I have to be honest...

Okay, I can't lie... I turned on the tv last week.

Only once, but I felt like you should know. It was a moment of weakness - it was pouring down rain outside and my brain almost exploded as the dog was racing circles around our little house with Cooper close behind him attempting to whack him with the broom... all I needed was 20 minutes of peace so I could get the tacos on the table and - - I did it. I was shocked at how fast I could get that plug back into the outlet and shove Tom and Jerry into the DVD player. I felt a little guilty... but only for a second! Cartoons literally may have saved my sanity that day. Those were the best 20 minutes of my whole week! Just thought you should know... I can't claim to be supermom, just a real mom, trying to hang in there and do my best! Nonetheless, we will still "celebrate" TV Turnoff Week next year (at least we'll try!)

TV Turnoff Week

Did you know that April 20-24th is National TV Turnoff Week? Being a teacher you would think that I would celebrate this "holiday" every year, but it was news to me that this week is our country's push to moderate tv-watching among kids. I actually heard about it through Cooper's pre-school newsletter and decided that it sounded like a fun challenge. After all, we lived through a 4 month fast from tv (thanks to DISH Network's super efficient scheduling department!), so 5 days couldn't be that bad!

Actually, I have really loved TV Turnoff Week! Cooper and I have had a lot of fun and I've been forced to be creative about the time we spend together after school. Not that tv was a huge part of our lives, but it's not uncommon in our house to be watching American Idol before bed or tuning into cartoons while we get ready in the morning. Are you wondering what we've been doing with all of this "togetherness" away from the couch?

Here are some of the fun things we've already done (and it's only Wednesday!!)

*Played in the driveway with the neighbor kids (I felt like such a mom!)

*Cooper rode his tricycle all the way to the park (and Mommy carried it AND Cooper all the way back home!)
*Washed the dishes from dinner by hand in the sink - together!
*Read stories in our pop-up tent
*Played ball in the backyard with Boone
*Pored through old photo albums from back when Cooper was Fabi : )
*Took a long bubble bath
*Broke out some CDs that are "oldies but goodies" & jammed!
*Explored the pond near Cooper's school and discovered turtles, tadpoles, and minnows

Isn't this list inspiring you to turn off your tv, too? There's still 2 more days left, so join the fun and switch off your tv! : )

Easter

We celebrated Easter this year by spending time with family and family-to-be (yahoo for Dayna!), eating a huge home-cooked meal, and hosting a traditional egg hunt. What more could you ask for?! Cooper looked dashing in his sweater vest and polo shirt (courtesy of Lolli!) and he knew exactly what to do when he spied the easter eggs. It's amazing how much he's grown in the course of one year - last year he was toddling around the grass unsteadily and this year he was sprinting from one egg to the next! And this year he KNEW that there was something inside the egg - a jelly bean! (Thankfully, he's too young still to realize that he's being gipped and most kids get more than a single jelly bean in each egg. But I'm going to keep that going for as long as I can...)

This is Cooper's life - being stalked by 5 adults (2 with cameras!) while he tries to do anything (especially those things that make him look cute!) I had to zoom out on my original shot to show that Colin was always on the other side of things, taking photos with his "fancy camera"! (His pictures are a million times better than mine!!)

Here's Dayna, trying to pretend that she doesn't see the 2 dozen eggs that are scattered in the flower bed... "Look Cooper -Do you see something!?"

The Easter Bunny was good to us big kids this year. We're always thankful that he (or she) never forgets that even grown ups and college kids like Peeps. : )

Mom and Dad cooked an amazing meal and we were grateful that we could spend the day together. God has blessed our family in so many ways and it's neat that most of us live close enough to get together often. (We miss you Jon and Hudson!!)

