Thankful Thursday

A short week that feels like a long one.....I cannot wait for tomorrow at 5, when the weekend starts and we can focus once more on what is important, rather than what needs to be done to make ends meet!

I am thankful for my job- I find myself in an uncomfortable space right now....a place where part of me knows exactly what to do and part of me is living in a fog. The days seem so difficult and I found myself in a situation where I literally couldn't answer a question that was asked of me. I thought about it- and I'm sure I used to know the answer- I had to have known. But for the life of me, I couldn't recall and people were counting on me to have the solution. It was painful. In the end- I said that I didn't know- and someone else needed to help them. And you know what- the world didn't end, I didn't get fired, and someone else figured it out. And now I know. Sometimes the fear grips me and I can't move- but I need to have faith, and ask for help when I need it and feel good about this uncomfortable space that I think will lead me to a better place on the other side.

I am thankful for time spent with Cooper this week doing things that will hopefully be etched in his mind always.

Our trip to choose the puppy...


a stop along the highway to enjoy an incredible view...


the final Tiger Scout Meeting at his scout leaders house, complete with a water slide....



I am thankful that Jon had a safe trip over the Memorial Day weekend, when traffic is nuts and accidents are plentiful.

I am thankful for good friends- friends who laugh with me, listen to my rants and raves, who love me for who I am and who tell me when my underwear is showing during a meeting (uh, yes- true story).

I am thankful for kind bloggers who leave comments that never fail to bring me a smile, and who take risks themselves and inspire me to take some too.

I am thankful!!

She Picked Him!

This picture makes me smile....he's so happy and so thrilled. I am not so sure the same is true of the puppy....but if she had any idea how lucky she is to have him as her boy- well...she's one lucky dog!!

She's still too little to come home....we have 3 1/2 more weeks until the big day....but we went to choose her and instead- she picked him.

The entire experience was magical- there is something about puppies, green grass, blue skies and sunshine (oh, and a 6 year old) that makes all seem right with the world.

The countdown continues....

Memorial Day

A day of celebrations....and remembering.


Happy Memorial Day-

Need a Tractor?

Have I got a deal for you....

Click here for the chance to own a great little tractor, previously owned by my nutty husband.



I do adore the man, but seriously- I've been through a lot. Last year he HAD to have this tractor. He sold our boat and used the funds to buy it......and I admit- it's come in handy. He ripped out our old front walk and all of our bushes.



We added a new walk in a much more up to date shape and material. We re-landscaped and now have actual grass in our yard. I am THRILLED.



When it snowed this winter, he drove all over the neighborhood and plowed driveways- free for the asking, but he did make some cash too. And the whole time, he could talk of nothing more than his love for this piece of machinery.

The tractor again came in handy for our garden. It's amazing this year! The soil the softest potting mix you can imagine- all because of the tractor. What used to take hours to do took him a fraction of the time this year- and the results (so far) have been fantastic.

But, he's had a go at having a tractor and is again focused on a boat (which I cannot say that I'm all that unhappy about). And so, the tractor must go.

So if you know anyone.....or if you yourself could use a tractor.......don't be shy.

PS- I MUST point out that this is the 2nd time he's posted it. The 1st time didn't amount to a purchase (or even a single bid). I couldn't even look at the posting because I knew it would give me heart failure (from the spelling errors alone). I did ask him though- "how are you planning to get the tractor to the new owner?". His answer- "oh, I said that I'd deliver it anywhere for a price" WHAT?? Are you kidding me???? Do you have any idea how large this COUNTRY is?? And then I calmly removed myself from his presence.

His new posting says that he will deliver within 250 miles. At least I was able to influence him on that piece. (It truly is the little things)

What We Did Right-

As a parent, it's so hard to know exactly how to do it all. There are so many dreams and expectations that we have for our children and it's dizzying to know when to go with gut, when to consult the experts, when to mimic a friend and when to rely on the memories of how we were raised ourselves. In the end, we never really know- and it's usually some combo. We hope the the result is joy and pride but it can also result in sadness and defeat.

I have been reading to Cooper since he was born. Truthfully, it seemed odd when he was so small, but it's what my mom did for me and it's always touted as being important in books and magazines. It gives kids experiences in their minds/imaginations before they can have them for real. It teaches and guides and bridges the roads to speaking and learning to read themselves.

