More fun...

Playing a matching game (and winning apparently, given his smile):

Setting up tunnels for the trains, and using a flashlight to guide the train through:

My friend Tracy came over with her girls.  Hannah was born the same day as Coop (within an hour and a half, I think).  They were watching a dvd in my room, but apparently got bored: 

A package?  For me??

What's in it?

Oh my goodness!  Books!!

Awesome.

Playing hard

Playing so hard, we came home from Miss Brenda's house with a (small) shiner!

New Hungry Hippos game

"Look, Mama.  I made an 8 with my play-dough."

New little pop-up book

Painting

A recipe and two cute pictures

Cooper's recipe for chocolate chip banana snack.

1.  Cut banana into wheels.  Eat the end pieces since they're not flat on both sides.

2.  Put two or three chocolate chips on each banana wheel.  Eat whatever chocolate chips are leftover in the bowl.

2.5.  "If a chocolate chip falls off a banana, you tell me, and I'll eat it."

 

3.  Serve.  (And even Daddy, who doesn't like bananas, eats them.)

A fun picture of Michael with Parker and Coop:

Resting with Daddy. (I think this is the day they were playing "double-stuffed burrito" and rolling up in the blanket together.)

Birthday party festivities

Opening presents:

A fun new book!

Oh my!  A work bench and tools, just like Daddy's!

And a train set!  Hurray!!

Pizza for supper, and using the cute orange-traffic-cone-cup!

Mary Nugent

These are our friends Joey and Timmy (though they're probably getting old enough now that they would prefer just Joe and Tim):

They belong to the Nugent family:

(Teeny picture, I know.  But I hijacked these photos from John's Facebook page...)

Their mom Mary died Tuesday morning, after a three-year battle with breast cancer.  Official obituary here.

She was an amazing woman.  Truly.  Very optimistic and cheerful through the whole ordeal.  Sure there were times when she was pretty discouraged and angry, but on balance she was just incredible.  She was about the most serene, secure, and wry woman we know.  A great mama, a great wife to Alan's best friend, and just a great person to have in our lives, even if from across several states.

We will very much miss her.  And we grieve deeply for John and the boys.  But we are ever-so-thankful Mary is at peace now.

Construction vehicle birthday party!

Cooper's 3rd birthday was Saturday, so we hosted a construction-vehicle-themed party for our family.

Friday night, while the Birthday Boy slept, someone lovingly put these adorable wall stickers all over the house -- down the stairs, in the hallway, throughout the living room...

The Birthday Boy redecorated:

The diggers, signs, and arrows were all together at the bottom of the stairs.  The cones were alone up at the top (in the top right corner of the photo).

I think the dirt dessert in the dump truck was a hit, though:

When it's too cold to play outside in the snow

You bring the snow inside!

My snowman:

He didn't last long:

Snow...

Ice Cream!

Alan looks like he was enjoying this, but he really wasn't.  He kept whining about the bugs.  Protein, I tell you!

Shoveling (taken 1-12):