Daddy's Little Helper

This will teach you...

Hey Rob, next time I try to take a picture - let me take one. This is what you look like while freaking out!!

Computer-less

Just thought I'd give everyone a quick update. Sorry to be slacking, but we don't get our internet installed until tomorrow...I HOPE! The move is complete, and I'm finishing up unpacking - a MUCH bigger task than our last move. We're all done painting and the carpet is down. There are still a million little projects that we can work on, but I think it looks fabulous as is. I'm so excited to be in my own place - although it doesn't feel real at times ( I still find myself trying to keep the noise down for the downstairs neighbors). I'll post some pictures of the house in a couple of days.
As for Madelyn - she's huge, and active. I can't keep a close enough watch on her. Yesterday she pulled the vacuum down on herself, pulled the entertainment center shelf on top of herself, and managed to eat a handful of Rob's hair (he had cut it the night before and left the remains in the garbage can). She pulls herself up on everything - and can stand without holding on to things. I almost prefer this stage, because she spends more time doing that than crawling. The girl is a rocket when it comes to crawling. She'll get her sights on a destination, then put her head down and charge - I often feel like a matador with the way she comes at me. Speaking of - here she comes. Hope all is well with everyone else - Welcome home Grandma and Grandpa - glad you had fun in Kuai!

The Busiest of Times

What a week! We closed on our house on Friday, and have been going crazy trying to get everything done before we move in. But as of today - the only thing left is getting the carpet installed. Here is a sneak preview of our first home!!

What A Mighty Good Man

Before I met Rob I had never even picked up a paintbrush. He has taught me so much about fixing things myself. I'm not sure where he picked up all these skills - but he can do ANYTHING: drywall, paint, roofing, coolers, sprinklers, gardening, plumbing, electric, and does it all with a smile. He has been a miracle worker since we bought our house. There's no way we could have paid to have all the work done on our home. Thanks Robby, I love you!!

SOOOOO Sleepy

What a doll

Eight months already. And no, it's not the camera. That REALLY is the color of the carpet in our apartment. Yeah, I didn't think they still made it either.
*****I feel I should add a side note to this. My dad asked me yesterday what kind of carpet we had put into our new home. He asked if it was a brown burbur. I was confused, but then realized that he had seen these pics, and thought they were taken at our house. As hard as Rob and I looked, were unable to find this color of carpet for our home. We were devastated, but ended up getting a different color for our house. AGAIN - - THIS IS NOT OUR NEW CARPET!!

Already?

She'll be walking in no time. I can't believe she has figured out how to pull herself up. This was the first time she ever did it. I was out of the room for maybe a minute, and came back in to find her like this. Boy was she pround of herself.

If I had more time...

I feel like it has been ages since anything has been posted, and to all you "frequent checkers" I apologize. About three weeks ago, something clicked in Maddie's little head, and she began crawling. There was a day or two of clumsiness, but after that, she just took off. Since then, I can't let her out of my sight. I turn around for two minutes, and she's eating someone's shoes or playing with the outlets. Less than a week after crawling, she started pulling herself up onto things. I am NOT ready for this, but she is. She is so much happier now that she's mobile. All the frustration is gone, and she's always showing off. She'll pull herself up on the couch, hold herself up with one hand, and shake the other as if she's doing the "Look Mom, no hands" dance.
I love all of these things, but my favorite - by far - is when she acts like a lion. I know she doesn't do this on purpose, but she crawls around and says, "Raaaahhhhh." It cracks me up.
The other day I walked into her room and found her bathing her bath tub. She had the sponge that we use on her out, and she was washing the tub with it. Apparently she didn't see me because when I laughed she freaked out. She threw the sponge, and laid flat on the floor, like "you didn't see anything." I kept calling her name but she wouldn't move. Finally I went over to pick her up, and she was just lying on the floor with a huge "Mom fell for it" grin. She's going to be a real character. I'll try to post some pictures as soon as I can.

