Walking in Someone Else's Shoes

Benjamin loves to put on shoes. Not just his own, but mine or Jonathan's too. The other day I found him in our closet trying on every pair of Jonathan's shoes.
And yes, sometimes he tries to put on my high heels.

A New Toddler Gym Class

Thanks to my sister and brother in law who live in Pleasant Grove we signed Benjamin up for another Toddler Gym class. This one is once a week at the Pleasant Grove Rec Center. It was only $18 for 6 weeks and we figured it was another opportunity for Benjamin to get out and play with kids his own age. His cousin Savannah also signed up for the class and she had a fun time too.

Wednesday was the first class and the teachers had the kids color turkey hats and make turkeys out of balloons. They also played games and had relay races.

Here is a picture of Benjamin coloring his hat with Aunt Dianne.

He wouldn't wear that hat until we got home so here's a picture of that too.

And here is Savannah- she's a cutie!

What a Week...

It's been a whole week since I last posted anything, but it feels like 1 day. We've been so busy and goin' crazy around here. But what else is new?

I can't wait to share the best best bestest news ever: Benjamin finally calls me Mama! Jonathan has been working with him for months now trying to get him to say it (bless his heart because I gave up long ago) and he now will! It's the sweetest sound in the world and I'm guilty of asking him to say it at random times throughout the day. I love hearing it!

Benjamin is picking up so many new words these days I can barely keep up with them. He now says eggs, bread, tree, bird, two, oink, ball, door... and those are the only ones I can think of off the top of my head. We're pretty sure he'll be talking in sentences pretty soon!

Funny story: We have one of those torch lamps in our room (the tall ones with a shade that points toward the ceiling) that is a touch one so you just have to touch it to turn it on and off. Benjamin loves it (for obvious reasons- touch on, touch off- what more could a toddler want?) The other morning I was feeding Daniel in bed and Benjamin crawled in bed with me and was playing with the lamp. It's on Jonathan's side of the bed so I couldn't reach it. Benjamin decided he wanted to shake the lamp and I warned him to stop otherwise he may break it. Well, he didn't break it but he did shake it hard enough for the shade to fall off. So I said, "Benjamin, you broke it! Uh oh." And Benjamin pointed at the lamp and said "Broke." Now every time he sees that lamp or the one that's similar in our living room he points to it and says "broke."

Daniel is getting so big and he's such a happy baby. I wish I had more to report about him, but I don't. We're just so glad that he's happy and healthy and the cutest baby in the world.

We leave for California to visit my family for Thanksgiving in 2 days. I can't wait. It should be quite an adventure flying with 2 kids.

This or That: Christmas Edition

I love Christmas and can't wait until it's "not too early" to put up Christmas decorations and start listening to Christmas music. Jonathan feels that Christmas can't last more than 4 weeks... bah humbug I say! He doesn't know that Benjamin and I are already listening to Christmas music at home and in the car when he's not around... he he he!

So here's my little taste of Christmas while I'm waiting for Daniel to fall asleep for the night...

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? - Wrapping paper. With bows because that is one of Jonathan's traditions.

2. Real tree or Artificial? I love the smell of a real tree, but hate the mess. Seriously, how can I still find pine needles in my house in April when I've vacuumed like 100 times?! This year we have to have an artificial tree- student housing does not allow real ones

4. When do you take the tree down? Usually right after New Years, unless our tree is dead and a fire hazard. Then it comes down earlier. Which makes me sad.

5. Do you like egg nog? Eh, it's ok. I usually have a little each year just to say I did.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Hmmm... I'm not sure which was my favorite. Too many good ones I guess :)

7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes. Three. My favorite Christmas decoration. I really want the Fisher Price one this year. I think Benjamin would love playing with it.

8. Hardest person to buy for? My parents. They already have everything I think to buy them.

9. Easiest person to buy for? Jonathan. He just wants cash so he can buy some sort of fishing thingy.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail. I love the collection we get every year.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? One year one set of grandparents (won't name which one, but I'm sure they don't read our blog anyway) gave me a sand art kit that said ages 8-12 or something like that. I think I was 15 at the time.

12 . Favorite Christmas movie? How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The classic animated one. Loooove it!

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? The earlier the better for me. I love being done. I try to start before Thanksgiving. This year that so hasn't happened.

14 . Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Probably.

15. Any Christmas traditions? Something we started with Benjamin that my mom did for us and her mom did for her is that Santa always brings a Teddy Bear for your first Christmas. Benjamin got one last year and Daniel will get one this year. I still have my Santa Bear from 26 years ago!

