my little athlete...

Yes, those ARE Jordan tennis shoes...totally studly.

Bubbles

The simple things in life enjoyed with friends...

Newsletter: Month 17

Dearest Ben,

Wow. Looking at that face and thinking, how am I already 10 days late in writing this. Well, I'll tell you why. Because that sweet little smile is deceiving. Throughout our days, you spend your time learning, playing and exploring which one would think would leave all the time in the world for me to sit down and write a simple letter. The truth is, anytime I try to do anything except teach you, play with you and explore with you, I get a look a little more like this:

accompanied with a "mama mama mama mama MAMAAAAAAA" and sometimes even joined by ferocious bouncing up and down and tugging of my clothing. This sounds obnoxious, but honestly it is only when I am on the computer. If I'm doing laundry, you are helping me load, if I am making the bed you are patting down the sheets, if I am sweeping the floor you are fighting me for the broom so you can do it yourself, if I am picking up your toys you are throwing things into the toy chest alongside me, if I am wandering aimlessly around the house you are grabbing washcloths and dusting, if I sit down on the couch to put my feet up you bring in books from your room for us to read together. Or you play ball in front of me only having me get up when you have thrown it somewhere unreachable. It's precious. But in that one instant when I pull out the laptop, in starts the shrill. It's a not-so-subtle reminder that you should be my focus. Not wasting my time on the internet. 

Spring has sprung and in celebrating our favorite season, we have kept you pretty busy. We started your 17th month at the lake enjoying march madness and lots of rain. We did some serious consignment sale shopping, visited the tropical gardens with micca, took gram to seminole with us, got a new car, had one last snowfall, had a visit from uncle rob and aunt pam, as well as mike bendixen, celebrated your first easter, saw the new bulls at rasp ranch, saw your godparents, spent tons of time out in the sun and planted the garden. I can honestly say you have loved every minute of it. You are such a happy kiddo who loves being on the go, loves being around people, and loves a good adventure. On days when we are just "stuck home" you make the best of it, foraging the backyard (sometimes even by yourself if I have the doors and windows open!), playing endless hours of ball, or diving into a good book. It seems you can't get enough out of life and that is something that thrills me. 

It is getting easier and easier to grasp having two babies around this house. My belly is rockin' and rollin' all day now with your baby brother or sister kicking up a storm. You love that it is growing and spend lots of time patting and kissing the baby. You have become much more of a little boy now and less of a baby which is hard for me to handle emotionally at times. I can hardly remember not so long ago when I just spent all day holding you in my arms. Now I have this big boy who will take my dirty clothes to the hamper or throw away my trash for me and helps his daddy dig in the garden. Hopefully this little helper phase will hold out a little while longer so that we can get you to entertain the baby and change some diapers!

Speaking of being a big boy, you continue to learn and grow at an ALARMING rate. You know so many words and can communicate so clearly everything that you want. You can even call some of your books by name, say what you want to eat, or show us what you want to do. A great example of this is how I constantly have to retrieve your balls that you have thrown under furniture. One time I grabbed my nearby shoe to push it out because I couldn't reach far enough under the couch. Now, everytime you need me to get a ball, you first run to the closet, grab a shoe and then hand it to me shouting, "Sue (shoe)! Ball!" while pointing to where the ball has rolled out of your reach. Pretty ingenius, eh?

 

I love your sweet little voice and it seems as though you learn a new word everyday. Sometimes they obviously aren't all that clear, but boy do you think they are and you clap and cheer for yourself. You love for me to just list words and have you repeat them and we will do this for looooooooong periods of time. You love saying names of family, foods, animals and their sounds, and all types of balls. You also are beginning to not want to hear the stories in your books, but instead point out all the objects that you know. Fine by me. I can't tell you how many times I've heard every object in Good Night Moon (hot (fireplace) being your favorite), your OSU BOOK (Pete! Pete! Ball! Wawa (fountain)! Pete! Boobie (skimpily dressed cheerleader)! Pete! Clock! etc.) It never gets old though. I just continue to think that I have the world's smartest kid.

