Some of you have heard this story before, but I wanted to write about it anyway. I just love it.
As you know, Bennett goes to the Montessori school here. He doesn't like to talk to me much about what he does at school for some reason, but he'll talk to me about his friends sometimes. He used to come home talking about Landon and Colton all the time. Those were his buds. Some days they were his friends, some days they weren't, but it was always Landon and Colton.
Over the last couple of months it has changed to Olivia. No more Landon and Colton. It was Olivia this, Olivia that. Olivia was his new best bud. Every day, he was coming home talking to me about what he and Olivia did, or how he was going to invite her to his next birthday party.
A few weeks ago, I went to Montessori to meet with Bennett's teacher for a conference. When I got there, Bennett was finishing up his lunch at a table by himself. I joined him while I waited for his teacher.
We were talking when the door to the playground opened, and in walked three girls. A cute little blonde headed girl, who looked to be about 5, lead the pack. Bennett said, "Look, Mama! It's Olivia!" The girls walked across the room towards us. It was like a scene out of a movie, with Olivia as the head of the group and her two sidekicks following close behind.
As they neared us, Bennett said, "Olivia! Olivia! Hi Olivia!" Olivia looked at us and said, "Hi Bennett" as she and her crew passed by. Bennett turned back around in his chair and said to me, "Mama! Olivia knows my name!"
Priceless.
Showing posts with label Bennett. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bennett. Show all posts
Monday, May 14, 2012
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Pinterest Project: Rainbow Jello Ring
So Pinterest is the the new big thing. I held out on joining for a long time, and then my curiosity (and boredom one night) got the best of me. So I took the plunge and I'm in. I can honestly say that I am not addicted like I thought I would be, but I'm really glad I joined. There are some of the best and coolest ideas ever! As I'm browsing through them all, pinning this and pinning that, I'm thinking to myself, 'Now if I can just get around to trying any of these.'
Well, I'm happy to say that I've actually tried two of them so far, and Josh is supposed to be getting the materials for a third. The first was this popcorn. I made it with pink, red and white heart sprinkles for Valentine's Day. I tied up individual baggies for Bennett to give out to his classmates. (It is soooooo good, by the way.)
The next project I wanted to do was these Jello Easter eggs. I ordered the mold and everything (you can get it here for free until April 8th; just pay $2.95 shipping). I decided to wait until closer to Easter to do the actual eggs, but last night Bennett and I created a cool Rainbow Jello Ring using the same idea. The colors are way off (we had a mishap with the purple, the yellow wouldn't fit in the mold, and I didn't think to get blue when I was buying the jello), so it's not really a rainbow. We'll do better next time.
But I had to share with you this video of Bennett stirring our jello. He has a bit of a habit when he concentrates on things like stirring jello. I was using my parents' camera, and for some reason it doesn't record sound. Oh well. You don't need sound to enjoy his little habit.
Here's our jello mold. The boys loved it.
Well, I'm happy to say that I've actually tried two of them so far, and Josh is supposed to be getting the materials for a third. The first was this popcorn. I made it with pink, red and white heart sprinkles for Valentine's Day. I tied up individual baggies for Bennett to give out to his classmates. (It is soooooo good, by the way.)
The next project I wanted to do was these Jello Easter eggs. I ordered the mold and everything (you can get it here for free until April 8th; just pay $2.95 shipping). I decided to wait until closer to Easter to do the actual eggs, but last night Bennett and I created a cool Rainbow Jello Ring using the same idea. The colors are way off (we had a mishap with the purple, the yellow wouldn't fit in the mold, and I didn't think to get blue when I was buying the jello), so it's not really a rainbow. We'll do better next time.
But I had to share with you this video of Bennett stirring our jello. He has a bit of a habit when he concentrates on things like stirring jello. I was using my parents' camera, and for some reason it doesn't record sound. Oh well. You don't need sound to enjoy his little habit.
Here's our jello mold. The boys loved it.
Monday, March 5, 2012
The Circus!
You may remember that we took Bennett to the shirt-tus last year. We were fortunate enough to be able to go again this year. Josh's company has a suite at Philips Arena that they use to treat their customers. An employee has to be present to host each event, and you can request to host certain events. Josh has hosted a few so far, including the circus the past two years.
We had four tickets. We obviously wouldn't take Kate, and we thought about not taking Cannon for another year either. He's not even two yet. He doesn't have a very long attention span and has to be watched like a hawk. I knew it could either be really good, or really bad. But we ultimately had to take him. It breaks my heart every time he sees Bennett get to go somewhere or do something that he can't do. Of course he wouldn't have known about us going to the circus, but I would have known and I know I would have regretted leaving him.
I don't think the boys even knew there was a show going on. All they wanted to do was eat! Being in a suite, there's always lots of food. There were chicken nuggets, macaroni and cheese, chicken and steak sandwiches, veggies with dip, fresh fruit, popcorn, cookies and brownies. I couldn't get either of those boys to eat anything other than blueberries, popcorn, and cookies. Bennett must have eaten his weight in popcorn. Hey - it's the circus. I'm just glad I got out of there without having to buy any cotton candy or a $22 spinny toy.
