And Baby Makes 3

Cori is just a funny kid

2011-02-24T20:50:00.002-05:00

Cori has always been pretty funny. In my opinion her verbal skills are way beyond that of a normal 3 year old. I thought i would share some of her more recent funnies with everyone.

Several nights ago, Adam was removing the safety railing from Cori's toddler bed. Cori was "helping" and i was "supervising." I took a look around Cori's "stuff" filled room and said, "When she is big enough for a twin, i have no idea where we are going to put it!" Cori immediately became excited and started jumping up and down. She said, "A twin! A TWIN!! Oh yes, i always wanted a twin sister!" Imagine her disappointment when Adam and i explained that we were talking about a bed!

A couple of days ago, Adam was swinging Cori around the living room. He suddenly stopped and said, "I need to stop. I don't want to pull your arms out of their sockets." Cori's reply, "Daddy, i don't wear my arms in my socks!"

And my favorite... As spring is approaching, Adam was discussing with Cori and i what he hopes to plant in the garden this year. After i made a few suggestions, we asked Cori what she wanted to plant. Her response, "Buffalo!" We actually plant our garden out at my Mom and Dad's house. They live in the country and have quite a bit of space. I can't wait to let my Dad know that we will be planting buffalo this year! I wonder if they come as seeds or if you can buy the starter plants?

I hate to Post Without Pictures

2011-01-21T12:44:00.002-05:00

It's true. I figure, what's the point? No one really comes here to see what i have written about. You all just want to look at pictures of Cori and see what she is up to. Well, this time, you will have to use your imagination because - Yes, we have no pictures!

Cori sang in her preschool Christmas program in December. I was pretty proud of all of the preschoolers and the great job they did staying in their own spaces, keeping their hands to themselves, and singing most of the words and most of the notes at the right time and with the right intonation. Most of you know i am the director of Cori's preschool and as such, i had to select the program for the Christmas pageant this year. This year's program was entitled "Room Around the Manger" and described Mary and Joseph's journey on their way to Bethlehem. The song titles went something like this "What can you Carry on a Donkey's Back?", "It was a Long Way", "No Room", "1,2,3 People Needed a Bed" and "Quiet Lullaby." There were several more, but you get the idea.

Cori had a part in the program as that of Market Person #2. She had a costume, a speaking part and everything. Later in the program, I was in the sound booth helping with the recording when over the speakers i heard a very clear voice. I looked up and Cori had grabbed a hold of one of the stage mics and moved it to mouth level and was singing directly into it. She sounded great but still, i was a tad bit embarrassed. After the program was over, many people came up and asked me who the adorable little girl with the pink scarf was who had been singing so sweetly into the microphone. They were surprised to hear she was my kid! She is so like her parents!

Christmas was fantastic this year. We are blessed to be able to spend Christmas with both sides of the family every year. I have so many friends who have to alternate which side of the family they visit each year. We go to Adam's family Christmas right before Christmas and my family Christmas on Christmas Eve. We spend Christmas Day at home, all together, the three of us. (Unless you count Shelby and then it is the four of us)

Adam came down with gout on New Year's Day. My Dad has been teasing him about gout being an old person's disease. Poor Adam was off work for two weeks before the doctor released him. Now the outside of his foot hurts from walking on it to keep pressure off of his big toe. I have been a reading fool! Adam got me a Barnes & Noble Nook for Christmas and i love it! I am reading a book every two days now. Thank goodness B&N has free books available for download. I would have bankrupted us already!

Finding the Perfect Christmas Tree

2010-12-13T13:23:00.003-05:00

Once again the family took off for Fulton Farms to find our perfect Christmas tree. Over 20 acres of trees to chose from. This year, there was snow on the ground! We love trudging through the snow to find that most wonderful prize, the perfect tree. Of course, it doesn't matter if the tree we look at first is the perfect one, Adam still likes to check all 20 acres to make sure there isn't one out there that might be just a little bit better.

Cori at Dance Class

2010-12-13T13:20:00.002-05:00

She has more grace than her Mother, that is for sure. Dance class is really helping Cori with her coordination. I can't help but think that dance class is surely going to help her on the softball diamond some day. Is that wrong????? :)

Preschool Field Trip

2010-12-13T13:14:00.000-05:00

Cori is having a lot fun at preschool. She is learning so much that sometimes i forget she is only 3 years old. One of the best days she had was at our preschool field trip to the working farm. I have attached pictures as they really do say 1,000 words!

Fall Fair

2010-12-13T13:00:00.002-05:00

Cori, Daddy and Mommy worked very hard this summer preparing, planting, tending and then harvesting our very large garden. Once the fruits of our labors were ready, we picked our produce and froze it to use this winter. Adam has been industriously baking pumpkin pie, bread and cookies for the family to enjoy. That's right, ADAM has been baking! And he is a pro!

Cori was able to enter some of our vegetables in the Fall Fair. Grandpa's class puts on a Fall Fair every year that the high school. I have attached pictures of Cori with her goods and her ribbons.

Halloween Pictures

2010-12-13T12:53:00.002-05:00

Cori was a Ballerina for Halloween. Of course, by the time we added all of the accessories she wanted, she was a Fairy Princess Ballerina! We were super spoiled for Halloween this year. She got to go twice with her preschool class, once in Piqua and again with her cousins in Englewood. It is nearly Christmas and we STILL have Halloween candy!

The Cheese is on the Top Shelf

2010-09-09T18:26:00.002-04:00

Cori went to the allergist yesterday and all of her tests came back negative, which is actually a positive. She can have milk and eggs again. (in moderation to start) When we came home from the doctor's office, Cori requested scrambled eggs for dinner. So we had scrambled eggs. Today she is having grilled cheese. She was so excited that she ran to the fridge and let Adam know that the "cheese is on the top shelf!" Even though she hasn't been able to have cheese for so long, she never lost track of where it was in the fridge!

Both the allergist and i agree that while Cori showed some symptoms of milk allergy, the tests don't lie. Although he agrees with me that the milk, or whatever may be IN the milk could be causing her red bumps on her arms. Maybe it is time to switch to a more organic product. Maybe it is time to research the levels of hormones that are allowed in dairy products. Looks like Mommy has some research to do!

First day of school and dance classes

2010-08-28T15:33:00.002-04:00

Cori started her first day of school on Wednesday. It looks like she will be going 5 days a week. As i am the director at the preschool, i have to be there every morning. Seems silly to get her a sitter when i can just take her to preschool. Although, i am a little worried about her going 5 days a week. This seems like a lot for a 3 year old.

Cori likes her classmates and she likes her teacher. They have already done some interesting things and she is getting some really good reinforcement on her manners.

On September 13, Cori starts dance class. She has been talking all summer about wanting to take ballet classes. We were lucky to find a dance school in Troy that teaches a creative movements class for 3 and 4 year olds. We have to go get some ballet slippers and a leotard with tights. If this goes well, we will sign her up for soccer this summer. Softball will be right around the corner i am sure!

The County Fair 2010

2010-08-19T14:17:00.003-04:00

Our Miami County Fair is shrinking every year. I am waiting for the rides and games to be cancelled and the whole week just referred to as a livestock show. But here are some pictures of Cori having the time of her life!

Camping, Algae and "What's that Noise?"

2010-07-08T12:43:00.002-04:00

Over the 4th of July weekend, the fam went camping at Grand Lake St. Mary's. Our little family slept in our three room tent, complete with screened in porch. The other two families we went camping with were decked out in mobile hotel rooms, complete with air conditioning!

I wasn't a ton of help, as i still have lifting restrictions in place after my surgery. Adam had to do most of the heavy lifting and that included taking Cori to the playground so she could swing. I was in charge of food. That is a very important thing to be in charge of!

Cori loved camping. She loved roasting hot dogs, visiting the nature center and playing with the other kids. We had 6 kids at our campsite. Cori was by far the youngest and all of the children catered to her and helped her and doted on her. What a rude awakening Cori had when we came home and it was back to routine as usual! hee hee Swimming was out of the question. The lake has been taken over by a turquoise colored algae. When the temperature gets warm, the algae "blooms" and it is pretty disgusting. I can't describe it to do it justice.

To stay cool, the kids would play games or be crafty in the campers with the A/C on high. For whatever reason, the adults stayed out doors and sat around the fire talking and just sweating our butts off. The kids were certainly the smarter group in this instance!

At night it took Cori forever to go to sleep! That kid heard noises from everywhere! And ever time there was a noise, there was a question from Cori, "What's that noise?" The third night we got smart and let her fall asleep in a camper watching a movie. Then all Adam had to do was pick her up and carry her to the tent. Next time we will know better.

Our camping adventure was fun although HOT. So fun in fact that we are looking at campers. Nothing fancy, just something that will keep Mommy and Daddy from sleeping on the ground. And ok, i admit it, something with some A/C so we can play cards without the cards melting as we play!

The air is blinking!

2010-06-26T15:03:00.002-04:00

Yes, the air IS blinking! Blinking with lightning bugs. Cori is the world's best lightning bug catcher. She has her little bug net and she zooms through the grass in her bare feet. Every time she catches one she yells, "Mommy i got it! I got it!" We put them in a tupperware container and watch them blinkity blink. Oh to be young and excited over lightning bugs!

Daddy and Cori have been going over to the Ostendorf pool for swimming. Mommy has another week before she can be in the water. Drat! Whose idea was this to have surgery during summer anyway??

