Can it really already be time for Kindergarten?

Our little monkey had his first official day of Kindergarten at Emerald Elementary today, August 20. Mr. Wonderful and I dropped him off and were the very proud parents of the cutest boy in the universe.

He is a sweet little man.
Here's to PE, Music, Art, Recess, Sack lunches, new friends, and your new teacher, Mrs. Truxel!

When I picked him up from school, he was TIRED. It was so cute.
I asked, "What was your favorite part about your day at school?"
He replied, "I just loved everything about it."

Mr. Wonderful Turns 41 - August 14

Happy Birthday!

Mr. Wonderful came home Monday night....and it's wonderful.

We celebrated his birthday with yummy cake, balloons, and a fun fondue dinner at the Melting Pot.

We love you.

Stephanie Phillips - August 11, 2009

In loving memory of Stephanie Phillips

1996-2009

Sissy's Song
http://www.cmt.com/videos/alan-jackson/355885/sissys-song.jhtml

Why did she have to go

So young I just don't know why

Things happen half the time

Without reason without rhyme

Lovely, sweet young woman

Daughter, sister, best friend

Makes no sense to me

I just have to believe

She flew up to Heaven on the wings of angels

By the clouds and stars and passed where no one sees

And she walks with Jesus and her loved ones waiting

And I know she's smiling saying

Don't worry 'bout me

Loved ones she left behind

Just trying to survive

And understand the why

Feeling so lost inside

Anger shot straight at God

Then asking for His love

Empty with disbelief

Just hoping that maybe

She flew up to Heaven on the wings of angels

By the clouds and stars and passed where no one sees

And she walks with Jesus and her loved ones waiting

And I know she's smiling saying

Don't worry 'bout me

It's hard to say goodbye

Her picture in my mind

Will always be of time I'll cherish

And I won't cry 'cause

She flew up to Heaven on the wings of angels
By the clouds and stars and passed where no one sees
And she walks with Jesus and her loved ones waiting
And I know she's smiling saying
Don't worry 'bout me

Don't worry 'bout me

Don't worry 'bout me

Lyrics and Song by Alan Jackson

Missing You Know Who

(March 1, 2003 - St. Johns, VI)

All I know for sure is that I miss Mr. Wonderful.

I want to hold his hand.

I want to hear him snore.

I want to talk to him flesh to flesh.

I want to kiss him and snuggle with him.

I need his man talents, like fixing stuff, weed whacking, poop pickin and other secret stuff.

I want to hear him to tell me I look pretty.

I need a good home cooked meal.

I just need Mr. Wonderful to come home.

I miss you.

Cole misses you.

Estes and Smokey miss you.

But, I miss you the most....

Pen Pal...Introspection...and a P.S.

Ok folks - you remember my new "old timer" friend, Toby Buchanan from Easton, WA....well, I did write to him. Just the thought of him driving his old pickup truck into town...probably a quarter of a mile to go pick up his mail at the shoebox post office, brings me happiness. He got my letter and he responded:

Dear Wendy,
Yeah, I was wrong. You did write. I'm so glad you stop at CB's that day and I got to meet you. I don't write much any more as you can see. You are a great friend. I got a call on July 2 that my only Aunt passed away on July 1st. She was 84. Hope to see you again sometime. It was so nice to talk to you and wish you had more time to visit. Yes, you are a great friend and I hope to hear from you soon.
Take care.
Your friend,
Toby

******************
I mean, does it get any better than that? I wonder in my lifetime, how many lives it will feel like I've lived? How many experiences, opportunities, failures, disappointments, successes, and relationships with others, have shaped the person I am today? I've been too introspective lately, if that's even possible. Me, the person who loves being alone with her thoughts, is thinking that maybe I've had TOO much time. Chris - come home - I need adult conversation soon before my thoughts eat me alive, before I become a complete sap.

