The Cole Family

From nasty to normal....

2012-01-23T18:40:00.002-05:00

After two rounds of steroid cream, we have a son with a normal looking neck again! He's so happy to not have an itchy yucky neck that everyone asks him questions about. Here's the proof:

At a loss for words....

2012-01-17T12:40:00.000-05:00

My baby brother lost a very dear friend over the weekend in a snow mobile accident. It is such devastating news and the whole school district (she was a teacher) is taking it very hard, my brother being no exception. She had taken him under her wing and gave him an ear that was always listening, an open door at all times, words of advice, and things to do to get his mind off of things. I had never met her, but to know that she was there for my brother means the world to me. She must have been someone special. Since she was a teacher in the district, the kids were all told after their competition on Sunday. Many tears were shed and a very somber mood followed us home. When the kids found out Hubba was good friends with her, you could tell that their hearts went out to him. Jojo received an iPod for Christmas and she can message Hubba to his iPad, so she set about writing him a little note. This girl is NEVER at a loss for words, it's very easy for her to put her feelings onto paper. I couldn't have written this any better.We will help you through this Hubba, whatever you need, you just have to ask. Rest in peace, Candy. You will be missed by many.

Misdiagnosis, confusion, and a bit of anger...

2012-01-10T13:45:00.001-05:00

So after my last post about eczema, I was applying vaseline to Jakey's neck as often as I could hoping that the before the weekend was over, he'd have a "normal" looking neck. We went bowling on Saturday night and his neck looked like it was on fire. Very, very red. Very, very blotchy. He kept tapping it because it itched and then told me that it was burning. I had my Mom and brother look at it (my Mom has eczema) and they both frowned, tilted their heads, and said "That looks like ringworm." WHAT?! My house isn't dirty, I'm overly anal in that department. My kids aren't dirty, they don't go to dirty houses, Jakey doesn't wrestle, how could it be that?! As soon as we got home from bowling I jumped onto Google and started my research and sure enough the pictures of ringworm looked just like his neck. I was shocked. I didn't want to put anything else on him to make it worse, so we went to bed and woke up and headed to the urgent care where they confirmed Dr. Nana and Dr. Hubba's suspicions. Jakey was put on another low dose of steroid cream (during my research I found that the thinning of the skin normally happens when you are on high doses of steroid cream for longer than a month. If the skin does thin, it regrows once the cream is stopped.)and away we went. After the 2 treatments that day, he looked so much better! I'm just in shock that his doctor would tell me for 2 weeks that it's eczema when clearly it was not! He had the typical round blotches and a missing patch of hair from all the itching. It was a textbook case. And to have the doctor tell me to stop bathing him every day and smear vaseline on that neck was so asinine! That right there made it flare up and become that much more irritated. I was in fact spreading the fungus all over his neck each time I applied that vaseline. That part feels like such a HUGE Mommy fail to me. I understand doctors aren't infallible, just like the rest of us, but I do expect a little more from someone who went to school for SO long. It's not like we are in there all the time wanting answers to minor coughs, dry skin, runny noses, etc. When I take my kids to see the doctor it's because something is clearly wrong. I don't want a quick answer and to be pushed out of the door. Now that I had the diagnosis, I had to start contacting the people I babysit for and let them know what was going on. I had decided to keep Jakey home from school on Monday to get 2 more doses under our belts. One of the ladies I babysit for is a teacher at the kids school and she said there were a few kids in Jakey's class that had ringworm. BACK THE TRUCK UP!! A few??? And I didn't hear a thing about this?! This could have been nipped in the bud long ago, had a I known what was happening. Next call, leaving a voicemail for the principal. I know the principal very well and I was a bit upset that nothing had been sent home so I wanted some answers. I'm not a confrontational person by any means, but when it comes to my kids health and safety, I want some answers. I got the call early the next morning and he informed me that he knew nothing about the ringworm in Jakey's class and would be sending a note home that afternoon. The policy is to inform the parents as soon as something like this (lice, chicken pox, etc.) occurs. Ringworm, or a fungal infection, can actually be treated with athlete's foot cream and as long as the kids have been treated for 24 hours they can be sent back to school. Well if parents call their kids in absent and don't specify the reason, the staff have no idea. I don't hold the school responsible at all. I'm just angered that maybe the parents weren't truthful and now we are suffering because of that. As of this morning the count was raised to 5 kids with it, just in Jakey's classroom. The kids it's affecting are not from "dirty/bad" houses and they are some of the advanced students. I still feel weird telling people about it though because it is thought of as a dirty person's issue. I don't want my sweet boy getting picked on or made fun of, so I'm hoping his school day is going well.

Battling eczema...

2012-01-07T10:58:00.001-05:00

Last winter, we noticed red blotches on Jakey's hands once winter hit. This year, right before Christmas I noticed a bald spot on the back of his head. Further investigating showed red bumps and a rash along his hairline. Made an appointment with the doctor and it was confirmed that this was eczema as well. I was shocked that last year it was little, red, blotches on the back of his hands, and now we have raised, red, bumps (and a bald spot!) and it's the same thing! I was informed that eczema can take on different forms and be on different parts of the body, or all over. We were given a prescription for a steroid cream and told to call back if after 2 weeks things haven't improved. Our other instructions were to cease bathing every day (this dries out the skin), make it 2-3 times a week, and to grease him up with lotion continuously. Eczema is severely, dry irritated skin and it can be associated with asthma and allergies. Since Jakey was on break it was easy to apply the steroid cream and lotion as often as needed. The rash started looking better and I had high hopes that he'd be rash-free once school started back up. Heading back to school didn't help the rash, it made it worse actually. The constant rubbing of sweatshirts (his classroom is a bit chilly) and lack of moisture, gave us another flare up. Back to the doctors we go, to be told that we have to cease the steroid cream because prolonged use causes thinning of the skin. This isn't good for someone with eczema because they will scratch that thin skin, which will break open the thin skin, which could lead to an infection, and then that leads to more problems. Our course of treatment now is to keep the bathing to a minimal so we don't dehydrate the skin, grease him up with Vaseline, and keep a humidifier on in his room if we notice the house feeling dry. The doctor said it's not a very bad outbreak of eczema, but to me it's horrible. My little guy is really different from his friends. He's got a red neck that looks wet all the time, how is that normal?! Luckily he's not being picked on, but I don't want it to get to that point either. My Mom suffered with this for many years and she said my next step should be a dermatologist, it was the only thing that worked for her. I'm going to wait a month (which was the timeline the doctor gave me) and then ask for a referral to a dermatologist if we can't get this under control. With the weather not even that cold yet, I'm so very worried for that cold winter chill to settle in. That's the worst time for kids with eczema. Wish us luck!!

I may have created a monster...

2012-01-06T12:32:00.001-05:00

If you don't know, Jason and I bowl on a ma & pa league with my youngest brother and my Mom. It's a load of fun and the kids love being able to see family and run around like crazy animals with all the other kids that get dragged along. It's a special time for my Mom to be able to get in some family time in this crazy, busy life we all lead. Jason has always used a house ball and he's never done very well. I end up beating him usually and my average is a 133. He was a trooper and kept on bowling, but you could tell that it wasn't his favorite thing to do. I contemplated getting him a ball and all the accessories for his birthday last March, but whenever I brought up him getting his own ball, he never sounded excited. And who wants to spend that much money on something if they really aren't into it?! As the season went on, and I brought it up with my brother, he talked me into it. So that was some of Jason's Christmas gifts this year. His own bowl, shoes, and a bag. Nothing fancy, because I really wasn't sure if it was going to be a hit or a complete miss.Let's just say that we did MUCH bowling over our Christmas holiday break! Our league was on hiatus, so it was all fun bowling (kids and other family members included). He is sooooooo much better! Now I wish he'd go back to using a house ball because I can't beat him!

Jakey-isms...

2011-12-11T17:04:00.001-05:00

Both kids had a dentist appointment last weekend and as Jojo was getting ready to have her teeth cleaned, Jakey said "Are you ready to have your teeth tickled? It's like a day at the spa for your teeth. You get your teeth tickled and they are given a bubble bath." Even the hygienist had a good chuckle over that one.We had Taco Bell for lunch today and Jakey was explaining to Jason that he knew how to make a cheese roll-up. He told him "You would get a taco bun out of the cupboard, add cheese, and then you'd have to ask you or Mom to heat it up on the stove." Taco bun being a tortilla. LOL

There's nothing she can't do!

2011-12-08T21:23:00.001-05:00

My Jojo is such a great kid! I know everyone thinks their child is amazing and I'm no different. Jojo is on the 5th grade debate team (among being Student Council secretary, in a gifted program, a competition cheerleader, and a crossing guard) for her school. This is the first year they have done this and no one was really sure what to expect. They have met during school hours to research and go over notes, and have had one practice debate against their principal. Their topic was the pros and cons of television. Her school was to do the pros and the other school was the cons. Today was their debate and they ROCKED it!!! I was sitting between her teacher and her principal and we were a ball of sweaty nerves. Our kids had their facts straight, their game faces on, and they did an amazing job! They brought the W home!!Jojo truly isn't afraid to try new things. She sounded calm and collected while stating her facts. She was prepared and truly believed in what she was saying. She was a good sport when they won and graciously high fived each of the other kids on the opposing team. She gave huge hugs to her teacher, me, and her Nana who was a judge. It was truly a lovely Mommy moment. I'm glad that she's not a shy, wallflower like me, she definitely takes after her Daddy with the I-can-rule-the-world attitude!

Not trying to ramble on and on...

2011-12-04T13:47:00.001-05:00

Since I took that hiatus from blogging, I haven't quite figured out all the changes that happened on blogspot. When I type my posts and I use enter to start a new paragraph it shows that I have defined paragraphs until I hit publish and then it appears I never once touched the enter button. So until I have the time to figure this out, please don't judge me by my rambling paragraphs. Thank you. ;)

Loving life...

2011-11-28T21:20:00.001-05:00

It's always hard to get back into the daily routine after a gloriously, long weekend. Our weekend was full of lots of family, friends, food, laughs, and down time. Exactly what the doctor ordered! I had the day off from watching Brady today and used that time to get a few more gifts bought, Santa presents wrapped, and the rest of the pile wrapped too. Presents are situated nicely under the tree, lots of lovely Christmas colored paper twinkling along with the lights. I cleaned like a mad woman because it was quiet and no one was around to mess up what I had cleaned. I actually had a few minutes before the kids got home to sit back and admire the hard work.I decided to let them do homework while I made dinner (instead of right after school) so that we could head to a local craft store and pick out some fun, Christmas ceramics. It was fun to see their little creative minds whirling about how they would paint this, maybe put glitter on that, what colors they wanted to use on each piece. We made it home, I started cooking dinner, and they started with homework. Even Jakey (who is my v.e.r.y slow eater) demolished his homemade mac and cheese, so that we could start our crafts. Jakey is a lot like me...a perfectionist. Jojo is very into art and loves to mix match things, and she isn't afraid of very bold colors. To see them both dive right into the craft and enjoy themselves, warmed my heart. Jakey got quite teary-eyed when it wasn't turning out just like he wanted. He didn't expect the colors not to stay where he put them and to have colors running together. I tried to explain it to him just how easy it would be to fix it and that I had painted many ceramics before I got quite good at it. He needed a few Mommy snuggles before he was ready to try his hand at it again. Jojo breezed through hers and even started on her second one (which I think upset Jakey a bit too). It's so fun to be able to do these things with my kids. Veer off schedule, little surprises, and snuggles make this one Mommy whose enjoying her life and everyone in it!

O the joys of boys....

2011-11-26T16:16:00.001-05:00

I must say when I was pregnant with Jakey I knew that him and Jojo were going to be vastly different. Not only because she's a girl and he's a boy. I knew the birth order would play into it as well. Plus they are just too completely different people, so I knew that since Jojo was so easy going, Jakey would be the complete opposite. When Jakey was born, he was clingy. He cried a lot more than Jojo. He only wanted me. As he grew older, he got less clingy, obviously didn't cry as much, but still only wanted me. The terrible two's didn't really hit with either kids, but there were times when I just didn't know how to discipline him or how to pacify the issue. He's known to make the worlds biggest mess, but then promptly clean it up. The noise this boy can make is off the charts. So many differences between my two. Fast forward to this summer. I'm doing my usual cleaning in the basement (the kids area) and I find marker marks on the couch, on the linoleum floor, and on the back of a cheap end table. After grilling both kids (I didn't really think it was Jojo, but I had to ask), I get a tearful apology from Jakey. He couldn't tell me a reason he did it, so his punishment was no more coloring downstairs. This week being a holiday week, the kids were off of school for 5 days. I'm usually up before the kids, but I decided it was my holiday week too, so I slept in later than normal. Jakey got up before me and took it upon himself to make himself a bowl of cereal. He's usually my clean freak, but when I got up shortly after, his bowl was on the table still. I picked it up and see JOJO and a star carved into my dining room table! I was FUMING!!! He told me he did it so that Jojo would get in trouble. I just don't understand what runs through his mind. Why he thinks that it's okay to destroy someone elses' belongings is beyond me. I really wanted to go into his room and destroy something of his to show him how wrong it is, but that really wouldn't prove my point. So he was told that on the rare occasions he does get up before me, he's allowed to go to the bathroom and then he must stay in his room. He's gotten talked to by some of my friends and family and I think he realizes now that it's something that cannot happen again. O the joys of boys!!!

Adventures...

2011-11-13T18:32:00.001-05:00

A friend of mine has bought a restaurant/bar here in Toledo. It's not something she longed to do, just happened to stumble upon it and was able to make it happen. She's like that...grabs the bull by the horns and goes. With my life as busy as it, I wasn't able to help her out as much as I wanted to, but whenever I had some spare time, I was there. At first I was all excited for her and her boyfriend to start on this adventure. The more I was there and saw how much was going on ALL.THE.TIME, I got nervous. All the decisions that had to be made, the paint colors, the food choices, prices, which vendor to go with, what size glasses, what kind of plates, etc. All the meetings. All the phone calls. What to name the place. It never stopped. I would give my input if asked, but I knew if I gave too much input, it would be too much at once. Each time I arrived, I was amazed at the progress and how much people were stepping up to help a great person.On Friday, they were open for a private party for a friend. IT WAS AMAZING! The place is bright and has a great atmosphere. The paint colors make the place look so much bigger. The food was really good. The drinks were yummy. And seeing all our friends there to celebrate a birthday and the opening of a great establishment, was something I will remember for a long time. I'm not nervous for them anymore, I'm at ease with the decisions they made (and will continue to make). I'm overly excited for them to open. They both have good heads on their shoulders and know how to make things happen. I'm thankful they let me give some input and help out when I could. It's a place that I won't be able to frequent a lot, but when I can you'll know where to find me! lol

Great Fall Day...

2011-11-06T14:16:00.000-05:00

The kids and I joined my Mom and my step-sisters and their kids on a trip to Canterbury Village on a beautiful Fall day. I must say that this place was WAY more than I expected and I mean that in good way. There are cute little craft cottages (pet gifts, Scottish gifts, Irish gifts, a Fairie store, etc.) set up in the back of the property, a HUGE (and I mean HUGE) Christmas store with more ornaments and decorations than you could even imagine. We ate lunch at a really yummy Irish Pub. It was really enjoyable since there weren't many people there this early in the Season. The kids (there were 7 kids with us) had the whole run of the upstairs dining room and they used every square inch of it getting some energy out while we waited for food. It was just a really nice day spent with some really great family.If you have a spare day and are looking for something to do a little less than 2 hours North of Toledo, OH, I highly suggest checking out this gem of a village.

So far behind but really, truly blessed...

2011-11-03T10:36:00.000-05:00

This year with both the kids in so many different activities I've really fallen behind on my Christmas shopping. Long gone are the nights where we had nothing pressing to do. Those have been replaced with practices and school activities. I even had to cut back to watching only 3 children because I have to be at school every day for something and I just didn't have the room in my car to load everyone into. I really didn't want to have to buy a bus just to continue watching kids. I've been involved in lots of things with the school and try to attend all the functions and meetings that time allows. My friend is opening her own business and needs some help with painting, cleaning, fixing things, etc. Tomorrow is my day off and I was going to get some Christmas shopping done, but I decided since my friend is in need, I'm going to lend my services. If I have to lug a kid or two out Christmas shopping, so be it.I'm a truly blessed individual who has such a hard working husband that allows me the comfort of being a SAHM. I can be there for the kids whenever they need. I can be involved and make a difference in their upbringing. I have friends who would help me at the drop of a hat, who can lift me up on bad days, and make me laugh even harder on good days. So if I'm a little behind on somethings, so be it. I'm living my life and enjoying the ride!

Sadness...

2011-11-02T20:28:00.000-05:00

I know this is a crappy way to get back into blogging, but I have an extremely heavy heart and need to spew a bit.Over the weekend a 6th grade boy from my daughters school committed suicide. Yes, you read that right. A 12 year old boy committed suicide. It was the day of the schools 1 mile pumpkin run and Halloween parties, when the kids were informed. The first to learn were the 6th graders and as the younger ones saw the tears flowing, the rumors started. He was hit by a car, he jumped in front of a car, he took pills, he had a heart attack, etc. I'm not one to butt into conversations, but I knew in my heart I needed to find out this info. As the day went on, letters were distributed to the teachers on what they should say and extra counselors were brought in from all over the district. The letter said it was an unfortunate accident and it was read to Jakey's class while I was in there. Being in 1st grade, all the kids wanted to do was share about people they knew that had passed. A counselor was brought in but the kids quickly started to tell her about their costumes. Jojo's class was read the same letter and she said that it was a very sad mood in her class (the parties were at the same time, so I couldn't be in both rooms at the same time). Jojo knew the little boy, but he wasn't someone she would call a close friend. I was walking back and forth between rooms when I was finally told what happened and I was completely in shock. How can someone of 12 years of age think that life is so very bad, that they need to end it? How did no one see this coming? Where was his support system? I knew then, that our ride home from school was going to be rough, this wasn't a subject I could let slide under the rug.On the ride home I explained to the the kids that they had so many people in their lives that loved them and would be there for them NO. MATTER. WHAT. Good, bad, and ugly. They could feel comfortable talking to anyone in their family about anything. If they didn't feel comfortable, they had great teachers that would help them in a heartbeat. I explained that problems can always be fixed, tears will always dry, boo-boos will eventually feel better. Suicide was final. Nothing brings you back from that, NOTHING. I briefly touched on the whole bully topic (we aren't sure if that sparked this or not). I told them that once the words are out, they can never be taken back. I saw something on facebook that explained it beautifully. If you are to take a piece of crisp white paper and crumple it, step on it, roll it in a ball, fold it into triangles, etc, then unfold it and smooth it out, you'll still see the lines in the paper. That's a lot like bullying. The person who was bullied feels like the paper, not quite whole and kind of crinkly. The words you speak will always be remembered and leave their heart wrinkled. This whole conversation went over Jakey's head, but Jojo was following it. The kids were off of school the day after learning this news and I took full advantage of the time. We did fun things together, snuggled, laughed, and just enjoyed the company. I wanted them to feel the love oozing from my pores for them and to make them feel safe, secure, and happy.

Hiatus...

2011-06-23T20:51:00.000-05:00

As my few readers can tell, I've taken a little hiatus from blogging. Life has just been too fun and too busy to find the time to blog about the everyday occurrences. We've started and finished Jakey's first t-ball season, cheerleading has started up again, tumbling has started. Campfires, friends, neighbors, and family have taken precedence. I'm playing volleyball with my cheer Mom's once a week and subbing with one of my brother's teams when I can. I'm determined to clean less, blog less, and not sweat the small stuff. This summer is about my kids. We've been playing, running, biking, enjoying the parks around the neighborhood, golfing, swimming, just having fun and enjoying whatever we want. I'm also big into concerts again this year and I'll be attending 2 in one week!!! So excited!!!
Not sure when I'll be back blogging regularly, but I still stop in to read your blogs and see what fun you are all having. Til next time bloggerland!

Double digits, how can that be?!

2011-05-27T06:40:00.000-05:00

At 12:35 pm today, I will have a 10 year old daughter! Double digits! I cannot believe how fast these 10 years have gone.
My Jojo, my sweet little Munchkin. She's brought me so much joy and amazement over these 10 years. She's a 2 time National Champion, Student Council Secretary, all A student, crafty, caring, still loves to snuggle, and SO outgoing. I am truly blessed and thankful that God has given her to me. She's my Sunshine and I'm super proud to call her my daughter.
Happy 10th Birthday Baby Girl, I love you to the moon and back!

Bucket list...

2011-05-05T11:42:00.000-05:00

The number one thing on my Bucket List for this summer was to see Lady Antebellum in concert. I tried my darndest to win tickets to see them at the Toledo Zoo. Didn't happen. I talked to my friend who's in the radio biz and asked if he had any hook-ups. He didn't score any tickets for this concert.
So I was checking Stubhub.com and the closest I could find them was Indianapolis. I contemplated it and then turned the computer off. The price was fine, but then it meant paying mega bucks for gas (who knows how much farther prices will go), hotel stay, food, etc. I pretty much decided that I wasn't going to be able to cross that off my list this year. I'm the kind of person that would rather spend the money on my kids and not myself. This just seemed like a lot to go towards just Jason and I.
Last night Jason made it home from Alabama, so we were sitting on the couch chatting and I was catching up on the days news on the computer when I decided to check to see if Stubhub.com still had the tickets. I'm a glutton for punishment I guess?! I informed him that those tickets in Indy for still available, did he really think I should order them? His repsonse "I thought you already did?" lol We checked where the seats were and they weren't that great, so I went up to the next price bracket and they were a bit better. He said I should check ticketmaster.com and see what they had available. HOLY MOLY 7 rows from the stage in the 3rd section!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And the price was $12 cheaper then Stubhub!
So guess who's going to see Lady Antebellum in Indianapolis in August?! THIS GIRL AND HER MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let the games begin!

