Cousin Time

These two got to spend lots of time together over the Memorial Day Weekend. They got along very well, even with a two year age gap.

Tent time with lots of toys.

Parade time down the lane.

Awww!! They are too cool in their shades.

My how they have changed from their last tubing adventure.

Yum, sorbet pops. I think they are in heaven.

"I wonder what the fairy will do if I ask her nicely," Cooper.

A little TV time before bed all snug in their pjs.

Yes, they are taking a bath in the pool.  That's the great thing about summer.

Watching the bunnies and deer from the front door.  Life is good for these two cousins ... and those of us who are blessed enough to watch them play and grow.

Outdoor Pool Time

We took advantage of some beautiful weather and time with a cousin to enjoy a little water fun.

For some reason, this pool seemed so much bigger last year.  His swim teacher would be so proud.  He practiced lots of bubble blowing.

Wordless Wednesday - Yum, spinach dip!

No, Papa did not lose a finger in this process.  But it was close.

For more Wordless Wednesday posts, check out 5 minutes for mom, Go Graham Go, Two of a Kind, Working on a Full house and 7 Clown Circus!

A lake trip without the water

We live near a terrific park that recently underwent a major overhaul of the lake.  Over the years, the lake had been reduced to marshland due to a variety of issues.  The city has restored the lake through tons of dredging and repaired the structures around it (gazebo, walking paths, bridge, etc.).  They hosted a regatta this weekend of canoe, radio controlled boats, and the like.

We missed the boat activity due to naptime, but we still enjoyed the scenery.  These pictures were taken primarily near the overflow area that ends up in the river.  Cooper was enjoying the little waterfall.

And we just beat the rain home.

The Nutzy Watch

Papa and I took Cooper to see another baseball game.  He was absolutely enthralled with Nutzy.  Every five seconds, or so it seemed, he asked were Nutzy was.  If Nutzy got close, we told Cooper to wave at him so he would come up and say hi.  Cooper was not so interested in that happening,  He's more of the stalker of the mascot from a far. 

It was also bring your dog to the stadium night, so the dogs all around us kept us entertained.  Papa was sad we didn't bring Myrtle or Mitti, but as owners of larger dogs, I don't even think to travel to events like this with ours.  Next time Papa.

Before we left, I snuck over to the souvenir shop and bought Cooper a Nutzy shirt.  He couldn't get his Wonder Pets shirt off fast enough to put the Nutzy one on.  Very cute.

Wordless Wednesday - Mr. Photogenic

For more Wordless Wednesday posts, check out 5 minutes for mom, Go Graham Go, Two of a Kind, Working on a Full house and 7 Clown Circus!

Sharing with my friends

Cooper does an excellent job sharing ... even with with stuffed animals.  He had to make sure they each had their own chip.  Then he proceeded to eat all of them one by one while saying sorry to the animals.  At least he is polite.

Goodbye Pacifier

We have finally said goodbye to the pacifier.  We are now on to other big boy adventures.

Wish us luck.

My ladies

So most of you know I joined a women's running group this spring called Run Like a Mother.  I convinced a few of my friends to join me.  Other than me getting hurt before our race, we had a great time and managed to get in better shape and run a great 10K.

Along the way, we experienced some Cooper funnies.

J has told Cooper since he was born that "Ladies love him.  Other men want to be like him."  Don't ask why because I have no idea.  Must be one of those strange father/son bonding moments.

The Saturday before the race, I took Cooper to cheer on the women in the group for the last training run.  As 25 women start walking down the block to the starting point, Cooper looks at me and says "My ladies, they left me.  My ladies, they run away."  He had this quizzical expression on his face, like how dare they.  Now keep in mind, he only knew 3 of the 25 women.  My ladies, really.

I do understand that he picks up things based on what we say.  A few days later when I took him in to daycare, I asked him if he said good morning to the ladies.  Yes, I know I said "ladies."  So what did Cooper say?  "My ladies, good morning." 

What am I going to do with this kid?  At least he keeps us entertained.

Wordless Wednesday - Why so scared?

For more Wordless Wednesday posts, check out 5 minutes for mom, Go Graham Go, Two of a Kind, Working on a Full house and 7 Clown Circus!

Friday Cheers

On our island downtown, Venture Richmond hosts events throughout the summer.  They kicked off the summer series with one of my favorite bands, Puddleduck.  So Cooper, AK, and I grabbed our lawn chairs and headed out.  The weather was absolutely perfect.

There were kids playing everywhere, and Cooper had a great time.  We even ran into a fellow Run Like A Mother Mom who was there with her family. 

AK's gonna shoot me for this one, but it was too cute not to post.

Nightime Happenings

A couple of weeks ago, we moved Cooper's bed up from off the floor.  We haven't put the frame up yet, but he still has a bedrail.  For the last week, he has not slept well including falling out of bed several times.  We can't figure that one out since he has a rail. 

On Tuesday night, he appeared in our room around 1:15 saying there was a monster.  J took him back to bed, where Cooper kept telling him there was a monster on his back.  J ended up laying down with him a few minutes because he thought maybe since Cooper slept with his back to the wall, that was scaring him somehow.

Then last night, he would not stay in bed.  The first time, he crept down to the midway point of the stairs.  I took him back up and put him back in the bed.  A few minutes later, he was at the top of the stairs because I closed the gate.  This time he told me there was a monster on his back.  I checked his back to make sure there wasn't something there like a scratch or bug bite.  Nothing.

So I told him that we wouldn't let any monsters into his room.  He didn't seem convinced, so I called upon reinforcements.  Cooper loves Ben, so I told him Ben was right downstairs and he wouldn't let any monsters come up the stairs.  Ben would eat any monsters who try. 

That seemed to satisfy him, and we had an uneventful night.  I hope I haven't scarred him with some crazy story about Ben easting monsters, but we are talking about monsters here.

And then there was tonight.  He wanted J to read to him, then had a meltdown when I wasn't there to read after that.  I got him calmed down, and we talked and read for a little while.  He can actually finish most of the sentences in Goodnight Moon.  So neat to see these processes happening.  I laid down with him while we were still reading.  When the book was finished, I laid my arm across his body trying to snuggle with him.  He told me "Get off of me."  I responded to him that I was trying to cuddle.  And this is the sweet part.  He turned to me, pulled my neck closer to him, and started gently rubbing my face and hair.  Too adorable.  He can be such a cuddler, but only on his terms.

I hope we are over the monster business for now.

Wordless Wednesday - The World Through Cooper's Eyes or I Mean Camera

For more Wordless Wednesday posts, check out 5 minutes for mom, Go Graham Go, Two of a Kind, Working on a Full house and 7 Clown Circus!