Happy Anniversary, Mom & Dad

It's like my dad is holding a "mini-me" (I think they look just alike)!



Today my parents celebrated their 41st Wedding Anniversary (August 27, 1966). Wow! The met when my mom was in the 7th grade (I think!) My dad took today off and spent it with the kids (and he went hunting this morning). He picked Rhett up from school and Micah and Rhett helped him outside feeding and watering the deer. I picked the kids up as soon as I got off work so mom and dad could go out on a date. ;) They were going to dinner and a movie! Here are some pictures with and without the grandkids. The quality isn't great. I was in a hurry and Micah wasn't cooperating!! I'll try to find a wedding picture of my parents and scan it in sometime.

Happy Anniversary, Mom & Dad! We Love You Very Much!!!

Playing around with the camera

How many pictures until we get one with all 3 looking at the camera???? ...1,

...2,
...3,

...4 (almost there),

5 (Finally!!!)

Blair getting dried off after her bath.

Showing us her new trick (sitting up)!!

Micah and Rhett striking a pose!

How cute are they????

The End! (Blair's backside view! ;)

Settling into a Schedule

Since school has started, it's been so hard to blog. I have been so exhausted at the end of the day. I could use a nap every day when I come home from school, but most of the time, that's not an option. We are settling into a routine and trying to follow a schedule. The hardest part for the kids has been coming inside to take baths when it's still light outside and all the neighbor kids are still outside playing. I start baths about 8:00, followed by a snack, bedtime stories and prayers and hopefully ready for bed by 9:00.

Rhett is getting to bed between 9:00-9:15 and I'm waking him up about 7:00 in the morning. He's still so sleepy in the mornings. His body hasn't adjusted quite yet. Tony helps get Rhett dressed and fixes his hair/brushes his teeth. I don't know what I would do without Tony! He's such a great dad!

Micah stays up a little later and usually isn't down for the night until about 10:00. However, she has been waking up about 6:30 while I am still getting ready for school. She isn't taking her afternoon nap until I pick them up from my mom's (she's falling asleep on the drive home). She's sleeping about 2 hours which means I don't get to spend as much time with her as I would like. I am still trying to get her to understand that if she takes an early afternoon nap, that means there's more "mommy time" in the evenings.

Blair is going to sleep around 9:15-10:00 and sleeping in her "bed" (the car seat) until about 3:30. I put her car seat on the floor next to my bed. I usually hear her squirm and I put her in bed with me to feed her. After she eats (if I wake up) I put her in her "snuggle nest" (co-sleeper) She usually nurses once or twice between this time and the time my alarm goes off (at 5:45). I usually wake her up to nurse and get a diaper change at 7:00 while Tony is getting Rhett ready.

We are loading the van and ready to leave the house by 7:15. In the afternoons, my goal has been to leave school by 3:30-3:45. It's so hard because there's always so much more to do, but this gives me more time for things around the house and more "fun time" with the kids. At school, we have had so many early dismissals due to the extreme heat, that I've been able to plan ahead almost 2 weeks of lesson plans. (Although it's early dismissal for students, teachers are required to stay the full work day.) Tony's been great about letting me choose 1 day to stay late at school to get things done, while he picks up the kids.

This about sums up my life as a "working mother of 3!" My organizational/time management side comes out in full force once I go back to work! Although I feel I am pretty good at it, I also like my laid back/stress-free summers! On the flip side, I'm much more concerned with how clean the house is and making sure the floors have been swept, toys put away, laundry complete, etc. in the summer. During the school year, it's impossible to keep up with it all, so I tend to let things slide and rely on my housekeeper.

So that pretty much sums up the first few weeks of school!!

Grandma Coomer's Snow Globe

The other day I was feeding Blair and Rhett was sitting on his chair playing with a Boyd's Bear musical snow globe that was Grandma Coomer's. He quietly said, "Mom, I really miss Grandma Coomer." I said, "Rhett, I do too. Daddy misses her. We all do." Then he said, "When we would go to her house she always had surprises for us." So I asked him what were the surprises (thinking he meant when she would let them go get a cookie from the cookie jar). He said, "She always hid a Superman cape for me to find and a 'heart thing you cook with' for Micah" (an apron that was white with little red hearts trimmed in lace). I said, "Oh yeah, I remember those things. She knew how much you two liked to play dress-up." Grandma Coomer actually gave Micah the apron one of the last times we visited her. He asked if we could pray for her (like he does every time we pray). He wants her to be happy with Jesus in heaven.


I know Grandma Coomer is looking down smiling. ;) She was such a blessing to so many people. I often wonder if little Blair Carlene will have her same demeanor. Blair is such a happy baby and always smiling. I hope she grows up hearing all of the great stories about her Great Grandma Coomer (who she is named after). We miss her very much!

Strep Throat

I took Rhett to the doctor today and he has strep throat. Micah doesn't (as of today) but she started running a high fever this evening. Rhett had to get a shot. It was so sad! He has to stay home one more day of school and will be ready to go back on Thursday. Please pray for both of them to get well. I hate it when they are sick! Also remember my mom. She has a chemo treatment on Wednesday.

Off to a not-so-great start!!!

School just started and Rhett's already missed a day. He was kind of droopy (& cried a lot) all weekend, but I thought he was just tired from our new schedule. By Sunday evening, when he went to give me a hug, I could feel that he was burning up. Tony took his temperature and it was 102.3!!!! Mom had just called to tell us she was too sick to keep the kids. Thankfully, Sharon was able to keep them on Monday (thanks, Sharon). This morning I took his temperature and it was 101.9. I gave him some Tylenol and waited about 45 minutes. It only dropped to about 100.9, so we decided not to send him to school. I felt so bad for him. You can tell when he doesn't feel good, it's so obvious through his eyes. He had a slight cough all day. By this evening, Micah started coughing. After their bath, I gave them both Motrin and they both had slight fevers (99-100). I guess we will decide in the morning whether to send them to the doctor. I always think it's strep, but my kids have never actually had it.I always get the same response when I take them to the doctor -"it's a viral infection and it has to run it's course." (There goes my $20 co-pay)Please continue to remember my mom in your prayers. Also pray that Micah and Rhett will wake up in the morning without a fever (and that Baby Blair doesn't get sick). What a way to start my new school year!