On introspection - I tend to beat myself up over past events that I didn't handle well or opportunities that I let slip by. A failed 1st marriage for one. It is, to this day, my biggest failure, my biggest disappointment to myself. One that I've practically hidden for 10 years and convinced myself never happened because it's to ugly of a disappointment in myself. I seek redemption from a man who may never give it to me. And while I may not get it from him, I can try, but the real work is in the present. To love this life and learn from my mistakes, or atleast try. There will be new mistakes to be made and new lessons to be learned, but to find peace in knowing that ALL my experiences have made me the person I am today- for better or for worse. They are who I am. And I am thankful for everyone of them.
****************************

P.S. More introspection during a long hot shower...on marriage...It's not my decision that disappointments me in reference to marriage #1, it's how I handled and managed that decision. How immature I was. How naive. And how selfish. I don't think I understood fully the concept of marriage and the vows I took, although on that day when we wed, I thought I did. I can't appreciate it like I can today. I can't imagine being married to anyone else in this entire world except Chris. I understand the vows I took and maybe it's different because of Cole but I know that marriage is a sacrament and that I will do my best to preserve it. Thank you for loving me Chris and being my husband.

Quiet Moments

July 19, 2004 - Cole was born

Here I am .... alone, in my wonderful house - no music playing - just plain stillness (well, you can hear the refrigerator) - but otherwise, very peaceful. It's chilly, cloudy, and rainy outside. My little man is with his BFF Sofia. I'm eating dinner. Actually, I'm still eating dinner. It's been approx. 35 minutes and it feels nice to eat at a snail pace instead of in my normal 2.2 seconds. Everything is slower-and quieter-when Cole is away. Sometimes though, I will pace inside this house - up and down the hall and into the kitchen - repeatedly - because it takes me about an hour to figure out what to do with my time when Cole is finally occupied elsewhere.


I remember when Chris and I got married - my gosh - we were so happy and in love. We wanted that love duplicated and reproduced and it didn't take long. I miscarried the first time, but then, it didn't take long for our second opporunity to come along. BUT something happened....I wasn't happy being pregnant. I remember my mom and I getting in a BIG fight because I wasn't one of those women that glowed or embraced being pregnant. I down right hated it. I don't know why I didn't like it - maybe it was seeing my body change so much or maybe it was fear of the unknown, or maybe it was because I was selfish and didn't like sharing - who knows. We outlasted it though and while I didn't LOVE being pregnant, I absolutely LOVED my little baby boy. Of course, I didn't know a thing about babies and it was REALLY hard for those first three months...oh, who am I kidding, it was really hard those first couple of years. But there was always one constant - our love for Cole.


It's no wonder why we love him so much - because he is EXACTLY like Chris and EXACTLY like me. He is stubborn, independent, sweet, caring, orny, he loves to negoitate, he ALWAYS has to be right, he won't do something if he doesn't want to (this is soooo Chris). No wonder we fell in love with him.


I guess this is a rambling post. I'm not sure what my point was when I started. But, in the end, as much as I love Cole....I love the quiet moments too.

Speaking of Super Heros

Today I am self proclaiming myself as a Super Hero! That's right. I do believe it's time to add it to my list of life titles. I'm even going to go as far as putting it right up there with Mother, Wife, Daughter, Superhero!

Here is why - because I've managed our house - that's alot of chores-, vacation with Cole for 12 days, planned a Gigantic 5th year birthday party, laid people off at work, trained for a half marathon, ran a 10K, entertain Cole, and so on and so forth, for the last 5 weeks.

I thought the stress would kill me last week, but it's a new week, and I'm extremely optimistic that I've made it over the hump. Chris will be back in two weeks and our routine will slide right back into place. But, I tell you, I will still be a superhero.

Speaking of superheros - the biggest superhero I know is my mom. I'm complaining about 7 weeks - think of 15+ years. YEARS of being dedicated to raising her two children - her pride and joy, I might add - but selfless devotion to motherhood. She worked full-time and raised us full-time. She did take some time - very little - for herself to go country dancing, or go to a movie with friends. She almost always put herself second. And that's a super hero in my book. She taught me independence, to be a do'er, to have goals, to aim high.

If I could, I would give her a honorary doctrate degree from Harvard or create an award given out by the President, called the Mother of the Last Two Decades Award.

Here is to all the superhero Mom's. Keep on Keepin' On!

p.s. We love you Dads, but this post is about Mama's!

More Super Heros Please

Cole as BATMAN at Sierra's Birthday Party.

Cole as the bad SPIDERMAN at Longmont's River on the Rocks festival. He is too sweet to look bad.

