J Cooper Photography

1.  We were driving in the car today talking about the significance of Easter which led to a discussion on heaven.  She was getting very excited thinking about having a “new body” in heaven (she thinks she’ll be able to fly) when she blurted out “There are going to be some seriously amazing clothes in heaven!”  Think I’m pushing the Matilda Jane show too hard?  But I’m sure she’s right.  I mean…God does have some seriously good taste doesn’t He?

2.  I was whining slightly today about picking toys up off the floor for the 103rd time when she says, “Mama…get over it…you have kids.”

3.  She came out of the bathroom after lunch with her pants unzipped.  I said, “your barn door is open!”  She questioned, “my barn door?”  “YES” I said…”your fly is down…you left the barn door open.”  She replied, “There’s no barn down there but there is definitely a party in my pants!”  I didn’t ask anymore questions after that!

Just wanted to remember those funny little moments with my sweet girl   {please pardon me for committing the worst photographer’s sins and cutting off my daughter’s hands!!}

It is amazing what you can accomplish during the day when you have one at school, one at a playdate, and one asleep   Knee deep in Matilda Jane Party favors and Etsy store stockage (for lack of a better term)

Just a few peaks at some crafting going on here at the Cooper house:

1. LAURA you were right!  Lincoln NE Children’s Museum was it!  If you live anywhere nearby…GO NOW.  It is the most amazing place…my kids are entertained for HOURS!  Those of you who have won gift certficates…please remember to send me a quick note when you purchase an item and I will give you a corrected invoice.  Also…I’m having a bit of a debate in my head.  Etsy store vs. Selling on the blog.  Votes?  I can see the benefits both ways.  The Etsy store would be…you know…like an Etsy store.  And on the blog I would put up posts with photos and prices and the first one to contact me would get to take home the outfit   It would be like a perpetual garage sale here.  Sound fun?

2.  We got our new ADOPTION numbers while away for the weekend!  We almost made it into the teens…next month for sure!

I am guessing we will receive a referral sometime this summer (maybe sooner…maybe later…such is the roller coaster of adoption I hear!)  We are just thrilled to be seeing those numbers dwindle!

3.  I am still working on part of our Valentine’s project so I can’t share everything here yet.  Not that all my family reads my blog…but sometimes I like to pretend that they do   But here is a fun, EASY idea for those school Valentine’s Day parties. I loathe Cinderella cardboard, punch out, store-bought, throw in the trash, Valentines.  Anyone else with me on this one?  So I was brainstorming something more fun (and personal) that my kids could use to hand out to their friends this year.  What’s more personal then their own sweet faces?

These are just metallic business cards.  The front has their cute V-day photo…the back says…”Have a Sweet Day!”  I offset the text and used my exacto knife to make two small slits in the card.  Then we slid through some cherry lollipops and the girls signed their names.  I ordered these through my lab.  But there are MANY options out there for ordering business cards!  You could also order wallet sized prints and do the same thing.  I liked that these were actually press printed so they are a bit more sturdy and that cute lolli doesn’t rip the paper.  Just a fun idea to share!

{Have you ever tried to take a photo of a metallic print?  Holy reflection Batman.  I can promise you that I will never become a products photographer…yikes!}

4.  If one cute Valentine can brighten up your day…I wonder what 43 can do?  My entire kitchen table is full of these little faces

5.  Little man had his yearly cardiology appointment yesterday which always proves to be a long and fairly annoying morning.  Let’s ask the 19 month toddler to lay on a table perfectly still while we perform several ultrasound scans of his heart…shall we?  The tiny whole in his heart is still there.  Tiny though…as in 4 mm.  The good news is that the cardiologist isn’t concerned.  He is extremely healthy and said the trivial backwards flow it is causing would only become a problem should we decide to go deep sea scuba diving this winter.  Umm.  Nope.  Not planning on it.  We are praying the hole will close on its own over the next few years as he grows.  If not we will need to schedule a procedure to close it with a catheter when he is about 5.

6.  I have gotten quite a few responses about the upcoming MATILDA JANE PARTY on MONDAY!  It looks like we are going to have a GREAT TIME!  Remember…if you aren’t local but want to order…you will be entered into a drawing for a free MJ piece (and you will still receive the $4 party shipping price).  The new line should be visable on the MJ WEBSITE tomorrow!  I am SO excited about the fun, bright colors…a photographers DREAM!  And of course…we will be booking for FREE MINI SESSIONS in April so your kids can show off their new duds!

7.  I have a new obsession.  I bought some new globes in Nebraska this past weekend.  My plan was to top my kitchen cabinets with them (I also bought some fun, funky, old tins and such) but I just didn’t have enough to pull that off yet.  So if you want to become my BEST FRIEND EVER (wink, wink) let me know if you see any globes cheap when you are out and about!  I love the turquoise/aqua ones…with metal stands…all sizes…nope…not picky at all   I checked one of my favorite antique malls here today and they were ridiculously expensive.  I should have bought more when I had the chance in the middle of the corn fields.   I really should live in a farmhouse out in the middle of nowhere.  Someday.  Someday.

