Chaddrick Home

2012-02-12T14:54:00.005-06:00

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY

to the only girl that can make us smile this much!

we love you

cooper and chris

(it's early 'cause we love you that much, and you were away :) )

Bow Organizers

2011-12-26T15:20:00.002-06:00

I saw some of these hair bow organizers in a catalog & knew my nieces needed them! They were not available in colors they would like, however. So, I decided to try and make them myself. You clip bows & barrettes onto the ribbons!

The result:

First Family Vacation!

2011-07-08T14:27:00.013-05:00

Guess where we went!

To Sea World!

We loaded up the car on a Monday morning, fired up the portable DVD player, and hit the road with breakfast in hand headed to San Antonio!
This picture was taken while we were waiting...and waiting...and waiting (an hour and a half!) in line to get our FREE Fun Cards. Thank you, Sea World, for your appreciation of teachers! With copies of our teaching certificates, both Chris and I qualified for a free Fun Card (basically a season pass). So, we only had to pay for Cooper's Fun Card (now we have the option of going back all year!).

Another reason to support Sea World--they also have a military appreciation program, "Here's to the Heroes" (or something like that), in which military personnel and their families get in free. Awesome! (Another reason why we waited in such a long line. But, glad to do it on that account!)

Armed with cold water and donning our swim suits,
we were ready for a fun day!

This spring, Sea World opened a new area called the Sesame Street Bay of Play. The rides and water areas were just right for little kiddos.
It was super cool--what kid wouldn't have fun when seeing his Sesame Street pals' faces on everything in sight?

One of the first things Cooper saw and wanted to do--the Shamu roller coaster!

He loved it, and ended up riding with Daddy on both days.

The obligatory carousel ride.

Too cute!

BIG fun--This reminded me of the Playscape at our church. Basically a huge climbing area for kids. Coop hit the ropes, started climbing, and never looked back. Well, except when his crocs fell off a time or two!

You can barely see him, but that's Cooper standing up on the pink platform about to enter the tunnel on the right.

Daddy had to climb part of the way up to check it out.

He's such a big kid!

Big Bird ferris wheel ride

We all crammed in, but were still smilin'!

Had to stop and do this a lot.

Can't go to Sea World without seeing Shamu!

Coop talked about Shamu for days.

Woo-hoo!

Ta-da!

This "splash pad" area was quite a hit. He ran around in circles squealing for awhile before settling in and trying everything out.

Love that smile...

Figuring it out...

I lost count how many times he crawled through that tunnel.

Meeting Rosita (from Sesame Street).

Then we were really hot..so we headed to the waterpark!

After relaxing in the big wave pool, we went to a smaller pool that had a slide...

Coop rode this slide twice--with Daddy and with Mommy, too!

Just finished relaxing at the waterpark area...

About to head to the hotel after a long, hot, FUN day at Sea World.

Our extra-large, extra-cheap hotel room--complete with 2 queen-sized beds, a sitting area and 2 bathrooms. Yes, you read that right--2 bathrooms!

We made our reservation via priceline.com, named our price, and ended up staying at the St. Anthony Wyndham in downtown San Antonio.

All for $50!

"It's sooo big!"

Coop is standing in the dressing area adjacent to one of the two bathrooms.

Ready to go eat dinner...waiting for Mommy to finish taking pictures.

We started out Day 2 at the Dolphin Cove. This was the scene of our first (and really our only) major meltdown! We made it in time to get in line to buy a tray of fish to feed to the dolphins. I insisted that we do this, but Coop was so excited to see the dolphins that he kept trying to rush ahead of the line and didn't want to listen to any kind of explanation. Chris finally got him settled down enough to understand why we were waiting in the longer line, then we were okay.

Finally feeding the dolphins..with a little help from Daddy.

(Didn't really want to hold the dead fish, and I think he was a little scared of that dolphin's big mouth.) They were so beautiful!

Then we headed to the Coral Reef/Shark area.

Coop didn't quite understand the concept of an aquarium, and was full of questions as we walked. He didn't hesitate to go in though.

We heard, "Wow! Look at that!" several times!

(My personal favorite of God's marine creations--the stingray.)

Sharks!

Coop loved the aquarium!

Later we went to the Penguin Encounter. Kind of hard to take pictures due to the darkness. None of mine turned out very good. It was hard for Coop to see them, too. He was a little disappointed; he'd see them on the Sea World website and was really looking forwars to seeing them in person.

We also went to a Sesame Street "4-D" movie. Coop will tell you that the next time he goes to Sea World he doesn't want to see that movie again. The 3D glasses were uncomfortable and the "4D" experience was a bit too much of a surprise for him. For example, Grover was wielding a fire hose that not only looked like it was coming right at you, but it sprayed you as well (sprayers hidden in the back of the seat in front of you). I think in a different setting he wouldn't have minded, but he did NOT like it at all!

We stuck to the animals after that...

Mother & baby sea lions.

All in all, we are very grateful for a fun, successful and

affordable first family vacation!

Super Hero Night at Chick-Fil-A

2011-05-27T15:30:00.004-05:00

Last week, the Chick-Fil-A in Rosenberg had a Super Hero Night, which would be attended by Batman and Spiderman. We talked about it for a few days, and Coop finally decided (the day of) that he'd like to go.

He had LOTS of questions on the way there...

"Will Batman and Spiderman be wearing masks?"

"Will they take off their masks to eat?" "What if there's not room for them?"

(at our table--he assumed they would be sitting down to eat with us.)

I was hoping he would want to wear his Batman PJ's--would make for a cute picture, I thought. But no. PJ's are for bedtime, not Chick-Fil-A. :)

When we arrived, we read on the sign on the door that "Super Cow" would be making an appearance also. Hmmm...We weren't sure what to tell him about this one. (Turned out to be the CFA Cow donning a cape and Lone Ranger type mask.)

We got there before their arrival...ordered our food...sat down and began eating.

He was excited/anxious for them to arrive. When Chris pointed out that they were walking in, he was just plain scared. He calmed pretty quickly, though.

They remained a safe distance away, taking pictures with kids. We talked some more...he was okay, but didn't want to go meet them or take a picture.

Since there were no other activities going on (unless you count the kids' play area, which is one of Coop's favorite reasons to go to CFA),

I was very hopeful he'd change his mind.

Coop finally took Chris up on his offer to go over with him...

with Coop riding on his shoulders, of course.

See how much smaller they look from this perspective? Much less intimidating! (Actually, they were both pretty small guys. Batman's suit was hanging off him!)

Coop managed to get the courage up for high-fives to both superheroes.

He was still a little leary of them when it came to picture time, though.

He pulled the casual, "Oh, my shoulder itches, so I'll have to lean over here to reach it better" move. With that victory under his belt, we went back to eating. Then he got to go in the play area with lots of other rowdy boys. Heaven!

Later though, Super Cow arrived. Notice I have no pictures of him.

That's because Cooper was climbing onto my lap in terror when the huge, upright, masked cow entered the restaurant! That one was a little tough to explain. We tried to remind him of the cows on their commercials/signs.

But, all he could say was, "That's not like Gran & Pop's cows."

Mother's Day

2011-05-09T15:31:00.006-05:00

We had an extended Mother's Day celebration that lasted the whole weekend! That's what it takes when you have fabulous mothers in your life. :)

We began by treating Chris' mom to dinner

with the whole family at Outback Steakhouse--a rare occurence!

Crazy cousins!

Coop went on to spend the night at the Chaddricks' that night because Chris and I had to get up and gone early the next morning to proctor the SAT. Not exactly part of the celebration, but when you consider the $$ we earned, it's worth noting!

Sunday morning we were off-duty. That means they gave the choir & orchestra the week off and we didn't have to be there nearly as early. Hallelujah! That was a gift in itself!

Sunday evening we took my mom out to eat at... Outback Steakhouse! It wasn't exactly planned that way...it just happened. Good thing we are a real meat & potatoes kind of bunch. I just love steak! (For the record, I had a filet w/a side of shrimp scampi for the first round, and a good 'ol chicken fried steak with garlic mashed potatoes for round 2.)

An attempt at a nice Mother's Day picture.

See Coop's foot poised above my hand?

This is just before he stomped. :}

Coop and his Gran.

What a cutie!

Suspicious look...perhaps he's up to something.

Yes, that's Daddy, trying not to laugh as his son screams

and cries because his head is stuck between the rails.

Told you he was up to something!

Silly attempts at a picture with Mommy.

Forgot to take a pic of this at the restaurant. There was a guy making balloon animals going table to table. Coop chose a T-Rex. (Shock!) Turns out the guy was just in the country visiting his sister; he is a missionary in the Philippines. The restaurant allowed him to do this for donations toward his mission work! Don't you know his mother, back in Spain, is proud?

(Please express your appreciation at the Outback Steakhouse on I-10 in Katy.) Now you appreciate that T-Rex a little more, huh? I think he cost us around $25 after we all pitched in around the table!

I just couldn't be more blessed.

Sick Week

2011-05-09T15:12:00.002-05:00

So...I finally got a playdate organized, and actually had more than one playmate participating....and Coop started feeling lousy & running a low-grade fever. Wouldn't you know it??? Since we were scheduled to play outside at a park w/lots of running/sweating, etc., I decided to cancel.

Two days later, he was diagnosed w/double ear infections. So... at least it was legit!
Thus began a very long week. By Saturday, Coop was feeling a little better, but still pretty congested. And that morning, I woke up feeling ROTTEN--fever, chills, aches, the whole bit. On Sunday, Chris fell victim, too.
We were quite a pitiful looking crew!
The more we cratered, the more Cooper was perking up. Chris stayed home from work Monday, but went back Tuesday and I was on my own again.
It was a very long week. (Did I say that already?)
I tried to keep him occupied with fun stuff that still enabled me to rest between all of the coughing/snorting/nose blowing.

The winner? Good ol' Play-doh!
Except, a much fancier version than I ever had. Aunt Lindsay found this monstrous set for his birthday. He loves it!

"Cutting." Note the concentration and specialized grip.

Oh yea... THIS is really how you hold scissors.

SQUEEEEEEEZE!

"I made a spider, Mama!"

More Easter Weekend Goodies

2011-05-09T14:55:00.003-05:00

As if all of the morning activities on Good Friday weren't enough, Coop went to spend the night at his Gran & Pop's house that evening. This was mainly out of necessity, since Chris and I were serving in the orchestra & choir for our church's Good Friday service, and it made for a late night.

So, the next day we headed out to the ranch to pick him up. I didn't remember to take many pictures though.

Here he is with his 2nd basket of Easter goodies...I don't remember getting toys and books and stuff in my basket. The Easter bunny has really broadened his horizons. And it's a good thing---Cooper doesn't like candy. Yet. I firmly believe this will change, given his genetic makeup. But for now, it's Goldfish, animal crackers, and even Cheetos! Ha!

Showing off his new John Deere tractors. (Please ignore the "see food".)

"Hey! What's that you're munchin' on?"

"Animal crackers. Want some?"

Easter Weekend

2011-04-22T14:16:00.008-05:00

Easter Weekend began with a Good Friday Brunch at Grandma & Pa's.

There was so much good food!

Uncle Tony reading an oldie but goodie to Coop.

(He is a little afraid of the idea of a Big Bad Wolf,

but loves the huffing & puffing!)

Chris & his sweet Mama.

Time to bake some Easter cookies!

Everybody got a turn to place them on the pan.

Then it was time to see what was in their baskets!

Irony of ironies, Cooper is not a fan of candy. (I know!)
But he loved the eggs filled with Goldfish, marshmallows, and dinosaurs!

Let's go hunt for more eggs!

Found one in Pa's garden.

Posing with their loot.

Silly cousins.

Sometimes I wonder what Jill thinks of these crazy big kids.

Time for a little cruisin' round the cul-de-sac.

Then back inside to dye Easter eggs.

The fun never stops!

The waiting is the hardest part...

Finally!

Success!

Then Pa announced a surprise...

Their neighbors had some baby chicks hatch yesterday!

Cooper was intrigued...

then enamored.

Sooo soft!

I love you, baby chick.

At the Ranch

2011-04-21T15:25:00.005-05:00

We had a nice get-together at my folks' ranch last weekend in honor of Mom's birthday. The weather was perfect! Spring is the best time of year out there--lots of shade, not too hot, everything's green and/or blooming--beautiful!

A perfect day for hangin' out on the hammock.

(Katie, 9; Cooper, 3)

My crazy, beautiful KatieBug.

