A Tender Moment

Oh, how I love this boy.

Ben and I were laying on the hammock together this afternoon. The wind was blowing the sun was at our backs. He lay resting in my arm as we stared at the blue sky. Then, he slowly turned my head with his little hand, and lifted my sunglasses up. We were looking into each other eyes. He pulled me closer, so our noses touched in the perfect Eskimo kiss. Very gently he kissed my lips. I was smiling as he was so sweet and almost romantic. Then, he stuck his hand down my tank top. Whoa! This just got inappropriate. I starting laughing of course and the moment was over.

He's got some pretty nice moves for a three year old. (If you are my mother in law, stop reading here and go to the next paragraph.) He gets this from his father as that's pretty much how our first date went, minus the laughing.

I would be worried about the girls on the playground, but I think at this point, he only has eyes for me.

And I couldn't be happier. Shouldn't every boys first love be with his mother?

Mother's Day

For Mother's Day, I told they kids they had to be nice to Mommy and nice to each other all day. It actually worked. There was very little fighting and they gave me so much love. When I asked Emily to do something, I could see the wheels turning in her head thinking it was Mother's Day and she should do it and not complain. It was a wonderful day.

We went to the YMCA, which we recently joined, and spent a few hours in the pool and going down their enormous slide. It's all indoors which is great and the little pool is 94 degrees. The slide made me a bit queasy, so David went down about 30 times taking turns with each kid. I hung out in the kiddie section. I was a happy Momma!

David made me barbecue ribs for dinner and I didn't do the dishes (although he usually does them regardless of the day). I have a good husband. He also made me homemade cheesecake with strawberries. He cut the recipe in half. As much as I love this stuff, I couldn't see where 5 containers of cream cheese was justified. But it was Mother's Day so 2 1/2 containers of cream cheese was totally acceptable. It was delish. I even let the kids have a sliver and David too.

Then, this beautiful hammock got delivered today. We usually don't do gifts, but David ordered this for me as a surprise. I'm always fondly gazing at hammocks when I see them at Costco or Home Depot. Tonight, I got a chance to relax in one with the kids. David and I even tried it out. I can't wait for some alone time to lay with my handsome husband under the stars.

Today was a new day. I woke a very groggy Emily up and told her it was time for school. Mind you, she gets up 20 minutes before carpool arrives. I have everything waiting for her and she gets cereal or a granola bar in the car. She was up until 10:30 last night (we put her to bed at 8:30), so when it comes to more sleep or a waffle in the morning, I let her sleep. She's laying on the sofa trying to wake up and I told her she needed to go to the bathroom, so I could get her dressed. After a few seconds of thought, she said very cheerily, "Yes, Mommy." I'm thinking, where's the tantrum, the dramatics? Then, she looked at me and said, "Is it still Mother's Day and I need to be nice?" I laughed and said, "It's no longer Mother's Day, but she still needs to be nice." To which she stomped down the hallway pouting in her usually dramatic fashion.

Can I lie and say it's mother's day once a week? They are 3 and 4, they would never know?

The Reaction

People have asked what Emily and Ben's reaction was to finding out that we were having a boy. We took the kids with us to the ultrasound. Ben was tired and spent most the time laying on the floor, better than ripping out the cords to the ultrasound machine. Emily was very interested and asked a lot of questions.

This whole time Emily kept saying she wanted a baby brother. We kept encouraging her that it be great if she had a sister and she could play Barbies with her and dress up. We were so convinced it was a girl. Nope, she wanted a brother. Ben too. So, I guess they got what they were hoping for. But then, when Emily saw the penis on the screen, she changed her mind. She wants a sister and was requesting for us to have a sister after this brother. Um, nope, this is our last one.

