Tickets, please! Tickets!

I'm in the process of establishing a ticket system at the Copeland house.  Do a chore - earn a ticket.  Show kindness - earn a ticket.  Obey right away - earn a ticket.  I'm easy to please and give freely.  :)  The tickets can be redeemed for screen time (tv, Wii, Leapster) or saved to be spent at what I'm calling "The Momma Store".  The Momma Store's grand opening is tomorrow and will only be open on Saturdays.  The shelves will be stocked with random garbage that children like - suckers, bubble gum, $1 prizes.  Pictures of big ticket items will also be on display - movie night, date with Dad, McDonalds trip, game rental.  Personally I'm saving up for the date with Dad.

This was inspired in big part by the constant bombardment of Liam asking to play the Wii ALL DAY LONG.  I can't take it anymore.  Opening day of the system was brought on by Liam waking me up at 6:30 am saying, "Mom, can I play the Wii?  Mom, I'm ready to get up so can I play the Wii?  I never got to today."  That's because it's 6:30 in the morning crazy-face.  That's not what I actually said.  Here's what was actually said.

  

Me: Liam, starting today you can only play the Wii if you pay me a ticket.

Liam (with big eyes and raised eyebrows):  But how do I get a ticket?

Me:  You earn them.

Liam (with a slightly more intense tone):  But how do I earn them?

Me:  Well, you do things around the house that are helpful.

Liam (almost yelling):  Like what?

Me:  Like get dressed in the morning. (an easy one)

Liam (yelling with glee): I GOT DRESSED!! 

He realized he had just scored.  This is basically a hand out for Liam because he pops out of bed at full speed every morning and is dressed in 5 seconds.   So I promptly handed over a ticket.  I told him he could also put his pajamas in the hamper and brush his teeth and he whizzed through those tasks for two more tickets.  I explained the whole system and when I told him about the Momma Store he was very intrigued.  However, he has no will power to save tickets.  In the first day he earned 7 tickets and spent 7 tickets.  Sweet Hayden was playing along with us too.  She earned 4 tickets and spent none of them.  Classic.  

earning tickets putting silverware away

Liam is super in to earning tickets right now.   We have made a shift from the never ending question of "Can I play the Wii?" to "Can I have a ticket?"  Still driving me a little crazy but at least spurring little hands on to be productive.  I'll keep you posted on the Momma Store's grand opening.  

Here's where I got the idea:  http://www.tipjunkie.com/chore-charts/

Grandpa

My grandpa went to be with Jesus on Wednesday morning February 15th.  When I think of him I think of a man of God, a gospel preacher, Grandma's partner, my momma's daddy, father of six, grandfather of 19, loving leader, family letters, Sunday-best clothes, family meals, croquet in Mississippi, Laura Ingles Wilder, old hymns, and 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.  One of the good parts of mourning the loss of a family member is reflecting on all of the good memories.  Here is a picture with my grandparents from a couple of years ago.

The kids and I already had a winter trip planned for Arkansas and were leaving Rochester that Wednesday afternoon. It was such a blessing to be there with the family - my aunts, uncles, cousins and most of all my mother and grandmother.  When I got the news of Grandpa's death, the thing I wanted most was to be able to put my arms around my mom and my grandma.  I have heartache that I won't see Grandpa again, that his life here is over, and that my children will never really know him.  But I think my greater heartache is for my grandma and my mom as I think about the difficulty of saying goodbye to a husband and to a dad.  

I have been thinking of the last time that I was with Grandpa.  It was this past September and the kids and I drove to Searcy with my mom to visit him in the nursing home.  It was a short visit and I can hardly remember what was said.  We talked briefly.  I held his hand for a moment when I hugged him and said it was good to see him.  I can't remember if I told him I loved him.

Liam wanted to look at Grandpa's body in the casket and he asked if he could touch him.  He reached out and touched Grandpa's hand and I thought of that last time I was with him, touching his hand.  In the casket, his face didn't look the same but his hands were like I've always remembered them.  I think I will always remember his hands.  

If I had known that day in September that I wouldn't see Grandpa again this is what I think I would have said:

Grandpa, I have always been proud to say that I am part of the Lewis family.  Many times I have said, "My grandpa is Claude Lewis."  And I will keep saying it!  I just want you to know that I attribute a large part of the foundation of my faith to you and the leader you are for this family.  Thank you for your faithfulness - to the Lord and to Grandma.  The covenant that you have kept with Grandma has been passed on to your children and now to me.  And that picture of marriage is such a precious gift.  As a little girl, I always thought you were rich.  And I still think you are rich.  I have a picture of you in my mind praying at the head of the table, "Father, we thank thee..." with your family around you and one of Grandma's meals on the table.  You have had life's richest blessings and I know the promise of even greater riches in heaven.    I love you so much.

