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!