We wound up being the only ones in the suite (we went on a Monday in the middle of the day) until about an hour into the show when one of Josh's customers showed up with his wife and little boy. Thank goodness it wasn't any more people than that, because I spent my time chasing after Cannon, who wanted to climb up and down the stairs and over into the adjoining suites the whole time. I'm not going to say I wish we had left him, but it was definitely a struggle.
We did have a good time, though. I hope we'll have the opportunity to go again next year. Bennett will be 5 and Cannon will be 3. I think that would be pretty fun.
Cannon did stop roaming long enough to shake his booty a little (literally):
We had four tickets. We obviously wouldn't take Kate, and we thought about not taking Cannon for another year either. He's not even two yet. He doesn't have a very long attention span and has to be watched like a hawk. I knew it could either be really good, or really bad. But we ultimately had to take him. It breaks my heart every time he sees Bennett get to go somewhere or do something that he can't do. Of course he wouldn't have known about us going to the circus, but I would have known and I know I would have regretted leaving him.
I don't think the boys even knew there was a show going on. All they wanted to do was eat! Being in a suite, there's always lots of food. There were chicken nuggets, macaroni and cheese, chicken and steak sandwiches, veggies with dip, fresh fruit, popcorn, cookies and brownies. I couldn't get either of those boys to eat anything other than blueberries, popcorn, and cookies. Bennett must have eaten his weight in popcorn. Hey - it's the circus. I'm just glad I got out of there without having to buy any cotton candy or a $22 spinny toy.
We wound up being the only ones in the suite (we went on a Monday in the middle of the day) until about an hour into the show when one of Josh's customers showed up with his wife and little boy. Thank goodness it wasn't any more people than that, because I spent my time chasing after Cannon, who wanted to climb up and down the stairs and over into the adjoining suites the whole time. I'm not going to say I wish we had left him, but it was definitely a struggle.
We did have a good time, though. I hope we'll have the opportunity to go again next year. Bennett will be 5 and Cannon will be 3. I think that would be pretty fun.
Cannon did stop roaming long enough to shake his booty a little (literally):
Sunday, March 4, 2012
The Book Road
Today has been a little trying. Josh stayed in Atlanta last night to celebrate Derek's birthday, so it's been me and the kids, battling it out since 6:00am. I suspect Cannon may be getting some molars in, Kate may have a little reflux and has been fussy and uncomfortable all day, and Bennett is, well, four years old. I feel like all I've done all day is nurse, burp, break up a fight. Nurse, burp, break up a fight. Nurse, burp, clean up a spill, break up a fight.
When I finally got Kate satisfied enough to fall asleep, I took Cannon upstairs with me and let Bennett have some alone time downstairs. Cannon played upstairs while I cleaned, and after a while I started thinking, 'I should probably check on Bennett.' Then I thought, 'Well, he is four. He's not likely to be into anything he shouldn't be. His name's not Cannon.'
We went back downstairs before too long, and I found out what Bennett had been working on (and you can see here the attitude they had toward each other all day):
We certainly don't make a habit of walking on our books. They get used a lot, but not usually by our feet.
When I finally got Kate satisfied enough to fall asleep, I took Cannon upstairs with me and let Bennett have some alone time downstairs. Cannon played upstairs while I cleaned, and after a while I started thinking, 'I should probably check on Bennett.' Then I thought, 'Well, he is four. He's not likely to be into anything he shouldn't be. His name's not Cannon.'
We went back downstairs before too long, and I found out what Bennett had been working on (and you can see here the attitude they had toward each other all day):
We certainly don't make a habit of walking on our books. They get used a lot, but not usually by our feet.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
A Couple of Bennett Funnies
My goodness, do I have other things I need to be doing right now. But I HAVE to make myself sit down and write some of this stuff down. I really, really want to post about our trip to Winston-Salem after Thanksgiving, but I really don't have the time to do that tonight. I have cakes to make for this weekend!
But I have to share a couple of Bennett funnies. And these may not come across as funny here as they do coming out of his little mouth, with his little inflections. But I'll share anyway.
Bennett's class has apparently been singing The Hokey Pokey lately. He was singing it last night, and I was helping him remember what body parts to 'put in' and 'put out.' We did his right arm, his left arm, his right leg, his left leg, his head... and with each body part he got more and more tickled. After his head, he said, "You put your bottom in, you put your bottom out, you put your bottom in and you shake it all about..." and he shook his little rear at me. I kind of giggled with him, and then he started a new line. "You put your tee-tee in, you put your tee-tee out..." I immediately said, "No, no, no Bennett. You don't talk about your private parts like that."
His response: "But Mama, I wasn't talking about my private parts, I was singing about them."
