When one door opens, another must close

I’m sorry I haven’t been able to share our good news publically yet.  It took awhile for me to find out for sure that it would be happening.  Then because I’m a supervisor, it’s important to communicate this big change properly.  I have been bursting at the seams to spill the news.  Finally, I can tell you.

WE’RE MOVING HOME TO DENVER!!!!! 

Let me just say that again.

WE’RE MOVING HOME TO DENVER!!!!

Can you tell I’m excited?  I got an amazing job with a great company.  I don’t have sacrifice a single thing with my career and it’s even forward movement in my career!  The best part is that it’s in Denver!!

We will be home in just a few short weeks, but we will be BUSY.  We ask that everyone please be patient with us.  We will be busy house hunting, getting settled, and adjusting to our life.  Although we want to see everyone immediately, we need everyone to understand that this is a major move for us.  Be patient and I promise we will get to see everyone, and on a regular basis!!

Although we couldn’t be more excited, it also means we have to say goodbye.  We have built a life here in California for the last 8 years.  This is our home.  We started our life as husband and wife, and also as parents here.  Cooper was born here, Charlotte came home here.  We saw my career take off and we did something completely unexpected by having Chris stay home.  We will miss so many things about California—the beach, the weather, the neighborhood—but we will miss all of our friends the most.

This will be a tough goodbye for me.  I’ve built a much larger social network than Chris.  As happy as I am to go home to Colorado, I am also very sad to be leaving great coworkers and friends.  I sincerely hope everyone is up for staying in touch with us and that we will visit/write often.

Terrible singer

Charlotte let me know in no uncertain terms that she doesn’t appreciate me singing along with songs.  I took her to the grocery store today and I was singing along with the song.

Charlotte:  No mama.  No.  Mama, no. ::puts her hand up in a stop motion::

Me:  You don’t like me singing?

Charlotte:  No mama. No.

Me:  But it’s pretty, let me just sing a little more.

Charlotte:  Mama, no.  No, no mama.

Me:  Well okay, I’ll stop singing then.

Charlotte:  Yesh. (yes)

Big kid class

We have been in the same gym class for about 8 months now.  When we started our two were some of the youngest in the class and we made some great friends with both parents and other kids (including another adoptive family!).  Our two were even beginning to learn the other kids’ names.

Here lately we started noticing how big and strong our two seemed compared the rest of the kids.  We were the oldest kids in the class and it seemed like the kids had outgrown the class.  We asked to be switched into the next class for 23 months-3.5 yr olds.

Last Saturday was our first day, and wow do we feel out of our element.  The kids are the youngest in the class, and there seems to be a whole social hierarchy among the kids.  The kids actually play together, rather than barely noticing the others exist (like in the previous class).  All of the kids are girls, which means Cooper is the lone boy.  The kids all talk, and even sing along to the songs!  The parents follow the kids around and constantly ask ‘do you need to go potty?’.  It’s all so knew and foreign because we haven’t hit any of these stages yet.

The funniest thing that happened is when Cooper and Charlotte were jumping on the trampoline.  Another little girl wanted to ‘jump with friends’ and tried to hold their hands, and when Cooper and Charlotte bumped into each other and fell down, the little girl thought it was a game and kept bumping into them and falling down.  Cooper who has learned how to say many more words, tells her ‘no!  go!  off!’.  Oh jeez, I have to explain to him that it’s fun to jump with friends!

We do like the class though.  The skills are a little more advanced and are challenging to the kids again.  I think the other kids will be great peer models for our two and help them develop even faster.

I think we might even give potty training a try out this weekend.  Both of the kids want to wear underwear all the time, and when they pee in the underwear they get upset and go sit on their potty.  It’s almost guaranteed that they’ll pee on the toilet if we put them on it.  In fact, Cooper is tall enough to get on the toilet by himself now.  Cooper seems to be able to hold his pee, while Charlotte tells us she is peeing while she is doing it.  I think they really could be ready.  We’ll try it and if they aren’t, no big deal!

(No news yet, but I’m really, really hoping by the end of the week.  The good thoughts are working so far, so thanks!)

Daddy files: Grocery Shopping with Cooper

Chris only has Cooper on Monday and Wednesday mornings because Charlotte goes to therapy.  On Mondays he goes  to a local shopping center/outdoor mall for a free event for kids.  They usually have a clown or magician to entertain the kids.

In addition to the magician Chris stopped at the grocery store to pick up a few items.  Since he only had one toddler, he decided to forego a stroller or shopping cart and just use a basket to shop.  Little did he know that Cooper probably needs some wrangling!

He chased Cooper up and down 3 aisles because Cooper would run down the aisles with his arms stretched out like an airplane.  This resulted in several items knocked off the shelves, which Chris had to stop and pick up before continuing on chasing Cooper.  And have I mentioned that Coopers FAVORITE game in the world is tag?

It cracks me up every time I picture Cooper knocking stuff off the shelves as he flees from Chris who is trying to not only catch Cooper but also stop the grocery store from becoming a complete mess.  So funny.

Maybe two is easier than one?  At least that way they keep each other entertained.

Tidbits

A borrowed title from Jen.

Toddlers will eat a LOT of cornflakes.  It’s because I don’t correct them when they call them ‘chips’.

I think it’s completely adorable that Cooper wears panties instead of boy underwear.  I think it’s completely awesome that Chris and I fully accept Cooper and his interests, even if they fall outside of the stereotypical norm.

Charlotte has the most beautiful hair.  I am completely jealous of her hair.

I love that Charlotte has promoted Cooper from ‘Tooter’ to ‘Pooper’.

I love the Cooper and Charlotte still let me rock them to sleep.  I so enjoy watching them drift off in my arms.  I don’t mind that it takes 45 minutes to put them to bed.  It’s the best 45 minutes of my day.  The quiet, the dark, their soft noises, and toddler questions.  Their smiles just before drifting off to sleep.  It’s the best.

Sometimes I get sad when they sleep through the night for several nights in a row.  The extra few minutes in the middle of the night with them are worth the extra tiredness the next day.

I feel so safe and loved when Charlotte pats me on the back while hugging me.

I love how Cooper sometimes doesn’t know how to express his love and excitement through basic hug and has to squeeze, pinch and pull hair to really send his message across.  A hug just isn’t big enough for him.

I’m glad Charlotte’s favorite movie is Wall-E because it’s not annoying.  I love that she is able to request that we watch Waw-EEE!!!

I am blown away that Cooper knows how to play the game memory and can remember items with up to 9 cards.  I’m equally impressed that he knows and can say his colors.  I think it’s adorable that alphabet consists of two letters:  E and O.

I love watching my two children take turns and share.  As part of therapy we show them our fingers and count down 3 – 2 – 1, then say ‘all done, Cooper’s turn’, and they willingly hand over the item.  I was amazed at how well it worked when we first implemented it.  Now they walk up to each other, make funny signals with their hands, and say ‘tee-tee-tee, aw-duh, my tun’, and the one with the toy actually gives it up!  Are you kidding me??