Thanks for listening :)

This morning:

Mommy: Can I have an extra hug this morning? Mommy, is having a rough day already.

Ben: Why? (Gives a big hug).

Mommy: I just have a lot to do today and I'm a little overwhelmed about it.

(Pause and hug)

Ben: Can you put on a show for me?

Mommy: (chuckling to myself) Sure, Ben, thanks for listening.

Ben: What? I wasn't listening, Mom.

Mommy: Oh ;) I see.

Toddler Speak - now he's 3

My sons want to go outside, but it is cold.

Mommy: I don't want to go outside right now, it is really chilly.

Ben: MOOOOommmmm . . . just put on your sweaties.

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Before Daddy's birthday.

Mommy: Hey Ben, what should we get Daddy for his birthday?

Ben: (without even a hesitation) Oh, a grabber like mine. That would make him happy.



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Daddy putting Ben to bed tonight (Oct. 7, 2011)

Daddy: Hey Ben . . .

Ben: I'm not Ben. I'm an old man.

Daddy: You're an old man?

Ben: Yeah (sigh). I'm sick and old.

Daddy: (laugh)

Ben: I'm going out of my mind!

The things a three-year old learns after his first visit to a retirement home.

Moved to Colorado. Visited Utah. Birthday Bashes.

My Boys! 

We love having a backyard to play in.

The view from our window is of the Flatirons. So pretty (if you ignore the cars and didn't have a glare hiding the mountains!)

Thank you, neighbors for the fresh carrot. A great way to convince Ben to eat more carrots!

Happy 1st Birthday, Boyd-y!

Traditional 1st year birthday cake: zucchini bread :) 

10 days later: Happy 3rd Birthday, Ben!

New bike. First day riding his bike to school. Good job, Honey. 

Just like Daddy. New helmet. New bell. 

Toddler Speak

When I was younger I used to think that my younger brother Ryan would somehow catch up and surpass me in age when everyone said, "One day he'll be bigger than you," or "When Ryan is bigger. . . ." I'm guessing little Ben is thinking similarly after this conversation.

Ben to Mommy: "When I get bigger and you get smaller and you yell, I will say, 'Go your room!'"

Can you tell we have been trying to keep him from yelling so much with time-out in his room?

Spring 2011

Classic crib shot.

Slow down, Baby! You're growing too fast. 

Another attempt at taking pictures incognito failed. 

Ben keeping an eye on his brother while pretending to drink milk. 

Two boys who love boots. 

Again, boots. Ben came out in this outfit and said, "I'm Flynn RIDER!"

So excited that our friends are going to let us tend their animals for a week!

I would seriously like to have some chickens! I found a great site on different types of chicken coops. Check it out! http://www.backyardchickens.com/

We pulled over to take a picture of everyone watching the skies. We didn't realize they were actually spotting the funnel cloud we'd been outrunning.. It's in the left side of the picture. We were driving back fro Kansas City and started seeing funny things in the sky. We turned on the radio and it said, "TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY." So we turned off and headed the opposite direction for awhile. 

That kangaroo was great! There are no fences in this exhibit. You could go chase a kangaroo if you really wanted to. 

A picture in front of a Catholic cathedral for our Topeka Treasure Hunt. Last year we won second place!

Toddler Speak - To be or not to be!

I was an English major, and I really enjoy British English. I also am always on the lookout for clean entertainment. That being said, I enjoy British literature and films, which means I'm likely to naturally expose my children to my interests. In the last year I've come upon some children's shows that are British and so I snatched them up: Winnie the Pooh, Tales of Peter Rabbit, and a cute series called Charlie and Lola. 

I love Charlie and Lola. These siblings are super heroes--never fight, always problem solve together, genuinely enjoy each other's company. This morning's conversation with Ben, however, has made me question my approach . . .

Ben: (Roars) I'm a monst-a!

Me: Ha ha, you're a monst-ER, huh?

Ben: No, I'm a monst-A.

Me: No . . . you are a monst-ER.

Ben: STA.

Me: STER.

Ben: STAAAA.

Me: STERRRRR. (I'll try to approach it with an explanation.) Bennners, Charlie and Lola are from England, and they say monst-a. WE are from America, we say monst-ER. 

Ben: (continues playing)

Me: (hmmmmmmm......what am I doing to my childrens' language?!)

This is not the first time, though! He likes to say, "Mommy, mo-a, please." (instead of "more").

:) 

Toddler Speak

Yesterday's Evening Prayer, by Ben, Jr.:

"Thank thee for my . . . pancake. 

Thank thee for my . . . teachers.

Thank thee for my . . . body.

Thank thee for my . . . family."

Very sweet, and yummy. 

---------------------------------------------

Today's futuristic discussion:

Ben: Mom, I want to open this.

Me: No, Honey, that is for Daddy to open for Father's Day. 

Ben: Oh. 

        Daddy is a BIG MAN, huh

Me: Yep, Daddy is a big man. You are a little MAN. Someday you will be a big man. And someday you will be a DADDY, too. 

Ben: [thinking, and then] Someday I will have . . . 

