We Are…

Pennstate! We are… a Pennstate family. I’m not sure exactly where or how it started, but growing up I knew I was always supposed to cheer for the team in the plain blue and white uniforms, with the funny looking coach. Later on, I got accepted to go there myself, and was almost convinced after a visit to the campus. Luckily, I got to live the Pennstate life through my sister, when she moved into Happy Valley several years later. So the blue and white runs deep in this family, and we were all saddened by the passing of Joe Paterno this week.

Ben was also introduced to the Nittany Lions at an early age (as you can see in this picture I dug up of him and his proud aunt) I’m not sure exactly how much he knows, but he thinks of them as the other football team that we cheer for besides the Black and Gold. He knows their colors, he knows their chant (give him a ‘We are…’ and he will yell back ‘Pennstate!’ without hesitation.) But, I’m not sure how familiar he is with this guy that they called JoePa. After enduring the unfolding news of the past few months, and then the events of this past week after Paterno passed away, it got me thinking, what would I want Ben to know about this football coach with the rolled up pants and the thick black glasses?

It finally came into focus earlier tonight as I watched Joe Paterno’s son, Jay, speak about his father. He talked about how proud he was of his dad and his life’s work. Jay talked about how his dad loved his family unconditionally and right up to the end was more worried about others than himself. He said that Joe had constantly tried to teach his kids the lessons they would need to be successful in life and stressed for them to be confident in themselves and to not be afraid to reach for their dreams. His dad taught him humility, the importance of giving and caring for others. What really hit home, was when Jay said that his dad had done all that he could, that he gave him the armor and the knowledge that he needed to grow into a man (a good man) of his own who could  survive and succeed in this world.

That’s when the light bulb went off in my head and I thought “That’s the kind of dad I want to be for Ben, that’s the kind of impact I hope I can have on his life!” I can only hope that when he grows older, maybe Ben will say some of the same things about me. In the meantime, I can only try my best to teach him the right things and raise him the right way. Ben inspires me to be a good person, to work hard, dream big, and to constantly fight to give him the best that I can.

So, if in the future, Ben asks me about this Joe Paterno guy, I’ll give him the whole story, the good and the bad. But most of all, I’ll tell him what his family said about him in the end, about how proud his kids were of their dad and how he raised them. I hope Ben will be just as proud of me.

Of course, then I’ll give Ben a loud “We Are…”, and I have no doubt he will smile and shout back “Pennstate!”

RIP JoePa!

(I realize Joe Paterno has become a very polarizing figure, so if your views of the man are different from mine, feel free to message me privately, but I ask that you refrain from posting any negative comments to this blog. Thanks!)

The Force is Strong in This One

Here is Darth Vader riding his Imperial Big Wheel. It’s funny how random Christmas gifts can turn out to have a big impact. Ben had been asking Santa repeatedly for the game  Mario Kart for his Nintendo DS. Santa brought it for him, and just happened to throw in a Lego Star Wars game because it looked like fun, too. A few weeks later, and I think we have a little Star Wars fan on our hands.

Ben has spent hours playing the game, which takes you through the six Star Wars movies in detail, and includes all of the characters that you could think of. Its been amazing to see how quickly he has picked up how to play the game, and even more fun o see how interested in the story he has become. As a result, this past weekend we sat down and watched 3 of the movies together, and started the fourth.

So now, Ben knows the Star Wars story in detail. He knows how Darth Vader came to be, he knows how everyone is related, he knows who fights who, he knows the names of the machines and the spaceships. The other day Mommy asked Ben if he was going to become a Star Wars nerd when he gets older and his reply was “I already am!” We play pretend games where we battle with our light sabers, or travel the galaxy as father and son bounty hunters Jango and Boba Fett. Ben draws pictures of his favorite characters, has me search YouTube for video clips of them, and wants to make up his own stories with them.

