He'll Appreciate This Story When He's Older...

I had to stop at my gyn's office this morning to drop some papers off and talk to her for a minute. (long story and no, I'm not pregnant). Ben was with me because it was just going to be a quick visit. We were in her office, not an exam room and she had all kinds of doodads and thingamabobs on her desk. Ben was quite entertained by two things...

A NuvaRing and a model of an IUD.

At first I was all, "Ben, you SO can not play with Dr. F's NuvaRing."
But then he started trying to go through her cabinets so I changed my tune.

"Here! Play with the NuvaRing! What fun! Look! It's springy!"
;)

Letting the Toddler Run The House for the Day...

Something new must be in bloom because I've been in an allergy/sinus headache fog for three days now. I've contemplated taking some of Ben's Zyrtec, but I'm sure it would have the CORRECT effect on me (as opposed to the insanity-inducing effect it has on Ben) and knock me out. Knocked out + toddler = badness. I'm already drowsy anyway...

My condition has rendered me virtually useless as a caregiver, with the exception of providing food and drink when needed. So currently, I have the gate up in Ben's room. I'm on the floor trying to stay awake and he is playing with "Tato" (Mr. Potato Head). Thankfully, he seems content with this arrangement. The gate is in case I actually DO fall asleep, at least he won't be able to do much damage.

I'm wondering now if I can fit in the toddler bed... it's looking awfully cozy...

Cold Feet...

We were supposed to strip down one of our upstairs bathrooms today. (I was using the term "demolish" but there really aren't any axes involved and we're not tearing down any walls or anything). We're not even ripping out the tile that I hate with a fiery passion. (I'm negotiating for that to happen eventually... but I lost the debate about doing it now while we're replacing everything else)

Anyway, I got cold feet.

There was still too much to figure out before we render the bathroom mostly unusable for an undetermined length of time. I wanted to sand/prime/paint right after we took down the hideous wall-size mirror and the light fixture (circa late 1980's- early 90's... really quite garish faux brass little number with globe lights, I'll take a picture for you... I'm sure you'll agree)

To paint, I had to have at least a color in mind and I still hadn't even decided on whether to make it a kids' bathroom or an adult bathroom much less had I chosen a color. Soooo...

We ended up going to get the new faucet and light fixture, so the day was not a total wash. (ha ha... bathroom... wash...)
And I just found a shower curtain on PB I liked (it's the blue one), so I ordered that and a rug. Now I at least have a color to start with. I think I'm going to paint the wall in the blue and get polished nickel accessories that match the faucet and light. The new vanity, counter and cabinet are white and I'm going for a simple, clean look. I think this will work. I'm thinking outloud here...

My original plan was to make it a colorful, fun kids' bathroom since it's the hall bath right outside of the two smaller bedrooms. But then I reminded myself that we are not going to be here forever. When we were looking at houses, I remember HATING when I went in a bathroom and it was decorated in kid stuff. HATED it. I don't even know why, I just did. And I'm usually a huge fan of whimsical kid stuff... rubber duckies, froggies... yada yada. But all I could think about was "I'm going to have to paint over this bright blue/yellow/red..." So I'm sticking with the plain, boring bathroom decor.

In other news, we're currently playing the Ben Won't Nap Game. He slept in an extra 15 minutes this morning. For some reason, that almost always spells badness for naptime. We are going over to Tom's parents' house at 4'ish so I hope at least part of the nap happens!

Edited to add:
Bathroom pic (BEFORE): This was taken a few years ago, but not much has changed. (except we fixed the pulled up tiles that you can kinda see) Those two burned out lights? STILL don't work. Turns out they are just broken. Also, the light fixture is brass and the rest of the fixtures are chrome. Take note the stunning 80's cabinetry. I have this crap in my kitchen and powder room too. Beautiful work on the part of the builders of this house. Really... QUALITY. The total absence of color is courtesy of me having trouble commiting to anything because this bathroom has just had me stumped since we moved in.

I Can't Possibly Be the Only One...

... who cries through the baby baptisms at church?

This was the second one in two weeks we've had... this time, a little boy about Ben's age and his baby sister, about two months old. I was okay through the first part but then after the water and the prayer, the minister walked the kids down the aisle and back while we all sang Jesus Loves Me.

Gah. I was a a goner.

It's FICTION...

In case you weren't aware, The Da Vinci Code? IS FICTION.

Apparently, some people have not gotten this memo. Like the people on the side of the road outside the movie theater yesterday holding up the signs that said:

"I love my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and I REJECT The Da Vinci Code!"
(sorry for the blurry pic, I was trying to be clandestine about my picture taking)

People. CHILL the heck out. It's just a story. No one is saying it's an addendum to the Bible or anything. Sheesh.

And now we are off to church, where I am sure they will remind us to "pick up our Da Vinci Code defense leaflet on the way out".

No wonder some people think Christians are nuts. Seriously.

Another Post from Video Transfer Land...

I finished the transfer of the wedding videos today...(mine AND Jen's). Last night, I got an email from Jen's mom about wanting to see hers. Since it will be awhile before I can get her a copy of the entire DVD, I threw together a video montage of the highlights and set it to Jen and Jay's first dance song. It turned out SO cute. (btw, I will freely admit, I totally ripped the idea off from my sister-in-law's wedding videographer, who was the coolest. I can't remember his name or site, but I'm sure K will chime in if anyone local is interested in using him.)

