Potty Training 101

Jack is 2-1/2. According to some, it's still early for training. Others think it should have been done months ago. In any event, Jack has had NO interest in his potty chair that has been his step stool for toothbrushing since his birthday. However Ms. Karen, his teacher at Mother's Morning Out, started working with him several months ago and, over the last few weeks, he has used the potty there a number of times. At home, strict refusal! However, yesterday I bribed him with Elmo stickers and we had success after a night of dry diapers! We still have a long way to go but I am pretty excited to see the end of diapers coming. Yay Jack!

January

Jack had a sleepover with Walker earlier this week. They had lots of fun and enjoyed some Ring Pops (note the blue lips).



Today, Jack got some new "gear" in the form of a hat & soccer slippers. He feels good about wearing them both at the same time!
































Finally, a naked bathtime shot of Jack posing for his picture (can't get enough of these, right??).

41 Years Ago..

...I looked like the cute chick on the left (well, I think I was about 9 months old here). Actually, when I look at that picture I can see why Jerry calls me "blockhead". Look at that square little head!!
Anyway, yesterday was my birthday. I'm 41. Does that sound old? I don't feel much older than I did on January 8 so I guess it's not a big deal. I've resolved to live a healthier life this year (yes, again!!). I know I want to be around a long time for my children and I don't think that is likely to happen if I don't lose weight and exercise and take care of my heart. So, I rejoined Weight Watchers online and I'm starting out exercising for 30 minutes 3 times a week and will gradually add to that. So far, so good, but I have a long way to go. Maybe I'll get brave enough to post some pictures at 10 pound weight loss intervals or something.

Frugal Freelancer

Note the additional blog in my list. I've followed Angela's website for several years now and have learned a LOT about living frugally. She posts great deals (GDA = Great Deal Alert), freebies, and hints on living frugally in general. If you are trying to save some money while maintaining your lifestyle, check out her site:
Frugal Freelancer

Happy New Year

So, 2009 is here. Amazing. I so clearly remember when the year 2000 came around and all the paranoia about "Y2K" (wasn't that a bunch of hoopla about nothing!). But now it's 9 years later, Keegan is 16 (closer to 17 than 16), and I'll be 41 in 8 days. Time. When I'm watching a clock it seems to dddrrraaaaggg on and on, but if I glance away for a moment, 17 years fly by.

In 1992, I was working at Sears in Houston and Jerry and I were expecting Keegan to arrive. We'd only been married a few months and already had moved 3 times and had a baby on the way. Talk about changes! Then, in June, Keegan was born. Keegan was an absolutely beautiful baby. Jerry always says it's because c-section babies don't go through so much trauma. Seriously, he was so pretty, and BIG! 9 pounds, 8 ounces of life-changing baby hurtling into my heart and changing me forever. I was "Mommy". I'd never felt so fiercely possessive of anything. I thought everyone who held him for even a few moments in those early days was stealing his childhood from me. I cried over anything and everything. My mom and I put him in EVERY outfit I had and she took picture after picture. Keegan Thomas Hooper had arrived. The first grandchild for my parents and the second one for Jerry's. "Keegan" is an Irish surname that means "fiery one". We picked it from a baby book and Keegan has lived up to the meaning! We chose "Thomas" for his middle name after my maternal grandfather and Jerry's best friend from the Army, Tom Jones. Keegan has always been smart, and loved all kinds of art from the very beginning. We gave him a little desk for his second birthday and he spent LOTS of time coloring and painting at that desk for about 4 years. He has grown up soooo fast and found his own path and, for that, I'm so proud. I was always a follower and avoided conflict. Keegan does what he wants and is not afraid to voice an unpopular opinion. I just know he will find wonderful things in his future and look forward to seeing all that he becomes. Happy New Year, Keegan. 16 years old... you are only just getting started!

Funny Faces

Jack loves doing these funny and sad faces these days. (Be sure to click the pause button on the music player to hear the audio on these clips.)

