About our 3 year old

So, what's there to say about our new 3 year old?

About School: Cooper recently transitioned to a new room where there are mostly 3 year olds. We need to remember this fact when he is having meltdowns about one thing or another. Transitions are tough. He doesn't like parting with Mommy in the morning, but by the time I pick him up in the afternoon, he is very happy to be there. He needed the increased activity, curriculum, more mature friends. Since he turned 3 and wanted to wear backwards underwear he has had only 2 accidents in 10 whole days at school. That seems pretty remarkable! He likes to go to school dressed up in some way always accessorizing with something--sunglasses, magnifying glass around the neck, garden gloves, utility worker's vest--you get the picture.

About food: He has many likes: practically any fruit, yogurt, toast with honey, french toast, white rice or any other kind of rice, chicken, broccoli, cauliflower, onion rings and many others. He will eat spicy foods and not bat an eye--he might ask for some water--but it won't stop him from having more. Oh, of course he loves ice cream and popcicles too.

About language: He is a chatterbox. His pronunciation is getting better and better. Clearly saying "Cooper" now. Still struggles with some blends such as "tr" in swim trunks sounds like "fim tunks." But other words are very clear. Oh, and l's are still y's.

About other academia: He can recognize a few letters and knows some of the letters in his name. Whenever he sees two O's he says, "My name has two O's!" He can count to nearly twenty.

About play: Inside? Music, drums, guitar, beans, trucks with trailers, tractors, horses puppies, basketball, playdough

Outside? "tooter"(scooter), "motorcycle" (trike), basketball, soccer, playing with his pedal tractor or self powered car, digging in the garden for worms

About other tidbits:

He has seen others with hanheld games so he has transformed a basic kitchen timer into his "game."

He has become the helmet police. He observes all bicyclists and motorcyclists and reports on whether or not they are wearing a helmet. If they do not have a helmet, he follows with the safety reason why they should be wearing a helmet. At his Yellow Birthday Party, he was sitting at the table in the front porch and said, "He not have a helmet on!" A few replied, "Cooper, he's just walking. He doesn't need a helmet!"

He, like Max, is into jokes. Particularly knock-knock jokes. He tries to tell the one where you say banana, and banana and banana and then finally orange--you know what I mean, right? Well, this is his version:

C:Knock-knock

who's there

C: banana

banana who?

C: banana-orange!

He will repeat the joke 10 times if you let him. And we must admit, it actually does begin to be funny about the 8th time he says it!

About the bathroom: So, since his third birthday, he's been wearing underwear all day--excluding night-time--and he is doing so well. So well I'm afraid to post about it! I'm sure it's not a done deal, and we do have to intice him to poop on the potty every morning, but, he's doing it! Ahhhh, only one in diapers!

Here are a couple of videos of Cooper singing. Sorry for the grainy quality.