Seven things at one time!

Cooper and Lillian were discussing who was more talented. Cooper was convinced he was as HE could do 7 things at one time (based on the whole pat your head while rubbing your belly challenge). Knowing this "7 at one time" demonstration would be worth the show I started rolling the video camera.

Aerobics, or breakdancing, or... something

When I came home last night Robin was finishing an aerobic workout in the living room. She wrapped up and walked off into the kitchen to get a drink. The video was still running and Cooper spotted it as he was passing through the living room.

Fortunately, he didn't notice me start taping his exercise routine.

More 2yo communication...

Email from Robin this AM:
Max seems to catalog fun events from the past but usually picks out surprising ones.  Today, he is fixating on "We can go to Cub Scouts and get food... and Daddy can get dinner and Cooper can get dinner and Lillian can get dinner and Granna can get dinner."

I guess food for he and for I is just understood.

The Usual Suspects

After we returned from the mean streets of Rock Hill, looting chocolate from all of our neighbors, I asked the kids if I could get a photo of them in their costumes. Cooper (AKA Zombie Ninja) said one of his wrist guards had fallen off and he wasn't sure his costume would look as good without it.

I suggested he cross his arms in front of his chest so no one would notice the missing part. Due to him crossing his arms and Lillian trying to continue the "theme," what I got was what appears to be a very cute gang of thugs in my kitchen.

Max Loots Cooper's Halloween Stash

Treehouse Building Documentary...

I thought I'd take a moment and record the progress on one of the more challenging projects I've tackled for the kids...

Robin and I wrestle with the 2-man auger. I think her back muscles are still recovering.

Two 3+ foot "bugs bunny" holes made by the auger.

First of MANY trips to the hardware store. This precarious load included two 16 foot tall 4x4 posts.

Brian spent the whole day with me getting the support posts and beams square, cemented, and bolted to one another.

 

End of first real day of construction. Structure square and ready for decking.

Installing decking.

Trap door complete

Robin helping me with the small suspended deck.

ANOTHER trip to the hardware store. During one of these the cashier actually welcomed me by name. That can't be a good sign.

Tres helping me frame out the walls on the ground.

Once we lifted all walls onto the platform we discovered they fit together perfectly. He and I were both pretty surprised.

Tres helping with wall boards as robin grinds the tips off of screw points which protruded through the trap door.

Robin continuing to help with wall boards the next day.

End of construction day four. Still not complete, but getting close! Considering a tin roof...

Shutters & walls complete (still need a roof)

Story from the home-front this AM.

Message from Robin to me. "Trying to get Max to eat the Yummy Vegetable Barley soup I made. His response: "I full. I full. It's hot. Cookie??!" Sorry, bud, your cover is blown."

2 year old conversation

This is the over-breakfast table talk I walked in on this morning:

L:  I'm broke.  Really broke.  Amelia is too.  Don't have a penny.

C:  What?

L:  Broke means you have no money.

C:  Not me.  I've got .85 cents and 17 or 18 dollars.

L:  That's because [interrupted]

Max:  Broke too.

Max:  I broke my hip. 

Max:  (pulling his hair up into two tufts)  I'm a goat. 

Max:  Billy goat go tap, tap, tap…

Add to this that the entire morning as I was shaving, getting dressed, brushing teeth, Max was walking around my room saying "I wanna watch butt wagons" Eventually I got Robin to interpret this. Turns out it was Backyardigans.

Mmmmm... Metal!

Yesterday Cooper and I were looking for something in the garage.

He has a very lose tooth and was pulling on it as we walked around. He said:

"Dad, ya know, blood tastes really good. It tastes just like metal. I don't know if anything tastes quite as good as really clean metal… but not dirty metal… because then you're just eating dirt… and who wants to do that?!"

BIG yellow socks

Cooper said they were going to play dodge ball or soccer at camp today. Either of which he insisted require "soccer socks." Can't imagine spending a day outside in this SC heat with mustard yellow knit socks as tall as my legs.

He did say he thought they would also help keep off the mosquitoes... can't argue with that I guess.

(and they DO look fantastic with the blue and gray horizontal stripes shorts!)

Amazing waterfalls during a weekend hike in the NC mountains

Sometimes you just gotta laugh

Before the weather turned so warm, Cooper found my polar fleece on the couch. He decided to put it on to keep warm, but he put it on upside down.

Back in MY day...

Today is Lillian's "field day" at school, so she'll be spending most of the day playing out in the sun.

On the drive in this morning she asked me, "what do we do at field day?" I said, "well, I don't know what you will do, but when I was a kid it was a day the class played competitive games outside." Both kids asked for examples.

Me: Do you guys still play a game called red rover?
Kids: No
Me: What about a three legged race? You know, where you tie your leg to another kid's leg and run?
Kids: No... but that sounds fun.
Me: Hmmm... what about a sack race? You climb in a big cloth sack and then kinda hop-run down the field to beat the other kids?
Kids: Nope
Me: ...Well those were some of the games we played as kids on field day.
Lillian: Well Dad, as you say, technology changes things.

Cooper's Boos (um... boots)

The spelling is -how you say?- creative...

Dr. Five Brains

Lillian had to stay home from school one day last week with a bug so it was only young master Cooper and I in the car.

Me: Sorry Lillian wasn't well this morning. How are you feeling dude?
Cooper: I'm OK. My third brain hurts just a little.
Me:... what?
Cooper: You know. This part in the middle of my head, over my eyes, is my four brain (he means forehead). So, going left to right, this side over here (left temple) would be my third brain and this side over here (right temple) would be my fifth brain.

... its my third brain that hurts a little.

Dad? Why does everybody call it the third, forth, and fifth brain? And where's my first and second brain?

It was an educational ride to school.

Lillian's 9th Birthday

A few weeks ago when Lillian and I were working on making her birthday invitations, Robin's Dad was in town and took some photos of she and I while we were working. Robin forwarded me some of his photos earlier today. Over lunch I set a slide show of those photos to music.

Turned out pretty well!

Musical credit here to Paul Simon (whom I believe wrote this song for his own daughter).

Lillian's Birthday Invitations

Over the weekend, Lillian wanted to make invitations to her 9th birthday slumber party. We looked at several options and she decided she wanted to make a pretty elaborate interactive "sleeping bag card." Over the next three days she probably spent 6-8 hours drawing, tracing, inking, cutting, folding, and gluing. I helped her out with the little typography inset with the details of the party. I think they turned out pretty well.

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree...

I came out of the kitchen last night to discover both ladies of the house totally engrossed in their books.

Pleasant night by the fire

Just roasting some s'mores this past weekend.

Of Lizards & Theology

Driving back from the beach:

Cooper: Dad, Max just ripped the leg off of his toy lizard.

Me: Sorry about that.

Cooper: -sigh- If there were a god of little plastic lizards, I'd pray for it to heal this one's leg.


Lillian (from further back in the van): Cooper. There's only one god.


Cooper (downcast): Yeah... and he's not plastic...

Making Waves

Cooper trying to control the point at which the waves break 

with his mind...

Lillian's first Sunday as Acolyte

Lillian was asked to be acolyte for the month of February. The gravity and earnestness with which she approached her task was pretty entertaining. As expected though, she did a perfect job.

Deal with the devil

This email from Robin:

I have been in a day long struggle with Max to get him to eat some soup.  Have tried to barter milk for taking some bites.  Not a good plan. 

Bartering with a toddler is like trying to barter with the devil.  He just doesn't keep his end.

Ah... The Yule Log

While Cooper and I were building Legos, Lillian and Robin discovered the "Yule Log" on Netflix the other night.

Max is fascinated!