Best Pals

After a day of fighting and hitting and just not getting along my boys decided to finally be good for the last 10 minutes of the day.

An Early Christmas Present

Lately Ben & Zach (especially Ben) have been "cooking" constantly. For those of you familiar with the cartoon The Backyardigans, you will know why all Ben wants to be a "Samurai Pie Maker". All of my mixing spoons, measuring cups, muffin tins, etc. always seem to be missing lately and are usually found down in the playroom being used by my little Pie Maker.

So Ian and I decided that if I was ever to have my baking stuff back that we should look at getting the boys a kitchen for Christmas. I know that they are BOYS but boys can cook to and we found a kitchen that wasn't pink and girlie.

We also decided to let them have the kitchen early so that by Christmas morning the excitement of it wouldn't keep them from wanting to open any of their other presents. We set it up in the playroom this afternoon while they where taking naps and let find it when they got up. They were really excited! They didn't stop playing with (except to eat dinner, which I insisted on) until they went to bed that night.

Decorating Sugar Cookies for Christmas

My Mom & sisters made sugar cookies for Christmas and invited the boys over to help with the decorating. They both had a lot of fun but I think Zach got into the most; probably because Grandpa was helping him.

The First Big Snowfall of the Winter

We got our first real snowfall last night and all the boys wanted to do since the got up this morning was go play in the snow. So after a quick trip to Target for snowboots (mommy wasn't as prepared as I should have been) they got to go out and play for a little while.

They both loved getting rides on the shovel from Ian.

Snow angels were the first things they did. Zach was doing his before I could even get the camera out.

This is what hair after a ski hat looks like.

Our Christmas Card

Ian's brother Jon, came over last Saturday and took some pictures of us for our family Christmas card. The boys where probably the worst they have ever been while taking pictures. I think Jon did an incredible job considering what he had to work with.

Our First Vacation to Great Wolf Lodge in Kansas City

Playing in the Leaves

Decorating the Christmas Tree

It's A Boy

Well it is official. I am to be the mother of BOYS! We went for my first sonogram November 21st and found out the we are having another boy. Zachary was a little disappointed because he wanted a girl but he said that, "It is ok because the next one might be a girl. And if not then we will jut have to have a really big family." I took that to mean that we should keep having kids until one of them is a girl. :)

October 2008

I know that is has been a really long time since I updated our blog. There are several reasons for that; the top two being that there are not enough hours in the day to get everything done & two I am 16 weeks pregnant and am just now coming out of the sick to my stomach & tired all the time stage. I promise to try to do better, but for now here is what we have been up to the last few months.

September 2008

Towards the end of the month, Ian had a long weekend off from work; so we decided to tackle a landscaping project that we had been putting off. Part of this project required having a dump truck load of dirt delivered on our driveway. Needless to say the boys were VERY excited! They spent the next 2 days doing nothing but playing in the dirt pile while Ian carted it to the backyard by the wheelbarrow full. I had to hose them off every night before I could even let them in the house to take a shower. They had tons of fun!!

Grandma & Papa Cooper also came for a visit that same weekend and we all went to pickout pumpkins for the front porch.

August 2008

Ian had a day off and we decided to get out of the house and go to the zoo for the morning.

The Boys Birthdays

Zach & Ben's birthday are only 5 days apart so it was pretty much a all week celebration. Zach's birthday was on Monday the 7th and Ian & I took him out to eat at his favorite big boy restaurant, PF Changs. Then Ian's parents came into town on Thursday and his brother, Jon, on Friday. Ben's birthday was Saturday the 12th which we celebrated that morning and then they had a family birthday party that night. All in all they were pretty tried by the time the week was over.

4th of July at Council Grove

We spent the weekend of the 4th at the cabin at Council Grove. The boys had a blast! We weren't there very long before the boys were out in the kayaks.

Ben took Nathan for a ride.

Zach went with Bethany.

Zachary spent probably 75% of the weekend fishing. He really liked to fish with his Papa. Here are a couple of my favorite pictures of them fishing.

