I Have No Idea What We Did In April...

Okay, so I used to be a pretty consistent blogger.  I managed to write something about our family and get a little humor in there to boot at least once a week.  And then I started writing about once a month.  And now who knows when I will write.  Good grief!  The blog has been on the back burner.  That's the bad news.  The good news is that my family has not.  I've been busy being super mom so blogging just had to wait.

I have a lot to tell you and probably a hundred pictures to share.  But I am going to majorally condense it and spare you some time. 

I left off right after the girls' birthdays in March.  Okay, so what did we do in April and May?  I realize that you may not care what we did in April and May, but here's the thing, each year I turn my blog entries into a blog book at Christmas time and this serves as a scrapbook/journal/story of our lives book for my kids to enjoy when they're older.  So bear with me.  If you've made it this far, you're going to hear about what we did in April and May.  I honestly can't remember a darn thing about April right now.  It was uneventful but I am sure my kids were adorable every day.  It was a cold April.  The end.  On to May:  I had the most beautiful azaleas in Flora in May.  I gave myself the "Awesome Azaleas Award."  Here's a pic:

I participated in the Depot Variety Show play again this year.  We had a great time.  This year we did Saturday Night Live skits and they were hilarious.  Maleah has had a part in the last two depot shows but unfortunately this year there weren't any children parts.  She went to dress rehearsal with me this year and they decided that they needed a young girl in the show that night (she had to go pull Justin Bieber offstage).  She was in the right place at the right time and got the part.  So we were both in it and we had a blast.  Here are some pics:

I was playing a teenager.  Can't you tell?

Backstage before my scene with one of my favorite co-stars.

Fake glasses.  Adorable kid.

Waiting for her part.

Ben VanHyning (our preacher) falling/flipping

in his part as the Motivational Speaker.

Maleah lost a tooth during Opening Night.

She was so happy!

Her part pulling "Justin Bieber" aka Dave

Billingsley off the stage.  He was also

the photographer for the weekend and took all

of these pictures from the shows.

My Art Gallery scene with Two Wild and Crazy Guys!

Me and my friend Penny before our Art Gallery scene.

And then, at the end of May/beginning of June, I went on a Mom's Getaway to Chicago with my friends Deb and Kate.  It was just us three girls and we took the train up from Effingham and went to Chicago.  We stayed with Deb's aunt-by-marriage who had a gorgous condo overlooking Lake Michigan.  It was a wonderful little trip.  We did some shopping, had some museum time, etc.  It was fun but I missed my family.  I love my getaways but I love coming home too. 

Here are some of my observations about Chicago:

• It is a different world.
• The food is too fancy.  For example:  "What kind of toast do you want?" asked the waiter.  I replied, "White."  "Uh.  Hmmm.  I don't think we have that."  "Okay," I say.  "How about wheat then."  "Hmm" he says, "We have (insert 3 or 4 fancy bread names here) or sourdough."  "I will take sourdough then." I say.  Whew!  Around here it is just white or wheat!
• Take the architectural boat tour when the sun is shining.  Don't wait for later.  It might rain.
• Lake Michigan is beautiful but there is no sign of life in it.  Weird.  No dolphins like the ocean.  No fish around the rocks like any other lake.  No turtles.  No nothin'.
• It is windy.  For real.
• I saw a lady walking a fish in a bowl down the street.  For real.
• I saw a lady carrying a dining room chair on the bus.  For real.
• I saw homeless people.
• I saw a lady holding a sign that said, "My name is Pookie.  Please help.  I have no money and no job.  Anything helps."  She had me at my name is Pookie.  What the heck?  Were her parents hoping to get a puppy and got her instead or what?  I wanted to help her simply because her name was Pookie.  Poor thing.  Sadly, I did not give her any money because at the time I didn't have any small bills on me.  And although I felt badly for Pookie I didn't want to give her a twenty.  I was on a budget for my girls weekend!  I feel bad that I didn't.
• I had the best pancake of my life in Chicago.  Gatlinburg ain't got nothin' on Chicago's pancakes.
• Riding the train is fun and super easy.
• We had a wonderful, sweet, and generous hostess.
• My love affair with Macy's was only made stronger in Chicago.
• I went to a Blow Dry Bar for the first time.  No drinks.  Just me, my friends, and some serious blow drying going on.  We walked out of there looking like the rock stars that we are.
• We had a serious discussion about gnats while sitting in the bird room at the Field Museum.  Good times!
• Everyone owns a dog in Chicago and they all walk them constantly.  Except for the one girl with the fish - but everybody else has a dog.
• It is a different world.

