my, my...

Mr. Baseball and I have discovered that having a 3 year old is nothing like having a 2 year old. In fact, its much worse. I believe our thoughts during the Redhead's "twos" were..." Wow, we must be doing something right with our parenting, we have such a well behaved child."

Uh-huh. Then he turned three. (*sigh*) Lord, please forgive me for thinking I was any kind of a perfect parent.

God has such a sense of humor.

While three is a difficult age, its also a fun age. He does tend to redeem himself by saying the funniest things. For example...

* (while sitting at the lunch table the other day) "My, My, what a big bottom you have." - when asked where he heard this, he proceeded to say that he heard it from me. I.don't.think.so.

* "Mommy, where is YOUR penis?" (after seeing me getting out of the shower).

* (after watching the popping of the world's biggest zit on youtube) "I'm going to do that with the bump when I grow up." Just don't ask.

* When snuggling in the bed the other morning, Mr. Baseball and I kissed his cheeks at the same time and made a "Redhead sandwich" and the next words out of his mouth were..."Aw, Shucks..." I laughed soooo hard. He has great comedic timin

Despite the challenges, he's such a great kid and we love him to pieces!

turning, turning, turning through the weeks...

Its been a loooooong time since my last post and I have some really good excuses. Wanna see them?

Life is never dull here. The Redhead is enjoying preschool and is busier than ever. Whoever said the two's are terrible obviously never had a three year old. He's fun, just slightly manipulative and defiant at times. I came close to selling him once but then thought better of it.

Little Sister is doing fabulously. She turned 3 months old on Thursday the 21st. Hard to imagine that much time has already gone by. She's sleeping anywhere from 8-11 hours at night and had her first chuckle with me a few nights ago. She is very happy and laid-back and loves watching her brother.

3 months old (1/21/10)

An exciting update about our house - In mid-December we got a full price offer on our little home. We quickly accepted and set off looking for another, larger place to settle down. We found this great place...




Its got the space we need (almost 2000sq/ft, 3BR, 2.5BA, LR, DR, Den, and sunroom), is in a GREAT neighborhood, and was a heck of a deal. It will be our continuous "project home" for years to come. Literally, once you step through the front door, you are transported back somewhere between 1970 and 1980 - quite confusing. It'll be fun though.

cheap summer thrill

A while back while looking for fun activities to do around the house, Wesley and I came up with this.

Materials Needed:
* toddler/preschooler
* slick floor (we still have linoleum but hardwood would work as well)
* one adult to do all the work

(the whining you heard at the end of the video was simply
due to the fact that he didn't want the spinning to stop)

**No preschoolers or pregnant mothers were harmed in the making of this video.

in wesley's words

Hey! It's me, Wesley (a.k.a. The Redhead). I hijacked mommy's blog while she was drinking her coffee and watching Noggin those other channels I didn't know our TV had. And since she hasn't updated her blog in forever, I decided I would take matters into my own hands.

Mommy has been pretty busy lately. Last week, my Nano came and played with me while mommy cleaned the house like a crazy lady. For some reason, mommy feels like the house needs to be purged and cleaned before October. The only thing I know that's happening in October is that I'll be 3...and something something about a new baby. Whatever.

I'm getting a big boy bed soon! Daddy has been working like crazy on the bed he slept in when he was a kid, sanding and re-staining it for me to sleep in. I'm excited that now when I wake up at the crack of dawn, I'll be able to climb out of bed and go wake up Mommy and Daddy.

Daddy also gave me a great new haircut. Here's a picture...



I started out being excited about this new haircut...until I felt the hair falling on my arms and neck. After that, it was on. Mommy says it's not her favorite haircut, but darn if it isn't cooler in all this heat. She also says its just hair and it will grow back.

About this baby thing...I know there's a baby in Mommy's tummy. We call it Baby Homer. I got to feel Baby Homer kicking Mommy the other day. It was pretty cool, but I wonder...does that hurt Mommy? I get in big trouble when I kick her, but she thinks its fun when Baby Homer does. BTW, I think Baby Homer is a little sister, even though Mommy and Daddy don't know if the baby is a boy or girl. I'm going to be a GREAT big brother. I'll show the baby how to use the potty, jump up and down, run fast, and I might even share my cheese with him/her.

