My ode to Kadence

My cute girl with the dimples



your favorite hairstyle is your "piggies"



I'll always remember you with your thumb and "der-dee bwankie"

Kadence,

  You are the sweetest little momma's girl around.  You have just started to stand up for yourself around here.  We're working on using words, and slowly the screaming is starting to decrease.  AHHHH, finally.  I looked back on posts when you were a baby, and I think I rarely said much about your screaming.  I remember not wanting to write about it, maybe because then I hoped I would forget, and also because I never wanted you to think I loved you less because you screamed every day all day for almost a whole year.  I'm glad that I wrote about all the positive things, and didn't settle on the loudness of our house.  

  You are very vocal still, but with funny jokes, eye spy games, and kind words.  You look up to your sister, and love being at her side.  You guys play so well together.  Your favorite things to do are to play with princess figurines and little dolls.  You make them talk to each other, and you say the funniest things.  You love your brother, and you have fully embraced being a big sister.  

  I love you smile, your hugs and kisses, and I even have learned to love not being able to be leave you without you being so tearful.  You are a brilliant little girl, who likes to keep everything you learn to yourself.  Funny I just found out the other day that you can sing every song that Lucy has learned from school, count, and say your ABC's.  You would rather play indoors than out, snuggle and read, and play candy land and eye spy.  

  You are an amazing little girl, and I am so proud to call you my daughter. 

Love you K-K,

mommy  

holding his own



Theodore "talking" at the dinner table...his sisters have taught him so much

His newest thing is to shake his head...wonder how much he really understands

My Mexican Fiesta

I was invited, (as were all the other mothers) to Lucy's school last Friday for a mexican fiesta.  Even with all the snow days, and one day weeks for the month of February the kids were able to put together such a wonderful party.  They had made us vases, flowers, worry dolls, birds; all of which made gorgeous table decorations.  Lucy's favorite part was their mexican hat dance (see the video below).  My favorite part was all the songs that they sang.  It was fun to see Lucy so quiet and timid in the risors....since at home she belts out the songs with all the motions like she is on stage in a broadway show.  So much in fact that Kadence knows every word to every song.  All the table decor was a surprise, which Lucy kept in until the day before :)   What a blessing Ada Christian has been to our family! 

Their performance

making maracas and just hanging out in her classroom

My sweet little Lucy....you can see behind us the beautiful vase she made, and the green bird as well

catching up

This is quite a hodge-podge of pictures....February has flown by.  In the last week Kady has had the flu, we started a home improvement project that was interrupted by carbon monoxide/furnace shutoff (this led to an overnight stay at the hilton--complete with a 230 fire alarm), and TJ getting breathing treatments for RSV.  We have created many memories along the way, swimming in the pool, getting "new" bathrooms (and thankful for working tolites), and many days at home.  AHHHHH, that was all in addition to our "regular" lives.  So here is to the start of March, warmer weather, and a return of health to the Koops household!

My 3 valentines

My 33rd birthday

cuddling in bed

My creative girls

Kadence loves to be a big sister as well.  She often gets upset when Lucy tries to steal "her time" with Feedore

Game night...even TJ likes to play sorry

Big sister reading to Theodore

More snuggle time

bathing beauty

5 months old....still so happy!

literally

Not quite what I meant when I asked Lucy to "lay out" her clothes for school....I love the way kids think!

Let it snow!

 Sorry the pictures are a little mixed up...couldn't get them to cooperate today!

Lucy was loving all the snow!

It was up to Lucy's shoulders in some parts

This was the mound I shoveled right out of the garage

Kady was helping me shovel....to no avail.  They wanted me so bad at work, they sent someone to get me!



The drifts by our front door







Jim was proud of all his hard work....no snow plow or blower for us...WOW





I love the walls of snow surrounding our driveway.  The girls played on them forever today!





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The picture doesn't do it justice.  The snow was above the bumper of the cars.....sorry work, not even attempting  to get out of my garage.



My mom likes to tell me about the blizzard of '78...the year that I was born.  She shows us pictures of cars buried in the snow, and the walls of snow surrounding houses and driveways.  She tells me about plowing down B ave so they were ready if I came.  I love hearing those stories. 

My memories of the snowpalooza, blizzard 2011 will include having to work....deciding I couldn't get out, and having the hospital come bring me in.  The nurses that had to stay and sleep there, because they were not releasing anyone home, and thankfully that I was able to leave at the end of my shift.  I love to see my kids play in snow up to their waist.  Jim's shear joy in posing for pictures after all his hard work shoveling to clear our driveway...and everytime the snow plow has come now to clear the rest of our street.  

Bring it on...if it's going to be cold, and it's going to be winter...let it snow!

Lucy Jean

My little Lucy....such a girly girl.  You gotta love a girl that takes longer to get ready than you!  Still always a dress/skirt and tights.  She now gets herself completely dressed, including doing her hair (most days before I roll out of bed).  She is very interested in what she wears, and what I do.  She loves to shop and browse through clothes. 

She is so creative.  She loves to design things, create, decorate, paint, color....anything that she can dream up.  She is an amazing colorer, and her medium of choice is colored pencils.  She has extraordinary patience when it comes to staying in the lines, and she autographs every page.  I have never seen anyone go through coloring books like she does....and every page is used. 

such a happy girl

She shares a room with Kady and sleeps on the top (but loves to use Kady's bottom bunk for naptime).  She still naps...more than Kadence.  She is always the first one up at our house....and definitely a morning person

We always ask "Lucy, why do you ask so many questions?" and she answers "because I am inquisitive"  This is her IN a box of old barbie stuff at my parents house.  She checked out every last little treasure that my sister and I had stored in there.  She has a "treasure" drawer of her own in her dresser...if you ever think you lost something, look in there first.  She is very into organizing and cleaning....and is very good at it.  Must be a Koops gene. 

Beautiful girl inside and out (and don't ask about the washer she is sitting in, this is what happens when I go to work)

We are talking about kindergarten already.  I can't believe she will be old enough to go next fall! She is enjoying every day that she spends in preschool.  She has made some good friends, and even had a no mommy playdate with her friend Susan.  Lucy makes me laugh every day.  She loves to tell jokes (mostly about things being in her tummy...her audience of Kadence rolls when she starts these), teach things to her younger siblings, color, play with barbies, read, snuggle, and be my big helper.  Lucy has always been wise beyond her years....for example

• You can just call me high heel fashion girl
• You don't even look like my mom today (I was leaving for my work holiday party)
• Oh, I thought you said I needed a bra, (me) no you don't need a bra, (Lucy) Not yet!
• Maybe he's crying because of your outfit (as we were sitting at the table eating breakfast, and TJ wasn't happy in his highchair, I was wearing pajama pants and a tank top)