Derby Coopers

Do we really need a dog?!

2010-06-23T20:26:00.003-05:00

At our Father's Day dinner for my Grandpa this past week, my aunt & uncle brought their new puppy. Zachary just fell in love with it. I will admit that it was really cute but I am pretty sure that is only because it is little and I wouldn't feel the same way once it was grown. My beloved husband thinks that a puppy would be a great idea, I on the other hand am not sold. No matter how much help I am promised by boys and husband, it will be I that will be doing the training, feeding, cleaning, house breaking, etc. I am pretty sure that Ian has forgotten how many hours he works and that he won't really be able to help. So the dog debate goes on but here is a really cute picture of Zach with the puppy.

Almost cute enough to make me give in on getting a dog. Almost!!

Ben or Bernice

2010-06-23T20:18:00.004-05:00

I have a very good friend that has three little girls around the same ages as my boys. We spend alot of time together. I a couple of weekends ago we had a garage sale together. Both my friend and I were in the garage running the sale and the kids were in and out of the house and backyard playing. Part way through the first morning I look up and Ben & Emma (who is not quite a year older than him) are standing in the door way dressed for tea!

He thought the red sparkle maryjanes were so cool!
That boy needs to spend more time with boys!

ER Visit

2010-06-23T19:57:00.004-05:00

Because of the new sand, shovels came out of the shed and the boys were shoveling like crazy. I just knew that someone's toes were going to get chopped!

So as they were playing one night I hear the cry I had been waiting for but instead of the toes it was the head. Zach swung up as Ben bent down and the tip of the shovel caught him right between the eyes!

Surprisingly it didn't bleed very much but it was just wide enough that I wasn't sure it would need stitches or not. Ian had already gone to work and with it being between his eyes I decided to take him to the ER. So Grandma came and watched the other two boys while been & I made a trip to the ER, not his first visit but the first one for stitches.

He did a great job. Once we got there the doctors were able to push it together and "glue" it together so no stitches. Ben was very brave when we discussed the possibility of stitches on the way to the hospital but I think he was relieved that he didn't have to have any.

In the waiting room

Waiting for the doctor

All done & glued up!

Trip to the Zoo

2010-06-23T19:41:00.002-05:00

We have a family membership to the zoo but hadn't gone in quite awhile. So on one of Ian's days off, before the weather turned hot, we made a visit. We were able to see several animals that usually are always hiding when we go to the zoo.

Sand

2010-06-23T19:26:00.003-05:00

We got a couple of pickup loads of sand to fill the sandbox & it entertained the boys for hours. Apparently there is nothing better than fresh sand.

Visiting Uncle Jon

2010-06-22T15:29:00.003-05:00

The first of May we went on a day trip to Uncle Jon's house to celebrate birthdays and Mother's Day. It was a fun day even if it rained most the trip. Visiting the park and painting flower pots kept the boys busy and happy.

Easter 2010

2010-06-22T14:34:00.003-05:00

Coloring Easter Eggs

2010-06-22T13:30:00.005-05:00

The boys were able to color Easter eggs this year with my family. I think Daddy & Papa had almost as much fun as they had.

Joe spent most of his time hiding in the blanket cabinet. It is one of his favorite places to play.

Grandma & Papa Cooper's April Visit

2010-06-22T13:15:00.002-05:00

Grandma & Papa Cooper came for a visit to celebrate Josiah's birthday.

March 2010

2010-04-04T16:50:00.002-05:00

I know that haven't posted anything in a REALLY LONG TIME. I am going to try to do better. Here are some highlights from March.

Thanksgiving & Tree Decorating

2010-01-21T10:23:00.002-06:00

We had Thanksgiving here on Thanksgiving Day and then went to Jon's for the weekend. The boys got to decorate three trees that weekend.

Uncle Jon's Visit

2010-01-17T11:16:00.002-06:00

Jon came to town the end of October to see on of Zachary's soccer games. While he was here he took pictures of the boys. Here are a few of my favorites.

Climbing Joe

2009-11-24T14:12:00.002-06:00

I put Joe clear at the far end of the living room and ran into the bathroom for less than a minute and when I came out this is were I found him.

He had crawled (military style) all the way to the stairs and started climbing up. He doesn't seem to realize that he is only 7 months old!

Zach's Parrot

2009-11-24T14:06:00.002-06:00

This parrot drawn by Zach. He copied it out of a learn to draw book without tracing or help. He is very proud of it.

