21 Months!

How does the time go by so fast? Mr. B. is 21 months old, and the big 2 is just around the corner! I'm a bad mama because all these pictures are from a few weeks ago, but they'll have to do.

I took this one while he was on the playground. I was on top of the play structure and he was climbing up. This ended up being our Christmas card picture. Too cute!

Trying on Joel's snowboarding helmet. It almost fits!

I bought Ben some new jammies from Old Navy and told him they needed to be washed before wearing. I heard the sound of running water in the bathroom sink, and it turns out Mr. B. decided to take matters into his own hands. What a helper!

These last two pictures are from December. He has already outgrown the shirts he's wearing, and his hair, well....let's just say it has also grown. It's drastically careening past "cute surfer dude" style and into what I like to call, "Joe Dirt Junior." I'll be scheduling a cut soon.

Stuff about Benjamin:

Still wants to read books ALL THE TIME. I love it! I don't know if it's the pictures, or stories or just the time spent with me, but he could read all day. I can definitely relate!

Ok, let's be honest, shall we? Benjamin won't eat veggies. He LOVED them when he was a baby, but now he won't touch anything that looks remotely like a vegetable. I don't make him "special" meals that are different from what Joel and I eat, so I'm definitely not catering to his tastes. He used to eat spinach on top of pizza, or in quesadillas or pasta, but now he flat out refuses. I mean, he literally gags when carrots come near his mouth! This is something he loved! I don't get it. Right now I'm trying not to make an issue of it because I feel like that's the quickest way to get him to NOT do something. I don't want to force him to eat things and start a battle at the dinner table, but now I'm wondering if that's what I should be doing. I don't know what to do except keep serving them and hope that one day he'll just get over it. He was always the type of kid who would try anything once, and now he freaks out if something looks different. What is going on?

What else? Not a lot of talking yet, but it's coming. I've always known that Ben would probably be a late talker. He never even really babbled as a baby, and was late for all of the verbal milestones. He understands everything we say, and the words he DOES use are perfectly clear so I know there's not a hearing issue. Ben is social, but not overly so. That means that he doesn't really feel the need to communicate. You don't understand him? Fine. He'd rather just show you some trucks and move on. You want to get excited about some toys and then talk about it? Whoa! Chill out. Let's just go look at these rocks over here until you calm down. Basically, he is in no hurry to grace us with his melodious speech. Until that day arrives, Ben functions pretty well with his limited vocabulary of around 17-18 words and a variety of sounds. His new words are: bowl, bus, up, ice, hat, gas, cheese and salsa. He also just started saying, "oh boy!" Let me also explain that his favorite word is "no" and he uses it to express his desire to NEVER EVER do anything I ask, no matter what. As in;

"Benjamin, can you say daddy?"

"No."

"Ben, what sound does a cow make?"

"No."

"Ben, I need you to put on your shoes."

"No."

"Ummm...can you say 'yes'?"

"No."

We all know who's in charge here.

New Year, New System

Why did I think serving leftover pasta for lunch would be a good idea?

The picture above is the obligatory dose of Benjamin I have to include every time I write a new blog post. Moving on....

Like everyone else, Joel and I are busy starting the new year by re-organizing our house. Or rather, just organizing, since it was never really done in the first place. When we moved here a little under 3 years ago, we just shoved our things in any old room and immediately jumped into fixing up our house and starting new jobs. Four months later, we found out I was unexpectedly (though joyously) pregnant. The next few months were a blur of baby preparations and bed rest, interspersed with more home improvements. Then we actually had the baby, and I operated on total exhaustion mode for several months. This all means trouble in the organizing world. BIG TROUBLE. The room that really took a beating was our guest bedroom/office, not that you could actually see it, what with the 10 pieces of old furniture, various piles of paper to be shredded/filed and boxes of Ben's old clothes and toys that needed to go in the attic.  It basically became a catchall for anything we didn't know what to do with, or were too lazy to put away. Eventually we just started shutting the door and pretending like it didn't exist. "Oh, that door? Pay no attention to the room behind that door. It's just a closet." But after 6 months of avoidance, we finally tackled that room and it's starting to look like a livable space again. We still need to list several items on Craigslist (anyone need some furniture?) and I still have a small pile of papers to shred and file, but things are really coming along. 

