Back from Vacation

We just got home from a wonderful trip to Utah. We had great weather, got to spend lots of time with friends and family, toured the new Oquirrh Mountain Temple, and Benjamin got to ride on an ATV, a motor boat, a tractor, and several construction vehicles - so we all had a great time. Too bad I'm too exhausted to write any more about it! :)

This Little Boy is Now 3 Years Old!

Happy Birthday Benjamin! We can't believe you're 3 already. We love you!

Teaching Me Everyday

Benjamin and Bella and I were having lunch together today and Benjamin wasn't very interested in his food, so he was taking forever!! He'd put a spoonful in his mouth and it would be 5 minutes or more before he'd finish chewing it. I was losing my mind. However, in the middle of it all, he made the thinking pose - head cocked to the side, resting on his palm, looking pensive. He does this regularly, probably imitating me when I'm working on the computer. "Are you done eating?" I asked, for the hundredth time. "I'm thinking," he said. I knew he would tell me what he was thinking about, so I didn't ask. "I'm thinking on Jesus," came the answer to the unspoken question. I always love to hear him say this, but today it was more meaningful that usual. I was trying to hurry him along and he was taking the time to to think about Jesus. I hope in the eternities I'll be granted a view of what exactly he thought about at those moments and how he pictured Jesus in his mind. But no matter how his images look, I was touched that my two year old little boy, who could be thinking about tigers or trucks or pirates or dinosaurs, was instead thinking about Jesus. What a great example to me.

Truly a Mom

Ever have one of those moments when you think, "I can't believe how ridiculous I'm being, and yet my kid loves it, so here goes!" I had that today. Benjamin was playing his ukulele and having fun goofing off when he "discovered monsters." He told me that we needed to run away from them. I suggested that he go hide in the closet and he insisted that I hide with him. So he and I got in the coat closet with his ukulele. Of course, once inside, he decided to play it again. I told him that he shouldn't play, but rather be quiet, because we didn't want the monsters to hear us and discover our whereabouts. However, he was insistent, and so he began to play. Not satisfied, he told me to sing along. So, here I was, crammed in the coat closet with a 2 year old and his ukulele, hiding from monsters and being asked to sing. What does one sing in such a situation? Mele Kalikimaka, of course. The Hawaiian Christmas song seemed appropriate when being accompanied by a ukulele. I could hardly sing, though, between bursts of laughter. What we won't do for our kids. Benjamin loved it and proudly declared that the monsters had fled. I tried to take that as a compliment.

The Possibilities are Endless

I think most moms watch their kids' behavior and wonder what they'll grow up to become. Right now I think Benjamin will either become an engineer


or a criminal


He played Blokus unaided for nearly 30 minutes. He rearranged the pieces and tried to get them all on the board together. It was amazing to see my little maniac sit still and concentrate on such a cerebral task for so long. However, on the other hand, he seemed way too comfortable in the back of that police car at the safety fair. Of course, this isn't my only evidence of possible future incarceration. Just prior to this picture, he stole the cop's sunglasses out of the car's console, and despite the cop's cry of "Come back here with those! They're prescription!" he took off with them! In retrospect, I should have gone after him, but I was laughing too hard to think of it. The part of my brain that says, "Your 2 year old just ripped off a cop!" shut off and the part of my brain that is still seething over all the times I've been pulled over said, "Stick it to him, Benjamin!" I'm kicking myself for not taking a picture of the cop running after him across the lawn. Maybe I'm the potential future criminal.

On the other hand, Benjamin might just be destined for a future in Hollywood. I'll let you decide that one.





His final option as of yet is fashion designer. He discovered a bag of giant rubber bands in Kelly's office things and adorned us all in beautiful ribbons of rubber. Bella was perfectly happy to pose with me, but wasn't so pleased when Benjamin tried to force her onto his lap.



I guess that's the beauty of youth - the possibilities for your future are endless.

