Getting ready for the 4th

My family will be coming in for the 4th of July so I have spent a lot of time at my parents getting things cleaned up for company. Unfortunately, it also means that I am pulling out cluttered corners for my Mom to sort through. I put all these things on a table in their livingroom. Dad hates having all the stuff sitting in the livingroom and Mom is working as best she can to sort through things she has had for years. You would think that dealing with this stack of "things" wouldn't be that big of a deal but it has been a very emotional journey for my Mom.
There she sits sorting through piles of things that she bought for that special occasion that never happened. The gift that she thought the kids might love but didn't. The piles of books from her long dead mother who she always felt she was a burden to. The holiday decorations she thought would would transform her home into an oasis for the holiday that never quite worked right. The dreams, ideals, hopes, and even some disapointments sitting on a table waiting to separated into trash, give away, and put away. She says that she knows that having the house clutter free will be a release not to mention easier to clean but she always tears up at this point.
I have wanted to help her several times over the years. All of my sisters have. Throwing and giving away many items over the years. However, I have come to realise that this will always be a journey only she can take. I move the boxes around and haul the stuff away when needed, reminding her that the end goal is worth it.

The Lost Months

If this blog were a cactus plant I would have killed it by now. My parents have gotten back from their last mission to Oklahoma. I felt like I was dragging them home reluctantly but they made it. We have started our garden and the peas look great. The cantalope however has been attacked by boxelder beetles and we only have one surviver (who may or may not get the million dollars). I have retaliated back against the beetles with boiling hot water. I have to admit that I gain great pleasure watching their bodies twitch and die from the water. I can almost hear the buggy screams of death....anyway.

Dennis is still with Farmer's Bank and I'm still here with the kids. On Tues and Fridays I travel out to my parents and do the books for the plumbing business while my parents watch the kids. We are also gearing up for our vacation at the end of July when we will travel to Wyoming to visit Dennis' family. So far we'll try and catch a indian powwow and the Cheyenne Frontier Days. Hopefully I'll get a rough schedule posted so that if anyone wanted to catch up with us they could.

I still do the occationally odd craft and this is my latest one. A hanging tent for Raif. He loves it and calls it his house. When I first put it up, Raif insisted that Dad sit in it with him while they read a story. He also thinks it is fun to say goodbye to everyone and go home.

Ronin is crawling everywhere and has started to climb up things so that he can stand. He started off with an army crawl across the floor but within the last few days he has progressed to hands and knees. He is eating up a storm and somedays I think that he eats more than Raif does. His favorite food are popcicles and you will be his best friend if you share.

TV Dinner Cupcakes and Young Women

TV Dinner Cupcakes
Originally uploaded by A Cockrell

We got these cupcakes at the scout auction. One of the ladies I know made them. They are cupcakes and everything she used to make them with is eatible. I gave them to my young women this last Sunday because they released me from my calling as the Young Women second councilor. I was just getting all their names down and then they released me. I am thankful though that I got to be in Young Women's even if it was for a small amount of time.

Making new chairs out of old

auction and decorating 004
Originally uploaded by A Cockrell

I got some fabric for 40% off and decided to finally change out the seat on our Youth Ranch finds. I think that they look great now and all it took was to staple the new fabric on and screw them back on. Then with a touch of the magic wand that we use for just such occations... whala a new looking chair:) (psst..it's the one on the right)

Halloween with the Cockrell's

Yeah, I know, dang good looking bunch. Here we are for Halloween. We had just had the potty party the day before so this was a busy week for us. Raif, Ronin and I went to a community Halloween thing that they had going in Gooding while we waited for Dad to get off work. No this is not what he wore to work. Bad for the banking image you know:) After he got off work and changed, we picked him up and headed to the trunk or treat that they had at the church. Then we went to another community Halloween party that they were having just down the road. Raif got irritated with the wizard beard that kept getting in his mouth and spent quite a bit of time out of his costume. In the end we got our sugared up bundle of energy in bed a little later then usual but he had a smile on his face. Oh yea, I finally got the chance to try a litte pumpkin carving I had been wanting to try. Our garden produced just one small pumpkin this year so I took that to mean I had a volenteer. Raif had fun seeing the face come alive and I loved trying a new technique. We then took it down to the bank as a Halloween surprize for Dad. I had so much fun with it I might make it a new tradition for us. Nothing like carving tortured faces into pumpkins to get you into the Halloween spirit.

Potty Party Cake

Potty Party Cake
Originally uploaded by A Cockrell

Well Raif finally made it to the middle of his chart and on Oct. 30th we had a big potty party for him. This is a picture of the cake that a friend and I made for it. The base is just a white cake mix and the cars we made out of a cake I baked in bread pans. We then added square devils food cakes (from the store) as the cabs and decorated with frosting and candy. I also hung up about two dozen lighting bolts that I made from paper from the ceiling. Then we watched the cars movie and all the kids got to make their own pizza's. I think that Raif had a really good time and loved being the center of attention. Lisa said that it will be hard to top this with his birthday. I guess we'll see:) Raif is doing well with the potty. He still has a couple accidents but for the most part he's got it down. We are VERY proud of him.

Potty Training

potty
Originally uploaded by A Cockrell

We have started potty training Raif. At first it was a real uphill battle and I didn't think that we would make it. Then my little sister gave me the idea of doing a potty chart. Everytime that he goes potty he moves his little red car forward. If he has and accident then he moves it backward. At first it didn't seem like he would get past go but now he is moving at a swift pace and will probably reach the "potty party car" in a week (small bladder's make for fast progress). Then we will have a huge car themed party. I'm sure that we will be as excited by the party as he will be.

Raif and Ronin in the Stroller

Raif and Ronin in the Stroller
Originally uploaded by A Cockrell

Raif loves riding in the stoller with Ronin. I think it is because it is one of the few times Mom lets him "hold" Ronin for an extended priod of time. He gets to kiss, hug and talk to Ronin for as long as the ride last.

School Set up

school 005
Originally uploaded by A Cockrell

This is the "classroom" I set up for Raif. There are close up pictures of things on the flickr account to the right of my posts. I put out some of the projects that we have worked on.

School Starts

I have started doing school for Raif. We start at 9 AM every Tues-Fri. It usually last about an hour and we have been doing it for about 2 weeks. Raif loves it and gets excited every morning when it is time. I have put together enough lessons for the month. They consist of bacic things like the sun, rain, wind/clouds, snow, my body, skeleton, senses.... I am amazed at how much he likes to sit down while we talk about these different things. We start by checking the calander and he puts up the date and we talk about what day it is. Then we set up for school pulling out the supplies and assigning seats (I made up slip covers with our names so that he can get used to seeing and recognising his name), and saying pray (this is the only time I have been able to get him to say the prayer). Every friday I get books from the library that goes with the theme and we start by reading the designated book(s). Then we take some time to sing some songs. Next is serious work with practice in drawing in straight lines, recognising letters of the alphabet, cutting straight, and reading practice that consists of a jumble of ideas that I got from the library. We pick and choose among these of course. Then we break off for some fun with an activity based on the theme. Finally it's snack time and recess. I'll try posting pictures of his "work space" when I can.