He definitely leans towards the dark side for his favorite characters, some of them being Darth Vader, Darth Maul, Boba Fett (I guess the bad guys all look cooler!) But, if you ask him his favorite, he will tell you its Yoda (or, since Ben knows that Yoda talks backwards, he might say “Yoda my favorite he is!”) He has already said maybe he could be Yoda for Halloween, and maybe he could have a Yoda cake and a Star Wars birthday party. Yoda does look pretty cool, but I wonder if Ben really likes him because his light saber is green…Ben’s favorite color. He even has a stuffed Yoda that he sleeps with each night. Stuffed Yoda even made a trip with us to church last week, where Ben told everyone about him and who he was. One lady pet Yoda on his head and said he was really cute, to which Ben replied “And you know what? He died in his bed!” The lady laughed, but Ben was right, correctly referencing a scene in The Empire Strikes Back.

The silliest Star Wars moment definitely came when Ben decided he really wanted to go out for a ride on his big wheel…. with his Darth Vader helmet on. Not only did he want to wear the helmet, but he wanted people to see him in it (as Ben said, “They will look out their windows and go ‘What is that!?’) He even asked if he could ride near the highway so that more cars would go by and see him. Instead, we settled on a trip up one side of the street, and down the other. I could just hear the Darth Vader music in my head as Ben peddled down the sidewalk. Unfortunately, it was a pretty quiet day on our street, and I don’t think Ben got the audience he was hoping for (“I didn’t see anyone looking out their windows” Ben said). Still, it was a memorable moment for Daddy, and I got one of my favorite pictures out of it.

So next time you see Ben, go ahead and try to stump him with some Star Wars trivia. Chances are he will surprise you with his answers. In the meantime, he is still battling his way through his game, trying to unlock all of the characters and learn all of their names and their places in the movies. Don’t be shocked if you happen to see Vader cruising down the sidewalk on his big wheel in your neighborhood. This has all been lots of fun, and its great seeing how excited and interested in the Star Wars universe that Ben has become. It makes me proud that I can look at the little guys and say in my best Darth Vader voice “Ben, I am your father!” … and he gets the movie reference and laughs with me.

There’s Always Next Year

So it seems our team got Tebow’d this past weekend. Not exactly the way we were hoping the Steeler’s season would end. As you can see, Ben was all geared up and ready to go for the game Sunday afternoon (he even broke out his Terrible Toddler Bib!) Alas, another Super Bowl was no in the cards this year (I guess we are getting a little greedy.) It was a tough loss, but I liked the passion that Ben showed. Afterwards, he told me that he “felt like he was one of the players after the game, like he just got kicked!!” (Couldn’t have said it better myself.) Time to put Ben’s little black 43 jersey away until next year..if it still fits by then.

Ben always has interesting ideas about what kind of work he will do when he grows up. Just this week, he was telling his Mom that he was going to get married and have a lot of kids. He was asked if he would be a stay at home dad to take care of all of them, and Ben thought for a second. He said he would, but that would be his second job, because he would also be a chemist (because they get to mix potions!)  After one recent night here, I’m beginning to wonder if he just might become an even coordinator.

I was working on my computer in my room, when Ben burst in and told me I needed to get a piece of paper and write ‘Ticket’ on one side. On the other I was instructed to print ‘Ben’s Famous Dinner’. He told me he would call me when it was time, and with that he ran out of my room. At the time, I didn’t know that Ben had been helping Nana prepare dinner for the night. He was measuring and adding ingredients, even setting the table (I had never seen the napkins set above the plates before). As he was busy doing all of this, Ben decided that he wanted to do something a little different for all of us… he wanted to make it ‘fancy’. Next thing we know, we are all being called to dinner with our tickets in hand. Ben asked that we all go downstairs and line up so that we could parade up the stairs. At the top of the steps, Ben inspected each of our tickets and told us “Welcome to Ben’s famous dinner!”

