Season's Greetings!

A few years ago we did this to our animals for a Christmas card.  I think he looks seriously cute, but I don't remember that the whole process went very well.  (I'll be searching for the pics of the cats who also got their turn with reindeer antlers)  I found the antlers again this year, and put them on the rocking horse we have for Cooper.  The horse didn't complain even a tiny whinny, but they hadn't been on for more than a minute when Rex came over, grabbed them in his teeth and pulled them off the horse.  I assume he was trying to save the horse from the humiliation that he had to go through?  

Doggy Do

Every time I vacuum, I swear I have enough dog hair in the vacuum to re-fur 3 medium sized dogs, and yet we still get little clouds of dog hair floating across the floor like tumbleweeds.  I have to hide the living room furniture under laundry baskets and boxes, or the couch and chairs will be coated in hair.  The very last thing I do before I leave the house is get out the lint roller and attack my clothing, in the hopes that I can make it somewhere only 31% covered in hair.  All because of this boy - the boy who doesn't even have the sense to look ashamed when I catch him on the couch.  

Christmas Packages

If you receive a package from Billings, and it's about this size,

Open immediately, it may contain a zoo animal!

Check-up

Last week Cooper went to another preemie follow up clinic.  This is the one where they have speech, occupational, physical and developmental specialists really check him out, to gauge where he's at compared to where he's supposed to be.  They adjust his age to account for how early he was, and it is really interesting to see what they are looking at, and how they measure his development.  The things that you really take for granted in a child, the things they can do and learn, is really such a huge deal if you stop and consider how they are constantly developing.  I have never been worried about Cooper, he has always done so great and I've figured that anything he can't do he'll be able to when he's ready, but I got a little teary eyed in the doctor's office when everyone was so excited about how great he's doing, I was so proud!  He's average for weight and height, at almost 26 pounds and 32 1/2", but his head circumference is holding steady in the 90%! When we were getting his stats the doctor said his head is still in the high percentile, and that we'll just have to buy him big hats.  

  

Slumber Party

We had a slumber party at our house this last weekend; you'll never guess who put himself in charge of the wake up call, aka. crawling all over everyone till they completely gave up on sleeping.  

Christmas Party

Every other year, my company treats all of its employees and their families to a weekend at the hot springs a few hours away.  Let me tell you how nervous I was.  Cooper is not what I would call... "socially acceptable" right now.  Besides being just a few short months away from being two, and being a wild boy who doesn't like to be contained for any amount of time, he is still loving tantrums.  The kicking, throwing himself down on the floor, hitting his mama even though she loves him so much kind of tantrum.  Needless to say, I was a little afraid of what would happen when I unleashed the beast into the midst of the party, but we survived!  The group gatherings were a little stressful with the chasing, but we got a few relaxing swims in, and had a pretty good time.

A phone, remote control and no pants:  what else could a boy want? 

A cute girl to chase around (which he did a lot, I can't believe how early it starts!)

Pool time.

About 20 minutes into the ride home.  

Parade

We went to the holiday parade on Thanksgiving.  Cooper thought it was okay for a while, but wanted down so he could try and run out into the street.  I wouldn't mind being in a parade, it looks kind of fun, but I don't know that a mom chasing after her boy would make much of a float.  Maybe if we had candy to throw out as we passed?

LAZY

Why is it that after Thanksgiving dinner, all the men go and collapse in total exhaustion? Excuse my Little Red Hen moment, but did they stay up late to get the turkey ready for the next day?  Did they get up early to start the dough for the rolls?  Make a side dish or two?  No they did not.  It's the cleanup crew still in the kitchen who should be exhausted, but keep on going.  On a side note, what a waste to get up early to start rolls!  They didn't rise, and my contribution of a bread featured pre-made rolls from a last minute stop at the store.    

Delicious!

Discovery of brownie batter!! 

The spatula has to be taken away at some point!