2011-04-30T15:10:00.000-05:00

Jakey finally got to have his first t-ball/coach pitch game of the season. He's been anxiously awaiting for this day and it finally happened. With all the rain, the field was under water last week, so he was beyond excited that he could play. He was a bit bummed that his Dad (and assistant coach) couldn't be there, but Jason had just enough time this morning to call and give him a pep talk.

We got some pictures in the backyard before we headed out to the game.

Team huddle with the Coach.

Jakey and his buddy.

First batter of the game!

And he makes it home.

Tornado restoration...

2011-04-30T07:24:00.000-05:00

Jason left on Wednesday night to head to Birmingham, Alabama to help with the restoration of power. I know he loves going on storm work and being able to help so many people's lives restore to some kind of order, but this one has me worried.
He's been on tons of storms where the destruction is HUGE (ice storms, hurricane work, etc.) but this storm the casualty count is so high. The EMS crews haven't even had a chance to go in and find everyone, but my hubby is going into these zones to hook up power. The things that he'll see there would probably blow my mind. He told me last night that the area they are in wasn't hit as hard, so there are smaller pockets of destruction. On storms like this, they don't necessarily stay in one city, they move constantly as power is restored and other areas are still without.
The storm pattern also has me concerned. The storms have been taking the same path (from the Gulf region, north, and then towards the East Coast)and I know I'll be a panicky mess if I hear of other severe storms brewing. Luckily the kids and I have a pretty packed weekend, so our minds will be elsewhere most of the time. I'll be sure to say extra prayers for all the guys working 18 hour days, that they work safe, stay safe, and return home safely when they can.

I did it!

2011-04-29T04:39:00.001-05:00

I got up at 4:30 am to watch all the Royal Wedding. The hats are amazing, I think I want to move to England so I can wear one to special events! lol
My Mom and I have been chatting on facebook all morning about all that's happening. I actually got shivers when I saw Prince William and Prince Harry. The mischievous smile that Prince Harry has is adorable. I think Prince William needs to purchase some hair plugs though, that hairline is pretty bad.
I wonder if Kate is a ball of nerves at this moment?
Can't wait to see the dress!!!!

After seeing the whole wedding (but missing the kiss, not to fear I DVR'ed it), I can only say one word...MAGICAL. To start your day as a commoner and end it as a Princess is something that doesn't happen to most people. Princess Catherine looked stunning, composed at all times, so much in love. So drastically different from watching Charles and Diana marry. I loved seeing William and Harry being silly, they seem to have a wonderful bond. It warmed my heart to see William tell Kate that he loved her and she looked beautiful. I must say that I did cry throughout the ceremony, it was truly magical to see.
Jojo got up at her normal time (7:15) and didn't seem too impressed with the whole thing. Like I told my Mom, I think it's the hormones. If Mom likes it, she's definitely not going to like it. O well, since it's DVR'ed she can watch it in 10 years when she likes what I like. lol

It's almost FRIDAY!!!!

2011-04-28T08:58:00.001-05:00

Which means the Royal Wedding!!!!
I remember watching it with my Mom (which her and I talked excitedly about this morning) and being in awe of seeing an actual princess! The long train on her dress, all the fanfare that went along with it, how elegant everyone involved looked.
I remember hearing about the princes being born and as I got older, watching them get older.
I can vividly remember driving home from Virginia and hearing that Princess Di had passed away in a car crash. After driving 14 hours, instead of sleeping like I should have I read the newspaper accounts and watched the coverage on TV.
I watched the funeral and my heart broke for Prince William and Prince Harry. I even remember thinking "Princess Di won't be there for their weddings or babies, how sad."
I wasn't all caught up in who the Prince's dated, but when the engagement was announced I was hooked.
There is just something about a fairytale romance (or so it seems to us outsiders). Kate Middleton looks elegant, confident, and ready for whatever comes her way. Prince William looks at her as though he really does love her and he's not just marrying her as expected of him.
I can't wait to watch it live and experience all that went into this huge, glamorous affair. I'll DVR it so that Jojo can watch it with me after school and experience watching a Princess crowned.

A bit of OCD has been recognized...

2011-04-27T12:18:00.000-05:00

I've recently noticed that I need to do certain things in a certain order before I head to bed. My dog alerted me to this when I didn't let her out at her usual time for the night.
After I have taken the dog out for the last time for the night, I go around making sure all our doors are locked (once it gets warmer, it will also include checking that the windows are locked). That may not seem like much, but I need to touch each door and then visually check each door. I make sure that all the shoes are put away on the shoe rack and all toys are in their proper place. I lock each car, mine first, then Jason's. I turn on the porch light before I go to the bathroom. After I brush my teeth and turn on the night light, I head into the kids room to kiss them good night again. I kiss Jojo's forehead 3 times and then smooth her hair. I then kiss Jakey's forehead 3 times and touch his cheek. Then it's time to head upstairs.
I pick out my clothes and set them in the same spot on the railing each night. Then I set my alarm, turn it off, and then reset it.
If I don't do each of these things, I find myself not able to relax in bed and settle in for the night. I don't know why I don't do any of these OCD things during the day?!
Do any of you out in blogger land need to do things in a certain way before you head to bed?

Mumbling Monday...

2011-04-25T10:31:00.000-05:00

* I cannot get enough of the coverage about the Royal Wedding! I so wish I had extra money and my fear of flying was non-existent because I would be across the pond in a heartbeat. I have my DVR set to record the event, but I just might be crazy enough to get up at 4 am to watch it live.

* Rain on a Monday should never happen! It's so dreary and all I wanted to do was spend the day snuggled in bed.

* I got my volleyball team together to practice on Saturday (it was 70 and sunny, just BEAUTIFUL!) and it was so much fun. This season is going to be full of laughs and good times. After practice we went up to my Mom's to sit on her deck and visit while taking in the Lake view. I had a bit too much fun in the sun and am paying with a pretty funky sun burn line. It felt so good though to be absorbing all that Vitamin D.

* The Easter bunny brought Jojo 2 Katy Perry CD's so we've been listening to those non-stop to get ready for our concert in June.

* Jakey's first t-ball game was canceled because we got some rain the night before and the field was underwater. He was so disappointed. Hopefully all this rain we are getting this week, won't cancel another game.

* Easter dinner was changed up a bit this year. Instead of doing the whole, big dinner at our house, my Mom hosted a cookout at her house. Much more low-key and the food was just as good. Afterward, we went to my in-laws to enjoy more family time and some desserts.

* Still no work on the horizon for Jason (unless these storms turn violent) but he's keeping busy making cornhole boards. He's gotten a lot of orders, so they are keeping him pretty busy.

* My Mom and I are finalizing our weekend getaway and I'm so excited to spend some quality time with her, visiting family and a road trip. I've never left my kids for more than an overnight, so I'm pretty nervous about that. I know they'll be fine with just Jason and like his sister said, it might open his eyes to all that I do. I think it will be a good experience for everyone.

Reading with Jakey...

2011-04-17T20:26:00.000-05:00

Jakey is reading so well now and he really enjoys all books. He's really good at sounding out longer words, and he loves telling me all the different rules. His favorite one is where the "e" at the end of a word makes the vowel say it's name, example: make. Tonight after baths, he was reading my shirt (that said Old Navy) and he said "Mom where is the "e" to make the "a" say it's name? It just doesn't make sense to me." I told him that they "y" is taking the place of the "e" in this word. He then informs me, quite seriously I might add, "Well I guess the "e" was running late and the "y" had to fill in for him."
I just love the way his little mind works!

Totally Random happenings...

2011-04-12T17:16:00.000-05:00

*Both kids brought home excellent report cards. Jojo got all A's (in both LEAP and regular school) and Jakey brought home all P's and 1's. I'm so proud of them both and very thankful that they both enjoy school as much as I did.

*I finally got a group of friends together to join a volleyball league! We start the first Sunday in May and I'm praying that we have some really warm days to start warming up that sand. Can't wait to make memories with my fruits!

*I'm down to only 1 child to watch in the morning because the one little boys' Mom is on maternity leave. It's amazing how much smoother the mornings go. This little boy wasn't bad, he just knew which buttons to push on the other kid to make mornings a bit challenging.

*We are down to only 36 days left of school and I cannot wait for Summer vacation! We don't have anything big planned, just looking forward to the lazy days of summer.

*Jakey started t-ball and he's beyond excited that he gets to play. So far it's a bit hectic having both kids in something and practices on the same day, same times, but with Jason being home it's a bit easier. We had to eat dinner at 4 pm yesterday to squeeze everything in.

*This is Jojo's last week of competition season. I'm sad to see the season end, but I'm also glad for it to end. Jakey will start his games next Saturday and I was really worried that the schedules would clash and I'd have to miss one event. Jojo's last competition is in town and it's a Cheer for the Cure fundraiser, love when the money we pay out for these events go to a good cause.

*We had such a glorious, warm day on Sunday which let me do tons of yard work. I uncovered many Spring bulbs popping up under all the leaves. The back grass is starting to get long, so the grass cutting will begin shortly!!!! It just felt wonderful to have the windows open, the fresh air filling the house, and the warm sun beating on me as I tooled around the yard. The kids enjoyed it immensely! They even got out their bathing suits and had a water gun fight.

*Jojo and I finished her LEAP project (the one that started with foam and was quickly eaten by the spray paint)! We ended up using balsa wood, carving that, painting it, using shish-kabob skewers for the masts, and felt for the sails. It really turned out good and we didn't argue nearly as much as I thought we would. The hormones are starting to rear their head, so I was pretty nervous how we'd manage.

*Jason surprised us on Saturday night by taking us all to see Cirque Dreams, it was AMAZING! I'm so glad my kids are old enough to enjoy something like that. They were both wrapped up in all the show had to offer and behaved themselves very well. We went bowling afterward to let them get rid of some energy. It was a really nice way to end Spring Break.

Jojo's joke...

2011-04-09T15:51:00.001-05:00

Jojo has always enjoyed this joke

Some five-year old students are learning to read.
Yesterday one of them pointed at a picture in a zoo book and said, "Look at this! It's a frickin' elephant!"
I took a deep breath, then asked..."What did you call it?"
"It's a frickin' elephant! It says so on the picture!"
And so it does...
" A f r i c a n Elephant "
Hooked on phonics! Ain't it wonderful?

Now that's funny, I don't care who you are. My kids don't use bad words, they don't even like saying "crap." When we were at the zoo the other day, we were going through the Africa part and when Jojo saw the sign for the African Elephant, she said (rather loudly) "Look Mom, it's a frickin' elephant!" We both chuckled until I noticed the lady in front of me. She was wide eyed and mouth wide open! When she noticed me looking at her, she just started shaking her head and walked away. She probably thought Jojo was cleaning up her language since she was in a public place. I informed Jojo that the next time she sees anything African, she should say it softly.

Columbus Zoo...

2011-04-06T19:11:00.001-05:00

The kids are on Spring Break this week and Jason is on storm work in North Carolina, so we decided to take a road trip to get out of Dodge. I'd love to head to NC, but not to a city with no power :( The next best thing is a zoo, we love animals and a new zoo is always fun to check out.
I'd heard great things about the Columbus Zoo and we were not disappointed. The exhibits are state of the art, lots of room, and many times the animals are right near the glass/fence/walkways.
Here's a look at what we saw.

