Thursday, September 24, 2009

First Drum Circle

Cooper is just getting more and more grown up. I dropped him off this week at school and instead of crying, he just turned around and waved and said ‘bye-bye.’ I am sad when he cries to see me go, and I am sad when he doesn’t! The next day I figured out why- he has a little friend and he doesn't need me anymore! When I dropped him off, he waved to his friend and ran over and patted him on the shoulder, then he looked at me like, "umm, why are you still here?"

He is talking so much although a lot of it is his own special language. He loves to chase and torment the dogs, especially Chloe since she hates it so much!

We had a good weekend and we took Cooper to the Hyde Park Street Fair so he could join in on his first drum circle.

Here’s Cooper with the big drum with a little help from his dad.


And here is Cooper in the drum circle. The look on his face says it all-he really didn’t know what to make about the whole thing. He did have a funny smile on his face the whole time-he liked it but thought all those grownups banging on things was a little weird.

Sadly we did not stay long enough for me to win the digeridoo in the raffle-oh well. Now I just need to find a mommy and me drum class and we're good to go. And I just noticed the Hands Only! sign on the drum, I guess they have problems with people using other body parts to play?

Saturday, September 19, 2009

ITLAPD!!

Arrrgh! Me hearties! Ye old scurvy scallywags, today is one of me favorite holidays-International Talk Like a Pirate Day! Celebrated on seven continents and the international space station. So take ye a minute, grab some grog, put down ye pirate plunder-and talk like a pirate!!!

Arrgh! Here is the little Cooper not liking his pirate patch!

And here is the little Cooper really not liking his pirate patch after his mean wench of a mum made him keep it on!


Monday, September 7, 2009

Fun Times

Ok, here are a bunch of pictures since I haven't posted in so long. Sorry, this month has went by way too fast. Goodbye summer:(

We went to the fair and got to hang out with a macaw. The look on Cooper's face is priceless: WTHIT (what the hell is that?????)

Cooper and I had so much fun feeding the animals in the petting zoo. We almost lost a couple of fingers to the starved goats, but it was worth it!

Cooper and I had our picture 'drawn' at Chuch E. Cheese when Grandma brought Tasia down for her birthday.
Cooper does not love Barney, regardless of his silly song.
Cooper did like the big truck. I have a feeling he is going to be all boy.


A few of Cooper's Birthday pics

Our little gang
This is Cooper's naughty smile. I love this smile...usually.


I love this picture, he is quietly contemplating the meaning of life (or the demolition of that cake, one or the other).

Saturday, August 22, 2009

More fun from Nana and Papa's house

Cooper loved the shark in the park-especially the kids inside!
Cooper loves his Grandpa, he is his best friend. It is so hard to believe he was ever scared of him, now he loves it when Grandpa growls and'tries' to scare him.
Super sweet baby tried to eat all the rocks at Lake Cleveland.

For all you doubters out there...





To all you doubters out there, my kid really can read. Unfortunately, he has a short attention span; after numerous attempts , this was the best we could get on video. Much like catching Bigfoot or a UFO on tape, catching Cooper reading on video is nearly impossible. Really. I am not making it up. Some day I will have more proof...and someday we will find the Loch Ness monster.

I had to add this one...

Jer got this super cute picture at the birthday party. He looks so sweet and innocent! Well after we came back from Grandma's he got mad at his dad for fencing him in and he was so upset he held his breath, fell over backwards and passed out! It was the scariest thing ever. Apparently 20% kids do this (Brandon did, so don't blame my genes).

Anyway, I guess we're going to have to work on just keeping him happy and see if we can avoid this little trick.

Saturday, August 15, 2009

365 Days Later

Well Cooper turned 1 on Wednesday and I think he had a good birthday week, although he was a little silent on the issue. Saturday he had a birthday party and devoured birthday cake, played with balloons and opened presents. And most of this week we hung out in Burley, so he didn't have to go to daycare and we went to the fair and looked at all the animals on his birthday. Cooper thought the pigs were very fascinating.

While there are a billion things I love about being Cooper's mom, here are just a few:
  • How you scrunch up your nose and snort when you don't want something
  • How you throw yourself on the floor and thow a tantrum when you really want something (this won't be cute in another year I am sure)
  • Your two dimples on your left cheek, and how they never are both visible at the same time
  • Your chuckle-it is the best sound it the world
  • How you try to get away when we play 'I'm gonna get you'
  • How you squeal every day to go outside
  • Your super kissable spot on your chin; I love that spot
  • How you're such a happy easy-going baby
  • How you always try to do something after I say 'no' (this also is cute now, but I am sure will get a little old soon:)
  • How you clap when anyone says, "yea!"
  • How you have the best smile in the world

Most of all, I love the fact that I get to be your mom! If you had any say in the matter, thank for picking me!! I am looking forward to the next 365 days and all of our exciting adventures!!

