Archives for 2010

This I Pray

August 18, 2010 by Kelli

With first grade in full swing, I’ve found myself impressed this year more than ever to be bathing my children in prayer. This is something that I’ve always known was important, but if I’m being honest I’d confess that I haven’t been faithful in daily lifting them up. But for some reason, this year, I can’t really brush aside or ignore the need to send my son out under the protection of God who is able to keep Sloan in ways that I cannot.

I pray that Sloan is a light among his peers. I pray that he is a bold leader. I pray that he is an encourager to others and a helper to his teacher.

I pray that Sloan has fun. I pray that he laughs often, learns much and finds joy in each and every day.

I pray that Sloan will be strong in the Lord and that he will be filled with wisdom as he grows into a young man of stature.

I pray that waking up in the morning gets less painful every day.

I pray that his relationship with his brother and sister doesn’t suffer despite the fact that he will be absent seven hours a day. In fact, I hope that the separation makes them appreciate each other more.

I pray that he never forgets how deeply he is loved and that he can always seek refuge in our home.

Most of all I pray

that he always remembers

he’s under the watchful eye and faithful protection of a God who never slumbers. (Psalm 121)

I pray that this first grader has the best first grade year and makes memories to last a lifetime.

Filed Under: Family, Kids, Life, Motherhood, Sloan Tagged With: First Day of School, First Grade, Sloan

A Mom Is Born

August 17, 2010 by Kelli

TODAY IS THE DAY!!! JOIN US STARTING AT 11:00 FOR THIS UNIQUE VIRTUAL BABYSHOWER. DETAILS FOR HOW YOU CAN PARTICIPATE AND WATCH ARE RIGHT HERE! This is a sticky post, which means it will remain at the top of my page until after the August 25th event. Don’t forget to tune in for the Mom Is Born virtual baby shower honoring Channel Four’s Virginia Kerr. I’ve listed all the information on this exciting event in this post so you can read more about it and I even have the UStream link up so you can tune in! I hope you enjoy yourself.

Filed Under: Family, Motherhood Tagged With: A Mom is Born, My Mommy Manual, Virginia Kerr, virtual baby shower

Ice Cream Surprise

August 16, 2010 by Kelli

*update – if you’re having trouble with the video constantly stopping and buffering, click on the numbers in the bottom right hand corner. I don’t know what they mean but if you click it it should change from 360p to 480p and then the video should play without stopping. At least that’s what worked for me. I think it has something to do with pixels, but I dunno really…

I got this idea from my friend Nicole a few months ago.

We put the kids to bed early last night. Sloan stomped and groaned and bemoaned the fact that the summer is over and school is starting and “why won’t you let me stay up and enjoy my last night of summer – WAAAAAAHHHH!” About five minutes after laying them down, we went into their room and flipped on the light (only to find them both sitting up in the same bed…so much for them actually going to bed) and told them we wanted to go get some ice cream.

“Would you like to come with us?” we asked.

Their reactions were priceless. And you can see them for yourself.

*a quick disclaimer: Lee got a little ahead of me and flipped the kids light on before I had the camera going so I missed a little bit of their reaction. Bummer.

I think my favorite part of the video is when Lee begins talking about third nipples (nubbin’s) and Sloan starts laughing so hard he almost wets his pants.

Welcome to crazy town. So glad you came. Leave your shoes at the door…or leave them on. Whatever. We talk about third nipples. You can do whatever you want.

Have I mentioned lately I love my family?

Yay for the Ice Cream Surprise!

And now I’m off to shower so I can take Sloan to school to meet his teacher. I’m taking my kid to meet his first grade teacher. I’m taking my child to his elementary school where he’s going to be spending the entire day at school. I’m having a panic attack while I think about taking my kid to see his first grade class.

I’m feeling old.

Filed Under: Family, funny stuff that happens, Kids, Kids do the darndest things, Landon, Lee, Life, Motherhood, School Tagged With: Dairy Queen, Ice Cream Surprise, Kids, Kids and Ice Cream, Kids are Funny, Summer's End

untitled

August 12, 2010 by Kelli

A conglomerate of all that is rolling through my head. You can hardly contain yourselves – I know it.

– I got to go to a wine bar last night with a group of beautiful, successful working women and discuss writing and reporting and what it means to be a woman in media. It was relaxing and fun and I met new people, made new contacts and discussed the possibility of a new freelance gig. All around I had a great time. And then I went home and watched So You Think You Can Dance and envisioned myself being able to actually dance and not just bootie shake. Then I went to bed.