Big Bully

Maddie had a friend over the other day, and decided it was a great time to show off her new tricks. She jumped, she rolled, and she giggled. When Zina wasn't amused, Maddie decided it was time to beat her up and pull on her face. That will teach her.

My Sunshine

First Tooth

Headed in the Wrong Direction

Madelyn is crawling, but unfortunately - only backwards. She is incredibly frustrated becuase she sees something she wants to get, and gets further and further away from it. She spends most of her time stuck in the corner.

Silly Me

I can not believe that in my previous post I forgot to mention my FAVORITE jeep story. I had planned an entire paragraph for this one - and this person and completely spaced it. For that, forgive me. I dedicate this post to my adorable dad, and his "never-fail" negotiating tactics.
I owe the entire existence of Pepe, the Chili-Peper-Red Wrangler to my Dad. The Thursday before Memorial Day Weekend, 1999, I asked my dad to come and look for a new car with me. Granted, I already had a fine car - one in which I had three months prior almost totalled. It was a black saturn, and it suited me well, but I was really thinking I wanted a Jeep. So I played up the "I'm headed to snowy, mountainous Utah" card - and he gave in. Now, I knew this was only a courtesy/pity trip to explain why I didn't need, and couldn't afford a wrangler - but I was excited to go anyway.
We test drove Pepe, and I was in love. My dad figured he'd humor me and sit down with the dealer. He starts throwing numbers around with the dealer.."I know it costs you this much to make the car, and you deserve a comission - I'll offer you this much"
The dealer says, "I don't think we'll be able to go that low Mr. Kopp - let me talk to my manager."
The sales man walks out of the room, and my dad says to me, " He's going to come back in and tell us that they can't go that low. We'll say 'fine, call us when you can' and walk away."
The sales man walks back in and says, "Okay Mr. Kopp, it looks like we can go ahead and do that."
I literally watched my dads face go blank. A long pause, a deep gulp. Apparently he had misjudged the situation, and had somehow just bought me a brand new jeep. I could tell my dad was trying hard to hide the deep horror he was feeling - but I didn't care at that point. I was SO thrilled.
And so began the legendary Jeep. Thanks, Dad, for allowing me to have such a fine car. I must add you to the list of pepe's favorite people - for all of the camping, guest dj, and rides across the country. You're the best.

We had Joy, We had Fun, We had Seasons in the Sun..

The most bizarre thing happened yesterday. I was out shopping in a city about fifteen miles north of where I live - when I saw two teenage boys riding around in a "chili pepper red" wrangler. I was reminiscing on my wrangler, when I realized that it WAS my wrangler. And even though I have been driving my grand cherokee for nearly two months now, my eyes filled up with tears. I'm sure everyone is wondering how I knew it was mine - but my jeep had a few distinctive characterisitcs about it. First of all - it didn't have running boards, second - it had the 3 inch lift and big tires on it, third - there was a (D) sticker on the bottom right bumper, and fourth -and possibly most disturbing, it had a temporary license taped to the back window.
Rob and I have had the jeep up for sale at a friend's car lot for a few months, and I figured we would be notified when it sold. I guess I wanted to check out the new buyer - or at least say goodbye to an old friend. But as I watched those boys laugh, I knew it was a good sale.
I am going to miss my wrangler SOOOO much. I'm sure that most of you reading this have had the chance to drive me around in it (call me spoiled, but I love to be chauffeured). Thanks to everyone that sang with me, went camping with me, drove me around Lake Maxinkukee, and made Pepe the best car ever.
I'd like to send a special shout out to the car's favorite people: Mary, Tara, Jemison (you WERE the one that sunk it..) Jacqui, and mostly - my darling husband Rob - who took such good care of it when I started driving around a baby. So many memories of such a great friend. May it make some teenage boy as happy as it made me. (Insert Trumpet playing Taps)