Barking Spiders and Pepper Toes

Oh the joys! Cooper has a new favorite phrase and excitedly uses it at home, in public, any where and everywhere we go. "Ewww, I got another barking spider!" Or just "That was a barking spider!"

He's referring to farts, of course. As the mother of boys, I've recognized that it is my responsibility to ensure they know at least one joke that is genuinely funny and doesn't refer to poop, butts, or boobs. The thing is, when your 2yol takes delight in calling himself out when there is funk in the air, you can't help but roar with laughter. It's really funny when he points to Mason and says, "Mom, Mason has a barking spider."

We've also learned that Cooper -- like his mother -- has a bloodhound nose and a quick-trigger gag reflex. We were cleaning up the yard and found a small bucket that had water and yard debris in it. Probably sat this way all winter. It stunk. When Cooper leaned over it to investigate he gagged! Then scrunched up his nose and said, "I don't like that."

Coop had to spend some time up at Skyridge yesterday. His oxygen sat dropped again. He's fine, now. Had a fever most of yesterday and last night. But is quite chipper this morning. When Cooper does get fevers he talks in his sleep. If it weren't so scary it would be funny. Yesterday he kept yelling, "What's going to happen?!?!?"

Little Mason is happy as a clam and we're noticing that his motor skills are improving. He loves to eat board books and green beans. Toes are also very popular.
Mason has some super cute shoes that his Aunt Suzie sent him. They have the U.K. flag on them. But we can't keep them on because he just keeps sucking on them and pulling them off.
J

Drat! The snow...

Cooper woke at 4 a.m. in a coughing fit. It ended as only the really bad ones do, with up-chuck. I think it's the freak snowstorm we had yesterday. There's still snow on the ground today. He's all boogers, coughing and crying today. Too bad. We just can't escape this lung thing. Looks like another day of movies, indoor games, and warm blankets.

---------------Random Thoughts-----------------

My favorite thing about being a mom:
The sound of my children's laughter.

My least favorite thing about being a mom:
Folding fitted sheets.

Cooperman's Superman -- BFI trash collector

Today was a big day, as is every Thursday. Today was trash collection day. I've told many of you how much my oldest son loves garbage. Some of you don't believe me. Let me share a few scenarios that will drive the point home.

Cooper has to go to the doctor every once in a while for lung check ups and whatever. So, he's pretty familiar with his doctor. One day he told me he needed to go to the doctor. I asked him, "What's your doctor's name." He replied, "Dr. Tiegs," and I added, "and Dr. Mason." He actually has a doctor named Dr. Mason, but Cooper thought I was making reference to his little brother Mason. So Cooper began reciting, "Dr. Tiegs, Dr. Mason," then got a wide grin on his face and pointed to himself and said, "Dr. Cooper." I asked, "Do you want to be a doctor?" He immediately fired back, "No, I want to be a garbage man!"

Most kids say... Fireman... vet... doctor... nurse... lawyer... superhero... But my kid, he says TRASH MAN! I've come to terms with this because Cooper's love for our trash collectors has made it pretty much impossible to miss trash collection. You know the feeling when you're stumbling to find your shoes and race to the garage in time to pull the cans to the curb before the big rumbling, grunting, gurgling truck motors past you. Then the obnoxious, emphases on noxious, fumes build up in your garage for another week because you missed the boat... or truck. I don't have to worry. My trash guys love my son so much they actually walk up to the garage and carry my cans to the curb for me! They stop and wave and talk to Coop. They even let him go up really close and watch them smash the trash. This is such a pleasing olfactory experience. In Cooper's eyes, trash collectors are second only to daddy in stature and heroism.

I know what you're thinking... Are you sure he loves trash? Positive. The librarians at Lone Tree Library are so aware of Cooper and his obsession with garbage that they actually had him in mind when they made recent book acquisitions. Titles include: Smash, Mash, Crash, There Goes the Trash; Trashy Town; Hush Little Digger; and I Drive a Garbage Truck. All favorites. Coop has memorized all three and literally "reads" them to himself. God Bless the author of this line, "I dumped it in, I smashed it down, I LOVE to clean up trashy town." And thanks to this line, "In the morning Mr. Guilly [trash collector] puts on his heavy gloves," I was able to bribe Cooper into picking up all the pinecones in the yard. For a new pair of "heavy gloves" he picked up every fallen pinecone! His first legitimate chore with reward.



Now to answer the age-old question, "What's with the boogers?" Cooper, and Mason, have the snottiest noses. We've tried everything including a pediatric allergy specialist to get to the bottom of the boog factor. But, to no avail. The kid -- Cooper -- just oozes green stuff. Every picture, and I do mean every picture includes snot. Could be slimy snot, rock snot, green snot, lots of snot, nativity scene snot... you name it, Coop's got snot. Mason's not so bad. But in a house where we run through tissue from costco by the pallet, bound to be a little snot from the little squirt, too.

