I haven't been here in awhile - life's been too busy.  We also set up a facebook group for communications w/Coop's b.mom so this webpage hasn't really been necessary.  So, I think I'll turn it into my own blog.  Not that anybody follows, but sometimes you just feel better when you get your thoughts out in the open.  :)   Here is what's been going on with me and my family over the past little while.

I have 3.5 weeks left of school and then I will FINALLY have my bachelor's degree.  It's been a long wait to begin it and I can't wait to have it accomplished!  It won't result in a pay increase and really has no effect on my current job whatsoever, but at least my degree won't prevent me from a new opportunity if one comes up.  And if not - oh well!  I'm perfectly happy where I am.  :)

Craig has been at a new job for a little over a year and it has tremendously helped his stress levels. He hasn't had one migraine since he's been there.  He's still doing youth ministry with his best friend at our church.  Speaking of youth ministry - while at a youth event this past summer Craig broke his ankle playing frisbee.  Luckily they didn't insist on casting it and let him continue to work, and he seems to be doing all right with it.

Coop was evaluated for speech therapy and qualifies to attend preschool 4 days a week and to have speech therapy while he's there - for free!  I think it'll be really good for him and I'm excited to see how he blossoms when he's able to make himself understood.

Gabe learned how to ride his bike without training wheels this summer - I never thought he would get there.  He's a big scaredy cat like me.  He is SO proud of himself.  He's also started taking hip-hop dance classes. He saw a group on America's Got Talent do a cool routine and insisted that he be taught how to dance like that.  :)

I've signed up to be a distributor for the It Works body wrap - the most amazing body product I've ever seen or personally used.  More to come on that later....... but I still can't believe it actually does what it says it does with such little effort

So Craig and I are both doing full time jobs and part-time jobs.  I'm hoping to pay down some debt (especially from going back to school) and create some financial freedom for us.   We need some wiggle room.

I think that's probably enough for now!

Those wily fitted sheets

I came to a realization today.

It was the realization that I will never win the battle against the dreaded fitted sheet.

Generations of women in my family have successfully bested it.  

This is how they look during the process

See?  They don't even have to look at it.

And this is the end result in all its perfection

And this is me.

(All of those people shaped bumps are me at some point in the process.)

And this is the glorious end result.

So, in order to maintain some semblance of order in the linen closet, my new strategy is to straight up hide my folding deficiency.  

Step One:  Neatly fold the flat sheet.

Step Two: Wad up the fitted sheet as seen above.

Step Three:  Place the wadded up sheet in the center of the folded one and neatly fold in half.  

Step Four: Place on shelf and hope no one ever notices.  

In the event that someone does notice, strongly consider lying and say the kids were helping with the laundry.  

assistance required

First the update - Gabe started school this week and he loves it. I'm very glad we decided to "red shirt" him and let him wait the extra year. It made a big difference. He is not intimidated by any of the new changes, and he's just been going with the flow. yay!

Now the problem. Cooper is the problem. More specifically Cooper and potty training. He does not want to. I've been taking it easy on him thinking when he's ready he'll let us know. But he's 2 and a half now and still in diapers. I've decided that this week since Gabe started school Cooper will be in intense potty training. And we have been aaaaall week. Every hour or half hour we're making a trip to the potty. If he doesn't go at the hour mark we wait a half hour and try again. I've also put him in regular underwear thinking that if he feels the mess more that it will help him. Well he just doesn't care either way. It doesn't bother him to be in a mess, he doesn't want to quit what he's doing to go potty. He just doesn't care. A couple times he's peed and then stopped to play in the puddle he made! Just now we went to the potty and he sat there for 10 minutes and did not pee, and then went directly to the living room, hid behind a curtain and peed. WHAT IN THE WORLD AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH HIM??!! I'm starting to get mad, and I know that's not going to help. So........ help....... please

nothing too exciting

Hello there! We were finally able to make it to Coop's MRI appointment at the end of last month. We had to reschedule a total of 4 times due to illnesses. So, we get there and Cooper is a teeny little rock star. He was so calm and good. He did not freak out or get upset during any part of the procedure (of course I stayed with him the WHOLE time) but he was so calm and well behaved that they didn't even need to put him all the way to sleep for the MRI. They only did stage 2 sedation, and that anesthesiologist said he had never been able to put a 2 year old in stage 2 sedation for an MRI. They were all so impressed with him. What a trooper. And I was relieved because the less sedation, the less risk. win win win! The neurologist said they actually found 2 cysts on the MRI but since they aren't affecting his development at all and since they have not changed in size that we don't need to follow up about it again. He said most people have these types of cysts and never even know they have them. I'm glad that's over and done with and that it's nothing to worry about. The only thing left to worry about is the bill. :)

sorry!

