to gnome me is to love me

christmas cards

noreply@blogger.com (sara) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 04:02:00 +0000

i've tried to get ahead of the game for some things this year, as we are often in such a hustle & bustle time around here this time of the year (holidays, birthdays, etc.) we had the tree up before thanksgiving - something i thought i'd never do. oh, never say never. & oh, it was so nice to come home saturday night after thanksgiving & plug in those lights to our decorated tree.

tonight, the kiddos dressed up & gave me their best poses for our christmas cards. these 2 are hams, it was fun & i think we got one that works. here's ~~some~~ several of our outtakes:

hello, tall man (her middle finger stuck up).

wishing you peace this christmas.

hark, the herald angels scream!

i don't know what to say about this one..

ben is the funniest brother in the world!

rockin around the christmas tree

huggies!

mr. muscles

this was a contender

big cheese!

peek-a-boo!

you wanna mess with my brother? i don't think so.

she's choking me!

throw your hands up!

& the winner for this years card is...

just beautiful i think!

graditude is an attitude & contagious as can be..

noreply@blogger.com (sara) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 03:33:00 +0000

that little ditty from our kids' worship @ one life in the month of november has been stuck in my head. how true that song is. it has helped me to focus on the good this past month & thank god for that instead of my too often complaining.
on facebook, i tried to list what i was thankful for each day.. didn't make it every day, but here are the things that came to mind (in reverse order i posted on facebook):

getting to share thanksgiving & the weekend with family & friends

our swagger wagon (our minivan)

forgiveness

love, laughter & fun that fills our home. someday, i know i won't be stepping on that hot wheel that was left out going to bed & our home will be clean - but i will sure miss the excitement & joy the these 2 kiddos & their friends bring to our home.

our teachers, my kiddos have some awesome ones this year! i love that they are keeping that love for learning alive in my kiddos. it has been amazing to watch ben's eyes light up with each new word he learns to read & spell. i am thankful for the teachers i have had in school that helped me with more than just book smarts, but were there for me when things were bad. don't know what i would have done without them. & my teachers outside of school to help me learn about life.

thankful for our friends Melissa & family. i don't know what we'd do without you. in any moment of need, you guys are right there for us! (like yesterday & many days with the kiddos). we love you guys so much & are blessed to call you all our friends! so thankful for you!!

finding my cell phone

for my dayquil & the kids being on a short round of antibiotics/ steriods to clear up the junk they have. hoping for some healthy days soon!

our "dance parties" at home. even though my kids are already telling me i don't know how to dance. just wait till i get to chaperone one of your dances, mr. ben & i will really bust a move.

our veterans, past & present for serving our great country. thank you.

extra super thankful for kate & dave's new bundle of joy today!

my 2nd cousins/big sisters/best friends/mentors, janet & lori. i don't know what i would do without either of you. i love you both so much. thank you. & happy birthday today, janet!!

our freedom here in the united states of america. the right to vote, to worship, freedom of speech. things we often take for granted.

being a stay at home mommy. i love watching our kiddos grow and discover new things every day. these moments are priceless & am so glad i've got to experience each & every one. i am grateful for a hard working man to make this happen.

our church family, One Life West / One Life Henderson, our small group we meet with & our church leadership. kitten & trey: i don't have words to describe how thankful we are for you. i am also thankful that my cousins lori &randy sponsered us 3 years ago to go on a tres dias weekend - what a life changing time that was for us! thank you.

Charlie's Mongolian Barbeque. & that we got to see some of our favorite friends, the Chaffins, there today!

my mom, dad, extended family & my in loves.

the 2 precious kiddos god has blessed us with. never in my life could i have imagined how awesome being a momma could be. they bring so much joy, laughter, silliness & love into our home. i am so thankful that whenever somethings wrong with anyone gracie will say "let's pray for them/that." & we do. i love who they are & watching them grow more awesome every day. benjamin & gracie faye - you kids rock!

justin. my super duper husband & best daddio to our kiddos in the world. he has taught me so much through the years & am so thankful for his blessing in my life. i love you!

there is so much that i often take for granted & this month has been a good one to actually reflect on things with our family & share in the blessings we have.

it's been a while..

noreply@blogger.com (sara) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:50:00 +0000

since i have written anything down. the poor blog has been neglected. let's see what has happened since my last post.
beano & gracie had their last soccer games. hurray!

beano was a scoring machine & gave it his all. good job, buddy!

with his crew after the game.

now, for miss g's last game...

