Dear Rebecca,
                  Halloween is only a few days away and everyone has you practicing your "Trick or Treat" style. I'm afraid that when the big time comes you will tell your potential candy benefactor to have a sniff of your feet. You are going as a pink poodle dog this year. You originally said you wanted to be a trampoline but I didn't know how we would have pulled that one off but luckily you changed your mind and told us you wanted to be a dog. I've probably already mentioned all this elsewhere in our blog. Your Mom has always been a big fan of Halloween and now that you are a little bigger it's a little more fun for me as well but it's still not anywhere near my favorite holiday. My favorite would be Christmas, of course, followed by Thanksgiving and then any holiday I get off of work for and I don't get off of work for Halloween.
      Once again the week has become a blur to me. I do remember that your Mom and I went shopping last Saturday while Allison, or Sissy as you call her, babysat for us. It had been awhile since she had spent any length of time with you so she was quite taken aback at how well and how much you talk. You are a little jabber jaw. I'm amazed at how much you know. You got a spark of static electricity tonight and you informed Mom that she shocked you and we were puzzled at how you knew the definition of the word "shocked" let alone how to use it in conversation so effortlessly. The biggest word you are using these days is the word "excited". Usually it's used in reference to the impending visit from St. Nick. I suppose we should just get over our amazement at every little thing you do or say but we are both so extremely proud of you that every time you do something new or unexpected it just sends shivers of joy through us. You are without a doubt the crowning achievement in the lives of both your Mother & myself.
      We hadn't intended on buying you any more stuff because Santa is on his way in a few months and we don't want you to get too spoiled; although I think you already are much too spoiled already. Luckily we couldn't stick to our guns on the not getting you anymore stuff. You have been desperately wanting an umbrella; I don't know why you wanted an umbrella so bad but you did. Mom asked you if you thought maybe Santa might bring you an umbrella for Christmas and you told her that it wasn't going to be Santa that brought your umbrella instead it was going to be Wal-Mart. So we saw the cutest little Disney Princess umbrella at Wal-Mart as we were shopping and we decided that we would get it for you. When we returned home you were happy to see us both as you always are but when I pulled that umbrella from behind my back your eyes lit up with the most fabulous joy that I have ever seen in my life. I don't think I will ever forget that look on your precious little face when I presented that umbrella to you. Those are the kinds of moments that make for a happy life.
      Just as your Mom was recovering from whatever she had before she came down with some new kind of bug that put her out of work for the better part of the week. She's back to work now and is trying to make up her lost hours by working all weekend. She still doesn't feel 100% though. She went to bed very early this evening, even before you went to bed. Before she went to bed I could sense the frustration she must be feeling regarding being so sick lately. Your Mom has been through a whole lot these last few months and I am sure that her immune system has suffered because of it. The two of us had fun tucking her in for the night though.
      Earlier today we both had a day of shopping. We started out around eleven o'clock this morning. We went to cabbage drugstore and bought your Mom some store brand benedryl for an allergic reaction she had to something; Poor Mommy. We took it by her work and we hung out for a little while there. You got to visit with Sister Agnes and you gave Sister Rebecca a big hug. We stopped by McDonalds and the tobacco store for a roll of Copenhagen on our way to the Home Depot in Lexington. You had a chicken McNugget happy meal and I had a Double Quarter Pounder value meal dressed up like a Big Mac from McDonalds.
      At Home Depot I finally purchased the vapor seal plastic I have been meaning to buy ever since we moved into our charming little house. I also purchased two sets of knee pads knee pads to use while we are putting the plastic down, some weed eater string, a cable face plate for the new outlet we want in the living room, a cable face plate for your room because you don't have cable in your room yet and a couple of switches for the light in the kitchen. We thought the switches were bad because the light acted so funny. It turns out that it wasn't the switches at all but instead it was a bad light bulb. Oh well, at least we have new switches and you got to play with Mamaw & Papaw when they came over to help me work on it.
      I wanted to stop by Big Lots next but we were already well on our way to Wal-Mart by the time I remembered so we skipped Big Lots. At Walmart we bought a whole bunch of canned veggies for you and some canned fruit for my lunches, a package of cheese slices, some new sippy cups, a cheap set of spoons because the spoon fairy seems to be stealing all of ours, some medicine for my cough, a few Christmas presents and that may or may not be all I bought because I just don't remember. We also paid on some layaway we have out there. I suppose you probably don't even know what layaway is because after the eighteenth of November Wal-Mart will quit offering layaway. Layaway is a method of paying for stuff over time. You go shopping and take all of your stuff you want to buy to the layaway desk and they keep it for you while you pay on it a little at a time. Your mom & I just recently discovered the joys of layaway and now they are taking it away from us.
