Black & White (to hide the road rash)

IT was bound to happen. After months of watching him race down the hills in Geneva, near misses and helmet speculation, the big crash finally occured. (Not on my watch, though! Yesterday I had him by the collar of his shirt, choking him to get him to a stop on a particularly steep section, trying as well to keep a hold of Cooper in the jog stroller.)
A hitch, a slight break in the glue that was holding a previous break, a wobble...and it was over. Tommy came tumbling down! The first of many, I'm sure, but the road rash spotting his hairline and forehead, the skin gone from his shoulder and elbow, the crunched up fingers...that was all it took for him to reluctantly agree that it was time to head to the bike store for a helmet. Daddy took him down and picked one out, which is perfect in a way. John spent many hours and hundreds of miles riding his bike throughout the county years back, chasing away memories and hoping for new. I hope he is able to find absolute joy in the prospect of happier miles with his young sons and hours spent picking out helmets, finding and building up the perfect bike and sharing the memories together.

Up at Cable Street aka the "struction", Tommy took advantage of the new and beautiful fresh laid asphalt that they've been working on all summer. What a wonderful evening to "pick his line" as he flew down Cable without a construction worker in site. ( I wonder what Great Great Grandpa Otis would think?) Tomorrow they will never guess a little boy was marring the smooth surface of their project! Soon the masses will return. It will be back to being a major route to Sudden Valley, full of cars, trucks and noise. But tonight, at least, Cable belonged to him!

Thoughts on the Lynden Fair

Now, just to clarify, I have high hopes for the Lynden Fair each and every year. We go each and every year, buy tickets, wait in lines, check out the parades.... This year, I'm going to grumble a bit. Maybe because I'm tired. Maybe because I have a three and a half year old. Maybe just because Lynden needs to join the technological age for Pete's sake!
It started months ago. I tried to get three tickets to a grandstand concert. I had multiple options. I could buy tickets online through their website, in which I wouldn't see the ticket itself, meaning I wouldn't know which seats had come up until they arrived in my mail, leaving no choice over where I sit for this show. Another option was to call and buy over the phone. Again, they explained that they would pull up seats and I would have to take what I could get to come up, again not knowing where they would be until they arrived in the mail, but that they COULD write down my preferences and try to accomodate them as best they could. I pulled the phone back and looked at it like it was a creature from the dinosaur era. OR, I could drive up to Lynden and buy them in person. Would I actually see the ticket location then? I bet they would blindfold you just for kicks! I went ahead and bought tickets, waited anxiously for them to arrive in the mail, and wasn't too disappointed in them, however much I worried I'd be located at the top of the grandstand.




Yesterday we went to the fair. I took along a nanny prospect, to both check her out and see how the kids would do with her. Mainly I just needed an extra pair of hands to enjoy the fair and still keep Cooper with us. When I got up to the gate, with a very limited amount of cash for inside the gates, they informed me that they don't take credit cards! YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! There are tiny shops down on the streets of B'ham that have a card machine, and a major Northwest fair can't be bothered with this technology? Maybe if I brought a chicken to barter with we would have had better luck.

Highlights of the Day

Buying more John Deere tractors and playing with them in the grass by the actual John Deere tractors-instead of going on the rides.
A meltdown to end the morning trip-by Thomas!
A meltdown to end the evening trip with daddy along this time-by Thomas! (I'll point out that Cooper did not cry once on either outing. Hmmmmm..something is fishy here!)
Changing double dirty diapers hiding behind a John Deere tractor!
We did not visit the animals. We did not visit the food vendors. We did not make it past the John Deere tractor section of the fair. We did not visit the bathrooms. Short and sweet and to the point! (John and I did manage to pound back a Moo-Wich, though!)

Cooper at 3 1/2 months old

Our little (but growing!) bundle of joy! He is getting so big these days, and we've been remarking almost daily about how big he seems. As I sorted through old clothes from Thomas, I found 9 month old Seahawks pants that fit and an 18 month old shirt that fits, although long in the sleeves. When John saw him in it, he reminded me about the pictures on our wall where Thomas is walking in that shirt. "Yes, I know that. But he's growing, and..." I think I need to get on some shopping. Coop has a doctor's appointment coming up, so it will be interesting to see what his measurements are these days. We haven't weighed him since his two week check, so it's been awhile.

