Cooper's Turning Three!

It's hard to believe that three years ago this week, our world was really thrown into a tailspin. We have, however, been able to see God work miracles through Cooper and experience hope through faithfulness. Here are a couple of pictures of Cooper and the ever important tractor cake.

November is Here

I haven't posted since August....I guess mostly because life just got in the way. Abby's been playing ball and we've been GOING every night of the week.

The kids and I went to Arkansas with my mother this weekend for my great-aunt's 80th birthday. It was an extremely quick trip and we're all glad to be home.

Cooper is having to patch his right eye for an hour every day in an effort to strength the left one. We go back in January so we'll see if it's working.

Now that ball is slowing down, maybe I can post more often. Will try to upload Halloween pics this week.

One Week Down!!! YAHOOOOOO!

So, I can't believe that it's been over two months since I've posted anything. So much for keeping up with things when I was off. We've made it through one week and are already anticipating a busy semester.

Abby is going to be playing league ball and has practice two days a week starting this week. She's also playing on a tournament team will practice one day a week until league ball is over. She hasn't said much about 2nd grade. That's not unusual, though. I usually find out what's going on when I least expect it.

Cooper is just Cooper. He has the biggest imagination. Last night he pretended that the faucet in the bathtub was a microphone and he was ordering chicken nuggets, fench fies, and a dr. peppper at McDonald's. We never know what's going to come out of his mouth. We stopped the potty training. He just kept saying "This not working."

I'm attaching a picture of Abby and her BFF with their 2nd grade teacher - not sure it's such a good idea that they're in the same class, but so far.... The other is a picture on the first day of school - Cooper couldn't be left out.

It's hard to believe that two weeks of my summer vacation have already passed. I'm so afraid that the rest of the summer will fly by, just as well. I have accomplished very few things that I wanted to at home this summer - a long list of decluttering.

Abby heads off to day camp tomorrow morning with a group of three other girls. We will put them on the bus each morning and meet the bus again in the afternoons. They are all excited. We've labeled all of our things, packed our backpack, and appear to be all set to leave tomorrow morning.

Cooper keeps asking "Where my go?" I don't think he's taking to much to the idea of just spending the days at home with mom. I'm sure we'll find plenty of things to occupy our time. (We just finished playing 30 minutes of basketball in his room and reading six books.)

Tim's back to work in the morning. Just another week or so, though, I think, and then maybe he'll have a few days off.

Summer's Finally Here

I officially out of school for the summer. WooHoo! I plan to spend the rest of today and tomorrow pricing everything I have for a garage sale on Saturday. I'm really hoping to have nothing left and can begin next week really working to get my house in order.

I'm going to have to get myself in some sort of routine - I think Cooper may be the hardest to get scheduled. He is already refusing to take a nap today.

I'm already dreading going back to school tomorrow. I know it's only seven more days, but...

Abby finished her science fair project yesterday. It really looks like a first grader did it with NO help from mom or dad. No one can question that aspect of it. Even so, it does look good if I do say so.

Our friends came over for fried fish for lunch and the four kids really entertained themselves well. I wasn't too sure how Cooper and Kelsey would play together, but they did well. They have a hard act to as follow as Abby and Cade have always done real well.

Cooper and Tim are both napping, Abby's watching Disney Channel and I'm just enjoying the quiet. Sixty seventh graders will leave no time for quiet these next two weeks. I keep thinking we'll slow down and just enjoy time at the pool, but I know I'll spend more time in the car than anywhere else.

Memorial Day Weekend

So...we're NOT pottying. I just quit for a while. He's not interested enough, and it just frustrates me.

We are so looking forward to this long weekend. I hope to spend it doing not much of anything. I do know, however, that Abby has to finish her science fair project. Maybe we can get that out of the way tomorrow and Sunday afternoon. We're planning to fry fish on Monday with some friends - hope the weather holds out. I spent this evening mowing the yard. It was already mid-calf in the backyard. I guess it's that time when I'm going to have to mow once a week, if not more often.

Only more seven more school days and then we're out for the summer!! YooooHOOO!!

Our Foray into Potty Training

Cooper went in the potty!!! Yeah! I know it's only once, but MAYBE we are on the right track.

I can definitely tell that the school year is winding down because our household is CRAZY! I'll blame our schedules for the fact that I haven't posted in a month. Well maybe in a few more weeks, I'll be able to catch up.

Abby has three more softball games left. However, they are all scheduled for 7:15. That usually means we won't get home until 9:00. Both Abby and Cooper are dead on their feet after 8:00. This will definitely free up our evenings some. But, this is the time of year when we (Tim, especially) have a banquet or some "program" every other night of the week.

I'm trying to decide on a science fair project for Abby - if anyone has any ideas, please pass them on. I'm about ready to just forget the whole thing.

