The Slide

Here is a video of Ben going down his slide all by himself. We hid this slide in the office a while back because it seemed like a good way for him to hurt himself, but I was cleaning in the office and dragged it back out.

Tonight he decided to give it a whirl. He does pretty well, except he sometimes forgets to pick his feet up (as you can see in his second attempt).

Things to note -- Ben got a hair cut tonight, and I did it again - took a video vertically. I'm challenged is all.

Anyway, turn your computer screen sideways and enjoy.

Father's Day Part 2

Here are some pictures showing how we celebrated Father's Day this year:

It's a big difference from last year!

Ben's Helper

Ben loves to get into the fridge and rearrange the items on the bottom shelf. Usually this is a solo job, and he stacks his goods on the bar stool next to the fridge. But while Grandma T. was over for Father's Day, he was generous enough to let her help.

I love this face and how he is still gripping the bottle, as if he is sizing her up to decide if she is up to the challenge of being his assistant.

Apparently she passed his test, and he put her to work. Grandma T. proved to be an excellent assistant. Ben handed her various items, and it was her job to hold them until he was ready to put them back in the fridge.

It's a good thing he didn't want Grandma T. to sample any of the items, because he handed her giardinera, hot sauce, and lime juice. Quite a winning combination!

Swedish Days

Tonight we went with our friends Meg and Ed and their daughter Scarlett to Swedish Days, Geneva's summer festival/carnival.

Meg and Ed thought the wagon would be easier and more fun than two strollers, and they were right! The kids loved people-watching and were so well-behaved the entire time.

I had to get a picture of their feet because a) they are just cute feet and b) I think it is funny that we unknowingly ended up buying them the exact same sandals (except Scarlett has the adorable pink ones and Ben has the boy version).

There was a ton of great food to be sampled. Here Ed generously shares his Swedish meatballs with Mike. Yikes!

Like father, like son -- Ben wanted a bite too. Ed gave Ben his first taste of Swedish meatballs. Ben was a BIG fan.

Ben and Scarlett also shared some curly fries. Big hit!

Meg was kind enough to give Ben a sip of her lemonade to wash the food down. Yum! He loved it, of course.

Ben loved all the food so much, he kept asking for more, as you can see here.

Next, Mike decided the giant turkey legs were just too fun to pass up.

And we couldn't resist balloons for the kids. It seemed like a good idea at the time...

But Ben immediately decided that since everything else tasted so good, this balloon must be delicious too.

And in addition to the kids trying to eat them, they were also a little large to manage. Meg helped out by holding on to them so the kids didn't hit passers-by with them.

Scarlett tried to enjoy her water, but Ben kept trying to steal it from her. She was smart enough to keep a tight hold on it though.

Our last stop was Graham's for milk shakes. Ben and Scarlett were HUGE fans!

With messy results...
Again, he asks for more. He can say and sign "more," but tonight he kept choosing the more direct approach of just reaching his hand up. Mr. Manners, this one.

The end result was a very dirty, sticky but happy kid.

On our way back to the car, Scarlett taught Ben the "trick" of grabbing the wheel of the wagon while it is moving. The more we said no, the more they did it. Ah, kids. Not even two and already teaching each other bad habits! :-)

We had a great night. I think Swedish Days will be an annual event from now on. Thanks Meg and Ed for inviting us along!

Sleeping?

After an early round of golf on Father's Day, Mike, Grandpa T. and Brad came back to the house for dinner. Brad was exhausted from a late night combined with getting up early for golf, so he took a nap on the couch before dinner. Ben wandered in to check out the situation.

After determining that Brad was asleep, Ben peeked over at Grandpa T. (who was watching the U.S. Open) to see if he was asleep too.

He got closer for a better inspection, and determined that Grandpa T. was, in fact, awake.

So he went back over to Brad to rest with him for a moment. Aw, cutest thing ever!

Father's Day Project

With the help of his teachers at Creative World, Ben made this for Dada!

This is one of my favorite pictures of Ben. He has the cutest little grin on his face, and something about the suit and tie just made me realize, he is not my baby anymore; he is a toddler.

Once we've enjoyed it on the fridge for a while, I think I will have to frame this one. It's definitely a keeper!

On the back, he left his hand print. Adorable!

A Little Bit of Everything

Here is a quick video where I quiz Ben on his body parts. He just learned butt the other day (both where it is and how to say it). And you can't make it out too well, but when you ask where his eyes are, he closes them tight and then pokes himself in the eye. This was not just an accident caught on video. He does this every time you ask him. Classic.

Then Mike jumps in and swings him upside down (his favorite), then he tells the camera bye bye.

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Summer Gear

Now that summer is finally here, Ben is able to up his cool factor with his new hat and sunglasses. Just like Dada.


I think this face says it all.

Ben Loves Dada

I used to be Ben's go-to person. But as he gets older, Dada seems to be moving up to that number 1 spot. Ben still prefers me when he wants to be comforted, but when he is in the mood to play, he prefers Dada. Here he is planning a sneak attack on Mike with his golf club (a.k.a. his weapon).


And here is where both "kids" sit while Mike mows the front yard. My poor little short stack. This will be much easier on him when he grows a few inches.

Father's Day Part 1

Over the weekend, Dad and Beth came over for an early father's day dinner.

Ben discovered the thrill of a straw this weekend, so now any time I have a drink with a straw, he wants it. I had to dump out the remainder of my iced tea so that he could play with the cup and straw. He really gets a kick out of pulling the straw in and out, in and out. Over, and over, and over again.

Grandpa kept Ben entertained while Mike and I finished up the dinner preparations.

And Dee kept Bud, their new puppy, entertained while we ate. Bud is the sweetest, most well-behaved puppy I've ever seen. What an angel. And Dee really took to him. Not one bark. Just some playing and a lot of following him around. He almost makes me want a puppy friend for Dee. Almost.

Meanwhile, the rest of us had steak, potatoes, asparagus, and tomato bread. Mmmm.