Weekend Happenings

We had a good weekend. The boys and are a getting healthier but our coughs are all still lingering a bit.

The weather was beautiful all weekend. We spent some time at the mall yesterday on a mission to find Benjamin something button-less that he could be happy wearing for his school picture this week and also in search of a birthday present for our niece, Hannah, who turned 16 today! I accomplished both missions and the boys were both well behaved the majority of the time. Then after nap time we all went to the playground and enjoyed some time there visiting with neighbors while Benjamin and Abby played hard...at the playground then rolling down the nearby hill by the tennis courts. (It's our sledding hill in the winter and all the other times of the year Benjamin loves to roll down it or just run down it). He was dirty from head to toe when we came in. So, I started a pizza then bathed the boys before we even ate.

Our day today started at 5:30 a.m. Samuel woke up early today which is unlike him but since he's had this cold and his diaper rash (which is looking a ton better) he has been rising a lil earlier than normal. And of course, once Samuel was up his big brother was not far behind him. By 8 a.m. this morning I probably already had 2 loads of laundry done and the dogs both bathed so I was feeling like I was getting a lot accomplished.

Samuel went back down for an early nap so we didn't make Sunday school today. Don called this morning which was great (because we had missed his phone call yesterday!). Benjamin and I have both witnessed that Samuel is now saying "Da Da" so that was our big news to share with Daddy-O. Benjamin and Daddy got to talk for awhile. The past few times Don had called was during Benjamin's nap time so it was awesome that they finally got to talk. Mostly they talked about his birthday events and preschool. As soon as Benjamin hears that Daddy is on the phone he is ready to rip the phone out of my hands... it's too cute because generally he is not that excited to talk on the phone (although, besides Daddy-O, he loves to talk to both of his Papas on the phone).

Don sounds good. He is looking forward to his upcoming trip home in November (as am I!). I am going to take the entire time he is home off of work so we'll be able to get some great family time in. And maybe, just maybe, I'll get a chance to sleep past 6:30 a.m. on a day or two (although on the rare occasion that Benjamin has slept past 6:30 a.m. I end up laying in bed wide awake. ugh).

At church today Benjamin was the only one in the 2 & 3 year old nursery so Mrs. Lincoln took him over to children's church to explore what that was all about. (This is where the kids go once they turn 4). She said he loved it and he was smiling from ear to ear. She said he sat and listened really well and that she thought he could probably start going over there whenever. Hmm. We shall see. His buddy, Ryan, who had been playing in the church nursery with him for the past couple of years turned 4 and now goes to children's church which usually leaves Benjamin alone in the nursery. So, we'll see if this is the beginning of something new for him.

After nap time today we decided to go to Target. It had been awhile (well, for me anyways) that we had been and I needed to stock up on the usual things: diapers, formula, soaps, dog food, etc. So, after that big shopping trip it was going on 6 p.m. and we stopped at Moe's for quesadillas (Benj just finally started saying "quesadillas" prior to this he had been calling them "white things").

I kinda had my hands full there but we all survived without any major incidents (One man even commented to me that I looked like I needed a third arm. I wanted to tell him my 3rd and 4th arms are in Iraq serving his country so why don't you be a gentleman and take my tray up to the garbage for me. But I hushed myself). The best and worst part of the dinner was that Benjamin piped up and said he wanted to go the potty. This was a first. He never says he wants to or has to go potty. So, that was the best part! Of course, we had just sat down. I had Samuel in a high chair with his bottle so I had to pry him outta there and juggle everything into the bathroom where someone left a floaty surprise in the toilet (Why don't people flush? Are they waiting for a 3 year old to come along and do it for them? Well, he was awfully honored to do so while Mom stood grossed out needing that 3rd arm). Like I mentioned earlier, we all survived our dinner at Moe's.

On that note, I better go get some laundry folded and head to bed.

(I'm having trouble uploading photos tonight so I will add them tomorrow).

Three Years Ago

Three years ago today our lives changed. We welcomed Benjamin James into our lives... into the world and began our journey as a family.

It has been an amazing journey to say the least. Don and I have learned so much over the past three years. And we have learned to love and respect each other not only as husband and wife but as parents. Benjamin has brought so much joy into our lives (as has Samuel). We have been so truly blessed with our boys. It is hard to imagine life before they were here.

Benjamin started the day at 5:15 a.m. today. ugh. Much too early for my liking. But he at least spends a lil bit of time looking at books in his room. I can usually hear him reading out loud and he goes through book after book.

Samuel actually slept in today! It was a first in about a week. I went into his room around 7 a.m. and he was just waking up. He wakes up so happy. It's awesome.

So, we were off to Ms. Rie, Hunter and Jake's house. We brought some cupcakes along for their snack. And it sounded like they really enjoyed that treat.

We were supposed to a dessert social tonight for church but I decided we better miss out this time. Samuel has a bad diaper rash and it's making him pretty irritable. So, I tended to that by giving him an oatmeal bath then letting him go diaper free for awhile. Hopefully, it will be a lil better in the morning.