You'll all be happy to know that I shaved 15 minutes off bedtime tonight. In bed, and asleep by 10:30! Woot woot. Still lots of screaming and squealing, but no crying. That's a move in the right direction. Now let's just hope I don't find him in the morning asleep in the middle of the living room floor, again.

PS -- Trent, Cooper scored his first TMNT at McDonalds' today. And I promptly executed mom mistake number 12,349. I thought another kid was stealing his turtle -- the two were scuffling over one -- and I meddled, only to find out Cooper was the thief. Boy did I feel stupid.

I love you stinky face...

I am a well-oiled machine, have a set bedtime routine for my little guys... and yet, it is 10:47 and Cooper is just falling to sleep. Mason is sitting in my lap, still fighting sleep. These stinky boys hate bedtime. Try as I might, I can't get them in bed. It's making me hate bedtime, too. I blame it on the time change, because that's when the real problems started. But let's face it, I've been letting Coop slide down this slippery slope for months.

Our night goes something like this... (the authors of Love and Logic can bite my skinny ass)

8 p.m.
Mom: Cooper, would you like to go to bed now, or in 30 minutes?
Coop: Ummmm, I don't know. ( he says this because he knows I'm trying to trick him into agreeing to a bedtime)
Mom: Would you like Mom to decide?
Coop: Ummmmm, no. (sometimes accompanied by an, "I don't like that idea." I'm not kidding.)
Mom: Would you like to brush your teeth or dino-smoke (his euphemism for nebulizer breathing treatment of the steroid pulmicort)
Coop: Dino

8:30 p.m. (I'm still chasing him around the living room, trying to get him to sit still long enough to take the treatment)

8:45 p.m.
Mom: Cooper, would you like to go to bed now, or go upstairs and read 3 books in bed?
Coop: Ummmmmm, I don't know.
Mom: Would you like mom to decide?
Coop: Ummmmm, no.

9 p.m. (I'm trying to get a toothbrush in his mouth and he's giggling and running around the house with PJs on the bottom, nothing on top. Also yelling, "I'm naked!")

9: 30 p.m.
Mom: Cooper, it's a bummer that you wasted so much time tonight. Now there is no time for stories.
Cooper: I want to read stories!I want to read stories!I want to read stories!I want to read stories!I want to read stories!I want to read stories!I want to read stories!I want to read stories!I want to read stories!I want to read stories! -- I probably don't need to tell you what this sounds like. But you can bet it's right up there with getting your stomach pumped.

10 p.m.
Mom: Cooper, if you don't fall asleep right now you'll be too tired to watch the garbage guy in the morning.
Coop: starts screaming and wailing in utter sorrow as this is his absolute favorite activity
Mom: Hurry and get in bed and close your eyes or you will be too tired to watch the garbage guy.
Cooper: still crying and whimpering saying things like, "Tomorrow is a big day. I want to watch the garbage man." yada yada

10:30 p.m.
Mom: Cooper, I can see you. Please get back in bed.
Coop: Shrieking and giggling as he scampers back to bed.
This cycle of getting out of bed and mom catching him usually lasts anywhere from 20-40 minutes. Eventually he just zonks out. Sometimes he's in a bed, sometimes he's on the floor.

Tomorrow I'll start with the Garbage truck line.

Dear Dad!

Hello from Denver to Atlanta...
Today at Mason's 6-months well check visit he weighed in at 14 lbs 14.2 oz, finally jumping into the 10th percentile! Height is still in the 70s at 27 in. (By the way, this means Mason has to have a new car seat today!) Just like bro, he's got a big noggin' that is measuring in 80th percentile at 45.5 cm.

Our big plans, to show Sarah how much fun the zoo is, were foiled by drones of people. When she showed up she was able to find a space in the Museum of Nature and Science parking garage. But we were not able to find one and had to park about 2 miles away on the other side of City Park! It took me 30 minutes to push both boys in grass (the sidewalks are all torn up due to construction and improvements) wearing flip-flops. I'm not complaining, I'm just saying it took me a while and poor Sarah was waiting inside for us.

Of course Cooper's favorite thing was the ceramic lion that eats quarters and roars -- clever way to sucker donations out of parents. He was so impressed with it that as soon as we sat down for lunch he started rumaging around in the stroller. I couldn't figure out what he was doing, but he was searching for loose change. When he found some he said, "I'll be right back." Then he tried to scoot off by himself to "feed" the lion.