Have to stop at the petting zoo. The kids fell in love with this little white one and Jojo even named it Snowball.

The polar bear exhibit was one of our favorites. The polar bears have a lot of room to roam but they spent most of their time in the water.

The neatest part was watching them from the underwater viewing area. There were live fish in the water and they kept diving, and playing, and making us all ooh and ahh.

This was another favorite, seeing the lions and lioness so close.

The manatee aquarium was spectacular! They really look like gentle giants.

Another neat exhibit was the Kangaroo one. You walk into the enclosure and walk/hop along with the 'roos! Most of them were napping and didn't even mind that we were standing right next to them.

Jakey called this the "Kangaroo Gang."

Of course, we spent lots of time at the wolf exhibit because it reminds us of our Sabrina girl.

The kids and an orangutan.

Jojo and Jakey with a manatee.

I wish the weather would have been a bit warmer and sunnier, but we still had an amazing time. Hopefully we can make it back when it's warmer and more animals are out and about.

Warm hearted feeling...

2011-04-04T09:07:00.000-05:00

While I was finishing up a bit of Spring cleaning today, the kids were downstairs playing. I was just waiting for someone to come upstairs to tattle. I hear Jakey pounding up the stairs saying "Mom come quick, Jojo needs you NOW!" He grabs my hand and leads me downstairs. Jojo is surrounded by Jenga pieces all lined up in rows. Jakey says "Look what we did together Mom, isn't that cool?!" Jojo pushes the rows down and they all fall like dominoes should.
The smiles and the feeling of their accomplishment made my heart beat with pride and warm feelings. Being a Mom is the best thing in the whole world!

Stepping out...

2011-04-03T11:31:00.000-05:00

...of my comfort zone for a bit. I must say that I survived and had a GREAT laugh at the end of it!
On Friday, my friend asked me if I wanted to take a beginners pole dancing class. At first I thought "I have no upper body strength and not enough coordination to do that!" But then I figured that since it's beginners, it probably wouldn't be too difficult. So I agreed and we headed out to our class. When we arrived we realized we were the only white girls there. A bit awkward, but everyone was really nice, the music was great, and the instructors were a lot of fun. Since it was a beginners class the workout wasn't too intense, but I did feel like I got a good stretch throughout my whole body. On the way home, my friend and I chatted that there were quite a few big girls in the class. We gave them credit for getting out and doing some exercise. Conversation moved on and I didn't think anything more of it.
Fast forward to the next morning and my friend informs me (through hysterical laughing) that we had attended the "Big and Sexy" beginners pole dancing class! LOL Can you imagine what those ladies were thinking of my friend and I! LOL
I guess stepping out of my comfort zone WAS good for the soul!

Still staying in my comfort zone...

2011-03-30T20:25:00.000-05:00

Our cheerleading coach is leaving after next year (she'll be around for one more football season and one more competition season) and she's started asking around for volunteers to take over. Let me start out by saying that those are some BIG shoes to fill! Our coach has taken Greenwood from Ghetto-wood to 2 time National Champs, see what I mean by BIG!
My friend Alice and I were nominated. I was shocked and speechless because it's really something I never saw myself doing. I'm not comfortable confronting people, especially when it comes to money. I'm not comfortable running things and taking in front of strangers. I'm not really good at making up dance moves, I'm sure no one wants to see how the kids and I dance in the kitchen while making dinner. I'm also nervous about butting heads. It would be like too many cooks in the kitchen kind of thing. If we both coached then we would have to figure out practice schedules around her boys sports schedules and Jakey's. That could get messy! I wasn't against it, but I was all for it either.
I had dinner with Alice tonight and I asked her what she thought about taking over. She knew my concerns and she said she was fine taking it over just by herself, she was just nervous about the choreography part. She knew that the high school coaches would help make up the routines, but that part of it still made her nervous. I voiced my concerns and she feels more than comfortable doing it all, as long as she knew that if help was needed I'd be there. And I'm okay with that. I'm okay staying in my comfort zone and staying on the sidelines. I will probably shadow Alice while she's shadowing our coach so that I can step right in when help is needed.

Styrofoam and spary paint = FAIL

2011-03-27T20:25:00.000-05:00

Jojo is doing a big project for her gifted class. We decided to start it last week, which meant no help from Daddy who was on storm. We bought the foam to construct the ship, glued it all together, cut it out to look like a ship that disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle and set about spray painting it the appropriate colors. First coat just got soaked into the foam, so we waited for it to dry and applied a second coat. We stored it in the garage and didn't get a chance to check on it til today. MAJOR FAIL! The spray paint literally ate the foam and deformed all our hard work.
Next step now that Daddy is home, send him out to find some balsa wood (really soft and easy to work with) and rebuild. lol At least we have til the middle of April to work on it!

Jakey-ism...

2011-03-26T14:00:00.000-05:00

Out of the blue Jakey has been calling gravestones, creamstones. I kinda like his saying for gravestones, doesn't seem so final. Think I just might start using this one!

Happy Birthday Sweetie!

2011-03-22T11:39:00.000-05:00

My hubby's birthday is today so I'm dedicating this post to him.
We've been together for 17 years, married for almost 15, raising 2 kids in a tough world and we still seem to balance each other out pretty well. Of course there are rough patches along the way, but through lots of prayer and hard work, we are still going strong. He's an excellent provider for our family. Loving, fun, hands on father to our kids, and a good hubby. I'm glad God brought him into my life and that he's here to travel this road with.
Happy Birthday Sweetie, here's to many, many more happy birthdays!

Fun weekend!

2011-03-21T17:50:00.001-05:00

Friday night started off with my Mom coming over for some pizza and conversation. Nothing warms the soul more than some quality family time over pizza! Lexi (my dog) and Charlie (my Mom's dog) got to play and get out some much needed energy and we got to have some wonderful conversations.
Saturday we headed out early to Kalahari water park for the next stop on our National tour. The girls couldn't win Nationals because no one wanted to compete against them (how's that for an ego boost! lol) but we could go for Grand National Champs. This entails getting the highest score during that session out of all the teams competing, include mount teams (that do the lifts and stunts), dance teams, and the All-star teams. Jakey was asked to dress up as a Knight and be their mascot for the Victory Run. He was quite nervous until the Coach showed him his "routine", it was really cute to see.
Jojo and her Knightly brother.

Some of the squad and their Knight.

Our squad looked AMAZING! Even the parents of another team (from NY), commented on how great they did. We ended up taking first place (even if you don't compete against someone, your score still has to be high enough to place 1st) and we lost Grand National Champs by 6 points! The girls got the highest marks they've gotten all year and I couldn't be more proud of them.

We had hit the water park before the competition and were able to spend 2 hours hitting the rides and the lazy river. We had discount tickets, but it still would have been nice to hit a few more things. Jakey wasn't afraid of any of the rides and even dragged me onto their roller coaster! After the competition, Jason, Jakey, and I had to head back home because we had to bowl. One of the cheer Mom's offered to keep Jojo with her so that she wouldn't miss out on any of the fun. I bowled amazingly well and beat Jason 2 out of 3 games and almost (I was.this.close) beat my brother in one game.
Sunday was spent cleaning the house, laundry, and a bit of shopping at Old Navy. The weather turned cold pretty quick, so my plans of getting some Spring cleaning done outside, didn't happen :(
We've got a few free weekends til our last competition, so I'm hoping to fill them with some more family time and maybe a few girls nights in.

The birth story as told by Jakey...

2011-03-20T16:49:00.000-05:00

The other day as we were in the car, Jakey says "Mom, Elijah told me how I was born, want to hear?" I was a bit nervous what this would entail, but I pushed that aside and said "Sure buddy, fill me in on how you were born." "Elijah said you pooped me out. That's all." We had a good laugh, but before I could tell him that wasn't true (not that I was going to tell him the real deal), Jojo pipes up and says "Yep, that's right and then she tried flushing you down the toilet." This sent my sensitive little man into hysterics. In between sobs he said "Why would you do that Mom? That's not right." Jojo is laughing, I'm trying to tell him that I didn't poop him out and I've never even THOUGHT about flushing him down the toilet. Once I have him calmed down and convinced that it never happened, he says to Jojo "That's just mean, Jojo, why would you say something like that to me?"
She's the typical older sister that knows how to push her younger brothers' buttons, that's for sure. I have no idea where she learned that from?! ;)

Too funny...

2011-03-16T08:52:00.000-05:00

While I was feeding the little guy I watch breakfast, I stumbled upon this video. It had him and I laughing again and again.

Exciting news...

2011-03-14T09:21:00.000-05:00

Today's exciting news is brought to you by my daughter, so go check out her blog at Jojo's World to see what the news is!

Jakey-ism...

2011-03-12T14:07:00.002-05:00

Last night before bed I was asking the kids if they had any questions about the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan. Jakey proceeds to tell me that Daddy had shown him a video about a "salami" wave and how big it really was. After I corrected him, he explained "Well I just can't say all those words that you people say yet!"

We are on our way to Cleveland for the Hard Rock Nationals, so wish us luck! The girls would love to say they've won Nationals two years in a row!!!

Keith, Keither, and now Hubba...

2011-03-11T13:45:00.000-05:00

My baby brother turns 27 today (he still wears an XL shirt, but he's taken so all you single ladies need to step off! lol). I can still remember being in 1st grade and waking up to my Nana telling me that I have another baby brother. At first I wasn't happy because I wanted a sister, I already had a baby brother, why did I need another one?! Once I saw him and he came home, I realized I wouldn't trade him for the world! I became his "other mother".
He's always been quite a comedian and kept us all in stitches as he was growing up. I remember him at about 4 years old making us all laugh and someone said "You are so funny, you should be a stand up comedian!" His reply "I think I'll try it sitting down!" What a hoot, even to this day. My Jakey is taking after his Hubba in that areas, that's for sure!
He's a Hubba to my kids (and nephew), he's great fun to be around, he's super smart, always willing to help out, and I'm proud to call him my brother! Happy Birthday Deis Madi!!!!

My heart is breaking...

2011-03-06T19:11:00.000-05:00

As I type this one of my bestest friends is starting to lose her Mom. Her Mom will probably not make it through the night. I cried right along with her tonight when she called to fill me in on what was happening. I couldn't make her feel better, I couldn't say anything to make the hurting stop, I couldn't hug her and let her cry on my shoulder, I could only listen to her sobbing and tell her that I'm here for her, whatever she may need. My heart just breaks for her.
After I talked to my friend, I had to call my Mom just to tell her I love her. I can't imagine not being able to call my Mom for any reason, any time of day. My friend won't be able to do that shortly and I can't begin to imagine how that must feel.
If you are the praying type, please say a prayer for my dear friend. If your Mom is still alive, give her a call just to say I love you.

From baby, to toddler, to a young boy, and now he's 6!!!

2011-03-04T07:44:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe that my baby boy is 6 years old! It boggles my mind. I look at him every day and just think "How could you have grown up so fast?"
Jakey is such a fun little guy. He loves to snuggle, loves to laugh, loves to help out with whatever is going on, he says the funniest things and the sweetest things. He dislikes when we have to have a serious talk with him, he dislikes disappointing his Daddy, he will NOT cry in front of Hubba or our neighbor, and he dislikes most chocolate candy.
Jakey has always been a Momma's boy and I'm proud to say he still is. I love that he still needs me, I love that he still kisses me before school and waves from the bus stop, I love that he takes my hand when I walk him into school. I just love him to pieces.
Happy 6th Birthday Buddy Boy! Your big sister started our family, but you completed it!

