Election

No matter your political stances or beliefs I think every American should be proud of what happened today. Although it was over 200 years in the making, we should be proud that we as a country have elected an African-American as president. We have also given a darn good fight for women in this election and I think many barriers have been broken over the last year. We should be proud that it came down to issues and not sex or race. Isn't that what our Founding Fathers meant for this country. I personally feel a weight lifted from my shoulders. I hope you can too.

Political Junkie

Becca is a bit sad tonight. She thought today would be the big day before Hillary won the presidential election. Seriously, she mourned for days after Hillary did not get the nomination for the democratic party. I think her exact quote was,  "She is a nice lady, we need a woman. Really have they not looked at her smile. She has the best smile of anyone I know." I guess I didn't know she and Hillary were so tight!! 

Rob and I had prepped her that it was likely that Obama would get the nomination, but I think we were the ones not quite prepared for her anguish. As the months have passed she has been watching the news and asking questions. We literally find her watching the news in the mornings, sometimes the local channels but often watching what she calls the "real news" -CNN, not "mommy's news"-the local channels. Over time she has decided that Barack is her man, even though he made a "HUGE" mistake not choosing Hillary as a running mate. She likes his stance on many issues (I swear I am serious) and likes the idea of the first African-American president. She has even been quoted as saying, "I think he will make good decisions for Ben's benefit". (You gotta love this girl!!!). This was after watching several news segments on the candidates' stances for funding for special needs.

 We will see what the next four years brings, but she is still holding out hope for Hillary in 2012.....who knows maybe someday it will be my Becca Boo!!!

"A-sund-a-toad"

Ben had been asking for something that sounded like "a-sund-a-toad" for several weeks, seriously standing at the frig screaming this mystery word. Or when I forgot the child safety lock rummaging thru the frig throwing over his shoulder everything that was not "a-sund-a-toad" glass jars and all. We had tried naming everything......strawberry-NO (at the top of his lungs sometimes with some other mal-adaptive behavior), banana-NO, cheese-NO, cheesestick-NO, cookie-NO, chicken-(you got it) NO, pancake, milk, beer, pizza, chips, cheetos, graham crackers, hot dog, ham, turkey.........Finally, two Saturdays ago at my wits end I said "potato" "YIPPY" screamed Ben as he ran through the house screaming "a-sund-a-toad" Thank God, I was detective of the year, mystery solved. I rummaged thru the pantry to find one lone potato, we hadn't had potatoes in multiple weeks. But there he was gleaming ready for the microwave, no growths, or buds just a beautiful baking potato. I threw that puppy down and baked him up. As I cut him open I noticed an odd green color on the inside, hey at this point nothing was going to detour me from feeding my baby boy his potato. As I was mixing in the works; cheese, ranch dressing, etc. the color started to nag me. I mentioned it to Rob and he decided to google it. Ben was loving his first few bites, he was truly in heaven, when Rob said "Hey, you may want to stop that." Seriously are you kidding me??? Ben was happy, mommy was happy, hell even the dogs were happy. Rob went on to say there were questionable things on the internet about green potatoes and  toxins, since when do we believe what we read on the net??? Rob decided he would run to Wendy's where they have baked potatoes ready to order. Great idea!!! He was gone for what seemed like a lifetime, only 15 minutes, but the whole time Ben was throwing things, hitting me, the dogs, and himself and screaming like nothing I had ever heard. Rob raced in the back door and I threw in the fixin's and tried everything to cool the steaming hot thing down. (Ben finds only room temperature foods edible.) Finally, it was ready and what does my amazing, incredible, adorable son do? Eat two bites, and he was done! SERIOUSLY!! I am now keeping a box of mashed potatoes at the ready.......lesson learned!

Gimpy Ben

This morning Ben decided to bless us with a sleep-in. Rob and Becca took off to her early morning soccer game in 40 degree weather (I pulled the long straw I will get to go to her 1pm game tomorrow!!!!!). When Ben decided it was time to get out of his crib at 9 I bounded upstairs full of energy and vigor (yea right you all know better than that). I lifted him out and set him on his feet and he crumbled to the ground crying. I picked him back up and he started limping around and headed very slowly to the stairs. It was impossible to get him to go down the stairs because he wouldn't bear much weight on his left foot. I am so glad he is such a petite child and I can bound down the stairs holding him in one arm!!! (do I need to say "yea right!!"?) Anyway after letting him hobble around for a while and resort to crawling I decided to call his doctor. God love the sweet guy he takes phone calls on his cell phone!!!! He said since Ben can't tell us what hurts and how it got hurt and because he was perfectly fine last night we should head to the er. Thankfully, again God love the man, he told me that the new Childrens' Hospital satellite er was open just 4 miles down the road so we wouldn't have to head downtown to that Children's. I waited for Rob and Bec to get home and we headed south 4 miles. Since all of Ben's extensive history is in their system it makes the whole triage/paperwork much more pleasant. Anyway, 12 x-rays later and 2 short hours later we left with the diagnosis of a sprained ankle that must have occurred during the night when he either got his foot stuck between the crib and mattress or in between the crib slats......evil crib!!!! Anyway, thank God for good doctors, sweet nurses, x-ray machines, x-ray technicians who can stand getting the s@#$%@$% beat out of them by a cute 3 year old, close hospitals and a patient and sweet big sister who helped entertain him the whole time!

