Tag Archives: Parenting

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Pope Benedict XVI Blessings

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St. Peter's Basilica Sunday October 23, 2011

On Sunday October 23, 2011, Ammon, Carter, and I got to see
Pope Benedict XVI. He was giving Sunday Mass at St. Peter’s Square at the
Vatican. We are not Roman Catholic, but we share Christianity as a common bond,
and our Lord and Savior is Jesus Christ. It was a special moment to get to see
him and think of the 1,600 year old traditions of the Catholic Church. It will also be cool to share this with Carter and Ammon when they understand the Pope and what he represents to the world.

Pope Benedict XVI on the "Pope-Tron"

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Hard Rock: Rome & Florence

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Hard Rock: Rome, Italy

If we are in a big, cosmopolitan, international city and we’re
not too sure about what food we want to eat for an evening meal, we usually
make our way to the Hard Rock Café. From experience in foreign countries, we
know we will get a good, satisfying meal. We truly enjoy experiencing native/regional
dishes, but evening meals can be SO expensive, and why pay $30 a person or more
for a meal that you might not enjoy when you KNOW you will enjoy a meal at the
Hard Rock Café even though it can be expensive as well?

Hard Rock Cafe: Florence, Italy

In Italy, we ate at the Hard Rock Café Rome multiple times
this trip, and we ate at the Hard Rock Café Florence twice during our stay
there. We were never dissatisfied, and we always left those restaurants full
and satisfied. We also bought our city tee-shirts! The music is always good,
and Carter and Ammon have a good time with the music and the food as well.

During this quick visit, Venice’s Hard Rock was only entered to buy t-shirts and to use the toilet facilities. ;o)

My family and I have a penchant for Hard Rock Cafes and other European destinations.

Some of my Parenting with Pride (please cruise and peruse!) favorites include Stunning Santorini, Oslo, Norway, Dollywood (Country Music Singer’s Theme Park) in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and Marriage Equality in Tennessee .

Give me a “Google” with “Haven Caylor”. Blessings! -Haven

Ammon, Nana, & Carter: Hard Rock Venice, Italy

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Floreat Roma (Let Rome Flourish)

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Trevi Fountain Tuesday October 4, 2011

RomePyramidCestius

Cestius Pyramid & San Paulo’s Gate (Ostiense Gate)

I don’t know exactly what to say about Rome except for the
fact that it is overwhelming. I know there are cities which are older, but its
history is amazing. The area of the Palatine hill, of course, had
settlements way before 753 B. C. (Rome’s official “settling” year), but Rome has seen growths, fires, triumphs, tragedies, desolations, and flourishings. Last Saturday, I stood between theCestius Pyramid and the San Paulo Gate which the Ostrogoths marched through to make the final “Gothic” plunder of Rome, and imagined the  Eternal City’s gates locked and the city desolate. However, a 21st century motorcycle interrupted my image.LOL

I’ll write more about Rome near the
end of the “Fall 2011 Caylor-Brown Travels” blog compilation. By the way, it’s
great to be home! Hope everyone is well, and Happy Tuesday.

Inside the Sistine Chapel Halls (October 5, 2011)

One of Sean and Haven’s few “alone” times (October 4, 2011)

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Catching up 10-7-2011 (Florence/Firenze)

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Sunday-Monday

Good plane trip. Carter and Ammon slept well. Good nap at
the Hotel Raffaelo in Rome. It is near the Train Station Termini (McDonald’s
food, gelatos, all sorts of souvenirs).

Tuesday

The Roman Forum. We got to see a “discovery” from 2009. It
appears that the Emperor Nero may have had a rotating dining room. It sits up
on the Palatine Hill. They are excavating and studying quite slowly. The Roman
tour guide, Vivian, we had in October 2010 was not there, but her excavation
site is. Her dig is right across from the Temple of Romulus. After Nana,
Carter, and Ammon returned to the hotel for lunch and rest, Sean and I made a
trip back to the Colloseum. This time we were able to take our time and enjoy
the site. It was interesting “stealing” some tour guide information from the
other English speaking tours. Dinner at the Hard Rock Rome.

Wednesday

Up fairly early for the Vatican. Guess what? We missed
seeing the Pope by 15 minutes. He spoke at St. Peter’s Square at 10:30 a.m. ;
however, we headed to the Vatican Museum/Sistine Chapel at 10:15. The Sistine
Chapel was magnificent! If it wasn’t for the crowd, I could have stayed in
there for hours. For years, I thought Michelangelo’s “Final Judgment” was in
another “chapel” but it is right there (many of you already know that…LOL) on
the wall under the ceiling! Dinner was at an Italian restaurant around the
corner from the hotel. I had lasagna, but I can make better lasagna that they.
I think our American taste buds have a “mind of their own”. I have been in
Italy several times and eaten quite a few Italian meals, and I still think our
Italian food in the U.S. is just as good if not better than here.

