The Blolly Blog

Holiday Card 2010

2010-12-05T19:13:00.001-06:00

Joy Peace Love Holiday

Christmas cards and holiday thank you cards by Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Rick Marshall

2010-12-04T23:27:00.002-06:00

We let Cooper watch Land of the Lost all the time. I know, it isn't appropriate for a four year old, but he loves it. Who are we to stand in the way of a four year old's favorite movie?

This version of Land of the Lost stars Will Ferrell as Dr. Rick Marshall. Another Will Ferrell movie was on the other night and Blake was watching it. Both Evan and Cooper watched it too - Old School. Another completely inappropriate movie for kids, but whatever.

Anyway, as Old School was playing, Cooper turned to his dad and asked, "What is Rick Marshall doing in this movie?"

Blake had to explain that there is no Rick Marshall. That Rick Marshall is actually Will Ferrell. That Will Ferrell is an actor. That Land of the Lost isn't a real place.

Next thing you know, Cooper's going to wonder if Santa Claus is real.

Family Photo Shoot Fall 2010

2010-10-17T21:15:00.004-05:00

Check out this video I made on Animoto. It's free to use! And you don't have to be a genius to use it!

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Ear Bug

2010-09-25T21:06:00.002-05:00

I'm a little late posting this story, but it deserves a post. We'll want to remember this one day, I'm sure...

So, I pick Coop up at the sitter's and she tells me Coop said a bug flew in his ear. She's got the tweezers out and is trying to locate it, telling me that she got a hold of it and pulled a wing off. I take a look and can't see a thing, but I'm concerned enough to call the pediatrician. They tell me I need to bring him in right away - the bug has to come out.

So I drop Evan at Van and Cheryl's, pick up Blake, and we're off to KC to the pediatrician - who, by the way, is open in the evening for sick kids! I didn't know this! Yay! Saved an ER visit! Yay!

I told Coop on the way down that there would probably be some water in his ear while the doctor tried to get the bug out. He didn't seem to concerned - he really wasn't acting like it was hurting too much. While we were in the waiting room, I asked Coop if the bug was his friend. He told me that it wasn't. I asked him if he wanted to name the bug and he told me he'd call the bug "Butthole". That's my boy I know and love!

When the doctor comes in, he tries to water pic the bug out. The bug won't budge. He digs around. The bug won't budge. Coop handled the water pic ok. But the digging around was a whole other story. You can consider Coop really pissed at this point. Then the doc gets the water pic out again and it takes all three of us to hold Coop down. It was awful, but the bug finally came out. And there was a lot of blood.

We were concerned that Coop's ear drum had burst, and we made a follow up appointment for the following week. When we took him back, the doc said that his ear drum was fine. Apparently there was enough blood when they finally got the bug out that he couldn't tell, but now that it was healing, he could see that the bug had actually burrowed in to the side of Coop's ear canal! WTH!

But Cooper's a trooper. He mentioned "Butthole the Bug" tonight, but otherwise, he's fine! What a freaking deal.

Stupid Cats

2010-09-21T19:45:00.002-05:00

Evan loves the movie "Aristocats". She watches it every day at our babysitter's house. When I picked the kids up tonight, she told me that Evan tore up her Aristocats movie - it was a VHS tape and Evan pulled the tape out. So tonight at dinner, I told Blake to ask Evan about tearing up the movie.

Blake: Evan, did you tear up Aristocats today?
Evan: Uh huh.
Blake: Why did you do that?
Evan: Cause I wanted to.
Blake: Why?
Evan: Stupid cats.

Please remember that Evan turned two in June. Wow. We're in trouble.

Cooper the Comic

2010-09-03T22:00:00.003-05:00

A "funny" courtesy of Cooper...

Cooper: Where's Mom going?
Dad: She went inside to get you something to drink.
Cooper: She's pretty nice.
Dad: Yep, she is.
Cooper: But sometimes she gets pissy, right?

Gotcha!

2010-09-03T21:58:00.003-05:00

Evan is, quite possibly, the world's best when it comes to ignoring someone when they want to take her picture. That's why this one is so special.

I AM Needed!

2010-08-25T21:24:00.002-05:00

Had to leave for work early today and left Blake in charge of getting the kids dressed and off to the sitter's. He sent Evan without any shoes. See, I am needed.

Blue

2010-08-20T23:21:00.002-05:00

Me: Evan, what color is the sky?
Evan: Blue.
Me: Good girl! What color is the water?
Evan: Blue.
Me: You're so smart, Evan! How about that cow over there... What color is that cow?
Evan: Blue!

Aw. Nice try kiddo.

Windows 7

2010-08-08T22:08:00.002-05:00

I love my new computer. I don't love Windows 7.

I was told by an Adobe customer service rep that the reason my Photoshop wouldn't work with my new computer was because my older version wasn't compatable with Windows 7. So I went out and bought the most recent version and loaded it. It didn't work. After spending 4 hours on the Adobe forums, I found a way to fix it, but it's still a little glitchy. And I'm wondering if the fix I found wouldn't have worked for my older version.

As if that wasn't enough, when I finally went to print something the other night, lo and behold, my printer isn't compatable with Windows 7. Now I have to buy a new printer.

I don't love Windows 7.

Garage Sale

2010-07-26T21:45:00.003-05:00

As I was leaving for work today, I asked Blake to make sure he left the garage door unlocked in case the guys came to put up our new overhead garage doors. Cooper, from the back seat and with so much sincerity in his voice, said, "Did you get them at the garage sale?" I thought I might die laughing. It was the perfect start to my day.

New Toy

2010-07-26T21:43:00.002-05:00

I got a new computer. I got a new computer. I got a new computer. Na na na na na. :)

Well, at least half of a new computer. The monitor is here. The computer is coming tomorrow.

Yippee!

Cooper is Four

2010-07-18T17:57:00.007-05:00

Cooper just turned four and we had his party on Friday night. Originally scheduled for Saturday night, we sort of scrambled to throw it together a day earlier so all the cousins could be here. Cause what's a party without your cousins, right?

I'm really looking forward to year four. Year three was a little challenging. Everyone says that the terrible twos are the worst, but I'd be glad to swap some stories from year three and compare. We've already seen more maturity from Cooper in the last couple of months - fewer fits and less talking back. And he's hilarious. But one thing we've still got to work on? His potty mouth. Well, maybe I should work on my own potty mouth and then we wouldn't have a problem. :)

Evan Turns Two

2010-07-17T22:27:00.014-05:00

My baby girl turned 2 in June. When did she get so big? When did her hair get so long? When did she starting talking? I promised myself I wouldn't forget a minute, but it's all gone by in a rush.

We partied with family at our house again this year. In the picture below, she's trying her very hardest not to smile while we all sing the happy birthday song.

She got lots of good loot, including her very own fishing pole. We haven't tried it yet, mostly because I'm still not over the fact that she fell in the pond on a recent family fishing outing.

With their birthdays so close together, it's bound to happen that Coop and Evan will get a gift they can share. This year, they got a Mustang GT convertible from Granny and Granddad. How cute are they as they drive off in to the sunset?

I am so completely lucky to have such a vivacious little girl in my life. She's beautiful and sweet. She's loving and a little daring. She's petite and kind of spunky. Right now, it's hard to imagine that when she's thirteen she'll hate me just because I'm her mother. Unfortunately, you know it will happen.