Adam and Colin

The Bates-to-be... : )

Pine Cove Visit

On Easter weekend, Cooper and I were lucky to get to travel to Tyler for a quick visit with our dear friends, the Langemeiers. I was blessed to be the nanny for their family for several summers before I had kids of my own. God used their family to prepare me for motherhood and I treasure the relationships with Carrie and Craig as well as their 5 kids. Their oldest son, Austin, recently turned 16 and Carrie and Craig celebrated this milestone with a special rite of passage called Ginomai Aner (meaning becoming a man in Greek). Cooper and I drove up to Tyler on Thursday night and got to stay in a cabin at camp! He LOVED being at camp and running wild in the woods. I can see that family camp will have to become a tradition for us when Cooper gets a little older!

Austin's ceremony on Friday was worshipful and inspiring. Austin chose 7 men to mentor him in different areas and each spoke at the ceremony, giving words of wisdom and encouragement to Austin as he seeks to become a godly man. God really moved in my heart that night- - prompting me to pray earnestly for Cooper as he grows and continue to seek wisdom as I direct his heart to the Lord. I pray that in 14 years, I will be hosting my own Ginomai Aner for Cooper and speaking words of blessing over him as he walks into manhood.

This photo was taken right before I dropped Cooper at Cove Kids to play while I went to dinner and the ceremony. I literally laughed out loud when I saw his face in the photo. It is like he's saying "My mom made me stand here.... Just take the picture already!"

I didn't get very many pictures of Cooper with his buddies Noah and Beck (which I'm sad about!), but here's one of them playing at Cove Kids. The Langemeiers are such sweet friends to Cooper and me and I'm so grateful for them!

Strawberry Picking

Berry picking is one of my fondest childhood memories & I am determined for Cooper to enjoy it as much as I did! I took Cooper to King's Orchard outisde Plantersville last Saturday and it was such fun! Here we are - ready to pick some strawberries!

I know the rules say "No eating the berries" but.... Do you think the ladies at the checkout counter will notice the berry juice on his shirt?

I could've picked strawberries all day, but we had to stop when the bucket was full - 5 pounds worth!

I loved these red wagons the orchard let you borrow. So vintage and fun. Not to mention color-coordinated with the strawberries! ; )

At the end of a long morning of berry picking, we had to "take a rest" and enjoy the fruits of our labor. We will definitely make this a family tradition - we are looking forward to blackberry and blueberry seasons!

Delicious!

Congratulations Colin & Dayna!

As of last night, it's official - Colin and Dayna are engaged! We are so thrilled for them and I know they are perfect for each other. Colin proposed last night under the stars in College Station and we all drove up to celebrate their engagement with a surprise party. : )

My mom and I collaborated with Dayna's mom and friends to bake goodies and make the party look nice. Colin's only request for food was a batch of my "cake pops", which I hastily baked abour a hour before we left for College Station. They are red velvet cake with cream cheese icing, rolled into balls and dunked into chocolate - heavenly! You should have seen my kitchen as I was "speed baking" these things - a heavenly mess!

Here's an up close shot of my cake balls before they made the journey to College Station.


I painted a canvas for the table...

Cooper, Avery and I had fun visiting with Colin and Dayna's friends while we waited for them to arrive. As you can tell (pacifier in mouth and blanket in hand!), it was WAY past Cooper's bedtime!

Here's the new Bates clan (minus Jon and Hudson) We are so excited!

Cooper was so precious with Dayna. He really loves her and he most likely doesn't remember life without "his Dayna". He and Colin will forever argue about whose Dayna she really is... He can now really call her Aunt Dayna!

We are so excited for Colin and Dayna! Dayna has become a special person to us in the time they've dated and I can't think of anyone more wonderful for Colin to marry. Dayna is kind and tender-hearted. She considers the needs of others before her own and is quick to show mercy. She is gorgeous (and I've told Colin many time that I can't believe he caught her!) I've loved developing a relationship with her since living in The Woodlands. I can't wait to have a sister-in-law. Welcome to the Bates family, Dayna! : )

Miss Bates, Rat Catcher!

