Discovery Gateway Children's Museum

Carly had a couple of days off from school this week for SEP (parent teacher) conferences so I decided to go to the children's museum. We have 2 for 1 coupons and we've never been since it moved from downtown. If anyone hasn't been there yet I would recommend it! It was loads of fun. Stephanie took her boys, Wilson and Bennett, with us and Julie and Claire came too. We got there a little after 11:30am. When I walked in my first reaction was that it wasn't very big and how could we possible stay busy for long. Well, I was wrong. They packed in a ton of stuff to explore and do plus there is an upstairs that I wasn't aware of. In fact we didn't even go upstairs until about 3:30pm and there was a lot more to do that we didn't get to. Everyone was busy playing house in a giant playhouse, putting balls through the water tunnels, shopping and buying groceries at the market, sorting veggies on the farm, feeding the life size horse, building or demolishing in the construction site, delivering mail to all the boxes, shooting balls up the suction tubes, building parachutes from coffee filters, magnet blocks, flying the LifeFlight helecopter on the roof, and Gus's personal favorite, building block towers and knocking them over with the earthquake table. We painted with water balloons, listened to a story, did stamps, dress ups, played in the giant bird house, rode the slides, and it goes on and on! After five hours or so Stephanie decided that she needed to go. After hive hours I still had to carry out upset children who didn't want to leave. To me, that means it was worth the $17 to get in.
We only had one little mishap. I was at the farm with Leo watching him sort carrots when I saw Stephanie out of the corner of my eye running after Wil towards the bathroom. I figured he needed to go potty and had waited too long so she was going to help him. Then I saw Bennett following a ways behind her. He quickly got distracted and started heading out of the door. So, I ran to get him so he wouldn't get lost. As soon as I got to him, Steph came out of the bathroom with Wil and she started to tell me what happened. Then, I heard Leo crying, and a lady had him in her arms and she was saying, "I have this baby and he is bleeding! Who's baby is this?" Oh great! He had fallen and cut his eye on the corner of the cabinet that he was cruising on in the farm. We got the bleeding stopped pretty quickly and the first-aid guys at the museum tried to put a piece of gauze on it with some surgical tape. The one side stuck but the other just hung down in front of his eye. He loved that. Once it quit bleeding all the way, I took it off because it was just bugging him. It didn't take too long before he was ready to get down and play again, so I figured he was okay. Don't you hate it when that happens! It made me feel like such a bad mom. Of course he falls and draws blood just as soon as I turn my back...sigh! That's motherhood for you.

Maple Bars anyone?

In the Cooper family we have birthday dinner once a month on the third Sunday of the month. We celebrate birthday's for everyone that has a birthday in that month. For March, Julie is the only birthday so she got her own dinner. My assignment was to make a dessert.When I asked her what she wanted she said, I don't care. You decide." So I decided that she wanted donuts. I got a breadmaking cookbook from Vonnie a while back and it literally has a recipe for any type of bread you could ever want to make, including three kinds of donuts. I look at those recipes everytime I read that cookbook (yes, I read cookbooks, I know it's wierd) and think I should try them. Well, Sunday was the day! They turned out pretty good and they all got eaten without complaint, at least not to me. So, happy birthday Jules! Have a Maple Bar!

A Proud Mama!

I would like to give a shout out to two of my favorite little people, Max and Carly. We are approaching the end of the school year and so Joey and I had to go to SEP (parent-teacher)conferences yesterday. I went to see Mrs. Andrew first, who is Carly's kindergarten teacher. She said she wanted to take Carly home with her because she was so sweet. She then said that she never has any problems with Carly and that Carly knows all the material really well and that kindergarten is really too easy for her. But, Mrs. Andrew is impressed that even though she gets through her work quickly and is sometimes bored with the material, Carly is never disruptive and doesn't bother others who are still working. Way to go, Carly! You're the best.

Then Joey went to Max's conference after school yesterday. They met with his homeroom teacher first who said Max was doing fine, and improving well in his work. Then he met with his math and reading teachers (the first grade teachers split up math and reading into skill levels). His math teacher, Miss Merrick said she has no problem with Max and he is doing great in math. She said, "He just gets it." I'm not surprised by that at all. He is a Cooper after all!
Then for his reading. There is a story behind Max and reading. At the beginning of the year, Max really struggled with reading. He started in the lowest reading class and really disliked reading. He was constantly struggling to do his reading assignments and we fought every night about reading his books he brought home. Thanks to some great advise from Trudy Adams, in my ward, who has been a reading teacher/coach/specialist for years, we were able to slowly turn it around. And eventually one day Max just got it. Through all the little games we played and tried to make reading fun for him, he finally figured it out. At mid-term his reading teacher decided to move him up from the #5 reading class to the #2 reading class! And Mrs. Hassett his reading teacher said she thinks he is the most improved student in reading this year in the whole first grade! Yeah Max! You rock!
I think my kids have to be the smartest kids in the whole world and I am so proud of them for all their hard work this year!

Great Minds Think Alike

My sister Carina just today posted a story about her boys at their pinewood derby and now I shall do a re-run! Although my son Max is not yet eight years old, Joey really wanted to do a derby car with him. So, over the last week they have been working on the car and day by day Max kinda lost interst in it. He did not see the vision. Well, I am glad to announce that since he got to the gym and saw the track he began to get excited. He was not, however, allowed to race in the official races because he isn't in Cub Scouts yet, but they did let him race in the unofficial races afterwards. After the first time down the track, he was hooked! He and his friend Calvin raced with the other cars, then slowly people started leaving. One by one until they were the only two left racing. The went until they were kicked off the track so they could take it down. He now wants to build a track on the hill in the backyard so that he can have his friends come over to race. So, my first Pinewood Derby, although unofficial, was a smashing success! Carly and Gus even got to push the starter button. Good times!

Listen to Heathers favorites for today

Sad Baby!!!

Ok, I don't really have a post for these, I just thought they were funny. I was trying to get Leo to stand for me(you know, without holding on to anything) and he was doing it until I got out the camera. As soon as he saw the camera that's all he wanted was the camera. So, these are tears because I wouldn't let him play with the camera. So sad! But who knew? I couldn't stop laughing at how pathetic he was. Needless to say, I never got the picture of him standing without assistance. The pictures are a little fuzzy, but still worth posting.

Another Milestone at the Cooper's

So last week I took Gus and Leo in to the doctors for their check-ups. Leo weighed in at exactly 20.2 pounds and for all of you out there who have had a one year old you know what that means...I have no more need for this old rear facing car seat! Yeah! Everyone say goodbye to the baby seat. It is now officially past the expiration date and will be going directly in the garbage can! Hello captain chair! See how much happier he is. Just one more reason it's great to be the baby. Every milestone is a party because mom know's it's the last time she's going to have to do it!

YW New Beginnings

Our ward Young Women had our New Beginnings program last night. This year our YW Presidency decided to spice it up a little. We still had the spiritual theme honoring the importance of Personal Progress, but then we put on a little play/roadshow that was totally fun! Our theme for this year is, "Be strong and of a good courage". We used this scripture to create a Superhero theme. In our play the girls were Value Heroes and the leaders were Supervillians trying to take away the girls strength and values. I was Va Va Va Vice, the mastermind villian behind the whole plot. Lots of fun, then we had cake and ice cream for refreshment. I made the cake to go along with the invitations which had a city night skyline on them. It turned out good. I didn't get any pictures of the skit but I am planning on copying some off of Kathy's facebook when she posts them.