Signs of a Good Day.

First of all, grab your popcorn because this is one long post about our fabulous Easter weekend.  We spent a lot of good quality time together and the Cannon definitely got a workout.  Some highlights.

Uncle Colin and Aunt Kathy popped over Friday night to cook us up some steaks.  We hadn't seem them in a couple of months so we had lots to catch up on.  That same night Jamison had his first piece of corn!  He looked at us and asked with his eyes "what the hell is this thing?", took two little nibbles, and promptly threw it on the floor.  Ok, maybe not quite ready for cob corn yet. 

The Easter Bunny (er, Grandpa Florida) arrived early via a very large Fedex delivery.  In it was lots of fun things including a very talented bear who sings, kicks happily, and fishes all at the same time with cute, but slightly creepy, frogs as his backup singers.  The boys have taken him in like he is the fourth brother.  What's not to love?  Also included were several t-shirts from Cancun, a couple of stuffed bunnies, and lots of treats.  What a fun surprise!

The boys and I had a date Saturday morning.  We went to Sam's Club to get food for Mommy's new diet and hit up IHOP for lunch.  I love taking the boys out with me on errands because they are a constant source of entertainment.  Nothing is ever boring when they are in tow.  We munched on strawberry pancakes and egg-beaters and had a very deep conversation about "how does Elfie know if we are being naughty or nice when we are away from him?" and "what is Santa doing while it's Easter Bunny's turn?"  

Later that afternoon, the boys went outside to play with Dad.  They climbed the big hill and launched their new Air Force plane.

The picture below cracks me up.  You can't tell from the photo but Jack was swinging the Air Force launcher around like a loaded weapon and had unintentionally aimed it right at Josh.  Dad was ready to jump in and take the bullet for his little cutie.  I love that Josh is completely oblivious to the fact that he was about to be pelted by the Ice Man.

Jamison and I watched, and giggled, from the safe seats.

Next on the agenda, why coloring Easter eggs of course!  Jack and Josh were both so into it this year.  It's funny to see how much changes in a year.  Flashback to Easter 2010 when Joshi sat in his highchair and only watched the festivities.  This year, he was very territorial with his eggs and had a very specific plan.  Jack, our little Van Gogh, created some interesting masterpieces using dye, paint, stampers, and stickers.  A couple of his eggs were so beyond dyed that the color actually started to chunk up and fall of the egg.  Who knew that could happen?  We colored about 30 eggs but I think they would have done 1,000 if they had the chance. 

After eggs we broke out the easter baskets to make the BIG decision of just which ones to put out for Mr. Cottontail.  After much deliberation, the boys decided amongst themselves who would get what.  They chose three same-shaped baskets in varying colors to put out and then had some fun with the others - they didn't want them to feel left out, after all.  Easter baskets double as very stylish hats!

We also wrote up a letter to the Easter Bunny asking some very important questions that had burning in Jack's mind such as "how tall are you?" and "what color are you?"  Jack also made a very nice drawing for him and carefully chose the perfect cupcake to share, just in case EB got hungry in his travels.  Easter Bunny ate his cupcake and took some time to answer the letter - but he had a hard time remembering how tall he is.  Have you ever thought about how tall the Easter Bunny might be?  3 feet felt good - tall enough to be impressive but short enough not to cause crazy, EB nightmares.

Once we got the boys all tucked into bed, which was an easy task on this night, Dad and I got busy.  No, not that kind of busy.  We had loads of eggs to stuff and hide.  We were cracking each other up at the mad, clever hiding skills.  And of course we had to get the goods set up for viewing the next morning.  

Of course, the boys woke up at the crack of dawn.  Can't say I blame them!  We tortured them a bit and made them wait until precisely 7:00am to head downstairs.  We finally made it downstairs and they were literally jumping up and down with excitement.  Is there anything better than seeing pure joy and excitement in your children?

After investigating the baskets (which we are proud to say only included 1 candy item), it was off to the indoor egg hunt races.  We were quite impressed with the keen eyes of these kids.  It's like they have magic egg spy vision!  Jamison, on the other hand, could not have cared less about his basket or egg hunting.  Pushing around the Huggie's box was where it was at for him.

   Grandmama and Grandpa Bill came over for brunch and brought a plethera of new jammies for every one (even Mommy) with them.  Easter Bunny has struck again.  We enjoyed a delicious brunch of ham, egg bake, fruit, and sassy little Easter cake the boys picked themselves at Sam's.  Afterwards, we headed outside to burn off some energy and do our second egg hunt.  

The boys had a ball running all over the yard finding the little gems filled with fruit snacks, skittles or even money!  The adults had to play referee.  Ok - take note of Jack's nice, clean, cream colored sweat pants.  I'll come back to those...

Best buddies one minute...

.... fighting over eggs the next.  Ahhh... brothers!

