Random Thoughts for March

February 29th delivered our season's first true winter storm, so March came in like a lion after all. 

We bought Ben a shiny new red tricycle last week (with a proper bell, I might add:)). 

The kid has 6 older cousins; 99% of his clothes and toys are hand-me-downs, which we love. But we couldn't resist getting him his first bike. He was thrilled. He didn't really know what to do with himself. It's still a bit too big for him, so he can sit on it, but his feet can't reach the pedals. So, in his excitement, he took his blocks and put them on the seat of the trike and pushed it around the kitchen, took the blocks off the trike, banged them together and started all over again. 

Ben helping dada put the trike together

We figure that, by the time the snow melts, he'll be big enough to ride the trike outside, properly:). For now, it sits in the garage, like a little red trophy.

Speaking of hand-me-downs, this stuffed animal was mine when I was little. It was called 'Froggie Froggie', as, apparently, I thought it was a frog. After a spa day, which consisted of a cycle in the washer and dryer, Froggie Froggie looks like new and now belongs to Ben. His new name is 'Polar' (pronounced 'Pol-ah'). 

A few weeks ago I cut Ben's hair for the first time. This morning, I took him to the grocery store and a sweet older woman approached us and said 'Oh, he's so cute. Did he cut his own hair? Don't worry; all of my kids did it. They all do at some point in their lives'.

Did I really do that terrible of a job that she assumed my 15-month old took a pair of scissors to his own hair??

No more haircuts from mama. This can be dada's job:).

I'm reading 'Bossypants', by Tina Fey. This book has me tearing up and laughing out loud. It's hilarious. Have you read it?

Happy March to you:).

xox

February stroll

We have a very long driveway

that leads to a very busy street.

But if you cross our very busy street, you'll find yourself on a very sweet side street.

We like to find ourselves there every now and then to enjoy views of a setting sun,

a beautiful, twisted old tree,

 a still marsh.

And during perfect summer evenings, a firefly-lit field.

These photos were taken during today's walk.

** On a side note, this has perhaps been the most mild winter of my thirty-one years. I cannot recall a February that looked like this. How is February from your home?

xox

Hello February!

Hello February

Hello climber

Hello blue sky

Hello shadow

Hello daffodils (eight weeks early....)

Hello pitcher's arm

What other delights/ surprises will this New England February deliver?

Happy weekend to you.

xox

January Moon

Me: 'Benjamin, where is the moon?'

B: 'Moooooooooooooooooooonnnnnn!!!!'

Happy end of January to you.

xox

I blinked.... and you're 14 months

Happy 14-month birthday, Ben. 

You are becoming your own person. 

You're funny; you crack yourself up, you crack us up. Everything is a joke to you; you have a big personality. 

You are pensive. Whenever we take you somewhere, you initially stand back, take in your surroundings, assess all that is going on. You take your time, but once your mind is made up, you go for it. And you let nothing get in your way;).

You're confident. I love how comfortable you are in your own 14-month old skin. How can I ensure that you stay this way? That you'll never feel insecure; that you'll march to the beat of your own drum, that you'll stand for what you believe in...

You're sweet. You give kisses like it's your job. You are friendly to everyone, you welcome people into your world with a huge, large-toothed grin (though you are quite attached to your mama and dada).

You adore, aDORE, your dog. You go over to her blanket regularly to sit with her. You have a hard time saying Luna; you call her 'Lala'. You pet her, you're gentle with her (most of the time time), you give her cookies when she comes in from outside and call her 'good girl' (goo-gar). 

It's funny; you don't quite look like us. You still have blondish hair and blue eyes (WE still have no idea where those baby blues came from, but they seem like they're sticking around). You look a little like your grandpa Dave and resemble your own dad in ways. But it feels like we're really grasping at straws here to find physical similarities ('he definitely has my teeth (mama), your overbite (dada), the under portion of your eyes (dada), my toes and wide feet (mama)'.... see what I mean?)

