Miles began to tell a riddle as we ate pancakes this morning.
~"There are 13 white socks and 13 black socks..."
Sarah, "I don't wear matched socks."
Miles, "That's not the riddle ... listen!. There are 13 white socks and 13 black socks in a drawer. The room is in complete darkness.."
Duncan, "You can still sort of see white ones in the dark."
Me, "I can never remember. Darkness is the absence of light. Is it like colours. Black is the absence of all colours or it's all colours together... Dang, why can't I ever remember? I know if I was using paint, all the colours mixed would be black, not white, so white must be the absence of colour. But maybe colours and darkness are not universally...."
Miles, "This is COMPLETE darkness. You can't see the white socks!"
Duncan, "But don't white socks sort of glow? Remember at the skating place when all the lights were out?"
Me, "It's true. In complete darkness you can't even see your own hand in front of your face. I remember once at the ranch waking up in the night and realizing how utter and complete the darkness was. It must have been a cloudy winter night without a moon even. At the skating place they had a black light and that's how the white things glowed."
Miles, "It doesn't matter what colour the socks are as long as there are two different colours. Black, white, blue, red."
Duncan, "Red Sox are a baseball team."
Miles, "Back. to. my. riddle! Socks. Drawer. Darkness. COMPLETE darkness! You reach..."
Cooper, "I am familiar with complete darkness, as it surrounds my heart and soul."
Sarah, "Good thing you recently felt the warmth of God's embrace then!"
Miles, "Does anyone even care how many times you have to pull out a sock until you have a pair?"
Sarah, "That's the riddle? Only 2. I told you. I don't care if they match."
Duncan, "Aren't they matched when they come back from the laundry?"
Whittaker, "I have white socks in my laundry."
Emerson, "socks and shoes."
Me, "I'll tell you after I do the laundry."
Miles, "It's not that difficult. Just think!"
Oh, breakfast conversation....
Showing posts with label Cooperisms. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cooperisms. Show all posts
Expect the Unexpected!
A very cold morning....
...the furnace didn't turn on...
... the house was at 62.
After changing the batteries in the thermostat, and having the heat kick in we were dancing to help warm up.
Cooper, exhausted, sat down at his desk and then suddenly he hopped up and while holding a book in the air he porclaimed,
"I've found a holy book (?? fox in socks??) on the heat vent!!! It's warm.... like God's embrace."
...the furnace didn't turn on...
... the house was at 62.
After changing the batteries in the thermostat, and having the heat kick in we were dancing to help warm up.
Cooper, exhausted, sat down at his desk and then suddenly he hopped up and while holding a book in the air he porclaimed,
"I've found a holy book (?? fox in socks??) on the heat vent!!! It's warm.... like God's embrace."
911
It has been a very long 6 week course in First Aid. Each week as we struggle to keep the boys' focus and teach them all the requirements, I come away shaking my head and wondering if we will ever work on a different advancement or if we will be stuck in First Aid land for evermore.
Cooper is typically capable of regurgitating anything he has ever read, seen or heard verbatim. However that skill apparently is not available when it comes to knowledge of First Aid. For some reason he can not find the least bit of interest in the subject and instead has been goofy, silly and down right obnoxious during class. We quiz throughout the week on the assigned reading and practice the rescue breathing, Heimlich and the taking of pulse. Why oh, why does each lesson end with him insulting or baffling our instructor.
On snake bite night he demanded that he know exactly which variety of snake had bitten and spouted off all the available information regarding habitat, diet and venom of the snake. Could he tell what to do in the event of a bite..... 'cricket... cricket'.
On bandaging night, as he attempted to wrap the arm of the 'dislocated shoulder victim who wouldn't stop panicking', he yelled at him, ""Listen, I can just as easily break something else as I can fix you, so be quiet would you!"
On CPR night, he couldn't stop giggling long enough to give his dummy one full breath.
On First Aid kit night, we brought the first aid kits we'd put together and when the leader asked him to tell him what each item was used for, he replied, "I'm not a neurosurgeon you know! I can't use half of this stuff."
Tonight on what should have been the final test night, he was given the scenario that he then was supposed to demonstrate the correct First Aid to use. Cooper was quiet for a minute. He commenced to bandage for a few minutes, looking perplexed and quite un at ease. Then, at the prompting from the leader, "What do you think you should do next?"
"Well....", He looked at the 'patient'. "I'm just a Webelos scout and I don't know what to do next. I'm terribly sorry. I'm afraid you will most likely die."
The room was silent. The leaders looked at each other, at me, at Cooper. They finally closed their mouths.
We're going to be doing a little more review... again.... next week.
Cooper is typically capable of regurgitating anything he has ever read, seen or heard verbatim. However that skill apparently is not available when it comes to knowledge of First Aid. For some reason he can not find the least bit of interest in the subject and instead has been goofy, silly and down right obnoxious during class. We quiz throughout the week on the assigned reading and practice the rescue breathing, Heimlich and the taking of pulse. Why oh, why does each lesson end with him insulting or baffling our instructor.
On snake bite night he demanded that he know exactly which variety of snake had bitten and spouted off all the available information regarding habitat, diet and venom of the snake. Could he tell what to do in the event of a bite..... 'cricket... cricket'.
On bandaging night, as he attempted to wrap the arm of the 'dislocated shoulder victim who wouldn't stop panicking', he yelled at him, ""Listen, I can just as easily break something else as I can fix you, so be quiet would you!"
On CPR night, he couldn't stop giggling long enough to give his dummy one full breath.
On First Aid kit night, we brought the first aid kits we'd put together and when the leader asked him to tell him what each item was used for, he replied, "I'm not a neurosurgeon you know! I can't use half of this stuff."
Tonight on what should have been the final test night, he was given the scenario that he then was supposed to demonstrate the correct First Aid to use. Cooper was quiet for a minute. He commenced to bandage for a few minutes, looking perplexed and quite un at ease. Then, at the prompting from the leader, "What do you think you should do next?"
"Well....", He looked at the 'patient'. "I'm just a Webelos scout and I don't know what to do next. I'm terribly sorry. I'm afraid you will most likely die."
The room was silent. The leaders looked at each other, at me, at Cooper. They finally closed their mouths.
We're going to be doing a little more review... again.... next week.
Cooperism - Packing List
Channa dropped Cooper off for the week as usual and asked if there was anything she needed to remember to pack for him since he wouldn't be home again before the upcoming trip to Disneyland. He whipped up a little reminder list for her.
1. stuffed animals (Cheese and hiss) names of favourites... the rat and the snake
2. two fresh outfits (underwear included) unlike the outfits where they aren't included?
3. snacks (choco bars, ect.) I suggested an apple. He told me his mother would handle the snacks, thanks.
4. extra blanket (says utah) for cold nights we convinced him the weather would be SOO much warmer in California
5. push-up tools
6. exersise stuff his therapy of the last 4 months had exercises including push ups... we determined it might be odd in a carry on for the flight, so he had a slight reprieve from certain exercises. The trip was getting better and better sounding in his opinion.
2. two fresh outfits (underwear included) unlike the outfits where they aren't included?
3. snacks (choco bars, ect.) I suggested an apple. He told me his mother would handle the snacks, thanks.
4. extra blanket (says utah) for cold nights we convinced him the weather would be SOO much warmer in California
5. push-up tools
6. exersise stuff his therapy of the last 4 months had exercises including push ups... we determined it might be odd in a carry on for the flight, so he had a slight reprieve from certain exercises. The trip was getting better and better sounding in his opinion.
Bedside Manner
Cooper and Duncan have been working on their first aid requirements for scouts. They've covered most of the requirements, what to do for nose bleeds, bee stings, burns, small cuts, how to prevent infection and how and when to administer CPR. This evenings class was about bandaging. They had been paying attention and practicing wrapping different bandaging techniques on each other and it was time for showing the instructor what they remembered.
The instructor would tell them what injury he had sustained and then they needed to select the correct bandaging technique and administer it to him. Meanwhile, the instructor was playing the part of an injured person... complete with moaning and complaining. This was rather distracting for Cooper who was concentrating on trying to complete his tasks correctly. After a few minutes trying to figure out how to attach a sling to this moaning and rather large man, he looked straight at him and said,
"Listen, I can just as easily break something else as I can fix you, so be quiet would you!"
Next weeks lesson, the importance of keeping your cool in an emergency.
The instructor would tell them what injury he had sustained and then they needed to select the correct bandaging technique and administer it to him. Meanwhile, the instructor was playing the part of an injured person... complete with moaning and complaining. This was rather distracting for Cooper who was concentrating on trying to complete his tasks correctly. After a few minutes trying to figure out how to attach a sling to this moaning and rather large man, he looked straight at him and said,
"Listen, I can just as easily break something else as I can fix you, so be quiet would you!"
Next weeks lesson, the importance of keeping your cool in an emergency.
Gang mentality
I watched this great youtube video with the 10 year old boys. Afterwards, Cooper commented on what nice young men they must be to give girls such a great message and to go to all that effort to put it into a fun song. I asked if he thought he'd like to grow up to be such a nice young man.
His response, "Well I have been thinking what type of gang I'd like to form, and now I know I'd like it to be this sort of gang. I think it would be a good opportunity, to be a part of a nice guy gang."
Compound Predicates and Cooperisms
Apparently compound predicate lesson in grammar was boring. Thankfully we have Cooper to lighten things up for us.
attention #3.
He's Melting!!
My mother used to say that we had melted somewhere if we left our clothes on the floor. I have found myself saying the same thing. Cooper caught on and took it to another level.
"I wonder if we should worry about Emerson. He must be downstairs. He took a dive through the floor but left his pants and socks behind."
Cooperism security breach
As we were talking in the kitchen, Cooper entered and said,
"Security breach!"
"Security breach!"
"While we were all here, Emerson has managed to get passed us and the gate, and is heading down the stairs."
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.")
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!"
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."
Cooperism -- waiting.....
We've been in a few waiting rooms lately. Cooper typically brings a book to read. When he forget it is torture for everyone there. This morning he forgot to bring a book and he pointed out the only other person waiting in the waiting room.....
" this is what happens when you have to spend so much time in a waiting room without a book. I feel for you fella."
Cooperisms -- French class
This year we've added french to the curriculum at the Academy. Cooper noticed within the first week of lessons that many words in French were similar to ones he already knew in English. (bureau, chauffeur... ) Astute as he is, he commented that French is obviously the older of the two languages and therefore the English language stole the words instead of coming up with their own. As the weeks passed he also noticed English words from Greek and Latin origins, (thanks to vocabulary curriculum).
He walked up to me after a french lesson one afternoon and announced,
"I'm going to learn as much French as I can and then.... I'm never speaking that thieving English language again!'
There is no convincing Cooper that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery in this instance.... no... it's just pure thievery. Would you believe he accuses ... the Queen of England.
Although he realizes it's not the current Queen. She's not old enough. (I'm sure she'd be relieved to hear that!) He hasn't quite determined which Queen yet, and it's possible he contends that it could have been .... a King!
He walked up to me after a french lesson one afternoon and announced,
"I'm going to learn as much French as I can and then.... I'm never speaking that thieving English language again!'
There is no convincing Cooper that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery in this instance.... no... it's just pure thievery. Would you believe he accuses ... the Queen of England.
Although he realizes it's not the current Queen. She's not old enough. (I'm sure she'd be relieved to hear that!) He hasn't quite determined which Queen yet, and it's possible he contends that it could have been .... a King!
Cooperisms - The Sky is Falling
"Well, that's it! The end is tonight. So much for the things I wanted to do. It's the end of the world. Not even any point in making a will, won't be anyone left to leave anything to. Well maybe I could finish off a few last minute items from my bucket list."
He has a bucket list?? I must have him share what's on it some time...
Apparently one of his last minute items was to update his blog... check it out! www.whatcoopersays.blogspot.com
Cooperisms
'A tornado!'
'A huricane!'
(from Cooper!).. 'SAVE YOURSELVES.... LEAVE THE FOOD... RUN FOR COVER!!!!' He was on a one way course for the house and nothing would deter him from reaching safety. His only concern for the others was to call out his warnings to them and allow them to fend for themselves. Only once safely inside did he venture to suggest that someone should go out to help Derek and Whittaker and perhaps someone could grab what remained of his supper?
It ended as quickly as it began. The dark skies suddenly produced fluffy clouds and a double rainbow.
Patrick referred to it as a micro burst and Cooper determined to know all the details was quickly reading all the information available on Wikipedia.
We were soon being informed ,
"We were very fortunate to have survived the burst as unscathed as we did. It could have been far more damaging. Of course Patrick may not think so if that one shirt that flew away can't be recovered."
Fanfare please
This post needs to be prefaced with a drum roll, a loud trumpet and a huge question mark over my head!!!!
?
I was a little stunned. I knew all week it was coming and I almost didn't blog so I could have more time to decide how to celebrate such an occasion. I even asked for input from all around me who didn't really seem too intrigued (especially those who rarely even read it!). Except of course for one!
Cooper.
He is my newest and biggest fan.
He reads old post, new posts, posts about him, and posts about everyone. He comments. He repeats his favourite lines over and over and over. And now he even has begun to write his own blog... not yet open to the general public. (Real announcement coming soon!) So perhaps it has gone full circle. I have inspired someone to blog.... it was after all, someone else, in a time not so far away that inspired me to blog. And now 1000 posts later....
For my 100th post I posted a list of 100 posts from the draft folder that I intended to still write. Some I wrote, others are still germinating in the draft folder and obviously many, many others took precedence and were posted.
I considered simply posting a photo with the caption.... A picture says a thousand words..... so why do I continue to be so wordy if the picture can do all the talking??? But the pressure to decide which picture!
I considered going completely public with my blog... but then got nervous and couldn't handle the stress.
I considered asking for readers to come out of the closet and comment about their favourite post from the past. (Still open to that idea, but I also realized, I'm sort of a closet reader and still not a big commentor, although I love to receive them... just struggle to give them, so I didn't want to make anyone feel uncomfortable. After all this should be a celebration for everyone involved!)
I considered sharing what my favourite posts were, but then I discovered that it was a daunting task, and even after re-reading pages and pages of posts... I couldn't decide.
I considered a prize drawing or a raffle... (but what, and how, and who..)
I considered throwing a party, but somehow a real life party for a written word entity was a bit ... odd. What would we do... sit around texting each other witty comments or take photos and think of great ways we could blog about it later?
I considered simply thanking the nation for throwing such an incredible party for my achievement today with fireworks that have been going on for over three hours now!
And then I was shown the way.
Cooper began to read a new book. He was enjoying the book. He took it with him to lunch, in the car as we ran errands, into the bathroom , shh, to bed.... pretty much didn't put it down. I needed him to finish a quick task and promised to mark his page so he could come right back to it. His response surprised me.
"Normally that would be a great idea, BUT I know exactly where I am. The next page is the 100 page anniversary of the book and me!!"
? Anniversary?
"Well, yes, when you reach the 100th page of a good book it's worth celebrating."
?So, how do you celebrate?
(with a mischievous grin), "I'd love to celebrate it with a bowl of ice cream... or some popcorn...."
?Is that the usual way for celebrating a 100 page anniversary?
"Of course not, but it would sure be a great new tradition!! Don't you think? (*sigh), No the celebration ends at the end of the 100th page and then you get to keep reading a great book! "
And so, there it is. The celebration isn't the important thing really. It's worth noting, much the way reaching a milestone birthday is worth noticing, celebrating even, the way a graduation is worth mentioning.... but it's not the end, not the finish line, nor the jumping off point like a wedding or first day of a new endeavor. It's just good to know, something to smile about, to appreciate having reached it, and feel a sense of accomplishment for..
and then....
?
It is officially my 1000th post.
YES
1000!!
I was a little stunned. I knew all week it was coming and I almost didn't blog so I could have more time to decide how to celebrate such an occasion. I even asked for input from all around me who didn't really seem too intrigued (especially those who rarely even read it!). Except of course for one!
Cooper.
He is my newest and biggest fan.
He reads old post, new posts, posts about him, and posts about everyone. He comments. He repeats his favourite lines over and over and over. And now he even has begun to write his own blog... not yet open to the general public. (Real announcement coming soon!) So perhaps it has gone full circle. I have inspired someone to blog.... it was after all, someone else, in a time not so far away that inspired me to blog. And now 1000 posts later....
For my 100th post I posted a list of 100 posts from the draft folder that I intended to still write. Some I wrote, others are still germinating in the draft folder and obviously many, many others took precedence and were posted.
I considered simply posting a photo with the caption.... A picture says a thousand words..... so why do I continue to be so wordy if the picture can do all the talking??? But the pressure to decide which picture!
I considered going completely public with my blog... but then got nervous and couldn't handle the stress.
I considered asking for readers to come out of the closet and comment about their favourite post from the past. (Still open to that idea, but I also realized, I'm sort of a closet reader and still not a big commentor, although I love to receive them... just struggle to give them, so I didn't want to make anyone feel uncomfortable. After all this should be a celebration for everyone involved!)
I considered sharing what my favourite posts were, but then I discovered that it was a daunting task, and even after re-reading pages and pages of posts... I couldn't decide.
I considered a prize drawing or a raffle... (but what, and how, and who..)
I considered throwing a party, but somehow a real life party for a written word entity was a bit ... odd. What would we do... sit around texting each other witty comments or take photos and think of great ways we could blog about it later?