Pure Joy

2010-06-27T20:29:00.004-05:00

This is quite possibly my favorite picture of all time. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but I can think of two words that completely describe this picture - pure joy.

Evan's Dress #2

2010-06-27T18:47:00.002-05:00

I've had this done for a while now... Ta da!

Birthday Blitz

2010-06-13T21:18:00.003-05:00

In two weeks, I'll have a two year old. And two more weeks after that, I'll have a four year old. Where has the time gone?

Froggy Went A Courtin'

2010-05-24T22:17:00.006-05:00

Froggy has a girlfriend. And she lives way way down the road. That's the only reason I can think for a bullfrog - who normally lives in a pond - to be in the middle of our yard.

This froggy caught Cooper's eye while he rode the lawn mower with Blake. The frog was HUGE!

Here's the whole family trying to coax the frog in to a nice container to be transported from our yard...

I hope Froggy eventually finds his girlfriend. Next time he might not be so lucky to be spotted before the mower gets him.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

2010-05-24T21:58:00.006-05:00

According to Cooper, every hidey hole, every tent-like structure, every place where a little person can hide or perch, is called a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Aside from watching the TV show of the same name, I don't know where he comes up with this stuff. Well, now he and Evan have a permanent Mickey Mouse Clubhouse in the backyard.

Bye Bye Binkie

2010-05-20T12:05:00.001-05:00

The plan is to get rid of Evan's binkie. We'll see how this goes. Updates to follow soon. I doubt they will be positive.

Happy Birthday, Blog!

2010-05-08T22:00:00.001-05:00

My first post was on April 30 of last year. My blog is one year old!!!

I Did It!

2010-05-08T21:51:00.002-05:00

I ran a 5k last Saturday!!! My time wasn't great, but I enjoyed the weird sense of accomplishment I felt when it was over.

I had a great time with my friends afterwards too. Although I felt like we were the oldest people in the bar, I smiled non-stop. In fact, we giggled like school girls for most of the night, and it was totally great.

When I ran on Monday, I was all ticked off that my time totally sucked on Saturday at the race, and I was able to run it 3 minutes faster than ever before. I really really really wanted to quit like four times, but I kept running.

My new goal is to run a 5k race in 30 minutes. I can do this.

Serious Runner?

2010-04-25T11:46:00.002-05:00

Now don't get me wrong, I'm no speed demon. But, I am to a point where I am running about 11 to 12 miles a week. And I'm quite proud of myself. I ran track in high school and college, but I was a sprinter and jumper. I never thought I could run three consecutive miles. But I can and I have been doing it consistently. This weekend, I even ran in the rain. Twice.

My first official 5k race is next weekend. It won't really be a race for me - the only person I plan to race is myself. My goal is to finish it in a better time than what I have been doing on my own. But if it goes ok, I am going to commit to running one 5k race a month thru September. There's one in Des Moines in June, one in Chillicothe in July, one in Corydon in August and another one in Chillicothe in September.

And through all of this, if this last 20 pounds doesn't come off, I'm getting liposuction. Seriously. Totally serious. I don't know who's gonna pay for it, but it's happening.

Fishing/Swimming

2010-04-25T11:36:00.002-05:00

Not the most flattering picture of Evan, but after you fall in the pond face first when all you're trying to do is swirl a little stick around in the water while the rest of the family fishes, you're really in no mood to get your picture taken. All I could do was scream when she fell in, but Blake pulled her out by her hoodie. Had to leave the pond in a hurry to get that girl home and get her muddy clothes off and in to a hot bath. She and I haven't been fishing since.

Ready

2010-04-18T21:28:00.002-05:00

I ran 3.1 miles on Friday. I ran 3.1 miles today. No walking either time. I think I'm ready for the 5k. Really ready for the girls night out afterwards!

Not Yet

2010-04-18T21:25:00.003-05:00

The other night, Cooper was whining his way through supper as he usually does. His newest excuse for not eating the vegetable on his plate, which happened to be broccoli? "But Mom, I don't like broccoli yet." Not sure when he's going to like it... 1 month? 1 year?

Evan's Dress #1

2010-04-18T21:20:00.004-05:00

I told you I was Martha Stewart. Still working on number two... This is taking slightly longer than I originally thought. They are summer dress patterns, so I have some motivation to get them done before September.

Just Call Me Martha (as in Martha Stewart)

2010-03-27T23:07:00.010-05:00

I've been on vacation for a week now and I have another week off. Whew. I really think I needed this.

I had some goals for my first week of vacation. I took the kids to the sitter this past week, but I'm keeping them all of next week. While I was on my own, I wanted to take a two hour nap. Check. I wanted to organize pictures. Check. I wanted to order prints and get them put in to C and E's photo albums. Half check - they're ordered but not in yet. I wanted to do some shopping. Check. Check. I went twice. :) I wanted to explore my crafty side. Sorta check...

I bought a new sewing machine. Blake about had a cow, like he always does anytime I spend money. To give you a point of reference, we're not talking major money here. It cost $85, and he still had a cow. Well, technically, he doesn't have cows. Because he hates to spend money, he gives me his infamous WTH look and rolls his eyes. Whatever.

I'm going to sew some simple dresses for Evan. I'm going to go to my parent's house next week, and my mom is going to give me a refresher course on sewing. It has been 15 or more years since I last sewed, so I think I'll need it.

My mom went with me to get the fabric, and I think I could become obsessive about this. Now, not only am I going to make Evan three dresses, I'm also going to make her a ruffled bottom diaper cover and a bag for myself.

Really, I blame the internet. Here's how I got to this point: I saw a cute handmade dress for Evan but it was $68. Blake would have freaked (see sewing machine comment above), so I decided I could make the dress. I went online and found the pattern on Etsy and a similar fabric by Amy Butler. Then I decided I needed the new sewing machine. Then I fumbled around Etsy some more and found the ruffled bottom bloomers pattern. Then I stumbled around Amy Butler's website and got totally wrapped up in her bag patterns. And now here I am, feeling very crafty.

Also, while cruising around the internet, I saw some professional pictures of little girls in their bloomers and dresses and thought, "I can do that too". So I went out an bought a little chair for a prop and I painted another one that belongs to my inlaws. Viola!

I took these pis of Evan today in a pair of embroidered bloomers that were a baby gift. She finally grew in to them. I used Elements to edit them a bit and give them distinct looks, but I am satisfied with the end result. And if you have any doubts about my craftiness, check out Evan's super cute flower hair thingy - I made that.

My priority for my crafting items is first to get Evan's dresses done, then to do her ruffled diaper cover, then my bag. I'll post pics of all this stuff when I get it done.

Add the total $ for the fabric, patterns, machine, sewing notions, chair and spray paint and it seems as though my "whatever you can do I can do better" attitude is starting to be kinda costly. Maybe Blake was right to freak out about the $85 sewing machine. Maybe I should have just spent the $68 on the dress. Nah. Where's the fun in that?

5k Update

2010-03-14T23:04:00.002-05:00

Week one of workouts is done and successfully completed. The workout got much easier by day six.

Today I started a new workout. More running, less walking. Remarkably, I feel ok. Still nowhere near ready for the 5k, but getting closer all the time.

