A few games with the Marquez clan

It is easy to tell one of Bennett's favorite people on the planet is his Uncle Marty. Mostly because his Uncle Marty is always willing to sit and chat with a 3 year old but also because he will play any sport on the planet with the kids.

So this last Saturday while Dad was stuck at work the kids and I headed to Fairlanes Bowl for some bumper bowl. It wasn't easy to have a baby in a bowling alley with a very very excited little boy but it was well worth it. Bennett loved everything from the shoes, hanging out with Reece Cash and Maddie and the whole process of throwing this large ball as hard as he could towards the pins... some of his most noticeable dislikes... waiting for his turn to come back around again... shocker.

Then on Monday we took an amazingly sunny afternoon and headed down to watch Maddie play soccer. He was so excited that he told me he had to get her a present for her game. We picked out a candy treat at the store and he diligently made a drawing for her to go with it. It was great to be outside with the kids a support Maddie and the rest of the Soccer Girls!

First Day of Preschool!!

Bennett's first day of Preschool has finally arrived! We pulled in the parking lot a few minutes early and Bennett was already annoyed with my obsessive chasing photography. We wandered in to his class room and I was a little weighted down by Annie in her car seat. I quickly lost Bennett in the group as he nearly dove into all the play centers. The class room was darling and I was a little nervous because I felt like if I waited too long he might get anxious about me leaving, I thought I would try to leave while it was still new and exciting and he wouldn't miss me.

I quickly bent down to ask him if he knew where the bathroom was again and he said "I know Mom!" like "get out of here mom you are cramping my style!"

I left and although it was a peaceful few hours, I still had a baby that was a bit cranky now that her napping schedule had been interrupted... so we headed to the lake for a jog and I must admit, it was a bit lonely feeling, I could go as slow or as fast as I wanted without the constant chatter from my 3 year old in the stroller.

As I went to pick him up he seemed like he had barely noticed that I had left. The teacher said he did wonderful and it was the first time I just felt a little left out on a Bennett activity. I know this is the next step for him but to ask him about his day and not actually knowing the answer before asking him just seems foreign.

He is growing up... and there is nothing I can do about it... except be on of the most proud Mamas on the planet. I love you Bennett and I could not be more happy about this little school going preschooler you have become!

All ready to go... loves his new lunch box!

He honestly just jumped right in with the other kids... he has since told me "I have lots of friends at school!!" So cute!

 Here are some sights around the class room... how darling is this?!



Preschool Orientation

Today was a special day for our little man... not quite as special as a "first day of school" but pretty darn close. I don't want to call it the official first day of school because I want to save those magical pictures for next Tuesday which is the official "drop off" date.... and there hasn't officially been that magical moment where I watch him walk up the stairs to his new school alone and tears fill my eyes, or maybe it will be a happy dance... it is still to be determined.

Tonight Joel Annie and I all joined Bennett on his Preschool Open House to check out the class room and meet the teacher and other parents. Once again the school has blown me away, it is at the NEW children's museum (open to the public in November) and it is beautiful... it actually feels like this magical place that I am a little jealous he gets to spend there without me. I filled out a few page questionnaire a while back and not only did Teacher Betsy greet us with a huge "Hi Bennett" but she remembered that I had written in the questionnaire that Bennett learned to ride a two wheeler this summer... She said "Bennett I heard you can ride a bike with no training wheels!" and he was sold instantly! She is seriously a fabulous teacher and I am soooo excited to leave Bennett with her this year.

He jumped right into the group of kids and barely even looked back at his parents who stood on the edge of the large group of kids watching in amazement as he passed play dough out to his new friends. I have rarely had a prouder mama moment. He wasn't just in the class... he was excelling and loving every second. He talked a million miles an hour all the way home about the toys he had played with and how he thinks next time I should stay in the car and let him go by himself. He even said "next time you stay at home, I will ride the bus!"

My little boy is growing up way too fast!

 Walking into the back entrance at his school...

 And I hate to even get photographic evidence of this... but I know it is a must... this is the hair cut I gave him in preparation for his big first day... short of shaving his head I am not sure there is any fixing it... so embarrassing... I am hoping people just think it is a bad scar or something... Looks like dad is on super cut duty for a while.

Annie 7 Months Old...