During the reunion, it came up several times about our choice of names for Cooper. Where did the name Cooper come from? Hmmmm...good question. It was very, very difficult for us to have to find another boy name, as most names that we would like or others would suggest for us held some sort of bad, horrible or just totally unacceptable story behind it from our days working with mentally ill kids and juvenile offenders. My folks thought we were just holding back on them. Honestly, the night before Cooper was born, as I lay in the dark of the hospital room, I still did not know what we would name our little boy. I played the lists over and over, the names that John had written down on a short list, hoping that it would suddenly come to me. I may have written this before, but it was during that night I decided. Our two names, Max and Cooper, had to be decided on. Max was cute, but out on the playground or in the lockerroom, it could be easily turn into maxi pad. Cooper could easily turn into pooper-scooper Cooper as well. Which did I think more acceptable? Cooper won out. No way would I subject my son to a name that could turn into a feminine hygiene product! When I shared this with John, late that night in the dark, he agreed and we didn't speak of it again until Cooper was in my arms and we looked at each other. Cooper it would be. (Punkie mentioned Pottery Barn Kids magazine the other night...yes, I think Cooper landed on the short list because I saw it in this catalogue and thought it looked pretty cute, too!)

Cooper continues to be total joy. Today he giggled for the first time, and continued to do it when he saw my absolute shock and delight! No, he figured out that sleeping through the night was overrated, so he hangs out with mom briefly during the night, but I'm learning to be okay with it. The hard nights are when Cooper wakes me up, only to find Thomas waddling into our room just minutes (it seems) after I've managed to get my eyes closed again. It usually turns into musical beds, but these days John ends up on the floor to avoid Tommy's deadly and spot on kicks. Cooper likes to rise early, though, so I'm still calling on the swing to help out for another hour or so of sleep before Thomas wakes up around 7 or 8 am. If I'm lucky, John will drag himself out of bed and watch the kids until he has to leave for work, allowing me another hour or two of sleep to fill in the gaps from the middle of the night. Thomas still needs to nap in the afternoons, but when he does, he's up until late that night, so although I dream of an afternoon nap to keep up with them both, it rarely happens anymore. I wanted to run out of my house with my fingers in my ears the other afternoon when both boys decided to melt down at the exact same moment and were howling at the top of their lungs. Instead I just looked at the wall and wondered if God was smiling at me then. The wall didn't offer much sympathy, but I was able to gather myself and figure out who needed me most for that second.

The picture above, of Cooper in his stroller, was taken by Grandma Lil after a family reunion hike up to Fir Cliff and then on to Camp Firwood. Cooper enjoyed every minute of it and smiled throughout. He is quite the early adventurer!

UPDATE-
We took him into get his shots today about a month and a half late. He's at 15 pounds now, which puts him into the 70th percentile and although I can't remember his height right now, he is in the 70th percentile there. I thought he was a bit more of a chunk, but apparently not. The scratches on his face and head that I thought were him just rubbing as some sort of developmental stage that he missed as an infant? Yeah, turns out the poor kid has eczema. We've treated him for two days now and he's slept through the night again! Unbelievable. I feel so bad that we let it go for about three weeks with him scratching away while he tried to sleep and I had no idea. His skin was dry and I just kept fueling it with more lotion. Hopefully this little phase won't last long. Poor little dude!

New progress....

Almost rolling over from his back to his tummy, just gets hung up on his shoulder
Trying new foods. Once a day I try a bit of oatmeal with a bit of something else, like squash or sweet potato. He doesn't need it just yet, but we're getting there.
Sitting up with a steadier head on his shoulders. Not so "wheeble-wobble". He's not very content just kicking back now. He has to be sitting up, looking around at all the action.
Chattering more and more, growling his displeasure if he's not attended to when he thinks he should.
Not very content in the swing anymore. Why did I worry about it? Now I beg him to take a longer nap in it to make up for his short cat naps throughout the day!

Family Reunion

Daddy and Cooper-lah

John Deere 101

Cooper & Papa

In the loving arms of his papa...and I think Papa is pleased with Cooper. It was a lot of fun having Dad and Jake join us for the remainder of the week. Dad didn't really have a choice to come over or not. Jake would have nothing of being left out again. And I enjoyed all the boys together again. We had a lot of fun taking them down to Fairhaven Park to play with Lauren in the fountains and had fun trying to teach Jake to enjoy the boat. He is still resistant. There is still a lot of bulldog in that little body! It still remains to be seen, though, if Thomas and Jake will agree to like each other, though. More often than not Jake is side tackling him or Tommy is whacking back. Adult referee is mandatory at all times with these two!

I have been telling John since our other jet ski broke down that I really need to get a new jet ski. It's something that I can do by myself with the kids. I can manage the ski boat, but I'm very nervous about not only being responsible for the kids but the boat as well. That does not mean that I don't want to be able to go out on the lake when everyone else is gone. I think a new jetski is the answer. Until today I was not getting a favorable response. Today, Jason Kinloch offered to let me go out on the jet ski he'd brought over, and after just a moment of hesitation, I jumped at the chance to take Tommy out. And my resolve to get another jet ski increased. My husband may just be softening on the idea after seeing today's fun! I will still hope..... (although John has reminded me just how old his truck is...oh bother!)