she was a body on the field

attached to her daddio's leg.

i thought it was cute.

we had a super fun shower to celebrate the upcoming arrival of kate & dave's baby. we are all looking forward to that bundle of joy- any day now!

the baby blanket i made for their little nutbrown.

game on lock shirts - justin's idea. don't ask - i don't get it.

the happy parents to be & all of us!

justin & i had our 7th wedding anniversary. not a day goes by that i don't love you more, my love. i can't put into words my love for you.

we've been sick. a lot. i think that's the big reason why the blog has been on hold. the late nights up with coughing, wheezing kiddos can do that.

one day during their illness, we went out to get some fresh air. benj wrote me the sweetest note.

i love you too, buddy. forever & ever.

playing outside that day was lots of fun. the kiddos were striking poses for me.

these are their "angry" faces.

yes, benj, you are bigger!

i love the look grace is giving her big bubby here. too sweet.

halloween happened.

the kiddos were mario & tinkerbell. i curled up miss g's hair & put on some makeup. she was loving it!!

visiting neighbor john's house.

mario was bugging tinkerbell.

& she let him have it with her fairy wand. don't tink her off!

i was just a mom for halloween. a tired one.

& this was ben at the end of the night. a self portrait he took with my camera. lovely.

the leaves have been coming down & down & down in our yard. gracie gets very upset when i bag them up. they are to be jumped in & slid into & played in & thrown up in the air- not trashed! they are indeed fun!

that's been the goings on lately..

where is thumbkin?

noreply@blogger.com (sara) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 04:05:00 +0000

miss gracie had her speech evaluation with the school this week & passed their testing no problem. so, no speech with evsc at this time. but momma is working with her the best i can & will look into other options. i am very thankful that she herself is not concerned about the fact that some can't understand her. but i want her to be able to sing one of her favorite songs "where is thumbkin?" without sounding like she's saying the f-bomb. i'm sure the music teacher at her preschool church blushes when she hears that being belted out! & those tricky k sounds (that sound like a t - kitty with a t is said quite often) & gr sounds (her name is not tracy, folks). momma & daddio both had to take speech when we were little & she's kinda destined for it i guess. not a biggie. she'll get those words. she's one smart cookie & doesn't give up.

the goings on lately..

noreply@blogger.com (sara) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 03:55:00 +0000

soccer. big surprise!
after gracie's triumphant return, the next game was against the team she played the first time. & that team was why she didn't want to play anymore.

i think the girl standing next to her was one of the shorter ones on that team. they were good. really good. and aggressive. really aggressive for a 4-6 year old league. they never let up & bit much i thought, but that's momma bear here. i was proud of our girls for not giving up though.

that game caused her breathing issues to flare up in a major way. friday, the day the kids had out from school we were planning on something super special while ben was at a birthday party. it ended up being a doctor visit. not too special. by the time we getting the prescription, reality set in that we weren't going to the fall festival or to chuck e cheese (the special things we were thinking about doing). she was mighty upset about this fact & started crying in the drugstore that turned into a cry you just can't stop. i was holding her while in line & talking to her, trying to make her feel better. a lady in her 60's got in front of us in line & told gracie to be quiet, she was being bad & nobody wanted to hear her. really?? i told my gracie girl it was ok, she is a good girl & i was sorry she was sick. & i did then tell the lady that my daughter was sick & upset. quite the drama scene in walgreen's. another lady about the same age then offered gracie a piece of candy from pocket (that kind that my grandma always carried). god bless her.

we've put up a soccer goal in our yard & ben wants to play all the time. he's getting pretty radical (one of his new favorite words), i must say. he just kept scoring & scoring on saturday.

at one point, coach daddio told him to pass it to another teammate or wait for them at the goal to let them score. & he did. he had taken that ball down the field & kinda stood in front of the goal, dribbling, waiting on a teammate. he wasn't showing off, he was really trying to do what coach said. the other team eventually kicked it away, but that was ok. he was trying to share. daddio said he gave him a big smile after that. i love that boy.

miss gracie was sporting the tie dye dress we made for ben's soccer games & my sunglasses. too cute if i do say so myself.

we've started some "chores" around here (help with bed, clothes, teeth, dishes in sink or dishwasher, help with picking up). the kiddos will get either a quarter or a treat if they do what they are supposed to all week. of course, benj was immediately trying to negotiate a better deal of a daily payment.

here was the list ben created of his to do's:

what they are.. i'm not quite sure.. those first words no clue... but make my bed was the end of the first one.