Sorry! It's been awhile since the last blog post.  Here is the latest update.
The boys are rotten as usual.  This never changes.  I'm finishing my bachelor's degree online, Craig just started a new job closer to home with a little higher pay (yay!), and we're hoping to get family pictures taken within the next month or so.  Cooper's MRI at Children's is also this week, so we'll be updating as soon as we get some info from that.
Until then here was the rundown from our Saturday.
It was a glorious family day!  We all slept in, then packed up and went to play at a new park about 15 minutes away, had a picnic, then came home.  The boys took naps, we had breakfast for dinner...... or "brinner", and then the boys played in their bouncy house in the backyard.  Then they found the hose and made themselves a mud puddle and played in it for awhile.  After that Daddy hosed them off and they hung up the bird house and feeder Daddy helped them build and paint the day before.  Then........... baths!  And I still managed to squeeze in a few loads of laundry into that day, some tv time with Craig, some homework, and a run!

Why God Made Moms

WHY GOD MADE MOMS 
Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions: 


Why did God make mothers? 
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is. 
2. Mostly to clean the house. 
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born. 

How did God make mothers? 
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us. 
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring. 
3. God made my mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts. 

What ingredients are mothers made of? 
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the 
world and one dab of mean. 
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, 
I think. 

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom? 
1. We're related. 
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's mom like me. 

What kind of a little girl was your mom? 
1. My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff. 
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy. 
3. They say she used to be nice. 

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him? 
1. His last name. 
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer? 
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores? 

Why did your mom marry your dad? 
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my mom eats a lot 
2. She got too old to do anything else with him. 
3. My grandma says that mom didn't have her thinking cap on. 

Who's the boss at your house? 
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball. 
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed. 
3. I guess mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad. 

What's the difference between moms and dads? 
1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work. 
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them. 
3. Dads are taller and stronger, but moms have all the real power 
'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friends. 
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.. 

What does your mom do in her spare time? 
1. Mothers don't do spare time. 
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long. 

What would it take to make your mom perfect? 
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of 
plastic surgery. 
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue. 

If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be? 
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that. 
2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it not me. 
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head. 

WHEN YOU STOP LAUGHING -- SEND IT ON TO OTHER MOTHERS, GRANDMOTHERS, AND AUNTS.... 
and anyone else who has anything to do with kids or just needs a good laugh!!! 

Happy Birthday!

Today was Cooper's 2nd birthday! Yay! I pulled his smiling little self out of bed this morning and remembered that morning 2 years ago when we were in the car driving up to meet him. And when I said "Happy birthday Cooper Reed!" it made me remember how we thought we had time to pick his middle name out, and were informed right before he was born that it had to be on all the official paperwork from that moment on, lol. I remembered how I was the first person that got to hold him on his very first birthday - a gift from his birthmother that I will never forget. I did a lot of remembering in that moment this morning. :) And I love that both of our boys have such special birthday stories. So different, but each just as wonderful.

He had a birthday party late this afternoon, with some family and family friends. My mom used skype so that she and my sister could watch him blow out his candles from 5 and half hours away. It was pretty cool.

Yes, the cake is store bought. I ran out of time and energy........... and the oven is broken. I put the candles on it though! It was actually pretty tasty. Anyway, he liked his cake and ice cream, and he liked his presents. He got a training potty, some clothes, some books, some of the bigger sized duplo legos (so he'll quit stealing Gabe's and scaring me), some color wonder paper and markers (which he took a break from opening presents to play with - he loves to color), he got some puzzles, and a train, and a monster truck.

AND.... drumroll please.......... he and Gabe got a bouncy castle from their great aunt! As you can imagine, it was a big hit at the party!

It was a gorgeous day to be outside, and we have tons of pictures, and Coop had a blast. We topped our day off with a walk in the stroller and an early bedtime. The only slightly bad thing I have to say about this day is................ I'm exhausted! But happy!