It's Peanut Butter Jelly Time!

Cooper's favorite sandwich is Peanut Butter and Honey. So, I will often sing him the "peanut butter jelly" song while I fix him his sandwich...I just replace the word jelly with honey.

His response to me: "Stop. Stop, Mommy. I don't like that."

Yesterday I decided to show Cooper that this was a real song, not just me being crazy or silly. So, we looked it up on YouTube. As soon as the first "peanut butter jelly time" line was through, he was bouncing up and down on the couch. Like a boss.

We proceeded to dance to this song about 5 times and the cupid shuffle (which he did correctly!!) when I finally wised up and decided to shoot video of him dancing to it.

Isn't this the pinnacle of parenting? I can pretty much hang my hat now, right? #kidding

My favorite parts of the video:

• his swing sound he makes when he swings the bat
• how he shakes his head to "there he go"
• the way he moves his hands to "break it down and freeze"

I can now report to you that he doesn't get annoyed when I sing this. Success.

I can also report that this song will now be in your head the rest of the day. You're welcome.

belong.

I was tucking my sweet boy in bed. Giving him lots of love, reviewing the day's events. At the beginning of the summer it was revealed to me how I need to tell Cooper that he was important. So, the bed-time conversation went like this:

Me: "You are important."
Coop: "No."
Me: "Yes. You are very important."
Coop: "No, I don't belong to you."
Me: "Who do you belong to?"
Coop: "Florida!" (apparently he misses that state)

I laughed my way down the stairs considering this sweet conversation. As I picked up crumbs from dinner, I pondered it more. I find it amazing that a three year old associated the work important with belonging. In his brain important and belonging were one in the same.

And so, that night after I tucked Cooper into bed, I prayed, "God, show me ways I can show Cooper he is important. Show me how I can help him realize he belongs to me, but most importantly, You." I've prayed this over and over the past couple of weeks. Here's what God has shown me.

Early in our marriage I realized how our home is a huge opportunity to make others feel like they belong. My prayer when I have people at my house is: "Let them know they are loved. Let them know they are important. Let them know this is a safe place. Let them see God." My hope is that I can somehow point them to God, knowing they belong in His family. In our (almost) 7 years of marriage we have hosted family, friends, students, co-workers, and neighbors. When they are in our home, I try my best to show them they belong by:

• a smile
• some yummy food
• good conversation (hopefully!)
• fun
• a hug
• acceptance despite faults

Each one of those things is something that God has provided us to let us know how important we are to him. He gives each one of those things to us. Don't believe me? Here's some scripture to back me up.

• A smile. 
• Psalm 85: 1 "God, you smiled on your good earth." 
• Many times I picture God smiling down on us. When he sees us doing what is right and loving others, he smiles. He smiles on us with his whole being. How amazing to see that smile in person one day!
• Some yummy food.  
• John 6:30-37: They waffled: "Why don't you give us a clue about who you are, just a hint of what's going on? When we see what's up, we'll commit ourselves. Show us what you can do. Moses fed our ancestors with bread in the desert. It says so in the Scriptures: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"  Jesus responded, "The real significance of that Scripture is not that Moses gave you bread from heaven but that my Father is right now offering you bread from heaven, the real bread. The Bread of God came down out of heaven and is giving life to the world." They jumped at that: "Master, give us this bread, now and forever!" Jesus said, "I am the Bread of Life. The person who aligns with me hungers no more and thirsts no more, ever. I have told you this explicitly because even though you have seen me in action, you don't really believe me. Every person the Father gives me eventually comes running to me. And once that person is with me, I hold on and don't let go."
• I love this! Jesus is our bread. He is our bread that will satisfy us forever. And did you catch that last part? Once we are with him, he holds on and doesn't let go. We belong.
• Good conversation.
• Luke 11: 1-4 - One day he was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said, 'Master, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.' So he said, "When you pray, say 'Father, reveal who you are. Set the world right. Keep us alive with three square meals. Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others. Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.'
• Prayer is our conversation with God. We are to go to him with praise, thanksgiving, our fears, our excitements, our anger, our joy, the things we need help with. It's the greatest conversation. This passage continues on about how we are to continue asking God for things, continue talking. Other scripture reminds us to pray all the time. Continuously. Constant conversation with our Father.
• Fun.
• John 10:10 - I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.
• This life is not meant to be so serious. Jesus came to give us life! Ecclesiastes tells us to enjoy our life. Do the things that make us happy. I often think about Jesus and his disciples sitting around playing games. I think they did lots of they could to have some fun and laugh.
• A hug.
• Psalm 9:9-10 - God's a safe-house for the battered, a sanctuary during bad times. The moment you arrive, you relax; you're never sorry you knocked.
• Hugs make you feel safe. They let you know you're loved. When I greet people, I often hug them. When they arrive I want them to relax, never sorry they knocked on my door. God often gives us hugs. He keeps us safe. He protects us, he shades us. He is our hug.
• Acceptance despite faults.
• Psalm 85: 7 - Show us how much you love us, God! Give us the salvation we need!
• God showed us his love when he gave us salvation. Despite our faults, God chose to love us and give is a way. No matter what I've done or will do, salvation is the love I needed. God has accepted me, given me hope, despite my faults.

So, I think God has answered my prayer. The way I can show Cooper that he belongs to God is to smile, give him hugs, offer him yummy food, have good conversation with him, and accept/love him despite his faults.

How do you show your children that they are important - not only to you, but to God?

Cannonball

One of my new favorite things is watching Cooper do a cannonball.  I've made a list of reasons why.

1) The way he says "cannonball" before jumping.
2) The way he puts his hands up in the air before jumping, like he's getting ready to dive.
3) They way his form is nothing like a cannonball.

Enjoy these videos.

Love it. Love him.

daddy in heaven

Last summer I froze some fresh corn. It was a huge hit. every time I made it. I only made nine so we ate them sparingly throughout the year.

This year I froze some more corn...more than double! I have been freezing stuff with my friend and her family. When we were making the corn I was telling everyone about how much everyone loved the corn. I said that every time we had it, Andrew was in heaven. 

Cooper pondered my phrase and after a couple of seconds, with the most serious and confused face responded with:

"Daddy went to heaven?"

Since my grandfather's passing this January we've had a lot of death and heaven talks with Cooper. A concept so hard to understand. He knows heaven is where you go when you die. He was so concerned and confused about his daddy being in heaven! I had to explain it was a figure of speech. Which I'm pretty sure was a speech he understood nothing of. I just had to assure him daddy had never been to heaven.

I think I'm going to have to start making a Cooper-ism section on here. He is saying some awesome stuff lately!

abbreviate

I realized recently that Cooper likes to shorten his words.

We saw Monsters University...monkey, too! Cooper cried in a few parts, but told us he liked it when we left.

Monkey = Monk.
Pajamas = Jams
Yoshi = Yosh
Mushroom = Mush
The Ninja Turtles are Leo, Mikey, Donnie and Raph

Love to watch him sleep. This day he chose our bed as the best spot for a nap.

My new favorite was heard a few nights ago when he was done pooping and needed to be wiped. He usually yells, "Mom, I'm done!" That night it was different. From the other room I heard "Mom, I went pot."

Now we can add to the list.
Potty = Pot

Do you or your kids abbreviate anything?

He rode his bike to the playground at the school close to us. We played Mario with the rubber pieces on the ground.