The McCormack Spot

Cooper's First Run

2012-02-25T20:18:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, Cooper ran his first one mile fun run and I ran a 5K. The run was to support a local organization that helps victims of child abuse.

It was FREEZING thanks to the 30 mile an hour winds. I have never seen people run tilted sideways but that is what we did.

J ran the fun run with Cooper. He only took three short walk breaks, and finished in 14:01. He talked about it all day long. And it didn't hurt that the race finished at Dave and Busters.

We did a photo shoot when we got home when it was a little warmer outside.

And the family that rolls together, stays together.

And he finished with a little Saturday Night Fever before we all crashed. He slept so hard for three hours, he missed a birthday party. We must find more races for him if they wear him out like that.

Wordless Wednesday - Monkey on the Edge

2012-02-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

For more Wordless Wednesday posts, check out 5 minutes for mom, Go Graham Go, Two of a Kind, Working on a Full house and Parenting by Dummies!

Snow 2012 (a little late)

2012-02-19T22:06:00.000-05:00

Well that snow I mentioned at the mummy exhibit continued to fall for several hours. After an extended nap, we bundled up and enjoyed the white stuff.

Video

It was really hard to get any good shots, but he had a blast. We even made a few runs down the street on the sled. We are glad we went that night because it was a slushy mess the next day

Mummy Time

2012-02-19T20:56:00.000-05:00

For the family outing this weekend, we went to check out the Mummy Exhibit on loan from the British Museum. I was cautious that the 3D movie might be a little frightening for Cooper but he didn't flinch. Maybe all the 3D at Disney last Spring made him immune.

The video and the exhibit was interesting and nicely done, but now we have one problem. Cooper thinks all statues have dead people inside of them, even the small figurines. So as any mother does, she thinks fast. So, now he thinks they were all action figures. Good thing they were behind glass so he didn't test my explanation.

We spent some time wondering through the rest of the museum but nothing stood out as being too exciting for him. The snow started falling while we were inside so that made him a little anxious to get outside. So we headed to 3 Monkeys for brunch. I took before and after pictures of him with his enormous Belgian waffle but my phone ate them.

The logical next step is to come home and collapse into a three hour nap. Which we did.

Wordless Wednesday - Thundersnow

2012-02-15T06:30:00.000-05:00

It didn't last long, but the weather was wild for a little while last Saturday.

For more Wordless Wednesday posts, check out 5 minutes for mom, Go Graham Go, Two of a Kind, Working on a Full house and Parenting by Dummies!

Happy Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T22:08:00.000-05:00

The day started off with a little cuddling for all of us (wish we could have stayed there rather than heading off to work). Then Cooper serenaded me with Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer and Santa Claus is Coming to Town.

Then a really, really long day at work before coming home to dinner with my two guys and some wonderful desserts from Jean Jacques (my favorite bakery). I can eat an entire chocolate eclair without even breathing.

Cooper got to show off his many Valentine's and candy haul ... it looks a little like Halloween with all the stuff he got. He was very excited over the card he got from Grammy & Poppa. He even offered to share the money with us. I have to write this down because I will never believe it when he is a teenager. It was pajamas day at school, so he styled it in his Hugh Heffner look.

What a ham!

Hope you had a fabulous Valentine's Day.

Sunday Workout

2012-02-12T21:59:00.000-05:00

Cooper got a great workout at Monkey Joe's on Sunday playing with a neighbor. That place is insane. I felt like the helicopter mom watching his every move but I didn't want him out of my sight. He had a blast leading his friend from bounce room to slide back to bounce room. It was a great way to expend lots of energy on a day we would otherwise have been cooped up in the house due to the cold.

Yes, his face is bright red from all the jumping. He is going through a phase where he tells me take a picture, and then runs away from me. Hope this will pass.

Work is closed today

2012-02-09T08:23:00.001-05:00

Cooper told me this morning that I couldn't go to work today. He said all the mommies were off work today, and that they should stay home and play with their kids.

I like the way he thinks. Does that count as an out of work excuse for my boss?

Wordless Wednesday - Who wants pie?

2012-02-08T06:30:00.000-05:00

I love the imagination at this age.

For more Wordless Wednesday posts, check out 5 minutes for mom, Go Graham Go, Two of a Kind, Working on a Full house and Parenting by Dummies!

Just when you think ...

2012-02-02T22:43:00.001-05:00

Your child is going to drive you nuts, they say the sweetest thing. This morning Cooper decided to take his sweet time getting dressed, so pushing my patience. We finally got going and he was unusually quiet. When we were almost to school, he announced that he missed Grammy and Poppa. He said the three of us needed to go visit them at their house when Daddy gets back (finally tomorrow - yay). And AK needed to go too. He really can be so sweet when the mood strikes him. Jill

Wordless Wednesday - Nothing to see here

2012-02-01T06:30:00.000-05:00

For more Wordless Wednesday posts, check out 5 minutes for mom, Go Graham Go, Two of a Kind, Working on a Full house and Parenting by Dummies!