Tried camping in the back yard last night. Unfortunately, our neighbors (two doors down) were have a pretty loud outdoor birthday party. We tried and tried to put Cori to bed in the tent but the noise was bothering her. Finally she told Adam that she just couldn't sleep with all the noise. Next thing you know, i hear Cori hollering from inside the tent, "Well i guess camping is over!" She was pretty mad. Neighbors kept at it til after 2:30 am. So no one slept in the tent. Boo Hiss In my younger days i would have done one of two things. #1 joined them. #2 yelled across the fence for them to shut up. Last night i just wanted to call the cops! Must be getting old.

Swimming and Swimming

2010-06-12T10:34:00.004-04:00

We've been doing quite a bit of swimming around here. As the weather permits, we have been making the very long 1 and 1/2 block trek to the Piqua Pool. Cori nearly vibrates with excitement when we are getting ready to go. I don't get much actual swimming in. My job is to constantly be nearby in case Cori's floatation vest suddenly stops working and to be at the end of the water slide to "catch" Cori when she comes down. Usually that means getting splashed to death while she is have a WONDERFUL time! Now if the weather would only cooperate a little more.

I have surgery on Tuesday the 15th of June so i don't know when i will be able to take her to the pool again. Hopefully, Adam will take her.

Oh and p.s. Hennin has been stuck in a tree for 3 days. Send help!!

The Hennin Report

2010-06-01T12:29:00.004-04:00

Cori has a friend. His name is Hennin. He lives a rather interesting life. Yesterday he was fishing. Today he is at a ball game in blue pants with a blue shirt. Hennin gets to do a lot of stuff that Cori either wishes she could do, or stuff that she is not allowed to do. Oh, did i mention that Hennin is imaginary? Prior, we thought his name was Himmen. We were wrong!
Yes, Cori has an imaginary friend. She doesn't play with him or ask us to make him lunch or to make room for him in the car. But every day we get the "Hennin Report". We get to hear all about what her friend is up to.
I am not concerned at all. Most of what i have read has indicated that imaginary friends are healthy and helpful. I know that i had an imaginary friend when i was Cori's age. Actually, i had an entire imaginary family. They lived in the climbing tree in my front yard. The tree even had bedrooms, a living room and kitchen. I loved that tree and my tree family.
My niece, Erin had a couple of imaginary friends. The one i remember the most was named Robin. Poor Robin. I was always sitting on him! My other niece, Molly, even had a friend who was a can of chicken noodle soup for a little while. Yes, an actual can of chicken noodle soup!
We will keep an eye on Hennin. He could become rather useful. Yesterday, Hennin was fishing, i have a feeling that Cori would like to go too. She really enjoyed that last summer. If Hennin is at the ball game, i have no doubt it is because Cori wanted to go watch her Grandpa's team play softball. We didn't go and she was pretty upset about it.
I am thinking that Hennin could bring some insight to what Cori would like to be doing. I know, i know, i could just ask Cori what she wants to do, but keeping track of Hennin seems like so much fun!

First Day at the Big Pool

2010-05-31T21:10:00.002-04:00

My whole extended family was pretty busy this weekend with their own things and Adam had to work, sooooooooooo, Cori and i went to the Piqua Pool today. Little did i know that the pool was nearly not even opened this year. WHAT?! I guess the City Manager was complaining that Piqua (like every other town in the country) is losing money. Apparently, the pool hasn't turned a profit in the last 5 years. Hmmm, you mean since Troy opened it's amazing municipal water park 5 years ago, the Piqua Pool (23 years old) has been losing money? Go figure!
But our ever community conscious council members over-ruled the city manager and the pool opened on schedule. I figure those city council members were thinking that the kids who normally go to the pool would be terrorizing the neighborhoods if the pool was closed and they didn't want that to happen.
It was a beautiful day for a trip to the pool. Did i mention the pool is a block and half from our house? For $5.50 Cori and i had all the water fun we could handle! The pool has 3 water slides. One for tots like Cori, one for older children and the Eviscerator (Ice Age 2 reference) for the adventurous. For now i have convinced Cori to stay with the tot slide. We will see if she has graduated to the larger slide by the end of the summer. Ain't no way i am taking her down the HUGE slide. Maybe Adam will do that for her.
Cori is such a social butterfly. She says "Hi" to every kid she passes. It doesn't matter what age they are. If they are breathing they are fair game for Cori to introduce herself to. She even tries to make conversation with the adults. At one point i felt bad for the lifeguard who was assigned to the area of the kiddie slide. I had to tell Cori that the lifeguard was busy watching the water for potential drowning victims and didn't have time to listen to her stories or play her game of 5million questions. Shy she ain't!
If the weather holds out, we are going back tomorrow. Cori wants Daddy to go with us. Should be a good time!

What???

2010-05-28T00:05:00.002-04:00

Tonight Cori put on her best pouty face and announced rather loudly the following: "Mommy doesn't love me. Daddy doesn't love me. Shelby doesn't love me. Nobody loves me!" She then drug her feet to her room with her chin upon her chest and slammed the door. Adam and i both said, "What??" A minute later the door to her room flew open and she ran out hollering, "Everybody loves me! YAY!!" She is 3. I thought insanity didn't show up until much later.

Yesterday morning she came into our bedroom at 7am and announced that it was now time to go swimming. What??

And earlier today Cori told me that her friend Himmen and his pet rhinoceros were coming over for dinner and we needed to have peanut butter and jelly, carrots and dip and jello. WHAT??

She must be Adam's kid.

And so it begins!

2010-05-25T09:03:00.002-04:00

Summer officially starts the first day Cori is in a pool. So i guess that means that yesterday, summer started. Cori and i went to K-Mart and picked out a little pool. It amazes me what $9 can buy. I am sure it was made in China and full of lead and tainted baby milk but hey, it was $9 what do you expect?

We were filling it up when Adam arrived home from work just in time to save us from droopy pool side disaster! By 6:30 we were adding some hot water and Cori was swimming. The water was freezing and her lips started turning blue but she was having a blast! It was 90 degrees outside so i am guessing the cold water felt good. Can't wait til the Piqua pool opens and she can really swim!

1....2.....

2010-05-21T14:45:00.002-04:00

I was putting Cori down for her nap today as usual, and i read her a story, as usual. I have to stop at 1 story and be firm about it or Cori sets out to demonstrate the old addage, "give an inch, they take a mile." While she knows she gets one and one story only, this doesn't stop her from asking for two once in a while. When she asked today, i said, "No Cori, it is naptime." to which she replied, "Don't make me count to 3 Mommy."

I know that my Mother is laughing her head off somewhere as she reads this and is thinking that payback is a ..... well, you know what it is.

Allergy Update

2010-05-18T11:46:00.002-04:00

We just returned home from the allergist. He interpreted the blood tests Cori had several weeks ago and informed me that in reality, the allergy antibody numbers were pretty low. He discounted the grass pollen allergy altogether. After listening to what i had to say about her positive reaction to the elimination diet she was on and then doing a skin test for 14 different allergens, he concluded that Cori must stay away from dairy products and "pure egg" products. She can have products with milk or egg in them as long as they are baked in. I have a list of foods that are off limits due to milk or egg content.

This is really good news for Cori. Many of the foods i had eliminated from her diet are now available to her again. I still need to be watching labels for content and noting any reactions, but i feel a lot better than i did before we met with the allergist.

Bring on the pasta noodles and pop tarts!

Random Photos taken by Budding Photographer who is 3

2010-05-15T14:20:00.002-04:00

Cori's pack

Self portrait of feet

Mommy's pack

Cori socks

and of course, Daddy!

The kids and their puppets

2010-05-15T14:03:00.003-04:00

John with his puppet.

Molly and her puppet

Jacqueline and her puppet

Erin made a really cool bee puppet

Emma and her puppet

Birthday Pics Continued

2010-05-15T13:51:00.003-04:00

Someone always gets you clothes. :)

Cori in her painter smock.

Outdoor tools. Cori has gotten a ton of use out of these this spring. She LOVES to help Adam in the yard.

More kid crafting.

Photos from the Birthday Party

2010-05-15T13:39:00.002-04:00

The party theme was "Bees". I had to make all of the decorations. No one sells a bee theme.
The bee in the photo is the Pillow Pet Cori wanted for her birthday. Of course, she wanted the bee!

Cori and her Moon Sand.

I had to buy black and yellow paper plates to make some bee cupcake holders. All in all i was pretty happy with my bee decorations. I made hives out of inverted clay flower pots.

The kids made paper bag puppets. I stole the idea of having a craft instead of a game from Kerry. I am not proud, i will steal ideas. Especially when they are good ones!

Crafty Kids!

The Camera is broken

2010-05-13T10:19:00.002-04:00

I think we have to say it is official. The camera is broken. I was handing it to Cori so she could take a picture and it fell to the ground and hit with a loud "CRACK". I am going to try to download some of the pics on the memory card, but, we will have to see how it goes.

We have baby rabbits in the back yard. Cori and i like to watch them from the patio doors. Shelby just sits and whines and wants out so she can chase them. Whenever Shelby does this, Cori will sternly tell Shelby to "Go lay down and leave those rabbits alone!" It is pretty comical. Especially since Shelby listens to her.

