Not a fan of the guy in red. This is the best I could get. There was no way she was going to sit in Santa's lap. I had to peel her off my chest just to get this one.
And here's a flashback to 2006. She wasn't quite sure of him then either, but she at least humored me for the ten seconds it took to take a picture. And look; same Santa. I absolutely love an authentic Santa beard. No imposter here!
We went to look at the flowers this morning. Clara enjoyed the arboretum this time more than she has in the past. She was enthralled with all the different flowers and I couldn't get her off of the hummingbird and flower mosaic. Apparently anything round on the ground signals in her the need to sing "Ring Around the Rosy" over and over and over.
It was peaceful and serene as usual, that is until we came upon a professional photographer trying to get smiles out of a one year old. The child's mother was going crazy trying to get her to smile. She sang a lovely rendition of the Elmo's World theme song. (That's a tv show, right?) To her credit, she sounded very much like Elmo. I had to do a double take to see if a little red monster was lurking in the trees beside me. We walked around a bit and came upon a different area and I heard it again. You could hear her from probably 50 feet away! After the show she put on, I hope she got her shot.
1. Watching Gone With the Wind for the first time. I really liked it despite the fact that it was 3 hours and 53 minutes long. I think I would enjoy the book even more.
2. Potty training. We won't talk about how that's going.
3. Denting walls with our forehead.
5. Cleaning up pee off the floor.
6. Watching Elf so that we know who Santa Claus is and to increase the odds of us actually sitting in his lap when we go to see him at the mall. Highly unlikely, but a mother can dream, can't she?
Last night I decided to steam clean the downstairs carpet. I figured since it's one and a half years old now and we will be having company for the holidays, now's as good a time as any. We turned on the dehumidifier to hurry along the drying time and by this morning, I was able to put the furniture back in place and erect the Christmas tree.
I didn't do much else the rest of the day. Clara and I never left the house. Then, after dinner, we put on Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and got busy decorating the tree. Half of the lights didn't work, so we spent the next hour or so trying to get them to work. (We'll be venturing out tomorrow to get some new lights.)
That's when I decided to get a few pictures of the corgis. Let me tell you, it's not easy to get good pics of one subject when you have three four-legged family members milling around and one two-legged one. What makes it especially difficult is that most, if not all of the four-legged ones really don't like it when the two-legged one heads in their direction and so they get up and move. They seem to cross paths frequently and make it pretty much impossible to get a good shot of any of them. Clara wanted to be like the doggies and she "laid down" just like they did without even being asked. She's our honorary corgi.
Maybe it's just me, but I expect a certain level of professionalism from people that are serving me. They don't have to bow down to me or kiss up or anything like that. Just be nice and courteous. That's all I'm asking for. When I worked in retail, I always had an air of professionalism in my service to customers. Always. Even when I was having a bad day.
That rant was a little off topic of what I really wanted to say, but it goes hand in hand with what I witnessed earlier today.
I took the car in for an oil change today. While sitting in the waiting area, I heard a motorcycle drive up. A police motorcycle. (Actually a constable, but we don't have a police dept., so I call them the police. ) He came in the driveway, turned around and parked facing the busy road. I took the opportunity to point out the motorcycle to Clara and tell her that was a policeman.
He turned off the engine and took off his gloves. I was wondering what he was doing. Maybe getting ready to pull our a radar gun? But no. He proceeds to pull out a cigarette and light up. He then puts his gloves back on, turns on the engine and takes off down the road, cigarette in mouth. "Look Clara, that policeman is smoking a cigarette. Maybe he has an extra one for you!"
Am I completely anal, or is that not something I should expect to see from an on-duty officer? I mean, they are supposed to be a model in the community, right? And what parent wants to explain why the police officer is smoking to their little one? I also think that might be a bit of a riding hazard, not to mention the fact that he probably just threw it on the ground when he was done. Could he not pull over and have himself a smoke break out of sight of the public? Is that asking too much? I'm just sayin'.
