We had a great weekend in the mountains with friends and family. We were even able to celebrate Jeb and his friend Tanner's Bday on Saturday.
As always we made lots of smores, played putt-putt, chased a lot, rode bikes, ate good food, sat by the fire, laughed and got very dirty.
W had great weather up there. Cool in the mornings and evenings and warm and sunny during the days! We caught ONE fish and the kids had a great time one evening going on a "ghost tour" of the campground. Lots of folks had great decorations up like ghosts in trees, pumpkins lit up, talking skeletons, and even a nasty mouse Jeb kissed--ha!
Donna made another amazing cake! A smore! The kids enjoyed a scavenger hunt and a pinata. I found these GIANT marshmallows in GA and Tanner had trouble even eating one of them.
I THOUGHT I would be over the sinus surgery (and I was for about a week)by the time of this excursion, but then I had a setback. Any smiles I have on in these pictures were brought to you by Hydrocodone or sheer determination to do it! I thought I was all over my sinus surgery until Friday night before the Bday campout when I almost lost my mind in pain over what I found out to be on Saturday at Urgent Care at middle ear and outer ear infection. It happened so fast. Nevertheless, I was absolutely determined to take my kids camping as planned and party as planned. Still, when not smiling in these pics I did some crying.
After I got some meds Sat, we ended up going on up to the Picklesiemer Rockhouse in NC on Sunday and letting the boys have a great adventure in this cave. We were really hoping to find a bear, but all we found were the remnants of the bear. You can see the scat in the picture that that boys HAD to have me take. They love to read a book called, "Who Pooped in the Park" and so this poop had to be documented.
Back on the Home front:
One of the best parts of staying home with our kids has been to sit down and eat lunch with them (not that I do this every day...but most days). Today at lunch we had a funny conversation. He likes to be told stories and he likes to make other people's stories his...and now he is adding making up stories to his repertoire. So, after we finished with our normal conversation he was eating his eggs (which he wants for lunch every day...and he has to sprinkle and mix in his own salt)...I told him some stories about my pig Shug. Well, he liked those and got a kick out of Shug in the water trough and shug eating and snorting and Shug letting me rub her belly till she fell asleep standing up and then flopped down. Then, he told me..."you know what happened one time...ONE TIME...Daddy and me went fishing....and Papa D went with us...and an alligator bit us...an alligator came on the boat and we had to poke them with swords...Daddy shot them...then Papa D went down in the "house boat" (I am guessing this is an allusion to Dad's sailboat and going down where the beds are) and it got dark and he went to sleep....I then replied with a stunned look--is this story true? He replies as seriously as can be---"IT'S SAD." I said, Yes, that would be sad....were you guys okay and he said yes, because you just went down in the house boat???!! Then, he asked me for a chip ...so I gave him one and he said very adult-like and I want some of that sauce (hummus) and I said okay I'll dip it in for ya and then he said, "No, I will dip it in the sauce myself." I said...okay...of course, in 2 year-old fashion he dips and then passes it back to me and says, "I don't like dat stuff." But, he does apparently like dipping for himself. I never want to forget the funny things we discussed at our lunches together.
Caleb has really started blooming since Jeb has started school. I notice that is so so funny and says so many smart things now that I am with him alone. He is also getting to be quite thankful. I opened the front door for him today and he said, "thank-oo mommy." I love to hear him say it so I have been oooing over it and...then while outside today he said, "thank-oo mommy for des clothes." So funny.
He can make letters with his fingers (l, v, w, x, y, a, m, c and o so far) ...the only way I find that I can teach him is to have him use his body--kinesthetic learner-man that he is. HE likes running to his shapes outside and listening to alphabet songs with animals (only animals are acceptable) on Youtube. He has always enjoyed music. This one is his fav: . I like the bluegrass sound of it myself.
While he was pottying today he told me a potato joke..".Knock, Knock...who is there...potato...potato who...potato I am going to eat you" heee heee haaa haaa....I am sure that is not the joke...but he thought it was still quite funny. I still can't believe that he made that up...no one (and I have asked) has told him a potato joke?
As many of you dear readers know Caleb is TOUGH to keep up with. I am most often heard saying, "Where is Caleb?" Jeb was the kind of child that stayed by my side and engaged with whatever was going on with me...Caleb is in his own world. If an idea comes into his head--he executes it--not caring what anyone else is doing or if he is going off by himself to get the job done. He has been lost at home (down at the shop/barn) while I was up here, at the baseball field (wandered to the playground), and one day a friend and I were looking for him (thought he was in the house) when it was time for her to load him and her kids up to leave...and low and behold he was in the car already with his head poking out of the sun roof. The latest shenanigan that I can't get over was not an incident where I lost him, but something that shocked me all the same and made me mad and made me laugh all at the same time. I was in the camper making all the beds for camping and he was playing the mud just outside the camper with his tractor, shovel and wagon. When I came out of the camper he had dug up 5 newly-planted shrubs and had them loaded in his wagon. I was so frustrated because Jonas and I had just put those in the ground (with his "help") 2 days before. They were jerked up as pretty as can be. I proceeded to explain that he should not dig up plants...they need to make roots and grow. He replied, "well, I have to work." Yes, the man loves working outside as much as his father. Still, I am going to have to get some REAL work for him, which I am sure he will not be interested in. How much longer till these guys can mow my grass or spread mulch?