gracie's list she helped make included 5. have fun 6.feed froggy 7. patience 9. pray 10. bed

they did get a "treat" for completing their first week of helping more around the house. the game Guess Who? from the basement stash of toys. & they love it! (they love every game - especially ben)

today, we went for a scooter/trike ride in the neighborhood.

check out their new shirts.

it's a picture ben made in art class & they sent home paperwork to have it made into a shirt. we scanned his artwork & ironed it onto shirts we had.

this yard decoration is at a home in our subdivision. it just doesn't seem safe to me...

it's right by the road. i'm all for shabby (a bit too much daddio would say), but rusty spikes just don't seem like a good idea to me.

1/2 way through, gracie just left her trike to the wayside & then ben did.

pretty typical for our walks.

gracie had a wipeout too. she said she wished the roads "were made of pillows to soften her landing."

racing time.

someone got a head start!

worn out time.

she just plopped right down on the road. silly goose. she got carried / pushed most of the way back, as she was wiped out & couldn't breath. at least now we have an inhaler for her. get strong lungs, grow strong!

& i have to add another going on... toots. i guess it's a boy thing. i asked ben if he had to go to the bathroom yesterday. he replied,"no, i just like to toot a lot." what a stinker.

feelin' a bit froggy round here

noreply@blogger.com (sara) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 02:52:00 +0000

our cement pond had become a refuge for frogs in the past few weeks since we hadn't been putting in the chemicals & just trying to find the time to close it. i am sooo happy daddio closed that thing up this past weekend. thank you hunny! every day, multiple times a day, we would have to check the pool skimmer for frogs - which entailed me lifting that basket out & dumping out whatever was inside & gracie grabbing every frog for her to save in her nice little froggy habitat she created in our cooler.

here are some of the froggys gracie "saved" in the past few days... they were named daddy frog, momma frog, baby frog, baby frog, baby frog, baby frog (too many "baby" frogs to name).

nice, huh?

it was getting a bit too much for momma to handle (they wouldn't eat the frog food or fish food those little boogers), so last night we had a release of the frogs to find the rest of their froggie families & head somewhere a bit warmer.

before the release, a family picture.

she sure does love froggies!! & i look forward to the day when mr. b will give me a smile again.

& here she is letting them go.

she had to pet each one &give them a little squeeze before releasing them towards the lake.

benj is a bit more like his momma, not caring so much for the sliminess & squirmyness & jumping.
but, he did release some of the baby frogs.

there's that smile i love!

i thought the frog release would never end!

frogs everywhere that gracie had to love on before release. ick!

& one of the last ones was the big daddy frog. that dude really freaked me out.

& gracie loved that fact. (& a side note - check out her dress momma made for her from old shirts- just don't look too close at my lack of sewing skills!)

can ya tell?

at least, my sweet boy was trying to protect me with a "shield" as gracie kept wanting me to get a better look. i think he was a bugged out as me!

adios, froggies.. until next year when you try to overtake our cement pond.

she's back in pink!

noreply@blogger.com (sara) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 02:29:00 +0000

well, miss gracie decided to give it another go at soccer thanks to big brother's pep talks. & love it she did. it helped that she had some of her favorite people, dave & kate (& baby in the belly), in the crowd cheering her on. one of her favorite places was still on the bench, socializing & cheering "let's go shockers, let's go!" though.

but guess what - little miss came back in pink with a vengeance! a goal!!! woohoo!

ok, she might have been at the right place at the right time thanks to coach susan, but it was a goal!

all in a day's work for miss grace. (at least she looks that way after her goal)

& she ran & played & most of all had fun!

& not away from the ball, but with the crowd!

keep up the good work & fun, my little shocker!

holiday world picnic

noreply@blogger.com (sara) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 22:23:00 +0000

daddio's work picnic was sunday at holiday world. the kiddos woke up on their own ready to go! daddio was a bit tiredo, but still managed to get up & go.

first stop of course, at the santa statue.

we rode the old-time cars for the first time with the kiddos. gracie was a bit worried about driving off the road, just like i remember as a child. i told her though, about the track to guide the car - something nobody ever told me! you are welcome, my dear.

oh, how i wanted so to bump them. but didn't.

holidog's funtown was where we spent the most time. playing in the rocks or on the playground

i love that crooked little smile of hers.

