How was your weekend?

Great, I hope! For two out of three in our household, this weekend was pretty low key.

We jumped (pumped legs up and down, while maintaining full contact with the ground) outside...

did some chores...

had a playdate with Carter...

...and Zoe...talked to Papa on the phone...and went to the park!

Best part about that was Daddy got to come take a much-needed study break.

So Ben and I enjoyed a relaxing, non-scheduled weekend. Tyler, not so much. He spent it working and studying for his orthodontics boards - which he takes tomorrow. We're praying for the "sound mind" that God has given him and for wisdom to remember and apply all that he has learned. I know that he is prepared, and I know that he will kick some teeth on his test!

weekend fun

My mom made a veiled offer to come celebrate my birthday this weekend, which while thoughtful, held the ulterior motive of getting her Ben-fix. :) But who can blame her? Since their last visit, we think it's really started to sink in with Ben who Grandma and Grandpa are, which makes their reunions extra sweet.

"Now Grandpa, just like we practiced. And a one, and a two!"

Ben's got a great view up there!
As for the rest of us...

"Does anyone else feel a draft?"

"C'mon Grandma!"

Resting up after the trek into Aldridge Gardens

Oh the symbolism! While I'd love to slow down time with Ben to tortoise speed, it is always flying by like that wild hare.

I mean, really. How sweet is that face?!

Mr. Ben is into some serious walking these days and likes to hold hands too.

Just want to capture the moment

This one too. :)

swiffer, slides, scissors and suds

Normally I would agree that those things don't belong together (especially the middle two), however this weekend was different. Started out with some chores around the house and Ben taking over the Swiffer. At first he was just playing with it, but then I decided I might as well put him to work so I stuck a pad on the bottom and let him go to town!



All that work deserved some play, so off to the playground we went! After a couple hours of spoiling his fun by redirecting his paths from splashing in the carwash soap, toddling down the driveway towards the street and stumbling into the bushes, it was nice to let him have free reign of a fenced-in safe zone.

And after much dragging of feet (mine), it was high time to give this boy a haircut. Not sure why I chose to do so when I happened to be home alone (probably out of fear of Tyler giving Ben his second army cut), but with the help of his sippy cup, snack cup and the good old Bumbo that he amazingly still fits into, we made it work!

Shaggy lil mutt

How did I let him out of the house like this?!
(the front to back bibs are supposed to keep hair off his clothes...didn't work so well)

Voila! The finished product.

So it's not totally perfect, but it is much improved.

It's a salon and a saloon - bottom's up!
(notice both snack and sippy cups are in one hand)

Next we broke out the bubbles! For a while, he just watched them fly away in amazement, but then he discovered how much fun it is to chase and pop them too!

More video to come...and hopefully more good weather too!

Lorikeet lovin'

Our new zoo membership card was burning a hole in our pockets, so back we went (a couple of Sundays ago)! We saw some really long, fat snakes, a cracked-out turtle, a red-breasted hawk who was also just visiting...and looking for lunch, and a couple of huge alligators - but we're pretty sure they were fakes!

The highlight of this trip, however, was undoubtedly the lorikeets. These colorful little birds are suckers for nectar and, as it turns out, also for cheapskates like us who only pretend to have nectar in our hands!

little lovebirds

As you can tell by his face, Ben was sooo weirded out by the whole experience. Not sure if he enjoyed it or not, but I know his daddy did! Maybe that was because he was sporting as many crazy color combos as the birds were!

"Back off birdie.
There's only room for one of us on my daddy!"

"Which way did he go?"

Yes, I also match the birds, I know.
(speck/plank, yada-yada)

Don't panic. Remain calm.
No need to worry, Ben. Mommy's got this all under control.

Another day, another park

First a video message for G&G:

After a morning of running errands, working at the dental office, cleaning house and taking a nice long nap (guess who did what), we had a late lunch and headed to join the masses at Homewood Park.

Why is it that everything always tastes better when it belongs to someone else?

We first stopped to look at the water under the bridge, but Ben caught a glimpse of the playground on the other side.

"What the what?"

"I want to go to there."

And off he went! Had to capture his walking on camera, because it improves with each passing day. He walked all the way to the playground, distracted only by a big, white fetch-playing poodle!

Vroom, vroom!

And we happened to run into my friend from work, Wendi, and her son, Owen! Fun to get the Rec Center babies together when we can - missed you Aubrey!

What nice posture you have, Owen!
You can tell something had captured the boys' attention here...but just not enough for smiles.

Once a tuckered-out Ben hit the sack that evening, Tyler and I chowed down on the first home-grilled steaks of the year and enjoyed chocolate decadence cake for dessert, along with some coffee so that we could push through the after-dinner sleepiness and celebrate Valentines Day with Jack Bauer and the 24 gang (1 season down, 6 more to go - we're on a mission!). Sure beats fighting the restaurant crowds!

lions, tigers, and uh, flamingos!

A couple of weekends ago, we bought a membership to the zoo, making us official parents of a toddler. Ben seemed pretty serious about the whole place - taking each exhibit in with a furrowed brow, pointing, and lots of "dah!" Monkeys were definitely the highlight, although there was a very impressive lion that caught everyone's attention for a while. Looking forward to many trips in our future!

Prentices and parrots (look close)

"Well, what the heck is that?"

"You should see the view from up here!"

"And you call me a monkey?!"

"What exhibit does this guy live in?"
(Just kidding Adam! Thanks for inviting us!)

Saturday doubles!

Just getting caught up in some pictures from the past couple of weekends. When my parents were down for Ben's birthday, they clocked in for grandparenting duties bright and early on Saturday as both Tyler and I had to work.

As always, Mom did a stellar job of documenting her time with Ben in pictures. (If you move quickly through the pictures folder on our computer, you can practically watch a virtual flip-book of Ben's day!)

First Ben and Grandma played in his room. Ben's a bit of a bookworm, in the sense that he enjoys pulling them off his shelf and carrying them around. And he even likes to look at them too!

Then it was time for a nap. Doesn't he look huge in his crib?

Followed by lunch, where Ben likes to maintain control over at least one bowl and spoon at all times.

"So big!"

Ben and Grandpa played with his car for a while,

but soon the need for more horsepower led them to put on their Harley paraphernalia,

and head to the HD compound.
A boy, his road warrior and his snack cup.

That night, Jess and Michael arrived and we feasted on Mexican. The next morning, Ben sat (ie: played, climbed) in his new chair, wearing his new pj's.
Boing, boing! Who needs springs in your chair when you've got them in your bottom?!

And this week: more new pj's and a rousing game of hide-n-seek!

By mid-morning, Ben and I and especially Zoe were ready to take advantage of the beautiful weather. Beautiful to look at, mind you, but still pretty cold for stroller riders...hence the snow suit and hat.

After a jog/walk around the 'hood, Ben played on the back porch for the first time as a mobile person. Too cute!

My view as I played fetch with the kids.

You may think he's pointing at Zoe's extraordinary tongue,
but it's really the ball he's after!

Once Tyler got home from work, we went on a fun family outing (pics to follow), but not before Ben had enough time to scurry into the bathroom and discover the joys of the toilet-paper roll!

"So soft against my skin!"

Tyler doesn't have to work this weekend, so who knows what we'll do with ourselves?! Two days to go...