Evrything I Need to No I Lernt in Skool

I got schooled, so to speak, today at lunch by my co-workers. I found out exactly how far behind I already am on planning for Cooper's scholastic career. I learned I really need to be picking houses according to the best school districts so I can participate in the lottery to get to send my kid to a charter school or a magnet school. I can focus his educational goals on liberal arts type programs with an emphasis on language, including a school that has a curriculum of both Mandarin Chinese and Arabic, with the goal of a tri-lingual child. Or the schools that focus on medicine, math and technology, or how about pre-law. Oh and this is not just at the high school level, nooooo, these important decisions need to be made for enrollment in one of these programs at the kindergarten level. Not only that but I also learned about the pre-school programs I really need to be considering. One co-worker told me about her grandaughter's pre-school that has an extensive waiting list, a 5K annual tuition, and a ten-step application process that includes comprehensive testing of the child, a two hour interview, and a separate interview to evaluate the parents (the parents?? oh, we are soooooo screwed).
What ever happened to reedin', ritin', and rithmatic (and I really don't know how to spell that one-case in point for specialized education).

Blah! Blah!

Arrrgh!

Shiver me timbers, ye scurvy scallywags! The little landlubber here looked too much like a swashbuckler, me couldn't resist a walk on the plank!

We pillage, we plunder, we rifle and loot.

We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot.

We're beggars and blighters and ne'er-do-well cads.

Aye! But we're loved by our mommies and dads!

What I Got

Love is what I got
It's within my reach
And the Sublime style's still straight from Long Beach

Something New for the New Year

With the New Year, we decided it was time to try eating. Cooper did excellent (of course the kid knows how to eat!) He is our kid after all.

Happy New Years!

We had a super great New Years party at Jamie's house. It was fun to hang out with all my yammas and Cooper had a fun time checking every thing out. And Jer, Cooper says he is sorry for being mean and he loves his Christmas present!

Here are my New Year's Resolutions, in pictures:

Lose Weight

Be More Active

Take More Risks
Here are some more realistic resolutions:

• Just for today, I will not sit in my living room all day in my pajamas. Instead, I will move my computer into the bedroom.
• I will not feel guilty when I have chocolate and coffee for breakfast (or again for lunch).
• I will not bore my boss with the same excuse for taking leave. I will think of some more excuses.
• I will do less laundry and use more deodorant.
• I will watch more tv.
• I will start buying lottery tickets at luckier store.
  

HAPPY NEW YEAR! May 2009 be your best year ever!!

5 Months Old!!

Well, my little man is five months old today. Yesterday he went in to the doctor and he weighs 15 pounds 10 ounces and is 26 inches long. I am also happy to report that both he and his mom handled his second set of shots much better than last time, but it certainly helped to have his dad there to hold his hand (I again sat in the corner with my eyes covered).

It seems more than amazing that just a few months ago he was sitting on my kidneys and giving me daily heartburn. And now here he is! He has come so far in such a little amount of time. He rolls from back to front and front to back, but sometimes still gets stuck on his belly and gets mad. He has found his thumb (in addition to his entire fist) and loves to suck on it, but never a disgusting binky (they make him gag). He tries to lean up constantly if placed on his back and he can (kind of) sit up. Ok, he mostly topples to one side or the other but sometimes if he is positioned just right he can sit there. When he doesn’t like something he snorts at it and he loves to grab things (such as his dad’s glasses). He laughs at everything and has the best chuckle in the world. Especially if he is just a little tired, then everything is HILARIOUS. He loves Horton Hears a Who, but still can’t decide if he likes the dogs. He also has a laugh/cry when he just can’t decide which emotion might get the most attention. He has given up repeating sounds we make, but he has his own dialect and when you ask him something, he will tell you in his own words what he thinks.

All in all, it has been a wonderful and amazing journey and I feel blessed to be on it. Thanks little man for picking us as your parents, we are looking forward to every new day with you.

While we try to teach our children all about life,

Our children teach us what life is all about.