      We came home after Wal-mart and you went down for a short nap and then Mamaw & Papaw came by to help with the switches. They left and we played in the floor and watched your absolute favorite cartoon, Jimmy Neutron until your Mom got home. As I mentioned earlier she went more or less straight to bed while we sat up and watched some more Jimmy Neutron or Jimmy Twotron as you call him. You stayed up an hour later tonight because our time changes in the morning. Everyone will get an extra hour of sleep.
      That's all I have for tonight. Daddy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
                  It looks like your Mom finally got around to putting up a post. She was very busy the last few weeks. I think she worked herself ragged because now she is very sick. She probably just wore herself out. She made a nice piece of change as a result of all of her hours. Your Mother & I plan on going to Lexington tomorrow while you are babysat by Allison so we can spend all of her hard earned cash. I'm very proud of your Mom for working so many hours but I know that one of the primary reasons she is doing it is so that you will have a nice Christmas and we won't be pinched in December. She told me the other day that she really doesn't enjoy Christmas if she has to worry about financial concerns. I don't think that will be a problem this year. Fiscally, we are in the best shape of our marriage and we owe it all to your Mother and I only see it getting better because we are designing an actual budget and we intend on using it. I'm excited about it.
      Your Mom filled you in on most of the happening this past weekend in Hazard. She forgot to mention the huge rats that lived in the holler where you rode the pony. They didn't dart away like rats are supposed to do but just hung out near where all the people where standing. Your mom nearly blew a gasket and I kept super close to you in case one of those rats decided he wanted a bite of little girl. I am glad that I was raised in the relatively progressive area that we live in. You too will have much more advantages than the poor children you played with this past weekend and I hope you take those advantages for all they are worth.
      While we were in Wal-Mart your Mom purchased a Disney Princess bedroll for you. You absolutely love it. Everyone has been calling it the magic bedroll. In the past you have been reluctant to sleep anywhere else but your own home but with this bedroll we can lay you down anywhere and you are ready to slumber. We used it at Aunt Mary's and you practically ran to her bedroom to get in your bedroll; you used it at daycare and slept for almost two hours and you used it at Mamaw & Papaw's the other night and they were amazed at how easily you went down. Your mom is one smart lady.
      On the way home we stopped in Campton and got some gasoline and your Mom bought you some toots roll suckers but you didn't like them at all. You much prefer the smaller dum-dum pops. You kicked your DVD player out of its cradle and you lost that for the trip. You kept saying that you lost your favorite toy. Then you started kicking the back of your Mom's seat. She told you to quit and you told us that you were not going to quit. I promised you a spanking when we got home and I didn't let you forget about it. I gave you your spanking and we sent you to bed early without watching Little Bear which you usually watch every night before you go to bed. I know that you were tired and not feeling very good but I couldn't let you show your Mother that kind of disrespect and get away with it so you got your little bumbum in trouble. That's the biggest trouble you have ever been in. Wouldn't it be nice if you never get in any worse trouble but I am willing to bet the farm that you will one day top that minor infraction in a glorious manner.
      I was off Monday for our floating holiday. We take it in early October because most everyone likes to attend a fall festival in Mount Sterling called Court Days. I have never been and really don't plan on ever going. Instead you and I went and visited with Granny while your Mom worked.
      You have been quite sick your self. I think it was Wednesday or Thursday that you were as cranky as I have ever seen you. We decided to take you to the doctor. We got an appointment right away. We stopped by K-Mart on the way up there to fill some of your Mom's prescriptions, she went to the doctor too, and I purchased a Bob the Builder coloring book and some crayons for you. That seemed to quieten you down a little bit. We got to the doctor and you enjoyed looking at the fish tank in the waiting room while we waited to be called back. The doctor said you had an ear infection and the croup. He gave you a dose of steroids for your vocal cords and two prescriptions. After the doctor we stopped off at McDonald's for supper because it was getting kind of late. You wanted a milkshake and since you were a poor sick child as well as spoiled rotten you got one. Your mom went back to K-Mart and filled your prescriptions and bought you a couple of surprises while you and I played in the backyard. Mom brought you back a huge bag of dum-dum pops and some toy finger rings; like I said you are one spoiled little princess.
