Ben is 2

coming home... so small.

We love our Benny. I can't believe he is already 2. Him and Siena are best of friends and I love how they play so nicely together, most of the time. I can actually hear them interacting and playing together not just Ben following her around. Siena will often tell me what Ben wants or is saying. I can almost always understand him now which is wonderful. He still talks with a really high pitched voice which is really funny. Occasionally we will try to say things in a deep voice so he will say things in a deeper voice because the pitch is often piercing. It's very funny. He still love his blanket and almost every day when he wakes up will tell me that it is broke, because he wraps his fingers around it and it has come untied. There's no way we are getting rid of that anytime soon. He loves balls and Elmo. Siena and Ben have to get an episode of Dora and Diego in each day. He got an adjustable basketball hoop for his birthday and he was so excited. When he came down the stairs he jumped out of Dave's arms to go to the basketball. Ball was his first word by the way. Each time we came home today he went straight to the basketball hoop I think he forgot that we had it each time we left the house. He loved it so much he slept with his basketball. It was just too cute to take away from him. He loves loves chocolate chips. Dave and my dessert almost every night is handfulls of chocolate chips and Ben will come up to us and say choco chip? he knows when we have them and where they are. He is very good at playing princess with Siena and loves her little Belle bear that she has. She also knows a boys role in playing princess. Poor Ariel lost her head and usually in the middle of playing princess his pirate sword enters the scene. It's wonderful to have a boy and girl. He knows so much and surprises us each day with how he can count and say words that we didn't know he knew. We love him so much and are so grateful that he is healthy and a happy addition to our home. I still call him baby and I am trying to stop, he's getting a little too big for it. We went to Toys r us today and got our crown and balloon. He was just excited to sit on the ride on cars and pretend to drive them. We love playing at Toys r us. He got Courderoy, the book and a cute outfit from Grandma. He wore the shirt today and looked so grown up. From Nana and Papa he got a ball toy where he hammers the balls through the maze and puzzles that you put different shapes on to make the picture. Siena and Ben loved them. Of course we had tons of cake. It seems like Ben and Siena's birthdays are the only things that get us through the awful months of Feb and March. We eat a lot of cake. We had a couple friends over for cupcakes this afternoon and then cupcakes again when daddy came home. He is getting better at blowing out his candles. Happy Birthday Benny!

Prince and Princess party coming Saturday... wish us luck.

Under the sea party!

There are eight kids from our church that were born from mid January through February. So we all got together for a party. It was a lot of fun. We had an under the sea theme with a plastic pool full of balloons and bing bags that they dug in. They drew pictures of under the sea creatures and stickers and they fished for their gift with a fishing pole. They had a tackle box of gummy worms and goldfish as treats and Ben was so excited for them. I think they were gone before we even got in the car. It was lots of fun to see them all blow out their candles on their cupcake and have such a good time together. Ben got a big floor puzzle that he loves and was so excited to open. Happy Birthday Ben and the other little two year olds.

Snow Forts

snow creature, with mustache and lots of arms.

our tunnel!!

Dave worked really hard to clear the sidewalks and clean off our cars. This snow was really heavy and thick. Luckilly our road got plowed early and it seems like we could get out of our neighborhood if we wanted to. We have discovered that Ben hates his snowsuit. We just have to layer him up in lots of layers of pants, none that are waterproof. He won't put his snowsuit on. Earlier in the year I tried buying Siena a snowsuit and just couldn't find one so we gave up thinking we don't really need one. So she is wearing her 2T one. It is crazy short on her but it works. Next year we will gear up with waterproof gloves and snow suits. The kids have loved this snow storm. They have also loved the hot chocolate afterwards. So Dave worked hard on the sidewalks and cars and then made the kids a tunnel through the snow. They love the tunnel. We also made a little snowcreature and snowman. With so much snow I don't think it's going anywhere anytime soon. So fun as long as I don't have to drive in it.

Blizzard of 2010

the snow was so deep they couldn't even walk in it.

