Caldwell Zoo

2010-09-22T19:44:00.004-05:00

Tyler and Homecoming

My high school, Walker Valley, celebrated Homecoming last Friday night. Tyler was asked to serve as the junior attendant for the event. He got to wear a suit and he looked so handsome. He was so excited until he realized he had to hold the arm of a girl. (The daughter of one of the other faculty members at Walker Valley.) I had to bribe him with $5. As soon as he finished crossing the field, he walked up to me and said, "Where is my five dollars?"

The school started a new tradition this year. We decided to crown a King and a Queen. Mr. Coggin, my principal, and Tyler concocted a scheme. When they announced the winner for King, Mr. Coggin lifted Ty in the air and Tyler placed the crown on the King. It was so sweet.

2010-09-22T19:35:00.003-05:00

Fall Ball

Ethan decided to sit out of football this year and I was relieved. He would have had to move up to the 9 - 10 year old league and some of those 10 year olds are bigger than me. I was scared for him. He decided to play Fall Baseball so he could get some practice pitching. He is turning into quite the pitcher. So far this season he has struck out over 20 batters and allowed 4 hits. He is not a very fast pitcher (yet) but the key is he pitches strikes.

I have to say that watching kid pitch baseball is slow and long. Hopefully it gets more exciting in the future. I'm ready for spring baseball.

2010-09-10T16:52:00.003-05:00

Labor Day Weekend

For Labor Day we went to Dayton, TN to visit Chris' sister, Valen. The Rhea County Fair was going on and Valen and her husband, Jamie, were participating in a rodeo. Valen did some break-away roping and barrel racing. Jamie is a bull fighter and all around cowboy. The boys had a great time. Tyler told his teacher the other day that he is part cowboy because his grandpa is whole cowboy.

2010-09-10T16:47:00.002-05:00

My Amazing Sister

My sister, Jessica, is the National Marketing Coordinator for the Healthy Woman program sponsored by CHS hosptials. (Impressive title, not like math teacher.) Healthy Woman recently hosted a large even in Cleveland so my sister came to lend her support. Her good friend, Dale Thomas Smith, spoke and it was inspiring. It was so nice to get a change to visit with my sister. I have to say that Jessica has endured more than any person I've known and she has always come through. Her testimony is powerful and encouraging. I'm anxious to see what God has in store for her next. I love you, Jessie.

2010-09-10T16:37:00.004-05:00

Back to School

School has been back in session for 5 weeks now. Tyler started Kindergarten this year. It is nice to not have the daycare cost anymore. He has a great teacher. Mrs. Withrow is a young teacher who attended my high school several years ago. Tyler seems very pleased with her. Ethan has Mr. Brown this year. He is excellent. Mr. Brown and I share a similar educational philosophy. It looks like it is going to be a great school year.

I have three new classes this year (Algebra I remediation, Algebra II Honors, and Pre Calculus Honors) and department chair responsibilities. I feel swamped but I'm loving it.

2010-08-01T20:37:00.002-05:00

Happy 9th Birthday, Ethan!

My sweet boy, Ethan, turned 9 today. He is growing up so fast. He is so independent. For his birthday we rented the church gym and had some kids play basketball and football. My poor niece, Joy, was the lone girl. It was a great time.

For his birthday, Ethan asked for a dirt bike. Chris and I decided to get him an electric one instead. He got this Razor MX500. It is crazy fast. I rode it around the yard. It is so much fun. It goes up to 15 mph which seems pretty fast. Ethan is quite the dare devil on it. Poor Tyler can't ride it by himself.

2010-08-01T19:56:00.003-05:00

Summer Break

Now that summer is coming to a close, I feel like it's time to catch everyone up on what happened. We had a chance to see Kenny Loggins for the 4th of July. (Thanks Aaron!) He was awesome! We had a nice picnic and listened to some great music. I was amazed with how many songs I knew.

We celebrated Chris' 36th birthday with a quiet celebration at home. I purchased a Kahlua cake from the local bakery.
I also spent my summer getting my professional blog up and running. Here is a link if you are interested, but I warn you, it covers things like math, standards-based-grading, and classroom reflections. http://ambercaldwell.wordpress.com/

2010-06-26T20:32:00.004-05:00

A Night at the Lookouts

The 8 year old Stingers went to the Chattanooga Lookouts game. The Lookouts are the local minor league baseball team. The boys got to run out on the field with the players at the beginning of the game. Ethan was in awe. The best part of the night included Chris and Ethan competing in several competitions on the field in between innings.

First, Chris competed in the musical chairs against the other Stingers coaches. Chris did not win the game and ended up on his behind on the field. He then competed in the frozen t-shirt contest. He won a t-shirt and a Krystal gift card. (Krystal's is the southern version of White Castle.)

Ethan won the tire roll and was awarded a combo from Hardee's. The boys ended the evening on the dug out dancing the Chicken Dance. It was such a fun night!

2010-06-26T20:10:00.004-05:00

Disney...On My Own

My amazing husband agreed to let me go on a business trip to Disney World. About two months ago my principal invited me to attend the Model Schools Conference in Orlando and allowed me to invite one female teacher of my choice. I invited my friend and fellow math teacher Lauren. We flew down on Monday morning and flew back on Thursday. Our room was at the Wilderness Lodge at Disney.
(Sorry the picture is fuzzy. I need a new camera.)

The conference was amazing! I learned so much and heard so many great schools speak. My principal and I are hoping to present at the conference next year when the conference is in Nashville.

On Tuesday night Lauren and I went with my Principal's daughter, Katie, to Epcot. Epcot was the one park that I wanted to go to with no kids. It was so much fun. We rode Soaring and the Test Track. We ate fish and chips in the UK while we watched the evening light and fireworks show. We stayed at the park til midnight.

On Wednesday night we went to Downtown Disney and ate at Wolfgang Puck's Restaurant. I had a delicious pumpkin stuffed ravioli. It was so good. We ended the evening at Ghirardelli's where I had a monster ice cream sundae. I really missed my family, but it was so nice to have an opportunity to be a professional.

2010-06-26T20:00:00.003-05:00

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

Ethan's team won their second tournament. It is turning out to be a good season. It was crazy hot that weekend. This is the last year of coach pitch and in the fall we are starting kid pitch. Ethan is looking forward to pitching.

2010-06-12T21:12:00.003-05:00

A Quick, Working Trip to Ohio

After Ethan's tournament in Knoxville, we hopped in the car and drove to Cincinnati to meet my parents. Chris had to be in Columbus for training. We met my parents at the Great Wolf Lodge near King's Island. We had a great time. The boys loved the water park.

We crammed so much into a short visit. We visited the zoo with Papa and spent several days at my brother and sister-in-laws house so the cousins could pay. Ethan and Tyler love playing with their cousins!

We ended our brief visit with a Columbus Clipper's baseball game at the new stadium. The left fielder gave Tyler a ball at the end of one inning. We left Columbus and headed back to Knoxville to play in another tournament. I thought summer was supposed to be relaxing...

2010-06-12T20:53:00.003-05:00

More Baseball (Champions...Finally)

The boys attended Walker Valley's baseball camp a few weeks ago. Other than getting up at 7:00 am, it was fantastic. The boys love it. They learn so much from Coach Joe and Coach Mike. Ethan looked forward to the daily scrimmages. He is so competitive. The highlight of the week for Tyler was the sliding practice on the last day. Joe lays out a tarp and they put water on it (a slip and slide) for the boys to practice sliding.

We left the day after camp and drove to Knoxville for another tournament for Ethan's team. It seems so long since the last tournament. Ethan hit three home runs (in the park) and played great defense. He is playing third base this year and his reflexes are great. His team won the tournament and were the champions. It has been a long road to get to this point with this team, but it was worth it. They boys were so excited. We have two more weekends of baseball....

2010-06-01T20:03:00.003-05:00

Memorial Day

My amazing husband took the boys to South Carolina to visit grandparents and I went to Nashville for a girls' weekend with my sister. I had an amazing time with her. She is beautiful! We went shopping and ate out at some great restaurants. We waited out some of the rain watching movies in her condo.

The highlight of the trip was the Daughtry concert on Sunday night. Lifehouse opened for them and they were amazing. Daughtry was great. He had Kelly Clarkson and the lead singer from 3 Doors Down sing with him. My sister, Jessica, was suprised at how heavy Daughtry was. I felt like I was at a real rock concert. It was a great evening.

2010-05-14T13:30:00.004-05:00

Graduation

Being a high school teacher, I attend every graduation ceremony in full uniform. I love it! It is so great to see the students walk across the stage to receive a diploma. It is amazing to watch them mature from young freshman to seniors ready to conquer the world. I honestly love my students and feel so blessed to have the chance to play a role in their lives.

Walker Valley is such a great school and I have made several dear friends during my time here. These are two ladies that are so dear to me. These are two powerful women who are successful at all they do. Donna is my mentor and partner in crime. We have so much fun together. She has been my biggest supporter this year in taking over as department chair. She is my dear friend.

Cheryl is my go to person if I'm happy and when I'm in tears. (Teaching will do that to you.) She is always willing to listen and give advice. She is such a beautiful person who lives out joy. I feel like I can accomplish anything at WV with Cheryl in my corner. Thank you for everything.

2010-05-12T20:46:00.002-05:00

Family Weekend

Last weekend Chris' parents came to visit us. Ethan had a baseball tournament in Oak Ridge. He played one game and then the tournament was rained out. It was disappointing, but I was glad his grandparents had the chance to see him play at least one game.

His team won in the final inning, in the rain. Ethan had an in the park home run and a triple to tie the game. He played a great third base. It was a good weekend even though it rained. We saw the Caldwell's off on Sunday after some quick rides on the motorcycle driven by Papa.

2010-04-26T18:48:00.005-05:00

They Get Me Every Time

I showed up today to get Tyler from preschool and waiting on me was the packet full of spring pictures. I totally forgot about spring pictures and sent Tyler to school that day in a t-shirt and converse tennis shoes. There goes my "Mom of the Year" award.

I promised myself that I would not purchase the package. The photographer puts all these pictures in an envelope and charges you $40 for the package. If you only buy one sheet, it is $15. Come on, who's going to buy just one sheet. It is such a better deal to get the package. I walked out of the school reciting "I will not buy the package!" (What hurts the most is that you know they will just be thrown away or recycled if you don't buy them.)

I arrived home and looked at the pictures with Chris and I am shamed to admit that we are buying the entire package. When I saw the pictures of Tyler, I couldn't help it. The pictures are so Ty. Tyler always wears converse tennis shoes. He calls them Chucks. He is begging for the red ones now, but I am firmly saying no. He is always in a t-shirt and begs to wear athletic shorts to school. Notice the silly bands on his arm. In other words, with everything that should be wrong with this picture, it so fits Ty. He is his own quirky self. There is no one else like him. He will never be an average kid. If you know Ty, you know this is true. I love him for it!

2010-04-06T20:51:00.002-05:00

Easter

Ethan and Tyler begged to wear ties for Easter. I am not a huge fan of the little ties or the clip on ties, but I gave in to their pleas. Ethan's tie was real and I had to spend most of the morning showing him how to tie it. Tyler's was a cute clip on and I cringed when I bought it. Tyler was so excited to go to Belk's and pick it out. So, sorry Jessie, I know you are going to hate their outfits, but it has to be better than the sweater vests of years past. (My sister hates my Easter outfits for the boys.)

We had a busy morning getting ready. We had to be at church at 7:30 so the boys could get ready for choir. They sang in both morning services and were exhausted by the end of the morning. We finally left church around 1:20. We spent the afternoon relaxing and getting ready for the busy week to come.

2010-03-31T20:21:00.002-05:00

Tyler's Turn

We tend to focus so much on Ethan and his baseball career (yes, he is only 8) that Tyler gets overlooked. But now, it is Tyler's turn. Tyler is playing t-ball again this year. He seems more into it and is not playing in the dirt. He told me before the game that he needed to wear a belt with his pants because that is what the real baseball players did.

He played really well. He played the pitcher's mound and left field. He loved every minute!

2010-03-16T20:21:00.003-05:00

Spring Break So Far

This week is our spring break. We are chilling at home and enjoying the down time. I started celebrating the time off by having a class party on Friday for Pi Day. My students brought in some great food. Pi day (March 14, 3/14, 3.14...) is one of the few perks of being a a math teacher and a true dork. I wore my Pi sweatshirt that Chris got me for Christmas. Now the students really think I am a dork. Oh well...

On Sunday I took the boys to the circus and then to a new cupcake store on the North Shore. We had a great day!

On Monday, Ethan decided to play basketball with my Volvo parked under the hoop. The ball hit the rim and ricocheted off the rim and crashed into the sunroof. The inside of my car was covered in glass. Poor Ethan cried and felt so bad. Fortunately, God brought to my mind my past mistakes and I was able to take Ethan in my arms and not scold him but console him. (Remember the two wrecked cars in the driveway, Dad? You never got mad at me. Thank you. Mom did watch me back out of the driveway for weeks afterward though.)

On Tuesday, I was excited about going to Target when I walked out of the house and found this. Yes, that is Tyler on the Envoy! He did not get my comfort. Tyler did not understand why he couldn't play on top of the vehicles. I can't wait to see what happens with the rest of our week.

2010-03-07T19:03:00.003-05:00

Stingers Time Again

Baseball season is in full swing again. Ethan had his first tournament this weekend. He is playing for the select travel team, the Stingers, again. Most of the kids are back with a few additions. The team picked up some good, new players in the off season. It should be fun this year.

We played in Chattanooga at a new $12 million baseball and softball complex. It is amazing! The stands were shaded with awnings which will be great in the summer, but not so great when it is 40 degrees outside.

We played on Saturday at 9:30 am. It was cold! We lost and the boys were discouraged. Ethan played left center and second base. He did great and had several put outs. He hit one double.

The second game was a little closer, but still not a win. Ethan played first base and he did a good job for a position he has never played. He had several put outs and even an unassisted double play. He had three doubles during that game. His hitting has improved so much this year.

The highlight of the series was Sunday morning at 9:30 am. Ethan's team won the game in the bottom of the 6th inning. It was an exciting and tense game. Ethan played first again and caught four balls for outs. Ethan got on base every at bat. (I have to give a shout out to my girlfriend, Nicole, for the awesome pictures! Thanks)

We lost the fourth game, but left knowing we had a great weekend and a lot to look forward to this season. I know it sounds kind of boastful, but baseball is really Ethan's sport. He struggles with football and basketball and hates singing in the choir, but my little guy really shines when he steps on the baseball field. I asked him if he gets nervous before a game and his response was "Why? I love it!" He even asked if he could play baseball in the backyard when we got home from the tournament.

2010-02-28T19:07:00.003-05:00

Self Reflection

I usually use this space to share stories and events about my family, but I feel led to post something personal. Sometimes I read other peoples blogs or facebook pages and start feeling less than a successful person. I think we all fall into a trap of posting the best or funniest moments from our lives and we often hide the struggles we face day to day. I'm not saying we need to air our dirty laundry online or even be 'debbie downers', but I wanted everyone to know that I struggle.

I was raised in an amazing Christian home and I would not trade it for anything. I came to know Christ as a child and have seen the Spirit move and direct my life and that of my family. As an adult, I have attended a wide variety of churches from those that do admit to supressing the work of the Holy Spirit to those that seem to go into a state of chaos. I have felt comfortable in neither. I love my church now, but still struggle with the inner question of who is the Holy Spirit and what is His role in my life? I know that the Spirit lives in me, but sometimes I don't see His fruit. (Love, Joy, Peace, Patience (Ok, this is the big one) Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness, Faith and Self-Control) If He abides in me, then shouldn't these gifts be the outward evidence to those around me?

Friday morning my friend and youth pastor, Clark, gave me a book entitled "Forgotten God, Reversing our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit" by Francis Chan. It is written by a man who grew up baptist. He has no religious affiliation and does not seem to want to promote 'his side,' just find the truth from the Bible. I am 50 pages into the book and highly suggest it. I am seeking the truth. If you have ever looked at "those Pentecostals" and wondered why they act that way or judged the "non spirit-filled" and look at them as less than you, I would suggest this book. It simply searches for the truth of who the Holy Spirit is and what his role in our lives should be on a daily basis. Please join me on this journey. My only motive is to become more like Christ.

2010-02-17T17:33:00.003-05:00

I will never understand my son, Tyler. As my father says, "his brain works differently." To know Tyler is to love him and be exasperated by him. My friend at work, Donna, says were in for fun in the future.

Ethan was sick over the weekend so I put an empty, plastic trashcan in his room for emergencies. Emergencies of course means throwing up. I thought everyone knew this. Sunday night, Chris and I walked into the boys' room to find the trash can in the middle of the room with urine in it. Tyler then explained that he had to pee and it provided convenience. We do live in a house with three toilets and four people so I suppose it could be justified, but seriously? Needless to say, I lost my temper and had to apologize later. I need to learn to laugh more about Tyler and not take everything so seriously with him. He did scrub the trashcan out with Lysol. I can't wait to see what's next...

2010-02-15T20:08:00.003-05:00

Valentine's Day

On Friday night we joined the crowds at the local theater to see Percy Jackson and the Olympians. I read the books a few months ago and have been waiting to take my kids. It was fantastic! My boys loved it and I'm considering reading the books to them. I ran into several students and other teachers there and we briefly discussed the movie. It is a little scary, but knowing Tyler, nothing scares him.

Saturday morning Ethan woke up with a sore throat. A few hours later, his temperature was at 102.5. I tried to take him to the clinic, but it had closed already. I doped him up on Tylenol and sent him to bed. Chris took him on Sunday morning and we found out he had strep throat. Poor kid!

As far as Valentine gifts, Tyler chose a Wonder Woman Bear for me and Ethan picked out Choxie Chocolates from Target. They are my favorite! Chris got me a pair of earrings. The funniest part was that Chris and I picked out the exact same card for each other at totally different stores. Do we know each other, or what? It was the least sentimental card with a simple "I Love You!" Chris got the Direct TV March Madness package so he can watch all the games at one time. What was I thinking?

We spent the weekend relaxing since Ethan was sick. It was a nice weekend at home. Hopefully next weekend everyone will be well and we can actually have an exciting post with exciting pictures.

I do have to share one exciting thing because I am living vicariously through my sister. My brother and his wife went to Nashville to visit my sister and they went to see the Black Eyed Peas. Wild Bill, my sister's boyfriend, got them backstage passes. So jealous! I think Bon Jovi is coming to Nashville soon. What do you say, Bill? Love you guys!

2010-02-01T19:44:00.004-05:00

Snowed In
(I love the South)

School was released in a panic on Friday. Snow was on the way. We had to get home before it started. I looked outside my classroom window and sure enough, it was sunny and there were birds. You gotta love the south. By the time I left Walker Valley and picked up my two kids the flakes began to fall. By the early evening there was a beautiful covering. I braved the crowds at the RedBox and we settled in front of the fire for movie night.

The ice came on Friday night and Saturday morning. I admit that it was bad, but by Saturday afternoon it seemed fine to a northerner like myself. We did brave church on Sunday, but we were among the few. Several churches in town cancelled. Chris reminded me that there is no salt on the roads here and the people are not prepared to sprinkle salt for themselves on the sidewalks or parking lots.

The best part of the weekend came on Sunday evening when I received a phone call telling me that school would be cancelled on Monday. I love my job! The boys and I spent a relaxing day at home with an afternoon outing for haircuts. (By the way, they cut Tyler's hair completely off. I am a bit sad. Pictures will follow when I can bear to take them.)

Several Jane Austen movies later, I believe that I am ready to return to school. I have 4 day weeks for the next three weeks. Did I mention that I love my job?

2010-01-19T19:52:00.004-05:00

Wild Bill and the Boys

My boys had so much fun with Wild Bill this weekend that it warranted its own post. Bill took the boys to Opry Mills and to see a movie and then let them bungy jump. I'm always to cheap to pay for those things, but the boys had a blast. Ethan turned flip after flip and Tyler's face was pure joy the entire time. He did get a little frustrated because he was not heavy enough to pull himself all the way down.

One of the highlights of the trip was Bill's pet Lynx. Bill owns a siberian lynx and keeps it in his house. Fortunatly for me, it was shut in the back stairwell all weekend except when he took him out to play with the boys. The boys took turns petting 'kitty' and then Tyler wanted to hold him. He is fearless. Of course, Ethan had to hold him after that as well.

Both boys took a spin with Bill on his motorcycle. Bill took me for a ride and it was awesome and crazy! Bill builds bikes and rides seriously. He would spin and slide the tires out. I was scared but strangely felt very safe.