His class has also obviously been singing Christmas songs. He's been singing Jingle Bells and Santa Claus is Coming to Town for the past week. Tonight he was singing Santa Claus is Coming to Town and said, "You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout, I'm telling you why..." and then said, "Daddy, this is how we pout" and made a super pouty face and crossed his arms in front of him. Josh said, "Yep, that's how you pout. But it's not good to pout, is it Bennett?" Bennett said, "No sir." And then in a very chipper voice added, "But I don't pout ... I just cry!"
Stinker.
But I have to share a couple of Bennett funnies. And these may not come across as funny here as they do coming out of his little mouth, with his little inflections. But I'll share anyway.
Bennett's class has apparently been singing The Hokey Pokey lately. He was singing it last night, and I was helping him remember what body parts to 'put in' and 'put out.' We did his right arm, his left arm, his right leg, his left leg, his head... and with each body part he got more and more tickled. After his head, he said, "You put your bottom in, you put your bottom out, you put your bottom in and you shake it all about..." and he shook his little rear at me. I kind of giggled with him, and then he started a new line. "You put your tee-tee in, you put your tee-tee out..." I immediately said, "No, no, no Bennett. You don't talk about your private parts like that."
His response: "But Mama, I wasn't talking about my private parts, I was singing about them."
His class has also obviously been singing Christmas songs. He's been singing Jingle Bells and Santa Claus is Coming to Town for the past week. Tonight he was singing Santa Claus is Coming to Town and said, "You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout, I'm telling you why..." and then said, "Daddy, this is how we pout" and made a super pouty face and crossed his arms in front of him. Josh said, "Yep, that's how you pout. But it's not good to pout, is it Bennett?" Bennett said, "No sir." And then in a very chipper voice added, "But I don't pout ... I just cry!"
Stinker.
No, he hasn't gotten glasses. Pop loaned them to him to accompany the Steve Urkel pajama pants he had going on.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Halloween 2011
A year ago, I saw a photo of what a friend of a friend did for her sons' Halloween costumes and I knew then that I wanted to do that for Bennett and Cannon. The older brother was the fireman, and the younger one was the fire.
Thankfully, Bennett was all for being a fireman (but I have already been told that next year he's going to be a dinosaur). So, I bought Bennett's costume and got to work making Cannon's fire costume and smoke hat. It turned out really cute, but I think I got a little carried away with the smoke hat. It wound up being rather large.
I wasn't able to get a good photo because the reflective strips on Bennett's jacket made flash photos turn out terrible, but if I turned the flash off, any slight move turned into a blur. Like this:
Oh well.
Once we got all dressed up, we went to Sam's Club. I had been there earlier in the day, and the cashier told me they were doing trick-or-treating in the store that evening if I wanted to bring the boys back. So I did. We just went around to each department and trick-or-treated. We (Cannon) definitely got lots of looks and laughs. On our way out, Bennett spotted a fire and ran to the rescue!
Thank goodness he was there. That could've been bad.
Here's a couple more photos I made in an attempt to get a good one.
You'll have to pardon that big ol' belly in that last picture. It's a bit unavoidable these days. :)
I should have made the smoke hat before the day-of, because it needed more time to set. I used loose batting and spray adhesive to make it all stick together, and it just didn't stay together very well. By the end of the night, Cannon had chunks of "smoke" hanging down his back. I'm sure we left a nice little trail of gray batting around the neighborhood. It seemed like it was going to stay together, but once he got it on and started walking around, that puff of smoke was shaking around on that little head of his and didn't stand a chance.
We had a good time. Mama and Daddy came over and while Josh made beer cheese soup and homemade sourdough bread (that was delicious), Mama passed out candy on our front porch while Daddy and I took the boys around the neighborhood to trick-or-treat.
Thankfully, Bennett was all for being a fireman (but I have already been told that next year he's going to be a dinosaur). So, I bought Bennett's costume and got to work making Cannon's fire costume and smoke hat. It turned out really cute, but I think I got a little carried away with the smoke hat. It wound up being rather large.
I wasn't able to get a good photo because the reflective strips on Bennett's jacket made flash photos turn out terrible, but if I turned the flash off, any slight move turned into a blur. Like this:
Oh well.
Once we got all dressed up, we went to Sam's Club. I had been there earlier in the day, and the cashier told me they were doing trick-or-treating in the store that evening if I wanted to bring the boys back. So I did. We just went around to each department and trick-or-treated. We (Cannon) definitely got lots of looks and laughs. On our way out, Bennett spotted a fire and ran to the rescue!
Thank goodness he was there. That could've been bad.
Here's a couple more photos I made in an attempt to get a good one.
You'll have to pardon that big ol' belly in that last picture. It's a bit unavoidable these days. :)
I should have made the smoke hat before the day-of, because it needed more time to set. I used loose batting and spray adhesive to make it all stick together, and it just didn't stay together very well. By the end of the night, Cannon had chunks of "smoke" hanging down his back. I'm sure we left a nice little trail of gray batting around the neighborhood. It seemed like it was going to stay together, but once he got it on and started walking around, that puff of smoke was shaking around on that little head of his and didn't stand a chance.
