Boys Will Be Boys!

Two days after we got home from Ellie being in the hospital, April 12th, Brody broke his ankle! We had gone to our friend, Bryan's house for a relaxing cookout. Before dinner the kids were playing on a really cool swing set that they have in their backyard, when Brody said to his brothers, "Hey, watch this!" He proceeded to swing as high & fast as he could in his attempt to jump over the rail ties that border the playground. He did a really cool jump from the swing...and landed right on the rail tie! He ankle swelled so much & so quickly that by the time I looked at it, I knew immediately that he needed to go to the hospital.
So, Grammy and I made another trip to the hospital to have x-rays & a temporary cast put on his left ankle. It turned out that he had broken it right in the growth plate.
Lucky for us, we have a couple of friends from church who are doctors at Knoxville Orthopaedic Clinic! We were able to see Dr. Becker & Ben Morganegg on Monday to get a permanent cast put on. He wore that for 2 weeks, and is now in a removable aircast for another 4 weeks. He's such a trooper though; he runs around as best he can and gets everyone to play catch with him :-).
When asked if he would try it again, he said, "Yeah, probably!"

The Boys & Their Basketball

Its basketball time again for 3/5’s of the Copeland crew. Daddy is playing with the Bonus Brothers (Primetime and Jarome), Draven (#2) is playing in his 3rd season, and Brody is playing in his very first season. Draven is on the heels of playing a season of flag football last fall, which he really enjoyed. He is doing well, and has really improved his dribbling and shooting….the main thing he needs to work on is that natural aggression and competitive fire.
Brody is probably the most excited about basketball, he really just started playing back in the late fall (2010) and went to a few clinics with Draven. He literally could barely dribble the ball….it’s only a few months in and he is dribbling very well for his age. He loves to practice, he practices nearly everyday…he even wants to go to Draven’s practice so he can practice on the sideline while Draven practices. It’s super cute….he really wants to work at it….the sky is the limit if he holds on to that desire.
Daddy and the Bonus Brother gang just completed their regular season and finished as the overall #1 team with only one loss. They are all excited about the upcoming tournament….and the annual party that follows!

Brody's 6th Birthday

February 18, 2011 our sweet Brody turned six years old! He is such an incredible boy-sweet, caring, sensitive, funny, etc., etc. He is usually excited about something and loves school-especially Mrs. Smith! This year Brody had a friend party and a family party-they're usually combined, but we made pizza at the friend party so Brody got to have 2 separate parties. Brody's cousin, Quentin, and Grammy & Pete were able to be in town for the parties, so that made the day extra special. .
At lunchtime, his friend, Tyson, came over and they made personal pizzas, played basketball, and ran around outside. They looked cute in their little aprons and made some interesting looking pizzas!

At dinner, Nana & Grandpa, Pop, Grammy & Pete, Quentin, and Aunt Carol & Uncle Bill joined our family for hot dogs and cake to celebrate Brody. Some of his presents included an Imaginext Joker Funhouse, a Rebounder for the basketball goal, a slime making kit, a telescope, some books, and a US boardgame It was a full day, but so worth it for such a special boy! We love you and your amazing little spirit, Brody!

Brody's 1st Day of School

We now have 2 in school….Brody started kindergarden this year and he started off like a pro. Our school had an open house a few days before school started to give the kids and parents an opportunity to see where there class was and to meet the teacher. His teacher’s name is Mrs. Smith and she has been teaching kindergarden for 20+ years….she seemed really nice with only one major flaw, she’s a HUGE UGA Bulldog fan. Her ENTIRE room is decorated with UGA logos and colors.

On Brody’s first day, Draven and I walked him down the hall and the whole time he told me he knew where it was because all he has to do is look for the Bulldog on the door. When we get to the class, he said hello to Mrs. Smith and gave me a hug like it’s no big deal and gets in line with the other kids waiting on class to start. It was much harder on me and Jennifer than it was for him. He told Jennifer that he wanted me to take him the first day because, "he didn't want to walk down the hall holding a girl's hand!" We are so very proud of how confident he can be at times and he is so excited about being in school and learning new things every day.

We are writing this blog a few months into the school year, and even now, Brody is still doing great and although I have never seen them do it, Draven tells me they give each other a hug at the split where they go their separate ways to class. I really wish I could get a picture of this because it would be a wonderful thing to keep and show them later. They also wave to their Daddy (especially Draven) nearly all the way before they get to the door to go into school or by the time my car is gone, whichever comes first. I’m really going to miss these days when they pass me by.

My Brody

I have two, cute and short, stories to share about Brody! A little background to these stories...Brody has a teddy bear, named Teddy, who he loves very much. Teddy has a family of his own, his own "voice," and is Brody's best friend. A few weeks ago Brody told me that Teddy needs a friend and that he (Teddy) is going to ask Santa to bring him a stuffed Elephant friend for Christmas. Also, Brody loves umbrellas! He loves them so much that he'll use them even when it's not raining-along with the rain boots that he wears every day. Sometimes we call him Mary Poppins because the umbrella he has been using has a floral painting on it.

Today Brody & I went on a little date while Draven and PJ (it's fall break so D is out of school) were with Aunt Carol at Chuck E Cheese. So, today we decided that we would go to the store and buy Brody his very own umbrella! He found a "CARS" umbrella that he LOVES! He has told me thank you and that he loves me about a dozen times in the 4 hours since we got it. After the store, we went to CiCi's Pizza for lunch. While there Brody played the claw game and won a brown bear dressed as a pumpkin. He has gotten really impatient waiting for Santa to bring Teddy a friend-so "Pumpkin Doggy" is Teddy's new friend. They hugged and played together for an hour after we got home. "Pumpkin" has a very deep voice and had lots of fun riding in the car for the first time.


Brody's such a cutie!!

Brody's in Preschool

The first week of September, three friends and I started a Preschool group for our 3 and 4 year olds. Lindsey, Brenda, Katie, and I take turns having the class in our home once a week. We are teaching the kids their alphabet, numbers 1-10, colors, and shapes. Today was my turn and we learned about the letter "C" and the circle. The kids are so cute-3 boys and 1 girl-and they get excited about the smallest things. Today we made Cookies that were shaped like Circles; pictures of elephants, catapillars, and snakes made out of Circles, and pulled lots of "C" things out of a bag. It's really fun seeing the kids learn new things and have fun with their friends. Brody asks me every week day if it's time to have Preschool. It's one of the only ways to get him to wear clothes instead of a costume all day!

Operation Rescue Teddy 2

Those of you who read our blog when we went on vacation last year may remember our Operation Rescue Teddy post. Brody's teddy was lost at Cumberland Caverns and we had to drive an hour both ways to rescue him. Well, last week, we had to rescue Teddy again. This time from being hit by a car! As we were leaving a friend's house, we were riding with the windows down and Brody was letting Teddy look outside. Suddenly, he jumped out the window! Teddy may be 4, like Brody, but he has not learned to keep his hands and feet inside the car yet. So, Mommy had to turn the car around, park on a side street, and make her way along the very narrow edge of Pleasant Ridge Road to rescue Teddy. One thing that was really cute was that the cars that were coming slowed down and waited for me to run down and pick Teddy up. The car in front was driven by two old ladies-they have probably had to rescue teddies themselves! Brody was very grateful, and Teddy said, "I love you," so I guess it was worth it.

Halloween 2008

This year we started Halloween two weeks early. Draven & Brody first wore their costumes on Oct. 19th to the Halloween Train Ride on the R&R Railroad. My Aunt Carol took them and her husband's grandson's family. John-the grandson-has three kids; two boys, ages 7 & 5 that the boys really enjoyed playing with.

Then on Oct. 23rd we joined Aunt Carol and John's family at Boo at the Zoo. The Zoo set up a short trail with stops along the way for candy. The highlight though, was the ride on a camel! Draven wasn't going to do it until he saw his younger brother getting ready to climb on; then he thought it might be fun.

Finally, we all planned to attend a Halloween party and Trick or Treat at Travis' house. Travis is Pierce's friend from the gym. The boys were dressed up as Boba Fett (Draven), Mr. Incredible (Brody), and a "Little Devil" (PJ). I finally got with the program this year and dressed up as a witch-wart, fake eyelashes, and all. On the way though, PJ started throwing up :{ So, we turned around and Pierce dropped PJ and me off at home and took the other boys to the party. I was feeling a little sorry for myself, so I ordered Papa John's pizza (Pierce doesn't like that brand), and I ate more than my share of Halloween candy. Later that night I got sick. The big boys really enjoyed their party though. Pierce said the neighborhood was crawling with kids and everyone decorated for the event. Next year we are thinking to find a theme that the whole family can dress up in-Star Wars or something!

Brody's 1st Trip to the Dentist

This is the 3rd post of the night, so be sure to read to the end-our anniversary vacation-there are a few pretty pictures to see!

