Poker

So my dad came to stay the weekend and we all know what that means...POKER!!!

So we are in the dining room playing Texas Hold'em and David says: "I'll raise"

From the other room we hear Benjamin say "I'm a raisin too Daddy!"

Too funny!!!

It's tough being gorgeous!

***If you can't keep a secret please stop reading...DO NOT EVER MENTION THIS TO DYLAN...he is very embarrassed by this...

So, Dylan is in 2nd grade and Benjamin is in kindergarten. Well there is a girl in Benjamin's class who is obsessed with marrying Dylan-and when he says no, some of his friends.

Today at recess she asked Dylan if he would marry her and he said no. Well she screamed and grabbed his armed, dug her nails into it and pulled down! Not a scratch mind you, but deep claw marks!! How crazy is that! He is fine and handled it well, but seriously! She wrote him an apology note, but if this happens again we are going to have a meeting with her parents. I told him that's the price you have to pay for being so good looking!

On a side note: we have talked about this girl wanting to marry Dylan before and this is how the convo went:

Dylan: "I just wish I was in middle school"

Me: "Then you are going to have a ton of girls who like you!"

Dylan (without modesty): "I know, but at least they won't be 4 (yrs old)"

Haha! He cracks me up...BTW...that is also confidential!!!

One of a kind

So, after Dylan shared two of his birthday presents...his own idea...David takes him to exchange his third "double" gift. This gift was our main gift to him and so it was expensive enough for Dylan to get three smaller gifts instead. He got two for himself and one for Benjamin. Seriously!!! He didn't want Benjamin to feel left out!

I am amazed daily by the kind, caring, and giving heart that God has put into this little boy! I am shocked that his huge heart fits into that little chest. He is so amazing and I can't wait to see how God uses him as he continues to grow!

Dylan...I know this doesn't sound like a cool super power (you are obsessed with super hero's right now) but it is an amazing gift with the power to change lives! We love you and are so proud of you!

Yeah, I'll take that!

Benjamin: "I miss you so much when I'm at school!"

Me: "It's probably because I'm so awesome!"

Benjamin: "No...it's because you're beautiful!"

Ok...I can live with that :)

What bucket?

So Benjamin had a long weekend, stayed up late and woke up early, and ended up with an early bedtime. We are downstairs and he is upstairs crying and carrying on and we hear him upset about some kind of bucket. We are all confused and have no idea what bucket he is talking about. A little bit later I go upstairs and ask him why he is crying....

Benjamin: "Because you knocked over my bucket!!"

Me: "I did? What bucket?"

Benjamin: "My invisible bucket!" sobbing hysterically....

Oh! So sorry for knocking over your invisible bucket! Haha!! Poor kid...it's been a long day!!

***UPDATE***

After talking to Dylan I discovered that I knocked over Benjamin's emotional bucket! At school they learned how to fill up other people's buckets to make them feel good!

I'm sorry Benjamin! I didn't mean to knock over your bucket! Feel better sweet boy...BTW....you were sleeping by 6pm :)

Generosity

I have one of the kindest, most thoughtful and generous boys ever!!!!

So Dylan had his birthday party and he received 3 sets of "doubles" for gifts. So we set those aside for him to exchange. Well, he comes downstairs to get two of them out...not for himself, but one for his cousin Derek and one for Benjamin!!

Aunt Lisa and I told him that he didn't have to give them away-that he could take them back and pick out something else to keep...he didn't want to...he wanted to share!!!

Dylan- we are so proud of you and your kind generous spirit!!!

No! Seriously, No!

This is the strange conversation that I had with one of Dylan's friends on the way to Zap Zone for Dylan's birthday party...ENJOY!

Me: "Hey guys, look at that car wash! Why don't we wash the car instead of playing laser tag?"

All: "NO!!!!"

Me: "What? You guys are no fun...what about a nap then?"

Q: "My dad's at home taking a nap right now!"

Me: "That's awesome! I'm so jealous! I wish I was taking a nap!"

Q: "Are you saying that you wish you were sleeping with my dad?"

Me: SHOCKED: "No!!!! That is definitely NOT what I am saying!"

Seriously...so funny and so scary!!!!

My Littlest Baby

So, I'm used to my big baby (Dylan) missing me all the time and always wanting to be next to me, but Benjamin has always been another story. He's always favored David, we have to be gone at least 5 days before he starts to miss us, and all through preschool he was like "See ya mom, I'm fine if you leave, no biggie".

So imagine my shock when out of the blue (well, when Kindergarten started), he starts missing me and needing me like crazy! I feel so lost! I've never really had to deal with this from him before and I wasn't expecting it! Dylan I am used to and pretty prepared for, but with Benjamin I am at a loss. I'm not sure if he really misses me or if kindergarten is just a huge adjustment for him. It could be a combo of both.

I have to admit that I don't hate the attention from him, but it also makes me sad to see him so sad. Poor baby. Luckily, I can volunteer in his classroom a lot, he has the best big brother EVER just down the hall, and he has a fabulous teacher.

Hang in there my little mini me...it's going to get easier. Tear.

Tan On People

Laying in bed with Benjamin...he's having a rough night which equals a hard time falling asleep. It's almost ten o'clock.

Me: "Benjamin, you need to go to sleep, you are going to be so tired tomorrow!"

Benjamin: "Well, I'm not closing my eyes...I'm just going to lay here and get my tan on!"

Um...ok...yeah...in a dark room...I love this kid! He cracks me up!!!

