Park...

Hannah and Benjamin

At the park...

What a couple of Monkeys!!

Cuties!

Christmas at Grandma's ~ 2004

Loving cousins! 

Books picture...

Reading books together! Benjamin and Hannah love to read!! It is so fun to find them reading to each other from books that they are reading. Hannah will read Goodnight Gorilla to Benjamin, while Benjamin will read his latest favorite! They especially love their book time before bed with Mommy and Daddy.

Trampoline...

Today we went to the Lord's home for Samuel's christening. They have a new trampoline in the back yard. All of the kids were jumping inside. Benjamin and Hannah had never seen one before and were drawn to it. Benjamin wanted to go inside but was afraid to and Hannah went right in. We had to get all the big kids out of it so the little ones could go in (they would have trampled them!) Benjamin realized it was safe enough for her then he would try it...needless to say, we had a difficult time getting him to come out!

Halloween picture...

Halloween 2004 ~ What a cute couple of kids!! (if I do say so myself!)

Little People®…

Hannah loves to play with the Little People® that we have in our toy collection. She picks them all out and lines them up. Not just the people but the little animals too! Benjamin got some other toys that have little firemen and little construction men, she grabs them all and plays with them. Nanny has little Sesame Street® characters at her house that Hannah will not let go of. She will always go back to them and set them up throughout the day. She puts them in a row or “walks” them to the zoo to see the animals. She takes them to the firehouse and drives them around in the Little People® fire truck. They speak to each other and move around the house as we play in the different rooms we go to. Such fun!

(aren't I nice to put the little ® in?)

park or bay...

We were getting ready to go to Mission Bay Park today and I asked the kids if they wanted to bring anything to the park. Benjamin ran outside to grab his newest truck and Hannah slowly followed him out. She picked up a push toy and brought it inside. As we were getting ready to go I asked them if they had their toys for the park. Benjamin said “yeah” and Hannah said “no”. I asked her if she wanted to bring the push toy to the park and she said “no park…take uh uh uh ...bay!” Ahhh… she wanted to take her toy to the bay!

Barrettes...

We put barrettes in Hannah’s hair every day. Her hair is getting a little long in the front and it always falls into her eyes. We have all sorts of little cute-sy barrettes for her and she likes to pick them out herself. Benjamin also likes barrettes in his hair. We don’t care because it is obvious that he wants a little something special in his hair like his little sister. Hey, we are giving her some extra attention and putting pretty things in her hair, why shouldn’t he get them too?

Ben-ja-min

Hannah has been calling her big brother “mimi” (meemee) for a few months until a couple of weeks ago. She started to break his name into syllables and now she can say it pretty well! She still calls him by her nickname for him a lot but every once in a while she ventures out and tries Ben-ja-min.

Sponge painting...

We did some sponge painting today. We got some paper and paint and they went wild with stamping the sponges on the paper. They had so much fun! Hannah and Benjamin didn’t want to stop after doing one page, they had to continue until they did four pages together! The shapes they really liked were the flower and the dragonfly!

Bonk!

Everything can be “bonked” in this house. I was helping Benjamin with getting his shoes on and he pulled his pant leg up to help me. Then he said “I bonked it up for you!” When he tosses a toy and it lands higher than he can reach he says that he “bonked it up there” and that I have to help him “bonk it down”. Hannah gets hurt when she trips over something and Benjamin’s interpretation is that “she bonked herself on the ground”. Such a simple life…

Kitchen...

Benjamin and Hannah play “kitchen” all day long. Benjamin got the play kitchen and some toy food for his birthday and loves it! They make cakes and bake cookies. They get water from the refrigerator door and “drink” it. They cut their vegetables and peel the fruit. It keeps them busy throughout the day as they always go back to it. It’s just a matter of time before Benjamin figures out that he can be a plumber with all of his tools and fix the kitchen sink!

Party!!

Today was Benjamin's birthday party at the park. He is at the point where he knows that other people are coming to celebrate with him. We have bee to enough parties for others, he knew today was for him. We got there early and set up and people started to show. He got more and more excited as more people came. There was a mound of presents for him that proved to be too much for him to handle at one time...but we made it through without opening too many of them! We had an Elmo pinata with strings to pull instead of using a bat to beat on him (I thought the strings might be more peaceful and less traumatizing to the little ones). He couldn't be bothered with eating lunch but when it came time for cupcakes he was the first to be there! Everyone sang "Happy Birthday" to him and he was a happy "big" boy!

Birthday fun...

Benjamin is 3 today!! Benjamin was so excited today because it is his big day! We had pancakes and then opened some presents. He got a big tool pack from Home Depot complete with a drill, skillsaw, hand saw with moving parts, a hard hat and so much more. He could be busy for a long time with that! He also got the game Candyland and wanted to play it immediately! He also got a set of fire trucks with little firemen. Hannah loves to play with the little firemen and the fire trucks will keep Benjamin busy too! Later that day Granny and GranDad came over with a super big present~a play kitchen! He loves it. Hannah loves it too! They can cook all the time now. Benjamin knows that tomorrow is his party and that all of his family and some friends are going to be there...he's really looking forward to that!

Time flies, he's already three...

Halloween fun....

This year we decided to stay in our neighborhood to go trick-or-treating. We have been going over to Coronado and walking around the Lunas neighborhood. We decided that it would be easier for us to stay near our house. Marissa and Heather came over and went with us. We had so much fun! Hannah LOVED carrying her own pumpkin for the treats that she got. She wouldn't let it go. We offered to help and carry it for her as it got heavier but she wouldn't let it go. She had an iron-clad grip on it and was determined to keep it in her hands! Marissa wore her healies and rolled around the blocks from house to house. Benjamin ran from house to house after Marissa saying "Trick or treat!" and remembering his manners! The good new is that this year Benjamin didn't try to go into anyones home as he did last year as when they opened their doors!!

Benjamin, Hannah and Marissa came home with a lot of loot...funny how this year all of the candy was chocolate!

carnival...

We went to a Halloween carnival at a nearby elementary school tonight. The kids had so much fun! There were lots of other families from the school and it was busy! They had many activities that small children could do so Benjamin was able to do lots of them. They had fishing poles with magnetic tips to "catch" a fish and exchange it for a prize. Benjamin loved this and now wants to get his fishing pole out and play with it! Benjamin also tried his arm at throwing a bean bag to a pumpkin sitting on a fence. He had to knock one over to get a prize...he did it twice on the first try! What an arm! We had dinner there and played some other games. He loved decorating his cookie with all sorts of sugary treats (he didn't end up eating it~but the decorating and taking everything he could was fun!)!

dirt...

