1st day of Kindergarten

Wyatt was pretty loaded down for his
first day of Kindergarten.





















Can you tell? He didn't want his
picture taken....and to think I
would get a kiss good-bye?
















That was yesterday though, I did get a call
from his school that he had thrown up his
lunch with first day jitters and had to bring
him clean clothes. He told me this morning
that he was just too nervous (his words!) and
that today he would not throw up..I sent
extra clothes anyway, JUST IN CASE.

I did get lots of hugs and 2! kisses good-bye
when I took him this morning. My little man!

I added a few pics to the side bar.....I wanted
to post them on my Facebook page, but I just
couldn't get it to download today?

I am sad to report that Gayle moved to the Branson area this past weekend. Her and Wesley will be missed so much.

Do you know what this is?

Does anyone know what kind of bird this is?

a) Black Vulture
b) Golden Eagle
c) Turkey Vulture
d) Red-headed hawk
e) Missouri Eagle

Its a Turkey Vulture, who got it right??? A very common BIG bird here in Missouri. Second largest to the bald eagle. Looks pretty wicked don't they? I was about 10 feet from them pooking around. These guys were 4 houses down from our duplex, just check'n out the neighborhood maybe looking for lunch? I ran home and got the camera for your knowlege, yes it's true and...the sacrafices I made last night, having a near death experience and all. Not to mention the time it took to drive 4 houses down, then drive 4 houses back! Push the button to roll down my window and then hold my arm up to take the picture, push the little button on the camera, then push another button to look at the pictures, another button to put up my window......because ya know...they could have attacked me and flew away with my arm? The drive home was by far the worst, I had to drive super duper fast to get in my garage in case they came after me, ya know since I didn't have them sign a waiver that I would be posting their picture and not give them any of my royalties for it. I do so much for all of my 5 viewers.. Hope you enjoy. lol

Hey, scroll down a little more, I made another post....wow

i know, i know....i am wasting valuable company time.

Pictures of Wyatt

Here are a few pictures I wanted to share of Wyatt. I got an alligator cake mold, it's just really cupcakes that you put together to make the shape of an alligator, but Wyatt loves it. The first attempt to make this didn't come out so good, I learned from the first one though and was able to achieve this yummy chocolate alligator!

We took sissy to the go-carts after having her nails done for her Birthday, her and Wyatt had lots of fun and Wesley slept the entire time, noise and all.

Wyatt will be in Kindergarten this fall. He had his graduation from Pre-K this past Wednesday and he was pretty cute in his paper-hat. His class did a play about the soldiers at war, more like back during WW II, they sang about making stone soup (I might post the video clip later) for the soldiers, which now I understand why Wyatt has been singing that song for the last two months. After we got home that night, Wyatt made me a heart with his blankey, so sweet! I know some day his blankey will fall apart, it is getting so thin now, he has had it since he was a baby and hasn't been able to part with it at night, not to mention during the day.....and ..... well, I just can't take it away from him yet.

He also informed me last night as we were mixing up the batter for pancakes that he could invite some soldiers over for dinner. I had to tell him we didn't know any and he suggested we find some anyway because soldiers are hungry. His has a heart of gold!

My Super Hero!

What can I say, he loves to dress up!

Another video

Another video of him riding his bike, you will need to turn up the volumn to hear him, my camera doesn't pick up sound so far away.

Wyatt

Ok, my 'tomorrow' was somewhat delayed.















Wyatt doing his 'ka-chow' just like
Lightening McQueen!
















He was playing with the chalk he got from
G-MA Lori and had Gayle outline his body.
This is how he wanted his picture taken.
Lightening McQueen hat, bracelt and shoes!
















Here he goes, off on his bike WITHOUT
training wheels. I am so proud of him

















These pics are on my side bar, but I just
counldn't resist highlighting them here.





Hope you can pull up this video. I wouldn't
say I am that great at it, just a proud mama.
You wouldn't ever know this is his first time
riding without the training wheels! Turn up
your volumn, it's a little hard to hear what
he is saying.