I adore reading- always have. Jon loves it now, but didn't as a kid. Our bedtime routine used to include both of us snuggled in bed with Cooper reading 2 stories before kisses and lights out. Only 2 at bedtime- although sometimes he could convince us to read more. During the day, he'd sometimes crawl up onto my lap dragging books with him and begging me to read. Sometimes I wondered whether he'd ever tire of listening to me read. Now I'm the only one snuggled up with him and more often than not- he's reading to me.

Lately though, his reading has taken off- he's a voracious reader- he reads anything he can get his hands on. We went shopping for plants a bit ago and he took a book. He read for an hour while we shopped for the perfect shrubbery. Jon went to look at a boat on the way to the river. He talked to the man for over 90 minutes- Cooper read the entire time. Both times, people look at us like we're nuts- how did you get him to be like that???

I don't know- because the child will only eat 6 things: pizza (only specific kinds, and NEVER frozen), chicken, yogurt, pancakes, hot dogs and bagels. He's painfully shy and it borders on rude when were meeting new people (or sometimes people that we've known for ages) and he won't try ANYTHING new without either an act of Congress or a candy bribe. Clearly, we missed the boat on these things....

But reading....with reading, we did something right!! We used the right formula- our modeling + his brain + a great 1st grade teacher = 1 kid who LOVES to read. It amazes me and makes me so happy, and fills me with pride because you know....reading is fundamental!

Tonight, I tucked him into bed after reading the first chapter in a book about pirates. He looked up at me and asked if he could read a little more on his own. Sure- that's fine.

Almost 2 hours later, I happened to walk by the living room and this is what I saw....



He finished the book. 105 pages about pirates.
He may be dragging tomorrow morning- but he knows a thing or two about a pirate!

Ayy Matey!!

Congratulations Katie!!

Jon's sweet niece graduated from the University of Tennessee with a degree in Marketing.

Katie is darling and we adore her. She's leaving on a jet plane today to tour Europe for a month with her beau and a few of his frat brothers. Hmmmmm- that should make for some interesting stories.

Wade was there to see his little sister walk across the stage, and we were with her in spirit.

Such a huge accomplishment and so much possibility.
We love you KT!!

Mother's Day

My Mother's Day weekend was a dream!

Friday- worked late and drove to the river to meet Jon and Cooper. We had pizza and giggles while the rain pounded our little cottage and the lightning illuminated the sky. The big kind of strikes that crackle and leave lines and are spooky but beautiful.

Saturday- I slept late and the boys brought be breakfast. I had a day of shopping planned with the girls and could hardly wait. Before I left, Cooper was insistent upon giving me a Mother's Day gift. Jon tried to talk him out of it- but couldn't. He kept saying that I needed to have it before I went shopping. Apparently something clicked for Jon and he finally agreed.

Who doesn't need a green shopping bag with one of a kind artwork? I was armed and dangerous for my excursion. The shopping fairies were kind to me and I found all sorts of goodies for summer. My bag returned from it's maiden voyage stuffed to the top!

We went to our favorite pub by the water for dinner and by chance started talking to the owner. He then proceeded to invite us to sit at "his" table. We shared some great conversation and he ate his dinner while we waited for ours. Cooper was quite confused about "the man who ate dinner with us" but we loved it. Typically, we have crabcakes- but "Deano" said that they had 2 amazing specials. A crab sampler (stone crab claws, rock crab claws and king crab legs)- YES! Jon had the flounder, Cooper had chicken fingers. Deano told him that they had trouble finding chicken with fingers which brought a chuckle and all of us ranked it among our all time best meals. I was in heaven. We ended the night with a walk along the waterfront.

Sunday morning began early with a weird feeling that someone was watching me. Cooper was less than 3 inches from my face with a huge grin, just waiting for me to open an eye. Behind his back was my second Mother's Day gift.

The other side says "corn". Apparently he was hungry while getting creative. He was so proud of himself. I adore a homemade gift and his this year have special places in my heart and home.

We had a picnic with our river friends- great food, fun conversation, softball for the dads and kids and moms doing what we love most......chatting, enjoying the sun and smiling on our families.

As a grand finale, Jon was able to take a picture of Cooper and me that I love-


It was a wonderful weekend and perfect day!
Hope your Mother's Day was just as special.

Thankful Thursday

I discovered 2 new things about my hubby this week.

1) He's always wanted to raise bees (and will be meeting with a bee keeper on Saturday to discuss the possibility)
2) He's started to drink a concoction of black strap molasses & vinegar to boost his health

And so....you can see that it's been a great week to focus on things that I am thankful for.

