Good Bye Summer!

So I guess as much as we pretended it wasn't going to happen... Summer has ended. The rain filled afternoons have begun where I will desperately try to come up with more "activities when we are stuck inside"... if anyone has any ideas to add to the list please let me know!

Summer we loved you so much and we are sad to see you go.  What great memories we made together... it was everything we had hoped for!

It is hard to think that Bennett will be so grown up the next time we are able to spend endless afternoons in the back yard in the pool or at the Lake. Until then... This is the alternative... Our little fire fighter rainy day boy!

Another Day, Another Park....

Although we love and enjoy Bennett dearly he is definately going through what we are hoping is a phase of being very dependant and opinionated. I know this is a normal part of toddlerhood but I guess it snuck up on me and is taking some adjusting... my adorable, always happy little munchkin has morphed into a very busy and impatient little man. At each moment that I am not rolling around on the ground playing with him he stomps and cries in boredom... So this morning in frustration I put him in his carseat with only one destination in mind... Starbucks.

After I got my well needed latte and a deep cleansing breath I was able to think more clearly and determined that I would drive until we found a toddler friendly park. Just a few minutes later the parenting gods shined down and like a dream this beautiful, safe and children filled park apeared out of nowhere as I turned a corner on Tumwater hill.

As soon as he was released from his carseat my adoarble, always smiling, cheerful toddler returned for atleast 90 minutes while we played and met new friends. It was a very successful morning and I must admit I am home enjoying a well needed afternoon rest time for me and Bennett :)

There's nothing that can't be fixed by an afternoon in the backyard with our little guy and a kiddie pool...

A real life Police Officer!

Although there is no photographic evidence, Bennett got to meet his very first real life Police Officer today. He thought it was pretty great as he screamed gibberish in excitement from his car seat behind the passenger side... His mommy on the other hand was not so amused. I think the Police Officer got the point from Bennett and was nice to his Mommy. Unfortunately the damage had already been done because not only was I speeding while pulling into the park for all the waiting Moms and toddlers to see but I was also meeting Joel for lunch there, who pulled in right behind me just to share in the fun. I am sure Bennett will be just as excited from his stroller in the court room as we mitigate the ticket for expired tabs in just a few short weeks.

Other than that it has been a regular day in the life of Julie and Bennett... We went to the park and picked blueberries and blackberries in our yard. We have spent a lot of time at Grandma & Grandpas in Chehalis this week because I had the stomach flu for 6 days and was down there begging for someone to chase my child. Grandma thankfully took over and taught him how to pick the blackberries, strawberries and blueberries from her yard so today he was a professional harvester. He was like one of those goats you can get for environment friendly brush clearing, I am certain there is not a berry left on the plants, ripe or unripe, and most are nearly bare of leaves.

I am not sure if this is the best task to teach him as it has already led to diarrhea and could lead to a call to poison control in the future...

Yum Blueberries

Yum Blackberries

Bringing one for Mama...

I love my little berry smile!

Happy 1st Reece!

This weekend marks the one year anniversary of the never ending day we spent at the hospital waiting to welcome our nephew, the amazing Mr. Reece! Reece has been an absolute joy nearly every second of the past year. We are all fairly certain he gets his sense of humor from his Mama and is one of the funniest kids around. I can't wait to watch him grow up with Bennett. They are quite a pair...

It was a great day spent with family celebrating an amazing little one year old.

Yum cake!

The diaper duo sported these outfits most of the day because it was roasting out!

Going to the Zoo, Zoo, Zoo...

Bennett's very first dance moves were too this fun and very catchy song about spending the day at the zoo and today we sang it all the way up to Seattle where we met with our buddies Jania and Charli for a day at the Woodland Park ZOO! It is so fun to see the kids faces light up as they see each other. They were quite the pair strolling around with their animal shaped juice boxes listening to their mommies catch up on girl talk.

Auntie Jania telling Bennett all about the Elephants...

They should have a sign that says "don't feed the animals and don't pull their tails"

The kiddos washing the goat germs off their hands.

We took advantage of the fabulous evening weather to chase some bubbles.

... But when Daddy rolls in the drive way, Mama is old news!

Running?!

As Bennett grows I look back at all the documented events such as his first tooth, first roll over, first steps and I remember each accomplishment as this proud mommy moment... But then the day came that I realized he has acquired all these tasks without me even remembering how it happened. Now he blows on hot food,  opens doors and RUNS... All these grown up boy things that I feel like I let happen as if I could control him from becoming the grown up person that he will someday be.