Pop recently built a new dog run for Duke.

The packaging served as a nice, Gran-powered sled for Coop.

My boys...enjoying the shade.

"Higher, Gran! Higher!"

"Wheeee!"
(Note "Cowboy", the donkey in the background, giving his "bray" of approval.)

My Little Super Hero

2011-04-21T15:22:00.001-05:00

Fun in the Sand

2011-04-01T14:17:00.005-05:00

One of Coop's birthday presents

was the addition of a sandbox

in the framework of his swing set.

The trucks that Grandma & Pa

gave him were picked out

with this in mind, and they were perfect!

We still need to add some boards

to make the seating a little

more comfy, but he loves digging,

filling, and dumping! "Y'all come on over and play sometime!"

Coop's Party Zone!

2011-03-08T14:54:00.012-06:00

Due to the birthday boy contracting the flu, groundbreaking for Coop's 3rd Birthday Party was delayed until this past weekend. It was worth the wait! As requested, Mommy constructed the cake with "lots of trucks". After lots of research online on some very helpful sites, here's how it turned out:

More on the how-to's for the cake in another post, for those who want to know.

Just as we were revealing the cake to Cooper, the first guests arrived.

He was a little distracted at first...

but I think he approved!

After all guests had arrived and the kids had some time to play, we kicked things off with a rousing game of "Pin the Hard Hat on the Builder". (Another idea from the Internet). I took a picture of Coop in a flannel shirt, jeans & boots wearing his Bob the Builder tool belt and holding his tool box. Then I had it blown up to poster size. (Thanks, Walgreen's for running a 40% off posters special at just the right time!)

Coop wanted his twin cousins to go first, then he was finally willing to don the blindfold and try his luck.

Then it was Jillian's turn (no blindfold, please!)

The aftermath...(L to R: Kaitlyn, Coop, Kennedy)

By the way, these were not the actual game results. Apparently, Pop sneakily rearranged things just before he left. Gotcha, Pop!

It did make for a cute picture, though.

Time to eat!

Chris made it easy on me, grilling burgers & hot dogs for everyone.

(Thanks, Babe!)

Anyone surprised that the kids wanted to eat

at the table where the cake was located?

Pa kept a watchful eye on the cake. It was so tempting to grab those trucks!

Look at all of those presents!

Test your observation skills: Can you find the present that Daddy wrapped?

Demolition time! (Tear those gifts open!)
I love my boys!

Hard hat cuties.

The twins, who are very girly, as you can tell from their pink, fru-fru outfits, were such troopers. They "Ooohed" and "Aaahhed" over every purely boy gift that Cooper opened and were genuinely excited for him. They love their cousin. :)
Jilly preferred to toss her hard hat in the air as high as possible. :)

Sweeeet! A motorcycle from Aunt Lindsay & Uncle Tony.

Grandma and her girls.

An awesome garbage truck from Gran & Pop--and yes, that is a "coon skin" cap. Pop ordered that for him.

He wore it on our family walk Sunday afternoon; we got some interesting looks.

Chris is now teaching him the words to the Davy Crockett song.

A cool remote control fire truck from Mommy & Daddy.

And new trucks for the sandbox (coming soon)--a front end loader and a dump truck from Grandma & Pa.

Time to blow out the candles.

(Side note: Coop's holding the new flashlight he got from Pop. It looks like a shot gun shell; he ordered it from the NRA. Start 'em young!)

The flashlight was a little distracting. Coop was focused more on shining it on the candle than blowing. He had to keep blowing several times!

And then we all had cake & ice cream while Cooper went right back to play with his new toys. Nope, he did not eat one bite of the requested "truck" cake.

He told me the day before that he wouldn't, so I wasn't too surprised. When I asked him, "Then why do you want me to make the truck cake?"

His response, "For all the other people to eat it!"
So selfless... ;)

Turn out the lights, the party's over!

Here's what was left of the cake.
The party must have worn him out; he took a 2 hour nap after everyone left. Now, that may not seem like a big deal initially, but this was the first time in 8 days that he took a nap at all. I almost cried! But instead, I took a nap, too.

Immediately afterward, he went right back to playing. Here's his new fireman outfit. It came with a walkie-talkie, fire ax, hat, inflatable hose, and fire extinguisher (that really squirts water!).

We love you, Cooper Ryan Chaddrick!

Cooper is 3!

2011-02-18T20:13:00.004-06:00

Happy Birthday to our sweet Cooper!

Since he was diagnosed with the flu yesterday, our celebration was put on hold. No party this weekend, but soon. Yesterday he was pretty miserable, with lots of coughing and fever hitting 102. Thankfully, he was feeling much better this morning and almost fever-free most of the day. He was excited about today being his birthday, saying, "I'm three! Yipee!", on several occasions. He had a hard time understanding why he couldn't have his party. This morning he said, "Where are all my friends?" I finally figured out that he was ready for his party to start and was wondering where the guests were! (He was still in his pajamas at this point.) Poor baby!

The day was fun, but fairly low-key. (We alternated playing with cleaning and disinfecting the house.) The highlights were phone calls: from Daddy at work, and all of Coop's grandparents, aunts & uncles and cousins. We were sad we didn't get to see them in person, but they sure made his day by calling!

We also weren't able to get out to dinner as we hoped, so we visited the Chick-Fil-A drive thru and brought home a special dinner instead.
I tried to get Coop to let me put a candle in a piece of "Zoo"* bread so we could sing to him, but he wasn't hungry after all those yummy chicken nuggets and waffle fries. *("Zoo" bread = zucchini bread--Coop's favorite!)

After dinner, Mommy & Daddy gave him one special present to open. (We agreed to save the rest for the upcoming party.)

(Please pardon the poorly wrapped present! Mommy didn't have as much wrapping paper as she first thought, and didn't get out again after he started feeling poorly on Tuesday afternoon.)

"What can it be, Daddy?"

"It's a Buzz!" (Lightyear)

"It's the best Buzz ever!"

Happy Birthday, Cooper!

We love you so much and are so grateful to God

for giving us such a special gift.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T15:26:00.002-06:00

Only 4 more days 'til I'm 3!

Super Snowy Sports Day at Sugar Creek!

2011-02-07T15:55:00.008-06:00

After being postponed twice, Snow Day at church

finally happened. The weather couldn't have been better!

And, since Friday's predicted snow was a no-show, the kids were extra excited.

This was Cooper's first time to attend this annual event. He was really excited on the way to church. The time his class was scheduled to play in the snow worked out perfectly with our schedule of singing/playing for both services.

Hello, Snow!

He was a little hesitant at first because things were a little slippery. I think the sun had melted the snow just enough to make it icy. Also, his teachers couldn't find his gloves & hat and he refused to put on the extras they had.
He tried making snowballs, but his hands were too cold!

What's that bright, glowing thing in the sky?
It's hurting my eyes!

Here he is with his buddy, "Mr. Pete".
(He volunteers in Cooper's class.)

After Chris went back to his classroom and located
his hat & gloves, he was much more willing to "dig in" !

Kicking one of the big inflatable balls.

Their time in the snow was short, but I think he got his fill.
He was a little sad & confused when he had to go back to class
(and not leave with Mommy & Daddy).
He thought we were there to pick him up!

All in all, a very fun morning.
We topped it off with our own Super Bowl extravaganza,
complete with homemade hot wings and French bread pizza! Yum!

AARRGH!

2011-02-04T14:36:00.001-06:00

Okay, so I've totally screwed up our blog background. Please ignore this until I figure out how to get things back to normal. All I was trying to do was select a new background and change the text color, but some of my tabs for managing this thing are no longer visible. Help!

Merry Christmas from The Chaddricks!

2010-12-26T14:34:00.002-06:00

Christmas Yum: Mint Oreo Truffles

2010-12-17T13:32:00.006-06:00

My sister-in-law introduced me to Oreo Truffles a year or two ago.They were SO good, and super easy.

All you need is 3 ingredients: 1) a package of Oreos, 2) 8 oz. cream cheese, and 3) dipping chocolate. *This year I decided to try making them with Mint Oreos. I found the mixture not quite minty enough for my taste, so I also added about 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract.

Here's what you do:

First, place Oreos in a plastic bag. Then don your "Bob the Builder" hard hat and get to hammering! The cookies need to be crushed pretty finely. (After hammering, Cooper also did some T-Rex style stompin' on the bag to finish the job. Alas, I don't have a pic of that, but I did get it on video! If I were tech-y enough to know how, I'd load it up. But...)

Next, dump your crushed cookies into a bowl and stir (a lot!) to mix evenly with the softened cream cheese.

It will look kind of muddy when it's well blended. At this point, I placed the bowl in the fridge for awhile (30 min. to an hour) to get it good and chilled.

It makes the next step a little easier.

After chilling, line a cookie sheet w/wax paper and scoop the Oreo mixture into balls. I used a small scoop (top right); you can also use a spoon or roll by hand.

You might want to chill again at this point. I did not, but I think it would help them hold together better during the dipping step.

I used Baker's Dipping Chocolate. The bowls are microwavable, which means less clean up! It starts out like this. Follow package directions to melt. I dipped each ball using a spoon at first, then switched to a fork, and just rolled them around in the chocolate. I think it would work even better (hindsight!) to hold one above the bowl on the fork, then pour the chocolate over it using the spoon. *I used 2 full bowls of chocolate for this batch; I was scraping for enough to cover at the end.

To make them a little more festive, I sprinkled some crushed candy canes on top while the chocolate was still wet. Then, it's back to the fridge for about an hour, or until you just can't stand it and have to eat one!

They make a pretty gift (if they last that long). I am hoping I'll remember this one when it comes time to give gifts to Cooper's teachers. Oh, I would have loved to get some of these!

Merry Christmas!

Ho Ho Ho!

2010-12-12T17:07:00.003-06:00

Ohhh what a difference a year makes!

Thanksgiving Day: Leaves & Cousins

2010-12-02T15:09:00.002-06:00

After celebrating an early Thanksgiving with my family in Simonton, we spent Thanksgiving Day at the Chaddricks' home. Pa had raked up LOTS of leaves for the occasion, and the kids took full advantage after lunch.

I can't tell you how many times Chris did this--they loved it!

Sooo thankful for this boy of mine!

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-28T14:53:00.005-05:00

This morning, Coop and I headed to a nearby Pumpkin Patch.

In honor of the cool front that came in overnight, he wore his boots, jeans & long sleeves. So what if it was 72 degrees by the time we got there--it's supposed to be fall, so he dressed the part. (It was near 90 yesterday!)
He wanted to wear his cowboy hat too, but the wind blew it off pretty quickly!

Scenes from the pumpkin search:

Ride 'em cowboy!

Mommy's favorite pic

Not so sure what a scarecrow is all about...

"Whoa! This one's big!"

My big boy.

"Big, white pumpkin!"

Which one will it be?

So many to choose from!
And the winner is...

This one!

Yea, I like it.

A Sweet Deal!

2010-10-28T14:35:00.004-05:00

Got a sweet deal at Kroger this week. It was even better than I anticipated, actually. I bought these items:

All for $1.88!

How? Well...Thanks to tips from http://www.grocerygame.com/ , I knew when to use my coupons. And, thanks to digital coupons loaded directly to my Kroger card via their website, I got some added savings! (These automatically deduct from your bill when they swipe your card, and they're free.)

I bought: 2 Tide stain release packets, 18 ct. regularly $5.99, on sale for $4.99 if you bought 2. Used two, $3.00 off coupons, also had a $3 and $2 digital coupon for these. (Yes, that means they paid me $1 to take them home, folks!)

Also, 2 Dawn Hand Renewal dishwashing liquids, on sale for $1; used two, 50-cent coupons (Kroger doubles this), making them both FREE.

Next, the toothpaste. Crest for Kids was on sale for $1. I bought 5; used two, 50-cent coupons (doubled = 2 tubes free) and three, 75-cent coupons (= 3 tubes@ 25-cents each). Total = 75 cents.

Lastly, I bought 4 candy bars, on sale 2 for $1; used two, Buy 1 get 1 free coupons, making each 25 cents = $1.00.

For a total of: $1.75, plus 13 cents tax = $1.88 for 13 items.

Total saved: $34.12 (95%) SWEET!