Rain that turns everything so green....and the sun that's hopefully just around the corner
Celebrating C!nco de Mayo with good friends and yummy food
Employment
Diet Coke
Fleece sheets - I adore these
An unexpected gift from an amazing co-worker
Cooper reading Frecklejuice from start to finish- all by himself! I loved it when I was little, and to see him be so engrossed made me smile all over.
Looking forward to the weekend
Making plans for summer vacation
Forever stamps....before they cost .44
Puppies getting 1 week closer to being able to come home
Crazy husbands with big dreams and wacky ideas!

Have a super weekend!

I am SOO Vanilla

Years ago I worked in IT. If you know me, it's truly laughable. Even if you don't know me- it's laughable. The job sort of evolved over time and one day I just ended up in a group that built systems for HR. The role didn't last long....thankfully my boss at the time (who coincidentally is my boss again right now) was super supportive and got me back into HR where I belonged. Truth be told, I didn't mess anything up too terribly and I do have some good stories and a basic, if not outdated, understanding of how systems work.

Anyhoo- back to the point. When a vendor tries to sell you a system they have a basic version. It's the vanilla version. You can buy this version at a reasonable cost and use it as it is with good results. OR, you can customize the heck out of it which costs tons of money and gives you all sorts of crazy, whiz-bangy add ons that you think are going to make your process amazing. Depending on how much money you have, and how good your team is- the results can be great and you get just what you want. OR, it can be a disaster.

Sort of like ice cream. You can order vanilla and you know it's going to be good. It's plain, tastes good and meets your basic need for ice cream. You can also add all sorts of stuff to it- sauces and toppings, whip cream and sprinkles....and depending on what you chose and how much you put on- it could be fantastic....or not.

Today I was reminded of how very vanilla I am. Sometimes this makes me sad, or feeling left out or less than. Today it actually made me feel strong and proud and worthwhile (it also made me feel fashion challenged, but I'll take that one).

I went to brunch with 2 old friends. We have known each other for over 20 years and have shared so many things-the stories that we could tell, and did!! I was half looking forward to the visit and half dreading it. One is probably the strongest woman I know (and not just because she's probably going to read this!) and the other was once my closest friend, but time and circumstances change even the best of friendships.

We made a funny trio (well, actually quartet since we were joined by a tag along 14 year old son who was hungry- um, seriously??)....I wore levi's, a white t-shirt and raspberry cardigan with dansk*'s, they looked adorable in a skirt and funky sweater with leopard ballet flats and a dress, cardigan and cute flip flops. I had on minimal makeup....they were completely put together (ok, so a late night viewing of this movie did take it's toll on a certain set of eyelids).

The conversation centered around the almost unbelievable life of one friend- jet setting, dating, stories of parties, weddings, bachelorette parties, who's who in our city events and it all made me dizzy. I was literally processing sentences from 15 minutes earlier in the conversation and when the question was asked of me- "what's happening in your life?"...... I completely blanked.

Um, well....we're getting a puppy in June. FABULOUS!!

I live such a simple life- and although there are things that I wish I could change- the bulk of it just suits me perfectly. I'm not worried about my boyfriend going back to his wife- because my sweet, sometimes annoying hubby is the only person that I can imagine being with. I'm not worried about whether I've got the perfect thing to wear to a party in South Beach- because the closest I'll be to South Beach is on the diet (which wouldn't be a bad idea). I'm not worried about feeding my hungry 14 year old and dragging him to a girls brunch because my 6 year old is happily entertained with my hubby planting onions and playing in a mud puddle.

As soon as I left brunch, I headed straight for T@rget to get myself balanced again. Getting a glimpse into the world of chocolate sauce, sprinkles and a poof of whip cream may be fun....but it is abundantly clear that I am a total vanilla dork.

And that's ok with me.

It's Been 1 Year!!

I did it!

I've been blogging for 1 year!!

I can't make my bed for 1 week or stop eating sugar for 1 month. I've made so many grand plans in my head and I really have the best of intentions- but most of them fall by the wayside....but this- blogging....it stuck. Huh!

I was inspired by this friend and her journey to their daughter. No baby for me- just a way to reflect, remember and focus on the (mostly) positive. I've captured the mundane, the hilarious (IMHO), the fun, the sad and hopefully, the things that will remind me of a time that otherwise might be forgotten in the deep dark crevices of my brain.

