Not exactly in season, but ...

It may not look Christmassy, but our cruise with "Pa" (Grandma and Grandpa) was really fun and got us in the holiday spirit. Here are some highlights:

Fun with lifejackets:



Grandparents next door = 100% undivided loving attention:



Swimming in the "moat" at the kids' swimming pool:




The "tickle carrot" (a nose-tickling concept introduced by Grandpa):



What is this place?



Ben's obsession with letters and numbers continues:



Hamming it up for Pa:

Courtesy of my stomach virus: a recipe for homemade ginger ale

1 1/2 c. sliced fresh ginger
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 (1-liter) bottles club soda or plain seltzer, chilled

Combine ginger (don’t bother to peel it), sugar, and 1 1/2 c. water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Lower heat and simmer mixture about 15 minutes, or until it reaches the consistency of pancake syrup (you should have about 1 c. syrup). Strain syrup and cool to room temperature. Stir in lemon juice. Place 2 T. syrup in 8-oz. glasses and fill 3/4 full with club soda. Gently stir to blend. Add ice and more club soda or syrup if necessary.

We just returned from a cruise yesterday that we went on with Grandma and Grandpa, or as Ben calls them, "Pa." (Michael and I call them Pa: the Collective.) More soon on the trip when I'm feeling better. Christmas preparations are getting away from me!

Dum-ba, and other fun facts

So, I've been really bad about updating. It's not because nothing new has been happening. In fact, something really exciting is happening! Ben is really starting to recognize letters and numbers! For some reason, fellow parents hadn't warned me about how exciting this milestone would be.

It started with the letters I and J, and then moved on to the number 6, and it's just exploded from there. And then ... and then ... we moved to the magical letter Dum-ba. What is Dum-ba, you ask? That's just what we asked ourselves as we failed to notice that Ben was usually pointing to a letter when he said it. Finally, after weeks of frustration for Ben (we guess), I realized once that he was pointing at a "W" on my shirt at the same time that he said it. W! Dum-ba! For some reason, I just can't recover from how cute his pronunciation is!

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving. We had it at my house this year, and my parents, grandmother, mother-in-law, brother, sister-in-law, two nieces and nephew came. Who knew that Ben would laugh hysterically when his cousin taught him how to spike a football? Not me. I probably wouldn't even have known how to show him! He had a great time hanging out with everyone and feeling thankful, and so did we.

I'll leave you with a photo of my sister-in-law futilely trying to teach Ben how to blow bubbles (she said he usually just ended up putting the wand in his mouth):

Nicknames

I realized when I started calling Ben "Ponzu Sauce" this morning that yet another nickname for him had been created. There's really no way to trace the mysterious evolution of Ben's nicknames, but I have tried to keep a somewhat accurate record of them. Here are some he's had over the months:

Benyard (kind of pronounced like "Leonard")
Professor Chaos
Wombat
Smenjamin
Been Jammin'
Sweet Pea (what my parents called me)
Boo Bear Bear/Boo Boo Face/Boo Boo/Boo Boo Buddy (Michael would sometimes say, "I think I hear the call of the North American Boo Boo Bear" when he heard Ben fussing)
Cuckoo/Cuckoo Clock/Cuckoo Buddy/Cuckoo Head
PuPu Platter (like the Chinese appetizer)
Pistachio Pudding Cup
Susan Sauce (no idea on this one)
Cinnamon Applesauce
Pekinese/Pekinese from the Pokonos (he's only referred to this way when he wakes up crying in the middle of the night, which is rare)
Petunia Patch
Pumpkin Pie

I know there must be tons more, but I stopped keeping track at a year. Only a very special baby could inspire this many crazy nicknames!

P.S. Despite all the food-inspired nicknames, I've never actually considered nibbling on Ben (though he IS a very delicious baby).

This one goes out to our moms

Ben telling my mom about clocks

Ben got visits from both of his grandmothers last weekend, but I only remembered to take pictures in the afternoon. Sorry, Cynthia! I've been trying to remember to take pictures more because Michael, the obviously superior photographer in the family, never ends up showing up in any.

We took Grandma S to Chipotle, then we hung out at home for a while, futilely waiting for Ben to take a nap. (He fell asleep in the car, which almost always ruins nap prospects for the day). Then we tried to see if Ben could say some variation of "Grandma." He can repeat "Nana" and other stuff like that but it seems too contrived. He can't really say "grandma" yet and typically he won't attempt a word until he can say it perfectly. I bet both grandmothers will end up being "Grandma" and not a cute variation. I called both of my grandmothers "Grandmother"!