No Training Wheels!!

Wyatt has been asking for weeks for me to take off his training wheels...each time I tell him no, I am either busy, the weather is not decent or something... Saturday, he asked again. I asked Gayle if she could do it and as soon as the training wheels came off (his little bike) he took off down the driveway..Gayle hollars at me to come see, I rush outside with the camera for her to take pictures (I was feeding Wesley) and she told me he didn't hesitate one second! OFF he went. I am so proud of him! We are still working on getting the training wheels off his big boy bike, but he road his little bike (he calls Rocket) almost all afternoon and it rained on him part of the time. He had his raincoat on so no biggie.....until mommy made him come in. He wasn't a happy camper by that point, but he sure had fun. He road Rocket as much as he could Sunday too, of course it rained again and I sat in the garage watching him all bundled up in a blanket since it was pretty chilly out with the rain and wind. I will try to get the pictures posted tomorrow and maybe the video clip. I have noticed since he has been on his medication, he doesn't have as many temper tantrums but he does cry now and doesn't get as mad as he used to. The counselor said he is going through an adjustment and is discovering 'new' emotions. All normal reactions so we will just move forward.

ADHD

After waiting almost 6 months for an appointment for Wyatt to be seen by a Pediatric Neurologist, he had his appointment yesterday. Wyatt was diagnosed with ADHD as well as his genetic makeup causing him to have the impulses etc. associated with ADHD children.

His Neurologist has him on medication, Tenex, the generic form is Guanfacine (gwahn-fa-seen). We will continue his counseling at the Burrell Center, his in-home counseling, visits with the Neurologist and his Early Childhood Development school program that I can only hope will not only gain my sanity back, but continue to help Wyatt's behavior. (This has been a struggle for him for what I would say to be 2 years now) For anyone who has a hyperactive child, I'm sure you know what I am talking about.

Welcome to Our World Wesley Cole

Here are the first pictures of Wesley Cole Stokes. He was born on Wednesday, March 25, 2009, weighing in at 7 lbs 13 oz. and 20 " long.

Mama and Baby just after birth.

Wyatt wants to be Wesley's Big Brother and not his Uncle.

Me, Wyatt and Wesley.

He is pretty darn cute.

Gayle's Baby Shower- Wyatt

Paula Jean gave Gayle a Baby Shower March 8, 2009. We had a great time and got to see Baby Lily!

I know the date says 2007, yeah, I forgot

to set the date on my camera. LOL

A diaper cake...that's a lot of diapers.

I think it took 95 or so to make this!

Ok the date got set and here is Gayle

just a week and a half before Wesley was born.

And I can't post something without having

my little man here. (From Jan. 09)

He is doing what he loves most, playing

outside!

We went to the Discovery Center on the

Freebie day. Wyatt had a great time while

we were there. However, we only spent a couple

hours there...too much stimulation for him.

He spent a lot of time here, playing with the

water, he had fun and that's what I like to see.

He got a new bike with my Tax Refund $

It reeves up like a real motorcycle..!!! He is

just growing up too fast!

AND..... Wesley Cole Stokes was born on March 25, 2009 at 7:24 a.m., he was 7 pounds 13 ounces and 20" long. I had taken Gayle to the hospital Tuesday night around 11:00 p.m. so all of us had a very long night! We brought Baby Wesley home Friday, the 27th. Wyatt has been calling him 'Lily' since she is the first baby he was really around and talks about. It may take him a little bit to figure all this out. He loves Wesley and insists on being the Big Brother since he doesn't want to be the Uncle. I will post photos as soon as I can. Here is a link to see his Hospital Photo Shoot http://www.our365.com/ Search by WebNursery by Customer Number type in the 37231262212728. I am not sure when it will be posted, if you can't pull it up, you can call 1-800-620-8479, it's new and the lady had problems with our order. Plus I didn't ask how long they would be posted so I hope you have the chance to find them. We will be sending out the announcements as soon as we get them. Try to click here, it should pull up the photos. http://www.our365.com/NewbornPortraits/Default.aspx?SM=ByCartId&CI=37231262212728

And before I forget, I had got Wyatt the movie Home Alone a while back, he has been watching it almost everyday, since he is starting to get tired of the cartoons...anyway, I was helping Gayle with her fingernails a couple weeks ago in the bathroom. Wyatt had unknown to us, set up a trap for me.....he had put a wet wipe on the floor and a pillow to catch my fall as this trap would cause me to slip in the hallway. Before we got out of the bathroom, he had told on himself and was giggling to himself and thought that was just the funniest thing! You really had to be there as he was describing how he had set up this funny trap. He did warn us though that there may be more to come.

Wyatt all grown up!

Wyatt started his first day at Shady Dell yesterday. This is a Springfield School that provides pre-school age children a head start for Kindergarten. The program is called Childhood Early Developement. When I picked him up, the teachers assistant said he had a great first day! I was so proud of him, he is very excited about going to a school and not a 'daycare' as he says, "where the babies are". He carried the same excitment this morning when I dropped him off. Such a big boy with his backpack and carrying his lunch box. He's growing up too fast! And I failed to take his picture yesterday and today so with any luck I'll remember tomorrow! Have I mentioned how much I love my little man?

Due: March 20th

We are certainly going to have a full house by the end of March!
Another baby is scheduled to arrive in our family. Gayle is expecting a little boy on approximately March 20th. We are getting ready for his arrival although she has not decided on a name. I have been wanting to give her a baby shower, but circumstance just will not allow one :o(

Wyatt has been sick off and on for the last month, just two weeks ago he was at the doctor for a bad cough which also affected his asthma and had to have additional breathing treatments and a steriod. Yesterday he was diagnoised with an ear infection, giving him antibiotics makes me so nervous. I am hoping his fever goes down today without medication. Needless to say, we have been struggling lately with his health issues and missing hours at work is putting additional stress on me. I finally got him enrolled in the Childhood Early Developement Program, 'The Wonder Years' at Shady Dell School. The only setback will be he can't be dropped off until 8:30 a.m. and I have to pick him up at 2:15 .m. and....have the additional expense of lunches and gas, time off work. Somehow this has to work, he needs this so he will be ready for Kindergarten this fall. We don't know where that will be yet since it is looking like we'll have to move again. We just can't afford the place we are in. Maybe this just seems overwhelming today. I just thought I would be in a different place at this point of my life, it's heartbreaking when Wyatt asks me when we can live back at our old house.....

George Carlin

George Carlin's Views on Aging

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids?

If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions."How old are you?" "I'm four and a half!" You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five!
That's the keyYou get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead."How old are you?" "I'm gonna be 16!" You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life . . . you become 21.
Even the words sound like a ceremony . YOU BECOME 21. YES SSS!!!
But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're Just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away.
Before you know it, you REACH 50and your dreams are gone.But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would!So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60.
You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!You get into your 80s and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30; you REACH bedtime And it doesn't end there. Into the 90s, you start going backwards; "I Was JUST 92."Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. "I'm 100 and a half!"May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a ha lf!!

HOW TO STAY YOUNG
1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay "them."
2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.
4. Enjoy the simple things.
5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.
6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.
7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.
8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
9 Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.
10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away

New Pictures

Hi Everyone, I hope everyone is happy and healthy this holiday season. Wyatt is looking forward to Santa coming to our house this year. He asks almost everyday if Santa is coming tonight.

I am very much looking forward to tonight since this is the first time he has a Christmas Program at his Daycare. He has been singing Christmas Caroles for the past couple weeks and knows more than I do! :O) He's not my little toddler anymore asking me 'What's that mama?', 'What does that do?', 'What this, what that?', he is now the one telling me, 'This is for....That can do this......Buzz can fly!! ha! Not to mention he's grown about 3" since last year and lost his baby fat!

