Jumper Fish

Cooper started out this summer being quite timid in the pool. Fearful of letting go or being on his own, he swam in the pool with much hesitation. The more he practiced and the more experiences in a pool he had, the more comfortable he became. I was convinced he was becoming a fish.

Last week he finished his first course of swim lessons. He finished off his first round of lessons by pushing off, with his face in the water. While he improved leaps and bounds, his progress report said he lacked confidence. This weekend we helped him gain it.

After some coaxing and a lot of "come on, it's fun!" from six adults, Cooper warmed up enough to jump off the ladder!

Next, he asked me to film him jump off the side. And this is the hysterical conclusion to that request. 

Then dude got it. He jumped off the side.

Repeat this about 20 times and you have the rest of our afternoon in the pool. He even jumped off the diving board once!

He's now not just a fish, he's a jumper fish!

"Vacation"

Have you ever experienced tightness in your whole body, your mind seems jumbled, and it seems you can never overcome the words "I'm tired"?

Me, too.

The past couple of months have been crazy and my tired body and jumbled mind muttered "vacation" and screamed it loudly until I heard. I needed a vacation. A day or two where I could sleep a little and have some down time.

Let's rewind a bit. Andrew was out of town for a week. Cooper took his absence pretty hard this time around. Tired momma + tired child = a week of survival mode. We coped by visiting the pool as often as we could (vitamin D always does the trick) and trying to "go" as much as we could. If we stayed busy it helped. I also coped by entering a world of novels. I think I read about 4 while Andrew was gone.

Andrew came home. Hooray! Oh, wait...you have a huge deadline fast approaching? You mean you won't be home again tonight? You mean you can't go with us to visit our friends this weekend? Andrew added it up...yep, he had been working some 100 hour weeks.

Vacation it was. I convinced Andrew to travel with me to Kentucky for the 4th of July weekend. Just picture it, Andrew...we could have a date night!...we could sleep in!...we can soak up some lovin' from the family and friends!...it's the cheapest place we can run away to!

Away we went. Of the 3 full days we were there, Andrew worked 1 1/2 of them. On the 1/2 day he worked I did nothing. Absolutely nothing. That's why I was there...to do nothing!

The 3 days "vacation" was good for my soul. Spending time with family fills me up. I got to see 2 great movies. I got to go on a date with my love. We got to see our friends, the Greene's. And, of course, Cooper got completely spoiled with lots of love and attention

When we left I told Andrew I could still use a couple of days at the beach all by myself. #kidding #notreally

Due to some wet bottoms from rain, Cooper got to wear this UK shirt one evening.

KCU campus walk with the Greene's.

You'll shoot your eye out, kid.

Bee Bee Gun

Happy and Excited about movie and dinner sans child.

We were literally in the clouds for part of the drive home.

A summertime miracle - photo dump and random happenings

This long past week was a long and busy one for us.

We've experienced a few mornings of summertime miracles. I call summertime miracles sleeping in. The sun comes up so early here and Cooper has a hard time sleeping in during the summer. Well, this week we've experienced an 8:45 am wake up, and a couple of 8:15-8:30 wake-ups.

This past weekend I did my best to wear cooper out - mostly using means of the pool. I think it worked. We have spent more time poolside this month than we did all of summer last year. Apparently Cooper snapped this picture at the pool on Friday.

We also spent the night at our friends house. And I got to do my morning quiet time with this amazing view.

We had breakfast with them. And they served Cooper a huge plate of bacon. And he ate all of it!

When we left they uttered life into my child. "We love you, Cooper. You are important to us." That sentence cause God to move in my heart in many ways. I need to tell Cooper he is important. Thanks for speaking life into my child (and me!), Lee.

Andrew was out of town last week. I was uncharacteristically emotional with him gone. I'm not sure if it was him being gone, God working on my heart, or the super moon - maybe all of them combined. Cooper was been emotional, too. Every morning the first thing out of Cooper's mouth - "Is daddy home yet?". He's also said many times, "I miss daddy." And one time "I miss daddy forever." It did seem like it was a long time.

