Cooper is a sweetheart

We've been sick for the past few days, except Andy. On Saturday, I
went to the shopping plaza to run a few errands and took Cooper with me. On our way, Cooper says to me, "Daddy, can we get mommy some flowers? I think it will make her happy."

I told him it was a good idea. So we went to pick up dinner. "After this we will go get the flowers for mommy, right?" Cooper says.

"Nope, next is the grocery store."

We get the groceries and go to the flower shop. Cooper strolls right in, glances around for a few seconds, and points to a bundle of bright yellow flowers and says, "That's a good one."

He paid for the flowers and we headed home. Cooper kept a careful hold of the flowers the whole time. He kept saying, "Do you think momma will like them?" and "Will this make her happy?"

When we got home and I told Sarah that the flowers were, in fact, completely Cooper's initiative, she was quite touched.

At 4 years old Cooper is a sweetheart.

Phrases never before said

As a parent you sometimes find yourself saying things you never thought you'd say to another human being. For example, today my wife actually admonished my son with the following words: "Don't put Thomas up your butt." As in Thomas the Train. Don't quite know how to follow that.

Cooper's Preference

We have just returned from a two and a half week trip to the US to visit our closest friends and family. It was busy, intense, enjoyable, and full of memory moments. One of the funniest occurred during our 7 hour delay at JFK airport:

After the 4th announcement that our flight would again be delayed Sarah and I decided it would be worth it to rent a car and simply drive down to our destination (Maryland) instead of facing longer indefinite delays. At about 11pm we took an airport train to the terminal where the car rental places were. We were tired, our kids were tired, and we were all struggling with rolling grumpiness.

When we got to the car rental area we found that we were not the only ones with the idea of renting a car in the face of everlasting delays. Without an existing reservation there were no cars available to be rented anywhere.

Defeated, resigned, and with simmering frustration we got back on the airport train to go back to our gate and wait for the delays to finally be over.

Up to that moment neither of our children had been doing things that I would say bring me joy as a parent. But then, in that dark hour (literally) Cooper chirped up and announced, “I like this train. It smells like french fries!”

He was absolutely right. Somewhere on that train was someone with a fresh, piping bag of McDonalds food.

Sarah and I experienced our first smile in a few hours, and agreed, “Yes, Cooper, this train does smell like french fries.”

Bribery

The other day I was putting Cooper in bed. I don't remember if it was because it was nap time, or because he had done something wrong. In any case, though, it was daytime and I was putting him in his bed.

He did the usual pleading to not put him in bed, to let him out and play, etc, etc.

When it became obvious to him that I wasn't going to budge and that he WAS going to bed he stopped and, suddenly reaching for his pocket says, "Wait, I have money!" (a coin he had picked up during the morning)

I was already on my way out the door at that point, but I had the disctinct impression that my 3 year old was trying to bribe me.

Don't quite hardly know what to think about that.

Prayers

I just wanted to make a record here of a nice milestone.

We have always had family prayers with out 2 boys. We encourage them to kneel properly, fold their arms, remain quiet, and say 'amen' at the end.

For quite a few months now, Andy has been following Cooper's example and saying his own prayers (with help). Sarah or I will whisper into his ear and he will repeat what we tell him. He is getting better and better at it.

Cooper, on the other hand, is saying his own prayers, but by himself. It usually starts with him being thankful for his family, then our Heavenly Father gets a grand rundown of the day's events. Super important stuff.

Third and Fourth Genders

Sarah and I have been trying to help Cooper recognize the difference between boy and girl lately. In doing so, Cooper has now identified additional genders. Yes, that's right, there is more than just 'boy' and 'girl.' The other day we had a conversation that proceeded as follows:

Mom: "Cooper, are you a boy or a girl?"

Cooper: "um, girl"

Mom: "Nope, you are a boy. Mommy is a girl"

Dad: "Cooper, am I a boy?"

Cooper: "No"

Dad: "Hmm. Am I a girl?"

Cooper: "No. You're old"


Yes, I have transmorphed into that gender that gets us all over time, old.

Not content with just one extra gender, however, yesterday Cooper identified yet another. The conversation went like this:

Mom: "Cooper, are you a boy or a girl?"

Cooper: "A girl"

Mom: "No Cooper, you're a boy. Mommy is a girl"

Cooper: "No, you're a friend"


I think that's how we should introduce each other from now on.

"Hi, nice to meet you. This is my wife, Sarah. Since we've had kids we aren't male and female any more. Sarah's a friend, and I'm old."

Hong Kong scots

A couple of weeks ago I saw something that goes up there on the list of things I never thought I’d ever see.

I was walking toward an escalator on my way to work, and just as I rounded a corner I saw four chinese men playing the bagpipes. Yes, that’s scottish bagpipes. They were actually playing quite well, but to complete the ambiance of the thing they were also wearing full scottish regalia.

Let me attempt to paint the picture for you, since most of it is a sight you have no doubt seen before, at the very least on television.

Imagine the unique and unmistakeable sound of bagpipe music whistling oddly through the Hong Kong air. Turn a corner, and there are the bagpipes in question held by four men in full, thick kilts in bold scottish reds, greens, and browns, knee-high bleach white socks, and scottish hats. Peer at the faces looking for the peach-white freckled faces and blonde hair of scottish highlanders, and, nope, there are the brown almond eyes, black hair and tannish skin of four smaller-stature chinese men struggling with bagpipes almost as large as they are.

I don’t know how they managed to do it, but they did play pretty well.

Definitely something I’ve never seen before in my life. And a good chance it will stay in my memory for quite awhile.