Things Are Getting Weird 'Round These Parts ...

Ben and I were out of town for a few days ... in Kansas City (the place of my birth) for a Fellowship of Christian Athletes conference.  Staff from all over the country was there for a time of worship, fellowship and rejuvenation.  I'm not sure how rejuvenated I got since we caught a 6:25am flight there and I came home a couple days early ... on a 7am flight ... but what a fun time to see what God is doing through the arena of sports.  And staying at the Hyatt and not having to cook a single meal wasn't too shabby either! 

The FCA Golf staff ... (and a few wives)

But it was after we returned home that the real adventure started ... like J. How hooked for MINUTES watching water run down the drain - promising me he saw a MOUSE! And then there was a little more of this ... And a LOT of this ... we just call him SCREAMER now.  It seems to fit!  We keep telling him, walking will solve a lot of your stress but he prefers (as another friend put it) ... the Dial a Ride method.  Apparently, squawk loud enough and your mom comes in to scoop you up.  I guess she doesn't want to listen to all the SCREAMS!
And then there's this which happened after watching an episode of Curious George.  He was making monkey noises and mentioned his need for a bath.  Never a dull moment!
And then this ... a flashback down memory lane with pump toothpaste.  Bubblegum flavor.  

And finally ... this.  My NEW red door.  I have a thing for doors.  We even had one at our wedding ceremony.  I hunted for a picture but this is all I found:

A red door.  It just seems to make the morning a WHOLE lot happier!

Snug as a Bug in a Rug ...

So we watched a show about a bug in a rug and somehow that translated to this ...
How needed a pillow and Mook ... he insisted on complete darkness and was really rather annoyed when Eli decided sleeping on top of the rug was more fun.
I convinced E to give rug sleeping a chance (which lasted for mere seconds) ...
But Joshua was a snug as a bug in a rug and he could have stayed for hours!
If given a choice, Eli prefers kicking back in the hallway. Resting up against a comfy pillow and chewing on some treasure he found on the floor.
What a life ...
Of course, I'd need a break too after all this work ...
He's just doing his part ... during this fabulous recession ...
And maybe hinting that we need more action at this house since he left all the food coupons downstairs and brought the puppy food coupon all the way back to me.

Sorry, dude. We did that once ... once you've lived a year minus dog hair in your clothes ... you don't want to go back. Perhaps someday we'll own a self-cleaning fish? Do they make those?

I Guess We Switched Him A Bit Too Early ...

Fourth. As in ... first, second, third, fourth. That would be the percentile that Mr. Eli Bennett finds himself in when it comes to his weight. Twenty point five pounds.
I'm guessing that's why he decided that eating chalk was a good idea. Nothing like a piece of calorie packed chalk to pack on the pounds. YUMMY!
And given that he's such a chunker ... it's no wonder he's still not walking a whole bunch. Imagine the stress that kind of weight would put on his knees! You're right, Eli. Better to just take a load off and rest :)

A Day of Love ...

Our day of love started off with J. How's first ever Valentine delivery.
An early morning stroll to our neighbor's house ...

What more could you ask for than a LOVE day hug?
Then ... it was off to Dunkin Donuts. Or ... make that Einsteins. As we were loading into the mom mobile, our neighbors shouted out they were heading for bagels. So we switched plans and tagged along.
Strawberry cream cheese on a chocolate chip bagel. Somebody is very happy!
And Swiper ... was happy too. Eli could care less about the strawberry cream cheese on a chocolate chip bagel while it was on his own plate but move it over to J J's plate ... and E was all about consuming as much as he could.

And if the cream cheese and chocolate chips weren't enough sugar ... we went to Dunkin Donuts. J. How was promised a munchkin and yes, this meant enduring a fabulously long lasting sugar high ... but you can't have a Love Day where you go around crushing a 3 year old's dream for a little slice of donut heaven.
Then to the park to release some pent up sugar ...
And this ... just to document that Eli is still preferring the easy way out ... he's STILL not walking!
Back home to make more Valentines ...
And then a quick trip to the farm to meet some friends for lunch and think about the simple joys of having so many people in our lives to LOVE on ....

