Good Times

I have no time to write anything right now, but did want to share some cute pictures from the last few weeks. We have been really busy....a lot of good, fun busyness, but mostly work busyness. My event is 3 weeks from today so the countdown is on to getting my life back! I am truly blessed to have the situation I do; to work from home and get to spend time with my kids. That said, however, the days sure are long. I feel like I am in constant motion and my "To Do" List just keeps growing and growing. I can't seem to get caught up and I am almost dizzy from the thoughts constantly running through my head. But there is an end in sight. Thank God!

The boys are doing great, though. Ben has not been on his best behavior lately and that is putting it nicely, but to be fair, I also probably have not been at my best. I am tired and less than patient with him. He seems to push all my buttons these days. I love him so much and hate when he gets so frustrated with me and hate even more when I gets so frustrated with him.

Joey and I have been struggling with feeding lately. I think my milk production is slowing down so we tried to supplement with formula and he drank 2 bottles and then has refused ever since. Has anyone ever smelled formula...disgusting, I would refuse it too! So now I am just pumping as often as I can to build my milk production up...it is hanging in there for now. Other than that he is doing great.

On to the pictures.

My sister, Michelle, watches the boys every Wednesday while I go to work (God Bless her)! She took the boys to the Zoo this past week (brave girl) and fun was had by all.





Ben being a Monkey

Joey's Post Zoo Bath!

I had several errands to run for work last week and bribed Ben with a trip to the park for a picnic lunch and even talked my dad into joining us. It was really hot but so fun. Joey loved the swings and Ben loved climbing the rock wall and pushing Joe in the swings!

Swim Lesson Dropout

This post is for my friend Suz, whom I miss now that she is living in Texas. Suz somehow has the mistaken notion that I am a great mom and do all kinds of good things with and for my kids. While I do my best (most of the time), I thought I should let Suz in on one of my dirty little secrets....I allowed my son to become a swim lesson dropout! Now this will be particularly horrifying to Suz as she is a Red Cross certified swim instructor and teaches swim lessons at her local YMCA. It is highly likely that she will board a plane and come home to beat some sense into me after reading this post. Ben started swim lessons again at a local park last week and did great the first day. He tested into preschool advanced, which shocked me, but I soon discovered the only reason he did well was because it was storming the first day of class and they were in the indoor pool. I discovered the difference between the indoor and outdoor pool (which is about 30 degrees in water temperature) last year during swim lessons--you can check out my postings from July 2007 for a recap. Anyway, last Tuesday we arrived at swim lessons and upon testing the outdoor water temperature with his toe, Ben promptly announced that he was NOT getting in the water. His teacher cooerced him in and he immediately burst into tears and scrambled out of the water...refusing to reenter. This was the day after the immunization drama so I just assumed he wasn't feeling well and didn't force the issue. He was allowed to sit on the edge of the pool and watch the rest of the lesson. The next day swim lessons were cancelled due to a power outage (?) and the following day we headed to swim lessons where Ben, again, refused to get in the water. We had a heart to heart and I determined that he truly hated the cold water and it wasn't worth it to me to fight him about it and turn him off from swimming completely. I told him I would allow him to forgo outdoor swim lessons this summer, but that we were absolutely taking swim lessons this fall in the indoor pool. He agreed...for now. I'm sure it will be a battle again come September when lessons start. Anyway, there you go, Suz. I am a terrible mother. I truly think swim lessons are one of the most important things your child can participate in and should be a requirement, not just an option and yet I let my 4-year-old talk me out of them....all because I didn't want to fight with him and endure his pool meltdowns. Great mom, huh?!

Missing Daddy

Dean is in NYC for NBA League Meetings right now. The boys and I are missing him. I was actually talking on the phone to Dean tonight when Joey evidently grabbed his bowl of sweet potatos and managed to make a huge mess within seconds. Here is my first attempt ever at posting a video: it didn't work! I will have to consult with my blogging mentor and see what she says.

Ben is back on a camping kick so the boys have been camping out in Ben's old Elmo tent a lot this week....we were camping out, in fact, when Daddy came home to see us on his way to the airport on Tuesday.

Da Da Da Da Da

The boys and I survived several days without Dean as he was in Nashville from Wednesday through Sunday morning. I know Ben and I missed him very much and evidently Joe Joe did as well because within 45 minutes of Dean being home, Joey stared at him and whispered "Da Da!" His first word(s)!! Now we realize that Joe doesn't necessarily know that Da Da means Daddy (we mostly know this because he has been saying Da Da all afternoon now at random times and to random objects), but it was still a happy coincidence that Joey chose the exact moment he was gazing addoringly at his daddy to utter his first Da Da! So sweet...it melted all of our hearts and we have been cheering Joe on all day while he alternates whispering and shouting DA DA DA DA DA!