We Decided to Skip April

2010-05-11T18:15:00.002-04:00

HA! Actually, i found that it was easier to post a few sentences on Facebook than post several paragraphs here. However, i am going to start cross posting any information that pertains to Cori.
Mother's Day: Went with my family, my Sister's family, my Brother's family and my Mom and Dad to El Sombrero for lunch. This is my Mom's favorite restaurant and so we take her there every Mother's Day. Cori gave me a beautiful beaded bracelet that she made at preschool. It is now the most precious piece of jewelry that i own. :)
May 7: Nearly got myself a brand new 12 point hood ornament for the truck last night. Glad to know the brakes on the truck work well!
May 5: Cori is allergic to egg and milk! Oh yes, egg and milk. You would be surprised at the number of foods that have egg and milk in them. You would be surprised at how many of those foods are Cori's favorites. These two allergies have caused most of Cori's medical issues these last two years. The bumps on her arms, the mystery rashes that appear out of no where and disappear with the same mystery. The persistent coughing without any other symptoms. The hoarse voice that she sometimes gets. All from these food allergies. Makes me angry that it took 2 years to finally test her, makes me happy that we now know the problem. She sees an allergist in one week.

What a difference a month makes!!

2010-03-17T21:33:00.004-04:00

I can't get over the difference a month makes in the weather! I have posted some pictures here that were taken exactly one month apart. We go from over a foot of snow and 3 foot snow drifts to fun in the sun!
In the snow pictures, Adam had to shovel out a path in the snow so that Cori could enjoy playing in it. The drifts were so high that the poor girl couldn't walk in the snow! The next pictures (sunny) were taken a month later. Cori is playing on her new play place after Adam put it together. We were so fortunate that Cori's preschool GAVE it to us. Oh to be the teacher's pet!
A year ago, we were excited to have a tiny little slide for Cori to play on. Now, she has grown so much that she is climbing and jumping like a monkey and needed a playset that was more challenging. She is growing so fast!!

A blog about me

2010-03-05T17:39:00.002-05:00

This post will be all about Mommy, er, i mean Bridget. Identity crisis there for a second! I quit smoking. YAY me! Three weeks now. It is exciting. I just wish Adam would quit with me. I have been trying to figure out how to approach getting him to quit. I thought about giving him crap that a girl could so something he couldn't but i don't want to make him mad either.

i am going to lose 100 pounds. Ohh ho ho you say, A HUNDRED pounds??!! Yep. I have a game plan in place and right now the hardest part will be finding the time to walk. I can't take Cori with me, she is too distracting. I need total concentration to get through the physical activity part of this project. I have to get Adam on board with this as well. The pantry around here is going to be bare of bad for you snacks. I will be cooking ground turkey, fish and chicken. There will be brown rice and wheat pasta. Sugary snacks will be replaced with healthy ones. I don't want any crying whining or complaining.

Call it a midlife crisis, call it an awakening, call it whatever you want but i am getting myself and this family on track for health and happiness. Period, end of discussion.

Babies??

2010-02-08T12:37:00.002-05:00

No don't get excited, we aren't having any more babies but apparently, neither is Shelby. As i was making Cori's lunch, Cori strolled into the kitchen and said, "Mom, Shelby can't have babies." I just sorta looked at Cori and a rare thing occurred. I was speechless. Where did that come from? Shelby indeed can not have babies. I know this, Adam knows this, Shelby's vet knows this, but how does CORI know this? And what brought up this need to let ME know that SHE knows that Shelby can't have babies? Kids! Gotta love 'em!

Night Terrors

2010-01-09T15:39:00.002-05:00

For the last few months, Cori has been waking in the night screaming and crying and nothing that Adam or i do can console her. As a matter of fact, the more we ask her what is wrong, or what hurts, the louder and harder she cries. It is very hard on a parent to see their child in such obvious pain and know that whatever you do to help is unsuccessful. It happens about once every couple of weeks around 11 or 11:30pm. Usually, you can hear her move around a little (we still have the monitor in her room) and then the full blown crying and screaming begins. Sometimes she calls for Mommy and sometime she calls for Daddy. But when we arrive in her room, she doesn't want held and will often fight against whoever is trying to hold her. After a while (sometimes 5 minutes, sometimes as long as 15 minutes) she will lay down and go back to sleep like nothing happened. This leaves Adam and i confused. At times she has cried so hard, i just snatch her up and put her in bed with us. She will fight against laying down and then suddenly will snuggle up calm as can be.

I have done some research and found that she is having what is most commonly referred to as a night terror. These are different from your run of the mill bad dreams. For one thing, while she is crying and carrying on, she is actually still asleep although her eyes are open. While she is stuck in this state, you can't console her because she doesn't know who you are and can interpret your hugs as attacks which scare her even more.

As far as i can tell from what i have read, her brain is stuck between light sleep and REM. This transition happens in the first few hours of sleep. While in this limbo state, her brain has trouble distinguishing between real and not real. No one knows for sure what triggers this behaviour in toddlers. Some say it is hereditary. Poor Cori gets a little bit from both parents as both Adam and i were sleep walkers when we were young. We both grew out of it and there is every indication from the literature i read that Cori will grow out of this also. There is another theory that toddlers who are sleep deprived will exhibit this behaviour. Cori still takes a pretty long nap during the day and sleeps about 10 hours each night. Yet another theory explains that toddlers will go through this when they are reaching a developmental milestone or going through a growth spurt. Apparently, the night terror only happens if the toddler is disturbed at the time between light sleep and REM. For example; a loud noise, a change in temperature, a muscle cramp, the feeling of a full bladder and in some cases sleep apnea. As we are really trying to concentrate on potty training right now, it may be that she is noticing when her bladder is full. My niece had sleep apnea and my sister told me that she too was prone to these night terrors.

Actually, night terror is a misused term in most cases. A true night terror is hysterical, blood -curdling screaming where the child's eyes will near bulge from their sockets in fright. This child can become violent and will try to break down doors or go through windows to escape the perceived terror that is frightening them. Only about 1% of the toddler population experiences a true night terror. What Cori is experiencing is more of a night confusion. Something causes her to "wake" in a state of panic. She will cry and cry but will then calm down without causing harm to herself or anyone else.

Overall this phenomena is much harder on the parents than on the child. The child will not recall anything amiss from the night before and there is no bad dream to remember. I just put all of this here in the blog to see if anyone else has experienced this either themselves or with their own children. I will be watching Cori a little more closely to see if she might indeed have sleep apnea or if she just inherited this trait from Adam and i. I hope it doesn't last long. There is nothing worse than having your child cry and cry and know that there is nothing you can do to stop it.

Snow Day!

2010-01-08T16:57:00.002-05:00

Today Cori had her first snow day. She was rather upset about it. When they finally cancelled school at about 7am (due to poor road conditions) Cori was eating her breakfast and dressed for school. After i relayed the news that school was cancelled she sobbed, huge big sobbing tears. She said, "It's not closed, it's not closed, i need it, i need school." Someday i will remind her of this moment when she is in high school and begging me to let her stay home.

Our First Trip to the Dentist

2010-01-05T10:36:00.002-05:00

Today i took Cori on her very first trip to the dentist. Last night she was full of excitement and questions about seeing the dentist for the first time.
Cori - "Is the dentist a boy?"
Me - "yes"
Cori - "Is he a BIG boy?"
Me - "Yes, he is a big boy"
Cori - "What is the dentist's name?"
Me - "His name is Dr. Jackson"
Cori - "Ohhhhhh, Dr. Jackson"
Cori - "What does he do?"
Me - "Cori, what does a dentist do?"
Cori - "He is gonna check my teef"
Me - "And what do we do when he wants to see our teeth?"
Cori - "We say AHHHHHH and CHEEEEEESE!"

When we arrived she wanted to go right back for her appointment. Good thing we only had to wait about 5 minutes. She got right in the chair and was shown the instruments. Dr. Jackson asked if he could check her teeth and Cori opened right up for him. He did a nice thorough inspection and told me that her teeth looked wonderful and that someone was doing a very good job of brushing them. (Pat on the back for Mommy and Daddy) She has all of her baby teeth, and all of the molars she is supposed to have to this point. When he was finished Cori said thank you and was treated to a bag of dental goodies. Piglet toothbrush, princess stickers, Sponge Bob toothpaste and a dinosaur flosser! Then Cori asked Dr. Jackson if she could stay with him and check people's teeth. He told her to look him up when she needed a job.
It was a great appointment and i am glad i took her. She will be ready to get her first cleaning in 6 months and i hope it goes as well! Just another sign that my little girl is growing up!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T09:14:00.003-05:00

To get the new year started out right, we moved Cori into a bigger room. We swapped her room and the computer room. Both Cori and Daddy are THRILLED with this new development. The only thing i worry about is that Cori's new room is pretty cold compared to the rest of the house. It is the farthest from the furnace so it tends to stay cool. Of course then i remind myself that the room i grew up in had 1/2 inch thick frost on the windows in the winter, no upstairs heat and you could see your breath when you talked to someone! I turned out ok, i am pretty sure Cori will too. Although, that could explain this extra fat layer i seem to have and can never get rid of. Maybe it was evolution and adaption due to the cold i grew up in... but i digress.

Cori's new room is big enough that all of her toys can go in there and she has a really great play area. The closet is huge which allows me to put most of her clothes in the closed as well as her toy box, games, and assorted bits of toy junk.

The new den, (Cori's old room) is stuffed to the rafters but it gives it a cozy feeling, not a cluttered feeling. Adam has so much Brown's stuff to hang up that he may never find enough wall space for it all, but he is happy with the overall effect and so am i. Cori is the big winner though, she can't stop talking about what a big room she has. It's the small stuff that makes us the most happy i guess.

Feeling a little nostalgic ...

2009-12-31T14:19:00.003-05:00

So here i am today posting all of these pictures now that the USB cable has been recovered and i got a little nostalgic. I posted a picture of Cori in the pumpkin patch at Futlon's and i realized, i had a similar one saved from a year earlier. I looked at them side by side and it made me a little sad and happy to see the difference in my baby in just one short year. Already she is losing that "baby" look and she seems like a little girl. Time just zips on by.

Christmas

2009-12-31T11:05:00.003-05:00

Santa came!! And he brought the promised drum set! He also brought some other things as well, but the drumset was the most desired and the most squealed over. We celebrated the day first by saying Happy Birthday to Jesus and then ripping into the wrapping paper. I only have a few pictures because it was way to much fun to just watch the moments unfold (and not from behind a camera lense).

SNOW!!

2009-12-31T11:00:00.002-05:00

Well Adam was pretty sick, but his kid needed him and so he anwered the call! The call to build a snowman that is. It was late in the day before Adam felt well enough to venture outside and even then, he still felt pretty yucky. But here are some pics of the snowman Cori got to build with Daddy.

Cori's Christmas Program

2009-12-31T10:56:00.001-05:00

Cori was a Camel in her Christmas program. She was the best camel ever!

Leaves leaves and more leaves

2009-12-31T10:52:00.002-05:00

Finally, Some Pics of Cookie Monster

2009-12-31T10:49:00.002-05:00

Painting the Pumpkins

2009-12-31T10:34:00.002-05:00

Cori had a lot of fun painting her pumpkins when we got them home from the patch. Actually, as i am finally getting around to posting this (we found the USB cable) the painted pumpkins are disintegrating in our front flower bed. Cori is very unconventional in her painting. It is very abstract. Even when she is coloring at school or making a craft, it is easy to see that she marches to a different beat. I encourage this in her. If she doesn't want to color in the lines, so be it. People will be beating conformity into her soon enough. I am all for a little individual flair!

The Pumpkin Patch

2009-12-31T10:28:00.002-05:00

Here are some photos of Cori and Adam and I at the pumpkin patch at Fulton Farms. We had a nice day except for the dead baby duck we saw. We had to do a lot of wrangling to keep Cori from seeing it. We can talk about death later. Not while we are picking out our pumpkins.

Life and Times

2009-11-19T09:19:00.002-05:00

Adam and i survived his vacation! I wasn't sure there wouldn't be casulties when all was said and done. But we came through with flying colors. My MIL, Marilyn came to spend a week with us and it was a Godsend! She loves to get down on the floor and play with Cori. She was also a Godsend to Adam and i in many other ways and i don't know what to do to thank her for it properly.

Dad had his knee replacement surgery yesterday and all went well. If he has his way he will be home today, however, the hospital won't be ready to release him for a few days yet. We jokingly call him the "Bionic Man" since this is the second knee he has had replaced. I think we should get some theme music to play whenever he walks into a room. The whole family will be helping with his recuperation.

We have so much to be thankful for this year. Good health, great family, security and genuine happiness. Thank you God for blessing our lives this year, every year and every day.

Cori is looking forward to Christmas already. She has written a letter to Santa and is looking forward to getting a drum set. She tells everyone that Santa is in the North Pole making her drum set.

Adam is on Vacation

2009-11-01T22:47:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow my husband starts two weeks of vacation. Vacation you say? In November?? Why yes. Adam's employer has a use it or lose it policy when it comes to time off. We went camping for our vaction this year and Adam only had to use a couple of days of his vacation time for it. He gets three weeks vacation total so he has two more weeks to use or lose. While the poor man thinks he will be taking it easy and relaxing, i plan on using his vacation time for some relaxation time just for myself! Funny how stay at home moms don't get vacation time..... There are some very misinformed people who would say, "why every day is a vacation when you don't work." To them i have some choice words that i can't print here in this family friendly blog. Needless to say, Mommies need some time to themselves as well. Time to not be a Mommy and to be the person we were before we became a Mommy. Not that i don't love being a stay at home mom, but like any other occupation, sometimes you just need to recharge! I haven't decided what i will be doing just yet, but there will be a day or two where i get to be Bridget again.

I will also be taking advantage of having Adam home to start some cleaning projects i have been putting off. Closets! How does so much random stuff get jammed into a closet??? Goodwill is going to be loving me when all is said and done. Baseboards. Wow, i took a close look at those the other day and let us just say that the crack between the baseboard and the carpet is a magnet for dog hair!! Speaking of carpet, a couple of years ago i received a wonderful carpet cleaner from my Mother for Christmas. I am going to be putting it to good use in these next two weeks. I also have been wondering what might be under my refrigerator. Hmmmm.... maybe a driver's license or a USB cable? I really don't mind cleaning. Actually, it can be theraputic, cathartic even. But it is just so hard to start and finish a project when you are needed every ten minutes to answer a question or find something that has gone missing, oh, and Cori needs me a lot too. (hee hee) Usually when i go into total house cleaning mode, there is total destuction before the organizational process can begin and cleaning can commence. Adam and Cori will be taking many trips to the pet store, Wal-Mart and Grandma's house. And quite frankly, i am looking forward to cranking up the stereo and getting my hands dirty.

Trick or Treat

2009-10-31T09:25:00.002-04:00

I am not sure who was more excited for trick or treat to start, me or Cori! Grandma and Grandpa came to the house right on time at 6:00p.m. Daddy was able to come home on time as well. Cori was so happy that Daddy could come too! Down the street Cori went. She was so cute as Cookie Monster with her whole entourage in tow. She had been practicing saying trick or treat and thank you for two whole days but when it came time to perform, she got all shy on me. What she lacked in vocality, she made up for in cuteness.

The poor think only lasted about an hour. As this was her first big outing since being so sick, i was impressed she made it an hour. About 2 blocks from home she wanted Adam to carry her. Up on his shoulders she went. Oh to be carried home on Daddy's shoulders when you are too tired to walk!

Hopefully done with Doctors

2009-10-27T14:01:00.002-04:00

I took Cori to her pediatrician's office on Monday. This is a reacurring theme isn't it? Sunday night she had a fever of over 103 and i was getting pretty nervous. So much so that Adam called his Mom in Toledo at 1:30 a.m. (She is a nurse) After dosing Cori up on Children's Motrin and Children's Tylenol, we waited out the night and called the doctor first thing in the morning. In we went.

This time Cori was seen by a nurse practioner instead of a doctor. I actually preferred this. The NP listened to my concerns, was very sympathetic and didn't rush me out the door. She agreed that this had gone on long enough and it was time to get this child on some antibiotics to prevent whatever infection she had from settling in her lungs. Now i am not one for taking antibiotics just for the sake of having something to do, but this time i agreed that Cori needed something to help her knock this out once and for all! Today is Tuesday and already the fever that was returning with a vegence whenever the Tylenol wore off is gone. She has more energy. I think we are on the road to recovery. AT LAST!!

Trick or Treat is on Thurdsay and it is all Cori can talk about. I have never seen anyone so exctied to be Cookie Monster in all my life! I hope Adam gets home from work near to 6p.m. so he can join in the fun. Cori also gets to wear her costume to school on Friday and there is a preschool Halloween party on Friday night. Can't wait to see all the mini people in costume!

We are sick and tired of being sick and tired

2009-10-23T07:30:00.002-04:00

Since September 21, Cori and i have had some sort of cold symptom. And we just aren't getting better. Cori saw her pediatrician several weeks ago and there wasn't anything they could do for her. She hadn't gotten any better, and i have just gotten worse and worse. So i went to urgent care last night and took Cori with me. To make a long story short, Cori shows the classic signs of seasonal allergies and needs to follow up with her pediatrician. (For all the good that will do) and i have bronchial pnuemonia, or walking pnuemonia as it is somtimes called. Fun fun fun!!!!!

Cookie Monster is in the House!

2009-10-17T08:03:00.003-04:00

I was able to get a Cookie Monster costume at Ebay and i only paid $7 for it and that includes shipping. Mommy was pretty impressed with herself. It arrived on Thursday and Cori is loving it! She wanted to put it on right away and i nearly had to pay her money to get her to take it off for bed. I would post pictures but, oh yes, that is right, i still have not found the USB cable or my driver's licence! Where could she have put them?

Adam and i couldn't figure out why all week long Cori was calling us Bridget and Adam. Then we received the weekly notebook update from Cori's teacher on Friday and everything makes sense. The kids are studying what to do if they get lost or separated from their parents. In order for the police officer to help find their parents, the police officer needs to know more than Mommy and Daddy Haines. He/She needs to know a first name. So the kids have been practicing telling an adult who their parents are. Actually, it is a pretty great idea!

Next time you see Cori, ask her what to do if your shirt is on fire! You will get to see a pretty vigorous "Stop! Drop! and Roll!" demonstration. The kids are also learning fire safety and we have to have a Fire Escape Plan and teach it to Cori.

I did ask Cori's teacher about the "Bear on the Playground Drill." My niece in Alaska had to learn this drill at her school and i wondered if Cori's school had a similar drill and game plan. Cori's teacher didn't miss a beat and stated that the plan was to run faster than the guy next to you! Which doesn't bode well for Cori as she is the youngest, the shortest, and has the shortest legs of anyone in the class. She is pretty quick however! Or maybe a bear wouldn't want to bother with such a small snack! Boy, this paragraph took a wrong turn in a hurry!

Lastly, Cori has let it be known that Burger King makes better lunch than Mommy. While this is a blow to Mommy's ego, she understands. Mommy doesn't have a paper crown that she serves with lunch, there is no toy at the end of the meal and Mommy's lunch contains all of the USDA food groups instead of sodium, starch and fat. It's a rough life kid, get used to it!

Sickness be gone!

2009-10-10T12:38:00.002-04:00

I think Cori and i are just passing this cold back and forth. She and i have been sick for what seems like weeks and weeks!! Poor kid has a fountain in her nose. A snot fountain to be exact! This morning while i was making breakfast, Cori had a big sneeze. Her back was to me and i asked her if she needed a tissue. She said, "yes, i have a big booger." She wasn't kidding!!! She had it all over her face and both hands. GROSSSSSS! We forwent the tissue and headed straight to the bathroom sink. The wonderment of motherhood.

Still no sign of the USB cable or my driver's license. Cori took all of the things out of my wallet about a month ago and i still have yet to find my driver's license and my Tim Horton's gift card. Two of the most important things in my wallet. This house is only 1,000 square feet! Where can they all be hiding????

I lost out on the cookie monster costume on ebay. So now i have to either convince Cori to be something else for Halloween or look for another cookie monster costume. As she is only 2, i am pretty sure i can use my 37 years of persuasion experience to get her to be whatever it is we end up with. Seriously, i should be able to outwit and outmaneuver a 2 year old right? Riigghhhtttt.

So Far This Fall

2009-10-08T09:24:00.007-04:00

Cori had planted a couple of tomato plants in the Spring and has been enjoying her cherry tomatoes all summer long. Last week, she entered her tomatoes in the Newton Fall Fair and she won FIRST PLACE! She received a blue ribbon and everything. She was so excited i thought she was going to leave the ground and fly! She has carried that ribbon around and showed it to anyone who would listen.

We also took a nice trip to Fulton Farms where we picked out pumpkins and gourds, etc. The farm has some unique animals and Cori loved looking at the miniature horses and the varieties of ducks and chickens. When we came home, Cori painted her pumpkins and we have them displayed out front for all to see.

Cori also took a trip to the Troy Fire Department with her preschool class. She learned how to "Stop, Drop and Roll", she learned that you should never hide from the fireman in the case of a fire, how to call 911 in case of a fire, and how to check your door for heat when the smoke detector goes off. She was also able to sit in the big fire truck and "drive". It was a great trip. Cori and the other kids learned some valuable information and because it was on a Wednesday, Daddy was able to go along as a chaperone. Only one little glitch, Cori thinks that you "Stop, ROCK and Roll." Too funny!

Unfortunately, we can't share any pictures right now because our USB cable has mysteriously been unattached from the computer and no one, not even my informative 2 year old, knows where it is. Although i have a suspicion that the 2 year old herself is the culprit. As soon as we find the USB or venture out to buy a new one, we will post pictures.

First actual day of school

2009-08-26T14:44:00.004-04:00

Cori posing with her "pack pack"

Cori and Mommy

Cori and her friend Sohum.

Cori and Miss Tracy

Cori WIPED OUT after preschool

Cori started preschool today. WOW! She was so excited, she woke up at 1am and wanted to know if it was time for school. Ummm, no, not even close baby girl. We got up and got ready without a hitch. Cori put on her back packa nd away we went. I am helping out one of the other Mothers with transportation right now so we picked her up along with her 3 year old son Sohum. He and Cori are becoming fast friends. While they were in the truck together, Sohum wasn't so sure he wanted to go to school. Cori said, "take my hand" and they held hands all the way to school. It was so sweet. Cori had a great day! Adam was the parent helper today and i am pretty sure they were both wiped out by noon. You see evidence of that in Cori's "ride home" picture. She can't wait to go back on Friday!

Cori goes to the Fair

2009-08-17T09:56:00.002-04:00

Cori and Daddy and I went to the Miami County Fair yesterday. I am pretty sure we picked the hottest day yet this summer to attend. Cori had a great time and of all things she was afraid of the chickens. Which is appropriate as her Father has a similar fear of poultry! After visiting family, looking at many sheep and goats and pigs and cows, Cori rode some rides and rode a pony. The most exciting part of the fair came after we had arrived home. Cori had signed up at the sheriff's building (after we signed her up for ident-a-kid) for a bike raffle. At 9:00pm, the sheriff's office called to let us know that Cori had won the bike!! She will get to ride it in another 5 years or so. It is a big girl's bike!

Cori's new Dress

2009-08-15T09:32:00.003-04:00

The other day Cori came out to the living room and said "Look Mama! It's my bra dress!" She cracks me up!

Cori's first day of Preschool

2009-08-12T14:54:00.003-04:00

Through a twist of fate, Cori was able to start preschool this year. Today was her first day. Cori has been very excited about starting school. She wants to be just like Erin and Molly and go to school like a big girl. I have to admit, i don't want her thinking of herself as a big girl just yet!

We got up this morning and Daddy was off so he got to help Cori get ready for school. He fixed her eggs and toast so she could be "ready to learn." We got dressed and off we went.

I dropped her off and hung around a little to see if she would be ok. Cori turned and looked at me and said, "Bye bye, see ya later." It was a teary moment for me. My baby girl was just fine at school. Mommy however, was not! Cori joined in with the other kids. She helped another girl with a puzzle, she sat on the mat and sang songs and when i picked her up, she had two stamps on her arms. One for being helpful and one for sharing. What a good girl.

Starting next week, Cori will be going to school three mornings a week. I think she is going to love it and be just fine!

What a great camping trip! and a little precamp drama

2009-08-08T07:32:00.006-04:00

Camping was so much fun! But let me back up just a bit. On Wednesday before we left, Adam and i set up the tent so it could air and i could wipe it out. Good idea right? Wrong! About 5 minutes into setting up the tent it started to pour rain! We just kept telling each other that it was a good way for the tent to get washed off prior to our trip. After finally getting the tent set up and the cover placed over the top, we discovered there was water on the floor of the tent. Fast forward to Friday afternoon.

Cori and i were using old towels to wipe out the left over water in the tent. Cori is my good little helper. She likes to help me with laundry, dishes, cooking, vacuuming etc. We were almost done wiping out the tent when Cori said she was going to look for Shelby (our black lab). No more than 30 seconds goes by when i see through the screen in the tent, Cori popping these berries into her mouth from some unknown vine on the fence. I yell at her to stop and i rush out to where she is. I ask her if she ate/swallowed the berries or spit them out. She claims she spit one out and swallowed the others. I look closely at the vine and can see 6 empty stems. Sure enough, there is one berry spit out on the ground. Then Cori tells me her tongue feels funny. CRAP!!!!! So i rip off a piece of the vine, grab up my kid, find my keys and purse. Within seconds we, plus vine, are on our way to the emergency room.

To make a long story short, the ER identified the plant as bitter nightshade, which yes, is toxic. Cori had to drink what seemed like a gallon of liquid charcoal. When she refused the charcoal drink, they stuffed a tube down her throat and tried to pump the charcoal in. She threw up the tube and the charcoal and we had to start all over. Some brilliant person, (why yes it was me) came up with the idea to put the charcoal in a chocolate milk carton with some chocolate milk and a straw. One hour later the charcoal milk was gone. We spent about 4 1/2 hours in the ER and Cori is fine. Oh but wait, Cori was such a wonderful patient that every nurse in the ER was binging her present! They brought her a Dora marker book, Madagascar crayons and color book, mini M&M's, a big red sucker, and various other goodies. The staff all turned out to say goodbye and Cori waived to her adoring fans and blessed them all from her podium! Sheesh!

On to camping. Saturday we got up early and packed up the truck and headed to Indian Lake. The site was fantastic! We will certainly use it again. The weather was a little cool. Which was odd for August. Actually, of the 4 days we were there, i wore pants 3 of the days. The kids loved it. Since we went with Kerry and Scott and their girls, Erin and Molly, Cori had some playmates. Moon Sand is AWESOME! We will have to be getting some of that soon. Grandpa came up and we took everyone fishing. We didn't catch anything but Erin got a nice lesson from Grandpa regarding how to bottom fish for catfish. Reminded me of when my Grandpa used to take me fishing. Cori loved her princess fishing pole and is actually a pretty good little caster. She had it down after just a couple of tries.

We went for walks, picked up kindling, played ping pong, ate ice cream, cooked outside on the fire and just had a great time. My favorite part of the whole trip was the story we made up around the campfire one phrase at a time. Kerry's kids are so imaginative and funny! The stuff they come up with! We can't wait to do it all again!

Camping

2009-07-30T16:28:00.001-04:00

We are getting ready to go camping. Should be an experience. I am looking forward to teaching Cori how to fish and catch butterflies. Will post pics when we return.

Cori's Occupation

2009-07-10T22:28:00.002-04:00

I am pretty sure i know what Cori is going to be when she grows up. Cruise Director! You should see her organize play time at the church. It is so funny to watch this little two year old tell all the older kids what to do and see then actually LISTEN to her and follow her directions. I can't even describe it to do it justice. You will just have to see it to believe it. I will be hiring her out for entertainment! (Just kidding)

some more pics

2009-07-02T23:41:00.004-04:00

Some Summer Photos

2009-06-30T23:56:00.002-04:00

Ladies and gentlemen!

