Home Sweet Home!

We all had a great Christmas. We got home From Indiana yesterday afternoon. We had a nice visit, but I must say it was pretty hard on all of us. Mason started getting sick Christmas Day and continued to get worse. He had a lot of trouble sleeping and GETTING to sleep and we were just all worn out. It is nice to be home! Brandon said he never knew how much he'd miss this tiny little farmhouse! Everyone slept all night last night!
I took Mason to the dr this morning. He has a terrible ear infection, and is wheezy. So we are back to 5 breathing treatments a day, an oral steroid and an antibiotic. Hopefully it will kick in and he will be feeling better soon. As I type, he and Ellie are napping peacefully and Brandon and I are chilling.
Santa was very good to all of us. Brandon and I decided not to buy much for one another since I got my embroidery machine and all that goes with that a few months back and Brandon has gotten two new tractors and a new truck this year. We bought gifts from the kids so I got two beautiful scarves and a sewing lamp and Brandon got insulated work gloves. Wow how things change once you're Santa! But I also got a lot of nice things from our families!
The kids got more stuff that I think they'll ever be able to play with. Ellie got loads of baby things: stroller, bed, swing for the baby, carrier, clothes, bottles and diapers. She also got a Vsmile, Lincoln Logs, markers, crayons, Tag reading thinger, Candyland and a block puzzle and I am sure I missed something. Mason got two tractors (one with a wagon), a ride-on airplane!, blocks, a peg board to hammer, books, and on and on. Together they got a DVD player for their room and a DVD player for the car. I am not sure how I lived three years without a DVD player for the car! Well, I do know how...Ellie has only just started watching TV and she spends much of her time in the car telling me stories about her imaginary family or singing along to Taylor Swift. But I think we are all going to enjoy having it. I do want to make some rules and not just stickin a DVD every time we are in the car. My kids are really good in the car, especially considering that on weekdays we spend no less than an hour and a half in the car each day.
I have already started the process of cleaning out the kids room of "old" toys and putting some of the new stuff in there. I really think I am going to downsize what they have in there because honestly they only have so much time to play with it all. It loses its luster fast so I would really like to start rotating toys a little more often to cut down on clutter and keep them more interested in what they have.
Brandon is leaving Thursday to go to Alabama and hunt with Tim. I know they will have fun. The kids and I are going to the WKU game with Biz and my parents on New Years Day. I'm hoping mom will take pity on me and stay with me one night to help me get the house together and very clean before we have to start back to school next week. :)

SNOW DAY!