It has been raining and windy so much lately that we had to clean up the yards today (if not there is a huge case of mold in the flowerbeds). So we got the rakes out, put our garden gloves on, and got to work! We made piles of leaves and then put them all into the trash cans. We had so much fun that the children decided to get the shovels out and dig! They dug in the wet dirt and were tossing it up and over each other (luckily none got in their eyes!) They looked like little rag-a-muffins when we were all finished, with dirt in their hair and all over their clothes and faces. Ain't it neat to be a kid!

OooOOooo...

Happy Halloween everyone!

Halloween is almost here!

Benjamin has finally decided on a costume for Halloween! You'll just have to wait to see what it is! Hannah will dress up this year too...Pictures will be up shortly!

barrettes...

Hannah's hair is getting a little long in front and hanging in her eyes, so we have started to use barrettes every day. She loves to pull them out and throw them on the floor, on the ground, in the trash, in the grass... Benjamin also loves barrettes. I can't argue with him because they are cute barrettes and I'd like to wear them too. Se he gets a barrette in his hair as we are getting ready to leave the house. We went to WalMart the other day and bought 2 packs of barrettes...Now half of them are lost already! From now on, I will just pick up a pack of barrettes every time we are in the store because I can see where this trend is going. Or...I need to get some glue and stick them in her hair (just kidding, of course!!)

rain...

Aaahhh...the rain! There has been so much rain over the last couple of days that I think we have had the amount of a whole season this week! Benjamin and Hannah love the rain! They love to get their rubber boots on, jackets and carry their umbrellas under the big drops! Go out and splash in the water or just stand under the umbrella and listen to it drip drop on the top! Benjamin asks for the umbrella all day~even when it isn't raining! We listened to the rain as he fell asleep for a nap today and it was so peaceful and lulling that we both dozed off pretty quickly! The rain is making everything wet and squashy outside: the grass, the dirt, the toys... Oh well! We desperately need the rain!

Library...

We went to the library today. They have a very popular story time for little ones on Mondays. They do lots of songs and short books to keep the kids' attention. Hannah stands and watches the other children. Occasionally I can get her attention and pull her into a song, but for the most part she just watches the other children. When we get into the car and for the rest of the day she sings the songs, so I know that she is really paying attention! She loves to sing and play instruments...so does Benjamin! This could be the start of a family band! hah!

Benjamin & his cousin Levi...such big boys! 

Here's Hannah...what a cutie! 

Pumpkin patch...

We went to a pumpkin patch today, at Summers Past Farms, about 25 minutes from our house. They had a fall festival with pony rides, face painting, balloons and a nice pumpkin patch. The kids had such a blast! Benjamin got his face painted: a witch with a green face, a big black hat and purple hair (Benjamin's favorite color is purple). Hannah had fun playing in the sand box and the play house. There were some resident cats that she liked petting as well as a chicken--that actually looked like a rooster--but I don't know the difference (I don't know chickens!!).

Sea lions...

One of our childrens' favorite attractions at Sea World is watching the sea lions. We bought some fish to feed them today. We were told to keep the plate of fish folded and closed so that the birds won't steal it away. We saw many seagulls snatch the fish from other peoples' hands and take off with it to enjoy by themselves. We didn't lose our fish to the birds. The sea lions barked so loud and jumped up the side of their pool, they almost reached us on the outside. Benjamin had so much fun feeding them. He tossed the fish in and watched the sea lions jump for it and gobble it up. It was great!

balloons...

Today we went to Wal-Mart to pick up a few things that we needed. As we left the store there was a woman selling balloons to benefit breast cancer research so we bought a couple. Balloons are a big hit in our house. They are a constant source of fun and amusement. They are let go in the house and the kids can grab them by their long strings and "bounce" them on the ceiling and on their heads and toss them around the house. Then after a while the balloons are forgotten and they find something else to do. I must say that they are NEVER really forgotten because they somehow make it back into their sights and play with them over again!

cards...

As we were cleaning out the garage the other day Hannah picked up a deck of old playing cards and spread them out onto the floor. She would pick up a card and hand it to me and then go to give one to Corey. She would go back and forth with cards for us to hold as we were working. At one point I put my little collection of cards down and she came to me and said "Mommy! Cards!? Go?" Well that with the hand gestures that she was doing was clear that I needed to keep holding the cards in my hand as I worked. She's the boss!

Birthday...

Today was Nanny's birthday and we had to get ready for it. Benjamin LOVES birthdays especially those of his loved ones. He gets very excited about giving presents and making them a card. Most of the time he makes the card himself but today we made one on the computer...that was OK thought because there were monkeys on it~and that is what we call them "our little monkeys". Still he was so happy to give it to her with her gift. When it came time for Nanny to open the present eh could hardly contain himself. He had already reached into the sink to get the flowers for her. She took the cards to read first and Benjamin took off with the bag to rip into it with Hannah, luckily Corey caught him and returned the gift to her. Nanny was so nice to let him help her open the present. He loves to help. She loved the gifts and made a big deal out of it...Benjamin knew that she loved it. He can't wait for his birthday now because he knows that his is after Nanny's!

paint...

We went to the story time at the library this morning. They sing songs and read books for a short amount of time and usually that is all that we get to do. We stayed a little longer today and painted! Benjamin is usually in a big hurry to go and check out books so it surprised me that he wanted to stay. They were reading books about the fall season and so the paint was fall colors. He had fun...Hannah did a little painting too but mostly interested in the felt story board. Until next time!

big brother...

Benjamin is such a good big brother. He is very caring and loving towards his sister. He knows that she is smaller and somehow he understands that she needs more attention from us. We do try to give them equal but it doesn't work out sometimes. Anyway, he will include her in everything that he does. He wants her to go down the slide with him at the playground and color with him in the play room. They chase after each other through the house all day long. He says "Hi Hannah, want to go outside and play with the ball?" He gives her hugs and sweet kisses on the cheeks before bedtime. He is so lucky to have a playmate all the time!

Bless you...

I was reading Hannah a story tonight and I was fighting with myself, trying to keep a cough from escaping. It finally just blew out in the middle of the story and I kept reading. Hannah turned to look up at me from my lap and said "Bless you, Mommy" and then turned back to the book to finish reading it.

"Mommy!!

Watch this!" I hear this a lot lately. Benjamin picked these words up from a child at the park one day. He then realized that I would watch what he was doing if he said it. "Mommy, watch this!" as he climbs to the top of the bars at the playground and my stomach turns. "Mommy, watch this!" and he throws the basketball into the hoop, yay! "Mommy, watch this!" running around the house doing strange dance moves. "Mommy, watch this!" tossing a ball into the air and catching it in his arms, so proud of himself. "Mommy, watch this!" strumming the guitar and singing a Raffi song from his CD. "Mommy, watch this!" placing a strainer on top of his head and singing the Silly Hat song from Barney. So MUCH to watch and I'm so glad to be able to.

post office...