P.S. If you haven't checked out The Grocery Game yet, sign up for a free trial and use my email as your referral: jennafroc@hotmail.com :)

The Big Boy Bed: A Fruitful Battle

2010-10-12T14:22:00.005-05:00

It has been about a month now since we surprised Cooper with his "new" big boy bed. Due to Chris' generous Aunt Terri, we had our choice of either a toddler bed, or a Cargo twin bed lined up. But after Chris' Paw Paw passed away, we had the opportunity of acquiring a matching twin bed and dresser from his home. Sentamentality won out, and now Cooper proudly boasts of the new bed that Paw Paw gave him.

I had collected pieces of a nice denim bedding set over the summer, thanks to a new Dillard's clearance outlet nearby. And, after scoring a few clearance items from Target, it was finally coming together. We sent Coop to spend the night with Gran & Pop on Friday so that Grandma & Pa could help bring in the surprise. Chris and I worked until about 10 that evening getting things cleared out and rearranged. I was reluctant to stop short of completion, but was also suffering from a stomach bug. So, we scrambled to put on the finishing touches and clean up the chaos before Gran & Pop arrived with Cooper Saturday morning. Grandma came over to see the finished product, too.

Cooper was so excited! He just kept climbing up and down and looking all around. His sweet, tired face beamed with pride. He loved it so much that he transitioned to it perfectly and slept peacefully in it that day and has done so ever since...NOT!

I was patting myself on the back, thinking how smart it was to have him sleep over at the grandparent's house just before doing this: 1) he is always so excited that he doesn't sleep much, 2) he'll be exhausted from the lack of sleep, 3) we'll tuck him in and he'll crash. Transition done. I think the stomach bug must have effected my brain!

While he loved the new bed & room, it was quite a BATTLE at first. My tired boy did not nap at all that day, despite the previous night's sporadic sleep. It was like torture time. We tried everything to reassure, pray, comfort, discpline, even bribe him into staying in bed. For the next 2 weeks straight, I HATED naptime. I HATED bedtime. And so did Cooper. He pulled every stall technique in the book--"I need water!" "I need to go tee-tee, again!" That one killed me--we were just on the heels of incredibly successful potty training and I debated fiercely whether to risk an accident by ignoring the possibility that he really needed to go. Even more frustrating was that somehow, no matter how recently he had gone, there was always more! "See, Mommy? I needed to go tee-tee." "Yes, Cooper. You were right. Now it's time to go to bed!"

I found myself getting so frustrated; nothing was working. It was taking an average of 2 hours for him to settle down and actually sleep. If he didn't nap, he didn't get to do ________ (whatever activity had been planned.) We moved bedtime earlier; it took longer for him to go to sleep. We were both more exhausted and more cranky as we became more and more sleep deprived. Chris finally started having some success at night with him. He truly is the most patient man!!

But what was I supposed to do when I was alone with him during the day for nap time? I took a long hard look at how I was approaching this, and it wasn't pretty. God seriously convicted me in one of my BSF lessons that cross-referenced the passage in Galatians 5:19-23, which contrasts the acts of the sinful nature with the fruit of the Spirit. Now, most of those acts of the sinful nature are not my particular weaknesses--I'm not into sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery...Witchcraft is definitely not a temptation for me! But when I read "fits of rage"...that hit me between the eyes. That was the only way to describe how I was handling my frustration. What would Cooper be learning from me? Yikes!

I began praying differently--not just for Cooper's transition, but for the way I was transitioning him. I began to pray (and my BSF group joined me!) that I would be more Christ-like in my parenting, that I would operate from the strength of the Holy Spirit within me and not from my own, and that every action would be motivated by my love for Cooper.

Finally, that 3rd week, we began to see Cooper relax a bit more each day, and I did, too. Peace. And Mommy began to really enjoy naptime and bedtime again! Not every day is a glowing success, but we are all a lot less cranky and a bit more patient.

It is still hard to believe that my baby is so big. We look forward to the many years he'll enjoy this new big boy bed that Paw Paw gave him. And we pray that we can daily demonstrate God's love for him through our actions.

I never would have thought that moving up to a big boy bed would bring about so many life lessons!

Hooray for Underpants!

2010-09-16T14:53:00.003-05:00

To borrow a line from the DVD that's viewed almost daily around here, "Elmo's Potty Time", "Hooray for underpants!" These pics are from our first day in big boy underwear. Coop picked out a pack featuring his favorite Sesame Street characters. He also had a pair with trains and one with footballs that Grandma bought him.

He has done an AMAZING job! We practiced using Pull-Ups for a couple of days, getting used to the process. They have a little picture (a star or rocket) on the front that disappears if it gets wet. He was very conscious of keeping it visible and checked it often. We only lost a few stars, mainly at naptime. Then he was ready for the big time!

Saturday, August 28, was our first official day in real underpants! The trains won out for the first run. We decided to not wear shorts that day in hopes of less to wash. Coop even went out to watch the garbage truck w/Daddy in his underpants!

I love this next picture! I wish I had caught him smiling, though.

(I know, it's a little reminiscent of The Village People, but I try not to think about that!)

All in all, Coop has amazed us with how easily he potty trained. We have had very few accidents, even when away from home (church, grocery stores, etc.)
Now he is great at telling us when he needs to go, or just going on his own. One day while washing dishes, I heard the toilet flush and turned to see him coming out of the bathroom, naked from the waist down, saying, "I tee-tee in potty all by myself!" with such pride. He still needs help getting his pants back on straight, but we are so proud of our big boy.

Love that tiny hiney!

2010-08-26T13:39:00.000-05:00

My little man

(wearing Daddy's mowin' hat/glasses)

Love him!!

Meeting "Baby Juliet"

2010-07-01T14:16:00.002-05:00

Our dear friends, Carrie & Tarek, recently welcomed their baby girl into the world.

Welcome, Juliet Rose Midani!

Juliet was just 6 days old in this picture.

Doesn't her mommy look great?!

Big brother, David, is more interested in Mommy time than in Juliet right now.

He does say her name a LOT though.

Cooper, who is always CRAZY about babies,

loved patting and kissing her head

and letting her grab his fingers.

But the most fun was blowing bubbles with

his buddy, David!

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-22T13:45:00.000-05:00

Happy Easter!

2010-04-06T14:26:00.005-05:00

Hello Spring! We've missed you so! Coop got a Sand & Water Table for his birthday (actually, he got 2 of them--one from each set of grandparents. Mommy will do a better job of communicating next time...). Anyway...he is finally getting to play in the nice weather! This one has 2 wheels and an umbrella & works like a cart so I can tote it to any spot in the yard.

He LOVES it!

Coop and Daddy got to sleep late over Spring Break (what a faker!)

Easter was wonderful, but very busy. Since Chris and I serve in the choir and orchestra at our church, we had to be there VERY early and stay for all 3 services. They were all wonderful worship experiences! We sent Coop home after the first service with the Chaddricks (Thanks Grandma & Pa!) so he could enjoy time with the family and a yummy lunch. Chris and I finished in time to pick Coop up, grab a "to-go" plate, and head home for naptime.
So...no family photos of us all dressed lovely this year. :{

But...The day before Easter, we met with our Life Group from our SS class and had a little Easter fun:

First the kids dyed Easter eggs...Coop wasn't really into it at first...

But after watching his buddy, Deacon,
he got the hang of it and was very excited!

*Notice Deacon's hands? He may have been a mess,

but his were the most beautiful eggs of all!

Next, the kids were ushered inside to hear the Easter story while the adults "hid" 300+ treat-filled eggs. You had to be careful where you walked!

What's this doing in the sand box?

More under here??

Coop's loot

Daddy's busted!

Eggs-hausted egg hunters

What a fun day!

I'm pooped...can we go now?

"Can you tell me how to get"...to Coop's Big Party!

2010-03-02T13:40:00.010-06:00

"Can you tell me how to get..." to Coop's Big Party?

The house is decorated...

The "Sesame Street" gang has gathered...

(Oscar, Cookie Monster, and Elmo)

Family members have arrived...

Get ready to take notes, cousin Jillian, because it's party time!

Did someone say, "Party!"?

"Bring those presents this way, Grandma!"

The first gift Cooper opened was an ABC scrapbook that Mama made for him.

Each page contains pictures and stickers of Cooper's favorite people/things--

one page for each letter of the alphabet.

Knowing how much he loves to look at pictures, he'll have those ABC's down in no time!

Coop received not one, but two Sand & Water Tables!

(Lots of creative-thinking grandparents--poor communication on my part!)

Cooper did NOT need a lot of help this year,

but he had 3 very eager helpers standing by, just in case...

Oh boy! Now I can build Ernie!

Eat your heart out, Bob the Builder.

The big gift of the day...the train table!

Gotta stop playing long enough to blow out the candles, Coop!

Time for cupcakes--starring...Big Bird, Grover,

Cookie Monster, Elmo, Bert & Ernie.

(Copied these from someone on the Internet--took me 2 1/2 hours,

but they turned out pretty good!)

Time to sing "Happy Birthday" to Cooper!

I love Big Bird!

I can hear Ernie's silly laugh...

Now that was a great party!

But, I think maybe he likes the train table a little too much...

Happy 2nd Birthday, Cooper!

2010-02-18T07:22:00.004-06:00

Cooper Ryan Chaddrick, 2-18-08

Wow...How on earth did 2 whole years go by so quickly? I'm feeling so many different things as I think about the past 2 years...how my daily life has changed because of you. I haven't graded a stack of papers in 2 years...filled out report cards...written a lesson plan...been bored to death at a teacher inservice meeting...Hallelujah!

So many things that were my daily routine are out there in some other world, replaced by such a sweet, smiling face. You are truly a gift from God!

My perspective has completely shifted and I am depending on God in a whole new way. I pray every day that God would give us the wisdom to teach you His truth completely and thoroughly. The verses in my devotional time today are so appropriate as a prayer for you. And, perhaps meant just for you. I'm reading through the One Year Bible, and this is what was arranged for today's reading...

"Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;" Psalm 37:3-7a.

There's so much more in that chapter...contrasting the righteous and the wicked. I don't know what the LORD has planned for your life, Cooper Ryan. But I am praying for your righteousness--righteousness that comes only from the blood of Jesus. I'm praying that your love of reading will transfer right into a love of reading God's word, and in knowing it well...well enough to live by it in a way that others take notice. I'm praying that God will give you the desires of your heart...but also that your heart will desire to seek Him first. I'm praying that you will be content with your life, whatever it brings. That's not an easy lesson...it's a continuous process. Being the child of two teachers, you'll certainly know what it's like to do without some of the things the world deems necessary for happiness. But the world is lost. The things it can give you cannot make you happy. I pray we can be examples of contentment for you. That you will always find joy in the little things...the things that God has specifically chosen for your life.

I thank God for you every day, precious one. You are our one and only, miracle baby. And I love you more than you'll ever know...

Happy Birthday, Cooper!

Merry Christmas and Happy 2010!

2010-01-01T13:32:00.000-06:00

Coop the Snow Boy

2009-12-07T14:26:00.004-06:00

A rare thing happened on Friday...it snowed!

Coop wasn't real sure what to make of it. I tried to get him to hold/throw a snowball, but he just wasn't that interested. It was a beautiful day, though!

Cooper and Katie

2009-10-27T19:20:00.004-05:00

Cooper's Uncle Greg ("Bubba") and cousin Katie came to visit at Gran & Pop's house this weekend. Cooper and Katie had a LOT of fun. The weather was great, so we spent a lot of time outside.

Hangin' out with Pop & Bubba on the front porch.

I LOVE FOOTBALL!!

One of the few times they stopped running around.

See what I mean?

Katie is 8 now, and has grown so much! She's just as sweet and beautiful as ever.

I love my Katie Bug!

Update from Cooper

2009-09-19T14:34:00.006-05:00

Mommy's been working on writing a lesson for the Bible study she's helping with this fall, so she's gotten a little behind on updating the blog. I thought I'd help her out a little by showing you some pictures of what I've been up to lately... Enjoy! ~Coop

Found this in the pantry one afternoon. Thought I'd kick back and relax...

Gotta keep Mommy smiling...just woke up from my nap.

Riding a tractor on Gran & Pop's front porch

Dang! I could have sworn I used to be able to crawl in this thing!
Yep...I was right. What happened?

(November '08)

Reading the Sunday paper with Daddy.

On Labor Day, we all put on Daddy's TEXANS jerseys and went to

Chick-fil-a for free sandwiches! (Daddy wore his Oilers jersey, of course!)

Mommy and I went to see her friend Sarah and her new baby boy, Ryder.