If you're here for the 1st time, welcome!
If you've been here before and you're coming back- thank you!!

Meet the Puppies!

Today we made a trip here to meet our new puppy! We picked Cooper up from school early and didn't tell him where we were going until we just couldn't stand it anymore. He was so excited, and so were we.

Introducing....our puppy and her sister!


(we don't know which is which yet- we can pick for certain when they are 5 weeks old)

The owner was so sweet, and brought out an 8 week old puppy for Cooper so that he'd have a better idea of how the puppy would be when she comes home with us. She's lucky that we didn't grab her and run- the adorable factor was high!!!





The countdown begins....I'm not sure who is most excited about our new addition. How will we ever pass the time??

It's Human in Here....

This weekend, although beautiful, was HOT. Hot enough that it was 86 degrees in my bedroom. I'm NOT a fan of intense heat...or sweating (you can say perspire if you'd prefer...but it's really sweating).

Cooper and I walked upstairs together and the heat hit me immediately. Clearly it hit him too because this is what he said:

"Can I turn on the fan? It's really human in here." (His face was completely serious.)

"Um, (gulp)well of course you can turn on the fan! But Coop?"

"Yes, Momma?"

"I think the word you meant to use was humid- instead of human."
"Oh. Yes. Humid."

Hilarious!

Before & After

This weekend we had perfect weather, the kind that begs for beautification projects. We made our 1st trip to the river to open the house for the season.....I love this time. No TV, no computer, no stress. Just family, amazing friends and the great outdoors. We got so much accomplished- take a look!

My goal was to spruce up the beds which were clearly in need of some help! I've still got the window boxes to do. If you look closely, the before pic is sans a light on the right. Our handy neighbor helped Jon (or really, the other way around) to install new lighting fixtures. They are just darling- now our little cottage is lit up to to welcome us home!

Before


After




Before


After


Our other priority was to plant the garden. The crop we (read-Cooper)most want to grow? The 300 lb. pumpkin of course! Ohhh- if it could be only 1/2 that size we'd jump with joy. We can wish, dream, hope, pray and coax...


Think good things for us- October is a looonggg time away.

(Why do I always take squinty eyed pictures? Have I no skill?)

Hope your weekend was wonderful too!

It Just Made Me Laugh-

This is supposed to be a Thankful Thursday post...but I was going through my e-mail account and deleting things that I didn't need anymore and I came across this picture.



I had to chuckle. This is a picture from Jon's phone, taken during Indian Guides. If you'll look closely, the child is eating breakfast. On his plate there are scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage......in his hand is a Hersh*y bar. The cup is filled with Yoohoo.

So with this in mind, I am thankful for the following (in no particular order).

-Yoohoo, which evidently contains 25% of your recommended daily allowance of calcium and Vitamin D, seven vitamins and minerals, and has only 110 calories per serving
-the bonding that happens on father/son weekends
-iPhones that allow for glorious memories to be captured that would otherwise be lost in the woods!
-my sweet child and funny hubby
-time alone in the early morning dedicated to checking e-mail, blogging and paying bills
-knowing that the weekend is almost upon us
-having a sense of humor & loving the hilarity of it all.


Happy Thursday!

Happy Easter!

We celebrated a bit early with an Egg Hunt on Saturday. Our little group was cobbled together, Jess brought the kids (George is counting down the days until April 15th), my mom (my dad was at an Army Band Reunion until late Saturday) and Jon's sister and her family. In years past, I have made Wade and Katie search for beer and money so that Cooper wouldn't search alone. Sean & Patrick filled that gap this year!



Sadly the weather didn't cooperate and so we searched inside-



They didn't seem bothered and the bounty was plentiful (although he does look a bit worse for the wear)!!



We had a super time together, celebrating with wonderful food, good friends, family and so many things to be thankful for. We are all so amazingly blessed.

I love Easter- the new beginning, a fresh start, a bright outlook and so much happiness. A time to really be glad and to celebrate.

Our children's sermon this morning captured the Easter message in a way that made the whole thing much more clear for Cooper. The children was given a noise maker and they were able to use it each time we said Alleluia because we were practicing exuberance for God...."going crazy for Jesus". Totally out of character for our typically conservative church- but really powerful none the less.

Hope your Easter was filled with love, happiness & just the right bit of crazy!!

Class Play

Cooper's school is big on public speaking. This is great, if you're outgoing and a not deathly afraid of crowds and well, speaking in public.

Last year he cried through the first month of school, the patriotic program, the Christmas pageant and the Norway program. He made it through his class play and Author's Day without tears- I was elated and thought we were making progress!

This year, he cried on the 1st day of school and at Mexico Day. He made it through the Christmas Pageant (barely) but flew through the Poetry Reading with no issue. The class play was a total gamble.

He rocked it!



He was the best python ever to appear in a production of Why do Mosquitoes Buzz in People"s Ears? No offense intended to the other python in the program- he too did a great job!



We were so thrilled for him (and more than a little relieved)- you know those moments that you beam with pride and it just overwhelms you and you think that your heart just may explode with the complete feeling of love and adoration for the being that is your son, but you have to keep it tucked inside so that people don't think that you're completely over the top and obnoxious?? I think I was able to achieve that delicate balance (Jon confirmed it so there!)



One of the best parts of class plays is the school tradition of "star mail". The rest of the lower school attends each production along with parents and grandparents. Once the children get back to their classrooms, they each choose a character in the play and write that child a note telling them why they liked their play. I LOVE this exercise for so many reasons- for the lessons it teaches, for the pride it builds and for the school community that it builds.

The below are notes that that Cooper received with spelling as is*!

Dear Cooper,
You were so good. You spoke so loud and clear. Your costume was very cool. You were the stare* of the show.

Your friend,
Thomas


Dear Cooper,
Your costume was graet*. You were a star.
Your friend,
Andy

PS. A is for Awesome C is for Cool E is for Excellent
PPS. You were the best
PPPS. Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears is an awesome name.


The faces of the children as they read their mail- pure joy! How great is that?? For a group of 1st graders- the experience is priceless.

The same is true for their moms.

Pet-less

For the first time since 1991, I am pet-less. Similarly, for the first time since we met, Jon and I are pet-less. On Friday, we had to put my sweet kitten to sleep. I say kitten- she was almost 4. She was a stray that we rescued from the river. We called her Allie (yes, for alley cat)and for all intents and purposes, she was my cat.



Our neighbors fed her and she would come and sit on their front porch and sun herself beside their pool. She was teeny- and as time wore on, they were worried that she'd fall into the pool or would get sick from lapping up the chlorine filled water. She had a litter of kittens herself- and nature took its course with each of them. They were going to take her to animal control and my heart got the best of me.

We brought her home, and took her to the vet. He gave her the needed shots and sent me on my way. Less than 2 hours later, he called and said that she had tested positive for feline leukemia- it wasn't active- but she wouldn't live long. Did I want to bring her back for him to put her to sleep? WHAT??? Have you lost your mind? I/We loved her, and she wasn't sick. I did some research and found that cats can live for years until they actually get sick. We took the risk. She had to stay inside and we just needed to keep an eye on her for obvious changes in her demeanor.

She wasn't nuts about Jon- he could pet her once in a while IF she felt like it. On Tuesday she let him pick her up and cuddle. Her water dish (an old cup and saucer that she adopted) was full. I knew something was not right. On Wednesday I took her to the vet. He gave her some fluids, said she had an infection and prescribed some antibiotics. His direction was to call him on Friday if she wasn't better. On Thursday night, I couldn't find her- Jon finally found her curled up inside her litter box. On Friday I called the vet, was told that he was booked all day but that he'd call me back. I explained why I was calling and that I had an extremely sick cat- we needed to see him. I was polite- and implored them to relay the message that my cat was in dire need of attention. 4 hours passed without a response and I called back- he was again not available. I asked whether he had an appt on Saturday and was told that he was booked until Tuesday. I said that my cat wouldn't make it that long and they begrudgingly offered me an appt. on Saturday morning with another vet. I took it- and hung up.

I called Jon and through sobs/hysteria told him the story. He told me to pack up the cat and be waiting for him. He called Savannah's vet (yes, we see different vets- this will no longer be the case, but there's a long story attached), explained the situation and they told him to bring Allie in immediately.

Enter sobbing girl with sick cat and husband wearing an invisible superman cape. I adore this man!

His vet took one look at Allie and told me what I already knew- she was very ill and he couldn't save her. He did 2 tests- a red blood cell count and a feline leukemia test. She tested positive/active for feline leukemia and her red blood cell count was 7. Apparently, normal range is 35-40.

I adore this new vet who, because he loves animals so much, was able and willing to see me- and my cat, simply because we needed help. His kindness and compassion during our visit was amazing.