– School starts Tuesday. At the beginning of this summer I was actually really thinking about homeschooling. I enjoyed having the kids home and I liked not having such a rigorous schedule.

Um, yeah. That’s not gonna happen. It’s laughable even, if the thought of it didn’t make me want to cry. I can’t wait to greet Routine with a gigantic hug and kiss next Tuesday. I might even make her cookies and invite her to come share my bed.

– Tomorrow I have to leave my house a little before 5:00 am to catch a flight to Dallas. I don’t know why I always choose the earliest flights possible, but for some reason I do. The plus side is I get to see dear friends when I arrive and I will spend the weekend catching up with some of the people who hold sweet, sweet pieces of my heart. I am very excited.

– There is a book that I need to write and I’m scared. I’ve needed to write it for seven years now, but for seven years I’ve been scared. It’s a personal book and I have been plagued by self doubt. I’ve pushed it aside and made myself to believe that I’m not the right person for the job. And maybe I’m not. But if I don’t do it, I’m not sure anyone else will.

I feel like I have the angel and devil characters sitting on my shoulders. Only in my mind the angel character is a small girl with pigtails and mistmatched clothes. In fact, she looks a lot like Punky Brewster. And she keeps telling me things like, “You can do it,” and “Think of how this would honor those around you,” and “Man your hair looks good today.” Okay, not that last part. But it would be awesome if someone would whisper that in my ear daily.

The devil character is on the other shoulder and he’s a fat, sweaty man with a long knotted beard and a hairy chest sitting in a recliner eating cookies and chips. He yells in my ear too. He screams things like, “You’re not good enough!” and “There’s no way you could possibly pull that off in any way shape or form!” and “Nobody’s gonna want to read that!” And everytime he yells at me, flecks of sour cream and onion chips smack me in the chin.

*sigh*

Have I mentioned I have an overactive imagination?

In all seriousness, I really am trying to get past this crippling fear. I hate being held back by something so lame. The very fact that I am so scared makes me think that I probably am supposed to do this. But it’s going to be hard and it’s going to take work and I don’t want to mess it up. So we’ll see.

– The kids are watching a Star Wars movie (shocker!) and are consequently having a light saber fight. It’s getting out of hand. I should step in and stop it, but it’s making me laugh a little bit.

– The St. Louis heat has taken me by surprise. It’s unbearable. Which begs the question, why do we not live in Florida? If we’re going to endure this type of heat, there should be the option of a beach close by. Just my own personal opinion.

– The kids really want to go swimming today, but I have a lot to do so I’m not sure if it’s the best idea. On the other hand, it’s 412 degrees out and nothing but sitting in a pool sounds appealing. So we’ll probably go swimming. Or maybe we won’t. I’m feeling a little flighty this morning. What? You could tell? Oh…

– I need to work harder at speaking russian with the kids. I really struggle with this. We’re pouring time and energy and money into lessons to help them learn so by me not working harder on conversation with them I’m really doing them and myself a disservice. On the other hand, it’s really, really hard to speak russian to them when they all gang up on me and they’re all different levels and my language just isn’t good enough to accomodate them all. So I’ll keep doing the best that I can.

– Okay, the light saber fight has gotten out of hand. I hear wails. It’s probably time to step in and put a stop to it. Or is this one of those situations where I’m supposed to let them work it out on their own? That’s the more appealing option because it lets me sit on my behind a little longer. But I don’t want to be one of them there lazy parents so I’m going to head out.

– Did I mention that school starts Tuesday?

Filed Under: Blogging, books, Family, funny stuff that happens, Kids, Motherhood, summer fun

He needs to stop growing…like, yesterday

August 10, 2010 by Kelli

It has become a bit of a tradition for me to take Landon to a quiet section of Clearwater beach and take a few pictures of him. Because we usually go to Florida in July, this means that I have gotten a nice sequence of pictures of his growth. And after looking at them, I’ve come to the conclusion that I need to find a way to slow down time or maybe even stunt his growth, because dangit, it’s just moving way too fast.

Remember when he didn’t do anything but eat the sand?

THEN - He was 7 months old and enjoyed immensely the taste of sand.

Six months

This year he wanted to do nothing but roll in the sand.

Remember when he liked to lay on his belly and feel the cool sand and water on his body?

He still likes to do that, although at two and a half I thought it might be inapporpriate to do so naked.

For some reason he still likes to show crack at the beach.

