Language

So, generally, I feel so pleased with Coop's language. He's made big changes this year and is SO much more successfully communicating without help. This weekend, we went to a big bird sanctuary (we really mostly saw ducks..) for the day. The kids LOVED it! Of particular interest, of course, was throwing birdseed for the ducks. Cooper asked me for more, and knew exactly what he intended with his request. What stood out to me when I watched this video was how much effort it really took him to get what was in his head out...I always tell people that what Cooper is able to say far less than he truly understands- which, in itself, is a substantial part of his challenge. I feel like that's SO evident here!

A Visit from the Koontz Family

We always love it when our friends from Olympia come to visit. I think we’ve spent the majority of the last ten New Years together.

 

 

Here are our kiddos together: Trouble, huh?? I think it’s the only time they all stood still at once.

 

We had a great New Year’s Day hike with the kids, including a stop at our little cooperative school, just in time to see the goats being milked.

 

I love the look on Graham’s Face here….

Christmas Eve

Okay, so I've had enough comments about my slacker blogging, sorry about that. I really did leave the camera in San Diego when we left town, but that explains nothing about November and December.

So, in the next few days, I'll try to update gradually.

Here are the boys setting out food for the reindeer and cookies for Santa (and a beer- bet you can guess who suggested that!) The thing to pay attention to is Ian's cheeks in every picture. He was mooching the reindeer food the entire time!

 
 
 
 

Halloween and other fall shots

Fall beach day.

Ian was determined to stay out in the rain. And it was a DOWNPOUR! There he is: happily soaked.


"Rock Guys" Cooper's favorite part of our visit to the University for Speech Therapy


My GapBaby photoshoot. (kidding, kidding)

Cooper spent this whole walk directing Dad and Diane on exactly how to walk.


It's been quite a month: I was recruited by our school district to take a 1/2 time reading specialist position about a month ago, and, while we hadn't planned for me to work this year, the job was one I couldn't turn down. It's every afternoon for 4 hours. Cooper's in school at that time, and Ian's generally asleep, so I still get mornings with the boys. In that next week, we found some really fabulous childcare, bought a second car (yes, a minivan), and shifted into a different mode. It's been a good change. I like what I'm doing, the boys are happy, and it seems like a job I could do part time for a lot of years.

Our remodel is officially done. I put in the last paint and shelving today, and it is SUCH a relief to get it done. (Pictures below)

Ian is too funny for words- he spends all day toddling around from one place to another, carrying random objects, and holding them out to you, with a loud declaration of, "DA!" He has figured out all kinds of funny noises he can make with his tongue, and has started dancing- which just looks like walking really fast in place.

Cooper's really having a good fall. His language, which has always been my biggest worry (after the chronic hair pulling..) is really growing this year. Lots and lots of 3 and 4 word sentences that I think most people can understand without help. My recent favorites:" Awwww, whats'a'matter baby?" and "Cooper NEED gum!"-the second is particularly funny because I've never heard him say he needs anything before! He's taking a gymnastics class in town, which makes me happy for so many reasons:
1. It's drop off, and I can actually drop him off. The teacher loves him, and doesn't see any need for him to have extra supervision.
2. His gross motor skills are really benefiting. He is walking a few steps on a balance beam, and working on summersaults and rolls. It's a bit of a dilemma because we dropped physical therapy a year ago, as we didn't see the progress we were hoping for. So now we've picked up gymnastics, and I'd like to have him go more than once a week, but that feels cost-prohibitive. Ironically, a gymnastics class is 1/10th the cost of each physical therapy session, but insurance isn't interested in covering it. Sigh. I'm on the hunt for a good grant.
3. Okay, this is terrible, but it's true: he's not the highest impact kid in the class. Everytime this happens I breathe this sigh of relief. It makes me so happy to see him participating in so many activities successfully.

The bits that stick out are all new.

Fall is Here

In Bellingham, Mondays are the general Early Release day for the school district. For preschool and kindergarten, that means no school, so yesterday we joined a group of friends for a tour of one of the apple orchards in our county. The kids got to take a tour of the orchard by golf cart, see the cider press and sorting tables, and sample four kinds of apples. It was a great day!

Cooper, in his new "afraid of everything" mode, had to be really convinced to ride on the cart, but once he was on, he was happy.

 

Every time we stopped, he'd get out of our cart and go find someone else to ride with.

 

 





































We asked them to hold hands in the sorting room. Coop was on the end, so he grabbed the leader's hand, trying to start a game of Ring Around the Rosie.

 

He saw the raised display area with the gourds, said, "Show!" and did a great dance!

A career possibility?

My current favorite pictures. Cooper and I were on a walk in the neighborhood, when he spotted this sign. He picked it up, and stood on the sidewalk facing the road and swinging it around like those guys with the ad boards on the curb! Quite pleased with himself about it, too!

 
 
 

Coming home

We've been in San Diego for 3 weeks, and out of our house since June 26th-avoiding the dust and the damage from our kitchen addition. Tomorrow night, finally, we really get to go home. Ironically, we'll be there about 7 hours, before bringing Cooper to St. Joseph's Hospital for the adeniod/tonsil surgery that we hope will decrease his chronic school year sinus infections. My dad says he's going to equate vacations w/surgeries from now on, and refuse to leave the house. I say, he's going to equate surgery with unlimited ice cream, and ask to go back to the hospital whenever he's feeling deprived of ice cream. (If you're a Facebook frequenter, sorry for the repeat. It's late.) I'm failing miserably to keep track of both my camera, and the cord needed to upload pictures, but I'll work on it.