Summer Shop Fun!

Eric spends a lot of time in his shop these days...he escapes the heat..its nice and cool. The kids love to go down there and work with dad. He welds things for them...like mini cities and robots. The kids love to help him take apart his mustang.  And we even did a family project..we each painted a pole. The kids love Dad's Shop!

ERIC's

BROOKLYN's

EASTON's

MARINDA's (Brooklyn wanted to do one like mine...see it behind, cute)



Horse Camp=Happy Brooklyn!

It's no secret...Brooklyn {HEARTS} Horses! She has loved them since she was a baby...she loved Papa's horses. This year we decided to send her to horse camp at our friends ranch. She LOVED it! She loved spending all day with the horses. She loved being in "horseland" (that's what she called it) She was in heaven. She loved getting dirty. She loved taking care of the horses and of course she loved riding them. She is a natural rider, she loves the horses and they respond well to her. She was leading the horses by herself and even trodding around the pin. The ladies at the camp where amazed and said she has some real talent. It was a great week for Brooklyn...she was in Horse Heaven!

All Smiles!

{7 months old}
PS...He's Crawling!  Cooper is one active little baby...we can barely keep up! 

Cooper's 1/2 Birthday!

My baby is 1/2 a year already...where did the time go.

Cooper has changed from an infant to a "little man!"  At least that is what everyone tells me.  I hear it again and again..."He has a man face." 

I LOVE HIS MAN FACE!!!!!

He is one busy boy...he now sits up really well, he roll and rolls, he eats food (not his favorite time of the day), he smiles, laughs, giggles all day long.  He puts everything he can into his mouth.   He discovered his toes last month and loves to play with them..they haven't found his mouth yet though.  His hair is growing slowly but surely.  He loves his family...big smiles for any of us that walk into the room.  He has started the teething process and doesn't like the pain very much.  The only time he really cries is when his mouth hurts. Poor boy.  He is one great sleeper!  I am a very lucky mommy. He sleeps all night from 8pm-630ish.  He takes a 2 hr morning nap and a 2.5 afternoon nap.  I love his nap times! (Mommy isn't happy when the kids wake him up...they don't understand the quite voice concept.)  I haven't weighed him recently..I would probably  guess around 16 lbs. Very healthy, very normal. I love his baby thighs...chunky and cute.  Cooper is one strong little boy...I mean strong.  Everyone that holds him always tell me that he is so strong...yep he is!

He is one happy, perfect baby. I love him to pieces!  He is growing up way too fast. I wish I could freeze him right now...he is sooo perfect! Love ya Coop! 

 If he didn't look so cute in this picture I wouldn't post it...I am embarrassed that his onesie is over his pants...daddy must of done that. (ok me..and I was too lazy to fix it)

 Food...Brooklyn and Easton loved food and you couldn't feed them fast enough. Cooper not so much...HE LOVES HIS BOTTLE...he cries when you try to take it away from him to burp him.  He cries and reaches and twists to get it back.  If he didn't puke on me..I wouldn't take it away, I don't enjoy a full bottle of formula on me every time. Once in awhile is ok.

At 5 months we started with rice, oatmeal and formula.  He did ok but didn't love it.  His first real food was Avocado, I read a blog that suggests you start with that because it is so healthy. Well he didn't like it at all. No way was he going to eat it. He is already strong willed...just like his siblings were...can't I get a mellow kid! 

So for the last month I have given him..

*Squash..he likes them ok. He will let me put them in his mouth.

*Peas...I have to force them in his mouth and reinsert the peas he spits out but he does swallow.

*Bananas (Gerber's)  HATED them..gagged, spit up and almost puked.  I couldn't get him to eat them for the life of me. He can't stand them.  He loves fresh bananas especially in the mesh feeder.

*Green Beans...again hates them.  I couldn't even finish one container in a couple of days.  He cries when I feed them to him. He is tortured..at least he thinks so.

*Prunes...he would tolerate them but enjoyed them more mixed with oatmeal. 

*Sweet Potatoes...he seemed to like these ok. But what baby won't eat them.  He didn't spit them out too much. And in two days he did finish the container..so I guess that is keeper.

*Pears..home canned and mashed up...he will eat these and open his mouth a little bit.

*Applesauce..homemade and likes them with oatmeal. 

This week I want to try carrots and peaches.  I am sure he will tolerate those as well.  I am surprised that he doesn't love any of them.  It is so strange to me.  Most babies love it when they get to eat something that actually has flavor to it.  Formula must be totally gross..it sure smells like it.  Yuck.  I think Cooper will be one of those babies who wants table food and not baby food...I don't blame him one bit.

  I am tortured!!!!!  Can't you tell.

