!) I know, I shocked myself, too. But, it turned into a sweet (if not crafitily guided) conversation and Sam only asked for one thing. Trains. What luck! That's exactly what Santa was planning on bringing him!

I guess my reason for asking him was to prepare him for waking up the next morning and finding the small pile of loot waiting for him. If we were going to do this Santa thing, then I wanted him to experience the magic of Santa. Plus, we had lots of fun Sunday threatening Sam every time he started acting up, that Santa might not bring him any trains if he wasn't a good boy! At one point, Scott and I looked at each other and he asked "Why haven't we used that all year?" It turns out that Santa makes a good threat! So maybe my failure wasn't so bad...Anyway, I'll try again next year!

Well, that's what's on my mind this morning. And it has been a long morning! I've been up since 3:30, wide awake, wrapping gifts and playing on the computer. I can't believe that this is the first night in a week that Sam has slept all night and now I can't sleep!

Merry Christmas to you all. I hope that your Christmas will be as fun, magical and wonderful as ours was!

Here's a sneak peek at our Christmas morning:

Made Especially for Mail

To appreciate this post, you'll have to first click here to read about "Mail."

We have made a Christmas card just for Mail and plan on giving her a little stocking filled with Hershey kisses that say "Thank you!"

What can we say? We love her!

Our "Almost" Christmas Card

Some of you already know this, but just in case you haven't heard, I took over 800 pictures in search of THE Christmas card picture. I had a few conditions on the picture (ex. needed to be wearing Santa shirt) and I was looking for just the right look to capture Sam. It was unbelievably difficult to get just a few shots to choose from and then to narrow them down. I'm not thrilled with the pictures I finally chose (see post below) but I'm not displeased either. However, I just had to share this picture that I just found. Had I remembered this picture last night when I was designing our card, I may have been sorely tempted...if it wasn't for the nudity! Doggone it! Why do I continue to let Sam run around in a diaper, ruining great photo ops???

Just look at that sweet face! And in front of the tree even!

Here are three more honorable mentions:

No smile.

Plenty of smile. Blurry dog.

Plenty of smile. No Santa shirt.

And three that "missed it by that much":

Even Sam is tired of the camera!

2008 Christmas Card

Because of all the sickness that has flourished in our household in the past 2 weeks, and because I simply don't have time to address and stamp 85 envelopes, I've decided to share our Christmas card online with as many family and friends as possible. Hopefully, the few cards I plan to mail will be in the mail on Monday and will reach their destinations sometime before New Year's Day! It is my hope that no one is offended by my digital gesture. You all know I love you and I know you'll understand. I know this is probably tacky and unsentimental, but please know that I will aspire to complete my cards in November next year and do better on all accounts.

So, without further ado:

Freakishly Healthy

As a family, we rarely get sick. We are, in fact, freakishly healthy. That's why the past two weeks have taken their toll on us. Thankfully, and amazingly, Sam has not gotten sick yet, but Scott and I have battled stomach bugs, sinus infections and nasal spray addictions! Please pray that we are healthy for the holidays. I'm praying for strength to get off the couch today. I have got to get my house clean! Oh, and I also have to finish, I mean start, Christmas shopping!

Anyway,we did manage to be well at least one night this past week. We made it over to Dave and Tina's house for an incredible dinner to celebrate a lot of things: Scott's tenure, my passing National Boards, new babies, new pregnancies and good friends. Here are a few pics of Sam taken that evening. If you're interested, you can check out just a few more if you click here:

Charity Auction

I've mentioned Jennifer Juniper's blog before. She makes the most beautiful hand-painted frames with quotes written on them. Jennifer is auctioning off her most popular frame to raise money for charity. I've placed my bid! Check it out here and then place your bid on e-bay. There are only two days left to bid. Hurry!

http://hopestudios.blogspot.com/2008/12/christmas-charity-fundraiser-on-ebay.html

Does absence make the heart grow fonder?

I cannot tell you how much I have missed blogging! I can't believe how long it has been. Lots of exciting things have happened: our trip to Savannah with Susan and Joe, Thanksgiving, new camera... Yes, lots of things have happened, I just don't have the energy to blog about them! It is 11:41 and I have finally designed and figured out how to install my very first blog background! I was determined not to go to bed tonight until I updated my blog. So, please enjoy! I have fumbled my way through Photoshop just to get it done. While not exactly what I expected once published, it will do for now. Tomorrow, I'll get started on my Valentine's Day background. Maybe I'll have it up sometime in February!

