Blink, Blink, On, Off, Boom!

Last Saturday was the big fireworks display here in town, and Ben had a blast (no pun intended). After a fun afternoon of swimming and BBQing at our friend’s annual Fourth of July bash, it was off for some fireworks. Family and friends joined us as we made the walk up to the high school to grab a spot for the show. And things couldn’t start fast enough for Ben. As we all waited for the sky to go dark, Ben repeatedly asked where the fireworks were? When things finally got started, it was loud right from the beginning and Ben wanted his ears covered … but he was smiling and giggling the whole time. He even clapped along with everyone after the finale. It was the next morning, when we asked him how the fireworks went, and he replied “Blink, Blink. On, Off… Boom!” Yep, that about sums it up.

Ben has an interesting way of putting things into words like that. I think it has something to do with his active imagination, which we are starting to see more and more of. Like this week, Ben and his cousin Ryan came up with a new game to play over at  Gram’s house. The two of them go behind the bushes by the house where only they can fit. To them its the Jungle. They laugh and think its fun to go hide back there, thinking no one knows where they are. When we got home today, Mommy asked Ben what kind of animals are in the Jungle, and right away he replied “tigers, and elephants… and robins”. If that wasn’t funny enough, when Gram ventured too close to the Jungle, she told Ben she was scared of big animals like elephants. Ben quickly assured here that it was safe, because the elephant was all the way down by the end of the driveway.

Another new game Ben introduced to us recently is ‘driving’. Its not enough to just sit on the couch and watch TV together, now we have to go driving. This consists of Ben gathering pillows up around him, and possibly a stuffed friend or two. Once everything is in place, he will tell you where to sit, either next to or behind him. Then, before you can drive, Ben insists that you buckle up (this is accomplished by pulling the blanket across your lap and pretendingto buckle it). At this point, Ben grabs his invisible steering wheel and announces “Away we go!” and proceeds to make race care sounds as you tear around invisible corners and turns. Its usually a very short drive, because then you have to rearrange everything and start all over again. Good times!

Every day is filled with these fun little moments, and it cracks us up to see what Ben comes up with next. Whether its climbing in and out of empty boxes, pretending to water the flowers with aplastic hose pulled off his toy vacuum cleaner, or making believe he is doing his homework, Ben can always find some way to amuse himself…. and in the process amuse us. Even a deflated balloon can be fun. Ben entertained Mommy the other day by piling his toys onto the deflated balloon and then using it to drag them from one side of the living room to the other. He made at least 5 or 6 trips like this and ended up with a big pile of stuff at the far end of the room. Who needs a wagon when you have a dead balloon to haul things!?

But that’s Ben being Ben. If there is nothing to play with, just make something up. You can’t help but play right along with him.

That’s all for now. This weekend we have the 4th of July, and a big parade and picnic over at Nana & Poppop’s! We’ll have pictures and a report back next week. In the meantime, everyone have a great weekend and a fun holiday!

Let’s Ride!

To say Ben has had a busy week would be an understatement. In the past 14 days, Ben has managed to cram in a whole summer’s worth of rides! After two trips to the carnival, a day at Storybook Land, and another trek out to Dutch Wonderland, Ben still wants more rides, he just can’t get enough. And he is fearless,ready to jump on anything that he is tall enough to ride. I had too many pictures from the past week, so I had to narrow it down to just a dozen which you can click to see at the end of this post.

First up was the carnival. This year we remembered tickets were cheaper if you buy them ahead of time, so we loaded up on them, grabbed Ben’s cousins Emily & Ryan, and headed out for some rides! Some of Ben’s favorites included the tea-cups (he has been talking about these since he saw them on his Disney video, so it was fun to finally get him on them), the merry-go-round, the ladybugs, and the cars & motorcycles that go round and round. Ben’s partner in crime, Ryan, was along for most of the  rides.Daddy even took Ben through the fun house (although it didn’t seem to include much actual ‘fun’, but Ben seemed to think it was exciting to walk through a maze of dirty mirrors,  up some dark narrow steps, and then slide down a spiral slide that we barely fit on).