~Angela Schwindt

First Christmas

Cooper's first Christmas was a big success. Santa visited and gave Cooper WAY too many presents that he really wasn't that interested in.
Uncle Bob and Bonnie gave Coop this cute snowsuit. Grandma's house is so cold we had to wear it over pjs to sleep in!
Coop and his Daddy had fun opening presents. Cooper has a pile of brand new toys and Brandon got an awesome new laptop; I am jealous. Now I can't complain that I think he broke mine when he is playing with his stocks. I got a fabulous new purse and wallet, so I am pretty happy too.Here is Cooper and his adorable new puppy (the blue ears really bring out his eyes, don't ya think??)

Merry Christmas from the Pullins

A silent night, a star above, a blessed gift of hope and love.

May all the sweet magic

of Christmas conspire

to gladden your heart

and fill every desire.

Home for the Holidays!!

Well the weather finally got a little nicer and we were able to make it to Burley for Christmas. Hopefully we won't get snowed in now. We got to go over and see Kari and her new baby Jan Erik. He is adorable. But Cooper looked like a giant next to Jan. I just don't remember Cooper being so small, but I guess he was just a couple of months ago. Seeing Jan made me miss that baby stage (no sleep, trying to figure out what the heck to do, etc.) Next time Kari makes it down from Virginia those two might be running around! Now Cooper can't wait to meet his brand new cousin Holden. Cooper's got all these little buddies, he's going to have so much fun!

Game Day!

Yesterday we had a BSU party and everyone got on their BSU gear. Everyone except Bella, that is (Mitch and Shari, we got to get Bella a BSU jersey). We had a fabulous dinner and Cooper enjoyed watching the game (except when Mitch yelled and freaked him out!) But too bad BSU lost. Oh, well there is always another game just down the road.

Ho! Ho! Ho!

We had to subject Cooper to this ensemble for our own sick enjoyment. Cooper did report that the beard was delicious!!He's making a list

And checking it twice
Gonna find out who's naughty and nice!

Living Nativity Scene

When Grandma and Toni were up we went to the drive-thru living nativity scene at the church down the road. It was really cool-check the camel and the llama (oh we love the yammas!)

Cooper did not appreciate it as much as the rest of us. Maybe next year.

We Have a Shopper!

(Love the shoulderpad look!!!)
Grandma and Toni came up last weekend so we decided to head to The Place Where Paychecks go to Die (hereafter known as The Mall) and try out Cooper's gigantic, offroad stroller (hereafter known as The Tank).

I have to tell you Cooper had a blast. He got to look at people, slept, gnawed on things and we literally shopped until we dropped. We actually had to remove Cooper from The Tank at one point so we could use that space as a bag carrier. Cooper was such a good sport too, he didn't even mind that we didn't feed him for quite a long time (although he did start making sad little sucking sounds).

The best part was when I took The Tank and the bags out to the car before lunch. I had to go up and down six (count em) rows pushing The Tank and dragging twenty-five bags looking for the car while a stream of cars followed behind me thinking they would get a parking spot. Ha! Sorry Suckas!!

Whew! At least we are done with shopping. And Cooper loved The Mall. I really think I will have to take him there more often (for his benefit, of course). And a big thanks to Jamie and Lisa for The Tank. I think we are going to have a lot of fun in that thing.

Here is the exhaustion from Cooper's big shopping excursion.

Why you got to be all Grinchy up in here?

But whatever you do , things won't always go right. You might meet the Grinch in the dark of the night. His heart is too small and his shoes are too tight. (He's not very friendly and rarely
polite.)

Well the holiday season is here. Bah Humbug. Just kidding....kinda.

I am excited for Cooper's first Christmas, but I don't think he will be (come on, the highlight of his day is pooping). I don't have any time to shop. And we aren't putting a tree up since we are putting our house on the market and it would look kind of tacky when we showed the house in February (which is what would happen with my time frame for tree dismantling). And it's all Cooper's fault that we need a new house because he really does come with way too much stuff. Work has been stressful and we are dealing with budget holdbacks through hiring freezes and employee furloughs, but at least no layoffs. I have been anxious about the holidays, the house, and just about anything else. (Whoa! Slow down Debbie Downer ---your online whine is giving me a pain in my brain.)

But regardless of anything else, the kid still rocks. And really that is all that matters.

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.
- Dr. Seuss