Ferocious Pant Eaters

The phrase "why did you take off your pants?" (or shoes/shirt/socks) is becoming more and more common around here. The funny thing is that the answer is ALWAYS the same. Crocodiles. The other day I was in the living room with Bella while Benjamin rode his bike in the driveway and I watched through the window. Then I noticed my neighbor across the street staring out her front window with a shocked look on her face. Then I noticed her opening her front door in a hurry and looking like she might dash across the street. I reazlied I better take a closer look at Benjamin. There he was sitting on the ground, in a spot I hadn't previously been able to see, stripping off every last piece of clothing. He'd already removed nearly everything but his diaper and was in the final stages of removing his shirt. His clothes were flung haphazardly around the driveway. "Why are you taking off your clothes?!" I asked. Again, "Sorry mom, I worried the crocodiles would eat them." ?????? It's a daily occurrance and I can't figure out how it started. I try to tell him that crocodiles are meat eaters (even showed him a movie of one attacking a wildabeast) and so they wouldn't want his clothes. In fact, his clothes probably help protect him from the crocodiles. Not buying it. I've heard many kids go through a phase where they want to be/sleep naked all the time. I guess this is simply his version. I just hope he doesn't do it in full view of the neighbors too often.


Benjamin scanned the river carefully for crocodiles during the father-son campout this weekend. Luckily he didn't find any or who knows where his clothes might have ended up.

Being Together

I'm an only child, so it's been fun watching the sibling interaction between my kids. For the most part, it's quite loving. There's toy sharing issues and Benjamin can play a little too rough at times, but in general the love between them is very evident. It's also a lot of fun as she gets older and they have more and more things they can do together.

They love to read together.


They love to be together outside.


They both adore playing in the water.





They both love their bikes. Today I was pushing Bella on her bike and Benjamin said, "Wait for me! I ride with Bella too!" and rode his bike along side.


I love this time of year in Michigan. It's not too hot yet and there's really a lot to do outside. So, in addition to simply hanging out with each other, we've been enjoying the great weather and getting together with friends a lot too. It's crazy to think we'll have been here 4 years this summer. We've made some great friends in that time.

Last week, we went to Cranbrook Science Museum to see their dinosaur exhibit. A little too advanced for a 2 year old, but Benjamin and Max managed to find things to suit their interests too. The blocks were there to show how to build an arch. This was much more fun.



They actually did what they were supposed to do here and I was quite impressed. They were to match up the blocks acording to the shapes on the board and they got it perfect on the first try. Way to go boys!


We've also gone swimming. Bella got a new swim suit from a friend of mine and wore it proudly to the pool. (Sorry this pic is pre-pool. I had no safe spot to keep my camera pool-side, so I left it in the locker.)


We've also continued meeting with my German mom's club each week. Yesterday Benjamin found a kids' book in English and suddenly it was English class around me. So cute.



Just a final note - this is Bella every time she wakes up - whether in the morning or at nap time. The first thing she does is reach for her giraffe and her rhino that sit on her dresser and cuddle them. It really distresses her when they aren't there to greet her. She is so cute with her bed hair and her big grin. Then she'll press the animals between her and me and lay her head contendely on my chest. It seems to be her favorite moment of the day.

Happy Birthday Isabella!

Our little girl is 1 year old! So to celebrate, we had honey wheat muffins and peanut butter sandwiches! :) Yummy! No more forbidden foods! She mostly just had fun smearing her lunch on my mom's black pants, though. We love you Isabella!

Not Another One!

It seems we have another toddler on the loose in our house.

Proof:
1. an obsession with sand and water and their combination






2. a need to tear open and empty every cupboard possible


3. an unstoppable urge to climb every climbable object
4. a refusal to leave electronic gadgets unexamined
5. an inability to sit still, whether on a lap or in someone's arms.

Yikes, the proof is irrefutable - Isabella is becoming a toddler! She's going to be 1 on Saturday and she's showing all the classic symptoms. When I found her standing on the widowsill last week, looking out excitedly at the flowers in the front yard, I knew I was in for it. I've had to start keeping my bathroom door closed or I routinely hear the splish splash of a little hand in the toilet. Life as we know it will never be the same again. I have to say, though, I'm loving it. She is so full of life and joy. It makes me happy to watch her, even if I'm sooo sick of washing toilet water (and other unmentionables) off her hands!





As for Benjamin, we are in another round of defiance. This week his chosen defiance method is refusal to nap. We've had these before and I'd be willing to give up nap time if I wasn't so absolutely sure that he really needed them. Here he is after fighting me for an hour, insisting that he wasn't tired.


I think this picture of him, proudly sitting on the tractor - behind the rope intended to keep people off, and next to the red and white sticker that says "please keep off" is the perfect symbol of what we're going through. Alas, it's not the first time, and it won't be the last.

Is My Camera Haunted?

