So Tired

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

Running on Fumes

Why won't Evan sleep? Did I do something bad in a past life? In this one? Who is punishing me and why? My left eye has started to twitch. Pretty sure it's due to sleep deprivation. Help!

Remembering

I left the kids with my parents and went shopping on Saturday. When I got back, we went to the cemetery. My grandpa (dad's dad) died in 95. He couldn't hear a lick and he watched Wheel of Fortune every night. I am reminded of him every year when we eat sweet corn from the garden. He couldn't eat it without getting butter and corn from ear to ear. I obviously miss him, but I didn't have a bond with him like I did with my grandma (mom's mom). She died last year. She would have been 103 this year. I miss her like crazy. She had a stroke five years ago - but until then, she lived alone, drove, volunteered. So kind and patient. Amazing lady. I went to her house after school and spent weeks at a time with her during the summers. I remember her always trying to get me to eat something - cookies, hot dogs, frozen pizza, grapes, mac and cheese. It was her thing to try to get you to eat when you were there for a visit. She always played games with me when I was there. We'd play Battleship and Sorry. When she died, I got the only thing I really wanted - her board games. They are old and tattered, but they are one of my most prized possessions. It's really like she's been gone since her stroke, but finally losing her was still a blow. I hated to go to the cemetery because for the four years she was in a nursing home, I could barely visit her without crying. And even after all this time, I can't not cry when I visit her grave. Time will help, I know, but I am still missing her like crazy. As my mom and Coop went up to the church, dad and I hung back and I said to him, "I miss Grandma". He said, "I know kiddo. Everybody does." Yep, that about sums it up.

What's really interesting is that my dad's dad and my mom's mom are buried only a few feet from one another. So, when my parents are gone, they will be buried a few feet from both their parents.

On the way home from the cemetery, Coop and I had the most hilarious conversation. I needed to laugh, and he came through for me. We drove past a brown house. The conversation went like this:
Coop - Mommy, that house was red!
Me - Nope, it was brown.
Coop - No, it was red.
Me - No, it was brown.
Coop - Mommy it was red.
Me - No, Cooper, it was brown.
Coop - Brown and red?
Me - No, just brown.
Coop - Brown and red?
Me - No only brown. Just brown. Not red.
Coop - Say you're sorry, Mommy.
Me - I'm not sorry. The house wasn't red. It was brown.
Coop - Mommy, that house was brown and red!
Me - It was brown.
Coop - It was brown and red.
Me - It was brown.
Coop - The roof was red.
Me - The roof wasn't red.
Coop - Mommy, it was red!
Me - OK, I'll give you the roof. It was red.
Coop - What was red?

Funny how a child can make everything ok.

One final thing... I had the SLR digital camera from work last week. Below is a pic I took of Evan. Beautiful picture. Definitely need a new SLR digital camera.

Digital SLR Camera

I want a lot of things - health and happiness for my children is at the top of the list, followed by a skinny butt, a bigger bank account, a new car, patio furniture, a deck to put the patio furniture on...the list goes on and on.

But, right now, I want a new camera. One that takes totally awesome pictures even if the user isn't a professional photographer. Why does a digital SLR have to cost so darn much?

I'll put it on my list of things I want. I do indeed have a list. I've found that if I write it down and set a goal, I am more likely to see it come to fruition.

Blake - if you're reading this, a new digital SLR camera would be a really nice anniversary gift. You did remember we have one of those coming up next month, right?

Meet Black Bob

Cooper found Black Bob tonight. Crap. I thought I had him hidden.

Two years ago, Blake's mom gave me one of Blake's most prized possessions from his childhood. Black Bob. Black Bob is a black cabbage patch kid doll. Not one of the real ones, one that someone who can sew makes at home. Everyone was getting a cabbage patch kid, and Blake wanted one too. Why he wanted a black one we'll never know.

Black Bob went everywhere with Blake when he was little. To the babysitter. To the store. He slept with him everynight. And when Blake outgrew him, his mom tucked him away in a closet.

After Cooper was born, I heard the story of Blake and Black Bob for the first time. I was shocked, horrified and thought it was possibly the funniest thing I have ever heard. I can see my husband as a child, red hair and pale skin, carrying around his black knockoff cabbage patch kid doll. I guess because I thought it was so funny, Blake's mom was compelled to dig Black Bob out of the closet and let me see him. Then it happened. She sent him home with me for Cooper. Oh my god.

So, I put him where he had spent the last 20 some years - the closet. But he was buried in the bottom of a tub of baby toys. I forgot about him until a few days ago when I got that tub of toys out to look through it - I thought there might be something in there for Evan to play with. And Cooper saw Black Bob. At first, Cooper said he was a monster. But now, Cooper is carrying around Black Bob like they are best friends. Oh my god.

Tonight, Cooper promptly undressed Black Bob. He wanted to see if he had a pecker or not (another story for another blog). He wanted to see his butt. He thought his belly button was his pecker.

So, after Cooper goes to bed, I'll be putting Black Bob where he is happiest (and where I am happiest) - in the closet.

Quotes I Like

A couple by Maya Angelou:
I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back.

One by Golda Meir:
At work, you think of the children you have left at home. At home, you think of the work you've left unfinished. Such a struggle is unleashed within yourself. Your heart is rent.

Mark Twain:
Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.