Leaving a Trail

2010-03-14T23:00:00.002-05:00

When Cooper gets quiet, you know he's up to something.

When I didn't hear him earlier tonight, I hollered for him and he said, "I'm in here, Mom" and he came bouncing out of his room with a salt shaker.

At about the same time I asked him what he was doing, I felt it between my toes. According to Cooper, he was "leaving a trail." For what, I'm not sure. He dumped salt all over the house.

Maybe not a big deal if you have carpet, but when you live in a house with hardwood floors, all the sweeping in the world doesn't get rid of a half a shaker full of salt.

Cooper's Basketball Debut

2010-03-08T19:37:00.007-06:00

And so it begins.

I am so excited to share Cooper's basketball debut! I need to learn to use my camera on moving objects in low light, but I'll have plenty of time to practice in the future.

Here he is on a breakaway. That's my boy!

And here he is with Blake. He ran off the court and was terribly upset. He wanted the team to play with the blue ball. And apparently, if you can't play with the blue ball, the game just ain't worth playing.

And this must be where he ended up with rug burn on his forehead.

He didn't score, but he had fun. That's what we were hoping for. We get to do it all again next Saturday - I just hope someone brings a blue ball.

May Day 5k

2010-03-08T19:35:00.001-06:00

I have committed to run a 5k on May 1. I got a workout plan online - Couch Potato to 5k. Sounds about right. I am three days in and more sore than I thought possible. Somehow, I think it's gonna get worse before it gets better.

Sore Eye

2010-02-26T21:30:00.002-06:00

When I went to bed last night, I did my nightly routine. When I removed my contacts, I thought I scratched my left eye. It kinda hurt, but not too bad. But when I got up this morning, it was still sore and I could barely drive because it was sensitive to the light. I asked my mother-in-law to take me to the eye doctor. I thought that maybe I had pink eye, and I didn't want to have to deal with it the whole weekend without treatment.

I was reminded of being in college and having pink eye in both eyes. My college roommate had to drive me to the eye doctor because my eyes were watering too much to drive on that sunny day, and we giggled the whole way there and the whole way back. She drove my car - a five speed - and she'd never driven one before. It's still funny when I think about it now.

Turns out today's trip to the eye doctor wasn't anything to laugh about. I have a corneal ulcer. Here's what WebMD has to say about corneal ulcers: A corneal ulcer is a true emergency. The ulcer can spread and you can become partially or fully blind in a very short period of time.

So, I have my eye doctor's home and cell phone numbers and I'm supposed to let him know if I don't see improvement. I'm using my antibiotic eye drops religiously. I'm scheduled for an appointment on Monday and another one on Friday. We'll see how this goes. Pun intended.

Those Darn All American Rejects

2010-02-26T21:25:00.003-06:00

Those darn All American Rejects. Why did they have to create such a catchy tune? One that's so easy to sing along to that even a three year old can do it?

Yesterday, while me, Cooper, and Evan were shopping, Cooper kept singing their song, "When you see my face, hope it gives you hell, hope it gives you hell. When you walk my way, hope it gives you hell, hope it gives you hell." Over and over again. No matter how many times I told him that the song wasn't nice. And he was singing it really loud.

I told Blake when we got home. He thought it was hilarious. But then again, he wasn't walking around Kohl's with a singing, cussing toddler.

Why I Heart Photoshop Elements

2010-02-18T22:04:00.003-06:00

This picture is well over a year old. Blake snapped it one evening long before I got my Canon, so the straight out of the camera shot isn't a great quality. Even low quality, Evan looks so gorgeous in it. But, there's always room for improvement, right? First thing, crop me out of it. Better already.

If you have Elements and you can download stuff off the internet, unzip and extract information from your download, then copy and paste it to the right place, you can go from this photo...

To this photo...

Isn't she perfect? I heart Photoshop Elements. I'm beginning to think that Elements might even be able to make me look good in a photo.

Big Girl Bed

2010-02-17T21:18:00.004-06:00

I love our baby crib, it's beautiful. We bought it when I was pregnant with Cooper and it's in Evan's room now. But neither of my children slept in it - ever. So I had no problem selling it. No sentimental value. Sold it last week.

One of my friends says that her family is very European - she and her husband let their kids sleep with them. I guess we're very European too, in a way. Cooper and Blake sleep in Cooper's room and Evan sleeps with me in the master bedroom. It works for us. And Blake and I work out visitation. It's all good. Actually, did you know that the American culture is one of the few cultures that feels that families shouldn't sleep in a "family bed"? But I digress. I had a point here...

Over the last few weeks, Evan has started going to bed by herself in my bed. This new development, coupled with the fact that I sold her bed, signaled to me that it was time for a big girl bed.

So I went all out. She's getting a canopy bed. She is a princess, and what little princess sleeps in anything but a big canopy bed? It will be a transition from my bed to hers, but we'll take it slowly.

Friends and Basketball

2010-02-17T21:07:00.004-06:00

Last night, I had a wonderful time with three girls I went to high school with. Three of us were best friends in high school, the other gal wasn't someone we were particulary close with until recent years.

The four of us played basketball together and eventually won the state championship. We decided we were going to go to a high school basketball game at our old school. When we walked in, I swear, some of the old timers who go to nearly every game got teary-eyed seeing half of the 1995 team back together! Being a part of that team was such a big moment in our lives, and it's awesome to know that so many people in our small town felt and still feel the same way.

The four of us probably spent more time chatting than watching basketball, and it was worth every minute. I don't know why we don't get together more! We left our kids with their dads last night, but we set a date to get together with our kids sometime in March. I couldn't be looking forward to it more.

By the way, both the boys and girls team won. Both teams are state ranked, too. I think the boys have a real shot at making it to the final four this year. And if they do, I can guarantee that the four of us will be in the stands chatting and cheering them on.

All About Cooper

2010-02-17T20:59:00.004-06:00

I took last week off. And I was way more worn out than I ever am from going to work all week! I ran all over the world it seemed, doing errands I don't normally do. One thing I did was to take Cooper to the dentist for only the second time ever. The first time was about a year ago, and he was so wild, I didn't think I would ever take him back. But, he was a perfect angel while we were there and I was so proud of my big boy. And according to the dentist, he has wonderful teeth.

My big boy also has decided he's potty trained. Every one kept telling me that when he was ready, it would be done just like that. I never believed them. I just thought they were trying to make me feel better because their kids used the potty. But all the sudden, he decided he was going to use the potty, and he hasn't looked back.

He's also made a huge improvement with his speech therapy. In fact, I don't think we'll have to go back after the school year ends this spring.

Seems like only yesterday that I held him for the very first time. He's growing so fast. Better not blink - he'll be graduating from high school before I know it.

Rub A Dub Dub

2010-02-03T21:01:00.011-06:00

Here's a couple of long overdue and updated pics of Cooper and Evan. Is there anything cuter than babies in a bathtub?

What's great with these particular photos? I finally figured out how to download Photoshop Element actions and use them! Check out the before and afters! The action I used on these pictures really makes the image sharper and gives them a little pop of color.

Cooper - Before

Cooper - After

Evan - Before

Evan - After

Let me give credit where credit is due - you can download actions for your own version of Photoshop Elements at http://www.coffeeteaphotography.blogspot.com/. The action I used here is called Little Perk.