In the morning, your daddy brings you in to our bed and you've started gifting me with a few minutes of the sweetest cuddles. You kiss me and put your arm around me as you lay by me for a few moments waking up. I cry practically everytime because I am just cherishing these quiet times, just me and you. Then too soon you are up and at 'em. You want to jump on the bed, pound on the window behind our bed, or are ready to get down to go find cali. You love to run and you swing one little arm so violently to spur you along and I laugh as I hear the pounding of your little feet all through the house. You expend this crazy energy all day trying to see the world before naptime, only occasionally stopping for a little hug or kiss from your mama. I love your spunk kiddo, but I also love all those sweet albeit short special moments we have everyday. Ones where you kiss my forehead, pat my back or bury your head in the crook of neck for a very special nuzzle. 

Love,

Mama

Not too shabby...

Check it out!

Only 100 days in and what a difference.

Zoolander strikes again...

Maybe it's the weather? Or the attention? But here's Ben striking his Zoolander face again...


Remember...we saw this same pose last summer for the first time...

What a look!

Visit from the ol' Godparents...

Last week-end Ben's Godparents came in to town from Chicago. Lucas was coming to go turkey huntin' and Lis was coming to hang out. We didn't get to spend much time with them as I had yoga training all week-end, but we did finally get over there for a few hours on Sunday night. Although it was short, we did manage to have just enough time to:

Play a little ball:

Do lots of cuddling:

Feed each other:

Read a couple of books:

Jump on the furniture:

And of course, have a dance party!!!

This is the ultimate must see video of the year right here. Beware as there is some booty-shaking, and even scarier, one crazy lady, but it's bound to make your day! 

Alive!

Many may not know, but I have sort of a black thumb. No matter how hard I try every year, the beautiful things I attempt to grow either never bloom, never get big, or just die. My hubbie has enough green thumb for both of us and manages to keep this place in shape. He also has the brain power to remember to water when it hasn't rained in a month! So despite my lacking skills, with the help of my hubbie I have to brag a bit about all that is ALIVE and STILL THRIVING around here! I couldn't be more excited! Not only will it save so much money (buying food and buying new flowers to plant) but it just feels so good to see something come back year after year!

What we've managed to NOT KILL since last summer:

Monkey Grass 

Maiden Grass

Some sort of Red Bushes (thought for sure these were goners, but they bloomed last month!)

Roses

Daylilies

Violets

English Ivy

Irises (Purple AND White!)

one Snapdragon (supposedly an annual and it still came back!)

Mystery Purple flowers

Apple Tree

Stuff we've planted this year that is STILL KICKIN':

Lettuce (it is delicious! We've already had several weeks of fresh salads)

Onions

Cherry and Regular Tomatoes

Strawberries

Eggplant (Purple AND White!)

Cantaloupes

Nasturtiams

Sweet Potato Vine

Lantana (doubled in size in a week)

Cilantro, Oregano, and Basil

Obviously very amateur for many avid gardeners, but this is huge for us! Just the fact that my irises bloomed was enough to put me in a tizzy for a week!

We still plan to put in our okra plants (these are impossible to kill in oklahoma) and I'm trying my hardest to convince brad to plant some potatoes, radishes and carrots...we are running out of room and time, but I think we should use the front flower beds! :)

Here's the garden: 

My prized Iris! 

Bed with daylillies and strawberries and eggplant. (We had to move some strawberries to pots because Cali LOVES to dig these up. grrrrrrrr.

Forgotten purple flower in front. Planted four of these last year, they died within a couple of days, never got around to digging them up yet, and look at it now!

Caution: Sunshine + Festivals = Excessive Photos...

Last Thursday we made our way downtown with Rebecca and Ashton to take in the Oklahoma City Arts Festival.
It was a beautiful day to enjoy the sunshine (and heat!) but everyone knows the real reason to go is for the food...

We also took some time to run around in the shade and possibly show off for the other people enjoying the festival too. (well, I certainly didn't show off...)









It was a fun afternoon!

TGIF thought of the day...

Open up your mind and see like me,

Open up your plans and damn your free,

Look into your heart and you'll find love, love, love, love.

Listen to the music of the moment, people dance and sing.

We're just one big family,

And it's our God-forsaken right to be loved, loved, loved, loved.

*So, I won't hesitate no more, no more,

It cannot wait, I'm sure,

There's no need to complicate, our time is short...

This is our fate, I'm yours.

*I guess what I'll be sayin' is there ain't no better reason,

To rid yourself of vanities and just go with the seasons.

It's what we aim to do,

Our name is our virtue.

~Courtesy of Jason Mraz

Earth Day 2009

I love the earth. 

