Christmas break up in here!

Do you hear that sound, it's me exhaling!! Oh ya, Matt too ;-)
He is done with school!! For a month (ish). He'll have to start reading for the next class at some point, but for right now, this very moment he is DONE. This last class was a doozey. It always seems to work that way, the class before spring break, his August break and this were all equally challenging. It didn't help that work was equally as stressful this past month, so we are feeling super blessed to have this time to just sit and do nothing if we so choose.

Brooklyn just this morning said to me "mom, am I a king?" I said "no, are you a princess?" and she replied "I'm daddy's princess". Melt my heart.

While we're on the subject of Brooklyn, the things this girl says. She asked me yesterday when santa will be coming from the North Poland. She has been singing the Christmas song "In Excelsis Deo" like this "gloooooooo- ooooooo- orrrr- orrrrrrrrr- orrrreo, is it's chelsea's dago?" hahaha! The first time I heard that, which was in the bath, I started crying I was laughing so hard. Her little voice was adorable.

We went to dinner last night with Chuck, Lisa, Buff and Jack. Lisa was sitting next to Brooklyn and B wanted to try on her wedding ring. So she's holding it and admiring it on her teeny tiny hand. I looked across the table and said "why is that ring so special to grandma lisa, what does she have it for?" and she looks over and says "It means she married....that guy!!" pointing to grandpa :)
She also told me lately that "mimi and papa said I can lick some people". ???? I emailed my mom and she said, "mimi told her she can't lick other people, but can lick her hand like a kitty". She is really curious about licking. Don't ask, because I don't know. There are no licking fetishes in this house that would explain this new found curiosity. She will ask me if she can lick something and if I say no she'll start looking around just naming other objects to see if I'll say yes to any of them. The other day I gave her my blessing to lick her rain coat and you would have thought I gave her the moon! I'm just trying to keep it clean and prevent her from being that kid at school that get's sent home with a note saying "please talk to your daughter, she keeps licking the students".

Matt and I got a date night last Saturday. My parents came and stayed with the kiddos so we could use our gift certificate to the Grand Hotel before it expired at the end of the month. We checked in, went for a long run, went to dinner, did some Christmas shopping, met up with friends for drinks and went to bed and slept through the night! It was so nice to have that alone time :)

Love this man so much

:) Drinks with Tygh and Britney

Santa breakfast

I got this idea from a friend (thans Kelly) and loved it. Santa came to visit us the weekend after we got home from Napa and brought breakfast and hot chocolate and a letter just for Brooklyn! She was AMPED to say the least.

Christmas pageant

As I write this post I have the songs from this performance running through my head. Her school made a cd of all the recital songs to listen and practice to. So every time we got in the car we would crank our toons and jam! It was so precious to hear her little voices singing "we wish you a merry Christmas".

She at one point spotted me standing on a chair way in the back video taping and yelled out from stage "mom! hi mom! you're in the way far back!!" Sooo hilarious. All the kiddos were as cute as can be, what a gift to be able to see her up there.



Ben turns ONE!

Benny Boo, Boo Boo Bear, Benny Boy, Mansua (I have no idea where this one came from or how it came to stick), Mr Mr, Benwa (this one we generally say to the tune of the scene in Tangled where the evil mother says "it comes with revenge on Flyn Rider") ie "it comes with revenge on benwa". I know, I know we are bizarre.  I love that Brooklyn, Matt, Benny and I all get it though. If I say Benwa he not only turns and looks at me but Brooklyn would totally get it too. My favorite one as of late, is Buster. If you know the show "arrested development" then you will get this. Buster is a grown man who is totally clingy to his mom and it's hysterical in the show. Ben is so totally Buster these days.

But I digress...Benny boo, you are ONE! **Insert giant head shake**

How are you one?! I swear I was just being told to go home, pack up my things and head to the hospital for an induction. So I'll ask again, how are you ONE?!

What a year this has been. You have flipped this house upside down in the best sense of the phrase. You are a mama's boy through and through. You are also all boy. You are like a wrecking ball just bombing around. You love to wrestle with your sister, you have recently found a pension for biting (particularly your mom's shoulders) and you still find it hysterical to pull my hair out from the root. All that has not dissuaded my love for you one iota. In fact, I love you even more, in spite of your abuse :)

You have rounded out this family in the most incredible way. You keep us all on our toes and you fancy yourself quite a bit too.
You are walking 90% of the time. You have just mastered the sit to stand since you turned one, so this past month has been a big one for you. The first time you walked across the entire room you turned around started clapping and smiled from ear to ear. It is a moment I will never forget. What a joy it is to watch you learn to do the things you have admired your sister doing at warp speed since you were able to hold your head up.
You can now say dada and mama, although I'm not sure you truly know the meaning of the words yet. You love to have me pat my hand on your open mouth while you hum, you love to make farting sounds with your mouth while we are driving. You continue to love your bottle (thanks for nothing for the first 7 months of your life when you would ONLY breastfeed--turkey). You love any toy with music, you like to dance, your favorite play mate is still your one and only sister! Although you guys now fight quite a bit. I get the phrase "they fight like brother and sister". You totally do! You will do sneaky things like look at her while she's still waking up with her milk while holding her blanket in the morning and you will rip her blanket out of her hands. Then you get this sly smile like "haha, whatcha gonna do about it?"