On the way to pick Em up from preschool, I stopped at a yard sale. We sold all of our baby stuff when we moved. We have our crib as Ben was still in that and a few other things. So, we will be going to yard sales and shopping on Craiglist to get the few things that we need (swing, car seat and clothes). I picked up over 20 outfits/onesies, some hats and mittens for only $9. When we got home, Emily was all about dressing up her dolls in the clothes. (I'm hoping she doesn't color the babies eyes and ears in blue permanent marker. Note to self: hide the Sharpies). Then she told me, "Mommy, I'm glad I'm going to have another baby brother." When I asked her why, she said, "Because Benjamin is rude to me and this one won't be." So, there you have it. She is officially happy about it being a boy.

As for Ben, he says he wants to go back in my belly.

We're Having A....

Today was our ultrasound. We are 19 weeks, almost half way. David and I were both pretty sure it was a girl. Actually, I don't know anybody who thought we'd have a boy. Everyone was thinking girl. Wrong.

It's a BOY!!!

He looks really healthy and he already looks like David. Kidding. This one better come out with red hair!

Here's his profile:


He was obsessed with playing with his hands. What else is there to do in there really? Then, he got bored and yawned for us.


Here's his perfect little spine.


Last but not least, his boy parts.


We hadn't really picked out any names as we just assumed we'd wait until the ultrasound. So, now we've already begun throwing ideas around. We still like Noah from when Emily was born and we are still trying too come up with more. David is VERY traditional, so anything gender neutral or to modern is out. Any ideas?

Honestly, we were shocked when she told said, "I see an umbilical cord and something else." We are just so very happy and blessed that he looks healthy.

The Entertainer

They can be cute, but I don't know if either one of my kids have what it takes to make it in the entertainment industry.

Here's Emily's following along to The Entertainer. Mind you, it plays the song for you and the correct keys light up, so you can follow along...in tune. For her sake, let's hope she sticks with cooking.


Ben stole Emily's tap shoes and channeled Gregory Hines, or maybe just Barney the Dinosaur.


So, what do you think? Should I put them on America's Got Talent? Ben can tap while Emily planes the piano. I'm afraid we'd get booed off the stage.

My Top Chef

If I had to guess what Emily will be when she grows up, it would be a chef. She has a great palette for a four year old. She will try anything. She prefers blue cheese dressing to ranch, likes calamari and would rather have pea soup than macaroni and cheese.

Can taste buds be inherited? I think so. On the few nights that I don't have anything but Captain Crunch planned for dinner, David will whip up sausage and cabbage for dinner and him and Emily will eat that. While Ben and I have chicken nuggets and cottage cheese.

I made her pea soup recently which is one of her favorites. She's watched me make it before, but it had been months since I had made it. While she was eating it, she was trying to encourage Ben to try it, which he wouldn't and neither will I (don't like peas). She said, "Ben it's really good. It has celery and carrots and peas." I asked her what other ingredients were in the soup as I often see this challenge among top chefs on the cooking shows we watch. She rattled off ham, onion, salt and pepper. The only thing she needed a little help with was water, but she got that with a few hints too. It's no wonder her favorite show is Top Chef.

She not only loves different foods, but she has always wanted to help in the kitchen. She's a master at pressing the buttons for the food processor and blender. She loves to help shred the vegetables for home made egg rolls and puree the tomatoes for sauce. I don't even need to tell her what to do, she just goes to work. What a good little sous chef. She even likes to do the dishes!

We've just started letting her help more with things around the stove. This makes me nervous as one slip and we are in the ER. But, I can't keep her in a bubble for the rest of her life. Or can I? We started with simple things like stirring rice crispy treats. On the weekends, David always makes us a wonderful pancake and bacon breakfast. There is usually a little batter left over, so I suggested we make a few pancakes for the dogs since they were anxiously watching us eat breakfast hoping for somebody (Ben) to accidentally drop a crumb. We even put a few kibbles of dog food in there like they were blueberries or chocolate chips.



Two very satisfied diners.


I hope her interest will continue, as she is already promising to make me dinner when she gets bigger! Hopefully, it'll be more elaborate than Captain Crunch.

Thanks But...

The kids keep picking these "flowers" for me.

I don't have the heart to tell them they are weeds.