Crazy Hat Night at Awanas

2009-11-24T13:54:00.003-06:00

A couple of weeks ago they had Crazy Hat night at Awana's. Both boys picked what they wanted their hats to look like and Ian put them together for them. Zach wanted to have a fishing hat and Ben wanted a "Cars" hat (like his favorite movie). Ben is a Cubbie and their club doesn't judge the hats but since Zach is a Spark this year their hats were judged in three categories: hobby, Bible and crazy. Zach won the hobby category and was really excited!

Fall Harvest Party

2009-11-24T13:46:00.003-06:00

The boys where all excited about dressing up for the Fall Harvest party at church this year. They got lots of candy and had a blast!

Ben was a cowboy and Zach a policeman.

Joe was our little nurse.

Zach's First Soccer Game

2009-09-22T18:19:00.001-05:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Soccer Practice

2009-08-21T16:42:00.002-05:00

Zach had his first soccer practice this week. Ian said he did pretty good & he really likes it.

Cruising in My Walker

2009-08-21T16:37:00.002-05:00

I came back from the store the other day to find Ian had taken Joe out on the driveway for a spin in the walker.

Zach & Ben's Birthday Party

2009-08-21T16:25:00.003-05:00

We had a "kid party" for the first time this year and it went really well. There were about 17 kids counting the boys.

We had an inflatable "moonwalk" to bounce on.

The horse swing was a big hit.

They all wanted to sit on the same blanket at snack time.

Zach & Ben hitting the pinata.

Ben on his 3rd Birthday

2009-08-21T16:07:00.003-05:00

Ian & I gave him a wheelbarrow for his birthday.

He loves his Pepsi!

Josiah is growing fast

2009-07-21T19:32:00.003-05:00

This is the first time he picked up & held something on his own.

He loves his play gym!
Josuah likes sitting in the bean bag & joining in with the "big boys".

Grandma & Papa's Visit

2009-07-21T19:20:00.004-05:00

Ian's parents were here for a few days between the boys birthdays. We did alot and had great fun while doing it.

4th of July Parade

2009-07-21T19:11:00.004-05:00

We went to the Fourth of July parade here in Derby this year the boys really loved it. Many of the float participants throw candy and Ben really got into snatching it up.

Swimming Lessons

2009-07-21T15:51:00.001-05:00

The boys really love taking swimming lessons from Miss Julie.

Fun at the Lake

2009-07-21T15:19:00.004-05:00

The end of June we went up to the "cabin" at Council Grove Lake. He took some close friends of ours with us and we had a great time!

When ever Ben would jump off the dock he would yell, "To infinity and beyond!" (He is a big Buzz Lightyear fan)

Here are some of the highlights of the trip.

The Moby Wrap

2009-07-21T15:14:00.003-05:00

I have recently purchased a Moby wrap to use with Josiah, which I love! I only wish I had know about them with my other boys. After watching me carry Josiah around in it for a week or so, Ian decided that he wanted to give it a try.

Watching the Swimmers

2009-06-28T18:15:00.003-05:00

While the boys swam, Ian and Josiah watched. I think he looks like a grumpy little old man in this picture.

He got happy though and started "talking" to his daddy.

Swimming in the new pool

2009-06-28T18:11:00.003-05:00

The boys pool from last year started leaking air when we blew it up this year so we had to get a new one.

Birthday Buddies

2009-06-15T16:00:00.004-05:00

A friend of mine had her baby on the same day as me at a different hospital but with the same doctor. Her parents and my parents are friends and in fact both of our moms were at a baseball game for our brothers, taking care of our other children while we were giving birth. :)

So here are the birthday buddies - Josiah Cooper & Grant Strain

Our Little Nurse

2009-05-26T19:37:00.001-05:00

One of Ian's co-workers gave us this little set of scrubs for Josiah. I think he is just too cute!

The Hotel In Arkansas

2009-05-19T18:41:00.003-05:00

The hotel where we stayed in Arkansas had an indoor pool. The boys loved being able to go swimming everyday.

Josiah

2009-05-19T18:31:00.003-05:00

One week old

Three Weeks Old

Four Weeks Old

Five Weeks Old

The Ever Changing Ben

2009-04-23T20:49:00.010-05:00

Ben has a vivid imagination. He is constantly changing what he is pretending to be (I have a hard time keeping up).