Okay, my hands are getting tired from all this typing. And Super Why is about to come on PBS so I gotta go. I'll tell Mommy to update this blog more often.

See You Later!

Wesley

reality vs. fantasy

Sometimes I have unrealistic expectations.

For instance, I envision that my kitchen looks like this...

(courtesy of HGTV)


when it really looks more like this.





And I think that my bedroom should more closely resemble this...



(also courtesy of HGTV)



when it actually looks like this hot mess...



(We won't actually discuss how many days the clothes were
transferred from the floor to the bed before they were finally folded.
After all, there's no need to judge.)



And oooooh how I would love for my living room to look like this


(courtesy of HGTV)

instead of the conglomeration of furniture, preschool toys, and stray dog hairs that it is.


But, you know what?

If I spent all my life making my house look like those pictures above, there wouldn't be any time for things like putting together this fabulous train track.

And I wouldn't get to see my redhead so happy.

I think I like reality better.

the great outdoors

This summer we have been enjoying some good ole outdoor fun. We've played in the sprinkler, taken walks (when the humidity is bearable for this pregnant mama), and discovered numerous creatures great and small to "play" with.

Among the most favorites of the Redhead include the common bumblebee. He loves to chase them and offer them clover. I have tried over and over to explain that we can't play with bees because they sting (we don't know if he is allergic or not), but it has obviously had little to no effect. So far, no stings, but the summer isn't over yet.

Another favorite of the Redhead are earthworms. We dig them up and put them in his big plastic dumptruck which he then pushes around the yard. Despite the torture I'm sure the worms are suffering, it is quite a hilarious sight. For a child who sometimes doesn't like his hands to be dirty, he doesn't seem to mind handling worms and other bugs.

Our yard is a virtual animal kingdom. We've spotted owls, hawks, all sorts of birds, squirrels, possums, and racoons just to name a few. One evening as I was washing dishes, I noticed something moving slowly across the backyard. We all went outside and found a rather large snapping turtle moving through the grass toward the creek. The Redhead wanted me to pick it up, but we decided not to bother it (for the benefit of all parties involved).

the snail discovered on Nano and Papa's driveway

When we're not worming around, turtle watching, or snail searching, we might be found doing this...

It's called trying to stay cool in the humid Carolina summer.

a new word from the lord

Last night at dinner, Mr. Baseball and I were talking with the Redhead about what he's been learning at Vacation Bible School this week. Here's how the conversation went...

RH: (something something something) Moses.

Me: Are you learning about Moses at Crocodile Dock?

RH: Yes.

Me: Did you talk about Moses and the Burning Bush?

RH: Yes.

Me: Did you talk about Moses and the Red Sea?

RH: No. God whisper to Moses...FUPRISE (surprise)!!!

Me and Mr. Baseball: (Laughing hysterically!)



I love the mind of a 2 1/2 year old. I really have no idea where these things come from but they are absolutely hysterical. Yes, God does surprise us sometimes. It could be through a burning bush, or it could be through a precious redhead who is like a little sponge when it comes to learning new things.

a new sister

GOTCHA!!!


You thought I was talking about the baby didn't you? (We had our big ultrasound on May 29th).


Mr. Baseball and I decided not to find out the sex of our precious little one in the slow cooker, so you can either be bitter like someone who reads my blog (and shall remain nameless), or just go with it, be happy with us, and be completely surprised come October 24th. Thankyouverymuch.


Actually, I have a new sister(in-law). My little brother Daniel got hitched on Sunday, May 31st outside at a Botanical Garden near Charlotte. The wedding was beautiful (and hot) and very sweet.



Something that was not so beautiful was the Redhead's meltdown that he had when Mr. Baseball tried to take him to the bathroom. I guess I should mention that he has a terrible fear of public bathrooms, he always has. It has something to do with the echoeyness (a new made up word) of it all. He always asks if the toilet has a "nice quiet flush" and will begin to shake violently if they flush automatically or if they're just loud in general. Usually, I just firmly tell him he has to go potty and we somehow make it through. I guess the Redhead thought Daddy would be softer than mean old mommy. Needless to say, I could hear the screams of protest as I rounded the corner of the hallway where the bathroom was located. Eventually everything came out okay once Daddy took him to the travel potty in the car, but he was ruined for the afternoon after that incident. It was naptime, so he was tired, hot, hungry, and in a strange environment with lots of people he didn't know. Only one thing could make it better...

that would be "Nano".

See? No meltdown. Not exactly a happy face, but content nonetheless. Everyone should have a "Nano". We love her. We also love "Papa", who comes with our "Nano", but we didn't get a good picture of him with the Redhead.

Anyway, congratulations Daniel and Jamie! We're so happy for you as you start your married life together.

phriday photo: look-a-like

Upon first glance of this picture there's only one thing that comes to mind besides the fact that this is the cutest child on the face of the earth...

Its quite possible he belongs in this line-up...





Clearly he's destined for fame...or at least a starring role in Vegas imitating actors.

a reminder and the "ing" factor

Many of my posts these days have been birthed from things the Redhead has said or done. After all, I do spend most of my waking hours with him. The latest things he has done and said have sent me into hysterics - who knew 2 1/2 could be so incredibly funny!

It's hard to say who he gets his sense of humor from. The other evening while Mr. Baseball was flipping channels we came across Grease. Great movie...but not one of Mr. Baseball's faves. He said (and I quote), "I don't know why you like movies like this. Ones like Grease and Lipstick..." I shot him this weird look and started laughing hysterically once I realized he had meant "Hairspray". Oh well, to a man I guess cosmetics are all the same. But I digress...

The other day I sent Mr. Baseball to Wal-Mart to pick up some items and as he was leaving I leaned out the storm door and shouted..."Adam, get some bread please." Then the next day as Mr. Baseball was leaving to take something back to a neighbor, Redhead leaned out the storm door and shouted..."Hey Adam, get some bread please!" I thought I would literally wet my pants laughing.

Other cute redheaded moments have included words ending in "-ing". This is what I shall refer to as the "-ing" factor. Many times I have said things to Redhead like..."when you're done napping..." or "when you finish eating...". He has taken this to a more creative level, adding "ing" to words as he deems it necessary. For instance...

1) We were at church dropping something off and had to wait a few minutes. As I am strapping him back into his carseat when we're done he says..."Mommy...all done churching?"

2) Playing at the park is one of his favorite things to do. Recently we visited a park we'd never been to before and after he'd had his fill he sweetly told me..."Mommy, all done parking."

3) My favorite happened the other day when I was making coffee and he wanted me to play cars with him. I told him that I was making coffee and I would be there in a minute. His response was..."Mommy, all done coffee-ing pway cars?". Priceless.


How could a mom not love this?

The Redhead - one day prior to his first birthday.

the stuff of life

We've been a bit absent from the bloggysphere lately, but its all for good reasons.

I've been pampering my only child while he's still the only child, taking him to numerous parks, to the zoo, and just spending a lot of time outside in general. Its been therapeutic for both of us.

Before I get to the cute pics of my little man, I feel the need to update on the pregnancy. Things are still going well - we're almost 17 weeks (and almost halfway there!). I think I have felt the baby move, but its very sporadic. May 29th is the big day when we get to find out if Baby Homer is a boy or girl. Last doctor's visit, the heartbeat was 162 bpm which is indicative of a girl, but we'll see. Every time I ask the Redhead if he wants a baby brother or sister he always says sister. I hope he's not too disappointed if it is a boy!

Now, on to the good stuff. Yesterday we spent the day with my sister, Sarah and Baby Jack (who is now 5 weeks old!). Of course I didn't get a picture of my sister and I...we were too busy snapping pics and video of this precious moment.

No, he wasn't shoving the car up Jack's nose,
he was just showing Baby Jack his "Jeep" (a little too closely)


Following this little bit of family time, Sarah and I, along with the kiddos, headed over to a local strawberry farm to pick some berries.




The Redhead appears to be all into strawberry picking in these pictures. His excitement however was short-lived. I guess he's not one for repetitive activity (aside from playing cars). He did pick a few berries, but I'll take credit for filling our basket thankyouverymuch.

I've already made a strawberry pie and look forward to eating that and more of these red "dewishous strawberries" (as the Redhead would say).

oh boy...

** WARNING - the following post contains discussion about and two year old and a certain male body part. Read at your own risk.




Kids say the darndest things.

On the potty the other night, the Redhead noticed that his 5th appendage had sprung to attention. He then got all excited about the fact that he could actually move it up and down after he peed. I stifled my laughter and called Mr. Baseball in to see. He, of course was most proud of this discovery.

I thought nothing else of this.

That afternoon we were at Big Lots shopping for bunk beds when the Redhead spies something out the front windows. Across the parking lot he saw some of the rides from a traveling fair moving up and down and said (in a voice loud enough for others to hear), "Mommy, ride go up down like penis.!" Mortified, I crouched by his side and gently reminded him that "...we only talk about our penis at home."

The next day, my mom, sister, and Baby Jack were visiting. I had run out to grab some Chick-Fil-A and while I was gone, another discussion regarding this body part ensued. My sister was sitting on the couch talking on the phone while moving her foot up and down. The redhead comments with enthusiasm to his "Nano" that "Aunt Sarah's foot moving up down like penis!" Keep in mind that "Nano" is in the dark about the discovery of the previous day. I did fill her in over lunch and she and my sister thought this was just about the funniest thing they had heard.

The Redhead was following the rules and talking about his business at home, but I had to be a little more specific and say that "...we only talk about our penis with mommy and daddy."

Isn't this starting a bit too early?

Tomorrow he'll probably ask me where babies come from. I need to be ready.

so when my memory fails...

Lately, the Redhead has been saying the most precious things. Things that are too cute to pass over. And since I am terrible at scrapbooking and don't write things down (even though I say I will), I'm chronicling some of his famous phrases here on the blog.

On Wednesday, April 8 as I was witnessing the miraculous birth of my first nephew, Redhead was asking his sitter "Auntie Sue" (a family friend my mother's age) if she had a baby in her tummy. He then instructed her to take small bites of her lunch because that's what we tell him.

In the grocery store last week we picked up some strawberries. I smelled them and then told the Redhead to smell them too. He sniffed and said..."Dewishous". I about fell out laughing. He then proceeded to comment on the "dewishous gwapes" also.

Redhead asked for "ghettioes" (spaghettios) for lunch and then commented on the "whaa-which" (sandwich) I had made for myself. He did ask if it was a "pea-hutter" (peanut butter) whaa-which, which only made me laugh harder. Only in our world would a pea-hutter whaa-which exist. I love it.

One of my all time favorites is the way he says "vacuum cleaner". Redhead calls it the "gapoon cweaner". I hope that never changes either. Maybe I should just teach him the wrong way of saying things so he'll be cuter longer. It could very well work.

He's requesting that I "pway trains" at the moment, so I better run be with my little man while I have these days.

wearing Daddy's "cowboy hat"

words of comfort...two year old style

This past week my maternal grandmother passed away as she slept. She was my last living grandparent. "Mama Sease" as we called her died a month shy of her 90th birthday. She lived a good life, had a good husband, four children, ten grandchildren, and one great-grandchild who thankfully inherited her red hair! She will be greatly missed.

The redhead, since he's only 2 and a half, doesn't yet understand death and that's okay. I told him Mama Sease (who he most likely doesn't even remember) is in heaven with Jesus.

Tuesday night, my Aunt Emily and I were talking about how one of the saddest things is that Sarah, my sister is just 3 weeks shy of giving birth to a baby boy named after my grandfather Jack, Mama Sease's husband. Mama Sease wanted the baby's sex and name to be a surprise and passed away unaware that the baby carried on a family name. I commented (in the redhead's presence) about how Sarah must be sad about this fact and that I was sad for her. The following is exactly what was said by my most loving child.