Updates

Rhett's 2nd day went well! No tears ;) His teacher even told me that he raised his hand to tell her he liked her room and thought it was pretty (the decorations). -His Aunt Cindy & Aunt Tabby would be so proud!!!!

Micah is a little sad that she doesn't have anyone to play with while Rhett is at school. I guess it's a good thing that he is just going half-day. I told her that she can play with Blair. I don't think Blair can keep her entertained for that long!

My mom isn't feeling well so the kids may be going somewhere different each day. Please pray for them (and me). I know it's hard on them. Also pray for mom as she goes through more chemo treatments. She hates it when she doesn't feel well enough to keep them. We are waiting to hear about her latest blood work and cat-scan results.

I am off to make phone calls to find a babysitter for tomorrow ...wish me luck!

First Day of School

Mommy and Rhett on their 1st day!
He had been so excited and was counting down the days. The excitement must have worn off!!
This is the closest expression to a smile that I could get!!
Trying to hide his emotionsCrying so much he can't control it anymore ... poor thing ;(

Today was Rhett's first day of Kindergarten!!!! He was very nervous and anxious. He cried when I woke him up to tell him that today was the day. Tony helped get everyone dressed and ready. We took a few pictures and were on our way! In the van he kept asking how long was he going to have to stay.

When we got to school (he goes to the same school where I teach) we went to my classroom and he ate breakfast. Another teacher came to the room with her little boy (who is in 1st grade) to introduce to Rhett, hoping that this would ease his nerves. Then we walked to the gym. When we first walked in he started crying. His teacher wasn't there yet, so I asked him if he wanted to walk with me to the restroom. I hugged him and told him everything would be okay and that when we went back to the gym, he would see some of his friends from Wee Ones Preschool. By the time we made it back to the gym he was crying so much he could hardly breathe! I stayed with him a little while and then I started getting teary eyed. I told his teacher I was going to walk away. I thought this would be best for both of us. I watched from across the gym as several teachers, assistants, parents, and grandparents tried to comfort him.

At dismissal, I went with the car riders so that I see him and ask about his day before he left. When he saw me, he smiled really big. I hugged and kissed him and told him I was so proud of him. My mom was the first car in the line so I walked him to the car and told mom I would call and let her know how he did after I talked to his teacher. She said by the time everyone got settled in the classroom he had calmed down. She said he talked with the kids at his table and smiled at her a few times. The principal told me when she went in to introduce herself and he smiled at her. No one mentioned that he spoke to any of the adults ;) I guess we'll take it one step at a time!

Everyone told me how cute he was and how they were amazed he's already old enough to be in school. This evening he talked about all the fun things he did and about his friends. His teacher read The Kissing Hand (I read it to my class on the first day as well) and I told him I would kiss his palm in the morning so I could "be with him" all day!

I can't believe how fast the time has went by! I was very emotional last night and Tony and I both cried when we would talk about it. My little boy is growing up!!!!!!!

Happy 5 Months

Dear Blair,

Today you are 5 months old! I can't believe how much you've grown. It makes me sad to think of how fast the time has gone by. I try to enjoy every minute because I know you are my last little baby. Rhett and Micah are CRAZY about you. They constantly talk to you and are by your side if you make a peep. Rhett sings softly to you to get you to calm down, always wants to hold you, takes care of you when I am in the shower, and is the best big brother in the world. He will say, "Isn't she just sooo cute?!" Micah likes to lay with you when you are playing on the floor. She wants to share her toys (but sometimes has been known to give you things you shouldn't have -your very own "walking stick"), she helps you do cheers, gives you your pacifier (nukie), and talks "baby talk" to you. When we pass Clark Memorial, she says, "That's the building we got Blair from!"

• You love your big brother and sister.
• You liked cereal for about a week and now you cry when I feed it to you.
• You hate butternut squash.
• You love to cuddle and prefer to sleep next to mommy or daddy over sleeping alone snuggled in your car seat.
• You take the wash cloth from my hands and suck on it when I am giving you a bath.
• You have good control of your hands and are starting to grab things. You've even managed to knock over Daddy's coke can.
• You love your Kentucky Wildcats rattle!!!!! Go Cats ;)
• You like to babble and squeal!
• You have just started rocking back and forth while sitting up.
• You love your Bumbo chair.
• You love the mornings and have a lot to "tell me".
• Micah insists you say "Hi!" to her.
• You like to watch your mini-Mozart movie.
• Everyone LOVES your dimples!
• You LOVE your Sunday School teacher (Becky).

Happy 5 Months! Daddy and I love you very much!

Benefit Yard Sale / Singing for Kenny Coomer on Aug 4th

A benefit Yard Sale and Gospel Singing will be held at the Church Of God on Hollmans Lane in Jeffersonville, IN for my uncle Kenny Coomer who is battling cancer. The Yard Sale begins at 8:00 am Saturday morning August 4th at the church. The Gospel Singing begins at 7:00 pm Saturday evening, also at the church. All proceeds go to Kenny Coomer.

I am sure this will be a huge yard sale, so if you like yard sales please drop in. Also, currently about 15 different singers are lined up for the Gospel Singing @ 7:00 pm.