I am filled with so much anger for my own vet- who not only couldn't (and hasn't) return my call/plea for help but who clearly missed the major signs on Wednesday that my cat was beyond help. I am filled with agony to know that she was so miserable for 2 additional days- and that I couldn't help her.

I am filled with sadness that she's not a part of my life- but am at peace knowing that she was happy with us and that we made her 4 years the best that we could.

I'll miss you, Allie-

Missing this Face....(just a teeny bit)!!

These are the finished planes from last weekend- they turned out really well and now have a place on the shelves in the family room. At least for now!

This is the coveted Indian Guides weekend (see here for details from the fall session). My list this time is much less involved.

Friday- eat a great dinner (I bought a filet and had it and some awesome mashed potatoes) and watch the 2 episodes of Grey's and 1 each of Desperate & Bro/Sisters.

Saturday- sleep in, do laundry, accept delivery of new bedroom furniture, read the pile of magazines that continues to grow (although without my favorites- RIP Country Home & Cottage Living) and attend the 50th birthday party for a friends hubby.

Sunday- playing it by ear!

I adore being alone, but really only because I know that my boys are having the best time (did I mention that it rained cats and dogs last night?) and that being all by myself makes me appreciate them all the more when they arrive home- dirty, wet and full of stories and smiles.

Cooper has been looking forward to this weekend for months- and secretly, I think Jon has too. We did make a trip on Thursday to purchase an air mattress. As he said, "you know, I'm not getting any younger and that hard ground nearly killed me last time".

So far, I've rec'd 2 text messages-

The 1st in response to my "how are things?"- a single word- WET and then this one around lunchtime today- Cooper was the top shooter in his age group for our tribe! Ahh, we're so proud!

So, yes....I'm missing that face- but I know he's smiling and having the time of his life.

Me too!!!

Generation Gap?

Cooper spent Spring Break with my parents, and when he came home (almost 2 weeks ago) he told me that he was glad to be home because "Grandma and Pappy talk sort of weird". Huh??

Apparently they used words for things that he thought were strange. I asked him to expand....and he couldn't remember any of the specifics. He said that they called coats something that "drove him crazy". Ok....jacket, overcoat, cover up? Nope- none of those.

This morning I told him that he'd need to wear a fleece AND his coat because his class is having their Easter Egg Hunt today (long story- but it made sense in September). And he yelled-- "POLAR TEC!! That's what they always said. POLAR TEC, it drove me crazy". Seriously? Then he started saying- Cooper, come put on your polar tec, Cooper, don't forget your polar tec, Cooper, do you need your polar tec? Hilarious!!
My parents are wild about fleece, er- polar tec. Clearly, it rubbed my funny kid the wrong way.

Then on the way to school he says, "Oh- the other one they said was waste basket. How come they don't just say trash can??

Honestly- the things he latches on to make me laugh so hard!!

Only 15 minutes until the Easter Egg Hunt- I'm off today to play the part of Mom extraordinaire and I cannot wait!!!

Have a great day-

East Coast/West Coast

My brother lives in Laguna Beach but his life in no way resembles that of the popular TV show. His house is within 2 blocks of Laguna Beach High School. When I say house, I use the term lightly....it's really a super sweet little closet maybe 400 square feet. Maybe. He lives there with his wife and her dog. The wife and dog are there illegally.....but the rent is cheap by CA standards and the location affords them the ability to walk to the beach.

Anyhoo, this is not the point. The point is that they were in from the west coast and we made the trip up so that my mother would be the happiest woman in the world. She just wanted her entire family to be together. I adore the woman, and so I went- willingly. Once I arrived, it. was. a. struggle. We could have been a reality tv episode...

I could go on....and on, and on....

I should not judge, and I really tried not to- bottom line, I inherited a gene that escaped my brother. I'm responsible, he's not, I'm a planner, he's fly by the seat of his pants, I'm a worrier- he doesn't worry about anything, I'm fanatical about following the rules- he never met a rule that he didn't break. I live in the real world, and he lives in this fantasy place where surfing and drinking wine by the gallon and wearing nothing but flip flops all the time is the norm. I'm east coast, he's west coast..she's TOTALLY west coast. But they are happy- in love and blissfully happy.

I wouldn't trade for a minute!

Happening Right Now in my Kitchen...

