Breakfast Buddies

Every morning, when Cooper finally drags himself out of bed, his breakfast buddy is already waiting for him. Bacchus hops up on "his" stool (never Cooper's) and patiently waits for his buddy to join him.

First Day of School

Now that the last summer vacation was over, it was time to go to school. Cooper started at his new preschool just after Labor Day. Luckily, the school is just around the corner from home, so it's easy to walk there in the morning. Here he is smiling on the front steps of the school.

Since Emily picked him up at school, Cooper wanted to give Mommy a call to tell her all about his first day and all the new friends he met.

Even Nolan enjoyed the fresh air on the walks to and from school.

Gotta Get To The Digger

Hey, how do you think we can get over to the digger?

Oh hey, good idea Louisa!

Racing and Relaxing in WV

Hey, Grandma Jean's pretty quick. She's keeping up with Cooperman.

Now, Uncle Kev, that's another story... note the world-class sprinter's form.

Notice the flag whipping on the flagpole. It was the only indication that the fort was just about to be blown apart by Hurricane Cooper.

All smiles at Happy Hour

Berkeley Springs State Park

Our visit to the town of Berkeley Springs included, in addition to the Farmer's Market, a stroll through the State Park named for the famous springs.

After the group picture, we wandered around to see the sights in the park. Up first was the Gentlemen's Spring.

And the Ladies' Spring. Hmm, does any else sense the teeniest bit of inequality?

See, we told you yesterday that good ol' GW was a frequent visitor (and one of the eventual saviors) of the springs. Cooper enjoyed seeing the little fishies taking a bath in old George's tub.

Healing Waters

For well over 250 years, people have been traveling from near and far to bathe in the healing waters of the warm springs located in and around Berkeley Springs, WV. Visiting dignitaries from Europe, native Americans from the Finger Lakes and even George Washington treasured the crystal clear waters for their healing powers.

And then Kevin had to go and stick his feet in... Oh well, nothing last forever.

Showing Uncle Kevin where Predward (and the rest of the Golden family) spend their time when they aren't swimming in the river by the house we rented. OK, you had to be there.
In any case, Cooper and Kevin enjoyed exploring all the park had to offer. Unfortunately, the museum was closed, but the next couple of posts will offer glimpses into the treasures hidden within Berkeley Springs State Park.

Strolling 'round West Virginia

While we were on vacation the first week in September, we took a trip into town to see what Berkeley Springs had to offer. Aside from the mineral springs the town is famous for (more on those in a separate post), it also has quite a few nice shops. We found a great bookshop, a cool little wine shop and a nice restaurant. It really made for a nice afternoon.

One great benefit to spending the afternoon in town was that Coop got to hang out with Uncle Steve, Autumn and Max before they headed back to Buffalo.

Warming Up

NoJo is ready to hit the road for an early morning run.

MLB, Here I Come

We're still not sure which team he's going to play for (Mommy's thinking Braves while Daddy's secretly pulling for the O's), but this boy is going places.

Here comes the pitch...

He's got his eye on the ball...

And we've got contact!!!

(hint: look for the red blur)
He's even got his TV smile perfected...

We might have to work on his choice of position, though. I'm not sure this boy will ever bulk up enough to play behind the plate.
Notes regarding MLB team choices: Daddy grew up watching Cal Ripken battle Bobby Bonner for the starting shortstop position on the hometown AAA club and Mommy's favorite patient in Atlanta was Braves hurler John Smoltz.

One Little Monkey Bouncing On The Bed

Legal Disclaimer: No 3-year olds were harmed during the production of this video. Don't believe me? Play it again and listen carefully for the giggling... ;-)

First Cereal

OK, write it down. 13Aug09. First spoonful of cereal for NoJo.

Of course, big brother is right there to cheer him on!

Take Me Out To The Ballgame

We caught an August Bulls game and both boys really enjoyed it. Well, we're pretty sure Nolan enjoyed it, but there's not doubt Cooper had a great time. I don't think the Bulls won, but at least we stayed late enough for Cooper to join the rest of the crowd in singing, during the 7th inning stretch, "Take me out to the ballgame".

As you can see, CJB pays attention to every play.

I'm not sure what everyone else is watching, but it looks like Cooper and the boy two rows back found something to momentarily take their attention away from the game.

Smiley Guy

NoJo really likes to smile.

And he's now discovered his toes as well - and boy do they taste good.

Rawhide

Ever since we decided on the name for the newest member of our family, this song has been running through my head. Now I have a good reason to share it with everyone else:

Nolan, Nolan, Nolan

Though the streams are swollen

Keep them doggies rollin'

Rawhide!

Hey Rich Dooley, does that song bring back any memories?

A Boy And His Bike

All smiles and thumbs-up for his new bike. We are having a blast learning how to ride (we already know how to honk the horn!)

Hey look, Eddie, it's a Schwinn!!!

Not A Bad Place From Which To Post

Thanks to Grandma Jean, we're on vacation this week in a beautiful section of West Virginia near Berkeley Springs. We're renting a house on the Great Cacapon river and enjoying the sights and sounds of the river flowing by. In case you were wondering what a Great Cacapon looks like, here's a little taste.

Not bad, eh?

Off to Meet Kip

Lisa, Cooper and Nolan headed up to Ohio to meet the newest member of the family, a cute little boy named Kip.

Here's Popi getting another chance to visit with little Nolan.

Luckily, Nolan has an older brother who is more than happy to help him keep both hands busy.

Addie, Cooper and Nolan let Kipton know he's one of the gang.

Happy Guy

We've been very lucky to have such a happy baby. Whether he's driving his car or just hanging out, Nolan always seems to have a smile ready for anyone who will smile back.