What's going on?!

2011-03-02T15:25:00.001-05:00

I've always been a pretty light sleeper. I will usually sit straight up as soon as someone enters the room. If the kids sniffle, I can hear them over the monitor (yes I still have a monitor in Jakey's room, don't judge). Lately I have been sleeping so soundly that I don't even hear a text come through or my kids walking into the room. Last night Jojo lost a tooth in the middle of the night, I guess she was nudging me and saying my name and I never heard her. I didn't like the feeling that came over me when she said this to me. I feel like I'm not doing the proper job as a Mom if I'm not on heightened hearing status. What else have I missed? What about when they get older, will I miss them sneaking out? I know I'm jumping the gun, but I felt horrible this morning.
I always thought that once I had kids, I would be a light sleeper til they left the house, guess that theory is blown out the window now. I'm thinking I should see what happens tonight and then possibly Google this subject tomorrow and hope I don't scare myself with the 1,265,441,786 hits that come up.
* Disclaimer...I wasn't drinking, so that isn't a factor. (thanks Steff! lol)

My loves...

2011-03-01T10:05:00.000-05:00

Jojo and her squad waiting to see where they placed in Chardon, OH. This is their ritual. They always sit the same way, holding hands.

2nd place tropy and 2 sportsmanship awards!

Jakey and his missing tooth! He said if he looses anymore teeth, he'll buy me some roses. He's such a sweet little guy.

Have a terrific Tuesday!

Some catching up to do...

2011-02-27T12:31:00.000-05:00

Things have been completely chaotic at our house, so I'll use this post to catch ya'll up on what's been happening.
*NW Ohio/SE Michigan was slammed by an ice storm which means that my hubby was sent out to help restore power. He was sent to the Cleveland area which wasn't struck by much ice, but enough to need the extra lineman. He didn't receive the call until Monday night, so that's why he didn't get work around here. We were hoping that was the case because the kids would really like to see him working storm and still be able to see him at night. We only lost power for a few hours in the middle of the night, but my Mom and MIL lost power for awhile. Not fun to be without the heat.
*The kids were out of school quite a bit last week, so we did paper mache heads, read books, snuggled, watched movies, and just had fun, quality time together.
*Jakey lost his very first tooth and the tooth fairy actually found him in Cleveland (where Jojo had a competition)! He was so excited and handle the tooth coming out like a champ. There wasn't any blood, so I'm sure that helped.
*We another round of nasty winter weather that came in on Thursday night, and Jason got a call to head out for that as well. This one took him to Washington D.C for a day because they suffered some wind damage. He feels this one was more for show, than to actually help. I guess the power company out there isn't doing what it should and they needed reliable lineman to help out for a bit?! Who knows, but he's making storm pay, so I'm not complaining.
*Friday afternoon we headed out to Cleveland (along with my co-pilot Alice and her 2 kids) for a competition. Last year we went to this competition and encountered 13 inches of snow with more falling during the competition. Talk about a nasty drive. I feared that this one would be the same way since it's right along the Lake (which equals the snow belt). The weather was actually really nice and the roads were cleared and in really good condition. The kids all behaved and we had a lot of fun. We found our hotel and encountered the worst hotel experience EVER! Our room wasn't ready because they decided to change the locks on rooms in the wing we were staying in. The pool was over chlorinated so the kids that did swim had red, sore eyes, breathing problems, upset stomachs, and a bathing suit that changed colors. We took a unanimous vote to leave this hotel and find somewhere else. I didn't even bother checking in because I was grossed out by the looks of the place. It really looked like they only opened because we were there. There was a haunted lounge (no joke!), poop spread on walls, nasty bathrooms, parking lot not even plowed 8 hours AFTER the storm hit, and smelly rooms. It was not pleasant at all. Lucky for us, our coach called a Ramada a few miles down the road, explained the situation, and she gave us an even cheaper deal for a MUCH nicer hotel. It was now 8 o'clock and my kids still hadn't eaten dinner. We all unpacked called a local pizzeria and had $126 worth of pizza delivered to the hotel. Each and every one of the kids handled the long trip, changing hotels, late dinner, and mass confusion so well. So if you plan on staying in a Quality Inn at 28611 Euclid Ave in Wickcliffe, OH...don't! The pictures on the website aren't even of that hotel, it's bad. For the people that did check in, they are hoping to get at least half a refund back without too much red tape. Instead head to the Ramada on Bishop Ave, you'll thank me for this advice! lol
*I didn't sleep very well in the hotel and after that long drive home, I fell asleep on the couch before 9:45. I was beyond pooped. Luckily both kids were sleepy as well, so we all went to bed before 10 last night. I feel much better this morning.
*Our girls ROCKED the competition on Saturday. They learned a new routine this week and it looked AMAZING!!! They competed against 4 other teams and came in 2nd, plus they got the WOW award, and the sportsmanship award as well. They were 4 points out of 1st place. The team that beat them had a 3 point deduction for touching down after doing a tumbling pass, and our team had 6 points. Such a close competition. Each and every girl was beaming when they came off the floor, they knew they did an awesome job!
*The kids don't know it, but Jason is coming home today. He should arrive around dinner time, so I'm trying to keep them occupied and their minds off of him being gone for almost a week. I love seeing their faces when he suddenly walks in the door!

O Thank Goodness!

2011-02-20T10:46:00.000-05:00

Jojo and I are sitting here watching the College Cheerleading Competition in Orlando on TV and I must say that I'm SO thankful that her squad and her future high school squad does NOT do stunting. I get nervous just watching it on TV, I cannot imagine seeing my daughter thrown so high into the air, while flipping/spinning. It does look neat, but I don't have the stomach to watch my own daughter do it.
On another cheerleading note, Jojo finally did her round-off back handspring on a flat floor, no mat or spring floor!!!! Her squad cheered at a Hoops for Heart fundraiser and I sort of told her a little white lie that the basketball floor had some cushion to it. She looked like she didn't want to believe me, but I spotted her one time and away she went. I was so proud of her and she even talked one of her friends into trying it as well. They looked so proud after their routine that they were able to do it on a flat floor. WAY TO GO JOJO!!!!

Totally Random Thursday...

2011-02-17T18:52:00.000-05:00

* This big thaw we are experiencing makes me want to start planting bulbs.
* I can't believe how many land mines (aka doggy waste) was uncovered by this thaw. I'm usually pretty good about getting out and cleaning up, but with all the snow storms we had, the landmines kept getting covered up. ICK!
* I miss my Mom. She's 5 times zones away and I'm SO ready for her to get home.
* I'm experiencing so much cattiness and segregation among the cheer mom friends, I feel like I'm back in high school. I'm still friends with everyone and no one is directing anything towards me, just not as much fun as it once was. I thought at 34, the girl drama would be over.
* We signed Jakey up for T-ball the other day and he is BEYOND excited. Jason is going to help coach and he's BEYOND excited for it all to start. Luckily the games don't start until Jojo is all done with the competitions, so hopefully practices are different nights so that I can watch both kids practice.
* The little guy I watch got to have spaghetti for lunch today and I absolutely LOVED the mess he made! I used to love it when my kids would thoroughly enjoy their food and get it everywhere...hair, bellies, arms, feet, etc. I have many pictures of the messes and for as anal as I am about my house, the messes always made me smile and laugh right along with them.
* I made a roast for dinner tonight (even though I don't eat it) and as we were sitting around the table talking and eating, I couldn't stop smiling. This is our one free night of the week where we have nothing on and I look forward to cooking the big meals and not being rushed to do anything. Plus I love being the kind of family that sits at the table every night, talking about our days, and just being together.
* We all headed outside after dinner to play some b-ball. Playing b-ball made me start singing the Fresh Prince of Belair theme song and I had the kids laughing like crazy. I'm sure Jason was in the garage rolling his eyes! lol

Sums me up to a T...

2011-02-15T10:01:00.000-05:00

I have CDO, it's kinda like OCD, just with the letters in alphabetical order!

Love is...

2011-02-13T20:46:00.000-05:00

* making newspaper hats with my boy.
* painting my little girls nails.
* watching movies as a family.
* hearing that the kids Valentines's pillowpets are THE BEST things EVER!
* snuggles.
* laughing.
* a fever breaking.
* a weekend with nothing planned.
* seeing grass as the snow melts.
* hugs and kisses from my kids and hubby.
* 2 dogs to snuggle at my feet (we are watching my Mom's puppy)

Here's hoping ya'll have something, or someone, to love this Valentine's Day!

Volunteering...

2011-02-11T19:27:00.000-05:00

I got a call from the school librarian last week asking if I had any free time to volunteer at the Book Fair. Luckily I knew I had this morning free and was able to help out. I was amazed at how excited the kids were to get books. Their little eyes lit up when they saw the selection, the squeals they gave when I found the chosen book, and the politeness they used to us parents helping. It was really neat to do something different and not be stuck in the classroom.
After volunteering I came home to babysit the 1 year old and just as we sat down to lunch, the school calls me to inform me that Jakey has spiked a fever and is complaining of a sore throat. The exact same thing Jojo had last week :( The little boy I babysit woke up from his nap sounding froggy/croupy when he talked. Luckily Mom could get him to the doctor and he does indeed have croup and a slight ear infection. Summer really needs to get here!

Fun trip, but I came home a loser...

