Wednesday, July 30, 2008

How The Time Flies!

Benjamin less than a week old...



Benjamin today. His first "big boy" bath :)



It's been almost 6 months and Bunny still wonders when this strange creature is going home and HE will be the center of our attention again...Poor Bunny LOL

Benjamin Has This New Thing He Does.....



With his tongue...
Should I worry?
LOL.

Monday, July 28, 2008

Benjamin's Velveteen Rabbit...

Ok, so it's not really a rabbit or velveteen...more like a fuzzy teddy bear..........and a flannel blanket.......and a thermal blanket...

we were running a little behind this morning so by the time I put Ben down he was RIPE for a nap! I put him in the crib and tip toed out. He made a few wimpers of exhaustion. A minute or two later when I came to check on him this is what I found:

What is that pile of stuff under him?? (btw I put him down at the other end of the crib facing the opposite direction)


Is that a teddy bear head poking out from UNDERNEATH Benjamin?? Let's get a closer look..


Yup...there is his little fuzzy head poking out! Accompanying the teddy bear are two blankets that Benjamin pulled over, piled up, and climbed (?) on top of. LOL

The Simple Woman's Daybook

For Today 7/28/08
Outside My Window...I am hearing someone's lawn mower and I can SEE the humidity already

I am thinking...of all the things I want to get done today. Monday is always a flurry of thoughts and ambitions..

I am thankful for...my little family

From the kitchen...I see a pile of dishes. I got behind this weekend..so I have a dishwasher loaded with full dishes that need putting away and a sink of dirty dishes that need cleaning.

I am wearing...linen cropped pants and my pajama shirt. My ponytail is only half in place. The morning do' :)

I am creating...a peaceful home

I am going...to the library to return a book, take out a book, and sign Ben up for infant story time.

I am reading...The Diary of Elizabeth Cabot Mason

I am hoping...I can accomplish the things I have planned for the week

I am hearing...Benjamin make silly Benjamin noises and Bill Bennett's Morning in America

Around the house...things have already been tidied up since PSE&G is coming to inspect our heating system.

One of my favorite things...The silly Benjamin sounds I am hearing :)

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: Get filing done, Start compiling info for the Drexel newsletter I am helping with, Make something new for dinner

Here is picture thought I am sharing..Ohhhh I am not blogger savy enough to figure out how to add a picture after I have written my post! Maybe someone can help me?! But picture a HUGE PILE OF LAUNDRY LOL!

Thanks to The Simple Woman for this idea! Check out the link if you want to join in!

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

The Scene of the Crime

Well here are a few pics of the damage from the tree. Our poor car was towed away early the next morning and is being fixed up. The REAL kicker in this situation is that the tree that is on our property is a township owned tree that they do not maintain.

So I called the township asking that someone please come out and inspect our tree before another, more serious, accident occurs. So they sent a guy from Public Works who stood at the bottom of the tree, looked up and said, "The tree is healthy *shrug* I don't know what to tell ya..." Since when do healthy trees drop huge limbs in the middle of a calm, dry, breezeless night?








Below, you can see how long a branch this was.





The evil tree:


Monday, July 14, 2008

ADDENDUM TO PREVIOUS POST

Ok because our Anniversary weekend wasn't quite stinky and stressful enough....Things had finally winded down. The house was scrubbed within an inch of its life, everything had been washed, dried, and folded, we had been showered and refreshed. It's 10 oclock and we are getting ready for bed, exhausted!

Then we hear a loud thud outside....Very suspicious sounding. We thought there must be kids in the access road next to our house. Cla goes down to investigate and our neighbor comes to the door at the same time.......a HUGE tree limb (like a tree sized limb) fell onto our car and smashed the windshield (totally caved in) and our hood.....

The 5th anniversary afterall is the "wood" anniversary *snort*

Sunday, July 13, 2008

How We Spent Our 5th Wedding Anniversary....

Ok....so a while ago a little momma bird made a nest on the window air conditioner in our bedroom. She layed her eggs and like a good momma tended to them carefully. Her little darlings hatched and she acted as the vigilant mom tending to their constant needs.....