We went to the post office today. It is a big event for us to get there to mail letters or packages but it is fun! We went with a large manila envelope today and we had to have it weighed by the postman. Benjamin was in charge of holding the envelope while we walked in. He handed it to the postman and stuck the stamp on. It was such a large envelope that we couldn't get it into the slot so we let the postman do it himself. We also chose some stamps-trains, of course, to mail letters from home with.

Viejas...

Today we went to the Viejas outlet and played around the fountain. We met some new friends there and had some fun! The fountain is underground and spurts water out of holes in the surface way up high. The holes in the ground form two circles-one inner and one outer. We walked all the way to the center of it where occasionally mist seeps out of the ground. We had to wait for the water to spray up and then scurry past it. A couple of times Benjamin and Hannah got squirted and got soaked!! They had fun trying to dodge the water and watching it go around and around them. Luckily I thought to bring some extra warm clothes!!

doctor...

Today we went to the doctor for Benjamin. He went with us a few weeks ago when Hannah got some shots and had her check up so he was familiar with where we were headed. I'm sure he was thinking that he would get some shots too but ...we were there to have his asthma re-assessed! When the doctor came in Benjamin looked up at her and asked her "Are you going to look in my throat to make my cough better?" So cute!! She was a little surprised by his comment but said "yes!" Benjamin was such a trooper with her, he even gave her some big breaths when she was listening to his lungs! He got a sticker for the visit. The last thing I want him to be is afraid of the doctors' office...I think it was a positive experience for him.

glue...

As I mentioned before...I think this is a new stage in activities and crafts in our home. We bought some kid size scissors and did some paper cutting today. We thought that was fun so we got a stick of glue out too and made some cards for people that we know. We stuck the shapes that we cut out onto the paper, folded it and voila! a card! Benjamin wanted to make one for every one he knows...so maybe you'll get one!

watermelon...

It is the end of the summer and we have been eating watermelon, yum! Benjamin and Hannah love it cut up and eat the pieces with toothpicks. We have it as a snack at the park or before bedtime. They will get out ot the bath and start saying "watamuhlon" (Benjamin likes to pretend he is a baby) over and over until we get it out! Yummy and nutritious!

music...

Benjamin is so musical! He loves to sing...he sings all day! He always has a song in his head-and it just bursts out at times and he has nothing else on his mind but that song! His favorite thing to do these days is play the guitar in the car. We have a kids music CD that we play in the car and he loves to strum along with his guitar in the back seat. He sings along too. I think Hannah is getting that way (with music) too because we will hear her "singing" a song and "playing" the couch piano. She also likes the music in the car. Occasionally she will have her guitar (just her size-from Marissa) but most of the time I will catch her clapping her hands to the beat. So fun!

falling asleep...

Hannah goes to sleep first at night and as we lay there she has babbles her way into sleepytown. This is her way of winding down from the day and also she is practicing vocalizing so we don't discourage it. Here are some of her words & songs as she is drifting off... "elmo elmo elmo..." "that's Elmo's world" (she sings that one) "wademelam" (that's watermelon) "WinkyWinky Lala Po" (Teletubbies-sung too!) "well well well well" (that's a song from the Wiggles) "Mommy Mommy Mommy Mommy Daddy Daddy Mimi" "Goggy" (doggy-must be Nanny's) Too funny!

hose...

Benjamin found out that he can turn on the hose all by himself today. He said "Look I'm big! I can water all by myself now!" as he puts water into the sand & water table that we have in the back yard. So cute that he wants to be big so badly! And I want him to stay small! ;^)

Sesame Street...

We have several of the Sesame Street characters as stuffed animals in our house. By far the most popular are Elmo, Big Bird and Ernie. We play hide and seek with them. They sit and watch a video with us. They go for walk with us in their own strollers. They go to bed and have snacks with us. Hannah gives them drinks from her cup. Benjamin has read books to them. They have gone to the store with us, and to the library. They haven't gone into the bath yet...I'm sure that is coming though!

Annie...

Nanny got a new dog while we were on vacation. She is so cute and the kids really like her. She is small...so just the right size for the kids! Her name is Annie. Nanny and Annie came over last night for dinner and the three of them (Benjamin, Hannah and Annie) ran around the back yard chasing sounds and exploring the site. Hannah loves the dog and asks for her every time we happen to mention Nanny. Benjamin loves helping out with the leash and walking her around. He wanted to walk her around the back yard but Annie was so happy to be free to run around and sniff! Lots of fun! We aren't ready for another dog...the two kids we have are keeping us quite busy for now.

Uh-Oh...

Benjamin has discovered the power of scissors! We were cutting shapes and playing around with them today when he asked to try the scissors out. He was real careful but then discovered that when he closed them they cut! We must be entering a new phase...crafts! He loves to paint and draw too. We have yet to glue anything... I'll have buy some safer small-sized scissors that he can use!

first cold...

Hannah got her first cold of the season. She is so miserable with all of the coughing and congestion. She can't sleep very well at night ~but naps are fine and normal~and so I am up with her too...sleepless. She will have many more (I hope not too many though) and so will Benjamin. Hannah hasn't been very sick so she gets wiped out easily! It's so hard when all I can do to help her is to hold her~all day and all night... She'll get better soon.

pool...

Hannah is getting more comfortable with getting in the pool. She just climbs over the side and gets in! Today we had the pool nice and warm and she got in with her diaper and shirt on. After a minute of being in she wanted her shirt and diaper off. Before I knew it she was lying down on her belly and kicking her feet! She has grown to love the water and is a little water girl!

underpants...

When Benjamin was almost 2 yo (about 20 mos.) he asked to go on the potty. When we put him on he went, yay! we thought, time to potty train and get past the diaper phase! So got ready for the training part... We bought a little toilet seat that fits on our big toilet. Then we got a little potty that sits on the floor for him to go when he feels the need. We got some pull-ups where the picture disappears if he wets (oooh cool! That's fun!). We bought some underpants so that he can "be like Daddy". He knows exactly what to do when he gets on the potty and he can stay dry for a long time between going, during the day.

Well it has been a year now and still no sign of letting go of the diapers. Oh well, we keep trying! Hannah loves to sit on the potty...maybe she'll be first!

Mexico fun...