At the end of last week, it was off to Storybook land for the little guy. Mommy and Daddy sat this one out while Gram, Aunt Julie, and of course Ryan and Emily went along. Ben had a blast! They hit pretty much every ride in the park, with Ben hopping on anything that spun, whirled, or flew. By far, Ben’s favorite was the ‘Roller Poster’ (as Ben liked to call it). This was more than just a kiddy roller coaster that goes in a circle, this was a full-fledged coaster with twists and turns and drops! Apparently Ben could have rode this all day, squealing and laughing during each and every trip around the track. He still can’t stop talking about it, and Daddy & Mommy look forward to taking Ben on bigger and faster ‘roller posters’ as he gets older.

Finally, in celebration of Mommy’s birthday, we once again packed up Gram’s van and headed out to Dutch country to that magical place that is Dutch Wonderland! You may remember from the blog last year that this is a special place for us, and this year was no different. Again we lucked out with the weather and lack of crowds. This day could take up a whole post on its own, but I’ll try to get through the highlights.

We were barely through the front gates when Ben started pointed and asking to ride the choochoo. After lathering up in sun tan lotion, we made our way into the park. This year, Ben could ride a whole lot more, and he made the most of it. We checked off rides on the log flume, the giant slides, the spaceships, the bulldozers, the sky tram, the monorail, the choochoo, the spinning turtles, and the antique cars, just to name a few.

Later in the day, we made it over to the water park, where Ben got to ride down the big tube slide in a raft with mommy, and then played in all of the kiddie pools and fountains (until he announced that he was done and wanted to go back on more rides!) We were in the park for about 9 hours, and Ben didn’t let himself nap for one minute. I could just watch that little guy smile and laugh on rides all day every day.

Ben had some great trips down the giant slide with his Mommy (apparently Daddy and cousin Ryan were too heavy to give them much of a race!) He also  was absolutely beaming as we took the train ride around the park (waving at everyone that we passed by.) But once again, my personal favorite was the road trip Ben I took driving the antique cars around the track. I remember going on this very ride with my Dad way back when, so it means a lot for me to take my little guy on it and continue the tradition. This year was even better because Ben was big enough that I could let him try and steer himself. After playing behind the steering wheel of my car in the driveway at home, this was like a dream come true for him. I know it won’t be long before he is too old to think it is cool to drive in these little cars with his dad anymore, so I cherish every ride that we get together. All in all, it was another incredible day in Dutch country, and another fabulous birthday for Mommy! One again we created some priceless family memories together.

So that in a nutshell was Ben’s week of rides and amusement parks. You can see some pictures of all the fun here. Hopefully we can get Ben back on some rides before the end of the summer, but this was all really just a warm up for the real rides to come later in the fall, when it is off to Disney World. From what I can see, Ben is more than ready, and we can’t wait!

On a sad side note, R.I.P. Michael Jackson. As I am typing this, MTV is running all of his music videos, and it seems strange to me that Ben will never really understand who this weird guy with the white glove and the crazy dance moves really is. His songs were the soundtrack to many of my childhood memories (I even had the red zipper jacket and parachute pants at one point!) I like to remember him that way instead of for the bizarre turn his life  later took. Hopefully he is finally at peace.

Have a great week everyone, and be sure to enjoy and appreciate every moment of it!

Mr. Repeat

As you can see, Ben was very proud of the little zoo that he set up with his toy animals. What you can’t see from this photo is that this was about the tenth time Ben assembled that zoo in a span of twenty minutes. He puts the fence together, sets up the animals in their spots, plays, then takes the whole thing apart only to start over again. And again. And again.

Ben seems to have a strange fascination with repeating things. Most of the time it just makes us shake our head and wonder, sometimes it makes us laugh, and other times it just plain wears us out!

Just the other day, Ben followed me around as I opened windows to let in a little fresh air. Apparently it made an impression on him, because later that night it came up at bedtime. As I sat in his room, Ben ran from one end of his crib to the other, flicking the latches on it and telling me he had to ‘open his windows’. It was fun…for about the first five minutes. After about a half hour Daddy was praying that Ben would fall asleep. He finally gassed out and went to bed, but I think it took about an hour and a half! (He didn’t spend the whole time opening windows, there was also some jumping, talking, and playing with his stuffed friends. Bud the bedtime routine is for a whole other post.)

