Coop's Door

Coop has decided he will decorate the outside of his bedroom door with all kinds of artwork.  I think he does this because he has a strange obsession with...yeah, you guessed it...tape.

Look at those LONG strips of tape he has used.  Dave & I had to try not to burst into laughter when he proudly called us back to his door to take a look at his masterpieces.  Truthfully, the first thing you notice is the tape.  :)

Currently, there is a quarter wrapped in a tiny piece of construction paper, just waiting to be opened by Hunter on his birthday, which is 10 days away.  If I took the tape off it, I could use it to wrap an entire gift and still have some left over!  Guess whose idea that was...he can hardly wait for his brother to unwrap his "surprise present"!  Ah, how these boys bring smiles and joy to me each and every day.  I am surely blessed.

Oh Snowy Day!

You know how sometimes you just wish it would snow?  You may not even LIKE snow, but there is this voice in your head saying, some snow would be nice right about now... Well, we finally got some and our whole family was ecstatic!

I, personally, have a love/hate relationship with the stuff.  I want it only if I can sit by the window and watch it falling silently to the ground, with a cup of coffee or cocoa in my hand.  But who are we kidding...that would never really happen!  However, I did enjoy the afternoon yesterday, after it had dumped snow all morning.  Dave picked the boys up from school a bit early and got out the little snowmobiles.  They tore up and down the street, around and around the cul-de-sac and even used the yard of the empty house right next to us.  Neighbors stuck their heads out their doors to watch the show.  I'm glad they are all pretty tolerant of noise and none of them called the police.  LOL! 

 The red one was lent to us by our cousin - it goes 8 miles an hour and is perfect for Coop!

 Okay, he is just a natural...he was riding while standing up, doing some little hops and riding with one hand.  SO GLAD it only goes 8 miles an hour!

 I insisted on standing out in the road, so they wouldn't get run-over by a car...or crash into each other!

 Dave bought this little thing on Craigslist last week.  It goes FAST, and Hunter is a little timid but he is getting more confident with each time on it.

I think they are developing their Dad's love for snowmobiling...and I think I am okay with that.  :)

Today school actually got cancelled because of the ice and freezing rain.  Currently I am blogging in my pj's, drinking my 3rd cup of coffee and thinking of dragging out a board game to play with the boys.  It's days like this that I appreciate even more the fact that I am a stay-at-home mom.  It may be tough sometimes, both socially and financially, but it is SO worth it.

My Hero

I'll tell you what...when I started to fall in love with him, all those years ago, I had no idea he would turn into such an amazing husband, father and friend.  :)  I love him more every single day.  God sure did bless me when He sat Dave next to me in the trumpet section in high school band class...LOL...what a fun adventure we have had!  And I know we are just warming up...the best is yet to come!

Giving It One More Try...

Yeah, I know...you've missed me.  And you know something?  There really is no excuse for not posting a blog since APRIL of last year!  Goodness, you'd think I had been out saving the world or something.  But sadly, no...that's not it.  I've just been kinda busy!  Busier, in fact, than I have been in a really long time.  Some reasons for my business are the same - they are called Hunter and Cooper.  But other reasons include my weekday girlies, Kora and Ava! 

Kora and Ava are the girls I take care of during the week.  They truly are so much fun (with a little work thrown in :).  It's hard to believe I've had Kora since she was 3 months old.  She will be 4 in May, so she is pretty much my daughter.  LOL!  And sweet Ava came to me the beginning of the school year this year and will turn 1 in March!  I love having these girls in my home...and the rest of my family feels the same way. 

But I do have to say that I've really missed blogging about our family adventures, so as a resolution for 2012, I've decided I have to start up again.  Another resolution...and I'm sure it comes as no surprise...is that I am back on the weight-loss wagon!  Giddy-up!  I plan to lose about 15 pounds by my birthday (which is not until May, so surely this can happen...right?!).  So I may throw in a blog or two about that journey, assuming it will go somewhere besides OFF the wagon.

So stay tuned, people!  La Familia Kleinow is BACK!

The Littlest Baseball Boy

Oh Coop...the one who was practically born with a bat in his hands.

