Fourth Birthday Letter

Dear Cooper,

You are such a big boy! Four years old! You are so proud of being four. We celebrated you last week in typical Coop style....lots of green, ninja turtles, cake, sprite, and friends. This year you have really started to love having friends. You come home from school talking about Reese and Witt, and you love your buddy Silas. You are going on play dates without mama, wearing belts and tucking your shirt in, talking like a little adult, and wearing your hair short like a big boy. You have grown up in a flash.

You are still our FULL of personality little guy....funny faces, crazy noises, goofy grins, mismatched clothes and socks. You think outside the box, normalcy isn't even on your radar. I love that about you. I always say you march the beat of your own drum. That confidence is going to take you places, Coop!

You are snuggly, affectionate, and a very joyful child. One of your best qualities is your ability to give and share. Every time one of your friends comes over, you try and send them home with one of your favorite toys! And you are almost always willing to trade pajamas with Carter or legos or whatever it is he asks you to trade him. You really have such a sweet spirit.

Not only are you sweet, but you are strong. When you make up your mind about something, it is going to take hell and high water to change it! Talk about a challenge to your parents! Ha! We love your strength and your determination, and we are learning how to channel it and teach you submission and obedience. You've come so far! I am starting to see your toddler tantrums slowly dissipate into joyful obedience. It has been such a blessing to watch you grow and mature and learn. 

Some of mine and Dada's best laughs have come from your mispronunciations and misuse of vocabulary. You have had us giggle for over two years now. For example, we were praying several nights ago, and you said, "Thank you God that Dada paid for us to go to Chuckle Cheese." And then a few days later, you were getting off the trampoline and the zipper pulled your hair, and you said, "Ouch! The trampoline just scribbled my head!" Hahaha! Oh Coop, we love you so! 

You are our Dennis the Menace with your absolutely adorable cow lick and michievious, "into everything" personality. Not a day goes by where I don't find you into something...whether it be playing in the bathroom sink filled with water, trying to cook your own food, changing clothes 800 times, digging through drawers, or sticking legos in every nook and cranny in this house. You are always up to something. 

I love how you cheer for us while we play Mario, how you ask for things you want with a huge grin in hopes of increasing your chances of getting it, how you talk with a British accent :), how you giggle from the back of your throat when tickled, how you stick your lips out when you don't get your way, how you love anybody and everybody that crosses your path, how you steal the show without even trying everywhere you go, how you love Molly the cat like she's a sibling, how you tell me at night that you think I'm the bomb, how you watch out for you sister, and so many more things.

You love ninja turtles, legos, milk, sweets of any kind, PAJAMAS!!!(you live in them), Sonic the hedgehog, your friend Mrs. Meg, your Buzz blanket and Mario sheets, the trampoline and your tractor, Jake and the Pirates, and Batman.

Coop, you are an excited, loving, wild, happy, defiant, sweet, funny, michevious, incredibly charming four year old.

You have been more of a blessing than I ever imagined a child could be. I can't imagine life without my Coo Coo. You are a joy, sweet boy, and I'm so thankful I get to be your mama.

I love you.

Love,

Mama

Here is a look back at your year:

Ninja Turtle Explosion!

 

Saturday was Coop's BIG DAY! And boy oh boy was it ever a big day! I went the Cloud 9 route this year. GREAT decision. I showed up with a cake, some sprite, and the favors, and that was it!  I had my dad go pick up some pizzas, and we called it a party! Oh and my sweet friend made me a CD of the ninja turtle theme song, so we had that playing over the surround sound. Hahaha! I told you it was a ninja turtle explosion!

All of his little buddies came from school and Sunday school, and he felt like king of the world. They jumped and jumped and played and got all sugared up, and it was pure four year old boy bliss. Such a special day for my little guy. So thankful for four years of Coo Coo!

 

I stole this party favor idea from a blog, and it was a hit. Each kid left with a personalized pizza box full of goodies. Thanks, Chilis, for all the boxes. Whoop!

I bought him this costume because he wanted to wear it to the party, and he shed that thing in less than five minutes upon getting there. Coop!!!! He said it was bugging him, and clearly he had way too much jumping to do to be hindered by a Leonardo costume.

BB was on Emerson duty. And BB is all Emerson wanted anyway, so it worked out like it always does.

 

 

XOXO

 He loves a good tonsil shot.

How appropriate is it that the party room was an obnoxious shade of ninja turtle green? Ha! I mean an awful color green. But oh so perfect. Should have had his tacky Hulk party last year in the very same room!

Four years old!

Notice Caroline next to Coop. Those two are big buddies! She calls him "Cewp" and she even wore her ninja turtle shirt for his party. I mean does it get any cuter? Could eat that Cliney up! 

Presents!!!!

Loved celebrating my Coop and his fantastic four years of life. What a kid! I think I'll keep him :) Until the next tacky green party.... :)