And Cooper's black eye? That's the product of falling from a bar stool and hitting another bar stool on the way down. It happened at the babysitter's house - she said he took it like a champ!

Mr. Ornothology

2010-02-03T20:00:00.006-06:00

I married Mr. Ornothology. I knew that Blake was fascinated by birds when I married him, so I knew what I was getting. And after a while, some of his fascination has (reluctantly) rubbed off on me. I will never be able to identify species of ducks with a mere glance and I will never never never have a north American bird book and check birds off as I see them, but I know a bald eagle when I see one.

This little birdie was visiting when we had a lot of snow on the ground, and I think this picture is so neat - all the fog and the snow and a lone bird on a tree.

New Computer

2010-01-26T20:32:00.005-06:00

I want a new computer. Really really really bad. I thought I should just go ahead and blog about it, because the last time I wanted a major electronic item (digital SLR camera), I blogged about it, and lo and behold, my husband went out and bought one for me.

So, what the hell. It's worth a shot. Here's what I want:

Dell Studio XPS 8100
i5 processor
8 GB memory
750 GB hard drive
22 inch widescreen monitor
nVidia GeForce GTS240 1024MB GDDR3 video card (make sure you upgrade the video card!)
wireless card

After all, Valentine's Day is coming up...

Blame It On the Dog

2010-01-09T09:32:00.002-06:00

This week, the DVD player wasn't working. Blake started to take it apart to see if he could fix it - although I don't know why, he doesn't know anything about fixing electronics.

Remember those view finder thingy-majigs from when we were little? You put the little reel in the view finder and you can see pictures of all sorts of things. Well, Cooper got the updated version of the view finder for Christmas. These days they make them with a sound card.

Now, I will say that the reels that go in the view finder are about the same size as a DVD. You see where I'm going with this story, right? You guessed it. One of the two small children that live in my house decided to put a view finder in the DVD player and Blake discovered it when he was attempting to take it apart.

I have a suspicion that it was the littlest person in the house that put the reel in the DVD player, not Cooper, but nonetheless, Blake asked Cooper how it got in there. Cooper's reply, "The dog did it."

His response makes me think that we have some "the dog ate my homework" days in our future.

We Went Wii Wii Wii

2009-12-28T19:58:00.004-06:00

Blake's parents got him a Wii for Christmas this year, and it's one of the funnest gifts ever. I got Karaoke Revolution to go along with it, and we sang and sang and sang. Not necessarily well, but we sang our hearts out. The alcohol really helped our ability to sing. I swear.

I also got Wii Fit Plus, and I'm working on my hula hooping and stepping skills. I am finding that my balance, coordination, and rhythm are not good. Pathetic really.

Cooper got a bike, a blue tractor with a loader and a wagon, and a crocodile pillow.

Evan got a kitchen, a kitty (fake, not real - Cooper's allergic), and cute clothes.

Blake got a Smith and Wesson 9 mm pistol (and I'm the greatest wife ever - and he can't hold the camera purchase over my head anymore).

Santa was good to us this year.

Funny Glasses

2009-12-23T20:50:00.003-06:00

I loved this picture of Evan the minute I took it. Something about the joy you can see on her face, and her eyes can't even be seen.

But, before I could really share this pic, I had to clean it up a bit. That's where Elements comes in...

You see, Evan was just a tad bit dirty when this picture was taken. That just won't do. So, I used the spot healing brush and cleaned her up a bit. Then I added a vintage photo effect to the photo and feathered-in a black layer. Ta da!

I like this version much better.

Granny and the Candy

2009-12-23T20:46:00.005-06:00

We were at Van and Cheryl's last night, and Emma decided she wanted to remove her red nail polish. She used a cotton ball and left it on the bathroom sink. If you've ever seen a cotton ball after you have used it to remove finger nail polish, you know it takes on the color of the polish. Cooper didn't know this.

Cheryl went in and used the bathroom. She saw the red cotton ball and threw it in the toilet. Before she could flush the toilet, Cooper walked in. He wandered over to the toilet and looked in (like all three year old boys do) and made an observation. "Granny," he said, "You pooped a candy!"

I thought Granny really would poop a candy as hard as she was laughing.

Layers

2009-12-13T10:14:00.004-06:00

I bought Photoshop Elements 6 for Blake a couple of years ago as a father's day present. He was always messing with landscape and wildlife pictures he had taken in our Kodak software, and I wanted to upgrade for him. I don't think he's used Elements except maybe once.

I have been afraid of it. It's pretty complicated and I wasn't sure how to use it. I could do graphics on it (I made the header of the blog with it), but I was scared to use it when in it came to pictures.

Then I found The Pioneer Woman: http://thepioneerwoman.com/. She's a woman who was from the city, met a cowboy, got married and had lots of babies, and now they all live happily ever after on a ranch in Oklahoma. She cooks and homeschools and takes lots and lots of pictures. She has these contributors on her website, and they have all these tutorials about using Photoshop. I am learning to adapt some of their instructions for Elements since I don't have the full blown version of Photoshop. I am learning slowly but surely.

I made Cooper and Evan's birthday invites with Elements. This year's Christmas card was made in Elements after I figured out how to fade black around the photos.

And now, I am learning more about layers. Here's what I did to a pic of Cooper this morning. It started out as an average shot of Cooper with his face painted...

And then I added a layer, made it black and white, then used the eraser tool to erase the color in Cooper's eyes and on the snake...

Cool, right? I know, it's nothing you haven't seen before by someone else. But, I did it. After having the program for two years. It is an accomplishment, I promise.

Potty All The Time

2009-12-12T23:15:00.009-06:00

You've heard the song that goes, "She likes to party all the time, party all the time, party all the time," right? I think Eddie Murphy sang it.

Well, that tune plays in my head each time Evan goes in to the bathroom and grabs her Sesame Street potty seat and says, "Eee". (She goes in to the bathroom and grabs her Sesame Street potty seat A LOT.) Except, the song goes, "She likes to potty all the time, potty all the time, potty all the time."

She seems so very happy on the potty.

Go figure.

Christmas Card 09

2009-12-10T20:52:00.006-06:00

I have never ever never sent out Christmas cards. I never had the time. I never had the energy. I never really cared. Insert another excuse here.

But now I have two little darlings that I like to show off each and every time I have the opportunity, so for the first time ever, Boxley family Christmas cards were mailed.

Option 1 was good...

But Option 2 (I like to call it "Naughty and Nice") was the winning version...

I'm hoping next year they'll cooperate and I can get a picture of them together. But, I won't hold my breath.

I'll Just Say Coyote

2009-12-06T22:51:00.005-06:00

Cooper can't say his f's. We're working on them, and starting tomorrow, the speech language pathologist at the school is going to officially start working on them. (And his k's, g's, l's, etc.)

His f's sound like t's. Frog is trog. Fire is tire. Fart is tart. You get the idea.

The other day, he swore he saw a fox. In his words, a tox. Blake and I were both telling him, "Bite your bottom lip and blow air out and you'll make the f sound".

He tried and he tried. He kept trying, but wasn't successful. Finally, he said, "I can't say tox. I'll just say 'coyote'."

Whatever.

When Two Is Better Than One

2009-11-29T20:51:00.001-06:00

Monkey See Monkey Do

2009-11-29T20:16:00.002-06:00

Cooper pushes a chair over to the counter, Evan pushes a chair over to the counter.