Texting

Benjamin was having a rough night so I was laying with him in his bed. David texted me and I said: "Oh, Dad just texted me." and Benjamin says: "Oh, you mean the dad from our family?"

Where does he come up with this stuff...like it could have been one of a thousand other dads...too funny!!

Eagle Sports 5K

David, Dylan, Benjamin, Evelia, and Josephine booking it to raise money for Eagle Sports.

Liz asked if this was their first double date? LOL!!

I was sick so I didn't make it...I thought it was sweet that David still took the girls...by himself!!! My secret ploy to get him to want to adopt ;)

I guess Benjamin got a little ways from the finish line and sat down and screamed that he didn't want to finish the race...in front of our entire church-Oh Joy!!! Haha!!!

Crying at school?

Dylan: "Benjamin, were you crying at school today?"

Benjamin: "No."

Dylan: "Oh, Lucy said you were at recess."

Me: "Benjamin, were you crying?"

Benjamin: "No...well my mouth wasn't but water was coming out of my eyes."

Me: "Why were your eyes crying?"

Benjamin: "Because I missed Dylan."

Dylan: "Benjamin, I had to go because we were lining up."

Benjamin: "I know, I just missed you so much."

TEAR!!!

Girlfriends???

Benjamin: "I wish I was back in pre-school so I could have girlfriends again!"

Me: "Girlfriends?"

He had a lot of friends that were girls in preschool and I'm pretty sure that's what he meant! The girls in his class are way out numbered by the boys!

Um...

So Benjamin came running up to me after school today and he was so happy!  He said: "Mommy, mommy, I made a new best friend today!"

 

I said: "That's awesome!  What's his name?"

 

Benjamin: "Um...I don't know."

 

Me: "Oh, okay...well, where is he?"

 

Benjamin: "Um...I don't know."

 

Um...okay!  :)

Scatterbrained

So in addition to my calendar on my phone and my 3 calendars in the kitchen I also have post-it notes and lists all over the place to keep me on track!!! Yikes!!

 

First Day of School Pics

So, I realize these are out of order, but at least they are making an appearance :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dylan-2nd Grade

Mrs. Liagre

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Benjamin-Kindergarten

Mrs. Bruveris

 

 

 

Both boys have full day school!

So cute! 

 

 

 

 





So It Finally Hit Me

So, I thought I was doing great and I almost felt guilty because I wasn't as sad as I thought I would be when my boys went to school...then today happens. This is their 3rd day of full day school and I am so sad and I miss them both so much! I guess it's all part of them growing up...why does it have to be so hard???

Duh!

So now that Benjamin is in Kindergarten (an entire day and a half worth of experience), he wants to share his knowledge with everyone...especially Dylan. So here is how today after school went:

Benjamin: "Dylan, do you know the alphabet? Do you know the days of the week? Do you know this song?"

Dylan: Exasperated "Yeah Ben, I went to kindergarten too...just like you."

New Phase In Life

So...tomorrow is the last day in almost 8 years that I will have one or both of the boys with me regularly. Benjamin starts Kindergarten on Tuesday and Dylan will be in 2nd grade!!

Who am I going to eat lunch with? Who am I going to get hugs, kisses, and cuddles from? Who is going to walk with me to pick the boys up? Who is going to snuggle up for a nap with me? Seriously, I'm nervous! Not for them, they will be fine, but for me!

For the last almost 9 years (I'm including my pregnancy with Dylan b/c you all know how hard it was) my entire life and schedule has revolved around them! What am I going to do without them...and with actual time to myself...you know, more than the 30 seconds they give me to pee :)

I am hoping that God will use me and show me what He has in mind for me. These are my plans...we'll see what He has to say about them :)

In no particular order:

1) Volunteer at school and in their classrooms

2) Bible Studies for small group and Revolution

3) Yoga

4) Zumba

5) Normal housecleaning, grocery shopping, laundry, making dinners, paying bills, organizing the budget, planning around David's schedule, planning extracurricular activities for the boys-but not so many that they are overwhelmed, making sure homework gets done, playdate time, making and packing lunches, Dr. appts, dentist appts, field trips, pictures/scrap booking memories, blogging all the funny and adorable things the boys do, and give lots of love and hugs and kisses when they are home, etc....I may have missed a thing or two ;)

5) Listening to God...this will be hard b/c I am really bad at just being still, but I am going to work on it

6) Seeing friends, helping where and when I can

7) Stepping out to be a better witness so people will see Christ in me

This sounds like a lot and yet not enough...we'll see how it goes. I'm sure I will be better at some of these than others, and I'm sure things may change as the year progresses but this is a starting point.

Oh, did I mention that my first week will be spent crying and missing my boys? I am assured that it only takes one week to get past the sad stage! :). I'll let you know!

Loco

We were taking a family walk and the bugs were starting to come out in alarming numbers...We were all waving our arms around to scatter them away...

Benjamin: "If anymore bugs come out I'm going loco on them!"

We are all cracking up...

Dylan: "Loco means crazy."

Thanks!

Dr. Dylan

So the other day I was upset with David and I tried to explain it to Dylan using the example of how sometime he and Benjamin get upset with each other but they still love each other.

Fast Forward to the next day...

Dylan: "Mom, are you still upset with Dad?"

Me: "Kind of, yeah."

Dylan: "What's wrong mom? Talk to Dr. Dylan."

Wow! Seriously funny and cute!!!