 








It has been pure JOY to watch Coop do what he loves to do.  All that practice in the living room is really paying off on the field - ha!  He loves being on a real baseball team...with a real uniform and everything.  All that t-ball stuff wasn't his cup of tea, apparently.  He loves that his Daddy is his coach, he loves catching, he loves hitting and playing 1st base.  Although I heard him tell Hunter the other day, "I'm a pretty good 2nd baser." 

He is getting better at staying in his position and letting other kids get the ball.  And he is getting quite a few hits off the pitching machine (those balls come pretty fast)!  He knows Mondays and Wednesdays are his game days and he is happy and excited on those days, and asks all day,"When is Daddy gonna be home so we can't be late to my game?"  

My littlest baseball boy...oh how I love you! 



Easter Sunday

What an amazing day.  One of the best I've had in a LONG time.  Such joy filled my heart from the very first sound of Hunter running down the hall to the living room to see what the Easter Bunny had brought to the very last sound of Dave saying, "What a great day...", right before I fell asleep. 

I made a big breakfast for us while Dave worked out before church.  Hunter got the 'Dennis the Menace' DVD in his basket, so we watched it and laughed while we were getting ready.  I have not heard Dave that loud and that much in a long time.  Hunter said right before we left for church, "Did you hear Dad howling and cackling?"  Ha!

Church was WONDERFUL!  Such great songs, a great message, such loving and special people...Dave & I left feeling overjoyed and refreshed.  Coop said on the way home, "I feel good when I'm at church."  That made me smile.  :)

The food at Mom & Dad's was SO good!  I ate way too much, but I couldn't help myself!  The sugar cookies we helped Nana make on Saturday were especially delicious.  Why are those things so dang irresistable? 

Finally, we ended the day spending some time with Dave's family.  His mom and stepdad just bought a new house and it is big and roomy and has lots of space to spread out and have fun.  The boys had fun dying eggs with Grandma and their cousin Rykker. 

I just can't say enough about Easter 2011...it means so much to know I am saved by the blood of Jesus.  I hope the joy spreads out into this very busy week and I can keep my eyes fixed upon what's really important. 

Hey, two blogs in one week!  I need a prize for this!

Wow...

Well, for starters, I just have to say that I have seriously thought about deleting my blog.  Not that I don't love doing it (when I actually do it), but I have been absolutely terrible at taking pictures!  I have just a handful since Christmas.  And you'd think I'd have a ton, since the boys have been so busy with spring sports.  But no...no I don't.  And the ones I do have were taken by other people - ha! 

So here we go:  I'll do a run-down of what we've been up to.  Hunter started playing AAU basketball this winter.  He is a 3rd grader playing on a 4th grade team, and none of the players have played before so it's been a real learning experience for everyone.  They finished the winter season with a record of 2 wins and 8 losses, but they won their first game of spring session just last Saturday and we are seeing tons of improvement!  Coop also practices on a basketball team of little guys.  Their plan is to practice, practice, practice and then enter the fall AAU session.  Coop does a great job at basketball practice.  The hoop is still a bit high, but every once in awhile he makes a basket and he is so proud of himself! 

Baseball has now started for both the boys.  They play in the Grandview Cal Ripken league.  Dave helps coach Coop's 'Rookies' team and Hunter plays on the 'Minors' team.  Hunter had his first game this past Tuesday, and was the starting pitcher.  He was nervous, but did a great job.  It is quite a difference from hitting off a pitching machine, like they did last year.  We are anxious for Hunter's team to learn lots more of the fundamentals and start winning some games. 

I have not been able to be at any of Coop's baseball practices because I take Hunter to soccer and basketball practices on those days.  But from what Dave tells me, Coop is quite the player...but then I already knew that.  He spends all day in the living room swinging small wooden bats, catching pop flies he throws to himself, and doing a play-by-play announcement using various MLB players' names.  At this very moment he is pretending to bat like Kevin Youkilis and he just said, "Home run!  Out of here!"  Now he is humming the song they play at Safeco Field when something good happens and everyone stands up and claps.  Hahaha! 


First soccer game of the season is tomorrow, along with the 2nd basketball game of the season.  Dave is playing softball so the boys and I will be on our own, then we'll go up and watch Daddy play.  I have been tempted to complain a few times during the past few weeks...we have practices or games on EVERY day of the week.  But then I remember...this is what I always dreamed I'd be doing.  Now I'm living it and there's no way I'd trade it for anything in the world.  As long as the boys are okay with it, then I'm okay with it.