2009-06-30T20:27:00.001-04:00

Cori has started a new thing where she holds her hand to her mouth, clears her throat and then says "Ladies and gentlemen, heeeeerrrrrrrre coooooooomes DADDY!" and then she claps her hands and says YEAH!! It is pretty darn funny!

The summer so far....

2009-06-27T10:10:00.002-04:00

Between Vacation Bible School and Dad's knee surgery, Cori and i have been super busy. We have only managed to go swimming once. Not to mention it has been so hot outside already this June that we just stay in the A/C and try not to melt!! And now that the computer is fixed and i can be online during the day, well, i should get some more blogging done and pictures downloaded. (Thank you to my neighbor for fixing our computer)

Today we are headed to the hog roast in Emily's neighborhood and more swimming!! YAY! Our plans are to do some camping this summer as well. Of course we will be heading to the Zoo, the Children's Garden in Dayton, Toledo, and wherever else we can afford to go.

I said i got it

2009-05-16T21:15:00.002-04:00

Poor Cori has been sneezing and sneezing today. And with every sneeze comes the need of a tissue. She was getting tired of me telling her to come here so i could wipe her nose and started to run away from me. I tried a little psychology with her and asked her if she wanted to do it herself. So she came over and took the tissue from me and wiped her nose and declared "I got it!" I then asked her if she got all if it. She gave me the funniest look and with all seriousness said, "I said i got it, i got it." All i could say in response was, "Ok then"
I can see that i am going to have my hands full with this one!

Cori's Park

2009-05-08T23:02:00.002-04:00

Adam and i have been talking about making Cori a play area for some time now. We wanted a place where she could safely play, not have to dodge Shelby bombs and her yard toys wouldn't kill the grass. After much debate and planning (you have to think long term when doing this) above is what we made for her. We had to make it big enough that when in a couple of years she gets a swing set, we can set it up for her in there.

She love it and calls it her "Park" It wasn't that difficult to make once we figured out what the heck we were doing.

Cori's 2 year check up

2009-04-28T22:02:00.003-04:00

What Cori lacks in size she makes up for in intellect! While she is in the 25th percentile in weight (25lbs. 11 oz.) and in the 10th percentile in height, she impressed the doctor with her verbal skills and her knowledge of colors, shapes and numbers. She is healthy and happy and that is great! We are going to be meeting with an ortho doc at Children's Medical Center sometime in the next month. Cori has a toe that overlaps the neighboring toe. It is just a precaution and nothing that we are supposed to worry about. Our biggest worry now is potty training. We aren't pushing and just waiting for Cori to decide she would like to quit messing her pants. It was actually a novelty for her for a little while but it soon wore off. I am confidnet however, that she won't be wearing diapers to the prom!

Cori at the Zoo

2009-04-28T21:59:00.002-04:00

Cori's Birthday Party

2009-04-28T21:55:00.002-04:00

Our First Call to Poison Control

2009-04-18T19:55:00.002-04:00

While i was working at the nursery last night, we took the children outside to play. Someone produced a few bottles of bubbles. While i was opening the bottles and removing the foil covers, Maggie (4 years old) started yelling, "Cori's drinking the bubbles!!!" And sure enough, Cori picked up a bottle of bubbles and proceeded to chug it down. Poison Control reassured me that other than an upset tummy and a couple of days of some soapy poo, she would be fine. Literally, i was standing 12 inches away from her!! Good lord!

Hoppy Easter!

2009-04-12T17:39:00.003-04:00

Here are some pics of Cori's first egg hunt. We had a great time at Grandma and Pampa's House!

More Cori Birthday photos and an example of smarts!

2009-04-09T23:36:00.002-04:00

One of the presents Cori received today was a seek and find book from my Mother. In this book there is a "Key" on each page with a number of objects you are to look for in the big picture. It is pretty cool. Cori was cruising along and entertaining Granny, Grandma and me with her wicked smarts by finding all of the pictures she was asked to find. On about the 4th or 5th page, she was asked to find a birdcage in a picture featuring the Littlest Mermaid characters. Cori looked high and low for this birdcage. It was a pretty big picture and we were all a little surprised that it was taking her so long to find it. After a few minutes, my Mother started to give Cori some hints about where to look. In the end, my Mother had to point it out to Cori and say, "Here's the birdcage" Cori looked at her with some confusion in her face and said, "It has a fish in it" When we looked at the picture key, we realized that the picture of the birdcage in the key was empty. But the picture of the birdcage in the big picture while NEARLY the same was not as it had a large fish in it. So basically, Cori was pointing out to us that the pictures were NOT the same, and therefor the game wasn't over. None of us could argue with her. She was in a sense, smarter than the person who put the book together. I can see that her Father and i are going to have our hands full with this one!

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

2009-04-09T23:23:00.003-04:00

Today is Cori's 2nd birthday. I can not even believe that she is two years old. Where has the time gone? I know parents say that all the time. But the reason they say it is because it is so true. It was like yesterday i was pregnant with her. I think after two years it is official, she is a keeper!

Cori and her two friends Monica and Myah went to the Jumpy's in Troy this morning. Jumpy's is a huge room filed with the inflatable jump houses and obstical courses and slides that kids love to go on at the outdoor fairs and festivals. These kids had a ball and were completely worn out by the time we left for lunch.

Cori started her day by waking up to her birthday present from Adam and me. I have posted pictures. She played with it all day. She looks so grown up at her own table and chairs. (sigh)

Granny came for a visit and we had some supper at home with cake and ice cream of course. I have posted pictures of this as well. I think it is safe to say that Cori loves icing. Grandma also came for a visit for Cori's special day. She received some wonderful presents that she will enjoy for a long time to come. I have such a great family!!

Happy Birthday Cori, you are a blessing.

Facebook is a thief of time!

2009-03-31T12:43:00.002-04:00

I have been spending a lot of time Facebooking and finding old friends and checking out what they are up to. The effect is that i am not being a very good blogger.

I am busy preparing for Cori's birthday party, picking out a present, deciding what kind of cake to make (yes i am making the cake) what food to prepare, etc. About 4 months ago i got a really really good deal on some Backyardigans decorations. Of course now Cori is more into Dora than Backyardigans but i am the Mama and i am not wasting perfectly good Backyardigans decorations! i attached a picture of Cori with my sunglasses on. She wanted to wear them all day but of course when i wanted to take her picture, she wanted to take them off. Kids! They certainly have a mind of their own, but i wouldn't have it any other way!

Big Girl Haircut

2009-03-26T09:03:00.003-04:00

Well, the pictures posted backwards in sequence, but you get the idea. Thank you to Aunt Patti for giving Cori her big girl hair cut. We just love it!

Molly's Birthday

2009-03-26T08:57:00.003-04:00

We had a great time at Molly's Birthday Party! I can NOT believe that she is 5. Holy Cow! Here are some pictures from the party. Just a little footnote, it wasn't until all the candles were blown out and all the pictures were taken that anyone notice the beer can sitting on the table. Are we redneck or what?

CIRCUS!

2009-03-11T19:20:00.003-04:00

We did it again. We went to the circus. This one was a little more extensive and had the elephants and lions and tigers and even performing camels! Once again Cori and Monica had a ball and this time we invited our friends Myah and Tori and Emily along.

Cori was able to take another pony ride. (I think she will be expecting one for her birthday next month) I said no way to the elephants. I swear that in the week leading up to the circus all i saw on tv were specials about "When Circus Elephants Attack!"

On a sad note, Hanford will be leaving us for good on Friday. He just isn't adjusting to life with a toddler. This is incredibly sad for me, but i know it is best for the family and for Hanford. We are taking him to SISCA in Kettering where they promise they will have no trouble finding Hanford a new home without small children. So our little Shelby-girl will be our only dog. She seems to love children.

Double yuck!

2009-03-07T07:55:00.002-05:00

In my last post i speculated that our first bout of flu wouldn't be the last. Well it wasn't. Two days later I had the flu. I am now just feeling human again. Double yuck!

YUCK!

2009-03-03T13:18:00.002-05:00

Sometimes, you have those official "Mother Moments". Yesterday was one of those moments for me. Cori and i were playing on the floor yesterday morning when she paused, looked up at me wide-eyed, said "Mama" in a pitiful little voice and then proceeded to projectile vomit the morning's breakfast and part of last night's dinner all over. And she continued doing so 4-5 times before she stopped. All i could do was put my arms around her, tell her she was ok, and let her puke all over the carpet, herself and me. :)

Off to the bathtub we went, where she produced one more puke for good measure and then was totally excited that she was having a bath. Kids recover quickly. It will be days and days before i do. How long does puke smell stay in your nostrils anyway???? Oh well, our first bout with the flu and i think Cori is doing fine. The doctor said it should only last 24 to 36 hours and it has been going around like a wildfire in August. I am sure it won't be the last flu we encounter.

I pledge to do better starting in March!

2009-03-02T13:20:00.004-05:00

So much has happened and i haven't written word one! Cori and Monica went to the Circus together with Teresa and I. It was a pretty small circus and well, truthfully, not too entertaining for the adults but the kids loved it. Cori rode a pony and i thought she was going to demand we take it home with us. She hasn't stopped talking about it and the Circus was over a week ago!

Cori can sing Twinkly Little Star, beginning to end without any help. It is so cute!

She is also entering into her terrible two's officially. The other day when we were out to lunch with my mother, Cori threw a fork across the table in protest. It was fun fun fun!