You have 4 top teeth, and three on the bottom.

You pretend everything is a phone. You put a book to your ear the other day and said "eh!"

You love animals, dogs in particular. The neighbors have two that hang out on the sidewalk most days and you light up the same way your sister did whenever you see them. I'm not a fan of you trying to open mouth kiss them or when you rip gobs of their fur out in your little hands, but I love to watch your face and the joy animals bring you.

You have quite a few special lady friends. Actually, most of your friends are your sisters friends little sisters. We need to get some boys in the mix, because you are already a master flirter :)
Your one year stats were:
2 ft 6 in 70%
21lbs 5oz 25%
So you are nice and healthy, still longer than you are chunk.

I thank God every day for you. We all do. Happy birthday to my not so baby boy.

Falalalala

I have entered a "new" new stage with the kids here at home. My routine is...well, not much of one at all. That's okay. I love this job, but I realized when I looked at my "to do" list and writing Ben's one year birthday post STILL remained unchecked, I just don't have much time to do anything anymore. I'll get around to it one of these days, and it will remain on the ever-growing "to do" list, but I have more important things to do- color, play monster, patty cake, restaurant, hide and seek, and read. So much to do, so little time I tell ya.

This morning as I made breakfast I turned around to find Benny petting the Christmas tree in the buff. I always let him have a little naked time in the morning and evenings. Often times it backfires and I have a giant mess, but this morning it was worth it for this moment.

This Christmas season I am trying my very hardest to focus on what matters, Jesus birth. I long to incorporate a feeling of warmth and love in this little home of ours. I want the material things to fade into the background and the love we have for each other as a family, serving others and fellowship to be the focal point. I am definetly counting my blessings, even when I am running late somewhere (most of the time), tripping on toys and ornaments strewn across the floor, cleaning up spilled milk and changing a poopy diaper right after I got benny bundled up and in the car seat :) It's all a gift, one I can never re-pay God for. So totally unworthy.

Matt's last class is on Thursday, yes THIS Thursday...as in tomorrow, and then he'll have a month off and then we're officially half way done!! So excited to have him all to ourselves for an entire month.

It's official, we have a toddler!

Napa in pictures

We did it!! We survived our first long road trip with the kids. People have been asking me what prompted me to want to drive to Napa for Thanksgiving, it was a decision I made right after having Ben last year, while he was just a ball of squishy, sleepy baby. Oh, how much can change in a year! The trip was a whirlwind with a preschooler and toddler. The driving itself was an endurance test, but once we were "there" wherever there was along the way, everyone adapted very well given the circumstances.

The bummer was both kiddos got super sick with chest colds. Brooklyn caught whatever Ben had, and then Ben's cold came back with a vengeance. There was lot's of coughing, occasionally so hard they would puke, but no one seemed to mind too much while we were out and about having fun.

Matt and I did have the opportunity to sneak away for a beautiful drive and wine tasting on Friday afternoon (thanks mom, dad, ashley, claudia and bill). They say it takes a village...so true while away from home :)

B & B bathing in Paris (our "Inn" in Ashland)

Benny's actual birthday, dinner out- he was in the foulest mood ever, so no pics of him :(

We got to see our friends the Thurmonds on our way out of town on Wed in Ashland, B & Finn goofing around

Sweet Megan

Lot's of roadside pit stops :)

Heading to meet all the "cousins" at the Embassy Suites hotel as soon as we got there. B had a blast swimming with the older kids!!

Caitlyn, B and Allison

Me and my wonderful Aunt C (and the gracious hostess)

Benny adores his papa (at least when he can't see his mama)

The whole fam-damily!

Our joke the whole trip was it was like rooming with rock stars. Ben would just thrash every hotel room, throwing food, slamming the phones around the room, pouring his bottle out on the floor like champagne. Matt kept giving new descriptions and had me cracking up the whole time.

Ahhhh, this part was bliss

Are you kidding me, look at this kid?!

On our way home we stopped in Davis to have brunch with some very dear friends, the Dunn's. I have known them since I was 14. This is Kylie with B, I used to babysit Kylie when she was Ben's age!!

She totally dug the chickens

Brooklyn, Kylie, me, Benny, Erik