We had a good time. Mama and Daddy came over and while Josh made beer cheese soup and homemade sourdough bread (that was delicious), Mama passed out candy on our front porch while Daddy and I took the boys around the neighborhood to trick-or-treat.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Bennett's First Game Day
After much debate, Josh and I finally decided to take Bennett to a Georgia game this year. We knew we didn't want to take him last year, because that surely would have been a disaster. And we almost chose to keep him home again this season. He's still only three, has a very short attention span, and is very sensitive to loud sounds. A crowded Sanford Stadium isn't really a great setting for that type of person.
But with some persuasion from the grands, we - well, I (had it been up to Josh, Bennett would not have gone this year) decided we could try it on a not-so-important game. I don't really mean 'not important,' but one that wouldn't be quite as crowded, like Auburn, South Carolina, etc. We also wanted to do it sometime when the weather wouldn't be too hot or too cold. So the Mississippi State game it was. And oh, what a good choice that wound up being.
The weather could not have been more perfect. It was cool if you were in the shade, but perfectly comfortable in the sun. Beautiful. And thank goodness, there were several empty seats all around us. We were able to spread out and Bennett got to move around pretty freely. He sat with me some; Josh moved to the row behind me and Bennett sat up there with him some; Lynn and Steve were in the row in front of me (did I smell or something?) and he went down there with them some; it was great.
He did ask me if we could go home about halfway through the first quarter, and I thought were were in trouble. But thankfully, he was occupied enough to make it through the entire ballgame. I couldn't believe it. This was a noon game. His nap time is from 12:30 or 1:00 until about 3:00. He did very well. (And no, he is not napping in the above picture. He did lie down and rest a little, but was very awake the whole time.)
I totally thought he would crash in the car on the way back to Lynn and Steve's house. Nope. We got back to their house and stayed for just a little while before heading back home. I knew he would nap on the way home. Uh... no again. Not only did he not nap, but he was wired. Here is a video I got of him doing what he did almost the whole way home:
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
He's Gonna Get Me in Trouble
Monday, the Northwest Exterminating guy came for our quarterly pest control. It had been a while since they had come inside to spray, so I asked that he service the inside of the house. He came in and was immediately greeted by Bennett (of course).
Bennett said, "What's your name?" The guy said, "Kevin." Bennett tried to follow him around the house carrying on the conversation, but I made him come into the living room until he was finished.
Later, Mama came by and I mentioned that the Northwest guy had been here. Bennett said, "His name is Kevin. He comes to our house all the time."
Oh my. Not only do I have to worry about him repeating things that we wouldn't necessarily want repeated, but apparently I have to worry about him coming up with things like that all on his own!
Mama and I laughed, and she said, "That could be taken more than one way..." I thought about it for a minute and agreed. I said, "I don't know which is worse!"
Bennett said, "What's your name?" The guy said, "Kevin." Bennett tried to follow him around the house carrying on the conversation, but I made him come into the living room until he was finished.
Later, Mama came by and I mentioned that the Northwest guy had been here. Bennett said, "His name is Kevin. He comes to our house all the time."
Oh my. Not only do I have to worry about him repeating things that we wouldn't necessarily want repeated, but apparently I have to worry about him coming up with things like that all on his own!
Mama and I laughed, and she said, "That could be taken more than one way..." I thought about it for a minute and agreed. I said, "I don't know which is worse!"
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Interesting to Bennett
I've posted before about how Bennett loves to take pictures. That interest has not faded. He picks up the camera any chance he gets and starts snapping away. Well, the other day, Josh and I were in the office talking to each other while Bennett was taking pictures. He just points the camera in a general direction and snaps a shot.
Josh said, "Hey Bennett, why don't you try taking pictures of things that are interesting to you rather than just a whole room?" He took a picture of this picture frame to give Bennett an example of taking up-close shots of interesting things.
Then it was Bennett's turn.
Interesting.
Josh said, "Hey Bennett, why don't you try taking pictures of things that are interesting to you rather than just a whole room?" He took a picture of this picture frame to give Bennett an example of taking up-close shots of interesting things.
Interesting.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Remember Us?
Believe it or not, we are still around. How sad is it that I only posted twice in the month of August? And I really hope I can count on my mother-in-law for a few photos from this last month, because I took about three. I don't really know what my problem has been. I've gotten over the lack-of-energy stage of my pregnancy, Bennett's back in Montessori, and I haven't been bombarded with cake orders lately, so I really have no excuse.
Well, actually, our computer has been acting up. If you leave it for 5 minutes, it goes into what it calls "Power Save Mode." It's more like "Raise Marcie's Blood Pressure Mode." A message comes across the screen telling you that it's in "Power Save Mode" and in order to restore your session you can simply press any key, move your mouse, or press the power button. That would be just great IF ANY OF THAT WORKED, EVER. We've learned all these stupid little tricks we have to go through and sometimes after spending 5 minutes going through this ridiculous rigamaroo it'll come back on, but most of the time it just continues to politely tell me that it's apparently doing us a favor by going back into "Power Save Mode." So I politely slam the mouse on the mouse pad a few dozen times and storm off. I finally realized that it wasn't worth even trying. If I got to the computer and that nice little message came across the screen I would inhale, exhale, cuss under my breath (a lot), get up and walk away. So yeah, I guess I do have a pretty good excuse.
But even when Josh has the computer up and running and I get to it before it decides to save power for us (which Lord knows we need; Georgia Power's getting rich off of us), I still don't take the time to blog or even write in my own little journal. I'm just tired. Have been for the last two or three years. There's lots of stuff boggling my little ol' mind and sometimes I just don't have the energy or the time for my own thoughts. There's two little rascals running around here that I'll gladly give up my own thoughts for, but there's other things that I wish I didn't have to give 'em up for.
Anyway, the whole reason I'm here right now is because I picked up the camera tonight while the boys ate supper and I just want to share with you two of the most amazing, smile-inducing, laugh-generating, heart-warming things in my life:
I. Love. These. Guys.
(That's a raspberry seed on Cannon's forehead. He doesn't have an unfortunate mole.)
(Yet.)
He is really beginning to develop a little personality. He and I have been having some fun chasing games lately, whether it's around the couch or on the guest bed in his room with me running from one side of the bed to the other while he throws himself into the pillows, trying to hide. His little laugh is the cutest thing. He's slowly starting to say more things. He's finally saying "bye bye" with a "b" instead of it sounding like he's saying "Mah-mah" while waving to you. Every once in a while Josh will get a cute little "Hey Dah-ee." And he's got "uh-oh" down pat. We understand his "please" and "thank you"s, but as far as anything else, he's holding back. Maybe he'll do it like he did with walking. He's going to wait until he can do it right. He'll keep quiet and then one day come sit down and have a conversation with us.
He's going to be just as affectionate as his big brother. My favorite thing that Cannon does right now is when he comes up to you while standing, wraps his arms around your legs, buries his face in between them and says, "Mmmm.... mah!" Bennett is sooo affectionate. He's not afraid to give you a hug or a kiss or tell you that he loves you. We'll be sitting on the couch watching TV or reading a book and he'll just lean up and kiss me on the cheek. Such a sweetheart. But he wasn't that way when he was a little thing. He was nowhere near cuddly. I would have given anything to have him cuddle with me or even just sit in my lap, but he wouldn't have it. He was on the move. Cannon, on the other hand is a cuddle-bug. He'll sit with you any time of the day. If I'm sitting on the couch, he'll walk up and lay his head in my lap. I hope it doesn't happen in reverse and by the time he gets to be Bennett's age he won't be affectionate.
And, oh my gosh, is Bennett saying some funny stuff. I have got to start writing more of it down. I took this video because I wanted to capture the way he is saying/asking for some things. He wasn't terribly cooperative, but he eventually kind of said a few of them. These aren't necessarily funny; just the way he says normal, day-to-day things. When asking for a drink, whatever it may be, this is the way he does it. Except with several more really's.
Just so you know, "letter soup" is not a common supper in our house. Chef BoyarJoshandMarcie are the preparers of most of our meals. But I think every mom has a Plan B stashed in the cabinets for "one of those" kind of nights. And thanks to a tenant that we were happy to bid farewell to tonight, it turned into "one of those." We were supposed to have poppy seed chicken casserole (Gibson/Chick crew, can I get an "oh... yeeaaaaah").
And can you hear how loud he is when he drinks? He has ALWAYS been that way. Even when he was a tiny baby, when he nursed, it sounded like I had a pig latched onto me. He squealed. I clearly remember going into Josh's grandmother's bedroom to nurse during a family function and being incredibly embarrassed because I just knew that everyone could hear him in there doing that. It was nuts. And he still makes that loud gulp sound when he drinks. Too funny.
So anyway, we're here. We're good. We're holding onto what we have while the world seemingly falls in around us. Hope y'all are doing the same.
Oh, and Happy 38th Wedding Anniversary to my awesome parents today. Love, love, love y'all.
Well, actually, our computer has been acting up. If you leave it for 5 minutes, it goes into what it calls "Power Save Mode." It's more like "Raise Marcie's Blood Pressure Mode." A message comes across the screen telling you that it's in "Power Save Mode" and in order to restore your session you can simply press any key, move your mouse, or press the power button. That would be just great IF ANY OF THAT WORKED, EVER. We've learned all these stupid little tricks we have to go through and sometimes after spending 5 minutes going through this ridiculous rigamaroo it'll come back on, but most of the time it just continues to politely tell me that it's apparently doing us a favor by going back into "Power Save Mode." So I politely slam the mouse on the mouse pad a few dozen times and storm off. I finally realized that it wasn't worth even trying. If I got to the computer and that nice little message came across the screen I would inhale, exhale, cuss under my breath (a lot), get up and walk away. So yeah, I guess I do have a pretty good excuse.
