MULTI TASKING..........

I live and breathe multitasking.  From the second my alarm goes off until I crash at night, I am constantly doing multiple things at once.  I feel blessed to be able to do so but also wonder how one would manage without the ability to multitask.  Today was one of those days that I felt like I was doing 100 things and to my amazement I almost managed to complete them all.  Tonight, while sitting on a hay bale in a barn with Raelynn giggling as she had her riding lesson, I manage to return 13 emails, reply to multiple text messages, research some medicine alternatives for Coop, schedule 4 appointments and make 3 phone calls!  I LOVE TECHNOLOGY!  This is the time of year I start to go on overload. I mean we have Halloween and all that goes along with that, Thanksgiving, Coop's Bday, Karli's Bday, Steph's Bday, Christmas and ALL that goes along with that and that is just the holiday stuff!  Don't get me wrong, I love every second of it but tonight in a matter of 20 seconds I made 7 separate lists of "To Do".  Anyway, my point is things are about to get crazy business and although it is all awesome, it makes things like updating this blog harder to do but more important than ever!

Raelynn is having such an outstanding week.  It is one of those weeks that it seems she is applying every suggestion/advice I have ever given her.  She is being so mature and taking responsibility for everything.  She is coming home and getting everything done without even being asked or reminded.  We have had some very grown up conversations about government, gun violence, her brother's medical condition and much more.  I asked her tonight why the change in her this week and she said, "What?  I just decided things were a lot easier if you just got things done.  Besides, you let me watch a lot more TV when I act like this!"  Well I don't know if I liked that I was letting her watch more TV but to know that she was finally recognizing the benefits of good behavior was a relief.  Even watching her at practice tonight, I found myself just watching loving what I was seeing but also realizing how much she is growing up.  I really think this age is a big transition period and I didn't realize it would be.  I also find myself wondering if my Mom would just sit and watch in awe at our development like I find myself doing with Raelynn.  I find her so interesting and am always re-evaluating situations we have been through to think how I could have handled it better or differently to hopefully prepare myself to situations we will encounter in the future.  I find myself fearing the preteen years but I think it is just because I cannot imagine our relationship to be strained.  I just hope I can continue to look at every situation from her prospective as much as from mine.  It always helps me to find the right words and feelings to relate to her.  I consider everything we go through just practice for the years ahead.  They say practice makes perfect but I don't want perfect I just want good enough that at the end of the day, we still hug and laugh and know that we are each others biggest fan!

Regardless what I have learned from my parenting Raelynn, with Cooper it is like starting with a blank slate.  He is amazing.  He is so happy and full of life.  He is sweet and caring but rough and tough.  He loves life and a big part of his life is school.  He is doing great and every day there is a new friend or story or experience for him to share with us.  He, too, is growing up.  He is such a miracle and I try never to forget that.  It is hard sometimes to eve remember Coop's medical challenges.  There are other times that his medical challenges seem to consume a lot of my time. The funny things is, I never really mind.  I often wonder if that is because I don't really get too worked about anything when it comes to the kids or if it is because when I look at him I see the miracle he truly is.

As a family we have had some really fun times in the past couple weeks.

JDRF Walk in KC