Thursday, January 20, 2011

oatmeal anyone?

What would you like for dinner Cooper?
Cooper: Oatmeal and yogurt.

There have been many days you had oatmeal and yogurt all 3 meals of the day. I am sure that you are doing that so when you get to be 13 and are eating us out of house and home you can remind us to think of all the money you saved us the first few years!!

The best was that you love yogurt so much that we spent $2 on Disney yogurt that would have cost $.70 at the grocery store....

polite boy

You thank everyone. From the nurse who gives you shots to the elevator, yes the elevator. At Disney you were thanking everyone when you got off the rides. PopPop commented on how polite you are.
Whenever you do anything wrong you immediately say you are sorry. It is starting to break my heart because sometimes when you do something on accident you say you are sorry-like you drop food in your lap We know you are learning the meaning of the word, but it's still makes me think you are scared of getting into trouble. Like you ever get into trouble!!!!

Christmas-Cooper

What a difference one year makes: Last year Cooper wasn't aware of anything with Christmas...this year it's a whole different story!!

* The sitter told Cooper about Christmas and Santa, so he's learned a lot about what Santa will do in a few days and that he will come to Cooper's house...we hope he still understands when we are at Mimi and Pop Pop's. The family has a train that goes around the tree that Cooper is obsessed with (big surprise). Along with the train, there is a nativity scene that sits under the tree that the train goes around, so Cooper calls it the train station. Despite my many attempts to explain that is a manger and baby Jesus was born there I kept waiting for him to put baby Jesus on the train for a ride. However, that won't happen because the son, Dani, gave Cooper the train set. Now we need to go find a train station like at Ragaa's house...We also have 4 different train sets in our house!! And 2 different "train rooms" The Christmas train room and the Thomas train room......we've also found our new favorite place to buy Thomas products: Ross. We found a item that sells for $70 at toy stores for $17!!!

* Monday we were at Walmart where there was a Christmas tree decorated in the corner. Under the tree are presents that Cooper went over to open!! Needless to say, all of his presents are hidden away because they would all be opened (hint, hint Mimi and Pop Pop).

* Out of nowhere as we are driving past a shopping center Cooper starts saying "Candles like Hannukah". I was not sure what he said at first...it actually took me a few days of driving by the center to know what he was saying. I hadn't told him about Hannukah, so I couldn't imagine where he learned it. Then after week of hearing "Candles like Hannukah" everytime we drove by, he saw a candle that was burned out and said "find candle like Agent Oso" (Agent Oso is a Disney tv show). I was so excited to know where he learned it from. More and more I am convinced that tv is a great teaching tool when watching the right shows!!

* We've taught him 2 holiday songs: Jingle Bells and the Dreidel Song (since he knows what Hannukah is). These are the only 2 songs he's ever sung on his own (besides the alphabet song and the clean up song)

* This morning we get to the sitter's and just like every morning since Thanksgiving, Cooper has asked to go see the train station (manger). This morning he looks at the train from a different doorway, sees a 3 holder candleabra and says "Hannukah" over and over. Ragaa gave him the candle holder and he proceeded to ask for candles. Once he got the candles that was all he played with for the day taking the candles in and out. Tonight I decided to read him one of the Hannukah books we have and immediately when he saw the dreidel, he knew what is was and started singing "dreidel, dreidel, dreidel...you mama" so I could finish the song! My surprise was that I haven't showed him a dreidel before. I realized that he has only seen the tv show once, so he really took a lot from it!! So proud of my boy and how much well he is retaining what he sees on tv!!

shots anyone?

Took the kids to get their flu shots today. Cooper has always been a pretty easy shot taker, cries for a few seconds and is over it. He hasn't had a shot in over 7 months, though. Nora, well she's a squealer. She cries in such a way that I can't help but laugh (again, with the laughing) because I can't believe how she make such a noise without taking a breath.
So we take both kids in to the room to get their shot. As we get in the room, Cooper is saying how excited he is. "check my ears, my mouth, excited" Decide that Coop should get his shot first so he doesn't back out when he hears Nora's hysterical cry. He grabs the syringe. We try to distract him, but he wants to watch. He is more fascinated by the bandaid he gets afterwards he forgets to cry. He even THANKS the lady as he gets off the table. Steve holds down Nora and we were bracing for the squeal and nothing!!! She didn't even make a peep. As the nurse leaves Cooper thanks her again and she said she's never been thanked for giving shots.

Funny girl?

For the past 2 years I've heard how much Cooper looks like Steve. He does...the hair and eyes the most, of course that's what stands out. Finally tonight I saw a side of Cooper that is me and how Nora is just like Steve. I laugh at EVERYTHING. Just the way I am. Cooper laughs at everything and it is such a great ego booster! He laughs at the simple things and that just makes me laugh even more. Tonight I was trying so hard to make Nora laugh (not to compare, but Cooper laughed a lot at this age) and all I could get of her was a sympathy smile. I just hide around the corner and say boo to Cooper and he's laughing his head off asking for "more, Mama-more scare, Mama". So after countless attempts to make Nora laugh, I finally gave up. I decided that Cooper has my sense of humor and Nora has Steve's. Steve is a tough cookie to make laugh-he doesn't really just laugh outloud very often. That was Nora tonight.....so while Coop may not have my features-he's got one of the best parts of me. And let's face it, I need someone to laugh at me so I know I have that in Cooper. I will continue to work hard to make Nora laugh at me, but at least I know why she's tough to make it happen and it's not because I am not funny :)

Favorite thing!!

Love, love, love how the 2 of you look at each other. Nora your whole face lights up when you see your brother and you start kicking your feet. Cooper you say: hi Sweetie, hi Sweetie Pie, or hi Nora Nora when you see her. You've started where you come and give her hugs and kisses. You are incredibly gentle with your sister and we are very lucky that you are not too rough with her. Maybe it is because you know she is a girl.

Now... when Nora comes to your trains or plays with any of your toys, you immediately tell her "no, Nora Nora" and then push her away. If she doesn't move away you start to push her with your head. If one of us is nearby, then you tell Nora to go see Momma or Daddy.

letter from Mama

Dear Cooper and Nora,
I have not done a very good job and keeping this site up to date for you both. The blog is to serve as the modern version of what we call a baby book. Momma and Daddy both had them when they were babies and their Mommys were really good about writing all of those milestones down. Daddy and I knew we wouldn't write the adorable things you both do that capture our hearts each day, so we hoped that the blog would be a great way to keep track of everything. The bonus part was that your extended family that lives far away could relive those moments with us.
As I look at the site and see that nothing has been written about in more than 6 months I realize that I have been writing these things down for other people and not for you both to read about years from now.
I will go back in time a little to record a few things, but after today you will see posts that will be just a few sentences or long paragraphs telling a funny story of what you did. Daddy and I can't wait for you to ask us to retell these stories when you are older. We love you both so very much and each day are amazed at what you are teaching us about the how we see the world.
Love
Momma