Happy Birthday, Mommy! Daddy took her out to eat and

I stayed with Grandma & Pa.

I helped Mommy open her presents. She really liked her new shirt.

I thought the hanger that came with it made a cool new sword!

Reading books with Daddy on a Saturday morning.

Naked in a box. I like to run around just before my bath. (Ran around a little too long on this particular occasion. Ended up squatting and peeing in the box instead of the bath water as I had intended. Gotta keep them guessing!)

18 Months Old--What a Big Boy!

2009-08-18T19:07:00.004-05:00

Last August, Cooper had just gotten his first haircut (which somewhat alleviated the mohawk look) and was happy as a clam playing in his Exersaucer...

But now, he's quite confused as to why he can't do that anymore:

It's because he's becoming a big boy...18 months old now!

Today at his check-up, he weighed in at 28 pounds and 7 ounces (Momma's tired arms and back could have told you that!), which is in the 75th percentile, for those of you who want all the numbers...

...and he was 34 1/2 inches tall, which is in the 95th percentile--no surprise there, right Daddy?

We are very blessed to have our happy, healthy boy!

Washing Daddy's Truck

2009-08-10T16:11:00.002-05:00

Well..Cooper was a lot of help, but he did have a LOT of fun being outside with Daddy as he washed his truck.

I set up an ice chest, water, and some plastic cups of different sizes for him. He spent most of his time scooping up water and pouring it on the driveway. It was SO fun!!

And when all was said and done, a cool, refreshing drink really hit the spot--aahhh!

One year ago...

2009-07-31T13:35:00.005-05:00

Last July...5 1/2 months old:

This July...17 1/2 months old:

Still a very happy cutie pie!

I Love Trucks!

2009-07-31T13:32:00.003-05:00

We had to interrupt breakfast to watch the garbage truck outside our front door. Cooper LOVES trucks of any kind and makes a "bbbbbb" sound every time he sees or hears one.

Love Me Some Colorin'

2009-07-23T19:12:00.002-05:00

Father's Day Weekend

2009-07-09T19:31:00.003-05:00

So I'm behind again. Are you really surprised?

Here are a few pics from Father's Day weekend. We got to spend time with both sides of the family! Coop loved all of it. We are all especially thankful to God for the wonderful daddies in our lives!

Chris & Coop swimming at our Life Group meeting (SS class group).

Uncle Greg, Aunt Char, & Katie

Coop & Pop looking at pictures.

Coop & Pa

Happy Father's Day to all!

10 new posts!

2009-06-05T21:42:00.002-05:00

I'm on a roll....There are a total of 10 new posts that I have added over the past couple of days. So, get comfortable and we'll catch you up....

Farm Livin' is the Life for Me...

2009-06-05T21:12:00.004-05:00

Last Sunday evening, our A/C at home went out. Coop's bedtime was closing in, so we headed to Simonton while Chris stayed home to wait on the repairman. He's been cranky enough lately, cutting 4 molars at once; we didn't need him hot & sweaty, too. It was a long night anyway, but the next morning, the weather was nice.(It seems like every time we've had a chance lately, the weather has turned sour on us!) So we ventured out to see more of the animals on the ranch--"Gator-style".

Our mission: To see and ride a real, live horse! Our niece, Katie, has a horse that stays at Gran & Pop's house. Champion was more than happy to help us accomplish our mission. Up until this time, Cooper has seemed to equate pictures of horses to dogs. (He signs "dog" for most 4-legged critters.) Perhaps the fact that our dog is so BIG confuses him a bit. But, after seeing how big a horse is compared to Cash, I think he has a better idea now.

The first encounter:

Now, face-to-face:Wow! His head is much bigger than Cash's!

Cooper wasn't hesitant at all about riding. He seemed to like being way up high. Pop walked Champion around while I held onto Coop.

"Good boy, Champion!"

Next mission: To chase those noisy peacocks!*

*Several years back--I think it was after one of the floods--a couple of peacocks showed up at the ranch. Dad contacted a nearby exotic animal farm to see if they were missing any, but they didn't claim them. So, they stayed. And they've multiplied. So, if you ever visit the ranch, and hear very loud, annoying squawking resounding through the trees and barn, don't be afraid. It's just the pesky peacocks.

Back at the house, we just had to stop and say hello to "Duke", their chocolate lab.

I think dogs are still his favorite.

P.S. Special thanks to our friend, Gerald Aguirre, and his dad who fixed the A/C in a jiffy, and very inexpensively, too! If you ever need A/C repair here locally, let us know--we'll get you in touch with them.

Double the Fun--The Twins' Birthday Party

2009-06-05T20:50:00.004-05:00

Last weekend, our nieces, Kaitlyn & Kennedy, had their 3rd birthday party. It's a little early--their actual birthday isn't until July 7th--but their little sister will be born on June 10th. So to make sure they had a special day all to themselves, they had their party before her arrival.

We all had a great time celebrating at a fun, relatively new place in Sugar Land. It's called Stomping Grounds Playland. When you enter, it looks a lot like any other coffee shop/cafe. But as you go back further, it becomes a big, indoor playground. There's a smaller area for kids 2 and under, and a much bigger area for older kids. Parents can take younger ones into the big area, though. Everyone had a great time. Adults can hang out at the tables and visit while the kids run, climb, and jump as loudly as they want. Sweet!

Here's Coop going down the big, very fast slide with Daddy:

Coop got a little cranky when we had to take a break from playing to go and sing "Happy Birthday" and eat cupcakes.

Kennedy is ready for cupcakes!

Kaitlyn says, "I'm ready, too!"

The kids all had so much fun, as soon as they sang and had cupcakes, they started disappearing back in the the playground. So, they packed up the gifts and took them home to open later, rather than try to drag kids back out of there again!

Cooper even got to open a late birthday present from Chris's Aunt Terri who came down for the party. Some of you will remember the darling little blonde-haired boy who was the ring bearer in our wedding, Chris's cousin, Jarrett. Well, he is growing up quite fast! Here he is, now at age 7--a very typical sweaty boy, taking a short breather from running his legs off in that play area! He is still a very sweet boy, just a lot taller & bigger!

Bye for now!

Coop, "Cowboy", and the Carrot

2009-06-05T20:34:00.002-05:00

This is Cowboy:

Cowboy is a very friendly donkey that one of my dad's college buddies gave him. Just because. People do that when you live out in the country. They bring you things, even living things, that belong out in the country. Shortly after acquiring Cowboy, another man brought Dad a "jenny" (female donkey, for you city folk), which Dad actually wanted. But, the guy also brought him another "jack" (male donkey), which he is now trying to find another home for. (Cowboy doesn't want to share.) Anyway...They are fun to look at, especially for Cooper, who had only seen pictures of donkeys and wondered about the funny "hee-haw"-ing sounds that we would make as we pointed to the pictures. Now he understands, and will make his own version of donkey sounds when he sees a picture or if we happen to be speaking of donkeys. (You'd be surprised at how often...) As I mentioned, Cowboy is very friendly. The other 2 are pretty skittish. Cowboy comes right up to you, as you can see in the picture, and expects to be fed a treat every day. So, while at Gran & Pop's on Memorial Day, Coop and I got to feed Cowboy a carrot.

On the first attempt, Coop got a little hesitant. Cowboy got a big bite, and tried to pull the whole carrot away, but I managed to hold on. Then he got frustrated and walked away.

So, we tried to get "jenny" to come. (I don't know why, but she doesn't have a name yet. Cowboy was already named when they got him.) She wanted to, but got scared and left.

Then Coop summoned his courage, and the donkey, and was ready to try again.

Aahh! Sweet success! Both for Cooper, and for Cowboy.

All Dressed Up

2009-06-05T20:21:00.002-05:00

A couple of weekends ago, we attended a wedding in Sugar Land (Jordan Witt's) and got to see more of Chris's friends from youth group days. Blake & Donna Witt (bride's brother) were both in the wedding, as was their 6-year old son, Zane. So, they were dressed to the 9's. Even Kade, their 14-month old, was wearing a suit! Another good friend we hadn't seen in quite a while, Dave Matthews, was in attendance as well. Everyone looked so nice, we had to get a few pictures of the crew. (Note: A starched shirt, dark jeans, & boots is dressed up for Chris.)

Chris with Coop & Zane

Left to Right: Kade Witt, Dave Matthews, Chris, Coop, Blake Witt, & Zane Witt.
The whole crew: Chris, Coop, me, Donna Witt, Zane, Blake, Dave, & Kade.
Donna is 5 months pregnant, expecting a baby girl this time!
Cooper & Kade are almost exactly a month apart. (Coop = Feb. 18th, Kade = March 17th) We're expecting them to hang out quite a lot in the years to come. We just wish the road to College Station where they live was a little shorter so we could see each other more often.

Bookworm

2009-06-05T20:10:00.002-05:00

Have I mentioned that Cooper loves books? This he gets from Daddy and Mommy. Although, I haven't exactly had a lot of time to read in the last 15 months. Chris is very fortunate to have short breaks between classes since he travels around the district during which he can sit in the car and read until time to go pick up his students. He is one of the most voracious readers I've ever seen. He used to go to the bookstore weekly, but since I've been at home with Coop, the library is where you'll find him!
Here's Coop reading with some more of his favorite people:

Cuddling with "Aunt" Debbie in the big red chair.

Sitting on Daddy's tummy works fine, too.

And of course, with Gran in the rocking chair. *
*Coop loves this book ("Where is Baby's Belly Button?") that has lift up flaps hiding different body parts (eyes, mouth, feet, etc.) His favorite is the belly button though. Readers beware--he will want to show you his belly button when reading this book, and will also expect you to reciprocate!

Keep on scrollin'

2009-06-04T16:18:00.002-05:00

I've finally updated...with 4 new posts today. So, keep scrollin' to catch up with us...more to come.

Indoor fun, aka beating the heat

2009-06-04T16:09:00.003-05:00

Summer has begun, and it's HOT already. So, we try to have fun indoors, at least long enough to cool down and head back outside again. Our nearby mall has a fun play area. Coop & I have visited a couple of times lately. He has really enjoyed climbing all over everything.

Coop's version of bull riding:

Inside the "treehouse":

He got this "ball popper" for Christmas, but it has really been getting a work out the last month or so. He loves to watch those balls fly out! And even to just hang his head over the air spout.

Hee hee!

Scotts & Hendersons---a long history!

2009-06-04T15:53:00.003-05:00

The title will explain itself, I hope...

About a month ago, we had a chance to get together with friends from out-of-town. My friend, Scott Snyder, whom I've known since elementary school, was back in town from Osh, Kyrgyzstan where he and his wife & kids have been living the last 2 years. This is a picture of us with them taken at the Hendersons' house (Jennifer's parents):
For some reason, their beautiful children, Molly, Wesley & Morgan weren't in the picture. We're getting together again soon; we'll try to get a complete family pic then.
Also at the Hendersons' that evening were Jennifer's sister & husband & kids, Stephanie & Scott Oberhoff. It just so happens that Chris & this Scott have been friends since being in youth group together at Sugar Creek, in middle school, I think. Add up the years of friendship represented in that room that night...Wow!

Here are Coop, Chris, Scott O., & his little princess, Anna.
Again, for some reason, there are people missing: Stephanie and Luke. (I think Luke was already snoozing the night away.)

Hopefully, our kids will get to know each other well enough to continue the friendships for generations to come...

Monkey See, Monkey Do

2009-06-04T15:39:00.003-05:00

Cooper sees Daddy mowing yards pretty often. And often, when Chris is outside mowing, Cooper loves to get his own little lawn mower and mow all over the house. If only I could rig the thing with some suction, I'd have these floors vacuumed in no time!

One night at dinner, Coop decided that he wanted Daddy's corn-on-the-cob. So, he got it. Now, you may be thinking..."Why didn't he just eat his own?" or "What push-overs!" We have had a very hard time getting Cooper to transition to many foods that you actually have to chew. For example, he loves bananas from a jar, but not actual bananas. I still give them to him, but they simply end hurled to the floor with great disgust. Go figure. So, when he wanted the corn, we gave it to him oh so willingly. I think he just wanted to copy Daddy again. We still have a long way to go, but this was progress!

Such a proud, big boy!

