Ever been to Chestnut Ridge Park?

We had a great time at the park today with some of our friends. Just look:







Fun was had by all...wading, digging, making sand soup, looking at salamanders. Only bad part was trying to get both boys cleaned up, dried and into the car at the end. But even that wasn't really that difficult.

Ahh...summer time...fun!

Why do I do this to myself?

I have been trying so hard to lose weight.
Why did I eat seven pieces of chocolate today?
And also a s'more?
And a handful of M&Ms?

I need help.
Anyone have the phone number for Chocolate Eaters Annonymous?

"Hello...my name is Jennifer and I am a chocoholic."

Is Ben a monkey?

Benjamin is not as far removed from the monkeys, evolutionarily, as the rest of us, it seems. He. will. climb. anything. It's really bad. Danny was a climber, but nothing like this. Ben has already had three black eyes, more bruises than can be counted (including a big one on his cheek) and several scrapes that are all the result of falling off of something high.

He can scale the couch. He has figured out how to pull the dining room chairs out from the table so he can get up on them. Occasionally, he tries to get up on the table. To avoid this, I have now tied the legs of the chairs to the table legs with Wal-Mart bags, so that he cannot pull the chairs out. He likes to stand (with no hands) on top of the dog food bin. He and Danny like to climb from the loveseat to the recliner onto the end table, flop onto the couch, then slide off only to run over and do it all again...endlessly...giggling the whole time. Ben desperately wants to figure out how to climb up onto our bar stools...the other day, I saw him trying to move toy buckets over there so he could use them as step stools to get onto a bar stool. He's nothing if not resourceful.

In addition to climbing, he also loves to get up on his tiptoes to pull random things out of drawers that don't have latches on them yet or to pull things off of the kitchen counters. I have not put a latch on the silverware drawer yet...didn't know he could reach inside it until last week when he (I swear to God) had a butcher knife in his hand when I looked over. BABY PSYCHO! Just now, Kevin had to come running because he had opened another drawer and had a long ribbon of postage stamps strung out.

I cannot leave the room for more than 10 seconds at a time. I cannot turn my back on him for more than 20 seconds at a time. I am exhausted from stalking him. Laundry is piled up. Dishes are getting washed on an as-needed basis.

This week he has had a little cold, plus he is getting THREE teeth all at once. He is snotty. He is mucus-ey. He is coughy. He is whiney. He is clingy. He sleeps with us every night and coughs directly in my face because he wants to sleep on my pillow, pressed up against me as tightly as possible.

Ben is under the impression that he needs to do everything better than Danny did at that age. Danny climbed a little bit...Ben's an all out mountain climber. Danny didn't sleep through the night for a long time...Ben refuses to sleep, especially alone...going on 15 months here. Danny spit up a few times as a baby...Ben spit up a few times an hour for nine months and still occasionally hurls for no apparent reason.

I love both of my boys with every bit of my heart...but they are both giving us a run for our money. Why is this so hard? Is it just a boy thing? Are girls easier babies? Is there any way I can get through this without losing my mind?

Pittsburgh Zoo Trip!

This was an absolutely fabulous trip! Everyone had a great time looking at all of the animals and enjoying the perfect weather.

Click on the pictures to get a better view of the animals!

Danny, Daddy and a lion:


Danny and zebras:


Elephants (Danny's favorite):

Danny, Daddy and a bear:



Sea lion:

Sea lion again:


Polar bear (Mommy's favorite):


Danny and Mommy on a swinging bridge (Very Indiana Jones, aren't we?):


Danny on the log ride (Danny loved this and cried when it was over, so we let him ride it again!):


Danny, Ben and Mommy in the Tropical Rainforest:




We were all a little tired by the time we got done seeing all of the animals. Especially Ben:

Why can't we all be this easily amused?

Don't you hate it when you're innocently trying to do the laundry and the hamper attacks you?

Tickle time:




And, finally...fun with a blanket.

Isn't that one of the great things about life?

Today was my student teacher's last day. I can't say enough positive things about this girl. She really did a great job...she was the most organized student teacher I've ever had. She had her entire placement planned in like Week Two. Unheard of. Believe me when I tell you that they are NEVER prepared like she was. I really hope she does well in whatever she decides to teach...I know she'd be great at elementary music, but I think she's leaning toward band.



It's the strangest thing with student teachers. You spend so much time with them, talking about personal things like mannerisms, comfort zones and self-motivation that you almost start to feel as if you're becoming friends. Then you realize that you are, in fact, fifteen years older than them. I was driving the family car and going on dates when my student teacher was born. Yeesh. Methinks she probably wasn't really interested in my stories about college...back in the 90's...you know, when she was three years old.



Was my student teacher faking enthusiasm when I regaled her with my tales of big 80's hair and dancing to REO Speedwagon? When I said, "I love STYX" and she said, "Oh...yeah...", was that, "Oh...yeah...me too"? or "Oh...yeah...Jennifer's a loser and who/what is STYX"? My endless tales of my boys probably really drove the point home that I am a wife and mother and she is young and free of responsibility. I remember those days so fondly.



I had such a good time when I graduated from college and was a new teacher. I did whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. I did not have to wash bottles or any dishes for that matter until e coli was growing in my kitchen sink. There were no latches on my kitchen cabinets, no Dora band-aids in my medicine chest, no chicken nuggets in my freezer. I went out to the bars several nights a week and drank way too many beers and talked way too loudly. I slept in late on weekends, I went to the pool without a diaper bag during the summer and I ate meals whenever the mood struck me.



Now, though, I can't even begin to imagine what my life would be like without my boys. Remembering back to those earlier carefree days is almost like looking at a movie of someone else's life. It seems so long ago and so unfamiliar. But isn't that one of the great things about life? We change so much because of situations, events, experiences...and most of all, people we meet or, if we're lucky, people we create :0) Every day, I am thankful for these boys being given to me and every day I pray that I am doing a good job being Kevin's wife and Danny and Ben's mommy. And, one of these days, a hint of the young me might show her face again!

Anyone have some peanuts and cracker jack?

Danny had his first tee ball game today.

Danny playing second base.

Danny and Daddy in the field.

Danny getting ready to bat.

The post game hand shakes.
Danny did so great in his first tee ball game! He was so adorable stopping ground balls and when it was his turn to hit, he whacked it hard on the first try! The best part was that he had fun and we got our first game in before the rain hit! Lots of fun!