entertaining a toddler on an airplane

So we flew to Indiana last week for Brad's uncles funeral. We had a total of about 11 hours of flying. I was terrified about keeping Cooper entertained in the airport, on the plane, and on the long car rides when in Indiana. It was a short notice trip so I didn't have very long to plan. The second we found out we were going I began thinking of what to bring to entertain Cooper. After spending $32 at the dollar store, buying some things at Lakeshore Learning, Target, and Walmart, here is what I came up with.

Everything before getting packed

Coloring books, pad of paper, crayons, colored pencils

Wiki Stix

Lots and lots of stickers and window clings
(perfect for decorating the airplane then they clean up easily)

random things to play with

Quiet Book and Ispy bean bag that I made

water pen/finger painting.....amazing purchase!

ipad with lots of games and movies

for the ipad

Needless to say Cooper stayed very entertained. The favorites were the Wiki Stix, stickers, window clings, and ipad. There were quite a few things that I didn't even open and I will save for when we fly to Arizona in November.

Easter 2012

Easter completely snuck up on me this year. I didn't realize it was the week of Easter until we were in Indiana. We got home from Indiana late Friday night. LUCKILY I had already bought everything for Cooper for Easter. That would have been a huge headache having to run out and do it all on Saturday. I went a little over board this year for Easter. Brad was making fun of me saying all he ever got was candy. I was trying to explain that I didn't buy all the things for Easter, I had gotten them and decided just to keep for Easter. He doesn't understand there is a difference and going and buying things just because it is Easter compared to getting stuff that I was already planning on getting anyways.

Because of me not realizing it was Easter and us trying to recover from our trip our Easter traditions didn't go as planned. Every year we get new Easter clothes to wear to church, visit the Easter Bunny, do the basket Sunday morning, do an Easter egg hunt with eggs that we have dyed, and then eat egg salad sandwiches for lunch on Sunday. This is what I have always done growing up so that is what our Easter's have turned into. I LOVE the little traditions like that. Well needless to say we didn't get new Easter clothes, never saw the Easter bunny, didn't color eggs until the day after Easter, sandwiches were eaten Tuesday for lunch, we still haven't done the Easter egg hunt but I am still determined too! I am most sad about not getting a picture of Cooper with the Easter Bunny...tear!

Cooper's basket: dot paints, finger paints, puzzles, pail with toys for pool, chalk, water bottle, and water/sand play table....he didn't even get any candy!

Since I thought Easter was at the end of April I hadn't gotten all of my Easter decorations out. I have NO CLUE where my brain was with regards to Easter. I even had two Easter crafts that I was planning on doing. Luckily I did the egg banner and got that hung a week before Easter. The Easter wreath didn't get completed until the day after Easter. I am however going to be sporting my Easter decorations all of April. They are so cute they deserve it!

After church on Sunday we went to my Grandma and Grandpas and had dinner like we do every year. It was low key but fun. It was gorgeous outside so we ate and then hung out outside. Cooper loved being able to run around freely.

Last year we discovered a new way to dye Easter eggs. First you shave crayons with a zester. Then you take the eggs out immediately after they are done boiling, you want them to still be hot. You then just sprinkler the crayon onto the egg. Since the egg is still hot it melts the wax and gives this cool tie dye effect. It is way easy, fast, and cleaner than dying eggs. Perfect for a 21 month old! I also had Cooper draw on some eggs with a marker.

Coop coloring the eggs

Even though things were crazy and didn't happen like I would have hoped, it was still a great Easter!!!

Choo Choo

Grandpa Jim and Grandma Sheeba gave Cooper this amazing train set for Christmas. Grandpa Jim is amazing and making things out of wood. He has made Cooper a Noah's ark, a pull along grass hopper, a boat for the bath tub, some cars, and a smaller version of this train set. I still haven't decided how I want to paint/stain this train set yet so it is just unfinished wood for now. The other day I heard Cooper making a vroom vroom sound (this is the sound for all cars/trucks/trains) and I caught him pushing around his train set. But of course once I pulled out the camera he stopped. But I still got a little clip of it. He is such a boy with the way he plays! I love it!!!

Bonus: You get a little glimpse of Cooper's work out skills.......best ever!!!!!