Happy Mother's Day

2009-06-04T15:28:00.002-05:00

Okay, so it's not Mother's Day anymore, by a longshot. But, here are the only pics I got from that weekend...
The theme seemed to be "avoid crowds and cooking". (Always a good theme for Mother's Day, for any of you dads reading out there.)
We had a nice fajita dinner at the Chaddricks' home on Saturday (take out from Ruthie's). No one remembered to take pictures though. Then on Sunday evening, we had take out from Outback Steakhouse with my folks. Cooper enjoyed playing around in the take out bag after dinner.

Coop with Gran & Pop:

I'm keeping things short & sweet, hoping to get several posts done. Until then...

A Few of My Favorite Things...

2009-05-09T14:33:00.003-05:00

Cooper is REALLY into books lately. He is continually bringing you book after book, or sometimes the same book over and over again to read to him. He loves to turn the pages and point out things he recognizes in the pictures. He especially loves the ones that have flaps to lift or textures to touch. It is so cute when he ooches backward to sit down in your lap! Here are some recent pics with a couple of his favorite readers...

Reading with Pop

Reading with Katie

Reading again and again with Katie

The next pics show 2 more of Coop's favorites: outside and Daddy.

Helping Daddy wash the truck tires

Checking to make sure he washed the top of the cab.

Enjoying the view (Go Tech!)

Easter resurrected!

2009-04-13T14:34:00.004-05:00

Well, Easter was wonderful, but since I sing in the choir and Chris plays in the orchestra, it was also incredibly busy. We left for church before 7:00am and checked Coop into the nursery by 7:30am. Then we sang/played for all 3 services before heading to the Chaddricks' for lunch at around noon. On our way to their house, the heavens opened and poured down on us! Luckily we had one umbrella and Pa met us at the car with another one upon our arrival. The twins were already eating when we arrived, too hungry to wait any longer. Poor things! They'd had an exciting morning, too. The excitement of being around grandparents and cousins wore off a little quicker than usual as Coop, too got hungry. After lunch, kids were getting tired and cranky fast. So, into comfy clothes and off to naptime.

It was then that I realized that we had not slowed down to take even one picture of our child in his nice Easter clothes! Rats! I admitted my mommy failure on my Facebook page last night, and got a great idea from my friend Missy--"Dress him up tomorrow and fake it!"

So... I did! (Except for the shoes. Putting shoes on means we're going outside. And due to yesterday's downpour, outside is still a little mushy. Nice clothes and mushy outside don't go together too well.)

Here are the results:

Happy Easter!
(outfit courtesy of 'Aunt' Debbie)

"Oh, look! An Easter egg!"

"Hmm...I wonder what's inside!"

(Basket courtesy of Gran; filled eggs courtesy of Grandma)

Can I eat it?

Hey there....How you doin'?

I am a wild and crazy guy!

A bunny? Laying eggs? That's ridiculous!!

But seriously...Happy Resurrection Day!

Swinging, Stirring the Pot, and Helping Mommy

2009-04-10T16:27:00.004-05:00

I'm so bad about posting pics regularly! Here are a few to catch up with the Coopster.

Swinging: One of his new favorite activities is swinging. Gran & Pop got him this swing for his birthday and ever since Daddy hung it up on the deck he's wanted to go outside and swing daily. And, weather permitting, we do! Cash is still learning that he can't walk right in front of him without getting plowed.

"Wheeeee!" (Just FYI, he will also do this when you say, "Touchdown!")

Stirring the Pot: Another favorite activity is playing in the kitchen pantry. I've given in and rearranged things to make it Cooper-friendly. (He had already started rearranging it anyway!)He will bang and carry around the plastic pots and wooden spoons for a long time!

What a goofball!

"Who, me?"

Anything for a laugh!

Helping Mommy: Recently, Cooper got really frustrated with me when I was trying to sweep the floors. HE wanted to do it and kept trying to grab the broom and dustpan from me. Note to self: Reserve sweeping for naptime hours until he's old enough to actually do it for me.

I had an idea though. For some reason I ended up with 2 of those Swiffer duster handles. So I decided to see if he'd help me. At first, he just enjoyed waving it around, much like his beloved wooden spoon. Then I showed him what I was doing, and he caught on really quickly! I can't say that his duster "collected" much dust from the items he chose to clean (the empty coffee table, his cardboard box fort...), but he had a great time and was no longer complaining.

Score one for Mommy!

Helping Mommy dust...yet I still look like I'm up to something.

Say, "Cheese!" (Or is that the dust making me sneeze?)

Okay, time to get to work.

Hangin' out with Daddy

2009-03-21T14:38:00.003-05:00

Chris has been on Spring Break this week, though you wouldn't know it by all the work he's been doing. He's been out to Simonton to help my dad mend some fences a couple of days this week, and his lawn care business is picking up again. Coop loves to watch his daddy mow and blow the grass away. After the hard work, they decided to cool off on the front lawn.

Here's my version of what Coop must have been thinking...

"Whatcha drinkin', Daddy?"

"I think I'd like to try that."

"Mmmmm...tasty!"

"I wanna be just like my daddy when I grow up."

Just a Swingin'

2009-03-18T15:44:00.004-05:00

Sorry I haven't updated in so long! I haven't been very "bloggy" lately. After Coop's b-day, his cold lingered quite a while. Long enough that he ended up with an ear infection. :{ But, we have had some fun--like the day these pics were taken. We met Grandma & Pa and Coop's cousins and went to a neighborhood park. Cooper really enjoyed swinging and looking at the ducks and turtles in the pond.

Yes, I know he's turned the wrong way in the swing. That's so the sun wouldn't be right in his face.

See--They're all turned that way. :)

Except when the girls got on the "big kid" swings.

Happy Birthday Cooper!

2009-02-23T13:48:00.005-06:00

Well, somehow it happened. My baby boy is now a little boy, and he's a whole year old!
We had his party on Saturday. Just a small gathering with family: Gran & Pop, Grandma & Pa, Aunt Lindsay, Uncle Tony, Kaitlyn & Kennedy, "Aunt" Debbie, and of course Mommy & Daddy. We were sad that his cousin Katie got sick and didn't get to come (Uncle Greg & Auntie Char, too!) Luckily we will get to see them (and their new Golden Retriever puppy, Max!) next weekend.
Cooper didn't sleep well the night before--not due to party anticipation, but due to a cold and slight fever. But, the party went on! Coop wasn't quite sure what to make of the decorations and such, but he was glad to see everyone. After brunch, it was time to open all of the gifts.

I thought he might at least help pull tissue out of the bag, but he was content to wait and see what I pulled out.

Cousins Kaitlyn & Kennedy were so cute in their party dresses. They were impressively patient during the gift opening, too. They waited and watched and did a great job of showing Cooper how to play with all of his new presents. They were so sweet!

Peek-a-boo!

Some gifts were very interesting...

Some gifts were tastier than others...

A book about trucks will go a long way with Coop!

And an actual truck? He's in heaven!

Time for tasty treats! "Aunt" Debbie decorated Coop's cake, and made the unbelievably decadent chocolate cake for the grown-ups. YUM!

He loved the balloons. This big one even sang "Happy Birthday!" We still have a few hanging up in the dining room!

Family photo opp

Happy Birthday to you! Blow out the candle!

He was NOT interested at all at first. His appetite has changed drastically in the past couple of weeks. So, I'm not sure if it was that, or just too much excitement.

We finally got him to taste the frosting, then the cake. And he at least licked his fingers. Wouldn't play in the cake, though. Later that afternoon, when Daddy was eating a cupcake and gave him a bite, he begged for more. I knew he'd come around!

Happy Birthday sweet Cooper! We love you so much! You are the best gift of all.

Cooper discovers Cash's crate

2009-01-30T16:04:00.002-06:00

Just so you'll know, we didn't let him in there, he opened both latches on the crate all by himself, then crawled in. We just didn't stop him! :)

Holiday Happenings

2009-01-08T13:38:00.011-06:00

Happy Holidays from the Chaddricks! It has been a whirlwind around here lately! We have really enjoyed visiting with friends and family the last couple of weeks. We have a lot of pictures to share, so I'll just give a brief description for each.
On the 17th, our friend Dave came by to visit while in town from Colorado. We had a great visit; it's been too long since we've seen him!

The weekend of the 19th, my mom's side of the family gathered in Simonton. This is my Aunt Sally with her grandson, Noah (21 mos.) and Cooper.

Isn't he a cutie? He is as wild as his hair is curly! We had a blast with him!

Pop's teaching me how to wave!

Hangin' out with Uncle Greg and Katie. It doesn't get much better!

Cooper loves his Auntie Char! His smile lights up when she enters the room.

See ya later, Alligator!

One of the gifts Cooper got from my cousin Jake and his new wife, Callie was this walk behind toy. He'd never done one of these before, but got the hang of it immediately and loved the new-found independence!

On Christmas Eve we went to Chris's parents' house in Sugar Land to gather with Aunt Terri, Uncle Curtis, and cousins Jarrett & Cale from Austin, along with Chris's sister and family.

Coloring, with help from Mommy, on Christmas Eve.

Christmas morning at our home.

My gift from Chris: a beautiful, REAL Christmas tree. It's just not the same without it!

This is Cooper's "so excited" look. He deliberately squints both eyes together as tight as possible and grins. Guess he likes his new chair!

Posing with Daddy and his loot from Santa.

Cooper loves his new dump truck and blocks that Santa brought.

Christmas Day at the Chaddricks' home.

Merry Christmas, Pa!

Cooper with cousins Kaitlyn (left) and Kennedy (right). Also known as KK and D.
Note: Coop's wearing his Texas Tech Santa shirt that Aunt Sally & Uncle Gary gave him!

They are really crazy about the Coopster!

Opening presents at Grandma & Pa's Christmas Day.

Coop with Grandma and his walking toy. This one makes really cool truck sounds!

Cooper invaded KK & D's lunchtime. He loved having his snack at the big kid table, though!

Coop and Daddy on Christmas afternoon.

December 27, 2008

The fourth generation Todds getting ready to open presents. Every year we meet the weekend following Christmas Day at my Dad's mom's house in Kingsland, TX. This year all of her sons were there, and all but 2 of the cousins and their families, for a total of 35 people! Cooper is great-grandchild #13 for her. #'s 14 & 15 were born in July (twins!). They live out of state, so Coop was the youngest of the bunch at the gathering.

Cooper and Pop at Memaw's.

Cooper with Gran at Memaw's.

Cooper with Memaw(87) and Mommy.

This was on the way home from Memaw's. Cooper started getting cranky, but wouldn't sleep. So I was desperately doing all I could think of to entertain him. Finally, using the video camera and snapping photos worked! Guess the flash phased him enough to forget about whining.

Back at home:

You may have seen commercials for this hilarious toy. It works alone or interacts with the TV. Cooper thinks it's pretty cool. The harder you ride, the more music and sound effects. He's lovin' it! He'll be ready to ride the real thing with his cousin Katie in no time!

On New Year's Eve, our friend Ben came by to visit while in town from Lubbock. Ben does contract work for John Deere, so Cooper wore his JD Green in his honor.

Sunday, January 3, 2009

The girls brought little flashlights with them (something to occupy them on the 2 hr drive). Once Cooper saw it, there was no smiling for pictures. He was too engrossed in the technology. Typical male!

Kaitlyn is very much a "little Mommy" with Cooper. She loves to hold him and stays very close by to wherever he's playing, etc.

We didn't have any toys for the kids to play with, so we improvised! Grandma found some Tupperware and measuring cups in Paw Paw's cabinets. We added some water to an ice chest, and voila! Very wet fun! We ended up stripping them all down to their diapers so their clothes could dry before time to leave. They had a blast, though!

Chris with his Paw Paw and Cooper.

Here's the whole gang: Chris's cousins-- Stacie and her son, Brady (2); Leah holding Emma (4?), and Jacob (2), Abby (7); Paw Paw Chaddrick (91!); Lindsay holding Kaitlyn (2); Chris holding Cooper (10 mos.), and Kennedy (2) being Miss Independent. :)

Whew! Now that you've been on the computer forever looking at these, take a few minutes and thank the LORD for your sweet family times over the holidays. We hope they were as wonderful as ours. I'll be updating soon on my dad's health. Stay tuned!

