Things We Learned Tonight

How could these two cuties reek havoc?  

 The answer is EASILY!

So here is what my little sweet trouble makers helped me discover tonight:

• Remote controls do float in the toilet!  Thanks Coleson for enlightening me.
• Small and large pieces of toilet paper would make suitable replacements for Hansel and Gretel's crumbs...they lead you straight back to the scene of the crime!
• Water is apparently much more fun when it is poured outside the tub. 
• Breathing treatments SUCK with 14 month old boys!  Even though they only last approximately 7 mins, it seems like an eternity when you are fighting to keep the mask on, while they are arching and trying to pull the mask off!  Then when one is finished, you still have one more to do, whew!

With all that said, it's just another night in the household of the Crazy Coopers!

St. Louis

Even though St. Louis, MO was the hottest vacation EVER...we had a great time hanging out with family as always.  Will and I always talk about how much we wish we got to see the family more often and lived much closer!  Here are some highlights!

 Bella Boo and Liam try badminton!

 July 4th sparklers!

 Ready for the Children's Museum!

 Father/Daughter paddle boating!

 Liam is such a ham!

Sassy pants!

Bella Boo's Swim Lessons

10 Months

Pure Bliss

I don't want to paint a picture that my life is perfect and there are not afternoons and nights that I don't want to pull out my hair, but my children make me so incredibly happy!!!

Take today for example; I did not have a good day at school, it was the kind of day where I question everything, but then I get to come home to my wonderful children who put the biggest smile on my face.  I have the boys, who are like little ducklings and follow the mama duck everywhere, which just warms my heart!  Then there is my high spirited 4 year old, who yells out "Mom, this song rocks!" while we were listening to James Taylor's "Mexico" and then proceeds to get on top of her stool and dance!  How could you not forget about the bad day and just smile!

Awww....this is Happiness!!!

Teaching

Growing up, I ASSUMED that teachers had an easy job...off in the summers and holidays, and worked from 8 to 3!  Boy was I wrong!  It wasn't until I became a teacher until I realized exactly what the job entailed.  Recently, our local paper put an editorial that was very negative about teachers in the paper; personally I think it was to stir the pot and sell papers, but that is beside the point.

Teaching, for me is a Love/Hate relationship.  I LOVE my students.  I LOVE watching their growth each year both physically and intellectually.  I LOVE the joy I see in their eyes when I see them master a skill and/or explore a new entity.  I LOVE their innocence on the playground as they imagine they are super heroes or Star War's characters.  I LOVE that I can give them something as simple as an atlas or a rock and we can have a scavenger hunt that will last for hours.  I LOVE the perspective and connections that they can make between texts, themselves, and the world without me even giving them hints.  I LOVE that when we play freeze dance, that we can all laugh and have an awesome time!  I LOVE that they LOVE technology, because I do too and I LOVE all that we can do with our smartboard!  I LOVE them as if they were my own children for at least 180 days and most of the time more!  Last, I LOVE that they can put a smile on my face even at 7:25 in the morning!

Hate...such a strong word, so let's go with DISLIKE!  I DISLIKE all the assessments I have to give, and so do my students...I always apologize in advance!  I DISLIKE that they can only have 30 mins of recess on Non-PE days because I think there is a ton of learning that can happen through imaginative play.  I DISLIKE that I have to assess them ALL the time...did I mention that already?!  I DISLIKE Read 3D, that is a very time consuming assessment!!!  I DISLIKE all the stress!!!

I got into teaching because I LOVED children...that has not changed, nor will it!  My fear is that we have become such a data driven society, that we have gotten away from teaching and more into assessment.

Nine Months

I have been so slack about updating the blog, but I have also been super busy! I'm hoping this summer I can get back into the groove. The boys are doing well...they LOVE to eat! Both boys are loving baby food and we are slowly working on more "real" solid foods!

Coleson, pictured below, has 3 more top teeth coming in. He is definitely using the army crawl to get around and "attacks" any foods put on his tray!

Kipton, seen below, has two top teeth coming in. He is gotten really good at sitting up and loves to smile!

Both boys are happy and healthy and we cannot ask for anything more!

In Love

My sweet boys are 8 months old today! I can't believe it has been 8 months already! I fall more and more in love with my children each and every day! Even on my worst days, I feel so blessed to have 3 healthy children that bring so much joy to my life! They are each unique and wonderful in their own right and I never knew I could love 3 little people so much!

Thing 1, Kipton: He is so laid back and methodical about each and every action.

He LOVES to EAT!!!

Thing 2, Coleson: The male version of Mini. He is impulsive, but full of life.

He loves to laugh!

Mini: She is me..."I created that monster ;)!" She is by no means a monster, but a sweet and loving spirited little girl! She loves her brothers and keeps us all entertained!

