Merry Christmas from The Carrolls

Christmas Break

I am so excited to be on Christmas break! I got to sleep a little late this morning, do some shopping, and took a nap with Caleb. Tonight we are going to hang out with family. I love Christmas break!

This Weekend

* On Saturday, Caleb and I went to Walmart. On the way in and back out, Caleb said "It's cold!" I said, "I know, baby. We're almost there." So on the way out to my car, I passed a guy that I thought was a Walmart employee. As soon as I had loaded my stuff in the car, he came back by and asked if he could take my cart so that I could get Caleb in the car. It was then that I noticed that he wasn't a Walmart employee. He was from the church of Latter Day Saints. He then gave me a piece of paper that said I could call to receive a free Christmas gift...a book about the birth of Jesus.
Now, I can't tell you how much of a help this guy was for me at that moment. I needed to get my kid in the car, and he was so nice to help out. This made me wonder a few things:
1. Why do you only see young people doing things like this for the LDS cause?
2. Where are the older people? Once you get to be an adult, are you exempt from feeling like you need to do these kinds of things?
3. Why don't we have our youth groups out doing this kind of things for others as much as it seems like the LDS does?
4. Why don't us as adults do this kind of thing more often?
Then I thought, you know, I wouldn't mind doing this kind of thing but I'm so darn busy all the time. And that kind of makes me sad. I should have more time on my hands to help others. Just a few thoughts.

* I saw a man at Kroger on Saturday who was wearing a Christmas sweatshirt that said "I'm ready for Christmas" and had presents all on it. I immediately thought "There is no way in the world Chris or my dad or any other man I know would wear something like that!" I wonder if his wife bought him the shirt and he feels compelled to wear it. Or if he just simply likes it. Or if he didn't have anything else to wear because of dirty laundry (that's what happens to me sometimes...I have to wear a dress to work, etc. sometimes because I have no other clean clothes). Anyway, I actually think it is great that the man was wearing the shirt! Men can be in the Christmas spirit too, can't they?

2007 CDC Christmas Program

Here is a picture of some of Caleb's class in the Christmas Program last night. They decorated the buggy to look like a sleigh, and the jingled their bells while we all sang "Jingle Bells". I will try to get the video on here if I can ever get it to go into Photobucket right.

2nd Picture With Santa

If you liked Caleb's last Santa picture, you will LOVE this one! It is so great! When Ladydenise handed me the pictures, she said that I was going to have to put this one in his senior slide show! Man is she right! I didn't realize that they had snapped a shot of this, but I am so glad they did! But really, I think he's had enough torture for one year.

This is the picture that I took with Caleb so that we could have a non-crying picture.

Santa Visit #2

Well, the CDC had pictures with Santa today. I wondered what Caleb would do since he didn't much like his last experience. (See previous post) I hid behind a pole so that maybe he wouldn't see me.

Tresia had Caleb in her arms, and she said that he was shaking from just seeing Santa. This is with standing pretty far away from him! So, when she tried to put him in Santa's lap, it just wasn't going to work. Caleb was not going to stay in Santa's lap no matter what.

So I came out from behind the pole, and took at picture with Santa with me holding Caleb.

Hopefully next year will be better. I'm sure he'll have the whole Christmas thing figured out by then and know that he needs to be nice to the Santa guy. I was hoping to take Caleb to the mall Santa to get another picture, but after today's scary experience with the big red man, I don't think I have it in me to make him go through it again.

So, when I get the picture, I will make sure to post it on here.

Oh, also, Caleb got a shiner at school this morning. He was playing with the cars that you can sit in, and he fell and BOOM! Tresia brought him in so I could see him, and it is quite the boo-boo he has. I tried to take a picture of that too (I know, I'm such a mean mom!), but he kept wanting to grab the camera from me and then run away. I'll try to get one tonight. He'll love those pictures when he's all grown up! :)

Too Girlie?

UPDATE: The people have spoken! The boy needs the kitchen! Plus I need him to learn how to cook from a very early age!

Ok, I need your opinion.

I really think Caleb would love a play kitchen. He's played with the food before at school, etc., and I just think he would love it! When I told my mom, her immediate reaction was "Isn't that too girlie?"

So, what do you think?

What if we get one that doesn't look all girlie? One that is not pink...maybe green or something.

