SPORTS!

We definitely have a house full of boys who LOVE sports! Any kind!

SOCCER: Cooper played soccer (indoor) for the first time this Spring. His team was the FIREBALLS. And, I got to be his coach! It was so fun, especially to see the kids improve and do things in the games that we would practice. What fun, energetic, kids! Cooper is such a natural athlete, and he even had a hat-trick one game! (3 goals) One super cute thing, is they don't keep official score, but Cooper always knows the score! The other thing I loved is when he would score a goal, he'd run back with is "rock on" hands in the air. He definitely isn't very humble! One time, we were winning by a lot, and he asked me why no one is cheering anymore when we'd continue to score goals. :)

Coach Chad Farris, Kovy, Sawyer, Taylor, Ethan, Eric "Q", Coach Cassie Larson

Tyler, Madison, Sterling, Cooper

Here we are at the post-season party. The Youth Center rents out the bowling alley, and each team has a few lanes. They give them pizza too! 

Cooper loved being the #1. Below he's pictured with his buddy Taylor. We've been able to get to know Taylor, and his mom, Roxanne, really well. She recently took lessons from the missionaries at our house and joined our church!
BASEBALL: The town close by has a college, University of Central Missouri. We went to a handful of their games this year, and the boys LOVED it. They loved chasing foul balls, and rolling balls off the roof of the equipment shed to catch. One player once asked Cooper if he was a Mules fan, and Cooper said, "Yes!". For days he talked about how a "real baseball player" talked to him! Cooper always made sure to have his baseball pants on too. :)

Coop hasn't played any organized baseball yet (we are sort of an anti-tee-ball family... Andrew is afraid it can put a bad taste in kids' mouths). But next year, if Andrew coaches, he can do coach-pitch on-base. We have hit the batting cages, and play LOTS of wiffle ball! 

We just love this little guys open-mouthed kisses!

BASKETBALL: UCM also has a pretty good basketball team. We went to one of their games on military night... and, it was nationally televised!  It was pretty cute to see Cooper really watching the game, and cheering at the right times. I guess he did learn something from playing basketball. We sat by our friends, the Bells.

Gunner got to play "Smart Start Basketball" for 3-5 year olds. They bring a parent, and do lots of drills and fun games to learn the sport. He loved having something that was all about him!

Cooper did great at basketball this year! He was the point guard, and a good little ball handler!
Again, the end-of-the-year party was at the bowling alley. He LOVES his trophy! 
He is pictured above with his two buddies Sawyer and Ethan. 

FOOTBALL: All winter the boys LOVED playing tackle football in the basement with Dad! It's always ok to tackle and wrestle with Dad, right?! I try to tell him it'll go beyond the field! 

Preschool Graduate!

Sacred Heart Catholic Preschool Commencement

May 15th, 2009

Teachers: Mrs. Lesa Carroll, Mrs. Lowry

COOPER attended an amazing preschool this year! We were so happy with how he learned a grew throughout the year. 

He went from hardly being able to write his name, to knowing his first/last names, phone number, address, and everything in between! He went from drawing a person as and head with 2 legs coming out, to drawing a "real" person with a body, and even eyebrows.

We are also so happy he was able to go from VERY talkative (not always at the right times), and very physical (not negative, just lots of "look here and see this" pats), to knowing how to better behave and wait for his turn, and the right time, to talk. I've heard he's a lot like his mom was when I was in preschool. :)

This graduation ceremony was really over the top! It was a CIRCUS. From the adorable invitations, to the AMAZING decor, and the popcorn and cotton candy machines; it was really a fun night!

All the kids were introduced and came out of the circus car (as if they were all fitting in there). :) It was neat to hear the names all the clowns chose for themselves. Cooper was Lightening the Clown! 

The sang so many cute songs! Cooper is always really involved in the acting and singing! So outgoing, and a real leader... for better or worse. :)

Each kid did a different circus act, from tight rope (balance beam) walking, to balance acts, elephant shows. Cooper was a lion in the lion tamer's act. Ironically, with some of his best friends! He even jumped through the hoop! It was fun to hear all the "ohhhs" and "ahhs". :
Cooper made SO many great friends this year... and so did Mom! We were lucky to have 4 other LDS kids in his class, and one in the afternoon class. Besides the cuties listed below, Cooper also really likes Luke, Zach and Mark. The only sad part is none of these kids live on the Air Force Base, so he will have to make all new friends when he starts Kindergarten this fall. He does know some kids from his sports teams though, and making friends doesn't seem to be his weak point. :)
We were SO LUCKY to have Grandpa and Grandma Larson in town for the graduation! They helped a lot watching brothers too! We had a fun "after-party". Cooper got some money from them, and a new backpack, lunch sack, and some bakugans from us. He LOVED his card, which sang "Bad to the Bone", as he's obsessed with cards that sing! In the picture below he's pretending he's the bulldog on the front of the card. 
We are SO PROUD of you Cooper. You are learning and growing everyday, and you help out so much with your younger brothers too! We can't believe you'll be starting Kindergarten! You'll do great, we're sure. Continue to be a leader for good!

Gunner and I got to go on the last fieldtrip of the year. We rode the Amtrak train from Warrensburg, to Sedalia (a town about 30 miles away). It was so fun!
We were able to play at a park by city hall, and the kids at some cookies they had helped make at school. This was the first passenger train I've ever been on too. We've been on LOTS of subways, and tracks, but no trains. It was fun, but smelly in some cars! :)
Then, coming home, we got to ride a school bus! Wahoo! :) Cooper actually LOVED it, as it was his first time on a school bus!