The little guy definitely had a vision for how he wanted that dinner to go, right down to the table settings and our tickets. It was really funny (and a bit impressive) to see how he had planned everything out. As we were all about to dig into our food, Ben suddenly threw up his arms and shouted “Hold up!” We all paused curiously, then Ben said “I Just want to let you all know, your cranberry sauce has been on the floor…so there might be a few crumbs in it!” (Apparently there was a little accident with Ben getting the cranberry out of the can, and yes, it had been on the floor. But Nana assured us everything had been washed off!) And with that little warning, we all enjoyed Ben’s dinner event!

Another day this week, Ben came up with another plan. He envisioned some photos that he would like to take and told Nana he would like to add them to his photo album. Together, they went around the house as Ben explained the very specific ideas that he had to compose the photos. They ended up taking 5 or six shots, including Ben on his Bed, outside by his house, playing basketball and hugging his stuffed buddies. After they went and got them printed out, Ben was proud to show me his album (it was actually Nana’s album of photos from Ben’s first year, with his new shots added at the end).

Besides envisioning new ideas, Ben also has a knack for recalling things that he heard in the past, often at the most comical moments. This happened one night this week when Mommy was struggling to get the little guy ready for a bath. He just wasn’t listening and instead was horsing around and being silly. Mommy’s patience was getting thin, so she finally yelled and told him clothes off and get in the tub now!! Not missing a beat, Ben walked up to her, pulled her close, cradled her face in his hands and in the sweetest, silliest voice said “Yes, my delicate flower!” Apparently he had heard Uncle Richard refer to Aunt Devon this way, and Ben had filed it away to use at just the right time. Crazy kid.

We’ll have to wait and see what Ben has planned for us next week. I’m sure whatever it is, it will be entertaining!

It’s 2012, let’s ride!

No time to waste. I’m not sure where these last several weeks went, but suddenly we find ourselves thrown right into 2012. Before I get any further, make sure you check out some holiday pics posted here. With Ben, there is never any slowing down, and as you can see in this week’s picture, he’s ready to roll!

Ben spent a lot of time this past week making his way through all of the new toys and gifts that Santa brought. His Happy Napper Monkey still goes everywhere with him, but otherwise, Ben has just been bouncing from one thing to the next. I think he is still on toy overload.

One thing that we spent a lot of time playing together has been his new Lego Star Wars game for the Nintendo DS. I have been amazed at how quickly Ben has picked it up. At first, Daddy was playing through the levels to unlock new secrets and characters. But soon, Ben was taking things into his own hands, playing through and completing levels all by himself! For me, the best part is watching how excited and interested Ben is getting in the whole Star Wars universe. He has been on a mission to unlock some of his favorite characters (Darth Maul, Darth Vader, Boba Fett). Ben has gotten into the story as we play the game, even asking some tough questions (Straight from Ben’s mouth: “So Darth Vader was Luke’s Dad? Why did he die? Did he come back as a ghost because Luke missed him? It’s sad when people’s family die. Now he can watch over Luke like a star.”)

Ben also was lucky in that he got to spread Christmas out for an entire extra week. Since Uncle Richard and Aunt Devon were away over Christmas, we exchanged presents with them last weekend instead. Ben was excited to unwrap some more things, and also to give out a few more gifts of his own to his aunt and uncle (and to show off all of the cool stuff that he got!)

Of course, the big event of the week was New Year’s Eve. I took Ben over to our friend’s house for a kid-friendly party where Ben got to run around and play all night with some people his size. The little guy had fun visiting and playing, and made it all the way to about 11:45 when he started fading a bit. He perked up when we started to watch the ball drop on the T.V., but was then a little disappointed that we didn’t go running around outside making noise and shouting Happy New Year! Needless to say, he was asleep before I had even gotten a block away on the drive home.

There was no time to rest, because the next day it was time for even more presents for Ben! The relatives that didn’t see him on Christmas made their way to Poppop and Nana’s house for a New Year’s Day celebrations….and to give Ben his gifts. After sleeping in a little later than usual, Ben was up and ready to party. His head would perk up every time he thought he heard a car door out front, until finally, the guests started to arrive. Ben had an awesome afternoon, playing games and toys with everyone. He is at the perfect age where he can join in all of the games with the adults. At Ben’s suggestion, we even broke out Twister for some fun (and some embarrassing pictures!) It was a great day to share time with family and welcome in the New Year.

