Cold Camping

We went camping with Jamie and Ryan and Jerica and Justin last Saturday thinking that we would be ok to sleep in the Jeep. WRONGO! It was freezing cold and my teeth are still chattering. Here is how Emma, Cooper and Rylee like to camp anyway (watching Madagascar). Umm, yeah. So glad we drive up to the mountains so Coop can experience nature at its finest. And yes, that is a bottle. Cooper plans on having it until he is three. I hope you don't have a problem with that.

On another note, I know what Cooper dreams of...monkeys. He kicked around the other morning and shouted out, "Monkeys!" in his sleep. I tell you the kid likes him some monkeys. And since you are wondering, how on earth did she hear that? That is because Cooper still sleeps with us and plans to until he is at least four. Or maybe we can time that move with the bottle elimination. ha ha.

Cooper Spies his Easter Basket

Easter was Here

Cooper had such a fun Easter and his Nana and Papa came to visit. He loved this Donald Duck in a bunny suit-he screams when you pick him up by the ears.

Here is his first moment of excitement when he spied the fabulous play center Nana bought him.
And here he is exploring it.
And here is Papa looking grumpy and telling us how he will fall off his playset and get hurt and how he really shouldn't be playing outside anyway (it is way too cold he said).

Ode to Cooper at 20 Months

Your awesomeness knows no bounds. Even as you dig in my plant (and deposit dirt on my floor), or throw yourself down and spin and kick (when I tell you no, or even just try to help you do something), or even when you are really mad and take a run and bite my thigh leaving a nasty red mark that will last a week. No, you are still beyond awesome. Your laugh is infectious. My ability to recognize what you are doing before you do it (by the giggle of your laugh and the gait of your step-you will be throwing something down the stairs...soon) is uncanny. I love your ability to name animals. Not just a few. You know lions, tigers, bears, elephants, hippos, penguins, lizards, etc. etc. whales (specifically orcas, they are the best whale...), dolphins, jellyfish (thank you spongebob), toucans, parrots (yes, you know the difference), monkeys and gorillas, and of course all the regular everyday ones plus all the various sounds that they make. I love that your favorite toy is a book, and I try to keep you well supplied, even as you rip apart the pages. And ROCKS. I love it when you categorize them by size (big and little). I love that you LOVE Madagascar. Even though I, like you, can recite most of that movie by heart. I am even starting to love Dora. It makes me feel just a little smarter when I know the answers (yes, they are easy, but everyone loves to be right sometimes). I love it when you hiss like a cat (we have been practicing that practical skill) and I love it when I ask you how old you are and you say six. Even though we have talked about this (several times) and you aren't even two. I love it when you screetch 'Brandon', just like I do. Basically, I love you. You are amazing and you are my best friend. Thank you for being you little guy. You Rock.