Anyway, Jen's montage turned out so cute (Jen, let me know if it's okay if I post yours!), that I decided to go ahead and do one from my own wedding footage... I think it's the best way to watch the wedding, frankly. Sums it all up quite nicely and doesn't take three hours to watch. Three minutes, all the best moments... just enough to bring back the emotion of the day and not too over the top. I'm going to do one for my friend Kristi after her wedding next week. (my brother is shooting all the video).

So I just wanted to share... it's going to go up on the movie menu to the right for posterity, since, without the wedding, there would be no Ben. ;)

Benjamin's Mommy and Daddy Get Married

(p.s. the majority of the footage I used is courtesy of Krysytna's mom. Thanks K2! ;) We are so grateful to have it!)

(p.p.s. for some reason, the stream seems to freeze on my mac, but not on my pc. Please let me know if you have the same problem, fellow mac people!) :)

The Video Wherein I Am a Big Fat Cow But You Get to See Ben When He Was One Hour Old`

Ben's very first video....

(the video in the post under this one is far more entertaining, but Ben was just so cute and tiny, I had to share)

The Video Wherein I Channel My Inner Olivia Newton John...

Let me preface by saying, I had NOTHING TO DRINK.

Here's the Grease Dance video from our wedding reception circa March 2001. (I think it's about 6MB and maybe 1-1/2 min.)

Where Have I Been?

I've been in vhs/8mm to DVD land. Gah. The annoying thing about doing this is that it has to be done in real time. And if I want to capture the video in clips to make into DVD chapters, I have to babysit it the whole time.

I'm currently working on Jen's wedding. I did it once but that was before I figured out why the stupid machine was removing all the color from my videos. The videos are MUCH nicer in color. ;)
Jen made a stunning bride, just btw. I, however, am having to sit here and relive the awful hair I had that day thanks to an experimental hair stylist and me trusting her too much! ;)

I've also run off two of my own wedding videos (which I haven't ever watched until now). Now I know why I've never watched them... hello, LONG AND BORING. Plus, you get to see all the awkward moments (that take place at EVERY wedding) that you missed that day because you were too busy being the blissful bride. Things like apparently i made all of my guests freeze their tails off while they waited for Tom and I to come out of the church so they could blow bubbles at us. Gosh ya'll, I'm really REALLY sorry about that! I had no idea it took so long. Holy cow. Oh there were so many others too... Then there were some really great moments I'm glad to have on tape, like our high five on the way into the reception, my dance with my dad and the choreographed dance to "You're the One That I Want" that Tom and I did.

Do you ever think though that it's kind of burden to have these sorts of things on tape? I mean, I feel like I have a responsibilty to take care of them and update them with technology because they are priceless memories. I'm kind of glad I don't have any video from when I was a baby... it's one less thing I have to keep track of and take care of! My video childhood doesn't start until I'm 9. Whew! ;)

Clever...

I have seen this bumper sticker twice now. The first time, it took me a second to get it. Even as a registered Republican, I can see the humor in this. ;) (of course, you have to have read HP though... otherwise, you are just going "Huh?")

26 Months and Still Counting!

Benjamin is 26 months old today!

It's hard to say what's new this month... much easier when I look back to see how he has changed every month now. He is definitely talking more. We carry on conversations all day long. He asks for things he wants. And he is the most polite little boy you'll ever meet. Everything is followed by "please" and "welcome" (thank you). This morning, he asked for "apple ju and oatmeal pleeeeeeeeease!" Too cute. :)

The potty training is coming along. We aren't pushing it at all. We just ask him every once in awhile if he has to go and sometimes he does, sometimes he doesn't. When we went out to dinner the other night, he asked to go twice and actually WENT once. He also asked in the Target and the Walmart on Sunday. So we're getting to know where the bathrooms are pretty much everywhere we go. I'm guessing that it's going to take months before he is actually totally potty trained. And that's okay with me... I hate going into store bathrooms! ;)

He likes Gymboree again, and has started participating and answering the teacher's questions. He points out his colors and shapes and LOVES to play pretend. It's gotten to be fun again!

He really is just fun to be around these days. He's pleasant and happy the majority of the time, he is listening to us really well and the whining all but stopped once he finally started talking more. This is really a great age! :)

A Milestone, of Sorts...

See anything special about this picture?


Probably not. It's not even that great a picture. On the left is Ryan going up the stairs. And on the right is Ben at the bottom of the slide.

BUT... this picture?

It was taken from the BENCH. Where Jen and I were able to CHAT. Ben played, safely, for an hour and I hardly ever had to get up. He went up the stairs and down the slide. He drove the pretend firetruck and police car and ran around. He came back when I called him and was more or less content to just play and not freak mommy out with any death defying tricks.

Do you realize what JOY this brings me? It was so NICE.

I did get up once or twice to take a few more pictures...



Things took a downward turn however, when, on the way home, we got stuck in this.


When I turned on to the road, the signs claimed it was a "lane shift ahead". Well we sat for 40 minutes trying to "shift lanes". Dummies. Who repaves a road in the middle of the freakin' day?

