i knew it wouldn't last...

ben's folder when he got home today...

a month and a half of school & this is what we have!

nothing a little tape won't fix i'm sure!

up to japan and start of soccer games

daddio is right now up in the air on his way to japan.  this morning, i wanted to get a picture of the kiddos with him.

 lovely.  mr. benj just loves to light up for that camera.

but, at the bus stop, they were showing their true feelings. 

 they miss & love their daddy.

& i am & do too. bunches

so glad it's a short trip.  i very much respect those single parents out there & the military families that are at home doing it every day.  some strong folks out there!

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& now- dum da dum dum.....game 1 for beano, future soccer phenom!!!

he said the kids on his team (2 of the much younger ones) are calling him "mastermind."  do you think they mean "megamind" the movie because of his head shape - or is that just momma worrying?  anyways, he thinks it's hilarious. & i'm glad he does!

hands up!

the team did a great job & he was attacking that ball.  though he didn't score any goals himself, he did get lots of assists (if there is such a thing in soccer) & blocked a lot of goals. 

some action shots of my boy:

 he had 2 kids on him for the throw in, he was such a threat!

 he was a hustlin too!  i was very proud of my soccer star!

we will be at the soccer fields almost every day till mid october with at least 1 of the kiddos having games (except for sundays & fridays).  i have a feeling this will be what the next month of posts will be about. 

sicky no more

the kiddos had their vaccinations & physicals last week. gracie wanted hers too, saying it would only tickle she thought.  that was, until she saw the needles.  screaming & crying & crying some more!  man, oh man.  benj was a brave one & didn't even shed a tear.  it was a pretty funny doctor visit though... the nurse gave them both cups to urinate in & told them to see who could fill it up more.  not a good idea - i was cleaning up pee from the floor & was very thankful i had a spare pair of clothes for gracie.  but, ben was the winner & he was very proud of that fact. 

a few hours later, the sickness started.  & it was no fun.  a week of yuck for sure.  we even went to the er one night.

he wasn't too sick to play his ds though.

actually, he didn't look sick at all.

unless it was "that time" again. (photo taken by beano himself)  4 containers full.yuck.

lots of sanitizer was used for sure.  he loved that stuff.

& he loved taking shots of random things in the room.  made the 4 hours just fly by!

we really did have fun in the er room, having some good talks about life & love.  he's pretty deep for a 5 year old sometimes.  we talked about how he will likely have more than one "love" in his life (not just miss b from his first year of preschool) & someday he will find that special one.  he asked if i or justin ever had other gurlfriends or boyfriends & i said yes.  he was so interested in what they looked like, so i told him i'd show him the next day.  well, i did & he goes on to tell me that daddy's old girlfriend was a lot prettier. thanks, buddy, love you too.  i think ben's a sucker for brunettes, that little stinker. 

anyways, the tests came back that he just had a virus, so that was good news & we are now able to be around friends.  hallelujah! 

these are a few of his favorite things...

from vacation:

root beer.  they only get sodas on special occasions, so it is a real treat!!

monopoly.  really it is, despite that look there.  it was early in the morn & he was ready to play.

namaw was a major trooper & played a looong game with him!  she is the epitome of paitience.

riding the waves!!

taking random pictures on momma's camera...

playing- or tormenting big cousins & other family members!

flying a kite (& trying to get us with it!! - that's daddio behind that froggie kite)

his daddio & sissy (& momma of course)

hanging with his namaw & poppy & rest of the fam

that boy is a hard one to serious picture of!

writes like his daddio..

well, the first time i found benjo's autograph on the wall i thought it was cute.  now i think he's on a mission to mark his territory.  all over the house.  he never did this as a toddler, but now at 5 really feels the need i guess.

his writing looks just like his daddio's i think.  (they told justin to print at work because his cursive is so messy).

our computer chair (ben with his signature backward N)

our coffee table (that we have sitting out of the way so there is more room for the kiddos to play).  i guess at least he is learning to write some words! (cat & up)

one little man is going to have some cleaning to do after school today. 

the big 0-5

oh ben, time is flying by!  you are now 5 years & 15 days old! 

your birthday morning you weren't feeling so good..  but a push up & pancakes with a candle made you feel muuch better.

5 cheers for my birthday boy!!

here's some pictures from your parties:
at home...
all the kiddos sitting down for a craft.  i was amazed at how well ages 2- 6 did at playing & having fun together.  no crying or fighting.  yea!  we had a basketball type themed party & it went much better than i could have asked for.  thank you, ben, for having a preschool party in your class & just a few friends & family over.  much easier!!

gracie at bat! 

 good hit there, sweetie!

the kids digging into the goodies of the pinata..

playing score the ball through the net (yes, mommy is cheesy, but you all seemed to enjoy!)

the party at namaw & poppy's...

 you look so old!

miss embry & gracie gal

poppy & your great aunt donna 

all sitting down for a feast of soup & pizza! 

blowing out the candles with a little help (none needed though) 

the marcum bunch with a new little guy on the way!!! beth, you look lovely!

grant & "har"monica.  grant, you have grown up way too fast too!

that's all the pictures i took! 

anyways, happy birthday to my baby boy, a few weeks late.  i love you more than the stars & the sun & you catch the drift!



surf's up

we like to play on the playground after preschool with buddies often.  well, yesterday one little gal was pretending the big slide was a water slide.  she yelled "let's all go to the water slide!!"  once they got to the top, my mr. ben pulled down his shorts to show his undies & said "surf's up!" 

the girls were quick to tell me what happened.  this momma was a bit embarrassed. i talked to him there how that was inappropriate & was thinking in my head "thank goodness it didn't happen during school.." 

 last night when we were talking about it, he said "i just lost my mind.  i thought it would be funny because my underwear had surfboards on it."  i did laugh, but know i need to buy him whitey-tighties now.

galaxy's first game

big ben had his first game & his team did a great job!  i must say i am very proud of his team's sportsmanship & the coaches' work they have done with the boys in such a short time.  orange team though, needs some niceness lessons.  they were spitting at the blue team & prior to the game one was kicking another boy till he cried (i didn't see this, daddio told me about it afterward).  boys may be boys, but that's not cool.

here he is kicking the ball into the field. 

a little more action for ya

making sure momma's watching!

gracie either stretching or "cheering" for bem.  she'd yell loudly "go bem!"  when we were home, he told her she needed to cheer for the whole team, not just him.  that way, all his team would get excited. 

what a team player he is!

some more game shots

& yet some more.  ben's shoes fell off 3 or 4 times.  for some reason, momma can't tie shoes.  this has now been officially designated to be daddio's job.

check out blue teams' excitement after scoring a goal.  love it!

he had fun, which is what matters & did an awesome job.  i'm one proud momma of him!  go galaxy!!!