Little sleep fighter

Gary hasn't tried to rock Cooper to sleep in a while. So tonight I let him have the honor and privilege of what can be a frustrating chore these days. After he finished, he came out to share his interpretation of the events. I laughed until I almost cried. This isn't news to me, but it was funny to hear Gary tell it. I hope I can write it in a way you can appreciate the humor. Gary describes Cooper as "himself, but 3x smarter!"

Cooper's sleep-fighting techniques involve the following maneuvers, in order as shared:

1) STARE DOWN - This is the meaningful, soul-searching stare that doesn't leave your eyes. Gary and I have learned that in order to help Cooper sleep, not only must we avoid eye contact - but keep our eyes closed entirely.

2) TOUCH/FEEL TECHNIQUE - Touches everything in reach, starting with the chin, then hair, neck, or shirt collar. This tactic is only used when STARE DOWN fails.

3) GET RHYTHM - If something is moving, surely one can stay awake. This method employs various body parts - usually an arm - in repetitive motion.

4) GRIP AND GRAB - (my personal favorite). When all else fails, Cooper literally grips and grabs. He has learned that the easiest thing to "grab" is your bottom lip. If you think you're smarter than him and turn your head - well, watch out cheek!

Once all of the above techniques fail to keep him awake, he usually embarks on a crying episode and eventually ... sleep! But it's no easy task!