Praise Baby

I'm guest-blogging today over at Praise Baby. Check it out!

Children's Museum in Chicago

Way back in December when we were visiting the Nugents in Chicago, we found a fabulous children's museum. Each area of the place was a child-sized version of some typically adult world -- a grocery store, a vet's office, a sandwich shop.

This was Cooper "painting" in the construction zone:

We spent lots of time in the water area, dressed in a leather smock.

John demonstrating how to fire the water cannon to make the wind chimes ring.

This was the auto shop/car wash section:

And the musical instrument room:

A Christmas surprise

What's in this box??

Helping daddy put it together:

Oh my goodness! For me? I can't believe it!

Holiday animals

Bear, the dog

A rocking lion and a doll wearing Cooper's lion Halloween costume. He wasn't too sure about her...

Kitty (whose name I've forgotten!)

A big teddy bear

On the rocking lion, again.

The Holiday Hat

Grandma Joan and Grandpa Cecil got Cooper this nifty cowboy hat:

It goes perfectly with this fabulous horsie:

Many other people enjoyed Cooper's hat, too:

The hat was the perfect accessory for riding on the 3-wheeler, too:

Sugar Cookie Tradition

Grandma Joan loves cookies and decided to start a tradition of baking sugar cookies with the grandkids.

That marble rolling pin is heavy!

Oh, but we did love sprinkles.

And notice the cookie in the right hand -- Coop needed to keep his energy up for the rest of the sprinkling.

A bit erratic with the sprinkles, but that just gives the cookies character.

(And lest you think Coopie sampled all of the cookies he decorated, many are actually supposed to look like that. They're these clever cookie cutters.)

More Christmas fun

Grandpa Cecil and Grandma Joan

Uncle Toban's phone, internet, email thingie:

Pretty guitar:

Mom's chapstick -- I love Burt's Bees!

Holiday happenings in Wichita

First order of business: sit on Grandpa Jerry's tractor:

Visit Grandma Carol at the library where she works (and steal an apple from the fruit basket):

Rock it with Guitar Hero:

Read a bit:

Snack a bit (ok... a lot):

Color a little bit:

Relax on the sofa, crossing my legs just like Daddy: