"I BIG!"

Yesterday was the day, Cooper is now in a big bed. And I mean big! I'm not a believer in the toddler bed, it's just one more thing to buy, store and transition out of. Now, if you are reading this and have a toddler bed, I'm not judging you! I'm just too black and white for an in-between bed. That's my flaw, not yours!

So, Cooper gets the only other bed we have...a queen! He loves it! We set it up yesterday morning and he just laid on it for about 20 minutes, soaking it all in. I left him laying there and walked out in the hall to fold some blankets. After a few minutes he yelled out into the hallway, "MOM! I BIG!" I think he was laying in there revelling in the fact that he is such a big boy!

A LOT MORE OF THE SAME!

There are some things that never change....such as the landscape of this winter. Thursday, we rode bikes outside in hoodies. Today, we woke up to 6 inches of snow, shown in the first picture. The second picture is the snow we woke up to on October 10th. That makes 5 months of snow, which makes for an very restless Handsaker House!

"MY DODDY!"

Cooper has become Dave's shadow. So much so, that Dave doesn't always realize he's being followed. Today Dave stopped at home for 2 minutes to pick something up before he was out the door again. As he walked through the house, he didn't realize that Cooper had gotten his coat and was following him, fully expecting to go with Dave. As Daddy kissed Layla good-bye, so did Cooper. As Daddy came to me for a good-bye kiss, so did Cooper.

Here are pictures of the heartbroken little boy who cried, no screamed, for 20 minutes after "doddy" left without him. It started with whimpers by the window and ended with him in a sobbing heap of tears by the back door screaming, "MY DODDY! MY DODDY"

There's Nobuddy Like a Brother

We are experienceing a very happy time in the Handsaker House. Layla and Cooper are in complete harmony. Shhhhh, I don't want to hear this won't last...that this is a phase. I am choosing to live in complete ignorance.

Instead of saying, "mom" every two seconds, Cooper is now saying "Lal" every two seconds. And she LOVES it! Finally, her brother that returns hair pulling for her kisses and biting for her hugs seems to have grown a sensitive bone. His new nickname for Layla (Lal) is music to her ears! They have always been best buds, primarily because Layla is quick to forgive and find the best in people. But these days, Cooper wants to be with her, sit with her and do everything she does.

He is now pedaling his own trike and drinking out of cups with no lids. He also gave her a very long kiss good night the other night. I mean two hands on her shoulders, holding her close. It was far too long of a kiss for a brother to give a sister. When she could finally pull away Layla said, "Geez, I guess he thought I was his wife."

Mama Faye's

After I left the Holles Women weekend in DSM on Sunday, I headed home, packed up the kids and rode with Mama Faye back to Spirit Lake for Layla's Spring break. There is nothing quite like Mama Faye's house. The kids go crazy with oodles of love, attention and the freedom of Grandma's house! They stayed up late, ate lots of treats and Layla got to wear dress-up clothes EVERYWHERE! We took the kids to the local fishery, where we got to see all kinds of wildlife, including snakes! Which I gladly petted so my kids would follow suite. And, they did, so it wasn't in vain. Although I did freak a little when one of the snakes started wrapping itself around my arm.

The kids had a great time riding the little battery powered gator and tractor and all of the bikes my parents have. We even took a walk with them riding their bikes alongside us. Their little legs lasted the whole time. And, when it was too cold to be outside, we frequented Wal-Mart, local coffee shops and the Burger King with the indoor play area. Cooper wasn't sure about going through all of the tunnels to make it to the biggest slide, but once he decided to be brave and try it, there was no stopping him.

Holles Women

It's been a busy and FUN last 7 days. Although I do work one day a week, I always consider myself a stay-at-home mom. So, when the opportunity arises for me to have a change in environment, I take it! In the last 7 days, I've been home 2 hours. It all started last weekend with the first annual Holles Women Weekend. This was a great time of shopping, talking and fun with the adult women on my mom's side. These are amazing women that I have always felt a strong bond to. I so enjoyed the stories from my mom and aunt's childhood, learning more about my grandparent's early years and catching up on everyone's lives. As I listened to these women talk, I was struck by how amazingly talented they all are. I'm so blessed that my favorite women on this earth are also my family.

Ladies, all I have to say is....strange man at the door, troll in the closet and postage stamp!

Man in Training

The other day Layla asked me why boys take their naps on the couch while watching basketball or football. By "boys" I was sure she was referring to her daddy. Every Saturday and Sunday afternoon you will find Dave on the couch in the basement, with sports on the TV, napping away. But, apparently, this isn't just a Dave thing. Here is how I found Cooper Saturday afternoon. On the couch in the basement, with college basketball on the TV, napping away.