He liked the scores of duck poop we encountered on our walk through City Park. Gag-ola! Mason slept through much of the museum. The dimlights put him right out.

After the museum we hustled over to Skyridge for the WC visit. The staff at the doctor's office has completely changed. Everyone was very nice. Mason is doing great. He even successfully sat up during the visit so that she felt comfortable enough to say that he has "overcome his AGA [adjusted gestational age]." She had some recommendations for his diet and thinks he should try eating more solid foods to bulk up. All the while Cooper played peacefully with the super-germs on the toys in the waiting room. Ick.

I already told you about the killer winds that almost knocked over the stroller. So, won't bore you with that, again. Wind is still blowing. Hope we have trees when you get home. Those boxes you put out on the driveway yesterday? Gone!

I have to go downtown tomorrow and meet a couple of candidates for my job. We're zeroing in on a successor. I can't wait. It will be a relief to know that is in good hands.

Tried to take pictures of all our adventures today. But alas, dead battery in the camera. Wasn't me.

J and C and M

Walk in the Park

Sunday started early with Cooper waking up with bad dreams. This was cause for some cereal and Play-doh. Though nearly prostrate and clapped-out, parents scuffed out of bed and took on the ambitious task of putting together a stellar day. Started with opening our Christmas presents -- yeah, yeah, yeah, I know it's March -- from Grandma Go-Go and Grandpa Bee-Bee. Sweet!

Bike trailer, need bike. Splurged on the comfort cruiser. Ultimate in relinquishing to age and momhood. Boys love it... and surprisingly love each other when in it.

This is the first nap Mason's taken in days! Seriously, this boy has some sleep issues. Also, he's six months and the trailer is "designed for children 12 months and up." Don't tell.

Off to the park, of course. Even crawled into the tube slide. Great way to remind yourself how hugely enormous you are compared to your kids.

The "kit"! Gloried rickshaw. Why is it when the Chinese do it, it's quaint and ethnic. When American, suburbia moms do it, it's the end of their social lives? Note: Kickstand required! Folks, serious equipoise required for this get-up. Make no mistake, I've mastered the wibble-wobble take off.

Fun and Games with Bebe

Surfer Boy chilling in not-a-drop-of-Margaritaville.


Learning that all those babies he's making friends with are really him! Oh Mason...


Having fun with the little one. Mason is healthy as a horse, dare I say it and jinx us. But Cooper has come down with another cough/cold thing. This is No. 427 in the past year! So sick of germs.

Confessions of a Stay-At-Home Mom

These cute pictures have nothing to do with tonight's entry. But I know the grandparents won't be happy unless there's a picture. So today -- though I was still working for the phone company from home -- I tried my hand at a schedule. Not sure it will work... but I'm learning. Threw in a few loads of laundry, managed to get both boys dressed, and even walked Coop to preschool. It's a start. Then planned a dinner for the fam, shoved as many toys in the closet as I could, and even ran a vacuum over the really dirty spots on the rug. This was promptly followed by Cooper exclaiming, "My sock's in the vacuum!"
And seriously, why didn't anyone tell me how many times you have to load and unload the dishwasher in a day! That is ridiculous.

From the Moment I First Laid EYE On You!

Took the kids to Monster's Inc. Disney on Ice Thursday night. Quite an adventure... starting with pulling up to the Colliseum only to learn that the "safe" parking was $10! In typical fashion, I had no cash. Had to hunt around the area for a cash machine. Not an easy, nor secure task with two kids in the car. Lesson No. 1 on how to be an adventure mom -- bring money!
Once inside the chaos started. Disney crap everywhere and Coop's eyes were literally glazed over with delight. Promptly got suckered into a blue hard hat and crazy green t-shirt. Effective in transforming one adorable toddler into famed monster Mike Wizowski. Oh my!
So happy we scored tickets for this one. Can't wait to take Coop and Mason to another show like this. The fireworks, costumes, and surprise appearance from Mickey Mouse in ice skates a big hit. Great way to kick off my early retirement from the phone company and start my new career as mommy. Woot Woot!

G'day Coop! St. Pat's at the Zoo

We spent St. Pat's at the Zoo's Serpent Festival. Lots of fun petting the snakes and learning about creepy crawly stuff. Coop enjoyed having Uncle Andrew on hand. Note the funny snake shirt (in honor of the day) and the fabulous "explorer" hat. So glad we splurged on the annual zoo membership. I can tell we'll be here all summer.

Go-Go and Bee-Bee Come to Denver

Had fun with the my parents this weekend. Not sure Go-Go got to do enough shopping, but kids had fun at the park. Can't wait for our next visit