A child prodigy

Ben is playing the harmonica!!!! Okay, so he doesn't exactly play the harmonica. But, he does know how to blow into it to make it play. He is even starting to move it back and forth to change the sound. Very cute. We had to capture this picture because I believe the harmonica is suddenly going to go missing VERY soon! (sic)

No rest for the weary

We had a fun filled Memorial Day weekend. Eddie, Grandma Sunny, and Grandpa Rich(aka "Grandpop" to Ben) flew into town to visit and run the BolderBoulder. We had so much fun playing cards, playing dice, singing, playing the guitar (just Grandpa and Richie played guitar...the rest of us listened to them play the guitar :o). We got to visit with Kevin, Raemi, and Kian ~ even though they live in town, we don't get to see as much of them as we would like. We got to visit with Richie and his girlfriend, Anna (a new Anna...not our sister, Anna...we're gonna have to give that girl a new name...it gets too confusing...geez!) ~ again, they live in town, but we don't get to visit that often. We stayed up late and really enjoyed the company. We even got some time with the Bergs last night ~ they spent the holiday weekend camping at Bonnie Lake. Today we are back to the same 'ol same 'ol! Cailey is off to school for today and tomorrow and then she is done for the summer. We were up very early this morning to take the grandparents to the airport. I have a lot of cleaning to do ~ again, we had lots of fun and late nights (HEE HEE). Of course, I have more pictures!

Ben loves listening to the guitar ~ Richie is very good (and gets better every time we see him!) and we love it when he brings his guitar over:

Eddie, Richie, and Cailey went to see the sunset and got some really great pictures:

Ed or Rich took these pictures of Cailey ~ I LOVE THEM!:

Well....we did it!

Today is Memorial Day. Today we ran...and finished!...the BolderBoulder Marathon!!!! It's a 10K (6.2 miles) and we did it!!! Scott, Rich, Eddie, Richie, Cailey (yep, Cailey), and I did the 10K. The guys ran it and Cailey and I jogged/walked the race. Cailey and I finished in about 1 hour 40 minutes...not too bad. Our goal was 1 hour 30 minutes, so we just missed it. Next year we hope to do better. Cailey and I ran the first mile with the guys, but I made her stop and start to walk. She was very upset with me because she wanted to stay with Scott. I am sure glad I made her stop, though. Half way ~ as we walked under the 5K marker ~ she started to complain about her legs hurting, her knee hurting, it's too hot, she's too wet (from running through the sprinklers that the spectators had out), she doesn't want to walk anymore, she's tired, she's hungry...and on and on for the last 5K!!! But, once we got to the last little bit ~ running into Folsom Field ~ she got very excited about all the people in the stands and we were able to run for a strong finish! I am very proud of her (and me). It's our first marathon and we are very, very tired. Scott and Richie ran the whole distance (way to go!), but they don't know their time yet. Rich ran most of the way ~ the altitude got to him and he had to walk a little bit. Eddie has been running marathons (including the New York Marathon!) and finished WAY ahead of all of us!

A picture of us after the race ~ we didn't have the camera to take one with Eddie and Richie (darn it!):

Grandma's Birthday

Happy Birthday Grandma Sunny!!! We went to Trail Dust for Grandma's birthday dinner. The food wasn't great (that was disappointing), but the slide and dancing was loads of fun for the kids! Some more pictures ~ Enjoy!

Cailey, Ben, and Kian going down the slide:

WEEEEEE!!!! ~ (the scratch on his chin is from earlier in the day...not the slide!):Big hugs for Granpop:
A birthday dance:

Scott wants to play, too!

Scott thought the 7 random jobs thing looked like fun. Scott has had way more than 7 jobs, so these are only the highlights:

1. Lawn service/mowing lawns ~ where else can you drink beer when you're 15 years old.
2. Rodeo concessions..."HAAMBURRGERSS, GET YOUR HAMBURGERS"~ apparently he has always been a sales guy because people commented on how many hamburgers he sold!
3. Selling candy and bubble gum out of his locker and the bus at junior high school ~ this wasn't exactly legal and he was told to stop immediately...but, the school staff was impressed by his entrepreneurial skills. He almost got kicked out of elementary school for the same reason. So, by junior high, he had picked a better venue...the bus...nobody cares what happens on the bus. :o)
4. Theaters ~ the best job he has ever had. Free movies, cute chicks. AND, with the special concession offers, he could make a little extra cash on the side by manupulating the "specials" on popcorn and soda. Ah, the things kids do...no, really, he was just a kid. How funny that he works for a bank now....hhhhmmm. :o) :o) :o)
5. Working for the Grandparents. However, those grandparents don't want to pay up when it comes time to collect...even when one keeps a time sheet.
6. Spaghetti Factory ~ bus boy and lasagna making expert.
7. Pappardelli's Pasta Factory ~ can you believe he actually made pasta for a living. He didn't own a car, so he had to ride his bike or take the bus in the middle of the night...that's a scary thing in downtown Denver...yikes! It was a good job that paid for him to go to school....that's priceless. Who knew pasta would pay off so well.

Some others: delivering newspapers, Racine's bus boy, Ross shoe boy, Gap, mutual fund accountant (snore!), La Peep Catering at the International Golf Tournament...

Scott says (and, I quote): "never mind about the theater job being the best job...being your husband is the best job I've ever had...wait, it's not really a job...I mean, it's voluntary of course...I mean...I love you"

FUNNY GUY!

7 Random Jobs

Our friend, Rachel Heldt, did this on her blog and it sounded like a lot of fun. So, I am stealing her thing. These are 7 random jobs I have held ~ you might not have known I was so worldly (HA!):

1. I worked at a country club in Sandy, Utah in the snack bar by the pool/golf course. My mom was my boss...that downfall aside (HA - kidding, Mom!), it was a fun job. It paid something like $10 an hour ~ which is awesome money for a 13/14 year old. I used (wasted) some of my money on my one and only pair of Girbaud jeans (all the rage in 1989/1990!). I got to eat ice cream every day ~ who doesn't love THAT! Mom and I became experts at making fry sauce, too ~ it's a Utah (Mormon) thing. I remember helping some kids at the window on the pool side when the menu sign fell and almost chopped a little boy's foot off! That was traumatic ~ I still remember the little boy's face...poor thing.

2. I worked at the Gap in Scottsdale, AZ. Enough said. :o)

3. I worked in a shoe store in Akron, OH. I can't remember the name of it, but it was just like DSW Shoe Warehouse. That job wasn't good because I spent every last dime on shoes! Boy do I love shoes! I learned that I cannot work at a clothing store or a shoe store ~ I don't make any money when I spend it all on the merchandise!

4. I worked in a pizza joint in Urbana, OH. I liked the people I worked with ~ except that the owner was a creepy pervert that hit on me and pinned me up against a table in the kitchen. I quit the next day.

5. I worked for a photography studio (Images) in Piqua, OH. This is the best job I have ever had. Terry did most of the senior portraits at my high school and was the established "go to guy" for family portraits in the area. I was his only employee and he let me develop all of the black and white portraits. I put together portrait books, filled negatives and proofs. We had tons of fun joking around and he taught me SO much about photography.

6. I worked at a dry cleaners in Littleton, CO. I hated this job and I was so tired of getting yelled at by old men that thought they should get all their yucky cleaning for free.

7. I worked at Red Robin in Littleton, CO. This was a second job, part-time in the evenings and weekends. I was a hostess and didn't start my shift until 5:00p ~ the latest shift among the hostesses. So, what this meant was that I was "nominated" to be the Red Robin Bird on Thursdays and Fridays. Nobody enjoys being the bird. The big costume is hot, it smells (yes, like dirty feet), you can't see except for what is straight in front of you and little kids try to kick you in the shins and/or pull the tail. Oh, it's also great fun when the teenagers are around...they either act like complete jerks or they make a game of trying to figure out if it's a girl or boy in the suit...that doesn't do much for one's self-esteem :o) Since the bird is so hot, I would get sweaty and my hair (which was VERY long at the time) would be detroyed...so much for looking nice to go out after work. Even now when I see the Red Robin, I feel terribly sad for the person in it ~ I know they must have drawn the short straw that night. Sometimes I just want to walk up and give the person a hug :o)

And...of course...I spent the last 13 1/2 years with AT&T/Lucent Technologies/Avaya Inc. I had several jobs within the company...some better than others.

Mann Clan

I wanted to post some pictures of our nephews, Jackson and Ethan, too...these pictures are from several months ago (hint, hint Anna!). They live in California and we miss them, too. It's a shame that the kids live so far apart. Ben is turning two in July, Jackson will be three in August, Lily will be three in September, and Ethan just turned one. Cailey is very close to Matthew (12 in June) and Zachary (9 in December) ~ they are closer to her own age ~ and I imagine the little ones would be best of friends, too. Maybe someday we will all live close enough to get together on a regular basis.

The Lily Bean

New pictures of our niece, Lily (SO cute!) ~ thank you, Juli, for sending them to us! I can't believe how big she is getting!!! They live in Atlanta, now...we miss them terribly. Lily will be a new big sister in July...I will post pictures of Baby Boy G. when he arrives!

Will the real Benjamin please stand up?

We have tried to explain Ben. We have tried to explain by saying he is ALL boy. We have tried by describing him as a "little monkey" ~ climbs on everything, gets into everything ~ nothing is safe, nothing is sacred. We have said to imagine Cailey at this age (sweet, calm, obediant, etc.) and then imagine the exact opposite...that's Ben. Don't get me wrong, he isn't BAD...he just has his own agenda, is more curious, and is more like a "bull in a china cabinet" than Cailey ever was. He isn't BAD...just a lot more high maintenance and far more willing to test boundaries. He is outgoing, charismatic, and wonderfully cute. But, it's still hard to imagine such an active, mischievous, yet still lovable little guy if you haven't had the pleasure to see him lately. Especially when you only get to see sweet, normal pictures of him. Well, last night, we were able to catch the real Benjamin. HA HA HA HA :o) The little devil ~ this a common, "What? I am not getting into anything! Quick, look how cute I am" look that we get!

Will the real Benjamin Adams please stand up?

Cailey's Field Day

Cailey had Field Day on Friday. It's not like the Field Day we had when we were in elementary school. There are no scores, no awards, no ribbons, no stars, no contest, no real competition ~ just have fun and do your best :o}. Even in my day I wasn't a great athlete, but it was still fun to collect the stars and ribbons at the end of the day. Scott, however, says he didn't know they gave out anything but blue ribbons...HA HA HA...funny guy. I have to admit, I was kinda hoping they would do the scores, ribbons and stars...have a real competition. But, alas, no...it was just a day to have some fun before summer starts. Cailey had a blast and that's all I care about. Enjoy the pictures!

Cailey in the relay:

Partner Squirt ~ "just get wet":

I don't know what this one is ~ something fun:The Chicken Toss:

The Frisbee Throw:

Oh, yeah ~ that's our girl...hamming it up for the camera:

Feeling good

I have decided it will be really, really nice when summer starts and Cailey can stay home to play with Ben. After a fun weekend of play, Ben really misses his sister today. He has started calling her "Lolly"...I guess he can't say "Cailey" just right so it sounds like "Lolly". I think it's the most adorable thing ever and the name has already started to stick. Ben cries when Cailey gets out of the car at school and goes inside..."Lolly, Lolly...no go bye, bye"...all through desperate tears. We were concerned that they wouldn't be close siblings since we made the decision to space our kids so far apart in age. But, in reality, it has really been beautiful for us. They love each other so much and the sibling fights usually only occur because Cailey is "loving" Ben too much...he doesn't want her to hug him all the time. Also, Ben is getting to a great age where he can interact with Cailey and they can play house, dolls, trucks, etc. Cailey can still boss him...which she is amazingly good at (hhhhmmm...I wonder where she gets that :o) and Ben is still eager to please her. The whole situation suits both of them really well. I hope our good fortune continues.

Happy Mother's Day!

I hope everyone is having a great Mother's Day! I am having a great Mother's Day ~ one of the best so far :o) We started yesterday by going all together to shop for new rose bushes ~ we found three beautiful bushes with great pink and red roses. Then, we checked into a local hotel ~ we went swimming (Ben is fearless of the water - uh oh!), went to dinner, had free drinks in the hotel bar, went swimming some more (the Bergs were able to join us!) and then we stayed up late (Cailey wanted to snuggle and watch T.V. until she fell asleep). Then, we woke up late (9:00!!!) and had a free buffet/cook to order breakfast at the hotel. Then, on the way home we toured some new model homes (a favorite past time for me!) and went to a pet shop to pet the puppies...we didn't bring one home, though. All in all...it was a wonderful two days of all the things I love to do. What a great way to celebrate!

Some pictures from Mother's Day ~ Enjoy!

Oops!