      As you know, Daddy dips Copenhagen smokeless tobacco. The other day you announced that you had some dip as well. You were carrying the little compass that came in your Dora the Explorer backpack that Aunt Mary got you for Christmas last year and you pretended to get yourself a big old pinch and stuff it in your lip. Your Mom and I both thought that was extremely funny. I know you will never take up my bad habit because girls just simply do not dip, at least not around here. If you had been pretending to smoke a cigarette then we would have had a different take on your game of pretend. Your Mom used to smoke, you know. She smoked Newports and Marlboro Menthols. I am so glad she quit. I don't think you would have been nearly as healthy as you are now if she had have kept on smoking. Never ever start smoking. Nothing looks as tacky as a female puffing on a cigarette.
      Well, I am going to close out this here blog post. I wanna watch some boob tube before bed. Daddy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
                           Hello my little sweetie bird. I know it has been a long time since I posted a blog to you. Mommy worked over a hundred and six hours over the last two weeks and I have been very busy with work, the house, Daddy and you. I am sorry that it's taken me so long to write.
      You are the sweetest little baby. But sometimes, when you are tired, you get yourself in trouble. This weekend Mommy had off and we went to Hazard. We were going down to visit Aunt Mary and Papoo Lawrence, or Wawence, as you call him. Mamaw and Papaw followed us down there with you in their car so Mommy could learn her way to Hazard if and when she needed to go.
      We all stopped for breakfast at Golden Corral first and then we were on our way. When we got down there we all went to Aunt Mary's and sat around and talked. Then Mary called her boyfriend and her boyfriend said he had a baby pony you could ride. We all went up to David's house to watch you ride the pony and then of course so we could prove to Mamaw that people still lived like crazy hillbillies in certain parts of Eastern Kentucky. I think your poor old Mamaw was rather horrified at the conditions in which the people, let alone the pony, lived. You did have fun seeing the chickens and watching them 'spar' the roosters - what a horrible and inhumane thing to do, but at least they were sparring and not fighting. Fighting would have killed them. And you had fun riding the pony, You were extremely good and after that we went to Magic Mart to poke around where everyone found a few things but not a lot because it isn't Christmas time yet. Then we went to Wal-Mart in Hazard and everyone there agrees that the Wal-Mart in Hazard is a really great one. We got bananas on sale for twenty five cents a pound 'down yonder'. Listen to Mama, you'd think I grew up in Eastern KY or something.
      After the Wal-Mart trip we went to Burger King for supper and then we went back to Aunt Marys and watched Jimmy Neutron for a while. While we were at Wal-Mart I bought you a Disney princess bedroll, which is kind of like a sleeping bag without zippers. It also had a nice round pillow included. We told you that you got to sleep on the bedroll on Mary's bed that night and when it was time to turn off the TV and go to bed you hopped right up and went to sleep easier than I have ever seen you do it before, even at home. You really like your new bedroll.'
      You and Mary slept together and Daddy and I tried to sleep in the living room but he couldn't get comfy in the chair so I gave him the couch and then I couldn't get comfy in the chair so I joined you and Mary in the bedroom. You slept well but I didn't have much luck because I didn't go to sleep BEFORE Mary put the dang space heater on and make so much noise kicking off and on in her room. You rolled all over the bed and all over us but slept well nonetheless.
      The next morning I took you to Daddy and he and Papaw Lawrence took care of you while I tried to get some more sleep. I couldn't particularly fall asleep because of the dang space heater once again and so I got on up and we got dressed and set out to go see people. We saw my great niece Melissa, whom we call Tweety, and her stepdaughter because the other girls were at church. We tried to go see your Aunt Carolyn but she was at church with them. Then we went down the hill to my other niece's Mother In Law's trailer and saw her two kids, Arianna and Eric. Arianna is your age and Eric is brand new, only four months. He is a sweet little thing and you and Arianna have always gotten along except you don't usually have enough time to warm up to each other. Then we went and saw my other niece, their mother, Marietta, whom we call Smurf, at her work. We also saw some really sweet mentally challenged people she works with. Then we went home to Aunt Mary's where Aunt Mary made us Spaghetti and garlic bread with salad and broccoli and cheese and then we visited with Papoo Lawrence a bit and got on the road. All in all we had a nice time.
