Whittakanese: it's an easier language to understand than say Jawa which is loosely based on the smell of the speaker at the time. ~'Cooper'
Whittaker was asking to have a piece of yarn tied around his waist and kept repeating,
"I be like a penguin. Tie it like a penguin."
I had no clue what he was referring to. I tried to tie the yarn so that it held down his arms 'like a penguin... then tried tying his legs together, 'like a penguin'. However, both those were incorrect. Cooper offered to help saying, "I think I can understand 'Whittakanese' better than you."
He managed to discuss with Whittaker the finer points of tying like a penguin and determined that he wanted a karate belt like the penguins on Club Penguin. It was at this point that he announced the ease of understanding Whittakanese over Jawa.
I apparently don't speak either very well.
Brace yourself
STRAIGHT TEETH!
Cooperism: Clean up
Cooper is on the chore rotation here. Currently his jobs include, feeding the cats, collecting the eggs and sweeping the kitchen.
This morning after Emerson had breakfast, Cooper walked in and began shaking his head. He reached for the broom and dustpan and began sweeping up the cereal that was now all over the kitchen.
Muttering, "Youngster's these days. Good thing they're adorable, but they sure can make a mess."
This morning after Emerson had breakfast, Cooper walked in and began shaking his head. He reached for the broom and dustpan and began sweeping up the cereal that was now all over the kitchen.
Muttering, "Youngster's these days. Good thing they're adorable, but they sure can make a mess."
Leaving our mark
The oven had a glitch this evening and needed to have the reset button pushed to reboot the electrical in the display panel. To do this the oven had to be slid out of it's spot. It revealed a forgotten moment in our history.
We decided that an updating was necessary while it was available. Besides Cooper was quite taken with the idea of approved wall writing! (He wrote, "Anonny'mouse' was here. Coop ate with him. Cheese was yummy.")
Fort Noble
Channa brought over a bag of old fitted sheets. Apparently she knew we would need them. Perhaps not what she thought we needed them for....
Fort Noble withstood repeated attacks from Emerson. A rip roaring Othello tournament. And multiple 'big people' invasions. (It was just so inviting)
.............However it could not withstand cleaning day.
Cooperisms : Papparazzi
"I think I can relate to famous people dealing with the Papparazzi now. It's like standing with a piece of bread, surrounded by hungry, angry geese!"
Brown Apple Juice
Growing up, we would sometimes spend the day at work with my dad. He worked in a research lab on the campus of the University. I never completely knew what he did, nor ever understood it. I think I ended up telling everyone he was inventing a nuclear physics bomb or something.
None of that really mattered.
What mattered was
.................. lunch time.
More specifically a drink. We probably had a packed lunch from home but Dad would take us to get some brown apple juice. We always called it that. "Brown Apple Juice". And there was just something incredible about it.
It's been close to three decades since then.
They say the sense of smell and taste invoke memories better than any other sense. I have 7 apple trees in my back yard. I have made close to 1000 quarts of apple sauce and 600 quarts of pie slices and 100 quarts of juice since moving to this home 7 years ago. We've taken advantage of the bounteous harvests. This year, Caleb took a bucket of our apples to a gentleman's home in the neighbourhood. This older gentleman had been telling Caleb about a press that he had made.
We typically steam our apples in a juicer to extract the juice. We also drink hot cider for about a month. Can't get enough. It's delicious.
Caleb was gone an hour and a half. He returned with 7 jars of brown liquid.
One sip.
I was transported.
I was about 10 years old, on the university campus, drinking 'brown apple juice.'
It was even better than I could have imagined and definitely surpassed what I had remembered. In looking back on the last 7 years I've missed out. I should have been cold pressing. Our cider pales... quite literally... in comparison.
None of that really mattered.
What mattered was
.................. lunch time.
More specifically a drink. We probably had a packed lunch from home but Dad would take us to get some brown apple juice. We always called it that. "Brown Apple Juice". And there was just something incredible about it.
It's been close to three decades since then.
They say the sense of smell and taste invoke memories better than any other sense. I have 7 apple trees in my back yard. I have made close to 1000 quarts of apple sauce and 600 quarts of pie slices and 100 quarts of juice since moving to this home 7 years ago. We've taken advantage of the bounteous harvests. This year, Caleb took a bucket of our apples to a gentleman's home in the neighbourhood. This older gentleman had been telling Caleb about a press that he had made.
We typically steam our apples in a juicer to extract the juice. We also drink hot cider for about a month. Can't get enough. It's delicious.
Caleb was gone an hour and a half. He returned with 7 jars of brown liquid.
One sip.
I was transported.
I was about 10 years old, on the university campus, drinking 'brown apple juice.'
It was even better than I could have imagined and definitely surpassed what I had remembered. In looking back on the last 7 years I've missed out. I should have been cold pressing. Our cider pales... quite literally... in comparison.
TEN on 11/12/13
A momentous occasion! Cooper turned TEN!! on 11/12/13. We should have been on top of it. We could have made him open his gifts at 2:15... in military time he could have celebrated his 10 on 11/12/13 at 14:15... but that might have been taking things a little too far.
We had a fun day. They boys completed the first Harry Potter book the night before so much of our day took on a Harry theme.
I had made a rice pudding as our breakfast treat the night before, however... I went to bed before I took it out of the oven and forgot about it. When I finally remembered around midnight it was a bit crisp. They did not complain.
The boys played outside while we set up the platform 9 3/4 station and decorated a birthday chair.
We were sorted by the sorting hat. Duncan and Caleb were assigned to Hufflepuff. Cooper did everything in his power to rig the game so that he could be assigned to Slytherin. He was successful. He claims that the shield with a snake is just too awesome not to be a part of.
The spontaneous afternoon activity was a definite hit! Bowling was especially fun with pseudonyms. Except Whittaker, because when we were typing in "Long in the Tooth Walrus", he corrected us emphatically that his name isn't spelled like that. It was a close game at the end, but somehow I miraculously pulled ahead at the last minute. (I'm in complete earnestness here. I bowled every frame my best from beginning to end. How the end was so much better than my beginning I have NO idea!)
The birthday was not complete. We returned home to find Sarah's magic. A scrumptious Spaghetti dinner followed by a movie. Not just any movie.... Yes.. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
We enjoyed popcorn of course and a fabulous DARK chocolate cake with Tapioca pudding. We even had the chocolatey smiles to prove it!
As cooper put it earlier in the day.
~"A successful decade has been completed... Soo, how do you like me now?"
We like you enough to keep you around for another decade Coopster.
(I'm very proud of you also. This has been a week of difficult adjustments for you and MANY restrictions and you were very mature about it all. It will all be worth it!)
We had a fun day. They boys completed the first Harry Potter book the night before so much of our day took on a Harry theme.
I had made a rice pudding as our breakfast treat the night before, however... I went to bed before I took it out of the oven and forgot about it. When I finally remembered around midnight it was a bit crisp. They did not complain.
The birthday was not complete. We returned home to find Sarah's magic. A scrumptious Spaghetti dinner followed by a movie. Not just any movie.... Yes.. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
As cooper put it earlier in the day.
~"A successful decade has been completed... Soo, how do you like me now?"
We like you enough to keep you around for another decade Coopster.
(I'm very proud of you also. This has been a week of difficult adjustments for you and MANY restrictions and you were very mature about it all. It will all be worth it!)
Cooperism: Dental upgrade
Dental appointment for Duncan, Whittaker and Emerson. Cooper had to tag along.
The appointment went as well as can be expected with Duncan getting two fillings, Whittaker who was glued to the TV in the ceiling and Emerson who doesn't like to let anyone in his mouth since he's cutting three molars.
After everyone was assessed, cleaned and given the ok to go, the Dentist turned and handed Cooper a toothbrush saying, "Here you go buddy. You can always use another toothbrush!"
Once we were in the car, Cooper commented, "It's a good thing the dentist offered me a new toothbrush. How did he know that it was time for my old one to take retirement, hit the road, it had seen it's best days? It's time for a fresh youngster to take its' place. They both came from the same dentist office so I expect great things from this new brush."
Sometimes I wonder if I should drive while he is speaking... I just never know what he'll say and it typically leaves me perplexed.
I did respond with, "You won't know if it's any good as a brush unless you use it every day until you return to the dentist. I'm sure he'd LOVE to hear your report on the toothbrushes abilities."
The appointment went as well as can be expected with Duncan getting two fillings, Whittaker who was glued to the TV in the ceiling and Emerson who doesn't like to let anyone in his mouth since he's cutting three molars.
After everyone was assessed, cleaned and given the ok to go, the Dentist turned and handed Cooper a toothbrush saying, "Here you go buddy. You can always use another toothbrush!"
Once we were in the car, Cooper commented, "It's a good thing the dentist offered me a new toothbrush. How did he know that it was time for my old one to take retirement, hit the road, it had seen it's best days? It's time for a fresh youngster to take its' place. They both came from the same dentist office so I expect great things from this new brush."
Sometimes I wonder if I should drive while he is speaking... I just never know what he'll say and it typically leaves me perplexed.
