Dinosaur Rex and the Easter Bunny

Aren't I the cutest thing?  I'm 27 months old now and such a big boy.  I say the funniest things.  My newest expression is "I'm good," as in, "Cooper do you need to go potty?"  "No, I'm good."  "Cooper are you tired?" "No, I'm good."  I also say silly things like "That's gross," "Mommy stop singing," "No talking," and "I need ice cream."  I still love singing and dancing, and now know all the words to ABC's, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, BaaBaa Black Sheep, Row Your Boat, I'm a Little Teapot, and many other childhood favorite songs.  I can count to fourteen and I'm learning my colors, slowly but surely.  I also know that Mommy and Daddy work at the hospital.  Mommy asked me what doctors do at the hospital and I told her "No monkeys jumping on the bed!"

I like to watch and play basketball.  For March Madness, I put on all my Louisville gear and cheered really hard for the Cards.  See my L?  Kentucky basketball wasn't much to watch, but mommy already taught me how to say Coach Calipari. 

I'm such a ham.

If you ask me what I want to eat, it is usually ice cream, cookies, juice, oranges, or pizza.  Daddy and I made our own pizza one night (out of a box.)

My buddy Avram had his second birthday party this month at a gym.  It was really fun.

There were all these soft mats to run and jump on.  This was the face I made most of the day.  People really thought I was crazy.

This is my friend Kaya.

Eating pizza.

Am I not supposed to bonk Kaya in the head with my balloon?

I'm pretty grown up for a two year old.  I've got this potty training thing down and wake up in the morning more nights than not with a dry diaper.  Keeping me asleep all night is another thing that I'm not so good at.  I've never been a great sleeper, but I like to wake up at least once a night just for fun.  Mommy and Daddy started a sticker chart with me for nights that I stay sleeping.  I know that I have to sleep all night long to get a sticker and that I can't wake up until the sun comes up.  If I get a certain amount of stickers, I'll get a special present, like new cars, or this tattoo!

While the beginning of March brought a lot of snow, the end has shown us a few sixty degree days.  I've ventured out to the local playground recently without a coat.  This year, I'm big enough to climb the rock wall and to go down the slide head first.

Mommy's birthday was in April and when she got home from a long day in the ER, Daddy and I surprised her with cupcakes that we made ourselves.  Happy birthday to you mommy!

Mimi came in to see me too and help wish Mommy a happy day.  I think Mimi lives at the airport.

While cars are my first love, these days dinosaurs are a close second.  I'm learning all about them.  Mimi and Mommy took me to the science museum to see the dinosaur exhibit.  I can correctly say and identify Tyranosaurus Rex (though I call him dinosaur rex), Stegosaurus, and Triceritops.  Not too bad for a two year old!

There was a man at the museum who taught us about bubbles.  He made a bubble appear on my hand!

There was an area where I could be an archeologist and clean off the fossils.  I love to clean, so this was right up my alley.

I'd been preparing for Easter for the last few weeks.  I made bunny ears at Johanna's house (thanks for this picture!) and wore them with Kaya and Avram.  I wore them the rest of the day!

I wore bunny ears with Daddy too!

Then on Easter morning before anyone woke up, Mommy caught me on the kitchen table finding my Easter basket.  The Easter Bunny left me some Lightning underwear, socks, dinosaur book, and dinosaur toys.  Strangely, I liked the underwear most!

Even though we'd had some warmer days, Easter Day was not one of them.  It was in the 30's.  While many of our friends took pictures in front of their blooming trees and flowers, we only had little sticks and dead plants to pose in front of.  Spring has not yet sprung in Boston.  Daffodils are just beginning to bloom.   We headed out to church on Easter morning to see Baby Jesus.  (Every statue I see is Baby Jesus).

We're pretending to be warm as we stand in front of the house.

After church, it seemed that the Easter Bunny came yet again to my house and hid Easter eggs.  I was really good at finding them and putting them in the basket.  The dog we were dog sitting for the weekend pointed them all out to me.

When I opened up the eggs, I found jelly beans and M&Ms.  What a treat.

All this sugar and chocolate made me feel so happy!  We hope you are doing well and we're looking forward to warmer weather soon.  