They made quite the racket all day for weeks. Part of me wanted to have Cla remove the nest because of all the noise they made, but the mother in me said, "Noo, I know what it is like to be up at night with a baby in need. Let her be comfortable at least knowing that her home is secure...." Yeah....uhhh...if I had the chance to do it over again I would strangle that stinking birds neck!!!!!!!

So the bird and her little twittering progeny have vacated their nest and left behind THE SCOURGE!!!!!! Apparently birds, and their nests, are infested with BIRD MITES! And when the birds leave the nest the mites look for something new to suck the blood from so they started coming in from around the air conditioner. Tiny itty bitty little vermin no bigger than a speck.....too small to even squash. We discovered them Friday night all around the window sill.....

......We came home Saturday from my nephew's birthday party...Cla did a quick google search about what might be going on and what these bugs are. And he realized that we MUST QUICKLY TAKE ACTION before we become host and the next nearest warm blooded creatures *scratchscratch*........So I called every exterminator in the phone book while Cla basically bleached our bedroom and removed the nest. I packed up Ben and myself and stayed at my mom's last night and the exterminator was here first thing in the morning.....

Isn't marriage bliss??

Saturday, July 12, 2008

For Jamie on our Anniversary

The Fifth: Wood

Our sapling's roots have burrowed down
in firm embrace of soil.
Grew strong the trunk and green the crown
that drank of tears and toil.

Another year has passed, my heart,
and this more glorious than the rest—
as winter air did flowers bear
and then to fruit was blessed.

O love, our sacrament renewed!
oh love that shares the life divine,
an earthly three in Trinity
of Father, Word and Spirit sign.

And you, my helpmeet and my queen,
you the strong and brave,
you saw its sorrows and its sword--
and "yes" the word you gave.

Wood has given us the crib,
from wood has come the cross.
But you embraced them equally
and never marked the loss.

My sweet cathedral in the trees
my woodland garden of the soul,
my elm, my oak, my hickory
my kindling and my coal—

Such warmth is in this fifth year now,
and barren winter's done
because you gave your blood and bough
to Benjamin our son.

Friday, July 11, 2008

Where's Grandma??

Benjamin was playing on his activity mat and I went into the kitchen to do something quick. He got very very quiet...so I thought I had better go check on him...

This is where I found him...



Only 5 months old and already plotting his escape!





Was he looking for Grandma??

Ben Gets His Own Pool!

I got this little pool at Babies R Us and we put Ben in it the other day. He loved it! He is still working on the sitting up thing so the Bumbo was a big help..





Hmm, maybe you shouldn't drink the pool water Ben!



Forgot to rotate the pics for a change..





Think he likes it??





Evil mommy....

















Daddy gets in on the party!



And all good times must come to an end.....



After all the excitement Ben took a nice long nap!

Ben Relaxing Poolside

Last week Eileen and John kindly invited us all over for a yummy lunch and a swim in the pool at their apartment.

We jumped at the chance for a swim!! Here is Ben all suited up and ready for some excitement!



I got Ben this nice tube type thing so he can sit in the water, well shaded, and enjoy the pool. He was just a tad too small for it since he can't sit up on his own, but he still really enjoyed it. His eyes look closed because there was a lot of sun glare.





"after I ushnu I like to zoquo" <---if anyone gets that reference you will win a spot in the random 80s trivia hall of fame.



The many happy faces of Benjamin...playing with Grandma.




Monday, July 07, 2008

Nap of the Living Dead...

Sorry for the delay in posting. Life has been busy with all the stuff summer brings.

Just another hysterical moment in napping with Benjamin. This is how I found him the other day..



Here is the view inside the crib. The boy just likes to be snuggled up!



Ben has had an exciting week. He had a playdate with some friends from Church (forgot my camera...sorry folks), he went for a swim at the Ferzola's (pictures coming soon), he had an exciting 4th of July and now he is feeling a bit under the weather, but hopefully he will be back to his usual self soon.

Ben turned 5 months old on July 5th and he can just about almost sort of getting there sit on his own. He will definitely have that down after another week or so. Still no teeth, but we are wondering if that is why he is feeling so stinky right now..He is enjoying oatmeal and some fruits and veggies (in baby food form of course).