Wonderful Weather

We've had the most beautiful weather the past couple of days...right around 80 degrees with a light breeze! It's truly been awesome, if only it could stay like this year around. We went to the daffodil field today to take pictures. Most of the daffodil's were gone after about 3 weeks of foot traffic and kid's photo shots, and what flowers were left, Mini picked :o! You are definitely NOT suppose to pick the flowers...ooops! Even though getting all the children to look and smile at the camera proved challenging, we were able to get a few good pictures.

Frequently Asked Question

Q: So how is life with twins?

A: I would venture to say that 95% of the time, raising twins is very much the same as raising a singleton 2nd child...life is busy, but manageable. The other 5% of the time...WOW, there are no words!

Between 6:00-6:45 am is insane...I am changing diapers, changing clothes, nursing both boys, and giving both boys breathing treatments, while also trying to finish getting myself ready, so that all of my children and I can rush out the door to daycare. Did I mention that 3 days of the week, Bella and the boys go to 2 different daycares, which means 2 separate drop off spots for me.

Then there is also that fabulous hour at night (insert sarcasm) from 5:30-6:30 pm! Will is usually at work, so I am on my own. During this time, I am feeding both boys, which is no big deal...it's after the feeding where the challenge begins! The boys are both tired at this point of the night, so while I'm giving one a bath, the other one is screaming. Then once I get one bathed, dressed, and almost ready for bed, then it's bath time for the second boy...so the first one starts screaming. Did I mention that I am also giving each boy 2 breathing treatments at this time?! Where as most mothers would sing or do something to soothe the screaming children, I know that this does not work at this time of night for my children, so I become silent and focused on getting the job done and my sweet boys to bed.

As we like to say, "Life, it's always an adventure!"

Pictures of Day

Thing 2

Thing 1

Trying to use each other's hands as teething rings, ha!

Did I mention that I LOVE my new camera?

Picture of the Day

Did I mention that Will got me a new camera for Valentine's day...and my birthday...and our Anniversary...and Christmas...and probably next Valentine's day!!! We've been talking about getting a nice camera for a while and he finally decided to bite the bullet! So no more missed smiles for us!

7 Months

Thing 1: Kipton

Thing 2: Coleson

Their first wrestling match in the bounce house:

A brief sweet moment before they tried to bite each other ha!

A proud big sister:

Update on the boys: Kipton weighs 15 lbs 14 oz and Coleson weighs 15 lbs 5 oz. The boys are receiving monthly synagis shots which is meant to prevent serious complications caused from RSV, should they be exposed. Both boys are wheezing and have been for almost a month, so we are treating them around the clock with nebulizer treatments; however we have switched medicines and added an additional one to try to fight these coughs that will not go away. They did blood-work and a strep test today since they have been sick for so long; they tested negative for pneumonia and negative for strep, but the blood-work did reveal that BOTH boys are fighting some kind of virus, which could be RSV or a cold....grrrrrr!!!

Regardless, we are loving our sweet little boys and our mess of a big girl!! They are all so happy and are the joys of our lives!

Almost 7 Months

Thing 1 and Thing 2! (The above was NOT posed; Kipton rolled over and wrapped his arm around Coleson. Of course, he tried to bite Coleson's ear when he first rolled over, but that was beside the point ;)! )

I can't believe Thing 1 & Thing 2 are approaching 7 months!!! Before having the boys, I often wondered, how I would share my love, especially since I was an only child, but the simple truth is, it has been so easy. I love my children so much and love the fact that they are so different.

What's in a name? Bella (Mini) means beautiful and she is such a "beautiful mess," a little girl full of life and energy, which is infectious and can't help but put a smile on your face! She reminds me so much of Jimmy Buffet's song Little Miss Magic...she is our "Little Miss Magic." Kipton's middle name is William, named after Will obviously; both are laid back and just like to take things in stride. Coleson's middle name is Richard, named after my dad; my father was always quick to make jokes and make light of irrelevant situations, but just like me, had a slight temper, and surprisingly enough, Coleson seems to be the same way!

The boys are growing like weeds...Kipton was 15 lbs 12 oz and Coleson was 15 lbs 2 oz at their last well child visit. We have been frequenting the doctor's office as of late; between well-child visits, synagis shots for RSV, and cold/flu seasonal issues, we have been to the doctor's office more than our fair share! I joked with our dear friend who works at our pediatrician's office that we were single handily trying to work on getting her a raise with all of our visits, ha! Kipton has a tooth, and Coleson has 2 teeth that have now broken through the gums. Both boys are LOVING solid foods; at this point both have started rice/oatmeal cereal, vegetables, and fruits. Whenever they see a jar of food coming out, they get very excited. I hope to start making baby food soon, but I'm also being realistic in the fact that I have a lot going on and if I have to continue to buy food, then I will.

We are all doing well and very thankful for the life we live...it may be chaotic, but in the midst of chaos, we also can enjoy all of our blessings!

