My Camera

A few weekends ago
Bob had to work from home
making calls
Lots of calls...
so, I tried to stay away

Saturday I about lost my mind...
Tommy was fussy
Ben wouldn't listen...
one of those kind of days

so, Sunday morning
immediatly after breakfast,
we left to go run some "quick"
errands
Ben's clothes were dirty
and mismatched
I didn't take my purse
just my wallet
I didn't really have a plan
other than to be
out of the house.

After a few stops,
we ended up going to
Trader Joe's
(One of my FAVORITE stores!)
and after we left there
I was on the way to get milk
at Whole Foods
yet, I passed the exit
and ended up
getting off at an exit
that went by my favorite
BBQ restaurant~
BBQ Revue!
Needless to say we had to stop...
While we were having lunch
one of the employees
came by and suggested we go
to a KIDS FESTIVAL
down at Sawyers Point
She said it was FREE
face painting,
rides, water fun...etc
but that it was over at 4:00
The time was 2:15.
My only reservation
(Other than the fact that
Ben was dirty)
was that I didn't have
my camera
with me
How could I go to something
that cool
without my camera?
Without
my storyteller,
my diary.
I was pretty upset...
and that is what made me realize
how much I depend on
my camera
to keep track of my memories
to be my eyes

I debated
about stopping somewhere
and buying a disposable one...
and then decided
to just go

We had the best time!
We parked for free
We got samples
Ben went fishing for real catfish
(he didn't catch one
and was oh, so disappointed)
He went down a huge water slide
he took a ride on a mini kayak
in a huge pool
he played games
got all sorts of cool give-a-ways
saw an Anaconda
a turtle
and a trantula

He had such a good time!
and Tommy was so good
and I didn't capture
one moment of it
with a photo
but the day
and it's pictures
will forever
be
in my mind

xxoo

Happy Mother's Day

Woke up this morning

at 8:45...Tommy was still sleeping...

(thanks for that one Tommy!)

and

with Benjamin full of excitment

about the gift he made for me

at school...

and quite honestly,

I was excited

to see what it was...

I had seen

some really cute things

other mother's had gotten

from their children in the past...

most of them involving hand prints...

and I think I was hoping

for something with a handprint...

don't ask me why...

My gift from excited Mr. Benjamin

was

a handmade card,

a flower planted in a dixie cup...

and a potholder ~

wrapped in green tissue paper,

(I picked green

because green is your favorite color mom...)

and placed in a paper bag

painted with a heart.

The pot holder was painted

with rubber stamp imprints

of hearts, hands, and flowers. ...

The best part was his telling me

about how he made it,

which stamp he put on first

and how when he put the holes

in the bag

using the hole puncher

all the little paper circles

went flying

everywhere!

and we both laughed and laughed...

We went to church
and got big Starbucks Frappacino's
on the way home

I got Coffee

Ben got Strawberry Cream

and then went on a
Mother's Day Hike...

Bob was supposed to join us,
but he didn't feel good

so, it was me and my boys...











Pretty much,

just another day
like any other day,

full of Hugs and Kisses

and

I love you mom's...



except this one
started with handmade presents

and ended with
Graeters Ice Cream ~


Mocha Chocolate Chip
Coffee
and Double Chocolate Chip (Ben's request...)


YUM

Happy Mother's Day Mom...
I love you
~

All in a day...

Goofing off...

Cracking Tommy up

Crashed out trying to wait up for daddy...

Went to the store Toys R Us

Ben got Easter money from Aunt Joan

that he wanted to spend...

$5.oo

He put it in his spiderman wallet

that he got from Aunt Henriette

and walked around the store

so excited...

How much is this mom?

$20-

OHHHHH...sigh...

over and over again...

finally he found a

Pokeman ball that he wanted

After paying for the toy

the cashier askes him if he wants a bag

he says yes, as I say no need

and then as he is handed the bag

he says

no, that's okay

I am going

to do what my mom says!

The cashier was amazed

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Twilight Tide Pettiskirt GIVEAWAY!!!!

Twilight Tide Pettiskirt GIVEAWAY!!!!

FABfabFABULOUS pettiskirt giveaway!

Big enough...

The other day was

one of those especially "hard ones"

It was long

and I had both kids by myself all day

...again...

and it has been tough...

I have been trying to clean and organize

my bedroom for months

ok-years really-

but really working on it for months

and had been trying on

pre-pregnancy clothes.

At the end of the night

I was brushing my teeth

in the bathroom

when Benjamin came in

and saw me wearing a sweatshirt

"Silly mommy...

you're not wearing that to bed

are you??"

"no, Ben, I was trying it on to see if it fit..."

"Hmmmm" (looking me over)

"It's ...

and I think he is going to say something like

'really nice mommy...or something like that...'

"It's...

big enough for a fat person..." !!!

I said thanks

and then laughed so hard I spit my toothpaste out!

It was really a great way to end a crappy day~

Smiling.

TRIP to IKEA...

Ok-so I got really behind in my posts

Each night that I knew I wanted to post something

I just put in a title to remind me and get the date right

and so the past few nights

I have just been trying to catch up

I have a few more to add...but the one from today is so good

that I have to skip forward for a day...

today Ben started back at soccer

and afterwards we went to IKEA for lunch

It was great! Tommy slept through lunch

so I actually got to eat my food hot...

and Ben...well-this is what he did as I was sitting a bench cleaning up Tommy

this is actually after he had been doing it for a while-

I had been watching him without him realizing it for a while and then

it just suddenly dawned on me that

I HAD to record it...

Enjoy...I did!

Visits to the Museum

Visits to the Aquarium

We finally got passes to the Aqarium again

and Benjamin is so excited ...
he threw coins into the
Wishing Whale
and when i asked him what he wished for
he replied-
I can't tell you that! it won't come true!!!


Tommy loved it was well-
but did have to take a nap
for a short while...

Pic of Tommy and I taken by Benjamin

The first hike of Spring!

The first hike...

needs no words

It was great

xxooxxoo

March 4,

Happy Birthday Mom...

When my mother passed away

she wanted her ashes

spread out by the island

in Norway

so, water always makes me think

of her...

In her honor,

Tommy, Ben and I walked

out on the Purple People Bridge

to wish her Happy Birthday...

When we are sick in our house...

Not much to post the past two weeks...Tommy had his first "playdate" last Monday, and by the time we got home that evening, I started feeling bad. First there were really intense stomach cramps, which by Tues morning led to nausea, chills, sweats. an awful dry cough that killed me every time I endured it...I am so thankful that Bob was able to take Benjamin to work with him a few nights...because it was tough to deal...then Ben got sick, then Tommy, then Bob...here are a few pics ....

Tommy and Melanie

(His first "playdate")

Our craft area...getting alot of use when it is cold

or we are not feeling well...

Eating a popsicle...
when we are sick
there is no limit



Even Tommy had his first...