Although I think Earth Day is a great thing for commemorating this incredible place that we live, I think that we should instead think of every day as an opportunity to honor this place God created, see the beauty in it, and do our part to keep it safe and beautiful. Call me a geek, but I like to stop and notice a butterfly, a wildflower on the side of the road, a new bloom, a blue sky, the sunshine, a puddle, an old tree, a bubbling creek...you get the picture. I also hope that we can not only keep these things around, but better yet, reverse some of the outrageous damage we have done to our natural world with our very unnatural lifestyle. 

There are a million things we can do to change our ways for the better, but even if everyone made one tiny difference, it would be a start...

Here's a short list off the top of my head~

1. Recycle everything! 

40% of landfills are paper--13% is newspaper! Once paper is covered with other garbage it won't decompose because it requires oxygen to break down. 

Americans throw away 1 billion water bottles every year.

E-waste is the worst. (computers, cell phones, etc.) There are many places where you can donate these for reuse, or that will recycle them.

Anything they don't take curbside, find somewhere they do! We have to take our batteries, cardboard and paper, and plastic bags to all different places, but it is worth it.

2. Don't only recycle, but PRECYCLE!

Be aware of packaging and instead try to buy things in bulk, with recyclable packaging, or just don't buy! Remember, it is REDUCE, REUSE, and recycle, so just use less stuff. :)

3. Buy as many local items as possible.

For example, the United States exports 1.1 million pounds of potatoes every year, but they IMPORT 1.4 million pounds. How about instead, we just use what we have here? It will save billions of barrels of oil making the air cleaner, reduce our dependence on foreign oil making for less war, boost our local economies, taste better, and not be full of preservatives for the travel. Healthier for everyone!

4. Stop your junk mail.

100 million trees are cut down every year for junk mail sent just here in the United States!

Try these websites:

www.greendimes.com

www.junkbusters.com

www.exuberance.com

Call 1-888-567-8688 to stop pre-approved credit card applications.

Cancel any magazines you don't really care for.

5. Try to hold it when flying and of course pack as light as possible.

A single flush on a plane uses 1/4 gallon of jet fuel!

6. Use your cooking water (soaking beans etc.) to water your plants and don't water your lawn.

Grass is the most irrigated crop in the U.S. 

7. Make your own household cleaners.

Not only do they work (see previous post!) and cost less, but they don't put toxins into our ground water and drinking water.

8. Try out your green thumb.

Keeping plants indoors can reduce the air toxins in your house...try palms, boston ferns and english ivy.

Plant your own veggies and herbs to save money and spice up your cooking.

Plant a tree!

And some easy no-brainers:

Turn down your heat to 68, turn up your A/C to 72, turn off your lights during the day and every time you leave the room, use flourescent bulbs, reuse plastic bags, saran wrap, foil AND ziplock baggies, always take your reusable cloth bags to the store (every store), use cloth diapers and wipes, watch less tv and read a book, walk anywhere that is close enough, shop thrift stores to reuse, make your own gifts, eat in to save money, trash, gas, and calories....

Again, I could go on and on. Instead, does anyone else have any ideas or tips on how to be a good "hippie"? :)

*God sees the sacrifices we make everyday - even if noone else does - and He smiles on us.*

(Many of these facts and websites I read in Gorgeously Green)

a little humor.

The Middle Wife' by an Anonymous 2nd grade teacher 

I've been teaching now for about fifteen years. I have two kids myself, but the best birth story I know is the one I saw in my own second grade classroom a few years back. 
 
When I was a kid, I loved show-and-tell. So I always have a few sessions with my students. It helps them get over shyness and usually, show-and-tell is pretty tame. Kids bring in pet turtles, model airplanes, pictures of fish they catch, stuff like that. And I never, ever place any boundaries or limitations on them... If they want to lug it in to school and talk about it, they're welcome.. 
 
Well, one day this little girl, Erica, a very bright, very outgoing kid, takes her turn and waddles up to the front of the class with a pillow stuffed under her sweater. 
 
She holds up a snapshot of an infant. 'This is Luke, my baby brother, and I'm going to tell you about his birthday.' 

'First, Mom and Dad made him as a symbol of their love, and then Dad put a seed in my Mom's stomach, and Luke grew in there. He ate for nine months through an umbrella cord.' 

She's standing there with her hands on the pillow, and I'm trying not to laugh and wishing I had my camcorder with me. The kids are watching her in amazement. 
 
