Riding the Bus

Carson rode the bus to school for the last 2 days. He LOVES it!! I wish I had 1/2 the enthusiasm from him about getting out the door when we are going somewhere. There are several little friends that ride the bus, which I am sure makes it easier. I only shed a couple of tears on Monday and none today! He was actually embarrassed that I was taking his picture in front of the bus. He said, "Mom, could you please not do this, everyone will see you taking my picture". I just informed him that every kid on there probably had to smile for a picture the first time they rode on a bus! This was one of those moments I had to capture, in spite of the embarrassment it would cause my child. I knew he would get over it and he did! He will be glad that I took the picture one day I hope!

My Baby started Kindergarten

Today was Carson's first 1/2 day at Kindergarten! They have to drag it out a while before the Kindergartener's go full days like everyone else. Last night it was obvious to me that he was feeling a little nervous about going. He had about 50 questions right before bed about everything from "when was recess?" to "what would be served in the cafeteria?" We talked a while and prayed and then I should have known it was going to be trouble when he started wanting to know how early he could get up- can I get up when the 1st number says "6"?, I said that would be okay, but then he wanted to know if he could get up when the 1st number on the clock said "4"!!!! He came downstairs at 2 minutes after 6am and said he didn't sleep good all night. Of course, when I asked if it was because he was nervous about school, he said, "oh, no mom, I am just excited". Well, he walked right in like a big boy, acting put out that I needed to take pictures. He had that look that if I stayed just a little too long or gave him too much attention, the flood gates were going to fly open, so I very quickly said, "see you later, have a great day". I got in the car and cried for a few minutes, but overall did pretty good I thought. I have to say that holding Carson back for Kindergarten was the absolute BEST decision for us. He is so ready this year, which just makes it a lot easier on me too.


According to Carson, the following were the best parts of his day:

- "I love the cafeteria, mom, the hot dogs are delicious!"- Yes, he used the word "delicious"!

- "It was a little boring because there were not a lot of toys to play with"

- "One of my favorite things today was helping a boy in my class who can't really talk, you know, he uses sign language, not "human language" to talk.

-"things will really get good when I can ride the bus and stay ALL day"- (told you, he is READY)

- When asked by his dad how his day was, he said, "totally AWESOME"



We are so thrilled about his teacher, Miss Riggs- she is truly God's provision for Carson and his 1st year of school- I am already convinced of this- TOP NOTCH!!!

Going for it!

Well, for months and months now, I have said that I needed to start "blogging"! I am one of those who just "kind of" gets technical things. I think I know just enough to get by- I do have a blackberry, which I only use as a phone and have only recently learned to send a text message. I am on facebook and can read email and surf the internet. Oh, and I have also figured out somewhat how to use my i-pod and a new Garmin watch I got for running. So, I say all of that to say that I don't know what I am doing, but wanted a place to have a record of what is going on in our family, etc. etc etc.

This stems from the fact that this whole past year has felt completely overwhelming and there are lots of scattered thoughts in my head that should be put down somewhere. My boys are growing up so fast, and I want to at least somewhat "keep up" a record of what is going on with them. That may mean I only do this once a month, or possibly daily, when the mood really strikes and I have an unusual opportunity of time to do this. It will also serve as a place to post updates on The Cooper Trooper Foundation, although those will mostly be found on our website for that- www.coopertrooper.org

My friends Christina and Kim do this and I just love reading about the "adventures" in their lives and with their kids and seeing the pictures that go along with them, especially since I feel like my actual visits with them are few and far between these days. So, I figure this is a good way for others to know what is going on in our world a little better.

Highlights in the Cook Household:
- Carson is starting Kindergarten (1st full day- Aug. 27) and can hardly wait. He seriously has asked me why he can't just hop on the bus and go already! Holding him back a year was the best decision we ever made.
- I am training for the 1/2 marathon in Murfreesboro, which I will be running on Oct. 3 to bring more awareness to The Cooper Trooper Foundation! I have gotten up to 6 miles at this point and am really enjoying pushing myself. We will host a Water Station at mile 4 if anyone wants to come out and help or just cheer me on!
-Our van, which we were hoping would hold out for another 2-3 years, completely died .3 miles from Carmax's car lot. (Yes, I said "point 3, as in 3/10 of a mile)- We had to WALK onto the car lot- not a lot of negotiating power when you walk up into a car lot! So, needless to say, we have a "new" used 2004 Suburban- lots of room for the boys and their stuff- but not quite as user friendly as the van. I have never been a mini-van kind of girl, but I have to say it was very practical for the ages of our kids!
-My football fanatic husband has begun his yearly countdown to college football kickoff- he is seriously like a kid anticipating Christmas. I think I may make him one of those paper chains so he can pull of one for each day as he counts down. Between that and Fantasy Football, I am about to totally "lose" him for several months. Thankfully, I love college football too, so it is not as bad as it could be.