So now it’s onto 2012. We didn’t miss a week with the blog last year (although there were a few close calls when Daddy almost forgot!) In all, the blog was viewed 4,200 times in 2011. Nana and Uncle Glenn lead the way with 16 comments each on the year. So let this be the first of another 52 posts this year. I’m sure there will be PLENTY to write about! And don’t forget to check out the pics here if you haven’t already!

Christmas with Ben

And just like that, it’s over. Another Christmas in the books for Ben. After all of the lead-up and preparation, the day itself seems to go by all too quick. Ben definitely made the most of Christmas this year, and we enjoyed every minute with him. It really makes you wish you could go back to being four years old again and see everything through his eyes.

This Christmas was a little different to begin with, with Ben’s Aunt Devon and Uncle Richard away for the weekend. That left Ben and Daddy along with Nana and Poppop for our Christmas Eve festivities. Nana had all of her candles lit for dinner and Ben wanted the other lights turned down as low as possible (almost to the point where you couldn’t see your plate!). We hung stockings, opened the last windows on our advent calendars and prepared for Santa a glass of milk (chocolate, of course), a plate of cookies and a note, along with carrots for the reindeer. This year Ben insisted we cut the ‘nubs’ (the ends) off the carrots for the reindeer. Then the four of us posed for photos in front of the tree, with Ben even speaking up and art directing some of the shots himself!

Afterwards, it was off to the annual party at our friend’s house where Santa arrives to hand out presents. Ben was very excited along with all of the other kids running around the packed house (when did these kids all get so BIG??) Later, back at Mommy’s house, Ben got another plate ready for Santa (this time the reindeer got cheese!) It was around then that Ben realized it was time to say goodbye to his elf on the shelf for a little while (you don’t think about THAT part of the story!) The little guy gave him a kiss, and even drew a picture of him and Mommy with his elf (Ben has a sad face in the picture.)

The next morning, the craziness started around seven (not too bad!) Ben was eager to give Mommy her presents, and then tore into the big pile for himself. Some of the highlights were his Samurai Castle (he told me about this one on the phone right away), as well as a number of fun PlayMobile sets and figures, some cool Steelers gear and an alarm clock that projects planets onto his ceiling. It was a little strange over at Nana and Poppop’s, with just the three of us up and awaiting Ben’s arrival. We had time to exchange our own gifts and wake up… but I think we all really lit up when it was time to go get the little guy. I went to pick him up and he was all smiles as he gave me the tour of everything that he opened over at Mommy’s house. He decided to stay in his Christmas pajamas and his Santa hat as we headed back for more presents with Nana and Poppop.

His eyes got big as we went downstairs to check out the pile of presents, but even with everything waiting for him there, Ben was most excited about giving me my presents first. He is such a sweet kid. He couldn’t wait to see my reaction, so he came over and helped me open my card and gifts. He was especially excited about the card he picked out, which played music when you pressed a button. And of course, everything he picked out for me was Steelers…a fun Steelers Santa hat, a Steeler sock monkey, and a Steelers wall clock. I don’t think his smile could have been bigger when I told him how much I loved everything. Soon, it was onto what Santa brought him. Ben ripped through his stocking and then went right to work with some of the biggest presents in the pile. Just like last year, he was excited and giggle when he opened new pairs of underwear! Some of the highlights for him were the Batcave Tower (he guessed it before he opened it), some new Nintendo DS games, and a fun guitar to play around with. And how could we forget his Happy Napper monkey (he’s being hugged in this week’s photo). Ben was squeezing all of the presents, trying to find a soft one that would be the happy napper buddy he had asked Santa for repeatedly (Santa tricked him and wrapped him in a box.) Since he has been unwrapped, that monkey has barely left Ben’s side! After presents, it was upstairs for a special breakfast, and to light the last candle on the advent wreath and Ben lead us in singing happy birthday to Jesus. It was a nice little quiet time to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas, and for us all to catch our breath for a minute or two.