Happy Birthday Cole

Happy Birthday Sweet Baby Boy! We love you soooo much!

You had an amazing day: water slide, Spongebob cake, pinata, family, friends, and lots and lots of toys.

grandma did so good making this cake. Thanks again for making it with love.

Get Well Soon

Dearest Grandpa Jack,

If knowing that someone really cares
Helps healing along its way
Then I hope you now feel better
And keep improving, day by day
-Jon Bratton c 2005

We love you and are thinking about you. Be patient with the recovery. No more limping!

Hugs and kisses,
Wendy, Chris and Cole

BIG vacation

Cole and I have been in Washington State for the past 12 days. WOW! We had a great time with Grandpa Jack, Grandma Carol, and Aunt Emma. We were in Seattle with everyone to run the Rock-n-Roll Half Marathon. I got my own PR by nearly six minutes. It was a terrific race and even better to get to do it with family.

I stayed a few more days in Seattle and Cole went with Grandpa and Grandma back to Othello. Michelle and I went to Snoqualmie Falls, then to the San Juan Islands and kayaked around Henry Island and stayed in a fabulous little inn called, Juniper Lane. Highly recommend. I walked around Pike Place Market one morning, saw a huge jellyfish off the pier, ate Russian pastries filled with bavarian cream and cream of wheat, dusted with powder sugar....delicious!

Then I headed over to Othello which is about 3.5 hour drive. I stopped in this town, although, town is too strong of a word. It had a post office, a little convienent store called CB's, and maybe a mechanic shop. Everything else was boarded up. I stopped at CB's to grab a beverage and ended up sitting on the porch swing with an old timer named Toby Buchanan. He reminded me of my grandfather. He talked about his days as a truck driver, his marriages, his children, his cars....just about everything - non-stop - for two hours. It was a delight. He smelled like my grandfather too. I got his address, so I imagine I'll send him a card now and then to brighten his lonely days.

Back in Othello it was:

Ice Age 3 in Pasco with Aunt Emma and Cole

Water Fun at the Playground of Dreams off of the Columbia River

Emma's Swim Meet - I think she won all her events - you go girl

Water Park Fun in Moses Lake with Grandpa and Emma
Camera One
Camera Two
Pool Fun in Othello

Othello's Sun Faire for the Fourth of July - 5k for Grandma and Emma, 10k for me, and kids dash for Cole

Fireworks from the porch

Playing in the Snake River

Feeding chickens, collecting eggs, playing with kittens, pickin' rasberries

Backyard fun with Aunt Emma

Lots and lots of great food

Trip to Snoqualmie Falls on our way back to Seattle to catch our flight home


Thanks for having us for so long. It was a nice break for us while Chris is gone. We love you guys bunches.

First Things First: Happy Father's Day..with a PS

(in the beginning - August 2004)

Is it possible that it's been nearly three weeks since my last post? And that I practically missed Father's Day. Well, here it is, short and sweet like my Mother's Day post:

Happy Father's Day to:

Mr. Wonderful, the BEST daddy in the world

My big brother Derrick

Umple Joe

Grandpa Jack

Grandpa Frank

Cesar

Stan Matz, proud papa of the tiniest baby boy

Umple Brian - who spent the afternoon at Cole's school filling in for Chris at their Father's Day Party

Jim Jones

Toby Buchanan - my newest "old timer" friend from Easton, WA

My grandpa, Virgil Coleman - gone but never forgotten

All my uncles

And all the others I have inadvertently forgot to mention

Love to all. Thanks for being part of our family.

P.S. We had a fabulous bbq at my mom's house with good food, great company, and the cutest little kids on the planet.

Night Riding

Mr. Wonderful broke his collar bone two days ago on a night mountain bike ride with some friends in Virginia. Now he is in a sling with bruises and some pain killers. Would have loved to see the crash on video. OUCH!

Cole and I have been making cupcakes and cookies, playing make believe, reading books, biking to school and just plain hanging out. We miss you daddy.

The toughest parts about going solo are:
Meal Time - I need someone to entertain Cole so we can stop eating Mac and Cheese
School Time - my new start time at work is 9am
Night Time - we need your big "Go To Bed Now Cole" voice

I've been asleep by 8:15 just about every night from pure mental and physical exhaustion. Cole is a machine. It makes getting up with dogs at 5 am easier.