Cooper has slept in this snugly cozy thing (See picture below) since he was one month old.  Our house isn't the warmest in the winter so this really kept him warm and very cozy...well too much because now he is attached to it and he is getting too big for it and it is way to hot now for it.  So I bought him a sleep sack and was hoping he would transition without a problem.  Well the first night he was super tired so he fell asleep pretty fast but then he woke up crying at 3am. I let him cry for a few minutes but realized he wasn't going to stop.  He never cries at night...he sleeps all night until around 6-7am and then talks to himself and makes noise until I come in there around 7-730.  He's done this since 2 months..I know I am spoiled..He is a great baby!  Well he was really crying and I didn't know why...so I went in his room and gave him his pacifier and he didn't want it and kept crying.  So I broke down and got his snugly and took off his PJ's and set the snugly next to him.  HE IMMEDIATELY TURNED TOWARDS IT, GRABBED IT, SMELLED IT, AND SMILED!!!! It was SOOO precious and cute.  He immediately stopped crying and went back to sleep. 

The next morning, I put him down for his nap without it.  He was crying (again  he usually doesn't when I put him down for his nap) and after 15 minutes he finally quieted down.  I went in to check on him and this is what I found...thumb in his mouth and holding onto his snugly. I had to take a picture. Just so cute.  Brooklyn gave it to him.  No wonder he quite crying so quickly.  He LOVES his snugly.  After our trip to Washington this week I think I will cut it into squares so he can have one to cuddle with. I am nervous to leave it in his crib just in case he puts it over his face.  It isn't the smallest snugly in the world. I think he will like a small square just as much.   

I had a few really cute videos of him rolling, giggling, & eating food...but for some reason they won't upload right. Sad!

Kinder Celebration!

I officially have a 1st Grader (and 3rd)..crazy. Easton had his celebration on Tuesday.  His class sang songs with flutes and sign language. They were really cute. 

 Easton got the "Engineering Award."  He likes to make things...just like his daddy!

 Cooper loved the entertainment!

 Easton with Mrs. Bazzano (and Cooper...Easton wanted a picture with him too)

Congrats Easton and a big THANKS to Mrs. Bazzano. She is the best Kinder Teacher EVER!!!  I hope she is still teaching in 5 years for Cooper.

Artichoke Pesto Pizza=Yummy!!!!

I posted this YUMMY recipe on a recipe blog that I am part of...so check it out!  Try it...you will love it! 

http://yummygoodnessrecipes.blogspot.com/2011/05/artichoke-pesto-pizzayummy.html

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to two of the greatest Mother's...My mom and Eric's mom.  I had to give a talk in church today...yes I know...why do you they have a Mother speak on Mother's Day...not cool.  I talked about both these ladies and the great example they show me.  They are both loving, kind, selfless, compassionate, and a great example how a Mother should be. I love them both very much.

In my talk, I listed what the perfect Mother's Day would be like...Breakfast in bed, getting only myself ready for church, listening to the wonderful talk on mothers, listening to my kids sing a mothers day song to me, homemade gifts and cards from the kids, a long quiet nap, maybe a nice foot massage from Brooklyn, and a yummy cooked dinner!  I know that is a lot to ask for...but maybe a few could come true. 

And since this blog is my journal..I have to vent and maybe someone will get the hint if he reads this blog ever...which I doubt.  My Mother's Day was lame.  Brooklyn had the flu on Saturday so Eric stayed home with her while I took the boys to church.  Like I said I had to speak in church which is the one thing I hate to do and I always have such a hard time doing it.  I am a scaredy cat...not sure why but I always have been.  The talk went ok once my voice stopped sounding nervous.  I was relieved it was over, it has been haunting me since the Bishop asked my last week.  The rest of church went fine.  I was hoping to come home to a clean house and maybe a cooked lunch.  Nope.  Sleeping husband.  Oh well.  I then layed down and tried to sleep but couldn't. So I turned on a lame movie.  I was hoping I would get a yummy cooked dinner...well he asked me if I wanted frozen pizza or chicken and rice soup (from a can).  Can you tell I was really mad at this point.  Wouldn't you be?  He did say "Happy Mother's Day" while I was getting ready for church but that was the last of it.  No card, flowers, dinner, breakfast in bed, words of appreciation, nothing.  I am not sure what was up with him but he missed base on this one.  After almost 10 years of marriage I thought he would have learned one thing about me...I like holidays and I want to feel special.  Is that too much to ask.  Am I too needy? I don't care if he spends money...I don't care about gifts...yes they are nice but I would be happy with a thoughtful $20 gift. Spending money on big gifts isn't what I want.  I want to know that he appreciates what I do. I know I am not the perfect wife and mother...but I do try.

Well there you have it...What a great Mother's Day, right?  I am sure you are jealous. 
This post might make Eric mad...but sometimes a girl just has to vent.