Productive Distractibility...

I'm very easily distracted. As in "Oo! Shiny object!" every five seconds. But sometimes, it works to my advantage. Like this morning for instance. I went into the bathroom to take my shower and saw that there was no soap, so I went to get a bar of soap and saw the basket of cleaning supplies and ended up cleaning the whole bathroom. Then I went in the other bathroom to brush my teeth and noticed a smudge on the mirror and ended up cleaning THAT whole bathroom. The diaper genie was full after I changed Ben's diaper so I emptied all of the upstairs trashcans. And lastly, I needed a pair of pants that were in the dryer so I ended up folding four loads of laundry. It took us four hours to get out the door this morning, but hey, things got done! ;)

Speaking of distractions, I am borrowing this DVD Burner thingie from one of my mom's friends. It lets you run something direct from your vcr/video camera right to DVD, which is way cool. So I've been transferring a bunch of old stuff. I also have video from when Ben was born to when he was nine months old that until now I didn't have any way of making digital! Woohoo! So I have yet another project.... my living room is project central right now. There is junk all over the dining room table and the "editing suite" lives on the floor for the moment. It's a mess and I'm too into what I'm working on to clean it up, so don't drop by unannounced, please. ;)

Just a Few Pics from Yesterday...

Yesterday, we went over to my in-laws because Tom's cousins (and Ben's second cousins?) were visiting for the weekend. Carter and Carson (cousins) wanted so badly to play wiffle ball with "the boys". (my husband and his two brothers). "The boys" were pretty psyched about it too, since they haven't had time to organize a good wiffle ball came in years.

Ben, as usual, had the attention span of a gnat and flitted from activity to activity. What other activity, you ask? Ohhh... just playing with the pink Barbie car and the Barbie my MIL has. He has officially played with Barbie more often than *I* ever have. Gah.

Holding the "nannow" bat


Barbie and Darth Vader share a kiss (Tom says "somewhere, George Lucas is saying, "There's a disturbance in the force!"


"Oh Darth, you are so much more mature than my last boyfriend!"


Here he was imitating the boys crouching in the field waiting for the ball to be hit. Hee hee...


Ben and "Coco Ma" (Uncle Marc)


I think here they were just waiting for Ben to get out of the way so the game could continue. They called him the human rain delay. ;)

Darth Buddy...

Tom has a lot of Star Wars toys collectibles. Well, not a lot, really just a shelf. But recently, Ben has discovered them. I guess Tom has been teaching him who/what they all are because yesterday, he asked to "hold Daddy's (deep breathing Darth Vader sound) please". It's not breakable or worth anything, so I handed him the 12-inch high Darth Vader. He is now Ben's go-everwhere object. Yesterday, DV got rides in the red wagon.
(sorry for the blurry pic, I'm test-driving my mom's Sony Cybershot and it doesn't do well with moving objects)

Darth also napped with Ben and went to bed with him last night.

We also learned yesterday that he knows who "D-2" and "P-O-Eeee" are (R2-D2 and C3PO). He prefers to play with Tom's original 1977 figures ("little D2" he calls the one) rather than another cheapy D2 we have. This makes Tom very nervous and he hovers over Ben saying things like "don't play with his legs!" "don't spin his head around!" "How about we play with THIS one instead?"

Ben: No! Hold little D-2!!! Please?

A little while ago, Tom gave up trying to safeguard his toy droids, but said, "I just won't let him play with my Jabba the Hut!"

Hee hee... I'm finding it highly amusing. But it's a little disconcerting to see your child sleeping next to Darth Vader, I have to say.

Tale of a Baby Human Boutique...

... is still around! I was having some legal issues there for awhile, but those are resolved and I'm back to working on my shop again. :)

My friend Mandy emailed me a couple days ago with a onesie request for her sister Becky. It made me laugh so hard and I got to work on it right away. I'm pleased to present, TOBH Boutique's newest addition:



(p.s. Becky, don't buy it!)

Random Tidbits...

* Tom is on his annual work "fishing" trip today. I blogged about this last year, but I can't find the post to link to it. Basically, he and his bosses go down to southern Maryland and get on a fancy watercraft of some kind. Then, the guy who owns the thing puts out a bunch of lines and baits them. They all sit back and eat breakfast and wait for the rockfish to bite the line (that they don't even have to hold) and when they do, the guy who owns the boat reels them in. After they have caught the limit for the day, he filiets them for everyone. So yeah, it's "fishing" in the loosest sense of the word. ;) But, it means Tom will be home early today (because they catch their limit REALLY quickly). So that will make up for yesterday's late day... speaking of which...

* We went to my parents' house for dinner last night. It was really nice and Ben was wonderful and pleasant most of the day anyway, so the whole day was much easier than expected. For the first time EVER, Ben declared that he was hungry and wanted to eat. (I seriously did not believe him) But then he wolfed down half a grilled chicken breast, some strawberries, a glass of milk and a few bites of chocolate pie. (requested by saying, "EAT PIE!!!! YUM!!")

* My adventures in sewing have been going well. I used all of the 11 yards of material I bought and made:
four window valances, two table runners, two 20x20 pillows, and six placemats. I'm in a groove now and need another project!