On Thursdays, Scott and I have "Champagne Thursdays" - it's a little tradition that we started to celebrate each week...just because, why wait for a special occasion, every week together is special (insert "aaahhhh" here). Anyway, as with every Thursday, Scott brought home a bottle of champagne and we toasted our week and enjoyed a glass together while watching Survivor - Fiji. Well, last night, while I emptied the last of the champagne into my wine glass (yes, it's bigger than a regular champagne flute :o), I decided to take a hot bubble bath and give myself a facial. While enjoying my bubble bath and getting caught up in my really good book (The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets - very good book so far), I failed to finish my champagne and left it sitting on the side of the tub. A while later, I realized I had forgotten to drink it, but I had already brushed my teeth and was turning in for the night. I told Scott about the glass and he commented that he would "take it off my hands for me" (or something like that)...I had to twist his arm, of course :o) Well, he didn't drink it and the poor glass of champagne remained sitting where I left it - on the side of the tub...within reach of a very curious almost 2 year old...you can see where this is going. This morning I got Ben up and put him down so I could get Cailey's school clothes out of her room. A few minutes later I hear Ben say "Mommy" and then I heard slurping sounds...as I turned around, I found my son with a firm grip around the wine glass lapping up my champagne!!! Oh my gosh!!! I know he got two big gulps in before I grabbed it from him...what I am not sure of, is how much he drank on his way from my bathroom to Cailey's room! I know he spilled some...the evidence was on the carpet...like a little trail. Apparently, it was very good champagne because he was very upset that I took the "juice" (his words, not mine) away!!! What's worse, is that he did not have breakfast yet and it probably did make him just a little tipsy - he doesn't seem to have gotten more than the two gulps and he was only a little silly this morning...no, he wasn't even sleepy all morning!

So, here I am, basking in my glory of Mother Of The Year contention from our park adventure yesterday, to today where my almost two year old is learning how to "drink" his breakfast. Oy, vey. :o)

Why I hate playgrounds...seriously

After breakfast, Cailey, Ben and I walked to Cailey's school. FUN! On the way home, Ben and I stopped to play at a nearby playground for an hour...yes...a full hour. I hate playgrounds (indoor and outdoor)...isn't that sad...who hates a playground? Well, I do (I don't think I am alone, either). Here's why:

1. They're DIRTY - and I don't just mean dirt dirty...I mean sick, snotty, poopy kids DIRTY - gross - yuck!
2. They're hot - okay this only applies to outdoor playgrounds. No shade? Who designs these things?
3. You get splinters in your hands. Again, who designs these things for kids?
4. You get rocks/wood chips in your shoes. How is that any fun? Unfortunately, both of my kids are tactile sensitive and we spend most of the time dumping their shoes out.
5. It seems that playgrounds attract a lot of kids that are rude, mean, bad, and won't share toys - even after we share our toys. The parents don't seem to notice or they don't care. Apparently, good manners are checked at the sidewalk/door.
6. For the parent, playgrounds are very boring...sorry, but the slide and the swing lost it's allure many years ago :o) I would be okay if the kids could play and I could just read a good book. But, Ben is still too little to "play" and the playground is still too big for him. I can only take so much following him up the little steps, through the tunnel, and down the slide (over and over and over and over and over....)
7. Most of the ones around here have several firemen poles with a long drop from the platform. So, I stand very close to make sure Ben goes down just the slide and doesn't try to step off the edge of the platform and seriously injure himself. Every few minutes, my heart stops because he got just too close to the edge.

So, when I say we stayed for a full hour...that just proves how much I love him and that I am vying for the Mother Of The Year award...HA HA HA :o) :o)

After the park, we walked the 1 1/2 miles home. The long walk (around 3 miles round trip) was good preparation for the Bolder Boulder marathon on Memorial Day...more on that subject later.

Lovin' this

Cailey had tap class last night and then we went to dinner with our friend Stephany and her daughters, Madisyn (Cailey's friend from tap and Girl Scouts) and MaKayla (almost three years old). The kids get along really well and it gives Stephany and I a chance to chat. We have started making it a routine to have dinner every Wednesday night after tap class - we love it when Stephany and the girls can join us. Scott has his men's group golf thingy that night anyway, so it all works out great (he says they play golf...I wonder if that is just code for "nudey bar" :o) :o) JUST KIDDING!).

