Happy 2nd Birthday Campbell & Cooper!
Wow, the last two years have flown by. My babies are turning into little boys more and more every day. Their birthday was a circus theme this year. No other theme could be more appropriate seeing that every day is a circus at the Ashley house! Thanks to Sarah C. and Nay Nay for all of their hard work decorating and getting me organized. Sarah G. saved my rear when she picked up the cupcakes for me that I almost forgot! Oops! I could not have done it without their help!
We rented a bounce house for the kids and they loved it! Campbell would get in run/bounce a lap, slide out, socialize, get a bite of someone's food (whoever he could find and whatever they were eating), get a drink, and start all over again! He didn't stop all day. Cooper took a little longer to warm up to the bounce house. He had to check it out and watch what everyone was doing first. He would crack up everytime someone bounced him into the air. They were having so much fun that they didn't want to open presents. They kept saying "Outside". I learned a very important lesson for future parties (thank you Misti Fortune for stepping in and showing me the ropes!). You thank everyone for the gifts at once then tear through them as fast as possible so the kids can get back to the party. The boys enjoyed going through everything that night when things settled down. It was a perfect day and they couldn't have had more fun..
Campbell is a really active boy. He is constantly on the move. I think he might be a ball player like his big brother Jack. He still loves to dance. He is trying to put sentences together. Most of his sentences start with "Me" these days. Just more confirmation that he is a true, blue, 2 year old! He has sort of started potty training and one night Jack was taking him to the potty and he told Campbell " Come on lets go drop a duece". Campbell came out of the potty and told me " I drop duece". That statement will forever stick in my mind as one of his very first sentences. Daddy was proud!
He is loud.... really loud! He squeels, yells, and makes noises all of the time. Sometimes I wonder if he is going to be like Sgt. Larvelle "Motor Mouth" Jones from Police Academy. You know, the guy who does all of the sound effects with his mouth. Any noise he hears he tries to imitate and he does some pretty well!
His mothers day out teacher, Mrs. Christine (or "Teen" as Cambell & Cooper call her) says that he is a leader in the class. He knows all of his classmates names. He especially likes music and art time.
It's so much fun to play with him. I can't believe how fast his little legs can run! He does this thing where he runs and jump/kicks that makes me laugh so hard! The more we laugh, the more he does it! Who knew that 2 year olds could be so entertaining? He is still quite the bulldozer. He takes what he wants from Finley and Cooper, but he also likes to help and take care of them.
Cooper is a thinker. He loves to run and play but his mind is constantly working. He loves to sing and talk. He can sing the tune of ABC, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, Itsy Bitsy Spider, and a lot more. The words may not all be in the right order but he definitly knows them. He is repeats everything! Sometimes even the not so nice words that slip out sometimes. Let's just say that he has said "shit" a time or ten! We really have to watch it because I am quite sure that he is the only 2 year old at Prebyterian Day School that knows when and how to use the word "shit" in a sentence correctly (well, except for Campbell!). He likes to say my name! It reminds me of Stewie Griffin from Family Guy... "Mom, mommy, mama, mom, mommy, mama..." I waited 32 years to be called mommy so I am not complaining! I love hearing him say it.
Mrs. Christine says that Cooper is her helper. He remembers which cup and blankie belongs to who and helps hand them out at snack and nap time. She said that he knows when it's circle time and he likes to help get the mats out for everyone to sit on.
He has the best laugh in the world! Don't get me wrong, all of my kids have great laughs but Cooper's is so stinkin' cute. He is really ticklish so we get to hear it often. He is my sweet snuggly little man. Last week he decided to wake up extra early so we got him and put him in our bed hoping we could snuggle him back to sleep for another hour or so. It was pitch black and Finley was already in bed with me. When Jack layed Cooper down he saw Finley and in the sweetest voice he said "Hi Finley". He was so genuinely happy to see his brother!
All of the boys get along well. Cam and Coop definitly have their own special relationship. They are just starting to recognize that they are two separate people. It's unique having someone who has always been there. They have never been apart for more than a few hours since conception!.
It's hard to believe they were almost small enough to hold in the palm of our hands. I remember being afraid that they would never eat more than 10cc's at a time! Now they are eating full meals! I am so proud of them and how smart and funny they both are. I look forward to more milestones and discoveries!
So now here comes the terrible two's....
On Halloween night we went to Aunt Bee Bee's house and they helped Sarah hand out candy. I think they enjoyed that part more than the actual trick or treating! When we finally went trick or treating it was so cute to watch the boys run up to the door dragging their candy bags behind them. Recently they discovered the door bell which made it all the more fun that night! They said "Treat" rather than the customary "Trick or treat" and my sweet, little, polite boys said "Tatu" (thank you) to everyone who gave them candy. A couple of the houses we stopped at held the bowl out so they could choose their candy. Campbell took one piece, said thank you and walked away. Cooper took one piece, then another, then another. I gues he figured as long as the bowl was being offered he would keep filling his bag one piece of candy at a time! 
The Pooh costume has been worn by all of the Ashley boys starting with Alex. Finley looked so sweet. The paws were a distraction to him all night. He just couldn't stop messing with them! It sort of reminded me of a cat with somethig stuck on it's paw! So like any good mother, I would take them off for short breaks So I could stop laughing. Then when I was bored, I would put them back on again! :) I didn't think he would let us put the hoodie part over his head but he was a trooper. I think his favorite part was the golf cart ride through the neighborhood. Next year he will be running right along with Campell and Cooper.
