Spring, We Welcome YOU

The splendor and beauty is all around us-it is spring. We embrace you, we welcome you! We cherish your longer days, warm rains, cook outs and picnics-spring. May you bring smiles, laughter, health and warm sunshine-oh spring. Melt away the memories of our long months of bitter winter-it is spring. Let us bask in your warmth and inhale your sweetness-spring. The birds join us in our welcoming of spring, they sing and rejoice-yeah, it’s spring. Another page has turned and we are glad to see it go, our ghostly white complexions are quickly fading to golden brown and we just can’t get enough of you-oh SPRING!

Alea's Tumbling Recital

Our little tumbler had her recital May 1 and 2. She did so good! We did not realize how big of a production the recital was. I thought we’d be there about an hour and we’d see some cute little dancing and tumbling. Well . . . two hours into the REHEARSAL, we snuck out and took Greg and Benton home so Benton could go to bed. Alea and I returned in plenty of time for her part in the big production. It really made her (and me) feel like we are a part of something big. The studio she attends has around 130 students in two (or three) locations and they all had a part, or multiple parts, in the production. Alea did her somersaults, cart wheels, head stands and blow up saxophone playing like a pro and took a nice big bow at the end of the finale. She got called across the stage to get a certificate of congratulations for her first recital. She looked so little up on that big stage. Alea, we are so proud of you may we always encourage you to follow your dreams!

Rain, Rain We Love You

It has been raining consistently for about a week. It’s warm, spring rain and oh, so fun to play in! The kids enjoy watching the rain as long as it’s not accompanied by thunder and lightning. They (Alea) finally talked me into letting them go play in the puddles with the right “gear” on-Benton’s missing a rain coat-and they played and played. They came in all grins and giggles and soaked to the bone. It’s quite funny to dump buckets of water from their rain boots!

We Are Still Here

To all my faithful readers, of which there are many, I am sure, we are still here and I am still going to keep this blog updated weekly. Our main computer has a serious virus-equivalent to cancer-and is having a serious treatment-equivalent to chemo! Our Internet has been out of sorts with the computer-empathy I guess-so only when the stars are perfectly alligned can I even have Internet connection! I will begin updating, in words, what’s going on, but I cannot upload pictures on the laptop-darn that's the best part-so pictures will have to come later. Keep checking and soon, we’ll be up and going in full swing again. I hope you enjoy reading up on us as much as I enjoy updating!

Ta-Da Tower

Benton, oh yes, Benton again. We did some Sam's Club shopping and he has been helping carry in the groceries. He grunted and groaned with the boxes and sacks but got the task done. We sat down for dinner and he quickly gave us the "all done" sign, something-much more important-was pressing him for his time! He got down from the table and began methodically moving and stacking the boxes from Sam's. He worked really hard and deliberate until the grocery tower was as tall as him. He took a step back, grinned at his mama, stuck his hands up and said "ta-da". He was so proud of his life sized tower of food but the "ta-da" was way too cute! He posed for many pictures with his hand out toward his creation and the movement was always accompanied with a "ta-da".

Benton-“The Independent”

Yet another story on Benton, he just keeps us on our toes and laughing! It all started like a regular day, I was downstairs goofing around on the computer and the kids were playing nicely together. I was about to get lunch going but had to “check out a few more things”. Alea has gotten into disappearing upstairs and usually resurfaces wearing a different outfit. When she disappeared, I didn’t think much about it and when Benton followed, I thought, “Good, they’ll get some alone play time upstairs together”. About ten minutes later, Alea comes down-in new clothes of course-and we start looking at pictures on the computer. I was listening for little brother to follow any minute and minute after quiet minute passed. I thought I’d better go check on him. I stood at the bottom of the stairs and yelled, “Benton Gregory”. No answer . . . I hiked up the stairs and glanced into the playroom, no Benton. I noticed the bathroom door was closed and visions of my two year old drowning in the toilet quickly invaded my thoughts until I heard snoring!?!? I looked in his bed and there was that sweet little guy. He had crawled into bed, placed his paci in his mouth and curled up with his dinosaur-Rillo. I instantly started laughing, he looked so peaceful. I never thought my child would just decide to go to bed and DO IT. I quickly snapped a few pictures, turned off the light, on the fan and covered him up for his self-appointed nap. My goodness he’s independent!

Sneaky Benton

I had to share this story on Benton because it is so cute and typical! He learned how to open the plastic eggs and get the foil covered Hershey’s eggs out early in the morning. Within minutes he learned how to unwrap that irresistible chocolate from the foil. Of course this was too early in the morning and it’s just not right to let children feast on chocolate before lunch! He continued to find foil wrapped eggs and they continued to be taken out of his hand for “sometime after lunch”. What does that phrase mean to a two year old? Eternity, forever, never, perhaps? Why wait? He could find a way around this one. He just had to think about it. Ah-ha . . .

He would sneak a foil egg and lay face/chest down in the Dora chair. He would lift up just high enough to unwrap the chocolate, pop the candy into his mouth and chew completely. He never made a sound and barely moved. The only part of the plan not totally thought through was the trash left behind-in the chair! He was so proud of himself for coming up with the ingenious plan to eat candy before lunch; he was just giggling and giggling in search of more unsuspecting foil wrapped eggs. All that was left in the chair was foil-blue, green and pink. Oh, sneaky Benton!