Crazy Cotton Kids

7/2/08

Huge Rainbow

This is a picture from our front porch- Rare to see a rainbow like this

We headed to Georgia this past weekend to Aaron's cousin's wedding. Aaron and I actually like road trips. It's usually when we bond the most. The kids did great and had so m uch fun visiting with their cousins out there. I left my camera at the house so i couldnt get any from the reception- which is too bad because those Cotton/Borg's can boogie!

6/25/08

Fly Catcher

For most unfortunate little things that happen to my children I often pause a moment to snap a picture. This time I just couldn't do it- Jaron says "mom look, quick" as I turn my head and look at jackson I saw the annoying fly I had been trying to catch stuck to the snot under his nose. Yep, stuck. guess I should keep his nose wiped, or not, he did catch the fly.

6/23/08

Tag- I'm it

I've been tagged by my friend Kristina- I am to write 10 interesting things about myself

1. I will have to make up half of these because I am so not interesting

2. it's been 10 minutes and i still haven't thought of anything

3. Oh, oh I know. I hate the word "moist"- ewe even writing it makes me cringe.

4. I love to lay in the warm sun on the pavement like a lizard

5. Those two took it all out of me

6. I LOVE baseball. which makes my husband happy-er. And when we retire we are going to buy a motor home and travel around the US and attend every baseball game in each state.

7. I have kept a journal since I was five years old and have them all. I have kept journals for each of my children since birth.

8. I love learning new things, things that improve life and give peace to ones soul.

9. I have no pinkie toe nail- well I do but it's so small you can't see it. I have to paint my toe

10. I like weird movies like dumb and dummer and nacho libre and Napoleon dynamite.

OK, that might be more than most want to know! ha

I just wanted to be able to tag - Brandi - Katie - Jen

Oh where oh where has jackson gone?

That's right I have a roamer. This boy will climb up the stairs so fast I can't keep up with this child! I had just set him down from his high chair and started to clean up his disaster of a lunch. When I was done i turned my Mommy radar on to look for him, thinking he was just in the living room. Nope not there, sitting room, nope not there either. Bathroom and so help me Jackson if your in the toilet, fwew. OK, so I guess he is on his way up the stairs- in the hall-bedrooms, bathrooms, holy crap JACKSON. nope. my closet yes that's where he is he loves to eat my shoes (I know gross) ummmmm ok when do I start to panic? thinking, thinking "babababa" i hear but it's echoed. where the heck- -----------

Baseball Park fun

Aaron plays the county baseball league every year and its right across the street from us now that we are in this house so we get to go a lot more. It's so fun and Jaron LOVES to see his daddy play.

I make fun of his high socks- but he does slide a lot!

Back to Life

I know, time for an update. Since the kids got out of school its been a roller coaster ride around here. I love having them home. I had someone ask me if I was dreading the summer with the kids all home. I was a bit taken back. I said of course not and that I was thrilled to have them home. Truth is I wish I was together enough to home school.

We have both girls in piano and mckenna still in violin. I have been to AZ and we leave for GA on Friday. BraeLynn has a baptism coming up and I think my parents are coming into town. Fun days ahead at the water park and just hangin' around the home front.

Ok, on to the pictures and updates.

5/27/08

Say What?????

SO, I have lived here in KY for 11 years now (holy smokes) and I love it, so many things to love. One of the things I like is the friendly people at the stores and every where you go really. Well being that I have lived here this long there isn't really anything hick that I haven't seen or heard. But there is always room for surprise- I was in Walmart check out line waiting for the lady ahead of me to finish up. I set down one item on the belt and waited, patiently I might add. The cashier then turned to me and said "demyereggs?" I paused, thought and said excuse me mam? she replied again "demyereggs?" Now I know I have a slight hearing loss but this was different, I asked her to repeat please. This time she said it again as she was pointing to my one item lying on the check out belt, "dem yer eggs?" Oh, I get it I thought to myself, "yes, yes mam THOSE ARE MY EGGS. sheeeeesh

9 Months

Oh my goodness it's going by too fast. SLOW DOWN! I just love this age. He doesn't want anyone but mama, he loves to eat and play. This is his favorite thing to do as of late, this car hold hours of entertainment for him. he beeps the horn and gets in and out of the car over and over. He likes to open and shut the car door. It's so cute. He is too little to be so active!