I took about 20 pictures this afternoon of my children and their friends. I had the intention of sharing them with the other parents, since I was the only one with a camera (how the tides have shifted!!) but when I went to download them tonight, here's what they all looked like:


"What's wrong with my camera?" I exclaimed. "Why does it look like there's a ghost in every picture?!" Kelly grabbed the camera and opened the lense. Tiny toddler fingerprints all over it. Grrrr. Apprently dropping the camera isn't the only issue I have to watch out for.

Happy Easter!

In our attempts to find an Easter egg hunt that didn't conflict with naptime, we attended two different events (and were thwarted both times). Too long of a story to explain. But the upside is that we got multiple Easter Bunny pics. I couldn't get a smile out of Benjamin, likely due to the nap issue, but he was more than willing to pose. I should have gotten Bella in the pics too, but both times that the opportunity arose, she and Kelly were elsewhere.

Despite the focus on the bunny and the eggs today, may we always remember the true reason for this holiday. As Benjamin says, we must "focus on Jesus." I am so thankful for my Savior. Here's a wonderful link a friend sent me today that does a wonderful job of bearing testimony: None Were With Him

You Win Some, You Lose Some

Benjamin was outside playing today when he informed Kelly that he needed to go potty. He came in, asked for help getting his pants and diaper off, then sat on the toilet and went, all without coercion. It was better than Christmas. The light at the end of the tunnel just got a little brighter! Of course, it's not perfect yet, so I laid him down in another room and put on another diaper, leaving Bella unattended for a few moments. Unbeknownst to me, she apparently heard the cheering in the bathroom and went in to see for herself what the cause of the party was. When I finished replacing Benjamin's diaper a few minutes later and went to check on her, this is what I found:


So I may be saving money on diapers soon, but it will be made up for in the cost of toilet paper.

Mud Pie, Anyone?

Liberally add water, mix, then sit down. In other words, why I bring a change of clothes everywhere we go.


Notice how his friends Danny and Paul are carefully outside the sandbox playing, while he's sitting smack in the sludge? This from the same boy who hates getting food on his hands. How does that work?

How Did You Like Conference?

I look forward to General Conference for weeks prior. However, it's not the actual moment of conference I await with barely contained excitement. It's the talks which I will listen to hours later on the internet, after the kids are in bed. Because during conference, this is what we're doing:








I'm assuming we're not the only ones who have a reverence problem. Bella is okay, but watching conference with Benjamin is impossible. He's good for about 3 minutes and then his ability to listen in peace is exhausted. We are then faced with a choice - A. spend the next 2 hours shushing him and getting upset, thereby not hearing the talks anyway or B. having fun family time together and watching the whole thing in peace from 8pm until midnight. So, because we're no masochists, we chose option B and had a wonderful relaxing 2 sessions back-to-back on Saturday and Sunday evening. I saw some very clear recurring themes in what they discussed and certainly came away with some clear ideas on how to improve my life. However, ironically there was one talk on the very reason thing I'd been dealing with that day - Sis. Lifferth's talk on respect and reverence. She gave a wonderful talk on teaching children respect and reverence. I had some clear insights while listening but still, I was left with a "but how?" feeling. She made the point of having reasonable expectations. Expecting a two year old to sit still for a 2 hour conference session isn't reasonable, I understand that, but how about a 5 minute family home evening lesson or a 1 minute family prayer? How about a 60 minute sacrament meeting or a 10 minute family dinner? I can't remember a Sunday where I didn't attend "the church of the foyer" as one friend calls it. Family home evenings have also become increasingly difficult. It's exacerbated by the fact that we have it 30 minutes before bed time, but Kelly's not home any earlier, so I don't know how to fix that part of it.

Until I figure it out or he grows up and solves this issue for himself, I think the point that I need for remember is her statement that reverence is based in love of the Savior and so the teaching thereof should also be based in love. Teaching reverence through harshness merely begets resentment. We must be the examples and pray that as the child grows, he will follow. I think I need to learn patience as he learns self-control and we'll both end up at reverence.

Happy Birthday Kelly!

It's Kelly's birthday today. We had a party last night and borrowed a friend's Wii for the occassion. We had so much fun. Then today before we had to return it, we let Benjamin play with it. He has never played a video game on anything other than a computer with a mouse, so this was a brand new experience for him and he loved it. He needed a little help getting the hang of it, but his enthusiasm was contagious. We played clear until bedtime. This really is the perfect way to do it - borrow the system, play until you're sick of it, and then return it. Although I really kind of miss it already. :)



These pictures are mostly for my mom. She sent Bella this adorable rain coat.



To end, a picture of the macho man on his scooter.