2010-01-19T19:33:00.003-05:00

Wild Birthday WeekendBill's house and restaurant

We went to Nashville for the weekend to celebrate my birthday with my sister Jessica and her friend Bill. Bill was gracious enough to open up his house to us, kids included. Bill lives in the oldest building in Nashville. It is awesome. It was part of the underground railroad. Bill owns the restaurant downstairs called Wild Bills Binets and Bikes. It was great waking up every morning to fresh coffee and banana binets. The kids loved going downstairs to the restaurant and 'helping' which mainly involved eating french fries.

The view from our bedroom window

Bill took us out on the town on his rickshaw. It was a little chilly but so much fun! For my birthday, Jessica and Bill took me and the family to the Predator's hockey game. We had great seats and they had my birthday put on the jumbo tron. Bill took the kids down to the Zamboni entrance down by the ice during the game. After the game, we went to The Palm for dinner. It was delicious. It was an amazing evening and a great weekend.
The Caldwell's on the rickshaw

Ethan and Jessica at the game

2010-01-13T13:46:00.002-05:00

A Sick, New Year

We spent New Years with Chris' family in South Carolina. The day after we arrived, New Year's Eve, Chris' dad, Leonard, came down with a stomach virus. He spent most of the day in bed. We entertained ourselves while Chris' mom, Janice, ran the shop. That night, Chris' sister, Valen, invited us over to ring in the New Year. Thank you Valen for getting us out of the house. I felt so bad that Chris' dad was sick. We left on Saturday morning to drive home. Saturday evening after all the bags were unloaded and laundry was done, Ethan threw up. He was up all night and thanks to my awesome husband, I did not have to clean up and vomit. I can't handle it! We stayed home from church on Sunday so Ethan could recoup.

I started school on Monday and the week progressed. I woke up Thursday morning with an ailing stomach. Fortunately, we were sent home early that afternoon for snow and I spent Thursday and all day Friday in bed with a stomach virus. I hate being sick! By Saturday I was much better and up cleaning the house.

I decided to invite my brother and his family over Saturday night since we hadn't seen them since before Christmas. We were enjoying fellowship and pizza when I heard the kids yell from downstairs, "Tyler threw up!" Needless to say, we were up all night with Tyler and he spent Sunday at home with a very high fever. My husband, the super hero, stayed home with him on Monday so he could recover fully. I think we are all well now and I am praying Chris does not get sick. We have plans to go to Nashville this weekend and it would be miserable if we had to cancel.

My New Year's Resolution is to be healthy this year. Yeah right...

2010-01-04T19:10:00.003-05:00

Rock City Lights

We went with our friends, the Mann's, to Rock City to see the lights. We started the evening at one of our favorite restaurants, Tony's. It was delicious. We then drove up Lookout Mountain to Rock City. I had spent the afternoon laying out all of the winter clothes so we would be warm at the top of the mountain. I told the boys to grab their coats as we were leaving and I did not realize until we reached Rock City that they left their coats at home. I felt like the worst mom ever! Fortunatly, Janna had some extra scarves and it was a warm evening.

We had a great time! We stopped half way and the boys had the chance to decorate gingerbread men. The lights were beautiful. This may be the start of a new holiday tradition.

2010-01-03T19:37:00.003-05:00

Winter Wonderland

Chris wanted to go to Ohio for the snow. He was lucky because the day after we arrived it snowed five inches at my parents house. My sister, Jessica, and Wild Bill went skiing all night. Chris and I chickened out. The boys spent the morning in the hot tub with my parents. We then bundled up and went for a walk in the woods. Ethan found a coyote den in the woods. The boys took turns trying to climb Papa's tree stand. Tyler would randomly fall on the ground and say, "I don't think I can make it!" It was beautiful!

2010-01-03T19:25:00.003-05:00

Christmas Day

The boys woke up at 5:45 am on Christmas morning. They went downstairs and separated the presents into stacks for each person. I wonder where they get the need to organize... The boys got portable gifts (Didj, PSP) so we left right after presents and drove to Ohio to see my parents. It was raining when we got there. It was great to be able to spend time with my parents, my sister, and Wild Bill.
My dad showing the boys his recent deer. The heads had not been mounted yet so we could see all the disgusting insides...Gross!

My mom with the boys

2009-12-22T21:24:00.003-05:00

A Stone Mountain Christmas

We went to Stone Mountain, Georgia on Saturday. It was worth the two hour drive. There was so much to do and we didn't even see all of the shows. We started with a fried chicken lunch. It is the south. We watched the Polar Express 4D experience. Tyler and Ethan loved it. It spit water out at you and it smelled like hot chocolate at the right moments. We rode the cable lift to the top of the mountain. We only spent a few minutes at the top. It was so cold!

We visited Hilda the Christmas Goat. He was a cartoon character that interacted with the kids. He talked to Tyler and called him by name. Tyler just thought that was amazing. We rode the train and played mini golf. My favorite part was the unlimited hot chocolate. We ended the evening with the laser light show. It was a great way to celebrate the holidays.

2009-12-08T20:46:00.003-05:00

Thanksgiving

I know it has been a few weeks since Thanksgiving, but I'm just now getting around to posting pictures. My mom and dad came down from Ohio and my sister, Jessica, came over from Nashville. It was an amazing weekend. We spent Thanksgiving at my brother's house. His wife, Jennifer, did a great job organizing everything and opening up her home. My sister made the great centerpieces and the table was beautiful.

After lunch, we spent the afternoon outside. Our friend from Nashville, Wild Bill, brought the kids scooters. They rode up and down the street all afternoon. Chris even took a turn on Bill's remote controlled skateboard. Thank you to my family for such a great weekend. I love you all.

2009-12-08T14:53:00.002-05:00

My Amazing Husband

Yesterday, December 7th, was our 13th anniversary. I wanted to take this opportunity to brag on my husband. Chris is an amazing father. He constantly spends time with our boys throwing baseball or rough housing in the yard. He took them to a movie on Sunday so I could have the house for my monthly book club. He even missed the games on TV that day. What a man!

Chris is an amazing husband. He does all of the laundry and it magically appears in my drawer folded. He cleaned the house on Saturday for my book club friends, including the bathrooms. (You know this is a huge undertaking if you have little boys.)

On Sunday, Pastor Seals gave the husbands helpful hints on how to be a blessing to their wives. Chris nailed everyone on the list. He makes the coffee in the morning and gets the kids ready for school. He even takes the kids to school in the morning.

I know by now you are asking, "What does Amber do?" Honestly, not much. Chris is a true servant and leads our family by showing sacrificial love. I am truly blessed to be married to such an incredible man.

Chris: I can't wait to spend the next 13 years with you! I love you!

2009-11-14T20:23:00.003-05:00

Turkey Shoot

(No turkeys were harmed during the making of this memory.)

Our church held a turkey shoot for the children today. Chris took Ethan so he could learn about gun safety. After a brief training session, they allowed the kids to shoot at a target three times for a practice round. After that, they held the turkey shoot competition. First place was a frozen turkey, second place was turkey bacon, and third place was a package of turkey hot dogs. Ethan won third place for his age division. I told Ethan that his Papa in Ohio would be so proud of him. I may have to drive him up to Ohio in a few years to have Papa teach him how to hunt. I would love to have freezer full of deer meat.

2009-11-02T07:52:00.006-05:00

HalloweenTinker Bell & Peter Pan

(Tyler had a Tinker Bell on his shoulder too)

Our church had a harvest party this year. It was supposed to be a trunk or treat but it was moved inside due to rain. I was so proud of our church. Pastor Chris arranged a great evening and did a wonderful job. There were blow up bouncy toys in the gym and games. Everyone got candy just for participating. (My kind of party.) There was a band performing in another room. Tyler was called on stage to perform with them. In typical Tyler style, he stole the show. He sang and danced his heart out and the band gave him a cd.

Tyler on stage

Wendy, Peter Pan, Captain Hook, the Crocodile

There was a parade of costumes and lots of candy. (I love candy!) Our good friends, the Mann's, joined us for the evening. It was a blast! There was a costume contest and our family won! I was shocked. We won a Wii from the church. It was a great night. I told the boys that we will use the Wii to help buy a PS3. I think my husband is more excited about this then the boys. It would be unbearable if we had to watch the new Star Trek on anything but blue ray.

We ended the evening at my brother's house. Thank you Douglass' for opening up your doors and scaring us. Chris, my brother, set up a leaf blower with a garbage bag tied to it to scare the trick or treaters. Tyler loved it!

If you are local and looking for Halloween fun next year, consider North Cleveland Church of God. It was great and I am so thankful that our church provided a fun, family activity.

2009-10-29T21:14:00.003-05:00

A Mother's Heart

My mom's birthday is this weekend. I won't list her age here, for fear of retaliation. My mom is not the one in the limelight. She normally stands in the background allowing others around her to shine. I didn't appreciate this about her until I was an adult. I realize that it takes a special person to nurture and love and allow others to reap the adoration and accolades. Thank you mom for doing this for me.

I was reminded tonight how difficult it is to be a mother and have to carry the burden that is a mother's heart. Ethan had his final football game. His team made it to the Superbowl. Ethan started the season rough. He was one of the smallest kids and a little tentative at times. Half way through the season, he was as tough as they come. He could block kids twice his size and always stayed in his position. He didn't take the bait and leave his side of the field unmanned. He is a smart player. He was so excited about the Superbowl.

When the game started, Ethan was playing. He played the entire first quarter and his team scored two touchdowns and the other team did not score at all. After the first quarter, Ethan was pulled from the game and sat on the sidelines. Ethan is used to having to sit out a quarter because the rules say that everyone has to play one quarter. The problem was that the coach never put Ethan back in the game. The other team ended up scoring three touchdowns. (Two of them were on Ethan's side of the field where he normally blocks.) Chris and I were both very upset. Chris spoke with one of the assistant coach's after the game and he spoke about all the kids having to play a quarter. I was upset but held it together until I went to get Ethan after the game. When I walked up with my camera to take his picture with the runner up trophy, my heart broke. Ethan's eyes were red from crying the entire second half because he was forced to stand on the sidelines. He came up and gave me a hug and whispered, "I only got to play eight minutes tonight." That's when my tears started right there on the field in front of everyone. I was so angry and resisted the urge to talk to the coach and felt some justice that Ethan's team had lost without him. (I know this is petty.)

