A Penny....

A penny....is what shot out of my daughter's mouth this week after I did the HEIMLICH! I know...totally crazy! Especially since Cooper and I were sitting RIGHT beside her when it happened. Luckily, she crawled right over to me when she realized what was wrong. It has been years since I took the Red Cross safety class and I definitely will be repeating it. I'm a little rusty, but luckily remembered enough to get it out! We are feeling super lucky and it didn't faze her....however Cooper thought I was trying to hurt her! If anyone is interested in brushing up their skills, let me know and I will sign you up for the class with me.

I also have enlisted Cooper to be the "money magnet." He's on the search for any coin he can find for his piggy bank. I never realized how much change you can find lying around. We match everything that goes into their piggy banks...why does this feel like the "finders/keepers" story from February?? The little entrepreneur is at it again.

Kobe Night!

Last Friday night Ryan and I hit up Kobe with my brother and sister-in-law. Somehow I tend to get over-involved and ended up trying out my skills at our table...I may have been over served?! We were celebrating a Tigers win, so it was off to Shiloh! Needless to say, a great time was had by all and looking forward to going out with Pat & Jill again soon!

Masterpiece!

Check out my little artists! I love putting toys and books away and then rotating them every once and while...it's like Christmas all over again! I broke out the easel and big rolls of paper yesterday and they went to town! I would HIGHLY recommend the Melissa & Doug http://www.melissaanddoug.com/ line for arts and crafts. We love the huge watercolors, paint containers and brushes!

Sadie's Words

Boy has Sadie girl learned to communicate! I realized tonight as she was drinking out of my glass and demanding, "Mo! Mo!," that she was really asking for "more." So here is another one of my lists...

• Bee Bee = Baby
• Ba Ba = Bottle
• Bo Bo = Cooper
• Da Da = Daddy
• Ma Ma = Mommy
• Ga Ga = Grandpa LaFarge
• Na Na = Grandma LaFarge
• Ball!
• Bye Bye
• Nigh Nigh = Night Night
• NaNaNa = No No

I'm amazed at how quickly their little minds learn to communicate! She's even started taking commands which is really cool....bringing you something, taking something to someone else, sitting down, picking up her babies, etc. Truly amazing...such a smart cookie!! It's so fun to watch them learn, but so sad to grow out of the "baby" stage! Mommy loves you sissy!

An Interview with Coop

I read this hysterical interview our photographer did with her kids and couldn't wait to ask Cooper some questions. It was really entertaining to hear his answers and see how he interpreted the questions. We both had so much fun that we did it twice...first for Mommy and than for Daddy. I think you will get a kick out of them too and may enjoy asking a child in your life the same one's! Enjoy!

1. What is something that Mommy always says to you? "Go ride your four-wheeler." (I'm thinking that's what he wants me to say!) What about Daddy? "Wanna go to the farm, buddy?"
2. What makes Mom happy? "When I be good." And Daddy? "When I pick up my room."
3. What makes Mommy sad? "When I be mean." And Daddy? "If I don't pick up my room."
4. How does your Mom make you laugh? "Tickle Me!" And Daddy? "Tickle Me!"
5. What was Mommy like when she was little? "Like a Barbie." And Dad? "Like a hunter." (my little chauvinist!)
6. How old is your Mom? "62." (Surely he was joking??) And Dad? "I forgot."
7. How tall is your Mom? "28?" (Confused look on this one!) And Daddy? "This BIG!"
8. What is her favorite thing to do? "Cook" What about Dad? "Go to the Farm with me and ride four-wheelers!" (Can you tell he LOVES going to the farm?)
9. What does she do when you are not around? "Go to the Lake and go shopping!" What about Daddy? "Looks for me."
10. If your Mom becomes famous, what will it be for? "Showing dogs." (Surely he was joking again??) What would Daddy be? "A Bull Rider!" (Now this I have to see!)
11. What is your Mom really good at? "Ridin' horses." (He said this one in his best hick voice...not a far stretch from his normal voice! I think he WANTS me to be good at this, but he has NEVER seen me on a horse!) What is Daddy good at? "Ridin' bulls!"
12. What is your Mom not very good at? "Rakin' leaves and yard work." And Daddy? "Ridin' on my back...he's too big!"
13. What does your Mom do for her job? "Sprint!" Where does Daddy work? "The Capitol."
14. What is your Mom's favorite food? "Green beans." (Thank God he didn't say cupcakes!) And Daddy? "Tomatoes."
15. What makes you proud of your Mom? "When she picks up her room." And Daddy? "When he rides his four wheeler." (I swear he knows how to do other things!)
16. If your Mom were a cartoon character, who would she be? "A Bull Rider!" (Here we go again with the cowgirl dreams!)
17. What do you and your Mom do together? "Get slushies!"
18. How are you and your Mom the same? "We love each other the same...to the moon and back!" (This one made me melt!)
19. How are you and your Mom different? "When I go to the Farm, you go to the Lake."
20. How do you know your Mommy loves you? "Because you tell me!"

Farm Days

This weekend Ryan and Cooper were able to spend some "boy time" at the farm. The others attending were my Dad (GaGa), my Grandpa (PaPa) and Luis (LuLu). By the looks of the mounds of laundry they brought home I think they had a great time! The weather was warm, so Cooper was able to fish and put some miles on his Gator. He drove his Gator so late, they had to attach a light so they could see him!

Cooper (and others!) think PaPa is a real hoot and Cooper soaks up EVERYTHING he says...some of which we won't be sharing!! But I really got a kick out of this one and thought it was worth repeating!

Cooper: Mom, do you know how to catch a Polar Bear?

Me: Ummm....no.

Cooper: Well...first you cut a whole in the ice. Then, you sprinkle peas around it. Then you wait for the Polar Bear to come take a pee....and kick him in the ice hole!!

I think I have heard this at least 25 times and it gets funnier every time he tells it!

Movie Night!

We decided a few weeks ago that we needed to start having some more "quality time" with the kids, where we are totally focused on them....i.e. no Blackberry's, laptops, phones or news. This proves to be challenging with busy schedules and Ryan at the Capitol, but we choose Friday nights as "movie night." What goes better with movies than homemade pizza? Cooper was very proud of his pizza complete with "sausage balls"! So we made some pizzas and pallets on the floor and snuggled in for the show! We all had a great time, especially Cooper and I'm sure Sadie will follow suit as she gets bigger. One more reason to look forward to Friday's!

Where does the time go??

I can't believe I haven't posted since February! My intentions are good, but things have been crazy around here with birthdays, doctors appointments and adjusting to new schedules (and time changes...blah!). I have a list of things to post about and they will be coming soon...hopefully later today!

Happy Birthday Sadie!

Wow....our little girl is already 1! I can hardly believe it. I remember when I was pregnant with Cooper and everyone told us how fast if would go by, but really the last 4 years have been a blur! Anyway- we had a fun little family gathering at our house to celebrate Sadie Re's 1st Birthday, complete with her own cake. And boy did she get into it! We went straight from the highchair to the bathtub! Everyone enjoyed watching her and she was quite the ham with her gifts too. It is hilarious to see her "oh and ah" over clothes and shoes...such a girlie girl!