Welcome to the World

I want to wish my sister and her husband our biggest congratulations on their precious new addition. Robert Reid French was born yesterday at 9:29am, weighing 7lbs 15oz and a healthy 19 1/2inches long. We are absolutely thrilled for them and so excited to know all the joy and love this little boy will bring into Stacey and Jason's lives, starting with this beautiful smile!

I am so excited to go meet my nephew in a few short weeks but it's killing me to be a million miles away from such a wonderful moment. There was no way to plan our trip around the possibility of making his birth but I want more than anything to celebrate a healthy, full-term baby joining our family since I never got to do that with one of my own. Can't wait to hold little Reid and I may just have to steal him away :)

Click here to visit his blog.

Bedhead

Someone woke up with a severe case of bedhead!

Dora the Explorer Live

I thought it would be fun (or maybe I felt like torturing myself?) to take the boys to see Dora the Explorer Live when it came through town last week. Both kids love the show and were really excited to see the show. Unfortunately the cast didn't seem quite as excited to get things rolling so it started late and the intermission ran long. Luckily we managed to not have a toddler uprising in the place and fun was had by all.

Ben and Alex waiting for the show to start. Our seats were on the back row, which I thought would be terrible but turned out to be great because they could stand all they wanted and were sitting at the aisle so no one blocked their view.

Dora! Boots! And a couple of other characters I haven't bothered to learn.

Alex, Ben, and Austin watching intently and playing with their Dora lights which we of course had to buy first thing.

The kids were extra excited to see Diego because they just started watching that show. I think we'll forget Dora and keep watching Diego since it's much less annoying.

This is the song at the end of every show and the kids jumped up to dance to it. The live version was really cute and I'm glad we went to see it.

Later that afternoon the kids tried on their new raincoats. They were so adorable I took about a dozen pictures!




We also got to enjoy playing with Austin a few times this week. His mom and I have swapped some babysitting time which has worked great for everyone because these little guys have so much fun together.

They had a great time with Ben's marble race. Seems that a birthday benefits more than just one boy in this house!

In a moment of inspiration (or insanity?) on Friday I moved Alex's bed into Ben's room. We'd talked to Ben about it a few weeks ago and Ben said no, but over this past week he warmed up to the idea and kept asking to have Alex sleep in his room. Now we have two boys who play well past their bedtime and wake up much too early. Hopefully the excitement will wear off soon and they'll go back to their normal routines, just with some company at bedtime. My sister and I shared a room until I was 10 and we loved it so I want my boys to enjoy the same late-night games and conversations we used to have.

Celebration Weekend

Ben has spent the weekend celebrating his big birthday and as a parent it's been so much fun to see my little boy get so excited over everything. I'd forgotten the magic of a child's birthday! We kicked off the festivities with a few presents Saturday morning and talked to all the grandparents on skype.

The best "smile" I could get...4 years old!
We picked up birthday balloons, had a great lunch at McDonald's (Ben's choice, of course), and spent the rainy afternoon putting together the big marble racetrack and playing with it.

Today was his party at Whiteman Park. We chose this location because it was Friends of Thomas the train day and several of our friends already had tickets to ride the trains and take part in the festivities. The kids were pretty excited when we got on the first train ride.

Alex watched out the window like a little puppy the entire ride (about 40 minutes around the park) and Ben enjoyed it but wanted to see Thomas. I didn't realize that Friends of Thomas didn't include the main man himself but Ben's not that huge of a fan so he forgot pretty quickly.

We did meet Sir Topham Hatt, or just some weird dressed-up guy if you've never watched the show.

We'd reserved a pavilion and met our friends there for a picnic and cupcakes....yum!!

Pretty sure Alex had at least one green cupcake...just guessing...

Ben carefully at the tops off several cupcakes and then lined them up. Since we had a ton and it was his party (and really, it is the best part!), I let him raise that blood sugar as high as he wanted!

Then it was on to the pinata. Such fun for these little kids!

Ben took a couple of good whacks at it but didn't even dent it. A few of the other boys got some nice swings in as well and we gave even the littlest ones a chance to take it down, but this thing was pretty well built and Matt finally just cracked it open.

Candy!! Ben and Alex both took a minute to register the fact that candy just rained down like manna from heaven.

Talk about some happy kids! Ben was so sweet - he walked around handing out starbursts to everyone, even the parents, to make sure we all got a piece of candy. He was a great little host.

Afterward we took the boys on a few of the attractions and they both couldn't wait to ride the little ferris wheel. We were a bit nervous about letting Alex on it but he nearly had a meltdown waiting for his turn and wasn't about to get out of that seat.

They loved it! Both boys would yell "hi!" at the bottom and they say "bye!" at the top.

Next stop - more sugary treats....mmmm....

Alex was definitely a fan. He doesn't like to waste time taking bites and prefers just to shove everything into his mouth and work out the details later.

Ben loved his, too. Is it just me or does he already look a lot older in this picture? (his glasses are off because he'd been in a bouncy castle, but still I think he grew up a little overnight)
It was such a great weekend and so much fun to share in all of Ben's excitement. A winter storm rolled in Friday night and it rained most of Saturday so we were glad to have decent weather today, even though it was cold and very windy. I never thought Ben would celebrate his May birthday with a down vest and a jacket over it!

4 Years Old!!

Is it possible?? Is my sweet baby Ben really four years old already? Was it really four years ago that we had a baby so unexpectedly and got blessed with this beautiful little boy despite all our worst fears for his survival and well-being? Praise God for helping Ben start from this tiny fragile body to the big, healthy boy we know today.

