Super Duper Cooper Trooper

I have all three boys in junior Primary at church now. What that means is that about this time for the last four years I've sat with little crying boys as they adjust to church without toys. What a cruel world.

Cooper is a bit more outgoing than Milo, so I thought he would have an easier time adjusting to a new teacher. Not so.

Sis. Earl has had all three of my boys in Sunbeams. She told me I needed to get going because I'd run out of boys to teach after Cooper. I told her even if I were to have another now I'd hope she wasn't still teaching 3-year olds by then.

Milo learned about families last year and would come home with drawings labeling his mom, dad, Matt, and "Trooper." I knew it was a mispronounciation issue as Milo's "w" come out as an "l" and his "c" as a "tr" sound.

So, "Cooper" was "Trooper" all last year. I never corrected Sis. Earl, but she told me she'd simply thought I'd come up with an inventive name and never questioned Milo about it. She, however, questioned the Primary president when she'd introduced the new Sunbeams and called my baby "Cooper."

"No, it's Trooper," Sis. Earl told me she had said.

And so our baby goes by many names here: Trooper, Coopie, Coops, Baby, and as we drive past the feed silo in Fruit, Colo. Matt points out Cooper's name on the "COOP" tower.

And even I've given him new names: just look at the stepping stone at my mom's house. "Copper" has his own special stone. How sad is it that I often have to stop and think about how to spell my own child's name....oh well.