Snow...

As a Winter in Western Washington goes... it has been long, cold, wet and full of boring afternoons trying to entertain a two year old inside. We have done a lot of coloring, reading, snuggling and even more watching "thomas". This week as most celebrated the beautiful snow quickly covering the ground I grumbled because all i saw was a little boy screaming out the back door for snow all week long.... boy was I right! He woke up every morning more delighted than the last, screaming "Snow! Side! Boot" (Lets go outside!) As I am now layering the nighttime lotion on his cold chapped cheeks I think about how freakin adorable he was being so delighted about something so simple as his first big snow!

My Funny Valentine

B and I decided to make Joel some chocolate roll out cookies for Valentines Day...
We found this great recipe on one of our favorite cooking blogs, check it out... Smitten Kitchen Chocolate Roll Out Cookies

There are definitely days I am so happy my husband isn't here to see the mess we make... Bennett decided to "help" with the flour and I think I gave him a bit too much independence. Since it was already messy, I just went with it and took some pictures... Nothing a little vacuum cant fix and the cookies we excellent!
We Love You Dada... Happy Valentines Day!

 

Potty Times

As Bennett hits those fun toddler milestones I can't believe how much he is growing up. So as I drag my feet into the next phase I am caving to the potty training pressures. This weekend we went out to get all those things that you pray will help you get through this battle, a fisherprice potty seat, some adorable 2T Thomas underpants and the video Elmo' Potty time (for those other potty training parents that have not seen it, do it is hilarious)

We are trying to keep it fun for now and planning to get more serious with it later this year.... Wish us luck!

These are so cute... it is probably my lack of childhood brothers that makes me love them so much.

Oh and I should mention he peed in them nearly immediately after I took this photo.

Hairspray

As much as this looks like it is the mid-80's and I used some white rain to friz this out... it is not, this is just the bed head my child wakes up with twice a day.

I have broken down and asked his Aunt Katie to cut it numerous times over the past couple weeks and each time I can't follow through... I am pretty sure he will rock this frizzy mullet until he is in school!

His two favorite things...

I can say with some confidence that both of Bennett's favorite things were here today to make him one happy boy... Cookies and his friend Charli!

Although Jania and I both knew that this project may not be the most age appropriate activity we took advantage of a rainy afternoon with the kids as an excuse to gorge ourselves on cookies! I am pretty sure that Bennett had never had that much sugar in one afternoon but that is ok because they had a blast. We made some sugar cookies into the shapes of hearts (for our little Valentines) and some B's and C's! They did a little more munching that decorating but they both got the hang of it and loved every second. As expected this project led to a joint bath and some running around like crazy all naked... too cute!

We love our days with Charli and Jania... Bennett has fallen in love with that little girl and talks about her constantly, so when he wakes up in the morning and I can say "your buddy Charli is coming today!" He screams smiling from ear to ear. LOVE THEM!

Another crazy busy month...

Boy has it been a crazy month. Lots of play groups, school days, more home visits for adoption (more to come about that later), Joel being out of town for work, and the dreaded croup... but as this month comes to an end it is easy to see all the fun moments and how much our little guy is constantly changing and learning.

Our little chatter box has seemed to be learning at warp speed. He is saying about a billion words (mostly nouns with some verbs thrown in) He has even started learning his colors! He will point to something yellow and say "lellow mama"

This little boy seems to have gotten his fathers art of the bargain... when he knows what he wants he will try to convince me... such a little swindler! It is so fun to see his little eyes truly understanding and pleading with me to go outside in the freezing cold, to let him play in the sink or that 2nd glass of chocolate milk, I hate to admit sometimes just like with his daddy... he wins.
This month he also had his 2 year check up (a little late) and he comes in at 40% for height and 80% for weight. The Dr. confirmed that Bennett is on target with everything even speech!

I love every stage more than the last and as usual I am really enjoying his new found art of communication and his little personality is as charming as can be!

Here is a few moments from our crazy busy week...Working on the colors...

Playing the drums with Reece

 Pulling Evie around in her basket...

 He stole Evie's baby and was taking quite good care of her...

And here is mama & B... not the best picture of me but it is definately how Bennett and I do things, mostly in our pajamas... just having fun and playing...

Slumber Party

With Joel being gone in Detroit for work and Bennett and I missing our friends Jania and Charli desperately we thought it was a great opportunity to have a slumber party!