16 . Clear lights or colored on the tree? Jonathan loves colored lights. I enjoy both, but prefer clear ones. I think it helps the ornaments stand out more and those are more important to me than the lights. Each ornaments has a memory attached to it.

17. Favorite Christmas song? "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" and "Joy To The World." And of course everyone loves Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas, Is You" But I pretty much like all Christmas music.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Tough choice. I always enjoy Christmas in La Crescenta with my family, but it will be nice to be home with just Jonathan and our boys this year.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Yes, but I have to sing the song in my head to do so (The beginning of Rudolph... "You know Dasher, and Dancer, and Prancer, and Vixen...")

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Definitely a star.

21 . Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? I've always enjoyed doing it Christmas morning. Jonathan's family does it Christmas Eve. So we compromise- we do both.

22. Favorite thing for Christmas dinner? Pie. Oh wait, that's dessert. Probably the mashed potatoes, or the turkey, or the stuffing... mmm. I can't decide.

Ultra-Gooey Schmooey Goodness

I can never get enough of these ooey-gooey, melt your heart smiles!

And those blue sparkling happy eyes!

It makes me wonder how many cute little girls are going to be kissing my adorable little boy on the bus on the way home from kindergarten. Sigh...

Benjamin and Baby Elmo

In the last 3 or 4 days Benjamin has decided to love his Baby Elmo that he got when Daniel was born. He takes care of him by feeding him his bottle, giving him kisses, sleeping with him at nap and bedtimes, and pushing him around in his stroller. It's so cute to see him love his Baby Elmo. Here are a few pictures of him pushing Elmo in the stroller and giving him kisses.

Daniel and Elmo

Daniel is getting really good at sitting up assisted and holding his head up. Last night I plopped him down on Benjamin's Elmo chair and snapped a couple pictures. They turned out cute so I decided to share them.

Big Boy Bed

We decided to change Benjamin's crib into a toddler bed yesterday and Benjamin was soooo excited! I asked him right before we changed anything if he wanted a big boy bed in his room and he got the biggest grin and started doing his happy feet dance. He was happy to play in his big boy bed and when it came to be bed time he was more than willing to lay down and go to sleep in his bed.

We took a few precautions because we weren't sure if he'd stay in bed all night long and what he would do in the morning. We turned on the baby monitor (which we haven't for months now) so we could hear him if he got up or rolled out of bed. And I put a baby gate up in the hallway and shut every door except Benjamin's and ours so the only place he could go would be to our room or back to his own.

The precautions weren't necessary afterall. Benjamin slept in his bed through the night and when he woke up he called (ok, whined and cried) for us to come get him. We'll do the same thing again for a few days to make sure.

Sorry the pictures are so big. I forgot that I changed the setting for the picture size on Blogger for the last post and didn't change it back. And I'm too lazy to go back and upload the pictures again.

First Snow

Today was the first time it snowed and Benjamin had the opportunity to go out and try his new snow gear. He had a good time throwing snow and running around. I was able to get a few good pictures and thought I'd scrapbook them during his nap today.

I love digital scrapbooking- there was no mess to clean up and I was able to come back and work on it later while Benjamin was playing by himself. It was also nice because half way through the page I decided I hated the paper I was using and it wasn't a big deal to go back and change it.

I'm a big fan of mixing black and white and color pictures on the same layout and I finally had a good chance to do it. Again, another plus of digital scrapbooking- it was so easy to change my pictures back and forth from b&w to color. :)

October 31st

We had a fun Halloween!

Benjamin and Daniel enjoyed a "brothers moment" One second Benjamin was pushing Daniel, the next he was hugging and kissing him.

And I have about 20 pictures where either Daniel or Benjamin is smiling, but never both at the same time. If anyone knows how I can crop out one of their faces and photoshop it onto their body in another picture, let me know!
I can't believe how big Daniel looks sitting next to Benjamin!

After pictures, Benjamin painted his pumpkin. Little boys who want to do everything themselves and sharp knives don't mix well- so we went with a paintbrush and a little pumpkin this year.

The finished pumpkin-

We then went Trunk or Treating (again). But this time with Uncle Rob, Aunt Dianne, Uncle Dave, Aunt Theresa, Matthew and Savannah.

We had Anakin, Cinderella, and a little dalmation to go trick-or-treating with.
And apparently I never got a picture of Daniel dressed up again as a dalmation. But trust me, he was just as cute as he was last week at our ward's Halloween party.