Lucky #7

 I may be little but I'm big inside.

Limited height with gargantuan pride.

Trustworthy, honest, I've never lied.

Dependable as the morning tide.

Who are they with their shameless gall?

Condemning my size, my like of tall?

Insensitive people rejecting the small.

Short people ain't got nobody at all.

Mount Saint Helens exploded exciting the West.

Mammoth Columbia survived the test.

Powerful Niagara continues to crest.

Is taller and bigger and swifter best?

The tiny atom must not be ignored.

The pin is mightier than the sword.

Minuteness is not to be abhorred.

Little folks, too, are the work of the Lord.

I shall live on.

My tears have dried.

My heart and my soul are massive and wide.

I'm secure at peace, I can't be denied...

I may be little but I'm big inside!

One of my gym teachers gave me this poem in junior high school and I still remember every single word of it.  I was always the smallest in my class but it normally didn't slow me down.  I've always been very competitive and did my best to not let my size be a factor.  I can't help but think of this poem when I see Cooper.

He's just like me in a lot of ways...he's the smallest boy in his class and is usually only taller than one or two girls but he's by far and away the fastest:).  He is deceiving in his appearance in that he doesn't look like he would be able to pack the punch that he does.  Cooper is a happy, loving, shy, silly, smart, and picky little boy.  I think his eating habits are getting worse each day as he keeps becoming pickier and pickier, which doesn't even seem possible!  He is very shy initially when meeting people but then warms up and is quite social and usually the life of the party.  He likes school and does well but is scared to death of doing something wrong!  That one hits close to home for me as well:).  He loves sports and is a natural at everything he's done so far.  I'd say his favorites of the moment are soccer, tennis, and baseball.  He is probably the most loving of all of his brothers and still loves hugs and kisses, being carried up to bed (don't tell him I told you so!), and snuggling with me or Jamey.  He's patient with his brothers and friends and makes us laugh and smile each and every day!

Coop's birthday was on a Friday so we took him lunch and cupcakes to school and then celebrated that night by going the Mexican, his favorite choice!  The next day he had a soccer game and then his party at the bowling alley with lots of friends and family.  Everyone had a great time and he was showered with more toys and Lego's than we know what to do with!  Happy Birthday to my one and only Cooper!

 

Soccer Time

All three boys are able to play soccer this year for the very first time.  I'm so glad Hudson has a chance to participate for a change rather than being a sideline spectator as he is to so many of their sports.  Carter loves the soccer "gear" and had to have all the best stuff to up his game.  His first game he played really tentative and seemed more intimidated than I thought he would but after a few pep talks his aggressive side has come out and he was able to score in his last game, which was definitely his highlight of the season thus far!

Cooper is a natural and speeds all over the place chasing the ball, whether he's in position or not!  He's aggressive and loves to score and has been lucky enough to score in almost every game so far.  He hates when they put him on defense and dreads the day he's goalie because then he definitely can't score according to him.

Hudson had his first game last Saturday and has a super cute little team and a really nice coach.  He did great and was mostly smiles, waves, and giggles but I was so proud of him for listening and trying to do what the coach said.  Once it was game time, Hudson took on a different approach and was a little confused as to whether he was playing football or soccer!  His little elbows were flying every which way and he tackled one little boy on his team!  We had a good talk after the game about contact and it sounds like he was much better the next game thankfully!

School Daze

After our beach trip and the end of summer sports for the most part, we had a challenging few weeks refereeing and entertaining three full of energy boys!  The start of school was long awaited and highly anticipated by the adults in our household but not so much by the kids!  Carter starts 3rd grade, Cooper starts 1st and Hudson goes to preschool three days per week in the 3's class this year.  The big boys both have new teachers that both seem very sweet so we will see how it goes!  Carter is sad because he only has one friend in his class but I'm thinking that will be a good thing for him academically:).  Cooper has two friends so far and acts as though things are going great.  Hudson started today but said his teachers are really nice and he has a few sweet friends from last year too.  We are hoping for a fun and positive year for all three of these little rascals!

Cooper's last year of t-ball (hooray for him as he hates hitting off a tee!) has come to an end!  He is a great player in a little package!  He's by far the fastest little guy on his team, despite being a head shorter than most of the kids and he's got an arm that makes lots of spectators do a double take:).  It's been fun to watch him really take to something and to be complimented as much as he has.  In typical Cooper fashion, he just keeps quiet, listens to his coach, and is the first one in the dugout after fielding and the first one on the field ready to go after batting.  He loves to get on base and run but his favorite part is definitely getting runners out!  It's been a fun season but soccer here he comes!

first baseman #9

 I wish I had this on video...the ball was hit almost directly to the 2nd baseman and Coop was running from 1st to 2nd.  Once he realized just how close the ball was he ran faster than we've ever seen and made it safely to 2nd just in time!  He definitely had proud coaches and parents for sprinting his tail off and staying on the base after running so hard!