Lessons and Words

Isn't it funny how we only value something once it is gone?

Kenny doesn't often get attached to "things," but, alas, human nature prevails. We had warned him to hold on to his helium balloon, but it was still hard to watch his little eyes well up with tears when it escaped into the cold night and the full moon. We were still in the parking lot of the restaurant that had supplied the balloon in the first place, and we could have easily strolled back in and asked for a replacement. But I kept thinking about our recent parenting class which encouraged us to "allow them to make lots and lots of mistakes while they are still affordable."

He wanted daddy to "jump up and get it." After getting buckled in the car he wanted to "follow it and get it." And the kicker was when we got home he ran into our back yard to "jump" up and catch it. Daddy and Mommy were trying to offer comfort and consolation, but he would hear none of it. He eventually accepted the inevitable, and we were able to enjoy an evening of togetherness sans balloon. As hard as it is to watch my child's heart hurt, I treasure the opportunity to minister to it.

It would have been easier to get a replacement, but I think my three-year-old learned one of those affordable lessons, and my guess is he'll hold on to his next balloon.

But it struck me that while Kenny was mourning the loss of his latest and greatest possession, his loving parents made the decision that he would be better served by forgetting about the balloon (which probably would have been deposited the moment we got home) and enjoying some good ol' one on one time with the people who love him most.

How much more does our Heavenly Father want us to trust his provision and sovereignty?

I hope Kenny's little memory will hold on to this lesson, but I hope even more that I will remember it the next time my loving Father tells me "no."


And just so it's not alllll serious, here are some recent sound-bites:

"Can I play my compeeteor?"
(computer)

"Wuz-at again?" followed by a very serious and believable quizzical look

Kenny won't eat the yummy stew Mommy made for dinner, so Daddy pulls out one of his many voices....
"Kenny, it's your tummy....I'm hungry. Can I please have some carrots?"
"Okay tummy....gulp....howz dat?"
"Good, but can I have some more please?"
"Nope, dat's all I got."

"Kenny, what did you do at school today?"
"Nuffing"

"I Spider Man, I Iron Man, I Buttman" (we're not sure where this one came from, but he claims it's NOT Batman)

"Kenny, do you want _________ (fill in the blank)?"
"NO!!!.........but I do."

Simple Joys

This is for all of the men in Kenny's life who will appreciate remembering when this activity was fun! A friend here in family housing gave him a "rub-a-dub-Shave-in-tub" kit complete with blue foam, a "razor", and a mirror. What more could a kid ask for?

Thank you to all our friends and family who showered Kenny with thoughtful presents for his 3rd Birthday! I could have posted so many fun videos of the past few weeks, but this one seems to sum it all up.

Kenny enjoys life!!

A typical day in the life of the Cooks while in graduate school...

You know it's a bad sign when you have to ask what day it is on Monday. Of all the days of the week, you'd think I'd have Monday down. It's the first, the spring-board, the day after the day of rest, the fresh start....

So why is it that the last 4 Mondays have felt like Thursdays?

Perhaps this will give you an idea...

6:00 a.m. T.J. gets up to go to the gym before being online at 7:30 which is when I usually get up on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Kenny and I get a "slow" morning in which I can do all of my laundry, go grocery shopping, and occasionally play with buddies on the playground.

12:00 Mommy and Kenny eat lunch, and Daddy comes home to take Kenny to pre-school for the afternoon while he works somewhere with free wifi.

1:00-6:00 Mommy teaches a class, practices, teaches another class, and attends opera rehearsal, then rushes home to feed her family before she heads back to opera rehearsal at 7:00.

9:30 pm...Mommy says to her cast mates..."what day is it?"


But if you think that's impressive, here's Tuesday:


6:00 am...Mommy gets up and packs her lunch and things for the day, then catches the only morning bus to campus at 6:44.
7:00 Spinning class at the gym, then shower and primp at the gym where the power to the blow-dryers often goes out right as I'm not quite done drying my hair.
9:30 Opera History (a cool class with an awesome professor)
11:00 "down time"
12:00 Teach a lesson
1:00 Teach a class
2:00 French Diction (a necessary evil)
3:00 Rehearsal with collaborators
4:00 Opera Rehearsal
6:00 Rush home to see my family and eat dinner
7:00-10:00 Opera Rehearsal

If my math adds up, that's 16 hours....and, I'm sure glad 5 hours is considered a full load in grad school!

In all honesty, I've been busier than I've ever been in my life, but somehow we are making it through with flying colors! I am doing something I love, and while it is hard to keep everything organized and on-track , it has already been so rewarding. I have discovered that I really do love to teach. I look forward to seeing my students experience success everyday. I love the challenge of seeing each of them as individuals with a unique learning style and individual needs. I love the fact that Opera started in the year 1600, and that it has usually been anything but the "high-brow" art form most people think it is. I love flowing through hundreds of years of musical traditions from moment to moment.

I love to come home and realize that I have 20 precious minutes with my son and I have chosen to get down on his level and play soccer, or baseball, or soccer, or basketball, or soccer, or blocks.....or soccer.

I am blessed with the most supportive husband who not only whole-heartedly supported my desire to pursue my Master's, but who also comes home in the middle of the day to take our son to school, and washes a lot of dishes that I just simply don't have enough time to do, and puts our son to bed at night while I'm still sitting in a rehearsal at school, and ....OH YEAH....works full time to build a company he believes in, and all of it without ever complaining about how "non-traditional" our life is right now.