Sometimes Ben can just physically wear you out with his repeating. Just ask Poppop how long Ben likes to be pushed on his swing in the backyard. Unfortunately, Ben also enjoys when Poppop sings to him while he swings. Some days I wonder how Poppop still has a voice afterwards…I think Ben would just keep on swinging unless you made him stop. For another example you should talk to Aunt Devon. One day, just for fun, she starting dancing Ben around Nana & Poppop’s living room to a country music CD. This quickly became something he asked for every week…and you can’t dance just once. Ben wants you to dance over and over…and you have to keep repeating the same track on the CD (he gets upset and will let you hear it if you try to change songs).

There are all kinds of things that Ben repeats an alarming number of times, but there is one particular incident that recently inspired this post. Ben has a portable DVD player which we sit on the couch and watch movies on from time to time. Lately, Ben has asked for his musical DVD, Choo Choo Soul, that has a number of fun, short, dance songs and videos. There is one song in particular (The Blue Zoo Train song..its burned in my head forever) that Ben likes to sing along to and act out what is happening in the video. But, every time we get to a point about 20 seconds into the song, Ben insists on rewinding to the beginning and listening again. Its almost impossible to get through the whole song, as Ben will have you replay that first 20 seconds over and over and over. He thinks its hilarious. I think we better get another copy of that DVD because we are going to wear it out!

Oh well, even when he is repeating things, Ben never gets less fun or less cute, whether its the second time he is doing something, or the twentieth. And I can’t complain about one thing we repeat every day: each night before bed, Ben gives me a hug, a kiss, knuckles, high five, and then tries to make the I love you sign with his hand. Its our little thing and that never gets old.

Hopefully by the time you are reading this, Ben will be off to Storybook Land with Gram and cousin Ryan. We also visited the carnival this week, and next week it is off to Dutch Wonderland! So next week’s blog will be all about Ben and his amusement park ride experiences! Should be fun.

See you next week!

Too Smart, Too Scary

What does this week’s title have to do with this photo? (Speaking of photos, there is a link to some new ones at the end of this post.) Well, Ben wasn’t really upset when we took this, he was actually faking. We asked Ben what happens when he is sad, and he immediately went to the scrunched up crying face and even gave us a few ‘Boohoos’. He is very aware, already, of how is expressions and words can help him get something out of Daddy or Mommy.

Another trick Ben uses when asking for something is to tell us its his ‘favorite’. He will even keep telling us that after we give in to him. This week’s ‘favorites’ included chocolate milk, broccoli, fruit snacks, cookies, shopping at Target, and making big splashes in the bath tub. (Of course when he got tired of eating, he was quick to tell us ‘I don’t like it’ about his broccoli!) Like we mentioned last week, Ben is getting very good, and very smart about getting what he wants. I’m sure this story will only get funnier and sneakier in the near future!

On a side note, Ben made me laugh out loud with something he said today. It was obvious he needed a diaper change, and Ben reluctantly laid back on the couch for me to change him. As I was getting ready, he grinned up at me, and with a glint in his eyes told me “I have a present for you Daddy.” Chuckling, and already guessing the answer, I asked “Oh yeah, where is my present?” Without missing a beat, Ben tapped his hand to his pants and said “Its in here!” That’s my boy!

In other Ben news, he has adopted his very own Cabbage Patch Kid, Jeffrey. The two have pretty much been joined at the hip the last few days. Jeffrey sleeps with Ben in his crib, and he is the first one Ben grabs in the morning when he wakes up. Ben feeds him, reads to him, tries to change his diaper, and just all around loves him. He has gone on walks, made the trip to Poppop and Nana’s house, and he has even  been taken shopping. Perhaps the cutest Jeffrey moment was one morning when Mommy woke up early and found Ben sitting up in the early morning light, just quietly holding Jeffrey and staring off at who knows what in his crib.

Last week I talked a lot about what Ben likes and dislikes, and one thing on the list was school buses. Well it just became more obvious this week that Ben has a strange fascination with those big yellow buses. It seemed like every time he was in the car with me he was pointing out school buses before i even saw them coming. I can’t believe how far away he can spot them. I’m not sure how we are going to break it to him that he probably won’t get to ride the bus very much since we live so close to the schools. For now, Ben can just enjoy playing with the toy school bus that he has at Poppop and Nana’s house, and the brand new bus that Gram bought him this week.