Me: I know that Sarah must be sad that Mama Sease didn't get to meet Jack.

Redhead: Sarah, sad?

Me: Yes, Aunt Sarah is sad about Mama Sease and mommy is too.

RH: Mommy sad? Hug you. All better.



Upon hearing this, I cried. How could I not? My little redhead is so loving and compassionate and obviously sensitive to the feelings of others. I love it. What a blessing.

And what a blessing to have a grandmother who passed on a legacy of loving the Lord, working hard, serving others, and the importance of family. I'm thankful to have had so many years and so many memories with her. She will be greatly missed.

4 Generations (L-R): Mama Sease, me, my mom, and the redhead
July 2008

self-diagnosis

The redhead knows two languages. He's brilliant, what can I say?

I wish I could take credit for his academic prowess - we've spent hours reading books and discussing colors, numbers, and thoughts.

However, these two languages seem to be most commonly spoken amongst "his peeps".

The two languages I am referring to are English (in Big Boy Voice) and Whiny English.

The latter is what this post will focus on.

It seems this is his language of preference as of late. Even when I tell him to use his other language, he opts for Whiny English. He knows my disgust for all things whiny.

Unfortunately, he gets this language honest. In a way, he did learn it from me. I think it was imprinted on his genetic code upon conception just to get me back for speaking Whiny English to my mom when I was younger.

No matter where it came from, it must be nipped in the bud. I have no patience for such nonsense.

When Whiny English is spoken here, we tell the redhead to stop being a "whinypants" and to use his big boy voice.

The other night, redhead was taking a bath and assumed the normal position of laying on his tummy in the water. I had given him fair warning of the impending ceremonial draining of the water and expected him to comply. Notsomuch. He began whining and I began ignoring him and looking away. Several moments later, as he was still whining, I glanced at him and the only word that came out of his mouth was...............................

"whinypants".

I couldn't stifle my laughter.

If only we could use this amazing gift of self-diagnosis at more critical times. For instance, he could tell me, "mommy, pneumonia", or perhaps, "mommy, need antibiotics". Heck, we could quite possibly bypass the doctor's office altogether...and maybe save some money doing so.

At least he's got a good sense of humor.

a snowy kind of day

Every year, central NC waits on pins and needles to see if the forecasters predictions of snow will actually prove true. More times than not we wake up to the see the same brown grass of winter. But not this time. This time, Van Denton got it right and we received about 2-3 inches of the white stuff. I won't even go into how dysfunctional NC gets about snow. With the sighting of the first flake (this may only be a slight exaggeration - but its mostly true), business close their doors, school buses cease to run, and the whole city (with the exception of the necessary emergency personnel and Wal-Mart) closes down. It's downright humorous.

Truthfully, we just don't have the equipment to handle large amounts of snow (and yes, 2 inches does seem to qualify as a large amount of snow). I can hear you laughing Tracey P. Go ahead and get a good chuckly on our account!

No matter how much snow we get, you can be sure to find us out in it. This wasn't the first snowfall we've had since the redhead was born, but this is the first he might remember. After his nap and a trip to the potty, we bundled up and headed outside to play. By this time the snow had stopped falling and it was the warmest part of the day - even if it was a cool 27 degrees outside.

As we were frolicking in the farthest nether-regions of the yard, I hear the dreaded words...

"Mommy. Pee-pee."

At this point, I think I said a cuss word in my head, and rushed him to the house. Fortunately, the redhead didn't have to pee, but in our world, "pee" also means poop, and he had pooped a little in his pants. Ofortheloveofallthatisholyandgood!!!! This was the 6th - yes - 6th time that day he had done a shadoobie in his drawers! I know, who in the free world goes 6 times in one day? Needless to say, we stayed inside. There was no way I was going to put all those clothes back on him and go tromping around outside only to have another accident happen.