D.C gets a little crazy here with all the snow. On Wed. they closed school for about 2 inches of snow. Then the big storm was supposed to hit Friday and Sat. We never know if the weather man is going to be right so I wasn't quite sure we were going to get big snow. We missed the big snow in December and Dave was so upset so I was hoping for his sake we would get a lot of snow. So basically all this snow is for Dave. I went to the store Tuesday thinking I was smart getting prepared. It was crazy! People were buying out all the milk and bread. I have never seen so many people in the grocery store. I spent over a half hour in line and I was halfway down the food isle in line. It was chaos. My mom said it was funny because I should have been more prepared but I felt like I was I just needed the essential, milk and bread cheese and fresh stuff. We go through a lot of milk around here. I saw a lady with the whole bottom of her cart full of water bottles so I went back and got a pack of those too. Then Thursday night I went crazy thinking I was going to be stuck inside my house all weekend with nothing to do so I ran out quickly and bought a sewing book with new fun projects to try. It was really funny to see all the craziness. So we were all ready for the storm and it was beautiful! I don't think I have ever seen so much snow. It just kept coming and coming. There was a lot of snow by Friday night when we went to bed and the big storm was supposed to come on Saturday. None of our shows were on because the news had to be on forever telling us how to be safe in the snow. It was a little excessive. We woke up Saturday to tons of snow. I bet we had over 2 feet, we measured Sat morning and it was 18 inches. A tree right by our front door had been weighed down with so much snow it was pulled up out of the ground. Another branch from a tree in the back had fallen down on our fence. Luckilly it didn't break anything. We have a lot of huge trees around us so it is a miracle that more damage wasn't done. It was a beautiful day to play out in then snow and it was fun to see all the neighbors out. Now I have to go back out and get more bread before the next storm on Tuesday.

Enjoying every minute of it

Every place I have been lately with my kids everyone stops me and says something to the effect of oh what fun kids enjoy every minute of it they will be all grown up soon enough. Then they precede to tell me where their kids are. I think I am enjoying every little minute with them, afterall I am at a museum with them or at the store with them. I'm not just sitting at my house on the couch watching t.v. while they run around in circles. I know it's all in good intentions and I feel like they are growing up way too fast. I went to a museum with them the other day and we had a great time. I was so happy we didn't have to have the stroller. They enjoyed running around the whole place. We are in a good spot now finally being able to go places easilly. I try to get out of the house and make sure they do fun things. So here is a list of fun things they do now that I am enjoying... I like how they play together. Ben mostly takes her toys and runs away with them but they go upstairs and play together for a long period of time sometimes. I love when I find Siena reading a book to Ben or either one of them sharing a toy with the other one because one is sad. I like how they get dinner ready and how we have picnics when the table is too messy and I don't want to clean it up. I enjoy sewing things for them and that they will wear them. I enjoy learning to make more boy clothes. I enjoy Ben being able to speak more. I can almost always understand what he is saying now and he says please and thank you, which is adorable. I love that Siena dresses herself and comes up with crazy outfits. She is three so I guess she can still get away with the mismatched stuff. I love that Siena gets excited for school, playgroup and music class and her friends and that Ben loves Sienas friends too. I love hearing them laugh together. Recently when they watch t.v. when a funny thing happens they will laugh, it's so funny to me and I don't know if they actually know its funny or if they laugh because the characters on t.v. are laughing. I love that they leave me alone when daddy comes home and rock on with him to rock band. I love how Siena tells daddy where we have been all day and what we spent money on. I love that Ben wakes me up in the morning and tears all the covers off me and says come because he wants to start the day. There are also days when it is hard to be a stay at home mom. I know Dave hates it when he comes home and I tell him I am leaving for a couple hours. Not a good way to welcome Dave home but at times it has been needed for my sanity and I feel much better when I return. I don't like fishing bath drains out of the toilet because Ben has a fascination with the toilet. (Dave actually fished it out I just dealt with the discipline). I don't like time outs or frustration because they can't do something. Siena seems to have my short temprement for things that frustrate her and throws a fit very easily. It's hard to see your bad qualities come out in your kids. I dislike playing princesses 50 times a day and making 10 different train designs in a day but I guess that is one of the things I need to learn to enjoy. I am glad that Ben and Siena have eachother. I dislike my house always being a mess but am coming to terms with it just being messy unless someone is coming over or if it gets too bad. Overall life is great and I am trying to enjoy every minute of our crazy life!