The Musketeer - He has been watching the Disney movie where Mickey, Donald & Gooffy are Musketeers.

The Policeman - Every policeman has to take a snack break. (Yes, he is wearing shorts)

The Chef - Ben loves to help me cook.

The Marshall/Cowboy - Doesn't every boy want to be a cowboy at some point in time?

Boys & Mud

2009-04-22T18:15:00.002-05:00

What is it about mud that just draws little boys in? My boys just realized that there is a faucet on the back of the house & that Zach can turn it on. So mud was made while Daddy wasn't looking. This is the second day in a row that we have had to hose them down before the could come in the house for naps.

Sidewalk Paint

2009-04-22T17:24:00.003-05:00

This is what happens when two little boys are left alone with sidewalk paint.

Cheese

2009-04-22T17:09:00.003-05:00

Ian took this video of Ben when they first got home Wednesday and I thought it was too cute!

Finally Home

2009-04-22T16:52:00.003-05:00

Well we finally got home from the hospital Wednesday evening and the boys joined us after having stayed with my parents since Sunday night. Here are several pictures of the settling in process.

Ian's parents came Thursday and where able to stay until Saturday. It was nice outside and the boys were able to go out to play and it helped having Grandma & Papa around to help.

Josiah Christian Cooper

2009-04-14T14:44:00.001-05:00

Born: April 13th 2009

Time: 6:22 pm
Weight: 8lbs. 7oz.
Height: 21 inches

Easter

2009-04-12T21:27:00.000-05:00

Coloring Easter Eggs

2009-04-12T21:03:00.002-05:00

Saturday we went over to my parent's houes to color Easter eggs. Both boys, Ian & Papa all had a great time.

Look! No Training Wheels!

2009-04-12T20:25:00.005-05:00

I am really late in getting this posted, but life has been a bit crazy. A couple of weeks ago Zach decided he was big enough to learn to ride his bike without training wheels. So Ian took them off and helped him get the hang of riding without them. Here is a video of them together. By the end of that day he was still a little unsteady but now he is pro at it. I am amazed at how quickly kids can learn things.

Ben's First Gymnastics Class

2009-03-25T09:50:00.003-05:00

Zach has been taking gymnastics for a year or so and really likes it; but Ben had never taken any classes until this last Monday. We were able to find two classes at the same time that they could take this session and decided Ben was ready to give it a try. He loved it! He has a harder time staying focused than Zach did but that doesn't surprise me. I took a few pictures, but it was hard to get a clear shot through the glass without reflection.

Bicycles

2009-03-22T15:05:00.003-05:00

Ian has been wanting to get himself a bicycle so he and Zach took off shopping the other day and came back with a bike for Ian and a seat for Ben to ride in. They have been riding everyday since.

Art Easels

2009-03-18T15:50:00.006-05:00

I have been wanting to get an easel for the boys. They have been asking to paint, and I mean the really messy stuff like finger painting. So I was thinking that an easel outside where everything can be washed down would be good. Well a friend told me yesterday that when she was at Target she found a $40 easel on clearance for $9.98! So I headed straight there and got two of them, I just couldn't pass up that kind of deal. They even collapse and have their own storage bags. The boys love them. They haven't got to use them outside yet, but I did pull out the "No Mess" markers that only work on the "special" paper.

Josiah's Room

2009-03-18T15:36:00.008-05:00

Well Josiah's room is pretty much finished. We still need to hang the shelve above the baby bed, find an area rug that I like and I have some things to hang above the picture board but otherwise it is done. I went with a cowboy theme but wanted it to not be too babyish. I wanted it to be something that I could just switch the baby bed out for a twin bed and not have to change to much else. Here are a few pictures. I think that the armour that I crackle painted turned out pretty well.

Grandma & Papa Cooper's Visit

2009-03-07T19:05:00.009-06:00

Ian's parents where able to come up and visit for the last couple of days. It was beautiful outside when they arrived on Thursday so we spent the remainder of that day outside. Grandma & Papa gave the boys a horse swing which they love taking turns swing on.

Friday we went to the Lawn & Garden Show in the morning and out to dinner that evening, in honor of my upcoming birthday.

Saturday we went to Exploration Place and out for lunch before Grandma & Papa had to head back home. The boys had a great time with their grandparents and are already talking about what we are going to do when they visit again.