One bright spot during this hectic time of year is that I'm going to "teach" scrapbooking during an enrichment period at school starting Monday. My plan is to have each student create a paperbag book to take with them at the end of the week. I suppose my biggest concern is that it's a mixed group of girls and pretty rough boys - not sure how the boys are going to respond, but we're going to make the best of it. If it doesn't work this week, I'll try something else the next.

At least I know the end is in sight - 16 more "school" days.

A Long Holiday

Let me start with - "It's been almost a month since I've posted" and so much happened. Abby started softball season and is playing well. She got a GREAT hit and later scored at last night's game. She entered an essay in the Academic Rodeo at the fair for the second year in a row. She won 1st place. She also entered the spelling bee (which isn't really a bee) and the math bee (which again is just a test). She tied for second in spelling, but got beat out in a tie breaker - still got a trophy for 3rd. AND she won 1st in the math bee. She came home with $100 in savings bonds and three trophies. That was on a Sunday. On Tuesday, she and Cooper modeled in the fashion show. Grammy made a Abby a nightshirt out of pink John Deere material and Cooper a pair of pjs with bucking horses on them. Both were hams.

Cooper has really turned into a terrible two! I thought it couldn't get any worse. One minute he's so sweet and then... We're working on it. We take him to the eye doctor on Monday and he's going to do a full work-up (whatever that means). This time he is going to let him "read" the vision chart and see what he can see. He knows all of the pictures on the chart and even the letters on that chart. Once we do that, we'll dialate and wait. Usually we dialate on the way so we don't have to sit, but since he wants to try the charts this time...

Tim has been really busy at school. I guess that's just the way it is.

I'm taking Abby with a friend and her mom to see the Hannah Montana movie today, so I'll try to post pictures from the last month this evening or tomorrow or maybe Sunday after egg hunts.

If you're bored and just browsing around the internet - our family pictures are posted at www.barefootcreation.com. You click on my name. You don't have to login to see them. The kids pictures from the fair are posted at www.katylampsonphotography.com. You click on WCFA at the bottom of the Main Site. It will ask you to enter an email address (you can enter a fake one - I enter nobody@yahoo.com) and then go to Academic Rodeo and Style Show. For members of my family - Grammy is in the Style Show pictures.

Spring Break is OVER

I can't believe it's been a month and a half since I last posted. We've been extremely busy -- guess that's why I chose the bees for the background.

Abby's softball practice has started and her first game is next Saturday. I've been tutoring kids for the TAKS test after school two days a week and helping with CCAM (Children's Creative Arts Ministry) on Sunday nights at church. This "session" for the girls is scrapbooking. Between school, practice, and church, some days I don't know what day it is.

Cooper has become a very obstinate little boy. Still no potty - which means I'm still paying for diapers.

I spent this week (our spring break) redecorating Abby's room. There is NO pink in the room. We got everything at Ikea and she loves it. Tim ended up spending all week working for dad at the funeral home. So much for a relaxing spring break.

I just thought spring was here...

Yesterday was beautiful and we spent most of the day outside at the farm. Today is nice, but just not the same. It is, however, the Lord's day, so it's beautiful in its own right.

We signed Abby up for spring ball yesterday. Tim's going to be an assistant coach so we already know who her coach will be and she won't have to go through the draft before finding out. I was talking with a friend this morning about going camping, but it already looks like our spring is filling up. I hate to plan too much until I get a softball schedule and get in the swing of things.

Cooper is rocking along. Some days the terrible two year old rares his ugly head, but other days he's my sweet little boy.

Mother and Dad put their house on the market this week. It's kind of funny seeing pictures of it for sale on the internet. Mother said it was kind of sad seeing a for sale sign in the yard. This is where I spent the majority of my childhood/teen years, so I guess there is some sentimental attachment there.

Other than that, our life is full with just being together.

New Pictures

I decided to post a few pictures from the last few weeks. The first one is of Tim and I. We NEVER have pictures taken together, but here one is. The second is of Cooper enjoying a day at the playground down where the old Manor House was. And the third is of Abby and the new haircut she got today. She went and in and told Dana exactly what she wanted. This is it.

The End is Near

Only a few more hours until our return to school. I've been dreading this day for the last two weeks, but God used a trip to Walmart to change my attitude. We all (I mean all four of us) went to Walmart this afternoon and seemed to run into a parent of or a former student on every aisle. AND they were all parents of or students with whom Tim or I one had had difficulties or "run-ins" with at some point or another. They were all extremely gracious and seemed genuinely glad to see us. It reminded me why I do what I do and why I choose to work with the students that I do. I'm ready to return and see all of my students tomorrow. Some I have truly missed.

Abby and Cooper both have their clothes laid out - Abby is not so much ready to go back. Cooper, on the other hand, seems to be thrilled. He's moving up tomorrow to the two-year old class and it's all he can talk about. I hope the "thrill" continues tomorrow morning when I have to leave him in a different "house" without his "Kisti" and "KK".

Pray for us as we embark on a new year and all God has planned for us.