A Tale of Small Town Service

Bryton and Avery have been battling coughs for about a week and a half, now. Their coughs have gone thru different stages...and finally on Monday, I decided they both needed to be seen by their Dr. On our way home from work/the sitter, I called our Dr.'s office expecting they wouldn't be able to get the kids in 'til the next day. To my surprise, they had an opening that same afternoon! I also expected to have to wait awhile in the waiting room, with it being an end of day appt., but was happily surprised to have the kids' names called shortly after we got there. The end result: double ear infections and pharyngitis for both kids. Their lungs sounded clear, though, which is always reassuring to a Mom. When we were finished w/ the Dr. and picked out our "good kid" treats, we headed to the drug store next door, to get the kids' prescriptions. After a short visit there w/ our friendly pharmacist, (who talked to the kids all about what they got from Santa :) we were headed home. I walked in the door to a ringing phone. It was our Dr., letting me know she'd prescribed the wrong medication for Avery. Avery is allergic to Augmenton (she gets hives from this), and her Dr. had prescibed another medication in this same family. Unfortunatly, I'd already given Avery a dosage :( So, I got out my Benadryl and gave her a dose of that to counteract it. The Dr. gave me her cell number to call, and also called in a different prescription for Avery at the drug store. 5 minutes later, the phone rang again. This time it was our friendly pharmacist, asking if I needed Benadryl to go along w/ the new medication. She also offered to drop the new medication off at our house, on her way home! Both the Dr. and the Pharmacist were VERY apologetic, and concerned about the situation, which made me feel better. When I picked the new medication up at the drug store, they did not charge me for it, which was even better!
Ahhh...life in a small town. Sometimes it makes the "bumps" in the road of life a little easier to deal with.

Rain, Rain...Go Away!

Or, maybe not...

Nana, Avery, Isaac, and Bryton had lots of fun w/ their umbrella's and splashing in the mud!

Rife Family Christmas

We celebrated "Christmas" w/ my Dad's entire side of the family, for the first time since my Grandpa passed away 9 yrs. ago. I have many great childhood memories of this annual Christmas party...and even though not everyone could make it this year, all of my Dad's brothers and sisters were there! It was quite a large group of us, and great fun! The first picture is of cousins and the 2nd picture is of my Dad and his siblings.

Merry Christmas to You!!!

Children's Mass, a Birthday Party for Jesus, Reindeer Dust, and Presents :) We hope your Christmas is a special one, too!!!

Christmas Eve Excitement

I have 2 very excited kids on my hands today. They woke up excited, saying "Merry Christmas!!!" When I reminded them that tomorrow is Christmas, Bryton replied, "Yes, but Santa comes tonight!!!" And guess what?! They've both been super good so far today...guess Santa is on their minds :)

Our Favorite Polar Express Song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0__c8hu2PY

Bryton's First Day @ Teri's

Bryton is on Christmas break, and yesterday he got to go to Avery's babysitter's house for awhile w/ his sister. He was very excited about this, and told me yesterday morning that he was going to help with the "little kids." When we arrived, Teri welcomed him and asked him if he was ready to play. He said, "sure!" and he soon spotted her Christmas village she has set up. Bryton LOVES Christmas villages, and hers has a train in it...so as I was leaving he could barely break away to give me a hug. Avery, on the other hand, was off and running to the toy room w/ a "bye Mom!" as she went (but this I am used to by now!)
When I returned to get them, Bryton was grinning from ear to ear. On our way home...

"I liked my first day at Teri's, Mom."
"Great!" Did you help w/ the little kids?" (Jess)
"Well, there weren't lots of little kids there. So, I got to play all day w/ Libby (Teri's 5 yr. old daughter)!"

Hmmmm...my responsible son :) Guess he really did thing there were going to be lots of little kids there, and he'd have to help Teri out! I tried to tell him she doesn't have lots of kids at her house before we went yesterday morning. However, Bryton tends to have to see things for himself. Teri reported to me that Bryton ate like a horse at lunch time...she was truly puzzled as to where he put it all :)

GO COLTS!!!

More Cheap Labor...