Meeting Santa

2008-12-16T12:38:00.003-06:00

I think I would have forgotten to do this, completely, if I hadn't read my friend Jen's blog and seen the cute pics of her kids with Santa. (Thanks, Jen!) (You can see her cuties by clicking on the link for The Smiths at the right.) I'm sure Cooper would never have forgiven me. I mean, meeting the shopping mall Santa is a rite of passage, right? It's a mandatory parental responsibility. So, off we went. First, we made a stop at my former pastor's home to drop off some food. Dr. Havard 's wife had back surgery in September and is still in a lot of pain, so several from the church have been helping out with food because, in her words, Dr. Havard can't boil water or scramble eggs without burning them! (Thank goodness if I'm ever down and out, Chris can at least cook eggs, bacon, and pancakes! Oh, and of course hamburgers & hot dogs, and any other grilling meats.) Dr. Havard was my pastor as a youth, and he performed our wedding as well. He celebrated his 86th birthday last month! He is always excited to see Cooper. He even met me at the car and took him from me right away. So, I had to snap a quick pic with him first.

Then, we were off to the mall. Chris's parents offered to meet me there. It was a good out-of-the-house trip for Kaitlyn & Kennedy--our nieces that they keep each day. They love the mall, but do NOT love Santa. They scream and cry if you take them too close. They made Grandma & Pa keep a safe distance from the little North Pole Village set up. My mom was also out running errands, and got me a spot in line while I was changing Coop's diaper--which of course he aromatically filled during the short trip from the Havard's to the mall. :) I fed him a snack while waiting in line, hoping he wasn't getting too tired and wouldn't be cranky, scared, etc. to sit with Santa. And... voila! Here's the result:
As you can see, he did great! Never did smile really big, but wasnt' upset at all. He stared and stared at the bearded stranger. Santa even let him hold a set of reindeer jingle bells. Our little boy is growing so fast. It's hard to believe he's almost 10 months old, and so close to a year old!

We travel to Simonton this weekend for an early Christmas with Mom's side of the family. Cooper will get to play with Katie, and my cousin's son, Noah, who will be 2 in March. It should be lots of fun and full of great photo opps! More then...

Over Thanksgiving Holidays...

2008-12-07T14:51:00.005-06:00

I've gotten behind, yet again....oh well!

We really enjoyed our week off for the Thanksgiving holidays. We started with a trip to San Antonio for my cousin Jake's wedding the weekend of the 22nd. You want pictures? Sorry. Forgot to take any. At all. Stupid me. I had my husband in a suit (those who know him understand the rarity), and my child dressed nicely, and I even looked nice (not well-rested, but nice!), and I forgot to even pick up the camera and shove it into the diaper bag. A Kodak moment gone forever. I'm blaming it on lack of sleep.

We came back on Sunday, and that very afternoon, he began pulling up on everything--standing up--on his own. New-f0und freedoms! ( I think I mentioned this in my last post--oh well.)

Next was Cooper's 9 month check-up. All is well--Coop weighed in at 18 pounds, 12 ounces (25th percentile) and measured 29 1/2 inches (90th percentile). No surprise there!
Then, Weds. through Friday we went out to Gran & Pop's. My brother & family were also there. Chris & Greg usually go hunting (but have yet to get anything???), so Cooper decided to help Daddy pack up his gun for the trip. He even got decked out in his camo gear.

Cooper loved crawling and exploring the porch and entertaining his cousin, Katie. He got to pet a kitty, and try out a rocking chair just his size.

Gran & Katie fed him his Thanksgiving meal: sweet potatoes & peas. Mmmm Mmmm! :)

Friday morning, I heard a strange rustling noise through the monitor. Not babbling. Not crying. Rustling. Chris was gone hunting, so I said to myself, "That can't be good." Here's what I found:

Pop had left some of his truck & gun magazines within reach of our newly standing boy, so he just helped himself!

Coop loved spending time with Greg, Charlotte & Katie.

Next, on Saturday, we gathered at the Chaddricks' to celebrate Aunt Lindsay's birthday. Grandma already had the Christmas tree up, and remarkably, it wasn't destroyed!

Cooper had a great time playing with his cousins, Kennedy (left) & Kaitlyn (right).

I'm sure this pose will be repeated many times through the years. And probably this one, too, with at least one of the 3 getting picked on in some way---and, soon to be 4! Aunt Lindsay is pregnant! We're all hoping for a boy. But just in case, Cooper had better learn to hold his own!

Hopefully, I'll post again sooner rather than later. But if not, see you later!

9 Months old!

2008-11-24T14:01:00.002-06:00

Our baby boy just turned 9 months old last week! It's hard to believe how quickly he's growing and learning. He loves to crawl inside the shelves that Pop built for him.On his 9 month birthday (is that what you call it?), Cooper went with me to visit my friends at Dickinson. This picture was taken before we left. (Mommy forgot to bring the camera to school!)
Everyone was glad to see our little "Stud Muffin".

He still enjoys the Exersaucer, but for shorter periods of time. He will chew on the toys some, but mostly likes to JUMP, hard and fast, and make it bounce up and down!

We took our first overnight road trip with Cooper this weekend to San Antonio for my cousin Jake's wedding. He did so well during the wedding (only "singing" a little during the ceremony), and the reception. Overnight, however, he did not sleep much. He did sack out the whole way home, though! And, after arriving home, he decided to pick up a new trick. He's now pulling up to a standing position any chance he gets. This is how we found him this morning.

We're in big trouble now! Gotta run continue the baby proofing process--Phase II.

Recent Pics

2008-11-15T11:43:00.003-06:00

I've gotten way behind, so here are a few pics to catch up:

My looong time friend, Vivian, and her beautiful, 10-yr old daughter Annie came by to visit recently. Cooper was all smiles for them.

"Word to ya Mommy"

I love "Daddy Time"

Cooper recently discovered the new curtains. He LOVES them. :)

Hangin' with the puppy.

"To Do's"

2008-10-31T13:28:00.003-05:00

Something New To Do

Gran brought over a new item for us to try out. I'm not sure what it's actually called--she and Pop refer to it as a "Johnny Jump-Up". It probably has some new-fangled name these days. But whatever it's called, it's fun! I wish they had them for adults. Not that my legs would last for very long in it, but it would be fun for awhile. Here's a picture of bunjee boy after a good exercise session. (Make special note of the long, shaggy tousled hair. It's important for later.)

This Will Have To Do
One question I've gotten several times lately, and as early as about 6 weeks ago, was, "What is Cooper going to be for Halloween?" Does Cooper really have to dress for Halloween? After all, we did take some pretty cute pictures in a Pumpkin Patch. Plus, we don't have extra cash floating around to buy a Halloween costume, no matter how cute he'll look in it. I had some offered to me from his Aunt Lindsay also. A cute pumpkin, but it was too big. An adorable elephant, but Daddy said it had too much pink on it (looked girly). And Chris's Aunt Terri even sent us a snowman costume. It's very cute, too, but also too big. (It may show up on the blog around Christmas or New Year's though!) However....Last week I was going through Coop's closet and pulling out new clothes (new sizes) to wash and get ready for him when I ran across an outfit I had forgotten about. And, it came with accessories: a hat, and little booties to complete the ensemble. You're probably thinking that it sounds much girlier than the elephant costume! Nope! Here it is:

That's all I'm doing as far as a Halloween outfit. Besides, we're not going Trick-or-Treating, or even to our church's Fall Festival. It starts at about the time he's used to going to bed, and an unnecessary late night isn't worth it with him. Like his Daddy, he needs his night time sleep! I'm sure we'll go next year. And I promise I'll make more of an effort in the costume department if we do. (I think Chris is secretly hoping this picture foreshadows his pitching debut. He's predicting he'll be a lefty!)

The New Do

Cooper had his first haircut a couple of months ago. It was just a trim. Barely noticeable really. Well, we went back to see my friend Rosie yesterday. I desperately needed a haircut, and, as noted in the first picture, Cooper needed a trim again also. The first time, he was fairly cooperative. Curious, but still enough that she didn't have much trouble. This time was a little different. He is hyper-observant. (Is that a word?) She had a devil of a time sneaking up on him to trim that mop! What a wiggle worm! In the end, he actually had more trimmed than I wanted. The remnants of his dark brown baby hair are now all gone. He's offically blonde! He looks really cute, (and older) but I'm already missing his long, curly locks. I can only hope they grow back quickly. At least he's not a buzz-head like his Daddy yet! That would have been too drastic of a change. Someday I may prefer Coop's hair shorter like his Daddy's. But for now, I love the locks!

He's still my sweet boy, but looks too old. What do you think?

Man on the Move!

2008-10-29T11:51:00.003-05:00

Sometime over the weekend, Cooper really decided to try out his new crawling skills. Before now he's only used a limited area--his room, the living room--where ever we might be sitting and playing. He'd simply crawl from one toy to another, to me, and so on. But now...

if I get up to get a glass of water, for example, before I can get back, he's on his way to find me!

And apparently his new-found freedom gives him a great thrill, as you can see by the look on his face!

Gotta run--I have to do some more baby-proofing while he's napping!

Our Lil Pumpkin is 8 months old

2008-10-18T16:06:00.005-05:00

We found a Pumpkin Patch at a local church and took advantage of the scenery for some Autumn pics. In most of them, he's wearing his first official pair of Ropers--a gift from Lindsey Frantz, a friend of Chris's from youth group. He's just about outgrown them, too!

We never could really get him to smile. Too much going on around him, I guess. He enjoyed chewing on a piece of hay, like a true country boy at heart. Hard to believe it's been 8 months. I know I say that every month...but it's true! He's doing a little more in the crawling department. He's especially eager to try if he sees the TV remote on the floor. Truly his father's son. :)

Note the curled up toes? A big reason why the boots won't fit well! He does that all the time and makes it sooo hard to get a boot on!

Finally...

2008-10-11T16:13:00.006-05:00

I'm not sure how nearly a month passed by without a new post. So, I'll try to catch up a bit. Cooper is doing great! He will be 8 months old next weekend. This morning he weighed in at 18 1/2 pounds. Still no teeth (yea!), but still teething (boo!). He's trying to get used to the new sippy cups that Gran bought for him. They've got lots of soft, rubbery coating on the spouts, so for now he just likes to chew on them. :)

He's still not officially crawling, but can pretty much get where he wants to go. I told Chris today that if he really wanted to crawl, he'd be doing it right now. But, he seems content to just hang out most of the time. When he's in the mood, he will get up on his hands and knees and can move forward a couple of "steps", then flops on his tummy and kicks & squirms the rest of the way.

He's discovered that he likes playing underneath the coffee table, too!

He's enjoying playing in his room more now. It's good to have more options for him during the day. I'll probably regret it when he's totally mobile, though. I can just see him now racing through the house to go to which ever room he wants.

Another "fun" thing his Pop taught him how to do recently is "blowing raspberries" while eating his veggies. The result? This lovely montage:

Don't you love the "veggie goatee"?

Today we just hung out with Daddy and watched football. Can't you just see him throwing or catching the winning touchdown someday?

Rockin' and Rollin' at 7 months!

2008-09-19T15:17:00.004-05:00

Cooper is now 7 months old and a hurricane veteran. :) He is really trying to be mobile. One milestone he accomplished while camping out at Aunt Lindsay & Uncle Tony's house--I found him sitting up in the crib after a nap! Luckily, their crib was set low, so he wasn't in danger of climbing/falling out. When we got back home, we had to lower his crib. Now he goes from lying down to sitting up on his own whenever he pleases. He was always pretty active upon waking up in the mornings or from a nap. But now? Whoa! I always find him upside-down or sideways amidst the debris of overturned bear and blanket, etc. upon which he's wreaked havoc. He's also been getting up on his knees a lot, rocking back and forth. And look out when he's on the floor--he'll be rolling your way any second! He's still such a sweet baby, laughing and babbling like crazy now, too. Chris swears that he said "Da-da" yesterday. More like, "da-da-da-da-da-da-da...", but I guess we'll give it to him. Enjoy the pics!

