Opryland

Most of you know that we go to Opryland Hotel every year during the Christmas season. We do this with Allen's parents and his aunt and uncle. It is one of my favorite trips because I can get most of my Christmas shopping done in one weekend... in theory. It is starting to shape up as more of a fiasco each year. I still do love going and look forward to it. My poor daughter is going to have nightmares about the place! Here's the story:

We get there on Saturday and head straight for the Louise Mandrel Dinner Show. It was really nice. Calm and pleasant. We head for our rooms and get some shut eye. The next day we get up, do breakfast and head to the mall. I got lots of shopping done during this time but my feet and legs were absolutely killing me by the end (2:30ish). So we head for our trek back to the hotel (we walk back and forth between the mall and the hotel because parking is a nightmare otherwise). Kaylen is sooo tired and we are going to see Santa at the hotel so I don't want her to fall asleep. We held her for a while and then let her walk. She was skipping and dancing to some music... started going a little too fast... and you guessed it... ate concrete. This is her third year to go to Opryland and her third bloody lip! And do you remember the part where we were headed for Santa pictures? Oh well... memories! :)

I must say that incident didn't deter her from enjoying Santa. We went to the room, got cleaned up and changed into our Santa attire and went to the "North Pole". She happened to be the only one visiting him at 4 on Sunday (what we were hoping for). So she went up to see him and she was soooo excited. She told him that she wanted a big playhouse for outside (she is actually getting one... we have been feeding her ideas for weeks). Santa said he would have to take it apart to fit it on the sleigh and put it together at her house. She said, "Otay". Then she told him she wanted a princess library. Anyway, she was in awe. She hugged him and at the end she said, "I wud u, Fanta" Melt my heart!!! He said, " I love you too, Cinderella". He had been calling her that because he told her she looked like a princess. Anyway, I got a little misty-eyed. She even smiled so pretty for the shot and we got a good one, despite the fat lip! I have to say that was the definite highlight of the trip for me.

We went to dinner that night and then Allen and I stayed at the mall to do a little last minute shopping. Kaylen spends one night with us and one with Jeff and Aline. This was their night. Apparently, she had caught a little virus at some point because she woke up at 3 am puking. Then she woke up again in the morning, with the same misfortune. So then Allen went and bathed her and brought her over to me and we got her ready and went to breakfast. She couldn't hang with us so Allen took her back to the room and we brought his food to him. We packed up and checked out. While we were in the lobby trying to get some bill issues settled, she threw up again... all over the floor in the lobby. There was a guy sitting right beside us and I told him how sorry I was and how I wouldn't blame him if he wanted to move. He didn't. I would have! Anyway, she slept the majority of the way home (with a brief stop at Build-A-Bear... even a sickness couldn't keep her away and she made a Hello Kitty).

Okay...so Muggsley got his yearly shots while being boarded at the vet. He has never had any problems with having his rabies and distempo parvo (or whatever they call that) shots together. This time was different... we got him home, a little while later we let him outside and we didn't notice he looked any different. When he came back inside... it was like Hitch. His face was all swollen and splotchy as was the rest of his body. His mouth looked like hooch. I wish I would have taken pictures. It was nuts! So we had to take him to the vet again and they gave him a few shots to help with the swelling and discomfort. Poor guy! He is better now.

I am personally exhausted because I have an issue with not being able to fall asleep until everyone is in bed. I know, my problem. I can't help it. I really don't think about the fact that Allen is still awake but I can not, no matter how hard I try, fall asleep until he is in the bed. And even then, it takes a while. Anyway, his bedtime last night... 12:40!!!!!!! What in the world?!?!? So then I was so mad at him for being so unthoughtful that I couldn't sleep... I saw 1:30 last night. Of course he was sound asleep when I left the house. I did make him get up for a bit but he was back snoozing before you knew it! So if I am cranky today... it is because I am severely sleep deprived!

Pictures to come tomorrow but with a warning... my flash is messed up on my camera... don't know what the problem is but I am sooo sad!