Catching Up!

Yes, we are still alive! We have gotten so relaxed around here during summer vacation that I can't even find the motivation to blog, haha! Here is a quick recap of what we've been up to:

1. nothing
2. nothing
3. more nothing...

It's been great! Lazy mornings, walks around the lake (in the a.m. before it gets too hot), swimming, swinging, sliding, reading, climbing, cooking, and watching way too much Dora the Explorer has been filling our days for the past few weeks.

Ben is talking up a storm these days. He said his first sentence about a week ago. He said, "I sat down at [the] table." We were so excited! I remember being so impatient to hear his first word, and now he is saying complete thoughts. He can also tell me if he wants a snack or juice. When he gets sleepy, he'll tell me he wants a "milk bottle" and his "blankie." Can I also just mention that he will be 2 years old in a little over 3 months. How did that happen so fast? I think it's time to start weaning him from the nap/bedtime bottles. I'm just dreading it. Our pediatrician is not concerned at all, but a good friend of mine says I should have done this a while back. Oops!
Here are some pictures from the last month or so. I'll try to blog a little more regularly now :)

before morning stroll

"seriously, mom...camera at the breakfast table?"

Ben's first attempt at putting his shoes on :)

Taking a break from helping me wash the car

Such a big helper :)

@ Latt Maxcy Memorial Library (loved this mural)

Sliding!

This picture is fuzzy, but I love when he lays like this :)

No time for a picture...man on a mission!

mission to put elephant, pig, and winkie (his sheep) to bed

loves to ride the horsie with dad (he pronounces it "wo-cy")

A Quick May Update

May has been rather uneventful and very relaxing! If only every month could be this way *sigh* We are counting down the days until summer vacation. 13 days as of tomorrow! Woo Hoo! We cannot wait! We spent Friday afternoon at the City Dock. Ben loves to go to the "wake" and wear his bathing "soup." He has been going just about every day with Miss Cassie, Aunt Joycee, Peyton and Gwen. He is such a water baby. In the afternoons, we have been playing outside on the swing set or in the kiddie pool. You would think I'd have a tan by now, but nope! I guess the sunscreen is really doing its job!

We took Ben to Bok Tower Gardens today. We all had a blast! We saw two swans up close. Ben calls them "juans," haha! Ben loved checking out the flowers and feeding his goldfish to a friendly squirrel. I know we're probably not supposed to do that, but we just couldn't resist! While we were exploring the Pinewood Estate, Ben surprised us with an observation he made. Our neighbors, Sandra and Orville Dawes, have a beautiful lawn full of flowers. They have gorgeous blue plumbago that lines the fence between our yards. Ben saw some blue plumbago around the Pinewood Estate and looked at us and said, "Dawes flowers".......AMAZING! Jeremy and I looked at each other with the same "did he just say that?" expression. To say he amazes us is an understatement. Is that a normal observation for an almost-20-month-old toddler?

I've posted some random pictures from the past few weeks below. Enjoy!

Trying to get Ben to look at the camera!

Trying to work the Germ-X!

I love this picture of Ben propped up on Daddy!

Ben's "I don't want to sit still for another picture" face

Ben and the "juan"

A two-second grin is all you're gettin' Mom!

He loves the fountain at the Pinewood Estate

Ready to explore!

City Dock area @ Clinch Lake

"When you're cool, the sun's always shining!"

Maybe one day we'll have a house with a pool, haha!

Sporting his new ball cap

Nineteen Months

At nineteen months, Ben...


has discovered the joy of jumping on a trampoline
can be entertained for hours with a garden hose

asks for a popsicle as soon as he wakes up from a nap

still loves those blueberries

is enamored with his new sandbox

gets into ev-er-y-thing!

loves to climb

enjoys a good bubble bath

can make a bowl full of sand and laughs when Momma pretends to eat it

when asked, says everything is "ye-wo" (yellow)

counts from 1 to 8, then 10, 11, 12 (not sure where numbers 2-7 went)

has mastered -ing, although he says it -ning (I runni-ning, we singin-ning, Papa sleepin-ning)

can say "oh, man" like Swiper the Fox

Will say no and shake his head when he REALLY doesn't want to do something

18 Months Check-Up

Ben finally had his 18 months check-up Friday afternoon. We got a great report from Dr. Larue. Ben weighs 23 lbs. 9 ounces and is 34 inches tall. His height is in the 90th percentile on the growth chart! The doctor says Ben is still much taller than he is heavy, which is a very good thing. Jeremy is not very tall, but his grandfather, my father, and my grandfather all are. I hope he has that gene :) Ben is still not that fond of his pediatrician. He cried from the time we pulled into the parking lot (he realized where he was), until the time the exam was over. He did, however, stop crying in the middle of the exam to wave and say "hi"......maybe he's coming around a little.

Jeremy put together an alumni game for all of the former FHS baseball players last Saturday. There was a big turn-out and the team raised almost $700 in donations alone. It was really fun to watch some of the guys I went to school with playing ball again. One of Jeremy's assistant coaches took the pictures of Ben that I've posted below. They are so funny! I have more pictures, but I honestly don't feel like uploading them right now. I'm really hooked on my new book, titled House Rules, and can't wait to read some more! I'll post more pictures next week.