Benjamin got a bunch of phone calls tonight and loved hearing everyone sing happy birthday to him. So, thank you to all of you that called. And thanks to all of you who send well wishes, cards, packages, etc. He's been quite spoiled. But he does love getting the mail!

Today there was a package from Uncle Tim, Aunt Caris, and cousins, Evan and Ian awaiting us when we got home. It was an enlarged photo of Benj and Daddy-O on canvas. Very cute! Thank you, Uncle Toga and family! He was really excited about it (what kid doesn't love seeing pictures of himself). It will be a great addition to his room. They also sent him a gift card so he can get his own Strawberries and Creme from Starbucks! (You can tell they've been faithful blog readers!).

The downside of our day was that our wonderful neighbors, Cheryl, Mike, Abby and Hannah's "For Sale" sign went up. We knew this was coming and we are so happy for the great opportunity their family has been given with Mike's new job in Philly. But we will truly miss them as neighbors and great friends. But don't you worry Peters, we will not let you forget about us! Philly is really not that far away and a place Don is anxious to go visit! (Plus, I heard a rumor that Abby is making promises to Ms. Katie that she'll be coming back to visit a lot!)

Our Amazing Lil Samuel and Benjamin's Birthday Celebrations Continue

This morning my mom and Harry left to head back to Illinois around 8 a.m. We had a great visit with them and they were a huge help (I'm sure they will need a vacation from their vacation with us!).

Benjamin went to preschool this morning and was thrilled to bring cupcakes for his birthday. He had a construction paper crown and they sang happy birthday to him and he enjoyed his cupcakes. After the boys battle with a horrific cold this was Benjamin's only day of preschool this week.

My mom and I took them to the doctor's yesterday and the doctor declared that they both had colds. I was really concerned that Samuel might have an earache too so I just wanted to be sure that wasn't the case. Today his fever is gone and he seems to be getting back to normal. Samuel sure has changed over the past few weeks. First he started crawling, then sitting up on his own, and now he is pulling up on everything. When he wakes up he immediately pulls himself up in the crib and he is into everything! He's so fun to watch as his coordination develops. Everyday there is something new for him to discover.

The boys and I met Natalie, Jack and baby Nicolas at Chick-fil-a after preschool today. Benjamin and Jack hadn't had a play date since the boys started going to their temporary sitter's house. So, both Benjamin and Jack were thrilled to have lunch together then enjoyed the great play area there. And Samuel and Nicolas were both excellent babies! phew. Only about a month left and the boys will return to Natalie's house while I'm at work (she's taking a maternity leave but would like the boys to return to her again...which I'm thrilled about. Although the house they are going to now has worked out just fine and Benjamin has become great friends with Hunter).

After lunch the boys both took great naps and I was able to enjoy a lil time to myself. Which seemed rather odd after having my mom and Harry here for the past 2+ weeks and the added fact that the boys haven't been napping or sleeping well with their colds.

Last night we celebrated Pappa and Benjamin's birthdays with cupcakes and ice cream. (Benjamin loves to sing Happy Birthday so any excuse to sing and celebrate is great with us!) Benjamin has been completely spoiled with the amount of birthday presents he has received and today was no exception. A package arrived from Grandma and Papa Chapman and boy was he thrilled. They sent him this interactive system that hooks up to the t.v. where we can sing and see our picture on t.v. (Yes, I said "we"...it's always more fun when "we" all participate and lucky for me he hasn't quite figured out what an awful singer I am!). Anyway, thank you Grandma and Papa! The presents are a huge hit and the race cars are tucked safely in bed with him tonight!

Birthday Bash

Today we celebrated Benjamin's 3rd Birthday! (His birthday isn't actually until September 28 but since my mom and Harry are here we decided to hold the party early). The party was at the Loudoun Heritage Farm Museum and worked out pretty well. My neighbor Katie and my mom and Harry were a huge help and I owe all the party's success to them! Without them I would have been running around like crazy.

Both Benjamin and Samuel behaved excellent. We had 6 kids ages 2-5 and then three infants (3 weeks - 7 months) and a bunch of parents. It worked out great. The kids had a grand time playing with all the hands on stuff in the children's area of the farm museum and a few parents mentioned that they'd like to return to the museum again. Then we sat and sang "Ol McDonald Had a Farm" before we headed over to the cabin for sandwiches, cake, ice cream and presents. When I asked Benjamin what his favorite part of the party was he said "the cake!" So, I guess the time and effort I put into making his cake paid off.

On the way to the party Ms. Katie rode with us (she helped set up, decorate and was a huge help throughout the party). I was asking Benjamin who was coming to his party and he was naming a bunch of his friends. Then he said "And Daddy." Just like that. He thought Daddy was going to be there. So, I reassured him that Daddy was thinking about him and wished he could be there too but that he wasn't going to be able to be there. These are the hard times when I have to things like that. I think I do pretty good when I talk to him but it's later when I'm thinking about it that it makes my heart really ache. As a parent, you want to give your child everything you have...and I don't mean material things...but you want him to know he is loved, cared about, basically, that he means the world to you. And I just try to reassure him that even though Daddy-O isn't able to be here for every special day in his life right now that he is always thinking about him and that he's always under the same big sky. So, hopefully, having our flatdaddy with us was some sort of reminder that Daddy was with us in spirit. I think a lot of people smiled just seeing our flatdaddy.

