I would like to report to all parents out there that I have found the secret to winning the "time change" battle... complete and total exhaustion! Wear them out, deprive them of sleep and they will adjust to the time change with no problems.

This weekend we went to Austin for a full weekend of family, friends and most of all FUN. Saturday was Cousin Ford's 4th birthday and we also celebrated Cousin Waylon's birthday a few weeks early. Then we met my long lost high school friend Christy at Waterloo for breakfast Saturday and played on the playground with her son Quinn. Cooper stayed up late opening presents and took short naps in the car on the way down and back. Put it all together and he went down like a dream last night and has not made a peep this morning. Yay!

Ford's birthday party was so much fun. It was at a pump-it-up-type place with lots of bouncing fun. Danny and I generally have as much fun as Cooper does climbing up and going down the slides. This location also had a pit full of foam blocks which was AWESOME! The place closed at 6 and Ford's party was over at 5:30, so our family actually shut the place down because we could not pry ourselves away from the pit. Cooper is getting to the point where he can climb some of the obstacles on his own and also hold his balance well. He is also complete fearless and will throw himself down the slide or into the pit with total abandon.

This weekend also confirmed that we need to start working on a second kid. Not because I am ready for all the stress again, because I am not sure I am. But because it is time for Cooper to get a buddy. He loved playing with Ford this weekend! They had such a great time together playing with Ford's trains, unwrapping his presents, and just generally hanging out. When we left yesterday and I told Cooper we had to get in the car and go home to our house he cried, "No! Ford's! House!" Now, he wasn't as great playing with Waylon (which is closer to the scenario we would have with a new baby) because he didn't share quite as easily, but he was good with him. Two kids is a handful and this has been reaffirmed to me over and over but just observing my friends and family, but when was I ever afraid of a challenge? (help me out here!)

We also started swim lessons again. The teacher had to take us aside and give Danny and I some "special" instruction because (as mentioned before) Cooper is fearless and throws himself into the water regardless of whether we are looking or not. It's time to get serious with him about when it is ok to jump in and when it is not. Augh! Also, my friend Tiffany blogged about putting Ellie into private lessons. I wasn't sure why, but now I am. Cooper is so over the class at the Y, The problem is that the class age starts at 6 months and ends at 3 years. And you mostly see kids that aren't used to the water yet. And all the activities are about getting acclimated to the water. But Cooper started at 6 months and cant keep this up... he needs a new challenge. I am not sure what we will do (if anything) but I am going to start with the teacher at the Y. She does private lessons in the summer and is really great.