I did respond with, "You won't know if it's any good as a brush unless you use it every day until you return to the dentist. I'm sure he'd LOVE to hear your report on the toothbrushes abilities."
Costume Sensations
I had a tough time caring too much about Halloween this year. I just didn't have the usual excitement for costume ideas nor the making of any ideas that the kidlets came up with.
Sarah had an idea back in August and she began early and made her own costume. But the boys weren't narrowed down to anything until just before the first of the costume events occurred.
The only one that we had come up with any advance thought was the Curious George and hte man in the yellow hat. I even went out and paid $2.00 for that great yellow shirt! Whittaker as a monkey I knew had to be really simple. He wouldn't keep it on and that had to be considered. He wore his winter monkey hat and my brown fleece. He refused to wear the brown pants. He removed his costume within 5 minutes of the party starting.
About an hour before the party, I was panicing for some costume ideas. With anything we could find around the house we made a shoulder angel costume for Emerson and Patrick. Oddly enough, unless Emerson stayed on Patrick's shoulder all evening he simply looked like we dressed him in a sweet little angel costume. And with a skirt no less! He even had wings which caused him to spin in circles as he tried desperately to see them over his shoulder.
This costume was inevitable. I knew someday my scar skulled boy would eventually turn it into some form of Halloween costume. His version of Frankenstein was fabulous. He even read the cliff notes version of Mary Shelly's 'Frankenstein', just to get into character. Other than the neck buttons, we found everything around the house... yes in that last hour while I was also creating a shoulder angel.
Cooper had insisted for the month that he would be handing out treats on Halloween and therefore did NOT require a costume. However, he didn't take into account, Halloween costume parties. So once again, with only minutes to spare before our second costume party of the season, we put together, Indianna "Cooper" Jones. The best part was creating his facial hair. It changed his entire look.
Caleb had to work the evening of the second costume party, so Patrick stepped in to play the part of the man in the yellow hat. However, Whittaker had moved on. In searching for costumes for the other boys, he discovered that we had....
a SUPERMAN outfit in his size. He was willing to wear this costume for the entire evening. Actually he was willing to wear this costume every day and sometimes nights for over a week! It made the man in the yellow hat costume a little out of place so I insisted that he at least arrive as a monkey and then in true Clark Kent fashion he could remove his outer clothing and be Superman!
I didn't feel like I could walk around with a shoulder angel all evening, so Emerson needed a new plan. With about 15 minutes until it was time to leave I decided to go with an idea that I saw a friend post about. I must admit... the chippendales costume was the simplest, but when I suggested all the boys wear it, I received dagger like stares.
I really need my head examined or a shoulder angel to hop up and sit on my shoulder, but.... if you think the photo above was a bit odd for me to pull off....
... In my moments of insanity before leaving, I decided that every chippendales dancer needed a showgirl. So I dug deep and found an inner showgirl in me.
Now what was wrong with this costume for EITHER of the parties. I hadn't taken the time to pull out our actual costume bins until the morning of Halloween. It would have been so much simpler and adorable to have dressed him as a clown! He spent Halloween as a clown, running around town doing errands and even going to a Dr. appt for Caleb's thumb (which is healing nicely). He didn't even balk at the wig. I didn't press my luck and try the red nose!
After eating in the clown suit, Trick or Treating required a change of outfit once again. He made a sweet little frog. He was cozy also.
My Trick or Treating crew! Caleb had to work and Sarah stayed home to hand out treats. (She says it was boring because not many kids ventured down to the end of the dead end circle)
Duncan??? only pictured in the Trick or Treat photo. I know. He opted to wear the Superman costume each time we went out all season. Each time he declared,
"I'll think about what I want to be later, for now I'll just wear this."
Proof you shouldn't procrastinate halloween costume decisions. He was Superman. Of course, so was Whittaker, and with only one cape, Duncan graciously allowed Whittaker to wear it.
You might think since Sarah spent 2 months working on her Lady Guinevere costume and made it herself and she wore it to two events that I would have a much more stunning photo of her. But alas, I only have one of her in the background of Emerson's photos, where she is judging the musical chairs game with the music guy.
Next year I vow to be more on top of the costume situation. In fact I suddenly have lots of ideas... I better send myself a dated reminder so I don't have to panic and think of them again.
Ready or not
Whittaker and I have different opinions on what it means to be ready to leave for church, and what appropriate attire for the weather would be.
I must admit that there are many mornings that I think I should just let him wear the outfit, than have to spend energy and time to wrestle and fight him into appropriate clothing.
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