Thanks to all who came to the party. I know it is a day Benjamin will be talking about for a long time.

Well, it's been a busy day so I'm just going to include a slide show of the party pictures and leave it at that.

Sick and Tired

Today was a busy day. I woke up feeling miserable once again. So, before I took Benjamin to preschool I made a doctor's appointment for this afternoon. Luckily I have been feeling pretty good during the day it's just the mornings and nights that are kicking my booty and draining me (hence the lack of blog postings).

After asking yesterday morning if he could go to school (which was not a school day for him) he was happy about going to preschool today! He told me that he got to hold the flag for the Pledge of Allegiance the other day and was pretty excited about that. He is very into the flag lately and every time he sees a flag he shouts out "There's the flag of the United States of Amerrrika!" So, he had told me that there is also a picture of the flag in his classroom too. So, today when we were driving to school he said he was going to show it to me. And sure enough, there was a picture of the flag (along with the words to the pledge).

Every class so far he has brought home a piece of artwork. And when I go to pick him up the kids' artwork is laid out beside their classroom and as we leave the teachers remind them to take their artwork home. Today they each had a worksheet to color the letter that their name starts with. Benjamin has also been very into spotting "his letter" so this was a perfect activity for him. So, as I approached his classroom and saw all the pictures lined up I noticed that Benjamin's was a bunch of scribbles whereas some of the other kids were pretty good about coloring close to their letters. Oh well. Benjamin claimed his artwork and proudly stated,"Look at my spider webs." A while back I had called one of his scribbled colorings a spider web and apparently now he thinks anytime a crayon is put in his hand he needs to make spider webs. hmm. So, maybe he won't excel in this category. Time will tell.

After dropping Benjamin at home for lunch, I left for Bethesda National Naval Medical Center to see the doctor. The young Navy doctor I saw said he had similar symptoms and was feeling my pain (although he is not a parent let along a single parent so I doubt he truly is feeling my misery but he claimed to). Anyways, as he chewed on his bubble gum and wrote me a prescription he reassured me that I am not coming down with bronchitis or pneumonia but just a cold. So, I dropped off my prescription at CVS on the way home and hopefully I will get a good night's rest.

Benjamin and Samuel were good for Mom and Harry while I was gone (or so they reported anyways). Benjamin napped and was just waking up when I returned. So, my mom enjoyed a lil time with baby Samuel. Then I managed to get Samuel down for a nap and took a quick nap too while my mom and Harry entertained Benjamin outside.

I started coughing at some point during my nap and I think I woke both Samuel and I up. Oh well. I was happy that I at least had some sort of nap... brief as it may be. Samuel and I joined my mom, Harry and Benjamin outside and enjoyed the beautiful day. Benjamin found this bucket in the garage (which, thankfully, my mom had just washed out yesterday) and was very entertained by it.

Then we were off to dinner at Foster's Grill (a nearby yummy hamburger place which even Benjamin loves to go to). Dinner went pretty good. Benjamin ate great and Samuel sat in a highchair and gobbled up some baby food. Both were pretty well behaved. At one point Benjamin had dropped a piece of his grilled cheese under our table and I told him that it was okay and that the workers would clean it up. He seemed fine with that and went on to finish his sandwich and play around with some arcade games they have there. Then, we were just about out the door when Benjamin managed to bend down under the table and grab that bite that he had dropped earlier. It happened so fast I couldn't even stop him. It was in his mouth. ugh. GROSS. I again explained to him that we don't eat things off the floor. ugh. Makes me want to gag just thinking about it. And people wonder why kids always get sick.

Well, such is life with a toddler.

Mealtime Meltdowns

Today after church we went to IHOP. Benjamin normally loves IHOP but wasn't too excited about going today for some reason. But after we switched his order from "Funny Face Pancakes" to "Rooty Jr." which includes strawberry pancakes he was happy. He really gobbled up his pancakes, strawberries and eggs. And my mom, Harry and I all enjoyed our meals as well. Samuel was an absolute angel and didn't fuss one bit! phew.

Harry took this photo of me and the boys with our flatdaddy when we got home. After yesterday's posting Don e-mailed saying "That is eerie, seeing a picture of yourself when you know it isn't really you." Today I heard Benjamin say "Do you want to watch me play trains, Daddy?" to the flatdaddy. I thought that was cute and all worth the wait for our flatdaddy!

Benjamin took a good nap today and Samuel and I took an hour nap. Not sure why but he has not been napping well lately. ugh. He is a great night time sleeper though so I am thankful for that. Hopefully some teeth will pop through any day and explain everything. Besides not napping he has been a very energetic and happy lil guy.

My mom made dinner which was great. I could get used to having dinner cooked for us! But both boys had complete meltdowns at dinner so that was no fun. Double trouble. Benjamin didn't want to eat what we were having and Samuel couldn't get food shoved into his chubby lil face fast enough. ugh. At one point I turned to Benjamin and when I turned back to Samuel he had picked up his own spoon and was shoving his mixed vegetables into his mouth. He loves his food!