Landon, or Captain Sassypants as I’ve taken to calling him, has changed a lot in the last year. He is speaking full sentences, has developed a love for potty words, is a total goof and is falling comfortably into the role of the “free spirit.” He’s happy and funny and always good for a laugh. We recently got his hair cut much shorter than I anticipated and while it looks cute, I must confess that I’m not crazy about it. It is far too serious a haircut for such a crazy little boy.

Mostly, though, I just wish he’d slow down. I see no reason for him to grow up so quickly. I keep telling him that and he continues to defy me. We’re gonna have to do something about that…

Six months

Filed Under: Family, Kids, Landon, Motherhood

The Wedding

August 9, 2010 by Kelli

We ended our vacation with a stop in Mobile, Alabama, where we watched and participated in the wedding of my cousin, Whitney, to her new husband, Jordan. It was beautiful and emotional and perfect and I’m so glad we got to be there to see this union take place.

Whitney has overcome more hardship and pain than most people will see in two lifetimes. She is a true picture of beauty from ashes. She’s not only beautiful on the outside, but on the inside as well. When she was five, she and her brother and sister spent a year living with my family. I was thirteen at the time and I adored having a little “sister” to dress up and play with. I curled her hair, put make up on her and doted on her daily. I learned her tap dance routines and taught her silly songs to perform in front of others. I don’t know if it was fun for her, but I enjoyed having a real life baby doll.

Whitney asked Sloan and Tia if they would serve as flowergirl and ring bearer. It was an honor for them to take part and after they got over their initial trepidation at standing up in front of a lot of people (and having to watch the bride and groom kiss – Ew!) they had a great time.

And the number of times that they’ve played bride and groom since the wedding? Five. And counting.

I was so proud of how great the kids did before, during and after the wedding.

Whitney’s mom died in February of 1991 when Whitney was only 5. I was twelve and I don’t remember much about my Aunt Joy. There are snippets that come to me periodically, like flashes in time. I remember her laugh and her smile and I have a CD of her singing, but other than that, the memories are vague. But my mom and my other aunts and uncles remember well. And all of them say that Whitney is so much like her mom it’s frightening.

She’s the life of the party.

She’s got an infectious laugh.

She loves people and she loves Jesus.

I’m so proud of her.

My cousin Randy’s little girl joined Tia in the role of flowergirl. Can you tell these two are related?

I do believe that Sloan developed a bit of a crush on Whitney. He followed her around like a puppy dog all day long and asked to have no less than fifty pictures taken with her.

“She is so beautiful, Mom,” he told me.

Tia has become enamored with playing “bwide” since we got home. She puts her fancy shoes on and taps around the house saying “I Do.” I’ve drawn the line at her and Sloan kissing. They’ll thank me one day.

I wish that my aunt could have been there on Saturday. She would have been brimming with pride at the young woman that Whitney has become. I know that in heaven there are no more tears of sorrow so I doubt that those who have gone on before us can literally watch and see what’s happening to the loved ones left behind. Because if they could, then surely they would experience sorrow at the pain that is ever present on this Earth.

I do hope, however, that in moments of joy, such as Saturday’s wedding, those who dwell in heaven experience an extra measure of joy, peace, love and contentment. And since one day on Earth is like 1,000 years in heaven, I hope that Joy experienced 1,000 years of extra happiness and joy over the union of her daughter to such a wonderful man.

Sloan was such a little man.

And Tia was a great helper to little Hayley.

And Whitney beamed with such force as she walked down the isle that I worried her face might split in two.

Sloan, of course, got a little bored during the ceremony. It gave him plenty of time, however, to smell the roses. And, of course, when the bride and groom kissed he giggled and blushed and shook his head. Because just…ew.

Tia got to hold Whitney’s bouquet during the ceremony. It weighed easily 5 pounds. She was a real trooper. Doesn’t she look like she’s having the time of her life?

Mr. and Mrs. Jordan Van Matre. They have a rich heritage to uphold and continue. I have no doubt that they are fully equipped and prepared to carry on the rich legacy of this family.

My Aunt Tammy made a lot of sacrifices to raise Whitney alongside her own four children. And she and my Uncle Cletis did a great job making sure that this little girl, who was a broken, scared 9 year old when they got her, grew into a confident woman of God.

Equally, my mom and dad also made sacrifices, pouring energy, wisdom and hope into Whitney’s life. They also raised Whitney’s brother and supported Whitney’s older sister as they grew. My Uncle Dusty, the oldest of the Cooper siblings, was also a pillar of support. As the male head of the family, he has been a constant for all of us. I am honored to be a part of such a unique and loving family.

It was a time to reconnect for my cousins and I, and for our kids to begin making memories together. My cousins’ girls and Tia all lined up for the tossing of the bouquet. Emerson, my cousin Sean’s daughter, ended up catching it, much to her delight. Girl shrieks abounded.

Look closely everyone – this could quite possibly be the future President and First Lady of the United States.

It was the perfect end to our vacation. Now we’re home and it’s back to reality. I went to the store this morning and gave them my right arm and right leg for groceries and school supplies. The house appears to have been hit by a tornado and it smells quite a bit like rotten dog.

*sigh*

To be a newlywed again.

Filed Under: Family, Kids, Life, Marriage Tagged With: Family, Jordan and Whitney Van Matre, kids in weddings, wedding

A Mom is Born: Let’s Celebrate!

August 5, 2010 by Kelli

On August 25, My Mommy Manual and KMOV are hosting A Mom is Born. This is a virtual baby shower with a cause! Using the transition into motherhood as a platform, A Mom is Born will raise funds for the Missouri chapter of The March of Dimes while also celebrating new life. This is only the second virtual baby shower and this year’s celebrant is Virgina Kerr, the anchor of Channel Four’s early morning program, Awake.

Becoming a new mom can be daunting and overwhelming. I remember well being pregnant with Sloan and walking the aisles of Babies “R” Us, thoroughly terrified. What would I need? What would I want? What if he was permanently and irreversibly damaged because I chose the wrong sized bottle nipple?! Gah!

So I did what any self respecting, hormonal first time mom would do – I sent a mass email to every mom I knew asking for advice. It saved my life, that email…okay that might be a little dramatic. It did save my sanity, though. And those mom friends have continued to pour into me and reassure me along the way. So now it’s my turn (and yours!) to pay it forward and share your bits of mom wisdom with a new mom to be.

There are several different ways to participate in this exciting event. The first is to simply attend. You can watch a live stream of the shower online at www.MomIsBorn.com. There will be opportunities to interact with Virginia and the shower hosts via a live chat room. Viewers (guests) will also learn how to personalize a Holding Hands bracelet. This bracelet is a sweet gift for all expectant mothers to wear during labor and delivery as a reminder of the support that she has from her closest family and friends.

A limited number of Holding Hands bracelets will also be available for purchase online with a portion of the proceeds going to The March of Dimes. You can also donate directly to The March of Dimes via the Mom Is Born website.

The virtual shower will be filled with fun, laughter and wisdom as other mothers will pass on pieces of wisdom to Virginia. You can share your own tips or advice on the website prior to the shower and earn an entry into the Raffle for that day. Raffle prizes have been generously donated by the shower sponsors: Build-a-Bear Workshop, Kolcraft, Goodnite Rooms, Pixie Posie Photography and the venue sponsor, Overlook Farm.

Overlook Farm is also offering an amazing special for all moms. From now until October 15, which is when Virginia’s baby boy is due, you can spend a relaxing night in one of their luxurious inns for only $125/night. All you have to do to receive this rate is become a fan of Overlook Farm on Facebook. If you mention the virtual shower on their fan page, you will be entered to win a Girl’s Weekend getaway for four where you can unwind on their 200 acre farm, relax in their greenhouse hot tub, explore their many gardens, or enjoy a glass of wine as you watch the sun set over the Missouri River Valley.

Not a bad deal, if you ask me.

No matter what, I hope you’ll take the time on August 25 to tune in to this special and unique virtual shower. To find out more information, or to submit your piece of mommy wisdom and be entered to win the Raffle, visit http://www.momisborn.com You can also participate by donating to The March of Dimes through the PayPal button provided below.

Maybe we can all convince her to go ahead and buy a minivan. After all, we know what they are, right?!

Webcam chat at Ustream

Filed Under: Blogging, Life, Motherhood Tagged With: A Mom is Born, Holding Hands Bracelets, KMOV, Motherhood, My Mommy Manual, pregnancy, Virginia Kerr, virtual baby shower

I know you’re probably bored with pictures, but…

August 3, 2010 by Kelli

The Beach. Sunset. Fully Clothed. Great Fun.

I took each one individually to the beach for some mommy time and pictures...

Sad faces because it's the last day at the beach. Boo.

I promise I’ll have actual content up again next week. We leave bright and early for Mobile, Alabama for my cousin Whitney’s wedding. My sweet little cousin – she’s gonna be a bride. She lived with our family for a year when she was five – I was thirteen. She was my real life baby doll for a year. And now she’s going to be a Mrs.

I feel old.

I’ll be back soon!