Mother of the Year Strikes Again

Seriously, I would love to say, I am perfect and these "mother of the year" moments are totally written about someone else, but that would be a BIG FAT LIE! Instead I choose to embrace these moments and laugh at myself, because sometimes, you have to just laugh (LOUD and HARD) in order not to cry, ha!

A few weeks ago, we had to increase the nipple size on the boys bottles, so we bought all new nipples. I started boiling the nipples in water to sterilize them just as the package says, and then I walked away from them because I was trying to get 3 children (and Myself) dressed and ready for school. Did I mention I was doing this at 6:00 am because I am a procrastinator and always wait until the last minute?! Well when I returned to the kitchen about 15 minutes later the water was gone (evaporated obviously) and there were the nipples sitting in the pot just cooking!!! Of course, those of you who know me can imagine the words that came out of my mouth. I panicked...all I could think was BPA leaching from the nipples every time the boys drink from them, even though they are BPA free nipples! I did some Internet research and from what I read, the nipples were not compromised; no one online had experienced the exact same situation, so either no one was dumb enough to do the same thing or no one was dumb enough to admit it...except me of course!!!

Well the other day, I needed to do some of the boys laundry, so I gathered the clothes off the floor next to the diaper pail. I had been very careful to pick up the dirty diapers that had missed the diaper pail, or so I thought. Yes...I am lazy in the middle of the night and toss the diapers into the pail, but sometimes miss (only pee diapers)! After the clothes finished washing, I started pulling out wet clothes and small balls started falling on the floor! At first I thought it was detergent until I looked closer, and saw the infamous jell fillings from the diaper all over the clothes and then soon found the disintegrated diaper along with the wet clothes! Again some more choice words flowed from my mouth, but that is besides the point. I rewashed the clothes, and they appear to be fine; however if you happen to see my boys in public and they appear to be glistening...please know that it's not because they have been playing in my craft glitter, but rather their "genius" mom caused a diaper to explode all over their clothes!

Another Month Older

The boys are 6 months old...where has the time gone?! They are growing up so fast. The boys have started solids and are enjoying them! Kipton has a tooth and Coleson has 2 on the way in. Both boys roll both ways and are belly sleepers, despite their mother's insistence on rolling them back over every time she passes by. We are enjoying their smiles and laughter and the complete feeling they bring to our little, while maybe not so little family ;)!

Thing 1: Kipton

Thing 2: Coleson

Getting ready to eat! (Taken on my phone hence the grainy nature :/)

Things We Love...Part IV

1. Summer Infant Babytouch Video Monitor. This was a big splurge for us, but well worth it. This monitor is AWESOME! We ordered it from Diapers.com; we had a problem with the battery on the first one, so they switched it out for a new one without any problems. We have 2 cameras, one for each boy mounted on the wall! The boys are movers and travel around the crib, so this monitor is perfect because it pans and zooms!

2. Nuby IcyBite Teether Keys. The boys are teething and have been for a while. These keys are very cool because they stay colder much longer!

3. Bath time. The boys LOVE bath time, they just kick, kick, kick, and splash, splash, splash. We have a simple, inexpensive tub that we had with Mini, but it's perfect because it came with a sling for when they were really little.

4. American Red Cross Infant Scale. With the boys in NICU, I was very accustomed to receiving daily weight updates. When I came home and didn't have that update, I became obsessive about their weight and bought this scale. I wasn't worried about the fact that it did or did not match the doctor's scale exactly, but more that I could see growth each day! This scale does the job.

5. Green Toys. These toys are made out of recycled plastic and super durable. We have two green toys. Mini has the tea set and the boys have the tug boat! The tug boat is super cute; it has a grate on top to allow water in and spout at the front of the boat so you can use it to rinse small bodies!

The Anti-Resolution Resolution

So this year, Will and I, mostly me, vowed not to make a New Year's Resolution. I always make 2-3 resolutions; the first one is usually to "get in shape." Now let's get real...I have managed to do very little exercise for the last 20+ years, so why in the world would I make a promise that I know I will not keep! The second resolution usually aligns with my project of the moment. This year there are a few things that I would like to do, but being a realist and becoming increasingly aware of how badly I feel when I stretch myself too thin, I have decided to not make any promises, rather to do the best I can! Please know that I'm not "settling," but setting more attainable goals!

PS. As I'm reading this post to Will he laughs and chimes in, "my resolution is to win the lottery!" Will LOVES to listen to financial advisors and has heard that statistically people believe that the only way to get rich is to win the lottery; however he and I both agree that the only way to be successful is to work and play hard. We both work hard during the week and play hard on the weekend. We are so blessed by our numerous blessings...number 1, 2, and 3 blessings in no particular order being the 3 beautiful children that bring us so much joy. We feel rich already!