Thursday

Eurostar Italia to Firenze (Florence). We are staying near
the Piazza de la Repubblica, and it has a carousel. Because we did not see it
last October, we put our bags down and headed straight to the Arno River with
the Ponte Vecchio. It was so cool! I could just imagine ol’ Dante Alighieri running
over and over the bridge trying to catch a glimpse of his Beatrice….so close
and yet so unobtainable. As we headed back into Firenze, we stopped for some
delicious gelati (strawberry, hazelnut, pistachio…yum, yum, yum!). We strolled
around the Brunelleschi’s Dome and Giotto’s Bell Tower and listened to an accordion
player. We ate dinner at the Hard Rock Florence then Carter and Ammon rode on
the carousel at the Piazza de la Repubblica.

Friday

After breakfast, we went straight to San Lorenzo’s chapel
(Medici Chapel). It took me 25 years to see Michelngelo’s “Day, Night, Dawn
& Dusk”, but I finally saw them! Woo hoo! Around noon, Carter, Ammon, Sean,
and I went to the Mc Donald’s at the train station. It was a great stroll. This
afternoon we have tickets to go to the Galleria dell’ Accademia to see “David”.

“Night & Day”

“Dawn & Dusk”

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Daddy H Job/Chores

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My house isn’t a show place, and I doubt it ever will be.
There are 2 adults, 2 almost three year olds, 5 indoor, declawed cats, and 2
dachshunds living in it. It’s our home. However, in the past three years, I’ve
learned that our living space HAS TO BE STRAIGHTENED, and the kitchen HAS TO BE
CLEAN. The surprising thing is that I thoroughly enjoying cleaning, but it’s
finding the time to do it. I am very glad Carter and Ammon can do some small
chores, but, of course, they cannot keep focused on the tasks. I am also very
thankful that Carter and Ammon can go to Mamaw’s house for a visit while I
clean or grade my university students’ work from online. I have 24 students
this semester.

At 9:00 A. M. on Wednesday morning, I was enthralled to
begin cleaning. It was like being shot out of a cannon. What had happened
between dropping off Carter and Ammon at Mamaw’s house at 1:00 P. M. on
Tuesday and 3:00 Wednesday afternoon when they returned???? (This will be more than items in a series! LOL………heeeeeeeeeere we go!)

I came home and started downloading 24 assignments from the
UTC Blackboard (online teaching base) and began laundry. Next, I went into
Ooltewah for a few groceries to make dinner. I then returned home to start dinner.
I started grading the 14 undergraduate assignment (one the average about  4 pages per assignment). Next, I finished
preparing dinner. After eating, I washed the dinner plates and pans. Following dinner
Sean and I jogged our 50 minutes. While doing some other chores in the kitchen,
I was able to watch Glee and enjoy an
evening cup of decaf coffee. After Glee, I began to grade the 10 assignments
from graduate students (They have 5-6 pages to grade). I then wrote each grad
student a note regarding the positives and things to improve on. I went to bed
around 10:45 but listened to cats run back and forth through the house playing,
hissing at each other, eating, and using the litter box for about an hour.

At 6:15 Tuesday morning I began writing notes to the
undergraduate students, and then I emailed all 24 students. So, back to 9:00
Tuesday morning. I was enthralled to do chores: sweep, mop, wash and dry
clothes, make the beds, scrub toilets, and feed dogs. I made appointments for
Sean’s car and the carpenter to come and measure for new handles for the
kitchen cabinets, shaved, showered, went to Sam’s Wholesale for Carter and
Ammon who are in charge of snacks for the next two weeks at preschool, went to
Collegedale for some Little Debbie Apple pies (Carter has to provide an “A”
snack …Ammon has “B”,and she will provide Blueberry and Banana muffins), picked
up some “m” objects at the Dollar Tree for Ammon and Carters’ “M” bags at
preschool, picked up some chicken for Sean’s lunch tomorrow, and then I
returned home to start Tuesday’s dinner. Carter and Ammon came home at 3:00,
and I began my Daddy H responsibilities anew. I’ll say it again, and you
may not believe me. I thoroughly enjoy chores. I’m so grateful God gave me
Carter, Ammon, my health and my home. Thank you, God. I am truly busy and
blessed.