* Speaking of projects, my sister-in-law brought me back park maps from Disneyworld for ANOTHER project I have in mind. (thanks, K!) I don't know how it's going to turn out, but I want to do four framed collages for the basement family room. I got 16x20 frames and in them, my plan is to put one of the park maps in the center of each frame and surrounding the map, put various pictures us in that park. I have pics ranging from our honeymoon in 2001 to last September, so it's going to be a challenge deciding which ones to use. I'm having to scan a lot of pics (I didn't use a digital camera on our honeymoon or the trip after that), so I'm coming across lots of good ones I had forgotten about! (I'll share some later if I get the time) :)

* As a result of these "projects" my house is suffering. So if I'm MIA today it's because I'm knee-deep in laundry and bathroom cleaning. :: sigh :: I want my next house to clean itself! :(

Refinding the People Who Knew You Way Back When...

R*Belle has written a lot about how the internet has played a big part in her finding old friends who she had lost touch with, like Sarah. So cool! :)

I often wonder where people I used to know "way back when" have ended up... people from my pre-college days mostly, who knew me while I was becoming "me", you know? There are SO many people I'd like to find!

I joke about MySpace being so cheesy and lame, but it helped me find an old friend who knows me from as far back as eighth grade! We worked at a summer camp together for (four?) years and so when I transferred into public school from a tiny Christian school, she was a familiar, friendly face to help ease the culture shock. We sang in the choir together in high school (she has a gorgeous voice) and we graduated together. After that, we lost touch and I knew she ended up getting married and moving all the way to the UK! Anyway, thanks to MySpace, I found Janelle and discovered she has an adorable little baby boy and another one on the way! Long story short, I added her to my blogroll, so go tell her hello! ;) Life at #23.

Hrm...

If it hadn't already been too late, I should have headed R*Belle's comment re: sunless tanners. You see, I am oh so very white. And when I'm in the sun, I use Ben's 100 billion SPF sunblock. So base tan? What's that?

Orange. I am orange. I did not think I was orange until I saw myself in the sunlight. But I am orange. And my knee? Is a DEEP orange. What's THAT all about?

Also, I liked the way the test leg was looking after about an hour, so I sprayed the other leg and both arms.

Oops.

I wish I had tried this in the winter when I could have hidden underneath long sleeves and pants.

Experiment...

I justr tried out some Neutrogena Fake and Bake on my right leg. I'm so scared I'm going to be orange...

I'll keep you posted... (with pics later? Maybe?)

The Days I Dread...

Today is one of those days where Tom has something work-related to do AFTER work. Every now and then he has these silly dinners to go to. Tonight it's the "Municipal Bond Club of Maryland". I know, doesn't it sound enthralling?!

All I know is that it leaves me stuck here for 13 hours (he just left and it's 6:47 a.m. and Ben goes to bed at 7:30p.m.) alone with the toddler. It's really only an extra hour or so than my normal day but it sure feels like an eternity.

It's not his fault, he has to go to these things but I just dread these kinds of days. It's gonna be a long one, my friends... I sure hope Ben wakes up in a good mood. :\

Just Another Day in Stirrups....

(and no, I'm not speaking of the bad early 90's pants fashion)

Today was annual Pap Smear day, which, due to a combination of funny doctor and slightly crazy patient, always makes for good blog fodder.

So here's the thing. I know I should be over this by now, especially after that whole "childbirth" fiasco of 2004, but I still get all antsy when I have to go to the Chicky Doctor. (Chick + Icky = Chicky) I don't know why. I like her. I've been there a hundred thousand times. And still, I have Nervousitis: the 145/89 blood pressure and the head to toe red blotchy rash.

Recently, I have also noticed another symptom of Nervousitis. I start to channel some sort of bad comedian. In an attempt to fill the gaps in conversation, I make stupid jokes. And they are bad. Very very bad. It's so embarassing.

Today's gems:

(Doctor knocks on the door to come in)
Me: Come oooooon in! I'm decent! Well, as decent as I can be wearing a paper gown that opens in the front!
---
Me: Hey, Chicky Doctor, have you ever noticed that everyone hides their underwear?
CD: No?
Me: No really, they do! I know it's not just me because I've taken informal polls on the topic!
CD: Well, sometimes I think the people who SHOULD hide their underwear don't! But now that you mention it, I think I hide mine too! Underwear are pretty private...
Me: Um yeah, but hello? You're at the GYN!?
CD: Good point.
---
Me: Nothing down there looks "preggish" does it?
CD: (laughs out loud) Ummm NO. (followed by long shpeal about how you can't really "see" pregnant down there until well after you'd already know you were.
---
Me: I don't GET the cervix. What the heck is it and do I even have one?
CD: I'm fairly certain that you do! (laughs at me again)

Seriously. what is WRONG with me?! When I'm nervous and uncomfortable I just start talking and I can't shut up. My brain is saying, "Shut UP you moron. You sound like someone hit you with a stupid-stick!" but mouth, just keeps going.

Tell me I'm not alone?

Now in Technicolor!

I'm pretty busy this morning, and I don't have anything to post. But I wanted to note that I've started (one recipe at a time) adding pictures to The Naptime Gourmet. Please feel free to do the same if you post a recipe over there. :) I really think pictures are helpful when you are trying to make something for the first time, don't you?