Tall Ships

Friday Night Surprise

Today was a full day of tubing with the kids, playing with friends and hanging out on the beach. Drew is trying each day to get up on skis. We're just trying to keep him from frying in the sun. Despite multiple layers of sunscreen, he's in the water the majority of the day and the sun is getting him good!
With 25 minutes notice, John surprised me tonight with a night out and about. I had no idea what he had planned, but It was very welcome after a week of constant play and activity with the kids. We dined at The Wild Buffalo in anticipation of a country concert. I'm not sure which was more entertaining; the more than horrible opening act or the small crowd that had gathered to watch and make complete fools of themselves. Rounding out the group was Scary Stalker Dude, who was an act unto himself. There is a reason Bellingham has had a few infamous murders lurking about. Maybe our tolerance is a downfall. I couldn't help but be tickled that John had been so thoughtful to think I'd enjoy a surprise like this. I know he worked hard to keep it a surprise and get it all arranged with both sets of parents. Thankfully Tommy was asleep before we left and Cooper still has no clue who he loves more right now. It was a very enjoyable, relaxing evening out together. Much needed and even more appreciated, from John and our parents who gave us this opportunity.

Arroyo Park Hiking

Today I packed up the boys and we headed off for Arroya Park to check out the creek, waterfalls and the trails. It was so much fun watching the boys scramble over the logs and beaver jams, hopping through the stream and exploring off the trails. They love exploring and the farther they can get from me the better. It was especially endearing seeing Thomas try to keep up with Drew as he made his way through the underbrush, and to see Drew come back to hoist Tommy over a particularly challenging section of the creek or up and over a log jam. They really are buddies now. It's also nice not having to worry that Tommy will just suddently launch himself off the trail and into the ravine. For the most part he maintained his concentration on the trail, although Drew pulled him back a few times when his body kept going off the trail while his eyes were looking back towards something way more important.

Birch Bay Waterslides

What a fun day we had today! I've been wanting to take Tommy up to experience the waterslides, but didn't know what to do about Cooper. He sure wouldn't enjoy himself. Mom provided the solution by agreeing to keep him, allowing me the freedom to take the boys, Tommy and Drew, up for a day outing together. (Mom, you are a lifesaver, and we wouldn't be able to do any of this without your willingness to watch the Coop for me!) Although a bit apprehensive about the unknowns of taking the boys alone without help, I was eager to get out and away from the routine of the lake. The boys were super excited about it, however much balking they did about the lather of sunscreen we gooped on them. The neighbors must tire of the endless screeching from Tommy's daily battles about sunscreen. I know I am.
We headed out, the boys talking non stop from the backseat. I thought they would talk to themselves a bit, but the conversation was peppered continually with questions for the aunt/mommy who they think has the answers to everything. Do I prefer Chevy or Toyota, Dodge or Ford? Why do tornadoes rip things up? How many people live in Bellingham? How many people live in Washington State? What are legos made of? How many Legos would you need to build a spaceship? Do they poop in space?.......
The park was great for the kids and they're perfect ages to enjoy the new pool area and kiddie section that Tommy camped out in. It was free for all in the kiddie section, with the parents who actually parent their kids trying to maintain some order among the kids who's parents were lounging somewhere in hiding from their kids for the day. I allowed Drew to go off to another big slide a few times, and tried to train my left eye to watch that slide while the right eye watched Tommy on the kiddie slides. It was quite mind numbing, but I have to say it was refreshing to not have one single whine or complaint the entire day. Seriously...the entire day! It was beautiful! On the way home we stopped for huge ice cream cones in an effort to keep Tommy awake, and then headed home to wait for John to get home from work. I pulled a Bear Grylls and built a small fire down on the beach, until Bruce took pity on my pathetically small campfire and brought down more wood. I thought I'd raid his shop for spare wood, but today it was totally clean and tidy. What I had left would probably roast a half a marshmellow. The boys thought I was cool, though, and that's all that counts. I scored big on the camp counselor points today and went to bed entirely exhausted from the work.
I don't have any pictures, as I figured riding the tubes and chasing the boys wouldn't be good for John's camera. So sad!

Incident of the day

I am exhausted from keeping Drew and Tommy from killing themselves on the scooter and bike today. If the crazy traffic won't get them, then their own fearlessness will! After repeatedly telling Tommy to lay on his breaks to keep from screaming down the hill and biting it without a helmet, and warning Drew that he was going too fast, Drew nearly took a header out on the concrete. Only to be quickly followed by Tommy nearly flying into the mailboxes in quick succession. Standing in the middle of our road, I yapped at them, "Okay, guys, I'm serious. You're killing me here!" I just wanted to cry. Tommy said it all when he replied, "Don't worry Mom. We're just crazy nuts!" and continued on down the hill.

Shortly after pulling myself together to continue the trip home, I once again admonished Tommy about going too fast down to the house on the pavement. I really didn't want to clean out road rash from a gaping wound this evening. His comment as he continued down the hill?
"Don't worry, Mom. I'll make it."