That's when I knew I have a mother's heart. I would have paid any amount of money, sat out of the game myself, or yelled at the coach to protect my son tonight. I know Ethan learned a valuable lesson tonight, but it hurt my heart. It made me wonder how many times has my mother had to bite her tongue and sit back and watch me get hurt. Thank you mom for sticking up for me just enough to let me know you care but not so much that I didn't learn the truth about life. I may not have gotten the role for Annie in third grade, but I definitely remember you waiting in line with me. I may not have earned the role in the commercial, but thank you for taking me to the auditions. I may not have been crowned Jr. Miss, but thank you for insisting that I was robbed and supporting me. The injustice and failures growing up are so many, but the support and love through it all made it bearable for me even though I know if often broke your heart. It is difficult being a mother. Sometimes the love I feel for my boys makes me ache. Thank you, Mom. It's a tough role and you continue to fill it well. I love you!

2009-10-25T20:21:00.004-05:00

Happy Birthday Dad

My father turns 61 on Monday, October 26th. (Sorry I posted that on my blog, Dad.) I thought a long time about what to get him for his birthday and I came up with a book that I've wanted to read and I think he will enjoy. (You will get it in the mail soon.) The problem with buying my parents gifts is that the gifts always seem to fall short. It normally involves pictures of my kids. This year I wanted to honor my Father with a testimony of his great legacy. Four years ago Chris lost his job and I was devastated. I was not working at the time and wasn't sure how we were going to make it. My Father gave me this boat. It sits on my bookshelf in my family room as an altar. It makes me remember the faith of my earthly Father and the faithfulness of my heavenly Father. God provided in ways that I would not have imagined and even though it took me far from my parents, it took me deeper in my walk with God. I learned to trust God. My dad had two heart attacks before we left Ohio and I set a fleece out for God. I told God that if He wanted us to move then I needed the house sold in a week. It sold in two days. I have never worried about my dad's health since then. I know that he is in the hand of God. Thank you dad for your faith and love. I hope you realize and know the legacy of truth that you have started and that will continue for generations, God willing. Thank you for leading us in the paths of righteousness so we can lead our children. Happy birthday! God is faithful!

2009-10-17T21:48:00.002-05:00

Make New Friends But Keep the Old...

When I was in girl scouts we used to sing a song that said, "Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other's gold." I now know that is true. While I was in Ohio my playgroup friends were so gracious to take time out of their busy schedules to visit with me and the boys. I always thought our children would grow up together. The boys played great with their first friends. It was great to catch up with the girls. I really miss you both! Thank you for taking the time and hopefully we can have more time the next chance I have to visit Marysville. You know you are always welcome down south. Love ya!

2009-10-17T21:37:00.003-05:00

The Number One Zoo

We went to the Columbus Zoo while we were in Columbus. It was cold, but that meant the zoo was nearly empty. The man at the front entrance informed me that the Columbus Zoo is the number one zoo in the country but I have a feeling they all say that. It was really nice. I was happy to have so many buildings that were warm. The best part of the zoo was spending time with my Dad. My father is the County Director for Senior Citizens and Transportation and it happened to be his annual trip to the zoo so we met him there. It was like being with a super star. Every Senior Citizen knew him and twice random people walked up and said hi and introduced themselves. The final straw was when a random woman came up and started taking pictures of us. I found out later that it was one of my father's employees and that she was taking pictures for the County website. I found it all very humorous. Tyler thought that Papa worked for the zoo. He kept saying, "Go ahead Papa, you work here."

2009-10-15T19:15:00.003-05:00

Tyler's 5!
Aiden and Tyler with Chuck E. Cheese

Tyler turned 5 years old while we were in Ohio. My wonderful father scheduled a birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese's with all of the cousins. (Thanks, Dad!) Tyler had the best time. When we arrived there was a giant balloon with Tyler written on it and a blow-up crown filled with gold tokens. My dad ordered a special GI Joe cake for Tyler. I love to watch Ethan and Tyler playing with their four cousins in Ohio. I wish we could see them more often. I just hope they grow up to be close to each other.

Tyler blowing out his candles

Aiden and Tyler

Tyler and Riley

Riley and Tyler

2009-10-15T18:52:00.005-05:00

Fall Break

The boys and I went to Ohio for fall break. It was cold! Who knew that people broke out Ugg boots in October. I don't even think about it until December. It was nice to do fall activities with the weather a little chilly. We went to Leed's Pumpkin Farm on Sunday. The boys loved the mini zip line and Tyler loved the banana train. I think Ethan was a little old for it, but he rode it for his brother. We picked out mini pumpkins and watched kettle corn being made. It was delicious!

On Monday, my parents took us to Old Man's Cave. I can't believe I lived in Ohio and never visited before. W hiked most of the afternoon. I always thought that Ohio was flat. My brother-in-law always says that you can watch your dog run away for three days in Ohio. Who knew that Southern Ohio had mountains and caves and amazing rock formations. We even found a letterbox at Ash cave. I think my father was just as excited and amazed as the kids at finding the 'secret hidden treasure box.'

2009-10-08T11:55:00.003-05:00

Touchdown Dance

Tyler's football season ended this week. He loved it and was very good at it. He did get in trouble for trash talking the other team while he was on the line. He told one of the kids that he was going to "kick his butt!" I just shook my head and cringed. That's Tyler. I don't know how he managed to score so many touchdowns because he is not that fast. He always managed to stay one or two steps ahead of his opponents.

2009-09-28T20:15:00.002-05:00

Monday Night Football

We had two football games tonight. Tyler played at 6:00 and Ethan played at 7:15. Tyler's game was fun and relaxing and Ethan's game was tense. Tyler started the evening off with a bang. He refuses to wear his mouth guard and chews on his flag instead. (It is flag football.) I know, swine flu and all, but if the kid hasn't got sick yet, the football flag probably won't either. He scored a touchdown but refused to do his touchdown dance. I guess he is over that. He also scored an extra point. He is definitly one of the most exciting kids on the field to watch.

Ethan's game was close and his team won by one touchdown. The other team ran out of time on the eight yard line. Ethan played his heart out. He walked off the field with a swollen hand (hope there are no broken bones) and more bruises than we can count. He tackeled the other quarterback in their endzone for a safety. I was so happy. I told him at half time that he scored two points for his team by doing that and his response was "Really?, Cool." I think football has finally clicked and he loves it now.

2009-09-19T14:20:00.003-05:00

My Boys

2009-09-17T16:07:00.003-05:00

Touchdown Dance

Tyler had his first football game last Saturday. I warned his coach that Tyler likes to talk and for the coach to feel free to ask Tyler to be quiet if necessary. The rest of the kids looked a little overwhelmed, but not Tyler. In their first huddle I heard him say, "Do you want to see my touchdown dance?" to the coach. The coach said sure with some hesitation. Tyler proceeded to clap his hands and dance back and forth. I hid my head and laughed. Tyler begged to carry the ball. On his first attempt someone grabbed his flag. This resulted in tears. On the second attempt, he ran the ball the length of the field for a touchdown. He lost a shoe in the process, but that didn't slow him down. He played good defense and grabbed a couple of flags and even managed to tackle a kid even though that is not allowed. Tyler is never one to follow the rules. I have to say that watching 3-5 year olds play football is even funnier than watching them play baseball. I wish it could stay this fun.

2009-09-07T14:35:00.003-05:00

Amazing Labor Day Weekend

We decided to go to Atlanta on Sunday to watch the Braves play the Cincinnati Reds. The Braves lost in extra innings. It was hot and miserable in the sun. I took Tyler to Tooner Town and we spent a lot of the game in the shade. The best part of the day was the concert after the game. Matthew West sang after the game and several Braves players spoke and gave their testimonies. Ethan says that Matthew West is his favorite singer and Tyler can't stop singing "Going Through the Motions." We had amazing seats and despite the fact that it was loud, Tyler fell asleep during the second song. I guess it was too long of a day for him.

Tyler hitting a homerun at Tooner Field

Matt Diaz, player for the Braves. His testimony was amazing.Matthew West

Tyler, the only boy I know who can sleep through a concert.

2009-09-04T16:29:00.003-05:00

Good Job Pujols...

Tyler was with Chris watching the All Star game this summer and Albert Pujols (pronounced Poo-holes) made a bad play. Chris said, "Good job, Pujols!" Now Tyler says it all the time in his most sarcastic voice. I have to admit it is pretty funny even though it sounds so bad.

I told my students at school this story to help them understand Tyler (even I don't understand Tyler). They thought it was hilarious and decided it should become the next popular saying. Now everytime one of us makes a mistake someone in the class says "Good job, Pujols!" We all laugh. I can't wait til I get a call from another teacher about this or even a parent.

I told Tyler yesterday that his new phrase was the cool thing at Walker Valley. He admited that his phrase was kinda funny. I then explained it was funny but we had to be careful where we said it because not everyone would understand it. Tyler said, "I can't say it at my school because it is a Jesus school." I did my best not to laugh. Will Tyler still be this funny when he is 16?

2009-09-04T16:20:00.004-05:00

Another Way to Shine

Ethan is #21

Ethan had his first football game Thursday night. He plays for the Clemson Tigers. The game had two overtimes and ended with no score. The boys played great. Ethan was called for a holding penalty and still denies grabbing the other kid's jersey. Oh well. Ethan is a decent blocker, but he is small. He had to block a kid at least a foot taller than him with a good 30 pounds on him. I guess I got so use to seeing Ethan as the stellar ball player and it is difficult to watch him sit on the bench at times due to his size. The highlight of the game for me was the end. The coach spoke with the team and then asked for a volunteer to close in prayer. Ethan shot his hand up to volunteer. He prayed a wonderful prayer and I have to say as his mom, I was moved. Ethan shines, even if it's not on the field.

Ethan praying.

2009-08-21T16:14:00.003-05:00

Ethan turned 8

Ethan celebrated his 8th birthday on August 1st. Since he had a big party last year, we celebrated as a family (not to mention that I was already back to school at this time). We went to Gatlinburg for the day and visited the upside down WonderWorks. It reminded me a lot of COSI in Columbus. The boys had a blast but it was very crowded. We stood in line for 30 minutes so the boys could pitch to a computer image of Barry Bonds. During our entire time in line, not a single person struck out Barry Bonds. It was funny to watch these hard core dads get up there and wind up like a real pitcher. Chris finally got up to bat after the boys and let it go. He actually struck out Barry Bonds. (Ok, the computer Barry Bonds.) The people standing in line started applauding him. I had to laugh. Seriously people, it is an oversized video game. Chris seemed pretty pleased with himself.