We went to Mexico over the weekend. Levi and his family came to visit for the day, Benjamin enjoyed it so much! Benjamin brought some little matchbox cars to share with Levi in case he showed up. They played with those cars for the entire afternoon in the empty Jacuzzi. Together they jumped in, jumped out, played with their cups, ate snacks, giggled and had fun! I’m sure Benjamin will remember and talk about that day when we go down there again.

computer...

Benjamin is learning to use the computer. He gets entranced with the programs that we have on the computer for him to play around with. He will sit in front of the computer and press the mouse and get excited about what he can do with it. He plays the Wheels on the Bus and Old MacDonald and sings along with the songs. He still is just beginning so he needs some help with it but he'll get it soon enough!

vacation happenings...

We went camping in the Sierras, as we always do during the summer, and we had a blast! Here are some of the things that happened on our trip.

A River Swim
We went swimming in the Merced River in Yosemite. We had to cross the river to get to the small but busy beach we wanted to sit on. Benjamin didn't like the idea of into the water with his sandals on and fought us about it. There were lots of little rocks and they could cut his tender feet! He crossed the river and went swimming in the chilly water! Hannah loved to swing into the water while one of us (Corey or I) held onto her. We brought some balls with us and Benjamin learned about throwing them upstream and they would return to him with the water current. It was nice to be in the river after a long hot day in the car!

Fishing
Benjamin and Corey went fishing in the lake. Boy can he cast his fishing pole! At first he practiced outside the cabin for a little while and reeled in the little plastic fish that came with the pole, then he went out to the lake. After a few tries he had it down pat. He enjoyed this so much! He had been hearing about his Daddy going fishing and trying to catch fish, but when he actually got out to do it himself...that was the best!! When we asked him if he caught any fish today he'd say "No I didn't catch any today, maybe next time." Nice attitude for a 2 1/2 year old!!

Hiking
We have been hiking with the kids since they were babies and this was the first year that they can both walk alone, so we decided to try some short hikes. In Yosemite we tried hiking to Mirror Lake...we ran into a huge group of people on horseback on our way, they distracted us so we turned back (it was getting late and we were tired). Then while we were at Lundy we went to the end of the road and hiked to a little waterfall and explored the area...so much fun! The last day (after Marissa left) we went to find a bridge that would take us to the other side of the river. When we found the bridge we just kept walking until we couldn't find the trail anymore-we could see it, but it would've be so hard for the little ones...lots of rocks and boulders! That was a fun hike too! And not a complaint or a request to be held!!

Jumping (off rocks)
One place that we always try to go is the Mobil station-yes it is a gas station-but they have a nice place to eat inside called Tioga Toomeys...yummy food!! On Granny and Grandad's last day and before Clarisa left us for work, we went to eat there. The place is crazy with people...very busy... and they had a band playing music. The outside table area has big rocks to sit on or-kids think they are for them-to jump off of. Benjamin and Marissa jumped and jumped and jumped and jumped off the rocks. Hannah got into it too!

Hannah...
Being in the wilderness isn't like being in the city (duh!). Especially when it comes to the spots we walk. Hannah is just 16 months and she is trying to get better at walking (has been since she was 11 months old). Going into the rocky uneven terrain of the mountains was a challenge for her! It took her some getting used to but she finally mastered running around the campground, walking downhill and uphill without too much tripping and falling on her nose.

Pancakes
One of the best parts of our camping trip was having Marissa join us. The second morning that we were all there we invited Marissa over to our cabin for pancakes. I made them dollar size for their little fingers. I felt like a short order cook-to put on yet another hat! All three kids ate so much that morning!! I couldn't get the pancakes out fast enough! Afterwards they busied themselves about the cabin and laughed and played.

Reading
Our two children love books! They read books throughout the day and we read them stories at night. They love all different kinds of books...musical books, picture books, board books, magazines... Before arriving at Lundy Lake we were in El Portal visiting with Clarisa. When it came to reading books before bedtime, Clarisa was roped into doing it (by Benjamin) and she did a great job too! Benjamin didn't want either one of us to read to him that night...

Sticks and Rocks...
Everywhere we went Benjamin picked up sticks. He found long skinny sticks, short ones, fat ones, twiggy ones, smooth ones...you get the idea. He found some and used them as baseball bats to use with his basketball. Hannah followed him around and picked up her share of sticks too, although her favorite thing to pick up was rocks...she found a large array of sizes, shapes and textures for her rocks. We found rocks and sticks all over the cabin and car.

Jackets...
Every morning when we woke up we got our snuggly warm fleece jackets on because it was so chilly! The children loved having their jackets on. They didn't want to leave them at the cabin if we were leaving to go in the car or to the lake. They loved them!! Hannah preferred having her hood on all the time and when she put it on then Benjamin wanted his hood on too. If one of them had their jacket on the other had to put theirs on. The zipper had to be zipped and their hoods on!

naked boy...

Benjamin's newest thing these days is to run around the back yard in the buff. It is so hot outside and he always wants to get wet to cool off, so we get the hose out and spray each other until we're drenched. He can't move anymore with his clothes on so he peels them off... down to his bare butt. He's free and he loves it. So much fun to be a kid!!!

bucket...

Hannah tends to watch Benjamin most of the time. When I really see her true colors is when he takes a nap. She goes around to all the toys/activities that are out and plays with them just as Benjamin would. But she puts her little spin on things. Today she wanted to play in a bucket of water (something that we have been doing a lot because it is so darn hot). She wanted to take all her clothes off and get into the bucket-sit in it. She did and realized that her diaper was still on so she says "di-per? di-per?" and I took it mean that she wanted it off-just as her big brother does when he plays in the big bucket of water. With diaper off and a big bucket of water, Hannah was happy as a clam! She splashed around and jumped in, then out, she played with a spoon and scooped water out and ... boy she was having a blast!

sea lions...

We went to Sea World today. It was the kids first trip. We went to see the penguins first. Benjamin was kinda scared as we first walked in because it was very dark but he was really excited to see the penguins when we got into the exhibit. It was really cool to watch them splash around and swim in the water. We went and saw the sea lions and seals...they were barking at the people to feed them and they would jump up the wall towards them to catch the fish. It amazed the kids. They were awe-struck! It was hard for us to leave. We also saw the bat rays in their shallow pool. Hannah reached her hand in and tickled one on the fin! Benjamin was a little more weary about touching them and didn't want to. We can't wait to go again. Next time they want to see the dolphins, the otters, the sea stars...

family...

Hannah. She is so shy and delicate one minute but then the next she is off banging her head on the couch with her brother-to a song that he is singing. She is very outgoing at home and sometimes while we cruise around stores she says hi and waves to everyone around. Most of the time Hannah shies away and "hides" her face in my legs or my chest. She looks away when someone speaks to her. She usually gets over this stage pretty quickly and starts to interact with the new person within a few minutes. She has no shyness when it comes to other kids though. She goes right up to them and starts playing.

sand play...