...is a father/son activity that makes me chuckle. Instead of the norm, father coaching son through teeny & often difficult details to ensure perfection, the roles are reversed. Cooper is a pro after spending all week with my parents and in particular my dad who is a big fan of the model!





Finished product coming soon!

Thankful Thursday (100th post)

When I logged in today I realized that this is my 100th post- who knew??

I haven't been keeping track really but I'm so proud of myself! I started my blog to remind me of the little joys in life and to hold myself accountable for being thankful and not taking things for granted. It has become a place for me to do this, but also to record our lives, the things that make me laugh (and cry) and a way to keep in touch with friends/family. I love this place- I feel at home.

Lots to be thankful for....2 top the list-

I work at home on Wednesdays. Angela called to check on me and asked if I was in the mood for a bagel. Sure! Within minutes she delivered a hug and a warm bagel to my front steps. I have been slammed completely annihilated at work lately, and this kindness was almost too much to manage. I felt wrapped in a hug for the rest of the day. Thanks Ang- you can't know how much that meant. I am thankful for my wonderful friends.

Cooper had spring break this week and my incredible parents came down last Friday to spend the night and take him home with them for a visit. I realize what a gift this is- and I am thankful in so many ways.
I love that Cooper has the chance to spend quality time with my parents- they are his only grandparents- and know that each minute builds amazing memories. I want this for him and equally for my parents. They have a bond that warms my heart.

I love the time that Jon and I get to spend as a couple. Although we worked all week, each night was spent at a favorite restaurant or with friends enjoying adult time without worry and babysitting costs. We are refreshed and reminded of how much we still love each other. Sometimes it's hard in the day to day- this time is so important for us and makes us better parents, partners and friends. I am thankful for my parents, their health and their willingness to be the best grandparents imaginable!

Hope you're having a good week!

If I were the President....

This came home in Cooper's book bag on Friday.


It made me laugh out loud- it also made me proud that at least I have instilled in that kid the importance of starting your day off right! It was a parenting lesson learned the hard way for me.

I cannot say that breakfast in our house is always completely healthy. I am forever mortified by the time that our pediatrician asked Cooper what he had eaten for breakfast that day. The conversation went like this.

Dr. Jan- Did you eat breakfast today?
Cooper- Yes.
Dr. Jan- What did you have....oh wait- let me guess!! Cereal?
Cooper- No
Dr. Jan- Pancakes?
Cooper- No
Dr. Jan- Oatmeal?
Cooper- No
Dr. Jan- Yogurt?
Cooper- No
Dr. Jan- I give up- tell me what you ate for breakfast
(note at this point I am ready to crawl under the table and DIE because I know what is coming!)
Cooper (giggling)- COOKIES!!!!!
Dr. Jan was not amused.

I have always been of the belief that something is better than nothing. Clearly not in this case! Since that time- breakfast is a must in our house and it never includes cookies.

Egg on my Face

No school for the boys & lots of snow = happy kid & momma eating crow!

Gladys Loves Jesus (among other things!)

Recently after church, we started heading to breakfast at E!isteins Bagels. It is ALWAYS miserable (crowded, loud, overpriced and with uncomfortable seating) but we continue to go. It's easy, close by and they have good bagels. Today I couldn't handle the stress of it all any longer so we drove a mile further and arrived in the pure delight of P@anera Bread. I love it there! We sat by the fire, Cooper enjoyed hot chocolate, Jon and I read the paper and our bagels were significantly less expensive. It was also not crowded and the other patrons were just as happy as we were to be there.

We left after almost 2 hours and came home to spend the rest of the day in front of our fireplace reading, watching TV and in my case....jumping from blog to blog. A perfect way to spend the afternoon.

I was reading this blog, and typically don't click to watch videos, but decided differently this time. This made me laugh so hard that I couldn't resist borrowing it for myself. I think whenever I am having a bad day, I'll take a 7 minute break and will be instantly cheered!



Ok, worth it?? Definitely!! We are having a Bible Study reunion dinner on Tuesday and I think this MUST be our theme- can't wait!

Jon and Cooper have left in search of snow pants- because it is supposed to snow and Jon is convinced that they will have no school. Seriously?? That's all Cooper needed to hear and so he's planning on going skiing tomorrow. Someone forgot to mention that it is rare that the weatherman is correct. Wonder who will break it to our more than excited 6 year old that in addition to there not being any snow- he will also have to attend school rather than hitting the slopes. Nice- oh well, all in a days work!

Hope you have good week-