Summer Days...part 2...

It's 11:30 am and we are all still in our pajamas (except Ellie who is wearing her new princess dress that I stayed up until midnight finishing, SO glad she likes it). What have we done today? The kids played with my pins while I made 2 pair of PJ shorts, we watched videos on youtube of space shuttles launching (literally makes me cry, I am so pregnant), Carter and I are doing school worksheets (this is fun for Carter, he is so my kid) and Ellie is surrounded by toys on the playroom floor- happy as a clam. I love summer. I feel like we are getting into the swing of summer, just as we are nearing the end. Oh well, we still have a good month left in us- and it is going to be awesome.

Summer days...

It is a sweltering Saturday (okay, it's only 90 degrees, but add the lovely humidity and it feels like 170) and here is how the Bensons are spending their summer afternoon:



Carter & Ellie- I'll be sad when a plastic kiddie pool doesn't equal hours of entertainment, hopefully we aren't even close to those days. Between the pool and the trampoline the kiddos have been happily playing for over 3 1/2 hours. I know 2 somebodies who are going to sleep very well tonight.



Joe- I am realizing, after almost 8 years of marriage, that my hubby loves to have a project to tinker on. I am always pushing for them to be FINISHED, but Joe finds joy in the journey. This fire pit is his current "hobby" and though he looks miserable to me he is actually loving every minute of learning a new skill. You go Joe :).

Dawnelle- I happily volunteered for the job of drink maker, popscicle supplier, snack bringer, picture taker and baby grower. So I am enjoying the air conditioning and getting my primary stuff organized for tomorrow (so I don't stay up until midnight doing it). Probably I should sweep. But I might make orange julius' instead...

Life Ever Changing

I am loving this age with my children. Carter is 6 and Ellie is 3. They love each other and they play reasonably well together. They will jump on the trampoline or play in the sand happily (okay, with regular mediation by me :) for hours. We don't have to take a stroller everywhere and I don't lug a heavy diaper bag with me everywhere I go. Carter is a good swimmer and Ellie kicks all around the pool with her life jacket on- happy and confident. Also they sleep, for 12 hours straight every night. I guess what I am trying to say is- I am 5 months pregnant with another little girl and struggling with starting over again. Aren't we allowed to be excited and worried all at the same time? The kiddos are MAJORLY excited about their new sister (though Carter kind of wishes it were a brother) for which I am very grateful. Ellie even shared her blankie with my tummy this morning- cute. I'm sure it will all be fine. Once this unborn child starts sleeping through the night- so basically we're talking next March/April...

The Flu and Thanksgiving

As we are now finishing our 3rd week with at least one person in the Benson family at a time suffering from the bubonic plague (or it might just be the flu, not sure which)- we are going to focus on attention on brighter times. Namely, Thanksgiving 2010.

What made Thanksgiving so great? Couple of things really: Grandma & Grandpa Benson were here, I didn't have to cook alone (yeah!), we had a southern smoked turkey (amazing, new family tradition), and let me repeat- Grandma and Grandpa were here :)! We thoroughly enjoyed weeks of food, football, long conversations and easy crossword puzzles. We always go into withdrawals when they leave, until we know exactly when we get to see our Grandparents again (it's April 14th btw).

Hidden Consequence of Daily Workouts

One Word: LAUNDRY. And not just any laundry, but the stinky kind. This better be worth it... :)

Carter T

Carter T is loving school this year. He goes to a 5 year old kindergarten class of sorts for 3 hours a day and I work with him on his reading, handwriting and science at home. He is proving to be a good student (thankfully, because as his teacher I was slightly nervous of my abilities). He is also a fantastic rule follower (for the most part).

He is my earlier riser and claims it is so boring until Ellie wakes up. Then the fun begins. He has been known to get her in trouble on many occasions because he will send her to do the things he knows he shouldn’t do (so is he really that much of a rule follower, hmmm…). I’m just glad they play well together now. Minus the princess stuff, he thinks that is “dumb”. That word has since been banned from the Benson home.

Carter is my fellow “puzzler”- he loves puzzles and will hum to himself as he tries to figure out where each piece goes. If I try to talk to him he will shush me, he needs to focus J. Carter is much like his Dad in that he is good at most things he tries. He is a great swimmer, has a fantastic batting arm, good bowler and a great reader. When he talks he uses his hands a lot- I see so much of me in him too. He loves paper airplanes right now and talks Dad into making a new one almost daily. And if you haven’t discovered Wild Kratts on PBS kids, he highly recommends that you do!

The Ellie-Bean

Our Ellie bean is a ball of singing, dancing, running, jumping, princessing energy. Yet she does have a softer side, she has been known to engage in a 10 second snuggle on occasion. She spends most of her day either mothering her baby doll, pretending to be a baby, or pretending to be a kitty cat. She is the one who makes sure everyone gets their bedtime hugs and kisses, and that we kneel down for our prayers. She laughs hysterically at all of Carters antics and jokes and he loves it (also, we have had potty talk issues at our house and she is the ringleader. The words poop and toot run rampant from her sweet mouth).

Thanks to an Aunt (whom I believe meant well) Ellie got her first princess dress for Christmas. She loves to twirl in it and she literally tells everyone who sees it that Aunt Brittany made it for her. One of the first things I hear in the morning (right after, "can we have sausage for breakfast?") is, "can I wear my princess dress?". I shudder to put it on her because I know that when we eat or go run errands I will have to forcibly remove it from her while she cries dramatically. So, it's a love hate relationship for me. With the dress I mean.

Ellie had her first haircut, by me. I thought I did such a great job until it was dry. Carter probably could have done a better job. Where are you when I need you McKenna? Where Carter is my rule follower, Ellie is my rule breaker. She will be on time out 10 times in a day for the same thing, while Carter only takes once. But she is so loving and makes sure we all know that she loves us "with all her heart."