8.  The grandparents are coming this weekend which means Mr. P and I will actually get to go out on a date.  WHOA Nelly…did you just read that??  A DATE.  It’s been…like…years I think.  What should we do??

9.  I am busy making DOOR PRIZES for the party Monday!  Me and my hot glue gun are once again BFFs.

10.  There is absolutely, positively, without a doubt, nothing better than BABY MAGIC.  I just started using “real” shampoo on the girls and I am in Baby Magic withdrawl.  It is intoxicating.  I guess I could just keep an open bottle around for a sniff now and then.  That couldn’t hurt anything could it?

I have to apologize…we darted out for a long weekend and I left my poor blog unmanned all weekend long!  We decided we needed a break so we loaded up the mini van and took off to see some of our favorite people.  Of course we left a day earlier than expected to beat the snowstorm.  We were too desperate to get away to let the weather foil our plans

So the question is:  WHERE WERE WE?

The first person to guess the CITY, STATE, and VENUE in these pics wins a $20.00 gift certificate to my Etsy store (should be open VERY soon!)

And no cheating.  If I told you where we were headed you better sit this one out

1.  Does anyone else hate the 5:00 hour?  Or is it just me?  I try to remain upbeat.  But by the time 5:00 rolls around I am usually tired, grumpy, and splattered in spaghetti sauce.  The kids are tired, hungry, and whiny.  The combination is sometimes just too much to take.  I try to get the kids involved in an activity to pass the time while I prepare dinner…but 0h how I wish somedays that I could just hide in a corner with a bag of M&Ms.  Don’t get me wrong.  I love my children.  I adore them.  But I could do without 5:00.

2.  Of course somedays they stop from their busyness and flash me adorable grins during the 5:00 hour and then I feel insanely guilty for posting about how I despise this time of day.

3.  And sometimes they just eat the crayons.  That works too. (By 5:00 I am usually completely over it.)

4.  Especially if their cute chubby hands are working on a masterpiece.

5.  I don’t know why I even bother buying {other} shoes for my kids.  All they want are Converse.  So we did our spring shoe shopping and hit the Converse outlet.  The girls each got their traditional hot pink hi tops and now we are all set!  I figure they go with everything, right?  I mean…Sam wore his black Converse with his herringbone pants and sweater vest on Christmas Eve…so pink high tops are cool for Easter right?

6.  I need to tell you about a couple of special people in my life.  It is such a blessing to have friends who get you….who understand your heart and are along for the wild ride right along side you.  One of these gals I’ve never even had the chance to meet in person.  We designed for years together in ebay-land…ventured into photography together…stalked eachother’s blogs.  And now we’ll both travel to the other side of the world to meet our newest family member.  And she totally gets me.  And that is so very cool.

This means “I love you” in Amharic.  I can’t even express how much I treasure this gem!!  Can I suggest that you hop on over to Nic’s Shop and support her endeavors to change the world for a child?  Or maybe stop by her blog to say hi and provide a word of encourage (be prepared to get lost for a bit…her blog is about the yummiest thing around!)

7.  And here is another bit of loveliness.  This one crafted as a Christmas present by one of my VERY bestest friends…The Librarian (aka. my bigger, wiser, smarter oldest sister).  Is this not lovely squared?  “Mother” in Amharic, an Ethiopian map, and a symbolic bird.  Heaven in a necklace, I say.  Shouldn’t she be crafting these for fund raising for her own adoption journey?  Can I get a hearty amen to that?  Why don’t you head on over to her blog “Fly to his Heart” and make that suggestion (she doesn’t listen to me…I’m only her sister).  Love you Paisey….

8.  And one more gift to share.  I’m almost speechless on this one.  It is the BEST PRESENT I have ever received in my entire life.  It was created by my sweet husband…he gave me my life…in a book.  I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve sat down and attempted to do this.  And while I was bemoaning his many International business trips and complaining over the phone to him…he was sitting in a hotel room thousands of miles away…making this for me {boy do I feel like a heel}.  This is my blog.   Since the day I started it 2 years ago.  Every memory.  Every picture of our family.  Every word.  Every hard day. Every bit of hope.

I never knew he was working on this…didn’t even have a clue.  I am totally blown away by his willingness to do this for me.  I never would have gotten it done.  The last time I started a book, I got 3 pages in and was driving myself crazy with all of the re-arranging and re-editing….and I gave up.  THE.BEST.PRESENT.EVER.  And I thought he didn’t even read my blog

9. I just had dinner with a great friend.  Wow.  I am so very lucky.  My life is FULL of some pretty amazing people.

10.  Feeling very blessed.

She normally runs from my camera…

But I got lucky and she endured a few minutes with me…even flashed me a few of those jack-o-lantern smiles I so adore.

Of course she has a serious side too (yeah, right).

Wow.  I might actually get this little project done before Valentine’s day is even here!