2011-02-08T15:12:00.000-05:00

We had my daughter's competition fundraiser on Saturday and it was a bus trip to Motor City Casino in Detroit, MI. We managed to sell 3 buses with at least 35 - 48 people on each bus. This is the squads 3rd time having this fundraiser but my first time attending, let's just say I'm a fan now! My brother, his g/f, and my MIL joined Jason and I for the festivities (THANKS GUYS! and THANK YOU to my Mom for watching my kiddos!). We were supposed to leave the school parking lot at 3 pm, but this was the day we got the surprise 6 inches of snow, instead of the 1, maybe 2, inches of snow. We didn't end up leaving til 3:30 and the fun started before we even left the parking lot. lol We had coolers of beer, soda, water, and jello and pudding shots, we had a 50/50 raffle going, and lots of laughing. I'm not a big drinker, but those jello shots sure did taste yummy! (If you ever have to make jello shots, go with the green jello and tequila - YUMMY!)
The normal ride up to the casino is about 45 minutes, with the nasty weather we encountered, it took 1 1/2 hours. My brother won the 50/50 raffle, I did a bang up job being banker and taking care of the manifest for the casino, and my beer sellers rocked! We were told to board the buses to go home at 9:45 (an hour later than originally planned due to the weather and that the casino wanted us in the casino for 5 hours, which is normal for a bus trip). I was in search of food, but we headed to the bar to catch up with the other buses and grab a drink. We decided against the buffet and just found the food court. Talk about price gouging! A slice of Little Ceaser's pizza = $7, turkey sandwich = $9, chicken salad = $9.00. It was good, but a cheaper price would have made this tight wad a bit happier. After we ate, my MIL, my brother and his g/f started walking the floor in search of cheap slots. My brother's only request was that it had a slot handle and not just a button. We finally found one and none of us understood how the game was played. Talk about a bunch of laughs, but we did get excited when the machines started flashing and making noise. None of us walked away a winner on those machines. MY MIL went to some other machines and came away a winner though. I tagged along with my brother and his g/f because I wanted to learn how to play roulette. We finally found a computer one and I actually made $12.00! I doubt they've seen anyone hit the cash out button so fast!
At 8:15pm I get a text from a friend on a different bus and she said all the buses are loading. Come to find out every bus was told a different time to board. Talk about major confusion. Between a friend and myself, we managed to load everyone back onto our bus, but not before 9:45. I was supposed to stop back at the desk and pick up a birthday gift but I totally forgot :( Hope it wasn't a check for million$!
The ride home was quieter and calmer, but I was the one that won the 50/50 this time around! I had a blast actually getting to have grown up time with my brother and his g/f. She's a great girl, who seems really comfortable wherever she's at, whatever she's doing, she's got a good head on her shoulders and I really enjoy seeing my brother smile again. Even though I "donated" money to the casino, we raised over $3,000 for our girls, this will go towards the rest of their competitions and hopefully a trip to Nationals as well!
On Sunday, I had my family over to celebrate my birthday and to watch the Super Bowl. We ordered pizza, made way too many appetizers, and just enjoyed the day. My one brother couldn't make it (he had to plow snow for the schools), but my sister-in-law and my nephew came, which really made me smile. It was just nice to have everyone here, listening to the cousins playing, watching my step-dad snooze like a really old man, and enjoying the last football game of the season. I would have loved for the Steelers to win though, that would have made for a perfect weekend.

I'm done...

2011-02-07T10:25:00.000-05:00

...with Winter. I'm tired of shoveling. I'm tired of slipping on the ice. I'm tired of bundling up just to take the garbage out. I have no where else to put shoveled snow from the driveway. Just to get into our passenger side of the cars, we need to pull down to the sidewalk because the snow mounds are waist high. I'm tired of all the colds that are going around making us all feel like poo. I'm done! I'm ready for shorts and tank tops. I'm ready for swimming the day away. I'm ready for picnics, bike rides, BBQ's, and catching lightning bugs.
The older I get, the harder winter is on me. If I didn't have so many family members and friends in NW Ohio, I'd seriously be packing up and heading to North Carolina.

For now I'll just stare at these pictures and wish for warmer weather to come quickly.

SO EXCITED!!!

2011-02-05T10:08:00.000-05:00

My friend Jenny called me up last night and asked if I had any plans on June 28? I just laughed at her and said I'm not THAT organized. She chuckled and said "How about you and Jojo going to see Katy Perry with me and my daughter?" I was beyond excited. We have talked about going to a concert together and especially Katy Perry, but the tickets went on sale while we were at a competition and had no time to hide in a corner to try to get through to Ticketmaster. Jenny works as an insurance rep and just mentioned the concert to a client and he scored her 4 tickets, with pretty good seats! I broke the news to Jojo last night and we both started singing her songs and dancing around. Super excited to be able to share this with my daughter and one of my besties, and her daughter too!!!!

Jakey-ism for the Blizzard of 2011...

2011-02-02T11:47:00.000-05:00

We lost power last night for about 3 or 4 hours. We piled more blankets on the kids and Jakey barely opened his eyes and whispered "If we have no electricity, how will we have cupcakes for your birthday?"
I asked him this morning (once the power was back on) if he remembered saying that and he doesn't. Jojo, knowing that I do Jakey-isms on the ol' blog, said "OOO that's a good one, put that Jakey-ism on the blog today!"
The Cole Family hopes that if you are snowed in, you are snowed in with the ones you love, staying warm, and enjoying time together. Stay safe if you are driving or working in this weather!

You might be a redneck if...

2011-01-31T08:48:00.000-05:00

...You turn your picnic table into a sledding hill before a winter storm hits.

Actually, I love the fact that my hubby made this for the kids. Since it seems we may be snowed in for a day or two, this will give the kids plenty to do and I won't hear "I'm bored." Plus with any storm, there is a chance that Jason will get called away to work, and now he knows that the kids will have something fun to do to keep their minds off of him being gone.

Love him!

2011-01-29T11:05:00.000-05:00

I woke up this morning at 8 am to find Jakey cleaning up his room, then moving into the kitchen to start straightening up. I asked him why he was in such a cleaning mood so early in the morning. His response "I'm helping you out because you are having the girls over tonight. That's what boys do, Mom!"
He's going to make a lucky lady very happy someday in the very, very, very, distant future.

Oops, but in a really funny way....

2011-01-27T13:02:00.000-05:00

This story was brought up the other night at tumbling and we all had a good chuckle about it. What struck us all as really funny was that she didn't seem to know what kind of music her husband liked listening to.
I will admit that there are many things that I don't know about Jason, even after being together for almost 17 years. On the other hand, I know more things about him than most. It all evens out. I still don't think that I would call the SWAT team on him though.
Is this something you would do to your husband/significant other?

Of course we are friends...

2011-01-26T10:37:00.000-05:00

My all time favorite artist is Dierks Bentley. I saw him in concert over the summer and loved him even more.

Gotta love a little country boy booty!

I recently friended him on facebook and now I get to see special clips of him doing normal every day things, plus I get the inside scoop to concert updates and give-a-ways. The most recent give-a-way was 2 tickets to see him in Hollywood and/or a special signed poster. I'd really, thoroughly enjoy the poster, not sure how I feel about getting on a plane if I win the tix. But I digress. I was filling Jason in on my entry and he says
"How'd you hear about that concert?"
"Facebook. He's my friend." I tried to say this without laughing. (I know it sounds ridiculous!)
"O really. Does he know you are friends?" Why does he have to be so sarcastic?!
"Of course he does!!! If he wasn't so busy getting ready for a tour, I'm sure he'd comment on my super savvy, uber exciting life." Right back at ya bub!

WTF moment...

2011-01-25T17:47:00.000-05:00

I watch 2 kindergarten boys in the morning for almost an hour. Jakey loves that he has 2 friends that he gets to play with before school each and every day. Jojo dislikes having that many boys in the house. I dislike that it's added chaos, but I enjoy helping out when I can (plus the extra money is good too!).
This morning as I'm finishing up straightening Jojo's hair, the oldest of the boys says "I have to use the restroom." I told him to wait a minute while I finished Jojo's hair and then it was all his. He did his business, left the bathroom, and we started getting jackets on to head to the bus. I realized he'd left the light on, so I went to turn it off and was met with an awful stench. I plugged my nose, gave the toilet a flush (I hadn't heard it flush earlier), turned off the light, and we all headed to the bus stop.
Fast forward about a half an hour later, when I enter the bathroom. As I'm sitting there (sorry for the visual), I notice poop smeared on my wall, the floor, AND MY TOWEL!!!!! I couldn't believe my eyes! It wasn't just a little bit either, this was a substantial amount!
The bathroom got a thorough cleaning, twice, and the towels were washed, twice, but now I'm thinking they will be pitched and I'll get new ones. His mom is a teacher, so I figured I'd catch her after school and inform her of what happened. I didn't see her after school, so I sent her a text message. I wasn't worried about my bathroom, I figured her little guy might not be feeling top notch. She apologized and told me she'd talk to him about it tonight. We shall see what is said in the morning.

Lovin' this hairstyle...

2011-01-23T10:59:00.001-05:00

We had a competition 2 1/2 hours away yesterday and I was really worried about which hairstyle our coach would pick. I wanted something easy with minimal bobby pins. Having to get up so early, then travel so far, made me not want to have to deal with braiding, hair product, bobby pins, and a sore head at 6:30 in the morning. Not to mention hearing about it the whole way to the competition. Not that either one of my kids is a big complainer, but I understand the whole "hair headache". Being in my 30's I think even I would complain about it.
Luckily our coach picked half the hair up, half down, with a bump. Piece of cake! This requires 2 bobby pins, straightening the hair, and viola...Done!

Here Jojo is with her 2nd place trophy (I and some of the other Moms really thought they deserved 1st. Their whole routine looked much better to me)

As I said, neither one of my kids are big complainers. They are both really easy to get up in the morning (no matter what time) and usually start talking as soon as their eyes are open. Since both are really into books, this is what they decided to do at 7 am.

I love Jakey's look in this picture. He just doesn't understand why I want to take pictures while he's reading! lol

I feel like a woman...

2011-01-20T10:01:00.000-05:00

Anyone that knows me, knows that my beauty routine is pretty plain jane. Moisturizer and chapstick is really the extent of my daily beauty routine. When Jojo first started cheerleading, my Mom had to teach me how to use mascara. Now on special occasions I'll add that along with some blush and foundation.
This year I've had to learn how to apply eyeliner to Jojo and how not to gouge her head with the many bobby pins required for certain hairstyles. So far so good on Jojo, I've yet to apply these new learned things on myself.
Here is a picture of her fake curly ponytail.

And here is a picture of her eyeliner.

I never thought I'd be one of those Moms putting make-up on my daughter at such a young age, and I did balk at it her first year of cheerleading. As the years have passed and I've seen their performances from the stands, I see that the make-up is a necessity. You can really see their eyes pop with the make-up on, it finishes the look. I'm glad our coach doesn't follow suit with some of the other teams competiting, their make-up is way too much. Glittery eyeshadow, tons of foundation, massive amounts of blush, and bright red lipstick. I think that is unnecessary in my book. Let the talent speak, not the make-up.

What a great start!

2011-01-18T21:35:00.000-05:00

Jojo's cheerleading squad made an appearance on TV again this week, this time the whole competition was filmed by the local sports television channel. It's so neat to be able to DVR this so that we can watch it over and over and over again. We can show it to friends and family that didn't make it to the competition. It warms my heart to see her smile as new people watch the video.
Her squad took 2nd this time, being beat by their nemesis. The squad took it graciously because they have come to realize that they will be on the high school squad with a lot of the girls from the team that beat them. So way to go KNIGHTS, you are making this Mommy super proud of you all!
For hair this week, we did a front braid and then a high curly pony tail. Jojo's hair doesn't hold a curl, so I decided to go buy her one of those fake curly ponytails to save some time and the headache (literally) of her sleeping on curlers. Let's just say that we didn't save much time and she still got a headache. Those fake ponytails are a pain in my behind! I figured I would stick the comb part in her ponytail, cinch it really tight and she'd be good to go. Oh no, it's never as easy as it seems. I had to make Jojo's pony into a flat bun (impossible to do with as much hair as she has), bobby pin the heck out of that, then finagle the comb into said flat bun, pull the cinched part as tight as humanly possible, wrap the string around even tighter, and then bobby pins everywhere just to hold it. Poor girl had a headache as soon as the first bobby pin went in and then she had to wear it for 5 hours! But the important thing is it stayed through all her back handsprings!
After getting their trophy and taking endless amounts of pictures, we started to remove all the bobby pins to take out the curly ponytail. After the last bobby pin was removed, I patted her head and she said "OW, my head STILL hurts Mom." I never thought my 9 year old would realize that sometimes it does hurt to be beautiful.