Unfortunately for him, sometime moms are right afterall. I watched as he missed the curve and did a header end over end into Lil's flower bed, missing her concrete bunny by inches and just barely catching the lip of the embedded boulder with his elbow. With a stunned looked on his face and covered head to toe with beauty bark, he said to me,-
"Um, I didn't make it."
I couldn't help it. I was laughing uncontrollablly. I brushed him off, hugged him tight, and with my heart still in my throat, I whispered, "No, I guess you didn't."

Fircreek...abort, abort!

Despite our attempts to keep Drew invested, the cabins of Fircreek could not hold up to endless hours of water fun, tubing, scooters and hot tubbing it at the Whipples! Of course, I don't blame the kid. With a counselor who could barely keep himself upright, much less smile and talk nicely to his charges, who would? I'm serious! No sooner had I given kuldos to the big cheese about the waterfront life guards (which is pretty incredible considering how pathetic it's been down here in recent years) than Drew pulled out of Fircreek in tears. When I went to let his counselor know he wouldn't be taking the long walk back up to main campus, the dude didn't even know who I was talking about. This was when my big mouth almost embarrassed this family's good name. The mother bear in me was hovering right about ready to take his head off and ask questions later. Instead, I pictured Grandma Bernice watching from her chair up at the house, and pulled myself together, instead choosing to say to him, " Um, yeah, you should probably know the names of your campers by now, don't you think?" Cooper was in my arms, so his tender ears I had to protect. If not for Lil, my mom and my intervention, Drew would have spent his morning counting grains of sand with the other kids who hadn't yet been told they could get in the water. Meanwhile, four counselors stood around together, talking quietly about who knows what, basically leaving the kids to their own devices. And I was SO hoping this summer would be different. It's hard to sit back on the beach and hear it all, see it all, and wonder about what really is going on over there. This summer I've thought the waterfront was being handled so much better than last year, and definitely the year before when the staff yelled all day long at the kids, yelled at the kids out in the lake, yelled at the guess groups and pulled out the bull horn to yell some more---all day long! I just wish I could see that the counselors were invested in the kids while down on the beach. Maybe it was just an off day. Maybe I'm just noticing more because I'm keeping an eye out on the Lawrence kids and Drew. Maybe my expectations are just too high. Maybe the slug just had too many s'mores last night!

Things you don't Teach...

That it's extremely funny to fart, or ANYTHING that remotely sounds like a fart! I should be mortified, but I have to tell myself that this must be some sort of developmental stage that all boys go through, because it is definitely something we have not taught him, nor engage in. We do not sit around farting on the couch or belching over a meal or after a big gulp of soda. For some reason, though, Tommy finds it extremely entertaining and absolutely hilarious to "pass gas out of his bum-bum" or burp. Just tonight I saw him chugging down a swiped soda from outside, his head tipped back to get every last drop, then walked towards the house belching as he walked. I'm sure if he'd had pants on he'd probably had his hand down his pants scratching, too! Uhhhhhhhh!!!

July Updates

Wow! It's amazing how quickly this summer is flying by! So sad in a way, as we wait and talk all year about this time, and then it's gone. We are truly enjoying out days together, although they seem to pass by in a blur for me. Days that John works I feel like it is a constant high speed chase to stay on top, whatever "top" is. Running from here to there and not going anywhere. Trying to keep both boys happy is a full time job, and by the time John walks through the door I'm almost giddy with relief. Then I can switch gears and focus on one child for awhile.
Cooper updates....Cooper is a treasure. He is a beautiful little guy, full of full mouth smiles for just about anything. He loves to lay on his changing table, loves his bathtime, loves to sit in his swing and so far, enjoys his times when he is stuck in his bouncy seat while I chase after Thomas. He does not love to ride in the car, unfortunately, and is somewhat reluctant to go anywhere outside of his routine. I took him to the park the other day hoping that he would fall asleep on the car ride, only to have him fuss and cry for most of the time at the park, which was no fun for any of us. He is sleeping through the night pretty consistently, which has allowed me to contemplate going back to my early morning visits to the gym. So far, I am just talking about it. It is still a great relief to be able to wake up only once in the early morning hours then try to get a few more hours in before the world rocks with the awakening of Thomas. I haven't yet figured out his daytime routine, and he only sleeps in short bursts during the day, but I'm not complaining after a pretty full night's sleep. It would be easier on Thomas if I could figure the day out, as just when I think Cooper is down and we're out on the beach, Coop's eyes pop open and we're back to in and out of the house to hang with Cooper again. Tommy doesn't fuss about it too much, but is more and more prone to saying, "Grandma will do it" or "I'm going upstairs" when I have to put him off on something with Cooper. Sometimes I'm totally talked out trying to reason with Tommy about this and that and about his time upstairs. Sometimes I just give up and watch him march upstairs. He's starting to take more interest in Cooper, but it is still limited. Cooper still has to put up with rapid increases in his swinging rhythm when Tommy thinks I'm not looking and rapid bounces in his bouncy seat. Most of the time Cooper has his full mouthed smile in place, though.