Cooper and Papa at the fair, meeting an oink-oink for the first time on his birthday!

Wild animals at the party!
Anxiously awaiting some birthday cake!!

Oh, yeah-that is the good stuff!

PS-Jody-a big thanks for sharing the pics since I deleted all mine from the birthday party!

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Brandon's Family Reunion

Last weekend we went to Brandon's family reunion. Cooper had fun playing, but we were outside all day in 105 degree heat!

Cooper and Holden hanging in the park.

Luckily, Janie got Cooper a pool, so that cooled down the kids. Cooper liked the pool, but Holden LOVED it. He was a total water baby and loved to spash around.

BBQ at Mitch and Shari's House



Cooper and I went down on Thursday to Burley and we had a fun little BBQ/photo shoot at Mitch and Shari's house!


Monday, July 20, 2009

These Feet Are Made For Walking!!

The past couple of weeks Cooper has been frantically perfecting his walking ability. He still looks like a drunken Leprechaun doing the limbo a lot of the time, but he is getting pretty good. Please ignore my messy house, I really have to blame that on Cooper. And do note how well he listens to me and how I resort to mild psychotic behavior.

He has lots of other little tricks-he likes to clap when we say 'yay!' (we like to do this as he walks across the floor happily clapping and Brandon and I chanting 'yay!') He also likes to raise his arms when we say 'arms up' and he loves to wave, backwards (towards himself), but I am still counting it. Oddly, he had a lot of words he use to say and he seems to have abandoned talking for walking!

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Happy 11th Month, Kiddo!

Wow, what a difference a few months can make. Here is Cooper back in March, strangled by Grandma and looking tiny on the tiger.

And here he is this last weekend, looking more and more like a little boy than baby and able to touch the ground!!

He is so close to walking right now and takes steps whenever he feels like it, he also loves to chase the dogs around laughing maniacally, and we have his ball pit set up in the living room and he likes to go there and have a little privacy to 'do his business', if you know what I mean.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

4th of July for Old Foggies

We had a fun 4th, we went out to breakfast and Cooper yelled every time he wanted a bite of something (exactly every 2.3 seconds). I think our restaurant days are nearing an end. Then we went to the zoo where Cooper was more interested in the animals than the last time he was there. He even waved to the tiger, his new trick that he learned while wooing all the women in Albertsons. Then we came home and hung out in the backyard all day. Cooper had his ball pit, his pool, and he was fixed up. And he would scream if you tried to take him in the house. This past week he has really been good at taking a few steps once in awhile, especially on the grass because if he crawls he has to do a daddy-long leg crawl (he still doesn't like the grass touching him).

Brandon bought a ton of fireworks for Cooper's first 4th and he proceeded to light them off periodically throughout the day and Cooper really did enjoy them. It was a good thing too, since those were the only ones we saw. Cooper hates going to bed on weekends so two hours past his bedtime, and several multi-faceted attempts to get him to sleep, we finally both took him to bed and waited him out. Unfortunately, since he kept us up the night before we conked out with him. I woke up at 11:00 to hear the happy sounds of a neighborhood a-light with fire power-and I promptly went back to sleep. I woke up this morning wondering what on earth we will do with the pile of fireworks since it is so tacky to light off fireworks on days other than the 4th of July.

Cooper doing his patriotic pose-and no eating the flag does not count as desecration.
How happy is this guy??
Quite the clam digger, this one.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Reunion Time

Last weekend was our annual Durfee-Brackenbury reunion and it was a busy time. Friday Cooper threw up on me (twice). It was a little ironic since I packed multiple outfits for him, but not so many for myself! It was also freezing cold, even in the trailer that Cooper and I commandeered from my parents. And Saturday he exploded in my cousin Rhonda's baby's walker! Then he woke up screaming at midnight and as I stood up to turn on the light he dove past me out of the bed and onto the floor! EEK! Then he screamed for two hours (I promise not because he fell out of the bed) but because his teeth were bugging him and he was really stuffed up.

But we really did have a great time. It was super fun to see everyone and we had a huge crop of new babies, so that was exciting. We had horseshoes, kids games, finger painting, face painting, a dismal craft project that I put on, an excellent talent show, and our ever popular auction. It was a fun weekend, but I am still tired from it!

Cooper getting a little crazy with sponge painting

Eating his ever handy snackins with cool sunscreen hair

Gloria and Dick and their respective mean and fat dogs

Cousin Vicki, or a crazy hillbilly (or both??)

Durfee girls doing a little ditty

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Backyard BBQs

Jer had a BBQ yesterday since Amanda and Bryan were in town. Here is our little herd.