gone and back and my highlights

Went to the cabin, drove to ND and came back in the last 8 weeks. While I was gone, Ben turned 2 and we had an all out Toy Story party. He loves his Toy Story guys. We started with seeing Toy Story 3 in 3d with all his cousins and aunt (and he wore the glasses the entire time and loved it) then a pizza party with these Toy Story cupcakes. I loved making them with Spencer, Eliza and Naomi. Ben was so happy to see his Buzz and Woody toys on his cupcakes. For those who like this kind of stuff you can zoom in and see the characters. It was a lot of fun making them but mostly seeing his face is the best. We did all sorts of stuff, but if you know me, you know all that stuff already so I don't need to blog it. maybe videos next time.

Done

Philip graduated from law school today!! Here is my picture collage in honor of the day. 4 years of going to class year round and still working 30 hours a week, making Dean's list, being on the school newspaper and having 2 kids and a wife!!! I am pretty impressed. Thanks to all Philip's family who came from great distances to be here and who helped make this day easy and fun (and very delicious!!!) And thanks to all who couldn't be here but were here in spirit by supporting him and letting him know he could do this. We are so proud of him.

The giddiness

I think this picture shows exactly how everyone should feel after watching a loved one graduate!!!

Sometimes it comes back to bite you

Teaching your kids sounds great until they use it on you to call you out. For example, today Amelia told me that, "MOM, chips and chocolate milk is not OK for a lunch. Those are treats and you have no vegetables". I asked her if I added some grapes to my plate if that would be OK. She was not impressed. I guess I have Amelia to thank for watching my vegetable intake now.

mmmm...my words taste good

I always say I am done blogging and then I post something. I guess I just mean I am done consistently blogging. But these pics are too funny and require little info.
Amelia's favorite imaginary play is to take her doll or this horse she named Edwin that she pretends is really a cat and play allergic. Here she is with Edwin "throwing up in a bucket and has princess ice on his back to make him feel better". Notice how she is lovingly pushing his head in the bucket so the throw up doesn't get anywhere. If Edwin doesn't get better soon she is going to have to take him to the hospital and "you don't want to go to the hospital". It's kind of embarrassing what kids reenact. Glad she's home with me to catch it.











This next one is Ben's haircut this month or quarter. I've only done it 3 times. He hates the clippers and so I had Phil hold him, but needed to trim his sideburns and his neck which required him to hold real still. This was my solution. A lollipop. Phil was less than excited because of the big hairy, wet sticky mess it made. Click and see the close up. The gross part is he ate it all!!! I threw out the onesie. Not worth my time to wash. And this is Ben showing us his hair. It also is his "dirty look" he gives when he's mad at someone. Mainly Amelia.

Who's had it the worst?!?!?

Alright, time for a little thing I like to call one-upping. I will tell a story and you try to one-up it.
WHERE IS THE WORST PLACE YOU HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH A PERSON THROWING UP? Here's mine:
Today, I decided to run in to Target to grab a gallon of milk. I get the kids out of the car and Ben is kind of whiny. He's had no nap, so I chalk it up to that. I start down the aisle, grab the milk and put it in, then head down to find a treat for me (it's been one of those weeks) and all of sudden he starts really whining. In hindsight I should have known the cry, but he's only thrown up a couple times, so I am not quite accustomed to it yet. And then the throwing up begins. Not just a little, but I mean projectile vomiting EVERYWHERE. I am not kidding. I tried to catch it, (a lot of good that would do anyway) but it was just like a faucet pouring right through my hands and it wouldn't stop. I move out of the middle of the aisle so people can get by and so I'm not leaving a puddle for people to traipse through and he then proceeds to throw up on the syrup bottles I am standing next to. (Don't buy syrup at the Target on Sepulveda locals!!) I stopped a manager burying his head in a clipboard and holding a walkie talkie like he was listening for instructions to invade a village or something. I contemplated for a second to let him pass and wait for the next person, but no one is above helping a lady with a puking child, even if he thought so. He called for someone "lesser than him" to help me. 2 sweet girls came and blocked it off until someone with a mop could come. They had a package of wet wipes I nearly finished and an industrial sized roll of paper towels I took close to inch off. I wiped me down, then stripped Ben down to socks and his diaper and wiped him down, then the syrup bottles, the cart, the gallon of milk and finally the floor. I went to the checkout with a crying, mostly naked baby in 50 degree weather (that's cold for us so back off you real winter people) and bought my milk. I am thinking how gross he still is and how unsanitary my hands, the cart, the milk, my diaper bag is and I don't want to put him in the carseat or hold him. I thought if I used the complimentary hand sanitizer at the register and rubbed my hands and Ben down it would help, but that smell stays with you. Quite a sight seeing a mom wiping her naked, crying baby down with hand sanitizer. And this is one of the many reasons why I don't like going places with my kids. And, he's not even really sick. Just through up something he didn't like eating.
Now, your turn.

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