Too soon, Ben was off to his next stop. Him and Daddy got back into the car and headed over to Gram and Gramps house…more presents…and a lot more people! All of Ben’s cousins were already packed in and bus unwrapping and playing when he arrived. I gave the little guy a hug and kiss, and then he jumped right into the fun. The rest of the day was spent there, and then playing back home at Mommy’s with all of the fun new toys. You can guess that Ben slept well that night!

Another Christmas, another awesome success full of memories and fun times. Even though this Christmas was a little different, and there were some times that felt a little strange when Ben wasn’t around, seeing the joy in his little face had a way of making you forget about everything else. My favorite memory is just seeing his excitement as he wanted to give me my gifts before opening all of his own. He is such a good little guy, and I know we all treasured every moment we had with him this Christmas.

Now its onto 2012… have a safe and Happy New Year everyone!

 

2 More Days!

“2 more days…there’s just 2 more days until Christmas dad!!” That was the first thing Ben said to me when he woke up yesterday morning. Of course, technically, at that time he had 3 days, but Ben’s thinking was he  only had to go to sleep and wake up twice more, and the third time would be Christmas morning (it was fun watching him do the calculations in his head.) Either way, this kid is seriously excited for Christmas!

All week long, Ben has constantly been asking how many more days? He is more than ready to give out his presents, light up all the candles on the advent wreath, and just start celebrating. This is an awesome age to watch him really get into the holiday spirit. The cool part is, Ben seems most excited about giving.

This past weekend, we went out to pick out some gifts for Ben’s Sunday school teachers. He was very thoughtful as we looked through the stores, trying to find just the right little thing for each one. Back home with the gifts picked out, Ben was just as excited to wrap them himself, and then insisted on making his own special cards for them. When Sunday morning came around, Ben proudly marched into church carrying his gift bags, and couldn’t have been smiling any bigger as he handed them out. It was very cute.

The whole giving theme continued later in the week when I came home from doing some Christmas shopping one afternoon. I was barely in the front door when I could hear Ben calling for me to come down stairs. He was down there playing trucks on the floor with Nana, but he was excited to show me something.  So I hurried down and he greeted me with a huge smile and pointed under the Christmas tree. That afternoon, Nana had helped him wrap up his presents for me, and he wanted to show me that he had already put them under the tree. Ben was so excited for me to see that my presents were under tree, I can’t imagine how he will be watching me open them! He just grinned at me and said “I hope you like them! No opening until Christmas!”

That giving spirit has been with Ben first thing each morning when we wake up and open his advent calendars. He has three in all, two here at Daddy’s house. One of them has a little bible verse under each door, and the other one has a little piece of chocolate for each day. At Mommy’s house, he has a big calendar where he pulls Christmas ornaments out of a little pocket each day and velcros them onto a tree on the calendar. Each morning he has been excited to wake up and find which box we have to open up next. But, as soon as he gets the chocolate out, he takes it and pushes it against the corner of his dresser until it breaks into two pieces… one for Ben, one for Daddy. Even with that little piece of chocolate, he is thinking about sharing and giving.

I think Ben’s true feelings about the holiday came through this week while he was wrapping Daddy’s presents with Nana.  While carefully folding and taping the wrapping paper, Ben just kind of paused and said “Nana, I just LOVE Christmas. I love all the lights and decorations, and celebrating and giving gifts. I just love it.” Nana said it was really sweet because Ben sounded so thoughtful about it, and he kind of just stopped and said it out of the blue. And that’s pretty much what this past month has been in a nutshell, just watching Ben loving every  minute of getting ready for Christmas. His Christmas spirit definitely rubs off on everyone around him.

So, we hope everyone else can pause and really enjoy the next couple of days. I know Ben helps me to do that, and I can’t wait to watch him experience it all….just 2 more days!!!