Getting Ready for Josiah

2009-03-07T18:55:00.004-06:00

For the past couple of weeks, my husband's days off have been spent getting the room ready for me to setup for Josiah. He has stripped wallpaper (two layers), patched holes, sanded walls and painted.

Meanwhile, I have been painting an armour that we had and going through all the baby stuff, getting it ready to go in the room. I use to have a living room, but for now it has turned into the staging ground for all things baby.

Hopefully you will be seeing finished photos of the room soon!

A Warm February Day

2009-02-26T19:55:00.007-06:00

Yesterday, it was absolutely beautiful outside. My boys pretty much spent the entire day outside. Zach decided to plant a garden of scrape lumber in the sandbox.

Ben was "helping" Ian clean out the shed and found the little plastic pool. He decided he wanted to go swimming and was upset that it wasn't warm enough. So he pretended to swim. Zach on the other hand found the sled and wanted snow.

But most of the day was just spent having fun outside.

I Knew It Would Happen Someday

2009-02-26T19:35:00.006-06:00

Well it finally happened. We were out shopping Tuesday and Ben turned his for a minute and I thought I saw a bald spot. I wasn't sure I really saw it but on closer examination I found two small spots where his brother had decided to cut his hair. They are in the back and the side and least aren't in the front. Somehow those safety scissors that I can't get to barely cut paper are able to cut hair very well. These pictures don't look soo bad since we had his hair trimmed shorter.

Seeing Eye Dog

2009-02-10T15:55:00.003-06:00

A week or so ago Zach had some head congestion & and a sore throat. Nothing serious but it was keeping him from going to sleep that night. Ben was already asleep and Ian was watching tv so I let Zach lay in bed with me hoping it would help him go to sleep. He decided that this was a great time to have a rather lengthy conversation with me about anything and everything that came into his head. Here is one of those random thoughts.

Zach: "Mom, you know those dogs that you see on tv that sick people have?"
Me: "You mean the dogs that help people who can't see or are in a wheelchair?"
Zach:"Yeah, I need one of those."
Me: "Why, do you need one...because you are sick?"
Zach: "I saw one on tv that had something on it so that it could carry things to the sick people. Instead of getting cats (we just got two cats) we should have gotten a dog. That way it could bring me things in bed since I am sick. You know like soup...books...drinks. It wouldn't even spill them coming up that stairs!"
Me: (trying not to laugh) "I don't think that they give dogs like that to people that just have colds. They are really for people that can't see at all or can't walk."
Zach: "Yeah.......(long pause) I still think having a dog like that would be nice." sigh

We then moved on to about 4 other not related thoughts like that one. He finally went to sleep after about an hour.

Crazy Hair Night

2009-01-27T12:12:00.004-06:00

Last wednesday was crazy hair night at AWANA's. Here are some pictures of the boys. (Puggles doesn't do crazy hair night but there was no way that Ben wasn't going to have his hair done if Zach's was done.)

Martians and Marshals

2009-01-27T12:10:00.000-06:00

One Sunday afternoon the boys wanted to play with their cowboy & policeman outfits. I was helping them put them on and Zachary starting making a big deal about how he was a policeman and Ben wasn’t. So I explained to him how that Ben had a marshal’s badge on his outfit and that back in cowboy days, before there were policemen, that special cowboys were marshals. About that time Ian came up to from the basement to see what was going on. Zach ran over to him and explained that before there where policemen there were martians and that Ben was a martian.

Playing like we are All Grown Up

2009-01-05T22:14:00.004-06:00

They boys received a policeman outfit, a cowboy outfit and 2 doctors outfits for Christmas and they are probably their favorite things to play with right now. Here are a few pictures that I thought were so cute.

Zach decided to setup his doctor's office on the stairs. He had some very sick stuffed animals.

Boys & Water

2009-01-05T22:09:00.003-06:00

What is it about little boys (or big boys, Ian) and water? It was 70 degrees one day while we were in Arkansas so we all went to the park. There is a small stream that leads to a lake at this park. The water was ice cold, but where did my boys all end up? In the stream.

Christmas at Grandma & Papa Coopers

2009-01-05T22:02:00.002-06:00

Due to Ian's & his parents' work schedules we weren't able to have Christmas until this last weekend. Even with Ben's hurt foot they had a really good time. Ben is trying to help pass out presents even though he can't walk. So he decided to push the present across the floor with his head like a bulldozer.