Oh, and while I'm on the topic, I was in the front yard playing with Clara awhile back when the mailwoman pulled up to the mailboxes acrosss the street. She was talking very loudly on her cellphone for a couple of minutes before she stepped out to actually do her job. She talked on the phone the entire time she put mail in the boxes, still very loudly. And then got back in her truck and drove off..... still talking loudly on the phone! Again, is it just me or is it normal to expect just a teensy weensy bit more out of people whose job it is to serve?
On a side note, I realized I say alrighty a little too much. The youngun' has started repeating it. I added a couple more posts about the trip, but they appear after the post about our drive home if you feel inclined to check them out.
Back to the present. This morning I decided to call the doctor since Clara has had a runny nose and cough in the mornings for a week and a half. Also, her mucous was green this morning. So, I'm on the phone listening to a recorded message, "Phones are answered at 7:45, yada yada yada", when Clara comes into the kitchen bringing me her diaper. I put it back on her real quick, feed her breakfast and then head upstairs to do something.
She followed me upstairs a minute later and I hear her banging at the gate. This is the view that greeted me. After I snapped the picture, I smelled that oh so familiar smell.
Oh no ya don't Missy. As soon as we're back to our normal routine and over our sickness we're doing that potty training thing again. Wish me luck.
Speaking of getting back to normal, Clara's been really clingy since our return home, but not to me. To Daddy. Chris has been working really long hours while we were gone and since we've been back. She just cries and cries whenever he leaves for work. It's the saddest thing. Poor thing thinks she won't see him for another two weeks I guess.
I was able to get Clara into the doctor this afternoon. While checking her ears, the doctor says she can't see into them because there's so much wax. So she gets out a little tool and starts a diggin'. It was nasty all the crud she pulled out. The first ear took a while to get everything out and finally she pulled out a big 'ol piece that made Clara cry because it also pulled out hairs with it and bled a little. The second one came out in one big clump a little smaller than a pea! What on earth! No wonder she's been disobedient. She couldn't hear us when we told her no. I expect a complete change in behavior once she's better :)
Once she got all the gunk out of ear number two, she informed me that there was an infection in that ear. This is our first. Either it's not really bad or this child has a really high pain tolerance because she hasn't acted sick at all. She's had the snotty nose and cough, but that hasn't slowed her down a bit. The doctor said the infection was probably caused from all the drainage she's had.
Afterward, Mommy took Clara to Coldstone for some sorbet since the mean 'ol doctor made her cry.
The following is a pictorial review of the highlights of yesterday's drive home. I wrote down all of the details partly for those readers who have not taken a road trip with little ones and would like to know what to expect and partly for myself. I want to be able to look back at this when I take a trip with two or three kids and fondly remember how easy it was with one.
I will eventually write about the actual trip to Pecos, just not right now.
MILE 0: (8:00 am) Everything is packed. Start a dvd playing. Carry Clara to the car since she doesn't have shoes on. Buckle her in. Go to shut the door....... And time to clean up the throw up that's now dripping down under the carseat pad and out the side onto the towel underneath the carseat and leather seat.
Take Clara back inside. Change her clothes. Pull out carseat and bring inside. Try cleaning it as much ast possible without having to take the cover off and machine wash it. Fold up towel it was sitting on in the car and bag said towel and 1st set of clothes. Put carseat back in car. Put child back into carseat and you're good to go.
MILE 2: Get halfway through town before you realize you're going the wrong route. You want to go I-10, not I-20. Easy enough fix. You only lost about 5 minutes with this one.
MILE 18: Put on hazard lights. Pull over to the side of the road to clean up yet more puke. And change into outfit numero tres.
MILE 55: Stop at McDonalds in Ft. Stockton because you forgot to eat breakfast and are STARVING and know it's, like, 300 miles til you get to another McD's. Purchasing a mcmuffin for yourself and nothing for the little one will not go over well, so get a biscuit for her. Put on bib and fill cup with juice before getting back on the interstate.
MILE 70: Child sneezes with a mouthful of biscuit. (You were spared puke pictures, but snot's fair game in my opinion.)
