Snow Day

We finally had our first good snow day this winter. It has been a really mild winter for Germany to say the least, hovering in the upper 30s most days. So, we were all pretty excited to get out and play all Sunday this past weekend. Lots of white deep snow first thing in the morning. Cooper took Lily on her very first sled run, and that was her last one (see video below). She wanted nothing else to do with the snow other than eating it for two hours straight. Cooper was tireless sledding the hills over and over. Once we returned home, we spent two hours building an igloo. I should say, I spent 2 hours building an igloo. Cooper had more fun cutting/destroying than building. Hot cocoa and warm baths followed. The perfect snowy winter day.

So winter, you can go away now. I'm good. We've had our fun. Enjoyed the bundling, sledding, building and cocoa enough for the whole year. Spring, you can come now. Any day. We're ready.

Sick Days

I gotta tell you, I love sick days. Not the fact that my kids are sick, but that I get to spend a normal workday at home with them. Well, when they are the type of sick that some Tylenol and rest can fix in one day. That type of sick.

Cooper woke up for three hours Tuesday night with aches and a fever, so I stayed home all day yesterday with both kids and soaked up every minute of it. We watched a movie, did some shopping for birthday supplies, hit up the bakery, made homemade brownies, played a few board games, took a big bubble bath, napped and read books, finger painted a dozen pictures, built sand pizzas and ice cream cones on a blanket in the living room, vacuumed and spray cleaned the tables in the living room (with help from my littles of course) and even had time to plant broccoli, tomatoes, and peppers in indoor planters. Much more exhausting and rewarding than a normal office day for me.

Yeah, I know, brush her hair! She just woke from a nap and has bed head in this picture.

Look, I can make my own colors mom!

Lately, especially since my sister was here, I'm trying to ask more feeling questions that you have to think about with Cooper. Instead of asking him what his favorite part of the day was, I ask him questions like what was the nicest thing you did today for someone. What made you feel happiest? When did you laugh a bunch? What was the hardest thing for you today? Makes for an interesting dinner conversation and tells us so much more than we knew about his day. A practice I need to adopt more with all my social interactions. Not sure why we get so stuck in the normal "how are you and how was your day" zone. Questions that just lead to "fine, good, and okay" versus stories and moments.  Habit I suppose.

So for you all out there, a challenge for your day today... Ask your husband or best friend or child today an out of the box type of question about their day, like when did they feel their proudest, what did they want to remember from that day and never forget, and what would they repeat if they could do it all over again. Something special other than how was your day...

If any of you have some other good questions you like to ask daily, I'd love to hear them! 

A weekend with my sister

 Hello everyone! Yes, it has been a very long time since I posted, the longest break I've taking in a while. I was in training all last week, and last minute, my sister Tiffany came and visited me for the weekend all the way from Minnesota. It was awesome to say the least! I so cherish my time with my family so, and only wish I could do this five more times this year with my other two sisters and my parents!

Lots of laughing ensued especially when Tiff showed us this hilarious British comedian Michael McIntyre. Apparently he is the highest grossing comedian in the world, so probably the rest of the world has heard of him, but I had not. So, what a fun evening we had watching his skits on kids and going to the dentist. I hadn't laughed out loud watching a show in a long time. And you must also watch this funny BBC skit about "apples" and "Blackberries" that is also British. Oh those Brits. Always the best humor. And Tiff picked up a lot of the lingo from staying with her good friends in England for a week and was cracking me up with her "Lovely" statements and "Brilliants" she'd say with the perfect imitation accent.

She'd never met my Lillian, and Cooper hadn't seen her since he was under two! Both were thrilled to have a guest in the house, and especially a fun sister who played and told them stories and cuddled like she knew them forever. She pulled them in the wagon, chased them at the park, made play-doh cut outs and read story upon story to Cooper's never ending questions. Realizing how much I miss my family being so far away from home. I realized it at Christmas as well, but having her here really set in the longing for family close by.

We had a girls day out in Regensburg shopping the town, dinner out, and then a night in a fancy schmancy hotel at the airport together before I hugged her goodbye at her terminal. Two very fast days of fun and catching up, sister chat and laughter. Missing you already.
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And a bit of my New Years Resolution below... A portrait of my kids once a week for the entire year. Here is week 1 of Jan. I will have to catch up with posting the other weeks this month as well. Plus, I have a few projects I worked on this month I need to post on here as well.

 

Week 1 - Lillian enjoying the warm sun on a cold day.

Week 1 - Cooper and his gorgeous smile that melts me every time.

I love this wall in our city park. I'll have to set up a family picture here next. Also love this coat! My mom gave it to Lily for Christmas and Lily says Ho Ho Ho every time she wears it.

Almost Five

Cooper is 4 in this photo and  Frank was 7 in this photo.

In under a month, my oldest will turn five! I can't believe it! It really is so true that time just goes so much faster as we get older, but I think having kids makes it go 10 times faster. So I don't forget my wonderful Cooper just the way he is now, I'm writing a letter.

Dear Cooper,

It is January 2014, and in just under a month, you will turn five! I honestly can't believe how grown up you are all of a sudden.

Lately, when you draw pictures, you have started being able to really spell your whole name correctly each time and recognize the letters from your name in books so well. When we watch movies/shows together, you somehow absorb sayings/quotes surprisingly well, and use them in our ordinary conversations perfectly which always surprises your dad and I.  

When we go climbing on the weekends, you really enjoy climbing now and have so much energy! You like to sing in the car with the music loud, and your favorite to rock out to right now is Lorde.

You love to teach us new German words and are singing little German songs so well now. A favorite is the train song you want us to always do before we eat dinner where we grab onto each other and choo choo around the room.

Your sense of humor at your age is really so developed, you keep dad and me smiling quite often, and usually get us to bust out laughing at the dinner table with your jokes or stories. Sometimes just being your literal four year old self, its hard for us to contain ourselves. Just the other day we were asking you who you'd like to invite to your birthday party. You mentioned a little girl's name, and I asked what she looked like, if she was the cute little black girl I always see when I pick you up, and you said, "um, yeah, but she's not really black, she is kinda brown".  Sure thing, I stand corrected.

Some things you still say so funny and cute, that I almost don't want to correct you and lose those cute mispronunciations!

- Copasina = Thomasina
- fassert = dessert
- esperiment - experiment

I cherish most our cuddling time in bed together each night. Books, fruit, and stories tickled on your back. Plus  you give dad and I bunches of kisses and hugs before bed. Frank mentioned the other night they are finite and I need to cherish each one. I don't ever want you to stop giving me those hugs and kisses. You promised me once again the other night that when you are older and go to college, I can come live with you ;) and that we could go into business together and you'd stay living with us forever. You think we should all become bakers and make really good cakes and candy for people, because everybody loves cake and candy. I like the idea tremendously!

You are my special one and only Cooper. Very willful and headstrong, yet sweet and sensitive, smart as a whip and full of love. I love you so much and am so thankful you are mine each and every day.

Love momma.