T.J., My Love, it is an honor and a joy to be able to call you my husband. This "degree" is so much more than a piece of paper. You know that, and I know that. While I'm sure we will experience other busy times in our life together, I want you to know how sweet is it to be doing life with you right now.

Love,

me

Catastrophe Averted

I added a new talent to my job description today:

STUFFED ANIMAL SURGEON

Kenny was throwing his animals around his room this morning. The whole point of room time is for Kenny to entertain himself and do things on his own. So, when he asked me to get Bumby down, I told him he needed to find something else to do. Then I heard him say to himself "I have to turn the light off" (This becomes an important comment once I realize what is going on) Followed by yet another request for Mommy to get Bumby down. To which I gave the same reply. He then told me he had to go potty, so I actually walked into his room, which is when I smelled something burning.

My nose quickly led me to the top of the halogen lamp in Kenny's room where Bumby was precariously perched. I immediately tried to pull him off, but I discovered that he was in fact melted to the lamp. With a little bit of effort I was able to retrieve him, but my heart sunk when I realized that Bumby would never be the same. I also realized that not only had Kenny almost burned the house down, he had also prevented it by unplugging the lamp and turning the light off. What an amazing kid!!

Kenny has been very sensitive to smells lately, so he was not too happy about the stench in his room. He wouldn't come near Bumby, who was looking particularly black and melted around his head, but he did stay at a safe distance and express concern over his well-being. I eventually convinced him to hug his friend, and he even managed an "I love you Bumby." We were already running late for church, so I told him that Bumby needed to take a long nap to feel better.

Throughout the morning, Kenny kept asking if Bumby was cleaning. (I think he meant to say "Is Bumby clean?") He was obviously quite moved over the fate of his beloved bear. We kept telling him that Bumby had an "ouwey" and that he would never be the same, but we would try to make him feel better. T.J. and I were surprised at the depth of emotion we felt over the injury Bumby had incurred. This is, after all, our first-born's favorite toy.

At nap time, Kenny used Bubba (his back-up bear) instead, but only because I told him I would fix Bumby. I neglected to take a picture of Bumby before I started cutting his burns off, but I did take a pre-op picture (seen above). And I am happy to report that he came through the surgery smashingly (seen to the right)!! He is already back on the job!

I am actually quite proud of my work.

(click on the pictures if you want a close-up of said injuries)

Ice Cream Trip

Azin got some great pictures of a trip to the ice cream shop last night. We don't often get pictures like this since we're not crazy enough to ride with one hand while we position an iPhone backwards to take a picture behind us...

But good ol' Azin is. It was great having him in town, working the Web Dev world while performing a tour of wifi coffee shops in the Boulder vicinity. We found ourselves drawn to Pearl Street most of the time--big surprise--while the 29th Street Starbucks earned top spot as mobile office destination, racking up four visits over the two week period. We learned all the Baristas' names. Go us.

Also, note Kenny's new helmet that, when worn, earns him the title Juggernaut since every time he puts it on I see flashes of the old X-Men cartoon and the more recent movies.

Gunnison Trip

Click on the picture above for some pictures of our trip to Gunnison. We somehow managed to only take pictures on the way and back. We spent 5 hours on the Taylor River in a raft, we watched Batman at the coolest theater in Crested Butte, and found some "back" roads through the glorious Rocky Mountains. But most importantly, we had 2 days alone, together. What more can a couple ask for?

A huge Thanks goes out to Heather for caring for our precious Kenny while we were away!!

Anybody who knows Kenny, knows that he is not truly happy until there is a ball involved. We have now taken him to, watched, and read about enough games that he is thoroughly accustomed with the opening ceremonies that are included in any and all professional games. He watches with glee as the teams come out to the line and sing the "anfem." He has even incorporated this tradition into his own games. But he can't do it alone.

He grabs me or Daddy and pulls us out to the line, puts his hand over his heart (it's usually his left hand since he has snagged one of us with his right hand, and he won't let go for fear of losing a team mate) and proudly proclaims:

oh-wa say can you see

By the Hahns earwy wight

uh-so prwou-dly we hayed.....(tune wanders off)


Who's brwad stwipes

and bwight stahs

frew the pa.......

Oh the wam-parts we watched....YAYYYYY!!!!!!!Play Ball!!!


So, it's a bit abbreviated, but I'd say we're only months away from a workable "anfem!" The tune is usually pretty close as well, but then, it would be a genetic impossibility for this kid to not have some kind of musical ability.

Kenny has rotated through favorite songs/melodies each week now for months. There's the ol' trusty "Twinkle-Twinkle/ABC's." We were driving home at 9:00 the other night and he had skipped his afternoon nap. T.J. and I listen in amusement as he valiantly fought off the zzz's by singing the opening phrase of twinkle-twinkle......over, and over, and over again. Each phrase was seperated by a longer and longer pause in which the struggle became more and more difficult. However, it had the desired effect because he was still awake 15 minutes later when we pulled into our parking lot.

Other favorites include Wheels on the bus, Itsy-Bitsy Spid-o, and of course now the National Anthem. So, I'm sure I'm a bit biased, but what kind of almost three-year-old sings the national anthem? I guess we weren't challenging him enough with the standard toddler repertoire.