After all the craziness of dinner I decided some fresh air would do us all some good. So, we headed out for a walk in our neighborhood. Upon our return Benjamin was quite fascinated with a cricket in the yard so Pappa caught it and the two, as shown in this photo, inspected it closely. The boys did great on the walk and we came in just in time for baths and our bedtime routine (which is so simplified with my mom here!)

Today the dogs finally caught up with baby bunny rabbit that has been teasing them by setting up camp in our backyard this summer. What was this lil guy thinking? Poor baby. I am sad that it had to come to this but am so thankful that Harry was here and made the gruesome discovery (and cleanup). I don't think I would have handled that disaster well had he not been here to discover it and clean it up. (Thank you, Harry!)

I was also so thankful to finally have caught a nap today. I'm still feeling a bit under the weather but am grateful that my mom and Harry are here to help. Hopefully I'll feel better soon.

Our Flatdaddy

We received our "flatdaddy" a few weeks ago. What is a flatdaddy you ask? Well, it's a life size photo of our Daddy-O! There is a link to the flatdaddy site on this blog (see links to the left). But it came in a tube all rolled up and I finally mounted our fatdaddy last night. Benjamin loves it! He was so excited to see his flatdaddy this morning. It was really cute. The dogs, on the other hand, were a lil concerned about this large object in our home. Not sure if they can actually recognize that it's their Daddy. But they sure were barking at the flatdaddy.

Anyways, as our flatdaddy becomes more a part of our everyday routine I'm sure more photos of us with our flatdaddy are sure to pop up on this blog.

Today Samuel started stirring at 6:30 a.m. but Benjamin slept until 7 a.m. My mom made us french toast which was a nice treat and Benjamin asked for seconds! We went to the Leesburg Corner Outlets today and arrived home around 2 p.m. for naps. Unfortunately, Samuel got just enough cat naps today that he felt quite rebellious and refused to take a nap. So, I got up with him while Benjamin, my mom and Harry were all napping and got some very enjoyable quality time with our lil guy. He's so stinkin funny these days. He is really on the move and has mastered sitting up. So, he scoots here and there then sits up. It's pretty fun to see. Then he kinda clasps his hands together and shakes them up and down (like in this photo at right). Not sure why he does that but I decided maybe he was trying to clap so now we all clap for him and he just lights up with a huge smile. When he gets that big smile I can't help but see his Daddy in him...I love it!

Today was a good day but I am not feeling 100% myself and am hoping it's just allergies so I'm going to cut this short and hope to be back blogging again soon.

Grandma and Pappa Arrive

My mom and Harry arrived yesterday around dinner time. Benjamin was thrilled about their visit and he kept looking out the window watching for them to arrive. Unfortunately, it rained most of their trip from Massachusetts to Virginia (they had spend a week visiting family in Massachusetts before heading our way).

We had a nice evening last night. We all helped Benjamin put together a floor puzzle that they had brought for him and we've done it several times since.

Today was busy but nice. Benjamin started our day at 5:30 a.m. ugh. He did go back to his room though and play for about a half hour. And Samuel slept past 7 a.m. Benjamin had school today and was happy about going back for his second day. He seems to really be enjoying it.

While he was at preschool my mom and I took Samuel to see the orthopedic doctor about his feet. The doctor gave me some exercises to do with his feet every time I change his diaper and hopefully this will help some. He has a couple conditions. One is the curving of his legs and the other is his feet turning in. His left leg and foot are worse off then the right. We will try these exercises for 2 months then return for another evaluation. The doctor said he may need to wear special shoes.

Samuel stayed home with Mom and Harry while I ran to pick up Benjamin. Miss Tracie said he had a good day. He looked pretty tired when I picked him up and I thought he would be out as soon as lunch was over. But he totally fought his nap today. Eventually, we went downstairs and Pappa managed to get him to fall asleep while watching a show on t.v. I caught a quick nap on the couch too.

Mom showed me how to make golumpki (stuffed cabbage) today and they were so good. It's nice to be eating real meals. It's been challenging to cook for just Benjamin and I from time to time.

Grandma and Pappa had picked up this wagon for the boys at a garage sale back in Illinois and hauled it out here. They both loved it! It's very easy to pull and Benjamin enjoyed pulling Samuel along in it too. We enjoyed some outside time tonight. The weather was just perfect today. Low 70s and sunny.

It's already been so awesome having the extra help caring for Samuel and entertaining Benjamin. I was a lil worried after the last visit when Grandma and Pappa were here back in February when Samuel was born. Benjamin wasn't really receptive to their visit then but he has truly welcomed them both with open arms. Ah (a sigh of relief).

Don e-mailed and said he had an eventful day. Not sure what that meant exactly but I'm sure he was pretty busy. He sent a second e-mail that he received the package I had sent last week and also some mail from his grandparents (thanks Grandma Marcum!). I know that is the highlight of his day so thanks to all of you who have been sending him mail.