Tommy Update

Tommy is an animal in the water. He loves to jump off the dock, both in the shallow end and out at the end into the deep water. The other day he was out inner tubing and I asked John how fast we were going. Tommy was yelling to go faster, the smile on his face huge. We were going 30 miles an hour. 3 years old and going 30 miles an hour! It just didn't seem right! I would never have imagined the fun we would be having! He can't quite swim, but loves to dive under water, and seems to get particular delight in going under, swimming around and doing circles, then coming up gasping for air. He loves to be out on the tube, up at the dirt pile and lounging around in his personal hot tubs out by the hot water shower. Legos are his new thing, although they are put together and from there I'm not sure what happens to them and their tiny pieces. He loves to cuddle up at night AND in the morning, and still refuses to cut his hair. Just yesterday we were finally able to get him to cut his hair, in stages throughout the day, with tons of bribes. He ended up with two toys from a trip to Fred Meyer, a trip solely to get him his haircut toys! By this time, we'd have bought him the toy aisle just to get his shag cut off.

Clayton Beach Trek

People travel great distances to see the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. It's heralded in newspapers, magazines and travel brochures. Here in Bellingham it's but a short drive away, waiting to be explored. Genius that I am, I decided that we were all ready and able to take a hike down to Clayton Beach. All of us being Andrea, Grace (19 months), Jake (almost 4), Tommy (3), Drew (7), Cooper (11 weeks), myself and my mom. I just knew it would be a great trail for the kids to explore, and from my recollections from my college days, held no more than a couple small spots on the trail in which we may have to scramble.
Well, to "scramble" is fun and adventurous if you're on your own and have sturdy shoes on. To "scramble" across sandstone boulders and a small cliffside sandstone face with a double jog stroller, 4 kids and a baby- and flip flops....not so adventurous-torture! People on the trail applauded our efforts, and after making it back with only a torn toenail and minor cuts and bruises, we all had smiles on our faces for our trip. Mom asked me if it was worth it. Dripping in sweat from the exertion of lugging a double jog stroller with Cooper hanging on for dear life inside, I had to smile. Yes, the memory would be worth it, I told her. After all, we could say we made it down, played in the ocean waves, climbed a few sandstone formations that make the Chuckanut area famous, and made it back alive. Sometimes it just takes a bit more effort to make memories, that's all!

Our Great Kenny Chesney Escape!

The goal was to run out of town with my mom and sister watching the kids. Tommy had other ideas. After a lengthy cry-fest, in which he re-asserted the importance of motherhood, Lil and Bruce were called into active duty and took the reigns with Tommy. Thankfully, Cooper could care less at this point, and is content to be adored, loved and smooched on by the baby whisperer and company. Split duties. Back when I just had Tommy, I had to fight to not think about him and focus on something else. Now when I try not to think about Tommy, Cooper enters my mind. Double whammy!
Back to Kenny.....
On the "to do list" in your lifetime, it should be a country concert. Preferably one in a stadium. Although not optimal for those wishing to actually hear quality sound, it should be experienced purely for the assault on one's senses. You will not be disappointed. I loved every minute of it this time around. Prepared for the long lines for food and drink, we gorged ourselves with Krispy Kreme and pizza outside the gates. I was dehydrated enough not to have to use the bathroom more than once pre concert, though John was not. His thoughts.... "Man, girls going the bathroom just don't shut up!" He said this after going into one men's restroom, only to find that women were bucking the excruciating lines in our own bathrooms and heading to the men's. I asked him if he peed with them in there and he said he left and went to another one. Again, he exclaimed, "Girls just don't shut up when they're in there." I asked him if he talks to others while peeing. He just gave me a disgusted look.
We saw a fight a few rows above us that John said was over a girl and watched numerous bumbling idiots drunk off there arses nearly fall down the aisles. Lots of cowboy hats and inappropriate short skirts. Towards evening the pungent smell of garlic fries was finally overpowered by the salty air coming from the waters of Puget Sound, although I'm still not sure which was more polluted.
John says he is done with concerts. This time it was my turn to give a disgusted look. I told him, "You know you won't be able to turn him down when he comes again next year." There was no reply. We'll see. I'm already planning for Kenny #4. A fun concert is like chocolate to me. I just can't say no. We don't go out to dinner much. We don't go out to see movies. We don't do date nights with other couples. But we sure can enjoy a concert!
The line-up:
Pat Green
Sara Evans
Sugarland
Brooks and Dunn
Kenny Chesney

July 6th-Family in to Help Out

With the weather it's hard to resist the lake for too long, and finally the family showed up to hang out and play for a few days. We spent the afternoon and evening playing on the beach, lounging in the hot water buckets and reintroducing the kids AND mom to the joy of tubing.

