We Built This City

For the past week or so, songs have just been popping into my head. However, I am great at remembering one-liners but not the entire song unless it was something I've performed in the past (Under the Sea, Ariel's Song, etc). So - this morning Andy was doctoring Ben's fire ant bite on the bottom of his foot - one thing leads to another and I start singing We Built This City.

I REMEMBER the first night Andy and I met at a Ward Prayer in college. After chatting for 30 minutes we went to dessert at a couple of apartments down the street. One guy knows I love this song and BLARRED it from his radio (he would put it on everytime we came over). Andy stole my heart when he could sing all the words. Of course, he has no recollection of this event and can't remember the words anymore, but I have to listen to it today. SO - before Andy left for work we all danced around the living room singing, "Tony plays LaBamba - Listen to the radio, don't you remember..." It was great and Emily looked at us like we'd all lost our minds!

So - my two all-time favorite songs have to be this one and Africa by Toto. Music really doesn't get much better than that - at least in my opinion!

And yes, Ben quickly returned to being a normal 4 year-old boy the next morning. He continues to test limits but also helps and wants to please. Such a hard life to want to do so much but not be able to!

Bragging a Bit

WOW! My little Ben has matured leaps and bounds over the last two months! It seems like he made the transition from caveman world to human society overnight! Add to that his extreme behavior tonight, and I really don't think life can get much better. Our day today - Ben went to school, I went to Target and bought 5 pairs of shoes (not paying more than $4.98 per pair!) among other things. Ben came home on bus. We drove downtown to meet Grandma and Aunt Jamie for lunch at Chilis - fabulous meal with the BEST waiter we've ever had! I don't think we've done lunch since last Fall, so it was great.

The kids fell alseep on the way home, so I called one of my bestest friends and we chatted for over an hour while my children slept in the car. They woke up and rode bikes outside - they went into backyard to play in newly finished sandbox. Then we went on a walk - with Emily in the backpack and Ben and Annie walking - down to the creek path to feed the ducks. Walked home, finished putting dinner into the oven while kids returned to the sandbox. Gave kids bath and put them into pajamas.

While I put finishing touches on a FABULOUS dinner (if I do say so myself it was just incredible!), Ben was not to be seen. I finally caught him running through the kitchen. "What are you doing, Ben?" "Just picking up!" He picked up the entire house and put everything away - even the three phones that were on the kitchen counter. He knows that drives Andy bonkers, but I seem to collect them all there. Ben was super polite during dinner and made sure that I noticed. I think everything that I have tried to teach him was acted out during this meal. Putting the celery on the edge of his plate because he doesn't care for it, wiping his mouth with his napkin, please/thank you, passing things to Annie, clearing his plate, pushing in his chair, etc, etc, etc! WOW!!! After dinner it was teeth, books and bed! What a perfect day!!! (DISCLAIMER - no, most of my days are not near this easy!!!)

The End of Christmas

We never quite got around to doing gingerbread houses in 2007, so while we were at Target one day, we found the kits for 75% off, and I am a Deal Girl! So, we bought a house and finally decorated it one Sunday afternoon. (We still haven't done the gingerbread cookie kit I bought also - maybe sometime this week...) We had some friends over, so we got out the graham crackers so they could make a house and I could too. This Andy is a dental student and I think I would let him make something for my mouth as he is very careful carving with a knife! *By the way - I LOVE my decorating set from Pampered Chef!!! Any cookie/cake decorating person NEEDS it!*
Emily hung out in her chair and ate graham crackers for the building/decorating time and had a blast!
This was my house! I made extra frosting for the graham crackers houses, and I dare say it was the BEST frosting I have ever made! This house tasted soooo good that it was devoured by two unnamed individuals as soon as three little munchkins went to bed!

Tha Amazing Human Body

Now that it is the middle of January, it's time to rake leaves in Texas! The kids have had a blast jumping in the piles that Andy builds up over and over again. The first day Emily just watched from the sidelines. We tried to get a picture of all three of them smiling, but that never quite works out the way you have envisioned.
Yesterday we did the backyard and Emily was in pure heaven. I have seriously taken over 200 pictures out in the leaves because these are my very favorites to scrapbook! And because you need that many with a digital camera to get a good shot since kids are constantly in motion!

So why is the human body amazing? Yesterday I would start sneezing at least every five minutes then have to run inside to blow my nose. I kept thinking that one of these times I will get all the yucky snot out and be able to breathe again. Then it clicked that my amazing body would just keep producing mucus - no matter how much came out! Thanks - love the allergies and all that come with them. I was so happy to get back inside after the leaves were raked because there is someting nasty outside right now. However, this is not the something nasty that hits Ben every March that pretty much lays him out flat. Love TEXAS!!!