Need a good laugh?

2011-01-16T21:06:00.000-05:00

If you are in need of a little pick-me-up, check out this site. It's impossible not to laugh at some of them!

What was he thinking?!

2011-01-15T15:43:00.000-05:00

I'm not a major fan of Billy Ray Cyrus (or his daughter for that matter), but I did think he was starting to look much better from his Achy Breaky Heart days until now.

This photo was from a few years ago

And this one was from yesterday

I mean, why go back to the mullet?! The mullet should be retired for good in my opinion.

Aggrandizement...say what?!

2011-01-13T21:32:00.001-05:00

This is the word that stumped my Jojo in her spelling bee at school today.
The definition is
ag·gran·dize
verb \ə-ˈgran-ˌdīz also ˈa-grən-\
ag·gran·dizedag·gran·diz·ing
Definition of AGGRANDIZE
transitive verb
1
: to make great or greater : increase, enlarge
2
: to make appear great or greater : praise highly
Not that the definition helped her spell it correctly, but I still couldn't be more proud of her. She made it to the final 6, out of 18, and got stumped by this 8th grade word (she's only in 4th grade). She looked super nervous to me, but she kept her cool and made her family very proud.
I had a meeting with Jakey's teacher today because he is still having small issues with the bully (story here) and I wanted to nip anymore issues in the bud. I don't want my little man being afraid to go to school because of one kid, or any kids for that matter. I wasn't sure if this was just boys being boys, so I figured a trip to school was called for. I love, love, love Jakey's teacher, so I knew she would do all that she could to resolve this issue. She seems to think that this child is over stimulated when he gets to just run wild during playground zone (my kids school does zone recess - the children choose from 4 different zones with a supervisor in each one. This keeps most behavior issues at bay). So she's going to tell him that he can no longer attend this zone until his behavior and choices are better. She feels that him being more structured during recess will help curb the bad behavior and then he'll be rewarded with playground zone once he achieves the correct behavior. After our little talk, she gave me glowing reviews about Jakey. He's starting 1st grade readers, loves to interact with all the kids, always willing to help out his teacher and friends, and a joy to be around.
Talk about a good day for me and my kiddos. I couldn't be more blessed having these 2 little miracles in my life each and every day.

A recipe for a fun winter night...

2011-01-12T10:42:00.000-05:00

You will need one Dad who doesn't mind shoveling all the snow into a huge mountain.

2 eager kids who want to go sledding in a flat backyard.

A piece of cardboard and someone to put them on top of the mountain.

And away they go...

Even the big guy got a turn!

"Hot chocolate please!"

No worries....

2011-01-09T14:57:00.000-05:00

With our first competition under our belt, I can relax now. The girls took first place in their division (they were in the 12 and under in this comp.), both our individuals took first, and 1 of our girls got first place in the toe touch competition. I guess the 4 hour practice on Friday and getting a few of the girls together to practice on Saturday really paid off. Phhew! Now I can breathe a sigh of relief and the butterflies should be gone until we get to Nationals.
A local news crew was there and they interviewed our coach and had the whole squad show her a move. They taught her the "Benny" which is a move named after our coaches husband, who taught that to them. It was so neat to see them on the news and it was even better to see them take 1st place.
So now I'm relaxing on the couch, watching some football, calmly waiting our next competition next weekend. Thanks to all for the good luck wishes...they worked!!!

So nervous...

2011-01-05T11:25:00.000-05:00

Our competition squad (National Champs from last year) are competing in their first competition this Sunday and they still don't know their whole routine! I'm beyond a ball of nerves right now. They have some junior high girls on their team, so they are competing in a different level this year, which ups the ante. Since the junior high girls get out of school later than the elementary girls, practices are held later in the night at the junior high cafeteria (the only place available). They have no mats and limited space. Getting the lines perfectly straight and everyone knowing where they are supposed to be placed is SO important. Now can you see why I'm nervous?!
The coach is having them practice extra hours this week (5 1/2 hours total) plus they already had their tumbling practice so hopefully everything gets perfected. The practices have been closed so us parents haven't even seen what they have so far, but the coach is going to let us into the last half hour of the last practice on Friday. Jojo doesn't seem nervous, just frustrated that they aren't where they were this time last year.
So to calm my nervous body, some of the moms and I are going for dinner and drinks tonight while the girls practice. Hopefully a few drinks and some good food and conversation will calm the nerves. I certainly don't want to pass my nervousness onto Jojo or any of the other girls. Wish us luck!

The updated version of the 3 Bears...

2011-01-04T12:17:00.002-05:00

A far more accurate account of the events of that fateful morning....

Baby bear goes downstairs, sits in his small chair at the table.
He looks into his small bowl. It is empty. 'Who's been eating my porridge?' he squeaks.

Daddy Bear arrives at the big table and sits in his big chair. He looks into his big bowl and it is also empty. 'Who's been eating my porridge?!?' he roars.

Mommy Bear puts her head through the serving hatch from the kitchen and yells, 'For God's sake, how many times do I have to go through this with you idiots? It was Mommy Bear who got up first. It was Mommy Bear who woke everyone in the house. It was Mommy Bear who made the coffee. It was Mommy Bear who unloaded the dishwasher from last night and put everything away. It was Mommy Bear who swept the floor in the kitchen. It was Mommy Bear who went out in the cold early morning air to fetch The newspaper and croissants. It was Mommy Bear who set the darn table.

'It was Mommy Bear who walked the bloody dog, cleaned the cat's litter tray, gave them their food, and refilled their water.

'And now that you've decided to drag your sorry bear-arses downstairs and grace Mommy Bear with your grumpy presence, listen carefully, because I'm only going to say this once....

'I HAVEN'T MADE THE FREAKING PORRIDGE YET !!"

Loves...

2011-01-03T15:10:00.000-05:00

I love that my Jojo has her own style. Sure she conforms to some of the latest fads, but she truly is her own individual. She mixes and matches everything. She wears shoes that don't match. Socks that don't match. And she's fine with that. Case in point:

My brothers girlfriend told her to pair her Uggs with some leggings and a jean skirt. Most people would wear a muted pair, not my Jojo. There's no problem with this outfit because she seriously rocks it and looks so darn cute!

I love the fact that my Jakey wants me to send Hubba a picture of him wearing his new jammies.

Jakey and Hubba like to play Rock Band together and Jakey's jammies have guitars on them. He told me to tell Hubba "Keep it rockin'"
Crazy kids, but I wouldn't trade them for all the riches in the world!

New Year, New Me?!

2011-01-01T22:46:00.000-05:00

Fat chance on the new me part! lol I'm happy being me. I'm happy with where I'm at in my life and the people I surround myself with. I'm not changing, so don't worry.
I don't normally make New Years resolutions but this year I've decided that I should try harder at some things. I need to try harder at expressing myself. Not in a mean way, but just make my opinions, feelings, and thoughts heard. Amongst my friends last night we got to talking about how drama has slowly crept into our circle of friends. I loathe drama! They commented on how wonderful it is that I stay neutral (my new nickname is Switzerland now) while all the drama circles around. I don't want any part of it, so I say nothing. This part of me won't change. I don't want the drama around me in anyway. Anyways, I told them that I looked at it as a weakness in me not to put my two cents in. Not to stir up the drama, just to put my point out there and they can take it for whatever they want. I thought them voicing their opinions on the matters was a strength that I should find. They said a big fat NO to that! They told me I was stronger than them for staying mum and not judging anyone by rumors. They wanted to be more like me and just ignore it all. For this girl with low self esteem, it almost made me cry to hear that. I know that I am strong in most aspects of my life, but not when it comes to making friends and being involved. My life is pretty plain Jane, so my way of thinking is "who wants to hang around me?" Not that my group of friends have ever made me feel that way, it's just the low self esteem kicking in. So me trying harder stems from that little conversation. I know it's not going to happen over night and I know it may not happen at all. But at least I'm thinking about it and going to try it. This could lead to BIG things for me! lol
I know I'm a good person and a true friend, it was just a nice thing to hear and a nice way to bring in the New Year.

The last GIST LIST of 2010...

2011-01-01T11:17:00.000-05:00

1. A win for Notre Dame in a bowl game!
2. 2 quiet dogs. We are watching my Mom's puppy and it's been constant motion all day.
3. Really warm weather in NW Ohio. Got me out in the yard cleaning up a bit.
4. Hanging out with my fruits to bring in the New Year.
5. Being with my hubby and kids as we welcome in 2011.

I did it! I completed the GIST LIST for a whole year!
I must say I'm going to miss documenting the list each and every day. I've always been a very optimistic person. I always try to find the good in everything and it's never really hard. This GIST LIST helped me see that even the smallest of things matter. A simple touch from my husband. The kids random hugs and kisses. Family time. Spending the whole day in jammies. A great song on the radio. No line at the grocery store. Whatever it may be, we can all find the grace in the small things.
Sure some days were harder to come up with 5 things to be thankful for, but most days it was truly a breeze. I truly try to have a sunny outlook on most things in life. It's a trait that my friends constantly comment on about me. I'm just not one to let too much get me down.
I hope my readers have enjoyed reading my list as much as I've enjoyed putting it out there! Happy New Year to you all. I hope 2011 brings you all wonderful things, much wealthy, and loads of happiness!

Jakey-ism...

2010-12-30T18:58:00.000-05:00

*We were doing running around today listening to new CD's. We turned the radio up and were jamming along. Once we turned the volume down Jakey says "I can feel my heart dancing, it liked that song!" As we chuckled, he said "What? It really is! Someone feel it dancing!"

*Jakey loves working in the garage with Jason, whether it's sweeping, drawing on wood, hammering nails in scrap wood. Just as long as he's doing something with Jason, he's a happy little guy. Today they were priming cornhole boards and Jakey was explaining to me how he stayed focused and did a really good job. He told me "It's like any job you do Mom, you have to pay attention and stay focused the whole time. Like when you clean windows Mom, you are focused until you finish." Funny guy, he knows I don't do windows! lol

GIST LIST 360:365

2010-12-30T18:54:00.001-05:00

1. New CD's!
2. Running into friends at the grocery store, made the trip more bearable.
3. Free lunch for the family due to a gift card!
4. Giving Jojo's old clothes to a friend.
5. Jakeyism's, he's so funny!

GIST LIST 359:365

2010-12-29T20:16:00.000-05:00

1. Taking the kids to meet the hubby for lunch.
2. Getting all the Christmas decorations down and put away. It all felt too chaotic and unruly for me...couldn't take it any longer.
3. My few readers being able to feel my happiness through my lists.
4. Finalizing plans for NYE!
5. A new weekly planner dry erase board. This should make keeping track of everyone's activities SO much easier! Thanks to J and the kids for getting that for me!

GIST LIST 358:365

2010-12-28T21:48:00.000-05:00

1. Spending a whole day with my Mom and kids.
2. Showing my Mom IKEA.
3. Dinner on a gift card!
4. Being able to take my kids anywhere and know that they will use their manners.
5. Seeing Jakey and Jason doing "man projects" together in the garage.