He wanted to do this, by the way :)

"The Very Hopeless Camel"

Our church's Christmas program was last night, and all of our religious education students performed GREAT! What a wonderful way to remind us of the true meaning of Christmas :)

"Santa Baby"

A Heart-Warming Christmas Tale

http://www.flashfunpages.com/couple.swf

A Beautiful City

Brian and I spent the weekend in Charleston, SC. What a beautiful, historic city! We did a carriage tour of the historic district, which features over 200 yr. old mansions; went on a walking "ghost tour" at night, since Charleston is the 2nd most haunted city in the U.S.; ate delicious local specialties such as fried oyster wraps, sauteed shrimp BLT's, and fried gator tail; and shopped historic "King Street."

"Baby"

Nope, I'm not pregnant. I'm referring to the affectionate term one might use to address someone of the opposite sex.
Last night at bedtime, Avery and I were rocking in her room and Brian walked by. "Goodnight Baby" he called out. Avery and I both replied, "Good night." I smiled at Avery, and she grinned back saying, "He was talking to me, not you" in a very level tone.
Hmmm...guess I have some competition!!!
(Although, Brian has called his sister-in-law "Baby," by accident, and it continues to give us all a pretty good laugh!)

Not A Good Choice

I knew there was a reason, other than taste, that I don't like this drink! (sorry to the Chesterton clan, who are all big fans)

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=2759942&page=1

It Fits!

Brian spent last night cleaning out our little garage. And guess what the result is?! My truck fits into it now :) I'm very excited about this, even though most of our stuff went to storage, some got pitched, and then Brian's work bench had to be cut in half. No more cleaning off the truck after a blizzard. Now, I just have to be sure I don't take of a mirror when I park it in there...and lets hope our old little garage holds up and doesn't collapse on the truck!

Calling it Quits

Well, I think I'm done w/ my Christmas shopping! A few items I'd ordered online haven't arrived yet...but once they do, I should have everything. I'm to a point where I just need to tell myself, STOP! So, that is what I'm doing...officially now w/ this blog entry (because sometimes I have a hard time listening to the commands I give myself :) Now to tackle the wrapping. I've started, but when I have 2 helpers it takes me three times as long!

All I Want For Christmas...

Is:

"A Horsey and a Candy Cane" (Avery)
"A Train and a Star Wars Mask" (Bryton)

Avery and Bryton got to see Santa this past weekend, and both of them climbed right up on his lap to chat a bit :) Avery has stuck with her "wants" for over a month now, and Bryton's change every other day!
Santa was taking mental notes!

Eating Habits

Bryton is still my good little eater. He loves "toad in the hole" for breakfast or snack. What is this, you might ask? Its a buttered piece of bread, w/ a hold cut out of the center...and fried w/ and egg in the middle. Bryton is a true carnivore...fix him meat, and he's happy.
Avery is not that great of an eater. She's getting better, though. She gags on stuff she doesn't like the taste or texture of, and she can't stand the smell of cooking eggs or meat (she's been known to gag when she smells this). Its a lot of fun, cooking w/ her in the house! Her favorites continue to be vegetables and noodles. Fix her carbs, and she's a happy girl!

This Week's Favorites

Spiderman and Peter Pan - Both gentlemen are Avery's boyfriends. Just ask her :)
White Cheddar Cheez It's - Not as messy as the regular Cheez It's - and these are yummier!
Eat Smart Vegetable Medley- No cutting up or washing required...just open the bag and munch away! We prefer to dip these in blue cheese or ranch dressing.
Cuties California Mandarins - These are delicious little oranges!
Santa - We don't have a chimney he'll fit down, so the kids are a bit concerned as to how he's going to enter our house on Christmas Eve. It's been decided that he'll most definitely be entering through the skylight in our kitchen :)
Brinker's Pit Stop - Gotta love small town service! Not only can they pick up and drop off our vehicles for free, when they need to be serviced...but they can also get us in for service with only a days notice.

We Dare You

Go ahead...you just try to not get up and dance, when you listen to this jazzy little number :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGVNzgUxE-g

Christmas Goodies

I thought today might be a good day to spend the afternoon baking, since I kept hearing we 'd be snowed in (for the most part). As it turned out, it was exactly that...Bryton got out of school early due to the weather, and the kids and I started baking Christmas treats!

