SEVEN!!

Cooper's birthday fell in the middle of a week of snow days.  Which means that he turned seven at home.  With us.  We managed to celebrate in style though.

 

Brownies instead of cake:

And a trip to LEGOLAND in Kansas City:

For the (extended) family birthday party, Coop opted for pizza, fruit, and salad.

And cinnamon rolls and apple pie for dessert:

Always something happening...

Watching Shrinky Dinks in the oven.  As cool as I remembered!!

Reading Calvin and Hobbes:

Coop and I took a bus ride out to Clinton Lake to see some eagles.  He took along Baldy, his beanie baby eagle:

We saw a couple of eagles, but the highlight for him was collecting shells on the beach:

Coop made this pretend stick of dynamite and he kept threatening to light the fuse whenever I said something that made him grumpy:

More Arkansas

I found a volcano kit and convinced the boys to help me make it:

Laying wet plaster strips on the string frame we made:

Painting:

Erupting!  (Sort of.)

Coop help pound some chicken for chicken parm one evening:

When it was time for us to leave, I promised him a trip to a park with a castle.  No one else was interested in going, given that it was somewhere near 15 degrees outside:

Arkansas

To round out Coop's two weeks off from school over the holidays, he and I headed down to Arkansas to visit our friends (Alan was strategically headed out of town for a five-day conference!).

 

We got there just in time to celebrate New Year's Eve:

 (Caroline, me, Cooper, Henry)

And then we played.  Lots.  Legos:

Cardboard boxes:

And a hike at a nearby state park:

One last Christmas... this one in Lyons

 Gator rides are always a big hit, and this year, there was snow!!

 

Crafts!  Lots of crafts!

Kelly had the flu, so she was down and out most of the time.  Except for this festive photo:

Grandma Joan, Grandpa Cecil, Santa, and the grandkids:

 

Christmas in Wichita and Inman

Coop doing his magic tricks for Alan's family:

Playing dominoes with Elizabeth:

Putting together a new lego gadget:

Self portrait in Inman:

With Kent (and Coop's new sports coat -- just like his old one but in a bigger size!): 

The three of us:

With Grandma Marlene: