I don’t know how Mike and I lucked out, but Benny is just the happiest little guy and he always has been. He’s just so sweet and so pleasant to be around. Don’t get me wrong, he has his moments, but he’s such an easy going little boy. You can’t help but smile when you see him. Here is the happy dude in the bath the other night. Adorable!

Benny is doing and enjoying all kinds of new things lately and he’s very independent.

• He climbs up on the chair at the dinner table and will even climb ontop of the table too.
• He loves to wave and say “Bye-ee. See”. (As in See ya later).
• He’s getting a little better at eating some meats and fruits, but he still wants nothing to do with veggies.
• He’s totally digging the fan in his room and his new “fishy tank”. It’s one of those fake lighted fish tanks and the fish spin in circles. Both boys have them as night lights and it’s gotten to the point where they won’t sleep w/o them. They love fish!
• It’s funny to see him at the park this year. Last year he was just a little peanut, but this year he walks around and explores. He’s not afraid at all.
• He can open the back door to the deck and the front screen door too. The other night he said “Bye-ee” opened the door and went out onto the front porch. I laughed and freaked out at the same time.
• He loves to give kisses and blow kisses too.
• He’ll blow on his food with you to cool it down. It’s funny to see his big cheeks puff out.
• Wubbzy is still his favorite, but I caught him doing a little shimmy when watching Diego the other night.
• Tonight he was being a little loud at a restaurant, so Mike and I put our fingers up to our mouths and said “Shhhhh”. Wouldn’t you know it. He starts to do the same thing. He‘s becoming a little copy cat.
• He’ll climb out of the tub if you let him and will walk to his room so you can get him dressed. He’s really getting to be a big boy.
• He’s learned how to shut the bedroom doors and lock them so we have to be careful he doesn’t lock himself in a room.

   

  

I’m so enjoying watching him grow. Everything he does amazes me, but it’s those eyes and that smile that get me every time. I have to be careful as he gets older that he doesn’t use that to his advantage to make me cave in when he’s being bad or wants something. It’s so easy to melt like butter when he puts those baby blues teamed up with those pearly whites into action.

Grammy and PeePaw Thomas came to visit for the day and we all went to a great place for lunch… Benihana. I LOVE hibachi and we’ve never taken Owen, so we thought it would be a fun new thing for him to experience.

Going at lunch time was perfect because there was hardly anyone there. We started off the meal by getting him a “Berry Banana Blast” and his eyes lit up when the waitress came out. To a three year old, this was a fabulous thing… a reddish drink with a paper flower, whipped cream and a cherry on top… what more could he ask for. We let him pick what he wanted off the kids menu and he chose steak with shrimp which was a treat for him because we rarely have it in the house because I hate steak and seafood. The little bird of an eater gobbled up a good portion too.

Owen loved watching the chef cook, the onion volcano, the soup and the food. Poor Benny feel asleep just as we got to the restaurant and slept for almost the entire time so he missed all the action. He at least got to try on the hat as we left. We’ll have to go back again. It was a great thing to do as a family. Thanks Grammy & PeePaw for the nice treat.

My grandmother and aunts came to visit over the weekend and it was so nice to see them. My Aunt Peggy lives in Wyoming now so we only get to see her maybe twice a year. Since she was back East, she and my Aunt Karen brought my Gram down our way to see all five of her great grandsons… my boys, my sister’s boys and my cousin’s new baby.

This was only the second time she’s seen Ben, but he wasn’t shy. He crawled right up in her lap to cuddle and fell asleep. She was in heaven and loved every minute of it. She had the pleasure as well of getting to see Owen play Wii… which was hysterical. She got a kick out of that. My Aunts also enjoyed the boys (and Maxie) and we enjoyed all their company too. I just wish we had a chance to see each other more often.

I’m so happy I was able to capture these pictures of my boys with their great grandmother (hence my we call her the GGM). I’m glad she is able to see and enjoy her great grandchildren. Just another reason I’m thankful I didn’t wait too long to have kids. It’s such a wonderful feeling to see the smile on her face as she is looking at part of the legacy her and my late grandfather have left on this world.

What can I say… nothing in life is better than being a mom. I’ve been twice blessed with the greatest gift life has to offer. Believe it or not, it’s really hard to put into words how being a mother has changed my life. It’s made me a better person and opened my heart to love in a way I never knew imagined. Those boys are my life, my soul, my heart.

My mom and my grandmother both told me that the feeling you have about being a mom and the love you have for your children never changes no matter how big or old they get. Thank god, because I can never imagine that feeling going away. In fact, I almost wish I could freeze time so it would never have to end.

I hope everyone had a FABULOUS Mother’s Day. Here I am with my two little blessings. They are just the greatest & I feel fortunate everyday to be their mom.

I had a wonderful mother’s day weekend. Saturday I got to see my gram and aunts and yesterday I spent the day with all my family and we celebrated Alex’s birthday. I’ll post pictures this week.

And last but not least… HAPPY 5th BIRTHDAY ALEX!!! I can’t believe you turned 5 today little buddy! What a trip it’s been seeing you grow. You sure know how to make us smile, laugh and shake our heads. We love you!

I got an early mother’s day surprise!! No, I’m not pregnant….

MIKE FOUND MY NECKLACE!!!

But you’ll never guess where he found it? In THE SHED under the LAWN MOWER! I never go in the shed, maybe twice a year. We haven’t the faintest idea how it got there, but who cares now. It’s back in my possesion and I’m going to guard it to make sure it’s never lost again.

I really thought it was gone forever and am shocked and delighted to have such a precious memento back – safe and sound.

It’s been a LONG time since I’ve given an update on the boys so this 10 on Tuesday is all about them. I also like to do these kind of posts because it helps me remember things. It’s my way of record keeping their lives.

1. Benny is a cruising machine. He walks around everywhere now and has been since mid March. He can get around the entire house by himself. Up the stairs, down the stairs, you name it. He is still a little wobbly, but he loves his independence.
2. O’s a learning machine. Over Easter, my Father-in-law taught him how to do the sign of the cross. At the end, he puts his hands together and says “Kay-men”. =) He’s also learned how to count in Spanish to 5 and to 3 in Chinese. He still likes to spell and is always asking us… “What’s this word?” Soak it in buddy.
3. Benny is saying more words. He says, please, bubble, wow, go, Mama, Dada, Mimi, dog, Choo Choo, Wheee, plays and says Peek-a-boo and he said turtle and cat once or twice as well. Daddy taught him how to point to his nose this week and it’s cute to see him point to it and say “No”. He’s also trying to say “Thank You”. That’s my boy! Manner’s First. Oh and whenever you get the camera out, he looks at you and says “Cheese!” Again, a boy after his mother’s heart.
4. We’re still having potty training issues with Owen. Sunday was the first day he actually let us put underware on him. He’ll go on his potty, but he’s not consistent. I really don’t think he’s ready yet even though we’re trying.
5. Last week was Ben’s first time playing at the indoor play place at Chik-Fil-A. He was so happy he was shrieking. I love seeing him discover new things.
6. Knock on wood, but Owen’s behavior has been wonderful lately. Besides the fact he’s still mean to his brother (which I think is normal), he’s polite, doesn’t fight quiet/nap time or fight bed time. He’s so sweet and says things like “I’m so glad to see you today.” “I missed you, Mama.” “It’s a beautiful day.” I could go on. This little boy just has such a sweet, dear soul.
7. Owen’s also all about our “Family”. When we sit at the table to eat dinner he makes it a point to say we’re a family and he’ll often ask for “family hugs”. I hope this love for his family last forever.
8. Benny’s become a picky eater. He use to eat anything, but for the past several weeks, he’ll only eat people food that is carbs. Pasta, bread, crackers, pretzels, etc. Oh and McDonald’s cheeseburgers. He’ll eat meat once in a while and likes yogurt & ice cream, but forget fruits and veggies. He tries to smash veggies with his thumbs and spits out fruits. It’s a texture thing. We had to go back to baby food for fruits and veggies. He loves them as baby food, hates them in their natural state.
9. Even though Benny’s a picky eater, you’d never know it from looking at him. He had his 15 month check up tonight and his stats were as follows:
   
   * 27 ½ pounds (90th percentile)
   * 33 inches (95th percentile)
   
   He’s our chunker monker for sure. Our adorable little GIANT!
10. Now, his brother is the opposite. Owen is a stick! I call the boys my meatball and spaghetti because Benny is round and pudgy like a meatball and O is as thin as angel hair pasta. Just to put it in perspective… they are 2 years apart and can wear the same size shorts! Owen actually had a pair of 12 month shorts on the other day and Benny had on 18 months.

And just because a post isn’t complete without a picture…..

Benny’s hair is growing so fast. It was in his face, so to be silly, I grabbed my headband and put it in his hair. He could have cared less. My mom was over and snapped these pictures with her camera. He’s so cute…. so so cute.

Right after I had Owen, Mike gave me the most beautiful necklace to mark the occasion of the birth of our first child. It was a platinum necklace, a circle of diamonds. An “O” for Owen. I LOVED it.

Well, last week I somehow got a knot in the chain and did have time to get it out, so I put it on my night stand as I always have for the past three years. Yesterday I went to get it to try to get the knot out again and it wasn’t there. We’ve searched high and low and can’t find it anywhere. We’ve moved furniture, emptied drawers, etc. Not there.

Needless to say, I’m devastated. Besides my wedding rings, this was the most precious piece of jewelry to me. Life has been SO chaotic lately that I didn’t even think that the boys could reach it and I’m pretty sure that is what happened. Benny probably got his hands on it. I just hope it’s somewhere in this house and that he didn’t put it in the trash or down the toilet.

I’m so mad at myself for not being more cautious of something 1) that was a very expensive piece of jewelry and 2) had such sentimental value. With all the hustle and bustle of work, trying to maintain the house, the laundry and all the other gazillion things on our to-do list, lately there has been no more room or time in my head to focus on those little things that mom’s are suppose to do. That little voice in your head that says, “Don’t put that there. The boys could get to it and if something happened you’d be very upset.”

I really hope it will turn up. I’m hoping someday when I least expect it that sparkling circle will shine up at me and say “HERE I AM!” I’ve been praying to Saint Anthony to help me find it. Cross your fingers it works!

We hope you like it!

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