We came home and ate cake and played the Wii. Ethan asked for two new baseball games and he got both of them. (Thanks grandma and grandpa.) He just had to have the Biggs 2 because it has the updated rosters and his old Biggs 1 is not as good. Oh well!

I am still amazed that I have an 8 year old. He started 3rd grade. It's all going too fast.

2009-08-12T18:04:00.002-05:00

Is My Head Still Attached?

I have been in school since July 30th. The students started back on August 5th. Where did the summer go? I got a promotion this year (feels like a demotion right now) to head of the math department or department chair. I came back to a set of new teaching standards and a shortage of textbooks for the entire math department. This is definitely not easy. I am forced to make decisions, so it is teaching me a great skill.

I have wonderful students so far. (Chris reminds me it has only been a week.) I have an honors class and I bask in the glow that is created by the desire to learn that emanates from each student. I hope I can stay on top of things and keep them challenged.

My own kids, Ethan and Tyler, love school so far. (Once again, only a week in...) Ethan is in third grade at N.Lee and loves his new teacher. He is playing football this fall and is super excited to start tackling next week. Tyler attends a new school this year. He is in PreK at First Baptist and loves that he has a real cafeteria and gym. He is also playing football but his involves flags and no tackling.

I promise to update pictures of Ethan's birthday and the end of summer once my school year falls into a routine and I get caught up with all the work. (Yeah right!)

2009-07-30T14:39:00.003-05:00

Spirit Wars

Our church had a kid's crusade this week. The theme was Spirit Wars and modeled after Star Wars. Tyler was so excited. The boys got to bring their life savers to church each night. The last night the children's pastor allowed them to pose with the characters. Ethan was too excited to play at the carnival outside so he passed on the photos. Tyler was in awe of Darth Vader (who our pastor called Darkend Vader and Yoda was No-da.) Our church did a nice job and the boys loved it!

2009-07-28T15:25:00.005-05:00

Family

We had the opportunity to spend time with Chris' family in South Carolina. The boys love going to their papa's and mama's house with the horses. The boys rode horses, 4 wheelers, and the motorcycle. Papa took turns taking them on the cool Harley. Tyler could only ride around the house, so he was crushed when Ethan got to take several longer trips. It stinks being the youngest!

Chris' mom organized a family shoot. This was no small task with 8 grandchildren. Tyler had a meltdown half way through the photo shoot and I'm embarrassed to admit that I lost my cool. Note to others: Yelling at your kids to smile does not make them smile, nor does it make them stop crying. You would think after two children I would know this. If you are interested in seeing some of the great photos of the Caldwell group, check out the photographer's blog: http://lchaimphoto.blogspot.com/2009/07/caldwell-family.html. There is an extra cute picture of Tyler's meltdown.

We had a great time with all of the cousins. Thanks Caldwell's for a great time! We love you!

2009-07-27T13:40:00.003-05:00

The Beach

We spent our last full day of vacation at the Isle of Palms Beach. It is in Charleston. I loved it! It was not busy and not a tourist trap. When we first arrived, Chris attempted to dig a hole and set up our umbrella. After a strong wind knocked it over, we realized it wasn't deep enough. He tried to force it in the ground and it snapped in two. He insisted I could tough it out without the umbrella, but I refused. Thankfully, they rented umbrellas for $10 and came and dug the hole for us. The lifeguard also said they would have dug the hole for our umbrella if we had only asked her. Oh well!

Ethan loved the big waves. He would stand in the water and taunt them shouting "Bring it on!" (He is kind of a dork, but so cute!) Tyler loved the water but wanted to be with daddy the whole time. I spent my afternoon reading under the umbrella. It was fantastic! There was a great breeze.

We spent five hours on the beach and left with sunburns. Chris' shoulders were so red and blistered the next day. He forgot to put on sunscreen! Tyler's face burned in spite of the sunscreen and his red nose is now peeling. The boys are already asking to go back to the beach. I think Florida would be nice next time!

2009-07-25T19:08:00.003-05:00

Charleston and Fort Sumter

On day two of our vacation we took a ferry out to Fort Sumter. Chris was in history heaven. He read every plaque! The boys loved the cannons and we had to stop at every gun and sword to admire it. We spent some time at swinging on the wharf and watching the large ships go by. My favorite part of downtown Charleston was hunting down two letterboxes hidden in the city. (Thanks Julie for the idea.) Letterboxes are hidden all over the country. There are hints posted online to find them. We found two of them and stamped the enclosed books and used their stamps to mark our own letterbox album. The boys were so excited that they actually existed. It was like a treasure hunt.

We stayed all day downtown and went on a Ghost Tour of the dungeon at night. The boys loved hearing the ghost stories and walking by the graveyards. Ethan even captured a picture of a ghost in the dungeon. (The guide told him they appear as orbs on your picture. I'm sure I have hundred pictures of ghosts in my pictures, I just thought it was bad lighting!) I had to take a picture of the sign below that we found in one of the graveyards.

We ended our day at the Pirates restaurant. The boys were exhausted, but we had the beach to look forward to the next day!

2009-07-25T18:22:00.004-05:00

Vacation in the Swamp
(Do you hear banjo music?)

We went to Charleston, South Carolina for our summer vacation. Our first official vacation day was spent at Cyprus Gardens. This is where the swamp scene for the movie The Patriot was filmed. We took a canoe out into the swamp with the boys. Ethan was terrified at first. I have to admit I was a little nervous when a large alligator swam along side the canoe about ten yards from us. We saw two large alligators and a baby sunning itself on a log. It was beautiful! The water was black and the weather was not as hot or as humid as I expected it to be there.

After spending the afternoon at Cypress Gardens, we drove into to Charleston to our Cabin. It was rustic but perfect for the boys. We stayed on an intercoastal waterway about fifteen feet from the bank. The water would rise with the tides. It was amazing. The boys watched the fiddler crabs play on the banks during the low tied and caught a couple large crabs during high tides. We also took a canoe out and let the boys fish. I was not too happy with all the bugs around, but the boys were happy. The boys also loved the old, iron bathtub. (There was a shower also or I would have gone crazy!)

2009-07-16T12:41:00.002-05:00

Half Way to 70...

Chris turned 35 yesterday (or as he said, half way to 70). Since we are going on vacation on Friday we kept the celebration low key. We went to Sir Goony's Golf and drove the go carts. Tyler loved it! Chris and Ty got the fast go cart while Ethan and I had the slow car.

After Sir Goony's, we ate dinner at Big River Grille. I love the fish tacos! The waiter promised not to sing to Chris (he hates that). After dinner we saw Star Trek on the IMAX screen. This is the third time Chris and I have seen the new star trek and the second time for the boys. It was amazing on the large screen. It was a great day!

2009-07-09T16:33:00.003-05:00

Walker Valley Football Camp

Ethan attended the Walker Valley High School football camp this week. (This is the school I teach at.) He has been begging to play football for the last couple months. I decided to let him play this year. I decided he would either get crushed and never ask to play again or it would toughen him up. I was surprised that he did very well.

On the last day of camp, they had several contests and gave the boys a chance to win a medal. Ethan won the throwing contest (he threw the football the farthest) and the obstacle course. He could only win one medal to make it fair, which was fine with him. I may have a little quarterback on my hands.

I need to thank Coach Lockerby for giving Tyler and me camp t-shirts also. Thanks Ted!

2009-07-05T14:32:00.005-05:00

A Downtown 4th

We went to downtown Chattanooga for the 4th of July. (Ok, actually it was the third.) I want to buy a condo downtown and retire there. It is so amazing! The boys spent some time sliding down the big hill on cardboard. We walked to the aquarium and looked at the sharks and penguins. We ate at the Big River Grill for dinner. We ended the night by meeting my brother and his family at the Chattanooga Lookouts game for baseball and fireworks. The kids had a great time. They got to go sit on the field and watch the fireworks after the game.
Tommy Lasorda at the Game

2009-07-05T14:20:00.002-05:00

Fun with Grandpa and Grandma

Tyler squirting Papa

My parents came to Tennessee to spend park of their summer vacation with us. We hung out at my brother's pool. Tyler is vicious when it comes to water war. He thinks it is funny to shoot people with the water cannon. Ethan continues to improve his swimming ability, but will never be a fish. It was nice to see the boys spending time with their cousins.

Cousin Joy and Ethan

We also went to the Knoxville Zoo. It was such a beautiful day! I kept telling my parents it isn't always hot in Tennessee. Thankfully, they had a chance to enjoy the nice day for themselves. It was in the 80's and there was a nice breeze. The zoo had so much shade and the animals were pretty active.

Papa with the Grandkids (Papa is the one not dressed like a lion)

Me, Jenny, Joy, Justin, Chris (my brother), Ethan, Papa, Mama, and Tyler

2009-06-24T16:09:00.002-05:00

My Heart Breaks

I learned today that one of my students passed away yesterday. He was swimming at Lake Tellico and drowned. His grandfather also drowned trying to save him. His father is in the hospital having just had surgery for cancer. This is a student who I worked closely with to help. My heart is hurt.

I have been teaching for 10 years and this is the first student I have lost. I have been in schools when other students have passed away, but they have never been my students. I look back and wonder if an opportunity presented itself for me to share the gospel. I know this is touchy territory for a teacher, but my responsibility towards my students is so much more important than any law limiting my words. I pray that God will remind me of this and create those moments for ministry in my classroom.

Please say a prayer for the family.

2009-06-08T17:06:00.002-05:00

Tyler's Last Game

Tyler had his final baseball game on Saturday. He informed me before the game that he only received a trophy if his team won the game. I decided not to tell him that everyone got a trophy. If he thinks he has to win to receive a reward, that is fine with me. He did really well. I have decided that four years old is a little early for baseball. We might take next year off.

2009-05-31T15:57:00.004-05:00

Moo Fest

Saturday was National Moo Fest day at the Mayfield Dairy in Athens, TN. If you are not from the south, then you are not familiar with Mayfield milk or ice cream. They operate out of TN and distribute to the surrounding states. After taking the tour, we realized that it is the only dairy using the technology to remove the funny taste and smell from milk that comes from the cow's diet. No wonder I love their milk and ice cream so much and it is so expensive!