& that smirk.

benj was havin fun, but avoided the camera as much as possible.

water is always fun, fun, fun!

he was trying to talk momma into going over by him since he had the water sprinkler covered up - buddy i'm too smart for that..

gracie rode the train with me. ben didn't, guess he's getting too old. she thought it was super awesome to see all the characters from her favorite nursery ryhmes.

by the end, we were all holiday'd out. note her prize ducky (small prize from the win everytime duck game) on the ground.

except for ben, because he won a medium prize!

i knew it wouldn't last...

noreply@blogger.com (sara) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 20:51:00 +0000

ben's folder when he got home today...

a month and a half of school & this is what we have!

nothing a little tape won't fix i'm sure!

just a sittin & a waitin...

noreply@blogger.com (sara) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 20:50:00 +0000

for daddio's plane to arrive.

signs ready!!

i remember sitting with ashley when she was a little gal waiting her mommy to get home & taking a picture just like this.

just a rockin.

the kiddos were super duper duper excited to see their daddio & haven't left his side since. i've been fighting for a spot near him for my hug! so happy you are home, my love!

papaw's hat

noreply@blogger.com (sara) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 04:40:00 +0000

we took papaw to get a haircut friday while benj was in school. i ended up taking him to a beauty shop, which he was less than thrilled with but tough.
miss gracie was trying out his hat for size. & i, of course thought she was the cutest thang.

go phillies!!

soccer saturday & family fun

noreply@blogger.com (sara) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 04:37:00 +0000

soccer, soccer, soccer the next month!
benj couldn't wait to play! the team they played against seemed to be quite a bit younger (it is ages 4-6)& there was one little boy on the other team that sure didn't know how to control his frustrations, poor guy! every time we'd score, he'd hit our players & stick out his tongue. benj said his team just thought it was funny.
you can tell he was working hard out there! & he scored a goal (or 2 - i don't know, he says 4!)

now.... onto miss g's game. here's some shots of her practicing before the game to show she knows what's up.

now here she is during the game.

she's the one as far away from the action as can be!

this was her expression most of the time on the field. she did entertain herself out there by doing sign language & giving me "looks" while she was supposed to be playing.

her favorite time was on the bench.

after a loong morning - afternoon at the soccer fields, we headed to the women's hospital 10th anniversary celebration near our home. one super cool thing was that we saw the nurse we had when we benj was born. she rocked. i remember daddio asking her if our son's nose was swollen from the birthing process or what & she looked at daddio, his nose, smirked & said "no, i think that's just his nose." he has his daddio's handsome nose.

& benj was tired of momma taking pictures.

the kiddos loved all the inflatables & games.

heading off for some more fun!

i just love it when they are getting along (which is a lot of the time)!

got to shoot some hoops - kinda

good form, buddy!

ben wouldn't give up on anything!

gracie either, despite the fact that the vest weighed about as much as her!

she looks a bit done for there! i asked the lady to take her out at that point.

& gracie got to ride a pony!!!

yes, i took a picture of the horse's behind.

this thing here kinda reminded me of the birthing process...

see what i mean??

we enjoyed snow-cones, cotton candy & popcorn - can't beat that!

but, at this point, i knew it was time to go home...

(she was begging for 1 more game, 1 more snow cone, 1 more trip through an inflatable - anything!) it was a long, fun-filled & "tired out" day like the kiddos like to say.

up to japan and start of soccer games

noreply@blogger.com (sara) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 03:55:00 +0000

daddio is right now up in the air on his way to japan. this morning, i wanted to get a picture of the kiddos with him.

lovely. mr. benj just loves to light up for that camera.

but, at the bus stop, they were showing their true feelings.

they miss & love their daddy.

& i am & do too. bunches

so glad it's a short trip. i very much respect those single parents out there & the military families that are at home doing it every day. some strong folks out there!

******************************************************************************************

& now- dum da dum dum.....game 1 for beano, future soccer phenom!!!

he said the kids on his team (2 of the much younger ones) are calling him "mastermind." do you think they mean "megamind" the movie because of his head shape - or is that just momma worrying? anyways, he thinks it's hilarious. & i'm glad he does!

hands up!

the team did a great job & he was attacking that ball. though he didn't score any goals himself, he did get lots of assists (if there is such a thing in soccer) & blocked a lot of goals.

some action shots of my boy:

he had 2 kids on him for the throw in, he was such a threat!

he was a hustlin too! i was very proud of my soccer star!

we will be at the soccer fields almost every day till mid october with at least 1 of the kiddos having games (except for sundays & fridays). i have a feeling this will be what the next month of posts will be about.