Cooper pulls the cushions off the couch, Evan pulls the cushions off the couch.

Cooper acts like he's a dinosaur, Evan acts like she's a dinosaur.

Cooper eats a cookie, Evan eats a cookie.

You get the idea.

Super Cooper

2009-11-29T20:06:00.003-06:00

All he needs is a cape.

Cooper! UNLOCK THE DOOR!

2009-11-17T20:01:00.004-06:00

Why does Cooper get so much pleasure from rushing to the car, getting in, then locking the doors? Tonight at the babysitter's, he beat me to the car and locked me and Evan out. We stood out in the cold, helpless, as he tried to unlock the door. He spilled my glass of tea in the process, and there were little wet and muddy footprints everywhere when we finally got inside. Good times.

We're Going to Hell

2009-11-15T21:51:00.002-06:00

On Saturday, I held a baby shower for my bestie Kristy, who is pregnant with TWINS!

As things were winding down, gifts being loaded, dishes being done, I lost track of Cooper. I panicked. With so many people going in and out of the church, I thought he had slipped out. Then I heard the laughing. Cooper had apparently gone to the bathroom by himself (yay!), but he came out wearing only his sweater and socks (boo!). I went to grab him and said, "Jesus Christ" in total exasperation. Then I remembered where we were. Cooper also called another little boy there "a little shit" while they were playing.

These are not necessarily good things to do if you are in a church - show your privates, take the Lord's name in vain, and direct profanity at another person. Yep, we're going to hell.

This Little Girl is Growing Up

2009-11-10T21:15:00.000-06:00

It started a couple of weeks ago. Blake decided he was going to put Evan on the potty one morning. She was 15 months old and I thought he was crazy. But, he sat her on the potty and lo and behold, she pottied like a big girl. She has gone pee on the potty every morning for about two weeks now and even tells us sometimes when she needs to go number one or number two.

We've had an issue with her not sitting in her high chair for supper - she's constantly trying to get out. She has been getting out then climbing up on Cooper's chair and eating what he didn't eat. Tonight, I got her out of her high chair and stood her up in the chair next to mine. She was happy as a lark. It seems she just wanted to sit with us at the table.

She amazes me. She's so tiny (in the 25th percentile for her age for height and weight), but she's mighty.

Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T21:03:00.000-06:00

Cooper was a T-Rex. Evan was a bee. Cute, right? Too bad neither one of them wanted to cooperate with me so I could get a good pic of the two of them together.

Country Roads

2009-11-01T20:12:00.002-06:00

I took these pics last weekend on a Sunday drive. I love country roads in the fall.

New Pictures

2009-10-23T21:40:00.003-05:00

It's time to share some new(er) pictures of Cooper and Evan...

Evan is so beautiful, even covered in food! I'm her mother, but I'm not biased or anything. ;)

She was enjoying a beautiful fall evening, probably the last one of the year. Boo.

Cooper was enjoying the same fall evening, but he was totally ticked that I interupted his game of football for a picture!

This pic totally cracks me up! Cute, right?

H1N1 Vaccine

2009-10-23T21:40:00.000-05:00

I thought I was going to have an emotional breakdown today trying to decide if I should get the H1N1 vaccine for Evan and Cooper. After talking it over with Blake and the pediatrician, they got the first of two doses of the injection.

I have been hearing about children dying from the H1N1 flu (please don't call it swine flu!), and it is devastating. I didn't want to be a mother who loses their child to the flu and could have gotten the vaccine.

No Apology

2009-10-23T21:32:00.002-05:00

About 8 years ago, I lost a friend. Nobody died. We broke up. I was so hurt and upset, I wasn't sure I would survive. I expected her to call and apologize. Eight years later, she hasn't.

It continues to haunt me for a few reasons:

Didn't she care about me?
If she did, why did she do that?
If she didn't care about me, why couldn't I see that?
Why doesn't she just say she's sorry?
Is she sorry?
Why do I waste my time worrying about it when it is painfully obvious that she doesn't?

This past weekend, I saw her for the first time since our friendship ended. There was no tearful, come to Jesus moment. We were among mutual friends who seem to have sided with her - they have continued to be friends with her, and I'm the one who got left out. Which leads to more questions about our mutual friends (see six above).

I tried to be a good person - I hugged her when she got there. Then we tried to avoid each other the rest of the night. It was incredibly uncomfortable.

And here I sit, still baffled by the whole thing. No apology. No friend.

No Ebay Addiction

2009-10-11T16:26:00.002-05:00

Someone literally swooped in at the last minute and put in a better bid on the item I wanted. I am so not addicted to Ebay.

Fall is Here

2009-10-11T16:24:00.001-05:00

Van and Cheryl raised so many pumpkins this year that when they were picked this morning, there was literally a truckload. Coop and Evan were perched on top of some of the biggest pumpkins you have ever seen! Many of them were still green, but since the growing season ended last night due to temps well below normal, it was time for them to be picked.

This kind of weather means that Halloween is quickly approaching. Evan will be a bee this year. When we asked Cooper what he wanted to be, he said he wanted to be a dinosaur. Duh, mom and dad. Nearly every day, he asks to wear his costume. When we got the camera out to take a picture, he wanted to be sure we got a picture of the tail. I am a little disturbed that on this very boyish dinosaur costume is a tag which says "Princess Creations". Things that make you go hmmm.

Ebay Addiction

2009-10-05T21:16:00.002-05:00

I think I may have an addiction to Ebay. Not sure yet. We'll see if I win the item I am bidding on...

Milt

2009-10-04T22:08:00.000-05:00

One of Cooper's favorite words? Milt. Yep, milt, not milk. And it seems it's an issue. He goes to speech for the first time on Tuesday. He has a big vocabulary (including about a million curse words) but he's not always easy to understand. I hope to get this corrected quickly and before it becomes a bigger issue.

Baby Shows Suck

2009-09-21T21:47:00.002-05:00

I hate baby shows. The judges wouldn't know cute if it bit them on the ass.

Poor, Poor, Pitiful Blog

2009-09-16T21:23:00.003-05:00

Dear Blog,

I am so sorry I have been neglecting you. But, I'm finding it difficult to keep up with you, what with all the other things I need/have to do:

Tonight - clean house, do laundry
Thursday - Weight Watchers meeting, more laundry
Friday - make hair bows and tutus for I Heart Tutus (cute, right? a topic for a future blog...), do yet more laundry
Saturday - Calamity Jane Days festival (if Evan doesn't win the baby show, you'll know the judges by their black eyes)
Sunday - go to KC for hair bow and tutu supplies, do laundry
Monday - organize pics on my new external hard drive, put the last of the pics in photo album, do laundry
Tuesday - order pics, organize more pics on the ext. hard drive, do some more laundry
Wednesday - well, you get the idea

It's not that I don't love you anymore - I do. It's not you, it's me. I'll work harder in the future to make you a priority. Promise.
Love,
Holly

Vegas Vacation

2009-09-08T21:00:00.001-05:00

I'd love to tell you all about our Vegas vacation. But you know, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

When We Get Back...

2009-08-29T22:32:00.004-05:00

Back in 2007, Blake and I took a trip to Norman, OK to see the OU vs. MU game. (Boomer Sooner! Anyway...) Cooper was about 16 months old at the time, and he stayed with Van and Cheryl. We didn't have a will, so I typed up what should happen with Coop if something happened to us while we were gone, Blake and I signed it, and I gave it to Cheryl before we left. I remember telling Blake at the time that we really needed to make a will. Well, here we are two years later, we're going to Vegas next week, the kids are staying with Van and Cheryl, and I found myself going through the same exercise today - I typed up what should happen with Coop and Evan if something happens to us, we signed it, and I gave it to Cheryl - because we still don't have a will. God willing, and with a little luck, what happens with the kids if something happens to us will never be anything anyone has to worry about. But, I want to be prepared. When we get back from Vegas, Blake and I are going to contact a lawyer and make a will.

God Bless Single Mothers

2009-08-23T21:55:00.002-05:00

Blake was gone two nights last week for work, so I had the kids by myself. It was a challenge, to say the least. Blake and I are to blame. I am sure if we didn't each sleep with a kid, it wouldn't have been that big of a struggle. But since we both rock a kid to sleep and we sleep with them, when one parent is gone, holy hell breaks loose. I was feeling sorry for my struggles when I got an email from a friend who has 6 month old twins. She wrote in her email that she was worn out - her husband had been gone for 5 weeks for work. But she had successfully handled two babies for 5 weeks on her own. Thanks for the reality check. Got me to thinking that I am so glad I have a partner. Someone to tag team with. Someone to, well, just help.

Damn

2009-08-11T18:09:00.003-05:00

I have created a damn monster. Well, actually, I don't think I am the only one that's responsible. I think Blake and Granddad had something to do with it.

Cooper's new favorite word is "damn". Recently, he told the babysitter to "shut the damn gate". The other day, he asked me, "Where's the damn squirrel?" He also told me to "catch that damn rabbit" for him. Apparently, "damn" is the best adjective in the whole of the English language.

The only consolation is that he is using it properly in sentences.

Garden Variety

2009-08-10T19:33:00.002-05:00

We put up 125 quarts of sweet corn and 8 quarts of salsa on Saturday. Last weekend, we put up 7 quarts of salsa. I am really enjoying the garden (actually, my in-laws' garden and my parent's garden), but I am gonna weigh four hundred pounds by the end of summer.

"Thank You Mommy"

2009-07-30T21:37:00.004-05:00

On Sunday, I took Cooper to see a movie in the theater for the first time. Ice Age 3. He did really well. There was only one time I thought I was in trouble - the dinosaurs scared him a bit and he crouched down on the floor. The floor of the movie theater is evidently one of the coolest places on earth to a 3 year old, and I had a heck of a time getting him back in his seat.

After the movie, as we were walking back to the car, I told him that I was so glad we were having a date - just me and him. He looked at me with his big beautiful blue eyes and said, "Thank you for taking me to the movie Mommy." Completely on his own. No prompting. Big smile on his face when he said it. Made me cry.

I felt so warm and fuzzy from this exchange that I took him to Wal-Mart and bought him some fish and a fish bowl. On Monday, the fish were dead. Hmmm.

You Belong With Me

2009-07-30T21:34:00.002-05:00

Cooper's favorite song is "You Belong With Me" by Taylor Swift. I have the video DVR'd, and we turn it up really loud on the surround sound and dance around and sing as loud as we can. Tonight, we had it blaring. Cooper was singing along (he's pretty good). I was holding Evan on my hip and I had Cooper's hands in mine while we all danced. I couldn't help but think that the song is was so meaningful and true - Coop and Evan, you belong with me.

Something Funny

2009-07-30T21:31:00.002-05:00

Wanna hear something funny? My friend Jenni told me about how she went on our blog and saw the cowboy boot picture. Under it, Google Ads had an advertisement for gaycowboycentral.com. Not exactly what I had in mind when I posted that pic. Who places the ads for Google anyway? Is he a gay cowboy?

Vacation 2009 - Colorado

2009-07-30T20:46:00.004-05:00

When I win the lottery, I'm moving to Steamboat Springs, CO. Beautiful, but you obviously have to have a million dollars to live there. Where do those people get all that money? We saw houses listed for 2, 3, and 4 million! Wow. Those folks obviously don't work in human resources or the environmental field like me and Blake.

From Steamboat Springs, we made our way to Rocky Mountain National Park. Also beautiful, but not as pretty as Glacier National Park that we visited a few years ago. We did get some great pictures, including some elk at the very top.

We ended up coming home a day early from our vacation... 2200 miles is a lot of time in the car for a 1 and 3 year old. Coop and Evan did really well, but they had had enough!

Next year, I'm thinking San Antonio!

Vacation 2009 - Cheyenne Frontier Days

2009-07-25T16:53:00.004-05:00

I'm gonna buy a horse and some hot rollers, and throw on my cowboy boots. Then, I'm headed out west to Cheyenne to live there. I LOVED Cheyenne. Beautiful town. Nice people. Wide open spaces.

We were completely impressed with the parade on Saturday morning and then the rodeo that afternoon. Parking, however, was a complete mess. Not impressed with the parking. We weren't able to stay as long at the rodeo as we would have liked since it started at 12:45 pm and nap time is about 1 pm, but we enjoyed what we saw.

Lisa and Emma met us in Cheyenne, then we headed out to Wamsutter, WY for a couple of days with them. We had fun, but found Wamsutter to be a little depressing. Sorry Lisa, but that town of yours needs some trees or grass or stick-built houses or something... maybe a match? Just kidding! Sort of.

Vacation 2009 - Henry Doorly Zoo

2009-07-25T16:38:00.002-05:00

In the days before our trip, I was very happy to see that there was no rain, only sunny skies, expected for our day at the zoo. Then, I checked the next day, and there was a 20% chance of rain. I checked the following day, and there was a 40% chance of rain. The day of, the weather said 80% chance of rain, but only in the afternoon. The weatherman lied. It poured on us mid morning. But, it didn't dampen our spirits. We had a great time at the zoo. I was a little disturbed by the gorillas, but otherwise, we were very impressed. Great zoo.

Cooper's 3rd Birthday Party

2009-07-23T15:55:00.001-05:00

Cooper had a great time celebrating his third birthday. What little boy birthday would be complete without a Bob the Builder cake with blue icing? As he was wiping the blue icing all over his white shirt, I thought, "Crap, why did I have him wear this?" But I've decided it worked out for the best - nothing a little bleach couldn't take care of!

After a big meal of meatballs, sweet corn, cheesy tators, sliced tomatoes, and cake and ice cream, we all went outside to enjoy the mild weather. A couple of baseball games and several thousand bubbles later, it was time to call it a night.

These Cowboy Boots Are Made For Walkin'

2009-07-22T21:57:00.004-05:00

We couldn't go to one of the biggest rodeos in the world and not come home with a new pair of cowboy boots for the kiddos! My pair is looking a little worn, but Cooper has a new pair of Ariats and Evan has a new pair of Ropers (that light up!).

Hittin' the Road

2009-07-15T13:16:00.002-05:00

We're leaving on our family vacation today. This is the first of two vacations Blake and I have planned. We're heading to the Omaha Zoo, to Frontier Days in Cheyenne, Wyoming, we'll spend a couple of days with Blake's sister in Wamsutter, Wyoming, then we'll head home through Colorado, taking in Rocky Mountain National Park on the way. Eight days. A one year old and a three year old in the car for eight days. Lord have mercy.

