March for Babies 2011

What a day! It is now Mothers Day morning and all I want to do is snuggle up in my PJ's and go through my pictures from a wonderful day yesterday. As I am flipping through pictures of kiddos in strollers and people walking in the sunshine it is hard not to get emotional over all the wonderful friends and family we have that came out to support us and this great cause. I had been so worried about the details and donations that I didn't realize how great it would feel to see all those T-shirts worn by everyone we love.

I had assumed it would rain and didn't think much of it (we have to be used to it at this point) but when it didn't rain I couldn't have been happier. It was a beautiful walk around capital Lake and truly a fun day. Team Bennett was a bit slow and definitely pulled up the rear and so by the time we got back all the hot dogs were gone... thankfully I had over bought some BBQ materials (and cocktails :) and Team Bennett headed back to our house to celebrate a wonderful morning.

My sweet Aunt Pam and cousins Emily and Paige couldn't make it over from the Tri-cities, but being the supportive ladies that they are they wore their Team Bennett T-shirts and headed to the March for Babies in the Tri-cities. One of the most famous March for Babies team is Kate's Team out of the Tri-cities. I had heard they have amazing donations and walkers every year... but it didn't occur to me until yesterday after talking to my Aunt that those walkers were walking in her Memory... It made me remember how darn lucky we are that our little guy survived and we are able to celebrate and walk in his Honor. He truly has been through a battle and I was sooo proud of him yesterday and all his two year old craziness!

The March of Dimes has made some amazing strides to prevent premature birth and birth defects... I know all the generous donations are helping us towards every baby being born healthy.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE!

And the Tri-Cities Team Bennett!

A little fun with Lily!

Oh lily... such a funny sweet and happy little girl! Bennett and I were lucky enough to steal her from day care on a sunny day. Her and Bennett crack me up. They had pancakes, a tea party (where during Bennett annouced he had farted "I fart lily") and splashed in the new water table in the front yard. I am pretty sure many summer afternoons will be spent with me sitting back, watching and giggling at two of my favorite kiddos playing in the sunshine.

Gone Fishing

Since Joel was in college he has celebrated opening weekend for fishing by packing up some tents, some crazy boys and a tiny bit of beer and headed to Jameson Lake in Eastern Washington. This has never been an event I felt I was missing out on and I had always considered this one of Joel's "guys weekends". You can imagine my lack of enthusiasm when he asked me "wanna go to fishing weekend with me?"

Anyway it turns out all those crazy college boys have grown up and wanted to make it a family weekend and boy am I glad they did. It was a great group and even some well needed great weather. The kids in the group were awesome... and it truly warmed my heart every time Bennett took off to play with the pack of children in the dirt. His little personality is hilarious, he is so social now and clearly made many little toddler friends.

It amazes me how easy children become friends. They will run up to one another and just simply say "wanna play?!" and off they go, fast friends... it was the first time that he wanted to play with kids and not me.
 I must admit I was secretly most excited about capturing some great moments of my little guy fishing for the first time. He (Joel and I) caught 2 fish and the second one was his favorite. We let him "hold" it (or just squeeze it really hard) he was giggling like crazy the whole time. Surprisingly when we put it back in the water it swam away.

It was a great weekend and it made us all very excited about camping all summer!

Our little Easter Bunny

Bennett was stoked about the easter egg hunts this year... The Easter Bunny first hid eggs down at Aunt Katie & Uncle Marty's on Saturday afternoon. He cracked everyone up by not moving on past an egg until he had opened it and eaten every treat inside... Thankfully the Easter Bunny knew that Bennett liked just one m&m in each egg so it didnt take forever. It was the first real sunny day in months and it was a great way to enjoy it!

The Easter Bunny came to Grandma & Grandpa Olsen's house on Sunday and Bennett got to hunt for eggs with his cousin Alanzo (which he was calling Hunter the whole day... this is his other cousin and he decided it was easier to say than Alanzo...) They were both adorable and Bennett kept yelling "WOW!" when he found each egg... The Easter Bunny even left a very special silver egg for Bennett full of "piggies" (coins to go in his piggy bank)



BUS!

Bennett woke up at the crack of dawn this morning and wanted to go outside to play... I groaned and layered on the warm clothes to play outside with my toddler as the sun finally was breaking into our lawn. We took a short walk down the street and Bennett spotted the school Bus... Anyone who knows Bennett knows his obsession about trains, trucks, tractors and buses! He cried as it picked up the other kids and drove away. I thought... hhhmmm what would make my boy smile more than anything and I turned to Bennett and said "hey bud, wanna go ride the bus?!" and so we did...