And finally this week, we have the new photos posted here. There are two especially fun group shots in this bunch. The first is a great shot of Ben and all of his cousins after a trip to the custard stand (I think my favorite part of this shot is the cousin that had to be stripped down to his diaper because he was covered in his ice cream cone!) The other group photo was taken just last night, when Mommy and  4 of her oldest friends decided to try and get a photo of all of their  kids together…. that’s 9 kids, all under the age of 5!  Very impressive, and very cute, so check it out (my favorite part of this one is Ben looking so bored and chilled out that he may fall asleep amid all the chaos of kids).

Thats all for this week. There is a lot coming up in the next few weeks, with the carnival, fireworks, the 4th of July, and our second annual trip to Dutch Wonderland , so be sure to check back for all of the latest news. Thanks for reading!

Making a Splash

Much to Ben’s delight, this past weekend we got his little pool set up in the backyard. Even though it was starting to get cloudy and the water was a bit chilly, Ben had to take a dip, and of course Mommy and Daddy ended up in there with him. Ben loves his pool (and wants to show it to anyone who stops over!) It made me start thinking of his likes and dislikes, and how they have already had an impact on how we do things around here…

Ben loves his pool, and he loves being outside. He loves to swing at Nana & Poppop’s, and to play in the sandbox at Gram and Gramps house. But Ben definitely does not like being told its time to go inside, especially when he isn’t ready. Ben also does not like mosquitos, since they make boo boos on his arms and legs.

Ben loves to take walks to the custard stand, but he doesn’t like it if you don’t share your ice cream with him. Ben loves his cousins, all 5 of them, but he doesn’t like it when they play rough. The little guy loves his grandparents. He constantly asks to go to their houses and to talk to them on the phone. But Ben hates when you say it is time to leave there and head home.

Ben loves to share, and will offer you a cookie before he takes one himself. But Ben gets mad if you won’t share with him. Ben likes to talk and play in his crib before bed while you sit in his room with him, but he throws a fit if you happen to turn his light off before he is ready. Ben loves his cats and is always trying to pet them (as hard as they try to get away). But Ben will shout at them if they are being too loud, or if they wake him up by jumping in his crib (When Jack did this the other morning, Ben chased him away and told me “I told Jack get out…with my foot!”)

Ben loves riding in Daddy’s car, but he gets annoyed if you don’t open the sun roof or play music for him. Ben loves school buses and trains, pointing them out whenever he spots one on the road. But Ben doesn’t like it if you don’t turn and look at every single one that he tries to show you (which is tough when you are driving!) Ben loves the mall, but he won’t be happy if you don’t let him throw coins in the fountain. Ben loves his stroller, but when he wants to walk, forget it! Ben loves his new Cabbage Patch baby (Jeffrey), but he gets concerned if we don’t bring him everywhere with us.

When it comes to eating, Ben pretty much loves everything…right now some favorites of his are the raviolis (or as he calls them, ‘Olees’), baked beans, fruit snacks, and anything from Chic-Fil-A. Of course if he isn’t hungry, Ben will hate anything you put in front of him (and he will tell you that). Ben loves his cookie cereal, but sometimes only if you let him eat it right from the box (Daddy’s fault for starting that habit). Ben loves milk, but sometimes only wants juice… unless he wants milk….unless he really wants a juice box, or maybe some of your soda (sometimes Ben just can’t make up his mind).

Finally, Ben loves playing, and laughing, and giving hugs and kisses. Ben loves running and exploring and figuring out how things work. Ben loves his toys and his stuffed animal friends. Ben loves to greet you when you come to our door. Ben pretty much loves everything, and he will love you too…just don’t tell him no, or that its time to go to bed. He hates that.

And if he wants to jump in that pool with the skies darkening and the wind picking up, just let him do it, because you will love watching him love every minute of it (at least until he gets cold…Ben doesn’t like that).

Thanks for letting me just ramble on this week, hope everyone has a great weekend and gets to do something you love!

Let the Summer Begin!

Is it really almost June already? Hard to believe, but summer is here, and Ben is ready! Even though the last few days have been a little grey, there has been plenty of sunshine for Ben to enjoy outside already… and he has made the most of it. (And we have more photos at the end of this post to prove it.)

