Rockets

Is it time to slow down when Ben yells from the backseat - "Mom's blazer goes fast like a rocket."

Thawing out

Today - we had great weather to be outdoors (for Nebraska in Jan). We took Ben to Kenefick Park. We've seen this place for a while now and have never bothered to stop. It's really quite amazing. We didn't realize they engines are on display and you can walk right up to them. The Big Boy - a steam locomotive - is Incredibly Huge! The wheels alone are like gigantic - seriously like 8 ft. Also there is a Union Pacific Centennial.
Ben loved the trains. Several times Ben and I would have to turn around to hurry Pete up (who was reading the signs). Ben was just amazed - his little big brown eyes were just lit up. He even cried when we had to leave.

There is no good website for this place, and I didn't take my camera, so the best I can do is a few photos from the web. Here's one taken from I-80 entering Nebraska from Iowa.


Pictures of the move are also pretty impressive.

#409 on the list of why Ben will need therapy

Ben is in the cattle business - and this here is his first calf.
The calf is not the reason for therapy - and neither is cattle business (yet).
He will need therapy because his Memaw and Popo have uniquely named the calf ---- wait for it ----- Pony.
That's right.
As if a Dog named Kitty and a Cat named Doggie wasn't enough to confuse my poor child.

And yes - he is a little confused. Yesterday at the vet - there was a HUGE Fluffy cat - and Ben runs to it and says "Look Mom - Cat Doggie." The vet tech gave me the strangest look, and I wanted to explain my son wasn't completely crazy but figured it would make me look crazy.

Ice Skating

We went back out to Mahoney today - and beared the frigid temps outside to enjoy a few laps around the rink. Ben LOVED ice skating. He's a natural too.

What a crock...

Last night we were all doing our own thing, I was knitting, Pete was on the computer, and Ben was playing. We hear a faint cry for help "Help Help I'm stuck" ~~ look up to see this.

On the Coldest day of the year...

It's SO cold here! We've been huddled under blankets in the house for 2 days, and decided this was crazy - we needed to get out. This morning after a killer breakfast to tie us over for a long time, we loaded up and went to our favorite winter state park, Mahoney. We spent 4 bucks and played in the HUGE hamster tunnels (if your not familiar see last years video) for almost 2 hours. They have an outdoor skating rink, but they didn't have skates small enough for Ben which was ok with Pete, b/c he's never been and was scared like a girl. After the tunnel fun - we ventured outside in the extreme cold (barely 10 degrees) and went SLEDDING for the first time this year.

It was just a little cold - I promise - but Ben stayed nice and warm..

OF COURSE - Pete had to go down the big hill solo.. It looked so fun I even took a turn

Truckasaurus

Everyone knows Pete is very proud of his new truck - The Truck-a-saurus. While at the grocery store today, Pete parked the blazer next to a Ford 250 4door and Ben looks over at it and says, "Dad THAT's a BIG truck-a-saurus!".... Pete was soo disappointed (how dare another truck be bigger, or be called 'truckasaurus') and replied with "Ben, that's NOT any bigger than Dad's truck-a-saurus."
I laughed all the way in the store, Pete was soo heart broke that his son would say that another truck was bigger than his.
Maybe you had to be there - and see the look on his face. (It was almost as if Ben said he liked someone else's boat better.)

---

Ben tries to spell his name ...
It usually comes out as "B... E... N-O-P... BEN"
(at least he knows which letters comes after N in the alphabet)
When I try to correct him with "B..E..N" he follows up with "O..P..Q..."
*sigh*
I think I will start spelling his name "t..r..o..u..b..l..e"

---

He's also making word associations...
I call him Mr Ben when he's being cute - and he started to call me Mr Mommy.. which I'm not sure is that great - but tickled me the first couple of times -- he's since been taught it's Mrs Mommy.. which seems pretty wrong to teach a kid to call his mom Mrs Mommy; but we only do it in fun.
And earlier he was referring to himself as Baby Ben (thanks Misty) and after agreeing with something I said - looks at me and says "you're Baby Mommy"

Say Grace

... tonight we took a drive to run some errands and stopped for take out on the way home. I dipped my fingers in the bag to sample the food and from the back seat I get lectured "No Mom, Don't eat - say grace first."

errr ok

Ben and I went to meet Pete for lunch and as we were waiting for him in the parking lot, a rather tall, skinny, young man pulled up near us, got out of his car and walked in the building. Ben saw this fellow and out of the blue tells me "That's NOT Uncle Pete."

errrr ok?? and that came from where??
Thanks to Ben, we are always entertained.

Quote of the day (x2)

Wednesday - at nap time - I was trying to convince Ben to close his eyes ... and in his best panic stricken voice he tells me "I can't see I can't see"

Today - one of the many times I told Ben "i love you" he replied with "I love Ben too"

Thanks Gammy and PaPa

Ben loves to sing and play his Uke... and best of all, now he'll let me play my guitar without trying to take it from me or play it for me... So I'm sure this is just a pic of many jam sessions to come...

Finally - Christmas!

We finally got around to opening our Christmas gifts. 13 days late - but I'm rolling with Pete's theory: The 6th is Epiphany - and that is the day the 3 wise guys brought gifts..... (you know the story).. and that's why we waited..
Truth is - with all the drama with the house we've just let it slide while taking care of other things.
Ben LOVED opening the gifts we had for him... and he got to stay up super late so he could play with his new trains and cars -- oh and his 'guitar'
This morning while I was doing payroll - he sits down and is strumming the best he can while singing Twinkle Twinkle little Star... it was fantastic.. I LOVED it.. It's like the kid has the Carter-music gene or something.



Click here to view more pictures of our belated festivities

In other news -- I was somewhat embarrassed today when we were walking through Hobby Lobby and Ben sees a cat statue and hollers in his LOUDEST Voice that it was a "Doggy Cat".... and when I tried to tell him it was just a cat - he made sure to correct me .. it was of course a "doggy cat"...
Reasons #405, 406, 407 and 408 Ben will need therapy - his Popo and Memaw have a cat named Doggy and a dog named Kitty. (maybe they need the therapy?)

Piggy Bank

Ben got his first Piggy Bank as a gift during Christmas.
He's 2 and loves money ~ he likes to put coins in his pockets.. so this was another perfect gift for him.
Ben occasionally finds loose coins on counters ~ and now chases us down so we will help him put it in his piggy bank.
On top of the frig I have jars where I stash change when I find it -- so tonight I pulled those jars down and let Ben put the money in his bank.. and (up until the point when he got bored and dumped coins all over the floor) he was being really sweet and cute as he counted each one that he dropped in... (the number never went over 8 - but it was kinda funny to hear - 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 2, 3, ..)

first day of 2008

Tonight I was giving Benjamin a bath - as he laid there playing in the water.. he looks up at me and says - "mom, I'm pretty"
He now knows his eyes are brown -- He tells us his are brown like daddy's and Papa's and that mom's are green.... Tonight when we turned the lights out for bed time.. he hollars -
No mom, I can't see your green eyes"

Oh that child of mine ~ what will I ever do.

and if he wasn't rotten enough... I've taught him the magic word... So when he asks for something - and he really really wants it, and we refuse.. and can say the magic word... It tickles us, so of course he gets his way....
Do you know the magic word?

We finally let him open his 'sock' that was still hanging by the fireplace.. and he totally enjoys the viewmaster - who would have thought a toy so simple that started out centuries ago would still be so amazing..