One from Zig Ziglar:
Many marriages would be better if the husband and the wife clearly understood that they are on the same side.

A proverb:
When the character of a man is not clear to you, look at his friends.

Finally, a quote by Anton Chekhov that fully describes how I feel:
Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.

Mother's Day

Blake took me to see a movie on Friday night for Mother's Day, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. He thought it was torture, but it was what I asked for. It was the first time he took me to see a movie since September 2002. My memory isn't that great. I only know when it was because we went on a mini vacay when we were dating, a short trip to Duluth, MN over Labor Day, and we saw a movie while we were there. Can't remember the name of the movie...

So, today was just a lounge around day. The kids and I hung out at Van and Cheryl's while Blake helped his dad and brother work calves. Tonight, Cheryl made baked beans and pasta salad, and Blake fried chicken livers. Yuck. Never tried them, never will. I had regular ol' chicken strips. I fed Evan some baked beans and she loved them, but she is acting a kittle gassy now!

Pics from today - Evan in her first Boomer Sooner sweatshirt, Cooper trying to drink from the frog fountain in the fish pond (unfortunately, he was successful), Blake posing on the fence in his dirty farm clothes. I had Blake take a picture of me and Evan since it is Mother's Day. I tried to get one of Cooper and me too, but he still doesn't like to have his picture taken. You have to surprise him - that's how I got the fish pond picture today.

Pictures, pictures, pictures

The great thing about digital cameras is that you don't have to develop film to see the photos you've taken. The terrible thing about digital cameras is that you don't have to develop the photos you've taken.

So, for the duration of my kids' lives, I haven't had any pictures developed. And that means that they don't have any pictures in albums.

I am a terrible mother.

That's why I spent nearly four hours yesterday picking pictures from my digital photo library to print. Pictures of Cooper and Evan from birth to present. 502 pictures. I ordered over $80 worth of 4x6's.

Now, all I have to do is get the pictures in albums when they arrive...

Here's a few of the pictures from the family collection that are favorites. If this blog would let me load more than five photos, I could fill the blog for pages and pages and pages!

Rupert

We have a love/hate relationship with Rupert. He plays well with Cooper/he marks his territory. He's a good watchdog of sorts (as good as you can be when you weigh 4 pounds)/he marks his territory. He snuggles under the blankets and keeps your feet warm on a cold night/he marks his territory. But, he's part of our family, so he deserves a spot on the blog.

Rupert had a rough start. Blake gave him to me for my birthday in 05. He nearly died the first week we had him (no idea what was wrong with him) which would have been totally unbearable since we got him to replace the last yorkie dog that died only a few weeks before. But, Blake "nursed" him back to health by force-feeding him yogurt with an eye dropper.

Rupert's original name was Pooper. But, when I found out I was pregnant with a boy and we wanted to name the baby Cooper, we had to change the dog's name. We couldn't have a dog named Pooper and a kid named Cooper - too much confusion. So, Rupert was re-named for Stewie's teddy bear on Family Guy.

Actually, if anyone knows of a good home for Rupert, let me know. Keep in mind, he marks his territory.

Never mind, I can't give him away.

Old McDonald had a...

We went to Granny and Grandad's hoping to see the baby squirrels. Damn squirrels weren't out again tonight. We'll try again tomorrow. But, while we were there, I took some pics of the kids in Granny's flower garden. Her flowers are just starting to bloom and are so pretty.

I cracked up driving home tonight. Cooper wanted to sing the Chipmunk Song (from Alvin and the Chipmunks), but I don't know the words. When I told him he needed to pick a different song, he said he wanted to sing Old McDonald. I was hopeful that we could sing the original version, but I also know that lately he's been singing "Old McDonald had a butt, eieio". I'm not sure who taught him that version, but he thinks it's hilarious. So, we're singing along and I pause when we get to the part where you fill in the animal, and he yells "butt"! So, we've progressed from "Old McDonald had a butt" to "Old McDonald had a farm, eieio, and on this farm he had a butt". Where does a two year old come up with this stuff? He proceeded to shout that Old McDonald had to pee, and Old McDonald had to poop, and he yelled something about Old McDonald's pecker. Again, where does he come up with this stuff? And, why does he think it's so funny?

Evan has started saying a word here and there - dog, dada, Per (that's Cooper in baby talk), and ball. Hopefully she doesn't learn the word "butt" any time soon.

Lazy Sunday

Everyone's in bed, and I should be too. Just waiting for a load of laundry to finish.

We had a great day outside - sunny and 70 degrees, perfect. The lilacs and redbuds are in bloom, and the little crabapple tree in front of our house bloomed this year. Coop helped Blake mow the yard, and Evan got to enjoy being outside a bit too, until I realized her face was getting a little too much sun. We came in to read a bit and watch a little TV, then everyone took a big nap! Gotta love lazy Sundays!

Cooper and Blake went fishing this evening while Evan and I ran to town to get some necessities. We stopped by Van and Cheryl's on the way home to see the baby squirrels, but they were already in bed. Hoping we can catch them tomorrow - Cheryl says there are five of them and they are so cute. Also hoping this wonderful weather is here to stay for a while.

This One's For You, Blake

Blake didn't seem all that interested in this blog when I ran the idea by him. But, when I showed it to him last night, his first question was "Where's the picture of my fish?" and then he asked, "What about my turkey picture?". So Blake, this post is dedicated to you and your outdoor conquests.