Thanksgiving

I am finally finished unpacking from our Thanksgiving holiday! We had a great time, but the unpacking is always the worst part. It took me all day to get everything back in shape. Thank goodness I have a WONDERFUL husband that helped unpack and bought our groceries for the week! That was a huge help!

Thanksgiving was a lot of fun. We went to LaGrange to visit my family this year. My parents bought a farm a few years ago and have now added a donkey (Chester), shetland pony (Buddy), rabbits, and cats. The boys LOVED playing with all the animals - especially Gabe! I think Gabe is my country boy! He loves anything that involves the outdoors. Cole seemed to like riding the "four-leeler" the best. We had to ride it with him each time. He is a speed demon! Please pray for me when he turns 16!!! We also enjoyed lots of really good food. My mom has to be one of the best cooks in the south. I think everything she makes turns out perfect. I learned a lot of my cooking skills from her, but she definitely has the talent! She sent home tons of leftovers, so we will be able to enjoy it for a few more days.

We also enjoyed going to the lights at Callaway Gardens. The kids loved it! We haven't been in a few years, so it was very magical for all of them. Gabe and Sidney (my niece) enjoyed the ride by giggling and singing, while Cole was glued to his seat! I don't think he said a word the entire time! He absolutely LOVED every minute. I haven't met a child that enjoys Christmas more than him. In fact, Joey and I call him "Mr. Christmas". He walks around the house singing random Christmas songs constantly!

We also got to see Santa while we were there. EVERYONE sat in his lap this time and quietly told Santa what they wanted. Cole wanted to pull his beard off, but he had a real one.... thank goodness!

Now we are all in the mood for Christmas. This week will be full of Christmas activities and decorating. What a fun time of year!

Oh, yeah.... the best part about the weekend! Alabama 36 - Auburn 0 !!!!!!! Roll Tide!

Visitor in the house

Today was a very FULL day for us! We got a call last night about a baby at the hospital that needed a home for a night (or two). So.... I headed straight over there and picked up a little 5-month-old baby boy. He was a cutie and a chunk! Only 5 months old and weighed 20 pounds! My boys NEVER had rolls like that. Anyway, he spent the night with us last night and left this afternoon. He got to enjoy a very small amount of time in our home. He was precious and the boys HATED to see him go.... especially Gabe.

While Baby "M" was here, he was able to visit Gabe's school for reading time, pick up Cole from preschool, meet Joey at his work, and just play with the boys. He definitely experienced a whirlwind. It is amazing how "easy" a small one can be after taking care of toddlers in the past. He was really a lot of fun and a great baby!

Cole was able to "pretend" to be a chef today. They made pumpkin bread at school and his teacher said he stayed right under her the whole time. I really wasn't surprised because he pulls up a chair every time I cook. They made chef hats, so now he can be a "real" chef.

We also had a soccer banquet tonight. The boys had a lot of fun. Gabe LOVES playing soccer and the banquet gave him some time to hang with his friends. He is always so proud of his trophies. When we got home, he meticulously organized them on his dresser. (Everything has a specific place!) Wonder where he gets that from.....

Now it is finally time for bed. Cole and I have planned a fun day of playing at home tomorrow. Who knows what we will end up doing?!

Shots... ouch!

I took Gabe to the doctor this morning. He played around a bon-fire a few weeks ago while we were visiting the Hallmarks and has had a cough since. We thought it was time for a visit to our friendly Pediatrician....

From the minute I told Gabe we were going to the doctor, he began asking if he would have to get a shot. He is terrified of shots! When we stepped into the doctor's office, I let the nurse know that I wanted a good check-up while he was there. Gabe hasn't been to the doctor in about 2 years, so I thought this would be great. They did the whole work-up on him. Of course, that means pricking his finger. Poor thing, I had to use all my strength to hold him down. He pushed and pulled until the nurse finally was able to stick his finger. He immediately sat up and said, "Oh, I didn't even feel it." He wants to be so tough....

Next, we went in to see the doctor. They wanted him to get undressed and put on a gown. I knew this was going to be a problem. First of all, Gabe hates to be naked in front of other people and putting on a "gown"...well, that is for girls! After I convinced him that no one was looking and the gown was really cool because it had footballs and bears on it, he decided to undress and wait for the doctor. When the doctor walked in, Gabe began trying to convince him that he really didn't need a shot today. After the doctor decided to give him a few breathing treatments and some allergy medication, he informed us the nurse would be in soon for his flu shot. Well, that was NOT what Gabe wanted to hear! He immediately got under the table, pulled the step stool on top of him, and refused to come out. After explaining to him the purpose of the flu shot and bribing him with a biscuit from Chick-fil-A, he decided to come out and sit with me. When the nurse came in, he was pitiful! He was so scared of that shot and was huddling next to me in the fetal position. I grabbed hold of him and held him down while the nurse quickly gave the shot. It was over..... After a few minutes of calming down, he realized he was finished. He quickly put his clothes on and headed out the door. He was ready to go! After paying, we went to the car and called Joey. He was so happy to tell his dad how he was "really tough and didn't even cry" when he got his shots. Sweet boy.... We headed on to CFA, got some biscuits, and headed back to school. He couldn't wait to tell his class about his shots. I think he will be the hero of first grade today! :)
Luckily, I won't have to do this again until next year!

VOTING

Ok... I think this week will finally be a little more slow-paced than the previous few. Here is an update on our family for the past week. The boys and I went to vote last Tuesday. I thought this would be a wonderful experience for the boys, so I drug them to the long lines with me. We had a nice little talk about behavior before we left with backpacks full of entertainment in tow! There was no way I was going to be waiting in line for 4 hours with 2 boys and NOTHING to do. I know much better than that....
It actually wasn't too bad. We only waited in line for about an hour. During that hour, only one scuffle occurred. It was over who was going to be the X's in a game of Tic Tac Toe while I was on the phone with my mom. Needless to say, once I hung up the phone, the problem was solved immediately! As we progressed through the line, many people commented on the boys being there to vote. Gabe was more than happy to let everyone know we would be voting for John McCain. Cole informed everyone he was not old enough to vote and would not be voting this time. Just when I was beginning to be satisfied with our time in the line, it started to slow down and we were stuck behind two older people that did not think a bath was necessary. Cole noticed..... He kept telling me (repeatedly), "I smell stinky, do you smell stinky?" . He is so honest! Actually, I was thinking the same thing, I just couldn't voice my opinion. After one of the ladies working the poles gave the boys a lollipop, I was able to distract Cole with something else for the last few minutes until we voted. Gabe was extremely interested in the whole process of voting, while Cole found the butttons on the machine quite interesting. I had to hold his hands while I proceeded to vote. Luckily, he didn't mash any of the buttons, or we would have probably been there another hour trying to change my vote. The boys got a sticker when we finished, so the day was well worth it to them.

The next day was a real hard one for Gabe. He had been so excited about McCain and the election, that we hated to even tell him the outcome. At breakfast, I broke the news. To our surprise, Gabe cried.... he actually cried. Poor fellow, he voted in school and wanted his guy to win. We had to explain the whole process to him and the importance of supporting our president and he seemed to be okay. Who knows, he might have a true passion for politics.

On to another fun Fall week at the Hallmarks...