Anyway, there's lots of new stuff over there too besides pictures and we can always use more! So go visit! :)

Fashion Emergency...

After yesterday,I am down to ONE pair of jeans, which are too long anyway, so really I have NO jeans. This is thanks to the fact that I spend my days crawling around on the floor. I have worn out the knees in every pair I have!

I went to Old Navy this morning and left just plain annoyed. First off, what's the deal with the spandex they are putting in jeans right now? It's gross. Second, I do not have large thighs, they are very average (oh don't be jealous, I carry the fat elsewhere, trust me)and yet, the jeans I find everywhere are tight in the thigh region. I'm guessing this is a fashion "thing" right now, this tight thigh phenomenon but um... I just think it's trashy-looking, frankly. It reminds me of the late 80's/early 90's with the girls wearing tight peg-legged jeans, neon tops and teased, hairsprayed bangs. Gag.

And while I'm ranting... where are the stores keeping the sweatshirts? You know, like normal, throw-it- on-over-your-t-shirt-because-it's-a-little-chilly-in-the-evening sweatshirts? I can't find them.

My tennis shoes (which I wear virtually every single day of my life) are also in the process of biting the dust. I am seeing a clothing shopping spree in my future and that doesn't make me happy because I HATE SHOPPING FOR CLOTHES. SEnd me to Target to shop for housewares, now THAT's fun. But clothes shopping? It's just painful. The fashion industry conspires against me and my anti-glamorous/anti-tight-fitting style.

Mother's Day...

Mother's Day was really nice. We have a great arrangement that has worked well for us since Ben was born.
Tom and I both go to church with our mothers and Ben usually goes with me. (though I think one year he went with Tom). After that, Tom and his brothers take their mom to lunch and I take Ben and go to lunch with my family and Ben's godmother. We're home for naptime and then we head out to Tom's parents' house so his mom gets to see Ben and bonus, we get to go out to dinner for our own mother's day celebration. :) It all goes so smoothly, it's almost scary.

That's what we were up to all day yesterday... I even got a nap while Ben was napping. (my allergies totally KNOCKED me out yesterday, ugh. Anyone know when the trees and floweres finish their mating ritual?) So, all in all, a great day. :)

Today, it's back to the grind. Ben has a doctor's appointment to followup on ear infection #4. After that, if it's raining, which looks like it might be the case, I'm going to clean bathrooms. Woohoo!

Go Oh-Re-Oh's! Benjamin's First Orioles Game...

In a moment of "What was I thinking", I got us baseball tickets. They were actually part of Tom's birthday present, so he could take Ben to his first game. (he's only been talking about it since oh I dunno... we met?)



The game was yesterday. It was a 4:45 game, so it fit well into our nap/bedtime schedule. And, tt actually didn't go TOO badly. Ben didn't whine and cry, but he certainly wanted no part of sitting on anyone's lap. Luckily I had an aisle seat, so I was able to let him play there, climbing up and down the next two steps.

The real challenge was keeping him from swiping that guy's water bottle (in the pic to the left). Oh, and I kept having to rescue him from being trampled by the hotdog/soda/beer/cotton candy/peanut vendors, but otherwise, this worked out well. He made up for any annoying of people around us he did with the incessant stair climbing by shaking his groove thing and being very cute every time music came on.

Since no one ever offers to take any pictures that have ME in them with my son, I took matters into my own hands. Tom is also pictured, but he's not smiling because he didn't know I was taking a picture. I think he's concentrating very hard on his telepathic communication with the pitcher or something.


This guy was sitting in front of us, so that we all got to enjoy the back of his shirt.


After awhile, the family right in front of us left. I think they got tired of Ben kicking their chair. Anyway, after they left, Ben moved right in and took their seats.


He lasted 8 innings! Actually, we could have stayed the whole game, but the Orioles were winning 9-1 against the Kansas City Royals and we figured we'd take the opportunity to beat the crowd.

Now, on the way INTO the stadium, we passed by the fire station as we were walking. Ben thought this was VERY cool.

As we were leaving the city though, we took the um...scenic route. (thankfully NOT walking)



We got home just in time for bath and bedtime. Ben went to bed saying "Bye bye go Orioles!" Too cute...

For R*Belle, RE: What is Red Robin?

It is only the BEST burger place in the entire world!!!! And the most kid-friendly restaurant I know of. (meaning, for us, that they have ceiling fans, balloons, crayons, sippee cups, a great kids' menu and very VERY kid-friendly servers)

Dear Podunk, you need a Red Robin!

Benjamin's Latest Uttering...

(hanging my head in shame)

The other day when Ben was on the potty, I used the word "butt". He liked it. He immediately put it to use and has been talking about daddy's butt, mommy's butt, NaNee's butt, the cat's butt... etc.

Okay fine. Oops. Bad mommy. I forgot the kid repeats everything now, okay? Sheesh.

So then we were at the zoo last weekend and his NaNee overheard him use the word "butt". I don't think she was amused. (hey, there were lots of butts at the zoo, what can I say?) But the next day when we were at their house, and she taught him the word "toot" when he, you know... tooted. (His Uncle Marc tried to teach him "fart", but luckily "toot" is what stuck)

Leave it to the mind of a two-year-old-boy to put them both together and say to me:

"Mommy?"

