A Fair Day!

We went to the Loudoun County Fair today with our friends Natalie, Dennis and Jack. It was pretty sweltering but we braved the heat for awhile and Benjamin and Jack had a ball. People are right when you hear them say "you live through your children". I love it! When they light up with excitement. Nothing beats that beaming smile.

Well, Benj and Jack climbed on a bunch of tractors, saw a kids music show, a thrill show (juggler, tumbling, etc.), went on lots of rides and saw lots of farm animals. I'd say their highlight was the carnival rides...oh, and checking out the woman doing the thrill show. I don't know how they know to be all enamored with a woman at this age but both Benjamin and Jack were really into her. They kept asking "where'd the lady go?" every time she left the "stage".

For those of you who don't know...Natalie is who watches both Benjamin and Samuel when I work three days a week. We met when we were both pregnant...through our husbands. Then really got to know each other when we went to a breast feeding support group when the boys were just tiny. Dennis is also in the Army. Jack is only about 4 weeks older than Benjamin and they are best buddies. Benjamin has been going to Jack's house since he was only 4 months old (and I returned to work). So, going anywhere with them is a tremendous help. Natalie knows them just as well as Don and I... and Benjamin listens to her too. They have been such a great source of support already and Don has just left. When Jack was only about 5 months old or so Dennis deployed to Kuwait for about a year...so they have been down this road already. And Dennis is a wealth of information on anything I want to know about the Army or Don's situation. Thank you Kellens! We really do appreciate all that you do for us. :)

It was great fun and we all left hot and exhausted. It looks like I did good with the sunscreen though and no one got burned! (pat pat on my back). Benjamin fell asleep soon after we left the fair grounds. And when we got home he went back to sleep (one thing I miss tremendously is Don's help getting the kids in the house when we come home and Benjamin's sleeping. Caring him up 3 flights of stairs is exhausting. But waking him up after he falls asleep in the car is a gamble to whether or not he'll go back to sleep and could result in an even more exhausting afternoon than caring him up those stairs). He did go back to sleep this time (victory!) and I got Samuel down too so I was able to nap. Thankfully. It was an early morning today and after walking around in that heat I definitely needed it.

I guess I cannot complain about the heat. Natalie is expecting another boy at the beginning of September (a new buddy for baby Samuel!). And she was a trooper in the heat.

Samuel is on my lap and really feels the urge to type his own blog message...so here goes...

''''''KKKKK''''''''''''''''FCFCKRCV JEXGCVCCC ,FRNHJFJRFJHRFJJRJTKIE

Now he is off to bed. Both down for the count by 8:30ish. ahh.

Benjamin did awesome on the potty again today! Two trips to the port-o-pottys at the fair. And no amusing questions this time. He's acting like a pro. Dare I say we are there? We've made it? He's potty trained? hmm. I'm not doing the victory dance just yet. One entire week without any accidents and then I shall dance and sing! Neighbors beware of the commotion at the Chapman house. It will be a sign of sweet victory with the potty training.