This past weekend, Ben celebrated Memorial Day with a busy long weekend filled with dinners out with Gram and the cousins, a lunch date with some old friends, a birthday party for a little friend, walks with Mommy and Daddy, and a BBQ at Nana and Poppop’s to top it all off. As you can see, Ben was in a very patriotic mood, and had a great time marching around with Poppop holding their flags. You will see in the photos that Ben dug right into some baked beans and hot dogs, and also was practicing his bean bag skills. Daddy was proud, as there is a long tradition in this family of teaching our children to toss bean-filled bags through holes cut in wood. Ben already seems to have a knack for it. Needless to say, by the end of the weekend, Ben was already sporting quite the farmer’s tan.

In other outside news, Ben has taken an early interest in driving. We have talked about our walks where Daddy or Mommy pushes Ben in his red plastic car as he yanks the wheel and beeps his horn. But isn’t it always much more fun if you can make the car go all by yourself? Enter Ben’s best buddy, cousin Ryan, and his super-charged miniature John Deer 4-wheeler. Ben is still too little to drive himself, but he is more than happy to ride shotgun as Ryan takes the wheel and the two of them run rings around Gram’s front yard (literally…there is a bare ring around her yard where they drive!) Ryan has a bit of a lead foot, and both he and Ben giggle as they crash into anything that gets in their way. Seeing the two of them flying around the yard, grinning and laughing together kind of reminds me of the Duke Boys in their General Lee. Hopefully these two won’t be getting in any trouble with the law any time soon.

Of course it didn’t take long for Ben to get his own battery-powered vehicle. Gram surprised the little guy with his very own 4-wheeler last week. All he has to do is climb on and hold a button and off he goes. Ben’s ride isn’t nearly as fast as Ryan’s, but that’s OK because Ben still hasn’t quite figured out how to steer. He is great at going in a straight line, but tends to keep going that way and runs right into bushes and fences…wheels spinning, never letting off the throttle. He just laughs and asks for help in getting turned around…then he is off again until he runs straight into something else. I’m sure he’ll get the hang of it soon.

Continuing the outdoor theme, Ben has discovered the joys of the sandbox. It is one of his favorite things to do at Gram’s house, and Ben doesn’t just dig in the sand, he dives right in and rolls around. There have been days where Ben comes home with sand in places where no person should ever have sand! Lets just say bath time has happened a lot more frequently around here. We just recently filled up Ben’s sandbox here, so now he can ride his quad back there and play all he wants.

Ben loves being outside, and is sure to have a busy summer. Already there have been trips to the zoo and a dip in Gram’s pool. He has rips to the beach and amusement parks to look forward to, as well as more swimming and all of the above activities. We’ll make sure to keep you up to date on what he is up to next. And now, as promised, here are some recent photos of Ben being Ben and having some fun!

See you next time!

The Joy of Chasing Bubbles

Don’t you miss the days when chasing bubbles could bring you so much sheer joy? Do you remember a time when you would jump up and down and squeal happily just because someone gave you a cookie? Welcome to Ben’s world. Ben seems so happy and amazed at life that I think he makes us all a bit happier just by being around him.

As he grows into being two, one change we have noticed in Ben is that he is getting much more expressive …whether its in his facial expressions or his words. Ben will literally shake with excitement if you tell him that he is going to Gram and cousin Ryan’s house to play. You can see his eyes beam with pride when he tells you all about going shopping with Nana and Poppop. And you can feel the love in his hugs when he gives you a big squeeze on your way out the door to work. It makes you wish you could just bottle his amazement and excitement with the world around him in order to preserve it as he grows older. (Of course Ben has also gotten better at expressing his anger, strong will and his determination to get what he wants…but we will save that for another blog!)

Its just the little things that he says and does that constantly put a smile on our faces around here. The other day I was trying to get him dressed, and Ben, not ready to start the day, told me “I don’t mind wearing my pajamas”. Then there was another morning when he grabbed my finger and led me to the kitchen, telling me  “I want to show you something”, only to point and ask for some cereal. It was funny the way he asked for it, but then as I was getting ready to pour it into a bowl he stopped me and said “No, out of the box”, so the two of us watched cartoons and scooped cereal from the box together.

