Brothers plan to surprise grandma by dressing in inflatable dinosaur costumes but she one-ups them

It's not mandatory for all reunions to be emotional. Sometimes, you can slip on an inflatable dinosaur suit to greet your family member at the airport too. At least that's what two little kids named Ethan and Owen did when they went to receive their grandmother at the Victoria International Airport, hoping to welcome her in a unique way. But they had no idea that their equally mischievous grandma was about to show up with a special surprise from her side as well. 

According to Surrey Now-Leader, the video of three inflatable dinosaur suit-wearing family members went viral back in 2019 when Tabitha Cooper, the mom of the two kids, filmed the brothers attempting to surprise their grandma at the arrival gates of the airport. As several media outlets and social sites circulated the clip, the Cooper family swiftly gained attention for their airport antics. In the footage, we can see Owen and Ethan eagerly waiting at the arrival gates in their dino costumes and soon after, their grandma arrives, dressed in an inflatable T-Rex costume to prank the kids back.

Ethan and Owen's grandma had apparently packed the costume in her carry-on luggage and took help from the airport staff to put it on before meeting the boys. Surprisingly enough, this is not the first time she has pranked her grandkids, per the outlet. A couple of years before this video went viral, their grandma had pranked them when they went to visit her in Toronto. As she arrived at the airport this time, the dancing dino-costume reunion became a wholesome event for them and the audience. Cooper filmed the dinosaur granny, holding a cup of coffee and dragging her trolley behind her before she waddles ahead to hug her grandsons who seemed delighted at this sight.

When Cooper posted the video of her sons and their grandma, she wasn't expecting it to become so popular. "It has gone insane, I don’t know what happened or how," Cooper said, per the outlet. "I had 15 friend requests a day, and people in China and Australia were messaging me. It’s too bad, but I had no idea that it would ever go viral. But it’s okay, I’m just glad people are enjoying it." The mom admitted that she wasn't really tech-savvy when she posted the video on Facebook and YouTube. Due to the video not being licensed, she didn't make any money off it. But that didn't ruin the fun for herself and the family as it became one of the best memories of their lives.

A then-eight-year-old Ethan dished out how it was a great experience for him and his brother. "It’s been fun; we’ve been on the news a lot and we were on the radio. My friends did not believe me but then the principal actually came in and said congratulations for being on the news," he said, per the outlet. Talking to CTV News, Owen admitted that he had initially thought it was someone else dressed in that costume. "I didn't know who it was," Owen said. "But then I saw her face and knew it was my grandma!" 

The boys who have seen "Jurassic Park" were afraid of the dino costume-wearing person when their grandma first pranked them but soon they started plotting to prank their grandma back. Cooper already knew that her mom was an expert with all these silly pranks so she wasn't surprised. "She came holding a suitcase and a coffee in a T-Rex outfit! The exact same one she scared me with two years ago!" Owen said about his grandma, whose name is revealed to be Cheryl. "I did not see that coming!"

"Life is short. Enjoy the kids. Enjoy life," Cheryl said, per the outlet. "It doesn't matter what anybody thinks!" Many viewers left their reaction to this hilarious video as it circulated on several social media platforms. People were thrilled to see Grandma Cheryl putting so much effort into pranking her grandsons. Well, the dinosaurs might be extinct but the Cooper family has kept their spirits alive in their inflatable raptor and T-Rex costumes.

Editor's note: This article was originally published on September 15, 2023. It has since been updated.