January/February Sayings and Accomplishments

Me: My stomach is killing me!
Benjamin: You can kill it back!

Benjamin: DAD spells dad. How do you spell Dada?
Me: Dada
Benjamin: DADA haha! MOM spells mom. MOMO spells Mama
Me: Actually, Mama is MAMA
Benjamin: Why?
Me: I have no idea.....

I guess we have told Benjamin to obey a lot because the other day he came into the kitchen and said, "Mommy, I asked you to get me a drink of water. Why didn't you obey me??

On our trip to Colorado for Josie's funeral (my first student was killed in by a drunk driver at 19 years old :-( Lamoni stayed in the car with Peter who was sleeping. When we walked back and Benjamin saw Lamoni sleeping he said, "Daddies can't sleep! Daddies' jobs are to drive, KIDS' jobs are to sleep, and Mommies' jobs are to talk to Daddies.

On our way back going over Red Mountain Pass (which is very steep) his ears must have been plugged because he said, "When I sing the song pushes me." and then "Wow! My ears just made a sound!"

He starts many conversations with "Mommy, 'member when I was a little boy and I..." even if he's talking about something from the day before.

Jared had a sleepover at our house. I overheard many cute things. Benjamin told him, "adult boys are called men. Adult girls are called hobos." And "See that playground? When we go there for a meeting we can play and have lots of fun. We can go down the slide, we can play basketball, we can tell me mom something, we can climb up the ladder..." I thought it was funny he included "tell my mom something" in the list of fun things to do.

In primary the children get to glue a gumball onto our gumball machine if they can recite the month's scripture. Benjamin raised his hand to recite today and went up to the podium and said the whole scripture (with a couple of prompts). I was so impressed! We had said it together this week but I didn't know he could do it himself and would volunteer in front of everyone. He even said the reference all on his own "Mosiah chapter 2 verse 22".

Benjamin can write his own name! He knows and can write most of his letters (capital and lowercase). One of his favorite past times is to sit at the table with pen and paper while I'm busy and has me spell words for him to write. It is adorable.

His goal in Joy School for the goals module was to button and unbutton which he "tried and tried and tried so hard and then I did it!"

Peter will scoot in a circle and backwards and will roll if he absolutely has to, but he prefers to sit and stand. He pulled himself up the other day against the toy box and got stuck. He is also trying to cruise along the couch. He loves to walk holding onto our hands. He sings at the top of his lungs during the songs and church and is developing quite the sense of humor. He enjoys making us all laugh and LOVES Benjamin. He squeals with joy after seeing Benjamin when he wakes up. At 8 months old he still weighs 22 pounds and is in 12 month clothes.

Christmas Pictures

The Randalls in our ward put on a great Santa show every year and invited us. Benjamin is so observant. Afterwards he told me, "That Santa looked different than the Santa at the mall" and then asked me to show him the pictures of both so he could compare them. I felt like he might be the psychologist on the Santa Clause movie who says he stopped believing in Santa at age 3! Peter was not scared luckily. It probably helped to have Benjamin there.

It was the Sam's year for Christmas so we spent a few days in Bloomfield with them. It was just us there so the kids got lots of good grandparent time.

Christmas movies and stories.

Helping Grandma make treats.

The Christmas play. Benjamin was not in the mood for it and would not be bribed or coerced into being happy about it either. The rest of the local family was there too.

After Santa's visit. We forgot the Santa gift in Albuquerque hidden in the garage but luckily JC Penny had a spare.

What Santa brought. He has worn it most days since.

Christmas was on Sunday so we opened stockings then went to Sacrament meeting and came back for presents.

After we returned home we had Christmas with the Lanctot side and got to see Aunt Kathy. She spoiled the boys with lots of toys - Aunt Kathy style.

December Pictures

7 months old

At Benjamin's first cello concert. He did great!

...and Lamoni's first cello concert. Parents have to take a semester of it and I volunteered Lamoni. :-)

Typical Benjamin - lightsaber, bike helmet, cello, snack and toys.

One Sunday he wanted to dress up like Captain America but we talked him into Nephi instead and that became a new favorite.

Uncle Joseph visited from San Diego since he wasn't able to come for Christmas. We enjoyed spending time with him.

For some reason Peter loves to eat our faces, which he takes very intensely and seriously. Benjamin is a good sport.

Peter playing with 3 cousins: Qunisa, Sid and Uriah

They were babbling back and forth so cute!

Ironman and Captain America

At the Joy School Nativity play. Benjamin was a wise man and the angel. He was disappointed because he "willy willy willy wanted to be Joseph."

Trying to bribe him to move. It didn't work. I think he might walk first.

Benjamin decided Katheryn's hair needed "do-ing"

Look at that baby! He's still 22 pounds but he seems to get chunkier.

Cuddly boys. 

We started a new tradition of Chinese food on New Years Eve.

Reading books to Peter on the way up to Utah for the Shaw's sealing. Note Peter sucking on his thumb watching Benjamin. Most of the time when I ask Benjamin if Peter is sleeping he answer, "No, he's just sucking his thumb looking at me."

Grandma and Grandpa Bear were there.

We found a nearby mall with great Christmas lights and music.