busy,busy, busy

I don't think busy even describes things right now.....but maybe an acceptance of normalcy.  The last month has brought many changes to our household.  We were presented with doing something outside of the norm, and I am proud to say that I have accepted a full time position in my current role, adding to my responsibilities.  The biggest change is that our kids get to spend the summer with Jim at home.  He is now manager and CEO of the Koops household.  Scary, stressful.....and then a feeling of utter peace.  The kids have been having a fantastic summer with their dad during the day, and I have been able to focus more on work, and lessen one of the hats I am used to wearing. 

Besides those changes we have celebrated Lucy's 6th birthday, had 2 parties with both sides of the family, living room slumber parties, days at Gun Lake, dance recitals, family time, beach time, and backyard fun. 

TJ, theodore, teddy, theo, bubs, has changed every day.  He chooses a unique vocabulary, and the basics are left with points and uhhh uhhh uhhhh.  He has a cute face, which he uses completely to his advantage, shows his muscles, and wants to do everything his big sisters do.  A new word includes "rockstar" which is in reference to his paci. The kid is hilarious......We anticipate some camping, vacation time with the Koops family at "the cottage", weddings, and summer days spent at Gun Lake.  I can never believe how fast summer weekends fill up...and how much there is to squeeze in.  I love every minute of it, and love the heat!

   

May birthday celebration

 

 The big 6 year old celebrating with George her last week of kindergarten

 advantages when daddy is gone for the weekend

 Tj and his rockstar

 celebrating with the greatest daddy ever

 Reagen and Mya's dance recital

 backyard party, slip and slide, pool, sandbox.  All 3 kids need for entertainment

Kady gaining all the characteristics of a little girl...beautiful inside and out

Kadence is 4!

I can't believe that Kady is 4.  She seems so big, and it doesn't help that she suddenly stopped sucking her thumb and taking her "derdy bwankie" everywhere.  The first big step.  She is a sweet, loving girl who lights up a room whenever she steps in. Her favorite color is purple, she wants to be a doctor when she is all grown up, and loves to do her own thing.  She can't wait to go camping this summer and go to school in the fall.  She loves being a big helper, and has to fight for room on a chair to help me cook or bake.  I love my little sunshine with all my heart!  She loves to color and draw, dance, tell jokes, and just be silly. 

Her special day started with a living room full of balloons.  She helped bake and decorate her cupcakes, and got to open a new present every couple of hours.  She got "goggle-eyes", hence an afternoon in the backyard pool, and new water bottle, art set, sparkly butterfly necklace and music box.  Grandpa and Grandma Cochran came for dinner.  She referred to herself in the third person all day as "the birfday gewrl"  She even announced that the birthday girl gets to choose where we sit as we entered Russ' (long story, wasn't my first choice, but was very fun and good), and choose her own booth.  Daddy made it home to give her lots of kisses and hugs right at bedtime, making record time from a week long trip to St. Louis. 

I admire your free spirit, sense of independence, and yet your love for snuggles and special mommy time.  I look forward to having a 4 year old and watching you grow even more!  I love you Kates, Kady-Kate, Kady, Kadence, missy-poo!

Here we are!  Lucy will be 6 soon.  She is almost done with kindergarten at Meadowbrook, and has adjusted well to learning chinese. She has lost 4 teeth this year and just looks so much older.  She still loves to smile, sing, and teach others.  She is sweet, energetic, and shy.

Kadence will be 4 in a little less than a week.  She is also a sweet girl, who loves to smile, joke, and give kisses.  She loves art, just like her big sister.  She is a bit more outgoing than Lucy, but still likes to keep close to what is comfortable.

Theodore is unbelievable and an utter joy.  He is almost 20 months, and now a big boy.  He keeps us on our toes, loves to climb, keep up with his sisters, and learns more and more every day.  He is anything but shy and waves and says hi to everyone. 

Jim and I have both switched jobs in the last year.  I have picked up additional hours and responsibilites and Jim is looking forward to graduation this week after months of hard work orienting and learning about his company. 

Ok--hopefully now on to the every day, fun, nitty gritty of our lives!  I've missed blogging.

I'm baa-aack!

So for any of you who actually still check this to see if the Koops' exist, we do.  Can't believe it has been so long since I've posted.  My excuses started with a new job, Lucy starting kindergarten, pure craziness, a computer downstairs, and a phone that does everything my computer would do, except it takes too long to type without a keyboard.  Recently it has been an increase in hours, Jim's new job, an 18 month old that is a typical boy..etc, etc, etc.  Well I have now fixed the computer problem and am dedicated to continuing my blogging adventure.  I have a goal of figuring out how to get pictures on here, no more excuses.  So stay tuned, there will be more to come!

Chinese Immersion

Lucy is starting her first day, full time, as a kindergartner at Meadowbrook in the Mandarin program.  She was so excited to go to school today.  Thanks grandma for letting the puppy stay for awhile.  Lucy gave the job of taking care of the dog to Kadence, with full instructions while she was gone at school!  Love this girl from her nose to her toes!

Waiting for the bus!  It was cold outside this morning!  Kadence wondered if it was winter.

Daddy got to wait with us too

Off she goes!  All smiles, which melted my heart....she was so ready.  I on the other hand was not.  I waited until the bus rounded the corner before I burst out into tears.  Lucy is such a sweet, wonderful girl.  I will miss her everyday!

We've kept ourselves busy all day.  Kadence has enjoyed playing by herself, but keeps asking when Lucy will be home, and TJ keeps looking around, knowing someone is missing, yet unable to verbalize anything.  We've cleaned, switched out our summer dresses for fall clothes, and even baked Lucy some homemade chocolate chip ice cream sandwich cookies!  Hurry back Lucy!  We are sure you had a great day, and we can't wait to hear all about it!

cousins

  We are very blessed to be able to spend so much time with our cousins.  All 11 of them.  So far this year we have added 2 to the mix.  We've got to see 4 baptisms, celebrate many birthdays, celebrate some accomplishments, and just hang out and have a good time.  It's always a busy time when we get together, but it's so much fun!