GIST LIST 357:365

2010-12-27T19:20:00.000-05:00

1. Using gift cards for all our purchases today (we only spent $.78).
2. A pair of jeans that fit just right...FINALLY!
3. Hearing "I love you" from the kids for no reason, it warms my heart.
4. Cooking 3 things I've never cooked before and having them all turn out fantastic!
5. Knowing tomorrow is another day of vacation!!!

GIST LIST 354, 355, & 356:365

2010-12-26T20:45:00.000-05:00

354
1. No alarm clock for any of us on a Friday morning!
2. Not having to go to any stores today, I heard it's a madhouse.
3. Getting all my baking done last night, and the cooking and cleaning done ahead of schedule.
4. Great time with my in-law side of the family.
5. That both my kids still believe in Santa.

355
1. Being just as excited as the kids on Christmas morning.
2. The kids shouts of glee while opening gifts.
3. The hubby liking the photo book I made of him doing linework.
4. Relaxing fun times with my side of the family.
5. No rushing to get somewhere else.

356
1. Being so exhausted that everyone slept in REALLY long today!
2. A new and cute warm sweater.
3. A new and super warm winter jacket.
4. Seeing a friend I haven't seen in a long time.
5. Celebrating my nephews 2nd b-day and my brother's together.

GIST LIST 353:365

2010-12-23T22:18:00.000-05:00

1. The first day of Christmas vacation with the kids.
2. Being out and about early so we avoided the chaotic crowds.
3. Putting on my big girl pants and visiting my Dad.
4. Seeing the kids decorating cookies and thoroughly enjoying themselves.
5. Trying another gluten free recipe.

GIST LIST 352:365

2010-12-23T09:36:00.000-05:00

1. THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL FOR 2010!!!
2. A mom I babysit for loving her handmade gifts that I made (her 1 year old helped with one).
3. Gift cards to yummy restaurants.
4. Dinner with my old neighbor and her grandson and his fiancee(who are our new neighbor).
5. Getting to share stories of her husband that passed away.

GIST LIST 351:365

2010-12-21T19:47:00.000-05:00

1. My SIL gift to me in memory of my dear neighbor. I was moved to tears.
2. The excitement I feel when I see the kids getting off the bus.
3. Family time (we are making up for all the months we weren't under one roof).
4. One more day of school for the kiddos!!!
5. Singing Christmas songs during bath time.

GIST LIST 350:365

2010-12-20T21:10:00.000-05:00

1. Seeing the kids I watch enjoy the presents I got them.
2. My brother for being Santa for my kids. They loved the letters!
3. Nothing but Christmas cards in the mail today, no bills!
4. Laughing til I cry.
5. Stouffers vegetable lasagna. So good!

Merry Christmas from the Cole family to yours...

2010-12-20T15:05:00.003-05:00

The Cole Family wishes all of our readers a very Merry Christmas and hopes that 2011 brings you all wonderful things, new and happy memories, health, and prosperity.

(This was the card I chose from the Shutterfly offer. So much fun to design and I just love the way it turned out)

GIST LIST 348 & 349:365

2010-12-19T19:21:00.000-05:00

348
1. A hug from my neighbor for taking her out to run errands.
2. Checking out IKEA for the first time!
3. Finding some really great deals at IKEA (I'm a fan now!).
4. Time spent with a friend.
5. Seeing Jojo and her friend giggling and acting like kids.

349
1. Knowing my Mom got to see all the grandkids this weekend.
2. Having time to pamper my pooch for the holidays (nails done, ears cleaned, a bath, and a new collar).
3. Not getting soaked while giving the pooch a bath.
4. Seeing the hubby working in the garage. I love having a handy hubby.
5. Knowing that I'll get to see my neighbor (that moved away) before Christmas. It's always nice when schedules line up like that.

GIST LIST 347:365

2010-12-18T09:26:00.000-05:00

1. Getting some of menu items for Christmas Eve and writing out my plan of attack (I love, love, love lists).
2. Super nice baggers while checking out. Lately I've been getting the grumpy, angst filled teenagers.
3. A night with my girls and their daughters.
4. Jojo being able to stay at a friends house because we have nothing going on in the morning.
5. Sleepover with Jakey!

GIST LIST 346:365

2010-12-16T20:36:00.000-05:00

1. A morning to myself.
2. My tech savvy brother clearing out the bugs on my computer to get me up and running again.
3. Jakey having a MUCH better day at school and home today!
4. Shopping with the kids for gifts for their class exchange. They want to be so generous to the less fortunate kids, it warms my heart.
5. The Dollar Store. So many neat ideas and items for so little money.

GIST LIST 346:365

2010-12-16T13:40:00.000-05:00

1. A free morning to get to the library before I have to pay fines.
2. How much better I feel now that I've been working out for a week.
3. Making a dinner/drink date with my fruits!
4. A drink after a long, stressful day.
5. Finally deciding which competitions we will do.

GIST LIST 345:365

2010-12-14T21:07:00.000-05:00

1. Hubby getting a late night call for work, but only being gone 2 hours. Home safe and sound (and warm)!
2. Getting all the presents wrapped and starting on one last project.
3. My kids smiles in the morning.
4. Reading Christmas stories that we've had since Jojo was a baby.
5. Making Christmas cards with the kids for their teachers.

GIST LIST 344:365

2010-12-13T21:21:00.000-05:00

1. A snow day!!!!
2. Jason getting the spend the snow day with us and not holed up in some hotel room 10 hours away from us!!!!
3. The new season of Ax Men, GREAT show!
4. Heated seats in the car.
5. Hearing from my neighbor who moved, can't wait to see her!

GIST LIST 343:365

2010-12-12T20:10:00.000-05:00

1. Having a warm house during this snowstorm.
2. My hubby for shoveling (this time last year it was all on me).
3. Making cookies.
4. Taking a winter wonderland walk as a family. (can you tell we are loving that Jason is home?!)
5. The hope of a snow day.

GIST LIST 342:365

2010-12-12T10:15:00.000-05:00

1. Amazon.com for great deals!
2. Christmas shopping by myself = SO much easier!
3. Being done with Christmas shopping!!!
4. Jason joining the kids and I to go look at Christmas lights in different neighborhoods.
5. Dewayne "The Rock" Johnson. That's all I have to say about that! lol

GIST LIST 341:365

2010-12-11T11:46:00.000-05:00

1. That it's FRIDAY!!!
2. Soup and garlic bread for dinner.
3. Visiting my in-laws.
4. Taking the kids to see Christmas lights that dance to music.
5. Knowing we have nothing planned for the weekend!

GIST LIST 340:365

2010-12-09T18:40:00.000-05:00

1. Getting a friend to laugh.
2. Hugging a friend who lost her sister.
3. The kids excitedly telling me what they were able to buy at Santa's Workshop (I was shocked that they didn't slip and tell me what they got me though.)
4. Jakey being honest about not wanting to do wrestling and seeing relief on his face when we told him it was okay.
5. My cozy couch covered in warm blankets.

Cinnamon Dough Ornaments...

2010-12-09T10:09:00.000-05:00

The kids and I have really gotten into crafts this holiday season. They both love to design things and add their own touches on our crafts. This is one that we decided to do for the teachers, coach, and bus driver, hope you enjoy!

You will need:
Store bought applesauce (homemade will be too runny)
Cinnamon
White glue

Mix 1 cup applesauce, 1 cup cinnamon, and 1 tablespoon white glue. You want a consistency that can be rolled with a rolling pin, but not quite as sticky or it will stick to your surface.

Sprinkle your surface with cinnamon and roll out the dough.

Use cookie cutters to create your shapes, then poke a straw near the top to add ribbon, raffia, twine, etc.

Let them dry for at least 24 hours, they will shrink a bit as they dry.

We actually found cute Christmas-y ribbon at the Dollar Store, and this was our finished product. They will keep their scent for a few years, but you can refresh them with cinnamon fragrance oil if need me.

The house smells amazing as they dry and it's really an easy, fun project that our recipients will love for years to come.

GIST LIST 339:365 aka Mom's Birthday...

2010-12-08T21:32:00.002-05:00

Today is my Mom's birthday so I'm dedicating this GIST LIST to her:
1. I'm thankful that I was able to spend my Mom's birthday with her.
2. I'm thankful God made her my Mom.
3. I'm thankful that after a few rough years, we've become the best of friends.
4. I'm thankful that I can turn to her for advice, lean on her for support, or just talk her ear off.
5. I'm thankful that no matter what we do, we always have a wonderfully fun time!
Thank you Mommy for having me! I love you!

GIST LIST 338:365

2010-12-07T20:23:00.000-05:00

1. Hearing how someone would like to be a cool stay at home Mom like me.
2. Finding a good walking exercise video FREE on demand!
3. Feeling so much better after a good workout.
4. Jason being home so he can enjoy his Daddy Daughter Dinner. They both seemed pretty excited. (Jakey's turn is tomorrow, he CANNOT wait!)
5. Playing War with the kids, they laugh so hard every time they take one of my cards.

GIST LIST 337:365

2010-12-06T21:15:00.000-05:00

1. Jojo having such awesome, well mannered, smart, and nice friends.
2. Jakey's excitement about homework and reading (I hope that lasts!).
3. Seeing Jakey curled up on the chair reading a book all by himself!
4. Finishing up one craft project and starting another.
5. The start of another competition season!

GIST LIST 335 & 336:365

2010-12-05T19:16:00.000-05:00

335
1. Donating to Toys for Tots. It's a family tradition that I hope we can do every year.
2. Finding glutten free pizza and making glutten free brownies. Both were a hit!
3. Celebrating my Mom's birthday.
4. Seeing a really incredible Christmas parade with my family. Love small town gatherings!
5. That my hubby let me drive him home after a party.

336
1. Helping a friend give her kids a Christmas.
2. A funny text from a friend.
3. Staying in jammies all day.
4. Wrestling with Jakey and hearing him giggle.
5. Jojo finishing her LEAP homework all by herself!

GIST LIST 334:365

2010-12-03T18:37:00.000-05:00

1. Donating to Goodwill, especially around the holidays.
2. A Friday night with nothing to do!
3. Getting a laugh out of my hubby in the morning - he is SO not a morning person.
4. Getting Christmas cards in the mail.
5. Finally getting all my cards addressed and stamped.

GIST LIST 333:365

2010-12-02T21:16:00.000-05:00

1. Having 2 vehicles so that I can take my kids to school and not make them stand outside in the cold (yep, I'm a wuss when the temps drop).
2. Jason implementing Daddy Day for each of the kids. Their own time with Dad will be nice for all involved.
3. Laughing with Jason.
4. A happier baby today.
5. Back rubs.

Jojo's story....

2010-12-02T12:47:00.000-05:00

In class the other day, Jojo had to write a story about Thanksgiving dinner using all 5 of her senses. Here is what she came up with:

A Thanksgiving dinner smells like turkey, pies, corn, and stuffing. A Thanksgiving dinner feels warm and soft in your mouth. A Thanksgiving dinner sounds like my Mom and Nana cooking up good things to eat. I see my brother wrestling with my Dad. I taste my Mom's cornflake stuffing. I touch my plate to feel the warmth. Then I burp.

Such a lady! lol