But the snow was fun and he had a good time - and that's probably what I'll remember moreso than the shadoobie that took us away from the beautiful snow.

a penny for my thoughts...cause that's probably all you'd pay

Its been a full week since we began our potty training adventure and I'm exhausted. Its not like newborn baby exhaustion though - I still remember that all too well, but nonetheless, I'm bushed! We have had our ups and down, poops and pees, good times and bad, but he's potty-trained. The last diaper worn was the one I removed last Monday morning. My brain can't function enough to calculate the savings thus far on not having to buy diapers, but I'm sure it is a lot!

This process has probably been one of my biggest challenges as a parent so far. It might have been the method that we used (http://3daypottytraining.com) - it was very intensive in that I had to be by his side and watch him like a hawk for the whole 3 days (something I'm not used to and worried how it would happen cause I LOVE my space!)

However, despite the constant physical proximity to an underwear-wielding toddler, I learned quite a bit about both of us.

* The redhead is very smart - this I already knew, just got to see again firsthand. He picked up on telling me he had to go potty by the end of the first day.

* He has a wonderful spirit and a great sense of humor - this I already knew too, but got to appreciate again as we spent much time in the bathroom (check out his angel face as we wait out another pee).



* Only God can give us patience and He showered it on me this past week in an incredible way. I was able to be supportive and encouraging in the middle of the night while changing wet bedsheets and a urine-soaked toddler.

* I truly enjoyed not blogging, but instead spent precious time playing with my son and seeing his imagination and creativity.

* I also saw the importance of both parents in this process. I had two appointments I had to keep last Monday and Tuesday and it worked out that Mr. Baseball could be home with the redhead. He picked up right where I left off and did a great job while I was gone.

* I learned that M & M's are a great reward for potty-training. They're also a great reward for tired mommies!

* It feels GREAT to have a potty-trained child. Each day gets better as he continues to "get" it. Our night have been good too - he just woke up dry for the 4th morning in a row. Of course we still have had to get up in the middle of the night with him when he needs to pee.



Redhead, your daddy and I are so proud of the big boy you've become and we're soooooooo proud of you for using the potty! We love you!

the scoop on the poop

Well, we've made it to day three sans diapers! Here's a small recap of each day:

Day One - definitely the toughest so far!

* All 19 pairs of underwear/boxer briefs were wet within the first 4 hours.
* Cleaned up lots of pee-spots on the carpet and couch
* Stayed dry through naptime (1.5 hours) - this was big!
* Finally started to "get" that he had to tell me when he needed to potty - usually it was when he couldn't hold it any longer.
* Had a crying fit prior to a HUGE pee; received a matchbox car for being so brave
* I got so frustrated at one point in the day I slammed my hand down in karate kid fashion on the floor whilst whispering the F-word. No permanent damage sustained. This moment was not witnessed by the redhead.
* Two accidents over the course of the night, a small disruption in sleep
* No poops

Day Two - much better than day one

* Only went through about 6 pairs of underwear
* Got pretty good at telling us when he needed to potty
* Still got a little scared when he felt the real "urge to go" - lots of encouragement and praise will be needed for a while on this issue
* Kept underwear dry for longer intervals
* Stayed dry for another 1.5 hour long nap
* We got poops! - his reward was a meal from Chick-Fil-A!
* Only had one accident overnight (we did wake him up to take him potty)!!

Day Three

* so far so good - no accidents
* one Big pee with another one expected any moment.

Thanks for all the positive encouragement. Even though it is a 3-day program, his training is far from over. It is still going to take a lot of diligence on my part to keep him in line. I'll post another update soon.

** Since I've been chasing the redhead around all day and rushing him to the pot, I haven't had the chance to take any pictures of his cute tushie in underwear, but maybe I can get one soon. It is adorable!

it's go time...literally speaking

Today is a momentous day in our household.

Today my baby boy will set out on his quest to become a big boy and it will all begin by exchanging these...

with these...

