Spaghetti Monsters

My kids don’t eat anything.  Thea will eat a few more things than Leila, but the things that she will eat tend to be less healthy options then those that Leila will accept, so really it is equally frustrating with both girls.

My pilates instructor told us about a fun food item she was making for dinner one night (hot dogs with spaghetti noodles cooked into them) and I decided to take it a step further in the hopes that my children would eat spaghetti. I used store bought meat balls, and it was really easy to create the spaghetti monster effect.  I would call the over all experience  a partial success.  Leila ate some, but still would not allow any sauce to touch her plate.  Thea didn’t really eat it.  I guess she isn’t quite old enough for the gimmick to work on her.

I have been feeling creative lately…my latest accomplishment is a pair of matching pillowcase dresses for the girls.  Pictures to come!

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Preschool graduation!

Do you think she is excited for kindergarten?

They did a cute program, sang some songs, played at the park and ended with a pot luck and hot dogs!

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Updates and what not

I was going to post some pictures from Leila’s pre-school graduation, and of the spaghetti monsters we had for dinner tonight, but then I realized I forgot to bring the camera upstairs and I am too lazy to go and get it.  How is that for honesty? I promise I will get to the pictures eventually, just not today.  Something to look forward to!

Instead, you get the wordy update-y stuff instead.  Things are going really well for the Coobs’ family.  Cory and I took Leila to the doctor’s office today for her pre- kindergarten check up and she took her shots like a total champ.  Not a tear or a complaint!  So we promptly took her to Target and let her pick out anything she wanted (within reason) as a reward her for bravery.  She picked a toy that will forever remind me of my baby sister Dani.  One of these: 

She is super excited for school, and every day she asks about when she can go on the boat.  Hopefully the swimming lessons that she starts next week will help give her a water fix.

Thea is as cute as ever.  Lately she has been having her teacher Mel do her hair for her in the morning.  She will not let me do anything with her hair, but Mel braids it.  I guess she has the magic touch.  Everyday I tell her how pretty her hair is and she says, “Mel did it!”

Leila is currently teaching Leila the alphabet.  Thea has A-E down.  Leila will rattle off each letter and have Thea repeat her.  I am sure it is only a short matter of time until she has them all down, thanks to her big sister.  Thea is talking SO MUCH these days!  It is amazing to see how quickly she has picked up language after being a very quiet child for so long.  Last night as Cory put Thea to bed he said, “I Love you Thea” and she responded with, “I Love you Daddy.  So much.”  Melt my heart!

Cory is doing really well, he is playing in a weekly golf league this summer, and I can tell he really enjoys it, so I am very happy that it is something that we could work into the schedule.  He is of course doing very well at work.  The man loves his job, you can’t really beat that.

I am also doing pretty well.  I recently passed a professional certification exam (The same one that Cory passed in February) and I am now a Project Management Institute certified Project Management Professional.  Sounds fun, huh?  It was actually kind of nice to study again, and to have a clear, attainable goal to reach towards.  I struggle a lot with my job because I get worn out when I don’t see real results of my effort, so that gave me a much needed boost.

Cory and I have both been working out at a gym for several months, and I really enjoy it.  I have been taking a pilates class that makes me feel really awesome and strong.  I am also trying to build up some running endurance in preparation for a 5k.  I have done one before, but I want to run the whole thing and feel good about my time.  The race is in October, so I have lots of time, and hopefully will get in a practice 5k or two before then.

I am also reading more lately, I am going to read the whole bible.  I am currently in Judges.  Old Testament reading is kind of a downer though, so things are going slowly.  It is something that is important to me though, so I will power on through, slowly but surely.

So there you have it.  We have been doing our best to live every day, play at the park, sit on the deck, visit with those people that we love and make times for the hobbies that we enjoy.  The girls are thriving, and we are all so happy to be settled into our hopefully forever home.  Life is good.

We are also saying lots of prayers for Clay’s friend Sam.  If you are so  inclined, join me in asking God to bless him with a strong recovery.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Farm Living

One last farm picture…

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

What’s Bloomin’ at Grandpa’s house?

Yep, pretty much everything! What a beautiful place.  I have to wonder, if I had never left, would it be so appealing to be there when I go back?  Of course Grandpa would always be a draw, but I am really appreciating the beauty of home too.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Grandma’s Tree

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Zoo

We have been anticipating this zoo trip for quite a while.  I was so happy to be able to work it out to meet our cousins and Grandma that we rarely get to see.  Not only did we have a fun time at the zoo on a beautiful spring day, but we also stayed over at a hotel with a perfect kid pool.

Our kids were not interested in being around us at the zoo with so many of their other favorite people around, so photo opportunities were few and far between.  One of the highlights of the day has to be listening to the girls singing in the car on the way there.  Leila taught Thea a song about going to the zoo and little Thea was singing it all weekend. ADORABLE! “I’m going to the zoo, zoo, zoo!  How about you, you, you! You can come too, too, too!”
At the hotel Leila and Thea were true to their personalities…Thea was down the water slide more times that I could count and got to the point that she would even climb the ladder to get out of the pool to go down another time without any help from the grown ups.

Leila, though the water was only about 18 inches deep, demanded that me or Cassie stood at the bottom of the slide to “catch” her.  Leila is our cautious girl, Thea is the daredevil!

The girls were very tired after possibly the longest day of their lives, but once again, true to form…This is Thea, the little morning person after a night of squirming around in bed with Mommy. (The child is like a cat, she wants to sleep on your head!)

And Leila.  She is definitely my child.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Veda

This sweet girl turned 1.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Movie Night

A rainy Friday night.  I remember when I was a kid it was a major treat to go to town and rent a video player and a movie for the evening.  I want my kids to grow up and remember the fun ways that we passed the rainy days as a family.  This weekend we tried our hand at a family game of Uno attack, which even Thea really enjoyed as well as movie night.  What is a movie night without popcorn (with M&M’s mixed in even!) Don’t mind the dirty face, Thea sure didn’t.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Mother’s Day

Picked out with Leila’s help, from my Mom and Dad.  Love them.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment