GO ROYALS!!

Regardless how this game ends, it has been fun!  Everyone knows I love every sport (except Football) but when it gets to this level it is so fun!  You should hear Coop talk about the Royals and his play by play of some of the plays.  He is all about it.  Raelynn even knows some of the players names and asks each morning if they won or not.  It is all so fun.

Last weekend Mom and Chandler came down to help me celebrate my birthday.  It was awesome.  Coop had a double header in soccer on Saturday and then family pictures after that so we felt like wee were on the run most of the time but it was so fun.  Mom and I even got a few hours in for a shopping spree which is my favorite thing ever :) !

Fall sports have begin for the kids so now we have Basketball practice for Coop on Wednesdays, riding lessons on Thursdays and Basketball practice for Raelynn on Fridays.  Then they both play games on Saturdays.  It will be a little tricky these first few games as they either have back to back games or games at the same time and play are the complete opposite sides of town.  This is why Terry  refused to have another child because he said we could never be out numbered. He was so right!

The kids make me laugh every day.  Tonight as Coop was saying his prayers he ended with "The End" instead of "Amen".  He has done this a couple times so we just giggled and he said, "I forget what to say at the end.  Really does God really care as long as he knows I'm done?"  I told him he probably didn't.  Raelynn, too, has her moments.  The other night we were all outside playing catch and Raelynn decided to ride her bike.  She thought it would be fun to act like she was going to hit her brother while he was trying to catch the ball.  She was headed straight at him, she was laughing and he was pleading for her to stop.  She hit a hole or something and flew right over her handlebars.  As she landed I expected a scream and teams but ins teach she just laid there and said, "Darn Karma!" I burst out laughing and so did she and Coop.  That girl never misses a beat.

Things have been going great since Coop's surgery.  There have been no more complaints of chest pain or really anything.......until today.  I received a call about 1pm today from the school.  Coop had asked that the nurse call me which made both she and I take notice because he never tells her to call me.  He was dizzy, flush and his heart rate was down to 50 consistently.  I went and got him and we hung out until about 2:30p.m.  His dizziness continued and he would get so pale and splotchy.  His heart rate stayed consistently at 45.  Then at about 2:30 he looked at me and said it was gone and he felt better.  Within minutes he went and got his soccer ball and started kicking it around.  So just like that he was all better.  His doctor has ordered a standing EKG so if it happens again we are to go straight for an EKG and I will call cardiology in the morning to let them know.  After talking with Coop we discovered he has had dizzy spells periodically since surgery but they always go away pretty quickly.  He told his teacher this time because it wasn't going away.  I am often amazed by his poise in dealing with his various symptoms.  I appreciate his strength but also wonder how often his dizziness happens.  Anyway, we will continue to monitor him and let him lead the way in our next steps.  Everyday it is something new which makes this parenting gig one of the best jobs I have ever had.  So even though I had Coop who once again is having cardiac issues I also had a little girl who had a rough day with friends so the cardiac issues had to be set aside because we all know the day to day drama can be just as scary to maneuver.  I love them both and everything that comes with them more than they will ever understand!

LOVING THIS FALL

I generally don't care for Fall because it just means that Winter is close and if you know me at all you know I despise Winter.  I am cold in the summer, can you even imagine how I feel in the Winter.  Then there is the fact that it is so dirty.....snow, snow melts, mud, mud comes in my house!  Really the only thing that is good about Winter is Christmas is in there.  Anyway, back to Fall, it has been beautiful and what is even better is that the amount of fun we having.  Living in Eastern Kansas over the past couple weeks has been awesome.  We have a new Football Coach (Interim) who we love and are so excited for!  The Royals are kicking butt and that is super fun to watch!  Then on top of all of that, basketball will be starting soon.  I didn't think it could get much better and then last Friday we went to our first Sporting KC game!  Tom gave me 4 tickets to the the Sporting KC game and we were super excited because Coop LOVE soccer and we had never been.  Raelynn wasn't quite as excited as the rest of us because her BFF had told her how boring it was.  Regardless we went and I told her she would have a good time or I would make the rest of her weekend miserable!  (I know, not one of my best parenting moments but I was frustrated with her attitude).  Turns out, I should have never wasted the threat.  I think Raelynn may just have had more fun than any of us and let me just say we all had a blast!  I couldn't believe how awesome it was.  We had great seats and both kids were so into it.  It was a really fun night.

Today was a 4H, soccer kind of day :)  We spent the morning at a 4H pancake feed where Raelynn had the opportunity to show her Bunny to others so she was in heaven.  I also got the information Raelynn had been begging for about Archery.  It appears we will be starting that in May.  Raelynn was so excited that I was actually going to let her do it that I didn't know if I would ever get her to stop talking.  Our wonderful 4H leader got a hold of Coop and showed him the booth about rocket building and explained how if he joined 4H he could build rockets and do archery and shooting and well, guess what, before we left Coop wanted to join 4H.  He said he doesn't want to do anything with the animals or any of that other stuff Sissy does but he would like to build rockets!  I couldn't help but laugh.  So I guess I now have 2 kids in 4H. 

After out 4H fun we headed to soccer.  Soccer is almost over for the season.  Coop has a double header next week and then is done and on to basketball.  He has played so well this year after not playing for a couple years.  He plays with an awesome group of boys and wonderful families.  I truly LOVE our community and group of friends and LOVE watching him play even more regardless of the sport.  Today was no exception.  Coop seemed a little less aggressive the first half and I am not sure why but second half he was back at it.  He is so aggressive and seems to understand what's important and what's not way beyond his years.

So I have mentioned a time or two that Raelynn is growing up and sometimes she is so great I cannot imagine how I am ever going to let her go when she is ready to leave for college and sometimes she is so moody and snappy I don't even know how to react.  Well I did some reading and thinking and come to find out that at 9 girls can start having hormone changes and this is all normal.  Really?!  At 9 it starts!  Who knew?  Anyway, once this all came to light I did some changing too.  I asked around and come to find out several of her friends Mom's had their daughters reading a book about how their bodies were changing.  Thank goodness for one of my best friends filling me in on this book.  I don't know where I had been but the day she told me I downloaded it from Amazon and introduced it to Raelynn that night.  Come to find out it was just what Raelynn and I needed.  I think as a parent it is sometimes hard to adjust your parenting to the kids as they grow up, but I am so glad I did.  I realized that my explanations for my decisions needed to get more detailed and my discipline needed to get more firm.  I also realized it's ok to let her know when she hurts my feelings or makes me feel angry and maybe then she can let me know when I hurt hers.  Anyway, although I know Raelynn is going to challenge me, we again are adjusting the sails a little bit and sailing nicely again.  Again, I love the challenges of parenting and the amazing rewards as well.

Another great couple of weeks behind us and looking forward to a couple more head!