Happy Birthday to our Nana!

Happy birthday Nana!  I'm not sure how old our dear Nana is turning today, but she looks and acts to be around 60 I'd say.  Visit her in Florida, and she will still make you fabulous meals and chase her great-grandchildren.  She's a pretty spunky lady.

Below are some of the sorts of pictures you get when you tell Benny to look at the camera and smile:)

I think that this one is perhaps the best :)

Last but not least, here is Benny's 4 year old rendition of "Happy Birthday" for Nana.  We love you Nana!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CieJHt5xR_k&feature=youtu.be

BMW Race Car Party!

Hard to believe my baby turned four!  This little lad has been eagerly waiting for his birthday for the last few weeks.  Here are a few of the day's highlights:

Benny is so well loved.  We needed 2 cakes for his party :)

The cake baker...

Oil and oil filters...Not necessarily the standard party décor but just a few of Benny's favorite things...

Claire was just happy to snuggle baby Alethea.

Benny's beverage choice for the party--Motor Oil.  Aka...chocolate milk.

Benny thought the group was a bit slower to gather to sing and watch him blow out his candle.  He took matters into his own hands:
https://youtu.be/v_LPDmDOQzM

The 'official' happy birthday singing:
https://youtu.be/pn3kG0WW2Dg

Cuteness in Abundance

Benny and Claire have a love/hate relationship.  They can fight like crazy.  Truly...it drives this mommy nuts.  On the contrary, they can play so well together and be so sweet.  Today was one of those days where they were just preciously wonderful.  I prefer to remember the lovely...

Today Benny worked diligently designing these cars that he got for Christmas.  He was quite proud.  I'd say Santa made a good dollar bin find...

Benny created a parking garage complete with a ramp to drive the cars to the top.  In addition, there was an ENTER and EXIT sign he taped to each side.  Claire was only slightly sad that the architectural design involved using one of her favorite board books :(

Claire enjoys 'playing' the piano.  Before she starts to 'play,' she gets a hymnal down from the book shelf.  Gotta have a proper music score, right?  Today, she was playing away singing "holy, holy, holy, mercy, holy, holy, holy, mercy."  The Claire version of "Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty."

The book nook.  They hang out in the corner of the living room and look at books :)

Another favorite Benny + Claire activity...Playing in my bed...  The bed can be a cave, the ocean, a cocoon.  Truly, the imaginative possibilities are endless.  Then, if that gets boring, you can take the pillows out of the pillow cases and have sack races.  P.S. I have officially given up on ever having my bed made.

Tonight we took down our Christmas tree.  This is usually a somewhat sad event.  But, tonight the kids were rocking it out to the Pandora oldies station.  I think it was the most fun Christmas un-decorating I have ever experienced.

In sum, I *heart* my two cuties :)

Gobble, Gobble

Thanksgiving 2015 was a success!  A trip to Lindy and Stevie's house on a warm November day.  When I was putting Benny to bed tonight, I asked him what was his favorite part of the day.  He said giving the chickens apples to eat.  He said is was their "Thanksgiving day dessert."  That kid loves his chickens!

Fun in the haymow with Stevie.

Claire loves coffee.  I wish I was kidding....

The obligatory post-Thanksgiving Day dinner nap...

Benny's Boo Boo

Snipes and snails and puppy dog tails, that's what little boys are made of...  And the inevitable trip to the ER...

It was bound to happen at some point.  Thankfully, nothing too serious.  A cut under his chin requiring 6 stitches.  How did it happen?  Truly not a great story.  He was brushing his teeth, fell off his stool, and hit his chin on the counter top.

He was such a good boy about getting the stitches.  He didn't move a muscle.  I was holding him and told him to close his eyes.  He was honestly so still, I thought he might have fallen asleep.  (The advantage of getting your stitches at midnight...)

We made this video for our friends who wanted to see Benny's boo-boo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIxFwu67dfE

He got the stitches out yesterday.  Benny is all better!

Cousin Fun

Benny is at that wonderful age where having other kids to play with is TOTALLY AWESOME!  We are blessed that Benny has the best cousins in the world :)  Back in June, Caleb, his Mommy, and baby sister came into town.  Caleb + Benny = quite the dynamic duo.  My two favorite memories from the weekend:

1) Benny yelling from the bathroom---"Grammie, you need to come wipe Caleb!  He pooped!  He needs wiped!  I couldn't get it.  I tried."

2) Both of them running around the yard with their underwear on.  Benny might have been chasing after Caleb with the garden hose while poor Caleb was left in very soggy tighty-whities :)

One fun event while Caleb was in town was a trip to Kiddie Park.

Claire loved the rides too :)

Best. Picture. Ever.

At some point over the weekend, we climbed into Captain Al's fancy red race car.  KA-CHOW!

Claire was delighted with sweet Miss Katrina.

Grampie had a well manicured lawn :)

True cousin love is best expressed by sharing a popsicle...

and McDonald's french fries.

Sherwood Ohio

Two weeks ago, the kids and I set out by ourselves to visit Uncle Eric, Aunt Katie, Clay, and Alethea in their new home in the great metropolis of Sherwood Ohio.  By metropolis, I mean that they live next to their church and a family that owns a llama!  The biggest excitement on our 3 day stay was when some tractors and farm equipment drove by and when we went to the McDonald's playplace (we had to drive about 12 miles to get there, but it was well worth the trip.)

Sherwood Ohio might not make the top 10 list of most popular destinations, but it does in my book.  My kids and I had a great time.  4 kids ages 3 and under make for lots of fun :)  The best part?  My children slept.  Yes.  All night.  My children are notorious for sleeping downright terrible when we are away from home.  But not this time.  The farm-fresh air lulled them right to sleep.

I consider Sherwood Ohio the ultimate vacation destination!  We are going to have to go back sometime soon.  The next time Aunt Katie and I are going to take the 4 kids with us to the Bar.  That's right.  Sherwood Ohio is proud owner of the Dairy Bar :)

Could they get any cuter!?