My Sweet AnnMarie

Really? Three years old? Sweet AnnMarie is now officially three years old and a ball of fire! She actually turned 3 on April 10th and I am just really late on posting this....just like I am late on sending thank you cards for her presents!! HAHA.

AnnMarie always puts a smile on my face. Let me tell you all about her.

She is a talker. I wish there was some way to enunciate this.....I mean the girl never stops! Every year at Christmas after the kids have played all day and night with their cousins we get in the car for the hour drive home. We always think the kids will fall right asleep and Noah always does. But AnnMarie? No, why would she when she can talk all the way home. And I mean ALL.the.way.home. In.the.dark. To.herself. She hasn't missed a year yet. While the first year was a bunch of babbling, all of the following years made good sense. At least she kept us awake on the ride home!

Because AnnMarie is always talking you will always know where you stand with her. If she is made at you she lets you know by ignoring you. She has this famous put your chin on your shoulder and stare at you out of the corner of her eye. That's her...I'm mad and never talking to you again look. Don't worry she'll need to get all of those words out soon!

Then you have the whole...I have to be exactly like my big brother, unless I am mad at him and then I just want to hit him. What? You got it....this girl is all girl and never knows what she wants. But normally she watches her brother and depending if she is mad at him or not as to if she wants to be just like him or to agrivate him. Go figure.

The worse punishment for AnnMarie is to seperate her from her brother. This is sad but true and these two have a solid, love/hate relationship. They never want to be seperate but at the same time cannot handle not being together.

This girl is a girly girl and loves to have her hair done and get her nails painted. Thank goodness she has tiny nails so it doesn't take long to paint! (we probably do our nails 2 a week!) She likes to wear skirts and dresses and is Very Excited about seeing the princesses when we go to Disney. Currently her favorite princess is Cinderalla.

Well, I hope this gives you an insight on AM as we nicknamed her. Happy Birthday AnnMarie!

Can we say Comedian?

So tonight after dinner AnnMarie states she would like to go play outside. CJ had them outside on such a beautiful afternoon before I got home but since I didn't get to play I readily agreed and outside the Caubles went. AnnMarie asked to get in the swing first (we have three but only one "baby" swing that buckles the child in) and the two of them fight over who gets in it. We tend to think it's because we will push higher and the child in it dosen't have to worry about holding on. So AnnMarie is taking her turn and she proceeds to tell me that she fell and hit her head earlier. To which Noah responds, yeah it was so cool! Daddy pushed her and she went around and around the swing (his interpertation is like over the bar that hold the swing, like in a full circle rather then a pendoleum), to which AnnMarie replies, "Yeah Mommy. My head hit the ground and my butt stayed in the seat." To which we all thought was hilarious!! I mean really, imagine a 3 year old (well almost three) describing herself upside down strapped to a swing stating "my head hit the ground but my butt was still in the seat". Ok, so maybe I am the only one who found this pretty funny but you have to think it with her little country accent too. That makes it funnier. CJ says she didn't really hit the ground but that she was hanging upside down. If only I could have seen that one!

I am already thinking of what I will be writing for AnnMarie's post for her predictions when her birthday rolls around. She can be hilarious and quite a drama queen. Thats my girl!

Moving On Up

Moving on up...To the East Side....do you remember the Jeffersons song?

Thought I would give you a quick update on my job. I was offered the opportunity to change my "extra duty" which would be running all of the credit cards that are collected through out the day. Of course I said yes, trying to be the ever available employee....and then I have been doing it since Monday. O.M.G. That is all I have to say. For once, Shaneki had to take deep breaths and say "I can do this"....

I was told that we processed more credit cards yesterday then have ever been processed in the department. I can't get into amounts but I can tell you it was more than 2.5 times what we normally do. If this tells you anything...I was allowed to go into overtime....which is unheard of.

Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I am staying busy and wouldn't have it any other way. It's all part of my plan to take over UMG Adminstration....haha. Ask me in 15 years if everything turned out the way I planned it!!!

I thought of another thing to add to Noah's post but I have since forgotten it. It was really good so I am sure it will come back when he does it again.

On a side note, please check out the blog on our list for Lee and Hannah. They have been expecting beautiful Eden Caroline to come in April and she was born by emergency c-section this past monday. She is a little over 6 weeks early and from what I have heard she is doing well but still needs time to grow. Please pray for them, as this was unexpected and I could only imagine the feeling of having to leave my baby at the hospital instead of taking her home with me.

Keep us up to date on how you are all doing....all two of you that read this that is!!

Where did the last five years go?

Well there it is. Where in the world did the last five years go? Noah celebrated his fifth birthday this past week and I have come to the realization that I have become "one of those mamas". Yep...I said it. I took my precious little boy in my arms and told him I remembered the day he was born and what I was doing the night before. It's funny how all of the previous birthdays he was still my little boy. But now it seems he is more of my little man. For instance last Sunday we were in our new location for church, (we moved to Blue Ridge High...the church did as a whole that is), and Noah was checking it out. He was found in the auditorium listening to the band practice and just taking it all in. He asked me before the service if he could stay with me and CJ rather then going to his class. I told him that was fine as long as he could behave. The kids have the option to have their own service up until 5th grade. Noah did great and then this week he asked to be in there with us again. It never fails to amaze me how much more he processes then I give him credit for.