New Year's Eve and Our 1st Major Injury

2009-01-05T21:40:00.004-06:00

Ian had to work that night so I just stayed home with the boys with no intention of staying up to ring in the new year. Ian had left for work and the boys had been playing in the playroom for a while. Playing is probably not the right word. I had been telling them to calm down and quit jumping off of things for the last 30 minutes. Finally the inevitable happened. I hear someone jump from the train table (which I found out was Zach) followed by another thud which was Ben, and then a hurt cry. Zach comes running into the family room telling me that Ben is hurt but He didn't do it! Best I can figure (after listening to what happened from a 2 year old & 4 year old) is that Ben crawled from the train table up onto a small ledge that runs around the room and jumped off. This probably won't have hurt him except when he landed the top of his left foot came down on a toy with a rounded by pointed piece on it. Even after ibuprofen & a could washrag (he refused to let me ice it) he couldn't walk on it the rest of the night.

The next morning he still couldn't walk and we were suppose to leave the next morning for Arkansas. Of course since it was New Years our doctor's office was closed so we called the doctor on call. He said that since we were leaving town the next day we should probably have his foot ex-ray. So Ian & I headed off to the ER. They didn't think it was broken but it is hard to tell with small children because not all the bones in their feet have totally fused together yet. They said that in 2-3 days if he didn't start walking on it to come back and they would do a bone scan & just to keep it wrapped and give him Ibuprofen and ice it if he would let us.

So we went to Arkansas and Ben crawled everywhere he went for the entire trip (except for when he could look helpless and get someone to carry him, which was alot). He finally started walking on it Sunday evening, four days after the injury happened. He still limps because he is not bending his foot when he walks. So apparently his just has a really deep bruse in the tissue of his foot. At least he is not in a cast. A very active 2 year old in a cast, I don't even want to think about it.

It's Christmas!

2009-01-05T21:30:00.003-06:00

We had a good Christmas. The only thing that could have been better was that Ian got sick 2 days before Christmas with an eye infection & an upper respiratory infection; which he really didn't get over until 2 days after Christmas. He did feel well enough Christmas to join in the festivities; but you won't see any pictures of him.

It all started Christmas Eve. We all sit together by the tree and read Luke 2, the birth of Jesus. Then we talk about what His birth means to us (trying to get the real point of Christmas across to the boys before the day long opening of presents starts in the morning). Then we let the boys open their stockings. Christmas morning we open presents as a family & just spend time together.

2009-01-05T21:29:00.001-06:00

And Christmas Continues

2009-01-05T21:20:00.005-06:00

After opening presents at our house we went to my parent's house for a late breakfast and more opening of presents.

Then after naps we went to my grandparents house for dinner and MORE opening of presents.

Best Pals

2008-12-24T12:19:00.004-06:00

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

2008-12-24T12:18:00.001-06:00

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.

2008-12-24T12:17:00.001-06:00

Decorating Sugar Cookies for Christmas

2008-12-23T20:36:00.005-06:00

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

2008-12-16T18:05:00.004-06:00

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

2008-12-12T10:20:00.002-06:00

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

2008-12-12T10:17:00.001-06:00

Playing in the Leaves

2008-12-10T10:33:00.001-06:00

Decorating the Christmas Tree

2008-12-06T20:31:00.001-06:00

It's A Boy

2008-12-06T19:52:00.002-06:00

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

2008-10-28T19:40:00.003-05:00

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

2008-10-28T19:18:00.005-05:00

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

2008-10-28T19:02:00.003-05:00

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

2008-07-31T14:10:00.004-05:00

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

2008-07-30T20:10:00.012-05:00

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

2008-06-24T15:32:00.004-05:00

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."

2008-06-18T20:01:00.005-05:00

Playing in the creek

2008-06-04T20:51:00.002-05:00

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

2008-06-04T20:46:00.002-05:00

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

2008-05-20T16:51:00.005-05:00

Misc. May Photos

2008-05-20T16:50:00.001-05:00

Mother's Day

2008-05-20T16:27:00.006-05:00

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

2008-04-20T18:48:00.002-05:00

The Cooper Gang

2008-04-18T21:40:00.002-05:00

Ben and the Dogs

2008-04-09T08:29:00.003-05:00

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

2008-04-09T08:14:00.001-05:00

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!

2008-04-03T22:15:00.004-05:00

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

2008-04-03T19:52:00.002-05:00

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

2008-04-03T19:38:00.002-05:00

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

2008-04-03T16:36:00.003-05:00

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. :)