Anyway, my little man is growing up and I have just posted new pictures on the right. I have included the girls I now work with, they are such a good group of ladies! I made Gift tags for them with their picture which is also in the video bar, shhh, don't tell them. The pictures go back to I think Emily's Birthday and Easter, I just haven't been able to post like I would like. There is a picture of me on a circular ride when we went to Celebration City (too bad it's closed now!), anyway, I was told it was a kid ride and I'd be fine....Well, I wasn't fine, I don't handle spinning, flying, going up and down rides very well, however, the kids just loved it.



And I have to show this one, Wyatt got this mask and cape with a pair of shoes (which was on clearance for $7.00). As soon as he put it on, he asked me. "Mama, can you tell it's me?" I had to play along and say, "No, who is in my house with a mask on?", he pulled it up and said, "It's ok mama, it's just me, Wyatt Cooper". Ok, I just think he is so cute! He loves to 'dress up'.

Newest Family Addition

Baby Lily was born on October 20, 2008, she is so tiny and adorable. Here are a few pictures of her at 2 weeks.

Hey!!!!

Wow, it amazes how quickly time, no, days, NO, months fly by when it just seems like last week I was traveling down to Branson everyday.

I have got all moved up, moved in and unpacked (for the most part) to Springfield. I LOVE living in the City. I am so close to shopping, parks and just about whatever else I need or want to go.

Where I live, I am way WAY too close to a couple Ice Creams Shops! I have packed on some pounds for sure....not to mention my boss keeps us in plenty supply of snacks around!

If anyone hasn't heard already, I love my new job, including the drive thru the city. Even when I got rearended after being here a week, the poor girl that hit me was so upset, I hugged her several times and told her it would be ok, we were fine and the vehicles can be fixed. She couldn't of been over 21-25 yrs. old. I was just glad Wyatt was not with me, he would not have been so patient waiting for the PD to come on a NON injury fender bender. I must say though, we got a few 'hey baby' and some whistling at us. I didn't realize what a 'hot mama' I was...hahaha!

This year, we've got plenty of rainfall and the fall colors are just exploding, I can't wait to get some pictures taken. Not having access to a computer and internet has made it difficult to pursure my love to blog.

I will be getting some pic's of the latest addition to our family soon and posted. Baby Lilly (aka Sarah) is just adorable.

Wyatt has been in counseling now for about 2 months and is showing signs of improvement, having him in a daycare (thru the Baptist Church) with teachers that are working with him instead of pushing him off as a 'bad kid' has also helped him improve. Last week we started his in-home visits and we got a great counseler, 'Candy', she's all but 5' tall and has true concern for Wyatt's well being.

Gayle plans on moving up with Wyatt and I soon, hopefully before Thanksgiving, but you know how 21 year olds can be.

Well, all of us look forward to Halloween, it's really a great reason for us to get together and eat the first batch of Chili at Paula Jean's house! See ya'll soon!

Yeah for Me!

Hey everyone, have you missed me? I have missed you!

I am really excited about my new job working in an attorney's office in Springfield. I start on Monday the 14th. The job is part accounting and part whatever else needs done in the office. It's a small office (two attorney's) right up my alley.

While I've been in limbo, Wyatt and I have been to White Water, Celebration City, Silver Dollar City (thanks PJ) and many trips to the park. I have enjoyed spending the time with Wyatt and will miss having this much time with him once I am back to the Monday - Friday. I'm sure ya'll know how much I love my little man.

I'll be back on-line as soon as I can.

Love Ya!

More Sailor Boy

Here are the other photos I picked out from Wyatt's portfolio.

Today is my last day at the office :o(

Sailer Boy?

Here is one of the pictures from Wyatt's photo shoot. :o)

I've never had his picture taken with a themed look, as soon as I have time, I'll get the other poses scanned and posted (and hand out the one's I got for the family).