Hannah and Benjamin loved having their cousins in town! We tried to get together as often as we possibly could. One of their times together was on the beach (we met there twice) and they got to play in the sand together. We brought a big bucket full of toys for them to share. They buried Benjamin's legs in sand and dug holes and made sandcastles together. Hannah hung around too and gave them an occasional shovel-full of sand. They caught a little sand crab and watched it for a long time: crawling away, burrowing into the sand, and they eventually let it go. The beach is such a fun place for kids...endless chances for fun!

fun times...

Benjamin and Hannah's cousins from Ohio have come to visit for the week. Benjamin knows them all because he sees their pictures all around our house and in his photo albums. They aren't strangers to him. They came over last night for dinner. Benjamin was flying high. He called them all by their names...not forgetting one of them once. He wanted to show them everything in his house, play with all the toys and get them to do things with him. (They are 14, 12, & 9-He is 2 1/2) They loved following him around and amusing him, they are good sports to play with him. He can't wait to see them again! Hannah on the other hand was so shy and upset that all of these people came to her house. They all want her to smile and be happy and walk around like normal...but she refused. All of these people kept talking to her but she stuck her mommy and daddy like glue. She'll should warm up to them by then end of the week.

peek-a-boo! 

pancakes...

I try to make pancakes every weekend but sometimes that doesn't work out! When I do get to make them, I always have some little ones left over for sometime during the week. Benjamin and Hannah love this breakfast. They aren't into the Mickey Mouse pancakes yet, but that is fine~I know I'll have many years to make them. They don't care for the syrup either. What they do love is the little ones. The little baby ones are so good! I make them the size of a quarter or half-dollar and they gobble them up. They eat a lot more than if I make larger ones, funny what a difference it makes when size is involved.

friends...

Benjamin, Hannah and I went to meet a playgroup today~our first meeting. The group manager said that they have children with Benjamin and Hannah's ages in it for them to play with. So we went to a new park and brought a lot of toys to play with (just in case there weren't any). At first there weren't any children but eventually three other children showed up with their Moms. Benjamin was thrilled to have kids his age to play with. He had fun sharing his shovels, buckets and cars with the other kids. They ran in the grass, and climbed the play structure. Hannah hung around me but she did venture off to follow Benjamin running in the grass. Aahhh friends!

dead-heading...

"Are you dead-heading?" Benjamin asks as I work in the flower garden. He loves to help with weeding or potting or shoveling dirt. I was weeding and dead-heading flowers and he loves to help. He started shoveling dirt and working with his bucket. Later that day I found a bucket with the tops of the little yellow flowers I was working around earlier...I think someone was dead-heading (or should I say live-heading?) for me!

busy...

Whew! We have been busy doing many things this week, which made it hard to get onto the computer to write about our events! We'll be writing soon!

picture...

Here are the two little monkeys on a hike in Cuyamaca - May 2004 

birds...

Ever since we put grass in the back yard we have been spending a lot of time out there. Benjamin especially likes to watch the birds while he is eating lunch. There is one bird that we see out there all the time. It likes to sit on the basketball hoop (that is why Benjamin likes to watch it-it is on his hoop!) and look around in the grass. When it sees a bug it wants it swoops down and catches it and returns to the hoop to eat it... sometimes it lands on the wagon, the side of the fence or the back of a chair. The bird will do this for a long time...or until Benjamin runs up to it and scares it away!

sand box...

We have a little sand and water table in the back yard. We have a bunch of play sand inside. And when we have the energy there's water in the other half. This table keeps the children busy every day. They find new things to do with it...it really is a great gift! (Hannah got it as a gift from her Granny and GranDad) Benjamin gets all of his trucks, matchbox cars, and dump trucks out and plays construction yard...for what it seems like all day! It is allowing him to build on his pretend play! When the sand is a little wet and shape-able, Hannah loves to squish the little towers and shapes that we build in the sand. Oh what fun!

food...

Hannah hasn't really been a big eater, but when there is something on her plate that she really likes ...she can't get enough of it. There are days that she will eat carrots and want more, or chicken, or beans, or cheerios... you get the picture. Several months ago, she started squishing her food while she ate and we thought it was a way to experiment with her food so we never said anything (and still haven't) but recently we figured out that she does this when she is finished eating. It's our big clue that she is done with eating. Benjamin (not to compare her with him-but I'll tell you what he did) would drop his food pieces-because all food is cut up into small pieces-one at a time onto the floor until we did something about it.

painting...

We are busy painting our house so there are lots of painting tools around...but we have reserved a few of the cheaper paintbrushes for the kids. They love to paint with water all over the place! We give them a bucket and some paintbrushes and they get busy. Since it is water they are not harming any of the work that we do on the house! They love it!

chalk...

Yes...our children love to draw with chalk. At first Benjamin would just scribble and squiggle all over the place but a couple of months ago his Uncle Chris came over and started to draw things like a big blue spot and it became a pool and they would jump into the pool and splash water all over. Then they drew Granny and GranDad's house with the dogs and the avocado trees...there was a bike with 2 wheels but... by far the best was the pool. It was very inventive and imaginative! Benjamin still likes to draw and squiggle all over the place (especially on the newly painted house) A few days ago he was drawing a little scribble and a long line attached - this was a balloon, but today he started to draw ovals with a line attached to it! Balloons!! Wow, how fast they grow! Hannah is just happy to play with the "kaulk" and carry it all around the house - she too likes to scribble all over the newly painted house! I guess they don't like the color that we chose to paint the house!

fire engine...

We went to Costco today. Every once in a while we run into the local firefighters there. Today was a big day. We saw a ladder truck and Benjamin went wild about it! The firefighters were probably shopping in the store. We had to go and check it out before we went in. We went around it. "It's very shiny! There's the lights! Look at the siren! They get on the truck on those stairs! The wheels are so big!" (they really were...taller than he is!) We tried to find the firefighters in the store but we missed them...we'll look for them next time we're there too!

the lake...

We went to Lake Murray today. We walked around and "found" the lake. As soon as we got to the water we were inundated with ducks coming for food-that we didn't have for them. As we watched other moms and their kids throw food to the ducks we found out that we could buy food for the ducks in the little store. We didn't buy any today, but that would be fun next time. We walked down the lake and found a bench to take a rest on. We sat down and slowly, one by one, out creeped squirrels. They were fat and busy gathering all of the duck food they could before the ducks showed up. Someone had left peanuts for them. Benjamin loved seeing "the squirrels cracking nuts crunch, crunch" because that is what happens in one of our books! Hannah loved the ducks and didn't want to stop watching them...quack quack quack! Every time we go to the lake we experience something new and different!

new shoes...