I considered simply thanking the nation for throwing such an incredible party for my achievement today with fireworks that have been going on for over three hours now!
And then I was shown the way.
Cooper began to read a new book. He was enjoying the book. He took it with him to lunch, in the car as we ran errands,
"Normally that would be a great idea, BUT I know exactly where I am. The next page is the 100 page anniversary of the book and me!!"
? Anniversary?
"Well, yes, when you reach the 100th page of a good book it's worth celebrating."
?So, how do you celebrate?
(with a mischievous grin), "I'd love to celebrate it with a bowl of ice cream... or some popcorn...."
?Is that the usual way for celebrating a 100 page anniversary?
"Of course not, but it would sure be a great new tradition!! Don't you think? (*sigh), No the celebration ends at the end of the 100th page and then you get to keep reading a great book! "
And so, there it is. The celebration isn't the important thing really. It's worth noting, much the way reaching a milestone birthday is worth noticing, celebrating even, the way a graduation is worth mentioning.... but it's not the end, not the finish line, nor the jumping off point like a wedding or first day of a new endeavor. It's just good to know, something to smile about, to appreciate having reached it, and feel a sense of accomplishment for..
and then....
to continue.....
Headlines from the backyard
Cooper was asked to take the compost out for the chickens and collect the eggs. He was only too excited to comply. Moments after he went out back to carry out his task he returned to the back door.
"Sad news in the back yard Nova. You have an intruder cat!"
Then he left again.
Only a few minutes later..
"Sad news today. Your chickens are wanting to keep their eggs warm. So no eggs for you today."
After he had returned to the house I noticed that the chickens were literally hopping. The compost had been dumped on top of the netting over their run, rather than in the compost box. They were desperately jumping at the food they could see just out of their reach. I made Cooper watch the struggling chickens for a few minutes and then asked him what we should do.
"I'll get Miles. He's an expert with the chickens."
Indeed he must be. Within minutes the two of them had moved the netting and restored order to the coop.
Cooperisms are a perk of having Cooper visit.
"Sad news in the back yard Nova. You have an intruder cat!"
Then he left again.
Only a few minutes later..
"Sad news today. Your chickens are wanting to keep their eggs warm. So no eggs for you today."
After he had returned to the house I noticed that the chickens were literally hopping. The compost had been dumped on top of the netting over their run, rather than in the compost box. They were desperately jumping at the food they could see just out of their reach. I made Cooper watch the struggling chickens for a few minutes and then asked him what we should do.
"I'll get Miles. He's an expert with the chickens."
Indeed he must be. Within minutes the two of them had moved the netting and restored order to the coop.
Cooperisms are a perk of having Cooper visit.
Marshmallow Fungus
I always seem to come away from the ranch with a great new recipe or two. This trip was no exception. Incredible homemade cream of mushroom soup.
Since we arrived home Saturday night to an empty fridge I sent Patrick to the grocery store with a shopping list which included the ingredients I would need to recreate this incredible soup for Sunday dinner.
Although my first attempt wasn't as good as the ranch, I was still willing to slurp down three bowls. There were 8 children to please though. Knowing the opinion of some of the children when it comes to mushrooms and onions I took the chance while they were eating to ask what they thought of the soup. Unanimous positive feedback!! So I asked what they thought was in it. Cooper was the only one willing to wager a guess.
C- "I know that there are melted marshmallows, but I'm not sure what the yummy brown things are."
Me- "Do you like mushrooms?"
C- "yuck" (with a scrunched up face)
Me - "I thought so. The recipe said put in mushrooms but I only used fungus."
C- "So it's marshmallow fungus soup. I never knew I liked that. It's pretty good."
Since we arrived home Saturday night to an empty fridge I sent Patrick to the grocery store with a shopping list which included the ingredients I would need to recreate this incredible soup for Sunday dinner.
Although my first attempt wasn't as good as the ranch, I was still willing to slurp down three bowls. There were 8 children to please though. Knowing the opinion of some of the children when it comes to mushrooms and onions I took the chance while they were eating to ask what they thought of the soup. Unanimous positive feedback!! So I asked what they thought was in it. Cooper was the only one willing to wager a guess.
C- "I know that there are melted marshmallows, but I'm not sure what the yummy brown things are."
Me- "Do you like mushrooms?"
C- "yuck" (with a scrunched up face)
Me - "I thought so. The recipe said put in mushrooms but I only used fungus."
C- "So it's marshmallow fungus soup. I never knew I liked that. It's pretty good."
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