Also last week, Draven, Brody, and I went to the dentist. Draven has been before, but this was Brody's first time. Brody is pretty outgoing and tries new things easily, so I didn't do a lot of lead-up for him. I mentioned it over breakfast that morning when he asked "what [he had] to get dressed for"-his words. When we got there, he got a little stage fright, but when I showed him the prize box, he jumped in the seat! He did really great, and did just what the technician told him too. He was even the first to see the dentist. I'm proud of you, My Brody!

Our Fun Weekend

The fun began Friday night with our Ward's Spring Picnic. Alice is so good at her calling, I guess that's why she didn't replace me as the Primary chorister. :) I made Cream Cheese & Jam Turnovers; a recipe I got from another blogger. I thought they were great and so easy! My mom and dad were both there with us, and the boys had lots of fun playing croquet and throwing the football with daddy. I've shared my favorite picture...

Then on Saturday we were looking for something fun to do...there wasn't even soccer to interfere. So we packed a lunch and headed to West Knoxville for Earthfest. Go Green! Draven & Brody had lots of fun digging in a compost pile for worms, making newspaper hats, and playing catch with a tennis ball and empty milk cartons (I thought that one was a little extreme). I forgot my camera, so you'll have to plug into my head to see how cute Draven was in his newspaper hat. Brody wouldn't wear his so I did. As we walked to the car lots of people were laughing.

When we got home I finally planted our vegetable garden. Last year I planted at the end of March, because that's what things say to do for our region. Then everything died when the mid-April freeze happened. So, this year I waited, and the mid-April freeze came again. This year we moved the veggies to the side of the house (Pierce cringed every time he came home last year when they were in the front), and I planted roma & sandwich tomatoes, corn, & watermelon. We also have peas that the boys planted at Earthfest, and Strawberries that have been growing. Does anyone know how peas grow? I can't decide where to put those.


Tonight we had FHE. Pierce gave a lesson on Journaling. We talked about how we're printing our blog entries to use as a journal, but that the boys also need to write their own thoughts. So we had Draven and Brody each tell us their favorite part of this week while I wrote it down. Draven had fun with that. Brody said his favorite song is My Green Kite, by Peter Himmelman, and his best friend is Draven (it was Brielle on Wednesday so who knows how long this will last). I think PJ is most excited about finally learning to pull up and sit down on his own. Does anyone have any good ideas for getting Brody to participate more in FHE?


The most fun part of the weekend was spending it together. With soccer, mowing the grass, grocery shopping, etc. sometimes it's hard to just play together, even on the weekends. So that was my favorite part!

Brotherly Love

Most of the time, when I think of Draven & Brody's relationship, I would call it Love/Hate. They love to hate each other; but today I have gotten to see the love side twice. I think it bears noting!
This afternoon when we got home from the park Draven wanted to finish his soccer treat (the snacks he got after the game). So I told him if he was going to eat it right then, with Brody right there, he would have to share. He said ok. So, they were standing at the table, sharing a rice krispy treat, when Brody said, "Draven, I love you." Then he leaned over and gave him a hug. It wasn't silly or dramatic, just simple and sweet.
Then, tonight I put them to bed early because we had been to the park, played in the sandbox outside, had two neighbor boys over, and they were so wired that they were making me crazy! As I was doing the dishes I noticed that they were still talking a lot, so I went to their room to tell them to be quiet. When I walked in Brody & Draven were up on Draven's top bunk getting ready to go to sleep. I told Brody to go to his bunk. A couple minutes later they were still talking. Usually by this point, oh yeah they got up once too, I would be pretty upset and near the yelling stage, but today is a good day...So, I walked in the room and Brody & Draven are in Brody's bed. When I told them they were nearing the end of my patience, and Draven needed to get in his own bed right now, Draven said, "But, I just want some time with Brody." What could I say? I gave them 10 minutes to be asleep.

Our New Piano

On Tuesday our new piano was delivered! It was actually my mom's piano, that she bought when I was a kid and taking piano lessons, but to us, it's new. The piano tuner is in the other room right now tuning it! Lucky for us, my mom was looking to clear out some space in her living room, so the piano is now in our dining room. We are thinking about started piano lessons for Draven-following the "every child will play an instrument and a sport" motto. He is still a little young, but our neighbor teaches and she is convenient and has good rates. So, we'll see how it goes for a couple of months.

He is already playing, as you can see in the picture. He picks a song from the Primary Song Book, looks at the words while he "plays" notes on the piano. He even sings along to his playing. I think it's really cute! I am even more impressed that he lets Brody play with him. They are such a good team.