Cookie Cutter Chronicles

My Insta-Year

2013-01-01T11:38:00.003-08:00

Instagram Dump...

This year was full of great memories...

Our year was full of smiles, laughter and togetherness...

Family Pictures...

2013-01-01T11:28:00.000-08:00

Charlee Jo, The One

2013-01-01T11:25:00.001-08:00

Um, really? Seriously where did this year go? It was so full with babies, school, baseball, dance, work... And in that time my baby girl grew, learned how to sit, crawl, walk. She learned how to be bossy, she learned how to survive in a house with three older siblings... I have to say, she definetely holds her own..

Here's her year in pictures....

I just love this monkey...

All About My Mom... Love Cole, Carson, and Camryn...

2012-05-13T17:26:00.002-07:00

At church today the kids were asked questions about their moms for Mother's Day... I could not stop laughing at the kids answers...

~My mom is ___ years old. Cole said "10,000", Carson said "20", and Camryn said "22".. Cole is a BRAT.
~My mom weighs ___ pounds. Ok first off, REALLY? Why is this even a question? Cole and Carson said "100 pounds" and Camryn said" 2 pounds"... Dumbest question ever....
~My mom's favorite color is____ Cole said "red" and Camryn and Carson said "Purple". For the record it's Green.
~ My mom's favorite food is____ Cole said "salad", Carson said "pasta" and Camryn said "quesadilla"... They're all right :)
~My mom always says___ Why do these questions feel like a TRAP? Cole said "Brat" (take note of the first question) Carson said "You're awesome" and Camryn said "Go to your bedroom" (wow)
~My mom cooks the best___ Cole said "cookies", Carson said "pasta", Camryn said "quesadillas"...
~My mom's job is___ Cole said "school", Carson said "doing the dishes", Camryn said "teacher"... Dishes? Really?
~My mom laughs when___ Cole didn't answer, Carson said "When Lucy stands up" (our cat is crazy and attacks us standing up) and Camryn said "At 2" Uh?
~If my mom had time, she would love to___ Cole said "play games" Carson said "do dishes" Again with the dishes? and Camryn said "Go out to eat"
~My mom and I like to____ Cole said "Play" Carson said "Go to Disneyland" and Camryn said "take a bubble bath"... Love that girl
~My mom really loves to___ Cole said "Me" (think he thinks highly of himself?) Carson said "Me" (him too) and Camryn said "to write my name" haha
~ I love my mom because___ Cole said "She loves me" Carson said "she loves me" and Camryn said "I love her hugs"

I can't wait to see what they have to say next year :)

2012-05-10T19:15:00.000-07:00

Someone needs to tell her that I have enough kids that talk....

Insta-Overload

2012-05-10T19:11:00.003-07:00

Um.... Where in the heck have the last 5 months gone? I mean really. I know that my days have been filled with: children, husbands, homework, housework, school, baseball, tests, home renovations, sick babies, holidays, birthdays, vacations, Disneyland and endless cleaning.... This year has flown by and I know that it will just keep on chugging along whether or not I approve.... So, in pictures, here is a little overview of where the time has gone...

So many smiles.

Charlee Jo

2012-01-16T15:27:00.000-08:00

Charlee Jo Cook

December 28, 2011

7:42 am

6 lbs. 2 oz.

17 inches long

Song playing when she was born: "She's a Maneater", so appropriate.

This post is almost 3 weeks late, but I am still trying to adjust to life with 4 kids, good thing Charlee seems to be a pretty laid back baby so far... She only cries when she needs to eat or needs to be changed... Camryn is obsessed with her but the poor girl is getting used to her mauling her all the time... She has the most luscious blonde hair, pouty lips, and kissable cheeks. Life is crazy for sure but I wouldn't change a thing, except the baby blues, those can take a hike.

Am I really ready for one more?

2011-12-27T09:24:00.000-08:00

I know Camryn is.....

Funny Crap my kids say....