Everything Becca will ever need to know she is learning on the soccer field

Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose

Don't be a ball hog 

Listen to your coach 

Your parents will embarrass you (especially when they high step down the sidelines high fiving all the parents after good plays) but it is only because they love you and they can't help themselves 

Work hard, play hard

Practice

Trust your teammates

Be a good team player

Fine tune your personal skills and practices those things you don't like as much or aren't as good at

Be a good sport

Sometimes there are rainouts

Cheer on others

Clap when the other team scores

Always shake hands

If you score a goal thank your teammates for their support

Protect your goalie

Never be cocky

There is no crying in soccer (I am just kidding....)

Follow the rules

Take care of your injuries

Rest during halftime

Drink plenty of water

Sometimes the ref will make a bad call

Sometimes things aren't fair

Different parents and coaches have different rules and expectations

You my get knocked down, but try your best to get up

Give it your best shot

Congratulate the other team at the end of the game

Don't cheat

Never give up

It ain't over till the fat lady sings

Break a sweat

Play till you think you can't play anymore

But most of all ALWAYS have fun!!!!!

Thank God for long lasting batteries.....I think......

So Rob's family is really good about sending cards on all occasions and I love it because it is not something I have ever been good at. They especially like the music playing cards that Hallmark started making a few years ago, they really are cool. Ben has also discovered the joy of these cards. In Ben's world the best way to listen to them is with the card open covering your face while  spinning in tight mind boggling circle. The moment it gets near the end of the song, while not missing a beat of his mid-spin he will close and reopen the card to restart the music. Now sometimes on real exciting days only a few measures of the song can play before he must close and reopen the card to restart it. Now, people in my life will tell you I exaggerate, not just a little and not just occasionally but often and alot but when it comes to this I am not, just ask Rob, this music playing can go on for hours really hours! I swear the songs get louder as the time goes on, Ben spinning the whole time in the happy land of  "Stim". At first when this started Rob and I looked at each other and said "Oh God how long can the batteries handle this?". But I will tell you a long, long time. Ben goes for the card first thing in the morning. Each card has picked up a new individualized name made up by Ben ie."Card" "Song" "Music" etc. After several weeks a new toy will become his favorite or a new card will arrive in the mail. Today it was a Halloween package and Winnie the Pooh is happily singing in the background right now over and over again. At least MC Hammer and "You Can't Touch This" will start gathering dust tomorrow and I can put my gold pants away at least for awhile. 

In our world trains are tractors and anything goes!!

Ok, so I got another call from a school today that one of the kiddos was sick. This time it's Ben and pink eye. God love the nurse, she was so apologetic being a working mom herself, but yes I did need to pick him up and yes he did need to stay home tomorrow. It will have to be Rob because with my major burn accident right before school started, strep throat through the family and Becca's exciting case of lice I am almost out of sick days and October isn't even over yet!!! OOOPPPSSS. 

So Ben gave Rob a major run for his money the other day crying for  "tractor" now mind you lots of things are called by the wrong name in our house but "tractor" was a new one. He does actually have one tractor but of course that was not what the poor guy wanted. Rob tried every wheeled vehicle in our house. Very similar to "Trains, Planes and Automobiles". This went one for several hours, for Rob I am sure it was several years. When I got home I went into the kitchen and from that angle I noticed a Thomas the Train engine wedged into the coffee table that I had never seen Ben play with (it actually belongs upstairs on the very dusty unused train table). I retrieved this and handed it to Ben manna from heaven!!! Rob walked away shaking his head. Ben has yet to let this "tractor" go several days later. Our newest favorite toy! I always wonder what it will be next. At least it is a toy and not a spoon or my $45 electric toothbrush.

So we usually don't correct what Ben calls things unless we feel it is necessary, we are just glad he has words. But yesterday his courageous teachers decided to change tractor to the appropriate train. It took a solid 41/2 minutes of Ben's pure stubbornness and lots of Skittles to get Ben to say "train". He knew the name just felt it was important that the toy be called tractor. I am sure he has his reason, the drum beat he walks to is different, and I can appreciate that most of the time. If only I had a ticket to his concert every once in a while!! 

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