Sunday, November 07, 2010

How I love you...



That's all...just wanted to say I love you.

Wednesday, November 03, 2010

Retrospective

Last year at Halloween


This year at Halloween


I would just like to say, "Whaaaa??" How did my baby get so big? (And, yes, Cooper is splashing in his Pop and Gee's fountain in late October. It's been slightly warm here. Til yesterday.) When did this happen?

I would have posted a pic of Cooper carving a pumpkin this year, except, we did NOT carve our pumpkins this year! OMG! We got caught up in finishing up renovations of the upstairs bathroom (pics to come- it's amazing) and didn't make time for pumpkin carving. Oopsie. Maybe we can carve some fall-type decorations on them??

Anyway, can you believe how big my baby is? Is he even still a baby? Probably not...

Tuesday, November 02, 2010

Halloween

We really milked this holiday for all it was worth! You got to wear your triceratops costume 3 times! Once for the pre-k parade, once for the trick-or-treating in EAV, and then on actual Halloween. I was happy that you wore the head piece that went with your costume- even if I had to bribe you with candy. Hey, you were gonna eat it anyhow. You looked absolutely adorable and we had so much fun trick-or-treating with you. Mimi, Gee and Pop came to our house to have chili and pumpkin bread and then we all escorted you around our neighborhood. This was the first year we actually went in our own hood and it was totally fun. Lots of neighbors ready and waiting with giant candy bowls, costumes, jack-o-lanterns and decorations. We all took turns taking you to different doors and allowing you to say trick-or-treat and thank you. You were very polite and not greedy. :) We were all surprised at how well you handled some of the scary costumes we encountered. Quite a brave little dude. Happy Halloween...now on to Turkey Day!







Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Picture Story Book

Snapping a quick one of my quick one (well, one of my quick ones): Sadiebug



Decorating for Halloween. Cooper shows more than ample enthusiasm. He gives a very breathy, "wow!" to all things Halloween. And when I pull out more Halloween decorations, he says, "a more Haween stuff!" That's my boy.



My happy and very capable chef. I was surprised at how much his patience and listening has improved since our last baking effort. He held all of the measuring devices and poured all of the ingredients into the bowl.



He can use a spoon! So talented. My prodigy. And look how clean his pants are!



Mmm. Chocolate cookies with Reese's chips. These were sooo easy (a two-year old can make them) and delicious!



Went to the Little 5 Points Halloween Parade with Momma, Daddy and Mimi. Yes, Cooper was a tad bored by all the gore and freak. Ho hum.



Well, except for when he got to eat candy off the dirty, dirty ground.



He spent a good portion of his time looking like this.



But look at these amazing superhero costumes! Maybe he perked up a little when they walked by...



Sunday we took a drive to the North Georgia mountains. Ellijay Apple Festival.



They have bouncy things! Suddenly Cooper was not so into bouncy things! Oh well...



He definitely was into being chased by Momma...



and by Dadda.



And there was lots of this. Oh, how I love. this. smile.



Look at the thrill on his face! It's tangible. Daddy, I love how you let me do crazy things that Momma is too fraideycat to let me do.



Red, red, red. Love, love, love.



All this running has to make you thirsty!



Oh, why yes it does, thankyouverymuch. Fresh from the apple farm apple juice. Refilled *2* times on the way home with gas station Juicy Juice. Eek. Hey, it's Sunday. We were indulging a little.

Self-portrait of the Momma and Dadda.

And there you go. Amazing weekend spent reconnecting after 3 (Three!!!!) weeks of the sickness in our house. I love you family. xoxoxo, Momma

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Been in a bit of a bloggy slump lately, here's my exercise to get the gears turning again. A list. The ever-useful list. I shall make one this instant.

Randoms...

-Today was a happy day. A visit with two of my favorite ladies, some lazy surfing on the internet during naptime, an evening stroll with my little boy through the retail district (hand holding, smoothie sipping, and kitty cat watching at the pet store), and some way past bedtime wrestling and silliness in the living room with Daddy.
-I love fall. The cooler weather is simply refreshing. It makes me want to stay home, bake, and spruce up the house. And take long walks. Deep breaths.
-Lately, this ever-changing role as Momma has me turning the mirror on myself. I'm trying to strengthen my own character for the sake of his. Finally figuring out that if he is to be strong, I have to be as well.
-I love all of the talking with Cooper these days. His vocabulary is expanding by leaps and bounds. I love knowing that he can understand me and he can tell me what he's thinking about.
-One of my favorite things that you said a few months ago that I consider your first sentance, "I hear something. A noise." Spoken while I was trying to get you to please go to sleep. :) I had to smile.
-Crossing my fingers that the sickness stays out of our house for at least a few weeks. We've been bogged down with viruses for weeks now. Darn that preschool.
-Cooper is *starting* to be okay at pre-k now. Part of me wishes he still cried all day so I could take him out and keep him home with me. Part of me likes the time apart for him to learn from others and me to accomplish a few to do's.
-I cut my hair short.
-I'm painting the upstairs bathroom and we are finally headed down the road of finishing the whole room. It's been waaaaaaay too long. Can't wait to take my first shower in there and brush my teeth in the new sinks....aahhh.
-Sadiebug is settling in to our family nicely. Cooper adores her. She needs TWO walks a day. :)
-Cooper is going to be a Triceratops for Halloween. Can't wait til the costume arrives this week.
-What shall I be for Halloween? What will you be for Halloween?


Sadie shall be a punkin.


Chocolate cookie dough face, garage sale jacket. Love you baby.

Happy fall everyone!

