Quality Cousin Time

Our NV Bennett-Youngers rolled into town on Sunday night - Em and the boys (Lil'Will (3) and Baby James (1) are staying the week with us after being at their grandma and grandpa's in North Carolina for 3 weeks.
A few pictures of our time together so far...

Not a great picture but seeing LW and Si side-by-side like this - they really resemble each other!

Will, James and Si playing with the track that Santa brought

We had tacos tonight for dinner - Baby James really liked the sour cream!

Last night the kids got to have tub-time in the BIG tub -

Baby James had an ear infection and we got that taken care of last night (thanks to our neighborhood medical team!) and everyone has had a grand time together. James is very smitten with his cousin Ella; and Lil'Will and Si are like 2 peas on a pod. We are looking forward to another 4 or 5 days together!

My Bologna Has a First Name....

It's G.R.O.S.S...
My Bologna has a 2nd name - it's N.A.S.T.Y...

Oh, I love to eat it every day (NOT!)
And if you ask me why I'll SAY....

(see for yourself)...

Holy Motherload of Mold Batman!

It's a common catch 22 around here - I avoid the cleaning of the fridge because I find stuff like this....I find stuff like this because.... (yeah, you get it...)

The running joke in my family is that my dad would just cut off the green stuff and eat it. But it's not really a joke, because seriously, he would. That's what growing up in the depression will do to you (or growing up with 4 girls and one bathroom...surely that has something to do with it).

I'm thinking that my New Year's resolution will have to be to check out ALL the drawers in the fridge when I do the mini-cleanings...though I could have just found the treatment for MRSA right in my very own fridge.

Anyone want to come over for dinner?

Baby J.

Is no longer a baby anymore! I told him this morning - Happy Birthday Silas! and he ran around yelling I'm 3!! I'm 3!! I said Mommy wants to give her baby a hug and he said I not a baby, I'm 3!





My email that went out when Silas was born:

Hi to everyone!
We wanted to let you know that Baby J. is here and doing great. The labor/delivery was incredibly short and easy and we're all doing very well.

Silas James Christopher J. arrived at 2:38pm on December 26th. He weighed 7 lbs. 3 oz. and is 19 & 1/2 inches long. I've attached a couple pictures.

Happy New Year to everyone! love, Justin, Christa, Mason, Ella and Silas!

I didn't write a poem for Silas today - I couldn't find anything to rhyme with "rotten", "snuggle-bug" or "cutest stinkin' kid ever" -
- he's the light of our lives and so very loved.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SILAS JAMES!!
We love you!!

Merry Christmas!

Justin and I were up an hour before the kids this morning...we made coffee, read the paper, checked email, etc. and then FINALLY Ella came downstairs. She was pretty laid back about it all - we went up and poked at the boys to wake them up.

Last night we did our usual Christmas Eve routine....Margie, Tim, Sarah, Brian, Mom and Dad came over - they got off very easy this year. Usually we are scrambling and wrapping ALL the presents. This year, we were about 95% wrapped (I got an early start this year by wrapping with my neighbor Kelly and that helped a lot!). So we got to eat, drink and relax last night - Justin read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas and the bible passages of Jesus' birth. We managed to get to bed at a decent hour (which is probably why we were up before the kids!).

The tree all lit and ready for Santa.
I could sit by the light of the Christmas tree for hours...glass of wine and listening to Ray Charles and Nat King Cole sing Christmas carols.

Margie and Si playing on Christmas Eve

Opening presents - we all made out pretty well :)
I got a new iPod that has 120GB - I didn't even know that they made them that big!
I want to load every CD I own onto it!

Miss Boo watching the very tiny bit of glittery snow that we got today -
so fine you could barely see it. (did anyone else see it?)
Time to Get Up and Go to Work! (a popular saying around here)
Can we fix it?? YES WE CAN (emphasis is Si's!)

Si and Mason playing with Si's new train/car/canyon toy - he LOVES it.
Silas likes it too :)

I had a great birthday drink (okay, 2) with Jodi - something she started last year because she feels bad that I'm neglected on my birthday ;) Then we were off to Mom and Dad's for a very yummy dinner that mom slaved over. Some Happy birthday singing for me and Silas; and a delicious Texas sheet cake. Came home ready for bed but caught a 2nd wind listening to the iPod and blogging, and we have Mason's cousins sleeping over.

I feel so very blessed as many friends and family helped me celebrate today, and most importantly, as I watched my kids have a wonderful Christmas - not only with a bazillion gifts but surrounded by family and love. Uh oh, I feel some kid-birthday sappiness coming on (here for another example)...

Merry Christmas!!

Happy Birthday Dad!

Watching my parents be grandparents
is how I know the depth of their love for me.

Happy Birthday DAD!!!

Because the Kids Are SO Good...

We get a Santa visit a little early every year - and this year was no different. He arrived with a ho, ho, ho and a bag of goodies.

Yeah, Mason still believes in Santa ;)

Ella was a little uneasy but managed to sit by
Santa long enough to get the present and a picture.

Silas enjoyed Santa's visit. Santa knew all about Si dressing up
like him at Halloween. He was flattered.

Mason, Ella and Silas with Santa.

All the kids with Santa! Mason, Sarah, Allysa,
Ashlee, Abbi, Alli, Ella, Silas, Sam and Michael.

Santa and I chatted for awhile about what a nice tradition this has become. He's been paying a visit to our kids since 2001 - so he's really watched them grow up and seen our families expand.

2001
Santa with Mason, Abbi and Alli, and Sarah

Wasn't Me!

Whoops!!!
I had nothing to do with this...but I sat in my front room off and on all morning and watched everyone slipping and sliding around on the road and sidewalks. There was a bus stuck for about 20 minutes, the mail lady got stuck for about 30-40 minutes and then some poor guy came around the corner and ended up taking out the neighbor's mailbox.
The schools had a 2-hour delay this morning so Ella didn't have kindergarten. I saw the older kids walking and falling all over the place.
After seeing the mailbox destruction, I decided there was no way in heck that I was going out and so the kids and I stayed in all day. Them in their pj's - - I, at least, got dressed.
We'd best have some awfully NICE weather in February...winter's getting old already and it's not even officially here yet!

O Tannenbaum...O tannenbaum

We put our Christmas tree up the weekend before last - always a fun time in our house. I'd love to say that we take a fun-filled family drive to a tree farm, carefully select and cut down our tree (all while frolicking in the snow) and then sing Christmas carols all the way home.

The REAL story is: we pack the kids into the van, make the 10 minute drive to Lowes, spend 4.67 minutes picking out the perfect tree (Mason and Justin usually agree on several that I veto before we all agree) and then we pay our $15.97 for it, net it and stick it on the roof of the van. Usually (always), Ella and I cannot stand to even be outside for the total of 5 minutes that it takes, so while Dad is paying for the tree, we're back in the van warming up.

When Mason was little, Justin and I took our first tree-buying trip to Lowe's - and yes, we were the people that tied the doors shut on the car (with Mason inside - luckily he was about 3 or 4 at the time). And yes, we had him roll down the windows so we could climb in and not have to untie the tree. Truly not something that I should admit to!
But 10 years later, we are pros - we have a minivan with a roof rack now and that makes it pretty foolproof.

Another confession: I am about totally worthless when it comes to the tree-trimming event. I am in charge of music and eggnog when we decorate. I do put the household decorations up, but mostly I try to make myself look busy. I am more of the re-arranger once the tree trimmings are placed.

The best part for me is seeing all the old ornaments that we had when I was growing up and the ones that the kids have made over the years.

Silas hanging an icicle on the tree (actually, on the cord to the lights)

Ella has become the official "angel-put-er-on-er"

Silas loves the nutcracker - it tries to bite him

Justin and I laughed our butts off at this - Mason made it in the 2nd grade (it's a snowman). He has my artistic (in)ability.

It reminds me of the snowman from The Nightmare Before Christmas movie.

Ella's week

This week was Ella's special week at school. Her teacher "features" a different student each week and they get to bring in photos, tell about themselves, bring a favorite book (she took The 26 Princesses), bring her favorite snack (rice crispy treats) and best of all was that she got to bring Darby (the stuffed) Duck home for the weekend. She cried and cried when she had to take him back on Monday.
Here is the picture that she drew in Darby's journal along with a description of what she did with him all weekend (not her handwriting :)

Notice anything ODD about this duck?

Hair

Looking at baby pictures, Silas sees a picture of Ella and asks, Where her hair?!
Ella's reply - it was still in my brain!

She was a really bald toddler.

Who Should be Grounded??

So, yesterday I'm sitting at my desk working, Justin is in the garage cleaning his job materials out so that I can park in there (because our garage is a pit and we can't have ANY additional stuff in it without me losing my parking privileges). It was nasty and rainy so I was happy that I'd get to park in the garage after picking the kids up at Kelly's.
So I'm sitting, working and I hear a horrible - terrible- awful screeching sound - definitely not good.

I ran out to the garage to see my van in the driveway, touching the side of the garage door frame - not an inch away, or even an 1/8 of an inch away. Totally touching the side of the garage door frame. I freak a bit thinking that Justin passed out at the wheel or had a bad back spasm while pulling my van in.

NOPE. I look in and see Mason in the front seat, Justin in the back behind the driver's seat. HELLO!! Who let's a 13 year old pull a car into the garage that has a 1/2 inch of clearance on either side (never mind that he didn't even make it into the garage...) - when he's never, ever, EVER driven a car, touched a steering wheel or knows what a brake is?
Here's his skid mark on our rainy driveway:



So who should get grounded?
Mason? Justin?? or both?

The Boys

This kid is by far the messiest eater we've ever seen, let alone gave birth to

What you talkin' 'bout Willis?

Mason played outside with Si - Mason got cold first and had to come inside :)

Silas has a great time in the snow - it's all we can do to keep him from eating it off the bottom of his boots when he comes in the house (seriously)

Notice the poor kid is wearing pink snow boots again this year...

Crack me Up

The conversation Si and I just had:

Silas - What we have for dinner?
Me - Ravioli
Silas - with eyes?
Me - huh?
Silas - Ravioli have eyes?
Me - no, ravioli doesn't have eyes
Silas - in the movie he does
Me - huh?
Silas - in the movie, Ravioli have eyes
(what the??)
Me - Ooohhh, RATATOUILLE
Silas - HUH?
Me - You are thinking of Ratatouille - the movie you watched yesterday
Silas - oh, not ravioli?

Thank goodness no rats for dinner!

Hear That?

THAT is The Sound of Silence - ah...it's 8:06 a.m. and my kids are still sleeping, Justin left about an hour ago for work...and I have a beautifully silent home (which I am sure I just jinxed!).


My word, these two have the most amazing voices. Two bad they can't get along.

This is definitely my favorite time of day - I'm not a night owl, contrary to some of my midnight posting. I much prefer predawn and watching the sun come up. It's about the only time of day that I feel like I've got it together, "I can do this, that and the other today" - much of it doesn't end up getting done, but at least for a moment I feel like it's possible - because later in the day it's just overwhelming.

But for now, I'm Feelin' Groovy

Have I Been Duped?

While I am cleaning up, taking out the trash, getting the kids ready for bed... hmmm...



Actually, Justin's back is making progress. He went to a chiropractor again today and has been good about using Advil and cold packs. I guess I'll give him another couple days of rest ;)