"Yes Ben?"

"Mommy, I toot in my butt!" (falls over himself laughing)

People. He already thinks this is hysterically funny. And NO ONE TAUGHT HIM THAT.

We are on for some interesting times with this child, me thinks.

Where Has Erin Been?

R*belle wants to know where I've been.

I feel like I've been around... I mean, I have posted every day. I guess those posts have been lacking the usual content detailing the ever-so-exciting details of my daily life? ;) Hrm... Since she is not the first ask me this question in the last 24 hours, I'll do my best to oblige today.

Wednesday, our big outing was to the playground with Jen and Ryan. That was fun and for once, Ben actually stayed on one thing for a significant period of time, so I didn't have to run around like a crazy woman the whole time we were there. I got to talk to Jen (briefly), during which time she discovered that I think an airshow would be boring. (sorry, Jen, I could be wrong!) Ben also told me at one point that he had to go potty. Luckily, there was a bathroom right there. He didn't actually go (I think we were too late). But I was excited that he actually asked to go outside of the house!

Let's see... yesterday was Gymboree day. We stopped at the bank to deposit some checks, stopped at the gas station and blew most of that money on filling up my ginormous car, and then headed to Gymbo. Good times at Gymbo except that at one point, Ben decided that this little box he was sitting in was a car and was happily driving it when it was suddenly parachute time and I had to remove him. He did not like that and we had, as Miss Sue (our Gymbo teacher) calls it, "A Toddler Moment". But all was good after that and we headed off to Red Robin for lunch with Amanda and Hannah.

(this was taken w/ Amanda's camera phone, which I am exceedingly jealous of because I want a camera phone TOO, darn it!)

After that, it was home and halleljuah, Ben napped. (he didn't at all yesterday, despite the morning at the playground,which could also help to explain the lack of post content) It rained, which made me so happy. I love rainy, stay inside days and I was tired yesterday anyway.

I dragged out my sewing machine and material and got to work figuring out how to sew a window valance. I royally screwed it up only once, but mananged to salvage it. I'm pretty proud of how it turned out! (seen here, displayed on my bathroom wndow, since the window it's actually going to go on isn't installed yet)



Last night, I managed to make two more and they turned out even better. So much so, that I might actually go back and redo this first one because I really have the hang of it now! I heart my sewing machine. Next I'm going to make a couple of throw pillows and some matching runners to go with the windows. :)

I had a cup of coffee at 5:30p.m. yesterday so I was wide awake until 11:00. Watched CSI. It was awesome. They killed Brass! I can't believe they killed Brass!

Today, no plans yet. But I'll keep you posted!

Hot Dog Hot Dog Hot Diggity Dog!

I must say, the ending song to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is pretty darn catchy.
(Hot Dog hot dog hot diggity dog... yada yada yada) Click here and then click on "Hot Diggity Dog" to hear/watch it.

Also, this is THE ONLY SHOW Ben will sit still and actually watch. It's a good (yet sort of scary and very telling) thing that he doesn't have the attention span for tv. But sometimes, I really wish he'd just SIT in one place and watch something so I can cook/clean/blog in peace.

At least for the moment, I seem to have found that something he'll watch.

Lesson Learned: Toddlers are Fickle. Only Sign up For 12 Weeks at a Time

For the past three Thursdays, when Ben has woken up, I say, as usual,
"Hey! Do you know what today is?"

He looks at me quizzically, often answering with some jabber about driving a car or some such thing.

"No silly," I say. "It's Gymboree day!"

"No!" he yells.

"You don't want to go to Gymboree and play on the parachute?"

"No!" he yells again and runs away to go eat diaper cream or something.

He seems to know what he is saying because when I do take him to the class, he isn't particularly into it and especially hates sitting down for parachute time now. I have to bribe him with M&M's and/or being allowed to "beep" my car with the remote thingy.

What happened? He used to be parachute's biggest fan!

I guess he just needs a change of scenery or something. Unfortunately, our membership runs until mid-June. :: sigh ::

Lesson Learned: Toddlers are Fickle. Only Sign up For 12 Weeks at a Time

For the past three Thursdays, when Ben has woken up, I say, as usual,
"Hey! Do you know what today is?"

He looks at me quizzically, often answering with some jabber about driving a car or some such thing.

"No silly," I say. "It's Gymboree day!"

"No!" he yells.

"You don't want to go to Gymboree and play on the parachute?"

"No!" he yells again and runs away to go eat diaper cream or something.

He seems to know what he is saying because when I do take him to the class, he isn't particularly into it and especially hates sitting down for parachute time now. I have to bribe him with M&M's and/or being allowed to "beep" my car with the remote thingy.

What happened? He used to be parachute's biggest fan!

I guess he just needs a change of scenery or something. Unfortunately, our membership runs until mid-June. :: sigh ::

Musical Monday... albeit a Bit Late...

I have been such a slacker with Musical Monday! Today I'll play catch up and post a few of our favorites...

We'll start with one from Here Come the ABC's by They Might Be Giants.


When we first got this cd/dvd set, I was less than thrilled and Ben seemed bored with it. But the songs have grown on us, and thus it has earned the right for a place in Musical Monday.

