Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

Cooper has recently discovered the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. I have been really anti-tv with Cooper. I didn't want him to be that child that was constantly watching tv. The only thing he ever watched was "Baby Signing Time". Well I think I have created a monster. He is always asking for "Mouck". It is a mixture of mickey and mouse. He throws a bit of a fit if you tell him "NO". I keep quite a few recorded on the DVR so that we can rotate and play different ones. It really is the only show he cares to watch. I don't get it. I have never really been a fan of Mickey Mouse. I actually thought this show was quite annoying when I first saw it. Cooper on the other hand LOVES it! He loves the songs, and the all the different animals, but most of all the final song the "Hot Dog Dance". When that song comes on he dances and wants you to dance with him. He likes when you rewind it so he can do the song over and over. The cutest part however is when in the show they say for "Oh Tootles" Cooper with his cute little voice says "Tootles". I can't get enough of it!!!! If he sees Mickey anywhere when we are out he gets so excited! I guess if he is going to be watching a show I guess it is good that it is somewhat of a learning show. We keep it limited of how much he can actually watch it each day. If Cooper had it his way it would be on all day long.

Dad was watching a basketball game so we had to watch it on the laptop

Of course he needs his snack while watching

Try turning this down!

Here is little bit of him dancing....of course he holds back when I try to record him!

"Auggies"

Cooper has had an obsession with planes and helicopters for awhile. Where we live there are constantly helicopters and airplanes flying over. Ever since he was very little he would point up and get really excited when he heard them. He used to just make a "pa" sound for planes and something that sounds a lot like helicopter but muffled. Well on our trip to Indiana Cooper came up with his own version of airplane. He calls them "auggies" I have no clue where this came from. But because we saw SO MANY airplanes on our trip he said it hundreds of times. He would point to one and say "auggie, auggie" over and over. Since we have been home it has continued. He will spot them when we are driving. It is unbelievable because sometimes they are far away so very tiny in the sky but sure enough he sees them. I love that he has made up his own word so now in our house airplanes are "auggies".

As I have mentioned we had quite the long flights for our trip (about 11 hours). Cooper refused to sleep in the airports or on the planes. So there was a lot of time playing and taking it all in. Here is a little view into our airport/auggie experiences.

Waiting to board our first plane at 6:30 in the morning

Getting out some energy before our long day of flying

So excited and taking it all in with daddy

decorating with window clings

Getting our fixes...diet coke and milk

Ready to board our flights to head home

Sticker fun

On our last and longest flight (4 1/2 hours) Cooper got his own seat.
He felt so big. We were so relieved it made things soooo much easier.

Pure content....he was so tired but refused to sleep.
He watched a full 30 minutes of Despicable Me....longest record by far!

Was obsessed with the buckles

Cooper was obsessed with the moving walkways in all of the airports. He played on them for hours between all of the airports. He would just run back and forward. The second one ended he would say "more" and was on his way back on it.

We really lucked out on our flights. The first one a little boy sat next to us and we entertained him with Cooper's toys. The second flight a lady in her 60's who couldn't get enough of Cooper sat by us. The third flight it was a 2-seater so no one was next to us. Then the fourth flight Cooper had his own seat. Cooper did amazing! It couldn't have gone better. I am definitely not ready to do it again anytime soon however!

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.