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Daddy’s Birthday (September 19, 1939)

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He was born in Varnell, Georgia on Tuesday September 19,
1939. He was the first of only two children born to Troy and Naomi Caylor. He was
born at his Nanny Alexander’s house (Nanny, Granddaddy, and Daddy lived with
Nanny Alexander until January of 1941). I forgot the name of Daddy’s doctor,
but Nanny Alexander was in the room when Daddy was born. During the whole
pregnancy, Nanny knew in her heart and prayers that she was going to have a
girl. She had grown up with two younger sisters and was surrounded by girly
things for so long, she just knew she was having a girl…God had a surprise!

When Nanny woke up from the anesthesia and learned she had a
boy, she had a split second of disappointment. She even had Daddy’s name picked
out as Hannah Rebekah (both from the Bible); however, when she heard the news,
she, of course, had to give up all of her plans. Knowing Nanny the way my Nanny
Alexander and Granddaddy did, they knew she wouldn’t mind if THEY named him (I’m
serious. They knew she wouldn’t mind, and she didn’t). While Nanny was sleeping and Nanny Alexander and Granddaddy gave Daddy his first bath, they named him Oliver Haven Caylor: Oliver from Nanny’s father, William Oliver Alexander, and Haven from
Granddaddy’s father, Luther Haven Caylor.

I could keep writing and writing about Daddy, but emotionally it’s kind of
difficult, so I will say just one more thing. From 1979 until his death on May
28, 1982, my father and I shared a multiplicity of wonderful times together. My
favorite times that I have stored in my heart were when he and I traveled back
and forth to church together and discussed the Lord, the Bible, school, life in general, and Coonhounds. It was such a wonderful and fulfilling experience having Daddy
as both my earthly father AND brother in Jesus Christ. That precious bond is
something that death and time cannot erase. Happy Birthday in heaven, Daddy.

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Cute “Good byes!”

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I know you all get to hear cute things from your children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews, but I have wanted to write this one for months now. We have a set of 7 cypress trees, and Ammon and Carter started calling them “Christmas trees” last December.
During that Christmas season if we left our driveway to where we had full-view
of the “Christmas trees”, Ammon especially would wave out the car window, and
she would say “Bye Christmas trees!” She still does that every once in a while;
however, on our way to church yesterday morning, and as Carter and Ammon made
their way out our kitchen door, down the step into the garage, and headed to
the car, they both said, “Bye house!” I loved it, and it made me smile and
laugh.

How many of us do the same in our minds as we leave our
homes, our places of work, our schools, or our places of worship. Ammon and
Carter even said, “Bye church!” as we left worship on Sunday morning. Well, you
may have completely given up what we may think of as “childish” acts, but,
seriously, in the recesses of your mind, do you ever do something like say, “Good
bye, house” in your mind as you pull out of your driveway? As I’ve gotten older
and developed my relationship with God, I always add a prayer to my “Good bye
house” (which I have done often as an adult even before Ammon and Carter) with
a “Thank you for a blessed home. Please keep me protected until I return to it,
and please bless it until I get back to it.” I’m still a child: A child of God.

Have a wonderful Monday everyone.

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Dublin, Ireland

. European Destinations, Family, Family Travel, Parenting . , , , ,

“The only thing to see in Dublin is the Guinness Brewing Factory” was the reply we got from a fellow traveler with whom we shared a touring train in Monte Carlo, Monaco last October.  The question to this family from Northern Ireland had been, “What do you recommend seeing in Dublin?”  The truth of the matter was that we were not anticipating much out of Dublin, but, oh, my goodness! It was such a nice surprise.

Carter, Haven, Ammon (enjoying the vaulted ceiling) & Nana:St. Patrick’s

We had a short excursion that morning, but we had a great afternoon of shopping. We’re looking forward to wearing our Ireland-made sweaters we bought this coming winter. ;o)

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Akureyri (that’s right, that’s what it says…LOL), Iceland

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Akureyri, Iceland

Like Vanessa Williams once sang in the “ Save the Best for
Last”, “sometimes the snow comes down in June.” Well, it did in Akureyri,
Iceland on Thursday June 9, 2011 ;o)

We got to see waterfalls, mud fields (I stayed with Carter
and Ammon while they slept on the bus), and lots more. Our guide was Helga Rose
(cool name, huh?). She introduced us to some folktales I want to buy for this
coming Christmas. It’s about the 13 Christmas trolls that usher in Christmas.
If a child is good, they bring toys or candy, but if a child is bad they might
leave potatoes in their shoes! Helga Rose also sang for us in the Icelandic
language.

Ammon & Haven: Godafoss Falls

My favorite place that day was Godafoss Falls. It was cold and
windy so windy that when the wind hit Carter’s face, he was ready to go back to
the bus! I walked from the falls to the souvenir shop. It was chilly but what a
view!

Godafoss Falls