Wintertime Fun!

Now that we are all feeling better (and hoping to stay that way) we have been busy, busy, busy!  This week we took Cooper to the circus.  We went last year, and he loved it.  He kept asking when the circus would come back!  So we knew we would take him again this year when the time came.  We went again with Angie, Wes and Miller (like last year).  Cooper and Miller are so funny together!  I love listening to them talk to each other.  On the ride to the circus, they were sitting beside each other in their car seats, and Ang and I were eavesdropping behind them.  Cooper had this little pack of tissues and he said, "Miller, would you like a tissue?"  Miller said, "Yes."  So Cooper hands him one, waits a second and says, "Miller, would you like another tissue?"  Miller: "Yes."  Then Cooper says, "Miller, you don't need so many tissues."  Hahaha.  Poor Mills - he just goes along with whatever Cooper says.  On the way home Cooper said, "Do you know this is a city Miller?  I know the name of it - New York City."  (not even close - Charlotte, NC)  But the funny part is that Miller said, "Sure, why not."  :) They both fell asleep on the way home, holding the elephants they chose as souvenirs.  Precious boys!

Today the weather was sooooo nice!  The kind of day that makes you start looking forward to spring even though you know you're probably facing two more months of winter weather.  So we took advantage of the pretty day and went to the park with Brooke and Kennedy.  We went on a walk and the kids fed the ducks, then they played on the swings, slides, climbing things, and a zip line.  I put Ella in a swing for the first time and in typical Ella fashion she was less than impressed.  She smiled at first, then death gripped the swing in sheer terror, then screamed at the top of her lungs until I took her out.  She is a *bit* of a drama queen!  :)

Note the death grip on the swing.  Right before the screaming ensued.  :P

One more... Ella Kate 9 months old!

Randomness!

We are finally all recovering from a series of sicknesses around here!  Cooper, Ella and Chris had pink eye, Ella and Cooper had ear infections, I had an upper respiratory infection, Ella and I had sinus infections and then this week the kids got some yucky virus with cough, congestion and fever that just made them feel awful.  We have been sicker since Christmas than we were all year long last year!  No fun!

But thankfully, we're doing better now and the lucky thing about the kids being sick this week is that we had Monday off so I could be with them.  Then Tuesday Cooper was much better, but Miss Ella was pretty pitiful, so I stayed home with her while Cooper went to spend the day at Nana's.  Thank goodness for helpful grandparents!  My mom had come up to help the night before for a little when both kids were so sick and needed my attention, then Tuesday it was so nice that Glenda could give Cooper lots of special attention for just him and I could have a day to love on Ella.  She is at such a fun age!  She is just so sweet and funny and into everything!  I snapped some pictures of her on our day together...

Taking a bath (after a huge poop explosion :P)

Obsessed with telephones!

Especially eating them haha!

After spending the day with Nana Tuesday, Cooper came home with this little stuffed pig that he said was his baby, named Jesse, and insisted that he was her Mommy.  He "fed" her his play food, slept with her (see picture below) and when Chris picked him up from school Wednesday the first thing he said was, "How is my baby?  Has she eaten well?"  Most of the time Cooper seems so mature and grown up, it's fun to be reminded of how little and innocent he still is!

More Cooper funniness.  (Is that a real word?  Probably not, but I like it.)  Tonight when we got home, we were walking in and Cooper said, "Oh no Mom, I've got some bad news for you.  The snow has ruined your pastas (otherwise knows as hostas)!  But don't be sad Mom... we can plant new ones when the weather is warm!"  LOVE him!  :)

Snow, snow, snow!

Today we had our second big snow of the season. When I was younger it was exciting to get any snow at all, now two years in a row we have had at least two big snows! I just love that we are getting to make so many memories with Cooper (and Ella, she won't remember, but she can look at pictures :P). Today we didn't go to school (and doesn't look like we'll be going any time soon), so we had a great day at home! Chris even came home before lunch! I love days when we are all here together. We had lunch together, went outside to play and sled (or in Ella's case, sit and look grouchy), then came inside so Cooper could get wrapped up in his snuggie and drink hot chocolate while Ella took a nap. I've made Russian tea, a roast in the crock pot, snow cream and Rice Krispies. I'm thinking staying home on snow days is a good excuse to eat like crazy. :)

Miss Ella was less than thrilled with being put in her snow bunting suit so she couldn't move and having to sit in the cold wet snow for a while. She was a trooper though and didn't cry or fuss at all, just kept her grouchy face on so we knew she was not exactly pleased with our choice of activity for today. This afternoon her cheeks were red and swollen so I checked, and her third tooth has just popped through! Maybe that's the reason for the grumpiness? She did go on the sled with Cooper, and seemed like she enjoyed that. When they were finished Cooper gently picked her up so he could get off without knocking her over. It would have been very sweet except he put her back down on the edge, and what with not being able to move her body at all, she just toppled right over on her face in the snow. Bless her. Chris grabbed her up and she just looked at him like, "What next?"





Note the excitement Ella shows...

Cooper and Ella sledding!


Here are some pictures of Ella eating pieces of banana. She is so proud when she can feed herself! In the second picture you can really see her (first) two teeth!