Phone Friday 7/27

I'm thinking I may need to change these to Phone Monday posts, but for now I'll just try to resolve to get back on track.

Last weekend we had tickets to see The Lion King, so Jason's parents came in to visit & watch Cooper.  They arrived with a new toy for Cooper & he spent the weekend flying around the house.

One of Cooper's favorite afternoon activities is to get the mail.  It is something I understand.  I remember being home on maternity leave and waiting for the mail carrier to drive by so that I could make a quick run outside to see what was there. It isn't that I really look forward to what is IN the mail, it was more the idea of getting up & going outside to do something.  I felt the same way when I started working from home.  It takes a lot of discipline to wait on Cooper before getting the mail!

He hops in his car and we take off toward the mailbox.  The trip there is spent with me asking him to stay off of our neighbors grass, turn left or right, and to slow down.  We grab the mail & head back to park McQueen in the garage.

 Cooper has started asking to wear his sunglasses when we're in the car.  I'm not sure why - I'm pretty well convinced that he can't see out of them or that they don't fit right, but either way I let it go.  Mostly because when he slides them up on his head the way we do I get a kick out of it.

Cooper is doing great with the potty training.  Last weekend was a challenge.  He had a bit of an upset stomach and spent a lot of time familiarizing himself with the bathroom.  Sorry for the TMI.  I was very proud of him for telling us he needed to go, even if he did tell us 5+ times per day and he announced loudly during the sermon Sunday that he needed to go poop.  We had one accident when he asked to go in Kroger & we were on the other side of the store.

That said, I also had my most embarrassing parent moment to date.  I arrived Thursday to pick Cooper up from school & found him not in what I sent him in.  Assuming he'd had an accident, I asked him what happened.  The teachers started laughing and chimed in telling him that he needed to tell me what happened. I could tell Cooper was embarrassed & reluctant to share so I sat down next to him & asked the teachers for more information.  Apparently all of the kids were on the playground on the other side of the playscape and when the teacher when to see why they were gathered around she was shocked to find Cooper - pants down, relieving himself.

At that moment, I started to laugh.  I felt bad, but that wasn't what I expected to hear! Cooper was still mortified, which made it a little funnier and then they added that when they started to fuss at him he looked at the teachers as if they were crazy.  After I composed myself, I apologized.  15 times.  And explained that he's allowed to do that at home if we're in the backyard.  I'd rather him do that than track dirty & mud across the house.  I quickly added that we'd have a good talk about where he could pee in the future & headed home, making sure to add that if the other parents wondered why their kids suddenly wanted to use the bathroom outside, they could blame it on Cooper's mom.  I mean, he has an Aunt Sassy & a horse - it is pretty obvious where to place the blame.

Phone Friday 7/19

Last week Jason & I went to Chicago for a few days. Jason flew up early for work and I joined him Tuesday.  We really enjoyed the city - there is so much to see & do!  We found it very easy to walk or use public transportation, though we walked most of the time. There is no end to the amount of shopping I could have done and the food...oh the food!  I am pretty sure every recommendation we received involved a restaurant of some sort.

Sunday Cooper & took Jason to the airport and I indulged his boyness by driving 3 circles around to look at the airplanes.  I thought he was going to die from the excitement.

I flew up there on what may have been a plane older than me.

We skipped the old Sears Tower view deck and opted to go to the Signature Lounge for a drink.  The view is almost the same and you get a drink.  Only the service was terrible and after 15 minutes we left without even seeing a waitress.

We had two pizza recommendations from friends.  After trying both, this place was easily our favorite.

We caught a night game at Wrigley.

Thursday we walked through Millennium Park to see the Coffee Bean thing & Shedd Aquarium.

We came back bright & early Friday morning.  Cooper spent the week with my mom & sister.  He claimed he wanted to go on 'cation with us, but I'm pretty sure Nana's House is as close to 'cation as he'd ever like.  Pool time, riding the golf cart, riding horses & jumping on the trampoline - he's a happy camper.

Phone Friday 7/13

Last Friday we made a quick run to check out a new park.  They have a small stocked pond for fishing, a little splash pad & and playground.  The guys went to try their hand at fishing while Cooper & checked out the playground.

Cooper did a little fishing.

Saturday we finally finished hanging the photos in Cooper's room.  He tried on the old catchers mask.