Today the car was across the street at mira's house and I walked outside my door with him, sat on the porch and he immediately started making the I want that noise. So I stood him up and let him walk, guiding me where he wanted to go. He walked all the way down our yard before I realized he was walking to the car!

I love my Jack Jack

5/20/08

I'm weak

Ok, so I really have tried to not eat sugar and starches. I about lost my mind the third day but knew if I could just get past day three it would be better. ugh, yeah right. I'm going nutso and I have to admit I was having a day with the kids where it was me or them- I decided to spare their little lives and go get a mcflurry. Yep I did and it was sooooooooo great. So to update, i have been working out every day and eating better but i have slipped up a time or five and I admit I'm weak.

5/12/08

Accountability at it's best, or worst

Ok so this entry is more for me- to hold myself accountable. Today I am going off sugar, fruits and juices and starches for two weeks. Its the first phase in the south beach diet to be exact. And I am so not feeling disciplined to do this! But I know this is effecting so many things in my body besides the obvious. So. I officially begin my ban on all my favorite foods. Heaven help me.

5/10/08

Happy Mothers Day!!

I just want to express how much I adore, respect, and admire my mother. It's not only on this day that I think about all the wonderful things she has done for me and in her life to teach me. I think she's amazing and beautiful. Growing up no matter where I went i would always get stopped and asked if I was Sally Kroplin's daughter. We look so much alike. To most teenagers that would drive them crazy- I loved it. I can only hope I will resemble her in spirit as well. Thanks to all the mom s out there who are doing their best to raise up the Lord's children in Zion. It's not always easy but it's worth it!

5/9/08

Summer Days

My sister in Law brandi is so great about taking the four cousins/best friends and playing with them and taking wonderful pictures. So I took these from her blog.

McKenna and Addie love to play what they call "old time" and they dress up like this pretending they are living off the prairie. Its amazing how their imaginations take them to such a safe time in the world. I love that mckenna still plays like this and has not been sucked into what the 10 year olds in the world today are doing. I guarantee its not playing "old time"

My little Jack Jack !

4/24/08

All Better!

Jackson did great recovering from ear surgery. I think it was the mud treatment.

4/20/08

Cursed Ears

All of my poor children have had ear tubes with so many ear infections prior that I can't count. Two have had the surgery twice! It's no fun for them and i feel badly. they are cursed. Jackson has had two ear infections thus far and so I knew the road we were headed down. I took him to the ENT and told him we needed tubes and he agreed. So tomorrow morning is his surgery. I am just so glad I won't have to do a hundred rounds of antibiotics before we solve the problem. So keep little jack jack in your prayers tomorrow.

Jackson is 8 Mths.

I can't believe he is this old already! Jackson is now scaling the furniture and getting more vocal, he knows how to wave hi and is just becoming his own little person. He is the happiest little thing, he makes our days so much brighter.

His favorite things to eat are the little fruit puffs, he used to eat one at a time n ow he will seriously stuff as many as he can in his mouth! he growls at me if I take some out too. He recently has discovered banana's thanks to aunt miralyn ! He can eat a whole one no problem, along with a cup of barley and then 8 oz of his bottle. little piggy.

He has so many helpers and it has really been nice, the difference with four children is well, different. and there is so much I dont have time to do or have chosen to not do for the sake of going nutso. But the help the girls give is nice and I see more and more why I was so involved in helping with my own siblings.

I always remember my children at 8 months of age. It's the age I have always felt like they come to life, or that they start to see life. They discover so many things. Like the toilet and that by putting their hand in it feels neat. Singing songs and reading books gets more enjoyable at this age for me too. They respond and laugh, it's so wonderful. I have been thinking about how this is our last and trying to make every day count, memorizing the moments that are so tender. I then thought about jaron and when he came home from the NICU i said I would make every day count with him. And I have, he has been my sidekick since then and I have so many memories of him, yet I feel like where did the time go? I know it will feel the same with jackson and that makes me so sad. I am thankful I journal their life so i can always have their memories to read as well. Aaron asked me a little bit ago what I will do if I start to feel that baby hunger again? I said, if I do well dear then we have to do the right thing and, get a dog!

4/18/08

Sunny Days

I have been enjoying our sunny days so much lately and so have the kids! we love going on walks and I just had to take a picture of jackson because every time we go on a walk he sticks his leg up like this and has this "just chillin" attitude. He loves his walks.