so many things

I'm going to pretend like I haven't blogged for a year or more and just go with it...

I am transitioning in so many areas right now. For the first time since April 13, 2004, I am alone during the day. All the day. It's so strange. I've thought about, wished aloud for, quiet time for a long time. I mean, look at the name of this blog. And now it is here. And it's weird. Really weird.

The kids have been in school for 1.5 weeks. They are gone from 7:45-2:45 every day. I don't know how to handle this. In some ways, it's been awesome. I'm prepared for class. I'm not scheduling my work and getting work done around cartoons and kids.  And I love quiet.

But, it makes me nostalgic for littler times. I might turn on Little Einsteins just for old times sake. I did just listen to an American Girl song that reminds me of when Maggie was 8 and got really into AG for the first time. Yes, I was tearing up at Saige Paints the Sky. Don't judge.

 I realized today that I must really be a loss for what to do with myself, because I have been taking a lot of pictures of the dogs and cat.
I covered up his private areas with a fig leaf, so don't be offended.




Twix and Mickey fight over space next to me on the recliner, so they end up sitting on top of each other.


The last time I took pictures of the dogs and cat because I wasn't sure what to do with myself, they were different dogs and Maggie was in Kindergarten. The next week, we got Patrick.

Since I don't think we are adopting again soon, I have been trying to figure out my new life. I'll let you know what I figure out.

Christmas presents

Patrick can't decide what he wants for Christmas. He has a train and that seems to be all he wants this year.

I asked him to think of one gift that he wanted.

Guess what that cutie said?

He said, "I just want the best mommy in the whole world."

Jingle Bells

I plugged in the ipad last night so it would be charged for lots of minecraft playing.

Patrick went over to the ipad and asked me if I charged it and I told him that I had done that.

He said, "wow, you are my jingle bells".

Phrases that I never thought I would say:

2/15/2014: No, Don't wipe your nose on the coffee table. Go get a tissue.

Jake

Last night, I got home from a meeting. Patrick said, "oh how was your meeting, mama?". Spoken like a grown up!

He wanted to dress up like Jake from Jake and the Neverland Pirates. He gathered Woody slippers, a white shirt and his sister's Awanas Cubby's vest. He turned it inside out and found a bandana.

He looked adorable. I mean, tough like a pirate. Then, he claimed a box and I made a mast for his ship. He created a map and a flag for his mast.

He woke up this morning and put this exact outfit on again. I was having a hard time convincing him that it wasn't a good idea to wear this to Preschool.  His big sister knew the right words, though.

She said, "You should not wear this to school. Wear your Spiderman jacket to school and save Jake for when you get home. It makes it more magical." Because she is wise and a big kid, he trusted her words.

He also wants to play pirates with Maggie this afternoon and wants to sleep in his cardboard box ship tonight. Maybe Maggie can help me convince him that it wouldn't be a good idea.

He reminds me of another cutie. This is my brother in 1987. He was pretending to be Peter Pan. I love that his shirt is on backwards.

Blue Turtle's Bands

Last week, Maggie came home from school with the school newspaper. Look at this cutie on p. 3 on the school newspaper. It's Maggie! She was interviewed about her rainbow loom bracelet business.

I love the shout out to the tithe she gives to church from her profits.

Make her feel better

Today, Patrick was playing on pbskids' website. He loves Daniel Tiger and was making a picture.

He finished and told me that he made this for my "grandma who was sick". He asked me to "post this so she can see it on her phone".

He decided that this picture would cheer her up and make her feel better. What a sweet soul.

Twink, my mom's mom, is not doing well at all. She has Alzheimer's and has been having seizures. She's really sick and I'm trying to make some plans to get to Georgia. Please pray for her.

TIME TO FEED PATRICK!

Patrick hates to eat. He will always pick playing over eating. It's so weird. 

I always joke that this is a sign that he is adopted, cause we Coles

 like to EAT.I have to force him to eat and sometimes I just get tired

 of fighting him and don't make him eat.

He's on the skinny side on the growth charts and he is super tall.

However, I've noticed that he gets super grumpy when he doesn't eat.