I purchased a book recommended to me by my doctor called ADD Friendly Ways To Organize Your Life. I highly recommend this book for anyone who struggles with ADD, or even if you are just a disorganized person. It really has helped me understand some things I didn't even realize are related to my ADD. I mean, how can you teach someone common organization methods if their brain doesn't even function in an average way? I have always wondered why I have a problem with file cabinets. I will spend hours painstakingly labeling folders and organizing through all of my paperwork, only to abandon the system within a few days as my desk becomes covered in piles of bills to be paid, bills that have been paid, bank statements, etc...But here's the deal; my brain doesn't work that way! I can't tell you what a relief it is to know that. It's not that I'm an idiot, it's just that I need a different system. First of all, I can't do micro-organization, so everything needs to be filed under broad categories. Secondly, a closed drawer is basically a reassurance to my brain that that stuff never needs to be look at again. The author suggests using hanging file folders in open milk crates with casters, and placing them next to your desk. That way everything is easily accessible, but you can still roll them out of sight when guests are over. GENIUS! I think that tip might change my life. Of course, being me, I can't help but get excited about the design options as well. I really like this idea from Apartment Therapy:

Cute, huh? We have a couple of old crates, so we'll see. I don't know if I want to sacrifice them to use as mere filing cabinets though. But I still need to clean out the old filing cabinet first. Focus Anne, focus!

Christmas Update and Thoughts on Snow

Alright, time to play catch up! We had a great 10 day visit to OK over the holidays, and just arrived home on Tuesday. Ben had a fantastic time with all his grandparents and aunts and uncles, and I think he's suffering a little bit from the sudden lack of attention. Christmas already seems like such a long time ago, but here are a few pictures.

Our tree

In keeping with our decision to limit our gifts, Ben received three presents from us. One of them was this cute little wood play kitchen I found at Ross for $25! I was so excited because I really like to have as many wood toys as possible, and I knew we could never afford an elaborate set up, especially one that wasn't plastic.  This one is a little small, but Joel is going to make a riser for it. Plus, it doesn't take up any room, and I can easily move it from place to place. Benjamin really loves it. In fact, I was just realizing that although he didn't get many gifts this Christmas, he absolutely LOVES every single present he received. 

The other two presents were some stinkin' cute little fluffy doggie slippers from LL Bean, and a Richard Scarry book called What Do People Do all Day? This book is already a favorite, and I highly recommend it if you are looking for a good gift. I don't think Ben will get tired of looking at it until he's 4 or 5.

We left on Christmas day for Oklahoma, and even though Oklahoma City had just had the largest snowfall in 25 years on Christmas Eve, all of our flights were (almost) on time, and the trip was pretty uneventful. When we got to OKC it looked like like a post-apocalyptic movie. There would be 10 abandoned cars on the side of the highway, and then you would drive a mile and see 10 more. I guess the weather changed from rain, to sleet, to white out blizzard conditions pretty quickly. We even saw an abandoned Fed Ex truck on the wrong side of the road! I hope those people eventually got their presents.

Ben got a few things from Mimi and Poppy, including another favorite book called Hands, Hands, Finger, Thumb. In fact, I had to read it 6 times in a row on the way home from the airport, and 5 times already today. If I refuse I'm threatened with an immediate tantrum buildup. Thanks Mimi and Poppy!

Then it was on to Grandma and Grandad's house, where he got his much loved stuffed Elmo. If you think he looks sad in this picture, it's because he was feeling pretty puny. The next morning he woke up with a burning fever and we had to take him to the emergency clinic. We've been lucky to not have too many scary moments with Ben, but I was pretty frightened when I saw the thermometer climb to 104.9. The PA at the clinic diagnosed him with a severe bacterial throat infection, and within 2 days of taking antibiotics he was feeling pretty good. 