Noah has become such a sweet loving and caring boy. I am going to give some predictions...lets see if they come true.

Noah will work with people because of his love for others. The opinion of others is very important to Noah and he thrives off of compliments. He always notices when I change my hair or have my nails done. And he always notices when I spend more time to make myself "pretty" and compliments me by telling me he loves me and how pretty I am. Well ladies watch out...I think he is also going to be a smooth talker.

And then he has this side about him too.....God love him...he gets this from his daddy....I asked Noah today was he sure he could learn something from the grown up sermon instead of his class. In which he responds...I already know all of that stuff. Hmmmm sound familar anyone? But at least it is a thirst for more that compels him.

Noah is always ready to help me around the house. He truely is a people pleaser. He knows my patterns and that when the kids go down for "quiet time" I do the chores around the house. He tells me, I want to help you mommy...If only that could rub off on AM.

So in five years these are the solid things I have noticed about my little man. It's sad really. He is growing right before my eyes. But he is still Momma's boy and it makes me wonder how much longer I will be allowed to give him a kiss or hug in front of his friends....

Papa Rudy

This is a picture taken of the four generations of "Carol" Caubles on December 24, 2009. You have Rudy Carol Cauble, Ronald Carol Cauble, Carol Jones Cauble and Noah Carol Cauble....all 25 years apart from one generation to the next. This past week Papa got really sick and went to join Jesus on Sunday, January 17. CJ was able to spend some time with Papa and Papa told CJ that he was ready to see Jesus and go home. Losing Papa has been hard for the entire Cauble family, as it has been a difficult year for the entire Cauble clan after losing Chris and John in 2008/09. Papa has been sick a lot over the ten years I have been around but never lost his pizzaz. This past Christmas was special for me because Papa looked so good, was so alert and I personally was able to spend some time with him to just listen to his stories.

I might not be a "blood" cauble, but Papa was special to me and to my family. This has been an experience teaching the children about a sick family member and preparing them for the family member to meet Jesus. We have also been educating the kids about funerals and why we have them. While the kids have been given the knowledge they still don't understand....even though Noah understands and trys to explain to AnnMarie. It's sweet to see the bond they have of protecting one another and their innocence in asking questions. On a funny note, I have to tell you this story that happened yesterday on the way from school.

We were on the way home when I was explaining to Noah and AnnMarie that Mommy was going to see some friends and family and go to Daddy to celebrate Papa. We had been discussing that Papa was now in Heaven with Jesus, (which AM says baby Jesus). AM asks, If Papa is in Heaven, when is Nanny going to see Jesus? The way she said it I couldn't help but laugh but would have choked on my words if Nanny had been present! Poor AM didn't understand that our time on earth is not planned....I just told her that Jesus would let Nanny know when it would be time. We had to tell Nanny at the visitation and she just smiled. The wise words of a 2 year old. They are not afraid to ask the hard questions and they do not expect for you to side step with a generic answer....less you get the famous "why" or "well why not?"

Please pray for the Cauble family. They would appreciate your prayers and kind words....just please don't send any meat trays.....I think they have plenty of those!

First Week of a New Life

Hey folks! Just wanted to send out an update and let you know how the Cauble's lives are changing....with the beginning of the new year came Shaneki's new job. At this point we are leaving the kids at the daycare in Travelers Rest because it just makes sense. Currently the school will route Noah to the daycare after school like they have been and we don't have to worry about the 2:30 pickup from school. Due to this it just makes sense to leave them there until school gets out. I have been in the process of looking for a new daycare closer to home and on this side of town instead of 20 minutes in the other direction and I think I found one that will work well, but it hasn't been given the inspection or teacher introduction yet.....it's a Christian daycare that will actually put AM in a k-3 program and will pick Noah up from his new school for k-5 themselves and not have to ride the SCHOOL bus. Until all of this works out though, it means getting up 30 minutes earlier and the kids too. By 8:00 pm we are all in the bed....we are such "old people" as CJ likes to say.

CJ has been so kind as to pick the kids up every day except Wed. when he is working. I take them in the morning and he picks them up. I get to go in to work 15 mins later then I have been used to but get out 15 minutes later too....makes for a late day if I am going to get the kids and then back home. CJ has been a trooper through it all! His schedule got thrown all out of wack when I got a new job. But like we keep saying this crazy schedule will only last until June until the summer starts and hopefully we can get a new crazy schedule.

My first week as educational. We learned all kinds of things in orientation and I have a few stories I would love to tell you. Lots of training like, "this is the procedure for a terrorist attack", all that good stuff. After two days of training I got to sit with my training co-worker and watch her do the job. After three days of that I am itching to go ahead and start doing something. I have to keep telling myself, "I am getting paid to watch...I am getting paid to watch". Soon enough I will be begging to not have to listen to compaints I am sure.

