postcard project take #4

We have added New York to Cooper's last of states visited bringing the total to 7 states in his short not-quite-9-months life. With this new state, is also the 4th installment in the postcard project. (You can also read about  installment #3, but it seems I never blogged installment #2 i. e. Key West- must of been during that blogging hiatus I took. So that has been added to my lengthy to-do list! :)


We traveled through the night on Wednesday to Long Island for my sister-in-law's Southampton beach wedding. We weren't in town very long because I had a class Saturday morning but it was quite the wonderful mini-vacation even with over 14 hours in the car and 1,100 miles we put on my car. It was all worth it to see Jennie and Brian tie the not as well as get to take Cooper to his very own Beach.


It is true. The #1 Beach in America is called Cooper's Beach so of course we had to take Coop. He was definitely unsure about his toes in the sand at first but he warmed up to it, which is a good thing because this family loooooves their toes in the sand!


The funny thing is, Rick and I realized we had been to Cooper's Beach before when we went to Long Island in 2007. Kinda crazy, right?


I am really excited for Cooper to have these postcards as he gets older. He is going to have the pictures and wonder about the details. Along with the postcards he will have all kinds of little mementos to remember (or pretend to remember) all the fun times we have together, as a family. Hopefully they will help remind him that life is about adventures!

And for posterity's sake...

Cooper's Beach circa 2007

Proud Momma!

August 30, 2010 was the best day of my life (and I have had a LOT of wonderful days!)
It is so unreal the amount of love I have for this child. It was on this day that I finally got a glimpse, if only a small one, into the amount of love that God has for each and every one of us.
I really must say thank you to my own mother and every other woman that has touched my life to help me be the mother I am today. Even those that don't have their own children have still managed to teach me how to love a little more deeply.

I am so thankful to be exposed to many different women with their many different mothering ways and their many lessons learned.

I am so beyond proud to be the mother of my sweet baby Coop! :)
Happy (First) Mother's Day! :)

all you need is love.

Two wrongs don't make a right.


I get it. I get that lives were lost and awful things are attributed to this person, and he may even be responsible for every single terrorist activity that has occurred. I get that those lives will never be replaced and the damage will never be taken back.


But somehow, I just cannot wrap my head around feeling happy about a murder.


We are supposed to be happy about a baby being born and happy about getting an A on a test and happy about having an article written about your young philanthropists. But a murder? 


I guess we could get really deep into politics and personal beliefs and conclude that everyone feels a little bit different. I have no intentions of changing anyone else's thoughts or feelings about this. In fact, I am trying to understand other's opinions. I will be the first to admit that I didn't lose anyone close to me at 9/11 but even if I had, I pray this still wouldn't make me happy.


My God has taught me that he loves EVERYONE. There are no exclusions, ifs, ands, or, buts about it. EVERYONE and as much as it is hard to say, even Bin Laden.


All day, I have struggled with how I am feeling about this situation. It wasn't until I read this quote by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that I felt like I had figured it out.


‎"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."


So I choose love. I choose to pray for those who choose hate and love them anyway. Love them they way I was loved and the way that I have been taught to love.

upside to everything.

Our doctor was able to get Coop in at 8:45 this morning. His fever was up to 102.6 last night so we were sure a sick visit was in order. I am so thankful for an amazing practice who would rather see my baby on a Sunday than send us to KidMed.

After a quick assessment and a strep test, our doctor concluded that he has a virus of the coxsackie kind, ie. yet another waiting game! Ya know, lots of fluids, tylenol and ibuprofen. Great! (Can you sense my sarcasm?)

The virus usually consists of 3-4 days of fever and blisters in the mouth and throat. She said not to be surprised if it gets worse tomorrow. Even better! (Now you gotta hear my sarcasm!)
Today there is an additional treatment that we haven't gotten before... our lucky (sick) duck also gets sherbet to soothe his throat, doctors orders. There truly is an upside to everything.

positive people with a splash of 80s

Sadly, there are always those people who try to rain on your parade. Ya know those unhappy people I am talking about... Whether its snarky comments under their breath or extremely mean ones behind your back, they are there. I try to stay focused and remember that I am doing what I do best and shouldn't let those negative people or their thoughts effect me. Some days are definitely easier than others and when I am tempted to stoop to their level I read my favorite Mother Teresa quote.