Scott took us to breakfast this morning - YUM! He didn't get to see Ben all day yesterday since he left for work before Ben woke up and was home after Ben went to sleep...Ben sure misses his daddy and Daddy sure misses his boy :o) And, Cailey loves the break in routine. She got to wear her tropical dress today for "Dress in Tropical Wear" for spirit week - she loves summer when she gets to wear dresses and flip-flops on a regular basis.

Me and my shadow

Ben and Cailey were playing outside when Ben found Cailey's shadow on the fence. It took him a few seconds to realize what/who it was and where it was coming from - of course, Cailey was teasing him by waving her arms and jumping up and down. Once he figured out it was Cailey, he was thrilled and laughed so hard.

I want to be a cowgirl!

This week is spirit week at Cailey's school. Today was "Dress like a cowboy or cowgirl" - Cailey looked so cute that I couldn't resist posting the pictures!

Cailey doesn't just "stand normal" for pictures...she has to "pose" - She wanted this one taken of her saying "Yee-haw!":

This is Mommy telling Cailey is just stand "normal":

Nice ears - thanks Grandpa Gary :o) :o):

All's well that ends well

We had a very busy day - starting at 7am with Ben turning on his musical thingy in his crib (which is amplified through the monitor - ugh), ate breakfast with Elmo on T.V., got ready for Madisyn's birthday party, Cailey and I went to the party at Arts on Fire, came home to help Scott set up the new playhouse in the back yard (it was given to us by one of Scott's employees! - how wonderful is that!!), went to Zach's baseball game, since it was cancelled we went to Auntie's house to play with Zach and Matt, brought home the new little slide and airplane teeter-totter (thank you Bergs!), we made dinner, wrestled and chased Ben and Cailey, let Cailey and Ben play, play, and play some more and finally went to bed after a goodnight kiss....ahhhh. Can't wait for the weekend when we can rest...wait this IS the weekend...whew...I need a vacation! :o)

All boy!

I have said it many times that Ben is ALL boy. I captured some action photos (proof!) tonight of him throwing himself off the living room couch (on purpose). At least he thought to throw the pillows down first. Yes - I have my insurance card on hand for the inevitable ER visit...does anyone see the glass table! If he follows in his daddy's footsteps, we should just ask now for a frequent visit rate :o) :o) :o)

And again - this time onto Cailey's head...that means - ENOUGH! TIME TO GO TO BED!

Cailey declaring herself "Queen of the Pillows"

Zachary Berg - Our future MLB player

Zach (aka "Bergy") had a baseball game today. Unfortunately, it got called early due to rain - but, Zach was having an amazing game and I was able to get some pictures of him in action.

Zach playing SS:

Zach is catching the ball in this picture...then, he made an awesome throw to first base for an out! Way to go Zach!!!

1 month and counting

Today marks the one month anniversary of staying home! It has been wonderful and I am looking forward to the summer when Cailey, Ben, and I can get out and about and do some fun field trips.

Today Ben got a hold of the sidewalk chalk and turned our hardwood floors into a chalk master piece. I would have (should have) been mad, but I am the idiot that left the chalk within his reach and then went upstairs to put a load of laundry in...not smart with Ben...I have learned my lesson. Plus, he was so proud of his design...he was so excited when I walked down the stairs and ran over to his design on the floor to show me. All I can say is "thank goodness for the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser"!!! If you haven't used this wonderful creation...get one! It works on everything - especially crayon and chalk :o) :o)

We had a wonderful thunderstorm this evening - I LOVE thunderstorms and, obviously, I have passed that thrill onto both of my kids. The three of us sat by the open window to watch the rain and lightning and waited for Daddy to get home. Cailey and Ben were so excited and giddy. Ben learned the word "raining" and has been using it all evening...too cute. Cailey said it made her feel "happy and lovely" (how cute is that!) to smell the rain and feel the cool air coming through the window. She also said she wants to visit Grandpa Gary and Grandma Mer in Arizona so she can dance in the warm rain. This stems from a conversation I had with her about when we lived in Arizona and we played in the rain. It was always so WARM and so much fun. Apparently, her teacher also lived in Arizona and told her a similar story. Now, she really wants to try it out!

Tomorrow, I have plans to catch up on some house cleaning - woo, fun :o) I have been really busy the last several days and I have quickly fallen behind on the house work thing. Oh, well. Can't say I really care... :o) :o) :o) I love this very flexible, do as I want thing :o) :o)