Coat and Tie... They Didn't Say Anything About Pants!

Simon picked this little ensemble out of Ben's closet late this afternoon... then I had to change his diaper and he refused pants. So there ya go. He even ate dinner wearing this.

Simon Says...

...a lot lately, actually! I can't really keep up anymore, but I like to write down the really cute new ones for posterity.

Simon kept calling out for Ben while he was at school this morning. He puts his hand up to his mouth and yells it just like I do... "Behhhhhhhhhhh?!" I kept saying, "Ben's at school, buddy."

It must have sunk in because when we went to school to get Ben, we were waiting in the hallway and Simon started calling for him again. Then he answered his own question. "Beh ah schoooooooo ...ah schooooooo." over and over. He entertained the crowd with that and, "Door? Door? Open? Key? Door?" while we waited.

Despite the challenges with independence and whatnot, this IS a really fun and adorable age. And as his vocab has expanded, the shrieking and tantrums have decreased a LOT... so bring on more words, I say!

A Good Day to Start 2009....

Yesterday turned out to be great! :) I ran to the store in the morning and then none of us left the house the rest of the day. After Simon's nap and lunch, we made popcorn, snuggled under blankets in the playroom, turned off the lights and watched Princess Bride. Ben LOVED it and I had forgotten how much *I* loved it. So funny. Even Simon watched a good 1/4 of it before he hopped down to go play.

At one point, the boys were laying on the trampoline together under their own blanket watching the movie. (SO sweet!!!)

Then we just played. And played. And played. We invented a new game called Trampoline Ball that involves the boys bouncing on the trampoline while trying to hit (with a paddle from a summer pool ball game) a ball we toss their way. Simon cracks me up how he is right there in the middle of it all!

Simon also spent a good amount of time playing with the "car car" and the "bussssss". The remote control cars are currently his favorite Christmas acquisition. Ben, on the other hand, has continued to bounce from thing to thing, literally... he can't resist a bounce on the trampoline on his way to something else. Best. Purchase. Ever.

I made dinner and both kids ate it. (and then a pig flew by the window and hell froze over)

While I put Simon to bed, Tom sat in the kitchen with Ben and they studied Disney World park maps together, Ben circling all the things things he wants to see when we go. After that, I read Ben his chapter of The Mouse and the Motorcycle and he BEGGED for one more, which I'm a total sucker for, so we read another.

Truly, the best day in a LONG time. :)

Two Funnies in One...

I am finally sitting down to type this out because I want to make sure I don't forget it. It's just another little nugget that shows Ben's personality...

Yesterday, while sitting on his bedroom floor fiddling with some new toys and talking to himself, he said,
"It's like I can feel the excitement of ALL the things we did this year... like Simon's birthday party! And all the iced tea!"

I laughed out loud at the first part... and then turned to Tom and said, "Iced tea? What is he talking about?"

Ben chimed in, "You know, all the iced tea from Chick-Fil-A!"

For practically every event we host at our house, we pick up a gallon or two of Chick-Fil-A iced tea. Apparently, he finds it very memorable. ;) Anyway, it's just so cute that he gets so into the events of the year. He also asked me what the next big holiday is for which we we get to decorate. Guess I'll be shopping for Valentine's decorations this year. ;)

----
And Simon, lest we forget him...

He has learned to not just shake his head no, but now say the word... over and over and over again. It's his new favorite thing. Actually, it's rather helpful. But it's also too funny. "Simon, are you tired?" "No no no no!!!" "Are you hungry?" "No no no!" Or, our favorite, yesterday my mom asked if she could help him with something, "No no no no no!!"

If you get no answer, it means yes. ;)

Christmas 2008 in Pictures...

We'll start with Christmas Eve - we went to church with my family... we wised up this year and went to our (okay, my, Tom never went there or liked it) old church that has Sunday school on Christmas Eve. Ben had a blast and Simon did great in the service with us.

We tried for a few pics of the kids in front of the tree before we headed out... First, the decent one:

Ben (in bad need of a haircut, but what can you do?)


Bring in the little brother...
Attempt #1:

Attempt #2:

Attempt #3: (please note that the problem here is really not the BABY...)

Attempt #4: (c'mon Ben, can't you just sit and smile? Just once? Please?)

Attempt #5: (woulda been good except Simon was blinking)

Attempt #6: (sigh)

Attempt #7 (I give up. This is as good as it gets)


I feel bad that I didn't get one of Simon alone in front of the tree... you know for when he's older and goes through my photo albums trying to prove he was not loved as much as his older brother. But honestly, if any of you have been around Simon lately, you will understand why making him sit any longer than was absolutely necessary is just not a good idea. (nor really possible these days) I more than made up for it on Christmas morning because, you'll see, there were WAY more pics of him than Ben, who was too busy to look at the camera. ;)


After church, we headed to my parents' house for Christmas Eve dinner and gifts. Dad wasn't there because he was STILL at church with four more services to play the piano for. Sheesh.

Here's Simon drawing on my mom's chalkboard table:


Ben got to go on a treasure hunt to find his gift from Aunt Debbie. Here he is consulting the map:


...and finding a clue on the Christmas tree.