Misc. Thoughts From the Mouth of a 4 Year Old

After seeing a couple in their mid 50's pull up beside us on a motorcycle, Zachary said:
"Mommy, did you know that, when a Mommy & Daddy get married and before there is a baby in the mommy's tummy, they have a motorcycle? But after God puts a baby in the mommy's tummy, they have to sell the motorcycle and get a van and a car seat."

Playing in the creek

While in Arkansas we all went to Lake Atlanta Park. There is a creek that flows off of the lake and through the park. We let the boys "wade" in it. This quickly turned into a complete soaking! They had the best time. It took all four of us to get them out when it was time to go.

Trip to Grandma & Papa Cooper's

We went to Arkansas for 4-1/2 days the end of May to see Grandma & Papa Cooper. The boys had a blast. They played in the yard and helped Papa with his train set; they went to Chuckie Cheese's for the first time (I forgot to take the camera with me); went to a carnival setup in the mall parking lot; and went to the park.

My Boys Just Having Fun

Misc. May Photos

Mother's Day

I had a good Mother's Day. We went out to my parents for lunch and my grandparents and aunts and uncles on my Dad's side were there as well. We did have to go home early because Zach started to not feel good. I have a few pictures, but my sons (especially Ben) didn't want to sit and take pictures that day.

A Great Spring Day

The Cooper Gang

Ben and the Dogs

Ben is still just a little leary when Max & Daisy jump on him but he is getting better. They where all outside playing the other day when the dogs came to see what he was doing. He was fine with it until they tried playing with his scooper.

A Conversation Between Four Year Olds

I was taking Zachary and his friend Katie home from preschool the other day and heard the cuties conversation coming from the backseat. It all started when we went by some road construction, which prompted Zach to start in on his list of what he is going to be when he grows up. Here is how the conversation went.
Zach: “When I grow up I am going to be an architect, space man, construction worker and trash man. You can be a trash man too if you want.”
Andreia: “Katie is a girl so maybe she will be a trash lady.”
Zach: Turning to Katie “You can be …. whatever girls do, like be a mommy.”
Katie: giggles
Zach: “Yeah, someday I will have to find a mommy and give her a ring. Then I will be the daddy.”
At this point we reach Katie’s house and the conversation ended. It is mostly one sided, Katie had already told Zach to be quiet because she “didn’t want to talk right now”. I swear the two of them act like a little old married couple sometimes.

Bubbles, Bubbles!

The differences in our boys personalities comes out even when playing with bubbles. As you will see, Zach is busy trying to catch the bubbles on one the bubbles blowing wands. There is a plan. Ben on the other hand, is just running through the bubbles smashing them as he goes. There is no forethought just barrel straight through (which is pretty much how he approaches life).

Daisy & Maximus

My family went to see Paul up at K-State this last weekend. On the way there they were going to stop in Ellis to look at a boxer puppy (all the kids had finally agreed on that breed of dog). I knew that if they had one like they wanted they would be coming home with one. When they got home Sunday, not only did they have Daisy (the puppy the kids wanted) they also had Maximus (the little guy that Jonathan just had to have). Below are some pictures of the boys with the puppies.

Easter at Grandma & Papa Folger's

For Easter this year we went to my parents for lunch. A few other families had been invited so all told I think there were around 30 people there. Lots of food, noise & fun!

Boys Will Be Boys

We went to Ian's parents the week before Christmas to celebrate the holiday with them. While there my eldest son decided it was a good idea to jump on grandma's bed. Naturally the next thought was, "I wonder if I can jump from the bed onto the air mattress" which was on the floor next to the bed. Bad idea!!! He bounced from the bed to the air mattress which flew him towards the window right next to the mattress. Fortunately he didn't go through the window but he did however hid the bridge of his nose on the window sill. Below are the pictures of when it happened and a few days later when the swelling went down and he ended up with two black eyes! Just in time for Christmas of course. :)