Here are some Chicago pics:

Just me.  Right outside Union Station in Chicago.

We went to an art fair at Millenium Park

and I had my picture taken with this lovely lady.

Did I mention that I was freezing?  What the crap?

I thought it was June!

The view from the balcony at the condo.

Down by the lake near the condo.

Deb and Kate - two of my besties.

Me and Sue.  She's so bony compared to me.

And then, we started our busy June.  We are only 11 days into it but it is shaping into a busy month.  Maleah went to church camp for an overnight stay and had a great time.  That was last Friday and we picked her up on Saturday.  I brought her home, did all of her laundry, repacked it, and then we took her to 4-H camp at Monticello on Sunday.  She is still there now and will come home on Thursday.  I haven't heard from her so I hope that is a good sign.  I hope she is having a fabulous time!  She was a little teary-eyed when I left so I hope she isn't homesick.  She has been looking forward to this for months.  I hope she isn't disappointed.  I loved 4-H camp when I was her age and I think she will too.  We are also gearing up for a vacation and all kinds of other summer fun.  I will try to do a better job about updating the blog with that stuff.

Some personal updates on my little ones.  Silas has been walking since early April.  He has now progressed to running everywhere.  He is still a very laid-back, very sweet boy.  Not much gets him upset.  He loves to eat, loves his sisters, loves music (claps along to Jimmy Buffett - his Dad is going to kill me for turning him into a parrothead), and he loves to sleep (Thank you Jesus!). 

Carissa is four and I think four is a hard age.  It was Maleah's worst year for behavior (way worse than age 2).  Carissa is proving no different than her sister and is challenging me every step of the way.  I win almost every time.  I am the queen and she is my subject.  She is just having a hard time understanding that.  Besides being challenging, she is also incredibly smart, absolutely adorable, and says the sweetest things ever to me.  She loves me and I love her.

Maleah is doing great.  Obviously, she is a busy girl this summer.  She is smart and sweet and beautiful.  She loves to read and ride her bike.  Not at the same time though.  She is a big help to me and I don't know what I would do without her.  Love that girl!  And I miss her like crazy right now!!

Jason and I are doing great.  We almost traded in our car for something bigger this month.  I looked all over for a used Suburban like what I wanted.  I never found one exactly like what I wanted (right color and I'm picky about options) and we were wishy-washy about trading anyway.  Long story short - we have decided that we like the idea of not having a car payment better than having a bigger car.  I just don't think it was meant to be.  I guess down the road I will have a bigger ride with more room but for now I just ordered a luggage carrier to put on top of our car instead.  That will get us through vacation anyway.  And it was so much cheaper than a new car!  $100 dollars on Amazon vs. thousands for a new car - um, no brainer.  What else is new with us?  Hmmm.  Well, I am still writing for babygizmo.com.  I don't write real often but just a few articles here and there is perfect for me.  I could write as often as I wanted to and they would print it I think but with my schedule I just don't want to write that often.  So this set-up of "just whenever" works for me.  I love it!

And that's it, folks!  That's all she wrote.  I can't think of anything else right now.  I will update again soon.  I think I always say that though.  Ha!