Our favorite song from this cd is Clap Your Hands. Ben calls it "Uh huh" (you'll see why) and asks for "Please more Uh Huh!??" And it is currently running on repeat on my laptop. ;)

More later!

Shh... Don't Tell Him!

Benjamin seems to think that once he is in his toddler bed, he lacks the ability to get out without Tom or me telling him he can. It's highly amusing because sometimes he'll drop his froggie or something before he falls asleep and we'll hear him in there saying,

"Uh oh Dottie Dots (froggie's name) go boom! Uh oh."

Of course we go in and rescue Dottie Dots and all is well. But um... he really could reach down/get down and get his little blankie, really, we wouldn't mind. But he won't because we told him "No getting out of the big boy bed until mommy and daddy come get you."

How long do you think this will last? ;)

Yes. The Answer is Yes.

I get this question a lot. (particularly from people who haven't seen me in awhile and/or were coworkers at some point)

"Sooo... do you still like staying home?"

They ask this almost as if they expect my answer to be,
"Ohmygosh it's HORRIBLE. I can't believe I ever thought this was a good idea. I hate it and am looking for a job and childcare AS WE SPEAK."

Most seem downright surprised when my ACTUAL answer, "I love it. I wouldn't want my life any other way."

The truth is, staying home is actually WAY easier in many ways NOW that Ben is older than it was at first. There was some serious culture shock when he was first born. We brought him home and that first Monday I didn't return to work was very very strange. I briefly felt trapped and isolated and missed my routine, though not so much my job itself. Ben didn't do anything but eat, sleep, poop and cry. The days dragged a LOT and though I knew I had made the right decision to stay home with him, I wondered how my sanity would survive.

Now? He's cool. We play, we talk, we have fun together. He's my little buddy during the day. I love my life. The things that were always in the back of mind while I was twiddling my thumbs at my desk at my pointless, waste of my time job are now getting done and it feels good. I cook most nights, my house is reasonably clean and maintained. I enjoy spending almost every waking hour with Ben, even though it can be a challenge sometimes. (hard to explain to the babysitters who are chomping at the bit for me to drop him off and go have some "me time")

Look, I know it's not for everyone, but I really love being home. I'm not saying I never get bored or that the routine never gets old. But I feel so much more free and happy than I ever did when I was working.

So yes, I still like it and I like it more and more every day. Like anything, you get in a groove, I guess. But I wonder why it surprises people so much?

Why You Haven't Heard from Me All Day...

I spent most of today installing a closet organizing system! Hooray! We were in desperate need of a solution asap because the original rack that went all the way across the closet was falling down. Whoever put it up originally used just regular nails, not screws, and no drywall anchors. Um... duh? Anyway, I took the opportunity to clean and purge. Tom will be very excited that he has access to all of his wardrobe now. (it used to live in two closets in two different rooms!

Anyway, I am very proud of it! Ben had a great time handing me tools and pretending to find studs with the stud finder. That was amusing. Even more amusing that he learned it from ME. ;) I still have to tweak it a little... the bottom rack needs to go up a little on Tom's side (I just need to move the brackets up a hole or two, they are adjustable) and the clothes are still not really sorted out. But at least it's done! One more project checked off the to-do list!

Zoo Day...

We took Benjamin to the zoo this morning to christen our annual passes that Tom's parents gave Ben for his birthday. It was the perfect zoo day too... beautifully sunny, but not too hot. All the animals were out and it wasn't at all crowded!

Ben really seemed to enjoy it. He especially liked the snakes and the chimpanzees. The chimps were in rare form today too...

This one had a baby and was showing her off right in front of the glass. It was adorable. She kept looking at the baby and then back at us like, "Do you see her? Huh? Isn't she the cutest?"


Then there was this one. He came right up to the window when he saw I had a granola bar in my hand.


Then he seemed to think Ben was VERY interesting...


And of course there was the obligatory picture of Ben in the bird nest.


Here is the same picture from when he was five months old... way cool, huh? ;)

Funnies I Don't Want to Forget...

* Benjamin always politely says please when asking for something, even something he knows he is not supposed to have

* If you DO give him what he asks for, he says "Allcome" (You're Welcome). He seems to think this means "Thank You".

* One of his favorite songs right now is "Don't You Wish Your Girlfriend Was Hot Like Me". This is totally my fault because I downloaded it after I heard it once. He walks around singing, "Doncha! Doncha!"

* Since the toddler bed has been set up, it is very hard to get Ben to leave his room. He loves it in there. The other night, I couldn't even make dinner because I couldn't convince him to go downstairs and play. I have since double and triple toddler-proofed enough that I am comfortable leaving him up there playing for short periods of time while I get things done.

* The pediatrician put him on Zyrtec when we were there the other day. Yep. The kid wasn't spared the family allergies (from both sides, actually). Anyway, as she handed me the prescription, she cautioned me to give it to him at bedtime because it would knock him out. Well, guess what. It doesn't knock him out. It makes him a nightowl. He sits in his bed wide-eyed playing until almost 10:00. I guess this is a sign he wasn't spared the family ADD either.

What IS This?