CHRISTMAS 2011!!!!!!!

We had such a fun filled busy Christmas season. It all started out the Sunday before Christmas with my families annual Christmas party. It is at my grandma and grandpas house. We eat, play bingo, and have a gift exchange. I didn't pull out my camera so didn't get any pictures :(

Next was Christmas Eve. Not long after I woke up I got a migraine.....I had one last Christmas so I was not very happy! I luckily was able to get some sleep to get rid of it just in time to leave for dinner. We went to my cousin Joel's house out in Eagle Mountain. I still wasn't feeling 100% but I wasn't not going to go. We had dinner and dessert and then headed back to our house to open presents.

My family opens all of our presents from each other on Christmas Eve. It is a fun tradition that we always look forward to. My mom went a little crazy this year and completely spoiled Cooper and Holden. I should have taken a picture of all the presents we had to open. My entire front room was covered in piles. My grandma, grandpa, and aunt Pam all came over to enjoy the excitement. They spoil us as well so I like that they are able to see us open our gifts.

We all got so spoiled!!!!

Brad:
sushi making class (for 2 so I get to go)
apron
socks
hoodie
Apples to Apples

Brad and I:
The Ten Commandments series of paintings by Arnold Friberg
sheets
dish drying mats
The Five Love Languages book
money

Kacey:
purse
jewelry
picture frame
subscription to Family Fun magazine
cricut (my mom gave it to me earlier in the year for my birthday and Christmas)

Cooper:
vacuum
broom, mop, cleaning set
circus tent
shape o toy
books
balance bike (grandpa had to get the boys their first bikes)
bath toy
A huge train set that Grandpa Jim made!

There was so much more but I can't think of everything!!!! :(

After opening presents all of our family left and we were able to get ready to put Cooper down. Cooper got into his Christmas pajamas from my mom.

We read the Polar Express on Christmas Eve so we did this and put baby to bed. Luckily I had wrapped everything already so I didn't have to get anything wrapped or put under the tree. We were just able to relax until we went to bed.

Christmas morning we slept in. It was nice because we got to bed a little late. Cooper was kind of fussy so he needed milk asap before we could even begin to bring him down to open presents.

Buddy could smell his stocking so we let him dig in before we got started.

Cooper opened a few of his presents but then was off playing with other things and getting into stuff he shouldn't be. Brad and I continued opening presents and looked over to find Cooper doing this. He feels so big climbing up to the kitchen table and typing on the laptop.

Mom helping Coop open his presents

I got Brad and Cooper a couple of things the same for their stockings. A big slinky and lantern for Brad and a little one of each for Cooper. I couldn't resist getting Cooper things like his daddy. He wants to do everything Brad does so it was perfect!

Cooper's favorite thing that they both got however was the train whistles. Cooper had so much fun blowing them with daddy.

Again we all got spoiled!

Brad:
Bucky balls
a straight razor shave from The Art of Shaving in Fashion Place mall
A canvas with his favorite picture of Cooper for his desk at work
a framed picture of Cooper with a poem about Daddy's Hands
an experiment book (yeah he is a 10 year old boy)
wallet (get one for Brad every year for Christmas)
a full set of Tupperware kitchen knives

Kacey:
clothes
a new robe with my initials monogrammed on it from Land's End
lotions and soaps (my favorite scent coconut lime verbena was discontinued so Brad loaded up on all of them he could find)
metal decorative covers for my soaps
this awesome new cup
7 slap wrist silicone watches...I had asked for 1 and Brad got a ton of them!

Then we are going to be getting food storage instead of going crazy for Christmas. We feel like this is something we really need to do!

Cooper:
xylophone
books
puzzles
The Hallmark Cooper bear that reads to you
Tickle Monster book set with tickle gloves
puppy blanket and pillow
magnets (abc and dinosaur)
markers, crayons, playdoh
tupperware stacking pails
a recorder
lacing beads
gyro bowl

I was big on not getting many toys but learning manipulatives and things that have a purpose. I guess it is the teacher coming out in me!


After we opened all of our presents we had breakfast....yummy!