It is so nice to just be able to hang out, do nothing but watch the kiddos play and sneak in a great night of girl talk over red wine :) Jania has been my best friend for years (I think we have actually moved into saying decades). She is an amazing mother and it truly warms my heart to see my little boy smile at her little girl with such love and friendship. Charli is the sweetest little lady, she is so chill (a little like her mommy) and smiles and chats constantly, She even has started calling me "Juwee" or "B ma" and I love it.
They are quite the pair... Bennett is just now using kids names and boy did we hear her name. He added "charwee" onto the beginning and end of everything that came out of his mouth. He cried when she left and I when he woke up from his nap he made me search our spare room to make sure I wasn't hiding her somewhere. So after a great night with great company we have two tired mamas and a broken hearted little boy missing his best bud.... Love them all :)

Brushing teeth... I think they would have done this for hours had we let them.

Bath time...

The End of a Croupy Week

The last week has been full of tired nights, a sad crying coughing kiddo, and I would bet an almost as sad mom. Joel was out of town for work and Bennett had a battle with Croup that landed us at the hospital Sunday morning and the Dr. numerous times this week. Croup can be scary for kids with a trach in the past because it is an infection of the trachea. I spent most of the time in the ER wondering how I had not stressed about catching this virus in the past. He is on the mend and the Dr said he actually did quite well with it considering his past surgeries in that area.

 A bright point in the week was our first home study for Foster Care/Adoption. I think it went well and we are excited to be one step closer.

As I am still a little too tired to write any more I will just add some pictures of our day celebrating the Hawks, well until they lost... but still a fun day with the fam and some great food!

Working on getting a smile out of Cash... so close!

The boys... being boys... they have so much fun together!

Playing cards with Grandpa

A New Night Time Routine...

This week I took Bennett to see the Dentist. And if you think that adults avoid the Dentist I am positive that if he had a say, Bennett would have done the same. This is actually the 2nd Dentist visit for B and the first was a slight disaster. Last January I thought I was being the perfect parent carting my 1 year old with 8 teeth off to the dentist. We saw a specialist in Seattle that could help with possible othordontia issues that kids like Bennett who need the tongue surgery may have... and lets just say we both left in tears.

Even though last time was a complete failure we decided to find a local pediactric dentist/orthodontist and hopefully it would go better....So off we went this last Tuesday to Dr. Kapist office here in Olympia for Bennett's 2 year old Dentist visit. 

The Dentist was great and the hygenists were even more wonderful. They actually had him brushing his own teeth within 15 minutes ( I have been attempting this feet since his little teeth grew in 18 months ago). They had a HUGE pile of stuffed animals that had teeth and Bennett thought they were hilarious. He was yelling jiberish and brushing away on the moster stuffed animal he picked out, as well and spraying water in his mouth and sucking it out with the vacuum... maybe we have a Dr Bennett Olsen DDS in our future...

So all said and done, Bennett and I have a new addition to our night time routine, the sink! We have tried to do this but he has always hated it... but now we are determined and I just attempt to use the running water to disract him while I jump in to get a quick scrub. This kid is going to have a mouth full of pearly whites!

... And A Happy New Year!!

This is the first year in a long time that as we counted down the last moments of the year I wasn't looking forward to a fresh start. So this year I am making no resolutions and I am officially continuing 2010, ok so I guess we can call it 2011 to spare confusion, but no fresh starts here... I just want to start this year from right where we are and keep it going as great as it has been. 2010 was wonderful! Our little boy learned to walk, we spent very little time in a hospital, we started many play groups and school, B spoke his first of many many words, we spent countless nights enjoying the summer camping, I got crafty and went crazy sewing, we got involved with the March of Dimes, went to Disney, started the process of Foster Care and Adoption, I got my camera and took a billion pictures, and now Bennett even sleeps in a big boy bed. I must say this has been one of my happiest and proudest years yet.

Even though we are ignoring the popular resolutions and fresh start attitudes of the evening, we still took it as a great excuse to head to Grandma & Grandpa Jones' to ring in the new year. Bennett jumped right into the party and had a few too many snacks and water and ended up getting sick down moms shirt right as most of the other guests were arriving... this prompted a quick bath for me and Bennett, a new outfit and an early bed time for the kiddo.

It was a great night and now today we have been relaxing at home, packing up our Christmas decorations and pretending it is still 2010 :)

 Grandma snuggling the Marquez Boys

 Oh Reece, seriously, could you be any cuter?!

 Bennett checking out his cousin Cash

 Cousin Cash rocking in the New Year

 Our kids playing in the new year

Our beautiful dogter Hurlie

 Even when it's freezing out he can't get enough of playing with his dog outside...