it's been a rough couple of weeks...

noreply@blogger.com (sara) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 23:57:00 +0000

for benjo's red folder. it looks like it's been through an entire school year instead of just 3 or 4 weeks.

i can't help but think his daddy's folder looked the same way, all bunched up in the backpack. :)

he had his first homework assignment today & couldn't wait to start it when we got home. i hope that enthusiasm continues. on 1 of the pages, he had to draw 2 birdies. he asked me to draw him an example. umm, momma is no artist. & he copied exactly the birdies i made.

momma needs some art class. i think we'll let daddio help with the artwork for now.

poor boy has an ear infection & yucky cough (like the rest of us). last night, when we were all in bed the worries started getting him. he is table leader this week & he was worried about letting his table down if he had to miss school (he didn't, momma sent him anyway). he survived through the day & was wanting to have a play date with another bus buddy. this boy has quite a social life for a kindergartner. who knew so many kiddos (sweet kiddos too) lived in our neighborhood. we are quite blessed!

the schoolwork he brings home is a piling up! they have already made it through the alphabet & onto bigger things. our artwork display is running out of room. (i'm going to use melissa's idea & put all of his kindergarten work in a binder since there is so much - thanks, melissa!)

for momma, it's been a rough couple of weeks too. i haven't gotten into the best routine yet. i'm always setting a timer to make sure we or i are where we need to be. but there's been times (today) when i'm downstairs & don't hear it. gotta get out that old watch i guess...

& not to leave out miss gracie faye... she's loving preK - it's just the leaving annabelle part we have a hard time with. she cried for a looong time today when we went home because she didn't get to go home with her. she thinks everyday should be annabelle playdate day! (& alaina after school)

s'more soccer

noreply@blogger.com (sara) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 03:14:00 +0000

soccer pictures were last saturday. i tried to get a picture of the kiddos together. guess who wouldn't cooperate??

little sis will always smile for the camera.

i still did get a picture of him. ha! score 1 for mama!

after pictures, the boys had a practice & scrimmaged against another team. ben's buddy's kip's team. they were pysched! & ben scored a goal.

when he scored it, his shoelace was untied (momma tied it - thank you to my mom & dad for not teaching me the correct way to tie shoes!!). ben now thinks that was good luck & he must play that way. superstitions already!!

this soccer season is going to be quite an adventure for both the kiddos' teams. gracie loses interest about 1/2 way through practice & is begging me to take her off the field. ben's team is coached by daddio & well, he is doing his best & i am very proud of him. he has much paitience (he must, he did marry me!).

back to school, back to school

noreply@blogger.com (sara) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 03:05:00 +0000

i wonder if everyone my age thinks of that adam sandler song whenever this time of year rolls around. i can't get it out of my head! well, miss g started prek tuesday. & yes, i think i shed a tear or 2. thank goodness i had volunteered to help make copies at ben's school while she was in prek so there weren't buckets full of tears. it's hard to believe my baby is this old!

yes, she wore a dress with gnomes on it the first day. that's my girl!!

striking a pose in her room.

when i picked her up, she raised up her arms & shouted "i loved it! it was totally cool!" (for the record, "totally" is totally gracie's favorite descriptive word in the world right now & i think it is totally cute. but, that's just me.

i have yet to have the few hours just at home alone while she's in preK, but tomorrow i will. what to do, what to do?? i pretty sure it involves decluttering. where to start, where to start- that's the question! (i would show a picture but i'm too embarrased!)

what a sunday & reminder to self - it's not all about me..

noreply@blogger.com (sara) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 02:45:00 +0000

sunday, i woke up with the headache that has been plaguing me for weeks now. it was a bit of a struggle to put on a happy face, get the kiddos ready & head to our new church location (for now) for the tours of the childrens' classes. but, we did it & i was just blown away by the work & enthusiasm & love that was shown in each classroom. it was awesome!! gracie told me with excitement as we were leaving her room, "mommy, you need to stay & hear the music - it's totally cool!" i loved watching & participating in the elementary kiddos groups & seeing my big b's eyes lit up, listening to the story told, & getting up & dancing & singing during the worship time. God's love was all around.

honestly, leaving one life on sunday many thoughts were racing through my head.
1-can we really be a part of launching the

us? i haven't read the entire bible through since i was a kid!
2-i loved our "movie church" the way it was...it had taken us a while to find that "right church" & now it's a changing... i loved every sunday at discovery listening to His word & crying & singing & laughing & getting a great spiritual start for my week. what will the future really hold?
3-does being a small group leader for the elementary kiddos means we don't get to go to the actual adult service for a year? what about me?

