Such a big girl...and boy...

So, it is official, I really AM...officially...a big girl...yesterday I let Cooper ride the school bus...and I lived. OK, so it's not so much about me as it is him, but HE loved it - mama, on the other hand, wanted to jump in the car and chase the bus down, or at least quietly follow him to school. Seriously it was ALL I could do not to do that. And the ONLY reason that I didn't was that I was afraid he would see me and it would confuse him (before if he ever saw me at school he was pretty sure the school day was over and it was time for "why-we-go-home?")

The idea is that riding the bus will help him to be more independent from me. I don't LIKE that, but I do agree it's a good thing for him. It's a small bus and there are only a couple of other children who ride it AND there is an attendant (both she and the driver seem like very sweet people) AND I have both of their cell numbers! ALL the bus-bases are covered :)

The reports from both his teacher and the driver were that he did great. He came bouncing off the bus yesterday afternoon just chattering away, "school bus! skateboard! Read-a-book! I want school today!" I had been waiting on the front porch for like 45 minutes? You know, just in case they might be early... He had a great afternoon/evening and seemed no worse for the wear. I, on the other hand, think I added to my "worry lines" more than a little.

Oh, by the way, the adorable art at the top is by our precious friend Remy, I thought this was the perfect time to spotlight this amazing piece of art.

And just a few more from the cuteness files:

Last week I took him to school and we were waiting in the lobby area and someone said "hi" to him, so I prompted him to say "hi" and when they had walked on I asked "who was that?" no reply, "who did you see?" and he quickly and confidently sort of made up a name "Lurta" in the way that he does if he doesn't know the answer, but wants you to think he does. Then without missing a beat he breaks into "Cole, Cole, who do you see? I see Kelsey looking at me!..." and so on. We've read the butterflies book many, many times since we've been here, and it's so amazing, it's just as good the billionth time around as it was the first time!

When we were staying with my parents (the week between the times the movers picked up and delivered) any time my little nephew Tyler would visit Cooper would get all excited and basically attack him (Cooper LOVES him and Tyler is without a doubt the most patient child I have ever met). Cooper would pull on Tyler's shirt (or any number of other methods to get him in the floor) and try to get him to pretend to fall down. So, again, I started working on "hi" with him. And in no time he was saying "hi" THEN attacking, so I started working on "how are you?" and "let's play fall down!" which he didn't seem to get just at that point. But since then he's realized that "Har-YEWW?!" often follows "hi" and he's started using that a good bit. He's even added "do-ing" to it on occasion, and it's much less "har-YEWW" and more "haaar you doing?" This is expecially precious when we are tucking him in for nite-nite and he's breaking out all of his tricks to keep us around OR at 3 AM when he's decided it's time for us all to wake up for the day.

And a new development. In the past if we were upset with him because he made a "red choice" he didn't seem to realize that we were upset, or if he did he didn't know how to respond. NOW he "gets it" and if he perceives that we are unhappy with him because of something he's just done he looks kind of embarassed for half a second then he breaks out the "hi, hi, haaar you?"...so that's something to work with and kind of exciting news! :D