December 3Oth

Saw this on another blog and loved the format, thought I'd give it a whirl!

Outside my window... muddy, nasty watery puddles and melty snow

I am thinking...I hope the kids sleep tonight!

I am thankful for... A great Christmas break with lots of family time

From the kitchen... For dad's last night here I made homemade Sweet Cream Ice Cream with Peppermint Jo Jo's from Trader Joes, it was delish
I am creating... I'm thinking hard on a scrapbook layout about a prayer that Timmy wrote, it needs to be just right

I am going...  to take dad to the airport tomorrow before we enjoy New Years Eve fun

I am reading... George W Bush's biography

I am hoping... Timmy is making as much progress with his colon issues as it seems like he is

I am hearing...  The Nebraska bowl game and a very quiet hubby 


I am seeing...  Coopster snoozing

One of my favorite things... downtime, I'm definitely cherishing it these days

Here is picture for thought I am sharing... 

Little Cooper all decked out to play in the snow

Timmy too

1.  Timmy has been struggling with some problems with his colon that have escalated over the last couple months.  We don't know the cause or the solution, but we're working hard with his pediatrician.  He continues to amaze me with his bravery, cooperativeness, and just the delightful young boy he is!
2.  He found his voice this month while working on the Christmas program.  I'm pretty sure the entire gym could hear him singing on Friday night.
3.  He lives and breathes football, again, I've missed that over the last year and hope it doesn't go away again.
4.  He is awesome at taking care of Cooper when I need to be doing something, like getting ready for church.
5.  His favorite thing to do at school is "border time" he writes out a Bible verse and then gets to color the surrounding page.  It's part of the handwriting curriculum.  I am working on assembling a whole book for him of all that he has completed.
6.  He's getting to be a great reader and wow does that make life easier for me too!  I never knew how helpful that could be!
7.  He also is great at doing chores around the house like putting away laundry, clearing the table, etc.
8. That being said he is an absolute pig...messy is definitely an understatement.
9.  He loves to play backyard baseball and backyard football on the computer.
1O.  He's the only boy in the 1st grade.  This bothers me more than him.

Lucy

Now for a Lucy update!

1.  With her hair curled she looks like a little Shirley Temple.
2.  She loves letters and can "read" and spell the names of everyone in her class and our family.
3.  She plays with her baby dolls a lot right now and you can usually find them all over the house, tucked under a makeshift blanket.
4.  She also loves to do hair and combs mine regularly while I'm feeding Cooper.
5.  She does really well in church now and gets mad at me if I take her out with me to feed Coop.
6.  She adores her preschool teachers
7.  She is finally starting to play on her own and I'm savoring it!
8.  One of her favorite times of the day is "ocean" time, which actually translates to "devotion"  She likes to sit on her daddy's lap and listen and try to answer his questions.
9.  Devotions always end with "What are you thankful for" and "What do you want to ask Jesus for" time and prayer...she loves to bring these topics up throughout our days, especially during one on one times.  She prays for her friend Clare at least 75% of the time right now.
1O.  She loves the Elf on the Shelf and searches for it early every morning.  She is going to be sad when it is gone in a few days.

Cooper at 5 months old

Cooper turned 5 months old yesterday!  Here's the latest on our little guy:
1.  He smiles constantly and lights up a room with that smile!

2.  Ever since he got a cold about 4 weeks ago, he's been a lousy sleeper.  Last night I was up with him at 1, 3, 4, and 6...ugh!

3.  No one makes him happier than Timmy, those two have got a cool bond.

4.  He's going to meet his Uncle Chris & Aunt Courtney today for the first time!

5.  He's been on rice cereal for 2 weeks and started on squash two days ago.  He really enjoys both.

6.  He's super long in his torso with little short legs.  His weight is still a pound below what Timmy was at this age.

7.  He will let pretty much anyone hold him and be happy about it.

8.  He hates the vacuum and hair dryer and screams when I turn either on.

9.  He can roll all around rooms...we have to watch him very closely now!

1O.  He is a quiet little guy, only an occasional talker, laugher, and cryer.  But with Timmy and Lucy around, who can get a word in (:

Life with a two year old

Lucy is full of personality and fun these days. She's constantly making us laugh with her comments. Lucy usually falls asleep in our bed at night and then we transfer her. Last night Ben was at a meeting when I put her to bed - I did not transfer her. When he came home we watched Lost and relaxed out in the family room. After Lost he went in to bed and I came in. We were talking and laughing and a few minutes later hear Lucy whimpering. We look at each other - very confused. Before we know it there is a blanket moving around in our closet and up pops Lucy. Apparently she had climbed off the bed into the closet and completely buried herself in the blanket. She climbed up to daddy and I left the room laughing harder than I've laughed in a long time!

Recovering on the new couch

I shot this picture of Timmy last week when he was passed out on the new couch. He is all recovered now - unfortunately I am fighting off the cold that he had that started the whole cycle.