Kissing Cousins

Hey everybody!  It's me again with a monthly post a little earlier than usual.  So much has happened in the short time since the last blog (plus Mommy and Daddy got a new camera) that I couldn't wait to share it with you all.  I'm twenty-six months old now, as of yesterday.  Everyday I come up with a new expression that makes people laugh.  Just yesterday it was "Uh oh spaghetti o's."  (Check out my curls!!!)

Mardi Gras came and went.  While there were no fancy parades up this way, a little cheer from Jane and Mary Thomas Kute made its way to my house...beads and Moon Pies, can't beat that!  (Excuse my hat hair.)

The big snow finally melted, we had a couple of sixty degree days, and then this...  the snow returned.

I made some pretty cool snow angels though.

The snow came back just in time to greet the North Carolina Boltons.  There was this much snow the last time they were here too.  Gigi and Bubba brought Aunt Lauren and Cousin Samantha here to visit.  It was Samantha's first plane ride, and only the second time I had ever met her.

Samantha is 14 months old.  We were best buddies immediately.

I gave her all the hugs and kisses she could handle, and then a few extras.  

I've got her in a love stranglehold.

She liked playing with my old toys.

I couldn't just let her hang around the house.  No, I had to show her the town.  Our first stop was the indoor play place.  We could run around and blow off steam.  I showed her the ropes.

We played all sorts of fun games back at home too like ring around the roseys (or ashes ashes all fall down as I call it) and flying on Gigi and Bubba's feet!

Our next stop was a trip downtown.  We walked around and explored little Italy and Quincy's Market.

I even found Cooper Street on the way.  The sidewalks in little Italy are very small and sometimes Bubba would venture out into the street to walk.  Being the enforcer of the rules, I informed him every time he stepped into the street, "Bubba, sidewalk please.  Sidewalk please.  Watch out!"

We stopped in a little pizza place for lunch.  Yummy!

I was pretty good about sharing most things with Samantha, but there were a few things a wouldn't share:  my baby doll and my Mommy's lap.  

Samantha is still a baby and she has a lot to learn.  I have a lot to teach, starting with my killer dance moves!  One night we had a naked baby dancing party.  I was a crazy animal.

Look at me go.

While Samantha doesn't have moves like I do yet, I did manage to teach her how to play Ring Around the Rosey.  With her, it was easy: I just pulled her around in circles, pulled her down on the ground, and yanked her back up at the appropriate times.

More kissing cousins.

I am using my imagination more and more.  In fact, I have a little imaginary dog that I carry in my pocket.  Here, I'm imagining that Mommy and Lauren are boats and I'm the captain.  Weeee!

Samantha enjoyed the big car I got for Christmas.  Our house makes a circle, so it was fun to push her around.

We even got to ride in it together.

Hey!  What is she doing in here?  "Cooper's turn.  Mantha get out!"

One last baby dance party before it was time to say goodbye.

And one last turn on the sit and spin...not really designed for two babies at once.

Six days after the foot of snow fell, sixty degree weather returned again, so we went outside with just our light jackets.  I pulled out my old lawnmower from last summer and showed Samantha how to run up and down the sidewalks,

Chasing Mommy and running over her toes.

With nice weather and someone else to hold the camera, we could finally get a decent picture of the three of us.  Cheese!

With built in babysitters, Mommy and Daddy had a chance to get much needed haircuts.  Don't they look pretty?

The whole Bolton clan, minus Mommy of course.  Somebody's gotta take the picture.

Gigi, Bubba, Lauren, and Samantha went back on the airplane "up a sky" to North Carolina.  I miss them a lot and hope they come back soon.  

As for the weather, two days after the sixty degree loveliness, two more inches of snow fell.  Boston is crazy!

Video Extravaganza

The North Carolina Bolton clan made a visit up to us in Boston this weekend.  Cooper was in show off mode and there were several "dance parties" throughout the weekend.  This is Cooper at his finest, and yes, he is always this silly and always this wiggly.  :) 

Cooper and his favorite animals

Baa baa black sheep, Cooper style

Ring around the rosey with Samantha