Well, I have a ton of stories, but I have to read my "networking policy" before I write any....really. So I will let you all go and send funny stories soon. I promise!

Are you okay Mommy???

Hahaha. I laugh just thinking about the story I am about to tell you. It comes with a warning....do not do what I do, but what I say!

So CJ comes home the other week on a Friday before Christmas and says that Todd (his boss) is expecting for the whole family to be at a Christmas parade and ride around with the Chick-fil-a cow the next night. It was a neighborhood parade for a local neighborhood and I thought it would be a great idea...especially throwing candy and all of the cool homemade floats in a night parade. Well we get the gang there, (we picked up the employee who was going to be the cow and he rode with us to the neighborhood), ate pizza in the car, and it began to rain. Nothing bad but it was really cold and now it was drizzling. yea! The guys started dressing the cow, guys being CJ and Todd, and AnnMarie started having a fit. All of a sudden the guy who rode with us in the van was slowly disappearing. Poor kid. So we had to have her as far away from the cow as humanly possible, which meant inside the truck where Todd's wife, Karen was driving. With the heat on rather then the rain and cold....Can't say I was complaining. Anyone who knows me knows I am soooo cold natured! So we start with the parade and loop around and we think, well theres where we started, are we done? We have taken one hour already...surely we're done right? Of coarse, we aren't, we are just going to the other side of the neighborhood now. So about ten minutes pass by and AnnMarie tells me she has to use the bathroom. Keep in mind that we are in a slowly moving truck at the rate of about 5 mph in a neighborhood where no one knows anyone and AnnMarie is in my lap. Well I asked her to told it like any good mother would do and she said ok. about Five more minutes and she says she has to go again. I again asked her to wait and she said she could not. At this point I am perpelexed. What do I do? Ask my husbands boss to stop the truck so I can ask a complete stranger to use their bathroom and I'll catch up later??? Ask my two year old to keep holding it until goodness knows when because we have no idea where we are??? As I am pondering what to do I suddenly have this nice warming sensation come over my lap. I quietly ask AM if she has used the potty and she is dead silent. Of course she has....in my husbands BOSSES truck....agghhhhh. Poor child couldn't help it but I was mortified. So I had to tell Karen and she said not to worry about it. We continued the parade route (another 30 mins by the way) and when we got back to our car I had to tell CJ what happened. As they undressed the cow I was anxious to get us both home so that we could clean ourselves up. Not to mention that I am slightly chilled at this point as I can imagine AM is too. We return to Chickfila and drop of the employee and then I proceed to drive the van and CJ gets in his truck to come home. I wish I could draw a diagram of this but I am not that talented so you will have to handle a description. The only thing that seperates our home from CFA is a major highway and a parking lot. (a large one but a parking lot none the less). Think of the distance as a triangle and the two closest points 1)CFA, 2)our home. The line between these two is the parking lot. the other point in the triangle is a red light. the line from our home to the red light is one highway and the line from the red light to CFA is another highway. There is no more then 3/4 of a mile if you go from point 1 to 3 to 2. With that in mind I can finish the story.

So CJ is following behind me and I turn onto the highway and get ready to turn at the light to come home. I turn onto our street and admire the lights of our next door neighbor (remember this is Christmas). But then I notice an unusual color light and look back as I turn into our drive way to make sure that Todd's lights didn't just blow up (our neighbor is Todd too....very confusing). On no, it is a police officer behind CJ. I thought to myself, wow, did CJ just get pulled over? As the cop went around CJ I thought WHEW, glad we avoided that one. (Please keep in mind I am in MY DRIVEWAY!!!!!!) The cop comes around CJ and pulls into our driveway behind me...lights and all. I am like are you serious? I know I wasn't speeding, how could I? I only drove 3/4 of a mile! The first thought I always think of is am I buckled, but to this one I said, I have been sitting in my driveway for 10 secs. I have a right to not be buckled. The cop comes up to my window and asks for my license, reg and ins card. And asks if I know why I have been pulled over to which I probably gave the meanest look and said no. He said I wasn't buckled. Which I wasn't but that was all....no speed, no improper lane change, not using signals, nothing. just no seat belt. well....I am totally flabergasted because I am in my own driveway with blue lights and my children are totally confused. I asked the officer if they could go in and the officer said my husband could take them in. AM asked me if I was coming too and the OFFICER told AM that her mommy would be in shortly. How bad is that???? While I am sitting in the van is disbelief with pee all over my pants and waiting on my ticket to be written my precious daughter keeps coming to the door and opening it and asking me if I am okay. Mommy, are you okay??? then she would shorten it to kay mommy?? how pathetic is that?

Now it is one thing to be pulled over for a ticket on a highway where you will know very few people. but it is horrifing to be pulled over in front of your home when your drove less than 3/4 of a mile. and for your children to watch on top of that. Since the lovely day of my ticket I have not been unbuckled while in the car. It was a good lesson for me and one I am sure I will be talking about for along time...but hopefully my daughter will never again have to ask, "are you okay Mommy?? Try not to pee on yourself while reading this story. It's really not that funny!