Ben got to see his first real snowfall, and even make a few snowballs. I realized after a day or so back in Oklahoma that I'm not really a cold weather person. I don't like hot weather either, but somewhere in between is good for me. The problem with snow is that it melts and turns into ice. And since I have absolutely no coordination or physical prowess, that means I have a greater chance of falling and seriously hurting myself. That's really the main issue for me. I think only athletic people should live in cold climates. I mean, I about had a panic attack in the Wal-Mart parking lot. I just stood there, frozen (haha!) and waited for some invisible hand to guide me to the car. I looked to my left, ICE! I looked to my right, ICE! Finally I just had to suck it up and realize being an adult means you have walk across an icy parking lot. Plus, I realized that other people were easily walking past me, and a large truck wanted the parking space I was blocking. Looking like an idiot in the middle of a parking lot is a stress I don't need in my life. 

I have more to write about my New Year goals, plus a Benjamin update, but this is enough for one post. I hope everyone is staying warm! 

Random: Sickness and Christmas Gifting

AAARRGGGHH! Too long without a blog post. I'll try to be better about this, I promise.

Let's see...what's been happening here? Lots of sickness going around. I'm the only one who hasn't bit the dust yet, but I feel like my time is coming and it will probably be over Christmas! Benjamin has had a cold for about two weeks, and I suspect it's two separate illnesses that piggybacked, plus teething. Joel was pretty sick about a week ago, and I think he's still feeling a little down. Start popping the Airborne and Emergen-C! 

I'm done with Christmas shopping except for one or two things. The tree is up and the cards are ordered. I made this recipe for my friends and neighbors, and ya'll, it is GOOD! It tastes like if Cinnabon made butter. MMMMMMM! This Christmas is the first year we've actually bought Benjamin some gifts, and it has forced me to think about what kind of precedent I want to set in regards to kids and gift giving. When I was younger we didn't really have BIG Christmases, but they weren't bad either. Just somewhere in between, I guess. My four other siblings and I usually each got one big present (like a bike, or a doll)  and then a few smaller things. Some Christmases the big item was for everyone to share, like when we got a wagon. We didn't start hanging up stockings until I was older, but I don't remember them being stuffed with multiple items, and our grandparents usually purchased just one gift for each grandchild. Was I sometimes disappointed with my gifts? Sure, I think all kids feel that way sometimes. But was I ever upset about the amount of gifts I received, or the perceived monetary value? Nope. I can honestly say that it never crossed my mind. I remember one particularly hard Christmas, right after we had moved to Kansas. I was twelve, and of course there were so many things I wanted at that age. I'm sure I got other things, but what I remember most was a magazine. Yep. There was a special People magazine issue all about the royal family (yes, I was a total geek) and my mom wrapped it up for me to open on Christmas morning. I loved it. I poured over every single picture of Princess Di, and kept that magazine for a long time. I never remember feeling angry or cheapened by that gift. I knew that other kids got a lot of presents, and I just accepted that I wasn't going to get those things. I really don't remember it being an issue. I guess what I'm trying to say is, it's ok to not give your kids everything they want, or even most of what they want. 

After thinking about all of this pretty carefully, Joel and I have decided that we will always limit gifts. I like the idea of three gifts to represent gifts from the three kings, plus a few smaller items in a stocking. I recently came across this blog post and think it's also a terrific idea. In case you don't click on the link, the author decided to limit her children's gifts to four items; want, need, wear, read. This encourages kids to only ask for what they truly want and feel is important, instead of writing out limitless lists. Now, don't get me wrong. I love receiving gifts, and I really love buying them for others. I definitely think kids should get presents!  If I'm being honest, the idea of limiting gifts is for me too, so that I don't get carried away by all the "stuff." I think of it as a tradeoff of sorts. Would I rather buy my children everything I possibly can, or be able to tell them they can attend any college of their choice? That might be an exaggeration, but it's not too far from the truth. 

Last weekend we attended "Enchanted Airlie." The following two pictures are from that event. In the first picture, Benjamin is in completely entranced with the red lights reflecting from the fountain. In the second photo, he is staring in wonderment at the miniature train village. There was no crying or whining. Just total silence and awe. I hope Christmas will always be like this.

We have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving

And this turkey tops the list!

We're leaving early tomorrow morning for the farm in VA. Last Thanksgiving was spent in Wilmington with our little family of three, but this year we'll be cooking and eating a HUGE meal with Joel's uncle Johnny and cousins Dave, Sarah and Logan. We're so thankful that Joel's extended family lives within driving distance, and that they're people we love to visit! I hope you all have a wonderful time with your friends and family. Happy Thanksgiving!

It's November, and Ben is 19 months old!

Joel sure appreciated Ben's help in the yard last weekend.

Especially since we live in this suburban forest/jungle/nature preserve. If anyone would like to come help with our yard, feel free! We'll give you our undying gratitude and Joel will take you out on the boat if you want. That would be a win-win situation for Joel, really.

What?!! That's not enough for you?! Geez...people are so greedy these days. *Side note: For all of you who don't know the saga of our yard, here's the short version. Eccentric old lady moves into house, and immediately spends 20 years tearing out every bit of existing vegetation (including grass) and replacing with ground cover, about 50 azaleas, 4o dogwoods, wildflowers, and HUNDREDS of randomly placed bulbs. And then acquires turkeys, geese, and chickens. Eccentric old lady gets sick and moves away. House goes on the market. Yard turns into overgrown mess full of dirt and weeds. Nobody is crazy enough to buy this house because the yard needs too much work. A young, optimistic, couple full of dreams and lacking money come to look at the house. Fall in love with it, and explain that the husband "loves to garden," and "we just love the bohemian feel." Couple buy the house and immediately start working in the yard. There is no end to this story. We're still working.

What? Like you've never felt the urge to take your pants off and play the harmonica?

Benjamin took a call for Ladybird. I didn't get a picture of it, but he ever so gently lifted up her ear flap so she could hear better.
Ben and Carson , livin' it up at the beach!

Here are some bullet points about Benjamin:

• He loves shoes and will try on every pair in the house. Sometimes I'll look over and just see him casually walking around in my sneakers. Flip flops still elude him though.
• He gets very impatient for mommy to get up in the morning and make him breakfast. He brings me my slippers and then gives me a not-so-gentle shove.
• He is really into imitating us. He tries to put deodorant on, and likes to take my blush brush and sweep it on his cheeks. I've seen him trying to figure out the eyelash curler, and today he picked up my can of mousse, touched the top with his fingers, and rubbed them in his hair. (And yes...I am aware that he is a BOY, but he's also 19 months old and spends most of the day with his mom.) The quickest way to get him to do something (like put on a jacket) is to show him that mommy or daddy have on their jackets. Whenever someone sighs and says "hmmm" he shrugs his shoulders and does the same.
• He loves his stuffed animals, and they have to do whatever he is doing. He likes for me to read EVERYONE a story, and wants Winnie the Pooh to sit next to him while he eats. The other day he tried to change Winnie's diaper, and I've seen him hold his sippy cup to Winnie's mouth.
• His new favorite "joke" is to put toy animals or people in his mouth....like duplos, bath toys, etc...Then you're supposed to say, "oh no! Don't eat me Benjamin! AAAHHHH!!!" He thinks this is hysterical. A variation on this game is for me to make his little plastic chicken or duck walk down the handle of a pot on the stove, have them peek over the edge, and then say, "nooooo!!! Don't put me in the pot!!! AAAAHHHH!!!" I don't think anything could be funnier. Is this disturbing?
• Ben still loves to be outside. His favorite activity is just walking around and looking at nature. He's alway bringing me rocks and leaves.
• He enjoys counting, and will randomly pick multiple objects to count. I DO NOT push him to do this. Five is the maximum. He loves to count our pumpkins on the porch (5) and his toy trucks (4.) Today we counted three chairs in the doctor's office.
• He is such a gentle and kind little boy. We believe that children need to be taught empathy, and we've been working on that with Ben. He's getting to the age where he needs to understand that his actions affect others. It's not easy teaching a toddler that they're not the center of the universe! I don't want him to always feel guilty about things, but just be more aware. Like, if daddy is trying to nap, we should be quiet. Or if we are at the grocery store, he needs to be patient until we leave. I've been explaining to him the meaning of the words whining and patient. It doesn't always work, but I can try! He's learned to sign "please" and that has really helped. Many times I've noticed him start to whine for something, stop and think, and then sign please. Anything that encourages him to think before acting is great!
• New favorite books are: Clifford the Big Red Dog, Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes, and anything Elmo. Favorite toys are his farm animals, duplos, push mower, and harmonica. Favorite foods are greek yogurt, any and all breakfast foods, and anything Italian. Favorite word? Noooooo!