After a much needed nap, we headed back outside and spent the entire afternoon enjoying the sunny - albeit somewhat chilly - day.  Timing worked out beautifully because just as the boys got up, Jamison went to sleep which meant we had a couple of hours outside with only Jack and Josh.  It was a perfect time to break out the new bikes and sharkie helmets.  Wow - we GREATLY underestimated the work it takes to control two little hurricanes on new bikes.  It was definitely a man-on-man situation.  Thanks to little J for the marathon nap!

Jack and I worked hard on this beautiful chalk portrait of our house, minivan and family.  Notice how the boys are all blue and the solo female is pink?  Jack also insisted that I be holding Jamison.  Home-sweet-home!

Ok, back to those cream pants.  When you saw them earlier it was around 11:00 in the morning.  The following pic was taken around 6:00pm.  Now THAT is the sign of a very good day!!

Famous Family

Daycare has a fun tradition called "Famous Family" boards.  As you walk the halls, you see large posters that showcase a chosen child for a period of time.  It was Jamison's turn and this is what we came up with.  

April Snow Brings May Flowers?

What the hell is with this Minnesota weather?!?  It's normally our favorite season but Mother Nature has thrown us for a loop this year.  Why the funny joke Mother Nature?  Wasn't a record amount of snow and far too many days of biting 50 mph winds enough?  They say you are dealt what you can handle so she must have some kind of respect for us hearty Minnesotans.

Yeah, it would be nice to have some sunny 70's but things could be much worse (a call out to those less fortunate in the tornadic southern states) so we will just wait patiently for Ms. Mother to decide we've had enough snow.  In the meantime, the weather has not stopped us from having some fun.

JT is practicing for soccer.  He starts the real deal May 3rd and can't wait!

Odd picture of Jack right?  He looks so studly but so old.  Like 16 old.  I don't know... love it but it's strange.

Awwww... I absolutely LOVE this picture for so many reasons.  Not sure if Joshi is trying to kiss Jamison or eat him - regardless, you can feel the brotherly love oozing from the shot.  

And more brotherly love.  I hope they stay like this forever!

Future X-Gamer?

This kid certainly has my heart.

Yes, occasionally our kids do wear pants, but apparently not on this day.

Farewell Infanthood

Friday morning drop off was a rough one!  It started out normally - Josh to his room first, followed by Jack Thomas to his room, and ending with Jamison to Yellow Infants - our very last drop off to Yellow Infants.  He is moving to the older baby room and had been visiting for a couple of weeks in anticipation of the big move.  This would be his last breakfast with our yellow friends before heading over to the new digs for good, and to me that meant leaving behind babyhood as well.  I knew it was coming but hadn't really allowed my brain to process it.  He LOVES his new room, his new friends, and his new teachers (Ms. Sara Jane and Ms. Robin) so I wasn't at all worried about his well being.  It's just that all three boys spent most of their first year in this room so there is an emotional attachment and knowing that he is more than likely our last, made it a little more difficult.

Things were going OK until I saw the board our beloved Ms. Cassie and Ms. Ashleigh had crafted for our Jamison.  As soon as I saw it the floodgates opened and the tears were flowing.  And anyone who has ever cried (of the female variety anyway) knows how hard it is to stop once you get going.  I thought I had finally caught my composure so I gave him BIG kisses and headed out the door.  Nope, I was wrong, the floodgates were just getting started.  I sat down on the bench outside baby boy's room and let it flow - it rivaled the great Mississippi flood of 1927 and immediately became very embarrassing as our fellow parents (and co-workers) trotted on by.  I have made some amazing friends through daycare over the years who often provide amazing support and this day was no exception.  They had me feeling better in no time!  I know it sounds so silly, even as I am writing it sounds silly, but I think it's something only fellow Mommy's can understand.

Who Killed Elfie?

Elfie has been a valued, honorary member of the Cook family for quite some time now.  I think he is technically only supposed to make an appearance around Christmas time to keep Santa posted on the naughty or niceness taking place, but from the moment Daddy brought him home we were hooked!  For the next 2.5 years he was like one of us and quickly travelled around the house rarely spending more than a few hours in the same spot.  Funny thing is, it was rare to actually see one of the boys holding Elfie and I often wondered how he got from spot to spot.  Does Elfie come alive at night and cruise around the house?  Ok, now that I said that I'm a little creeped out by the thought of it.

Anyway, I walked up stairs on Saturday afternoon to this sight.  I was laughing hard inside but pulled together a serious voice and said "OH NO, WHAT HAPPENED TO ELFIE?!?"  Everyone came running to see what the problem was and pretty soon we were all laughing about Elfie's unfortunate predicament.  No harm done, but it is funny to think about which child decided to crush our little friend in the drawer and walk away.

Fast forward to naptime Sunday.  Dad ran to Sam's while I was picking up after lunch.  Jack appeared on the stairs with Elfie's head in one hand and body in the other.  He announced in a very sad voice that Elfie was broken.  Oh no, not a good weekend for our little Elfmeister.

When Dad arrived home I showed him the carnage thinking we'd bid farewell and give him a proper burial in the garbage.  To my surprise, Dad placed him and his disfigured corpse on the shelf in the playroom.  Guess he's not ready to part with Elfie quite yet.

