Baby Steps

One small step for most babies, one HUGE leap for Lukey! Yeah, it actually might happen!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Hh-Hearts

H is for hearts! We did our letter today and I cut a heart out of a sponge and then Cooper dipped it in paint and applied it to the paper. He was slamming his palm down on the sponge and then cracking up with laughter. It was really funny and he didn't want to stop. I had to pry the nasty sponge out of his hand! Then he started drawing and he drew a face and then a "c" and and "e". This is the first recognizable things he's done. It was so cool to see him connect with the marker finally!

Japanese Names

Have you ever heard that joke about how Asians come up with their interesting names? Apparently they throw pots and pans down the stairs and whatever sound the metal makes is what they name their child. Well, we could have named the whole nation of Japan with all the banging going around in this kitchen!

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

Our Monday Book Project was "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom". This is an adorable book about the letters of the alphabet climbing a coconut tree. I loved reading it because it has this really cool rhythm to it.Cooper loved it also, I had to read it to him 3 times! Can't hate that, right? He had so much fun putting all of the letters on the tree trunk. Then we painted his feet green to make the leaves and thumb printed for the coconuts. I'm telling you, this feet painting thing is amazing!
Even Ethan was feeling the fun!

Roses are Red, Violets are Something Else

Yes, that's for me. Mr H. came with a lovely surprise. How adorable! Thank you much!

Easter Fun

We did this fun project on Friday with Linc and Ella and the kids were totally captivated with having their feet painted. It was like I was walking on water. They couldn't believe that I was painting their feet! Anyhow, they loved it and Cooper points to it on his wall every morning and informs me that it's "my bunny". You're right, little guy, he's all yours!

My Version of Heaven

Okay, so, I had a thought on Sunday that I want to write down for the record. I like to expect that I'm going to the celestial kingdom. I remember hearing a quote once from someone important talking about how too many people think that getting into the celestial kingdom is going to be harder than we all expect. He said that we need to live with the confidence we'll be there because we probably will. Well, I consider myself a pretty faithful person who keeps most of the commandments on a daily basis--okay, I drink a lot of Diet Coke, but that's not technically against the rules, right?? Anyhow, so sometimes when I'm feeling really fantastical I like to imagine what my heaven will be like:

Jake, my kids, those I love, good friends can come and visit of course, lots of Cadbury chocolate, no more exercising, I'll be a size 6 effortlessly, gold roads, a chocolate fondue fountain with an abundance of dippables, pizza, Top Gun on instant replay with an occasional Last of the Mohicans interspersed, I'll be amazing at pretty much anything I want to do, I'll think of a scrapbook page I want to do and it will just appear, sleeping past 8 am, drive my forest green Jeep Wrangler, never have to shave anything again!, no periods, etc. etc. etc.

But here's the kicker--my heaven WILL have no dogs, no bees, no wasps, no mosquitoes--to sum it up let's just say it will be animal-less ONLY HUMANS ALLOWED!!
But seriously, what about those people who love dogs? I really can't be happy existing next to a neighbor who has a dog--that would not be heaven to me.

So...do dogs really go to heaven?

Cookie Monster on Hickory Hill

We read a fun book from the library for our Monday book project and Ella kept insisting that we keep careful watch over the cookies so as to prevent the cookie monsters from stealing the cookies (it's all part of the story). Oh, we kept careful watch-don't worry! Nobody messes with my cookies! Argh! I love this pic because Cooper totally took on the part of the cookie monster. Here he's trying to eat the book and growling:Anyhow, we made the cookies together and Jake declared them to be "the best cookies I have EVER had!" Yeah, obviously, since there are still half of them sitting on the counter. Or maybe sugar just doesn't tempt him like it does the rest of the world? Sometimes I'm convinced of that!

Gg-Grapes, Gum, Gloves, Glasses GALORE!

Coop really loved this one! He got to chew gum, wear gloves, sport sunglasses, eat grapes, play with balloons, and dip his fingers in slimy paint! Doesn't he look like the coolest dude??

Love, Love, Love--Crazy Love!

You know, there are some days that I wake up and think, "what have I done to myself with all of these children, I am so tired!?" But most days I wake up thinking, "what did I do to deserve so many wonderful blessings in my life?" Today at playgroup my amazing friend Jenn was sharing a very personal and touching story about her little girl, Hayley, who passed away in womb 2 days before her due date. Her courage, fortitude, and faith touch me in ways that are hard to describe. I have so, so many fears about my children dying before me and it overwhelms me just to consider it. They are the reason I get up in the morning and they are my happiness on a daily basis. (Jake-you make me extremely happy too!) They are constantly in my thoughts and prayers. I am so incredibly grateful for EVERY day and moment that I get to spend with each one of them. Thank you for all of my crazy blessings!

Future Prophet in da House!

Last night I put the boys to bed around 8 and told them Jake would come in to say good night when he got home from school. So, we both went in there around 8:45 and they were both still awake. So funny--Cooper was lounging on his bed reading this:
He was actually talking out loud to himself and pointing in the book and stuff. It was so stinking funny and so stinking cute! Melted my heart...

Ff, Frogs

F stands for what? Why, fish, of course! We had a fun one with this and even more fun with Linc and Ella. We just used Coop's thumb print for the body then added fins and bubbles with markers.The next day we made a frog craft with all of the monkeys. Yeah, it was messy...but it was fun! I was amazed at the concentration and effort they were putting into it. They're definitely no Monet, but for 2 and 3 year old they ain't bad!

Smiles

Seeing that smile makes all the sleepless nights, tears, bleeding (TMI??), hemmroids (TMI??), achy body, and pains worth it. I LOVE IT!!

Our Little Leprechaun!

Tribute to the Morgan's!!

YEAH!!

The Morgan's finally got a GIRL!!
We are so happy for you...and truth be told, incredibly jealous.
I sometimes dress poor Cooper up like a girl just to satisfy
my intense craving for some more estrogen in the house!!
p.s.--of course that's a joke, he does it to himself!

Monday Book Project

Today we read "The Rainbow Fish" and then made coffee filter rainbow fish. It was more fun that I thought it would be and the boys both really took to it. Plus, the book had a great theme about sharing-a big problem in this household. We just colored coffee filters with markers and then sprayed them with water. Then we used a hair dryer to dry them and then cut them into a fish shape. Then we added a mouth, eyes, and foil for that sparkly look. So easy, super affordable, and fun!

Another Day in the Life of Us

It's always fun when Daddy comes home. Do the rest of you feel this way? For some reason, once Jake comes home the family livens up and everything seems more fun. Maybe that's why fathers are meant to be in the home...to show kids that families are supposed to be nice and fun, not strict and always being yelled at by mom:). Granted, we are with them all day so we see their good and bad sides and have no tolerance for children by dinner time. Yeah for dad's coming home and rescuing mom's at the end of the day!

What Am I Raising?

I had to ask myself this question yesterday as Cooper did two very nasty and strange things.
First: He came running up to me today carrying this dead bird in his hand. Gross! Of course, he was fascinated by it and kept trying to revive it. How do you explain to a 2 year old that the darn thing is dead and no amount of stroking will bring it back?? It was a cute bird, though.
Then: Coop is being very sneaky and has that "I've done something I don't want you to know about" look. Uh oh! I asked him what he was eating. Nothing. Is that bread? Yeah. Oh my! He had dug out the top bun from my day old Chick-fil-A sandwich, which was residing in the garbage can (and not on the top of it). Gross! He was going to town on that thing. Oh well...just one day old bread sitting in a stale garbage isn't the worst thing he could eat.

Future profession: Dumpster Diver. At least I know he won't ever starve!

I'm Seeing Rainbows

Totally fun project! We put the yummy flavored marshmallows into a rainbow. They struggled with the concept at first but they caught on eventually. I will admit that most of the marshmallows went into the mouth and not on the paper--but oh well!