San Francisco!

Before I show ya'll these pictures, I just want to state that my husband and I are BIG dorks. I don't know what our problem is, but we just don't take pictures. Ever. We take our camera places and pledge that THIS time will be different, but then we always forget to actually REMOVE the camera from our bag. That means that during our trip to San Francisco, we took a total of 56 pictures, of which 21 are too blurry or dark. The remaining pictures consist of incredibly uninspiring shots of the Golden Gate bridge and some redwoods at Muir Woods National Park, and dumb pictures of us that we took ourselves. So without further ado, here are pictures of us in various places.

We are ridiculous.

San Francisco was great. It was around 70 degrees and sunny every day, and the people were SOOOOOO nice. It is probably the friendliest city I've ever visited. People said "excuse me" in the subway station! No one seemed to have a sense of urgency about anything, and the energy was definitely different than the east coast.  I guess it must be the whole laid back, west coast thing. We had plans to eat our way across the city, and that's what we did! 

This is what we ate:

a tamale from a street vendor at the Heart of the City Farmer's Market

dim sum at City View

raw oysters at the Hog Island Oyster Company

prosciutto di parma, mozzarella, and bread at the Ferry Plaza Marketplace

pastries from Miette (SOOOOOO good. I'm sad just thinking about it.)

Coffee and belgian waffles from the Blue Bottle Coffee Company. This was absolutely the BEST mocha I have ever had in my life. If you love coffee and ever visit San Francisco, this is the place to go. It's kind of a "scene" with lots of gay men dressed in black sipping espresso, and young trust fund hipsters on their mac books, but the employees are nice and the coffee is worth it.

Indian food from a little place in the Mission district

Cal-Mex from Mijita. This place was awesome. We had fish tacos, a quesadilla, and a salad of jicama, grapefruit, and roasted pumpkin seeds. I know...the salad sounds weird but it was VERY good. And the quesadilla was amazing. Instead of a tortilla with fillings, it was a fresh masa fritter filled with roasted green and red peppers, and lots of cheese. Probably similar to a gordita. That quesadilla was one of my favorite food items from our trip, along with my mocha from Blue Bottle and pastries from Miette.

cheese from the Cowgirl Creamery

Lunch at the Pelican Inn

A BIG Italian dinner Stella Alpina Osteria in Burlingame. This was right before we had to board the redeye back to NC, and I honestly didn't think I was going to make it. I ate so much I was almost doubled over in pain. NOT a good idea before traveling. 

We did a lot of shopping, too. We went to the pirate store, and Paxton Gate, and lots and lots of other places! We saw the Golden Gate bridge and Muir Beach Overlook, and I almost had a heart attack while Joel drove our rental car down the steepest hills of all time. 

We missed Benjamin and talked about him quite a bit, but it was good for us to get away and rediscover who we are without a baby around. In the immortal words of Ferris Bueller, "It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend it."*

*Note: I am not trying to suggest that we have means. That is just a quote that always pops in my mind whenever I get to do something super amazing. 

Life is fun!