Its hilarious to watch him grab a wipey and act like he is ‘cleaning’ his stuffed bear and putting a diaper on him. I’m even more amazed after Ben gets a diaper change himself, that he will take the diaper and throw it out, and gather up any dirty clothes and drop them in his laundry. You can’t carry him up or down the steps any more, he has to take them himself, one giant step at a time (and this is only AFTER you let him open the mailbox and check for mail).

Walks are also an adventure. Forget the stroller, lately, Ben only wants to ride in his bright red plastic car (with a little help from Daddy or Mommy pushing). He will walk you out to the garage and have you open it so he can pull the car out himself. Then, he climbs in and makes sure to buckle up (proudly announcing it in the process). Once you are off, Ben likes to steer like a mad man, sometimes yanking the wheel from side to side, and even hitting the horn for a beep beep now and then. He waves at people passing by, he waves at trucks and cars that drive by, he shouts hello at any puppies that may bark at us..he basically has a blast. And if you are lucky enough to come across some pine cones, Ben insists that  you stop and pick them up, storing them in his car’s trunk for later.

Yes, Ben seems to find joy in every little thing that he comes across. Any activity can be turned into a game, any empty bag or piece of cardboard can turn into a toy that is played with for hours. He doesn’t have a care in the world, and is just living life and having fun. As we all grow older, sadly, it seems like most of us slowly lose this ability to just live care-free. You take on more and more responsibilities, which cause more and more worries. It seems that life gets much more complicated as we age…but does it really need to be that way? Sure, there are some things which need to be kept in mind, but there is so much that we stress about that really shouldn’t be worth our time and worries.

As I watch Ben laughing and playing, I keep reminding myself to live more like him ..less stress, more fun…just enjoy life. And so while Ben really loves his new bubble machine, it just might be Daddy’s favorite new toy as well.

See you next week, more pictures coming then!

Late Nights and Early Mornings

With Mommy and Daddy working, most days, nights and mornings are the times we get to spend with Ben. In between, Ben spends the weekdays having adventures with his grandparents and cousins. So by the time we get home, there are definitely some stories to hear. And usually everything seems to come out during bedtime.

You never know what you will get when you tell Ben its time to head to his room. One night he might give you a goodnight kiss and head off to his room with no problem. The next night he might throw a fit and demand to watch his Disney movie two more times before bedtime. Sometimes Ben will gather up all the toys and stuffed animals that he can hold and bring them into his crib with him. Sometimes he will tell you its too early to sleep (my personal favorite). Its always an adventure.

Mommy is the one Ben likes to have put him to sleep, so she gets most of the bedtime fun. She gets to rock in the chair and hear Ben babble on about everything he did that day (and some things that he just makes up!) Once he is in the crib, its only just beginning. Ben might decide to do laps back and forth across the crib, he might ask for juice, no, milk…maybe juice. He might even sing Happy Birthday to you, just for the fun of it.

It can be a long process, but once he is asleep, its off to bed for mommy, her mornings start so early. So when Ben wakes up crying in the middle of the night, Daddy tries his best to quiet Ben down so Mom can sleep (although Daddy somehow still sleeps through those cries now and then). This is a whole other game that Ben likes to play.

After he stops screaming for Mommy and accepts that he is stuck with Daddy, Ben usually wants you to sit in his room with him. He may talk to you a bit or ask for a drink, or to turn on his night light. Then just when you think you have him asleep and you try creeping back to bed, you here the faint call of “Daaaaaaady”….which only gets louder until you go back. Needless to say, Daddy has spent a couple nights recently fast asleep on Ben’s floor.

But before you know it, morning comes fast….and the fun starts all over again.

Thanks for listening to me ramble….I think I better get to bed and get some sleep in case I am called in by the little guy tonight! See you next week!

Son Shining Through The Clouds

Even though April showers are supposed to bring May flowers, it seems that things have gotten switched this year. So far, this month has brought a seemingly endless string of gray, dreary, rainy days. Hopefully, this week’s photos will help to brighten everyone’s day. These are from Ben’s 2-year old photo shoot, and you can see more of them here.

Maybe its the weather, but Daddy is just feeling wiped out and worn down lately. These are not easy days, but you can always count on Ben’s smile to be a much needed break in the clouds. Just looking through these shots is a quick reminder of why I do what I do.