'Then, about two Saturdays ago, my Mom starts saying and going, 'Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh!' Erica puts a hand behind her back and groans. 'She walked around the house for, like an hour, 'Oh, oh, oh!' (Now this kid is doing a hysterical duck walk and groaning.) 

'My Dad called the middle wife... She delivers babies, but she doesn't have a sign on the car like the Domino's man. They got my Mom to lie down in bed like this.' (Then Erica lies down with her back against the wall.) 

'And then, pop! My Mom had this bag of water she kept in there in case he got thirsty, and it just blew up and spilled all over the bed, like psshhheew!' (This kid has her legs spread with her little hands miming water flowing away. It was too much!) 

'Then the middle wife starts saying 'push, push,' and 'breathe, breathe. They started counting, but never even got past ten. Then, all of a sudden, out comes my brother. He was covered in yucky stuff that they all said it was from Mom's play-center,  so there must be a lot of toys inside there. When he got out, the middle wife spanked him for crawling up in there.'

Then Erica stood up, took a big theatrical bow and returned to her seat. I'm sure I applauded the loudest. Ever since then, when it's show-and-tell day, I bring my camcorder, just in case another 'Middle Wife' comes along. 

I'm a believer...

I know I still haven't really delved into this whole new "simple living" thing I mentioned awhile back. But I just have to mention two things before I take the time to really explain it all. 

1. We have had the hardest time getting our vinyl kitchen floor clean. I have purchased just about everything possible at the store to try and shine it up. I finally gave in and tried a simple solution of vinegar and lemon juice. Not only was it non-toxic for this prego and her baby boy who practically eats off the floor, but it made the grunge disappear! Something so simple, fresh and cheap and my floor shines like new!

2. After reading gorgeously green, beauty products are really freakin' me out. Brad ran out of face wash, so instead of providing him with more ickies, I made my own!

I mixed:

1 c. sugar

3 T. Epsom salt

10 T. olive oil

2 t. honey

3 green tea bags (ripped open)

1 lemon (zest)

It made just the right amount to fill up his empty container. It smells so yummy and so natural and it really made my skin glow!

Just two ways to be healthy, CHEAP, and less of a consumer...

Perfect Weather to be OUTSIDE!

Last week we had the most unexpected wonderful day. It started like any other, books and ellen on the couch, followed by the beginnings of a long list of cleaning. However, amidst all this monotony, I received a call from Micca inviting us out to their beautiful "rasp ranch" for lunch! How wonderful! We headed out about 11, spent several glorious hours soaking in the sun on her patio, enjoyed a gourmet lunch and were entertained by my 1/2 naked son's elation at being near cows...It was perfect.

Since Micca lives a stone's throw away from Grammy Fifi...we dropped in for a quick visit. Just long enough to get in a good game of ball and feed the fish.

It was a seriously good day.

Lovin' Lily & Lisa...

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Lisa and her granddaughter Lily came over to play with Ben one Friday morning while I went to teach. Lisa sent me a few pics of their fun times together and I just had to share:

They actually shared the cheerios! Lily will be 2 in July and is SO funny. 

Why will he pose for Lisa and run away when I try to take his photo? So unfair.

Obviously enjoying his book...

See, I told you they shared! How sweet is this!?!? Lily feeding Ben cheerios...

Lisa also volunteers at MOMS group on Monday mornings. She spends most of her time in Ben's room because they are such good buddies. Here's a pic she got of Ben cruisin' with his buddies at the last MOMS group...

hygiene and fish kisses.

Yes, he loves to brush his teeth. Yes, he gives each of his fish kisses. And yes, he is the cutest naked baby in the world.

He has risen...

Easter 2009 was a great success. We had a huge "family time" on Palm Sunday, so it was just us for Easter.
We woke up and checked out our goods in our Easter baskets...
Snatched some eggs to play with on the way to the early church service...
Took a family portrait (on the porch due to the torrential rain)...

Tickled our son...

Caught a pic with the infamous Mike Bendixen...

Emptied out every single egg and consumed massive amounts of yogurt melts and gerber puffs (actually that was just ben)...

Scarred our child for life by forcing him to pose in bunny ears...

Made first attempt at homemade cinnamon rolls ever. Turned out like flat cinnamon flavored funnel cakes. Good, but not pretty...

Dyed Easter eggs...





The rest of the afternoon was spent being lazy and hanging out together. Perfecto. Here's a (pretty long) highlight video...