Then when Cynthia left, we went to visit my mom at her hotel nearby, where she was in town for work. She had brought a whole bunch of watches of my dad's for Ben, feeding his obsession with clocks. (In the picture I'm fairly positive he's saying, "clock, clock.") She, like us, was filled with joy and love upon hearing how cutely he says "clock." She also brought a big book of words that he loves! He has spent hours telling us about the shapes (especially moons) and colors, and demanding that we immediately label items he doesn't recognize. I found out he knows a lot of words that I didn't realize, just because this book covers so much ground!
I really wanted to recommend the book to other parents, but it doesn't seem to be in print anymore. Oh well.

Next, Grandma W took us to Blue Goose, where we ate pretty good fajitas and stellar sopapillas while receiving incredibly poor customer service. Ben nibbled on a lemon and charmed his grandmother some more, then we took her back to her hotel!

Ben really enjoyed his day with his grandmothers and looks forward to seeing both again soon at Thanksgiving! Thanks to both of you for the visit.

Tagged by Alison: Eight Things

Eight things I am passionate about:
my family, my beliefs, my education, finding common ground, being kind, parenting, staying informed, experiencing things to the fullest

Eight words or phrases I use the most:
1. We don't eat that, Buddy.
2. Time to change your diaper!
3. Are you hungry for a snack?
4. That's the number 10. That's still the number 10. That's still the number 10.
5. That's right; that's a clock!
6. Can I hug you?
7. Daddy's home!!!
8. I love you guys.

Eight things I want to do before I die:
get a Ph.D., raise Ben to be a kind and curious person, go to Europe with people I love (as opposed to mostly strangers), have at least one more kid, figure out how to be an organized person, surprise Michael with an electronic gadget gift he didn't know existed, live in a house with stairs and maybe a pool, find a hairstyle that doesn't irritate me after just a few weeks

Eight things I need right now:
Sleep, a shower, a maid, a shopping assistant, a haircut, some new pants, diapers (for Ben), sushi

Eight places I want to visit:
Banff/Lake Louise in Canada, Hawaii, Norway, New York (again with Michael), San Francisco, Europe (again with loved ones), Alaska (again with Ben), Seattle (again when I'm not pregnant, ill and exhausted)

Eight favorite restaurants:
SushiSake, Mi Cocina, Steak & Shake, Melting Pot, Chipotle, Original Pancake House, Nate's, Kebab & Kurry

Eight TV shows I watch:
Mad Men, Supernanny, Law & Order, Pushing Daisies, America's Test Kitchens, Sesame Street, Martha Stewart, The Simpsons

Eighth folder Eighth picture:


Eight people I tag:
Not sure if I have eight readers ... but if you're reading this, I tag you!!

Goodnight Moon just got real.

Hi, it's me Ben's dad, making a guest-post. I just wanted to make this journal entry so I wouldn't forget the Amazing experience of reading Goodnight Moon with Ben at his bedtime last night. I've read this book to him probably a hundred times before, but this time was different. He identified so many details in the book, it blew my mind. He pointed out a balloon, without any prompting and said "balloon" for the first time ever. I asked him to point out a bunny, and he pointed out one that I hadn't even noticed on the page. He was very excited about all of the moons in the book, and at one point, he finished my sentence, "The cow jumping over the ___________!" Seems like there was something else that I'm already forgetting. Anyway it was really cool. It's like he's just going through an explosion of understanding and awareness! (and speech!) And this Goodnight Moon is no longer just a book that I read to him — It's an interactive conversation piece.

Library FAIL

Pointing at Clifford the Big Red Dog (you'll just have to trust me that he's there):


So, ever since I had Ben I've been looking forward to time spent together in the library. He LOVES books and loves picking out board books for us to check out, and is really in awe of the fish tank and tiny little kiddie chairs and stuff in the kids' section. And I'm pretty much content to be in a library, blissfully walking up and down the aisles, inhaling deeply. He WILL share my love of books. :)

So as soon as he was old enough, I signed him up for our library's Lapsit program. I even opted out of joining the early childhood PTA this year so we could make all of the classes. But he didn't seem crazy about the first few classes, and I didn't much blame him.

He actually likes to listen to me read the books, and points out things he knows in the pictures. I'm animated and stuff when I read, but I don't jump up suddenly to do a little dance or grab a few puppets. The lady was very hyper and animated, and Ben was really taken aback at first. He mostly just sat on my lap fearfully and then sometimes wanted to be hugged. I figured he'd get used to it. I know most kids probably love books read this way, but Ben's the product of Michael and me, so ...