Snowball fight

Tyler James

Jillian and TJ

Jovie's birthday

Tyler's baptism

Mya being Mya

The polar bear plunge

The girls birthday party

Sweet little No-No

fishing

dressing up

Reagen and Mya's party

TJ and Emma

sleepovers

Lucy's 5th birthday

Wow, when I asked Lucy her favorite things about her birthday she listed everything she had done today.  She has an eye for detail, and a memory from years ago.  She is such a sweet, loving girl.  She has seemed so old since last week (must be because she is now a kindergartner, and done with preschool).  She has mastered whistling, and whistles with everything she does.  She did try and convince me that she could still suck her thumb until she is 5 1/2.  For those of you who don't know every 6 months since she turned 4 she has put a time limit on sucking her thumb (all her) and keeps making extensions for every half year.  She is extremely creative and loves to color, her and Kadence go through coloring books like noone I have ever met.  She has always been my independent one, and now today has figured out how to tie her hair up in a bow.  She is also my rule follower.  I trust her, probably more than I should a 5 year old.  She is a wonderful big sister to TJ and Kadence.  I am so proud of how beautiful she is inside and out!  Happy Birthday Goosey!!

Looking back....we'll start with Tulip Time

This captures my life in a nutshell...can't help but smile about it!

 Such beautiful tulips

The boys looking at "manly" things....I let him get away with comments and things like this because he is such a good dad to his two girls (pedis and manis on mommy's working saturdays?? so cute)

My newest nephew Tyler.  Such a beefcake!

Kadence is 3 (FEE)

Can hardly stand it....3 already!  Kady has blossomed so much over the last year.  She is now quite talkative, has gained a bit of indendence, and has found her own personality.  Kady is quite a humurous little girl.  She loves to make people laugh, make silly faces, try out new dance moves.  She is still quite vocal, still a screamer, and still so sensitive.  Kadence is a full flegde mommy's girl.  She is a thumb sucker, dirty blankie lover.  We are trying to venture out more and leave the blanket at home or in the car (because she is 3 now)...but transitions seem to still happen much more smoothly if that dirty blankie is close by.  She likes to have a little more say in what she wears, but would much rather you picked it out, and put it on her.  Kadence loves to eat, but can be rather picky about what it is, depending on the day, hour, minute.  You really have to go with the flow around her.  She has turned out to still be a snuggle bunny, and loves to rub my arms and just talk and hang out.  She potty trained herself around 26 months after we transitioned her to a big girl bed in her and Lucy's room.  She loves playing with figurine dolls and animals, making them talk to each other (mostly in loud, shouting voices), color, and now just starting to dress up.  She is loosing a lot of her lispy words and sounding out letters.  We are working on letter recognition, but she really has no interest in finding the letters of her name....her most common statement to any educational type question is "I not sure", well make a guess I say, "I no know", what do you think your name starts with "not sure".  And so it goes.  She must be taking everything in, because when she is good and ready I hear her singing her ABC's to her animals, singing them songs, telling them colors and shapes....all in her own time.  Happy Birthday K-K!  Love you!

Grandparent day at preschool



Lucy loved getting all dolled up for the day with her grandma's

I surprised her with a new dress, but I think the fact that she got to wear sandles and no tights was the best thing of all!  Love you Lucy girl!

Grandma Cochran came and picked her up.  They met up with Grandma Koops at school where they colored, had tea, cookies, read book, and sang some songs!  Thanks Grandmas for both being there!

Happy April

It seems that April only just started....but my calendar is telling me we are ready for the month of May!  We have been so busy with new things, new sites, and finally enjoying outdoor weather.  We all took turns being sick, GI bugs, rashes, root canals (I'll count this as sick, since it laid me up for 4 whole days), and just the good ole Michigan crud.  I'm hoping to open my windows soon and air this place out.  There are many things I didn't catch on film....like Lucy riding her bike along side me while I pushed the double stroller (it makes me get a few less sympathetic and/or crazy looks while we are out walking (I had been pushing the double stroller and having TJ in the too small front pack...I'll admit, I must have looked quite funny).  The girls making mud pies, Theodore enjoying his swing, playdates, and time with grandparents. 


In April TJ turned 7 months old, and has gotten 2 teeth in the last week (and this is how it has made our otherwise happy boy feel)



He graduated to the big boy tub



We decorated easter eggs.  Kadence loves being in the "titchen" and helping.  She is so loving and sweet.  She loves to watch out for Theodore and make sure he only has "fafe" (safe) toys



Lucy and Theodore were having more fun playing peek a boo, one of his favorite games

Lucy got to ride the bus before KINDERGARTEN orientation.  She is so old, and cracking jokes to make us laugh

He is reaching for EVERYTHING, and this morning has learned how to scoot.  He has been rocking on his hands and knees maybe a month, and prior to this gotten everywhere by rolling.  He's fast, and I see crawling and climbing right around the corner.  He also likes to find wires, outlets, heater grates....those are his favorite toys right now!

How handsome!  His first easter!

Love them so much

Easter egg hunting with the Koops cousins...minus the 3 littlest ones

We celebrated birthdays.  Can't believe Joseph is 2!

Finally remembered to get a picture of the 5 of us

and the zoo...I forgot to take a picture at the zoo....but since it was Theodore's first time we had to get physical evidence of it, so this is getting all comfy for the car ride home (seriously girls, it's 10 min)

pretty much what he thought of the zoo