Ok, ice day, but still! My boss made the executive decision to open late today. We did not open today until 1 pm. I was very happy. Biz had to come on in to work and she said it took her about 30 minutes longer than normal and it was slick. Last year, there was ONE day when the roads seemed fine but about 15 minutes into my drive into town, things got BAD. Cars were literally going off the roads all around me. State troopers were lining the sides of the roads from all the wrecks and when they would get out of their cars, it was so slick they couldn't even walk! So with the call of 1-4 inches of snow and ice starting last night, I was relieved to be able to come in a little later. We do have some unhappy parents. Several parents said "Well I am from Ohio/ Colorado/ Illinois/ Indiana/ Pennsylvania/ Michigan and nothing shuts down for weather there!" Inside I was thinking "THEN MOVE BACK!" But I did respond professionally. But really, why risk it? WHY is everyone so friggin gung ho to rush around? SLOW DOWN PEOPLE. There are what? Nine shopping days left? No worries. You WILL find a scarf for Aunt Tilly and everything will be ok.
Ok, so there's my rant. I do have the good fortune of a couple of days off Wednesday and Thursday this week. I need to finish up a few sewing orders, overhaul my house, and finish a little decorating (I'd like to do something simple and cute to the mantle since I've never had one!) Of course, I still have some shopping to finish up. Then my mom and I are planning to take the kids to see Santa tomorrow afternoon. Ellie is VERY unsure about Santa. When I tell her she needs to tell him her list she says "Well he can just bring me what he wants to give me." And honestly, I don't think she even cares what she gets. She will be thrilled with anything. But I am hoping she will at least stand near Santa for a pic. I am not worried about Mason. And watch them surprise me and Mason will freak and Ellie will love him!
One last sad note...our dear Rose has passed away. Rose is a cow. Ellie adores all of our cows and she knows ALL 20 of them by name. I'll save the whole story of Rose's demise but we did prepare Ellie last night when we knew that Rose was not going to make it. Brandon and I talked to her about Rose going to live with God and explained that Rose was hurting really bad but now she felt all better because she is in heaven. She took it all very well. Until this morning. Now, let me preface this with: I am still learning all there is to know about country living. This is the first cow I KNOW that has died. This is my first experience with the "dead wagon". Yes, I said Dead Wagon. So the way you do things is that you put the cow at the road and call the DW and they come and take the cow off your hands. Thing is, with the weather, DW isn't operating today. But, we did prepare Ellie for the the fact that Rose was laying at the end of the driveway. Brandon even explained "It's only her body." So we get to the end of the driveway (for those who do not know, we have a VERY long driveway) and there is poor old Rose and Ellie has her look and I DO NOT slow down and off we go. She is silent in the backseat for about a mile and suddenly she starts WAILING. I say "What is wrong???" And she says "I miss Rose!!! I want Rose!!!" OH MY LORD. KNIFE IN MY HEART. Ok, so Rose was a good cow. Gave us two good calves. But she was a cow and I have learned enough about being a farmgirl to know that this is the circle of life. But when my baby is this upset it just KILLS ME. I stopped the car and got out and hugged her and told her it was ok to be sad. As we drove on, she would compose herself for a few minutes and then the wailing would crank up again. My heart! By the time we got to school, she had calmed down. She didn't mention anything when I dropped her off at her class and I have seen her several times today and she seems to be ok. But I dread getting home tonight. So keep Ellie and Rose in your thoughts and prayers!!!

Smile pretty!

I did resort to candy bribery!

Ellie and Lola

Would my mom have DIED if I'd used this one???

Another busy week for us...I shipped the kids off to my parents last weekend and tried to whittle down my sewing pile. I got quite a bit done, but the pile is still pretty steep. I've stopped taking orders so hopefully after this weekend I will have it knocked out. I honestly think that I am going to have to put Initial Reaction and all my big plans for it on hold until we finish the house at which time my kids will be older! The combination of very very tight living quarters and two small children AND a full-time job just does not allow for a side business. BOO! I enjoy it so much! I will certainly keep sewing for my kiddos and just hope that people still want it when I can find the free time to do it for others.

I went to pick the kids up in Gallatin Sunday morning and Biz and I took pics for our Christmas card in front of mom and dad's tree. LORD HAVE MERCY! Is getting two kids to smile and look at the camera at the same time really that hard???? YES! It really became comic. Between me, Biz and BOTH my parents we could barely get them to cooperate. I think I ended up with about 90 pics and maybe 5 were good enough to use! I considered putting one fairly decent picture and then a couple more pictures of them really showing out on the card so everyone would get a good laugh!

And since I had obviously not had enough, I came home, Ellie and I decorated our tree that Brandon had put up while we were gone and I dressed them up AGAIN and tried to take more pics while Brandon was hunting!!!!! Yes, I am certifiable! Ellie had a blast putting ornaments on the tree. And Mason has not even offered to bother the tree! I even put non-breakable ornaments at the bottom so he could touch them and take them off if he wanted and he totally ignores it. Our tree this year has made me a little sad. We had to trade trees with Biz and Tim because they had a really small tree since they lived here last year. We gave them our nice big fluffy 7 foot tree and took their tiny one. And it's tiny. But a tree's a tree and we will make it this year. Next year, we can have an enormous tree and I cannot wait to decorate the new house!!!!