2011-12-23T16:42:00.000-08:00

Cole~ Watching a Justin Bieber perfume commercial (don't judge)
"Mom, why is Justin Bieber so cool?"
uhhhh.... He's not

Carson` "This candy cane tastes like toothpaste"
and so it went in the trash, nothing worse than that apparently.

Camryn~ "Mom, it's ok to pee in the shower right?"
How do you answer that?

Best Beach Vacation... so far

2011-10-09T13:09:00.000-07:00

Weather was perfect.

Kids were great.

The company was fun.

We rode bikes, had camp fires, went for walks, played in the sand, played in the sun, and didn't want to leave....

We already can't wait for next year...

Pic overload..More to come too

Some things go right sometimes....

2011-09-13T15:02:00.000-07:00

There are days when your children surprise you, where they show heart. Cole had a day like that today. It reminds me that he does listen to me, that what I say matters to him. Way to go Colie, you are my hero today.

What Camryn does INSTEAD of playing soccer...

2011-09-12T14:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks Sue for the pictures, super bummed I missed her first game. But to quote Camryn, when asked why she did everything BUT play soccer, she stated "I didn't want anyone to see me play soccer, I only want to play soccer at Nate's house."

She looks like she had fun though, how can you argue with those smiles?

Why I NEVER win with this child...

2011-09-09T06:20:00.000-07:00

Cole and I butt heads, big time. I sort of imagine this is how my mom felt when I was growing up, we never got along, ever.

Some conversations of late...

First Example...

Me: Cole when Dad wakes up, you and the kids need to put this dishes away.

Cole: (freaking out) But I DON'T want to wait for Dad to wake up I want to do them now!!!!

Me: Sigh

Not winning.

Second Example:

Me: Cole after dinner you need to do a page of homework please.

Cole: (again with the freaking out) I don't want to eat dinner first I want to do my homework first!!!!!!

Ok, so this one is hard to argue with and he totally changed his mind after we got home, but REALLY?

Again not winning.

I know that's not what this is about, winning, but that's man this kid can be so dang hard to read.

But there are times when he makes me laugh...

Cole: How do you get to heaven Mom?

Me: By making the right decisions, being a kind helpful person, choosing the right.. (maybe I should've added not arguing with your parents)

Cole: Oh, well I killed a grasshopper today.

Even though he drives me up the wall at least once daily, I love that kid more than he probably realizes. Maybe one day we'll get along.

Milestone....

2011-07-27T20:05:00.000-07:00

Two teeth lost in one day, Cole was pretty stoked :)

Some thoughts on number 4...

2011-05-24T09:35:00.000-07:00

4 is Tom's favorite number so it really is fitting that we are now expecting "C" number 4... I am still in shock, still trying to wrap my brain around the whole thing. But I am HAPPY, elated in fact. We never thought we could have kids, and that our journey in life included adopting those 2 crazy boys of ours. That was the plan, we were meant to do that and when life was where I "THOUGHT" it should be someone else had other plans. Silly me. And then we were blessed with our little girl. Ah, life felt complete and full. Well guess what happens when you get too comfortable, and your kids are potty trained and you finally let go of all the baby stuff, because you were secretly hoping for another one? Yup, you get your wish, a little late. Baby "C" will be loved, will be lucky enough to have 2 older brothers and an older sister, will have 2 parents who adore him or her already, have begun planning their arrival and look forward to the day when we get to hold them. Although I feel unprepared at this point I know that when the time comes I will take this new challenge and give it all that I have, do the best that I can and hopefully remember to enjoy what I have been given. I think I can do that.

This Just In: An Interview, of sorts.

2011-04-25T18:02:00.000-07:00

So that I may remember them as they are now.....
Thanks Sue!