More than just hungry/grumpy. He is throwing fits and I can't get him to 

calm down. Then, I force something in his mouth and within minutes,

 he is fine.

I had his doctor run his blood sugar, but it was within the normal range. 

Then, I started thinking that maybe it was hypoglycemia. So, for the

 past 5 days, I have put him on an eating schedule. I set an alarm for 

every 2 hours and I force him to eat something. 

The fits are going away. I don't make him eat much,

 but every 2 hours, I make him eat a banana or a piece 

of cheese  or something. He's actually asking to eat more in 

between those times now. 

It's really  funny because when he hears the alarm on my phone, 

he yells, "TIME TO FEED PATRICK".

Do any of you have experience with something like this? 

When he gets big

I asked Patrick what he wanted to be when he grows up. He told me that he wants to be a construction worker and dig big holes.

He also told me that he would be super hungry because he was working so hard.

He said, "can you bring me some lunch? Oh and some scooby snacks, too."

I'd be glad to do that!

Claritin can help!

As a member of the Children’s Claritin Mom Crew, I receive product samples and promotional items to share and use as I see fit. No monetary compensation has taken place and any opinions expressed by me are honest and reflect my actual experience.

My kids and I are allergy sufferers. We are sneezing and have itchy eyes as the weather (finally) gets cooler. Claritin has provided some Back to School Allergy Tips for us.

Back to School Allergy Tips

1. Be sure to have Children’s Claritin, the #1 pediatrician-recommended non-drowsy allergy brand, on hand!

2. Multi-vitamins are building blocks to having a strong immune system. Make taking a multi-vitamin part of your

child’s daily routine.

3. Let there be light! Mold doesn't like sunlight, so try to keep your curtains open during the day. Should be easy

during the summer months!

4. Did you know that most pillows trap allergens, dust mites, and bacteria? Monitor the cleanliness of the pillow

your child with allergies sleeps on and replace if necessary.

5. Back to school season means lots of laundry for many moms. Be sure to remove laundry from the washing

machine promptly. Allowing wet clothes to sit in the washer means mold can quickly grow there.

6. Monitor pollen counts and adjust outdoor before and after school activities accordingly. Dry, windy days

can be particularly high in pollen.

7. Showering or bathing at the end of the day as opposed to the morning can be helpful in removing allergens

from body surfaces and hair.

8. Stay hydrated! Always send your child to school with a bottle of water. Drinking lots of clear fluids through the

day can help get rid of toxins and flush out body.

9. Peak pollen production typically occurs in early morning, so try to plan outside activities at other times of the

day.

Peace!

Maggie got her star test results yesterday. I know that it's just a test and not always accurate and  all that stuff. However, she really, really did well on it. The amazing part was that she did better on math than she did on english. Math usually is a little more difficult for her. I had a horrible sinus headache yesterday. I am really over allergies.  So, when Steven suggested we go out to dinner to celebrate Maggie's star report, I was happy to go. I didn't want to cook!

We went to dinner and we were all sitting in a little booth together. When our dinner came, the kids grabbed our hands to pray. What usually happens is Maggie prays and Patrick adds an "amen" to the end of the prayer. This time he asked to pray. His pray was this:

"Dear Father, thank you for my mack truck. Amen."

I know he missed the point of praying for our dinner, but you can see where he finds importance....in his cars. Don't you love the "Father" part? That's not normally a word we say in our prayers, but it was so sweet.

We ate dinner and had a great time together. It's been a busy time in our lives and it was nice just to sit and talk and eat. Oh and not have to cook.

When we left, Maggie decided to ride home with Steven. Patrick got super excited. He decided that we should race and that we were going to win. He grabbed his huge backpack full of cars and ran to the front of the restaurant. Before we went to our separate cars, he yelled "We're gonna beat you" to Maggie and Steven.

Then, he threw up a peace sign and yelled "PEACE" to them before running to the car with his huge backpack bouncing on his back.

Napping

I have a confession. I take a nap almost every day. It sounds so decedant, doesn't it? I mean, I'm an adult. Why am I taking an afternoon nap? It started at the beginning of the summer. I bribed Patrick with a chance to take a nap in my bed and I would lay down with him. Yeah, ever since then, I have been napping too.

I used to never be able to sleep during the middle of the day. I would be dead tired, but I couldn't relax enough to go to sleep. Well, that has changed. As soon as my eyes close, I'm out. I sleep an hour with Patrick and we wake up and go get Maggie from school.

The weird thing is that it hasn't changed my bedtime. I hope I didn't just jinx myself there. I can still go to sleep at the same time at night even when I take a nap.

I know my mom will find this ironic. I was the kid who never wanted to sleep. I just couldn't. In fact, in Mrs. Garrison's Kindergarten class, we were supposed to take a nap every day. I couldn't.

The only time I ever got in trouble in Kindergarten was during nap time. I got a message on my Snoopy behavior chart each week that I wouldn't sleep. In fact, I would "wiggle during naptime". Yep, I'm a rebel. I wiggled during nap time. Can you imagine? A 5 year old doing that?

I guess I'm making up for all that lost nap time. What will I do when Patrick gives up his nap? I'm not ready to give up my naptime yet?

Friday

Today, Maggie and I took Patrick to preschool. Then, we went to Starbucks. Maggie took about 7000 pics of her American Girl mini dolls in various poses around Starbucks. Then, I took her to school. She is not thrilled with school right now. She's been in class for about a week and they are having to move kids around. She loves her teacher and now she has to get used to a new teacher.

After I dropped her off, I went back to Starbucks to meet Brenda. Yes, I went to Starbucks twice today. Here's the weird part. I didn't get coffee. I just didn't want it. How bizarre.

We had a great visit until it was time for us to go get kids and run more errands.I found a bucket of figs by the front door. Figs are interesting. What do I do with them?

 I picked up Patrick from school and we came home. I found a great tent for him today and I tried to put it together for him. But, it was too much for me. I swear, I have no spatial ability at all.

We took a nap and went to get the girls.Maggie went to Memaw's house and I got a super burrito for Steven and I to share for dinner. Steven put together the tent and Patrick's watching Sword in the Stone.

I loved this movie when I was a kid. I can quote it word for word. Isn't that annoying? I'm trying to refrain from quoting it all.  I loved this one and Robin Hood (the cartoon one with the rabbits).

Oh and Patrick (the kid who never ate anything) ate two hotdogs, a grilled cheese, mac and cheese, popcorn and a chocolate popsicle. And he wants another snack.

Schizophrenic

Sometimes I feel like my facebook page makes me look like I have schizophrenia. I post instagram pictures followed by funny (I think) things that my kids say. Then, I post contests and sweepstakes that probably annoy everyone. Then, for good measure, I throw in a couple of God articles to really throw everyone off.

Why haven't ya'll had me committed yet?

I feel like my life is very centered around my kids. I spend the most time with them. I can talk American Girl dolls with the best of them. My daughter is walking American Girl encyclopedia and wants to share that knowledge with the people around her. Patrick wants me to play cars and watch Daniel Tiger with him. I can talk that talk, too. Want me to pretend like my station wagon is a trolley taking us to school? Got it. I think they are adorable and I want to share my cute pictures of them with you. I try not to be too annoying with my posts of my cute kids. But, seriously, they are cute.

Sometimes I just want to mindlessly zone out in front of the computer after they have gone to bed and surf and play candy crush (blush). So, I do. I play candy crush and enter contests. I try not to be too annoying with my posts about sweepstakes.

Sometimes I read deeper stuff that I am passionate about. I'm passionate about God and adoption and helping others. I want to make the world better. I want to share Jesus. I'm still figuring out how to do that with smaller kids. I want to include them in it all, but Patrick still needs a nap, too. I read about people doing amazing things and I want to share those things too. Again, I might be annoying with this.

This is where I am in life. Trying not to annoy people (such a people pleaser) but feeling like the world needs to see this. 

I mean, seriously?! That dog is adorable. 

I am all over the place. I guess my facebook is just a glimpse into me. 

Achoo!