4th of July 2007

We spent the day out playing with friends and family. Jack, Andrew and Lily were able to come up, and we enjoyed a BBQ of John's juicy ( 2 day!) ribs, as well as the other standards. I was excited that the weather was holding up so fabulously and that there was no rain and wind that traditionally blows in to put a damper on the festivities. Lance and the kids came over for some fun in the sun as well. By the time the fireworks started to shoot across the lake, both Cooper and Thomas had fallen asleep for the night. The only reason I stayed up was because John let me know that the Lawrences were on their way down to watch the fireworks from the beach. Otherwise I would have hit the hay myself. Sleep or fireworks? Hmmmmmm.....
We enjoyed the displays with a beach fire and smores. The finales were loud enough to coax Tommy from his bed, extremely bleary-eyed and big haired, looking dazed and confused. Although we were excited to get him dressed and ready to go out to watch, he was a bit slow to enjoy the noise, prefering instead to watch from the upstairs windows. Quickly that even faded and I ushered him quickly to my bed to cuddle him back to sleep. Cooper didn't get to enjoy his first 4th of July, but that was just fine with us!

Silverwood '07 Day 2

The breakfast at Triple Play is the best continental breakfast I've ever seen! Usually I'd say having a new baby is tough, but today's breakfast, in which I slipped out of the room with just Cooper and I, was top of the line. First of all, I didn't have to get any other food except my own. I didn't have to share with anyone. I didn't have to worry about spillage, drool, a mess, appropriate manners or loud noises. I sat there and drank my coffee one sip at a time, enjoyed my bagel without gulping it down and read three articles in the newspaper....all while Cooper slept peacefully in the McClaren. But I digress.....
Today was the big day! The day of many bedtime stories, tall tales and much anticipation since last June. We loaded up and headed out, Drew entertaining Cooper and Drew in the backseat, always the loving cousin. Thomas adores Drew, and has started to copy things that Drew says or does, and when they tried to sleep in the same bed, loved all over him.
I digress again...







The day was full of kiddie rides, multiple trips down the waterfall log ride, roller coaster adventures and water boats. The weather was perfect and the kids and us adults had such a great time. By afternoon it was time to head over to Boulder Beach to hit the water park slides. Mom and Dad took Cooper on and gave me some uninterrupted time with Thomas, John and the kids. We had a lot of fun in the wave pool, the lazy river and the toddler fountain playarea that is new this year. After last year's freeze-out in 50 degree weather, the heat was awesome. The thunderstorms that briefly threatened to cancel our trip before it even started never materialized and the weather was perfect.
Late that night the kids were so exhausted we hurridly grabbed fast food for dinner and got the kids ready for bed. Once again Drew spent the night with us, and several times I had to readjust Thomas, who is like a circus performer in bed. When I fed Cooper early that morning, I stepped through the blanket padding John had set out to protect Tommy if he fell out of bed, and stepped on something squishy and warm. It was Thomas, who was wedged half in the pillows and blanket and half under OUR bed! I felt horrible and a bit nauseated, but he didn't even move. I guess I don't have to worry about Tommy needing a new mattress for awhile.

Pilgrimage to Silverwood 2007 Day 1 (The Drive)

After much debate about whether or not Andrea and kids would actually be able to go this time around, we all set about to packing what would turn out to be considerable loads. Cooper got the short end of the stick and didn't get to pack his beloved swing, but we hoped two strollers, a pack n' play and two bags would suffice. I actually started packing on Monday, hoping to avoid the last minute crush and panic, and think for the most part was able to accomplish with John's help. Lil helped with laundry and that made for easier packing.

We have to tell ourselves that the adventure is in the journey, not necessarily in being there on this first day. So, it was fun to stop at the Issaquah McDonalds to feed Cooper and let Tommy run around in the play area, feed Cooper and let Tommy run around at the Starbucks in Ellensburg (where we also met up with the rest of the family), and feed Cooper and let the kids run around at a rest stop somewhere between Ellensburg and Spokane (the boys played cars beside the picnic table, the adults munched on cherries and Grace played with Cooper). Despite my initial anger at assigned rooms that didn't meet my expectations, we all agreed the rooms allowed our kids to play with their toys outside in the fresh (and warm) air, which actually worked out better than rooms we might have had otherwise. Once Cooper was fed and changed (is there a theme here?) we all eagerly hit Triple Play for some action in the wave pool, slides and kiddie section.


The kids are at a perfect age right now. Grace is big enough to toddle around in the kiddie sections, and Jake and Tommy can more than hold their own on the kiddie slides. Tommy was a monster in the wave pool, and even Jake eventually ventured out into the waves with the help of us moms. John was able to have fun with Drew on the bigger slides and it was neat to see Drew old enough now to take part. Mom and Dad watched Grace when she tired and kept Cooper occupied for us, which was truly a blessing for John and I. It allowed us the freedom to hang out with the kids and enjoy our time in the water.