The second vacation is an adult only excursion in September - Blake and I are going with two other couples (and possibly Blake's sister) to Vegas, baby! Woo hoo.

I am behind on posting some stuff: Cooper's birthday party, how I found Rupert a new home but Blake won't let me give him away even though he pees on stuff, etc. I'll get caught up when we get back (hopefully).

Until then, happy trails to us! As we were scrambling around last night to do the last of the packing and preparations, the kids were both crying, and Blake asked, "Do we really want to go on vacation? Seems like we need a vacation from getting ready for vacation." But, fact is, we really need to get away for a while. We have been looking forward to this trip for some time. I'm excited to make these fun memories with our kids.

Inspriation

2009-07-09T19:40:00.001-05:00

I love this website: simpletruths.com. Lots of great inspirational stuff. Take a look at this movie featuring quotes from great leaders.
http://www.greatquotesmovie.com/

Birthday Boy

2009-07-08T21:50:00.002-05:00

Cooper turned three today. From the moment I found out I was pregnant, I knew we were having a boy. Just a feeling of knowing, not something I can describe. Blake and I didn't talk about a bunch of options for a boy's name. Cooper was a great fit. At that time, we didn't know of any other Cooper's in town, and Cooper is my mom's maiden name. Cooper's middle name is Allen, which was the maiden name of Blake's grandma.

He made a grand entrance in to the world. At a prenatal doctor's visit where I mentioned to the doc that Blake weighed over 10 pounds when he was born, the doc sent me in for an ultrasound to see how big Cooper was. What we found out was that Cooper weighed only almost 8 pounds but I had only about half as much amniotic fluid as I should. (I thought I peed my pants a few days before the doc visit, but obviously my water had broken and sealed back over. Long embarassing story for another time.) It was one week before my due date, so I got admitted to the hospital and induced the next morning.

My induction lasted twelve hours with no progression. I dialated to a one. So, I got induced a second day. I dialated to a five after another twelve hours of labor, so they (FINALLY) decided I needed a c-section. They couldn't find Coop's heartbeat several times throughout the day, I had a fever, and my labor wasn't progressing as it should.

They got me on the table and Coop delivered in less than an hour. After having a scheduled c-section with Evan, I have begun to understand what an emergency my c-section with Cooper actually was. With Evan, the c-section took a couple of hours, and she was born very alert. With Cooper, it took only about 30 minutes and he was blue and quiet when he was delivered.

Regardless of how he came in to this world, I am so thankful he is here and he is mine. Looking back on that day three years ago, I was scared and naive. I wanted a healthy baby so badly. I prayed that if God would bring him in to world healthy, I would do my very best not to screw him up.

Unlike so many who take to motherhood with ease, I have struggled to become a good mother. There are times that I feel I didn't do justice to Cooper. I am still trying to figure it out day by day. Cooper has a very strong bond to Blake and I envy Blake for that wonderful relationship they share. But I hope that Cooper looks back on his childhood one day and can see the love and adoration I feel for him, too. Even though I am not perfect, I want to be the best mommy I can be for him. Happy birthday, my sweet baby boy.

How Was Your Day?

2009-07-06T21:35:00.002-05:00

On the way home from work, Blake either calls me or I call him. I can always count on him to ask, "How was your day?" I love that.

Evan's First Haircut

2009-07-03T11:15:00.002-05:00

She's changing so quickly. My broken heart, my happy heart. How bittersweet.

Evan's Birthday Party

2009-06-29T21:24:00.003-05:00

Evan's first birthday party was Saturday. Just like Cooper on his first birthday, she got her very own birthday cake, and the rest of us shared one. After a bath, she opened presents. Evan got a lot of good loot: clothes, a see and say, some books, and a four wheeler. I didn't expect her to catch on so quickly to the four wheeler, but in no time, she found the button and was off! Thanks to our families for making her first birthday so special. We'll party again in a couple of weeks for Cooper's third birthday!

Evan is ONE

2009-06-26T22:36:00.003-05:00

Evan is celebrating her first birthday today. I am both delighted and heartbroken. Delighted because I am enjoying seeing her grow and change every single day. I am heartbroken because my baby is changing every day and she's no longer a baby.

I knew I was pregnant with Evan long before a pregnancy test told me I was. I don't remember the exact number of tests I took before I got a positive result, but I think it was close to ten. Cooper was 14 months old at the time. I know my family thought we were crazy to have our kids so close together, but I wanted for my kids something that I never had - a sibling close to my age. My brother and sister are 7 and 11 years older than me. There's a similar age difference between Blake and his brother and sister.

I gave Blake a high five when we did Evan's ultrasound and found out we were having a girl. It took some convincing to get Blake to name her Evan, but after a while, it just sounded right. Now, I couldn't imagine another name.

I had a c-section, and when she was delivered, she came out screaming and grabbed the suction tube. She was so beautiful, so much hair, so bright-eyed and alert. I am excited to see how beautiful she will grow to be on the inside and the kind of person she will become. Who will she be friends with? Where will she go to college? What will be her hobbies? Who will she marry?

My wish for my baby girl on her birthday - a long, happy life. That's all any of us can wish for.

Ode to Oxy Clean

2009-06-24T21:28:00.002-05:00

If you have kids, you know about Oxy Clean. If you don't have kids, but perhaps have a dirty old man, you know about Oxy Clean. Generally speaking, if you do laundry, you know about Oxy Clean. But on the off chance you haven't heard of it, here is my ode to this wonderful product.

I am not a salesperson, but I would go on TV with my fat ass and everything and talk about how great Oxy Clean is. It takes out grass stain, blood, and mystery goo from Coop's and Evan's clothes. About the only thing it hasn't been effective on so far is paint, but it did make it less noticeable.

I go through a 64 ounce refill bottle for stain pre-treating every couple of weeks, and I use a scoop of the powder in every load. Love love love the stuff.

Not sure why I spend so much time trying to get stains out of my kids clothes - most of their clothes come from Target. But, by golly, I want them to have a neat appearance! Even if they are just going to the babysitter!

OMG. Has my life really come to this? Have I really just spent the last five minutes writing about a laundry product? Again I say, OMG.

Not So Good Thing

2009-06-23T20:02:00.001-05:00

Cooper just peed in his underwear. He lasted all of what, 5 minutes? Oh well, we'll try again tomorrow.

Good Things

2009-06-23T19:43:00.004-05:00

Some good things have happened for us since Friday.

Cooper's Good News: We went to Cooper's allergy doctor on Friday, and guess what! Coop has outgrown his wheat allergy! Yeah! Do you know how many foods have wheat in them? What a nightmare. So glad he can finally have bread, noodles, crackers - you get the idea.

Evan's Good News: We have a serious toddler on our hands. Over the weekend, Evan started walking, and hasn't slowed down since. She walks with a wide stance, tiny steps, her hands in the air, and a smile on her face. We may be in trouble, though - she is so fast for only getting the hang of it a couple of days ago!

One more good thing before I go... Cooper just came in with underwear on, and he was excited about it! Pooping and peeing on the potty has been a tough thing for Cooper to get interest in - who has time to stop to go to the bathroom when you are as busy as he is? Really, when you look at it from a 2 year old's perspective, it makes sense to poop and pee in your pants.