Not Long Now

Well, Ben finally has a tree decorated here at the house. With only a week left, we were starting to cut it close. Yesterday morning, the little man lent a hand getting all of the ornaments out and ready. I think Ben had the most fun just taking them all out of their boxes and checking them out (especially all of the Steelers ornaments. Daddy’s goal is to one day have a full black and gold tree!) Of course, nothing holds Ben’s attention for too long, and after hanging several ornaments he declared that it was ‘boring’ and he was ready to play something. Ah, the magic of Christmas! (Daddy would end up staying up late to finish the decorating job on his own).

Ben’s excitement has only been growing as Christmas gets closer. his little mind seems to keep coming up with all sorts of ways to celebrate and get in the spirit of things. A few days ago, he declared that he wanted to paint a manger scene on his bedroom wall… but instead of baby Jesus in the manger, Ben wanted to be laying there! And yesterday, on the way into the house, he decided he wanted to pose for some pictures with the little sleigh and reindeer in the front yard. He told Nana he had some ideas for some funny pictures, so they went out front for a little photo shoot.

While at Mommy’s house over the weekend, Ben came up with the idea of making a new Christmas list, but with pictures. So he gathered up all of the store circulars that came in the mail, got some scissors, glue stick and some paper, and he started on his list. He was cutting out items left and right, and ended up making three lists: one for Mommy’s house, one for with Daddy, and one of things that would go back and forth. Ben was definitely dreaming big, since he included things such as a giant bounce house for outside, a popcorn maker for Mommy’s house (because they don’t have one there), a miniature ping pong table, an iPad, a full size basketball net for Daddy and plenty of other outlandish items that would be hard to track down, even if we had more than a week (and unlimited funds!) Ben just seemed to enjoy the cutting and pasting, and was very proud to explain why each gift idea made his lists.

Sure enough, in the middle of all the Christmas fun, Daddy went down for the count a couple days this week with a nasty cold. I was sad I didn’t get as much of a chance to play with Ben, but it also gave me a chance to see what an awesome little kid he is. I spent one whole day in bed, and it broke my heart to see how sad the little guy was because all he wanted to do was play with me. He was worried I was going to be sick for a long time and he just wanted to spend time with me. So when I finally emerged from my room, I was greeted by notes and pictures that Ben had made me to help me feel better. And best of all, I got an excited smile when he saw I was up and about, followed by the best hug ever. I don’t know of anything else that can help you get over a cold any better. Of course, Ben being Ben, one of the first questions out of his mouth at dinner that night was “Hey Dad, did you find a job yet??” Yep, that’s my guy, lol

Looking forward to spending this final countdown week to Christmas with him. Hope this blog finds everyone else in the holiday spirit, and don’t forget to slow down and enjoy every minute!

Counting Down to Christmas

Here is Ben posing with two of his Christmas buddies in the front yard. Giant Christmas sock monkey just showed up one day alongside little penguin. In this case, Ben was being a little sock monkey himself with his hat on. There is no turning back now, we are right in the middle of the count down to Christmas, and Ben is enjoying every minute of it.

This past week saw Ben, Poppop and Daddy attending the annual Holiday Festival in town. We grabbed some pizza on Main Street and then it was off for some fun. Ben had the whole thing down to a routine now. We started with a pony ride, then jumped on the old-fashioned trolley for a ride down a few blocks. Next up was watching the ice sculptors (Ben could do this for hours), and the last stop was for some free cookies and hot chocolate. By then, Ben was cold, and it was time to head home. The night has become one of our new holiday traditions, and its fun that Ben gets so excited for it.

The next morning, Ben had a breakfast with Santa at a local church (that fat guy in the red really gets around!) I’m not sure if Ben was more excited that he got to talk to Santa, or that he rediscovered that he loves sausage!! Ben was absolutely ecstatic when Santa came over to chat for a bit, even giving him a hug and a high-five. Ben was especially proud when Santa told him that he was near the top of the list for good girls and boys. This must have really made Ben think, because later as we were leaving, he brought it up again. Ben said he thought he figured out why he was so high on the good list… because earlier in the year, when Mommy had a bad spider bite and felt sick, Ben helped her feel better. And he was going to help Daddy find a new job. He was positive those were the reasons, and I couldn’t argue with him. (This week alone, Ben suggested maybe I could work in a pizza shop, or as a hotel guy who shows you to your room, or maybe we could buy an ice cream truck and sell ice cream together. The kid is looking out for me!)