Birthdays, Easter, and a Sick Doctor

 

The Cooper Family has been super busy - as usual.  March was our big "birthday" month.  Maleah turned 8 on the 22nd and Carissa turned 4 on the 26th.  Maleah chose to go to American Girl with her friends this year, rather than have a party.  I shared pictures of that last time.  But this time I have pictures of her actual birthday and Carissa's Rapunzel Party at the Depot Train Room.  It was super fun!  We had the party on the Sunday before her birthday and it snowed that day!  It also snowed on Carissa's 2nd birthday (so, note to self, it's not that unusual to get a big wet snow at the end of March).  It was a really yucky and slick day out but we still had family and friends show up to help celebrate.  We actually had a thundersnow that day.  Kinda cool.

Carissa with her Rapunzel cake. 

Carissa opening presents.  These blocks were from

Grandma Sherrel and Grandpa Clarence. (Note, the purple shoes,

they go with everything, apparently.)

The birthday girl standing in front of the miniature

train display at the Depot.

There is a camera on the front of the miniature train and it records

as it goes along the track and then the images are displayed on

this big-screen tv.  If you stand in the right spot, you can get

on tv too.  So here is Maleah, Carissa and Jack Thatcher, who

was setting it up for us and showing us how it worked. 

The girls loved it!

Rapunzel waiting on the train to come by.

The girls also got to open up presents at home on their actual birthdays.  Maleah got an ipod.  She was thrilled!  She then gave her Kindle Fire to Carissa because she said she didn't need it anymore.  She decided to do that all on her own.  I was very proud of her for being so generous.  She really does love her sister.  Carissa got a variety of stuff - an Etch a Sketch, blocks, princesses, etc.  Both girls got a Glo Aquarium.  It comes with a black light and we bought Glo Fish to put in it.  They glow and the girls love them!  Maleah got two orange ones and named them Katie and Lila.  Carissa got an orange one she named Goldilocks, a pink one she named Pinky Winky Doo, and a green one named John Deere Shotgun Shells.  That name must be sung, not said.  After several weeks they are all still alive and doing well. Woo-hoo!

Maleah's ipod has a camera.  We went to the Club for her birthday supper and she was busy taking pictures while we were there.

Here is Grandpa David

Grandma Debby

Daddy and Maleah getting ready to go to dinner.

She also got a rose and a balloon at school that day.

She was having a really great day!

Maleah took this of her sister and I think it is adorable!

I took this one for her. 

The birthday girl with her aquarium.

Carissa on her party day, opening her Rapunzel hair

and dress to wear to the party later.

Carissa opening her aquarium and Maleah reading the cards to her.

Carissa picked TGI Friday's for her birthday supper.  She based that

decision solely on the fact that they have good ice cream.

Maleah likes their ice cream too.

Silas liked it too.  But that kid eats everything and anything.

 

 

Okay, so birthdays are fun but I am glad they are over!  I have a lot to do at birthday time and to be honest, it's a bit stressful planning everything.  I also have this problem where I can't shop for the next holiday until I have birthdays over.  For example, in December, I can't shop for Silas' Christmas presents until his birthday is over and done with.  Same thing with the girls, I can't shop for Easter gifts until their birthdays are over.  Otherwise, I just feel overwhelmed.  So, this year Easter was a bit on the early side so I had exactly four days between birthday season and Easter.  Four days to buy for and prepare Easter baskets.  Eeek!  I hope Easter is in April next year. 

Easter was fun though!  And I had everything ready that needed to be.  The kids all got new swimsuits in their Easter baskets (from the Easter Bunny and in their baskets from Grandma Debby and Grandpa David) so they are all set and ready for summer.  We went to church on Easter morning and the girls looked beautiful.  Silas looked handsome too.  The girls wore matching purple floral dresses with little purple cardigans over them because it was chilly.  Carissa refused to wear her white church shoes so instead she wore purple Saucony tennis shoes with hers.  It truly wasn't worth the fight to make her change shoes. We had Easter dinner at Uncle Timmy and Aunt RaeAnn's house.  The kids loved the Easter Egg Hunt.  They girls both left with between $30 and $40, winning lottery tickets, and Dairy Queen dollars.  You can't beat that!  Silas hunted eggs this year too.  He loved holding the eggs - they were the perfect size for his little hands.

