Birthday Boy

Benjamin is now officially two!  Happy Birthday, Baby B!

 I took the kids to the cake store to see what I ideas I could get for Benjamin's cake.  It turned out that he had an opinion, and he quickly chose a Wilton train cake pan.  "Too Tain!  Too Tain, Mommy!" - He held onto it pretty tightly for the remainder of the shopping trip.

The kids were all very excited with the result.  The train cake was a hit.

 Gathering around for presents after dinner.  Notice the cups and napkins - Benjamin also picked these out.  :)

 Exciting stuff.

 Yay!  He got a train! 

Laurel made him a gift for his big day.  Very cute.

My handsome little man showing off his train.  This was all he really cared about.  It went with him to the tub and to bed.











Benjamin at two years:

* Still small enough for me to cuddle
* Bright, curious, and into EVERYTHING (if something is lost, check the floor vents)
* The most polite child I have ever met.  He says Please and Thank You for everything.  (If I change his diaper, wipe his nose, brush his teeth, put his pajamas on - I mean, seriously.)  "Ank you, Mommy."
* Very generous and easily shares
* Loves his siblings, Go Go and Meem.
* Will nap only in a big bed - refuses his crib
* Loves books, trucks, trains, driving, PBS, playing outside, riding his bike, getting the newspaper, being a helper, and generally doing whatever his big brother and sister are doing.
* Is very loved by his family.  Happy birthday, sweet boy!

And the winner is...

IT'S A GIRL!!   LAUREL.  IS.  STOKED.  
And so am I.

There's Something Missing

When Laurel went to the dentist last week, a permanent tooth was discovered.  Well, once she had that kind of knowledge, she was determined to wiggle that baby tooth out immediately.  (As far as I know, it was not even remotely loose when we went to the dentist.)

Laurel worked diligently and on the second morning of Kindergarten, a week after the dentist visit, she asked me to pull it out with gauze ("like Sister Bear in the Berenstain Bears Go To the Dentist").  I was happy to oblige. 

First Day of Preschool

 Michael's first day of preschool.  This year he's in Ms. Amy and Ms. Kumiko's 4 year old class.

Here's to an awesome year!

Looking Back

 The first day of Play School.  A few friends and I had a preschool co-op and took turns teaching in our homes.  Laurel LOVED it.  And Miss Heather, Miss Rachel, Bryant and Preston.  It was a fun year.

 First day of preschool in Ms. Weston's 4 year old class at Larchmont United Methodist Preschool (LUMPS).  Ms. Weston was great and Laurel learned a lot of Japanese from the assistant Ms. Kumiko.

First day of Pre-K with Mrs. Skees.  It was a great year that Laurel was sad to say goodbye to. 

First day of Kindergarten.  Wow!  She's so big!

First Day of Kindergarten

Laurel did not blink an eye on her first day of Kindergarten.  She was ready, willing, and excited.  She didn't even mind the chaos of 32 children in her overloaded class being accompanied by 50 parents dropping off and taking pictures.  It think it will be a great year!

Beauty

Is what you get when Benjamin gets into your mascara and applies it himself.

Uncle Jacob Would Be So Proud

 Michael had his very first trip to the dentist.  He was PERFECT and his teeth were too.  Dr. Hamilton said his smile could be on the front of Pediatric Dentistry Today.  Of course, she probably says that 10 times a day, I'm sure, but I was glad that Michael was one of the ten.

 Yay, Michael!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Erik was so lucky.  For his birthday he got a mandatory hurricane evacuation.  He was super excited about that - believe me!  So, we made an impromptu visit to Grandma and Pa's house for the weekend.  Leighanna and Adam were able to come over and join the fun, and we had a little birthday cake for Erik.   Laurel very proudly made and decorated the cake with Grandma, and all the children watched in amazement as Erik blew out all 34 candles in one blow.  Happy Birthday, Sweetie.  Next year we'll be sure to book a Caribbean cruise during hurricane season for your birthday, okay?

Grandma Biz and Bampa

We were super excited to have a visit from Grandma Biz and Bampa right before Daddy's birthday (and hurricane Isabel)!

And I actually took a few pictures of our trip to the beach.

We LOVE Grandma Biz and Bampa.  We wish we could see them more!

 Fish #2 - after Laurel, of course.  The boy doesn't know he can't swim.

 Water lover.

 Brett, Jessica and Shiloh were so sweet to come up and join us!  Thanks for coming!

Look at him love the ocean.  This is a new thing.  We love swimming lessons.  :)