Dresses, Dresses, Dresses

Avery has a love for dresses. Not just any old dress, however. Only "beautiful dresses"...and yes, she can tell the difference. (I'm proud that she has such good fashion sense at the age of 3 :) Oh, and "skites" (a.k.a. skirts) are a hit, if they are either short and/or poofy.
We were in Macy's yesterday, and they had a Winter Wonderland filled w/ little girls' dresses! Avery was in heaven, looking at them all! And I used our purchases to my advantage, on our way home..."If you don't whine, you can try on your Santa dress for Daddy!"
Bryton isn't really into "handsome clothes" (as Avery calls all boys' clothing) ...he'd rather pick out something "cool" which is usually football or sport related, short sleeved, and always jeans on the bottom half. Peer pressure has already kicked in, at the age of 5 1/2! Ughhh. So, I've learned its much easier when he helps choose his clothing these days, whether its before school or in a store.
Of course, as most mother's can, I have a great way of convincing him that all of his clothes are cool...and believe me, this can involve quite the stories!

Thanksgiving in Indiana

What A Big Night!!!

After dinner tonight, Bryton gave us the report that his tooth was going to fall out. Brian and I were a bit pesimistic, since his bottom front teeth have been only a little loose for a month and a half now. However, when we felt one of those teeth tonight, it was really loose ...so we instantly got almost as excited as Bryton! By 7:30 it was hanging by a thread, and Bryton kept on wiggling it. At 8:00 he exclaimed, "my tooth came out! my tooth came out!!!" We got it all on the video camera, Brian and I both giggling right along w/ Bryton, the little tiny tooth in the baggie, the gaping hole in the front of his mouth, and the permanent tooth that has already started to come in behind it. (which we didn't know was normal, 'til we visited the Dentist last week and found out that tooth with shift into place on its own...whew! these 2 pics were taken right before tonight's grand finale :)
And of course bedtime talk consisted of the tooth fairy, when she might visit, what she looks like, how big she is, how she gets into our house... and of course talk of what the tooth fairy might put under his pillow tonight :)

A Little Stir Crazy

Brian is home w/ us this weekend. The past few weekends, he's been spending mornings, afternoons, and evenings in the woods w/ his bow...but not this weekend, since its opening weekend of shotgun season. I asked him yesterday afternoon if he wished he were in the woods instead of here at home, and he just smiled at me. Maybe its better that he didn't answer that question :)
A few friends stopped by last night, with nice bucks they had gotten w/ their shotguns...and Brian just got a text this morning, showing another nice buck killed w/ a shotgun.
Poor Brian, no "trophy buck" for him w/ his bow yet this year, but he's got his eye on a few nice ones we've seen on the trail cam!

What Cold Weather Brings to Our House

* Lots of bundling up...hats, gloves, puffy coats...and soon snowpants for the kiddo's.
* Hot Chocolate (w/ marshmallow's, of course!)
* Dogs that don't wander far...not even for silly bunny or a squirrel. They know where their bread is buttered, in these cold temps!
* A furnace that seems to run non-stop
* Casseroles and other comfort foods - Our favorite recipes definitely change w/ the seasons
* Longing for our boat and spending warm summer days on the lake
* Waiting inside for the bus to arrive (which usually means our neighbors get a nice "HONK" as their alarm clock :)
* Warming up the truck for awhile before I take the kiddo's anywhere (shhh...don't tell Brian I used the word awhile)
* Earlier bedtimes
* A few of our favorite holidays, and spending time w/ friends and family far and near

Cheap Labor

When I got home from getting groceries yesterday afternoon...Bryton and Avery helped put almost everything away! Wow, was I surprised...not only that they loved this job, but that they knew where most of the stuff went! And since that is the part about grocery shopping I dislike most, it made my day!