MILE 217: Pull over at a picnic area. DVD change. Clean painted on crackers off of her face.
MILE 225: Teach Alfonso the frog to sing "Wheels on the bus."
MILE 250: You make it to Junction. Get gas. Put shoes and socks on child. Change dirty diaper. Spend 10 minutes looking for a park to eat the sandwiches you brought. Give up and get a Sonic drink and pull over to a grassy area where the kid can run for a minute or two. Of course, she doesn't want to run; she wants to sit in your lap and whine about the fact that she didn't get a Sonic drink until you cave and give her a drink of yours. Take shoes and socks off of child and get going.
MILE 295: Pull over at another picnic area because she's driving you loopy. The sun's in her eyes even though you just sacrificed your own sunglasses to aid her. You adjust the shade (which only works until the interstate turns ever so slightly.) Try to give her a pillow and bedtime buddies so she'll go to sleep.
MILE 312: (Outskirts of San Antonio) She's asleep. FINALLY!
MILE 391: Oh, man. You gotta go!!! Why'd you drink that Sonic drink? Now you have to wake the beast!
MILE 400: Ok, she's awake. Mixed blessing I guess.
MILE 412: Stop at one of those oh-so-cool safety rest stops. Put shoes and socks on child. Make mental note to bring slip on shoes next time. Diaper change. Play on the playground. Goldfish refill. DVD change. Take shoes and socks off of chid.
MILE 528: Chew on foot.
MILE 540: (Edge of Houston) Catch a whiff of poo. Make child sit in it 'til you get home because you are NOT stopping again.
MILE 575: (6:30 pm) You're home!
Big John's party was on Saturday in the fellowship hall at church. Momma and Myrt Myrt did such a good job decorating and making sure everything was perfect for all the guests. They decided to make it a Caterpillar tractor themed party. Big John was a Caterpillar mechanic up until a few months ago when his chemo treatments finally caused him to hang up his overalls. (Not literally of course; he still wears his beloved overalls on most occasions.)
There was lots of yellow and black at the party and way too much food, as usual. Momma bought toy tractors to use as centerpieces on the tables and cakes and all of the great grandkids got to take one home after the party. The balloons were a big hit with the littlest ones.
Big John's sisters and their families came all the way from East Texas and most of my cousins and their families were able to make it, too. Here's the birthday boy with his grandkids and their spouses, the great-grandkids (not an easy picture to get), and the four generation pic.
Why three outfits in one day for Clara, you ask. Well, she wore the dress (which was a gift from Aunt Linsey at my baby shower) to the party. We went home afterwards, had a nap and put on jeans and a t-shirt for dinner. Halfway through dinner she coughed and, you guessed it, puked all over herself. Uncle Tim just about tossed his cookies at the sight of it. He didn't like that the rest of the dinner conversation was centered around vomit. Hmmm, go figure. Anyway, I happened to have another outfit waiting in the wings, erego one more costume change was in order.
The rest of the trip was spent just hanging out.
On Tuesday, I took Clara to the park by the museum in Pecos to take some pictures. Here are a few that turned out pretty good.
Clara and I headed west a couple of Friday's ago for my grandpa's 85th birthday party. The trip there was not fun, not fun at all. First of all, I decided to go up to Dallas and get on I-20. When we lived in Huntsville, either way we went (I-20 or I-10), ended up taking about the same amount of time. Now that we live an hour further south, it's faster to go I-10.
Problem is, that way seems longer to me. Maybe it's getting through Houston that I just loathe. Maybe it's the complete desolation for a good 200 miles once you pass San Antonio. Or maybe, just maybe, it's the 50 mile stretch of complete and utter nothingness that exists from Ft. Stockton to Pecos that I just cannot handle. Combine that with the fact that the trip from Abilene to Pecos and especially Odessa to Pecos seems like a breeze to me since it's been made so many times.
Whatever the reason, I chose to go I-20. Wrong choice and here's why. Had I known there would be a good, oh 10 occasions that the interstate would go down to one lane due to construction once I passed Dallas, I probably would've gone the other way.