Well, it's been a long day and either I've caught a cold or allergies are kicking my butt (haven't figured out which yet) so I'm going to head to bed.

Benjamin Starts Preschool

5:30 a.m. Benjamin woke up. ugh. And this was following a napless day? hmm. Maybe it was all the excitement of starting preschool. Whatever it was he did manage to go back to his room and read books until 6 a.m. Phew.

Benjamin mentioned pretty early on that he was going to wear a button shirt. So, at least I knew this news wasn't new to him. It had sunk in and probably put a lil bit of damper on his day but such are the rules of Mommy. So, after a somewhat brief fit about putting on his 3 button shirt some coaxing, reassuring other kids will have button shirts on and some bribery the shirt finally stayed on. (But I did catch this picture of him taking it off once).

We took Samuel over to our neighbor, Rebecca's house. This is the first year all three of her boys are in school full time so she was more than willing to have Samuel join her for about a half hour while I took Benj to school. His teacher, Miss Tracie had given him an invitation for him to bring a bear to school with him on his first day. After talking to his teachers they said it would be okay for Tommy the Turtle to join him on this adventure. Tommy the Turtle is the stuffed animal that Benjamin put together with Daddy-O at Build a Bear and filled each paw with a personal message from Daddy-O. So, a lil piece of Daddy got to be part of his day at preschool.

He looked so cute and was pretty excited. He kept asking if his friends were going to be there. And as we pulled into the parking lot he saw his best buddy, Jack. He said "There's Jack!" then he said "Does Jack have a button shirt?" hmm. I couldn't tell from where we were. My thought "He better." My response "I think he does." So, the next few minutes as we parked and walked up to the school he was more excited about seeing Jack then the fact he was going to school. (He hadn't seen Jack in a few weeks since Natalie had the baby and they have grown quite accustomed to seeing each other a few days a week). He knew he was going to get to see Jack at the playground (the two classes have recess together). So, we got a few photos of the best buddies together. They were too cute. And, yes, Jack did have buttons on his shirt. Phew.

So, he walked right into his classroom and was ready to go. There were about 3 kids already there and 2 of the 3 were already engaged in playing with some toys so he was all ready to jump in and check out the toys.

He did great! I was so proud of him. And very thankful that he didn't have a potty accident on his first day.

Samuel and I went to the grocery store and it was kinda weird just having one child with me. But I think I can get used to this. And maybe get some errands done and chores done around the house during these two days a week. hmm. What a concept.

Don called today while the boys and I were eating lunch. He was excited to get a full report about Benjamin's first day at preschool but Benjamin didn't really have two much to report. He said he had fun. And the teachers said even after snack he kept saying he was hungry. He came home with a poem about his first day of preschool and a tracing of his lil hands. It's really quite precious if you ask me!

Don sounded good. But it was rather challenging to talk too much with the kids both awake.

The boys both went down for afternoon naps for a couple of hours. I managed to get a few things done around the house and took about a 20 minute cat nap. After nap time we went to the neighborhood playground with Cheryl and her girls, Abby and Hannah. It was a lil warm but just nice to get outside.

Benjamin ate a great dinner and this is where the trouble began...

I was bathing Samuel when I heard Benjamin downstairs saying "I made a big mess, Mommy." hmm. I never know what to expect when he says this. Sometimes he over reacts and his "big mess" is not really a big deal. So, I ran downstairs and he said "Look" and apparently his tummy must have been upset because he had a runny mess on the floor. ugh. I reassured him that it was not a big deal and that his tummy must not be feeling good. I instructed him to go upstairs to the bathroom and to not take off his clothes til I got up there. I quickly wiped up the mess then ran up the stairs. Too late. Another lil mess. So, I finally got Benjamin cleaned up and into the tub. And realized that the sink was backing up. AHHHHHHHHH. I managed to find some drain de-clog liquid and that helped some. And as I'm doing this I see something outta the corner of my eye. A big fat ugly spider. AHHHHHHHH. I grabbed some toilet paper to take care of him but he was too quick. AHHHHHH. That is probably the most frightening part to me...that the bugger got away.

So, while my mom and Harry are here I hope to take care of a few maintenance issues... declogging and debugging to name a few. My mom and Harry arrive tomorrow.

This morning Benjamin slept in til about 6:45 a.m. And sad as it may sound, that does feel like sleeping in to me.

We had a nice morning at Sunday school and church today. And Samuel fell asleep in the nursery for about the third Sunday in a row. It is just so hard to get in that morning nap on Sundays! So, then I find myself waking him up to go and when we get home he doesn't want to go back down until like 2 p.m. ugh.

Well, today ended up being a napless day for Benjamin after about an hour long struggle of him just playing around in his bedroom I gave up and tried to get him to snuggle up in my bed. All this did was make me tired and want to sleep but not him. So, I did manage to get a short nap in but not Benj. Oh well, they were both asleep before 8 p.m. tonight!

Tomorrow is the first day of Preschool and Benjamin is thrilled. He wanted to go today actually. So, I don't think I'll have any problem getting him to run into his classroom but kids can be somewhat unpredictable so I'll have to report on that tomorrow.