Besides the rain, Ben is feeling a bit under the weather himself tonight. We got home from work to find the little guy asleep on his Gram, with over a 102 degree fever. A little medicine and his favorite Disney movie helped to cheer him up a bit, but Ben still has been a little out of it tonight. He perked up for a walk round the neighborhood with Daddy, but he was also excited to get back home where Mommy’s hugs were perhaps the best medicine.

The little guy fell asleep rather quickly, and his fever seems to have finally broken with some help from more medicine. He woke up several times, asking for mommy to sit in his room with him, but he sounds like he is snoring peacefully away in there now (and so is mommy).

After spending these long rainy days with things weighing on my mind, I really look forward to getting home to the family. I guess with Ben not feeling so great, I didn’t get the pick-me-up that his little smile usually brings. Although, after our walk earlier, we did get to share some quiet time on the porch swing, enjoying the break in the weather together. With Ben on my lap, we watched the clouds and listened to the birds chirping…and that was probably just the medicine that I needed.

That’s all I have for this week, at a bit of a loss for words and feeling kind of tired myself. Again, check out the pics here, Ben sure loves the camera! See you next week.

And Here Come the Two’s!

First the good news, Ben had an excellent birthday weekend last week (you can see for yourself in the photos link at the end of this entry). On Friday, Mom and Dad both had off and spent the whole day with the little guy (just like two years ago, except this time Ben wasn’t in mommy’s belly!) We went for a family photo shoot (pictures to follow next week), played together, and enjoyed the incredible weather by taking a walk around the neighborhood. We also gave Ben his new bike, which he was very excited about, even if it is still just a hair big for him. Even though he couldn’t pedal, he enjoyed being pushed up and down the sidewalk on it.

Then, on Saturday, was Ben’s party at Nana and Poppop’s. The warm weather made it feel more like the 4th of July as our families got together to celebrate. The theme was Tigger, and Ben loved the cake that Mommy and Aunt Danielle created (awesome job!!) Their seemed to be a sports theme with the presents, including bowling, baseball, a basketball net, and a soccer ball. Ben had a great day, and was especially tired after going non-stop without a nap because all the excitement. He continued to talk about his birthday for the next several days. That night, before falling asleep, he was babbling in his crib about his party, and blowing out the candles, and his cake. The saddest part might have been this past week, when Ben was back at Nana and Poppop’s and he asked them “Where’s my party?”  Thanks to everyone that came!

So that’s the good news…and now the bad: Ben already does not seem immune to the terrible two’s! Don’t get me wrong, for the most part Ben is a sweet, curious, loving, well-behaved little guy. But just recently, every once in awhile, you can catch a little ornery gleam in his eyes. Ben now has several ways of telling you no, and he isn’t shy about using them. There is the ‘Ummmmmmmm…no’ (always delivered with a smile), there is the ‘No no no no no…’ (we think he got this one from Poppop), there is also the screaming no, the silent defiant stare, and finally the last resort of just kicking and crying.

Ben REALLY wants to do things himself, so these no’s come out now and then. He needs to open his food containers himself, he needs to feed himself, walk up and down stairs himself, change his own diaper, dress himself, assemble his own toys, change the batteries in everything, and just about anything else that he gets in his head that he can do all by himself. I have to admire his confidence and daring, but unfortunately he isn’t quite ready to do half the things he thinks he can on his own…just don’t tell him that!

Ben wants what he wants, and he is definitely strong-willed. We now get some foot stomping, tears, screaming, and my personal favorite, grabbing onto things for dear life until we finally give in and let him have them. Most of the time we can stand up to him, but every now and then he flashes those blue eyes punctuates what he is saying with a sweet little ‘Daddy’ or ‘Mommy’, which makes saying no impossible!

Oh, and one other thing, technically he can climb out of his crib. We have seen him grin at us and lift his foot up onto the top railing…even going as far as pulling himself up until he was straddling it. Usually, we just tell him no and he drops harmlessly back onto the mattress. He has never really tried to escape at night, but I have a feeling that might be coming. Stay tuned!

So good and bad, its really all good with Ben. We wouldn’t change a thing, but that doesn’t stop us from worrying about what these terrible two’s may bring. Needless to say, I’m sure it won’t be boring!

Thanks for reading, and as promised, click here to see the photos from Ben’s birthday. See everyone next week!