This post is part of a sponsored campaign with MomSelect. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The makers of Children’s Claritin® are teaming up with national non-profit KaBOOM!, to help bring innovative play spaces to schools in need. One of the finalist schools is in California. Because I am involved with the Children’s Claritin Mom Crew, I am trying to spread the word about this great contest. You get to vote on the Claritin Facebook page. The four schools with the most votes will each receive Imagination Playground™ equipment - mobile play sets comprised of oversized, foam blocks that can be assembled inside or outside.  Pretty cool, huh?

Here is more information about the project from the Press Release earlier this month:

CHILDREN’S CLARITIN^® and KaBOOM! Help Bring Play to Kids and Communities in Need

Campaign Asks Parents to Vote on Schools to Receive an Innovative Playground

WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J., Aug. 1, 2013 – Merck Consumer Care, the makers of CHILDREN'S CLARITIN^®, today announced a new program with national nonprofit KaBOOM!, to help bring innovative play spaces to schools in need. The campaign is engaging parents on the Claritin Facebook page, asking them to vote for one of 12 finalist schools. The four schools with the most votes will receive Imagination Playground^TM equipment, which creates an accessible, creative place for children to play in 2014.

According to Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), creative play helps children adjust to the school setting, foster learning behaviors, develop problem-solving skills and it enhances their readiness to learn.[1] However, schools nationally are decreasing playtime during the day. Children in under-resourced areas are disproportionately affected due to factors such as reduced access to play in the community.  As a result, these children may miss some additional opportunities to develop skills that contribute to learning and social development.[2]

Children’s Claritin and KaBOOM! are helping to bring play to kids in need by offering 12 national schools the chance to win Imagination Playground equipment. These mobile play sets are comprised of oversized foam blocks that can be assembled inside or outside, offering children of all abilities the opportunity to foster creativity and critical-thinking skills. KaBOOM! selected the 12 finalist schools based on their criteria for this program, which included, among other factors, impact on low-income areas and number of students served. In addition, according to the schools’ submissions, many include students who have physical, cognitive or language disabilities that may inhibit them from fully exploring traditional playground equipment. 

“I’m thrilled to work with Children’s Claritin to help spread the word to parents across America that every vote counts in our effort to bring play to schools in need,” said Brooke Burke-Charvet, host of Dancing with the Stars and spokesperson for the makers of Claritin. “As parents, we can help make a difference in the lives of kids who deserve every opportunity to be creative and learn at school.”

Beginning Aug. 1 through Oct. 31, 2013, parents are invited to vote for one of 12 finalist schools via an app on the Claritin Facebook page. Parents can vote once a day throughout the promotion, and the four schools with the most votes will each receive Imagination Playground equipment. All votes count in selecting the four winners and support Children’s Claritin’s efforts with KaBOOM!. Participants can post a “cause donation badge” for this promotion onto their Facebook timeline. The four winning schools will be announced in November 2013 and will receive the play sets in 2014. A valid Facebook account is required to vote.

“Kids should have the time and opportunity to play actively, every day, in their schools and communities,” said Darell Hammond, founder and CEO of KaBOOM!. “Through this campaign, we are bringing engaging play opportunities to schools and communities in need. We’re excited to team up with Children’s Claritin because we share their commitment to help kids get the most out of every day, in school or at play.” 

Other factors beyond creative play may also impact learning readiness. For the up to 40 percent of school-aged children who suffer from allergies[3], common symptoms – like sneezing, itchy, watery eyes – can impact everyday activities, like school work and play. In fact, a new survey commissioned by the makers of Children’s Claritin revealed nearly three-fourths (74 percent) of parents with kids who have seasonal allergies admit that their kids seem less playful when they are suffering.[4]

“As a mom of four, I hate to see my kids suffer from allergies – they don’t feel at their best, whether in the classroom or outside playing,” Burke continued. “I use Children’s Claritin because it’s non-drowsy and it helps manage their symptoms for 24 hours so they can focus on school and play, not on their allergies.”

For more information and the official contest rules, please visit the brand’s Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/Claritin. 

About KaBOOM!