Thursday I picked Cooper up from school to find him in a large t-shirt.  He looks 5.

 Jason had a long day at work, so we picked up a small piece of cake at the grocery store.

Friday morning Cooper woke up with a really red eye.  I didn't even bother with school and went straight to the Redi Clinic.  We finally saw the doctor and went home with a prescription for eye drops.  Friday was our 10th or so day straight of rain and we were getting a little stir crazy.  I finally grabbed Cooper's rain boots and we headed out to look for puddles to splash in.

Cooper looked like we punched him, but it was just a raging case of pink eye.

The joys of potty training

I'm using joy in the loosest way possible. Potty training is for the birds. Or for people who are more patient than I am. I knew that going into it, but I still decided a few weeks ago that we were done. Daycare asked me to send more pull-ups to school and I didn't want to drop another $30 at Target on something I didn't get to enjoy.  We were going to be home for a few days, so that night we stopped at Target to pick out big boy underwear.

I let Cooper decide what he wanted.  I thought he might go for Buzz Lightyear or Lightning McQueen...but he went strait for the Super Hero package.  And was not budging on an alternative.  The next morning I put on some big boy underwear and off we went.  Thankfully we were spending the weekend in the yard & garage, so accidents were not going to be the end of the world.  We had a few, ended up having to ditch Wolverine, but by the time he went to school Monday he had the hang of it.

The past few weeks have gone pretty well.  He figured out quickly that he would be wearing diapers for bedtime & naptime, so he saved his #2's until that point.  He also learned that he could manipulate us.  I knew he was good at it, but he's a pro.  Want out of the grocery cart?  Ask to pee.  Want to get down from the table?  Ask to pee.  Want to stop the car?  Ask to pee.  Last weekend he peed 4 times in Kroger.  Only because he didn't want to ride in the cart.

Last week we decided to reward him with pooping in the potty.  I lined the mantle with rainy day toys and told him that every time he used the potty and not his diaper, he'd get a new toy.  Monday morning we left for school with a new tractor in hand!  I'm pretty sure by the end of the weekend he'll have all of his toys in hand!

As trying as the process has been, Cooper caught on quickly.  And the best part...I feel like I've gotten a raise!

Phone Friday 7/6

Lately it seems as if I never have my camera or my phone.  I realized last week that I haven't used my real camera in over a month.  And most days my phone is in another room or the battery is dead. 

We've been trying to encourage certain aspects of potty training (more to come) by rewarding Cooper with new toys.  We try to keep some gifts put away for rainy days, so I decided to pull them out for potty training rewards.  He was so excited when he got his tractor!

We spent the 4th cleaning up the backyard and unpacking more boxes.  Since we were all pretty dirty, we ate lunch on the picnic table & cooled off with some watermelon.

Hard to believe when we moved in the back fence was completely covered by shrubs.  We still have plenty of shade without the clutter.  We found at least 10 old tennis balls abandoned by a dog & a broken sprinkler line.  It seems the roots from the shrubs cracked some of the lines.  Thankfully it should be an easy fix.

Cooper's new thing is to use the term guys.

• What are you guys doing?
• Hey guys, let's play blocks!
• Watch me guys!

But my favorite was last week when we left Kroger & he said "We need to go to Target guys."  When I said no, he replied with "oh, that makes me sad."

Me too, Cooper.  Me too.

He can also spell his name now.  Sometimes he gets things mixed up and spells CEOPER instead of COOPER.  I think it is his way of saying one day he'll be a CEO.

Phone Friday 6/29

Last week ended rather quickly and Friday was spent mostly on the phone with IT trying to repair my work computer.  Then Friday night Jason spent a few hours trying to uninstall some virus on our personal computer.  Then before I knew it...today is Tuesday and I am just now taking some time to catch up.

The weekend before last we went to visit Jason's parents.  Cooper has outgrown the pack & plan, so he sleeps on a toddler size air mattress.

Or sort of hangs off of a toddler size air mattress.

I made PB&J cupcakes for Granna's birthday.  I would be lying if I said one wasn't enough and I thought about them for about 3 days after.  I haven't whipped out the mixer again, but only because one isn't enough.

Cooper really enjoyed the cupcakes.

We follow the pick your battles mindset.  The battle I picked to lose - wearing slippers to bed.