A Little Bit OF Science Going On

Cooper has been very into volcanoes. Today, we decided to make one at home. I know you all remember how to do this from science class in elementary school, right? First, we taped paper to a glass jar and Cooper painted it to make it look like a volcano.
Then, he added the ingredients.
1. 1/2 cup of water
2. 6tbs of dish soap (this makes it last longer and makes the "lava" thicker)
3. red food coloring
4. 1/2 cup of baking soda
5. 1/2 cup of vinegar (this causes the eruption)
It was very cool and we have done about 20 eruptions since the one featured here. They got a bit redder as we went. You need a lot of food coloring to make it red. This provided lots of entertainment and a little bit if learning too :) Now I have to go and clean it up!

You Make Me Crazy!

There is something so maddening yet wonderful about a toddler. Cooper has the ability to make my heart melt and my blood boil within the matter of minutes. Each day is a new challenge and a new joy. Some days, we argue all day long about everything possible. Others, we giggle and cuddle all day with no problems at all.

We had a lot of adjusting to do, Cooper and I, when Doug went back to work. It was just the three of us and Cooper and I were very accustom to it only being the two of us. There were lots of harsh words and was more yelling then I care to admit. There were tears and we were all exhausted. But, I can safely say that I think that we have made it through with success! We have a new normal now that includes Fina. It no longer feels like each day is one big challenge. Yes, it's hard to take care of a newborn and a toddler all day long. It is overwhelming at times, especially when it is new. When Doug was home, it was a piece of cake because we could divide and conquer. When he went back to work, it was me who was divided AND conquered. Now, I wake up feeling great each morning and feel like I can handle it.

Cooper is such a great kid. He is very understanding for such a little boy, I think. It is so much fun to chat it up with Cooper, as he chats like a child much older than he is. He is very patient and loving with Fina and also with me, his mommy. He can be tough as all toddlers can and we are always working on age appropriate discipline for him.
I can honestly say that I feel very happy and at ease with my role as mommy of two. We made it! Bring it on!!

Gig Harbor

This is a bit late but I wanted to share the photos I took a few weeks ago. Doug's Uncle and Aunt have a beautiful home on the sound in Gig Harbor, WA. I must say, Washington is such a beautiful state and I am thankful to live here.
We lunched with family, talked, played, and enjoyed beautiful views. It was a lovely day!

Wordless Wednesday

2 Months

Fina,
Yesterday was your two month birthday. I can hardly believe that you are already two months old! It has gone by so fast. We are enjoying everything about you and have truly been blessed to have you in our lives.
You have started to smile and coo at us, which is so wonderful. You are very in love with me, your mommy but have a special smile that you save just for your daddy. You are fascinated by your big brother who loves you to pieces and had a hard time keeping his hands off of you. He has a lot to learn about being gentle and sharing attention but you are here to teach him those things.
You sleep very well, sometimes as long as 6.5 hours at night. You love to nurse and are having a hard time with the bottle but you will have to master that when mommy goes back to work this weekend.
You have gained weight very well, weighing in at 11 pounds 15 ounces at your 2 month appointment. You are very chubby and cuddly! You look very much like Cooper did at your age.
I am so in love with you, baby girl! I can't wait to see what the next month brings!
Love,
Mommy

A Photo Shoot With Mommy

On Thursday afternoon, Fina woke up in a wonderful mood from her nap so I took some photos. Shocking, I know!
During my shoot, I gave Cooper the small digital camera and let him photograph whatever he wanted. He is a photographer in the making. I plan to post his photos soon. They were very cute and some were very good!

Isn't she lovely?










He's my little photographer!

Feet

For some reason I absolutely LOVE my kids feet. I can distinctly remember where they were inside of me when I was pregnant and loved to push on them and feel them push back. As soon as both of them were born I checked out their tiny feel and kissed them. I just think they are adorable, those tiny perfect feet. Today I was photographing the kids and I got this photo of their feet together. To me, it's perfect.

I'm Changing My Attitude

Yesterday we woke up to rain and gloom and our mood's matched. Cooper seemed to be in a special way but so was I. I realized that he was probably reacting to my moodiness and that his "misbehavior" was actually my fault. It's so hard to admit when it's your fault, isn't it? This morning I decided that I was going to change my attitude and have a good day and so far so good!

The sun has poked through so we spent time in the garden while Missy napped. As usual, we enjoyed ourselves and felt great being in the fresh air. When we came back in, we worked together on what we though would be a reasonable "schedule" because now that I am solo most days, we need some structure. I think this will help minimize "board" time and "tantrum" time.

Good news is...Cooper is totally potty trained, which makes things so much easier. Fina is pleasant and seems to be over her evening fussiness stage. And, we are all healthy and happy. We have a lot to be happy about! So, I chose to change my attitude to positive!

We witnessed a spider catching a moth. It was very cool and a first for both of us!


There were a ton of lady bugs out and about today in Cooper's garden (he has his own area that he planted) which was quite pleasing to him. He spent some time building them a special house out of wood chips. I think he buried a few on accident but his intentions were good :)


This is his bean tee pee. We are both proud of it :)