Home and Safe

2008-09-16T15:09:00.003-05:00

We're back home now--came back to the house last night. Our power came back on briefly on Saturday evening, but went off again Sunday morning. It was restored Sunday evening again, but Cooper and I stayed one more night at Chris's sister's just in case it didn't last. Chris stayed at the house to "hold down the fort" with the dog & his gun collection. :}
We were very fortunate. I think Chris found one loose shingle on the roof, and our fence looks like it has been white-washed (it was stained) and leaning just slightly, but it's still sturdy. Other than that, just without power. Ours went out Friday evening at 8:15pm. I couldn't believe it happened that early; it wasn't even blowing that badly. A tree must have fallen just right or something. Tony & Lindsay (Chris's sister & husband) only live about 5 minutes away, so it was pretty easy. They never lost power or water. They have twin 2 yr olds, so we were pretty set for a baby-friendly environment! We are so grateful for them and pray God blesses them tremendously for their generosity.
The pics on the news of Galveston are unreal. And Bolivar--where my family stayed at a friend's beach house together several years ago-Bolivar is practically gone. In some parts of Crystal Beach, where we were, the only thing left of the houses are the concrete foundations for miles. The scary thing is there were reports of several hundred people who refused to evacuate Bolivar ahead of time, then couldn't get outonce the storm hit. They haven't been letting anyone over there; only pics from helicopters. It makes you wonder if it's a pretty grisly scene up close. So sad.
Chris's uncles and 2 cousins live in Bridge City, which is on the road to Port Arthur. They took his grandfather and evacuated to Dallas and have just now been able to get back. Both uncles' houses had about 4 feet of water. They haven't gotten to one of the cousin's houses yet; they were on the bay side of the highway. And his grandfather lives in Groves, a little further west, but they haven't been able to check on his house yet either. Chris left this morning to go help a family in our Sunday school class--they also played trumpet & cello in our wedding--who lost a large portion of their roof, which meant their 2nd floor is flooded and ceilings are caving in. They are moving as much as they can salvage to storage and trying to rip out sheet rock before it mildews. They live in Sugar Land. My Uncle Clarence & Aunt Pat had a tree come through their roof and lots of water damage as a result. They're pretty far north in Tomball. Debbie, however, who lives just inside the Loop, didn't even lose power! So, damage was widespread and random!
Chris is off work until Thursday. I don't know how much damage our area schools got, but with the gas shortage, the districts may simply not have enough fuel to run buses, etc. for awhile. We'll see. What a mess! Thanks for all the prayers. There are a lot of people around here that still need lots of help, so keep praying.

Happy Height of Hurricane Season Day! (or, 40 Things I am Thankful For)

2008-09-10T08:23:00.001-05:00

Yes, that's accurate. I heard it on the radio the other day. September 10th is 'climatologically' the height of hurricane season. I think the weatherman made that word up, but that's what he said. So, let's celebrate! Not to make light of hurricanes or anything, but I needed the distraction.

Can you tell I'm a bit desperate to find something, anything to distract from what today actually celebrates? Well, with Hurricane Ike looking less likely to head straight at us, I don't think it's going to work for me. Today is actually my birthday. My 40th birthday, to be exact. And I am feeling it. I have gained a LOT of grey hair this last year. I wonder if being pregnant at this age had anything to do with it--anyone know? My skin cleared up though--a miracle in itself. But now I'm left quite dry and am seeing some wrinkles starting. Yikes! I'm also feeling the beginnings of arthritis in my knees that the doctor told me about a few years ago. You know, when I totally ate it while playing softball with my church and busted my knee? Fond memories of the beginning of the decline of my youth. (I used to be a pretty good softball player by the way.)

So, as all of this started setting in, I started looking for distractions. For the past 7 years, looking just one day forward to Sept. 11th has been plenty of distraction. That's enough right there to make you thankful for what you've got. Cooper is another big distraction. Other than the times he's asleep, I spend every minute focused on him and his needs. What a blessing he has been. Thinking about him made me realize that I have a LOT to be thankful for. And yesterday morning during my Quiet Time, I felt the LORD asking me, "Oh yea? Like what? Tell me about it." So, here goes (these are not in order of importance!):

1. For my salvation
2. For my Christian heritage--on both sides of my family

3. For grandmothers who each taught Sunday school for over 50 years

4. For grandfathers who made up for what they lacked in education with hard work, wisdom and ingenuity beyond their years

5. For a mommy that always rocked me to sleep and never made me "cry it out"
6. For a daddy that taught me how to be independent, but never really let me be

7. For a childhood spent playing outside with neighborhood friends without a care in the world

8. For parents that made sacrifices so Mom could stay at home

9. For a big brother who made me tough then, and makes me proud now

10. For a 6th grade Sunday school teacher (Donna DeGruyter) who challenged me to "dare to be different" (Romans 12:1-2)

11. For being surrounded by Christian friends during the toughest teen years

12. For high school marching band--fun times!

13. For silly, dizzying, hysterical fits of laughter about absolutely nothing

14. For being so close (geographically) to the expertise of doctors at the Med Center

15. For going far from home to college, yet having family just a couple of blocks away
16. For my best friend/sister, Debbie

17. For the opportunities I've had to travel--esp. to the Grand Canyon, San Francisco, Ireland, Hawaii & Alaska

18. That I was born in America and have the freedom to worship GOD

19. For my 12 years of experience in Bible Study Fellowship

20. For the Word
21. For the rewards and challenges of being a teacher

22. For the Christian colleagues with whom I taught for 17 years

23. For Christian parents of my students who prayed for and supported me daily

24. For Bluebell Dutch Chocolate ice cream

25. For the gift of music and song

26. For a church where I can serve and be served

27. For the opportunity of being in Beth Moore's Sunday school class for 4+ years

28. For my parents' 46 years of marriage

29. For my kitty cat, K.C., who kept me company for 19 long years, holding on until the day after I got engaged

30. For all the lessons learned while being single for 37 years

31. For the house that God provided on my single teacher budget
32. For the LORD bringing Chris Chaddrick into my life

33. For 2 years, 5 months, and 23 days of marital bliss

34. For a healthy pregnancy and baby

35. For the LORD's provision to allow me to stay at home with Cooper

36. For summer vacations

37. For Gran & Pop, Grandma & Pa who are ready and willing to keep Cooper at a moment's notice

38. For this sweet, mischievious face that greets me every morning.

39. For the honor and privilege of being called "Babe", "Auntie Jenna", and someday "Mommy"
40. For the opportunity to look back on all the ways that God has blessed me, and find them too many to measure. Thank you Lord for my 40 years!

2008-09-09T16:37:00.004-05:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMY!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for loving me,

Thanks for making me smile and laugh,

Thanks for feeding and rocking me,

Thanks for cleaning me up when i make messes of all sorts,

Thanks for being the best mommy in the whole world!

oh yeah, and thanks for picking out the best daddy in the whole world for me

God Bless Chick-Fil-A! (and Go Texans!)

2008-09-01T15:31:00.005-05:00

Happy Labor Day everyone. We enjoyed a relaxing day at home. Chris didn't even have to mow any yards today! Although he did work on the lawn mower. (FYI-Chris has been mowing a couple of yards in our neighborhood to earn extra $$. His dad has done this in his own neighborhood for awhile, but since his heart attack, has not been able to do them. So, Chris has been mowing those yards, too, so his dad won't lose his clients. So, he's gone mowing after work and on weekends anywhere from 2-4 days a week. So this was extra nice to have him home from work for a holiday, and actually home!)

As a special family outing, we went to Chick-Fil-A for lunch. We weren't really planning to do so, but we got an email advertisement saying that you'd get a FREE 3-piece chicken strips if you showed up at a Chick-Fil-A on Labor Day wearing any football team logo--to celebrate the beginning of football season, and their new, improved chicken strips. So, we put on our garb and loaded up the car! Cooper just happens to have his very own Tiny Texan T-shirt, compliments of Sugar Land Methodist Hospital, where he was born, too! We weren't sure they'd really give us the deal for all three of us, but he couldn't be left out either. The girl behind the counter took one look at him, squealed to all the other workers about how cute he was, and gave us three free boxes of chicken strips! I mean, look at him--can you blame her?

We also happened to have a coupon from our Chick-Fil-A calendar for a free large order of waffle fries if you buy a medium drink (thanks Grandma & Pa!). So, we ordered and paid for a medium drink, one additional order of waffle fries, and got the rest of the meal for free! (No, I didn't feed Cooper his box of chicken; Chris took care of those.) Total cost of our whole meal: $3.25. Not bad for the first day of our first month with only one paycheck, huh?

God Bless Chick-Fil-A! I should write them a letter telling them how the LORD used their fun little gimmick to encourage and feed our little family. God is faithful to provide--in fun and creative ways, too!

Oh yeah--and Go Texans!

First day of school--Beyond the Walls!

2008-08-25T14:36:00.002-05:00

Today I learned that there is life outside of the school building walls on the first day of school! Wow--what a different feeling. Cooper and I went to Walmart, then met 2 friends for lunch at a restaurant near my old school. They are both newly retired from teaching. (In other words, they didn't know what to do today either!) We had a nice time catching up on each other's summers...and we didn't even have to watch the clock. Well, I admit, I did a little. Cooper had to be fed and all... I did drop by the school and leave a bag of Skittles for my dear friend Loren. We always seemed to have candy or chocolate or something for each other just when we needed it. I hope it comes in handy for her today and makes her smile.

It's definitely a whole new world out here. I know how exhausted my friends at work are--and even were before the day started. Know that I'm praying for you out here beyond the walls!

Six months old...lots of changes!

2008-08-19T11:53:00.009-05:00

Half a year? How did that happen? Our baby boy is now 6 months old. He had his check-up Monday: 15 lbs 10 oz. and 26 3/4 inches. And, he's cutting his first 2 teeth. (Yikes for Mommy!) I am still in awe at how quickly the last 6 months have gone by. As I now see my friend Carrie's baby boy, born last week, I realize how much Cooper has really changed and grown. (You could barely even tell Carrie was pregnant when she came to see Cooper in the hospital. She's had a lot of changes too!)

Chris went back to work today--first day of teacher inservice for the new school year. The teachers in my (old) district went back yesterday. They are sitting in meetings, wishing they could have time to set up and organize their classrooms, materials, supplies, textbooks, lists, lesson plans, etc. This is always the craziest week.

Today I have: fed Cooper, eaten breakfast, put him down for a nap, spent time reading my Bible, fed Cooper, cleaned up the kitchen, gathered the trash, done a load of laundry, played with Cooper, made banana bread, put Cooper down for a nap, swept and mopped the floors, eaten lunch, checked email...and now I await the next feeding. The rest of the day will hold more of the same. Possibly a run to the grocery store for a couple of forgotten items (hate it when that happens!) if it's not pouring down rain. A busy day in its own merit, yet drastically different than what I'd normally be doing this time of year. This year my "normal" will be redefined. And it begins with the sounds of baby boy waking from his nap ready to eat! Gotta run!

DAD is HOME!

2008-08-15T13:12:00.001-05:00

Dad is home and doing great! He is out walking around and already going out to the store. Thanks for all of the prayers!
Chris

Update on Dad

2008-08-14T19:54:00.003-05:00

As many of you know, and some who may not, my dad had a heart attack early tue. morning. A stint was put in his rt. coronary artery that was 100% blocked. He is doing wonderfully well, recovering at an amazing rate. He will be released, baring any unforseen complications, on fri or sat. Recovery is expected to go quickly, although not quickly enough i am sure for my dad. Thank you to all who have been praying, visiting, or calling. We are blessed. God is good.
Chris

Welcome Baby David!

2008-08-13T19:53:00.002-05:00

Our friends Carrie and Tarek welcomed their son, David Cameron Midani, into the world on Monday night! He weighed 6 lbs 1.8 oz and was 18 inches long. I got to visit Carrie and Baby David today. Oh my goodness is he tiny! I don't know if he actually is tiny, or that I'm just in disbelief that my almost 6-month old Cooper could ever have been so small. He is beautiful though! A surprise--light blond hair. Probably won't last, but it's a conversation piece! He will get to go home tomorrow. Let the sleepless nights begin! :) Congratulations Carrie and Tarek. We pray you'll love it as much as we do.

Cooper's Dedication

2008-08-11T20:01:00.003-05:00

This Sunday we participated in Baby Dedication at our church. Our pastor, Dr. Mark Hartman, does a really cool job. He loves to hold each baby (baby willing!) and prays very specifically and personally for him/her. Cooper cooperated very well, even reaching out for Dr. Hartman as if he knew him well. The whole thing is really more for the parents--kind of a public request for accountability to raise our child according to God's Word and standards. We feel very blessed to have Cooper and continue to pray daily for God's wisdom in raising him.

First Haircut

2008-08-07T19:24:00.003-05:00

I went to get my haircut today by my dear, longtime friend & hair stylist, Rosie. I neglected, however, to take my camera with me. And, on a whim, we decided to give Cooper a little trim. You see, most of his hair is growing in what can only be described as a natural comb-over. After waking from naps/night time, it sticks up like a mohawk! The hair has already begun to thin all over the rest of his head. So we decided to trim up the mohawk in effort to give the rest a fighting chance at catching up. Rosie thinks the mohawk area will probably fall out eventually, too. Cooper's always had so much hair, I really can't picture him without that shock of hair on top of his head! Maybe trimming it a little at a time will help with the transition. Compare this pic with the previous post to really see the difference. Better? I know, I know...he's just unbelievably cute no matter what, right? :)

Everything's just "ducky"!

