The Best Of PA

  leisure time of drawing, reading and climbing up tables to look out the window   Warning: This post is a brag session, which can be entirely annoying, but it is also a form of journaling all those warm fuzzy moments I want to remember.  And it is all true.  I can complain about the messes, whining and frustrations another day.   As you know we are BIG into reading aloud.  We read some picture books, but most of my time is spent reading them poetry and chapter books.  The girls are now 7, 4 and 1, which are perfect ages for picture books.  And they do plenty of thumbing through those on their own.  I read them many picture books, but I LOVE reading longer stories with them and for me .  I started when Elly, my oldest was 4.  At that time she did not have the attention span of lasting through a whole chapter.  Now she doesn't want me to stop, while the 4 y...

Christmas has come and gone, but we so enjoyed the season.  We have created some new traditions in its honor.  We still have some favorite traditions we have continued onward such as: -Read A Christmas Carol every night till it is finished -Re-enact the Christmas Story on the Eve -Have a Caroling Party What we have kicked: -Santa, he went Bye Bye last year and the girls now know the truth.  we have read the story of Saint Nicholas, so they know he was a Christian man doing good.  Grandparents gave us Santa stickers for the windows and they enjoyed decorating with that, snowflakes and other festive things.  But Elly knows, she has gotten tired of telling all the adults who ask her that Santa is not real.  She just looks at me like, don't these people know??  However that cute three year old with the chubby cheeks does not get the concept yet.  Her cute line of the season: "Santa isn't real.  He bring me...

I have a struggle. Some call it a sugar addiction, I call it baking and eating the outcome. I know it is unhealthy to eat too many sweets. But the whole experience is sublime. The mixing, the pouring, the aroma of melting chocolate and dripping sugar, forming into a rising piece of perfection. And then as if the experience couldn't get more euphoric, you take a warm bite and allow the flavors to mingle and burst on your salivating tongue. Elly gets to join in on the fun, pouring, measuring, creating a mess. And it is bonding moments. So long as I keep calm when the messes arise, as they always do. We giggle and taste test, check on our confectionary goodness through the dimly lit oven door. And I can't seem to give it up. It makes me happy. And my neighbors are quite pleased when I share. And that warm, rosy feeling radiates within, because a brownie, cupcake, loaf of bread or cinnamon roll spells out "I love you", "I care", "I too...

I am tradition person.  In fact I probably over do the tradition thing.  I get excited and make exravagant plans..sometimes it turns out GREAT, while others not so much.    Don't worry, it's actually kinda good, because when some don't pan out, well we try out something new the following year.  But this tradition....this one is a keeper. 1) Monday is when it began, with reading.  I got some cute books from Barnes N Noble.  They are awesome and simple.  Of course I had to simplify it even more because I have a four year old with an attention span of about 30 seconds.  So we learned in short incriments about the Revolutionary War and how people in the Colonial days lived.  I think I soaked it up just a bit more than the kids.  Seriously sometimes I wish I could start school all over again, I'd be much more interested this time around.  Tuesday we planne...

I am all about creating a little fun in the ordinary, making magic in the mudane.   What better way than to find and enjoy the tiny celebrations in life.  This doesn't mean that you need a ton of time and money, just a couple ideas that can make your home and family a litte cozier and complete.  Here are some things I'd like to share with you guys.  I have actively done some of these, others, while others  I plan on implementing within the year.   1) New Years: photo from: http://www.weddingdates.ie/blog/2009/08/flying-chinese-lanterns-spectacular-wedding-display/ I'm still mulling over what I'd like to do for this coming New Years...after all, I've got time.  But here is what I am thinking.. - Chinese New Year: create lanterns, hand out little red envelopes filled with money and candy and eat some yummy Chinese food. - Pennsylvania Dutch: Pork and Kraut Dinner for Good Luck Some blogs with fun suggestions and ideas ...

I suppose we don't need a real Cooper reunion.  We average about once a month seeing one another.  We just wish the Campbells could join us more often-Danny's sister and brother in law.  Anywho, Memorial weekend was the perfect time to have a lil get together, which is exactly what we did.  So I guess I like to number things so you know exactly what we did, so here goes: 1) Everyone had fun playing on the swings sets, checking out Danny's pretty garden, and chowing down on pulled pork sandwhiches.  We also ate fresh salad from the garden, chips, sausage stew and soda.  2) After lunch a trip to Lost River Caverns was in order.  It was fun going down into the cool deep cave, especially on such a hot day! 3) Like we need another reason to eat-off the to Rita's Italian Ice we went!  Followed by a trip home to laze around for a bit and chat.  4) Eating time Again!  It wa...