By the time we were ready to head in for supper, I could already tell Tommy was dragging. After dinner it was time for more water fun and then early to bed. Because of the room situation and lack of second bedroom for Mom and Dad, it worked out that Drew slept over in our room. Of course, it was impossible for Tommy to handle himself with Drew in bed with him, so after watching Thomas cuddle and smooch all over Drew, keeping him awake, I pulled Tommy out of bed to get him to sleep with me, then moved him once he conked out for the night. It was a challenge to keep the boys and John asleep when Cooper woke up during the night, but at the first peep from Coop I shoved the bottle in and kept him quiet. Between John snoring, Cooper's night noises and the boys creaking in their bed, it was a long night. I hear it wasn't nearly as long as the night for the others, though. Apparently Jake wanted some midnight snackin' and kept Mom awake for a good chunk of the time. No one ever said traveling with young ones is easy, that's for sure.

He doesn't have to.....but

He takes me to Home Depot with him. He came and poked his head in anyway, just to see if I was still up. Thankfully, mom doesn't force the issue of a nap right now, and he saved me from this rest time. ( The joy on his face as he raced from his toddler crib was priceless! How could I possibly say no? I'm sure the trip would be much quicker without, but he doesn't fail to come looking for his buddy when he goes. It is the highlight of Tommy's day. What they do is a bit of a mystery, but I hear it involves John Deeres, lifters, grease and loud noises coming out of Tommy's mouth that I don't quite understand.

He takes me for donuts AND a gumball!

He takes me to Uncle Neil's house to fix the dishwasher and I got to see the bunny!

He takes me out to the John Deere store in the big red truck. Mommy tells him not to buy me toys, but I like to buy tractors.

He takes me on errands with him and to Hardware Sales. (Tommy knows the way to these places when we're driving around town. When we go out in the county he can tell which road leads to the John Deere tractor store, which road leads to Hardware Sales and which direction to go to get to the sailboat. It's always, "Grandpa this and Grandpa that" when we're out and about. It's pretty fun to listen to him chatter away about his adventures.

He lets me drive the tractor all around and we go to the dump. We go to the Firs and ride all the way. He lets me help him weed the grass and mow the grass and edge and cut and pull and I help Grandpa. (I can't get Tommy to focus on one single activity in the house, but somehow, when I look out in the yard, he's in the same location, doing the same thing, with the same tools, for an extended length of time. Bruce has some sort of spell on him I think)

He takes me to Burger Me and I eat it ALL up!

He plays with me on the floor and plays trucks and tractors and cars and puzzles.

He shows me Danny Dozer on the "pooter".

He shoots the geese with "bullets".

Let there be no doubt the love between a grandpa and a boy! It is truly a blessing!

Mothering Reasons

Top 10 Reason I MAY be a good mother...

1. I only stop briefly to examine the puke that has just washed some part of my body, then continue on with whatever is most pressing at that moment.

2. I have no trouble picking a rather large booger out of a nose, leaving the others to their own devices.

3. A clean shirt is considered clean if it only has minor snot drags, bits of leftover food or hints of the dirt pile/beach sand. Urp splots are examined for size and stinkability.

4. I'm only mildly annoyed when I roll over on a Tonka trunk, Hot Rod or other sharp object during the night.

5. I can sing the theme songs to a variety of children's shows, including Thomas, Dora, Jay-Jay the Jet Plane, Bob The Builder, etc.

to be cont. .......

Top 10 Reason I MAY NOT be a good mother...

1. I served Rice Krispy Treats for breakfast 1 week before Cooper was born. AND joined in!

2. I served Rice Krispy Treats for breakfast the other day...

3. I found Tommy eating chocolate icing out of the tub, smiled and wished I could help myself too!

4. Tommy considers his "bath" to be a dip in the lake or the outside bucket. (At least it happens everyday!)

5. I no longer fight the urge to sweep up the sand all day long. Why bother?

6. I laughed when Tommy, in the midst of trying to throw a tantrum, kicked out his leg and fell on his butt!

7. I am NOT intimate with the inner workings of a John Deere tractor nor do I know the correct names.

I may jinx myself for even harboring the thoughts. Some sleep fairy will come in and wave the magic wand to destroy this perfect fantasy. And moms everywhere would think I'm just plain silly to think it such a big deal. But to me, it is truly a small miracle.
Cooper slept from 9 pm until 5:15 am last night! (Wild applause!)