my headache got worse.
& then we went to my moms....mr. ben was happy to see pap wasn't there (cousin luke had taken pap to his house to give my mom a much needed break). which broke my heart. ever since the stroke & living with pap & fighting & moving out, little ben's relationship changed. & i thought about this at mom's outside & just cried. we were trying to do the right thing, but was it? i want benj to remember my papaw as the papaw that held his held learning to walk,

so excited to show him how to bat left handed. (pap's stroke was a week after this picture)

the pap that he loved to help in the garden

& go out to with eat at windell's.

not the papaw that he didn't want to see because of that summer.

& my head hurt even worse.
& of course i could not sleep at night, my mind racing & praying. talking to God did help.

even though i'm an only child :), i know this life isn't about me. it's about waay more than me. sharing God's love. just knowing God loves me & accepting Christ as my savior isn't enough. the last book we read in small group was Radical - taking back your faith from the american dream by David Platt & man, do i keep reflecting back on what we read. it wasn't an easy read for me, but it impacted us all so for the better.
& to answer my questions after church from above:
1- wow! i get to be a part of something so awesome as sharing God's word & love with others. it may seem daunting , but "yes we can!" :)
2 - only God knows what the future holds. it's in his hands. & it's so much bigger than the "movie church" that we were comfy at. & pastor trey will still be there & the band but with so many more resources & we get to be a part of it!
3- getting to be a part of showing God's love for my special group of children is going to rock & how rewarding is that for me & them. it's a bit humbling to get to share in such an important time of a person's life & walk with the Lord.

onto the visit at mom's. i still don't know what to do about ben's relationship with papaw. i pray & pray on that & cry & cry. ben did show such maturity when pap was in the nursing home by even going & hugging him & telling me he forgave his papaw & i am so proud of him for that. but i know it still hurts & i don't want my baby to hurt. i want him to be the carefree 5 year old he should be. i pray time heals these wounds for all of us, especially my baby boy. that's all i got for sunday. what a day.

kick it good!

noreply@blogger.com (sara) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 05:30:00 +0000

both kiddos had their first soccer practices tonight. gracie has been having meltdowns about soccer since she realized there would be games. (she just wants to practice she says) tonight, she did just fine. she tried to do everything the coach said & was so durn cute! one time, she looked over at me & smiled & yelled "hi mom!" love her!
some of the future mia hamm in action:

striking a pose

stretching it out

ready for action!!

kickin it!

concentrating

just plain ole cute!

daddio did an a+++ job coaching benj's team tonight. it was a bit hectic, the boys only had 1/2 a field to practice on, so many teams out there! & 2 moms were a bit miffed because they couldn't find our team - which was totally my fault. i had emailed we would meet under the pavilion for last week's practice (that we didn't have due to heat) & that's where they were up there waiting & waiting for 20 minutes. (i would have checked the fields at that point i think) i got a very nasty phone call as i was watching gracie practice (some not so nice language to say the least). i found the mom that called my cell, apologized & escorted her & her son to the field. she said the other mom had already left (didn't) because she was so po'd. they were not happy at all! on a more positive note, i must say i am proud of my hubby for his hard work tonight as coach & the kiddos for their great job practicing. ben was quite excited for his daddy to be coach. we will be working with him a bit more on paying better attention to "coach" not daddy, as he gets a bit "wild up!"
some of the future david beckham in action:

yep, that's him down in the net.

we've got a big kindergartener on our hands

noreply@blogger.com (sara) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 02:38:00 +0000

as i type this at 9:17pm, the talking about the day has finally quieted down (he ended up sleeping with daddio tonight). benj had not much to say about school "it was fun" until after books were read & lights were off. then, he was on. & on. & on. oh, what we learned too!

some of his tidbits:
he's thinking we should switch off everyday for bus riding - mom taking him to school. apparently, he felt a bit carsick. but we figured out it may have been due to the heat. don't know yet what our plan will be. today, i ended up showing up at school just to make sure he made it ok (he did).