The dairy was nice but the festival was a little 'salt of the earth'. There was a milk chugging contest, a moo contest, and a milking contest, none of which we participate in while we were there. I did allow the boys to get their hair painted. Tyler decided to go with blue since it matched his baseball uniform. (He is on the Dodgers.) Ethan went with red and orange stripes and I teased him that he looked like orphan Annie.

We ended the trip with a huge scoop of ice ice cream. While we were there we met families from Lousiana and another family RVing their way to Alaska! What a small world. I'm still not sure why they stopped in Athens, TN.
Yes, that is Ethan eating an ice cream cone. He is allergic to dairy. He was born with this allergy and spent a night in the hospital as an infant because we were not aware of it. When he was a toddler, I fed him some pasta that I didn't know had cheese in it and he broke out in hives and his eyes swelled shut. After a mad rush to the emergency room and a lot of Benedryl, he recovered. The doctor said he may grow out of it, and praise the Lord, he almost has overcome it. After finishing the entire cone, he did complain of a tightness in his chest and difficulty breathing, but no hives or physical swelling. I monitored him closely and after about an hour he was fine. We are still not ready to dive into a glass of milk or have him eat it without one of his parents there, but this is a huge step for him.

2009-05-31T15:47:00.003-05:00

Memorial Day Tournament

Ethan had a baseball tournament in Knoxville for Memorial Day. On Saturday, we played a team that pulls kids from all over the southeast. They were amazing! When the first three kids up to bat hit the ball over the fence, we knew we were in trouble. Ethan was the only one on his team to score a run. It was quite a humbling experience.

The second game was much better. Ethan's team won by 7 runs. Ethan played third base for the entire tournament.

We came back on Sunday and lost the final game. Ethan did have two great catches at third for two outs in one inning. I have to remind Ethan that the teams we play are at least a year older. It is hard to find a 7 year old select team. We are looking forward to next year.

The highlight of my day was watching Tyler hang out with his pals Trevor and Sloan. Their older brothers play in the organization with Ethan.
Tyler hanging out with the "big kids." This is the 10 year old D3 Stingers team.

2009-05-26T19:45:00.003-05:00

Summer is Here

The last day of school for me was Friday. Since Monday was a holiday for everyone, it didn't feel like the official start of summer. Today was the first day off for me. Chris and I asked our neighbor to babysit and went to Atlanta with another couple to see the Bodies exhibit. The exhibit was offering a free day for teachers so one of the history teachers at Walker Valley and his wife went with us. They introduced us to a great mexican restaurant in Atlanta.

The exhibit was well worth the trip. We had the chance to see many bodies stripped to their muscles and organs. It was amazing! I highly recomment the trip if you are ever near one. The picture above is from the website. They didn't allow cameras in the exhibit. Hope I didn't gross anyone out with the picture.

2009-05-20T11:20:00.002-05:00

Rain, Rain Go Away

Ethan was supposed to have a tournament in Knoxville last weekend. It rained out of course. We have had so much rain this year. The crazy part is that it is supposed to be sunny all of this week and rain this weekend. The tournament, of course, is rescheduled for this weekend. Hopefully we get to play. Ethan was so disappointed when he found out that he started crying. He just wants to play. He is supposed to play short stop this weekend. He is really excited. Last time he was on the pitcher's mound, he took a bad hop to the shin and ended up with a nice bruise. Being the sensitive mom that I am, I shouted, "Walk it off!" from the bleachers. I'm sure my kid will have a ton of issues! One of the team moms put together this picture of the boys looking tough.

2009-05-15T12:24:00.003-05:00

Still Here

It has been a while since I have posted. I can't blame anyone but myself. It is the end of the school year and things are piling up around here. My high school had graduation last night and it was excellent. Shout out to Mr. Mann for reading the names so quickly! We were done with all of the seniors in 15 minutes. There was a thunder storm threatening overhead and lightning striking all around so he didn't have a choice.

Tyler is doing well in baseball. It is more of a social time for him and his friends. I constantly have to yell at him to stop playing in the dirt. He was awarded the game ball at the end of the last game. He told me before the game that he was going to hit the ball over the fence. We had to settle for past the pitcher's mound.

Ethan has a tournament in Knoxville this weekend. I am looking forward to it since my parents are driving down to watch him play. They have never seen him playing with his new select team. It is so much different when all the kids can hit the ball, catch the ball, and throw the ball. Pictures from that will follow.

2009-04-26T20:00:00.004-05:00

Thunder Classic

Ethan had another tournament in Knoxville this weekend. We woke up early on Saturday morning to pack and get ready. Tyler had a baseball game at 11:00 at the local ball park and Ethan's first game was at 2:00 in Knoxville, so we were cutting it close. At 9:00 our power went out! I ran around like a mad woman with wet hair and wrinkled shorts. Finally I found a friend that had power who lived near by (thanks Tina, I owe you! Thanks, Douglass family for the open bathroom policy and the offer.) I made it Tyler's game and we jumped in the car and headed out of town only to discover that Ethan was in the wrong uniform! We drove back home and grabbed the correct uniform and made him change in the car. We made it to Knoxville in an hour.

Ethan's team won this first game! This was a huge success since the kids were at least a year older than the boys on our team. We play in a 8 and under division, but our kids are 7 and even 6. The boys were so excited. Ethan played second base and had a double that hit the fence in the outfield. We lost our second game by a lot. The other team had several boys that hit home runs over the fence.

We drove back to Knoxville on Sunday to finish the tournament. After a hard fought game, our boys lost. They played really good. Ethan was moved to left field since most of the balls were being hit there. I was upset to see him in the outfield until his coach pulled him aside and explained to him that he moved Ethan to the outfield because he can catch and throw the ball to the infield quickly. Ethan did make a great stop on the ball and threw a kid out at third base from the fence in the outfield. He is becoming such a great player.

We stayed a little after our game to watch the other teams play. There are four teams in our organization, the Stingers. There is an 11, 10, 9, and 8 year old team. Ethan's team is considered the 8 year old team. Our next tournament is not for two weeks. Hopefully our sunburns will heal by then.

2009-04-24T19:35:00.002-05:00

Becoming my Mom

I remember when I was a teenager I swore I would never be like my mother. Even today, my dad will compare my sister and me to see which one is more like my mom. We both deny any similarities, even though my mom is a wonderful person. Tonight as I was getting ready for a weekend baseball tournament I realized: I am my mom!

I remember the many road trips that we took as kids, piled in the station wagon, driving cross country. (We drove from Louisiana to Alaska and from Alaska to Ohio.) My mom was very frugal and refused to let us eat out. I remember stopping on the Alaska highway and mom making sandwiches on the hood of the car. She would pull out the lunch meat, cheese and the loaf of bread. We would all gripe about how awful it was to have to eat homemade sandwiches.

With Ethan playing in baseball tournaments across the state, we do a lot of traveling on the weekends. I discovered that running through the McDonalds' drive thru every weekend adds up very quickly. (It costs a family of four $20 at McD's! Crazy!) Also, eating at the concession stands is outrageous. So, to save money I decided to make sandwiches and stick them in a cooler. I decided to make it easy and have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I started an assembly line on the counter and finished in no time and then it hit me: I am my mom!

The longer I thought about it, the more I realized that I am ok, and even happy about this. My mom taught me several valuable lessons including the value of a dollar. To my mom: I hope that over the years I model more of your traits including your undying devotion to your husband, your grace under pressure, and your rock solid faith. I love you and thank you!

2009-04-24T16:52:00.003-05:00

Playing with the Big Boys

Ethan's baseball organization was invited to the local high schools to go on the field with the players. (It helps to work at the high school and have the baseball coach as a friend.) We went to Bradley High on Tuesday night. The boys had fun, but I was more excited about going to Walker Valley, my school, and showing up our competition. On Wednesday night, we went to Walker. The high school players were so nice to the little league boys. They ran out on the field with them and took time with each one. I'm so proud of my students. They also gave all the boys a free coke and hotdog. I know, I'm a cheap date and it does not take much to impress me. Ethan had a great time. I can't imagine the day when he too is on the big field and he is one of the 'big boys'.

2009-04-24T16:45:00.002-05:00

Justin's Birthday Party

I know it has been a while since I have posted. I feel swamped and overwhelmed right now. We are winding down the school year and that means prom, exams, graduation, and so much more. I will be so glad when June is here!

Tyler and I went to Justin's birthday party last weekend. Justin is Tyler and Ethan's cousin. We had a great time! It was at Sir Goony's Golf in Chattanooga. We rode go-carts, which Tyler loved and I hated. I'm too old to be shook around that much. Tyler also rode a roller coaster. It was a great day. Unfortunately, Ethan missed the day because he had three games in Knoxville. Needless to say it was a long day for him and Chris.

2009-04-12T10:46:00.004-05:00

Happy Easter

Easter weekend, as usual, was very cold! We woke up early Saturday and went to the NCCOG Easter Egg hunt. Ethan told us that his pastor said there were over 10,000 eggs. It was packed. Tyler had a great time and made out better than Ethan. It helped that Ty was only competing with kids from birth to kindergarten. Tyler tends to get his competitive side from mom.

When it was Ethan's turn, one of the dads on the side thought it would be funny to yell "Go" and tease the kids. Obviously he did not realize that you do not tease about candy. The kids on his end started and everyone else got a late start. Ethan got lost among the sea of big kids but found us later. It was a good, but cold, morning.

I helped the kids dye Easter eggs on Saturday afternoon. The practical side of me can't figure out why I waste a dozen perfectly good eggs that I will have to throw away tomorrow. The sentimental side says get a picture so I have proof that I did all the fun things with the kids. The boys had a great time in spite of my constant supervision and reminder and not make a mess.

On Sunday, we woke up early to attend the first service. Our pastor did a dramatized sermon that was wonderful. The boys went into the big church with us. They asked all kinds of questions afterward that made me smile. It was nice to see that they paid attention and understood the true meaning of Easter.

2009-04-05T19:36:00.003-05:00

Tyler's Turn

Tyler has gone to so many baseball games to cheer on his older brother, Ethan. He was so excited it was finally his turn. He did such a great job. The coach started him on the pitcher's mound, just like Ethan. Tyler did such a great job rushing to get the ball and throwing it. He hit the ball well also. I was so proud of him. I think I was more relieved that he allowed the coach to be in charge this time. Tyler has a habit of trying to run the practices.
Tyler and his good buddies Trevor and Sloan. They are twins and their big brother plays on Ethan's select team.