Oh, I do have to tell you about my brand-new, fancy, oh-so-confusing camera! I finally ordered it and I've had it exactly a week today. And guess what, Ryan! I've outdone myself. While trying to get a picture for our Christmas card yesterday, I took 689 pictures in 90 minutes! My personal best! I wish I could say that I got a picture that I can actually use on the card...but, alas, I'm still looking for just the right shot. Anyway, here's a self-portrait of me with my new camera taken in the elevator of the Charleston Place Hotel. Can you tell I am way too excited about it???

Giving Thanks for Family, Friends and Falling Leaves

We are very excited around here today! No school! Beautiful weather! Joe and Susan are on the way to our house from Columbus! Yyyyyyaaaaaaay! We can't wait to spend time with them. We usually spend Thanksgiving with them, either here or in Columbus. This year, they are joining us and we're heading to Savannah to spend Friday night. So, we've been getting the house and the yard cleaned up today, buying lots of groceries for tomorrow's feast, dancing to Christmas music, and trying to contain our excitement!

Scott worked hard in the yard...and of course Sam helped!

We have so much to be thankful for, as we truly live a blessed life.

Never Met a Stranger...Unless It's Someone I Happen to Know

Take Sam out to the mall or Wal-Mart or anywhere else where lots of people are roaming, and he talks to everyone. And I mean everyone! People are so patient as they listen to him explain something that is clearly very important to him. (Thank God I can translate most of what he says!) I have said time and time again that Sam has never met a stranger.

So why is it that when we run into someone I know while we're out and about, all of a sudden he becomes the quietest kid I know? I mean honestly, all I want is for him to be charming and say something cute or talk their ears off. What do I get? Nothing. Nada. Zip. (cue crickets chirping!)

I don't blame anyone for not believing me when I talk about how entertaining he can be and how much he talks. All the time. Well...usually!

With Age Comes Memory

We took Sam to a new restaurant for dinner. When we walked in, Sam spied the ice cream counter and immediately began asking for ice cream. All through the meal he continued to ask. We kept telling him that they didn't have any ice cream. That didn't work. Especially once the waitress asked us if we would like to try their homemade hand-dipped ice cream in 10 different flavors. Aargh!

Somehow we put him off and very strategically got out of the restaurant without incident. I kid you not, it was a coordinated effort! We decided to head over to the ice cream shop closer to home. (More flavors to choose from!) As we got closer to the house, Scott and I decided, in whispered voices, to avoid the ice cream altogether and make some fat-free, sugar-free Oreo cookie mousse instead. Sam had not said another word since we got in the car. He won't remember...right? Ha! As soon as we pulled up into the driveway, he slipped out of the video induced trance and quickly reminded us about the ice cream store. Scott and I looked at each other. We just could not believe that our old tried and true trick had not worked! Scott slipped the van in reverse and off we went!

Four months ago, we would have made it through the night without another mention of ice cream!

I Passed!!!!!

I passed National Boards!

I am now a National Board Certified Teacher! Yay!!!!

Huge raise for the next 10 years! Yippee!!!!

Mama gets a brand new fancy camera!

Poor Mimi!

UPDATED because apparently the video was not working. I think it's fixed now.

Ms. Pat, Sam's babysitter, may have her work cut out for her today!

Good luck, Mimi!

An Expensive Trip to the Potty

Sam and I had an amazing day in Charleston today. I can't write a word of why we went there, yet. (Scott reads this, too!) But rest assured, the post is written and scheduled to be published the day after Christmas! I can't wait to tell you what happened while we were there!