I just had to laugh at these two photos of each of the boys I took today. They look nothing alike but in these photos there is a striking resemblance! (Okay, so they still look nothing alike except for their big silly mouth expressions!)

Benjamin is becoming quite the poser these days. He really likes to get his photo taken and often comes up with some unique poses. Like the one below where he requested a photo with his cars. Doesn't he look proud of them? He's too funny.

We went for a walk this afternoon and missed a call from Don. Total bummer. I wasn't thinking and didn't bring my cell phone with me. But it was like 1 a.m. his time so who would have thought he'd be calling that late. Oh well. Note to self: Always carry cell phone. He did leave a message though and it was nice to hear his voice and hopefully we'll be able to talk to him tomorrow or in the near future.

Benjamin was thinking about Daddy-O on our walk though. There is one part of our walk around our neighborhood that Benjamin calls the roller coaster and it is on a pretty good hill but walking two dogs and pushing a double stroller does not give me the opportunity to go just as fast as Benjamin would like me to on his "roller coaster" so I heard "Go faster, Mommy" today and then I told him I wasn't able to and he said "Daddy goes fast. Daddy runs fast on the roller coaster." So, I told him Daddy will push him fast on the roller coaster when he comes home. We ought to start keeping a list because there are a lot of things that Daddy-O is going to have to check off his list when he gets to come home for those 18 days of R&R. We can't wait, Daddy-O!

I don't think I've mentioned that it looks like Don will be coming home sometime in November for R&R. This will be quite early in his tour but we're looking forward to it nonetheless. And it will be very difficult to see him leave knowing it will be another 9 or 10 months before we'll see him again.

Thanks again for checking in on our blog and for all your e-mails, cards, phone calls, letters, support and prayers. It means so much to us that you are all there for us. We are so truly blessed.

No Buttons Benjamin

Today Benjamin managed to come up with a few very interesting things to talk about. He always amazes me at how his lil mind must come up with stuff like this...

This morning he climbed in bed with me and started telling me stories. "Once upon a time," he says as all his stories begin these days. It's really cute. So I asked for another story and he came up with about 3 or 4 short stories for me. And they all started the same way..."Once upon a time" and ended with "The End." of course.

Then we all managed to get a nap today! And when he climbed in bed with me after nap he told me "I'm dreaming about race cars." Then he'd come up with something else and say "I'm dreaming about..." it was cute and went on for a lil while.

For dinner tonight we ordered pizza which didn't end up being very impressive. And Benjamin apparently agreed with that because he told me the pizza was "squeaky". Not sure exactly what he meant by that. Greasy? Spongy? Garlicky? Spicy? No. It was "squeaky". Interesting.

I think I have our "No Buttons Benjamin" convinced that he needs to wear a shirt with buttons on it for his first week of school. I told him all the kids will be wearing shirts with buttons (hopefully they will). I think I have mentioned in past posts that he has an aversion to any shirt that has a button on it. It's a lil frustrating at times (like every Sunday). He is way too opinionated about what he wears. At the meeting we went to last week at the preschool all these kids were coming in with their parents and they were dressed so cute sporting adorable lil button down shirts. And then there is me with Samuel attached to me on my front baby carrier and "No Buttons Benjamin" in his red t-shirt and denim shorts. Oh well. I still think he looked pretty cute!

But today out of the blue he said "I have to wear a button shirt to school." Yes! I think the idea of wearing a shirt with buttons is starting to sink in. I figured maybe preparing him for it days ahead might help. So, tonight before he was going to bed, I picked out three button shirts and asked him which one he'd like to wear his first day of school. He picked the navy blue one (of course, everything, given a choice, is blue in his world).

Samuel had a pretty good day. He loves to crawl and scoot around these days and is pretty content doing just that. He didn't take very long naps today so he was fast asleep by 7:30 p.m.

I received a brief e-mail from Don today. He is, as usual, working long hours and watching the days on the calendar go by. He says the long days of work do help pass the time.

I did not manage to snap any photos today so I figured I would share some of our family photos we had taken before Don deployed. (Coincidentally, the shirt Benj has on in these photos is the one he picked for his first day of school.)

Samuel is Sitting Up!

Yes, you read that correctly "Samuel is Sitting Up!" not "spitting up" although he's still doing an awful lot of that.

This week's latest is that Samuel is starting to sit up on his own. He's not completely independent at this task yet but he has pulled himself up to a sitting position a few times. It's really cute! (This photo I took tonight is at kind of a weird angle but he is sitting and propping himself up with his hand). He is also scooting everywhere and really into checking everything around him out. And his laugh is hilarious. He loves to laugh and Benjamin is a complete professional at making this happen. The sillier Benjamin acts the funnier Samuel thinks it is. So, they really keep each other entertained. I love it!

This evening we got the mail and Daddy-O's Model Railroading magazine was in there. Benjamin was so excited! (He is definitely his daddy's son!) He asked if Daddy sent it to him and I didn't have the heart to tell him otherwise so I agreed that it was from Daddy but told him that we need to pick out his favorite things in the magazine and write them down for Daddy then send Daddy the magazine too.