We spent a great afternoon as a family...I actually had to run into the office for a bit while Joe was napping, but other than that it was great! We ended up all going to the Brickyard and Joe and I watched Ben and Dean hit golf balls at the driving range and putting green. Ben is really good and Joey and I loved watching him whack the ball! It was such a beautiful day here today and there was only one other person at the driving range so Joey and I spread out a blanket and cheered on Dean and Ben. Evidently we were slacking at one point, however, as Ben looked back at Joe and I and said "Hello...I don't hear any cheering?!?"

Don't you just LOVE these thighs?!

After one particularly good shot Ben said "Man, I'm really bringing the heat today." Watch out Tiger Woods!

Drama at the Doctor

Ben had his annual checkup yesterday and boy was there drama. I thought we were just going in for a normal visit and that he wasn't scheduled for any immunizations until before kindergarten. I thought wrong. Poor guy had 4 shots yesterday and he was not amused when the nurse practitioner informed him of the plans. He immediately burst into tears and climbed onto my lap shaking like a leaf. I held Ben while the nurses (yes, it took 2 of them to administer the shots) gave him the immunizations and I do not recommend this to anyone. He was SOBBING and shaking uncontrollably and it was enough to bring tears to my eyes. I really felt bad for him....but felt a little less bad minutes later as I was trying to get Joey and hysterical Ben out of the doctor's office. Ben screamed his way through the lobby, I'm sure traumatizing the poor children in the waiting room, continued screaming through the parking lot, and bawled for about 5 mroe minutes in the car. The theatrics were beginning to annoy me at that point. Oh well...his issues were nothing a cone from Dairy Queen couldn't cure. I totally bribed him to stop crying, is that bad? Ben was continuing on the the same growth curve he has been on for the past couple of years. He was 3 feet 5 inches tall (67th percentile) and weighed 45 pounds (96th percentile).

Happy Birthday Benny Boo!

Today is Ben's 4th birthday. I can't believe my baby is so old! I so very vividly remember the day he was born. I told him tonight that July 4, 2004 was the happiest day of my life (at least in the top 3)! We had a really great day today and Ben seemed to love every minute of it...who wouldn't, it was all about him from the minute he rolled out of bed!

Ben opened his presents from us (and Joe) immediately upon waking up. He received Incredible Hulk PJs, a motorworks car building thing, Incredible Hulk walkie talkies, and a Leapfrog video game and Backyardigans game. He was thrilled and spent the rest of the morning playing with his new toys and going on a donut run with daddy.

We decided to head to Chuckie Cheese for lunch and Uncle Craig joined us. As always, Ben raced around and had a blast playing skee ball and collecting tickets. After Chuckie Cheese we went to Nana and Bampaw's house for a birthday party complete with decorations, cake and icecream...my mom always goes all out and does such a good job making people feel special on their birthday and really all of the time. She's the best!

Ben got several great presents from Nana and Bampaw and also Uncle Craig. He especially loved the Incredible Hulk mask that Uncle Craig got him to go with his Incredible Hulk gloves (see top picture of Incredible Ben)

After Nana and Bampaw's we stopped by Omas for yet another present and enjoyed spending some time watching cartoons and playing with Oma.

It was an exhausting, yet wonderful day. Thanks to day light saving time, fireworks weren't scheduled to go off until 9:45 tonight. Dean and Ben headed out to watch them and Dean just texted me that Ben has passed out in the car with 3 minutes to go before fireworks!! Happy Birthday Benny! We love you so very much!

Pictures

We had professional pictures taken of the boys a couple of weeks ago and here are some of my favorites. Ben was not very cooperative (to put it nicely) the day of the big shoot so none of his shots turned out as great as we would have hoped. Being that he is a beautiful boy (in my unbiased opinion of course) we did get some good ones despite his lousy mood! Joey was confused by the camera flash but was cooperative as always!

If you're happy and you know it clap your hands

Joey learned a new trick and he likes to share his skills with anyone who will watch...he can clap! I showed Joe how to clap a couple of times over the past few weeks and suddenly after Benny's birthday party last week he started clapping with his big goofy grin plastered on his face. I, of course, cheered and cheered and we clapped the rest of the evening. We pretty much have been clapping ever since! Joe claps when I go into his room in the morning, claps while he plays, claps during meals, claps during diaper changes, he even smacks my arm while nursing in a kind of half clap...you get the idea. The kid is a clapper! For our next trick we are working on waving. So far he will raise his right hand in the air but hasn't mastered the actual movement part and really motion is essential to the wave. He merely salutes at this point! Stay tuned!