It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

I LOVE Christmas and this year is already turning out to be the best one yet. Audrey is really getting into the Christmas spirit too, and she was so excited to get a Christmas tree!

It was so much fun to pick out a tree with her this year. She really had an opinion and James and I went with the tree she liked the most. The funniest part was how shocked she was when we told her the tree had to go on top of the car to get home. Audrey just couldn't compute that little fact in her brain. It was hilarious to sit with her in the car as James got the tree on the roof. "But, the tree is up there Mommy??" she kept asking me.
"Now the tree at home!"

I have to add this picture, because it was the only one taken of me all day! I promise I did more work than just play with Auds. ;)

Watching in amazement as the lights went up . . .

Picking out just the right ormament . . .

She kept hanging the ornaments and saying "That's perfect!"
The tree really did turn out just perfect!

James hanging more decorations . . .

And then Audrey had to call Sara and tell her all about how her house was now decorated for Christmas! "Hello Sara, I have a tree. Do you a tree?"

Now let's hope she stays off the naughty list and gets all the toys that she wants! :)

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Happy Thanksgiving!

I won't be with Audrey this Thanksgiving, she gets to go to Houston to visit her Nana and Papa with James, but I wanted to wish all of my bloggie friends an early Happy Thanksgiving. I get to go to Tulsa with my mom to visit my brother, so everyone will be busy in our family! :) We're lucky to have so many. But I wanted to wish everyone a holiday filled with thanksgiving, family (whoever they may be), and love.

Here are some pictures of Audrey already doing that at her Thanksgiving feast at school. Before we could eat, they all had to say a prayer in thanksgiving for all of their blessings. It was too cute. You can't see it, but Audrey has her hands together in prayer.And of course, celebrating with her school family, especially Sara.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

It Really Does Take A Village. . .

to take care of a kiddo when you are a sick, single momma!

I started feeling sick on Sunday, but tried to blow it off because as a mom, you can't just use up your sick days. But finally yesterday it got the best of me. I had could barely breathe, had a horrible sore throat, and was coughing so bad that I literally was scaring my kiddos. I still tried to stick it out.

But my truly wonderful team insisted that I leave at midday to go to the doctor and take the next day off, even though I could not find a sub. Now if you're not a teacher, you don't know what a big sacrifice this is. When my class doesn't have a sub, they have to be added to other classrooms. Imagine already over crowded classrooms adding 5 kiddos to the mix. It really is a true sacrifice.

So I left, went to the doctor, knowing my kids were in good hands and not worrying that anyone was holding a grudge about it. Trust me, this does NOT happen on most teams.

As I was driving to the doctor, I called my mom at work, and before I could even get the words out, she said she would pick up Audrey from daycare and take care of her until I got home.

Soooooo . . . . .I get to the doctor and am so sick and coughing that yes, I start throwing up. Long story short I got shots and many prescriptions. Now here comes the dilemna. The one main prescription that I had to take was pretty much a straight up drug full of codine made to make you stop coughing and pass out. Well, for a single mom that is just not an option! So what to do.

I got home, and the shots were already making me feel better and the coughing was decreasing. My mom had to leave to meet some friends for dinner, but offered to come back and SLEEP ON THE COUCH so I could take my medicine and sleep and not worry about Audrey waking up. Wow. I told her I would let her know. Right after she leaves, my neighbor calls (her daughter is in my class) and told me she knew I was sick and asked if she could watch Audrey for a little while so I could rest! I told her James was coming at 6:30 and I would love if she could watch Audrey for a few hours. AND SHE DID!

Then James called and when I explained the situation, he also offered to sleep on the couch so I could take my meds and he would take care of Auds, bathe her, and put her to bed, as well as listen for her through the night. So I took him up on his offer and her said he could be here by 7 so he could pack a bag.

So I picked up Auds from the best neighbors ever and all I could bring myself to make her for dinner was a pb&j sandwich and let her watch Diego while I laid on the couch.