KaBOOM! is the national nonprofit dedicated to giving kids the childhood they deserve by bringing play to those who need it most. Children today spend less time playing outdoors than any previous generation, a fact that is having disastrous consequences on their health, achievement levels, and overall well-being. Social entrepreneur Darell Hammond founded non-profit KaBOOM! in 1996 in Washington, D.C., with a vision of creating a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America because children need to play actively every day at home, in school and in their communities. Since then, KaBOOM! has mapped over 95,000 places to play, built more than 2,300 playgrounds, and successfully advocated for play policies in hundreds of cities across the country. KaBOOM! also provides communities with online tools to self-organize and take action to support play on both a local and national level. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., KaBOOM! also has an office in San Mateo, Calif. For more information, visit www.kaboom.org.

So, if you have  a chance, go vote. Each of the schools is in need of a new play area. As a mom, I can tell you that safe playgrounds are so valuable. Especially for kids who live in apartments and need a place to run and play!

This makes me so happy

Tonight, Maggie asked me if she could use my dollhouse for her American girl mini dolls. I was thrilled by this. My mom and dad made me a dollhouse for Christmas when I was ten years old. I loved it so much. It even had working lights. I was always searching for miniatures in stores and creating things for my dollhouse.

I have held on to it since that time. Every move, I would have to decide if I was going to hold on to it. Maggie didn't show any interest in it at all, but I couldn't get rid of it.

Tonight, we got out my old furniture and tiny pieces and decorated the dollhouse. She has created a few things for her mini dolls and they are just the right size for the dollhouse. I don't know who was more excited about it.

We played and rearranged pieces. It's kind of neglected and needs paint and wallpaper. She even let Patrick play with it for a little while. She hugged me and thanked me about one million times before she went to bed tonight.

After she went to bed, I started researching ideas for what to do next with our dollhouse project. I'm so excited!

Bittersweet

School started for some members of the Cole family this week.

This was the first summer that I have been at home full time with both kids. I had an easy summer school schedule and decided that I would risk it all. I would stay home with the kids and not send them to any type of daycare. I might have lost my mind when I made that decision.

But, it was a great summer. We swam and went to the movies and celebrated Patrick's birthday. We went to Seattle and went to the most amazing water park in Livermore. The kids colored and played wall ball in the front yard. They stayed up too late and slept even later in the morning. It was just a good summer.

I am such an introvert and the constant conversations and interrupting and yelling started to drive me a little cray cray towards the end. I crave some time alone, so I can't say that I am sad that summer is over. I missed my time at starbucks.

But, it just feels bittersweet. I know that this time is short. I know that I will miss it someday.School provides structure and consistency and that feels good to me. But, sleeping late is nice too.

Patrick started preschool at Maggie's school this year. I have been a nervous wreck, but he went in and has had a blast. I can already see such a difference in him. He's the tallest kid in his class and he's so cute with his huge backpack.



And Maggie is loving her 4th grade class. She and her BFF are in the same class again and all is right in the world.

It's going to be a great year.

Just listen to me

Maggie was upset and telling me about her awful situation as I was driving the other day. I was distracted and had a headache and Patrick was making poop jokes. I was trying to patiently explain to her that she needed to be more patient. I was trying to explain the concept of grace to her.

She was getting more and more upset. I was losing my temper. Why couldn't she just listen to me and understand the point I was trying to make? I was giving good advice. Seriously, I was giving some wise, sage, motherly wisdom.

It just wasn't getting through to her.

That night, I was thinking through this conversation again. It hit me. She didn't need advice. She doesn't need me to explain to her the "right way" to do things all of the time. Sometimes, she just needs me to listen to her.

#Jinglebam

I think I'm so caught up in giving her words of wisdom and teaching her how to do things that I forget that she just needs to be listened to sometimes. I know that I feel this way sometimes. I just want someone to listen and be like, "wow, that sucks".

I apologized to her.I told her that I was sorry that I was trying to fix it all and give her the best advice ever. I would try to remember that sometimes she just needed to be listened to.

Washing dishes with Cascade Platinum

“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Cascade. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.”  www.momcentralconsulting.com

• Cascade Website: http://bit.ly/16Te3N5

• Cascade Facebook page:http://on.fb.me/10Y8RQQ

• #MyPlatinum Instagram:http://tinyurl.com/PlatBlog

When we moved to California, I experienced a lot of frustration with getting my dishes clean in the dishwasher. We have very hard water here so it's just hard to get my dishes clean and without water spots.