We shop for new shoes every few months as these little monkeys grow. We don't mind and it is actually very exciting for them to get new ones. We measure their feet and pick out some different styles of shoes from the display. The kids love to run around the store while we frantically search for the styles and sizes (which are inevitably typed in shoesalesman code & in mini print) on the sides of the boxes. When we finally do find the shoes we have to find the kids to put them on. Luckily they find it very interesting to put the new shoes on and sit still while we do it. Once they have the new pair on they walk or run around and they forget altogether that they have some new shoes on. We pay and leave the store quickly because they get restless! They love their new shoes and usually don't ask us to put the old ones on again.

avocados...

We went to Granny and GranDad's house today. Auntie Heather and Marissa are leaving for Mexico tomorrow and we wanted to see them. Nobody was there when we got to their house so we went to pick some avocados. Benjamin and Hannah really like to go hiking (good thing because their parents do too!) Anyway, we have to climb over a wall and jump to another and then we go through the gate and down a steep hill to the avocado trees... We needed to avocado picker to reach up in the trees for us. Benjamin searched the trees and found some. He carried the bag so that he could bring the ones we pick back to the house. The bag got too heavy with the 5 avocados that we found...the ground is not easy to walk on but we didn't stay long... Now we are waiting for the avocados to ripen so that the little monkeys can gobble them up! Benjamin is so excited about them! yum!!

naps...

Marissa came to the zoo with us today. When we got home it was time for our naps. She is older and usually just rests but... anything that Benjamin does, she does. Everyone got into their beds and settled down for their naps and we made Marissa a bed in the playroom. She had a blanket from home (that she just happened to bring with her to the zoo) and used it on her bed. That made it a little more comfy for her to have a blanket from home! It turns out that she wasn't very tired so she just rested for a while!
Benjamin loved that Marissa took a nap at our house so when we went to the store we bought a mat for her to sleep on when she needs to nap at our house again, or spend the night!

hide & seek...

Benjamin and Corey sometimes play hide & seek with a blanket. They use it to hide from each other and also to hide from Hannah and I under the blanket. Sometimes Corey holds the blanket up so that he is hiding behind the blanket and tells Benjamin to look at something, then drops the blanket and runs to hide in another room. Benjamin can't figure out where he disappeared to. He hunts for Corey and gets all nervous and giggly while he searches. Corey comes out of hiding and Benjamin really gets laughing louder...what fun!!

hugs...

Benjamin loves to give Hannah hugs. He gives them to her at any time of the day. She loves to get them too. The only problem (if you can call it a problem) is that Benjamin's hugs last a long time and they almost knock her over! She starts to grunt and squeal (like a piglet) trying to get away from him. Sometimes he hugs so strong that she can't get away from him. It is so sweet to watch...but we need to be there to help her escape from his clutches!

Marissa...

Benjamin and Hannah LOVE their older cousin, Marissa! They can't wait to see her! They wait for her to come over and jump around in the car when we are on our way to see her. They play for hours. Benjamin learns a lot from her (how to play, clean up, pretend play, draw, all sorts of stuff!) Hannah watches everything they do. They seem to just move from one thing to the next all day long! Marissa is going to spend a good part of the summer in Mexico with her Mom so Benjamin and Hannah will miss her terribly!!! She will meet some new friends and learn Spanish. Benjamin and Hannah will meet up with her again at Lundy Lake where we spend our summer vacation! They will run and play in the mountains together!! Like they were never apart!

cards...

Ever since we made our Christmas cards last year, Benjamin wants to do more cards! He loves to draw pictures on them and "write". He wants to know what to write on the cards and as he "writes" he will say what he is writing. Hannah will do anything with us and loves to work with crayons, so she did her part for her fathers' day cards. They are so proud of their work... and when they are done, they hand their homemade card to their Daddy, GrandDad or Grandpa, or whomever it is for and they know that they are the ones that made the cards for them... The kids (Benjamin especially) love to see them open their cards and read them. So proud!

popcorn...

Recently after bath we got in the habit of having some popcorn for a snack. Hannah loves it (so does Benjamin). They run from the bedroom all clean and sing "pop pop pop" until we get the popcorn into the microwave to pop. They dance around the kitchen until it is ready, they sing a song that we made up ~ it goes like this (to the tune of The Wheels on the Bus): The popcorn in the microwave goes pop pop pop, pop pop pop, pop pop pop, the popcorn in the microwave goes pop pop pop, all through the town...sometimes they jump like popcorn popping around. Benjamin picks out different bowls each night for us to eat our popcorn out of. They munch on it until it is gone or until they lose interest in it...until of course the next night...

books...

Hannah loves to stick right next to me all day (seriously, like GLUE!). However, she will disappear every once in a while from my side and I find her with her nose buried in books. She loves to read books! It is such a wonderful feeling to know that she is a beginning reader--already! She has her favorites, too. She picks out the ones she wants to read or wants us to read to her...so smart!

coffee...

Every morning Corey and Benjamin make a pot of coffee. Benjamin loves to help with this. Scooping the grounds into the filter and pouring the water into the coffee machine.... Then while we waiting for our coffee we do other things (watch the news or a show for Benjamin). When the coffee is ready we all have coffee. Benjamin likes his "coffee" (his is really just milk!) in a blue teacup and we have ours in our regular mugs. Benjamin loves to share coffee time with us and he is so proud to tell Hannah that he had "coffee" with us yumm!

sports...

Last summer, when Benjamin was close to turning 2 he was very interested in basketball...shooting the ball through the hoop and running and dribbling it down the court. We would watch the big boys play at the park. He would find things to shoot his balls through at home... over the grill, the clothes line, the table outside, the TV inside the house... His interest in basketball was huge so... for his birthday, we bought him a hoop designed to grow with him as he gets taller. It seems that from the moment he started to walk and follow a ball he started to kick it (soccer?) At his Nanny's house he started to play a game that they called "stick ball" and loved that as well! He would hit a small ball on the ground with a stick (sounds like golf to me!) We haven't bought him a set of golf clubs yet... His older cousin Marissa introduced baseball to him...and he talks about it all the time. Ya gotta love the beginnings of sports playing!

dinner...

