Our parenting skills...

This past week, we hosted BBQs at the house on two separate nights. One for the Baker Econ Club, and one for all of the business/econ graduating seniors and faculty. Each night, the festivities started around 5pm or so, which meant that I had approximately an hour after picking up Cooper to get everything ready to go.

Desparate parents call for desparate measures. I gave Cooper a bowl of chocolate chips and parked him in front of the tv.

To my credit, the dvd was a music sing-a-long, and not Montel Williams, or something. And I switched to grapes after the first bowl was gone. Proof in the photo below (complete with chocolate smears all over Cooper's face).


On the flip side, though, at least we are all wearing helmets for the bike riding/trailer adventure we had this week:

La Bamba

Cooper missed a few of the words, but he learned this song at music class:

May

Trying on the new flip-flips.

Checking out a tractor at the children's museum:

Happy Mother's Day, Mama!

In Lawrence, ready for a parade. Check out the sunglasses!

Traveling Guitar -- to see the animals

On Mother's Day, Cooper and I went to a nearby farm/petting zoo. We've been there once before, so I knew we'd have fun.

Cooper wanted to take his guitar, and since Alan wasn't along to help me entertain Cooper in the car, I thought the guitar would be a nice thing for the 45 minute car ride.

But when we got the farm, Cooper insistend on bringing the guitar in. "To show the animals," he said. Alrighty then.

So here he is playing a song for the prairie dogs:

The Texas Longhorn didn't seem particularly interested:

Goats:

Instead the petting zoo with the goats, who nibbled on the guitar while Cooper played:

And playing for the ducks and geese:

Taking five in between sets:

The Earthworm

A transcript, just in case you aren't 100% fluent in Cooperese:

Mama: What's in your hand?

Cooper: Smile! [S-blend sounds come out like an f sound -- "file."]

Mama: Smile!

Cooper: Hee! [That's the sound he makes when you tell him to smile or say cheese.]

Mama: What's in your hand?

Cooper: Earthworm

Mama: An earthworm. What are you doing with him?

Cooper: Hee! [Still saying cheese.] Taking him for a walk.

Mama: Ok. Go ahead.

And then Cooper proceeded to walk in a big circle around the yard. I'm sure the earthworm appreciated the up-top view of the lawn.

Playing

The big dump truck, sand box, and green motorcycle were all toys at the Lawrence Arts Center. We took an "art class" (hence the giant paint t-shirt), and once we got bored painting, we spent the last 40 minutes of class playing outside with their toys.

A train set at the children's museum:

Grandpa Cecil came over last weekend. Turns out, he loves the drum set too!

Bear

Having breakfast:

Going outside:

Napping (with the guitar too, of course):

At the children's museum:

In the car:

Notice the second bear (also with a diaper). We left First Bear at Miss Brenda's house (daycare) one day, so we had to either find a substitute for that night or drive to Miss Brenda's house and pick up First Bear. Luckily, Second Bear was acceptable.

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And completely unrelated to the cute kid and bear at our house, Amy Grant has a new song that you can download here from itunes, if you have it.

A birthday party bounce house

Kendall, one of Cooper's friends from daycare, invited him to her 4th birthday party.

Kendall's mom had rented a giant bounce house for the kids, and I would have bet money that Cooper would *never* get in that thing. For one, he had to take his shoes off. And he is sometimes obsessive about having his shoes on. And for two, there were lots of big kids in there all bouncing around and being crazy. (Ok... maybe that was Mama's reason for why he shouldn't want to go in there...)

But he did:

And he loved it:

Hugging the birthday girl goodbye.