Here are some of your favorites, at 14-months:

Favorite Activities:

- Playing with Luna

- Playing with/ talking about balls (soccer balls, tennis balls, baseballs, you don't discriminate)

- Climbing up the stairs and sliding back down on your belly (and I won't lie- this one terrifies me)

- Pulling your toy dog and train around the house (you walk backwards so you can see the activity)

- Helping with household chores (you carry wood, you help to push the wheelbarrow, you swiffer, you stir eggs)

- Pulling things out of cabinets... and putting them back upon our request (not quite as fun as taking them out)

- Saying cheers with your sippy cup (this is new over the past few days- you say 'cheees' repeatedly, though you haven't quite gotten the fact that you're supposed to have a sip after you give cheers:))

- Reading, alone or with an adult (you drop the book of choice into our laps and politely ask us to 'read-a, read-a')

- Dancing and playing the piano with dada

- Playing with the shapes sorter toy (you make a really funny grunt when you're trying to force a shape into it's slot; how did you learn to grunt? I don't think that your dad and I walk around grunting.... but you've mastered it:))

-Looking out the window at night for the moon

Favorite Foods:

Hands down: avocado, bananas, eggs, tomatoes, grapes (If you had it your way, you'd eat tomatoes for every meal. We tell you that, if you don't watch it, you're going to turn into one.....)

Favorite Books:

I am a Bunny (you call Nicholas 'Ko-lick-oh-la', it is so cute that we ask you to say it every time we turn the page)

Anything Sandra Boynton

Anything Eric Carle

Goodnight Moon

Dear Zoo

Most Commonly Used Words:

Mama, dada, Luna, more, please, milk, avocado, ball, car, train

You're starting to string words together, you are repeating anything and everything that we say. I have a feeling that you're going to be a little chatterbox, if we continue at this rate:).

You are an amazing sleeper. We put you down for bed at 7pm and don't hear from you again until 7am. You are down to one nap a day, about 1.5-2 hours. You sleep hard and you play hard. 

I feel so very privileged to be your mama. I am enjoying every second of your life, of seeing you grow, watching you learn, loving who you are. You are such a sweet little guy, so fun to be around, even on the days   when you completely wipe me out. You're a little gem and I can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring.

Cheees to 14 months and many more of them......

Love, mama

Photo Credit: Thanks to Alisa, Ben's girlfriend/ nanny, for taking photos 1, 4, 8, 9 and 11:). We don't know what we'd do without her loving, patient heart and photog capabilities:).

walk it off....

Ben and I have been grouchy the past few days. His reasons for grouchniess are simple: he has two lower molars cutting through his gums. Fair enough (poor guy:(). Me? I don't really have an excuse. Perhaps it's the cold, wintry weather, perhaps it's the fact that I haven't been getting out of the house much (working from home, as lovely as it is, can do that). Who knows. But today, Ben and I were like oil and water. 

So we took a late afternoon walk, just the two of us. We bundled up, braved the cold and relished some much needed fresh air.

And I do have to say, I'm not sure if it was the bit of clean, cold air that did it, 

No matter how cold it is outside, the hat and gloves will inevitably be thrown off. 

or if it was coming in from the clean, cold air to a hot cup of cocoa and a crackling fire,

but we both seemed notably better upon our return.

xox

Bits of you....

There is nothing quite like getting into a warm, bubbly, rosemary & mint-scented tub at the end of a long day, to relax, have some quiet time, decompress, feel some sort of sophistication after spending a day in sweats.

Even when I have 'non-mama' time, when he is fast asleep, growing and cooking away in his warm bedroom, there are little pieces of him scattered all around my world. And they never fail to bring a smile to my face, as I imagine him cracking himself up because, apparently, it's very funny to line up the tubby animals on the tub wall shelf. Hilarious. ;)

Side note: Whenever Matt walks into the bathroom during Ben's tub time, he says 'Ben, where's the pig?' To his credit, the bunny is usually faced-down and covered in bubbles, so he does look a little boar-ish. Though I do wonder if our kid will grow up thinking that pigs have long ears, whiskers and cotton tails.....

Happy New Year to you.

xox