Benjamin has this little ambulance toy and inside it has (among other things) four medical instruments. One is a thermometer, one is a needle, one is an otoscope (an "ear light" in Bennish), and then there is this:



None of us can figure out what it is. I even tracked down the toy on Google hoping they would list what the instruments were...

Anyone?

Our only theory is that it's an eye exam thingy... it's not "hammery" looking enough to be a reflex hammer thingy. ?

Crib Demolition...

I took the crib apart this morning. Ben slept fine in his bed last night (except for when he fell out once in the middle of the night) so I think it's safe. Anyway, the crib is big and his room is small and it was just getting in the way. So now it is sitting in pieces in the hallway.

I have no idea what to do with it until we need it again. Part of me wants to just go ahead and set it up in the third bedroom, along with the changing table that is in Ben's closet right now. But that seems sort of strange and creepy considering there is no baby on the way right now. Plus, then I'd have to figure out what to do with the giant filing cabinet, a table, Tom's desktop computer, his bookshelf and his 10,000 old textbooks that he refuses to get rid of. They have to go somewhere, and it's probably going to be the basement family room, but I need to give that some more thought before I act, me thinks. So for now the crib sits in the hallway and more than likely will end up in my laundry room. :: sigh ::

So back to the big boy room. I hung the "B" "E" "N" letters on the wall over the bed and hung the little airplane bookshelf, so the room looks a little more complete. I have one print to hang too before we can call it the OFFICIAL big boy room. ;) I also think I'm goin going to get a little frame for the First Flight certificate he has from Southwest and the picture of him on the airplane for the first time. I like room themes. Can you tell?

**update** Crib fits nicely in our bedroom closet. Out of sight, out of mind. Yay!
Chaos still reigns in the third bedroom, which, along with all of Tom's junk, has now become the repository for the tools I am using to hang stuff and the paint supplies for my current painting adventure. (the upstairs hallway... I have NO idea how I will get to the top of the gazillion foot wall up the stairs... even with an extension pole)

Success.

Well? How Did the First Nght in the Big Boy Bed Go?

It didn't.

We panicked at the last minute and put the mattress back in the crib.

Okay, here's how it went down. We went through his bath/bedtime routine and then we explained that when he gets in the bed he has to STAY in the bed. Afterward, the line of questioning went something like this:

"Ben, do you get out of bed?"
"Nooooo"
"Do you call mommy or daddy when you want to get up?"
"Yes!"

We thought we were golden.

So we tucked him in and closed the door. I stood at the door for a few minutes waiting to see what would happen. He talked to himself for a little while. Then I heard *thump* *patter patter patter*. I cracked open the door and he was up and digging through his toy basket. When he saw me, he skittered back to bed. And I told him what the deal was again. "Ben, do you get out of bed?" "Noooo."

I shut the door. Waited. *thump* *patter patter patter* I opened the door and he was already running back to bed with his EARdrops clutched in his little hand. It was not going well AND it is beoming quite obvious that I need to spend more time babyproofing the room.

SOoooo.... Tom came in and read him a story while I put everything back in the crib and scootched it back up against the wall.

Not sure when we'll try this again. But it probably won't be for awhile. And it will probably be on a weekend when we are more likely to not mind so much that we are sacrificing valuable sleep.

The bed, however, is very cute, and Ben loves it (just not staying in it) if that counts for anything. ;)

(Little) Big Boy Bed...

He is quite pleased with having the ability to get in and out of it. Wish us luck with the sleeping tonight. :\ (Yes, he is holding a screwdriver. He was "helping" me put the bed together.)

Mundane Details of My Boring Monday...

Woke up ENTIRELY too early thanks to noisy cat/showering husband/screaming toddler. (in that order, were it not for the first two, I would have been able to sleep until the 6:00 hour at least)

Ran around. Got paint for the upstairs hallway, a cartridge for the printer, and ended my five-year-search for fabric to make valances for the living room. (oddly enough, I had just mentioned this search on Erin's blog THIS MORNING. I know, weird, right?

I am very proud of my find, actually, so it deserves its own paragraph. To refresh your memory, here are pictures of my living room/dining room.

(note the lazy cats, each at his own window)


Those flowers on the table? They are OH so very dead. But I digress. I have never liked the curtains I put in this room originally. (mostly because the ones on the doors get shut in the top of the door every time we go outside because I am an idiot who does not think of these potential problems ahead of time)

Anyway, since the doors are being replaced next week, now is a good time to get moving on window treatments. But I have been looking for fabric that matches the room for FIVE YEARS. That's a long time. Anyway, finally found it today at Joanne's. It's special order, which is annoying because I hate waiting for things. But that's life. Isn't it pretty?


Well... I think it is anyway. I know you blog readers can be hard to please. ;)
I'm just happy it matches because you have no idea how many fabric swatches I have looked at over five years. I'm getting enough to make valances for the french doors and the dining room window, as well as a runner for the table and a couple of throw pillows. Now... if I can just remember how to thread my sewing maching! ;) Hrm...

After I returned home from that trumphant shopping trip, Ben went down for a nap and I have been cleaning and doing lauundry. I told you today was boring...

BUT... the exciting part is coming later.

Ben's TODDLER BED is being delivered today! I'm not sure whether to be excited or scared! Wish us luck! :)