Sweet Boy

Last week my darling son celebrated his 3rd birthday.

This pictures illustrates so many things about Benjamin. He HATES to wear clothes. He runs around in his underwear all the time. I can't get him to stay dressed for more than 5 minutes.

Ben also adores his Aunt Sara. Whenever we are having him do something he doesn't want to, he asks to go to Sara's. He even has a hard time with Sara's husband (who asked not to be named) because Ben feels he is stealing Sara away.


We were actually in Chicago for the actual Birthday, so my parents (who were watching him) took him to Carl's Jr where he played on the big toy. Thanks Mom & Dad!!

My Ben is such an amazing boy. He is so smart and extremely polite. He has his rough times, but I actually feel those rough times are just learning experiences for both him and I. 

Benjamin absolutely cannot be without his sister. She is the first one he wants to find when he wakes up. He wants to hold her, feed her, play with her as much as he can. 

We love our Benjamin Boy!

2012 Resolutions

Here is a glimpse into putting some of our very important goals for 2012 into action. 

#1: Embrace our inner "Tom Selleck"

#2: Be more diligent in our chores

#3: Hydrate and give mom LOTS more laundry to do.

#4: Explore the meaning of "Wearing Different Hats"

... and little else

 #5: Love One Another

This summer....

I'm going to a place that I have never been before. 

Maybe you've heard of it...

It's been called the "Windy City", "The Big Onion", "The Chill", "Chi-Town"...

I plan to call it "Home Sweet Home"

This summer we are 

MOVING TO CHICAGO!!!

So if you know of anyone who is familiar with this big city, send them our way. We have a lots to learn in these next 4-5 months.

Halloween

If there is such a thing as the Grinch of Halloween, Benjamin filled that role this year. He was totally opposed to the Halloween Holiday spirit and showed a little bit of a greedy attitude. 

He refused to wear his costume. He refused to let me take a picture of him in the costume he picked - the Safari Hat. He basically fought me on everything until he realized he would get candy by saying "Trick or Treat!" as he knocked on doors. 

Pictures are way more fun than words:

 

 All smiles after he gets candy in his system! Well... half smiles.

Halloween is way more fun with kids!!

Hogwarts Party

My sister-in-law, Sara, throws a big Hogwarts party for each of her children when they turn 9. She goes ALL out. The entire house is decorated. She has people come dressed up as the professors at Hogwarts and teach a class. This year, I was Professor Trelawney and taught... "the noble art of DIVINATION!!". Mitch was Hagrid and took the kids to Diagon Alley. Cherie was Professor Sprout and taught Herbology. Adam, my nephew, was Porfessor Snape and taught Potions. Sara was Professor Mcgonagall and led the kids through their Hogwarts experience. And "he who shall not be named" (aka B-rad) was Professor Dumbledore. 

Here is a glimpse into our Hogwarts experience.... 

 Hagrid & Dumbledore

 Professor Sprout & the cutest little red head to ever enter Hogwarts!

Potions with Professor Snape

The scenery...

October Girls

 I married a very very smart man. For my birthday he arranged to have the kids stay with my mom and swept me off to Park City. It was so FABULOUS!! We ate, shopped, ate some more, watched movies, ate some more and SLEPT IN! What more could a girl want?

And this October girl... well she turned 

1

And for Lydia's birthday we played with friends...

ate cupcakes 

 Hung out with family...

 and ate more food!!!

October girls are easy to please... just give us some food and some people to share the food with and we are happy campers!!

I like it DIRTY!!

Location: Soldier Hollow

Date: 9 . 24 . 2011

Distance: 6.2 Miles

Duration: 180 minutes

Contestants: A bunch of idiots

Terrain: MUDDY!!

Event: The Dirty Dash

That's how I spent my Saturday morning... how about you?