Filed Under: Family, Kids, Landon, Life, Sloan, summer fun, Tia Tagged With: Clearwater, Kids in Clearwater Florida, Vacation pictures

Pictures speak a thousand words…

August 1, 2010 by Kelli

And that’s a good thing because after spending nearly three weeks at the beach, my brain is almost completely mush (in a relaxed sort of way).

Tia thought she was taking a sip of her water. Instead she accidentally took a sip of my Mojito. This was her reaction.

Sloan and my dad had a guys night the other night. They went fishing off the end of the pier and Sloan caught a crab. They drank soda and stayed out until midnight. It is his best memory.

Tia chose to go to The Sand Pearl at sunset for ice cream on her date with Boss.

This is tonight's sunset from the back porch of my parent's condo. Um, yeah...I never get tired of this.

Just two more days until we leave for Mobile, AL for a family wedding and one week until we’ll be home. While I’m ready to get back into a routine, I must say I am sad to leave. It always goes by too fast.

Filed Under: Family, Kids, Life, summer fun Tagged With: Florida sunsets, Kids in Clearwater Florida, summer fun with kids, summer vacation

Lowry Park and Orlando

July 29, 2010 by Kelli

We’ve been here two weeks. For the most part, it’s been a delight. The last couple of days, however, have been a little dicey. Maybe a full moon is coming. I dunno. All I know for sure is that we had to make an emergency call to daddy today for a little over-the-phone discipline.

Not. good.

Here’s to hoping tomorrow is a better day and they simmer down a bit! We have had some fun in our two weeks stay. We went to Orlando the few days before Lee arrived where we spent time with family, went to downtown Disney and ate at the world’s largest (and most obnoxiously loud) McDonalds.

I also went shopping BY MYSELF at the outlet mall. BY MYSELF PEOPLE! CAMA! (Russian for ALONE) It was the greatest day of my life. I mean, outside of my wedding day and the day my children were born. So it was, like, the fifth greatest day of my life.

A few pictures for your viewing enjoyment.

Every other year when I grew up, my parents rented a condo on Clearwater beach for one month. We’d pack up our (smokin’) minivan and trek from Wisconsin (when I was younger) or St. Louis (in my teen years) and drive down. So this beach is as much home to me as any place else.

While down here, my aunts and uncles would come over and stay with us in the condo. Many of my favorite childhood memories are on this beach with my cousins. I love recreating those memories for my kids.

My cousin Kristen came to see us in Orlando with her four children. Her third born, Fiona, and Tia became fast friends. It was such a blessing to be with them.

Landon and Kristen’s youngest, Miles, struck up a mean round of ping pong. After which we ate lunch and Landon decided to take a snooze poolside.

After swimming with the cousins, we dried off and headed to Downtown Disney. I’m not ready to pay the high prices for Disney World yet. I want all of the kids to be old enough to remember it before we go. But Downtown Disney was a fun place to visit, shop and eat. The kids all had money to spend and had a great time searching for the perfect toy to bring home. Even though it was 4,000 degrees, we still managed to have a good time.

My brother and his girlfriend, along with her little girl, joined us for a little hotel swimming and Downtown Disney. The next night we got to play at their home for a bit. It was so fun to connect with them.

This week we decided to take the kids to Lowry Park Zoo. The original plan was to hit up Busch Gardens, but then we found out how much it cost and did a quick about face. Lowry Park was significantly cheaper and the kids had a blast. They got to ride ponies and camels, as well as a log flume and roller coaster (kiddie coaster). And we got to feed goats and parakeets, as well as a giraffe, which was, for me at least, the highlight.

My favorite quote of the day was Landon on the roller coaster. As we zipped around the first turn, he laughed and yelled, “Dis a fuuuun.” Then we gained momentum and roared around the first turn and his eyes almost popped out of his head. “I stared, I stared (scared)” he cried. So cute.

I was all up in his grill (grille?) - Oh yes I was.

His tongue stretched all the way to my hand. Dang! It was freaky. Notice how the kids are not nearby. They kept a safe distance.

This was a singular moment of fun for Tia. Mostly, the flapping parakeet's freaked her and Landon out. Those tiny, devilish little birds.

Careful...they spit.

Whew. We’re tired. We are having a great time, but I will admit that the kids appear to be tiring of one another as is evident by their near constant bickering. I’m trying to take them out one at a time for some one on one time and to keep them from killing each other. We just have a few more days and as much as I’ll hate leaving this place, it will be nice to return to the routine of home.

Until then, we will continue to have fun in the sun!

Filed Under: Family, Kids, summer fun Tagged With: beach vacations with kids, Clearwater Beach, kids in Florida, Lowry Park Zoo