MORE SNOW!?

More snow, more snow days, more fun.....that pretty much wraps up the last few days.  Last Friday Raelynn came to work with me.  She spent the whole day reading, playing the computer, watching movies and drawing.  She really is so good at my office but when the day was over and I asked her how it was her response was BORING B-O-R-I-N-G!  Gotta love it when they learn to spell :)

Friday was also Poho's birthday.  He is 10 years old and the kids made a special cake for him.....

Saturday after soccer friends invited Raelynn and Cooper to spend the night and of course they were super excited to do so.  We postponed our Family Meeting Night for another week and the kids were off.  I love the relationship the kids have with these friends.  It originated with Raelynn and her friend who happens to have a brother on Coop's soccer team that is his age.  So the kids all have became great friends and their parents are fabulous.  They hold many of the same values we do and are just wonderful and fun to be with.  I have mentioned often how it is amazing how our kids have been drawn to other kids whose families we have became friends with.  I never realized how our kids would be such a center point of our friendships but I feel so fortunate that they have been.  Anyway, since the kids were gone Terry and I decided to head to the Lawrence St. Patrick's Day Parade Auction which is always a good time and sometimes even too good :)  Terry left me alone for about 10 minutes and when he returned we had purchased a pop-a-shot.  I really had wanted it but completely unnecessary.  I was a little worried when Terry told me it would never fit in the basement and even more concerned when he asked how we were going to get it home.  Fortunately it broke down and even better it did fit in the basement.  When they kids returned home Sunday, the were super excited at our purchase!

Monday rolled around and with it yet another snow storm.  Yep that's right Tuesday was another snow day!!!  This time the kids were playing away and I decided to make good use of my day and repaint our bathroom, a project I had been trying to do for 2 or 3 weeks.  So the bathroom got painted and the kids had another great day in the snow.

Finally all of the snow has fallen and hopefully that is all for awhile.  The week has seemed a little weird and unstructured but tomorrow is already Friday.  Saturday we are presenting the funds to the 4 families the Cooper's Cause Foundation funded this year.  We awarded $25,500, our biggest funding year yet!!!  It is really hard to describe the feeling I get when we help these families.  It is so satisfying and emotional and exciting!!!  I love the foundation, what it does and even what it has done for us.  My kids understand the concept of giving and helping others and seem to genuinely get what it is all about. To hear Coop talk about his heart surgeries and his foundation is so touching and heart warming.  It is by far one of the most rewarding things I have ever done.  There is no doubt that our family has received more from the foundation than we can ever give back.  We are the most blessed family and I never ever forget that!  With the help of my knew right hand who has came on board with the foundation, I am for the first time really enjoying things.  With her extra help, I am actually able to breathe and not feel like I am constantly behind.  I am so pleased with what she is doing and constantly tell her she is the newest angel in our lives!  So Saturday will be a big day and so much fun and I will definitely be posting again then!!!

SNOW, SNOW, SNOW......

What a day!  It snowed about 10" here and last I looked still snowing.  I woke up this morning at 4am like usual, looked out and hardly a speck of snow.  School had already been called off and I had a test for work scheduled in Topeka.  I laid back down just to process how the day was going to go with the kids out of school and me gone for the afternoon.  The next time I woke up was 5:40am and it was snowing.  I sprang up, changed and headed to the gym.  By the time I headed back home at 7am it was coming down hard.  I called the testing sight in Topeka and thankfully they were closing at noon and my test was scheduled for 1pm so I was off the hook there.  Then Tom text encouraging me to stay home and after a little argument and his reassurance that he was leaving early too, I stayed.  The kids were ecstatic!!!  A snow day for all three of us never happens.  The kids started the day with pj's and TV.  They played and played and never left each other's side.

I achieved a few things and then believe it or not I headed out this afternoon with the kids to play.  It was pretty fun actually.  I usually watch from the warmth of the house but today I just couldn't let them play without me.

I was the first to freeze out and head inside, next to follow was Raelynn but Coop played until dark.
He had sooooo much fun.  As Terry scooped the driveway and built up snow on the edges Coop discovered they made great sledding hills.  Apparently his first run he actually went down the hill, across the driveway and right under the truck.  Terry said he just laid back and went right under and arose on the other side with a smile on his face.  He challenged Terry that he was going to sled right off the rock wall but Terry persuade him otherwise.

As ornery as he is, he is also a very sweet boy.  Last night he asked if I would give him a fast bath which he does when he just wants to get in and out with no play time.  I agreed as we were running late from Karate.  I washed his hair and then reached for his body wash.  He asked if I would use my body wash instead.  I said sure and asked him if he liked mine better.  He said, "No I just smell like you so when I sleep its like I am snuggling with you."  Then he flashed me that sweet smile.  I am telling you that is one boy who is going to melt some girls heart some day.  Today when he came in side from playing in the snow he was so cold.  I helped him get some warm pj's on and then he said, "I could sure use some hot cocoa Mommy."  He ended his request  by saying, "but after I give you one of my soft kisses!"  I always tell him when he gives me a kiss on the cheek that I love his soft kisses so he knew just what to do to get his hot cocoa!