Anyway, about the potty. I knew that I would need some change to park in the meters down in the public market in Charleston. I didn't want to park in a deck considering I only wanted to go in one shop. So I pulled off the highway at the Summerville exit and went to the first gas station to get a snack and some change. I didn't really need the snack but I hated to use the facilities and ask for change without buying something. So my hands were tied, really. Anywho, after taking care of business inside the store, I decided to take care of a little business in the restroom located at the back of the store. Unfortunately, I could not get the door to close, no matter how hard I tried. There was absolutely no way this was going to work. Horrible visions of Sam running out or strangers walking in raced through my head! So Sam and I loaded up and headed out to find another restroom. This is actually a busy part of town, but believe it or not, there were no other gas stations in sight. There was, however, a Target! (Insert trumpets and choir) Well, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to pee in a guaranteed clean bathroom. And, again, I didn't feel good about using their bathrooms without purchasing something. So, I figured I'd buy some Excederin and kill two birds with one stone. Well, the headache aisle happened to be directly across from the children's book aisle and DVD aisle. Fifteen minutes later, Sam and I are standing in line with a box of Excederin, a Thomas the Tank Engine book, a Little Einsteins book and "The Polar Express" DVD. So, like I said earlier, it was an expensive trip to the potty! Thank goodness for the Excederin!

Back on track and headed towards Charleston, we were thrilled with the 65 degree temps, cloudless sky and our not-needed bags of chips.

Charleston was beautiful and Sam was so much fun to be with. Here's my favorite picture of the day followed by some other shots I took. We went to the harbor first to enjoy a picnic lunch and watch the boats, then we headed to the market for what seemed like a serindipitous kind of shopping trip. But more on that later...

Amazing Grace

What a glorious day! It is truly a new America and I feel blessed that God answered my prayers and Sam will grow up living "The Dream".

UPDATE: To quote a 106 year old woman who voted Tuesday, "It's a victory of faith over fear."

I mean, really. When I think of this sweet precious boy with the infectious laugh, what choice do I have but to want the very best for him?

"We pushed the buttons!"

What a day! Daddy, Sam and I were at the polls shortly after they opened this morning. We arrived and took our place in a relatively short line. We were all excited as we waited for about 30 minutes to cast our votes. We just couldn't help but feeling as if we were living in history, if that makes sense. Can't you just see the look of anticipation on Sam's face?

It was nice to see some familiar faces from the neighborhood. People talked to and laughed at Sam as he kept proclaiming that he was going to vote! He really did a good job waiting patiently. Daddy was even patient, and that's saying something about how happy we all were this morning!


When the line moved inside, Sam was able to do a little writing while he waited. I'm sure he was drafting his stump speech for when he runs in a few years.

Finally, we got to the buttons! I let Sam help me vote in the hopes that he will grow up knowing that voting is cool.

After voting, Sam and I did another very American thing. We headed to Sonic for french toast sticks and then Wal-Mart for some budget shopping. I hate Wal-Mart and usually dread taking Sam, but he was a dream. He sat in the cart and we talked the whole time. No wanting to get out of the cart. No tantrums. Nothing. He was awesome! Then, back home for the rest of the day. Did I mention that most, if not all the schools in the state are closed today? Today is almost as great as a snow day!


We'll hang out today, waiting for the early returns to post and then celebrate tonight! I hope you and your family take time to vote today and have as great a day as we have had.

Just think! Tomorrow....no more campaign ads!!!

Free Coffee

I'm not so much advertising for Starbuck's as I am using them to remind you about how important tomorrow is. Enjoy the video!

My Christmas Wish List

I just added this cool new tool down the right side of my blog. It shows my Christmas list of books that I can't wait to read. I say "Christmas Wish List" because that's the only time until Summer that I will have a chance to read anything! So, let me know if you have a copy I can borrow. I'll try to return it by New Year's!

Sam's First Competition

Sunday night, Sam and I attended the fall carnival at the church of a dear friend. Thank you Linda, Billy and Sarah for inviting us. We had a wonderful time!

Sam was a little hesitant when we arrived at the church because there were so many people and almost everyone was in costume! Very soon after we got there, I made him stand with about 8 other toddlers for the costume contest. Soon after that, he warmed up and suddenly he was very into playing all the games. Sam was definitely more interested in the activities than he was in the goodies. He got a tattoo, rescued ducks from a pond, hit a hole in one, slam dunked a basketball, and decorated a pumpkin. Sam stayed very focused as he went from classroom to classroom with his friend Bradley.

After the activities, it was time for Trunk-or-Treat. This was our first one and Sam and I were both impressed by how fancy the decorations were. My favorite costume of the evening was Santa and the elf. It just seemed so random and unexpected. But the costumes were nothing compared to their decorations outside. While everyone else had spiders and witches and pumpkins and everything else scary, the elf had huge inflatable snowmen flanking her car. She also had Christmas music playing and lots of Christmas decorations. It was fabulous! That, of course, is the only way I want to see Christmas before Thanksgiving. I won't be bullied around by all the retail stores that have been decorated for weeks. But I'm birdwalking...back to Halloween. Sam REALLY got into the trunk-or-treating once he figured out what it was all about.

