we are always looking for something different to do – something fun..  abby has had her little eye on this strawberry patch on Old Abingdon Rd. and E Valley in Bristol, VA.. across from the little base ball field.  We ran in to the people who run it down at the farmer’s market a few weeks ago and have been waiting ever so patiently for them to officially open their Strawberry patch.. We stopped by one day after school this week.. great fun.. all the kids loved it.. then we came home and made strawberry jam..

they also have picnic tables down by the river and all kinds of other things to look at and do.. and they are sooooo nice!  I think they said they will be open until – like November..

Cooper even paid for his by himself!!

note.. on emily’s dress, made by a dear friend, it’s one of those little “pillowcase” dresses – with the ribbons.. well, we pulled up to pick berries, and Emily handed me the ribbons – so I had to “make it work”..

abby was serious about this – no time for pictures!.. coop was on a mission.. emily was all about the berries.. her berries were a bit lighter, a bit smaller..

coop looks so much like tom here.. ugh.. love it

wanted to get this in quickly..

my little brother, Andrew, is in the Army and living in Afghanistan.. as you can see from these pictures, he is not little, but he will always be my baby bro!  he was home last week on “vacation” from Afghanistan.. He’s been deployed since May.. It was so dang awesome to see him!   he looked great – seemed really healthy and happy..  he had lots of amazing stories.. lots of hugs to give.. it was just wonderful.. wonderful.. wonderful to see and hear him and just watch him.. even if i kept asking him if things were like the first few minutes of the Iron Man movie.. UGH.. i am such a dork.. but i really have absolutely no frame of reference for anything that he is living day to day.. but he says he loves his job.. hopes to be home by summer next year..

i had the camera out for a bit at first.. (i tend to hide behind it when I just can’t deal with emotion)  the kids were all over him.. when i told Cooper that Uncle Andrew was coming home – his response.. “oh, man.. that is awesome, he BEAT them!!!”.. i didn’t have the heart to tell that in fact, things are far from settled over there..

unshaven – love it.. cracks me up – he never could grow a beard or anything on his face.. suddenly – he’s like.. a grown up!  32 years old.. but will always be my little brother..

Andrew headed back to Afghanistan today..  God I hope he comes home safe so my kids get to know him more.. so I can get to know him more.

yesterday was the first day of school – or so i thought.. lemme start the night before at like 11pm.  Coop complained a bit about his ear hurting – since his trip to the ER two weeks ago with horrible abdomen pain only to have it completely disappear 5 minutes after we were admitted – I’ve realized he’s not as pain tolerant as I thought!  So.. I thought he probably just had a little ear ache and basically told him to suck it up.. gave him some decongestant and a bit of tylenol was certain he would be fine..  later – about 3:30AM, he woke in pain again.. um.. okay.. so I was wrong.. no fever – so i figured it was still just pressure from his cold… coop and i sat up and watched Ace of Cakes until the tylenol kicked back in.. then back to sleep – until 7:15!!!  he has to be at school at 7:45… MAN!!!  I had all these plans – pancakes, getting the lunch boxes, new backpacks, happy smiling kids on their stairs taking that “first day of school” picture..  plans a wreck I’m running around completely frantic – Tom, the ever cool under pressure dad, just staying out of my way chugging along getting the kids things in the car, making sure they finished breakfast.  The girls hair was a mess..

coop was obviously out of sorts..

as you can tell by this picture.. i mean.. does it not scream my ear hurts???

and here is an attempt at all three.. but i was – shall we say – just not pleasant by this point…abby with her favorite picture of her as a baby (gasp.. a Sears portrait – shhhhhh).. and emily – dora bandaid and sunglasses.. that’s how she rolls.. tennis shoes chosen by children – not mommy..

not the perfect clothes, not the perfect morning I planned.. AND we were totally late – this was taken at like 7:50.. UGH..

on the way to school, i call cooper’s fabulous doctors office to see if it’s possible we get him in to look at this “ear ache”.. only appt is at 8:30.. so I say fine, thanks for fitting him in, i will go to his school, drop him off, go to the girls school, drop them off, run back to coop’s school and pick him up and go to the doctor (yeah, i was operating on zero sleep so it makes NO sense now)..

we get to coop’s school – of course, the drop off line is done – all of us run up to the door.. with that rushed late feeling – I look a total mess – hair still wet.. no earrings – hate realizing i forgot earrings!!  a slight frantic tap on the door – i motion to a mom, “oh… please let us in..”.. she does.. between my “thank you thank you”.. she says,.. “um.. you know that you are not late.. it starts at 9:00 today, it’s just orientation today.. “  HOLY HELL!!! SERIOUSLY????  i nearly cried!!  omg.. okay..

i realized i was not handling things well… so i took a few minutes in the car to calm down and regroup..  we go over to the girls preschool – hugs and kisses and new lunch boxes and familiar friends.. they were sooo happy to be there.  Coop and I hop back in the car – got to the doc and let me tell you – the staff at Sapling Grove.. We just LOVE you guys!!!  We normally see Dr. Whiles, saw Dr. Wright yesterday.. and she is just as fabulous.. all the nurses and the front staff.. WE LOVE YOU..   and get this… you will never guess.. cooper had a bad ear infection..

after a day of lounging, resting, movies, antibiotics, and a full night sleep.. Cooper woke this morning so much better.  Although he will be exhausted by midday, I thought it really important he goes to school for at least a little while today.  see.. much better..

ugh.. i just love that kid!!!

tom stayed home with the girls so i could walk cooper in to school, calm and collected.. hope he has a fantastic day!!