Tonight as I downloaded pics from the day, I found these on my computer.  I guess while Coop was outside playing and I was finishing the laundry, someone was playing with Photo Booth!

Tomorrow is another snow day but I assume 2 snow days for me is pushing it so it is also take your kid to work day.  :)

PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES......

This past week was the wonderful Parent/Teacher Conferences.  I love conferences.  I love seeing how the kids are progressing, where their strengths are and what they need to work on.  We started Wednesday morning with Coop's.  His teacher is amazing and she spoke so fondly of Cooper.  I love that people see his humor and spirit.  He is doing fantastic and besides have a little friendly competition with his best buddy over a girl, the report was great.  Yes, Coop and his Buddy got in trouble because they were fighting over who was going to protect this certain girl.  If you think that is funny.....the teachers sat Coop and his buddy on a bench after the little episode and told them they had to set there and work things out before they got up.  Later when I inquired about the situation to Cooper he said, "yea we had to sit and talk about it."  "How did that go?" I asked him.  "It was booooring!" Coop said so annoyed by the whole thing.  I couldn't help but grin and give him a hug to which it said, "Stop that Mom!"  I love my little boy!

We did get some very interesting information regarding Coop though.  It seems that Coop cannot comprehend things visually like he can verbally.  As a matter of fact, he gets very frustrated and knows he should know things but just can't quite put it together.  For example, Coop knows his letters and is able to write them but when shown a chart of his letters that was all mixed up and asked to point at a A he could not do it.  He apparently got very frustrated as if he knew he did know it but just couldn't get it to click.  It is too early to tell yet, but we have to ask if we have finally found something that is a result of the brain damage he incurred during his time on ECMO after his 2nd surgery.  If it is, I am just glad we have discovered it early so we can help him learn how to adapt to this.  We plan to work on a few things and see what happens.  He is so smart I know that even if it is a struggle he will learn to adapt and we will be right there helping him.

Thursday was Raelynn's day to shine.  Raelynn has a wonderfully amazing teacher as well and again we got a wonderful report from her.  Raelynn is doing well and really excels in the reading and writing areas which is no surprise considering she spends hours reading and writing in journals.  She loves research papers and is truly loving learning.  She does well in math as well although shows no interest :)  I was so proud of both of them.  They are wonderful kids and I hope I continue to always look forward to conferences.

Other than that last week was just plain busy.  We had so much going on.  Wednesday Aunt Steph was to come and take Raelynn to the Book Fair as Raelynn had invited her.  Unfortunately she couldn't make it because of a work related issue.  When I picked Raelynn up from school she came running with a paper made bouquet of flowers and said, "I made these for Aunt Steph for taking me to the book fair!"  I guess it must have been my face but she knew right away something was wrong.  I explained that Steph couldn't make it and why.  Raelynn tried so hard not to cry but she was so disappointed and there was no one she could hold the tears back.  Luckily, Aunt Steph made up for it all by surprising her the following day with flowers, chocolates, a trip to the book fair and then Orange Leaf.  Needless to say, Raelynn forgave her for the day before.

Valentine's Day was wonderful as always.  The kids started the day with heart shaped doughnuts.  I had packed them special Valentine's Cards in their lunches and then had special Red Velvet Pancakes for dinner.  I was spoiled with beautiful flowers and my favorite candy, licorice.  It was a great day and is always fun with kids around.

Friday night Coop and I went to a birthday party at the Indoor Aquatics Center.  It was fun to watch him interact with his friends.  He is truly adorable and so many people said to me how their son or daughter talks so much about Cooper and how much they like him.  It was a fun but long evening.

The rest of the weekend flew by as always.  Raelynn said tonight as I put her to bed, "I really wish the week was Saturday and Sunday and the weekend was all the other days."  I love her wish!

COOPER UPDATE...........

Well Mr. Cooper has kept us busy the last couple weeks with worries about bleeding then his weight but on Friday we forgot about it all and celebrated.  We had his follow up appointment with cardiology from his December surgery.  The report was amazing.  Coop is doing fantastic and the surgery was very successful.  Coop is right on the leading edge of some amazing technology.  What they are doing for him now through cardiac catheters was not even possible 2 short years ago.  In fact, Coop has been the guinea pig for some new procedures.  Anyway, on Friday, his cardiologist said there is a chance, no promises but a chance, that Cooper will never have another open heart surgery.  There is a chance that they will be able to do what Coop needs from year to year with a surgical cardiac catheter like they did in December.  Now I know there is no guarantee but to even have a chance that he may never have to endure another open heart surgery is enough to get us pretty excited.  Of course no ones knows for sure  about anything when it comes to Coop but regardless I am so amazed at the advancements that have been made.  

