Trip down memory lane #2

Again, with the cleaning out of the closets in preparation for next week's garage sale, I came across a huge green tub labeled "Dolls."  Not sure what I would find, I opened it up.  I found my Mary doll and my Tami doll (incidentally named after my cousins), I found my old barbie doll in a "Princess Diana" wedding dress my grandma made, I found clothes and dishes and a whole bunch of other stuff.

Among them, I found this little guy.  Around the cabbage patch doll craze, my grandma got in to the doll making business.  She would go to craft shows all over the midwest.  I was also a beneficiary of her handiwork, the above doll, in this instance.

Keeping in mind the many suggestions I had received about giving Little J a "baby" of his own so he would leave my baby, K-Man, alone, I pulled out the doll and put it on his bed.

Sure enough, when Little J got home a little later, he fell in love with the doll.  He kissed it on the head the way I kiss him and K-Man, he carried it around, he covered it up with a blanket.  No guarantees that it will work long term, but Little J is happy with his "new" toy.

And... for anyone who is worried, the dolls tub is largely undisturbed, unemptied, and still located in the closet.  I couldn't part with them. Some things just need to be kept.

(c) Lessons from Cooper

Trip down memory lane - #1

While cleaning out and getting ready for the garage sale next weekend, I came across my dad's old IU Dad sweatshirt.  For those of you who knew him, I am not understating when I say he was a big guy... and consequently, I am pretty sure I would never actually wear the sweatshirt.

But an idea popped in my head, especially since I found, about the same time, a bag of pillow stuffing.

Thirty minutes after the sewing machine came out, a new pillow for our couch was born.  The back side is the sweatshirt inside out, so it is soft and fuzzy. I thought I would be able to snuggle with the pillow on the couch... unfortunately, I think Big J has permanently confiscated it for his own use.

(c) Lessons from Cooper

Helping Out

I've posted a few times about the various things Big J and I have done over the last year or so to give back to our community.  We are so blessed with so many things in this life, and not only do we want to give back and help where we can -- but we also want our kids to know how blessed we are and to help out when they can as well.

Saturday morning dawned crispy cold -- the coldest morning we had had in months.  We were signed up to volunteer for a "stuff the truck" food drive benefiting our local food pantries.  But wrapped up, hat and all, Little J did his part:

K-Man did also, tucked as he was, sleeping, with his hat on and his blanket wrapped around him in his seat.

I'm glad we did this.  I'm glad we helped procure food for the food pantry.  I'm glad we had a conversation about how Jesus wants us to help people who are hungry have food.  And I'm glad Little J watched me not only clear out our pantry of some miscellaneous food stuffs, but also see me buy a whole bunch of canned tuna for the drive.... after all, you can't get get by on green beans and fruit cocktail, you need a little protein too.

(c) Lessons from Cooper

A small adjustment

A few weeks ago I wrote about some Wardrobe Malfunctions with a brand new suit.  After a brief consultation with a wise woman, I tried moving the straps in.  Presto, chango -- a suit that won't malfunction as dramatically.

I had a rough day today.  I had to make a few small adjustments in life.  No major life changes.  No huge decisions.  But a few tweaks -- none of which were easy, or were what I intended when I started the day.

We'll have to find out tomorrow if the tweaks in life are as successful as the tweaks in the suit.  I can only hope.

(c) Lessons from Cooper

Overcoming Fear

Little J went to a birthday party over the weekend.  Besides making crafts and singing songs, eating pizza and cupcakes and ice cream, the party also featured a visit from the animal lady.

The animal lady brought five or six "exotic" animals with her for the kids to check out, touch and learn about.  Little J was, as always, incredibly curious about it all.

I will be the first to admit that I have a "healthy respect" for snakes and spiders.  While I don't run screaming at the sight of either, I would rather not look at them and I definitely have no interest in touching either species.  Little J seems to feel the same way, even though we encouraged him to check things out.

He did manage to pet the ferret, and made quite a few interesting expressions during the demonstration

At the beginning, as the first few animals came out, Little J wanted me close at hand.  But as the demonstration wore on, he ventured forward, to the front of the group.  He exercised a bit of independence -- albeit he was still less than thirty feet away from me -- and had a new experience all his own.

I'm really proud of him for overcoming his fears.  And I have to say - it was a really cool idea for a birthday party!

(c) Lessons from Cooper

Craziness

In the next two weeks, I not only am keeping up with my usual craziness of raising my two boys, keeping our house in livable order, and getting my butt in to the office on a regular basis, I am also having oral surgery (an implant to replace the tooth that had to be pulled when I was pregnant with K-Man), have a few miscellaneous medical issues with appointments scheduled, going out of town for a weekend, and preparing for what looks to be the largest garage sale I have ever had.

Needless to say, I think I'm going to be busy.  The good news about all of this is that I feel like two weeks from today I will feel like a lot has been accomplished.  I'm hoping I will feel like I have a clean slate, and will feel ready to really tackle my next big goal:  writing my novel this summer.

The bad news about all of this is that I am not sure how much time I will have to devote to the blog over the next fourteen days.  I do have a number of half started posts, ideas that just need to be completed.  And, trust me, I will have to utilize the "scheduling" feature so that when I am unable to get to a computer the blog still posts.  But, I have to be honest -- I may miss a day here or there.

So patience, dear reader.  I know many of you follow the stories regularly, looking forward to new pictures and updates and hilarity.  It will be back in full force in the beginning of May.  Until then -- patience, patience, patience if I seem to be posting super short paragraphs day in and day out.

<3 from Mama K, Big J, Little J and K-Man

(c) Lessons from Cooper