Didn't Want to Forget This One!

Sam, Ben and I were at Wal-Mart the other day wandering up and down the Christmas candy aisle when Ben looked up and said, "Mommy, there's Christmas Daddy." I had no idea what he meant until I turned around and looked up to see a 4 foot cut-out of Santa Claus hanging from the ceiling. I immediately burst out laughing and told Sam that Ben just called Santa Claus Christmas Daddy. Sam proceeded to laugh hysterically. Ben realized he just said something humorous and began chanting "Christmas Daddy! Christmas Daddy" over and over while giggling and giggling.

Sam and I still laughed about it later that night. Christmas Daddy-can you believe it. I'm still chuckling.

Benny

Ben is an absolute delight! Here are a few funny things about him.

• Ben says the sweetest things. He is currently sitting on my lap saying, "you're a nice mommy" and giving me kisses on my arm.
• He loves to say what is his favorite (which is anything he likes at the moment). "Going to the store is my FAVORITE! This train is my FAVORITE! These scissors are my FAVORITE (an actual quote)!"
• Ben LOVES apples. I find him with a whole apple a couple of times a day and most of the time he eats the whole apple right down to the seeds. Other days I find several apples with a few bites taken out of them (that is not so cute!).
• Ben refers to himself as Big Boy. He does not like any references to being my baby. He says B-E-N spells Big Boy. He is not my little boy either. It is Big Boy!
• Ben is a TALKER! He talks and talks and talks all day long. He is also a screamer! If he does not like something or is unhappy about, the entire neighborhood knows.
• Ben LOVES his grandpas! He talks about Grandpa Zee and Grandpa Thomas all the time. It is quite adorable.

Well, those are a few things about my Big Boy. He is currently begging to watch himself and Cookie Monster (an old post) so I must sign off before he yells any louder.

Thanks everyone!

Wow! I'm amazed at how many people still check my blog. Thank you so much! It makes me feel so loved. It give me motivation to keep posting.

Thanks again!

Two Ovens

Okay, I know, I know I have not posted since April. But I decided I would jump in with a random post.

One of the many things I love about my new house is the fact that I have two ovens. I have always wanted two and now I know why.

Yesterday and today has been cold and rainy. It seems like the only time I ever feel like cooking anything is when it is cold and rainy. I had two Papa Murphy's pizza's (since everyone in my family likes different pizza) and I didn't have to choose which one to cook first. I cooked them at the same time! You would be surprised at how much peace that brings to me and my household. Everyone's pizza was ready at the same time!

This morning I decided to make pumpkin chocolate chip muffins-yummy! I doubled the batch since Emily wanted to give some away. I was able to use all the batter and cook them at the same time! This makes cooking so much more enjoyable since I don't have to wait around for the oven to be free to cook the extra batches.

So there. Now I have posted again. I wonder if anyone ever checks it any more.

I'm Off to Boston!

I'll be leaving tomorrow for my trip to Boston. Angela, one of my dearest friends, will be running in the Boston Marathon and I'll be there to cheer her on.

We are so excited to see each other again and spend some time having fun in a new city. I'm looking forward to chatting, sightseeing, shopping, and eating some great food. But mostly, I'm looking forward to having some time without children. As much as I love and adore my children, I'm looking forward to a trip just for me. Whoopee!

See you next week!

PS I promise I'll post some before and after pictures of our new house when I get back. It should be just about ready to move in when I come back. It has under gone an amazing transformation. I can hardly wait to move in!

Ben and His New Friends

Happy Birthday Ben!

Today my baby turned two! He was so excited it was his birthday because he knew that meant presents! He had a hard time when it was Sam's birthday and we told him on his birthday he would get presents-he remembered! We had Grandma T and Thomas over for dinner, presents, and cake and ice cream. I'll post pictures soon (I always say that don't I).

Ben is a great kid and he fills our house with love...and screaming. Ben has a very strong personality and often vocalizes his opinions very loudly. He is not timid or afraid of much (except dogs due to his run in with a roaming dog in the backyard). He is always willing to give a hug or blow a kiss. He loves Emily and Sam so much and is sad when they are sad. He loves to cuddle and read a book but also loves to play with trains, trucks, balls, dinosaurs, blocks, or whatever Sam is playing with. He is excited to show off his new room to anyone who visits our new house.

I am always amazed at Ben and the happiness he brings to our family. Ben can be a handful (those of you who know him, know what I mean) but he is worth every minute. Emily and Sam adore him and put up with so much because they want him to be happy. Lately Sam and Ben have been buddies and they play with each other a lot. It is sweet to see these two brothers play with each other and take turns. Emily loves to baby Ben and he eats it up.

It has been a crazy two years since Ben was born. We got a house ready to sell, sold a house, finished residency, moved across the country, started a practice, and bought a new home. Wow! Happy Birthday Ben! Your family adores you!