2009-03-26T18:54:00.005-05:00

Tellus Science Museum

A fellow teacher at Walker Valley told me about a new science museum just south of Dalton, GA. I decided to take the boys down during our spring break week. It was a really nice museum with some great exhibits. The boys loved the different dinosaur bones. It was like a scene from "Night at the Museum". Tyler walked in and gasped, "Oh my goodness!" It was nice to see all of the tributes to Ohio at the museum. There was a replica of the Wright Brothers plane, several items from John Glenn, and fossils discovered in Ohio. (Shout out to my Buckeye roots!)

The boys favorite item was the panning for gems and digging for fossils. These exhibits really impressed me. The boys were given little necklaces to place their gems that they discovered. They were also allowed to take home a real fossil that they dug out of the dirt. Ethan asked if we could create our own panning for gems activity at home. Let me think: water... sand... I don't think so!

My favorite area was the mineral and gem section. They had a great periodic table with an example of every item in the table. (I know, showing my geek side.) There were also a ton of gems! I love jewelry of any kind.

2009-03-22T19:24:00.003-05:00

Opening Weekend

This weekend was the D3 Stingers first baseball tournament. We drove to Knoxville and had to leave our house at 6:00 on Saturday morning. I didn't realize that I signed up for such early mornings. The tournament did not have a league for 7U (7 and under) teams, so our team had to play in the 8U (8 and under) tournament. This meant that we were playing teams that were at least a year older than our kids. I was nervous about this. We lost the first two games, but played really well. Ethan got on base every time he was up to bat but one. He played on the pitcher's mound and had a great game. It is amazing the difference between local rec ball and traveling teams. Every kid up to bat hit the ball out of the infield. I don't remember that happening last year at the local ball park.

We had to drive back to Knoxville on Sunday for the early game. This time we didn't have to leave the house until 6:15. Ethan's team won the fist game. It was nice to see the kids so excited to win a game. Hopefully there will be more wins in the future. The boys did lose the second game of the day, but what do you expect when the other team is at least a year older and all the boys are a foot taller. My hope is that next year the boys will be unstoppable. It was nice to see all our baseball friends again. I'm looking forward to a good season.

2009-03-19T21:03:00.003-05:00

Go Mustangs

The boy's basketball team at my high school qualified for the state tournament. Chris and I have been following the team all season, so we were very excited for them. My principal decided to let the students out of school for a half day to let them attend the first game of the playoffs in Murfreesboro (otherwise known to Nashville residents as the Boro). I volunteered to ride the student bus as a chaperon. I know, I must be crazy. Fortunately, one of my friends and coworkers agreed to ride with me. The trip was really fun. I have never chaperoned a major trip like this before in all of my years of teaching. The Mustangs won and it was a great atmosphere at the game. They will play tomorrow evening in the final four. Good luck boys!

2009-03-18T07:13:00.004-05:00

My Personal Handyman

Our florescent bulbs in the basement started burning out this past weekend. Chris and I decided to replace the florescent bulbs with recessed lighting. (Thank you for the great idea and information, Douglass.) I was a little nervous because as much as I love my husband, he is not known as a handyman. He started around 5:00 0n Saturday night and worked until 2:30 in the morning. I woke up Sunday morning to a clean and bright basement that does not look like my classroom or an office anymore. Thank you, baby! You are my handyman!

2009-03-18T07:02:00.001-05:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day

I picked Tyler up from LaPetite yesterday and he had made a cute, green hat to celebrate. I snapped a picture in the parking lot. Isn't he so cute?

2009-03-08T17:38:00.002-05:00

Junior Baseball

We decided to let Tyler start baseball this year. We have invested so much time, effort, and money into Ethan and baseball that it is difficult to deny Tyler the same opportunity. We went to his first practice and I was excited that one of Tyler's friends, Miles, is on his team. Tyler is not the smallest kid on the team. (I know, shocking!) Tyler is the bossiest kid on the team. He had to tell everyone where to go and what to do the entire time. When the coach told him to run the bases, he started to run to second base. When the coach explained to him where first base was, Tyler tried to argue with him. It is going to be a long season! He did hit the ball well off the tee. I guess there is some hope.

2009-03-08T17:30:00.004-05:00

Ram Jam

Ethan's school held a spring festival on Friday night. I had to help with the face painting booth, so we all decided to go to the festival. The boys had a good time. Tyler loved the large inflatable obstacle coarse. He needed a little help climbing into it, but once he was on it, he could not be stopped. He was very funny climbing up the wall. At times, I didn't think that he would reach the top. Ethan loved seeing his friends and the free throw contest. The night ended for us with Tyler winning the cake walk. We took home a great, homemade cake with sprinkles and stars. It was good night.Only at a school in the south could you get away with an activity involving shooting a gun. Notice the kid in the back with the bandages. This was also an event. You could pay to have your arm put in a sling or your head wrapped in bandages. Crazy!

2009-02-27T17:17:00.004-05:00

Riding First Class

One of Ethan's friends, Fletcher, won a local radio contest. His prize was a trip to Chick-fil-a in a limo and a ride to school for himself and nine of his friends. I teach with his mother, Rachel, at Walker Valley. She invited boys from Ethan's school, including several children whose parents teach with us. Ethan was so excited. He woke up extra early to get dressed and ready for the adventure. We arrived at Rachel's house at 6:45 am. It was very early. The boys were so funny. They stood by the street and jumped up and down when the limo rounded the corner. One of the parents made a joke about all the parent paparazzi standing around with flashing cameras. Ethan said the limo had blinking lights and even a cooler inside. Obviously, he was impressed.

When we arrived at Chick-fil-a, the boys were treated to chicken biscuits and orange juice. I think the boys were more excited about the play area. The dj was a sweet girl who seemed a little overwhelmed with so many little boys running around. On the ride to school, the boys passed a cell phone around and got a chance to talk on the radio. Ethan grabbed the phone and shouted, "I'm Ethan Caldwell and my friend Will is weird." He is definitely all boy! The boys were so funny getting out of the limo at school. They thought they were first class. It sure was an exciting morning.

2009-02-16T16:02:00.003-05:00

Chattanooga Zoo

We had the day off school today for President's Day, so I decided to take the boys to the Chattanooga Zoo. Being used to the Columbus Zoo, I was in for a shock. While the exhibits are very nice in Chattanooga, it is very small. It took us an hour to go through the entire zoo. So much for the entire afternoon. The weather was very nice so we tried to take our time. The advantages of a smaller zoo is that there are no crowds and you can see the animals up close. The boys had a good time and I enjoyed our visit to Panera's when we finished.

A Red Panda

2009-02-16T15:48:00.003-05:00

Bowling with Madison

Tyler's girlfriend at LaPetite is Madison. (He has two girlfriends and the other one is Haley.) Madison had her birthday party on Sunday. Of course, we had to attend the party. She had it at the bowling alley. Tyler stresses me when he bowls. He throws the ball and has a tendency to drop it. Once, it did not make it all the way down the lane. He even bowled on the lane next to us. When the bowling was over, he helped Maddie open all of her gifts. They were like two peas in a pod.

2009-02-11T12:48:00.001-05:00

A Day Off School (Again)

I just found out that we are getting out of school 2 hours early due to wind. We have now been out of school for snow flurries, wind, cold temps, and rain. Crazy! I need one full day with my students. I am feeling so behind and know that I can't catch up on the material. Oh well. I will probably pick up the kids and rent a movie for the afternoon. Who ever heard of getting out of school for wind?

2009-02-08T19:28:00.003-05:00

Daisy

Seeing as how I had nothing else to do this weekend but recoup from surgery, we decided to go buy a dog. This is what happens when the weather turns nice. We went to the Lee University baseball game on Saturday for about an hour and stopped at the ARK animal rescue center on the way home. This was our second week in a row there. Chris loved this beagle named Daisy. She is a mix and smaller than a normal beagle. I relented and gave the boys my blessing. I have to say so far she is the perfect dog. She does not bark, shed and is house trained. I really do like her, but don't tell Chris.

2009-02-06T09:43:00.003-05:00

Baby Number 3
(Ok, not really...)

I started having pain about a year and a half ago. It was intermittent, but when it hit, it hit hard. I had surgery last March on my bladder and hoped that would correct it. About three weeks after surgery, the pain was back. I made due and managed to teach, go to Disney, and live everyday while taking too much medication. Finally, my OB said, "I think you have a kidney stone. Drink a lot of water." So, I started drinking a gallon of water a day. This made my life as a teacher difficult, but did not help the pain. I saw my Urologist in January and he found an 11mm kidney stone. (That is about a half an inch.) It was too big to pass.

I had lithoscopy yesterday. They knocked me out and sent waves shooting through my body to crush the stone. Chris said when I woke up from the procedure I was crying for them to kill me if they couldn't get rid of the pain. After three doses of morphine, I calmed down enough to sleep. I am now passing a ton of little stones. I have quite a collection. I told my dad that I would post pictures online, but thought better of it. I am slowly recovering after feeling like I was hit by a train. Thank you to all of you who prayed for me. I am so excited to start my new life pain free! To any of you out there who have had kidney stones, you have my sympathy. I can honestly say that the pain was worse than having a baby.

2009-02-02T15:09:00.003-05:00

Half a Snow Day

It started snowing around 10:00 am this morning. We were already in school. I had a difficult time keeping my students' attention. At 12:00 it had not stopped snowing so they let us go home. There was maybe a half an inch on the ground. I picked the kids up from their schools and brought them home. Immediately, they dressed in their snow pants and went outside to play. About 30 minutes later, Chris checked on them and discovered that they had built a snow man. I was expecting a small, pitiful snowman, but they did very well with the little amount of snow outside. It is now 3:15 and the snow is almost completely gone. That's the south for you. I'm sure our snow man will stand for a few days. Notice the hat on the snowman. This was a tribute to Chris.

2009-02-01T19:36:00.004-05:00

Back into the Swing of Things

Ethan and Brandon Turner

Ethan is attending baseball camp at Walker Valley High where I teach. It is a hitting camp. They have a very nice indoor hitting facility. The athletic director helps to run the camp. His son, Brandon Turner, went to Walker Valley and now plays in the minor league organization for the Florida Marlins. He has been helping Ethan with his hitting skills during the off season. Chris went with him to camp today and ran into Jason Davis, a pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Jason and his wife live a few miles from the school and attended the local high school. I knew we had a major league player in town, but did not realize that he would show up at training. Chris and Ethan were not as star struck as I was, but Chris was amazed with Jason's height.