Rest in peace creepy, headless Elfie, rest in peace.

A Weekend of Firsts

Finally getting around to writing about last weekend which happened to be a weekend of firsts.

The boys met their first war veteran, who happened to be their beloved Uncle Adam.  Fresh home from Afghanistan, he, Auntie Sarah, and Wiggins drove all the way from El Paso to visit.  My sweet brother even came bearing Afghanistan gifts for Corey and me.  A pretty blue pashmina for me and a traditional Afghany man hat for Corey.  Joshi took an immediate liking to both and was more than happy to model!    Auntie Sarah even made her homemade spaghetti, noodles and all! We had so much fun with them! 

Speaking of noodles, Jamison loved Auntie Sarah's homemade noodles.  He is a funny baby because he stores food in his cheeks for hours after he eats.  We often have to scoop it out with a spoon or he'll leave a slimy trail of half chewed food across the wood floor.  He and I were playing in the toy room just before bedtime when he suddenly sneezed.  He sneezes a lot but this time was drastically different - a noodle actually made its way out of his nose.  After the shock of what I was seeing past, I had to pull the noodle to get the rest of it out - he made a funny face like it tickled (understandably!)  I immediately placed it in a little stacking cup we were playing with and carefully watched it.  Is there movement?  Is it going to crawl out?  Thankfully, no movement!!  I raced into the kitchen and lined it up with a leftover noodle from the strainer.  Same size, same color, whew... my kid does not have worms!  I've heard of that happening but never actually believed it... until now.... definitely a first!

The boys took their first jacuzzi tub with the blowers on.  We were shocked Mosh was willing to hop in  because he'd rather walk hot coals than get a drop of water on his face.  It's amazing to me how much fun kids can bring on themselves - you would think they were at Waterpark of America in that tub.  

We also did our first home science experiment.  Jack's good buddy Jordan gave him a very cool science kit for his Birthday.  We busted it out and chose our first experiment - a crafty one that uses baking soda, vinegar, a glass bottle, and a balloon.  The lesson learned is baking soda and vinegar create enough air to blow a balloon up.  So cool!  As the balloon was inflating, CeCe was afraid the house was going to blow.  She almost began evacuating anyone within 10 feet of our experiment.  It went off without a hitch - check it out.  Is it bad to use a Smirnoff bottle for a science experiment?

Grandmama got in on the action too!  This is not their first horsey ride with Grandma but I have to mention it because it's so darn cute.  Check out those smiles!

And last but not least, a monumental moment!  Jamison had his first pizza!  He polished off the whole thing!  Well no, not really but it looks like it, right?  He loved it!  Definitely a Cook (pardon picture quality, as much as I'd like to have my camera with me at every moment of every day, sometimes the phone has to do.)

Thanks to Auntie Adam and Auntie Sarah (as Josh affectionately calls them) for coming to see us.  xoxo.

Bedtime Chronicles

Ahhh... good old bedtime.  You could almost set a clock by bedtime happenings in the Cook household.

Jammies, brush teeth, books (or an occasional Backyardigans), night-night, hug, kiss, what are you grateful for today, sweet dreams, love you, shut door, door opens, Mosh emerges and runs down hallway like his pants are on fire, but I want another hug and a kass from Daddy, one more hug and "kass", back to bed, Jack emerges and announces "I have to go poopy", exit stage right to toilet, Joshi appears from bedroom and announces "but I have to go poopy toooooo" (no, not potty trained yet), back to bed, noises coming from the bathroom include grunting and little feet moving the step stool back and forth on the linoleum, Jack's done - finally, back to bed, "we need water", Mom delivers little dixie cups of water like they are prince William and Harry, "more water please", back to the sink, back to the princes' room, night, night, hug, kiss, sweet dreams, love you, ahhhh silence, door opens and slams against wall, a very large bull seems to be running down the hallway, no, it's a 33 pound 2-year old... again, "Jack's scaring me", back to bed, Jack-no scaring your brother, "but he has a bigger blanket than me", "mommy, my tummy is mad at me", good night guys, not another peep tonight, see you in the morning, love you, "mommy, I love you sooo much", night-night, shut door, ahhh silence... again, creeeek, door slowly opens, "I have to go potty", you don't need to tell us, just go, "but which bathroom?", your bathroom, ok, potty, wash hands, sing ABC's while washing hands - twice (the ONLY time we can get him to sing ABC's while washing hands - stalling tactic, or not?), back to bed, "Mommy, will you cover me up", yes dear, "I have too much family (Jack's Family) in my bed, what should I do with them?", some of Jack's family parts ways until morning, night-night, love you.  Alas, silence from the land of prince.

And this is on a good night...

Sweet Baby David

If you hadn't already guessed, I LOVE photography.  My friend and co-worker asked me to do a photo shoot of her sweet baby David.  He was 7 weeks at the time of the shoot and is such an angel.  Here are a few of my favorites.