And finally (for this post anyway) my brother and his wife had a baby boy, yesterday at 10:21 am. His name is Brady Douglas Kadel and he is freaking adorable! Yay Brian and Jen!

Look out American Idol 2023!!

2009-02-13T19:40:00.002-05:00

Cori is a singer! Not hard to believe as her mother and her father met while singing. It is amazing to me that she is in key most of the time. Her favorites at this time are Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Rock a-bye Baby, and some song that Kai-lan sings on her tv show. Of course there are the dozens and dozens of songs that Cori just makes up on her own.

It is fun to watch her concentrate as she works the lyrics out to her own compositions. If it has been a particularly well done song, she will take a bow and say "Thank you Thank you!" She sings in the car, in the house, and when she wakes up from her naps. Sometimes instead of getting her out of bed right away, i just stand outside the door and listen to her sing her little heart out. She isn't shy about her singing either! She belts it out at the top of her lungs. However, she does show that she has some knowledge of dynamics, as she will sing softly and then loudly in the same song. I am telling you she is near ready for production and recording. Anyone have the phone number to David Foster's office?

Sometimes, you just have to laugh

2009-01-29T14:18:00.002-05:00

As it is known, i have been taking care of my Mother since she broke her back in a car accident last week. Well, Tuesday night i was admitted to the hospital for emergency appendix surgery! And i was laying in the emergency room, and the Doctor was telling me my appendix was about to explode and they were preparing an OR for me immediately, i started to laugh. Now i know that the doctor probably thought i had gone around the bend, but really, all i could so was laugh. It was either that or cry. My Mother needs my help with her recovery, i had just sent my daughter and husband to the cafeteria to get some dinner, we were about to get a foot of snow overnight in a terrible snow storm and here i was about to have surgery. Ha ha ha!

The good news, surgery went well, appendix didn't explode. I have wonderful friends who offered to watch Cori while Adam was at the hospital with me. (Thank you Jim and Teresa!) My Mother has learned some creative ways to be more independent without hurting herself. I went to the ER early enough that the surgeon and aneasthesiologist were still at the hospital and not snowed in somewhere else where they couldn't get back to the hospital. We have a truck so Adam was able to get to the hospital and back home with minimal trouble. Cori got to spend the night with Grandma and Grandpa. And because of the snow, my Dad was off from teaching school and could be home with my Mother for whatever she needed that i could now not do for her.

I am home and feeling better (as long as i take my pain medication) and will be back to normal in 14 days. Thanks to FMLA (thank you Bill Clinton) Adam gets a mini paid vacation and will not be working in the snow but will be at home taking care of his family. So it all worked out well. (Thank you God!)

Some Good News

2009-01-25T10:06:00.002-05:00

Mom is home and feeling better. Kerry and i have been taking care of her whenever Dad is at work or has a softball committment. She is in a back brace and her movement has been limited by Doctor's orders. She is getting better everyday.

Some Bad News

2009-01-20T13:11:00.002-05:00

On Sunday, my Mother was in a very bad car accident. Molly and Erin were with her when a truck pulled out in front of her just a half a mile from Mom's house. She broke a vertebrae in her back and is in the hospital. I don't know when she will be released. She is in a lot of pain but she can move her arms and legs and is in better spirits today than she has been. Molly and Erin are fine.

Please keep Mom in your prayers. It will be a hard road to recovery.

Kitties and Cherios

2009-01-17T19:02:00.003-05:00

First a medical update. While Cori has been fighting a cold for almost 14 days now, and while i have been pretty positive that there was more going on than just a cold, and while the Dr's office wouldn't see her unless she was running a fever, she developed an ear infection. Not just an ear infection of course, but a double ear infection with the right ear bulging. Whatever that means exactly i don't know, but the Dr. made it sound like it was pretty bad. So i wonder if it is bad enough that she may have had it a week ago when i called the Dr.s office and asked that she be seen. Things that make you say, hmmmmm.... In any case, Cori is on an antibiotic and her fever is gone and she is well on the road to recovery.

On Friday, i took Cori with me to feed my Mother's cats while she and Dad were away. As i was scooping the food out to the cats, Cori observed that the kitties were eating Cherios. I looked more closely at the food and indeed, it does look just like brown and tan Cherios. Cori thought it was pretty neat that she and the kitties eat the same thing. Thank God she had mittens on or she may have tried to eat the "Cherios" herself!

They call me Hop.

2009-01-13T18:23:00.002-05:00

I haven't written much because there is something wrong with my camera and/or computer and it won't download any new pictures that i have of Cori. I really wanted to post a picture of Hop.

Hop is Cori's new bedtime friend. I shouldn't say "new" as we have had him a while. He was a gift from my Mom for Cori at her Christening. Cori has decided that she would like a bedtime friend and she chose Hop. And at the same time that she chose him, she named him Hop. Which is appropriate because he is a rabbit. So far, she only requests him at nap time and bedtime. I am thinking that Hop will now have to be remembered on any and all trips where naptime or bedtime may be involved. I just hope she isn't like my sister, Kerry was with her stuffed bear puppet, Buttercup. Oh the stories i could tell about that!!

Apparently, buttercup is tucked safely away in a box in my sister's room. She of course is married with two children now! Hopefully a picture of Hop will be forthcoming.

P.S. Rest in peace Guinness. May you find someone to annoy in your heaven as much as you took pleasure in annoying me... :)

A minor setback

2009-01-09T08:54:00.002-05:00

We have had just a minor setback here in the Haines House. Mommy is sleeping on the floor of Cori's room once again. Let me back up a little...
While Cori was sick with her terrible cough and gobs and gobs of sneezy snot, she had a terrible time falling asleep unless she was propped up to an upright position. But because she was so miserable, and well, because she is spoiled, either Adam or i would hold her upright until she fell asleep and then put her in her bed. Now that she is well, she wants to be held as she falls asleep. If i put her in the crib she just cries and cries. So we went back to putting her in her crib and Mommy "sleeping" on the floor until she falls asleep. Once again i am scooting closer and closer to the door every night.

The new year has brought many new words for Cori. When she is excited she still reverts back to her Dutch-speak but overall her vocabulary is growing in leaps in bounds. Adam was able to spend some quality time with Cori the last week and i have to say, the kid is in an amazingly good mood when Daddy is around. She is certainly a Daddy's girl. And that isn't so bad. I am pretty sure her Mommy was a Daddy's girl too!

Christmas in Toledo

2009-01-05T07:53:00.002-05:00

The Sunday after Christmas, we went to Toledo to spend time with Adam's side of the family. We had a great time as usual and enjoyed visiting Granny, Aunt Patti and Uncle John, Jerad and Karen, John, Emma and Andrew. Cori received so many nice presents and loved playing with her cousins. I only have one picture from this event. Something has happened to my camera and i am missing quite a few pictures. I have no idea what has happened.

It should be noted that thanks to Granny and with a little help from Elmo, Cori now knows the Hokey Pokey and all the motions! Gotta love Hokey Pokey Elmo!

Christmas Day

2008-12-25T18:20:00.002-05:00

Here are some great pictures from Christmas Day. A wonderful time was had in the Haines House. Whatever i would type, would not do justice to the happiness, blessedness and thankfulness i feel. I love my family and i love my life.

The Christmas Bush!

2008-12-25T10:18:00.002-05:00

Adam and i took Cori out to get a Christmas Tree on Tuesday. We figured the less time the tree is actually up in our house the better. Cori is at an age where she wants to explore everything, making a Christmas Tree an endagered species in our house for sure!

When we had it all set up (Cori was actually pretty helpful) Cori held her hands up in the air and said "Look, a Christmas bush!" So here are some pictures of Cori and Daddy and the Haines Christmas Bush!

Random Cori Photos

2008-12-16T15:18:00.002-05:00

Here are some random everyday pictures of Cori.

Christmas Party!

2008-12-16T15:13:00.003-05:00

This past Saturday the whole Kadel Crew got together at El Sombrero in Troy to celebrate a family Christmas. All the Aunts and Uncles, Cousins, Second Cousins and the like were there to celebrate. We had a great time visiting with family and here are some pictures.

What a blow to the ego!

2008-12-12T14:14:00.002-05:00

Cori and i were waiting in the checkout line at Walmart and there was a a nice lady behind us and Cori started talking to her. One thing led to another and the nice lady and i were exchanging pleasantries. Somehow we came to what we each do for a living. She works at KMart and i told her that i quit my job to take care of Cori.

She then said that she would love to be able to do that for her granddaughter who is about Cori's age.... I paused and said, "I am her Mother." There was an awkward silence and then she said, "Oh, well that's even better isn't it?" Apparently i need more moisturizer and another box of hair color!! Holy Cow!

Bedtime Update

2008-12-10T11:55:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to say that after one week of putting Cori to bed with her new bedtime routine, things are going better than expected. She now WANTS to get in her crib and read her books before taking a nap or going to bed. No tears, no protests, nothing. She just lays down, says night night and off to sleep she goes. Mission accomplished.

Christmas pictures

2008-12-10T11:50:00.002-05:00

Adam and i took Cori to have her Christmas pictures taken this morning. I wasn't sure we were going to bother with it this year, but then Grandma started asking about Christmas pictures and so we did it. And i am so glad we did!

I would say that Cori is a ham but that wouldn't be quite right. When i think of a ham i think of someone who plays it up when they know people are watching or when pictures are being taken. Cori doesn't care if she is the only person in the room. She just acts the way she acts whether a camera is present or not! She has such personality! Of course her parents are pretty much quackers themselves, so at least she gets it honestly.