[if he figures out he will have children someday I'm impressed] . . . hair on my face? 

[Well, yes, that too! :)  ]

Toddler Speak: Owls and Aunts

Thanks to Elmo's World, Ben knows the sound an owl makes. See . . .

Ben: A Towel says, "Hoot! Hoot!"

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My sister is in town for a few weeks, which is really fun. Last weekend we were out and about and Ben, Jr. was walking with Shirley Anne when a sweet woman said to him, "Is this your aunt?" Ben said defiantly, "NO! This is my Shirley Anne." (The nerve.)

Toddler Speak: Pink Egg from the Easter Hunt

One of the eggs from an Easter Hunt we went to was pink with a castle on it. This morning Boyd was playing with it and some other toys and Ben came over and put it on the baby's head and said:

Ben: Be a princess, Baby. Be a princess.
Mommy: That's cute. Actually, boys are PRINCES; girls are princesses.
Ben: Ohhh.

(pause)

Ben: (putting egg back on Boyd's head) Be a QUEEN, Baby.

Toddler Speak: Tommy left his trains.

When we kicked off the potty training adventure the first time around, we did it poorly. We tried everything, though, to try to bribe him to use the toilet. We'd say, "Ben, if you go potty on the toilet, you get . . . GUNS (not my idea; daddy went shopping at the dollar store)." He wanted those guns pretty badly, but was not going to use the toilet to get them. Nothing worked, so we backed off for a couple of months.

This go around, HE says to us, "If Ben go potty on the toilet, I get . . . TRAINS."

I blinked. Then I said, "OKAY!" (Clever tactic, Son. It worked).

He's had his trains now for a couple of weeks.

Tonight we were reading a story about the ice cream man coming into a neighborhood:

"Dana left her dolls.
Bobby left his boats.
Tommy left his trains."

Ben says matter-of-factly, "Tommy has trains. He went poopy on the toilet."

(And that is the way trains are obtained.)

Toddler Speak

Mom and Dad in the living room. Ben eating at the table.

Dad: I would like to have an iTouch.
Mom: I thought you were dreaming for an iPad.
Dad: Well, I'm probably not getting one of those soon and an iTouch would help me out with my work and calling.

Ben, loudly from the table: I WANT AN iTOUCH!

(And it begins.)

Toddler Speak

Mommy to Daddy: "Bye, Honey. Have a good time at the meeting."

1 minute later

Ben to Mommy: "Where's Honey go?"
Mommy: "Honey? Do you want some honey?"
Ben: "No. Where's HONEY go?"
Mommy: "Ohhhh, you mean Daddy? He's your daddy; he's MY Honey."
Ben: "NO. HE'S MY HONEY!"

Okay.

Toddler Speak

I need to record some of the things my sweet toddler says. I figure this is a good place to keep track of them.

Today:

I want to go to High School with Daddy.
(No idea when we said "High School." And we don't watch High School Musical, so ... hmmm.)

[Speaking to his cars] Knock, Knock. Who's there? Amos. Ouch it bitting me.
(Correct spelling. We read a riddle book at night, but I'm pretty sure he doesn't really know why they are jokes. He left out: "Amos Who? A mosquito just bit me." I'm partial to his version though :) ).

Recently:

Daddy: Don't spill your drink, OK?
Ben: (pauses for a few seconds) I spill it in my mouth?

Since Halloween . . .

Here are a few pictures of November, Christmas time, and the boys. 

Grandma and Grandpa Tyler came to Kansas in November to see the boys and attend his baby blessing (they let Big Ben and I tag along :).

We went to visit the Amish . . . again. We can't help ourselves. I'd really like to be their neighbor! There was an auction going on and this is the parking lot.

Ben in our sweet ride. Who says being a mini-van driver can't make you look GOOD :) . (We don't have a Honda, but have you see the new Honda commercials? Definitely trying to appeal to the male crowd more and make mini-vans seem saucy! Works for me!) 

Baby's blessing day. 

This is an "older" picture now. It's been fun to see Boyd get more interactive lately and to light up when he recognizes a face. 

The four Bs!

Topeka Zoo outing. We have a very convenient and toddler-friendly zoo about 2 miles from our house. 

Cool picture, huh? 

The crew at Liberty Jail. We live near Independence, MO if anyone wants to visit!

Typical day in the life of Ben. 

Christmas sugar cookie making activity at home. Our first Christmas tree as the Buie family; we even cut it down ourselves. 

"There's a snake in ma' boot."

This was a fun Christmas since Ben was all about Santa Clause coming to town.

Happy Boyd.

Notice Boyd's cowboy hat. Ben wanted a pard'ner and deputy.

Ben also wanted to have blankets and books with his brother. Notice he's actually glancing sideways to make sure Boyd is doing this right.

Yee-Haw HalloWEEN (toddler's pronunciation)

This could work for St. Patrick's Day, too, I suppose. But I didn't want to make black and orange food :) .

Get it? Lobster Lover bib and a little lobster!

Our costumes for the Nelson's 5th Annual Halloween Party!