There are 2 things that Benjamin always wants to do as we sit at the dinner table: say grace and clink glasses and say "cheers". Because this could take all night we allow us to do these 2 things only once each night. Hannah has figured out what we are doing and picks her glasses up for us to clink hers and she puts her hands together as we say grace...she is almost 14 months and amazing! (Of course I would say that about my own child, right?) Benjamin is so wonderful and attentive too. We always wait for him to say each little phrase of grace after us before we go on to the next phrase, otherwise he gets upset and has a total meltdown at the table because we didn't wait for him... So last night we started to say our prayers and he just said the grace with us...no waiting! Amazing! He is just 2 1/2!! WOW! We were impressed and pretty much speechless!

ice...

Corey found that a huge bag of ice in our freezer was taking up too much room! He took it out and got a bucket and started to break it up...the kids found that bucket of ice so interesting! They took measuring scoops from the kitchen and filled them and dumped them...it was cold so they took breaks but they always came back to ice bucket for more fun. The best thing that they discovered that they could do was suck on it. They understood that it was OK to put it in their mouths, it melted and they would pop another piece in! Finally we had to come in for the night...we left the bucket of ice outside...we will see what it looks like in the morning! (I'm sure they will want their ice back!)

beans...

First it was Benjamin who would eat them straight from the can...now Hannah does the same! It was amazing then and it continues to amaze me... I have worked with many children and none have loved kidney beans as much as these two! It is great and very healthy for them! But they aren't just "beans"...they are "purple beans from the can". Believe me we have tried other beans but none have had quite the appeal as the kidney beans. They gobble them up...and sometimes I find that Benjamin has finished those on his plate and he has moved on to "help Hannah" with hers. I am constantly re-stocking the cans in the pantry because they are quickly eaten!

blocks...

Oh boy... blocks are always a winner when it comes to toys and kids. Benjamin and Hannah can play with blocks for a long period of time before moving on to something else, depending on their moods of course. We have several different kinds of blocks to choose from (mega blocks, wood blocks and other makeshift blocks like toilet paper rolls, cups or paper towel rolls) They love to put things together and play and figure out how to get the tower bigger. Of course the biggest thrill is in knocking it down when it is really tall.

water...

Kids love water! We washed the car today. Benjamin loves to help wet the car with the hose. He has moved on from using the sponge to wash the car. He has grown fond of squirting everyone with the hose on the 'jet' setting (like the fire fighters' hoses). He gets a big laugh when we are trying to get the hose from him while he has it aimed right at us with the water on full blast and spraying us. Hannah also loves water, but she is more fond of finding the puddles and splashing in them with her feet (or hands). She also follows the trail of water down the sidewalk as it trickles into the street. We run after her to keep her safe and she giggles as we try to catch her.

bare feet...

For some reason Benjamin and Hannah love to walk around barefoot! I know it has something to do with their senses and liking free feet. We really don't force them to wear shoes...putting them on has just been a daily habit. Today we wanted to go for a walk around the block. Benjamin looked like he was going to have a meltdown when I suggested getting their shoes on. I don't mind them going without shoes. I warned them about getting little stickers or rocks in their feet. So off we went on our walk and...they were barefoot and loved it!

water...

The power and fun of a bucket of water is endless. The hours that my children will play with it. Filling, pouring, splashing, wiping, dunking, spilling, dumping... and so many more uses and activities that they come up with. Hannah gets right into the big bucket (even with her shoes on!) and Benjamin bends over, dunks his head in and gets himself all wet. It's a nice (and different) way to cool off since it is so hot in our back yard! And they love it!

pens...

When we sit at the computer Hannah loves to sit on our lap and work with a big mug of pens, pencils and markers. She takes them out. She puts them back in. She drops some on the floor. She picks them up real quick and gets back onto our lap to work some more. She tries to fit them all into her tiny fists. She calls them "bee"s and gets louder if we don't hear her the first time she calls for them. Sometimes she will take them to the small table and play with them there... it's amazing what will keep her attention- it's never any of the baby toys we have bought for her!

Nanny's house...

Benjamin gets to spend time at his Nanny's house every week. He loves it! Today they went swimming and had so much fun! He loves to jump from the edge into the pool. He also loves to splash and swim and kick in the water (what kid doesn't?). Today he had a toy dragon in the pool. He was having fun with it and Nanny kept telling him to be careful of the drain because the dragon might go down it... Well, sadly the dragon went down the drain "Where did the dragon go?" he asked all the rest of the day. If I asked him where it went he'd say "I don't know where the dragon went!" So I would have to tell him again that "It went down the drain." He seemed to like the game of asking where the dragon went today...over and over and over... I wonder if we will play the same game tomorrow...

popsicles...

Ahhh...there's nothing like a hot summer day when we blow up the rubber swimming pool to cool off! Today was so hot! And that is exactly what we did! After a good time in the cool pool we sat on the grass and brought out homemade lemonade popsicles. So yummy! The kids love them. These were extra special because Daddy was home today to have one with us! They love their Daddy. We just sat on the towels until the popsicles were all gone and the kids were all sticky...then they rinsed off in the pool!

swimming...

Benjamin and Hannah love to swim! Once we mention that we are going swimming Benjamin doesn't want to do anything until we get our suits on and get in the pool. Hannah runs around saying "pool" in her baby language and knows just what to do when we get in! The pool is actually a small spa-jacuzzi. Benjamin is learning to blow bubbles while going back and forth between Daddy and Mommy. He also puts his head in the water and blows bubbles with his cousin Marissa. How he loves Marissa! Benjamin sometimes forgets that he can't swim and sometimes, when he is jumping around excitedly, he slips into the deeper part of the jacuzzi...we are always right there...and when we bring him back up to the surface he says "Whoa! I almost fell in!" Hannah splashes around a bit but is pretty much happy with just standing and watching everyone outside of the pool. So much fun!

Cuyamaca...

We went on a short hike through a small section of Cuyamaca today. The October 2003 fires destroyed a good portion of the park but the re-growth was amazing to see! Little wildflowers scattered all over the place while the burnt to a crisp trees still stood like skeletons over them. It was kind of eerie but there was an overall sense of hope. As we were walking we ran into 2 mounted rangers. Horses! Benjamin was hesitant at first but then he decided that he wanted to pet one. The ranger dismounted and let him pet her horse. I held him so he'd feel a little more secure. He touched the horse first and then pet it again and again... Then he wanted to touch the other horse! He really enjoyed it. He kept wanting to pet them but the rangers had to keep working. Meanwhile, Hannah was in Daddy's arms and getting more frightened as the seconds rolled by. As soon as the horses were gone they were out of her mind and she was fine! Those "firsts" are so much fun!

first picture...

Here are our 2 monkeys! Benjamin and Hannah (taken in Jan. 2004) 

siblings...