      When we first got in the car you informed us you wanted a bunny foo foo song so I sang it to you, You were being very pleasant and happy. Then you started to get sleepy and started kicking your dvd player and case. When Daddy took those away, you started kicking my chair. I repeatedly asked you to stop and you then informed me that you weren't going to stop. That made Daddy very angry and he tapped your leg. He told you to apologize to me and you said you weren't going to tell me sorry. That's when Daddy decided you would get a worse whipping at the house and go straight to bed after your bath with no Little Bear. You tried to turn it around on Daddy and make the impending spanking threat a game but he would have none of it. You indeed got your spanking when you got home and cried very hard. Then you got a hug from me and from Daddy both and then got a fun shower and sure enough, bed with no Little Bear.
      You were just tired but that is no reason to talk back to your mother. Now that you are two you are going to start having age appropriate consequences for your actions. One day when you read this this statement will stick out in your mind: You choose the behavior, and you choose the consequences. It's all up to you. Good behavior has good consequences, and bad behavior has bad ones. I know that mostly you will choose the good, however. And remember - no matter what choices you make, I will always love you, Rebecca.

Dear Rebecca,
               I think that maybe we have jumped the gun, or rather, I have jumped the gun in getting you all excited about the impending visit from good old Saint Nick. You have been talking about it for days now. When I asked you what you wanted Santa to bring you you told me you wanted three presents, green ones and you later told Mom you also wanted a blue one and a yellow one. We'll have to pass that information on to Santa. When Mamaw asked you what you wanted her to get you for Christmas you put her in her place right away and told her that she wasn't going to be bringing your presents, Santa was. When you play with your shaving cream in the bath you give yourself a nice white beard and declare that you are Santa. I do enjoy the Christmas season and it looks like you will be following in the footsteps of your old man. Your Mother is a huge fan of Halloween and we really should be getting you excited about that but Halloween hasn't really ever been one of my favorite holidays. I've always thought that the only thing good about Halloween was the fact that when it was over the Christmas stuff starts to hit the stores. Of course it's really a whole new ball of wax now that I have you and get to see you dressed up in your Halloween garb.
      Your Mom has the next two days off and we are leaving for Hazzard later this morning. Mom is driving this time because she has never done it and she wants to know how to do it in case Aunt Mary needs her with her pregnancy. Mamaw & Papaw will be going down with us; as a matter of fact you will be riding down with them in Papaw's little blue Corolla while your Mom & I drive down in the Explorer. We're all going to stop somewhere and have breakfast on the way down there. Mamaw & Papaw are returning later this evening while we are going to be spending the night.
      Your Mom is really looking forward to our trip. She deserves a nice little break after having worked a hundred plus hour the past two weeks when she thought she was being hired for eighteen hours per week. Your Mom works hard to make sure you and I can have everything we need and some stuff we want. You have a very good Mommy and I have a very good wife. We're both so very lucky.
      You went to work with your Mom yesterday morning and slept in Mother Ellen's bed while she and your Mom sat outside in the hall. All the nuns were really glad to see you. You stayed out there until ten or eleven o'clock and then Mamaw came and got you. Y'all went over to Granny's house and I was told that you sat in Granny's lap for a long time and the two of you colored pictures.
      Well, it's getting late and while I don't have to get up as early as I usually do I still have to get up earlier than I want to so I had better close this post out. Daddy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
                  Your Mama is smack in the middle of her marathon work stretch. She's worked the last nine days straight and she has four more to go but they will be ten and twelve hour days. She took off early Wednesday afternoon to go to the doctor but that is the only break she has had. She's very tired and not feeling very well, Aunt Flow is visiting her currently, but she is holding up surprisingly well.
      What did we do this past week? Well, Sunday night I think it was you told your Mom you wanted to sleep on Daddy's chest instead of going to bed and for some reason we agreed to let you do just that. You fell sound asleep on my chest and I sat in the dark for an hour just watching you sleep. It was a pretty special time for me. I loved it more than you will ever know.
      Wednesday you and Mama came to work and picked me up so we could all go to the Cracker Barrel. You were very tired and didn't act like your angelic self at all. I think from now on whenever we take you out with us we will only eat at Cici's and McDonald's. As a matter of fact you told us you wanted to go to McDonald's as we drove to Cracker Barrel. We should have listened.
      I now a lot of great stuff happened this week but I can't recall anymore of them at all right now. I had such big plans for a great big long blog this morning but I don't suppose that is to be.