2008-08-06T14:54:00.002-05:00

CARROTS!

2008-08-06T14:53:00.002-05:00

Hope is here!

2008-08-05T08:38:00.002-05:00

Our friends the Smiths have welcomed baby #2 into the world. Hope Elizabeth Smith was born Monday at 12:23 pm. She weighed 6 lbs 15 oz. and was 18 inches long. Jenn and Hope are doing great! Congratulations BIG brother Grayson!

Almost completely well

2008-08-04T15:56:00.005-05:00

Cooper's had a cold during the past week. We are now very experienced with the bulb syringe, a.k.a. snot extractor. He is still occasionally snotty and is still pulling on his ears, although the dr said they were fine. He's still fussy at naptime--wait, he's ALWAYS like that! He fights naps with all of his might. I wish I could communicate to him how valuable they really are, and that he'll be desperate for one someday (like me). He's actually napping right now for the first time today. He skipped his first two this morning. Thank goodness he sleeps at night! Here are a couple of new pics during moments when he was feeling pretty good this past week. :)

P.S. Compare the pic of Cooper lying on his tummy with the one of Chris & me over at the side. Does he look like his daddy or what?!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2008-07-24T20:21:00.003-05:00

I took Chris to the airport this morning to fly to Missouri. He's visiting his good friend, Dr. Derek--make that Major Dr. Derek (he recently received a promotion!) for a sort of birthday trip. Derek and Chris usually go hiking in the summers, but the past 2 summers have been kind of busy with weddings, honeymoons (both ours and theirs), and babies (just ours). So, when Derek invited Chris up, I insisted. Cooper isn't really mobile yet, and thus fairly easily contained. I couldn't imagine it being very easy to do next summer. Plus, Derek ships out to Iraq in November and we're not sure when he'll be back. They have a rafting trip planned for tomorrow and will also do some fishing--who knows what else! I only hope they don't go without showers as they usually do when backpacking through the mountains. Derek's poor wife, Leticia, doesn't deserve that!
I don't have a picture to add today, just wanted to wish my wonderful husband a very happy 33rd birthday! He is more than I ever could have imagined or hoped for in a husband and father (Eph. 3:20). I love you, Babe! Have a great time! Cooper's blowing "love bubbles" to you. :)

New floors!

2008-07-15T13:39:00.004-05:00

We just spent the last week painting our living room & hallway and installing laminate floors. Well, I should say that Chris and I painted, and Chris and my dad installed the floors. It took a lot longer than we thought, but hey, it's summer! It all looks so nice. We also rearranged the furniture and it really opened things up. Cash even got a new bed so he'll have a comfy place to lay on the new floor. (He's the main reason the carpet had to go--it was getting pretty dull looking!) We're hoping those flooring commercials that feature the Great Dane named "Pergo" will hold true for us--('we named him after the only thing he couldn't destroy' is their quote). I'm sure Cooper will enjoy scooting, crawling, toddling, and racing his cars & trucks across them for years to come!
(By the way--the paint looks really yellow in these pics, but it's called "champagne gold" and is not as yellowy as it looks; more neutral.)

Happy 4th of July!

2008-07-05T14:19:00.003-05:00

We had a nice holiday out at Gran & Pop's house. Pop and Chris worked on old cars and trucks. We don't have any pictures of that. We do have pictures of Cooper in his patriotic clothing (he has 2 outfits), and taking his first dip in the pool! It was hard to tell if he really liked it or not. He didn't fuss, but he wasn't splashing around and playing either. He did look very cute in his swim trunks, though! :)

This should be worth a free magazine or something...

2008-06-26T15:46:00.004-05:00

Could a dad be any prouder? Just wait till you see him in full pads or helping his daddy on the old truck.

Cooper's First Cereal

2008-06-26T13:50:00.002-05:00

What a mess! Dr. B said to mix it pretty runny at first...and it did run. All over his chin, bib, everywhere! He pondered it deeply and I think he at least got a taste of it (not that it has much flavor to it!) Enjoy the pics.

Dinner with the Midanis

2008-06-25T17:06:00.004-05:00

I knew I was skipping over something in our eventful week! Last week we got to "go to town" :) and have dinner with our longtime friend Carrie and our new friend, her husband, Tarek. They have a beautiful townhome inside the Loop--which when traveling from the far west Houston 'burbs constitutes "going to town". We are so excited that they will be providing Cooper with a little playmate in August. Cooper'd had a couple of very fussy days prior to this dinner, and I almost cancelled. But, he decided to chill and put on his best so as not to freak out the expectant parents. :)

Four months old!

2008-06-25T16:38:00.005-05:00

Cooper had his four month check-up yesterday. Dr. Bornstein says he's doing great! He weighed 13.9 lbs, which is only in the 25th percentile. But, he was 26 1/4 inches long, which is in the 90th percentile. Basically, he's long & lean, and very healthy. :) The bad part of the visit was the immunizations. Cooper screamed bloody murder, again, but not for as long this time. And, he wasn't screaming-fussy all night like last time either. Yahoo! One of his favorite things now is to sit up. While he can't do so unassisted, he prefers this position. If you do lay him on his back, he will promptly flip over to his tummy so he can see his surroundings better. He also loves to pull up to a standing position--usually after a diaper change, as seen here. Note the Band-aids marking the shot locations and the dab of blood. Daddy's says it makes him look tough.

We are so grateful for our healthy, happy baby boy!

More pics from the weekend

2008-06-25T15:37:00.002-05:00

Weekend at the Ranch with cousin Katie

2008-06-25T15:13:00.005-05:00

This past weekend, we spent the night out on the ranch in Simonton. My niece, Katie, had been there a couple of days already while her mom and dad were in Galveston.

She always has a great time at Gran & Pop's.

She was very excited to get to spend some time with Auntie Jenna & Uncle Chris, and especially Cooper! During their last visit, I had given Katie several books to read. Among them was Dr. Suess's Bartholomew and the Oobleck. I had also promised that we would actually make "oobleck" the next time she came. Katie forgot all about reading the book (Pop had read it to her once), but immediately remembered the promise. :) So we set about the task of making ooey, gooey, sticky, slimy "oobleck". (Read the story; mix cornstarch & water and throw in some green food coloring. It washes out.) Here's a picture of our creation. Katie had a great time drizzling it all over her and me.

She also had fun with Cooper. She helped give him a bath Friday evening.

Katie and Uncle Chris always find time to goof around, too. This time she decided he needed to explore a new hairstyle.

She and Cooper had a few laughs, too.

Katie is also a horse lover. Her horse, Champion, stays at the ranch with Gran & Pop. Although she doesn't get to ride regularly, her riding skills are growing by leaps and bounds. This time she rode and reigned all by herself--just some off-camera coaching by Pop. AND, she even trotted by herself! Way to go, Katie! Someday you'll be teaching Cooper to ride!

Father's Day Weekend

2008-06-25T14:56:00.004-05:00

I'm way behind in updating...let's travel back to Father's Day first!

Chris and I celebrated on that Friday, going out to dinner and to a movie by ourselves (thanks Gran & Pop!). Saturday, Chris helped some friends move in the morning, then we attended a wedding that evening. Cooper was passed all around at the reception, but I neglected to bring the camera. :{

Sunday we went to church then celebrated at lunch with Chris's family. It also happened to be Uncle Tony's birthday. After a yummy Mexican food lunch, we went home and napped until time to head out to Simonton to celebrate with my family. Cooper was a real trooper with all the goings on.

Iam so incredibly thankful for all of the fathers in my life, and to my Heavenly Father for them all. My dad has been such an incredible example of following the Lord no matter what comes along... or doesn't. And in marrying Chris, I also have a very Godly father-in-law as well. I know both of them pray for us regularly and their love and encouragement are deeply felt. I am especially thankful for Cooper's father, on his first Father's Day. I can't imagine being on the journey of parenting with anyone else, and am so blessed that he is such a Godly man who loves me more than I ever dreamed my husband would. Happy Father's Day, Babe!

Those funny girls!

2008-06-03T16:41:00.003-05:00

Cooper's twin cousins, Kaitlyn (KK) & Kennedy (D), came to visit today. It took them quite awhile to warm-up this time. (Note the expressions in the first picture. This was after much coaxing by Lindsay to get them up the front walk and into the house, with a chorus of "Mommy, Mommy" filling the air!)

After awhile though, they had a lot of fun trying on Uncle Chris's flip flops (KK) and tennis shoes (D).

Cooper was just chillin' out and playing the whole time. The fun ended when Kennedy bumped her head and started crying. Kaitlyn started wailing, too, and could not be comforted by Uncle Chris. Coop's reaction? Zzzzzz. Slept through all the commotion! He is definitely his father's son!

Ready for summer!

2008-06-03T16:39:00.002-05:00

Cooper just can't wait to try out his new swimsuit at Gran and Pop's pool! Check out the Aloha gear!

Meeting Great Uncle Gary

2008-06-03T16:34:00.003-05:00

This Sunday Cooper got to meet my Uncle Gary. He had to fly in from Lubbock for an appointment and got the added bonus of some Cooper-time! The only regret is that he couldn't hold him due to his shoulder injury. But, the next time we see him, I'm sure he'll get a hold of Coop! Gary's oldest son, Josh and his wife Jackie have a son named Noah who just turned a year old in March. We can't wait to see him and Cooper play together! Their first chance will likely be in November at Gary's other son's wedding. Congratulations, Jake & Callie, on your engagement!

(Note: Josh & Jake are my cousins that I "babysat" while attending Texas Tech in Lubbock. You know you're getting old when...)

Hair do's and don'ts

2008-06-03T16:29:00.003-05:00

Why do we bother brushing/combing babies' hair when it inevitably just gets messed up again? Well...Here's a before/after combo that might persuade you to put forth the effort:

Notice the obvious distress on the face of the first example, and the subsequent air of peace after grooming.

Going to church and meeting new friends

2008-06-03T16:19:00.004-05:00

It's been awhile since I've posted pics. Here's a couple just before leaving for church on May 18. Notice the cute overalls? They didn't last long. The ladies in the nursery had to change his diaper and clothes as soon as they took him out of his infant seat. Nothing too messy. Just major leakage! Hmm...someone must need more practice at changing diapers! Cooper does great in the nursery. The ladies there are so sweet.

That next Sunday evening, our friend Ben came to visit all the way from Lubbock. He also brought his girlfriend, Jenny. We had a great visit and Cooper liked them both a lot!

Mother's Day, etc.

2008-05-15T21:24:00.004-05:00

This was my first official Mother's Day. Not that I haven't been wished a Happy Mother's Day before, though. When you're single for as long as I was, it's bound to happen. This was the first year though that I didn't sheepishly return the well meant greeting with "Um, I'm not a mom. I'm not even married!" Sad, I know, but true. Thanks to Cooper, and the good Lord that sent him to me, I was able to gratefully reply, "Thank you!" Chris made it extra special for me, too, with the most beautiful flowers and sweetest card you ever saw. Awwww!

Mother's Day was a busy day! Cooper attended his first worship service at Sugar Creek Baptist Church. (Last time, we only made it to Sunday School.) He did great--fussed a tiny bit, but promptly fell asleep. And, slept through most of his first stay in the church nursery while we went to Sunday School! Afterwards, we went to lunch at the Chaddricks' home, where these first pics were taken. Later that evening, I went to a movie with some of the girls from our ABF class (Adult Bible Fellowship, AKA Sunday School). So, Cooper's first movie was "Baby Mama". He won't remember a thing, though. He fell asleep, then ate, then slept again.

Cooper is now 12 weeks old, and REALLY wants to be able to sit up on his own. He will hold his head steady if you pull him up from a laying position by his fingers, and he's able to sit in the "Bumbo" seat for a short period of time before slumping in exhaustion. :) We're still having a great time with him. He is such a happy guy (most of the time!) and has such a sweet disposition. He's growing fast, too! No official numbers until next month, but I weighed him at 13 lbs and Chris measured him between 24-25 inches.

Just pictures

2008-05-08T21:51:00.003-05:00

I think I've caught up on the latest happenings, now that this is the fourth post today! Here are some of the latest pictures of Cooper.