Cooper's T-ball game was cancelled this week because of weather. But he still had swim lessons...which sometimes stress me out. He fights putting his head under water, and practicing is like pulling teeth. If practicing for swim is any sign of what we're in for when he has homework at school we're in trouble.

By the end of the swim lesson Cooper did so well! I'm hoping it was all our time in the pool this week, but I have a feeling it was more to do with bribing him with a chocolate chip cookie.

I could probably classify this video as a summertime miracle, too!

T-Ball, Game 1

This summer we are venturing into the world of sports! That's right, folks...cooper now plays t-ball!

First of all, let me just say that the teacher in me has a hard time sitting on the sidelines and not being in control. When I see some disorganization it makes me cringe. I am practicing letting go through this sports season we are in. The coaches don't need my input - they can figure it out. And if they don't figure it out then we can all learn some lessons. I was glad during this week's first game that I had my camera in hand. It helped me sit back and relax. So, I guess we have my practice of letting go to thank for the following pictures and videos.

Have you ever watched a 3&4 year old t-ball game? It's hilarious! The hour game was free entertainment for those watching on. It's really just an hour of practice. There is no score. There aren't really any "outs". It's hit the ball, try to catch it, and see if you can get to the correct base.

It was funny to see Cooper hit the ball and then instead of running to first base, run to his own ball.

It was funny to see Cooper run the bases with the opposing team instead of trying to catch the balls they hit into the outfield.

When someone would hit the ball, the whole team would run for the ball, then run to the base. So, you'd have about 5 orange shirts surrounding the one yellow shirt as they ran to first base.

We had fun watching the game. We are extremely proud of Cooper. He is best at hitting the ball. He's also got a good arm...but throws too far for the littles he's throwing to. He was a (pretty) good listener, and he was attentive and interactive the whole game.

The orange team and coaches

practice

huddle before the game

waiting his turn to bat

there was rarely a moment he wasn't smiling

these sweet girls decided to sit after the first inning. Flowers are so much more fun! 

Play 2nd base? No, I'll just play with my coach instead.

proud daddy and love of my life

one ball, three players trying to get it 

game over! 

We've got 5 more games! In august we get to try our hand at soccer.

Coffee Date Monday: Father's Day

Whoa! It's been so long since I've sat down to type something on here.

I've decided to break the silence. I can't take credit for today's post, however. It was written by one handsome dude.

"My Dad"

by Cooper

My dad is funny because he eats all by himself "butt" and he says, "booger butt".

My dad thinks I am funny when I'm playing my hungry hungry hippos all by myself.

My dad is 4 years old.

His favorite thing to do is play with his toy that goes "bjjjjjj".

His favorite color is blue, red, and black.

My dad's job is to work at church.

He loves to eat butt.

He is really good at playing with me.

My dad loves when I do the dishes.

My dad always says, "Eat Cereal."

My favorite thing about dad is playing.

Cooper dressed up in Andrew's clothes and answered some questions about his daddy, which we compiled into a gift. That last picture is too much for me.

I hope you all had an enjoyable Father's Day, celebrating the men in your life. I pray you have men in your life who influence you as spiritual leaders.

relinquishing control

I don't have a dishwasher. I pretty much have a hate-hate relationship with doing the dishes. The downsides include: dry hands, sore back from bending over, and way too much time spent doing something I really don't enjoy. The two upsides of dishes are I play music while I do them, and it usually gives me a time to pray/think.

Generally I try to do the dishes as quickly as I can. No need to prolong the painful task.

This week as I was putting away the clean dishes so I could wash the dirty ones when I heard a little voice behind me, "Mommy, can I do the dishes?" My first response was to say "no, go play". But I decided to be a good mom in that moment and went with it. I pulled up his step ladder and put some dirty dishes in his side of the sink and said, "go for it, buggy."

After a couple of minutes of me mindlessly putting dishes away I look over and see that Cooper has ignored the dirty dishes and has gone for the clean ones. He was taking the clean dishes out of the drying rack and washing them again. That was when I decided he needed a specific, easy task with me next to him. So, I washed the dishes while he rinsed and placed them in the drying rack.

To some of you this may sound like no big deal. But it was so hard for me to let go of control. Hard to let him try it. Hard to let the task take a good 10 minutes longer than normal. Hard to truly enjoy that moment with my son.

He would spend about a minute rinsing just a spoon. But I know that allowing Cooper do do these tasks and learn new things on his own, with my guidance, not control, is essential to his growth. For him to become independent in tasks, I have to allow him to try it. Basically, I have to allow him to fail a few times until he get

In that moment of talking myself out of the reigns of control I realized how hard it must be for God to give us free will. How we take simple tasks and make them harder. How we do it wrong. How he could do it better, easier than us. But just as it is essential for Cooper's growth to try and fail, it is essential to our growth, too. And even though it might be hard for God to sit back and watch the mess we create, I know how awesome it must be to him when he sees us finally figure it out. When we learn and grow.

After this thought process, I was reminded that Jesus washes our messes away. Just as we were washing the dishes. Which then turned into a teachable moment for Cooper. We talked about how when we make back choices, our hearts get dirty. And Jesus died on the cross so our hearts can be washed clean. That conversation has taken place again the past two days as a not-so-loving Cooper has showed up. He and I have both had to ask for forgiveness in this relationship. And God washed our hearts clean.

If the only good from not having a dishwasher was this moment, it's worth it.

potty training

About a year ago, we set down the road of potty training.

I wrote two posts about it here and here.

I thought we were close to the end. Boy was I ever wrong.

It was an 11 month battle. We tried the week long potty training, which worked for a couple of months until our summer schedule messed it all up. And during that time he would never tell me he had to go. I just had to watch the clock and guess. And if I my mind was too much invested in something else (dishes, laundry, cleaning, budgeting/bill pay, cooking) and he had to use the restroom, he would run under the table or to a corner and do his business. We tried charts, rewards, marshmallows, gummy worms, m&ms, gum. We talked about it, read books about it, prayed about it. I told him we couldn't take him to disney world, and that he couldn't go to preschool until he started going pee and poop in the potty. Nothing seemed to work.

And I had many break downs. Mostly as I was cleaning poop out of his underwear. It was the one thing that would automatically put me in a bad mood, stress me out, and send me over the edge. There was one time when Cooper pooped all over the stairs and kitchen. And we have carpet. I was so mad. After I cleaned it all up, I rushed to the store and bought diapers. I was over it. Done.

The last couple of months I tried more desperate measures...we took monkey away (gasp!) whenever he had an accident. Didn't help.

I think that Cooper's issues were mostly a control issue. When he hit the stage of wanting to be the boss and say how things went is when he really started regressing. Peeing and pooping his pants was the only thing he could control and the only way he knew he could get a particular reaction out of us. He knew he was peeing and pooping, and no matter how many times I told him he needed to go to the bathroom for those things, he would still go under the table or in a corner. If he knew to go to those places to do his business, surely he knew where he really had to go, he was choosing not to. Because of that, and after praying about it and talking to a few friends about it, I decided to spank Cooper when he had an accident - and told him his spanking was not for having an accident, but for his choice to do it in his pants, not in the toilet, and for not telling me he had to go. Spanking has been the most effective discipline tool for Cooper during his toddler years. As he is getting older, different tactics are working. I thought maybe the spanking would be helpful in helping him be more aware of when he had to use the restroom. I also added a song and dance number and gum when I noticed he was dry.

I had only been doing this new tactic for a couple of days when we went on vacation to Florida. I decided that if he didn't have the hang of it by the time we got back, I was done. We would go back to diapers for a month before trying again. I don't know if it was the sunshine, or if it really did click, or the fact that we went to disney and he remembered what we said about not taking him if he didn't get it. Or maybe he knew he was turning 3 and needed to get his act together. Whatever it was, I'm glad it happened. About three days into vacation he was playing, looked up and said, "I have to go potty!" After him using the restroom he was greeted to a round of applause and cheering! This pattern continued for our vacation and has not stopped. We have had only a couple of days where there has been an accident. And when the accident comes, it has not been poop.

I'm so proud of Cooper. I'm happy that diapers (except at night) are behind us. I'm happy that my stress level really has come down.

After almost a year of potty training, I believe the end is finally near!