Benjamin and Hannah love having each other around! Not only do they follow each other around all day, but they think about each other all the time too! The moment Hannah wakes in the morning she says "Me?" (that's her name for Benjamin) and looks around for him. The first words Benjamin says when he wakes from his daily naps are "Where's Hannah?". She's either still napping or she is waiting impatiently for him to wake up -really, she's constantly going to the door and knocking on it or crying at it for him... It is so sweet to see them grow together.

mowing...

Often Benjamin is just waking from a nap when Daddy decides to mow the lawn. Today was no different. Off he went to the back yard to get his "weed wacker" and "lawn mower" to get to work! Daddy pulled his tools out of the shed and put them in place on the lawn... Benjamin got his tools too... First: the lawn mower... Benjamin knows to give Daddy a few minutes of mowing before he gets on the grass to follow. He grabs his bubble mower and off he goes to "mow" the lawn behind Daddy! When the mowing is done, they work on the edging with their weed wackers... Benjamin waits for Daddy to get started and grabs his "weed wacker" (his is a long watering wand with a bent end--the exact shape of a real weed wacker) and gets to work...until the last edge has been trimmed. They empty the lawn mower and put their tools away...until next time!

playing with trains...

When Benjamin is napping Hannah gets to play by herself (and me!). It is so important that she have this time! She often gets pulled around to do what her big brother likes or wants to do. So when he naps...we play! Today she wanted to play with the balls and the little train set that we have. She would take a ball out of the box and throw it in the air and watch it fall, take another out throw it and watch it fall...again and again...we'd pick them all up and do it all over again! Then we sat on the couch and played with the train set. She carefully worked on the tracks and fitting the pieces together. Then she took two trains and "drove" them along the couch and my lap and my shoulder...all the while she was making a "driving" noise-rrrrrruuuuuuuummmmmmmmmmmm rrruuuuuummmmmmm (it may not have sounded exactly like that but it was something to that effect! Even though Hannah loves to play around with her Mommy...she still waits and (sometimes) cries loudly for her big brother to wake up and play with her!

copycat...

Benjamin and Hannah are such little copycats! They watch each other and listen to our reactions. They play this game all day long! Benjamin decides that he needs to have a drink from his cup (the one with a straw) and Hannah has to go and find hers. They walk around sucking on their straw cups until something catches their eyes...the couch! Benjamin can get up on it very well...he bounces and throws himself on it while Hannah is doing the same on the floor right next to him. They move to the train set...Benjamin starts to play with the trains and arranging the tracks. Hannah takes a train and drives it around another track, all the while keeping an eye on her big brother... then...pillows! Hannah puts her head down on one and says night-night. Benjamin thinks that it is fun and decides to do it too...but he puts a little twist on it...he adds a blanket... They go back for the cups...and on it goes! Hah! I could watch them all day! Oh yeah... I do!

shopping...

Today we attempted a trip to REI to check out their "big sale".... Any time we try to shop it's a big gamble because we don't know how the children will be in the store... Nevertheless we still try it...often. Most of the time, we time it perfectly and they are pretty good throughout the store. Anyway, today must have been one of those off days...

The children were OK until we decided to move around the store to look at other things. I wanted to look at shoes and kids clothes and Corey wanted to look at some clothes for himself...but let's forget about our wish list and focus on what the children wanted to do... As soon as we said that we were going to move about the store, it was like something in their brains said "we want to stay right here in the bike section, but... if we move around the store maybe we'll just run around crazy"... There's nothing like the experience of shopping with two children under 3... their bodies flailing around as you carry them around narrowly missing smashing their heads on metal hangers, jumping off chairs, hiding in the clothes carousel, running around other kids and their parents. You really can't get any shopping done! We spent a good half hour running after them while looking at nothing. (nothing WE wanted to look at!) When we finally gave up and decided to check out we noticed that the line looped through the store...it must have been a hundred people long (at least!)

Needless to say, I left the store with the children and without merchandise...we left Corey to make our purchases...

the zoo...

We went to the zoo today...

Hannah was fascinated with the petting zoo today. We went in to look at the goats and we found sheep, pigs and miniature horses too! It was great! Hannah could not keep her eyes off of those big animals and forget me trying to put her down! It was definitely more interesting from my arms...

Benjamin also liked the petting zoo but he got a kick out of the otters swimming around in their pool. They would go into a little hole that had a window for us to see into and we would have to go to the little window to find them. They swam around and around in circles like they were chasing their tails. Then they would get out of the water and gnaw on something in the rocks (we couldn't see what it was very well). Benjamin loved to follow them. They were just as active as he is!

So much fun!

the dentist...

Benjamin went to the dentist today. His first appointment...he was so ready! We practiced at home several times and we talked about what he would do when we got there...he froze the second he sat down in the big chair! I was busy with a recheck for myself so he had to wait for me to come and be with him. Once I was there and he was sitting on my lap, everything went smoothly! He got some new sparkly toothpaste and a new toothbrush and some floss! He even got to choose a toy from the treasure chest! Overall I don't think he was traumatized...I think he'll like going back in 6 months!

Hannah loves to get on the couch! Benjamin used to love it too...he would jump and run on it from side to side...it's amazing how different they are! Hannah loves to sit and read books or watch TV with us. She doesn't try to escape...just sits and kicks her feet! She gets a proud look on her face like she's a big girl and kinda smirks at us sitting next to her. She even gets mad at us if we try to take her off the couch if she's not ready...she gets over it quickly though. So cute!

Daddy's home!!

It is such a big part of their day when Daddy gets home! They love having him home. They do different things with him. Tonight they got to work in the garage with him. They love to "work" with the real tools and "fix" things. Sometimes they fix a bike and other times it's the stroller or something else. They get all dirty and messy from "working"... what fun! They also went on a bike ride around the neighborhood tonight. Benjamin loves to ride his "bike" (it's a trike) especially if Daddy is riding his with him. I think Benjamin gets that love from his Daddy.

success!

Benjamin got to watch his Granny play with the ooblick later today, so he really wanted to do it afterwards! He loved it! I think we'll try to get some of the little cousins to play with it at the next family function... should be fun. I think Marissa would love it...especially if it is pink!!

just starting!

So this is our first blog! The kids are napping now and I have a few minutes. We made ooblick today...Benjamin was not going to touch it. Really not scary stuff...just corn starch and water to play around in...but he was hesitant just the same. He's not too much of a "put your fingers in goo" kind of guy! I even made it purple to make it a little more inviting for him...it was a no-go just the same! Hannah pulled her diaper off and handed it to me then ran away giggling. I didn't realize that it was the diaper that I had just put on her after changing her! What a little joker-she thought it was so funny! Well till next time!