      Granny went into the hospital this week. At first it was believed that she had pneumonia but it turned out to be a milder respiratory disorder but it would have become pneumonia if she hadn't have gotten to the hospital when she did. I was kind of nervous there for a little while.
      Yesterday was Papaw's birthday. and you helped him blow out his candle on his cake four or five times. You do love to blow out birthday candles.
      You are doing great with the potty. You can peepee in the potty whenever you are asked but you still are having trouble going poopoo but you will get there in your own time and that will be good enough for your Mom and myself.
      Well, I am closing out this post. Daddy loves Rebecca!

Dear Rebecca,
                  Well, at least I got to put up a midweek post this week. I had to miss work to do it but I got it done. Once again not a very exciting week here at the old Lanham homestead, which is just the way I like it. I have no idea what happened Monday. I know you were sick Tuesday. You still are feeling a little crummy but you aren't nearly as bad as you were. Last night you woke up coughing your sweet little head off though. We watched an episode of Jimmy Neutron and then I put you back to bed.
      Thursday, I think it was, you got to go to Harrodsburg to visit Mamaw Blanche with Mamaw. She had only seen you once before. I can not imagine having a great grand child like you and not seeing her at every opportunity. Mamaw said that you seemed to like Mamaw Blanche but she will never be able to put up any competition to how you feel about your other surviving great grandparent, Granny. You love that old lady so very much. Whenever you are visiting Granny with Mamaw or any of us you love nothing better than to help Granny get around on her walker. She will be moving along slowly on her walker and you inform us all that you are going to help Granny and you start to pull on Granny's walker. Sometimes you get to moving a little too fast for Granny. Mamaw told me about one time when you were "helping" Granny go from the bathroom back to her chair. Mamaw said you ran over and grabbed onto the front of Granny's walker and then Mamaw turned around. She said when she turned back you were pulling the walker across the floor but Granny wasn't with it. She looked into the doorway of the bathroom and there Granny stood. You had went off and left Granny behind. I remember one time when Mamaw went and got Long John Silver's for us all and you sat right up one Granny's chair and the two of you shared your food together. I'm so glad that you love Granny so much because I love her just as much. When I was growing up down on Lillard's Ferry Granny and Bambi Dee lived right next door for my entire childhood. Granny was like a second mother to me. I will always cherish my memories of growing up so close to my grandparents. I hope you are able to have memories of Granny.
      I wish you could have known Bambi Dee, as I called my grandfather. He was such a fun, knowledgable and tough old man. He would have loved you to death. His hobby was raising goats. Stinky old goats. I had lots of fun playing with the baby goats. He passed away when I was a senior in high school. Up to this present time he is the only person who I have ever been really close to to have passed away. I have been extremely lucky in that regard.
      Friday after I got off from work your Mom called me and told me that we all had to go to Lexington to pay on our price hold for the dresser drawers to match our new bedroom suite and to pay on your layaway at Wal-Mart. I got home and you were with Mamaw so I waited for you to get home. After you got home you and I headed on up to Lexington by ourselves. We stopped at Wendy's and I got us both a soda and you a small order of fries. We paid on the price hold at Value City Furniture, got you a vanilla frozen custard shake from Culver's next to Value City in Hamburg, stopped at Burger King where I got myself a triple whopper meal and then we went to Wal-Mart to get out your layaway. They wouldn't let me have the layaway because it was in your Mom's name. I called your Mom at work and since she was just getting off work she drove up to Wal-Mart and got the layaway out herself. We also got you two turtle necks and looked at all of the toys. We saw a whole bunch of the toys that Santa Claus intends on bringing you this Christmas. Then we all headed for the house. Your Mom stopped off on the way home at McDonald's for supper because she hadn't ate yet. We got you home and dropped you into bed.
      Your Mom started her killer work schedule Thursday. She worked from seven to seven yesterday and she has to do it again this morning and she is scheduled like that for a lot of the next two weeks so she may not be able to post here on the blog for the next little bit. All of that extra money will come in handy though because of all of the doctor bills we have, upcoming auto insurance and of course Christmas shopping. We are really going to try to be as frugal as possible this year. Santa Claus takes donations from parents with well behaved children and we plan on donating around three hundred dollars to the jolly fat man this year. That eats up a huge chunk of our gift giving budget so everyone else will just have to settle for less than they are used to getting from the jolly fat mean known as your Daddy this Christmas.
      Well, I have to get up with you in the morning so I had better close out this blog because I would really like to watch some television. As always, Daddy loves Rebecca!