1st potty break the boys were quiet & the girls weren't. 2nd potty break the boys were loud & the girls were quiet. & some girl stuck out her tounge at him & said "girls first nnuh!"

he has a friend that said he knows him from karate (ben's never taken karate) in his class. we think it's from t-ball. that boy doesn't know what it means to put a bubble in your mouth & he got on ben for not having a bubble in his mouth. ben said he told him it just meant to be quiet.

listening is exhausting to him. "they just go on & on & makes me so tired," he said. we had a talk about how that's how we learn & how important being an active listener is.

there's a gracie that he is around at some point in time & she bugs him.

ben can't wait for piano. he's going to play a good night song to make the teacher fall asleep he thinks.

there's a few more, but i'm not going to write them on here, but will in his baby(big kid) book because they are just priceless.

oh & after getting off the bus today, he got to play at his friend conner's home (he lives right at the bus stop). conner & ben were trying to get the guys working next door with water guns until we noticed what they were up to. then us moms got it.

that about sums up his day. now time for momma to hit the sack too. these mornings are quite a change!!

some pics of the day:

zacky waking him up

ben smiling for me

waiting for the bus (i cropped out the sweet 2nd grader, gavin, that helped ben find his classroom this morning)

& off he goes!!

we already have the breakfast order in for tomorrow (cereal with blueberries), gracie sleeping in her good morning clothes, ben's clothes layed out, lunch packed & 2 alarms set. hopefully, we get this down pat soon!!

turtles & otters & goats, oh my!

noreply@blogger.com (sara) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 02:18:00 +0000

i was wanting to try & make the final days of "freedom" for my boy extra fun before the years & years of school were to begin. i know that's not a good way of looking at it, but i have so enjoyed our ability to do as we pretty much please the past 5 years & learning as we go about day to day. i am honestly thrilled that he loves school & hopes his desire to learn only grows. anyways, we ended up going to the zoo with some of benj & gracie's best buddies.

it was fun, but they started begging for snacks before we got out of amazonia (the first part). the turtle was not sharing his food.

the otters are always the highlight of the zoo adventure.

followed closely this time by the feeding of the goats.

the most special part for mr. b though, was just getting to be with his friends (&sis) & play at their home. it's the simple things in life...

let's go ride our bikes!!

noreply@blogger.com (sara) — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 21:46:00 +0000

gracie decided she was ready to take her birthday present out for a spin the other day. & yes, we were living on the edge without our safety gear. shame on us, i know. but daddio was right there & it was nice & slow...

off they go!

i think she likes it! slow & steady..

those training wheels will be off before we know it!

it's alway's a holiday..

noreply@blogger.com (sara) — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 20:04:00 +0000

at holiday world!!! what a treasure that place is! i grew up looking forward to going every summer (hoping to get to go more than once), my mom even grew up going to it (around a long time!) & now my kiddos get to enjoy the fun. it is such an awesome park that has definitely grown up over the years, but still keeps family the #1 priority (it was so cool for me to see pat koch, one of the owners, walking around greeting people & picking up trash- wouldn't see that at six flags).

didn't our kiddos look thrilled to be there!?!?!

we planned this special visit because some of our favorite people were going from back where daddio is from. & is was miss kate's 2nd birthday!! happy birthday kate the great!!

first stop (tradition for me) was a family picture with the santa claus statue. you can see mr. ben's legs behind santa.

we then hit the kiddy rides. the water bumpers (my least favorite ride as a kid- but they didn't have little kid ones back in the olden days).

ben ready for attack

all the kiddos lined up! love a.j.'s sunglasses - he is one cool dude!!

having fun & happy on the bumper boats..

she soon lost interest.

next, was one of gracie's favorite. the seahorsies!!

not so much ben's. he was already tired of me with the camera. sorry, bud.

after that, we rode a few more in that area & then headed onto bigger things. mr. a.j. braved the scrambler with his dad & loved it (not our kids after last year!) & then carrie, a.j., gracie & i rode the frightfull falls (log ride). gracie HATED it! cried & cried!!

she did sure love raging rapids, the family water ride. even loved waiting & walking in line.

in her daddy's arms, one of the best places to be!

some more kiddy rides for grace. loves those fishies..

ben was too cool for that.