I can finally look at most of his early pictures now without getting emotional but Ben's birthday will always bring back a little of the shock and fear of having a 1lb 9oz baby on life support. Not the way anyone pictures getting initiated into the world of parenthood. But look at the amazing little boy he has grown into. (and yes, I specifically chose a picture with jelly on his cheeks to keep things authentic)

The age of 3 has been an absolute joy and a roller coaster ride...every day has been exciting and emotional and insightful. His amazing vocabulary has let us into the wonders of that little head and let us know everything, and I do mean everything, he is thinking about from 7am to 7pm. We still run into the whining and outbursts, but for the most part he is a tiny little adult and blows my mind regularly. Ben is smart, incredibly observant to his surroundings, curious, thoughtful, loving, funny, and imaginative. He makes me laugh every single day. He takes care of Alex, shares things with him, and assaults him daily but won't stand for anyone else mistreating his little brother. No one gives better hugs or makes such wonderful pretend ice cream.

Ben is tall and thin and doesn't have an ounce of fat on him anywhere. We both love that he's still so easy to pick up and throw around and he doesn't have much fear of any physical feats - he's determined to keep jumping off the steps until he breaks. He's still quite the dancer but chooses to be more intellectual these days unless he particularly loves a song or see Alex dancing. Ben will do anything for a cupcake or marshmallow. He has a special voice for his puppy and treats him like a lifelong friend. I think he would watch TV all day without moving but the minute to door opens he's outside running around like a crazy man.

If he can see that I'm sad or tired, Ben will give me kisses and tell me everything will be okay. He's still jealous of my lap and will fight for space if Alex is in it. Ben loves to sing and regularly gets called out at school for singing (loudly, I'm sure) when it's quiet time....we often hear him singing until he goes to sleep at night. Routine is important to him and he has a huge checklist of things he wants done before bedtime, including about a dozen little friends in bed with him. His favorite meal is anything with french fries. When we go to McDonalds, I ask if he wants a cheeseburger or nuggets and he inevitably answers "french fries!".

Current favorite phrases:
"Mama, why are you not talking?" (usually when I've zoned out in the car after 30 minutes of questions)
"Why?" this applies to everything, as in: why is it Tuesday? why is it dinnertime? why is that the hamper?
"I am very cross." I blame this one on his teacher and her british roots.
"Alex, are you readdddaaayyy??" Usually before they get in trouble for something like jumping on the couch.
"Sorry, I can't do that because I'm too ____" Fill in the blank with: tired, busy, hungry, tall, little, etc etc. The reason need not fit the request.
"Mama, I love you." Typically a while after he's gotten in trouble for something and is trying to make sure we're still friends, but it never fails to melt my heart, especially if he tilts his head and grabs my cheek. This boy will break some hearts one day. Ladies, you have been warned.

Ben, I love you with all my heart. You make me a better person each day because I want to be at my very best to raise you into a strong, intelligent, loving, God-fearing, man of character. You make me proud each and every day. I look forward to what this next year holds in store for you!

Three Years Abroad

Believe it or not, today marks three years since we moved overseas! Life has changed so much...just look at little Ben on his first international flight.

I've also been thinking about how much I've changed over the past three years, living on two very different continents and learning about the world outside of America. This experience has definitely made me more outgoing and much less uncomfortable in situations where I don't know anyone. I used to break out in a cold sweat thinking of going to a social event with total strangers and now I look forward to meeting some new people and having interesting conversations. My brain converts from fahrenheit to celsius, feet to meters, and ounces to milliliters automatically. I have to remind myself that it is correct for drivers in the movies to sit on the left side. I plan my mornings around which days it's convenient to skype with my parents or call my sister, since there is no calling Texas after 10am here (at least not if I want to stay on good terms with anyone!). For all its ups and downs, this has been a wonderful experience for us all.

No matter where home is at the moment, the boys always know how to have a good time. Sometimes that just involves figuring out how to get an arm or two free from one's shirt!

We made cupcakes to take to Ben's school on Wednesday and Ben decided that his puppy needed a birthday celebration himself. Favorite animal + candle = near disaster, of course, but we managed to keep puppy from being incinerated and enjoyed the cupcakes.

Alex was playing quietly in the yard, which any mother would know means he was making some kind of trouble. Turns out our sprinklers had left a puddle in the pool and he found it with no problems.

We got to watch Daddy catch a few waves at the beach in front of the house recently. The boys loved it even though I'm not sure they ever knew which one was Matt.

NOT what anyone woman wants to see while watching her husband in the ocean - a large fin. The first time it surfaced it was going straight and fast, but then it came up again and was obviously a dolphin hunting fish and not a shark. Matt said he and several other surfers watched the dolphin riding a few waves of his own.

The boys' attention drifted, naturally, and they spread plenty of grass on the sidewalk. Such fun.

A nice way to spend a late afternoon!

Alex's First Movie

One rainy day last week, we met Robin and Austin for a blockbuster movie event - Mickey Mouse and the Choo-Choo Express. Since Alex is a huge fan of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse it seemed like a perfect time for his first movie. Here's a typical picture in front of the sign...neither kid is looking, although Ben appears to be smiling so that's a small victory. And if you notice, it says "$6 tickets!" and believe me, that's a bargain here.

The kids did great and only moved their arms to shovel popcorn into their mouths. I'd say Alex is a big fan of the movies. His friend Austin wasn't quite as into the movie (which was just under an hour) but had a great time climbing on the seats.

Afterward we let all the boys play in the arcade and naturally they chose the racing game first thing.

And who needs the movies for entertainment?

These guys come up with plenty on their own.

We were lucky enough to get a private concert and dance performance over the weekend. Hollywood, watch out!

We've been fortunate to have some more gorgeous days and even got to eat dinner on the porch again.

Check out this unbelievable sunset! The colors lasted for over half an hour and I couldn't quit taking pictures.