Maleah, preparing for the big hunt

Silas will walk while holding on to someone's fingers

but he won't let go.  He has taken only a few steps on

his own but will not do it very often.  Him and Grandpa

did a lot of walking like this at Easter.

Carissa and Cadence eating some dessert.

Hunting eggs on his hands and knees.

Carissa did this the day before Easter.  She took marker and painted

her nose to look like a bunny.  She also took pink marker

and drew on whiskers, although they are harder to see.  Why did

she do this?  Because she wanted to look like the Easter Bunny!

Of course she was unsupervised and I was a little freaked out

but I had to take a picture.  It took a lot of scrubbing to get

that off before church on Sunday morning.  We managed and I

doubt anyone noticed that there was a tinge of black still left

on her nose.  They were probably looking at her shoes.

 

Here is a picture I took this year to compare to one I took last year at Easter:

Bryan and Jamie's baby, Kendyll, and Silas last year.

Jamie, Kendyll, Silas, and Me this year at Easter.

It's amazing the difference a year can make!

 

 Here is a picture from last August at Uncle Timmy's house, compared to a picture from this Easter:

 

 

 

A couple of weeks ago, my uncle Ted and his soon-to-be wife Michelle rode their horses by our house.  Carissa fed the horses grass and Silas is the very first Mini Cooper to sit on a horse.  Go Silas!  He wasn't freaked out at all until I walked off to get the camera. 

 

 

And here is our little eater after he had spaghetti for supper.

This boy will eat and eat.  He will sit at the table longer

than anyone else and still be eating.  It cracks me up!

Just one of the many ways in which my little boy

is so different than my girls.

 

A few weeks ago we traveled down to Eddyville, Illinois, which is just south of Harrisburg for a birthday party for my friend Heather's little boy Mason.  Heather is my friend Jessi's little sister and she and her family live in North Carolina.  It was so fun to see them all and finally have Silas and Mason meet!  However, I had forgotten my camera and got no pictures of the whole day.  Boo!  Maleah got to play with Ali, Mason's big sister.  It was so nice to see my "other family."  And I got to eat Peking Palace on the way home!  I was a happy girl. 

 

In more recent news, our poor little Carissa has been sick.  :(  Last week she started running a fever and was vomiting.  It seemed to be short-lived and the next day, she was fine, just didn't have any appetite.  Then the next day, she vomited again after getting grossed out from watching a goat being milked at a petting zoo.  I truly thought it was just the goat that made her sick because she got a little green watching it.  We jumped in the car, headed home, and she puked at home (thankfully, not at the petting zoo!).  After she puked, she was fine again.  We played all afternoon with our friend Vivian and had a great time.  The next day, she woke up fine again and we planned an afternoon of kite-flying at Grandma and Grandpa's.  I bought a couple of big new kites and kite string and off we went.  Grandma was also fixing us a big lunch.  We walked in the door at Grandma's and Carissa headed to the bathroom and puked.  Off and on throughout this whole past week she told me that her stomach hurt and would point at her belly button.  It suddenly dawned on me that this child might have appendicitis.  Her on again, off again symptoms, the stomach pain, fever, etc all looked like it could be appendicitis.  I spoke to a few nurses and Jason and I came to the conclusion that we should have her checked.  She laid around at Grandma's, very lethargic.  We ended up at the ER that evening.  It took FOREVER!  We didn't get home until midnight.  They decided that it wasn't her appendix but told us to keep an eye on her and if she isn't better in two days to take her to the doctor.  They decided that it was just a virus that she couldn't quite shake.  They agreed that we were right to bring her in because her symptoms were a bit weird and did point to possible appendicitis.  I guess it's better to be safe than sorry.  Today, she puked again and is lethargic on the couch.  I am trying to keep her hydrated but it's not easy.

