Cooper, the author

(fas: face, tal: tail, spics: spikes, Cooper liks dinosors.: Cooper likes dinosaurs.)

When I was a kindergarten teacher, one of my favorite things to teach was writing. I would give the kids a black notebook with empty white pages at the beginning of the year. They would work with me in small groups every day. In the beginning the kids would draw a picture, sometimes this was a difficult task in itself! After they mastered that, we would label the pictures...using phonetic spelling. Once we had acquired some sight words and the ability to sound out small words phonetically, we would compose simple sentences. By the end of the year, most of my class would be writing short stories! I loved this so much because I would see such excitement in the student's faces when they would become authors and do something most people imagined was never possible from such a small person!

So, naturally, as I watch Cooper get more and more comfortable with spelling, sight words and his fine motor skills.....I have thought about a journal for him. I asked him last weekend if he wanted to start writing and he said yes. I never have wanted to push him just because I love to teach reading and writing. I want BOTH of my children to want to do it first and when I see they are ready, I will jump on board! Cooper and I made his journal last weekend but due to being sick this week we had not gotten started. Today he and I are home (due to a fever still) and Samantha is at school so we had some nice quiet time together. I was so amazed when Cooper skipped right through the picture drawing and labeling part to wanting to write a sentence. It was such a thrill to sit with my own son and watch him explore his creativity! My intention is never to push my kids to a point they are uncomfortable with but to foster the skills they feel success with. Today was one of those exciting times when I was so proud of my son and REALLY thanked God for my little blessing!

One last HOORAH!

It was an amazing year of Disney but our annual passes have expired! But....not without one last HOORAH!!!!

We had a BLAST!!!!

These two do not make it look too "tough to be a bug!"!!!!

What is a Disney trip without the token "Minnie Picture"?

Samantha and I treated ourselves to the Grand Floridian Spa! She LOVED the robe and pedicure. What have I started??????

Samantha could not have been happier to have some one on one time with her all-time favorite princess, Aurora.

And of course, when Prince Charming comes to your table, it is always appropriate to point out that YOU have a picture of his girlfriend on your dress.

Headed to the Luau!

And no Polynesian Luau experience would be complete without Katie getting picked out of the crowd of 500 people to dance on stage with a half-naked Hawaiian guy! No, Phil was not able to get a picture quick enough but YES, it was fun!!!! :)

Can you remember the first time YOU were actually tall enough?????

And the famous Barnstormer.....they rode it 3 times!

Overall, we are sad to know we will not be back for a while, BUT we have enjoyed every minute we have had the last 365 days visiting the "Happiest Place on Earth"! I am not sure if it is Disney I love or the fact that when we arrive on property, I know the next few days will be all about us....our family.....and making memories together that will last a lifetime. Whatever the reason, I cannot wait for the next time we tell the kids "We are going to Disney!!!!!".

Decisions....

I heard Jillian on "The Biggest Loser" say- "You cannot move forward if you are constantly staring in the rear view mirror!". So, let the past be the past and the future be GREAT!

Here are a few of our 2010 decisions: (I feel so good knowing that we have a plan, a great plan!)

- We will remain in our rental home in Canton. Nope, this is not our "dream" home. Nope, we are NOT the owners of this home. Nope, we cannot paint Samantha's room pink, change the carpet or finish the basement. BUT, when the microwave broke, we did NOT have to buy the new one. When the grass dies, we do NOT have to re-sod the yard. When we send our payment to the owner every month we are confident that we have made a sound financial decision for our family at this time and boy does that feel GREAT!

- Cooper and Samantha will start soccer in March at the Canton YMCA. Phil will be their coaches and I will be cheering from the sidelines with my parents; ahhhhhh, how great it is they are close by!

- Cooper will start Kindergarten in the Fall probably at the Methodist Church where Samantha attends preschool. I have been VERY stressed about finding a great spot for my son to attend Kindergarten. Not only was teaching Kindergarten my JOB for 5 years, I know the benefits from a strong first formal academic experience. Hillside UMC has an amazing private Kindergarten program that would suit Cooper's needs well. Phil and I will attend the information session later this month, we will apply, Cooper will test and we will pray that if it is meant to be, he will be asked to attend in August. Samantha would be able to attend the same school for preschool. What a blessing it would be to have two under one roof!

- I will continue to work for Wireless Generation and am entertaining the idea of becoming a traveling trainer with the company and/or working full time in the Fall. I love the program I work to support and feel the company is a great match for my background and passion. Who knew that after 4 years of doing everything I could to NOT work, I would be thinking about working more!!!!!

- We are going to set up our playset! This one makes me laugh because all of you are probably like "cool, you go ahead and do that." but I know what a HUGE thing this is. The playset we LOVE has been in a pile in the yard because we did not want to set down roots here in Canton. We knew that it would be pricey to set back up and a pain to break back down. Now we are making plans to put the thing together.......roots!

So, as you can see, we have made plans for a GREAT and stable 2010. Phil and I will both still have hour commutes to and from Canton twice daily but once we are home, it feels good. That is what counts!

SNOW DAY 2010

Living in Florida for 3.5 years, it did NOT snow. It snowed on Christmas Eve the year Cooper was born (in Texas) but other than that, these kids have only seen snow twice (trips to Grandma and Grandpa's in PA). So needless to say, at work yesterday I was watching the window by the minute waiting for the snow to arrive!!!!

It came, it dusted and it causes CHAOS in Atlanta!!!!! It is VERY cold and somewhat icy here. Although all schools were closed, etc. Phil was able to head into work (slowly) while the kids and I have a nice warm day inside. Growing up in Ohio, I am used to snow. However living in a Southern city when the snow hits is truly a scary thing. The city is NOT prepared with salt/sand trucks, no one has cars equipped for snow/ice, many have never driven in the mess and it causes people to run off the road. In Ohio the minute the snow would fall you would hear that roar of the salt truck outside your window. Here we slept while the ice hardened on the road outside our home and not a track was made in it by morning!!!!!

Since it is Friday and I am off work, we will enjoy the dusting while it lasts!!!!!!! Thanks Mother Nature for making two kid's dreams of snowfall come true!!!!!

Samantha playing in the backyard as the snow fell.

See Mom.....it is sticking!!!!

Thumbs up for the Atlanta Blizzard 2010 :) !!!!!