& to stick his head in some bunny.

next was time for splashin safari!!! last year, one trip, the kiddos wouldn't leave. this year, our kids didn't last too long. momma got the free sunscreen in gracie's eye & she was then miserable - i should have just used our own lotion that was put up in the locker, but didn't want to mess with it- live & learn. she ended up taking a nice nap in my arms while the boys played. when she woke up, she was ready for more for a bit & then i was done with some of the kiddos there. a big girl pushed my gracie trying to beat her onto a slide & then another sassy cat told me to "move it!" of course, i asked both girls to use their manners (because my kiddos are always perfect- yeah, right).

ben & gracie couldn't hang at holiday world too long yesterday. they were pooped! ben was begging to play a game, have some ice cream & go home. some ice cream (see her red eye),

$7 & 2 stuffed animals later we were headed home.

we stopped at subway drive through & got a bite to eat. i kept sneaking bites of the kiddo's food & benj didn't like it one bit. he fell asleep with a death grip on that box. the pain i am, i kept trying to take it out of his hands. he'd jerk, give me an evil look & grasp tighter to the box as he fell back to sleep.

franklin family, thanks for thinking of us to join you at holdiay world - we had a blast!! too bad we couldn't hang for too long!!

in the good ole summertime

noreply@blogger.com (sara) — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 04:51:00 +0000

now that all is well in our home, we are able to swim again! what torture for the kiddos to deprive them for a week. we were all having some cabin fever in the summertime.

waiting on daddio to swim, the kiddos enjoyed some popsicles.

what a face mr. ben!

& we now have some new window decor all throughout the house & in the van. thank you cook family for the window crayons! the kiddos are lovin them!!

sicky no more

noreply@blogger.com (sara) — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 04:46:00 +0000

the kiddos had their vaccinations & physicals last week. gracie wanted hers too, saying it would only tickle she thought. that was, until she saw the needles. screaming & crying & crying some more! man, oh man. benj was a brave one & didn't even shed a tear. it was a pretty funny doctor visit though... the nurse gave them both cups to urinate in & told them to see who could fill it up more. not a good idea - i was cleaning up pee from the floor & was very thankful i had a spare pair of clothes for gracie. but, ben was the winner & he was very proud of that fact.

a few hours later, the sickness started. & it was no fun. a week of yuck for sure. we even went to the er one night.

he wasn't too sick to play his ds though.

actually, he didn't look sick at all.

unless it was "that time" again. (photo taken by beano himself) 4 containers full.yuck.

lots of sanitizer was used for sure. he loved that stuff.

& he loved taking shots of random things in the room. made the 4 hours just fly by!

we really did have fun in the er room, having some good talks about life & love. he's pretty deep for a 5 year old sometimes. we talked about how he will likely have more than one "love" in his life (not just miss b from his first year of preschool) & someday he will find that special one. he asked if i or justin ever had other gurlfriends or boyfriends & i said yes. he was so interested in what they looked like, so i told him i'd show him the next day. well, i did & he goes on to tell me that daddy's old girlfriend was a lot prettier. thanks, buddy, love you too. i think ben's a sucker for brunettes, that little stinker.

anyways, the tests came back that he just had a virus, so that was good news & we are now able to be around friends. hallelujah!

summertime a flyin by

noreply@blogger.com (sara) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 02:25:00 +0000

this summer is just a flyin by & i have really neglected writing down some of them memories in the making. ben finished his t-ball career, much to everyone's relief. half the time on the last game his hat was cocked to the side, but thank goodness daddio was there to help straighten him out.

when he was on first base, he'd often chat with the other team, depending on if they were "interesting" or not. i don't quite know how he determined that.

getting his trophy with his proud daddy!

gracie celebrated her 4th birthday with lots of family & friends. she has on her "i;m crabby like my daddy shirt" from her auntie, her new favorite shirt!

her birthday wish was "for everyone to be happy!"

all the kiddos had a blast playing on the water slide! cowabunga, dude!!

by the end of the party, i think she was a bit tired out.

the next day, while daddio was "sleeping," we gave him a beautiful pedicure.

he had socks on until it was removed. what a good daddy!

& i celebrated 33rd birthday with my very favorite kiddos & hubby. we went & ate at charlie's mongolian barbeque for dinner. ben asked why we took him there, because it was so good & made him too full!!

some of the other random fun memories of the past few weeks: gracie eating her tomatoes (favorite food) with ketchup - "totally good", as she would say. "totally" has become her totally favorite word in the world i think.

ben learning to swim & jumping in the pool. big time!! of course there are lots of rules we have & they have both been very good abiding by them.

every time he jumps off, or does a trick, he yells "did you get that mom?'' he is always making some hand gesture too.. what a clown.

ben has also learned to snap, whistle & has a loose tooth. that boy is growing up faster than i could ever imagine. kindergarten is right around the corner. yikers!

i wish i would write down all the things they say on a daily basis that make my cheeks hurt from laughing each day, but i'm not that good. they keep growing & growing into their own individual selves & this momma couldn't be prouder! i love you my sweet kiddos!!