I had a good but rather busy day at work today. I enjoyed lunch out with some friends from work which is a rarity for me but they were going to Foster's Grill which is a hamburger restaurant near our home (hope your mouth isn't watering too much over that, Don!). So, I joined them then ran home and walked the doggers a quick walk around the blog.

When I got to work this morning there were four e-mails from Don! I was thrilled. Like I won a lil lottery or something (such are the lil highlights of a deployed soldier's wife).

His first message was: "Make sure you take a picture of Benjamin at the house on his first day of school...with his backpack (or rescue pack). Maybe at his classroom too, if you have time."

Okay, come on. Those of you have been keeping up with this blog as well as Don all know that I'm a photo hog and use every opportunity in a day to take photos. Did he really have any doubt that I wouldn't have camera in hand. But I know this was just his way of saying he wished he could be there to share in this big even in our son's life. His first day of preschool is Monday!

His other three e-mails were brief as well and mostly replies to e-mails I had sent him. But it just felt so good to have that correspondence.

My Day

Today was a good day. Even from miles away Don managed to spoil me. A local shop called and had a delivery for me this morning. They dropped off a beautiful package of cookies, chocolates and other goodies. Benjamin and I were really excited and gobbled up a couple of chocolates before we left to meet his preschool teachers and see his new classroom.

Benjamin seemed pretty excited about his preschool classroom and told his teachers "My daddy is in Iraq." Next Monday Benj will start school.

We ran some errands. Then went home for nap time. Shortly after nap time the doorbell rang and flowers from Don were delivered!

As Benj and I sat at the table and admired the flowers and balloon I told him they were from Daddy-O and his face turned all serious and he said softly "Daddy was here?" It about broke my heart. Like he thought Daddy brought the flowers and then left instantly. Awe. So, I explained to him that Daddy got on the computer and ordered the flowers then a local shop brought them to our house. It makes you wonder how much he actually understand.

My neighbor Katie called and offered to pick us up some dinner and cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory. She's the best! So, she delivered dinner, cookies, dessert and a gift. And my other neighbor friend, Cheryl called and they brought over a card Abby had made for me today and some muffins they made too.

So, Benjamin and I had a birthday party for me! He loves birthdays so I thought we might as well take this opportunity to celebrate one. We put a candle on our piece of cheesecake and I asked Benjamin if he would blow out my candle. Of course he would. It's his favorite part of parties! So, we sang "Happy Birthday to Mommy" about 6 times in a row each time re-lighting the candle. He loved it and asked to do it again. Samuel also snuck in a lil taste of cheesecake.

Everyone has been so thoughtful. I've been swamped with phone calls, emails and well wishes all day. So, thank you all.

Labor Day

Yesterday I would have plenty to post a blog about but decided we were all better off if I didn't even get on the computer. I should have known when the bagel started on fire in the toaster yesterday morning that it wasn't going to be the best of days.

Nothing major happened but it was just a ho hum kinda day.

We didn't do too much of anything yesterday really. After a busy weekend it was just a day to catch up before we started another busy week. It was actually pretty nice to stay home all day although I didn't feel like I managed to get much accomplished.

The highlight of the day was that Don called in the morning and the boys and I all got to talk to him which was nice. We were actually e-mailing before he called and he typed "Are you at work?" Apparently, they didn't get Labor Day off there! He sounded good. He has been working very long hours sometimes working until midnight.

Last night after Benjamin went to bed, Samuel and I were getting a lil one-on-one time. He loves to be held up above my head and fly around like an airplane. So as I extended my arms to do this with him he spit up. The splat started at my nose, saturated my glasses then topped off in my hair. ugh. It was time for bed for him shortly after that incident.

I talked to my mom tonight. Her and Harry arrived safely in Massachusetts today. They will be there until next Tuesday when they make there way here. I'm starting a list of things they can hopefully help me do while they're here. Just lil stuff that's been challenging for me to tackle alone since Don's been gone.

Today I went back to work where we have been pretty busy lately. And after yesterdays ho hum kinda day I was kinda looking forward to heading to the office. Tomorrow I will be home with the boys and am looking forward to it. I made a list of tasks that I'm hoping to get done this week as well. We'll see how far we get with that tomorrow.

Well, my digital camera needs to be charged so no new pics to share tonight so I decided to post a photo which I think is pretty funny actually. This photo was taken earlier this summer when Don invited the boys and I to a small award ceremony for him. Samuel was screaming his head off through most of what the Admiral had to say and this photo just seems to capture that.

Good Friends, a Birthday Party and Fireworks!

Today was a busy but good day. Benj started our day around 6 a.m. and Samuel slept until 7:30 a.m. We were a lil lazy this morning before church but managed to make it to Sunday school at 9:15 a.m. Our pastor and his wife have been out of town for a couple of weeks now and Tim Davis, who has spoke at our church several times before, gave both the Sunday school and service message today. He has an awesome gift of singing and ministering and I really enjoyed both Sunday school and church today. (Wish you could have been there Don! I know you enjoy him as well.)