X marks the spot... what's behind this door?


A castle!!! With mood lighting! Ben was quiet and just took it all in. Simon, on the hand, actually, said, "Oooooooo!!!!!"


... and then had a duel with Aunt Debbie.


Later on, Simon opened some presents. He loves his Little People airplane!


Ben, dressed as a knight (because you HAVE to have a knight costume if you have your own castle, duh) with grandmom


Sir Ben with Aunt Debbie, the giver of all things castle-related. Again, Simon just wanted nothing to do with sitting on laps for pictures. Not my fault!


One of only THREE gifts that Ben ever actually continuously asked for... his "coat vest". He also asked for earmuffs, but he was a little late on that request and the bug kit... but that was coming the next day. ;)


After all that excitement, we headed home for a long winter's nap...

Then came Christmas morning!

Ben peeking down the stairs... (Simon would have been in this picture, but he was ticked that I left him upstairs with daddy so I could take the picture, and was screaming his head off at this point, yeah, he's awesome like that lately)


He spotted the present pile!


Santa brought the boys a trampoline! Mommy is thrilled! ;) They immediately got to work jumping while we waited for our guests...


... have you ever seen such restraint? Ben actually is always so overwhelmed by Christmas that he has to be prodded to get started opening things. So they just waited here like this for probably 20 minutes...


Ben with his stocking


Opening another joint gift...


Can you guess what it was?


Boing!


Finally, guests! Breakfast! Present opening!


Cool mask from grandmom!


Boys on a trampoline... another failed attempt at a picture of them together...


After breakfast, we headed over to Nanee and Pap's house!

Anastasia liked licked her present... ;)


Simon needed some alone time, apparently...


Strike a pose!


Ben got a new book!


Being tackled by Anastasia


Ben and Nanee


SImon and a new book


Ribbon tastes good too!


The bug kit from Aunt Sarah and UNcle Taylor! He played with this all evening when we got home....


Simon and his piggy... he loves this thing!


Anastasia liked it too


Christmas makes her happy! So does Uncle Taylor yelling, "Yayyyy!!!"


Mine! All mine!


A girl and her ride


And that was our crazy Christmas... man am I tired. Happy to sit around the house today and do nothing...
More later, maybe... but Simon is squawking from his crib. :)

Merry Christmas!

What's Christmas Without a Visit to the Pediatrician?

Ben had been worrying me for almost two weeks with his constant cough, stuffy nose and, the last four days, low-grade fever. Until the fever, I was chalking it up to allergies. Then he got all lethargic and had no appetite, but had just gotten over that stomach bug... which I also blamed the fever on. Then after a day or so, the bug was gone, fever stayed... cough, runny nose, fever. (sigh) I was pretty sure I knew what it was because, but of course, I can't write prescriptions, so off we went...

Verdict? Sinus infection. Poor kid. He's on the mend now that he has his medicine though, so Christmas is saved.

... or is it?

Simon has had the same on again, off again runny nose since just before the stomach bug. Of course, whatever cold virus it was is long gone... (I actually don't even remember him really having a cold!) But it's Simon, so now he's coughing. Which means more asthma medicine... and it will most definitely mean a trip to the pediatrician for antibiotics for the inevitable pneumonia it will turn into. I even said to the nurse at the ped's office yesterday, "See you Friday with the other one!" (because it's clearly not pneumonia yet and if I take him in too soon they won't give him anything and I'll be back two days later)

It. Never. Ends.

Christmas, Part I...

Last night we had our Christmas with Tom's Babby and Granddad. We had a lovely time and the kids had a blast with both new toys and old. Doesn't take a whole lot to entertain two toddlers and a four-year-old... new scenery work wonders!

I can't put my finger on it, but there is something I just love about this picture. It was one of the few I was able to get before I had to start using the flash and I dunno... the boys were opening Simon's present from Babby. I love how Anastasia is looking on from a distance and Babby is in the background watching everything. To quote Ben, it "gives me a happy Christmas feeling." ;)


The boys playing with Babby's fishing game... they ALL love this thing.


Doesn't she look like she's up to something?


Anastasia with her daddy/Ben and Simon's Uncle Marc

Anastasia with her mommy/Ben and Simon's Aunt Krystyna

Simon delivering a present


Anastasia and Simon checking out Anastasia's new shopping cart! I like this one because you can see how big they are relative to each other. It's really funny! They are only three months and two weeks apart! You can also see Simon's silly hair in rare form. LOL.


Ben helps daddy with a present. Ben wants to help EVERYONE open their gifts this year. I'm going to have to restrain him on Christmas morning lest he open everything under the tree!


So that was our evening... well, late afternoon anyway. It all feels like evening these days. Thanks for having us, Babby! :) We had a great time!

Today, I think I might take Ben to the pediatrician. I think he has a sinus infection, poor guy. He sounds all nasally and his nose has been stuffy for over two weeks and now he has a cough. I had chalked it up to allergies, but then he started with the cough and being kind of lethargic and having no appetite... so time to get it checked out. :( I want my house 100% healthy by Christmas!