If you really think it is too girlie, let me know. Really. I can take it. But I just might get one anyway!

I'm One!

This morning on the way to work, I taught Caleb to stick up one finger when someone asks how old he is. We practiced it over and over, and he thought it was so funny because I would go crazy when he would do it right! It always amazes me at how fast kids can learn things!

The Weekend That Almost Killed Me

Friday Night: Stay up at the church until 7 to set up for Holly Jolly then run to two stores looking for a square table cloth. Then go to Sonic to pick up dinner. Pack all of my Holly Jolly stuff and head to bed.

Saturday: Wake up way to early to get ready for Pit Stop.
Work Pit Stop until 9ish when I needed to set my table for HJ.
Check on Pit Stop every once in awhile.
CAREkids practice.
Back to working with Pit Stop. Leave the church at 12:30.
Eat lunch.
Go to the store to get stuff to make pies while Chris goes to the cleaners to pick up our clothes.
Go home and make pies really quick.
Have a flute lesson for an hour.
Finish up pies.
Take a shower and get ready for HJ.
Do a quick run-through of music with Chris.
Throw everything in the car and go to church.
Play our music.
Host our table.
Pack up our table.
Go home and unload our table stuff.
Go to bed because I am exhausted!

Sunday: Church & LIFE Group (this was an easy day!)

I thought I was going to go crazy. I thought I might die. But we made it through the weekend.

Now, if we can just get through this crazy week of something every single night! Ahhhh!

Trip to Santa's Village

We took a trip to Santa's Village last night. It is a way cute Christmas park by the Richardson Library. We had a good time, but I really can't wait to take Caleb next year when he'll get into it even more! Here are pictures!

Caleb getting a cookie from Mrs. Clause's Bakery.

Here we are waiting in line to see Santa. The line was very, very long! It was a good thing that they had a clown there to entertain everyone in the line.
Here we still are in line, but closer. We are in Santa's Toy Shop!
Here is the cool train in Santa's Toy Shop. Caleb kept saying "Choo-choo!"
Here is Caleb with his best friend Santa. Caleb does this with all of his best friends. They had a really good Santa. He had a great beard!
Caleb is thinking "Why did mommy just put me in this weird guys lap, walk off and stand there laughing while I'm screaming my head off!!! What is wrong with this picture?!!"
Poor Caleb! He wasn't happy for a little bit after seeing Santa. Santa had a good sense of humor about the whole thing though and mentioned to me when I picked Caleb up that he thought he wanted a fire truck for Christmas (because of the siren - crying - well, you know!) Funny Santa!

Christmas Favorites

I saw this on Rachel's blog and thought I would do it too! I love copying others!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper. I love how it looks under the tree!

2. Real tree or Artificial? We always had real growing up, but after a fire at my parents' house that came close to burning the tree, I probably won't ever get one again. I love the smell of real trees, but I also love the fact that I don't have to buy a tree every year!

3. When do you put up the tree? I try to put it up the day after Thanksgiving, but it doesn't always work that well. This year we got it up the day after TG, and it has been so nice getting to enjoy it!

4. When do you take the tree down? I try to get it down the week after Christmas. There was one year that we still had it up till the end of January. Man, why do I always have to tell my dirty little secrets on here!

5. Do you like egg nog? No way! But Chris does, so sometimes I get it for him. I love spiced cider over the holidays!

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Man, there are so many. My parents are great gift-givers. There was one year that my parents bought me a new flute about a month before Christmas. Because of that, I didn't think I was going to get anything else, but I got a big tv that had a built in VCR player. It shocked the heck out of me.

7. Do you have a nativity scene? I have two. A little one that someone gave us at our wedding and then a Fisher Price one that my mom bought for Caleb the year before he was born because she knew he was on the way! He loves it! You can tell him to go bring you baby Jesus, and he goes and gets Jesus. So fun!

8. Hardest person to buy for? Really, I don't think anyone is that easy to buy for except Caleb.

9. Easiest person to buy for? Caleb - because at this point he doesn't care!

10.Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I can't think of any.

11. Favorite Christmas Movie? Miracle on 34th Street - very cliche, I know.

12. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Nope, but I have recycled wedding & baby presents!

13. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Christmas candy, and anything when it's with family.

14. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Definitely clear.

15. Favorite Christmas song? O Come All Ye Faithful (Actually, I don't know if that is my favorite. I just kind of picked one that I was singing this morning. I like a whole lot of Christmas songs.)

16. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Our family is all in town for the most part, so we don't travel much, but I still wish we had a little more time at home each year. Don't we all!

17. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? Sure, but I don't want to type them all out.

18. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning

19. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Hearing the same Christmas songs over and over.

20 Favorite ornament theme or color? Silver ornaments, clear lights, and whatever else on the tree. I love lit garland too!

21. Favorite food for Christmas dinner? We normally have pretty much the same thing that we have at Thanksgiving, and I love it!

22. What do you want for Christmas this year? I can't think of much that I want. I want stuff for Caleb. And a nap. And time to clean my house. And time to relax. And time to spend with family. I guess there's more that I want than I thought!

Caleb's Newest Injury

Caleb's teacher just brought him in here to show me his head. He was getting into something he shouldn't outside, and they told him "no". As soon as he heard this, he turned around and BANG! He ran into the fence. He has a big bump on his head that looks like it was probably bleeding. They have ice on it now.

They said he cried for a second until his teacher picked him up, and then he's been fine ever since. Forget the big, throbbing knot on his head!

When she brought him in here to show me, he was more interested in the phones ringing and lights on the Christmas tree than anything else.

He's such a big, tough boy! He's never been one to cry much if he gets hurt. Maybe because Chris and I taught him to be that way from when he was a little baby. I just didn't want him to make a big deal out of something if it wasn't necessary, and I guess today's accident wasn't a big deal. I think I would be a big crybaby and would probably still be crying about it. Not my boy!

If I Had...

If I had all the money in the world, I would give it all away. Or at least most of it. There are so many times that I wish I could give people tons of money. There are so many organizations that I wish I could support or just fund all together. Today, Caleb's school is having a bake sale to raise money, and it makes me wish I had a ton of money that I could give them to help them out. I really think I could and would do a whole lot of good if I had the money.

Losing My Mind

I decided tonight was going to be the night to get a couple of projects done. I had purchased the items that I needed to accomplish these projects awhile back. But tonight was going to be the night to get them done and checked off my list.

As I started collecting what I needed around the house, I realized I could not find one of the items that I really needed for a certain project. I remember getting home from the store with it and showing it to Chris. Beyond that, I don't remember where I put it. I've looked through drawers, closets, the whole works...but I cannot find it.

So I decided that maybe I need to start writing down where things are so that when I go looking for them, they are there. Or hey, if I would just put stuff up where it belongs, that would help too. I always think "Oh, I'll put that up later." Or "I'll find it here when I need it". But can I find it? Very rarely if ever!

So, I'll probably find this item as soon as I either go get another one from the store or find some other way to get it accomplished. Then I'll have way too much of it and then will probably lose it again.

Man, I sure wish I could find what I need around here!

Ode to the Organic Honeycrisp Apple

Oh honeycrisp apple, I love you!
Your taste is oh, so sweet!
I love to eat you everyday
And am so glad we got to meet!

An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
At least that's what they say.
So I plan to feast on your tasty self
Each and everyday!

If my high school English teacher reads this, she will realize that my poetry has gotten no better over the years. I'm very sorry, Mrs. Muhl. Poetry is just not my thing. But you already knew that.

Susan Cox introduced me to the honeycrisp apple on a camping trip a few months ago, and now that's the kind I buy if the store has them. They are so tasty that they inspired me to write a poem.

I'm very sorry that you all had to read my weak, weak attempt at poetry.

On an a side note: I published a poem in high school called "The Swing" in a literary magazine. It was very lame, so I'm not sure why they published it. I guess they just needed filler.

Lights and Such

I put my lights out on my bushes this weekend and meant to take a picture, but I forgot. I'll post a picture on here soon.

Well, tonight begins our month of needing someone to watch Caleb because we are so dang busy! I sent out an email to some family the other day telling them the dates we need someone to watch Caleb and asking for volunteers. They all got filled really quick, so that is good! This month is a whole lot of fun, but it is always so busy! I love parties and dinners and shows, etc. But this year with Caleb in the mix, I sort of feel bad about all of the time that we have to be away.

Bring on the parties!