After church we had lunch and the boys went right down for their naps. So, I had some time on my hands. So, I called my friend, Kelli in Memphis. I just wanted her to know that I was thinking of her and all her trials right now. She is such a trooper though and sounded good. And as we were getting off the phone she said if there is anything she can do for us just let her know. She was like...I can get on a plane and be there. She has so much on her plate right now it is just so sweet of her to even think about offering such a thing! You're a great friend, Kelli and you always will be. It was nice catching up with her some more.

So, Benjamin only napped until about 2:30 p.m. and Samuel was up by 3 p.m. which was great with me because we were due to go to a birthday party which started at 2 p.m. The party was for our neighbor, Hannah, who turned 1! (She is the daughter of our friends, Cheryl and Mike and lil sister of Abby who I often write about). We had a good time. Benjamin loves going there and there is lots for him to play with so besides the occasional mischief he stirs up it's big fun. We arrived around 3 p.m. and stayed until almost 7 p.m. Probably overstaying our welcome but they offered dinner so we stayed! (Anything to get out of cooking!)

Hannah and Samuel had some fun crawling around each other too. They're about 6 months apart and too cute together. They are destined to become good friends.

(Note: Samuel spit up all over his clothes and these pics were taken before I put on another outfit. He really did have clothes on not just an undershirt!)

When we came home the boys got baths and they quickly went to bed which was nice. Tonight Samuel went down first so I was able to give Benjamin some extra attention during our bedtime routine. That's always nice and makes bedtime more enjoyable for both of us. We read the book "Saucy" which was a book of mine when I was a child. And has become a favorite of Benjamin's too. I think partly because he knows it was my book when I was a kid and he thinks that's neat. It is very dated but nonetheless a good book about a dog named Saucy who goes missing and has a liter of puppies. (Does this ring a bell to you, Mom and Tim? I doubt my brothers, Kenny and Ron remember this book, but perhaps.)

I didn't hear from Don today which I didn't like too much. I guess I'm just spoiled. I usually at least get a short e-mail or something. Today = nothing. And no phone call this weekend either. mpfh. Oh well, maybe tomorrow (after he reads this blog...hint hint!).

Well, I better go comfort my dogs. It sounds like another night of fireworks out there this evening. The noise makes our doggers a lil uneasy. Campbell is cowering by my side, soaking up the occasional petting I'm giving him and Loudoun is probably hiding upstairs in the bathroom!

Highlights from our Saturday

By 8 a.m. we had already finger painted pictures for Daddy-O today. Samuel had been up around 4:30 a.m. then went back down for a few hours. But Benjamin was up at 6ish. ugh.

We ended up having a great day though. Although Samuel just wasn't himself. He took a few short naps but not one solid one. I'm thinking there have got to be teeth popping through any day now.

I managed to mow our lawn this morning. We had a teenager from church that had been doing it but since summer is ending so is his services. Oh well. With our summer being so dry, it hasn't really needed it until recently anyways. So, Samuel sat in his stroller while Benjamin entertained him on the stairs outside. First in the backyard then in the front. If you have ever been to our home, you know that this process only takes about 20 minutes and both boys were very well behaved during that time. Phew. I really felt like I got something accomplished!

Then after Samuel took a quick nap, we were off to the grocery store. Benjamin loves the new Harris Teeter by our house. They have the kid sized carts, free cookies, and Harry the Dragon (a 50 cent ride at the entrance)! His favorite part is pushing his own cart. This is only the second time I've let him do this and I'd say he is getting a lil too gutsy for my liking. He didn't hit anyone or bump into anything really but we had a few close calls. But he sure does love pushing that cart and loading it up with groceries.

We stopped at the new Taco Bell that's near Harris Teeter and picked up lunch. I think this was Benjamin's first meal from Taco Bell and he loved his quesadilla. As we ate lunch, Benjamin asked "What's your favorite dinner, Mommy?" and I said "Pizza" (partly because I really do love pizza and partly because he could relate to that). And so I asked him the same question and he said "Raisins." hmm. Don't recall every serving him raisins as a dinner! Oh well, we do have some interesting conversations at meal times. And when he says "raisins" he really means "yogurt covered raisins" because at this point that's the only kinds of raisins he eats!

This evening was the annual community pool party. So, while the boys napped (Benjamin took a 3 hour nap today!) I cut up some fresh fruit to bring up there. And my wonderful neighbor, Katie agreed to join us up at the pool. Thank goodness for Katie! She adores kids and is such a help with my boys. Tonight she mostly helped with Samuel which allowed me to give Benjamin lots of undivided attention. He loved it! No, we loved it. We had a blast frolicking in the pool. It was a bit cooler today and the highs only reached in the low 80s so once the sun went down it got really chilly. But Benjamin really didn't want the pool party to end. We had a great time and he had fun with his friend, Abby too!

Haven't heard too much from Don lately. A few quick e-mails but not too much else. I figure he must be busy and I am just grateful to at least hear from him briefly each day. He usually calls on the weekends so hopefully we will hear from him tomorrow.