So, when I was asked to participate in the Cascade Platinum campaign, I was glad to jump in.

I received this package in the mail. I started that night's dishes and was pleasantly surprised by how clean they came out. I hate pre-rinsing and these dishes came out clean and spot free even without a pre-rinse.

I like the convenience of being able to just plop in the dishwashing tab. I keep them in a cafe du monde coffee canister next to my sink.

What it is: Cascade© Platinum Pacs deliver the most powerful clean available from Cascade while simultaneously
helping to maintain the sparkling look of your clean dishwasher interior.
How it works: Cascade© Platinum Pacs feature an advanced triple action recipe that is specially designed to
leave dishware virtually spot-free and help prevent the build-up of hard-water film on dishwasher walls.*
*Use a dishwasher cleaner to remove existing build-up on wall interiors.
Why you need it: Cascade© Platinum Pacs achieve a top-tier clean so powerful that they even help keep your
dishwasher machine sparkling and deliver a variety of dish care benefits:
• Powers away tough, 24 hour stuck-on food
• Eliminates the need to pre-wash dishes
• Helps maintain the look of new machines and helps prevent additional hard-water build-up
• Delivers exceptional dishware shine
Availability and Prices: Beginning in March 2013, Cascade©Platinum Pacs will be available in Fresh and Lemon
Burst scents at mass merchandisers, grocery and retailers nationwide.

Overall, I am pleased with the new product and was glad to participate in this campaign.

Cascade is starting an Instagram contest. Ya'll know how much I love contests! 

The Cascade “My Platinum” contest is a four-week Instagram contest encouraging fans to upload photos related to the weekly contest themes. Show off how sparkly Cascade makes all your pots, pan and plates!

·         Visit the contest landing page (http://tinyurl.com/PlatBlog) for information on how to enter and submit images:

o   The landing page will prompt users to sign up for Instagram if they are not currently users of the app.  

·         Each week, two contestants will be selected to receive a brand new Whirlpool dishwasher. Additionally, one lucky grand prize winner will receive a Platinum kitchen makeover!

To win, users have to both register and upload a photo with the #MyPlatinum hashtag and tag @MyCascade.  Participants that have not registered will be disqualified from winning.

Each week will have a 6-day entry period where Instagram users can enter the contest with their #MyPlatinum Photo. Cascade will choose two weekly winners and one final grand prize winner after the entry period has ended. Please be sure to include both the #MyPlatinum hashtag and tag @MyCascade in your entries to the contest!

·         Week 1: My Platinum Plate (Entry Period: 6/3-6/9)

              Show us your best dish styled from the sparkling plate up!

·         Week 2: My Platinum Bite (Entry Period: 6/10-6/16)

       Show us your best bite and most creative use of sparkling silverware!

·         Week 3: My Platinum Clink (Entry: 6/17-6/23)

       Show us how you serve up creative concoctions in sparkling glasses. Cheers!

·         Week 4: My Platinum Table (Entry Period: 6/24-6/30)

       Show us your sparkling tablescape for your most special celebrations!

·         Grand Prize Winner (Entry: 6/3-6/30)

A look back

Tonight, I was commenting on how cute Patrick is and how Maggie used to say adorable things just like Patrick.

I found a blog that I wrote 6 years ago. Look at this cuteness!

so, after that...it's a blur of a lot of the road. Til we get to Minnesota. There was a communion service and the commencement service. Maggie begged to go to the "congratulation" ceremony for Steven . She was so excited about him graduating. (I think she has a future as a cheerleader)


In front of the seminary sign...





We sat down..I had a bag of goodies loaded to keep her quiet. She promptly fell asleep as the speaker started. The speaker was so good. It was Gordon MacDonald. 

Steven was hooded and graduated. It was silent while the graduates walked across the stage. Until, there was another Stephen Cole. He was from South Africa. As he walked across the stage, a heavily accented woman from the balcony screamed out---HALLELUJAH! It was awesome! My thoughts exactly!

Then, to the reception.

A pretty good family pic.





steven and cohort and 2 professors



maggie taking a break....