I had to google where the bus even picked up in the area and I found a free "dash" bus that ran downtown... so away we went to park and ride the "city bus"

He talked to everyone that got on the bus and told them he was riding the "city bus" which with his toddler lisp comes out sounding like he thought the bus wasn't up to par, but he was so proud as he road all the way to the Farmers Market. He was quick to inform a standing passenger that this was not how you do it. "Sit on bus!" thankfully the gentleman thought he was cute and listened to his rude instruction to sit.

We had "mama coffee" and got some steamer clams for dinner at the Market before riding the bus back to our car... I am pretty sure he will be telling everyone how he rode the "city bus!!!"

Eggs with Bennett's friends

I really wanted to dye eggs this week to properly get Bennett in the Easter Holiday spirit at our house. I invited Meghan and the girls up and then decided to invite a couple of the moms and kids from Bennett's school. I must admit I was a bit panicked when I did a head count last night and I realized I had invited 11 toddlers over to our house to play with staining dye... but I am happy to say 10 dozen eggs later that, the kids had a blast, the moms got in some good girl talk and there was absolutely no permanent damage done.

I said many many prayers for sunshine and thankfully they were answered (at least as best we can expect for Washington in April) and we were able to hang out outside and let the kids run wild for hours. I really hope we can get this group together a ton this summer... it was a blast!

I found these cute buckets so the kids could take home their eggs...

Getting all the kids to sit next to their eggs for a picture was kind of a struggle... oh well they were proud of them :)

Thirty

When looking back at the last time my clock switched over into a new decade I have to take a quick short second and remember what the last decade has brought my life and how much the next ten years will change everything again. Ten years ago tomorrow I was a sophomore in college, studying a little and sneaking over the border to Canada where the cocktail hour was legal for 19 year olds a lot. Since then I have finished college, tackled the CPA exam, worked 6 tax seasons, met and married the man of my dreams, started our family with the most amazing little boy in the world... everything has changed in the last ten years. I cant wait to see what the next ten years will bring me...

My hubby decided I needed to kick off the next decade with a wonderful weekend away in Chelan. We wine tasted, ate at many fabulous restaurants and I even snuck in a spa day... it is so easy to forget how it is to eat a meal at a restaurant without a highchair and screaming toddler. We missed him and couldn't wait to get home to him but it was a well needed weekend away for this 30 year old mama. I ended the weekend with a long run from town to the State Park this morning... 9 miles... what a beautiful day for it!

We snuck out to the State Park and walked around, boy did it make me excited about camping this summer... What a handsome hubby I have!

Oh and I should mention Bennett had a blast while staying at Grandma & Grandpa Jones' and Aunt Katie's who took him to pick out baby chicks.... I hear that he was a little upset they didn't get to go home with the bunny he found at the farm store and he has called the chickens "kitties" but when I walked in the door he wanted to show me those "kitties" first thing!

Hello Sunshine...

B just hasnt been himself this week. Our days have been tantrum filled and exhausting... but today after the sun came out it was like a breath of fresh air... literally. Bennett and I spent the afternoon outside enjoying the sun!... thats right I said the SUN! We rode bikes & wagons, played golf & basketball and "colored" on the driveway.

So most moms that take a million pictures of their kids make sure they are wearing something presentable... and I would love to say I do the same, but my two year old has been pretty particular about what clothes he wants to wear and I have been picking my battles... I also might think it is kinda funny when my kid wears his pirate boots (on the wrong feet), santa pajama pants, Cars T-shirt and Camo sweat shirt...

I think I threw the ball about a million times... we are trying to make up for the winter!
My beautiful baby girl...

This weekend Bennett and Dad played outside for a bit on the "BIKE!" oh this spurred the tantrum of all tantrums after we took him off of his "BIIIIKKKKEE!" oh lord I have a boy boy boy!

Childrens Museum, Take Two...

Oh Bennett... He is sacked out like a champ after a long morning running around the Childrens Museum like a crazy boy with his friend Ryan, or "RY!" as he calls him. Last year I took B to this museum and we spent the entire time in the toddler room because he was getting ran over by "those big kids that werent even watching where they were going" (Our First Trip to the Childrens Museum) and I must confess that was forsure my kid this time, racing around, throwing toys and loving every second.

Thank you Emily and Ryan for a great morning and for the monster nap my little guy is now taking because of it :)