Here Turkey, Turkey, Turkey

The Little Things

I love it when Avery's little hand holds mine. She is very quick to want to hold it. Bryton, well, he doesn't hold my hand much anymore, especially when we are in public :( So, I treasure the times when he does want to put his little hand in mine ('cause it is still small)...
Just one of the many little things I want to remember, for many years to come... along w/ blowing kisses from the doorway at bedtime; the words "I missed you, Mommy" when Bryton returns home from school; sleepy silly giggles while we are reading books; a hug, a kiss, and a high five (in that order) before climbing up onto the bus; being awakened in the middle of the night by a small, scared voice that wants to tell me all about his bad dream; and reassuring Avery that the sun will come out again, when it is cloudy.

Terrible 3's

And who says the 2's are terrible?! Not me, this week. I've had quite the little bossy, independent, loud, and demanding 3 yr. old on my hands. This example pretty much sums it up:

We were on a walk, just Avery and I, and we walked by a woman who said to Avery, "Oh, aren't you cute!" Avery immediately replied, "I am not cute! I'm a big girl, not a baby!" in her gruff voice. I felt like climbing under a big rock. Thank goodness the lady had a hat covering her ears and had kept on walking down the street, as if she didn't hear what Avery said.

Needless to say...Avery and I have had many heart- to- hearts this week.

A New Chapter

Bryton had off school yesterday, so we began the day here at home...just Bryton, Avery, and I. Late morning, one of Bryton's friends called, asking if Bryton could go to a movie w/ him and his mom that afternoon. Of course Bryton wanted to go! So much for my "home-body" son, huh?!
I was excited for him, though, 'cause I remember going to the movies w/ friends as a kid. I'm just a little sad that he's growing up so quickly, and his social life might just be better than mine!

This Week's Favorites

Constructive Playthings - http://www.constplay.com/.
Venison Jerky - Brian made a HUGE batch of this, so its been the snack of choice for all of us the past week.
Papa Murphy's - I picked this up the other night, for the first time in a long time. Our fav's: Mediterranean Chicken De-Lite (Brian and I) and Pepperoni De-Lite (kiddo's).
K-Mart - A nice change of pace from Wal-Mart. Less crowded, good selection, smaller store.
The Secret Garden Cinnamon Pumpkin Hand Wash and Hand Lotion - You can find this yummy smelling stuff at the Mercantile.

Too Young?! Nahhh....

Is it a bad thing that Avery can recite most of the lyrics to the following songs, at the age of 3?!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cE22lPoAarE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lt6o8NlrbHg

And Bryton's favorite show right now is:

http://blogs.discovery.com/storm_chasers/2008/10/show-poster.html

The Princess and Her Prince

Avery decided to play "Prince" w/ her daddy last night, after bathtime. It was pretty cute, especially since she thinks Princes wear barrettes in their hair! (and notice Avery's dress...her daddy helped her into it, and missed the arm holes. neither one of them noticed the entire time they played:)

Up With the Sun

Our kids have always been up with the sun. So, they both have dark shades on their bedroom windows! With the time change, it doesn't seem to be enough in Avery's room...so I added another layer of "protection" against the morning sunlight! Yesterday morning, she woke up to go potty at 6:15 a.m., and saw through the bathroom window that it was getting light outside. She kept looking at the window, probably thinking, "What's going on here?! Its still really dark in my room!" Then she asked "can I get up now? go downstairs?"
"Not yet, still night time," was my response.
And then she slept 'til 7 a.m., which is more like it. Otherwise, the girl is ready for a nap by 10:30 a. m.!
As for Bryton, the time change has been a blessing w/ his school routine. He gets up on his own, with the sun coming through his windows before 7 a.m., and he goes to bed easily at night, since its dark earlier.
Now if the weather would reflect this time change! We feel like we should still be outside playing after dark, since it is so warm!

Current Avery-ism's

"last-night-a-go": She uses this term to explain something she's done one or two days past.
"missed-a-peared": She closes her eyes, and says 'you can't find me!' after she says this word. Can you guess what she thinks she's saying?

More Halloween Fun!

We had our final spooky party to attend last night...
Halloween has been lots of fun at our house, this year!

Trick or Treat!!!

Dancin' Queen

Avery is on her 3rd week of dance class, and this class is stinkin' cute! Here she is w/ her goodies they get after each class...for being such good little girls :)

My Little Bakers

Actually, eating cookie dough was our goal :)