Cole, 5 (almost 6, ,I was reminded of that) years old Favorite Color: Orange
Favorite Friend: Nathan, and Tess and Eve
Favorite Place To Go: Sea World
Favorite Sport: Soccer
Favorite Movie: Sword In the Stone
Favorite Food: Spaghetti
Favorite Toy: My Tractors
Favorite Song: Little Bit Of Chicken Fry
Random Quote: "I love you"

Carson, 4

Favorite Color: Yellow
Favorite Friend: Andrew and Nate
Favorite Place To Go: To Target
Favorite Sport: At Nate's House (?)
Favorite Movie: Despicable Me
Favorite Food: Mac. N. Cheese
Favorite Toy: Buzz Lightyear Gun
Favorite Song: "I'm having a Bad Bad Day"
Random Quote: "I wanna go crazy"

Camryn, 2 going on 25

Favorite Color: Pink
Favorite Friend: Caleb
Favorite Place To Go: To School
Favorite Sport: Watching Cole play Soccer
Favorite Movie: Beauty and The Beast
Favorite Food: Peanut Butter and Jelly/ Hot dogs
Favorite Toy: Babies/Lucy
Favorite Song: Ariel
Random Quote: "I no do that."

I miss you today...

2011-04-20T10:18:00.000-07:00

I miss my Gma today...
I miss her smile.
I miss her calling me Missy.
I miss her Four on the Floor.
I miss her house that holds so many menories for me.
I miss planting flowers with her.
I especially miss sharing my birthday with her....

My journey...

2011-03-29T15:27:00.000-07:00

My journey will be hard and long, there may be people I lose along the way, but I must go. I strive to do better, to be better, to live better. There is freedom in this journey and knowledge, and healing. I need to heal, to grow. I hope to see you at the end....

~And this journey does involve updating my blog more often... Jan, Feb, and March to come soon... they were doosies

Worst Mom EVER....

2010-12-27T11:04:00.000-08:00

I didn't take ANY pictures on Christmas this year. I suck.

See what I have to work with?

2010-12-21T16:29:00.000-08:00

Whew....

2010-12-20T06:01:00.001-08:00

~Warning~ Major picture overload to follow....
We have been so super (but oh so wonderfully) busy the last month and so that I don't forget what fun we had here is our life in pictures from the last month....
I'm sure my bank account will recover, some day.

Carson and Camryn's Preschool Thanksgiving Party

Big Bear....

Weather was crap but the company was awesome

Yo Gabba Gabba Live...

We would do this again in a second.

Disneyland. At Night. Whole different experience

Oxnard Harbor

Parade of Lights at my Dads house....

And now it's time to get ready for the Holidays.... I've got five days right?

No words required...

2010-11-06T18:39:00.001-07:00

"Welcome to Holland"

2010-10-29T14:09:00.000-07:00

My homework this week in my Inclusion Class has been enlightening, to say the least. I read this passage in my book and thought that this may apply to all parents. I needed this this week, I needed to know that it's ok to be in Holland and that Italy really isn't for me

"Welcome to Holland"

By Emily Perl Kingsley

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability-to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this...

When You're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip-to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says "Welcome to Holland."

"Holland?!" you say. " What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."

But there's been a change in flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while you catch your breath, you look around... you begin to notice that Holland has windmills... and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandt's.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I planned"

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very significant loss.

But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things.... about Holland.

I've said this before and I am sure I will say this again, I must've needed this this week because it touched my soul.... And what a hard week it's been.

I will survive.

2010-10-18T21:13:00.001-07:00

I hope. My crazy friend Susan enlisted me in a 13 week running program. This is the beginning of week 2, it was A LOT harder than week 1. But I WILL FINISH IT. I WILL RUN A MARATHON. I WILL GET BACK IN SHAPE. There, it's in writing, in cybersapce, now I can't back out. EVER. Here's hoping I don't die.

You're Two...

2010-09-19T12:43:00.000-07:00

You make us laugh

with your silly ways...

You make us cringe

on your daredevil days...

You make us smile

with your constant chatter...

You make us love you

more every day...

You're silly and sweet and full of spunk and love (you kind of remind me of Grandma Knight)... and while most days all I do is shake my head at you and picture what the future will be like, I can't help but love you more every day.

Happy 2nd Birthday Camryn Geneva Elizabeth

(yes I know I am late)