The minute James got there at 7 I went to bed and slept until about 7. Wow ! What a difference a 12 hour night of uninterrupted night of sleep does for you. James then took Auds to school and I slept the day away.

So to sum up, I truly coudn't be sitting up, not coughing up a lung, without all of these wonderful people in my life willing to help out whenever needed. Thank you! I can't wait to repay these favors. Thank you.

Mr. Guiny's Visit for the Weekend

We had a visitor to our house this weekend, a guinea pig named Mr. Guinea! He is my class pet in my classrooom, and I knew that Auds would just love if I brought him home for her to see. He is the cutest!

She took to him right away, lifting off his little nap area so he could come out and play . . . . "Come out and play Mr. Guinea . . ." she kept saying.

She just wanted to play with him so bad, it was the cutest thing ever! But when I took him out of the cage to hold, she was a little shy and wasn't quite ready to hold him yet.

She was also quite enthralled with his eating habits. When she got up and had breakfast she stomped over to his cage and said 'Drink your water Mr. Guiny, eat your food!! It's time!!"

Come on now, Audrey says so! (She must feel my pain now when I want her to eat! ;) )

She had a blast with him and has has me rethinking my no pet decision . . . . hmmmmm. . . . .what's the easiest pet to get . . .???

Wordless Wednesday

Being a Parent is Hard

So what are your struggles . . . ??

Audrey is a pretty easy going kid . . .I won't be that mom who goes into all the things she's great at. ;) But every kid has to have one or two problem areas, right?

Well Audrey's is getting dressed in the morning. My goodness gracious. It's hit or miss with her. Most days she's fine and then BOOOM she's just blows up and refuses to get dressed. It goes something like this:
1. Audrey baby, it's time to get up.
NO. I SLEEPY!
2. Ok, 5 more minutes while Mommy gets dressed.
3. Then I draaaaag her out of bed (and her clothes are all laid out from the night before) and her favorite phrase is I DO IT! So you're going to put your big your big girl panties on by yourself? Go for it girlfriend. After 10 minutes of trying, she finally asks for help, and I do it. Then pitches a fit over what was picked out to wear the night before. Um no, you picked this out, you are wearing it.
4. Which results in time out at 6:45 in the morning. So sad. Then she finally gets dressed.
5. Hair. I don't WANNA do my hair. she yells. Too bad. So I struggle to get her hair looking somewhat decent.
6. AND THEN it's the socks. Good Lord the socks. She must put them on herself or the world will end. Add 10 more minutes. Luckily she lets me put her shoes on for her.
7. We're ready to head downstairs for vitamins and to grab her breakfast (prepacked) and get out the door. The funny part it she wants to open the vitamin can herself. Um, honey, it's BABYPROOF. Good luck. So we get through that and then we are finally out the door.

I can then turn on Kidd Kraddick and all is right with the world.

So tell me, what is your child's defiant issue? And please respond, my child can't be the only one! ;)

Wordless Wednesday

HALLOWEEN FUN!

This Halloween was just too much fun. It was just a whirlwind and I felt like it went by too fast. We were so lucky that Aunt Amanda and Uncle Rick made it into town for the festivies and of course, Grammy was there too (but I don't have any pictures of her.) Auds was SOOOOO excited to about everything she could hardly stand it. Auntie Moo, Uncle Rick, Rapunzel costume, presents from Grammy, candy, AND I get to go to Sara's house??!! It was hilarious!

Here she is with her Aunt Amanda showing off some toys.

And here is why she loves Uncle Rick so much, he's just a big kid!

Trying to get a pose with princess Mommy . .

More fun with Auntie Moo

Now off to Sara's house for a pre-ToTing dinner - pizza of course!!!

Let's go!!

The daddies took the girls around the neighborhoods while Katie, Amanda, Rick, and I stayed home and just hung out.

Checking out the loot!!!! The best part!

What's better than spending Halloween with your best friend? It was a great night! Thank you Katie and Steve for having us!