But even when Josh has the computer up and running and I get to it before it decides to save power for us (which Lord knows we need; Georgia Power's getting rich off of us), I still don't take the time to blog or even write in my own little journal. I'm just tired. Have been for the last two or three years. There's lots of stuff boggling my little ol' mind and sometimes I just don't have the energy or the time for my own thoughts. There's two little rascals running around here that I'll gladly give up my own thoughts for, but there's other things that I wish I didn't have to give 'em up for.
Anyway, the whole reason I'm here right now is because I picked up the camera tonight while the boys ate supper and I just want to share with you two of the most amazing, smile-inducing, laugh-generating, heart-warming things in my life:
I. Love. These. Guys.
(That's a raspberry seed on Cannon's forehead. He doesn't have an unfortunate mole.)
(Yet.)
He is really beginning to develop a little personality. He and I have been having some fun chasing games lately, whether it's around the couch or on the guest bed in his room with me running from one side of the bed to the other while he throws himself into the pillows, trying to hide. His little laugh is the cutest thing. He's slowly starting to say more things. He's finally saying "bye bye" with a "b" instead of it sounding like he's saying "Mah-mah" while waving to you. Every once in a while Josh will get a cute little "Hey Dah-ee." And he's got "uh-oh" down pat. We understand his "please" and "thank you"s, but as far as anything else, he's holding back. Maybe he'll do it like he did with walking. He's going to wait until he can do it right. He'll keep quiet and then one day come sit down and have a conversation with us.
He's going to be just as affectionate as his big brother. My favorite thing that Cannon does right now is when he comes up to you while standing, wraps his arms around your legs, buries his face in between them and says, "Mmmm.... mah!" Bennett is sooo affectionate. He's not afraid to give you a hug or a kiss or tell you that he loves you. We'll be sitting on the couch watching TV or reading a book and he'll just lean up and kiss me on the cheek. Such a sweetheart. But he wasn't that way when he was a little thing. He was nowhere near cuddly. I would have given anything to have him cuddle with me or even just sit in my lap, but he wouldn't have it. He was on the move. Cannon, on the other hand is a cuddle-bug. He'll sit with you any time of the day. If I'm sitting on the couch, he'll walk up and lay his head in my lap. I hope it doesn't happen in reverse and by the time he gets to be Bennett's age he won't be affectionate.
And, oh my gosh, is Bennett saying some funny stuff. I have got to start writing more of it down. I took this video because I wanted to capture the way he is saying/asking for some things. He wasn't terribly cooperative, but he eventually kind of said a few of them. These aren't necessarily funny; just the way he says normal, day-to-day things. When asking for a drink, whatever it may be, this is the way he does it. Except with several more really's.
Just so you know, "letter soup" is not a common supper in our house. Chef BoyarJoshandMarcie are the preparers of most of our meals. But I think every mom has a Plan B stashed in the cabinets for "one of those" kind of nights. And thanks to a tenant that we were happy to bid farewell to tonight, it turned into "one of those." We were supposed to have poppy seed chicken casserole (Gibson/Chick crew, can I get an "oh... yeeaaaaah").
And can you hear how loud he is when he drinks? He has ALWAYS been that way. Even when he was a tiny baby, when he nursed, it sounded like I had a pig latched onto me. He squealed. I clearly remember going into Josh's grandmother's bedroom to nurse during a family function and being incredibly embarrassed because I just knew that everyone could hear him in there doing that. It was nuts. And he still makes that loud gulp sound when he drinks. Too funny.
So anyway, we're here. We're good. We're holding onto what we have while the world seemingly falls in around us. Hope y'all are doing the same.
Oh, and Happy 38th Wedding Anniversary to my awesome parents today. Love, love, love y'all.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Strangers
If you know Bennett, you know he is not shy. He is the most friendly, loving little boy. Anywhere we go, he is saying 'hi' to everybody. I love that about him, but it's also a little scary to think that he is so friendly and trusting with strangers. So I decided it was about time to talk to him about how sometimes strangers might not be friendly (well, a lot of strangers aren't friendly - heck, sometimes I'm one of 'em - but we're talkin' the right out mean ones).
So for the last few days, I have been telling him that we have to be careful about talking to strangers and that if anyone ever comes to our door and he doesn't know that person, he is not to let them in, even if they ask him to. He should go get Mama or Daddy right away. Of course that is followed by a "Why?" And I have to explain that most strangers are nice, but some are not, and we never know. (Anybody have any good tips on how to address this subject? It's hard!)
So now when we go out, he still says 'hi,' but he also points and says, "Mama, that man is a shtanger." I'm just waiting for him to call one of them mean to their face or something.
Anyway, yesterday we had our annual termite inspection. I heard the doorbell ring and knew that's who it would be. Bennett went ahead of me to the front door and I heard him say, "Hi! What's your name?" Then I heard him say, "Hi John." He hadn't opened the door, but as I approached I still felt like I needed to remind him and said, "Bennett, what have I told you about strangers?"