No Arguing

Cole and I had the BEST weekend. I'm going to say he didn't argue, or complain, or talk back about 99% of the time. He was terrific. And when he is terrific, I'm terrific. I love to spend time with him. He is great company. Thanks for a great 1st weekend without Dad. Only 32 more days to go.

Food with Rachel - we had dinner with Rachel Friday night. It was a nice treat to see her there.

Fishing (cole caught a fish), Farmers Market, and Fun Movie with Umple Joe and Michael

Slumber Party with Sofia which meant I got to go the Movies with Michelle

Sand Box and Sprinkler Fun at Grandma's

Bike Riding in Broomfield and a Buzz Cut for Cole

I'm tired though so I'm cutting out short. How cute are these pictures?!!

p.s. Umple Joe and Michael - thanks for sharing your Saturday with us.

p.s.s. Dad - Cole asked today
"How long is daddy going to be gone - 5 days?"
I said, "No, much longer than that."
"7 days?"
"Nope, longer than that."
"100 days?"
"Not quite that long."

One Day Down

One day down and only 35 to go until we get to see Chris when he comes back home for Cole's birthday weekend. I slept for chunks of hours at a time last night, but not a great sleep. I think the house must have known that CV was gone, so she was on her best behavior last night; quiet and still. Thank you house. Sometimes, she makes the scariest sounds.


And, I'm happy to report that the dreams I've had for the last three nights, did not haunt me. When Cole was baby, I use to have dreams of him falling, usually out of his crib. I would leap from my bed to catch him, heart pumping, veins racing, just to find that the house was quiet and he was sound asleep. I would find my way back to bed, feeling like I just sprinted the 100 yard dash, with Chris saying "What the hell, Wendy". He was probably just as startled to see me leap like a mad women from the bed. So anyway, I have those dreams every once in while, where Cole is falling and I try to save him, and that's what my nights have been for the last three nights. Vivid dreams of him falling through an open man hole and me leaping up to grab him. I hate those dreams and appreciate the fact that they didn't visit me last night.


The dogs wake up with the sun which today was around 4:45 a.m. I let them outside and then I laid back down and watched out the window as the dark turned to light, and the sun welcomed a new day.



p.s. good luck recruiting today Chris. Remember, tell 'em to go home if they are late to the interview.

Man vs. Wild

Floissant, Colorado - Camping Trip - June 2009

Chris, Cole, Sofia, Cesar, and Dena

What the world needs - more camping and less TV

My Bird

My bird, my sweet bird, you know, the one outside my office window, just gets sweeter by the day. Early this week, she laid her eggs and has been sitting on them ever since. I read that she'll sit on them for some 30-40 days. What patience....and boredom.

I love this little bird and watching her as she completes the steps necessary for her little babies. Today, I was reading an article, called Fatherhood Milestones, in the Broomfielder magazine, and it has a list of experiences you can either look back on or look forward to in raising our kids. For toddlers they have four listed:

• Be Playful
• Teach Your kids to Ride a Bike
• Read Together
• Join the Party

Each one of these is so true and brings so much joy, memories, and create bonds between parents and kids. I can say say so from experience.

Be Playful - Cole has taught me to relax more, to be silly, to be a little kid myself every once in a while. The same would go for Mr. Wonderful but he was and still is a big kid at heart so it wasn't as dramatic.

Teach Your Kid to Ride a Bike - it was one of our "we'll never forget this for the rest of lives" moments when Cole, confident and ready, said "you can take my training wheels off" and he road down the street without help. I'll always remember that day. How proud we were. Cole's new found freedom. And when he doesn't get to ride his bike to school, he usually always asks when he gets home if he can ride it.

Read Together - we started this very early one - actually, when he was still in my belly. One of the first things Cole loses when he isn't listening or if he is talking back, is his bedtime story, and oh how he cries when that happens. We take trips to the library together and look through all sorts of books, and usually read them all when we get home. He is starting to spell practically every word he sees, on cereral boxes, on signs, on magazines, just about everywhere there are words he is starting to spell them out loud and next you know, he'll be saying the actual words. He asks us how to spell all sorts of words- "Mama, how to do you spell tree? How do you spell dish? How do you spell dinosaurs? How do you spell California? How do you spell bush?" And on that particular day, he was playing with chalk outside and he wrote all the words down. My little genius.