Sam and I had an amazing evening that bookended a wonderful weekend. We're very sorry that Daddy missed all the fun. Here are a few pictures from the fall carnival and Sam's train engineer/conductor costume. Enjoy! By the way, we found out at the end of the evening that Sam won the toddler costume contest!

Sneak Peek

Here's a sneak peak from our fun evening. More information tomorrow. I love how focused he is in this picture. He looks just like a little student!

 

To the Pumpkin Patch

We had a great day today on Saturday with Carson and family at Harmon's Farm. We played on the playground for a little while. Then we took a hayride through the Haunted Forest. Oooh! Scaaaaary! Finally, we got to search for the perfect pumpkin. It was a wonderful day and we can't wait to take Daddy there!

Here's my favorite picture of the day followed by a large collection of shots:

Where's Spot?

This entry is dedicated to my Reading Recovery Friends!

I was working on getting a video the other night of Sam reading Where's Spot so that you could see Sam's 1:1 and how he reads with expression. He was being a little stubborn, but I did capture this pretty impressive video. Sam already reads his name and the word book. (He'll spell book for you, too!) But if I'm not mistaken, I think he noticed the word no in the book. He had just finished reading Dear Zoo and went on to pick up Where's Spot. You can almost see the smoke pouring out (or lightbulb coming on) as he compares the two books. I thought he was thinking about the alligator. Boy was I surprised! I know I lost a powerful teaching moment, but I was holding the camera and wasn't prepared for what he was giving me. Enjoy the short video and please feel free to let me know if I'm just imagining the brilliance. By the way, Sam turned 2.5 two days after this video.



UPDATE: The day after I wrote this entry, I got a video of Sam reading Where's Spot and The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear. If ever a child read with expression...



Oh, yeah. Here's Sam's latest LID:

Well, Hello Dr. McHottie!

A very, very special thank you to Missy for dragging her tired self to my house after a long day of work, meeting both of her own children there, and then staying until 9:00 to take care of Sam so that I could go to Scott's faculty recital last night. I know she knows what a night out means and I appreciate her help more than she knows.

Yes! I got to sit through an entire concert without sneaking Sam out to play in the hallway. We've taken him to several concerts and the younger he was, the more interested he was in the music. But then he hit an age where all he wants to do is be on stage with Daddy. For obvious reasons, that's not always practical. The Palmetto Pans concerts are different, of course. Daddy gets to sit with us in the audience AND everyone else is up dancing and being loud. So Sam enjoys those much more. Anyway, all that to say that I didn't want to miss Scott's faculty recital last night and I certainly couldn't take Sam.

So, about last night. I am so thankful I got to attend the recital. The music was great. All the students and faculty that accompanied Scott were awesome. I got to see a lot of friends I don't see often enough. And most importantly, my husband was HOT! Perhaps I was just under the influence of the adrenaline rush that comes from getting out of the house to do grown-up things, perhaps not. Whatever the reason, I SO enjoyed watching him on stage last night. I felt almost giddy like I used to feel in college when he performed. I watch him and listen to him play and my heart almost bursts with pride.

And did I mention how HOT he looked on stage last night?

Every once in a while, I need a reminder that it is ok to spend time away from Sam and just enjoy being with his daddy.

I took a few pictures, but the light was so low that they really didn't come out very well. Maybe I'll have my new camera before the next concert! Here's the best of the worst:

May I Have This Dance?

I want to capture a moment but I'm afraid that words won't remind me years from now how sweet it was. But I'll try.

Tuesday evening, I was sitting on the floor talking to Sam while he was very busy putting all his 8,462 pieces of train track together. He didn't have much to say being that he was so focused so I turned the TV to Dancing with the Stars. He glanced up occasionally to see the couples dancing, but didn't say anything about it. About 10 minutes later, Sam stopped in the middle of working, walked over to me, and without saying a word, held out his had to me in the sweetest little gesture. I took his hand, not sure of what he wanted, and stood up. As he took my other hand, I understood that he wanted to dance. So we held hands and danced around a little, still with no words between us. Then he let go of my hands and went back to working on his railroad. I sat back down and tried to savor the tenderness of the moment and the look of love on his face as he held his hand out to me. I realized that for whatever reason, at that moment, he just wanted to dance with his mommy. Even though he didn't have the formal words for the moment, his eyes said it all.

