Trick or Treat

I know, long time between posts, but really I’m just tired.  But I’ll make up for it with this one.

Tonight Ben went trick or treating for the 2nd time.  Ashley and Mayson came over and we dragged the kids around the neighborhood hitting up our favorite students and parents.  In the end we only hit 4 houses, but man it took awhile and the babies were soooo good!  It took Ben a second to understand that you can take candy, but man once he did he loved it.  He did not, however, love when we took away his pumpkin because he tried to eat the candy while it was in the wrapper.  Daddy decided Ben wasn’t just going to be a baseball player, but he must be a Ranger’s player.  SOunds easy, but they do NOT sell toddler sized jerseys anywhere (unless you want to spend a small fortune and you know Daddy doesn’t play that game).  In the end I will admit I loved his costume, even though I stressed about Ben looking like a fool all week.  He can rock the girl’s leggings :)  On Friday he had a Halloween party at school and his teacher told me he was hysterical eating all the goodies.  If they offered it, he ate (and wore it). 

not so sure about this pumpkin, he kept throwing it like a ball

 

look at his legs…so cute!

 

and so his butt

 

Practicing hitting with Daddy before trick or treat time

 

Off to get some candy with the cutest pink cat we’ve ever seen

 

This is how Ben rode the entire way home.

Our little man went to bed way past his bedtime, but it was totally worth it, he had a blast! 

Santa sent another early present down to Ben via Grammy.  We need to build another house just to store all his loot.  Now Ben has his own basketball hoop just in time for the NBA to start.  Daddy put it together for him today and he loves it!  I like to call him my little Michael Jordan, but sometimes he more like Kobe and is a ball hog.  If I could bottle his energy and sell it, I would be a billionaire in no time.  This kid literally wakes up and then runs until nap time or bed time.  The ONLY time he’ll sit still is if he catches baseball on tv or when he grabs a book to read, but otherwise he is always running. 

My baby Michael Jordan

 

I asked Daddy to show me how tall it gets and Ben freaked when he couldn’t reach!

Ben has another new love-cereal!  We randomly bought super sugary cereal at the grocery store this week (hey, it looked good) and Ben will crawl up in your lap if you’re eating it and stick his face over the bowl to get some.  I don’t really intend to buy sugary cereal for him, but a treat is always fun.

Sharing some Reeces Puffs with Daddy

Since I know my favorite in-laws read this, I can’t forget to mention my fabulous Baylor Bears!  Sweet Ben, I want you always to remember that when you were one, Mommy’s Bears beat Daddy’s Longhorns!  Mommy has had to listen to Daddy and his entire Longhorn loving family put my Bears down for 11 years now.  Oh Mommy was SO excited when Baylor won last night.  And Boots owes Mommy pancakes since he lost his bet!  Don’t worry-I’ll share.  We have a whole year to be obnoxious and gloat about how fabulous Baylor is!  And speaking of awesome teams, the Rangers made the World Series!  Daddy has become a Ranger’s fan this year thanks in part to his season tickets.  It’s been fun watching the Rangers on tv (and Daddy can’t decide what he loves more-going to the games or selling his tickets for ridiculous amounts of money). 

And now Olive.  Olive is doing great I guess.  She’s growing little by little and it’s just about the point where I can’t hide that she’s in there.  Dr. Garner said everything sounded/looked great on Friday.  I think I found her bedding and I have to admit that when I went into Carters today to find Ben’s leggings, I got kind of giddy looking at all the adorable girl’s clothes.  We have another 3 weeks before we get final confirmation that she’s really a she, but Daddy said he’s totally sure (he’s ready to paint).

I can’t believe it’s almost November!  Daddy has a BIG birthday on Thursday and it’s also Grams’ bday, too!  And we have less than 4 weeks until Grams and Pops come to visit, woohoo!!!

Boots, baseball, a kitchen and Olive

I’m getting so bad at posting lately, but I seem to want to play with Ben instead of photograph him, sorry. 