On Sunday, Ben went to his church and found himself upfront with the other kids during children’s time. Pastor Charlie has been opening a present each week, and inside is some sort of message about Christmas. This week the message was hope, and there were a stack of calendars in the box (representing the hope for a brand new year). When he asked what calendars are used for, Ben shouted out “to count down to Christmas!” This drew laughs and a round of applause from the entire church (and a proud grin from Daddy). I’m sure Ben came up with this because he has been busy counting down with the three different advent calendars that he has between houses. Between those and finding his new Elf on the Shelf, Ben has been very excited to wake up each morning!

Ben also got to help Mommy put up some more decorations inside the house, including the Christmas tree. Ben even put a lot of the tree together himself! He was very particular about where and how he was hanging his ornaments so that they looked just right. And of course, it wouldn’t be the fun of putting up the tree without having to untangle and ungodly knot of lights only to find out that half them are not working for some reason. Again, Ben was a big help, untangling strings of lights and stretching them out so that they could be tested. In the end, he was very proud of his tree, and it looks great!

In between all the Christmas fun, we took some time out to celebrate Poppop’s birthday last Sunday (a week early). Ben came along to help me pick out some cards, and he had some very specific ideas about what he was looking for. He told me he wanted a musical card, that had something to do with toots or poop! Sure enough, we found a card that gassed the song “Happy Birthday” to you when you opened it. And of course, it made Poppop smile (that’s how our family rolls). It was a fun time celebrating altogether, and Ben was more than happy to help Poppop open his presents and blow out the candles on his cake. And while we were gathered at the table, we took the time to light the second candle on the advent wreath (I think Ben was tempted to blow that one out, too).

So far, its been a fun Christmas season for the little guy, packed with things to do and see. Ben is at such an awesome age where he is just excited and curious about everything. He is really into the spirit of the season, so let the count down continue!

 

Bring on Christmas

Thanksgiving, we hardly knew ya! Suddenly, it seems like we are in full Christmas mode. I would say Ben is ready. This week, he was busy getting himself and everyone else into the holiday spirit.

Ben was  a big help, lending Mommy a hand in putting up all of the outside Christmas lights and inside decorations. He was especially good at running the extension cords all around the porch and front yard. After setting up their lights, Ben was surprised when a six-foot tall inflatable sock monkey suddenly showed up on his front lawn (he joins the little inflatable penguin who is about Ben’s size). Ben was amazed and excited, but wished he knew who brought the monkey so that he could say thank you (it was Gram, even though we told him it was the elves).

Following the elf theme, Mommy started a new tradition with Ben, bringing an “Elf on the Shelf” into the house. He’s a little elf who coms with his own book. In the story, it explains that each night leading up to Christmas, the elf goes back to report to Santa, and when you wake up in the morning, you have to find where he ended up when he came back. After reading the story, Ben seemed excited, but a little hesitant, he said “Maybe we shouldn’t keep him, he kind of sounds like a lot of work! What if his magic wears off?” But Ben dove right into it, and each morning has had fun finding where the elf has ended up next. He even makes the trip back and forth to Mommy’s and Daddy’s so Ben doesn’t miss a morning of searching for his little friend.

Later in the week, Nana and Poppop took Ben for another Christmas tradition… a visit to Santa at the mall. Ben liked that there were giant footsteps on the floor to help lead you to Santa through the mall. Luckily, they got there early and there was no line, so Ben could go right up to the big guy. This year, he decided to ask Santa for a flag, and a new Mario Kart game for his Nintendo DS (the game I can find…but a flag? He said he wanted a new one to hang outside, lol) We got a great photo of him on Santa’s lap, and of course, Ben couldn’t leave the mall without picking out something that he wanted. Ben happily chose a big candy cane filled with little candies. But not just any candies, they were shaped like Crabby Patties from his favorite show Sponge Bob. (We just can’t escape Sponge Bob).