I savor these moments, for I'm quite sure that he won't be asking his mommy to prom in a few years.

Stupid Dragon!

Pardon the quality of the following pictures. My camera is holding on dearly to its last heartbeat and the pix are screenshots from the video of Sam riding the dragon roller coaster--NOT his favorite thing at the fair. Notice the difference between the hesitant look on his face the first time around the track and the positively pitiful "ready-to-get-off" look on his face when he comes back around. We met Sam as soon as he got off the death ride. Scott picked him up and we walked through the crowd with Sam crying very tragically. (Both of us were trying to be sympathetic and not laugh too hard.) As we walked, Scott proclaims to Sam (and the three sweet moms beside us) "I know, buddy. I don't know why that Mama put you on that scary ride." (Laughter all around.)

Thank God I love him. I might have thrown him under the dragon. Scott, not Sam.

Don't Worry Be Happy Now

Just a cute little video to start your day with a smile. These little ducks were about 4 inches tall a week before this video. Now they've grown up and gotten all smart.

Until Next Year (updated)

Sam insisted on driving us to the fair this morning to meet Samuel and Bradley. We had tons of fun riding lots of rides (except for the helicopters and the dragon roller coaster--not so fun!). I finally got to try deep fried cookie dough! It was actually really yummy! I specifically asked for the kind with no fat and no calories, considering I'm still dieting. I'll have to wait until next year to try the deep fried Pepsi. Sam was getting hungry and tired and when he's ready to eat...he's ready to eat. He actually got off the train before it started and was ready go home. Daddy wasn't doing so good, either. Bed allergy day. So we said goodbye to our friends and headed home for lunch. You would think that Sam would have fallen asleep before his head hit the pillow, but as I write this, I can still hear him playing on his bed. I put him down over an hour ago!

I have to say, I've never been a huge fan of going to the fair, but taking Sam and watching him have a good time is totally worth it. Enjoy a few pictures from our last morning at the fair until next year.




UPDATE: I just put Sam down for the night at 9:15. It only took him about 4 minutes to fall asleep. Just as I expected, considering he never did take a nap! Scott and I aren't sure where all his energy came from today.

Monkey Business

What great fun we had at Emma Cate's 4th birthday party on Sunday. (Yes, THE Emma Cate!) Her party (and Sam's next party) was at Monkey Business in Lexington. It took Sam a few minutes to warm up to all the rides and excitement, but when he did...he was a jumping madman! He fell in love with the huge inflatable slide and the bouncer. That is, until he heard there was cake! As he sat at the table with all the kids, he forced down a corndog but told any adult that walked by "I need some cake." Look how hot and sweaty he was from all the bouncing:

After the cake, I had to chase him down--literally--to get him into the car. All he wanted to do was bounce! The only way I got him into the car was the promise of the M&Ms that came in his goody bag. In this picture, notice the open bag of M&Ms and the fact that we haven't even left the parking lot:

Eight minutes down the road, I turned around to find this:

Bless his heart! There wasn't enough sugar in the world to keep him awake! I drove around for a while so that he got to sleep for about 1/2 hour, but he fell right back to sleep anyway when we got home and slept for almost 2 more hours! I kept trying to wake him up hoping for a reasonable bedtime, but it was 6:15 before he was lucid. He didn't go to bed until 10:00!

When Scott asked Sam about the party, all he could talk about was bouncing and eating cake! Go figure!

By the way, those precious little glasses were also from the goody bag. Amazingly enough, Scott hasn't commented on them yet!

Pickin' Up Chicks at the State Fair

We had a blast this afternoon at the state fair. Sam's first fair, actually. We met Dave, Tina and Nathan there, and then ran into Kim and her family. We really didn't expect Sam to want to ride anything, but he LOVES Emma Cate and would follow her to the moon! She is so good with him.



Notice how she lets him drive...



...but keeps him on a short leash! That's my girl!


I wouldn't be opposed to an arranged marriage. I'm just sayin'.

We really had a lot of fun and were so glad to spend time with friends! We couldn't believe how much Sam enjoyed the rides.


