The Park

Some random shots of our last trip to the park. Ben is a HUGE fan of the park this spring.

Olivia in her stroller on our way to the park.

Ben in his stroller. It might be time to invest in a double stroller. Also, yes he is wearing pajamas. He insisted.

Big boy swings!

Dee looking very "regal."

Mike looking very "regal."

Me looking anything but regal.

Potty Training and a Visit

Last week Ben just decided he wanted to wear underwear one day and is doing great at potty training ever since. He still won't poop on the potty (he usually asks for a pull-up when he has to go) but he is doing great with peeing. We've only had one or two accidents in almost two weeks.

The day after Ben first decided he was ready for underwear, Nana and Dorothy came for a visit. That morning while we waited for our visitors, I made Ben a potty chart and he got lots of potty practice.

Is there anything cuter that a toddler in underwear?

Here Liv is hanging out with Nana after lunch.

And getting cuddles from Dorothy.

Big Brother

People are always asking me how Ben is doing as a big brother. And I must admit, he is doing an awesome job! He really likes telling her things and showing her things, which is super cute. He thinks she can really understand him. And Olivia LOVES him. She gets the cutest grin when he talks to her and she is always following him with her eyes when he is nearby.

Ben loves to give Olivia kisses and tell her he will protect her. Super adorable!

I realize once Olivia is walking and talking and getting into his toys, things might change. But for now, he is the best!

Olivia in a Hoodie

Just a couple shots of Olivia as we were heading out to take Ben to school the other day. Babies in hoodies just kill me, so I couldn't resist a few quick pics!

  

Blackberry Farms

Wednesday Lesli and I took the kids to Blackberry Farms for the day. It was a beautiful day and we had lots of fun!

Here is Olivia, ready to party!!!

Lesli took Ben and her kids Adelaide and Oliver on the carousel while Liv and I watched.

Then we all boarded the train. As expected, this was the highlight of Ben's day and we rode it twice.

We explored all the little buildings, and the kids posed on this bench. Oliver, in particular, really seemed to like the statue.

The kids found stuff to do all over the place that wasn't necessarily part of the plan, like trying to reach these branches, climbing up to see the horse, or running through the sprinkler. (It's hard to make out but they are holding hands in that last one, awww.)

Olivia spent most of the day in the shade of her car seat/stroller, but we did get her out a few times.

Ben is already planning our next trip to Blackberry Farms. In June the pony rides start, so I have a feeling we'll be back soon!

Mother's Day

This was my first Mother's Day as a mom of two. Very exciting!

At my request, Mike made me biscuits and gravy (favorite) for breakfast, coupled with my latest addiction - a Starbucks iced mocha.

I attempted to get a shot of me and the kids, but since Mike was manning the camera and we were working with a 3 yr old, a tired newborn and a dog, you can see it was not to be... (Ben thought I should wear that fancy necklace, if you're wondering about that look. He also preferred to keep his pajamas on all day.)

Later, Nana, Papa, and Brad came over for a late lunch. Ben was a wee bit obsessed with Brad during this visit. They spent a lot of time in the yard playing.

I tried a little rough-housing too.

And here is the art Ben made for me for Mother's Day. He was so excited that he ran in on Friday and gave it to me. He just couldn't wait until Sunday.

The kids also got me my favorite tulips. The pink ones are from Ben and the orange are from Olivia. They are both beautiful.

The kids also got me these gifts, which I may or may not have picked out and paid for myself ;-)

Olivia got me this pink garden frog. I thought it was fun and it will be going out in the yard as soon as I get the plants planted.

And Ben got me this cute blue frame. My kids know me so well.

Pinterest Snack

I spend a LOT of time on Pinterest these days. God bless the Pinterest iPhone app for keeping me entertained while feeding Olivia or holding her while she sleeps. 

Anyway, I decided to stop just pinning and starting doing. I picked a few kid activities, a few household projects, a few DIY things. One of the activities was this snack idea for Ben. Basically you go fishing with celery as the fishing pole, peanut butter as the bait, and goldfish crackers as the fish. He loved it and I threw some apples on there too and got him to eat a pretty healthy snack. 

This face cracks me up. A classic Ben face. Mom, stop taking pictures of me and let me eat please!

Meanwhile, I've painted an old Goodwill lamp, I'm working on painting Ben's nightstand (red is a tough color, geesh), I'm working on sprucing up the kids' bathroom (if only I could decide on a paint color), I've hung lots of art in the kids' rooms, done lots of organizing, cleaned out the garage, swapped out our broken doorbell ringer for a new one, and am in the process of some other yard projects. I've been keeping busy, to say the least! Less than 3 weeks of maternity leave left. Yikes! I'm trying to make it count.