At one point, just as we were merging down to one lane, we come to a complete stop. Cars were driving across the median to the access road. Once that was completely backed up, they started bailing across the oncoming lane and onto the other access road (which went both directions). It was crazy.
Several highway patrol cars passed and eventually I made it up to an exit where everyone was merging into a single line and then being diverted off of the interstate. Then we had to merge with all the bozos that bailed off the interstate earlier. Ok, we are finally rolling on the access road. We pass the accident and have to drive another 15 miles on the access road because all exit and entrance ramps were closed due to construction. Every stop sign or light we hit, traffic backed up yet again. There were many, many very unhappy hunters, let me tell you. All told, it took 30 minutes to go one mile and another 30 to go the 14 miles on the access road. My thigh was killing me. Not a good day to be driving a standard.
At least we weren't one of these extremely unhappy folks right behind the accident who couldn't get off the interstate because of the construction. They were all out of their cars milling around.
We left the house at 8:30 am and didn't pull into Pecos until around 9:00 pm I think.
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Saturday, Clara, Momma and I went to Odessa to get the rest of the party supplies and do a little Christmas shopping.
Monday, Clara and I decided to try storytime at the library. Not quite like our storytime here. When we got there, there were about 6 sleeping bags laid out flat for sitting. We got there the same time as the Headstart group which had about 15 three to four year olds in it. There were no other moms and little ones.
Clara sat right down next the the kids and waved hi. They looked at her like she was a leper. Seriously, they kept scooting away from her if she got near them. I would think the two adults in the group would've encouraged them to be nice, but nope. She had about a 2 foot invisible barrier around her. I'm just glad she's not old enough to care.
Then a daycare group of about 20 kids filed in. Then another daycare group of another 20 or so come in. Still no moms. And still no one wants to sit next to my little one. I think she was just the wrong color. She had an entire sleeping bag to herself while all the other kids were being told to keep scootching in closer to each other. They were basically in each other's laps and there were still more groups on their way! Clara was rolling onto her tummy and rolling back over and becoming a distraction to the 50 or 60 older kids who are used to being in a classroom setting. Plus, the lady's reading Barney. Yuck.
So, we get up to leave. The librarian stops us and asks why we're leaving. I tell her this isn't what Clara's used to and she's becoming a distraction to the other kids. She says, "You can go to the storytime in the children's room. The kids in there are up and moving around." From my view, all I could see were the backs of two ladies. So I asked, "Are they younger kids?" To which she replied, "Oh, no. Those are the special ed kids."
Hmmm.
To be honest, I thought nothing of the comment until I got home and was like, "Uhhh, excuse me?" We went over to Myrt Myrt's house to visit with Big John for awhile. He felt pretty icky all weekend, but was feeling better by Monday, just a little weak.
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On Tuesday, Clara woke with a bit of a runny nose. We drove to Carlsbad that morning to spend a couple of days with Chris's grandma. Later that day, Clara developed a slight cough. (She still has the cough only in the am a week later.) Here are the two of them enjoying a little one on one time.
We said our goodbyes and were out the door by 3:50. We were cutting it close, but we should make it in time. So, we get halfway through town, about to stop for gas when the coughing ensues and I hear the dreaded puking sound. No, no, no, no! So, at the gas station, I strip off her overalls and the doll's clothes and do a quick wipe down. In case you're wondering about all the puke, I've come to the conclusion that my dear daughter has a sensitive gag reflex and the coughing brings up her cookies everytime. She feels fine and never seems sick or cries. I plan on asking the doc about it at her two year check up. We roll into Pecos right at dusk. Perfect!
Wilderness as far as the eye can see.
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Friday is the day before the big birthday bash and my mom and aunt have been busily preparing for it for a while now. We had a lot of family coming into town and they had decided to feed everyone after the party on Saturday. I helped my mom get the briskets ready and made macaroni salad while she was a work. That night I baked cookies for her while she and several people went up to the church to decorate.