Then, this last week, when I finally thought he was starting to enjoy it, he seemed completely comfortable. Like, way too comfortable all of a sudden. (Sidenote: I've written "all of the sudden" all of my life and just recently found out that was wrong.) Instead of sitting on my lap and watching the show, he started wandering around and climbing on chairs. A lot of other kids were doing the same, but I wanted him to get something out of the little dances and stuff the leader was doing. I try to show him stuff, but as long as he's not disrupting, I tend not to press him to do any particular thing since these classes are supposed to be for his enjoyment. Still, he was getting farther and farther away, so I motioned energetically for him to come back. He smiled politely and looked at me a little bit like he was wondering where he knew me from. Other parents were smiling at me as their older children did the dances and recitations perfectly. I followed him as he wandered from chair to chair, making little singy sounds. He found the entrance to the puppet theater and tried to climb into it, while I tugged him backwards and tried to motion his arms through the "be a monkey" part of the song the leader was singing. I had turned to watch the leader "be an elephant" so I could show Ben how to do it, when I heard a CRASH. Ben had climbed onto a folding chair that wasn't locked, and had fallen backwards into the wall. DISASTER! I grabbed him (less gently than I could have) and tried to get out as soon as I could before he started wailing. He only sobbed a couple of times, and didn't seem hurt.

It was especially sad to have to ditch the class, though, because we had a different leader for this particular class who was actually really good and who I would have thought Ben would love.

Oh well. At least he still seems to love the library!

Struggling to put on his name tag:


The teacher we walked out on:

A few of Ben's favorite things

It's handy that they all rhyme, huh?

Happy Halloween from Dread Pirate Eye Injury

Ben really needed an eye patch after I foolishly let him play "basket boy" near one of the baby gates and he fell face-forward into it. ("Basket boy" involves placing one of his toy baskets over his head and running around, and/or sitting in it at an angle so it falls over, preferably into something sharp or dangerous.)

He looked cute but slightly pitiable in his pirate costume while we briefly went trick-or-treating in a friend's neighborhood. Note poor scraped eye!

He was mostly interested in the glow sticks.

It's impossible to keep up with the older kids, especially when you insist on wandering randomly into the street.

Clothing/season timing

So it appears that Ben's winter clothing that I was given or bought months (and sometimes more than a year) ago is going to work out perfectly for this season. Only a fellow parent will understand how exciting this is. It's quite the crushing blow to discover that your child may never get the chance to wear some adorable outfit someone bought him because it was corduroy and fit him when it was 90 degrees outside, or something.

Anyway, behold: Ben in a sweater his great aunt Linda bought him last Thanksgiving. Fits perfectly, no? And those jeans he's wearing finally fit even though I bought them last winter assuming they'd fit soon (babyGap outlet). It's just so satisfying.

Passport photo before and afters

Results of photo session at the post office:

Results of Michael manipulating an existing photo to passport photo guidelines:

What a difference having a designer in the family makes.

What I found on my camera ...

I found some old photos on a camera we don't use as often this morning. Here are the highlights:


Ben bumped his head (note huge red area) around naptime and required prolonged holding afterward, then fell asleep and didn't wake up when I put him down in our bedroom (highly unusual behavior for him). Can you guess which pillow is mine and which is Michael's?


A great picture of my dad and Ben at Dad's pinning ceremony in August. He was graduating from nursing school (note crisp white scrubs) and we were all very proud!

Before I forget ...

I keep forgetting to mention some new words that Ben has been using lately. He's always loved our big analog clock in the living room, and just these past few days he's been walking around pointing at it and kind of chanting, "Clock, clock. Clock, clock." He always says it twice in a row! He says the L sound really emphatically. He's also been saying shoe, sock, snack and a few other S words.

For a long time when we would try to get him to say Ben, he would just emphatically thunk himself on the chest over and over as if to say I'M HEEEERE!! But lately when we ask where he is he pats himself on the chest and says "Bean." Impossibly cute.

Also, I thought he had a fever the other day and asked him if he felt warm. He felt his own forehead for me and then shook his head no. :)

I like swinging moderately well

Ben likes swinging, but he's too cool to be all "Yay!! Wheee!" about it.

Hope he will wear his hat!

Ben tried on his Halloween costume today, and I really wanted to get a photo, but I'm assuming we'll have plenty of chances tomorrow. We're going to Boo at the Zoo at the Dallas Zoo with our friends and their sons. The kids are supposed to wear their costumes at least part of the time; not sure how that will go with Ben.

I really, really played up how great Ben looked in his costume and clapped and clapped and put the hat on all of us (including the dog) so Ben would be really excited about it. Once the dog had worn it he could not get enough of it and kept wanting to look in the mirror. He really looks adorable wearing all of the parts so I hope he can hang onto his enthusiasm!

We also went to the Huffhines Art Trails today at the recreation center where I used to teach dog obedience. They had lots of cute trinkets and stuff for sale and I was wishing we had invited our moms to go, too. Mom, they had tons of Christmas stuff! We stopped off at the playground for Ben. He loves to lounge at the bottom of slides and s-l-o-w-l-y explore at the tops of the structures, and the bigger kids just whiz right past him. Luckily, no one has actually shoved him aside yet! It's a scary age: he can almost play safely on the playground equipment, and he's definitely interested in it, but we still have to be right there in case he slips!