So I know - I have been a major blog slacker lately. I don't know why - sometimes its just hard to find time! Facebook is just faster and easier. . . . but also annoying. So anyway, I need to be better. There are always things that I want to blog about. . . . and then by the time I get around to it I have about 15 things that I could have blogged about. So maybe I'll do a little run-down of a few things as of late.
I feel like we've really been busy lately - but also had a lot of fun! Tanner continues to be busy with his many projects. One day I even had him busily scrubbing down all the big trucks that had been in the sandbox all summer so that they could be inside for the winter. He very happily did that. Too bad now that we have tons of snow the trucks have gone right back outside. . . . at least the snow is clean right?
Notice what a nice sunny day it was? Perfect for scrubbing down the sandbox toys.
And those same trucks today.
Tanner and his cute preschool friends with their igloos on our letter "I" day.
Tanner has also gotten into the baking spirit of the holidays lately. I will often open the fridge and find many surprises that he has created, not always to my greatest delight. Such as this lovely treat we found the other day:
Who knows what is in it but I see sprinkles. I'm also suddenly out of all my food coloring so thats another good guess. He does make quite the colorful delicacies.
We've had fun at BYU games with the boys.
Benny with Grandpa
And later Benny out cold at the game.
Silly Tanner.
But we especially had fun at the last football game without the boys!
Cute little Layla joined us all but she was way better than any of the crazy boys would have been. Isn't she adorable?
It was great times. And then the very next week Spencer and I were even able to go to see the "Christmas Carol" at Hales Center Theater with my family and go out to dinner. Without the boys. And next week is Spencer's fun work party that we will go to without the boys. This is a new and exciting freedom we have been experiencing lately. Its been nice! So many dates - probably more than we've had in our whole marriage within the span of one month!
This past Sunday was Spencer's big 30th Birthday. It was very fun to have my brothers, Claire, Katie and Nic down to celebrate. He's officially old I like to say. Even though I know thats not that old (at least half the people who read this are probably older than that - so sorry) but since he's older than me, I have to give him a hard time. Ha!
So these are just a few things in the past month or two that have been somewhat documented. I need to be better. But one of the main things I've been wanting to blog about is something I often blog about - my little Benja!
I should probably look back and see what I've already said about him, but I'll just try to update the best I can. I feel like he is just growing up! He's really starting to physically accomplish things that we've been waiting for him to do. . . . well his whole life. He has gotten so much stronger. He crawls around (in his own way - I'll explain), pulls himself up into standing, we're working on walking along furniture, all kinds of stuff. Its kind of hard to explain, but he really is just doing a ton of stuff right now. His physical therapist thinks he should be ready to walk with the help of a walker within the next little while so that will be exciting to see has he continues to progress.
He's getting into things and just exploring and becoming much more independent. I've been waiting for him to be able to do these things for so long. All of you with normal kids just have no idea how hard it is when your child can't do anything. Literally! Its so helpful to have him mobile. In the past he pretty much couldn't do anything. I would have to facilitate all his playing or activity. Now I can just leave him and he can do what he wants. Like most kids! Believe me its been a long time coming - its made my life a million times easier. I mean, I do have to help him physically with a lot of things still and help him work on specific things, but its nice to have him entertain himself too.
His crawling is interesting. Even though he's a lot stronger now, his biggest challenge is, and probably always will be, balance. So when he crawls he does it kind of on his elbows and with his head down (I guess for another point of balance or something?). He's got the motion down and everything, but it just looks funny. He'll get up on his hands and knees in a normal way, but once he tries to move forward he just falls over because of his lack of balance. So its been interesting to see how he's developed his crawling method to work for him. Very close to the floor with lots of points of contact to keep him centered.
He likes to sit up on his knees a lot more - and play on his knees. And bounce on his knees as best as he can before falling. Its a strange position for me to see him in cause it makes him look so big and grown up! I've not been used to him doing these things so its been fun and strange. Its also strange to go out of a room, and come back in a few minutes later with him somewhere in a standing position! I got so used to him always horizontal so to see him vertical on his own accord so much has been different! But also very exciting.
He falls a lot. He is constantly falling and bonking his head and getting hurt. But thats going to be a big part of his development - I guess every kid goes through it right? For the most part he is pretty tough but when we are around he likes to work the sympathy. He makes what we call his "sad face" at will and it is pretty hilarious because most of the time its when he isn't even really that hurt but he is just trying to work it and get compassion. In fact we can ask him, Benny make your sad face, and he will try to do it without laughing. Its so funny though to see him do it cause we know its fake. Here are a few examples:
Pretty fake here
Trying to work it on the piano. For some reason whenever I pull out the camera he tries to get all sad like this too. I think its cause he wants to look at all the pictures on the camera and I won't let him have it. He does love to play the piano though. Its gets to the point where whenever I am playing he starts freaking out and crawls over to me and climbs up and hangs on me until I get off and let him play. I keep thinking maybe he'll be a piano genius like his big cousin Max, but probably not. He just doesn't like it when I'm not paying attention to him.
Turning the pages
Here he is with his little cousin Max (we have two cousin Max's) once again trying to make his fake sad face. Its pretty funny. Notice how Max is really good at making a good pose for the camera. Benny is just a stinker.
Benjamin has definitely developed quite the funny little personality. He is such a funny kid and cracks us up. He probably has the world's best giggles. And he still has a great love for other people. It amazes me - no matter where we are its like he searches out people to say hi to and talk to. I can already tell that that is just going to be the type of person he will be. One who loves everyone and will be able to touch people. Thats definitely Benja.
Anyway, I just had to share some things about my darling little Benja. I've learned more from him and my experiences with him than I think I ever could have learned with any children. Even though he is a challenge we love him so much!