And in other news ... if you want to be our neighbor ... like live 10 feet from our front porch, this could be your lucky day! It's on the market ... we could have fun! Lots and lots of fun! Anyone??

Birds and B's ...

I admit.  I'm slightly competitive.  When I played high school tennis and a girl, playing the net, pelted me with the ball ... I spent the rest of the match using her as target practice.  I'd like to think I've grown since that time ... but I'm not so sure. 

 

You see.  The Cardinals lost in the Super Bowl.  And I'm okay with that but I'm married to someone who is still insisting that we display Steeler magnets on our fridge.  "Ben at Work" ... "#1 Steelers" ... etc, etc.  And that's cool ... they'll disappear someday :)  But the competitive me (in the name of decorating of course) figured if we're incorporating gold and black into the downstairs decor ... we might as well add a few feathered friends who will stick around a bit longer.  
They love their new home ... 

And speaking of new ... we have had a bit of painting going on around here ...

I DIG a blue ceiling.  And initials.  And a bunch of good looking, fake lemons (maybe they'd be more believable if I took the price tag off??).  And a new slipcover for my chair.  And silhouettes ...And my new "office" ... complete with unsharpened, yellow pencils.
And of course ... warmer temps mean it's time to plant a few spring goodies ... 
 

With our favorite Bella ... 
Lemons, anyone?  (I figured I should really try and grow some real ones ... )
And to finish things off ... a nap, some covers and a good book!

I LOVE spring!!! (And yes, I realize ... technically, it's still February ... but around these parts ... this is about as spring as it gets!!)

And You Thought I Was Kidding ...

Remember when I told you that the end of football season meant only one thing around this place? Well, it's happened ... THE ARRIVAL OF NASCAR!
I just want to take a moment to point out that when I fell in love with Ben, he did not love cars. He golfed ... a lot ... and he might have actually thought watching cars go around and around for four hours was pointless. A bit silly. Not worth his time. But oh, how life can change in just a few short years. Almost six to be exact.
In those six years, he has "expanded" his horizons. And being ever so thoughtful, has introduced our children the wonderful world of racing. You see that Daytona shirt How is wearing? Ben bought that for him on a trip to Florida. He just popped by the race track while he was in town. There weren't any cars there. No action. He just wanted to see it. I don't know about you but when one stops by a sporting facility, consisting of grandstands and a lot of cement ... when there isn't a race ... that screams the need for serious INTERVENTION.And what, might I add, comes over my children when they partake in viewing this sport? Hats go on backwards ... grunting begins to eek out of their souls ...
They rewind the crashes. Analyze the driver's skills. Take their own race cars and create mock crash scenes.
And when I found myself, last night, sitting next to Ben, watching the Speed Channel ... as a man in a horrible dirt colored shirt recapped the greatest moments in Daytona history ...
I quickly bolted for our bedroom. Turned on HGTV and cursed the power of the suped up car. It sucked me in for a moment ... but I promise ... I will prevail!!

Hair Today ... Buzzed Tomorrow!

Fifteen months can only mean one thing ... time for Eli to start walking!!!
People ... I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Walking? Really! He can't be rushed or bothered with such mundane tasks. Besides, he's been busy doing other things. Like growing his mullet. A mullet, might I add, that Billy Ray himself would find enviable.
Business in the front and PARTY in the back. A beautiful curly party in the back that looked just like my hair ... back in the day ... and perhaps was one of the only things that was a visible linkage between his DNA and mine ...
Well, now it's just all business.
Bye-bye party! Bye-bye curls!
It's HAIRCUT time!
Bye-bye baby! He looks like a little boy now! And I just have this hunch that with all that extra hair weight missing ... he'll be getting his balance in no time and walking in days!