 

She was very brave in the ER and told me in a very small and tiny voice, "I am very brave because I am a doctor too."  It was quite possibly her very cutest moment ever.  She also told the lab techs the same thing.  "I am very brave because I am a doctor too."  They were surprised but just played along.  She was so meek and so quiet when she said it.  I think she really believed that she was a doctor then.  Hopefully she starts feeling better soon!  I don't like my little doctor being sick.

 

And that pretty much brings us up to date. Now we are just enjoying the nice spring weather and waiting for summer.  Come on summer!  We are ready!

February Made Me Shiver... With Every Paper I'd Deliver...

I know it's been forever but here is a Cooper Family Update!  We have been super busy and it just seems hard to find the time to spend on the blog.  Sorry friends.  :(  Has it been cold out or what?  Brrr!  Come on Spring!!!

I left off at the beginning of February so let me back up to that point.  It seems like a long time ago so hopefully I can remember some things.  Let's see, I had a birthday.  I turned 34 years old.  I can remember when my Mom was 34 years old and I thought she was so old!  Ha!  We all went out for supper at TGI Fridays, along with my parents, and it was delicious.  I opened some very nice pajamas, underwear, and money while we were there.  We all admired the card and the pajamas but I did not hold up the underwear in the restaurant for all to see.  Even though I am 34 I still like it when my Mom buys me new underwear.  :)  Jason's Mom fixed me a casserole that week so I didn't have to cook for a night.  (Very thoughtful, she is.) I also received some money from them and from my brother and Nikki.  I pooled all of my birthday together and bought myself something really cool...  a professional nail kit! 

No more nail salons for me baby!  I am doing them at home now.  See, I love to have my nails done with the Gel Nail Polish that stays on for like 3 weeks at a time.  It makes my nails super hard and they don't break, chip, crack, nothin', for the longest time.  I got tired of spending 30 bucks on it at least once a month (plus I felt guilty about it); plus it would take forever every time I went to the salon; plus I hated dragging the kids in there and it was hard to find time to go without the kids.  Uggh.  It had to end.  I found out I could buy the UV drying light for $28 on Amazon and I was sold.  I went to Sally Beauty Supply, got some advice, and a great starter kit.  I ended up spending about $150 for everything and I am not planning on going back to the salon for anything other than an occasional summer pedicure. 

A week or so after my birthday, we went to Harrisburg to my all-time favorite restaurant, Peking Palace, and had awesome Chinese food.  Our friend Becky Stafford met us there and we had a nice visit.  After that we drove over to Marion so that I could go to Target to take back a lamp.  (Cute lamp, didn't work.)  Here are some pics from our Harrisburg/Marion day:

Silas drove us down there.  Just kidding!  They were

waiting in the parking lot for me!

The kiddos by the fountain in the Marion mall.

Another February event:  My friend Melissa Smith and her husband Adam had a baby boy.  They named him Connor Levi.  He is such a cute little baby.  The girls couldn't wait to hold him and Melissa was nice enough to let them. 

Maleah and baby Connor

Carissa and baby Connor

The girls both had eye exams in February.  Carissa's was an ordeal, let me tell you.  That girl can't stand anyone touching her eyes or even trying to touch her eye.  She put up quite the fight, which was unfortunate because we thought she might need glasses so the dr had to really check them good.  The end result?  She is on the line for needing glasses.  We held off and are hoping for two things at her next appointment.  1.  That her eyes are better, not worse.  2.  That she cooperates.  Maleah's appointment went fine and her vision is great.

I think that about wraps it up for February, so moving on to March - also known as Birthday Month for the girls here.  Maleah's is the 22nd and Carissa's is the 26th.  Silas was due on the 22nd and I can't imagine trying to plan three birthdays this week!  That would be crazy!  I am glad it didn't work out like that.  The girls have had a skating party for the past three years but this year they decided to do something a little different.  Maleah decided to forego a party altogether if she could go to the American Girl Store with her friends.  It was also her friend Dani's birthday too and that is what Dani wanted to do for her "party" as well.  So last Saturday, Maleah, Dani, Dani's Mom Jenny, another friend Erica, and myself all went to St. Louis to the American Girl Store.  It was a fun day.  We ate at the Cheesecake Factory, shopped till we dropped, rode a huge carousel, and the girls especially had a fabulous day!  Maleah was so tired on Sunday. 