Happy Birthday, Jerry

For a few days every year (11, to be exact) Jerry & I are the same age. He turned 40 today while I will be 41 on January 9. We met when I was 20 (started dating a year later) so we've known each other 20 years now. Unbelievable. We've been through so many ups and downs our relationship could be the model for a roller-coaster at a theme park. We have good days and bad days and days we want to kill each other but it's all worth it. We have 2 fantastic children and we have so much HISTORY... we remember each others' fathers and grandfathers and grandmothers and know all the crazy stories. We know just what buttons to push to drive each other over the edge, but we also know how to laugh at ourselves. We have learned to compromise. We appreciate each other most of the time. We realize no one else would put up with either one of us!! We know what a gift it is to have our little family together!

Happy Birthday, Jerry. I look forward to the next 40. I love you.

Playlist

I added a playlist to our blog. It has songs that have significant meaning for Jerry & me from the length of our relationship and a couple that are just special to me. I hope you like them!! (If you don't want to listen to the music, click on the pause button on the black playlist box on the right side of the screen.)

Cookies & Milk for Santa

I wanted to post these pictures all by themselves. Jack was so excited to leave cookies & milk out for Santa this year. He went to bed saying "Santa coming tonight". Of course, he woke up Christmas morning and seemed disappointed that the snack was "all gone". I will post more about Christmas day with pics (we had a lovely day) but for now, here's Jack, preparing for Santa.

Dear Jack

You are growing so fast. I look at you every day and see the little baby I once held changing into a busy preschooler so fast my head spins. I want to remember every second of the last 2-1/2 years but I know I'll forget things. I don't want to forget how scared we were those first few days when you were in the NICU and we didn't know how long it would be until we could hold you, much less bring you home. It made me realize what a GIFT you are to us and how very, very much I wanted you. I don't want to forget how you hopped around on your knees before you could walk. It was so cute! I don't want to forget how Daddy and I referred to you as "Junior" before you were born and we didn't have a name picked out for you. I want to always remember how Daddy & Keegan wanted to name you "Hondo Jack" and how we settled for Jackson Dallas (Jackson after Andrew Jackson and Dallas after the Dallas Cowboys). I remember taking you to Moe's Southwest Grill when you were just a few weeks old and how we put your infant carrier on the booth beside me. You went to several restaurants that way (by the way, it was much easier to take you out to eat in those days!). I remember how you first called me "Be-be", not "Mommy" or "Mama" and kept that up pretty regularly until a few months ago. I guess it's because I tend to call you "Baby" a lot. When you were VERY little, I called you Baby Jack. I want to always remember how your warm, little body feels when you snuggle up for a story or to watch T.V. together. How excited you are when you ask us to read a book "One more time" (you don't understand that you can't just keep saying "One more time" over and over again!!). I remember how brave you were about the playground and climbing up to the HIGH slides when you were not even 2 years old. I love the way you say things are "BIG" in that deep,gravelly voice ("The BIIIGGG Jack", etc.). This Christmas you have enjoyed the decorations on everyone's houses so much... you point them out and say, "Mommy, lights on Daddy's side" or "Mommy's side". You LOVED pumpkins this fall and we must have read the book, "Five Little Pumpkins" 100 times or more. There are so many more things but I will add more later. For now, I love you, sweet boy. So very much. Finally, I have to include this picture of you from Christmas 2007. My sweet angel boy.
Always and always,
Mommy

Jack & Santa, ca. 2008

Well, today was the Christmas party at Jack's Mother's Morning Out program. It's so much fun to see all the wonderful presents he has been working on for Jerry and me... we got an adorable Christmas ornament for the tree with a picture of Jack dressed as an angel (okay, it's a bit of a stretch at times) and some homemade soap and a jar of cookie mix. Jack's MMO program director, Ms. Karen does a wonderful job with the children and is such a blessing... we love her!!

Anyways, Santa was there... Jack was uncertain, but wanted candy... he finally screwed up the courage to get close and here is the resulting photo plus a few others:

Yes, that's our boy on his belly hiding his face at Santa's feet. And it's the BEST shot I got. Can't wait to show this one to his girlfriends one day!!

Keegan's Choral Christmas Concert

He's so handsome in the tuxedo!! The concert was wonderful and even Jack attended (we did videotape a few songs but they didn't turn out well, sorry...). Keegan's chorus teacher has stated this is the best advanced chorus she has ever had and we completely agree!