Join the Party - maybe it's just playing with his cars, or building Lincoln Logs, he loves it when we play with him. He loves to show how he can do things. It's these little moments that can last half hour or minute, that live with us forever.

So, back to my bird. I know that Mr. Wonderful and I have created that nurturing nest for Cole. And while it won't take long for these baby birds to fly out of their nest, I also know that the 13 years before Cole out of ours will be here before we know it.

But, first things first, Kindegarden...

Bird Nest

Today, as I busily worked, I happened to glance out the window and saw something that brought a smile to my face. It was a little bird working to build her nest in the tree right outside my office window. I was on a conference call, but managed to grab my camera because it was such a sweet sight that I wanted to document it (although the picture just looks like a bunch of tree leaves). I watched that bird, building her nest, and it warmed my heart. It gave me perspective on my own life, which at this moment, is greatly needed.

You see, there are always challenges in life. Some we bring on ourselves, others are forces on us, like being laid off. I think with Chris' job path taking him to Virginia for six weeks, it will allow Cole and I to bond (more) and for me to have my patience tested, to call on friends and family for relief, but most of all to be supportive to Chris. To be unselfish. To see what he is sacrificing to keep food on our table and bills paid. He is sacrificing being away from his family, from his things, from his routine. How selfish I have been during his time of transition, his venture into the unknown. Six weeks will come and go and we'll be back together before we know it. The lawn will get mowed, the dogs will get walked, dinner will be made, school drop offs will be handled, and FUN will be had. And I'll read this blog entry when the weeks feel like months and when I don't think I can handle another moment and know that this too shall pass.

And then what? Well, we'll have new challenges. New possibilities. New opportunities. I love you Mr. Wonderful and I'm thankful that things always seem to work out - one way or another and that you selflessly do what needs to be done for our family, for our nest.

Sleep Over

We decided to have a Kids Camp Night on Saturday. Hopefully the start of a new tradition over Memorial Weekend. We invited a few of Cole's best pals (Sofia, Julian, and Shane) to come play and sleep over. We set up our big two-cabin tent and loaded it with tons of blankets, pillows, stuffed animals, and toys. Grandma brought up the fire pit, Chris got the BBQ ready, kids arrived, and the fun began. We grilled just in time because as we ate dinner, the rain came and boy did it pour. Our poor tent didn't like it, and was quickly wet inside so we pulled all the stuff out and continued our festivies inside. The weather may have put a damper on the tent, but not our spirits. It was everyone's FIRST sleep over.

After much running around and playing in Cole's indoor play tent, we quieted them down in the living room and watched Flushed Away. We made it through the movie (well, Shane and I didn't) but Chris woke us up and we set up sleep headquarters in Cole's room. Little Julian decided he didn't want to stay so he called his dad who quickly arrived to tuck him in his own bed. And after about 45 minutes of little giggles and whispers, the house fell silent.

Four year olds are just the sweetest things to watch. The way they interact with each other, the funny, random things they say. It was a night to remember.

No Mickey for Us

Last weekend we made our way to Orlando. I had a work conference and Mr. Wonderful and Cole tagged along for some fun. Cole got to put to use his new swimming skills in the hotel pool and what a fish he is.

Dad and Cole went to Kennedy Space Center. Both had a blast....

I was able to join them on the outing to Gatorland! It was amazing. We even got to hook up with Uncle Brian for dinner one night in Coco Beach. Brian and Chris spent their pay checks at Ron Jon Suft Shop. What a treat!

We even got to walk over to Universal Studio's City Walk. It was a fabulous trip.

But, we do have to report that Soft Bunny has gone missing. We realized he was left on the plane between the seats. We've filed missing persons report with the Orlando airport and are still waiting to hear from Southwest Airlines if he is in lost and found. Sweet Soft Bunny. He's been with Cole since birth, survived the attack of a bored dog (Estes - bad girl), lost an eye in the process, underwent surgery by Grandma, and was gently given back to Cole as his sweet "one eyed" soft bunny. We hope we find him.