Persevering

2012-01-29T22:09:00.000-05:00

So from previous posts you should have noticed that Cooper is really not liking ice skating. I kept thinking he would eventually get it. One thing I know about Cooper is that when he finally tries something, he wants to succeed the first time. He usually hangs back and watches what everyone else is doing, and then jumps in when he is ready. He missed two ice skating lessons early on, one due to having the wrong kind of skate and the other because we were out of town. I think this caused him to be a little more unsure of himself as the other kids took off, who are all smaller than him too.

But we persevered. I have walked out of watching him in lessons because he refused to participate only to come back in and see him trying. I wonder where he gets this stubborness from?

Saturday was a better lesson day until he had a complete meltdown at the end over a sticker. Yes, a sticker. He has this bad habit of answering a question the opposite of what he really wants I assume to get attention or be argumentative. I have been calling him out on it more lately and his skating teacher did the same thing. The kid lost it. Another parent offered me his headphones to tune him out. I was mortified and ended up walking away from him. He did end up following, but the meltdown continued in the car. At this point, I just wanted to get home and get him to his room.

It does get better. We ended up having a great rest of the day after he learned I was not backing down. So, me being a glutton for punishment suggested that we go ice skating today. No teacher, just me and Cooper. When we got to the rink, we had the entire place to ourselves. The videos speak for themselves.

Video Link 1

Video Link 2

Video Link 3

Video Link 4

I am so glad I saw a fellow parent using a chair to teach his little one. Once he did that he understood better what to do with his feet. He actually asked to stay longer, and no meltdowns when we left.

Success feels good ... and he didn't even realize until much later on that I was being his teacher even though I'm the Mommy. Parents are sneaky like that.

Wordless Wednesday - Who Me?

2012-01-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

For more Wordless Wednesday posts, check out 5 minutes for mom, Go Graham Go, Two of a Kind, Working on a Full house and Parenting by Dummies!

Candyland Fiend

2012-01-20T22:13:00.000-05:00

Cooper now asks to play Candyland at least three nights a week. I love that he has figured out (for now) that is okay to win sometimes and lose sometimes. I am trying to emphasis it's about having fun but there are winners and losers.

Please ignore the pizza on his face. He eats through the center of pizza, sandwiches, etc., so it ends up everywhere. Must be something he inherited from his Dad.

Wordless Wednesday - May the force be with you

2012-01-18T06:30:00.000-05:00

For more Wordless Wednesday posts, check out 5 minutes for mom, Go Graham Go, Two of a Kind, Working on a Full house and Parenting by Dummies!

Reluctant Skater Actually Skates

2012-01-14T17:34:00.001-05:00

Who knew if you threw a hockey puck on the ice that a non-skater would skate to get it? Well, obviously his teacher did. He still spent quite a bit of time on the wall or holding the teacher's hand, but if he can do this, he CAN skate. Now the question is if he will do it again?

Video

Dinosaur Hatching

2012-01-13T21:52:00.000-05:00

Aunt L strikes again. I don't know how she does it, but Cooper is thrilled with all the Christmas presents. We are slowly breaking them out one by one, and he is loving every minute of it.

Video

He has slept with the dinosaur, named "Tiny Diny." And he and his shell have made several shopping trips with us.

Just call him Chiquita

2012-01-12T21:57:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure where he gets this personality.

But he has figured out to use that dimple and his smile to his advantage.

Wordless Wednesday - Now that's good sleeping

2012-01-11T06:30:00.000-05:00

For more Wordless Wednesday posts, check out 5 minutes for mom, Go Graham Go, Two of a Kind, Working on a Full house and Parenting by Dummies!

Where are we going?

2012-01-06T19:32:00.001-05:00

Me, "Cooper, tomorrow is Saturday. Do you know what we are doing?"
Cooper, "Going to Disney?"
Oh boy. He is going to be really disappointed in ice skating lessons tomorrow.

Wordless Wednesday - Can I get an awww?

2012-01-04T06:30:00.000-05:00

For more Wordless Wednesday posts, check out 5 minutes for mom, Go Graham Go, Two of a Kind, Working on a Full house and Parenting by Dummies!

No one's having any fun around here

2012-01-02T22:02:00.000-05:00

Do you believe that?

These two don't have any fun together. Papa just has to give him one look, and he is done for.

Woodpile Time

2011-12-31T22:12:00.000-05:00

Papa put his little helper on the woodpile. It brought back memories of all the wonderful (just a wee bit of sarcasm) hours I spent on the woodpile as a kid. It did build lots of character and helped keep the house warm too.

Telling secrets.

He thought he was big stuff sitting in Papa's lap.

I have to say he was pretty concerned about getting his hands dirty. He only lasted a little while before he was running through the woods.

Trying out his new chainsaw. He was very disappointed in the progress it made.

It was great watching Cooper run through the same woods I played in as a kid. And I think Papa enjoyed it a little bit too. ;)

Wordless Wednesday - Hoping for Snow

2011-12-28T06:30:00.000-05:00

Does he look like Frosty to you?

For more Wordless Wednesday posts, check out 5 minutes for mom, Go Graham Go, Two of a Kind, Working on a Full house and Parenting by Dummies!

Bike Riding

2011-12-25T22:24:00.000-05:00

We took Cooper out for a spin on his new bike. He did really well.

... until he got tired and thought it would be easier to carry the bike.