Coop has also been trying to eat more, he is trying so hard.  The boy cannot gain weight and in fact had lost since his December well check.  He does not have any to lose so everyone gets pretty worked up.  We go back in on Thursday for a weight check and we'll see how it looks.  He has been drinking 3 Ensure a day and eating meals so you would think he would have gained some anyway.  

This past weekend we selected the next recipients of funding for CCF.  The families have not been notified yet so I can't spill the beans but I am so excited.  The foundation is amazing and our BOD are wonderful people.  We have recently added another board member and brought on a part time helper to get even more done.  I struggled with having help because I feel like a may have failed a little in keeping up with everything but after having her work for just the past 5 days I can tell you this was a wonderful decision.  We are going to grow, raise more awareness for CHD and provide funding to even more families!!!  Who could ask for anything more!!!

This past weekend Raelynn learned to do laundry, lots of laundry.  Raelynn decided to make a very sarcastic comment about whether I was going to do laundry this weekend or not so I thought it was about time she learn to help out.  She did ALL the laundry from start to finish including folding and putting it away.  Considering she has mentioned at least 3X since then that she will not make that mistake again.

While Raelynn was working, Coop was practicing his silly faces so that the next time I am scolding him he can flash me one in hopes that I will crack up and not be able to continue my scolding......

and unfortunately I must report, it worked!

Today was Raelynn's Valentine's Day Parties at school.  I had signed up to provide snack and for the first time ever I they turned out great.  I got to attend the party for a bit as well over my lunch hour.  I love how much she loves having me there, it makes it so wonderful.  It is also fun because the kids all know me from reading in the mornings and therefore I get lots of attention.  Who wouldn't love that!!??

The rest of the week is just as exciting as the first has been so stay tuned.............

BGC OF LAWRENCE YOUTH OF THE YEAR.....

5 o'clock rolled around today and ruined my day.  I made a mistake at work and discovered it right at 5 o'clock.  It wasn't a huge mistake but a careless and senseless one.  I was frustrated with myself, now running late, tired, hungry and my evening was just beginning.  I had told Raelynn I would take her to the Boys and Girls Club of Lawrence Youth of the Year event tonight where the select the Lawrence Youth of the Year that will go on to compete for National Youth of the Year.  The truth is, at this point, it was the last thing I wanted to do.  In fact, after I picked Raelynn up, I carefully tried to convince her she would probably be bored in hopes that she would decide not to go.  She wavered a little and then decided if she didn't go she would never know what it was like and if it ended up being boring she would know not to go again.  Soooo we rushed home, rushed dinner, freshened up and rushed back out the door just as we have all week.  As I drove into the parking lot of the Lied Center and passed the Dole Institute I knew it was a good thing Raelynn made me come.  It is beautiful up there and impossible to stay grouchy.  We got out of the car and I thanked Raelynn for making me come.  :)  We entered the Lied Center where Raelynn was greeted with hugs from some of her staff and I was greeted with smiles from many people I knew in the community.  We found our way to our seats and never stopped smiling, chatting or crying after that.  The BGC of Lawrence has been very important to our family because they provide so many wonderful programs and give Raelynn, and Cooper next year, a safe place to be after school and during the summer.  I have been amazed by the program and what it does.  This year I even joined their efforts by being on the Parent Giving Team, a new group within the organization that focuses on raising additional money for the program.  But even with this involvement and love for the program, I had no idea how awesome tonight would be.  The evening MC was Kim Murphree who makes everything grand!  It started off with the singing of the National Anthem and then we heard from the candidates, Trei Dudley (National Youth of the Year), Charlie Weis (KU Football Coach) and Colby Wilson (Lawrence BGC Director).  There were also dance performances by 2 or the local clubs which Raelynn loved.  Seriously it was a wonderful program and motivational evening.   I will tell you right now we will be annual attendees from now on.  The highlights of the evening for me was when Raelynn pulled the donation envelope out of the program and asked what it was.  I told her it was a donation envelope and she instantly asked if she could donate $20 of her "Giving" money. I told her I thought that was a fantastic idea.  She completed the entire donation envelope herself and was so happy to do it.  The other awing moment to me was when I listened to Charlie Weis tell the youth that the most important thing in their lives was to be a "good kid".  We constantly stress to the kids that we don't care if they are the smartest, the fastest, the funniest, the prettiest, the cutest, the most creative.......all we want them to be is kind, honest and compassionate and if they are that they will always find success and happiness.  And wouldn't you know it, but in a nutshell Charlie Weis said the same thing tonight.  At one point Raelynn looked up at me and said, "Is this where you got that being kind thing from?"  To which I responded of course, "No, he got it from me!"  It took her a minute to think about it and then just smiled.  The whole evening was amazing and Ajala Anavberokhai was named the 2013 Youth of the Year who we congratulate,  but in my mind there were soooooo many winners in that room!  A wonderfully surprising evening that is just what I needed!

A Hopeful Heart-A must read!!!

A Hopeful Heart