One of the main reasons we waited to have another baby was the fact that for such a long chunk of time we were incredibly sleep deprived. For those who have gone without, you know what I'm talking about. It is one thing to lose a night here or there. Maybe a month or two to get a new baby adjusted. I read books, I consulted online know-it-alls, all which told me my precious bundle of joy would sleep through the night at 6 weeks, then 8 weeks, then three months.....all LIES I tell you, all LIES! John and I muddled through 14 long months with brief naps here and there, taking turns to go to work, switch off at night, then get up to do it all over again. It was very difficult to imagine doing it all over again, and this time knowing that the world didn't stop with lack of sleep and that Thomas wouldn't slow down for sleep deprivation. And now, it is like we have been granted a huge blessing with Cooper, a little boy that has no reflux that keeps him up at night, a baby who seems like his little stomach actually keeps the acids inside instead of boiling over into his throat. John and I wake up each morning, a look passing between, the "look". Did he do it? What is the magic number? It is the most amazing thing. We're pretty thrilled and enough so that I'm going to look back years from now, see multiple entries of this amazing sleep thing, and smile.
Cooper is smiling a lot these days, and now more often than not without it being attached to poo-ing, peeing on me or gas. He loves his diaper changes where he is naked to kick and squirm his chubby little legs, endures his bathtime without complaint and enjoys cuddling and mashing his face against mine at naptime. He also prefers to sleep in his swing at high speed, a development I'm cautiously watching. My mother says "why not?" I remind her that it is not all that easy to take a full set up swing on trips, on vacation, on an airplane, etc. I'm not big on Coop needing a swing to sleep through his naps. Easy and convenient at home when we're trying to keep up with Thomas, not so great for other things.
Thomas is pretty funny these days. When I am distracted from him, his volume kicks up with whatever he is doing. Everything turns full speed, whether it be his singing, the tv cranked up, the repeated requests at increasing volume, or whatever he can do to get back my attention. He wants his friends to come over and asks for them all day long, then hordes his toys from Isaac and seems to believe that if they touch, they take, and he's having none of it. That makes for a lot of work for the Jenny and I running interference between them to keep from too many tears clouding the entire visit. The other day Thomas almost launched Cooper out of his bouncy seat, then frantically stood guard over him, pushing Isaac and Madeline away from Cooper when they got too close for a peek. "No, no no! He's very fragile. He's very fragile," he called, his arms flapping around Cooper in an effort to keep them away. It was quite amusing to see that he was just as protective of his John Deeres as he was with his brother.

Cooper News

Cooper continues to grow quickly, although I think his legs have yet to catch up to his growing chest and head. He's had a good case of baby acne going on two weeks now, and I'm really hoping that this time will pass quickly. He hasn't had the cradle cap that Thomas had, though, which is very nice. At least we haven't had that to deal with this time around. He's starting to chub up a bit, which is always a good sign, and eating like a machine.
God has blessed us with a nighttime sleeper this time around. I hesitate to even breath the thought, but after several nights of consistent sleeping, I'm hoping that it will last. Where as Thomas didn't sleep through the night until 14 months (yeah, Babywise was RIGHT on...) Cooper is consistently pulling 8-2 am and 8-4 am sleep times, with his last feeding at 7-ish. What an incredible blessing this is. The other side of that is that he usually doesn't sleep all that well from 4 am on, and only catnaps throughout the morning, which is not what the books say. I figure as long as I can get some sleep at night then the little guy can hang out all day long if he wants. I'm trying to follow the 2 1/2-3 hour schedule, but when he sleeps like this he tanks up throughout the day, and really, I'm serious when I say he feeds like a machine.
He's smiling now, mostly when I'm sweet talking him on the diaper changing table, and like his brother finds a lot of joy when his diaper comes off. His smile lights up his face, and I look forward to catching this smile on film. It really is amazing when they start to smile.
Cooper was not only kicked out of our room and into the hall, but now he's been kicked out of the hall and into the laundry room! The hallway was not enough distance for all his night noise. The boy continues to grunt, groan and snort his way through the night, and we continued to have trouble sleeping through it even outside our room. We're not entirely sure how we're going to work the sleeping arrangements, as we don't know when he'll quiet down during his sleep times to rejoin our room for the nights. I certainly don't want him sleeping in the laundry room, and I don't want to move into the laundry room to give him our room, so we're hoping he'll quiet down as he gets bigger. Tommy had to move out, too, but I can't remember when he was allowed back in. We'll just have to see how it goes!

Tommy's Sayings for June

"Mommy, I don't want this one," Tommy says, looking at Cooper in the carseat next to him, his nose curled up. "I want him back in your tummy."
"Oh really," I said. "But I kinda like this one."
"No, we need to get another one."

The beginnings of what I hope is a protective big brother.
"Mom, what you doing him?" as he watched me change Cooper's diaper from upstairs on the landing.
"Mom, where is my brudder?" he asked, looking around for Cooper who had vanished to the laundry room for his nap.

"Cuz why dey do that?"

"I got my booger, Mom," proudly showing me his finger. I wondered when it would happen. He's finally figured out how to pick his nose.

Now that's Tommy's kind of parade!

Summer's ON!!!

Baby Cooper pics

Still waiting to capture his elusive smile on film...