One of Grandpa's favorite hymns was "My God and I".  The grandchildren sang it at the the close of the funeral:

My God and I go in the field together
We walk and talk as good friends should and do
We clasp our hands, our voices ring with laughter
My God and I walk through the meadow’s hue
We clasp our hands, our voices ring with laughter
My God and I walk through the meadow’s hue

He tells me of the years that went before me
When heavenly plans were made for me to be
When all was but a dream of dim reflection
To come to life, earth's verdant glory see
When all was but a dream of dim reflection
To come to life, earth's verdant glory see

My God and I will go for aye together
We'll walk and talk just as good friends do
This earth will pass, and with it common trifles
But God and I will go unendingly
This earth will pass, and with it common trifles
But God and I will go unendingly

Many emotions as I have written this post...

Bowling

Bowling is our new fun family activity.  It's half fun and half torture.  Hilarious to watch Liam run with full force as he rockets his bowling ball at lightening speed down the lane to somehow pull off a spare.  Torture to let Hayden bowl by herself (which she insists upon) and watch as the ball creeps at a painful pace towards maybe one pin.  We took everyone for the first time a couple of weeks ago.  We are sure to return for more torturous fun.

 Totally pumped to see a real bowling ally - the Wii come to life

 Hayden striking a pose as Will bowls with perfect form in the background.

 Wait for it....wait for it....wait for it

 Lightening McQueen

 Harper cheering everyone on

 Hayden finally let Will help her

 Everytime she bowled she would turn around and throw her arms around Will.  Too cute.

Top 10

In honor of the love month...

My husband's top 10 most romantic moves:
(in no particular order)

Let me preface this by saying that Will and I started dating in highschool when he was 15 and I was 16 so some of this came out of a beautiful budding highschool romance. :)

10. He went on summer vacation to Destin, FL with his family and searched all week for sand dollars on the beach so he could bring me home a basketful of sand dollars.

9. He knows that I love the chocolate/banana combination so for Valentine's Day he made me (not bought) chocolate covered bananas.  He was so proud of the work he had put into making those.  You can't fully appreciate it unless you saw them with your own eyes.  I don't think he thought to cut them up and and then dip them.  They were whole bananas on sticks dipped in chocolate.  So stinkin' hilarious.  And very thoughtful.

8.  He quit biting his nails in highschool because I thought it was gross.  He bites them again now.  I guess he knows I'm not going anywhere.

7.  One year for Christmas he set up a scavenger hunt for me all over my house (This was in highschool so he had put everything together and then given it to my mom to set up).  The final clue sent me outside to my 86 Maxima where he had zebra seat covers that I had been dying to get.  Remember, highschool.  I loved those seat covers...

6.  We broke up after highschool and stayed apart for most of the first semester of college.  He learned to play guitar in college to woo me back.  That's why I think he learned to play anyway.

somewhere in Europe after engagement

5.  Marriage proposal in Prague, Czech Republic.  We had been studying overseas in Greece all summer and then at the end we back-packed for 3 weeks.  Half-way through back-packing he busts out a diamond ring that he had been carrying around in a sock in the bottom of his back-pack!  I had no clue.  We had never even looked at rings!

4.  He gave me a Bible with my new name on it on our honeymoon.

3.  For one of my birthdays in medical school he had taken me out on a date, and when we got home there were candles lit everywhere and one of my favorite desserts (creme brulee) on the table.  He had gotten his brother to help him set everything up while we were out.

2.  For our 5th anniversary we took a two day trip to Disney World.  He was already going to be in Florida for a residency interview so I went with him.  The first night at Disney he had planned a hot date - steak dinner and Cirque du Soleil.  Afterwards at the hotel, I discovered rose petals strewn all over the room and in a heart shape on the bed.  It was such a Bachelor move.  It was supposed to get me in the mood but it gave me the giggles.

1. And I've got to give him props because even with the killer job he has, he's still bustin' out some romantic moves.  We went to the Brad Paisley concert in St. Paul three weeks ago to celebrate our 8th anniversary.  The concert was amazing and when we got back to the hotel there was wine and chocolate-covered strawberries waiting in the room.

at the concert

I hope you haven't read this and gagged all the way through.  Fun to think back on all the history we've had together.  And he doesn't get bragged on enough so this should cover it for a while.

Five years of dating, 8 years of marriage, 2 bachelors degrees, 3 kids, 3 cities, 7 years and counting of medical school/training and still keeping the love alive!!  Praise God!  I pray for His protection over our marriage and our love for each other in the years to come.

stand and clap

This sweet precious darling angel baby girl can now stand and clap.  Check it out:

Harper started standing on her own last week and she clapped her hands for the first time today.  This age is so much fun.  Nine month olds are so sweet and little, and they do the cutest things.  And the bonus is they can't talk back, disobey, get out of their beds, refuse to wear the clothes you put on them, hit their siblings, say potty words, or ask to play Wii forty-seven times a day.  Speaking of Liam and Hayden...