Bennett said, "But Mama, that's not a shtanger. That's John."
Oh boy, this is gonna be a tough one.
So for the last few days, I have been telling him that we have to be careful about talking to strangers and that if anyone ever comes to our door and he doesn't know that person, he is not to let them in, even if they ask him to. He should go get Mama or Daddy right away. Of course that is followed by a "Why?" And I have to explain that most strangers are nice, but some are not, and we never know. (Anybody have any good tips on how to address this subject? It's hard!)
So now when we go out, he still says 'hi,' but he also points and says, "Mama, that man is a shtanger." I'm just waiting for him to call one of them mean to their face or something.
Anyway, yesterday we had our annual termite inspection. I heard the doorbell ring and knew that's who it would be. Bennett went ahead of me to the front door and I heard him say, "Hi! What's your name?" Then I heard him say, "Hi John." He hadn't opened the door, but as I approached I still felt like I needed to remind him and said, "Bennett, what have I told you about strangers?"
Bennett said, "But Mama, that's not a shtanger. That's John."
Oh boy, this is gonna be a tough one.
Friday, July 22, 2011
The Three Year Old Smile?
At what point in a child's early life does "smile!" turn into some version of this?
Does it happen to all children around the three year mark?
Does it happen to all children around the three year mark?
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Shingleroof Spring
This past weekend was Camp Meeting at Shingleroof Campground. I will post more, but for now I just wanted to share the fact that Cannon enjoyed the icy cold spring water about as much (well, maybe a little less) as Bennett did his first year.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Wings and Walkers
Bennett has been spending the morning upgrading his cars to include wings,
and Cannon Man decided to walk! (And for all of you that say, 'how does your house always look so clean?' Here's proof that IT DOESN'T!)
He took his first actual steps on June 15, 2011, but has been pretty stingy about sharing them with us since. Today I was in the kitchen and the boys were playing right next to me. I heard Bennett saying something, but it was a second before I realized he was saying, "Cannon's walking!" Sure enough, he was. It seems to be a lot of fun for him; like it's just so exhilarating. :)
and Cannon Man decided to walk! (And for all of you that say, 'how does your house always look so clean?' Here's proof that IT DOESN'T!)
He took his first actual steps on June 15, 2011, but has been pretty stingy about sharing them with us since. Today I was in the kitchen and the boys were playing right next to me. I heard Bennett saying something, but it was a second before I realized he was saying, "Cannon's walking!" Sure enough, he was. It seems to be a lot of fun for him; like it's just so exhilarating. :)
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Quick Progress
I'm so proud of our little water bug. Bennett has gone from this on Memorial Day Weekend
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Bennett Goes to the Movies
Josh and I took Bennett to the movie theater for the first time last night. We saw Cars 2 in 3D.
Of course, he had to wear his "Woody boots" so he would be a real person. (That's his new thing. He's not a real person unless he's wearing his Woody boots. Which is going to be a problem soon, since they're almost too small for him... I'm not sure where the "real person" thing came from; I was trying to figure out if he had seen anything Pinocchio-related or something. Beats me.)
He enjoyed the movie for the most part, but we were a little disappointed by the amount of "violence" in it. I put that in quotation marks, because to me and you it probably wouldn't really be considered violence, but to a 3 1/2 year old, it was pretty mean. It was basically the Cars version of a James Bond movie. About 1/3 of the way through it (if that), Bennett asked if we could go home. We assured him that it would be okay, and we took turns letting him sit in our laps.
It was a fun experience overall. It was nice to be able to spend some one-on-one (or I guess two-on-one) time with our eldest boy. :)
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Over the River and Through the Woods
To Grandmother's lakehouse we went!
(Josh's grandmother, that is.)
Yep, it's lake season! Woo-hoo! It was last year that I really, really, began to enjoy the lake. I mean, I've always enjoyed going down there with Josh and his family, but once we had Bennett and he got old enough to really enjoy it, it became so wonderful. We made several trips down there last year, and I hope we can do the same this year. Memorial Day weekend has always kind of kicked off the season for us, and it was no different this year.
We go to Jackson Lake, which is about 20 minutes or so from McDonough, where Josh's grandmother lives. Josh had a meeting at the corporate office on Friday, and the corporate office just so happens to be located in McDonough. So rather than have Josh drive down to McDonough for his meeting, drive back, pick us up, then drive back down south of McDonough, we decided to go on to his grandmother's house on Thursday night. She lives in an assisted living facility, so her house is vacant. It was perfect - Josh could wake up, drive 10 minutes to his meeting, and then drive 20 minutes to the lake once the meeting was over. Lynn and Steve were coming down Friday morning to pick up me and the boys and take us on to the lake.
We didn't get out of Douglasville until it was almost dark, so it was definitely dark by the time we got to McDonough. Very, very dark. It had rained (and actually, hailed at our house) before we left. Nothing too severe, but there was a small storm that passed through. Well, anyway, once we reached the square in McDonough, the traffic lights were out. We continued on towards Nana's, and the streets and houses were unusually dark. We kind of started going, 'uh-oh.' Then Josh said, "Ugh. I just saw someone with a flashlight in that house." We hoped that maybe Nana's neighborhood would have power, but no such luck. Darkness.