Ethan is gearing up for his first year on his new select team. We are playing with an organization named the D3 Stingers. Ethan plays on the 8 year old team, but there is also a 9 and 10 year old team. I am really excited to see Ethan get the chance to stay with an organization through the years. The coach of the 10 year old team is also one of the local middle school coaches. That should help him out in the future. My only problem is what if Ethan gets tired of baseball. I guess that can't happen.

2009-01-29T17:55:00.003-05:00

A Real Office

Chris started working from home a couple of months ago. I absolutely love it! He takes the kids to school in the morning and does laundry during the day! There is nothing sexier than a man folding laundry. (I stole that from my friend:) Chris has been so patient. We purchased a desk and filing cabinets, but he didn't have an office chair. He has been working from a folding chair for the last few months. How miserable! We finally found a real office chair on Craigslist and I broke down and got it for him. Tyler loves to come in the office now and read in his daddy's chair. I'm sure that Chris is a little more comfortable during the day now.

2009-01-28T19:19:00.002-05:00

Proud Mama

Ethan always does well in school, but has not been a straight A student this year. He always manages to earn at least one B each six weeks. Chris told him that we would get him a new DS game if he could earn straight A's. I never thought I would be a parent that bribed my kids. I was always in favor of earning good grades for the sake of good grades. Oh well, I guess you never know until you are in the situation. Ethan got in the car the other day after school with a sad look. I asked him what was wrong and he mumbled that he got his report card. I started to get a little nervous as he continued to sulk and pout on the way home. When he arrived home, he pulled out the report card and shyly handed it to me. He started dancing around the kitchen singing, "Gotcha!" Of course, we had to head straight to Game Crazy to pick out a new DS game. Hopefully, he doesn't put me in the poor house with this agreement. I may have to renegotiate for the future.

2009-01-18T16:27:00.003-05:00

Over the River and Through the Woods...

Grandma and Tyler

Grandpa and Tyler

When we pulled into Ohio on Friday night, our SUV said the temperature was -22 degrees. Yes, that is 22 degrees below zero. I was beginning to think that we were crazy for coming up from Tennessee. (Although it was 8 degrees on Friday morning we left the great south.) I figured if it was going to be cold, we might as well go where there was snow. The boys had so much fun. I had to throw my caution to the wind and let the boys play outside with Papa. He took them each on the four wheeler. He then proceeded to hook the sled to the back of the four wheeler and pull them through the woods. Chris and I hiked through the woods following them. We ended the day with hot chocolate and a movie. Now that is my idea of fun! Anything to stay warm.

2009-01-18T16:04:00.003-05:00

Time with the Cousins

We drove to Ohio for the weekend. Chris wanted to take the boys and play in snow. We spent Saturday evening with my brother's family. It was really nice to get the kids together to play. Ethan had a great time hanging out with the older cousins even though they are girls. Ireland and Riley dressed up in princess outfits and convinced Ethan to dress up like a knight. Ethan teamed up with Aiden to form an unstoppable team of Spider Man and the Red Ranger. Little Cade Russell just wandered around to find group. My mom celebrated my birthday by making gumbo. I was really happy about this. My sister-in-law, Virginia, was so sweet and got me a cake from Cold Stone. It was a nice time. We ended the night with a little Rock Band on the Wii.

2009-01-06T20:44:00.004-05:00

Weekend with the Douglass'
Tyler singing with Papa

My parents came down from Ohio to spend the weekend and New Year's Day with us. I am so glad that they made the trip down. I was dreading the drive up there. Papa bought Tyler High School Musical for the Wii. The boys love it! (Ok, I secretly love it too; swing choir flash back days.) I invited my brother, Chris, and his wife and kids over to spend the day. Everyone had to take a turn with the mikes. I definitely see rock band in our future. (So jealous that you got one, Beth). I think Tyler was definitely more into the dancing then the singing.

Joy singing with Aunt Amber (I had to do the motions:)

Joy and Ethan (Don't they look like they could be brother and sister.)

2008-12-29T14:59:00.004-05:00

Sunset Rock

The weather here is so nice (60 degrees) that we decided to go hiking on Sunday. We drove up Lookout Mountain and parked at Point Park. This was a battle site for the Civil War. The kids enjoyed the canons and monuments. We then decided to hike from Point Park to Sunset Rock. The trail markers said it was a 1.3 mile hike. We decided we could manage this with the boys. What we didn't count on was the wet trail and rough terrain. There were several steep drop offs and many rocks to climb. We ran into some real rock climbers while on our trip. The rest of the time, we tried to hug the side of the mountain. Ethan loved it. He was such a trooper. He ran out ahead to scout for us and tried to find the driest route. I definitely saw the leader in him emerge. After a little over an hour, we arrived at sunset rock. It was beautiful and really high. I made the boys stay back from the edge. We decided to forgo the hike back and walked instead on the road next to the amazing houses. It only took 30 minutes to get back to the car. It was a great day! We can't wait to go back when we are better dressed and more prepared for the hike.

2008-12-26T21:05:00.003-05:00

Caldwell Christmas

Chris' parents came to visit us the day after Christmas. It is such a blessing to have family that is willing to travel to see us. The kids were so excited to have them here. The brought Tyler a giant boxing set and a farm set. Grandpa sat and played farmer with the boys. He taught the boys how to take care of the horses.

Ethan got a Chinese Checker set. When we went to visit the Caldwell's for Thanksgiving Ethan played Chinese Checkers the entire time. He loves board games so this was a perfect gift for him. Grandma also made beautiful blankets for each of the boys (Chris included). They will be perfect for those cold nights.

2008-12-26T20:24:00.008-05:00

Christmas Day: Wii Wish You a Merry Christmas

Chris and I spent Christmas Day with the boys at our home. This is the first year we were without extended family. I was a little nervous, but it turned out fine. Ethan asked for a Wii and that is what Santa brought him. Chris and I decided to set it up the night before and just wrap the empty box. Chris and I stayed up late playing the Wii by ourselves. The next morning, Ethan and Tyler woke up before us. Ethan ran down and looked at the tree and all the presents, but the Wii was set up in the basement. I yelled down at the kids to not touch the presents until we came downstairs. Ethan replied, "We aren't touching the presents, but someone set up a Wii in the basement." So much for surprises.

Tyler asked for an Indiana Jones Whip. I made him open that last. Every present he opened before that received a "Cool, but I didn't ask for that." We were done opening presents in about 20 minutes. So much planning for so little time. Chris got the first season of Battlestar Galatica. My sweet husband got me a pair of UGG boots. I wore them all day and only took them off for bed.

We spent the day relaxing and playing the Wii. It was very sad to be without family, but it was nice to relax. Chris' parents are coming the day after Christmas and my parents are coming for New Years. It will be nice to see our family.

2008-12-23T21:43:00.002-05:00

The Real Reason...

I heard this song on the radio yesterday and wanted to share it with you. I get so caught up in this time of year with everything that has to be done and I was forced to take a moment and remember that Christ is all that really matters. I took the time today and made room for him in our Celebration since He is the reason we celebrate. I hope you will take a few moments and watch this Casting Crowns song:

2008-12-23T21:38:00.003-05:00

Santa

Now that I am out of school, I have time to focus on doing all those Christmas things, like seeing Santa. I took the boys to our local mall today. The funniest part of the visit is that the man who was Santa is a substitute for our local school system. When I am going to be out my students all beg me to get Santa as my sub. After Ethan and Tyler talked with Santa, Ethan confessed that he recognized Santa's voice as someone who works at his school sometimes. Chris quickly explained that this may be one of Santa's helpers. I think this is our last year for Ethan and Santa. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.

2008-12-21T21:07:00.003-05:00

Titans -vs- Steelers

For Chris' Christmas gift, I got him tickets to see the Titans play the Steelers in Nashville. He has never seen the Steelers play even thought it is his favorite NFL team. We all went to Nashville to spend the weekend with my sister. We had a great time on Saturday at her boyfriend's, Brandon, family holiday celebration. His aunt owns 1000 acres in Nashville and the most amazing Log Cabin. Everyone was so nice.

I planned on going shopping during the game on Sunday with Jessie, but Tyler woke up in the middle of the night throwing up everywhere. (Sorry, Jessie) My sister was a trooper. If I didn't have kids and someone elses kid vomited on me twice during the night, I would freak. She was so loving and gentle with Ty. I owe you big time, Jess.

Chris took Ethan to the game on Sunday. The high for the day was 32 degrees. That is freezing for TN. They bundled up and braved the cold. Despite the fact that the Steelers lost, they had a great time. Ethan felt so grown up to get the chance to attend a real NFL game.

2008-12-17T21:35:00.003-05:00

Christmas Miracle

Chris' sister, Kelly, gave birth to a girl at 8:34 am. Her name is Kaitlyn Rose Anderson. She is beautiful. She is a blessing and a miracle. Chris and Kelly suffered through the loss of a son. They adopted three children last year and have a wonderful family. Their three children are adorable and amazing. I love spending time with them and my kids do too. Nine months ago Kelly found out that she was pregnant. This was a shocking suprise and blessing. Kaitlyn Rose is absolutely perfect. I can't wait to meet her. Kelly, you and your family are such an amazing testiment to faith, love and hope. We love you and are so happy for you.

2008-12-15T19:46:00.002-05:00

Calling All Prayer Warriors

Jeremiah 33:6 "Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security."

Chris and I have some friends who are currently going through a very significant health struggle. Our friends Lance and Anna Starks are facing a very serious situation. This Tuesday Lance is scheduled to have a kidney transplant. For the past several years Lance has been fighting a disease that has destroyed his kidney's. It has now reached a very crucial point and a transplant is necessary. Lance's mom, Lynn, will be giving one of her kidney's to her son. I am asking for you to pray with us for Lance and Lynn. There are so many details and intricacies that must go perfectly for everything to be successful and we are asking for your prayers on their behalf.

Chris and I pray that God will bring abundant health and peace and security to Lance, Anna, and their two children Will and Lily Beth. Lance and Anna are close in age to Chris and me and their children are the same age as our boys. I felt a moment of guilt the other day because I was stressed over getting my Christmas shopping done, cookies baked, and cards mailed. Then, I remembered Lance and Anna and my struggles at Christmas seemed so insignificant. May we all remember how truely blessed we are during this time of year. Thank you for your prayers.