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

First Day of School

This is a day that I had imagined would have happened when you started kindergarten. However, the stars have aligned and now you're in a little preschool/daycare two mornings a week. I have had a billion mixed emotions about this step, but I am hoping that it turns out to be fun for you and that it helps you figure out the world around you. Your school is an adorable little old-fashioned place. It fits our neighborhood perfectly and makes me think of my own childhood. I hope you love it there eventually.

I had butterflies driving you to the school this morning. I was nervous for you, for me. What on earth would I do with my 4 hours of alone time? I knew I was going to both miss my little buddy and feel like the world was mine for a little while. When we got there, you seemed intrigued and the second your saw your buddy, the two of you ran to the train table in your classroom. That comforted me and made me think, "Silly mommy, he's going to have a blast!" I came over to you after settling your things into your cubby and kissed you bye. You gave me your usual, confident "bye Momma!" and I headed out. On the way to the car, I fought back the tears. I kept telling myself things to make myself feel better. It's only for a few hours a few days a week. He's going to learn so much. It will be good for him. And you. He's going to be fine. Etc etc.

I spent the next few hours running errands and wasting time, alternately. Part of me wanted to get a billion things done and part of me wanted to wander around Marshall's like I was 19 again and buy bunch of crap I don't need. I think I struck a fair balance between the two. :)

So, I picked you up from school, teary-eyed and missing your Momma. I think you were tired and probably a little bit confused as to why I had left you with all of those strangers. Honestly, as out-going as you are, I thought I'd pick you up and hear that it was cake for you. Easy-peasy. But no, you had cried on and off while you were there. Poor Booboo. Not quite sure what to make of your day. To make it all better, we indulged in a little mid-day ice cream from our favorite spot. Maybe Thursday will be better.

Here's some pics of your first day. You're too cute for words in your backpack. It was so heavy that you were wobbling a little bit. Too many ice packs in your first-day lunch. :)

I love you big boy. Happy first day of pretend school. xoxo, Momma




Thursday, August 26, 2010

Pals

I know one day soon you'll be inseparable best buds. For now, you're pretty much just inseparable litter mates. Biting, fighting, pinching,hitting, running, jumping, kicking, hugging, squeezing and...the occasional restful moment. Here's one of them:


I hear your grown-up voice in my head, someday saying how much you love Sadie. And it makes me happy knowing that you'll have her through the years. To snuggle, to confide in, to have at the foot of your bed, and to teach you all of the wonderful lessons that come with having a dog.

Please just try not to hurt each other too bad in the mean time...

xo,
Momma

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Goodnight Train

"In bed at last. Tucked in and snug. The engines snores a final chug." As one of Cooper's favorite books says, here I am, at last. It's been one of those days. You know, the kind that starts out all wrong, continues all wrong, but maybe ends a little bit ok. The kind of day where I wish I could go back, erase all the angry moments, the yelling, and the little (big) fights between me and Cooper. I'm not sure what it was about today, but I did not do my part as patient mother today. It started with waking up a tad too early after a not-so-restful night's sleep and then an early morning battle over wether or not a nose syringe could in fact be a toy. I feel ridiculous even typing that because normally, YES a nose syringe is indeed a toy. But not today. I didn't feel like picking up the shredded syringe an hour later after Cooper would have, no doubt, left it laying around for Sadie to devour. So I said no. And not gently. Like I sometimes do when my patience wears thin. I just wish it hadn't worn so thin, so early. That was NOT his fault. It was mine. And so the day continued, with both of us acting like two-year olds. I'm suppose to be the adult, right? I'm not sure why but some days I just can't climb up on top and see what really matters most. Like being a thoughtful, respectful and patient mother to Cooper.

And tonight, just as I excused myself from the nighttime routine, to put myself to bed early, Cooper brought me "our" book (My Truck Is Stuck). Momma read (sounds like from his lips- "amomma wreah"). And my heart is simultaneously melting and breaking into a million pieces. He's so forgiving, so adorable, so elastic. It's like all of the yuck from the day never even happened. He's moved on. So I read, and I try to move on. The anger has all washed away and I'm sitting there holding him, breathing through the hair on top of his head. Loving every bit of him. I can't imagine why on earth I'd ever raise my voice at my little guy. The reality is, is that it happens. Because I get tired, frustrated or stressed. Real or imagined. And the impatient momma comes out.

I'm grateful for the bedtime that we had this evening. Thanks for being so forgiving, little man. Tomorrow is another day. And I promise that I will always keep trying to be a better Mom than I was today, yesterday or the day before that. I love you.




You. Adorably eating a pah-ooh-oohl.

Sunday, August 08, 2010

Play Doh

I have been too scared to get any play doh for Cooper until recently when I decided that it couldn't be worse than going outside in this Georgia HEAT. I'm glad I decided to give it a try- Cooper seems to love it and I was impressed with how long it captured his attention. Both Bryan and I have had fun sitting down with him and making things. It took mere minutes for me to get over the fact that the colors will not be staying separated. Here's the little dude making red and blue into purple...





I don't have it captured in a picture but my favorite part was when Cooper had the thought to use the little plastic scissors to cut a spaghetti string of play doh off of the spaghetti-maker. Completely his idea and so totally smart and adorable.

PS- Fall, if you're out there listening, please make an early appearance this year. I mean, I love staying indoors and watching tv and eating bonbons all the time but enough is enough.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Me House

When Cooper shouts, "Me House!" it's time to get to work on building a couch house. Sometimes it degrades into a couch trampoline. This is one of those times. My living room has never looked so well-kept as on this day.

Wee-ha! This was fun...









We need these moments during this time of frequent and highly frantic tantrums. Lately, Bryan and I have felt a little like we're living in a toddler war-zone. Yikes. It's moments like these that make me want to do anything in the world for him. I mean, look how happy he is! :)