To Grandma Jan on her birthday

You have some grandsons who love you lots and lots. Happy happy birthday!!!

Birthday season is upon us

Let the tantrums begin!



Jacob's birthday is coming up in a few weeks. Nico's birthday comes up two weeks later. It's a tricky dance. No matter how much I tell Nico that awesomeness will be his on his birthday it sometimes hasn't turned out that well.

The above picture is of Jacob's 5th birthday party at the park in Chicago.  A (Benjamin) lifetime ago, by the way.  Thanks again Mardee for lighting that unlightable windswept candle so that I could restrain Nico from going all Hulk on the festivities.

Here's hoping for a tear-free season!  Happy birthdaying!

Biography

Dear Benjamin (a.k.a. Benjo, Benjo-wenjo, Benjle-T, Benno, Benno-wenno, Benny, Benny Boy, Benamin, Ben-jammin' [fit it into this song for full functionality], and Ben),

Today you turn two.  Two!  I can't believe it.  You are a darling.  A big boy, with a big smile and big hair.

Biiiiiiig hair.

Here are a few stats I've assembled about your short, sweet life.

You've lived for at least three months in three different states (Illinois, Utah and Arkansas).

You took your first plane ride at 4.5 weeks old.

You've lived in four different houses.

You've been to more states than I'd been to by age 10 (Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Nevada, Utah, Arkansas, Georgia and Arizona.)

You've been a city kid.

And a country boy.  I mean, it's Arkansas for pete's sake!

You've survived an epic snowstorm and you've also survived being (proverbially) dipped in the fires of hell (Arkansas summer).

You've gained lots of big boy abilities.  Drinking from a cup, sitting in a big boy chair, using a spoon, hitting your brothers, eating apples*, giving hugs and kisses, and sleeping in (bless you).

You play so well.  Your smile and chuckle are contagious.  You have big, white crocodile teeth.  You also have big eyes.  People comment on your teeth and eyes the most.  Just like in Little Red Riding Hood.  Except, you're not going to eat anyone's grandma.  Oh, and the hair.  They always comment on the hair, too.

Here you are with your face twin have a laugh.

 
I love you, little man.  You were born at a time of intense change, challenge and growth for our family and you have weathered it like a champ.  You've been my buddy.  I'm grateful for you.  

xoxo

Love,


Momma


 *I actually don't typically let him have whole apples.  I think they're little death balls.  I just put this in here because it's so cute.  And he was surprisingly good at eating it!

To Carly

Thank you for saving my (laundry) life!

It works!

From,

Robyn

Nothing says special memories like the phrase "Picture Dump"

And yet, here we are dumping pictures and trying to tease out some special memories at the same time.  Mainly here are a few things I just need to share, despite my rusty blogging skills. 

1.  Ben's "smile" for the camera.  Is it a smile?  Jury's still out, but it's darling.

2.  And consistent!  (Excuse the food-filled mouth...)

A note about Jacob: this week he pulled his card in school for the first time ever.  He felt really bad and come to find out it was the Spanish teacher who had him pull it for basically a misunderstanding.  I tried to explain to him that his day to day teacher wouldn't have had him pull his card (which she herself told me) and that the Spanish teacher just doesn't know him well enough to know he's not a trouble maker (at school, anyway). 

Jacob seemed comforted by that and said, "Yeah, she totally doesn't know me.  She keeps calling me (phonetic-ish spelling) Ha-cobe!"  I felt bad breaking it to him that that's how you say Jacob in Spanish.  Sad to deflate his healing ego a little bit.  And really sad he didn't know that's how you say his name.  I mean, it's April man! 

3.  People often comment on our having 3 boys and I often say that we've specialized.  I am coming to see how right I am.  Boy stuff reigns around here.  I only wish I felt our specialization was really making me a rock star mom. 

To further explain, I also often say (or at least feel) that I have three pots on the stove. 

One is simmering.

One is boiling.

One is boiling over.

Also true, never truer than lately, and proof positive that I am not "specializing" in a way that brings the kind of tantrum-free, all potties always flushed success I crave.  Sigh.

Cute kids, tho.

4.  I pretty much only put the helmet on him because it looks cute. 

5.  Box fun!  Real smiles!  Woot woo!

6.  Box fun with a snack of frozen peas!  (Jacob is weird.)

I totally asked them to punch fists in the air, if it weren't for Benjo's total emotional commitment to it it would look too lame to post.  Ah the innocence of toddler-hood!

7.  Yeah, we tried general conference yet again with kids.  I scoured the internet (5 minutes on pinterest) for tips for keeping kids interested.  It all said to buy candy.  Lots of it.  And that was pretty much it!  Candy and a few print outs.  Which means I ate a lot of candy that weekend.  Seriously, what's with Nico?!

8.  We made "grilled cheese sandwiches" out of pound cake and orange frosting for April fool's.  I felt like the best mom ever!!! 

Nico took a bite and didn't comment on the fact that his grilled cheeser tasted like cake.  He rather rolled his eyes back into his head and said, "This is so dad gum good!"

9.  Jacob got this out of the treasure box at his school.  It's sort of a harmonica-ish thing in lip shape.  Ben is in love.  And yes, it is incredibly unsanitary.

10.  No words.

11.  Ben sipping from a straw is a favorite image of mine.  I will leave you with that and his crazy, crazy, mad, mad, mad hair.

A boy, his blankies and his bike

It's funny how a kid will do something over and over again for a few weeks and then just stop. That's sort of like Ben and his desire for me to wrap him in blankets.   These are a month old, but just terribly, terribly cute.  Mommy's little urchin.

Really love this one.

Oh, and this boy loves his hog.  So do his big brothers. 

Matt says there are too many pictures here...bah.  Also, I really will blog more about the big boys.  I guess they are just older and require more storytelling, whereas Benjamin gets a 20 picture blitz and it says it all.  Must...be...better...mother.

We need more table time

I feel like by the time we get Jacob home from school and snacked and homeworked we sort of fritter the afternoon away with perhaps a show or two and then lots of running around and screaming (read: fighting).  I saw these pictures from a few weeks ago and it hit me...the minute Jacob gets home I either want us to be outside, reading books, or puttering at the table.

I'm just gettin' greedy, right?  Ah well, they're cute, anyway.

Leland face!  (Above and below.)

By the way, Jacob and sports cards?  A winning combination! 

And Jacob not changing out of Sunday clothes?  The best!