I'm quickly learning how many different hats an elementary school teacher learns to wear. Of course, you are a teacher, a mom, a counselor, and a nurse. But I laughed out loud this morning when the class pet got loose and I became Miss Bates, rat catcher! Now, I'm not foolish enough to keep a rat in my room (I've got a tarantula instead!) but my switch teacher, Pam, has enough pets to make a zoo over there. This morning she arrived and found that the rat, Flo, had chewed through her cage and was roaming about somewhere in the room. After the bell rang, I had a frantic little boy run into my room and say, "Miss Bates! We need you over there! Flo's out!" You must be asking yourself, Why did they call Megan? Does she like catching rodents on the run? No, I haven't any particular affinity for mice or rats, but I DO have about 4 years experience catching them in my classroom. When I taught in Fort Worth, our school was a new contruction that had been built in a wide open field, which we quickly learned, was home to many, many mice families. Several times a year I would glance across the room and notice a fleeting object scurrying across the tile or behind a trash can. I knew our little friends were back. My kindergarteners became accustomed to jumping up on their tables to watch their crazy teacher try to catch the mouse. I even had one kid always assigned to fish around for my necessary tools (a tupperware book basket, a yard stick, a flashlight and a mason jar)! At first they all screamed with fear and delight, but after about the 8th mouse, it became just one of those things. It was a time of bonding for us all! : )

So this morning, I quickly gathered my tools and went to work. You should have seen the kids' faces when I came in ready to catch the rat. One little boy said, "Miss Bates, you pull teeth AND catch mice?" : ) (Aren't I multi-talented!?) Flo was hiding behind the water cooler, but she gave it up pretty quickly when we blocked her path with the book basket, tapped on the water cooler with the yard stick, and opened up the mason jar. A pretty easy catch!

All in a day's work! I love being a teacher!

Family Fun Day at Pine Cove!

Every year Pine Cove Camp at Crier Creek (in Columbus, Texas) hosts a free Family Fun Day for families to come and enjoy camp, even if just for the day! Cooper and I made the 2 hour trek to camp last weekend and we loved every minute! We planned to go so that we could see old friends, spend time together, and enjoy the beautiful outdoors. I worked at Pine Cove in Tyler for many years during (and even after!) college and I simply LOVED it! Pine Cove will always have a special place in my heart. God molded me and refined me during the summers I worked at camp and I hope Cooper has the opportunity to experience Pine Cove as a camper someday.

Right away, Cooper discovered the horses and walked around the arena, petting each one on the nose and saying sweet things like "Hi, precious!" and "Soft nose, Honey!" (Maybe I need to start teaching him some more 'manly' phrases!) I just smiled as he walked to each horse, giving each a moment of personal attention and a kind word. It was neat to see how Cooper was naturally comfortable around animals - a gift certainly from the Lord and not from his Mom's influence! (I'm a kid person - not an animal person!!)

It was like music to my ears when I heard my sweet little boy ask a horse, "Honey, do you want a kiss?" He leaned in and kissed that horse on the nose - and each horse down the line. I love that his powerful and determined side is balanced with a tender heart.

Cooper had his first taste of cotton candy while we were at camp... and not surprisingly, he LOVED it! (Except the sticky hands part... we washed hands after nearly every bite!)

Yum!

Thanks, Pine Cove, for a wonderful day of Family Fun! We will be back as family campers someday soon!

Puppy is growing!

I've had many requests for an updated photo of our "puppy", so here he is! I use the term puppy loosely because while technically he is still a pup, there is no way this dog looks like one. He is huge! I am starting to get a little nervous about his exponential growth, seeing as he is only 7 months old! We are learning to adapt to having another body in the house and Boone is really a sweet-tempered dog. He is so excited to see us when we get home from school and he faithfully follows me around wherever I go, whether it be to the mailbox or the washing machine. He is my shadow (as is Cooper most of the time!) More photos to come...