Maleah had gotten an American Girl doll for Christmas so she went with us, as well as the other girls' dolls.  They had a salon station in the store and the girls all had their dolls' hair done.  They also bought them some new outfits.  Here are some pics:

Our friend Erica Weidner getting her dolls hair fixed.

Maleah Rose and her doll, Mia.

Maleah, Erica, and Dani

Maleah at American Girl

This is the only two-story carousel that I have ever seen.

The girls rode it twice and would have liked to have

rode it all afternoon if we would've let them.

Carissa did not go with us to St. Louis and instead she is having a Rapunzel party.  She is really into Rapunzel right now.  We were going to have it at home but then Carissa discovered the new train room at the Depot in Flora.  It has a huge train display in it that is really cool and is a smaller room than the big room upstairs.  It is perfect for kids' parties.  We have rented that instead and I guess now we will be having a Rapunzel/train party.  Ha!  She is going to love it!  (Although, she did get confused and had a moment of panic and asked, "Wait!  When are we going to skate?!")  Here is a recent self-portrait of our funny little blonde:

Early in March I applied for a job.  Yes, I know!  Can you believe it?  It's not really a job, per se, it's just something more or less for me to do for fun.  The Baby Gizmo Company was looking for some writers and I applied.  I sent in some of the stuff I have written, along with a review of a baby product.  Baby Gizmo is a blog/online review website for baby products, kid's stuff, parenting information, recipes, crafts, etc.  And guess what?  They loved me!  Okay, okay, they never used the word "love" but they were interested and I wrote a blog post for them and they are planning on publishing it soon.  And I think I will get to keep writing for them and if it all works out and I want to write on a regular basis I will be considered a Senior Editor.  Doesn't that sound impressive?  Right now, I am doing it on a trial basis so we will just have to wait and see.  So, because of my new "job" I needed to send them a photo of me to use with my online biography.  But sadly, I did not have a good shot of myself, so I called my friend and my Dad's cousin, Dawn Cox and she took some pics of me.  It was a beautiful snowy day out.  Thank you Dawn for doing this for me!  Now I can have a good picture of me to go online.  :)

I don't always roll my jeans up, but when I do

it's muddy.  (I didn't think my jeans would show, lol.)

Silas sat in the car, very very sleepy, while me and the girls

had our pictures taken in the snow by Dawn.

It was too cold for him...

In Silas news, he is doing awesome!  He went to the doctor for his one year appointment (I missed the one in December and I finally ended up taking him in March.  I can't help it.  He's my 3rd kid.  Suddenly, well-baby checks seem less important.)  He was fine.  (I already knew that.)  He weighed 21 pounds!  He was in the 14th percentile for weight now (beats 0 percentile) and he was in the 47th percentile for height.  How about that?  Another tall and skinny Mini Cooper?  I believe so.  He has been getting his RSV-prevention shots, Synagis, all winter, and has been one healthy little dude.  We all had a bit of a cold one time but other than that my kids have been healthy.  Maleah was puny with a fever-type thing one time but the rest of us didn't get it and I have the stomach flu a few weeks ago, but nobody else got it.  My goal was to keep that baby healthy this winter and for him not to get anything respiratory-related and so far, so good. 

He still is not walking but he is so close!  He isn't even supposed to be one year old yet and I keep reminding myself of that.  He will do it when he is ready so we are just waiting for him to be ready.  I am just thankful that he doesn't have any disabilities preventing him from walking.  And guess who loves lasagna?  THIS guy!!! 

I think that pretty much wraps up the Cooper News.  I can't wait to post some pics of all of playing outside.  We are so ready for Spring!!  Soon, I hope...