So, that was just the start of our Christmas preparations, and there is more in store this weekend. Tonight, Ben is excited to go to the holiday celebration on Main Street in town. Santa shows up, and they have ice sculpting, pony rides, and some other fun things. Last year, I think Ben could have spent all night just watching the ice sculptors work. Saturday morning he gets to go have breakfast with Santa at a local church (that guy in the red fuzzy suit gets around!) We also lit the first advent candle on the wreath this past week, and Ben has several calendars that he opens each  night. So between that, and finding our little elf friend each morning, there is plenty to keep us busy. I’m sure these next several weeks will be a blur, but also a lot of fun!

A Little Cough Can’t Keep This Turkey Down

Thanksgiving has always been a favorite holiday in our family, so it is fun to see Ben join in the turkey day traditions. A little monkey wrench was thrown into things when Ben came down with a nasty little cold this past Sunday. The little guy stayed home from school on Monday, rested some more on Tuesday, and then unfortunately missed his pre-school Thanksgiving feast on Wednesday (but Daddy still ran the can of corn over to Ben’s teacher upon his request!)

There was some fever, a runny nose, and a lot of coughing, but Ben still managed to keep his spirits up throughout the week. One afternoon, he helped Nana create the turkey-shaped place cards to go on the Thanksgiving dinner table. After Nana wrote out everyone’s names, Ben printed them all by himself on each turkey. Finally, Wednesday night, things were looking up and Ben seemed to be turning the corner with his cold. As we got ready for bed, Ben turned and told me that he was so excited for tomorrow (Thanksgiving) because he would get to see everybody that he hadn’t seen in a while. And with that he had his first good night sleep of the week.

The first thing I heard Thanksgiving morning was Ben calling from his room, “Daddy, it’s the morning, everyone’s coming!” Little man still had a good cough, but seemed to be feeling great otherwise. After some breakfast, Ben got the honor of deciding where everyone would sit around the table. It was hilarious listening to his reasoning of who should sit next to who. Ben really lit up as cousins and aunts and uncles started showing up. Everyone had to see his room, check out his toys, listen to his MP3PO (that’s Ben-speak for what he calls his MP3 music player). He was having a blast running around the house playing with his cousins, and he looked too cute in his new sweater and spiked up haircut.

Soon it was time to eat, and Ben was seated right in the middle of the table where he could get a good look at everyone else. Thanksgiving dinner is always a blur, especially when you have to fix two plates while trying to pass everything around. I think I got everything that Ben wanted on his plate, included his mash potato volcano with the gravy in the middle. Of course, Ben was the first one done and ready to leave the table, so we went downstairs to watch a little football until dessert time. Cousin Eric joined is and soon we were getting called back up for pies and ice cream, which brought about Ben’s funniest line of the day. As we ran upstairs, Ben turned to Eric and yelled “Come on Eric! If you want dessert it’s not coming down here!!” and then ran up the steps.

As the day went on, family members slowly started to head home. I think Ben got to play a little with everyone and enjoyed every minute of it. At one point, we were out front waving goodbye to some visitors and Poppop grabbed the flag and started a parade down the sidewalk, followed by Ben on Uncle Richard’s shoulders (our neighbors must love watching us!) That ended with climbing up onto a tree branch to collect sticks for himself and I (because everyone needs sticks on Thanksgiving!) Soon, everyone was gone, except for Aunt Sunny and Uncle Glenn who were sleeping over (Ben thought it was cool that they were having a sleep over). The little guy’s head barely hit the pillow before he was asleep. He went non-stop all day, but it was fun seeing how excited he was to visit and play with everyone. I still remember feeling that way when I was little on Thanksgiving Day, and it was fun to see that in Ben’s eyes. Out of all the things I am thankful for, I’m most thankful that Ben got over that cold so that he could enjoy his turkey day with everyone.