That's right friends, today begins our 3-day potty training adventure. I'm excited and the redhead is too. I've been telling him all week that babies wear diapers and big boys wear underwear and pee-pee and poo-poo on the potty. I've read up on what I need to do and I'm ready to do it. Underwear a plenty has been purchased (19 pairs in all), rewards and treats are at the ready (stickers and M & M's along with Matchbox cars for those really proud moments), and I've got the potty chart all set to go to track his success.

By the time you read this, he'll already have his big boy pants on and there will not be a diaper/pull-up to be found in our abode.

Accidents...oh I know they will happen - and often over the next couple days.

Frustration...it will come, but I can't let it show - this is all about positive reinforcement.

One thing I am absolutely sure of is that failure is NOT AN OPTION. I refuse to look back. He's ready and I'm ready, so off we go!

I'll only be able to check back in and give updates/pictures while he's sleeping since I have to watch him like a hawk the rest of the time. Hopefully, I'll be able to share the whole rundown on Thursday at some point.

BTW, if you're curious about what method I'm doing, here's the website...

http://www.3daypottytraining.com

I covet your prayers and encouragement, especially from those of your who have been in my shoes. And Nan, we'll probably be talking at some point over the next three days. Be prepared!

an early and unexpected christmas gift that needs to be returned to the place from whence it came...and my prophetic gifting

We had a full weekend.

Friday night, the redhead and I ventured over to the retirement center our church founded for crafts and caroling with the residents. Later that night, as I was putting a sleepy redhead to bed, I started thinking about how thankful I was that he hadn't been sick - as in the stomach virus that's going around everywhere right now...

Saturday night I was singing in our church's Christmas cantata.

Sunday was of course more church, to be followed by an afternoon with my parents, sister, and brother-in-law - all coming to Sunday evening's Christmas cantata, which I was again singing in.

For lunch we fed the redhead one of the greatest comfort foods of all time - mac and cheese, along with some fruit to throw in something healthy and nestled him snug in his bed a few minutes after his meal.

He only slept MAYBE 30 minutes as opposed to his usual 2 hour nap. I was a little annoyed, but figured he was excited about seeing "Nona" and "Papa".

I ran out to do a little errand and came home to find Mr. Baseball with the redhead in the rocking chair. MB said the redhead had been crying, so he was just spending some quiet time with the boy. JUST as I was about to leave the room, the redhead started in on his schpiel of "ahh done" (all done). This proclamation was followed by not a trickle or a flow, but rather a CASCADE of vomit. I was so horrified I didn't know what to do. Mr. Baseball took the brunt of it, followed by the redhead's clothes, his books, rocking chair, and floor. I ran to get towels, grabbed the redhead (who was now sobbing hysterically), and took him to the bathroom. We got everything cleaned up and my redhead, bless his sweet little heart, kept repeating, "mess, mess, mess, mess...". Poor little dear was more worried about the mess than the fact that he had recieved some terrible stomach virus. We assured him that the mess could be cleaned up and I went to sit with him on the sofa to watch Noggin. A few minutes later, I called my parents (who were about an hour away at this point) to tell them that there was vomiting. The redhead was sitting with Mr. Baseball watching tv when all of a sudden...another round...and another change of clothes for Mr. Baseball and son.

My sister and her husband arrive to find a puny redhead snuggled up in my lap. At this point, I had managed (somehow) to avoid becoming the target. I needed to get some laundry in, so I said, "Mr. Baseball, will you take the redhead while I get some laundry started - and so he can throw up on you again?"

Redhead went to sit with daddy and a few minutes later...prophecy fulfilled.

Mr. Baseball changed clothes a grand total of 4 times yesterday - the redhead was changed 3 times and threw up a total of 6 times. He slept 12 hours last night without waking up and asked for juice this morning. I'm still a little on edge and trying not to eat too much just in case this Christmas "gift" decides to visit my innards. I, however, do not want this "gift" and will promptly return it. The only problem is...I don't know where it came from.

Fortunately for us, Wal-Mart will take anything back.

"Dr." Caroline will not be with us today as we don't want to give her this priceless "gift", but I could sure use her medical expertise as demonstrated here - I think she was "removing" the redhead's tonsils.