JUST SAY NO...................

I have this complete inability to say "No" to anything!  The problem is I love doing things and I never like to tell anyone I can't do something BUT in order for me to continue to add things into my life I am going to have to figure out how to convince the world that days should be 36 hours instead of 24 and convince my body that 2 to 3 hours of sleep is plenty!!!  As long as I am dreaming, a money tree in the back yard would be nice too!

This week has been a little rough with the kids.  After a wonderful weekend together we had serious separation issues on Monday. (Notice I said "we") Terry is having to go to work early this week so instead of he taking Coop to Mary Beth's, Coop and I drop Raelynn off at school and then I drop Coop off at Mary Beth's.  Monday morning everything is going great and we head out to take Raelynn to school.  Coop and Raelynn are both excited as it was a treat to have Cooper at the school.  Cooper carried Sissy's book bag for her and it was darling to watch her so proudly walk Coop into her school and down the hall.  She was telling him who everyone was and would ask him to tell them Hi while he proudly rolled Sissy's backpack for her.  Then it was time for us to leave.  Raelynn started to tear up and didn't want us to leave.  I eventually got out of her classroom only for her to chase me down the hall.  It broke my heart!  Then I took Coop to Mary Beth's and wouldn't you know it but he too cried.  I went to work Monday morning wanting to cry myself.  After I picked Raelynn up I talked to her about what upset her and she just said, "we had been together all weekend and it just hard for me to tell you goodbye!"  So this morning I had high hopes that things would go better but noooooooo.....there was more crying, more chasing down the hall, more frustration.  I really think the problem is that Cooper and I are leaving somewhere together without her.  She never likes to see Coop and I go do anything without her and I wonder if this is the problem.  Anyway, as we left the school this morning Coop says, "Sissy's sad."  "Yes she is and I don't know why but it makes me sad too" I responded.  Then Coop says, "I not cry at Mary Beth's so you not be sad.  You be happy!"  What a sweet boy.  We get to Mary Beth's and as we're walking in Coop says, "You happy Mommy, I not cry, you not be sad."  And sure enough he never cried and smiled at me as I walked up the stairs.  I think this is just a little glimpse of how my little boy is always going to look after his Mommy!  I guess we'll see how tomorrow goes.

Yesterday morning as we got ready Coop kept putting his hands in his pants' pockets but not his whole hand as he usually did but instead just his fingers with his thumbs still out.  He seemed to be concentrating on getting his hands just right in his pockets.  He concentration to this caught my attentions and I asked him what he was doing.  "I put my hands in my pockets like Grandpa."  This is exactly how my Dad stands, with his hands in his pockets with his thumbs out.  It made me smile.  Then Coop says, "Grandpa has BIG hands, my hands are wittle. My hands be big when I grow up, big like Grandpa's."  I love their chatter about Grandpa since his visit and as always my kids see things I never even really notice.  Their attention to detail sometimes catches me by surprise and I realize it is details like these that we take for granted and will someday just wish we could see one more time.

We got our family pictures back on Saturday and I will post just a few.  They were taken by Amber Temple, Temple Photography.  She has taken our pictures the last 2 or 3 years and we are never disappointed!  The kids are adorable in them all!!!