Cooper

Cooper, thanks for always helping me remember life is fun!  I love you.

Oliver

Oliver, thanks for always making me feel happy.  I love you.

First Day of School!

Our summer was extremely short, but packed with fun.  Yesterday was the first day of school!  I don't think I was ready for school to start, but my kids were.  They love school!

My Fourth Grader:

 Ethan was excited and didn't seem nervous at all.

 My Second Grader:

 Madeline was excited but EXTREMELY nervous.  She takes after her mom in that regard.

New school year.  New adventures.  Ready or not, here we go!

Madeline's Cabin Adventure!

Ethan wasn't the only one who went on adventures this summer!  Thanks to my sister and her family, Madeline got to go on a little trip as well.  They took Madeline with them on their two day, one night trip to their other grandpa's cabin!  Madeline was so excited!

 Looks like a party!

 I'm so grateful she got to go,

 and had such a great time with her cousins!

Todd and Ethan's Fishing Trip

It's not every day that you open your "find my friends" app and it says your husband is here:

 That's because it's not every day that he is lucky enough to go on a four generation fishing trip!

 Todd was able to take Ethan to experience ocean fishing with his dad and grandpa!  His mom, aunt, brother and fiancé were also able to go.  I'm so happy they had such a fun experience together.

 Enjoy the pictures!  I know I did.

Cooper and His Glasses

I think it was in June when Todd and I started noticing Cooper going cross-eyed.  At first, I thought it was kind of funny and silly, but it didn't take long to realize something wasn't quite right.  It went from occasionally to almost constantly in a matter of a week or two.  Every time he looked at something close to his face, he'd go cross-eyed.  And BAD!  It was getting a little disturbing!

So after a visit to his pediatrician, a lot of phone calls, and a little blessing (called a random appointment cancelation so we didn't have to wait until the next available opening in SEPTEMBER), we were able to get him into a pediatric eye specialist.  It was there that we discovered that Cooper is farsighted and would need glasses!  I have to admit, I didn't take the news super well.  It was hard for me to take in.  My sweet little two year old needing glasses.

Little did I know what an adventure it would be…

These first two pictures are blurry, but are so Cooper, I had to post them anyway. 

 First off, I have to say, he's done pretty well.  I mean, he is 2 after all.  So the crying and throwing them down the stairs and hiding them all should be expected right?

 But in reality, it all came as such a surprise to me.  I didn't realized he wouldn't like them.  I mean, I thought he'd like to see.  Instead, he throws them off and says, "I like seeing fuzzy!"  Sigh...

 He keeps them on pretty well if he's watching a show or playing a little game

 He keeps them on well if you are entertaining him

 or playing diggers!

 He usually keeps them on if he can be outside, especially if he can play diggers in the dirt.  And especially especially if he turns the water on to make mud!

 He told me yesterday, "I love dirt!  It's so dirty!"  He was stroking it and sprinkling it on his legs when he said that...

 I have spent the last week and a half poking chocolates and fruit snacks in his mouth so he'll keep them on.  Only recently did he start hiding them, but he's pretty good at showing me right where he hid them.  He won't wear them until after breakfast EVER, but why fight that.  It's a long road, but he's doing well.  I think it's been hard on him.  But probably harder on me.  And when all else fails, leave it to awesome cousins and siblings to save the day:  a goggle/glasses "swim" party!

In time, I think he'll be used to them enough that he won't throw them off.  Hopefully he'll keep them on all the time.  It won't be long before he can't remember life without them.  Sometimes he still goes cross-eyed even when wearing them.  I try not to worry too much about this.  Hopefully it will fix itself with time.  He has another eye appointment at the end of August to make sure.  If not, he might have to have eye patches or surgeries or other not fun things.  Fingers crossed!  (Not eyes)  :)