My parents and Aspen came over a little later and we made a ham and hung out and just relaxed. Chase and Kaitlin decided they weren't going anywhere on Christmas so they weren't getting together to hang out on Christmas like we usually do. I was sad!!! We just had a relaxing day. We didn't make it to church because my family came over to do lunch before my mom had to go to work.


Cooper being silly with Aunt Aspen......and no he wasn't drinking the Mt. Dew!
Cooper enjoying his presents

I've packed away a lot of Cooper's presents and will pull one out at a time. I want him to be able to enjoy each one fully. He favorites right now are his broom, vacuum, stacking pails, xylophone, shape o toy, and slinky.

I was SOOO happy to not get a migraine on Christmas like I did last year. I did however get the one on Christmas Eve and then two the day after Christmas. There was a 3 hour span in the middle of the day where I was fine. Ugh!!!!!

Cooper : 15 Months

15 Months

I know I say this every milestone but I honestly can't believe my baby is 15 months old. He is seeming more and more like a little boy every day. There isn't too much about him these days that is real baby. He knows what he wants and he knows how to get it! Cooper is growing at the rate and around the same percentiles that he has been at his other appointments. He is perfectly healthy and developing right on track. This check-up was a little traumatic seeing as how he needed to get FIVE shots!!!! My poor baby was not happy. His lips turned blue from him screaming and not breathing while he was getting them. It made me feel even worse because right when we got home from the doctor I left to go out of town for the weekend. Luckily daddy was going to be home with him so I knew he was in good hands!

At 15 months Cooper is:

Weight: 22 lbs 14 oz (25%)
Height: 31 in. (40 %)
Head: 47 cm (45 %)

• Signing a TON!!! He can sign eat, drink, water, milk, sleep, shoes, bye, please, thank you, more, help, dog, fish, daddy, mommy, grandma, grandpa, shoes, socks, banana, finished
  
• Is constantly jabbering in his own little language
• Loves taking medicine and playing with the syringe
  
• Loves shoes and socks......so cute watching him try to put them on himself
  

He was getting ready for bed and he brought me his socks to put on him then he ran around and played all giddy.

• Can say mom, dad, what's this, shoes, baby, ball, please, pup (puppy)
• The only animal sound he knows so far is ruff
  
• Please and help are by far the cutest thing I have every seen him sign!
• Loves that he understands when you ask him questions. I love being able to communicate with him.
  
• When he wants to eat he go and tries to climb in his highchair

• Gives Indiana his treat to go in the kennel every time we leave
• Still is obsessed with balls, cars/trucks and watching Baby Signing Time
• Every time he hears a plane or helicopter he holds his hands up to let you know and says "PA" which is plane to him
• Has 12 teeth
• Dances anytime he hears music

He let me wrap him and just laid there.....I could pretend he was still a baby for a few seconds!

• Gets into every drawer or cabinet he knows he isn't supposed to be in
  
• Still loves drinking his milk and water (haven't given him to much juice so that he will still want water)
• Loves chicken nuggets, fries, and chocolate milk when we eat out. I never give him chocolate milk otherwise.

• Loves marshmallows, suckers, candy, really anything sweet that is bad for you.
• Still downs his weight in fruit
  
• Vegetables are hard to get him to eat
• Has started throwing tantrums....the full body throwing laying on the ground flailing and screaming ones
• Can generate crocodile tears in a matter of seconds
• All boy in everything he does!
• Is such a busy body....he NEVER holds still.....EVER!!!!
• Loves his binky and blanky. If we are upstairs he goes in his room and gets them out of his crib. Then proceeds to throw a fit when I takes them away!
  
• Obsessed with vacuums! He can spot them anywhere and freaks when you don't let him play with them.
  
• Loves my parents and his Aunt Aspen....sometimes more then me! :(
  
• Doesn't like riding in the shopping cart he just wants to help push it

• Doesn't go upstairs without getting my blow dryer out, dad's alarm clock down and my phone charger unplugged and drags them all around
• Goes down slides all by himself
• Builds towers with building blocks
• LOVES to play with mom's Tupperware. Putting lids on things is a fav!
  
• Insists on feeding himself and wants to use spoons and forks

I can't believe how independent our little guy is getting. It's amazing how much he changes even on a daily basis. We are still enjoying everything new and Cooper makes every day exciting and fun!!!