On Friday Ben got an early Christmas present from the North Pole via Grammy.  His very own kitchen.  She said to go ahead and let him play with it now.  What a hit!  This kid is in Heaven.  It has a light he can turn on, the burner makes different noises depending on which pot or pan you put on it and the stove and microwave will beep once we get more batteries.  It also has a cell phone, because well doesn’t every kitchen have it’s own cell phone?  B put it together while Ben napped on Saturday.  When he woke up he didn’t notice it right away because we had visitors.  B’s parents drove in from Austin.  It took Ben a minute to warm up to them, but then Gramma started playing with the kitchen and they became instant friends.  We’ve also been trying to find just the right name for B’s dad, but Ben took it upon himself to name him…Boots!  B’s dad has some sweet cowboy boots and Ben loves them.  He learned to say boots, but then kept calling B’ dad “Boots” so we went with it.  Kind of sounds more like “buuuts”, but so cute.  He also says “may-maw” for Gramma.  He’ll learn.  Thanks Boots and Gramma for coming to visit.  Ben loved watching UT and baseball and going to the park.  We can’t wait to see you in a few weeks.

playing with Gramma

this is what the kitchen looks like after about 10 minutes (we spilled water on our shirt)

 

after Boots and Gramma left we went to the field by the pool to kick around a ball and fly Daddy’s plane.  Ben kept watching the plane (and birds and real airplanes) with his hands behind his back like this.  Such a goof.

 

Look at the birds!

 

Learning how to kick

 

Mommy and Ben unintentionally dressed alike :)

 

Ben took a header into the corner of the wall while chasing the dogs.  He nailed the side of his head near his eye.  A little cold pack, juice (which he never gets) and some TLC from Daddy made all the difference.

And now Olive…

Ben will be a big brother around April 18.  This puts Mommy 14 weeks tomorrow.  I actually found out right at 4 weeks when Daddy was at a Rangers game.  It wasn’t a huge surprise to us.  Daddy asked me to take a test a few days earlier, but it was too soon.  We kept it a secret from everyone except a few people we work with for about 6 weeks.  Pops and Grams found out on Pops’ birthday and Boots and Gramma found out a few days later.  There are still some people who don’t know (my kids and their parents), but for the most part it’s not a secret anymore.  In fact I found out tonight Pops was blabbing away to people who have no need to know!!!  The entire time I’ve thought girl and this was confirmed at our 12 week level 2 sonogram.  Two days later I ate a TON of Olive Garden breadsticks and blamed it on the little princess so I’ve been calling her Olive.  We possibly have a name, but it’s a secret for now (and it’s not Olivia).  We’ve been blessed to have an easier pregnancy with this one and my wonderful doctor still lets me come in every 2 weeks for heartbeat checks.  I can’t wait to start feeling her.  We are very excited about all that is to come as our family goes from 3 to 4.  We have no idea how to do girls, but we’ll learn and we have no doubt Ben will be a protective big brother.  We’re also preparing ourselves for the poor princess to be beat and picked on by Ben, that’s what big brothers do :)  In the meantime we’ll soak up all the Ben time we can get before our lives change again.  Ben is so amazing and fun, we can’t wait to double that!

Rudolph

Our busy boy has been well-busy!  Sweet Ben doesn’t know how to sit still and this results in bumps and bruises including one right on the nose (hence-Rudolph).  It’s getting much better, but last week Ben tripped at school as they were walking inside and scraped his nose.  Thank God it happened a day after picture day! 

Daddy’s been getting to work extra early these past few weeks so he can be home in time to enjoy the gorgeous weather we’ve been blessed with.  Trips to the park and the field across the street keep our active boy a happy boy.  Mommy had the stomach flu and daddy has had some toe issues so it’s been a few days of no outside time for sweet Ben.  Today we took him across the street with a ball and it was bliss.  He loved playing with Daddy and then ended his time scraping all the bark off a tree.  Happy as a clam! 

Ben turned 16 months on Sunday.  16 months going on 16 years!  This little man is INDEPENDENT!  He wants it his way on his time.  He still loves his mac n cheese and blueberries, but also LOVES water.  His sign for water has turned into touching his ear and saying something that I don’t think sounds anything like water, but it gets the job done.  He would drink it 24/7 if we let him.  At least it’s healthy.  I think he might be a chef when grows up because man he loves to help Daddy cook.  We call him our sous chef because he’s always wanting help.  I think Santa may have already gotten someone his own kitchen :)  But as much as he’s growing up, he still loves his Mommy and Dada.  His hugs and kisses melt our hearts as does his smile.  Oh Ben, we love you SO much!!!

 

I took a ton of pictures today and just couldn’t decide which ones so here’s a bunch!

 

 

this is what he does as he starts to run

 

 

 

hugs for Daddy are the greatest!