I had a doctor's appointment in Nashville today and Brandon went with me. After my appointment, we did some Christmas shopping for the kids. We just wandered Toys R Us in search of something to entertain Mason and basically came up with NOTHING. Brandon suggested we ask for a cardboard box that would be FREE. We did end up getting him a couple of things but I think it will be a while before we can figure out what really entertains him.

Mason has decided to talk talk talk. He is just talking up a storm since last week. He is saying : paci, Ellie (but it sounds like Heidi), mama, Callie and dog and he is babbling a lot more and will repeat a lot of things we tell him.

Ellie is doing well. She is so excited about Christmas. Every year seems like more fun as she understands more and more about Christmas. She loves the nativity scene and every day Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus are doing something different. I saw the little people Nativity set at Walmart and I was so tempted to get it. But I guess I will stick with the more decorative one we have and continue to let her play with it all she wants.

Brandon and I have been guilty of a few phone calls to Santa when Ellie's fits get really bad and it really brings her around to think she will only get sticks. How wrong is that??? My mom said "What are you going to do??? Call Cupid then the Easter Bunny, then the tooth fairy????" Hey, whatever works! I have heard about a book "the Elf on the Shelf" that I want to check out. I *think* it is a little behavior motivator. I'll blog about it when I find it. We have to stay on our toes and keep being creative to avoid major meltdowns. Who was it that "when she is good she is very very good, but when she is bad she is awful."??? Ellie Jordan Fields???? HA! I kid. Well, kind of. Ellie is an amazing child and heaven knows I adore her. She's so smart and sweet and kind and FUNNY. But when things don't go her way WATCH OUT. I just want to help her learn how to channel her emotions in a bit more positive way than laying in the middle of the school hallway kicking and crying because things don't go just her way. Can you tell we had a bit of a bad evening??? Oh well, tomorrow is a new day!

Hopefully I will get my sewing done and finish decorating the house and get my Christmas Cards in the mail. Or maybe I will just send New Year's cards! Email me if you want a Christmas card! Unfortunately, I have not created a good permanent card list of addresses. I need to work on that. Add it to my list....

I feel BE HIND

Well, we are having a pretty good week out here in Trammel. Both kids finally seem to be well. (Should I even say that for fear something will go bad???) Mason is still getting breathing treatments but we are down to once a day and he has really cleared.
Calli is doing really well. Jack and Lucy have accepted her and everyone seems happy. If we are home, Calli spends a lot of her time sitting at the front door looking in and watching us. She is a people dog. I actually hope that some day we might be able to bring her in some. (not until we have the house built) I never thought it would be fair to bring Lucy in because Jack HATES coming inside and I hated to leave him out alone. But now I figure those two can keep each other company and Calli can come in. Am I showing favorites???
We have a (hopefully our final) meeting with Shawn tomorrow. Brandon and I have agreed our budget is where it needs to be. After seeing Scott and Jennifer's house I am sooo ready to get this house DONE and have an awesome kitchen!!! And more than one bathroom, and more than one closet and on and on!
I am still not even sure where we will cram a Christmas Tree. And while we are on that subject...Seriously. What is going on??? I feel like Christmas is tomorrow or something! And I haven't even started. No decorating and obviously no shopping. I DO have the kids Christmas outfits. And I have been able to find time to do one Christmas shirt for Ellie. But not much else. I have plans to take Christmas pictures this weekend. I honestly am not sure when I am going to find the time. Obviously, I will find the time. Midnight? 2 am??? But it frazzles me to think about it.
The kids are going to Nana and Poppop's Friday night and I have told Brandon we are cleaning Friday night and I am sewing ALL DAY Saturday. I have several orders and I have actually stopped taking orders until I get what I have completed. I hated to have to turn anyone down, but I just don't think it's fair to promise something I am not even sure I can do! When someone works a few more hours into the day without being absolutely exhausted, let me in in the secret! Eh what a whiney blog. Oh well, stay tuned and perhaps the next one will be more exciting!