Evan comes off the baby formula next week, so if we got to be done with Cooper's pull ups and Evan's formula in one week, it would feel like we got a major raise (which Blake and I did, btw, and a bonus too - that's more good news)!

Reconnecting

2009-06-17T20:39:00.002-05:00

Blogging and Facebook are two totally indulgent outlets for me. Not that I don't LOVE my life, but sometimes it is nice to express myself and to do somthing that doesn't involve wiping butts, doing laundry, washing bottles or breaking up fights between Coop and Evan.

The greatest result of blogging is not necessarily what I thought it would be. I started a blog so I could document everything that happens with my family so my kids can see one day what we were doing when they were growing up. Obviously, this blog will have value in that way. But what is so great is that I have reconnected with old friends. Friends I haven't talked to in years. Friends that I have never forgotten and often thought about, but had totally lost touch with. Friends that I conspired with, partied with, laughed and cried with in college.

Kay and Betsi, I look forward to reading your blogs and catching up on what's happening in your lives. I love checking for comments on our blogs! I am so glad that I have reconnected with the two of you. You may never know how much value reconnecting has for me. I've been up here in the sticks for so long that I had almost forgotten what it was like to have friends with similar backgrounds, interests and experiences.

Frogs in a Jar

2009-06-16T21:55:00.002-05:00

Look very closely. Coop captured dozens of frogs tonight and put them in a jar. He had so much fun and was so proud of himself. Evan watched from the (still dirty) window. Then she cooled off over the air conditioning vent.

Wish I Were In Bed Right Now

2009-06-15T22:05:00.010-05:00

Evan took about a half hour nap from 9:00 to 9:30, so I am screwed until about midnight. So, thought this situation called for another blog post. Two posts in one day. Somebody stop me, I am out of control.

Some random thoughts and pictures...

I still haven't washed the window on the front door.

I am so mad at Google AdSense. Is my blog not good enough? My application has been in review for what now, like forever?

Why are children so fascinated with remote controls? A few hundred dollars in toys litters the living room floor, and Evan wants to play with the remote.

I love, love, love wet slobbery kisses from my children!

Finally, a picture of Cooper smiling! Is it bad that he is smiling because he just picked up a rock an threw it in to the crowd at the baseball game?

Funny Things Cooper Said Last Week

2009-06-15T18:16:00.006-05:00

Blake saw a skunk in the yard and teased Cooper, "That skunk probably pooped in your sandbox." Cooper said, "I'll have to shoot that damn skunk."

Blake was changing Cooper's dirty diaper and Cooper asked what was wrong. Blake said nothing was wrong, that it was just a poopy diaper. Cooper said, "I must have ate too much." Then he pointed at his butt and said, "Bad butt!"

I have to assume that Cooper gets his imagination and expansive vocabulary from all the books he reads (see pic below). I just can't imagine that he gets this stuff from me or Blake! :)

Who Has Time to Wash Windows?

2009-06-12T21:22:00.003-05:00

Seriously, who has the time to wash windows? Obviously not me. In all honesty, I didn't realize that the glass on the front door was quite this filthy. Evan and Rupert were watching Blake and Cooper in the front yard, and I thought it would make a cute picture. The dirty window shows up waaaaay more in the picture than it does in real life. Promise.

It's important to mention that Blake dressed Evan here. I would never put my kid in polka dots and floral. Anyway, you may be asking, "How did it get so dirty?" Well, the pics below might be a clue...

I did capture a pretty good pic of my gorgeous family before we went inside. I love these three people so much!

I'm a Professional

2009-06-11T21:46:00.002-05:00

Look what I made! Evan and Cooper's birthday party invitations! I'm a professional, right?

The things you can do with Photoshop Elements, a new camera and some downloaded fonts (from fontspace.com). All I have to do now is take these to Wal-Mart, print them out, stick them in the mail, and viola, instant party invites. How cool am I?

Another Ear Infection

2009-06-10T20:54:00.002-05:00

Evan's on her third ear infection. At the doc today, she said to tell the pediatrician at Evan's one year check-up and we'll probably be referred to an Ear Nose and Throat specialist. I hate that she's having ear infections, and if tubes or something else will prevent them, I am all for it. ENT, here we come.

Stupid Lightning

2009-06-09T20:32:00.002-05:00

Yep, we got struck by lightning. Nope, I don't think we did anything bad (it was just nature, I hope).

I feel very fortunate that our house didn't burn down.

Here's what happened:

Big loud crash and flash of light. I am making the bed and both Coop and Evan are hanging out waiting for me to finish so they can mess it all up. I scream and drop to the floor, covering my head with a pillow.

I left my two beautiful, sweet, defenseless children standing there, staring at their mother who was scared shitless and didn't do a damn thing to protect them!

Evan stuck out her bottom lip and I thought she would cry, but she didn't. Coop got this "what the hell was that" look on his face, and then smiled. I guess he was smiling at his crazy mother. Blake was standing by the window and saw it hit. I don't know if he screamed or not. He would never admit it and I couldn't have heard over my own scream.

It hit the ancient TV antenna behind the garage. Blake had just wired it to the stereo in the garage so he could drink beer out there this summer and pick up the radio stations from both Des Moines and KC. (Remember, we live in the sticks. Out here, all you get are country radio stations. Sometimes we need a little rock and roll.)

No worries now, not only is there no longer a stereo, the lightning also zapped all three TV's, one DVD player, both garage door openers, the hot water heater, the telephones and answering machine, the modem/wireless router, my under cabinet lights in the kitchen, and we're still finding other things that it screwed up.

The guy from the phone company came out on Monday to fix the phone lines and the modem and he said the line was burnt in two in two places. There was also a black mark along the rafters in the basement where it burned. Like I said, I feel very fortunate that our house didn't burn down.

I had to make a quick run to Wal-Mart. Do you know what its like to have a 2 year old and no TV? Drama. Cooper did not understand why he couldn't watch Scooby Doo. (BTW, I didn't miss Scooby Doo a bit.)

So, we have two new flat screen TV's, one more to go. Also have a new water heater. Going to get the other TV, the DVD player, and the garage door openers this weekend.

Stuff can be replaced. Glad we have insurance. Most of all, glad my house is still intact and my family is safe.

Addicted

2009-06-04T20:09:00.006-05:00

Is it wrong that I love an inanimate object? Is it wrong that I sound totally eighties when I say, "My new camera is the bomb!"? I love this camera! Take a look at the pictues below to see why...

Could there be two more beautiful children in the world to photograph?

I Got One!

2009-06-03T20:56:00.006-05:00

My husband loves me! Of course, I knew this already, but today, he totally surprised me and got me a new digital SLR camera! Considering Blake hates to spend money, I never figured he would get me one. I had been dropping hints left and right, but that's never done me any good before!

He says it was an anniversary present. Not sure I have been that great of a wife - better step it up a notch! I don't have an anniversary gift for him. Uh oh.

A couple pics I took tonight with my new camera. I definitely need to take a class or something. Not sure I know how to operate the damn thing.

So Tired

2009-05-29T18:14:00.003-05:00

Evan gave it up around midnight last night. What exactly does she not like about sleeping? I'm awful tired today. Imagine that.