How has yet another monthly birthday snuck up on me for our little lady?! I am shocked she is already 7 months but at the same time it is fairly difficult to even remember what life what like without her.

This month has also snuck up on me due to our first weekend away from her this last weekend when I met Joel in Vegas for a Ford conference and Annie used this opportunity to get her very first big cold. I knew Grandma Ruth would handle it great but she has been a snotty and drooling mess since last week and it is fairly exhausting for this mama (especially after a few nights in Vegas).

Other than that she has continued on her path of baby perfection and being quite an easy kid (I am sure this trend will come to a screeching halt in her teen years and I will pay dearly for all these easy months while she was a super easy baby)

She is still a pretty easy sleeper and has settled into her own room nicely with her humidifier, fan and white noise machine being a great combination that even walking by the room usually puts her into a deep sleep. She still wakes a few times at night and want to eat but I think it will be a short window.

So for the new things in Annie's life... She is almost (like I swear any second now) crawling she is on all fours all day long and I just hold my breathe and try to will her forward but no such luck yet.

She eats some baby food now which makes me sooo happy and other than the mess it makes I think it is the cutest thing ever. She is continuing to babble like crazy and giggles a lot more lately.

She has no teeth but I have been swearing they are coming at any second for months... we will see :)

Here are some fun 7 month shots of our eating session tonight... I am slacking on the adorable outfit etc for the monthly pictures but since we have had so much snot and crankiness in the house this last week I thought a onsie and a cute smile were perfect enough :)

And a little Phone Photo Purge...

 Our little swinger...

The Jack Man on his first Birthday!

 

A New Blog Book and a Fun Relaxing Weekend!

We have had a fabulously boring weekend, Grandma Olsen came down to visit and it was so wonderful to have her here. Bennett was so excited to have her to play with and give her her new purple blog book. It was the first time that I got the book that Bennett has just gone crazy showing it to people and asking to read it (I know it took me 8 months to finish the 2011 book... it was a hard one this year!) . This may be one of my favorite things I have done as a mama. I have chronicled their entire lives since the day we found out we were pregnant with Bennett. It has captured the memories of camping, first days of toddler groups, numerous trips to the zoo and everything in between. Since we got it this week Bennett will read it and I can tell her truly remembers those days and whatever adventure we were on. I love that I will be able to look back at all the fun we had and how it was to be a mom when the kids were young. I have really tried to find the best way to capture the feeling of watching my kids grow and I will cherish these books for the rest of my life.

We get one copy for us and one for each set of the grandparents... I think the Grandmas might love the books as much as I do :)

And the event that we are capturing this week... Annie girl trying to crawl!! She is so close I swear the first time I look away she is going to scamper across the room. She is into doing this little butt scoot that she crawls out with her hands and her butt catches up a bit.... I know I am celebrating a little prematurely but I don't care it is cute and I love it!

 I swear she has the darkest eyes I have ever seen... such a pretty girl!

 Loving her some Hurlie time... She loves this dog

 Alanzo came to visit us today and this was forsure the only 3 minutes they were sitting quietly :)

 This girl loves her bath time!!!

 Reminds me of this little guy from 3 years ago...

Bennett and the Beast

So when Joel was telling me all about this football player coming down I didn't think much of it. See I am not a true football fan. I'll admit, I love to tailgate with the best of 'em but when September rolls around and football invades my weekends and Monday nights I get a little annoyed with this husband ritual but I have learned through the years to grin and bear it. And now that I have a hyper impressionable 3 year old boy, I have learned to appreciate letting my son snuggle with my husband all Sunday afternoon glued to the TV yelling and dancing.

So today we set out to see Marshawn Lynch at the Rutledge Corn Maze where Joel's dealership was sponsoring the event.  We knew Teri and Denny would come and have a blast with the kids and we sure did. We played in the corn maze (nearly getting lost from my navagation skills) while Joel "worked"... and clearly the highlight of the day for Bennett was the helicopter Marshawn was brought to the maze in... At the end as all the fans are yelling "Bye Marshawn!" Bennett was yelling "Bye Helicopter!"

Marshawn (aka The Beast) seemed like a nice kid and I hear he is a hell of a football player... who knows, I might even watch part of a game this year!

Me and my girl... wearing her first tutu!! She looked so cute!

 The face painter said she had never had a "tractor" request...

 Joel "working"

 Bye Helicopter!