Soon he will be potty trained, reading and I will probably still be in denial that my little baby is grown up.... till then I am going to enjoy his tiny little Converse, the curls above his neck, his screams of babble that I can't for the life of me understand, and his snuggles that are becoming way too far between.

Our day at the park... where I had two seperate mothers ask me "Does he ever stop smiling?!"... Something I have been hearing a lot lately.

Did I mention I love these curls?!

A rainy day at the fair...

Only in Western Washington would a fair in the middle of August get rained out... but Joel, Bennett, and I took it on with plans to find farm animals, exciting rides, and most importantly fair food! We went straight for the rides, Bennett was looking around with apprehension and seemed a bit relieved when he got a little closer to the carousel. It was bright and shiny and he was in heaven as his daddy put him up on his brown little horse.

Next up, the farm animals... We started at the goats and eventually saw chickens, cows, dogs, bunnies, pigs and horses. Bennett just stared at all the big animals in amazement, stuck his arms as far into the pens as possible for the goats and pigs and finally tried to free the bunnies and chickens from their cages.

And our fair dreams came true when we found Bennett's first elephant ear! Yum!

The day was coming to an end as Bennett was getting fussy from being completely soaked and the mud was making it difficult to stroll around. As we were leaving we walked past the pony ride and I immediately thought Bennett was way too small... But I thought twice as the friendly cowboy man heading up the ride seemed he would be patient with us and stop the ride if he cried.

We waited in line and Bennett was a bit more eager as he watched the other kids finish their ride. I must admit as I handed him over and the man put him up on that pony, I couldn't help but be so proud of how brave he was. He was beaming as the pony started trotting along. He was the only little person riding and I was the only crazy mother taking a million pictures...

Stay at home mom

"Stay at home mom" Some people say it is the hardest job in the world, some people think it sounds like permanent vacation... either way it is the place I have found myself for the past two years. Although there are moments of complete frustration (he is currently perfecting the art of temper tantrums), I think I have the best job in the world. 

Someday I want to be able look back and tell him about what it was like being his mom and I know all the millions of pictures I take of him will help me. This blog has definately given me a chance to spend a few minutes at the end of the day and reflect on the fabulous moments... the visions of throwing food and battling with learning to share fade away as I write about our daily events and post these fun pictures.

I have loved having my new camera in the last couple months and although I have a ton to learn and will never be a professional I am proud of some of the pictures I will have forever of my moments as a stay at home mom. I ordered some new lenses for my camera and when they came in the mail today I packed up the kid and went to Grandmas... here are some of our great moments of another day being Bennett's mama...

His cousins Reece... one of the cutest kids in the world...

Bouncing on the side of the pool...

Laughing at my kids super swimmer wedgie... definately one of my favorite moments.

Grandma & Bennett found a snake... he carried it around a bit completely oblivious to the fact that it was a live creature.

A little evening dunk hoops at home with his Daddy...

A great day to be an Olympian

Joel and I have loved living in Olympia for 3 years now and sadly have not taken a day to hang out down town. So when this afternoon was dreary but remotely warm, we took a very boring Sunday and made it a fabulous afternoon downtown Olympia.

We started at the Downtown Oly Fountain. I found a pair of B's swim trunks in the back seat and changed him out of his jeans for some fun. I don't know that much about the fountain other than it runs during the summer days until 5pm and there are always many children running around like crazy little people.

Bennett was a bit apprehensive at first and then jumped right in, it made me a bit nervous because that water comes out pretty hard and I didn't want him to be blown down... so I joined in the fun trying desperately to calculate the pattern so that I wouldn't get wet...

We left the fountain heading on a quick loop through a few of my favorite places. We started at Wind Up Toys, it is an amazing little toy store and Bennett went crazy. We left Wind Up in hopes of ruining our dinners with some old fashion Ice Cream. We thought the Farmers Market would come through for us but they were sadly packing up for the day so we headed for the Boardwalk in hopes of some luck. Although there wasn't ice cream Bennett scored with this adorable waterfront park...

We made a final stop as we aimed for where we parked our car at the fountain as it was winding down for the day and Bennett was the only kid. For those that don't know Olympia, that is the state capital building in the background... I love these pictures...

And after we were certain the fountain had turned off... we let him explore a bit :)

With our hopes of an old fashion ice cream shop completely gone we had settled on hitting a Dairy Queen drive thru on the way home... but as we turned our last corner there was a cafe that serves good old fashion ice cream... we took our little dishes out to the park and chowed down...

What a special day with my guys!