Clean Windows

I just had my windows cleaned and am loving the difference! Everything looks clean and crisp. My little bro has 2 years experience cleaning windows if you're interested! His name is Ben and his phone # is 480 363 3173.

So good.

This is my latest recipe find. http://www.tangledandtrue.com/2009/08/real-simple.html It's from Tangled and True, who got it from real simple. We absolutely loved it. Even if you're not a big fan of peanut sauce, its not too peanutty. And it's easy!

Monsoon....More Like "Non"soon

Where is the rain? Where are the storms that we used to chase in high school? So far this monsoon season has been a flop.

On Sunday

Al: Cooper, what did you learn about in nursery today?

Cooper: ummmm...........ummmm....baptise

Al: Wow! That's good, what is baptise? (both of us very surprised, he usually says "trucks")

Cooper: ummmm......it's spanish.

How To...

I've noticed that How-To's are an especially popular blog post these days so I thought I'd contribute.

Smoky, Smoldering Eye

A How To:

1) Apply eye make-up as usual on Day 1, using black eyeliner and black mascara.
2) Don't wash your eye make-up off before going to bed.
3) Wake-up on Day 2 and Voila! Works everytime. Even better on Day 3.

Just thinkin'

• Lately Cooper will be making this concerned face, looking off in the distance and I will ask..."What's wrong?" and he says..."I'm just thinkin."
• 
  For the first time, Annie and Cooper's naps are happening at the same time...consistently! For the last several days - its a great feeling. I have 2 hours in the afternoon!

• I love Diet Cherry Coke. We rarely buy pop, but when it's Diet Cherry Coke, look out.

• When you burn pine nuts on your stove top, your house smells like garbage for days.

• Cooper finished swimming lessons today! Big improvements made in 2 weeks.

• Annie is army crawling and losing her chubbies. It's killing me.

• Portable DVD players are a gift from above.
  
• We went to the cabin (Sundance) a few weeks ago. That place is my favorite in the world. I love going with my own kids now. Cooper loved it.

Annie taking a very serious bath in the sink.

Whenever we suggested that he look for deer, snakes, any animals...he would put on his "goggles" to help find them.

Cooper looks like a mini Al in this picture. Love it.

Other highlights included seeing lots of family, getting very little sleep 8 nights in a row, delicious food, Al doing some killer bike rides, beautiful rain. It was another great year at the cabin.

Project

I have been working on a fun project the last couple months! I have always loved to sew, and the last few years I've made aprons as gifts. Recently I have sold a few here and there and now I have decided to open up shop! Most of all, I have totally loved having a creative outlet - it is fun and theraputic. Here are some of the aprons I've made. I've opened a shop on Etsy (an online superstore for handmade goodies) if you are interested! The link for that is to the right as well.

Early to Rise

Yesterday I got up before 5 am, and I stayed up. Most days I am up around 4 to feed Annie. Then we both go back to sleep for two more hours. Or until Cooper gets woken up by the blasted birds that have made their home in our roof. But yesterday, I stayed up and it made a BIG difference in the quality of my day. I felt much more prepared, calm, happy, just better. Here are some of the things I was able to do, that I don't usually do:

• Say bye to Al when he leaves for his bike ride at 4:55.
• Straighten the post-weekend mess of a house.
• Do some of my Yoga video that I haven't done for 3 years.
• Eat a healthy breakfast- healthy for me anyways, wheat chex with strawberries on top.

Having that extra hour before the kiddies woke helped me be a happier Mom, and much more fun. When Cooper said "Let's play.....it be fun!" like he always does, I happily joined him for an hour, instead of joining him for 5 minutes and then cutting out to do dishes once he got distracted. It was such a great day in general! So I am making a goal to wake up before the kids do as often as possible.

Cooper and Cole when we were taking pictures of all the grandkids for Grandma. I love this one. And even more, I love that Cooper has darling cousins to play with and love. He and Coley have such a great time together.

Coop loves to play with his soccer ball that he got for Easter - thats what he was doing before I snapped this picture. And Al is just being an awesome Dad/monster.

We got another round of pictures - the last time was when Cooper was 5 months. I love these ones - its a whole new ball game with a toddler. He was a good sport. I don't know who was more difficult, Cooper or Al. jk Al jk. Not much to report, just keeping very busy with life. Annie is still delightful. She had never passed her hearing screening since she was born, so we'd been to the ENT specialist a few times. They could never do the tests that were needed because of persistent fluid in her ears. But thankfully, she had a test where they had to sedate her with anesthesia, and they found that her hearing is 100%. She talks a lot and loves her daddy the most. Cooper is also her favorite - he is a great entertainer. Cooper's latest thing is asking his dad "Hows work?" when he gets home. And "Hows meeting?" is what he asks me. He is my favorite little buddy. ** Our photographer was Amanda Crookston - she is a friend from high school and she is awesome! http://www.amandaandhercamera.blogspot.com/

This is how Cooper gives a "thumbs up".

This is Annie's smile.

Cooper is potty trained! He is a wonderful little 2 year old.

Annie sleeps til 4 or 5 every night, she is such a happy little girl.

For Valentines we went to a Joshua Radin concert. It was really fun to go out to something like that. I hadn't been to a show since we went to Something Corporate 3 years ago (where we were the oldest ones there by 10 years). This crowd was better suited for people our age. Lots of funny people there. My favorite was the girl next to us who thought she was at a Gloria Estefan concert. She was dancing and singing her heart out (out of tune and wrong words) the whole time. I couldn't stop giggling, and at one point, thought we had to move because she was so distracting. This show was not a place to dance or sing along in your white salsa dress, high heels and crazy jewelry. She did not fit the crowd.

We had a great time.

We have a new baby girl, Annie Kate! She was born a few days before Thanksgiving. She is a doll. Dimples, blue eyes, light hair - we are in love again. Cooper has been so sweet with her, he can't get enough. Annie is a great eater but not quite as good at sleeping. Cooper was the easiest baby and Annie is definitely not the hardest, just more typical I think...I was spoiled with Coop.

We had a great Christmas. Lots of family time. Cooper understood Santa this year, and he really had a ball. And for all of you who will be receiving our "Christmas" Card in mid-January, please know that you were not an afterthought - we are just a little behind! I am going to pick up our cards from Costco today. Better late than never, I always say.

Helping decorate the tree.

Cooper and Santa's Sleigh being pulled by his giraffe.