Daily Photos: Day 91

Since I wrote about them, I figured I should show you one of Ben's creations.

Yes, she's chewing on a shoe... but it's a "clean" shoe. (If a "clean" shoe can be defined as one that has not been worn outside or walked in.)

More airplanes!

Daily Photos: Day 90

Ben always asks the greeters at Walmart for a sticker... and to his delight they usually rip off a bunch!

Daily Photos: Day 89

Ben laughing because I was blowing bubbles on his belly...

Izzie loves the wet wipes. If she's playing and they are anywhere near her she will tie herself into knots trying to get at them. She has two toys on the floor within her reach, but does she want them? Of course not. The forbidden fruit is so much more exciting!

Dailly Photos: Day 88

Colin and Ben made a large structure out of all the blocks in the house while Izzie intently watched their every move.


Ten times a day Ben will show us something he's made and tell us what it is, but he's getting to a point where we can sometimes guess what he's made without him telling us. He has also started to make his creations symmetrical. I keep looking over at Colin and asking, "Did you help him make that?"

Daily Photos: Day 87

This is the photo I took to include with Izzie's application for a certificate of Canadian citizenship. The white stripe at the bottom is for a signature, but anyone 13 or under has to leave it blank.

Daily Photos: Day 86

Izzie's first tooth finally cut through her bottom gums this morning. I'm not sure if it's related to teething or not, but she's at the stage where if she is sitting and sees something she wants she just lunges after it and tries to put it in her mouth. Sometimes she'll grab with her hands (she managed to get two good handfulls of Ben's hair this afternoon) and other times she'll just throw herself at the object with her mouth open. (Why bother with that in between step of using your hands?) Here she is going after Daddy's hand... And the table doesn't look bad either!
We bought her some over-priced "puffs" at the grocery store (fortified with B vitamins and calcium) that we thought she might have fun eating, but she didn't seem too thrilled with actual food. Ben, however, thought they were great!

Whatever toy he has, Ben "builds" with it... and usually everything he builds is a train, plane or helicopter. Tonight he used his crayons to form the letter Q on our carpet. Then he methodically put the crayons at right angles to each other and told us it was a train. After Colin taught him the word zigzag Ben spent at least half an hour making zigzags in one direction across the floor, then picking the crayons off one end, adding them to the other and going back the other way. Who knew crayons could be so much fun without any paper?

Daily Photos: Day 85

We have two Bradford pear trees in our yard which are blooming at the moment. Luckily yesterday's snow doesn't seem to have hurt them!

Daily Photos: Day 84 (All Aboard!)

On Mondays Ben, Izzie and I go to a moms group that meets in the comunity center at Emmanuel. The moms chat and eat while the children eat and run amok... There is a puppet theater, doll house, kitchen and - Ben's favorite - a train set. There are even engineer hats and wooden train whistles. I have a feeling the other families were tired out from Easter weekend because there was only one other mom today. After she left Ben still wasn't ready to leave the trains, so I brought out the camera! He didn't leave his hat on long enough for me to take a picture (sad, because he looked so cute in it!) but lucky for me Izzie is not as coordinated!

Daily Photos: Day 83

This bunny jacket was one of Ben's first birthday presents from our friends in Korea. By the time he outgrows it Izzie will probably be the right size!
In addition to squealing and shrieking, Izzie has revived a bubble blowing habit that developed a while ago and then died out. It seems our little girl just wants to communicate in any form.

Daily Photos: Day 82

Ben wanted to kiss Izzie but didn't look too thrilled when she returned the favor.

Daily Photos: Day 81

Daily Photos: Day 80

When Grandma came she brought Ben a Christmas present that we had left at her house and Ben has been happily reunited with it. Cars, blocks and all manner of items have been racing down the track.

Izzie likes to utilize all of this toy, but is especially fond of chewing the label.

Daily Photos: Day 79

Izzie loves to suck on her wash cloth. We have to have one for her to hold and one for me to wash with.

We went outside for a walk this evening but didn't make it any further than the mailbox because of a puddle. Ben was happy throwing rocks in and then gradually worked his way to stepping into it very gingerly. After we gave him the go ahead to play he had a blast running back and forth through it and jumping and yelling, "Splash!" His new shoes from Grandma were perfect for this... so good he even took them into the bathtub later.

(If you click on this picture you can see a larger version.)

Daily Photos: Day 78

Ben had a super busy day today. We went to the library for storytime and he got an egg with a gummy bunny in it, made a bunny with a cottonball tail, and then got to see real bunnies and chicks at the farm supply store. After lunch he read his new library books with Grandma (multiple times), played with his cars and danced around the room. He also played with his doll, who is apparently named Izzie. Later we went to the school near our house to use the playground equipment but an after-school group was there and we were told we couldn't go in. Poor Ben started crying because he was so disappointed, but then they told us we could use a separate section of the playground and the world didn't end after all.
At one point I sat Izzie down on her carrier while I went to help Ben on the slide. (Grandma was at one end and I was at the other.) She (Izzie, not Grandma) happily chewed on the ties until a large gust of wind blew the edge of the carrier over her head, trapping her so she couldn't see! We were temporarily occupied with Ben and unaware of her predicament until we heard her wailing in distress. A ride on the teeter totter with Ben cheered her up - every time her end went down she attempted to grab a handful of the wild onions that were growing underneath. She is officially in the grabby stage where nothing within a three foot radius is safe - a point that was brought to my attention this morning when she reached over during a diaper change and tried to grab the dirty diaper. It won't be long now until she's grabbing toys away from her big brother. (She already grabs handfuls of his hair when he gives her a kiss.) Let the fun times begin!

Daily Photos: Day 77 Grandma is Here!

We waited until this morning to tell Ben that Grandma was coming because we didn't want him to get excited and then have to wait a long time. Here he is giving Grandma "small" kisses. Perhaps because he is learning to count he has taken to giving "ten kisses!" His counting goes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 then usually a random number and finally 10, so his "ten kisses" are more like 6, but we still feel pretty lucky to get such love!

Izzie was tired from all the excitement and tried to give Grandma a complex by crying every time Grandma touched her. After a much needed nap she was happier and gave Grandma some good smiles.

Daily Photos: Day 76

Daily Photos: Day 75 (Izzie's Eating Adventure)

This is the second time we've given Izzie some banana in a mesh feeder. The first time she was much more enthusiastic.

Still unsure of this strange thing...

Once she got the hang of holding it and got it mushed up a bit it was easier to eat. And much messier.

I have no idea how she got it all the way around to the back of her neck!

Ben wanted in on the photo shoot too, but he didn't want his picture taken.

Daily Photo: Day 74

Just one today...
Ben, making a "car" for Izzie. And then he pushed her down... sigh.

Daily Photos: Day 73

Izzie's 6 month appointment was today. She now weighs 17 pounds, 10 ounces! She wasn't pleased to receive her rotovirus drops -she choked a bit and then started crying because she couldn't put her thumb in her mouth to comfort herself. The nurse left to get an assistant for the shots so I picked Izzie up and she stopped crying immediately. But, as soon as she saw the nurse return (with reinforcements!) she started wailing again. Fortunately the nurses are very efficient and the shots were soon over. And Ben got a sticker and a sucker out of it!

Daily Photos: Day 72

The trouble with being chubby is...

Ben and his airplane. Sorry the quality is so bad - waited too late in the day to take this. This picture was the best of the worst...