I love these kids, but they're kind of like kittens.  When you see a kitten you think,"oh my goodness, look how sweet and soft and tiny.  i want one!"  You don't realize that the cute little kitten will not stay that way.  In no time it morphs into a big, hairy cat that makes messes, annoys the fire out of you, and is incapable of following commands.  I speak from personal experience. 

As I read that back it sounds kind of harsh.  It's been one of those days.  I'm thankful for my kids.  Really.

Pinkalicious Tea Party

Hayden turned three today!  We celebrated this morning with a Pinkalicious Tea Party.  It was pinkerific!  Lots of pinktastic pictures.

the invitation

dressed to party

where's the food?

Pink, pink, pink!

these poms poms took every ounce of craftiness I could muster
thank you Martha Stewart

The menu:  raspberry sorbet with raspberries, pink wafer cookies,
 pink vanilla dipped strawberries and dipped marshmallows

love

tea time...or pink lemonade time

dramatic reading of Pinkalicious 

My favorite line, "You get what you get and you don't get upset!"

a little crafting

decorating pink crowns

Pinkalicious has a brother named Peter so the brothers at the party decorated Peter hats 

sweet Stella 

Stella, Evie and Hayden

Evie playing dress-up 

Pinkerific family

New clothes from Pops and Nana

gift from Momma Jo and Grandad - love the pajamas! 

Magnadoodle from Mommy and Daddy

Thanks Mom and Dad!

Sandwich set from Drew.  And Liam was trying to give her a picture he colored for her.  Sweet brother. 

Let's make cupcakes!

Pinkaboo

Pinkalicious

 Happy Birthday to Hayden

Drew - a fellow Pinkalicious fan

The girls had fun playing with princess paper dolls that Stella gave Hayden.

party favors

the boys wore their pink with pride

Pinkerbelle

Yay! We survived! 

3 years old!!

Thank you to Drew, Evie and Stella for celebrating Hayden's special day with her.  We dedicate our tea party today to Mimi who introduced us to Pinkalicious!  Thank you Mimi for your generous gifts and for always thinking of us!

big girl bed

Hayden moved up to a big girl bed this weekend!  She was super excited to be in a bed like Bubba's.  She had been complaining that her covers were falling of her in her toddler bed.  When she started waking me up in the middle of the night to tell me so, I decided she needed an upgrade.

Having a "sleepover"

Liam and Hayden sleep in twin beds that used to be Will and his brother's.  Hayden looks so cute tucked in that big bed.  She will be 3 years old this week! My sweet middle child.  Most of the time she's scared to try new things but wants to do everything her brother does.  Tonight Liam cheered her on as she cleaned his whole room.  Bless her heart.

September 2011

November 2011

She has a deep love for shoes, juice, mac-n-cheese, lip gloss, and her mom.  She's a pleaser, helper and whiner.  She cries everyday when she doesn't get more juice and complains everyday that her underwear bothers her.

A little lip gloss
April 2011

Queen of taking her time
May 2011

She's very sensitive and intuitive.  Yesterday she peed on the floor in her room.  When I found it an hour or so later I was NOT happy.  I was storming around the house to get paper towels to clean it up.  She looks up at me with her giant brown eyes and says, "Mommy are you mad?"  She does that all the time!!  And the answer is "YES!  I am mad.  Quit peeing on the dang carpet!"  But instead I  said through clenched teeth, "Mommy is not happy with you right now."  And right away she said, "I'm sorry Mommy."  And then came the waves of guilt for being angry over a little pee on the carpet.  

Killer brown eyes
June 2011

Hayden and Harper
July 2011

She's still working on her big sister skill with Harper.  She loves her, but is surprisingly too rough with her.  She's starting to get frustrated with Harper for picking up her toys or crawling into her space.  Let the games begin.


Hayden talks alot but can be hard to understand.  She struggles with consonants - mixes them up or just doesn't say them.  Example:  "mommy can I have a gink and a gack."  would be her asking for a drink and a snack.  We had her speech evaluated last month.  The speech therapist said that she is above average in her vocabulary but barely in the average range for annunciation.  She said we shouldn't worry too much yet but suggested trying to pick key words to work on especially when she's asking for things.  Already in the past month we've noticed her annunciating more.

August 2011

Right now she's into coloring, doing puzzles, and reading Pinkalicious over and over and over.  She loves to run errands and go shopping so most of the time she's my little sidekick.  Love my Hayden Alisa.  We are planning to have a little birthday celebration this week.  I asked her who she wanted to invite.  She thought about it and said "Liam."  More to come... 

November 2011

Update on Captain America:  He was discovered under the couch.  Spared the misfortune of Harper's diaper.