Long story short, it was dark. It was hot. The windows were all nailed shut, so we couldn't even get a breeze (yes, we tried to open them - they weren't budging). The candles we hunted down made it so that we could see, but they also made it hotter. We had two boys that were tired and wanted to go to bed. I take that back. We had two boys that were tired, but only one of them really wanted to go to bed. Cannon was hot and tired and cranky. Bennett was hot and tired, but loving every minute of our "fun" adventure.
We finally just gave up, went to bed, and I woke up COLD. The power had come back on in the night, and boy, there's nothing wrong with her A/C!
So Josh went to his meeting, and Lynn and Steve showed up to get us. We first went to visit Nana at the assisted living facility.
She has a drawer full of beads that the children always enjoy playing with. Lynn started putting some on Bennett, and Cannon wanted in on it. So, she and Bennett helped him out.
Then, on to the lake. No big, long story to tell here. All that needs to be said is that we had a great time, and we have on our hands a little dare-devil that isn't afraid to try anything. Bennett went from jumping off the side of the dock into someone's arms, to getting a running start off the end of the dock while we all watched from dry ground. He tubed by himself; didn't even want anyone to come with him the first time, and after watching Josh kneeboard, he said to me, "I want to do that!" So Josh let him lie down on the kneeboard with him while Steve pulled them. They rode until Josh's arms gave out. :)
We're seriously thinking about purchasing some training skis for him. I think he'd totally do it, and I love that! I was never that way about trying things, and I have never wanted that to rub off on my boys. I'm glad to see that, so far, so good.
So without further ado, here is our trip in pictures:
(Josh's grandmother, that is.)
Yep, it's lake season! Woo-hoo! It was last year that I really, really, began to enjoy the lake. I mean, I've always enjoyed going down there with Josh and his family, but once we had Bennett and he got old enough to really enjoy it, it became so wonderful. We made several trips down there last year, and I hope we can do the same this year. Memorial Day weekend has always kind of kicked off the season for us, and it was no different this year.
We go to Jackson Lake, which is about 20 minutes or so from McDonough, where Josh's grandmother lives. Josh had a meeting at the corporate office on Friday, and the corporate office just so happens to be located in McDonough. So rather than have Josh drive down to McDonough for his meeting, drive back, pick us up, then drive back down south of McDonough, we decided to go on to his grandmother's house on Thursday night. She lives in an assisted living facility, so her house is vacant. It was perfect - Josh could wake up, drive 10 minutes to his meeting, and then drive 20 minutes to the lake once the meeting was over. Lynn and Steve were coming down Friday morning to pick up me and the boys and take us on to the lake.
We didn't get out of Douglasville until it was almost dark, so it was definitely dark by the time we got to McDonough. Very, very dark. It had rained (and actually, hailed at our house) before we left. Nothing too severe, but there was a small storm that passed through. Well, anyway, once we reached the square in McDonough, the traffic lights were out. We continued on towards Nana's, and the streets and houses were unusually dark. We kind of started going, 'uh-oh.' Then Josh said, "Ugh. I just saw someone with a flashlight in that house." We hoped that maybe Nana's neighborhood would have power, but no such luck. Darkness.
Long story short, it was dark. It was hot. The windows were all nailed shut, so we couldn't even get a breeze (yes, we tried to open them - they weren't budging). The candles we hunted down made it so that we could see, but they also made it hotter. We had two boys that were tired and wanted to go to bed. I take that back. We had two boys that were tired, but only one of them really wanted to go to bed. Cannon was hot and tired and cranky. Bennett was hot and tired, but loving every minute of our "fun" adventure.
We finally just gave up, went to bed, and I woke up COLD. The power had come back on in the night, and boy, there's nothing wrong with her A/C!
So Josh went to his meeting, and Lynn and Steve showed up to get us. We first went to visit Nana at the assisted living facility.
She has a drawer full of beads that the children always enjoy playing with. Lynn started putting some on Bennett, and Cannon wanted in on it. So, she and Bennett helped him out.
Then, on to the lake. No big, long story to tell here. All that needs to be said is that we had a great time, and we have on our hands a little dare-devil that isn't afraid to try anything. Bennett went from jumping off the side of the dock into someone's arms, to getting a running start off the end of the dock while we all watched from dry ground. He tubed by himself; didn't even want anyone to come with him the first time, and after watching Josh kneeboard, he said to me, "I want to do that!" So Josh let him lie down on the kneeboard with him while Steve pulled them. They rode until Josh's arms gave out. :)
We're seriously thinking about purchasing some training skis for him. I think he'd totally do it, and I love that! I was never that way about trying things, and I have never wanted that to rub off on my boys. I'm glad to see that, so far, so good.
So without further ado, here is our trip in pictures:
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