People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.


If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.


If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.


If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.


What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.


If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.


The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.


Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.


You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God; it was never between you and them anyway.


Because it really isn't about my relationship with anyone else but God. But surrounding myself with positive people and their positive vibes (with a splash of 80's music) doesn't seem to hurt at all!

exactly where I am meant to be!

This week has been one of the most amazing in my teaching career. I don't use the term career lightly because officially it feels like an actual career. I am making a name for myself and a long list of experiences and accomplishments to go with it.

This week my class won the NBC12's Acts of Kindness Award and was awarded $300 for their cause. The cause? Supporting the Capital Diaper Bank. 

I came across the Capital Diaper Bank back in the Fall when they first opened. I was extremely interested in helping and thought it would be the perfect philanthropy project for my school.

When I presented the idea to my bosses they mentioned a new program to be implemented called Brainworks and thought this would fit in perfectly.

[A little bit of background: This school year, my school started some special training by Stephen Covey called 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Long story short, it has been introduced on a kid level in a book called 7 Habits of Happy Kids in magnet schools throughout the world. Rainbow Station's founder thought it would be brilliant to try and introduce it at the preschool level as well which has never been done before. We spent MLK Jr. Day learning ways to implement the 7 habits into our daily curriculum and teaching styles.]

Enter Brainworks. After all the kids learned the 7 habits (it is unbelievable how they really got them.) We began our Brainworks Brainstorm. I told the kids about the mommies in need and how the Capital Diaper Bank helps those mommies and babies too. The kids loved the idea. They decided they could collect diapers, money and even sell stuff to raise even more money. They organized a bake sale complete with hand written posters to pass out and coin jugs they painted. They went from classroom to classroom to tell the other kids and teachers about their cause and raised over $242 at their bake sale and already a pack-n-play full of diapers.

One of the parents wrote an article for the Wyndham Wire (the community newsletter) and I even sent some information to our franchise PR person to nominate them for the NBC12 Award. AND WE WON!

Sabrina Squire and her camera guy showed up last week to award the class with $300 for their cause and even interviewed the kids. 

I am so beyond words. This class is amazing. One of those classes that is going to be VERY difficult to let go. They are so special to me and this is all just amazing. Ms. Lauren (my co-teacher) and I just couldn't be prouder.

Kristi Stilson over at Children R First is even writing about us and is also doing an article in Richmond Family Magazine about the Capital Diaper Bank where we will also appear.

This another one of those moments where I look around and realize I am exactly where I am meant to be!

Look for us on NBC12 Tuesday, May 3 at 5:00pm.

no slowing down!

In the last few weeks, Cooper went to Kings Dominion for the first time, celebrated his first Easter and went to his first concert, Jimmy Buffett to be exact.


He went from scooting to full fledged crawling on his knees today and is now being offered real food (even though he seems to choose puffs over everything).


He even had his first high fever which is really not something to brag about. Apparently he wants to go ahead and get ready for his May sick visit, since we will leave no month out. Our doctor is going to meet us at the office tomorrow because, well, we have the best doctor. 


He is also making his first transition into a new classroom with a new teacher. (Which brings on a whole list of other feelings because we will have to say goodbye to his amazing teacher, Ms. Tiffanie. I KNOW his next teachers are going to be wonderful too but that still doesn't make it easier to let Ms. Tiffanie go. I definitely spent the better part of the last 2 weeks trying to convince her to move up with him, but to no avail!)


So as you can see... we have been quite the busy bees and show now signs of slowing down! We have lots to trips coming up including Long Island and Chicago in May and Virginia Beach and Outer Banks in June. This family doesn't slow down for anything!

Cooper riding rides at KD

 Celebrating Grandad's Birthday at Jimmy Buffett in Raleigh

 Rocking the bunny ears with Emery

Hanging out at the Monument Easter on Parade

Ms. Tiffanie with Cooper and Emery :)