In this picture, Sam is trying to help us decide between deep fried Snickers, deep fried cookie dough, or deep fried Pepsi. We ended up sharing the old reliable deep fried elephant ear but shook things up a little by ordering it smothered in butter and cinnamon. Yummy! (By the way, does anyone know how many WW points that's worth?)

We still have tickets so we'll HAVE to go back. Perhaps then I'll get to try the cookie dough or Pepsi! You've gotta love fair food or in the very least appreciate the ingenuity!

Whas' Up?

Very rare the night has been in Sam's 2.5 years that he has slept straight through 'til morning. He usually wakes up around 4. Now, when he was in his crib, this was not a problem at all. He would read books, sing, talk or whatever for about an hour and then go back to sleep. When he moved into his bed, he brought his early morning party to my room. I would take him back to bed and climb in with him to keep him there. After doing this for a few months, I finally have him trained to stay in bed and he just sits in there and calls for me.

Sam went to bed last night clutching his new toy school bus that lights up and plays music. He LOVES the bus and has not been without it since Scott and I gave it to him when we got back from Savannah. Anyway, at 4:15 this morning, this is what I hear:

"Mama, I can't find your bus." (repeated several times)

Upon being summoned this morning, I decided to try something new. I went to Sam's room, found his bus, and explained that I was going back to bed to sleep. He actually handled it amazingly well. For about 15 minutes I listened to him play with his bus and talk a little. Then, he got quiet. As I lay in bed celebrating perhaps the start of a new routine, the silence was broken with the following:

"Mama, where are you?"
"Mama, I can't find your bus."
"Mama?...Mama?"
"Mama, where are you?"

(repeat about 10 times.)

At this point, Scott and I were both listening to him and enjoying his sweet voice. He was so sweet sounding and patient but persistent.

He got quiet again. I celebrated again. And then we heard:

"Daddy. Whas' up?......Daddy. Whas' up?"

I could take it no longer. I was laughing so hard I almost wet the bed. I just had to go to my sweet angel just in case he felt like I had abandoned him. It is not very often that he calls out for Daddy in the middle of the night. He had obviously given up on me.

So I got into bed with him and he fell fast asleep!

God, thank you for sending such a special angel to start my days with love and joy. I think I will be smiling all day!

Back Home

Scott and I spent a perfect weekend in Savannah. He played a concert in the park with the Savannah Symphony. There were about 50,000 people scattered around this really cool park in the historic district. They had an annual "Best Picnic" contest and there were some fancy spreads! We saw everything from sofa's to silver candelabras and chandeliers. I, not being prepared for such an event, hunkered down beside the stage where I enjoyed several magazines and sudoku puzzles by the glow of the stage lights. It was a wonderful evening! We left Savannah at 10:00 and came rolling in around 12:30. I expect to be really tired later today!

We must have walked 200 miles this weekend! But the pain in my knees today is certainly worth the amazing weekend we had. Plus, I'm quite sure I burned all the bad calories I consumed! and, I know you will be sad, but I forgot to take my camera, so no pictures!

I crawled into Sam's bed at 6:00 this morning to wake him up because I just couldn't stand it another minute. He opened his eyes a little, then shut them. Then he opened them again, took a good look, closed them and smiled! As we snuggled, he threw his little arm around my neck and lay there patting my back. In that sweet moment I knew I was back home again!

PSA

Yyyyessss!!! (With Tiger-like Fistpump)

I think Sam's earache may actually be getting better! I put him to bed last night without Tylenol and he went down as easily as a bite of Marble Slab's Birthday Cake Ice Cream! I wish I were having as much luck with my diet this week! I do not look forward to getting on the scale Wednesday.

Carson FINALLY came over Saturday afternoon and the boys had a lot of fun playing at the park. Here they are riding some of the toys that call the park home. I'm pretty sure Sam is ready for a new bike. And yes, it is a Harley!

Runway Ready

This morning, we told Sam that Carson was coming over to play this afternoon. He decided to wait for him. These pictures were taken at 9:30 this morning. Thankfully, he finally decided to come in.

Also noteworthy is the outfit that Sam chose all by himself today. I don't expect Sam will be a contender on Project Runway anytime soon. But then again, I've seen a few of those "fashion statements" and he might just fit right in! Today...the front steps. Tomorrow...the catwalk!