The photos turned out great and when they come in i will post them. We ordered one traditional pose and one not so traditional pose. And the latter of the two is almost pitiful but we HAD to order it. Can't wait for you all to see it!

It was agony, but it's done!

2008-12-07T17:25:00.003-05:00

This past week, Adam and i made the decision that it was better to try and get Cori to fall asleep in her crib than to be rocking an 8 year old to sleep someday in the future. We have had false starts in the past and this time we meant business.

The first night was hell. Adam and i performed the bed time routine with Cori as usual, but this time after bath and brushing teeth and pj's, we put her in her crib for her night night books and prayers. Cori thought this was a novel idea, until Mommy turned off the light and told Cori "Night night." Then literally, all hell broke loose! Cori cried and protested and threw her pacifier across the room. I decided to lay on the floor and show Cori how to go night night. After nearly an hour of crying and sobbing (most but not all of it from Cori) there was silence. Cori had finally fallen asleep. I left her room and told Adam that i did not think i could go through this again and i was positive that some therapist would be hearing about this night someday in the distant future from Cori herself!

Night two... Same bed time routine. Cori in the crib and Mommy on the floor once again. This time about 10 minutes of crying (all from Cori this time) and with a final pitiful "night night, night night, night night!" Cori went to sleep. I left the room and did a little more crying of my own. This time because i was soooooo thankful that Cori's crying did not last for an hour.

Night three... Same bed time routine. Cori in the crib and Mommy on the floor in the doorway( Mommy is slowly making her way out of the room each night) Cori grabbed her blanket and said, "Night night Mama" and went to sleep without a peep! YAY CORI!! What a wonderful accomplishment! She is such a big girl! ... ... ... wait a minute... Cori went to sleep without any help from Mommy. Hmmmm.... i guess she doesn't need Mommy to fall asleep anymore on her own. Doesn't need Mommy... hmmmm... So now Mommy is sobbing to Daddy about how her little girl is growing up and she doesn't need Mommy to fall asleep anymore and soon she will be so independent she won't need Mommy for anything! Sob sob, Boo hoo! I was a mess!

Good news is, Cori is short and can't reach the milk in the refrigerator yet. And as soon as she can, well, Mommy is moving it up to the next highest shelf! At least she will still need me for something! :) Night night Baby Cori, night night.

Thanksgiving!!

2008-11-28T11:41:00.003-05:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving in Toledo with Adam's family. Granny, Aunt Patti, Uncle John, Karen, Jerad, John, Emma and Andrew made it such a great day for us and for Cori! Oh and Max too. Granny's cat.

We ate too much, watched video's from Granny's visit to Alaska to see Jenni, Greg, Gwen and Amelia and then watched football. How about those Lions!! Yeah!

Cori did have one little accident. She lost her balance trying to put a block on the garage floor at a friend's house. She basically did a hands free header into the asphault and scraped up her nose and her forehead pretty good. Poor kid. She cried and cried and cried. I think she will live. But of course we will have to postpone the Christmas photo until her nose clears us. But then again, hey, she looks just like Rudolph!

Cori ate an Egg!

2008-11-26T15:47:00.002-05:00

And that dear friends is BIG news. Cori ate a scrambled egg and liked it! I think we may be on the verge of a breakthrough in the picky eating department. At least we hope so. Now if i can just get her to eat some carrots and sweet potatoes.

Two days ago Cori pointed at a blanket of Adams that has the Cleveland Brown's Helmet on it and said "thats a circle". When i saw that she was pointing at the earhole on the helmet, i had to agree with her that yes, it was indeed a circle. She now knows circles, stars and squares. Not by any prodding from me, mind you. We just look at books and we point out what the pictures are and tell her the names of things and she repeats. I guess her little brain puts together the information and spits it out. Kids are like sponges.

Hope you all have a great Thanksgiving and don't eat too much turkey!

It's been so long...

2008-11-20T19:11:00.002-05:00

It''s been so long since i have been on here that the page actually asked for my password to make sure it was really me!!

All in the Haines House are well. It is getting colder and colder and so far our experiment to not use the furnace and only use electic heat is working out great! Cori is getting bigger and more ornery every day. I am not lying when i say she is getting bigger. I think she had another growth spurt. All the clothes i got for her on ebay had better still fit this winter! She is getting taller by the minute i tell ya.

She is talking up a storm and her new favorite phrases are, "Help, I'm Stuck!" and "Freeze Bobos". She watches a lot of Go Diego Go, so if you are familiar with that show you will know who the Bobos are. Today at the grocery she said "Hi" to everyone we passed and they all think she is so cute and stop to talk to her. Which is great, but it makes the trip to the grocery last quite a bit longer than i would like. :)

I am beginning to see the process of her independence. She doesn't ask me to read as many books as she reads to herself. She is content to pretend play with her toys and baby dolls and doesn't need my constant interaction. This is sad and good at the same time. I am getting more laundry done but i am sad that she doesn't "need" me as much.

We have made a breakthrough in the vegetable department. If she has ketchup to dip them in, she will eat them. So ketchup with every meal! Still no pregress in the meat department but we keep trying.

We are all in a tizzy getting ready for Thanksgiving and trying to find money for Christmas. When you are broke you tend to focus on the reason for the season a little more and the presents a little less. Not a bad lesson for us to learn.

To Nap or Not to Nap.... That is the question.

2008-11-09T16:23:00.002-05:00

And the question we have no answers to. The last couple of days, the sleep cycle of this house has been somewhat erratic. And that is for EVERYONE, not just Cori. Some days she takes a 3 hour nap, others it is only about 45 minutes and then there is the whole waking up at odd hours of the night and being wide awake and not going back to sleep. Adam and i are pretty ragged.
I think this must be our punishment for having a baby who slept pretty well when she was teeny tiny. Now, as a toddler, she can't decide if she is sleepy or not. And after a solid week of this, both Adam and i are at the end of our ropes. Surely, this can't last forever!
The toddler is an odd bird. She won't eat regularly. She won't sleep regularly. And for two parents who like things pretty regular, it has been a testy time. And it can't be all that fun for Cori either. I just hope it isn't a phase that lasts too long. And thank God i don't have to go to work every day!

Dora Saves the Snow Princess

2008-11-07T12:26:00.002-05:00

Over the last few weeks, Cori has become totally "Dora-fied". It's Dora this and Dora that. Nick Jr. has been running comercials for Dora Saves the Snow Princess, a one hour Dora movie. Whenever Cori sees the ad, she just freaks out. So Adam and i planned to let her watch it when it came on Monday night. We set her up with her drink, a blanket and a pillow (since it started at 8pm, which is near bedtime for Cori) and when we came in from letting the dogs out, this is what we saw. (pics above) At first i thought it was totally hillarious, and now i am mortified that i have turned my child into a Dora couch potato!

The other picture above is Cori feeding her baby. She has become very interested in pretend play lately. She makes her dolls "talk" to each other, pretends to eat food out of play dishes, and takes care of her baby. It is pretty cool to see her imagination develop.

Chick or Cheet

2008-10-31T10:39:00.003-04:00

Chick or Cheet is how Cori was saying Trick or Treat last night. After two houses she had the idea and was running from house to house. I could see the wheels turning in her head, "ok, Chick or Cheet, they give me something, thank you much and i'm outta here!"

Cori was singing and doing her bee impression all through the neighborhood. I guess maybe i should back up and explain that we went to Kerry and Scott's house in Englewood for trick or treat night. It is easier for us as we get to see the kids in their costumes, Cori has someone to trick or treat with, and Adam's shop isn't too far from Kerry's house so he can get off work and come right to trick or treat with us.

Mom was a HOOT!!! That is her in the Cruella DeVille costume!

Shots and a Check-up

2008-10-28T20:39:00.002-04:00

Cori had her 18 month check up today and Adam and i went with her. I made Adam come because i knew she was getting shots today and i had to hold her the last two times for them, so it was his turn this time. And it isn't fun to hold Cori while she gets her shots. She cries GREAT BIG tears and it breaks your heart. I am sure that it isn't a picnic for her either.

She weighs 23 pounds, and is 30 inches tall. She had moved from the 25th percentile to the 30th! Whoo hoo! Now i guess i get to brag a little... the doctor told us that Cori is off the charts developmentally. She knows about 100 words now, can use a fork and spoon, knows her body parts and animal sounds and is quite the little chatterbox. She can stack about 6 blocks at a time, walk backwards, read books to herself (well, Cori's version of reading) and run. She is also using sentences from time to time. Two nights ago, she told Adam and i that she needed a snack. "Umm, i need a snack". We made her repeat it just to be sure.

So now that i have bragged shamelessly about my smart kid, i hope that she never feels like i am pressuring her. I just want her to be the healthy, happy kid she is now for a long long time.

Cori's Pumpkin Purse

2008-10-27T15:08:00.002-04:00

This is a picture of Cori and her new Pumpkin Purse that her granny made for her. We received it today in the mail. Cori had been carrying around old purses of mine, but now she has her very own purse to put her things into. Thank you Granny!! Cori just woke up from her nap so she still looks a little sleepy.

It's a Miracle of Technology!

2008-10-25T23:13:00.002-04:00

So Adam bought this thing for $25 and now i can download pictures right to the computer from my camera. No more going to the grocery and copying them to disk. I hope you enjoy these. They are pics of Cori singing into her microphone and picts from the Pumpkin Patch. And whatever else i can find.