The End of the Bunny...Correction....ALMOST The End of the Bunny

So, this is edited for a correction...Read all of it and then I'll update down below....

Sigh. It was bound to happen at some point, I know. But it's really struck me a blow. Chloe, at the ripe old age of 8, has busted the bunny. She found the loot hidden away in the closet. Of course, she said nothing to daddy or me. No, instead she tells her cousin, and most trusted confidant, Cade, with the news that she intends to see what the bunny brings and if it's the same stuff that's in the closet, they'll know for sure if there's an Easter Bunny or not! Cade, in turn waits until Easter morning to tell their mom Beth, who then calls Michael Jon, who then sits me down for the let down of the year. Sigh indeed.
So, all the reporting happened Sunday morning as we are getting ready for church. So as I brush and curl Chloe's hair, I ask her if there's anything she'd like to ask me...because I'm cryptic like that. "Uh, nooooo.....I don't think so...." was her reply. So I try again..."You don't have any questions about anything this morning???" And she of course said, "Momma, no." So finally I just had to come right out and ask if she'd found anything besides eggs this week. "Oh, yeah, I...uh....I think I found some bags....uh....well, I was looking for a shoe box to make a craft with and....uh...I saw some Easter stuff...." So I neither confirm or deny. I just tell her that she shouldn't have told Cade that there's no Easter bunny. She says that she didn't say that, just that she was going to wait and see what the bunny brought. So I just tell her that she shouldn't say that to anyone since it upsets people.
Oh well, it was fun while it lasted. She's growing up so fast! I remember when she was tiny and would get so upset on those holiday mornings when she would see the stuff sitting out because it wasn't her regular routine. I'll take this as my opportunity to teach her more in depth what the holiday is really about. It's always been part of her understanding, but we can go deeper now. That's a good thing.

Correction and update....

OK. So Chloe came to me earlier this afternoon asking me when she could open the "Easter surprises from the closet". MMMMmmm....well...."what surprises??" I asked. Apparently, in her rushed sneakiness and curiosity, she only saw a few things in the bags, and none of them were actually "bunny loot". So she walked away from the little bunny test thinking that she actually proved the existence of the long-eared one. It seems that my laziness has payed off well in that I had left her "big" basket thing (a new Webkinz and Webkinz Tote) in the back of the mom-mobile. Since the only other stuff she saw was candy that I also used in various school/church parties, she is assuming with wide-eyed magic that the Bunny is the real deal. Whew. I just tucked her into bed and told her that from now on she shouldn't sneak, just ask momma or daddy when she has a question about that kind of thing. I asked her what her little experiment had made her think and she said that she still believes, but that she still wonders how one Bunny or person can make it all across the world in one night. I told her that as long as she wants to believe, then she should. I'm sure that left the door open for doubt in her mind. But I think that was the healthiest way to handle it. I don't want to outright lie to her about it either. Yikes! This parenting thing is tricky.

So, on to happier things....pictures of the kiddies all dressed up in their Easter best!

Long Time, No Post

O.K. Yes, I do see the irony in the name of my blog and the amount of time spent away from it. It's been awhile, I know. No excuses, just life in general. Kids, illness, busy days and nights. But I'll try to do a "2008...thus far" blog now.

So, first things first, the kids....

Chloe has been playing basketball for the first time this year! She loves it! The season ends this weekend, and I really think that she'll miss the practices and games once it's over. She won many team stars over the season for making baskets and defense. In fact, because she did so well in her first game as a defense player, she didn't even try to shoot the first 3 games. Finally, on the fourth, as she came over to us during a break, one of the other players dads told her to "not be scared to shoot if you have a shot". She went out in the next quarter and scored 6 points in a row! Her team is The Mountaineers. Here's a rather grainy, dark picture of her with a few of the girls on the team, but I'll try to post a new one once we have the team pic back this weekend.
She also won "Most Christ Like Behavior" on her team on awards night last week, which yielded her a big, tall trophy! Yay!! She was extra proud of that award!
Chloe has also been doing well in school, making it to the 5th grade reading level this year. She's had many sleepovers with her friends and trips to the movies with mom! She's really growing up quickly! (Complete with teenage-ish attitude at times...eeeeek!)

Jon Cooper is enjoying preschool! He loves learning to write his name and singing all the songs! He's no longer the only boy in his class, and he's happy to have some boys to play with too! His personality gets bigger everyday! He's quite sure of himself and even (dare I say it??) cocky at times. But with all that attitude comes quite a charming kid. It's hard not to smile as he gets punished and looks at me saying, "Momma, I'm gonna make you live somewhere else if you're not nice to me." Just so matter of fact! He recently had his first dentist appointment. He did so well! He smiled the whole way through without a single tear!















On to little Brody Carter. He's a bigger handful every day! I can't tell you the times that I hear from church nursery workers, friends and family, grocery employees, bank tellers, post office attendants, strangers on the street....that he's a busy, busy boy! He's just one of those kids that has two speeds..."Off and Overdrive"! He has recently found the joys of running and playing outside! And he is speaking his "native tongue" of jibber jabber fluently. No one else really understands him, but BOY OH BOY, does he have something important to say!! It mostly consists of "Ahhh gabagabagabagaba....Ohhhhh ticaticaticatica......" With the occasional "Momma" or "Dada" thrown in just to keep us on our toes. If I can get him to stay still and relax for a minute or two, his relaxation method consists of watching Little Bear while pulling my hair and sucking his thumb.


Now on to Michael Jon and me...We're doing well! Michael Jon had a bout with a bad tooth awhile back that had us worried with an incorrect diagnosis, but he's much better now! He has some stuff on his "honey do" list for the spring as a storm knocked down the kids' swingset last month. Of course, those 12 hour shift at the plant keep him busy still.
I have been staying busy with the regular stuff. I have also started at a local women's gym and try to go 3 times a week. It's been a lot of fun, really! I have a good friend that is my workout partner, so we get some girl talk in while we are on the treadmill and the weight machines.

I guess that's it for right now. I'll try to keep up with stuff better in the future, but I won't promise. ;-)