Memorial Day Vacation?

Ben was such a help this weekend up at his Grandma and Grandpa's cabin. There was some boulder work to be done by the firepit, and Ben jumped right in to help.


He brought boulders down to the pit,

let his daddy and Grandpa know what boulder should
be used next,

carried stuff,

and pushed sand around the edge of the rocks
to make sure they stay in place.

Whew! After all of that hard work, it was time for a water break!

Trip to WI

We took a few days off last week to go visit our friends in WI. Ben was a trooper in the car, and handled the long rides so much better than we expected!

First stop: MADISON

Ben was so excited to visit Baby Jack (4 mo)! He made sure to show him the ropes.


"See Jack, this is how you ride the horsey..."



"This is how you hang with the big boys..."

"And this is what happens whenever you start to have too much fun...the big people stop and try to make you smile for the camera...



"And this is how you watch the animals at the zoo..."

Thanks Wilson family-we can't wait to see you again soon!
(And thanks to Octopus Car Wash-if you're ever in Madison and need to have baby vomit cleaned from your car, they're the people to see!)


Next stop: GREEN BAY

Our next stop was to visit Brian, Julie and Ian in their new home in Green Bay!

Ian made sure to show Ben around.

This is my playroom, and that's my chair that you are sitting in.



Here's Ben and Ian working on "sharing".




You should see how many pictures we had to take to
get these two both looking at the camera!




Ian brought us to his favorite playground!




Ben saw Ian do this, so he figured he could too!

Thanks Zaruba family. We had a great time!


Last stop: APPLETON

Ummm, we sincerely apologize to the Sobczak family. Apparently we were tired after three days on the road and the camera went by the wayside. We have one picture of our visit there, and it didn't turn out :( Ben was pretty impressed by the big kids (Genevieve and Connor) and of course he loved baby Lexi.

Thanks guys!!!

Forks and Cups

Ben is growing up so fast! He's just about mastered using a spoon, and was ready to try the more challenging fork!

Hmmm, what do I do first?

This doesn't seem very useful.

Ohh, you use it this way...how cool is that?!

Mmmm, delicious!

Now can I try a real cup? Promise I won't spill!



See, I'm a natural!



Look, both at once!

Sandbox fun!

Ben has discovered his swingset and sandbox this spring! He has no patience for me to change clothes or shoes when we get home from work/daycare. He wants to play NOW! And how can we say no when he clearly has so much fun?

Whoa! Look how high I'm going!

All of this sand just makes me feel CRAZY!

Cool, a new hat!

No, I didn't eat any sand, why do you ask?

New Shoes!

Ben's personality continues to shine through in new ways everyday! Some aspects of his personality are a little quirkier than than others. For example, Ben got a new pair of shoes last week. When he got up the next morning he insisted on wearing them....and only them. We managed to get a diaper on and the only pair of socks left in his drawer, and then let him be.



Hey guys, watch me CRAWL in my new shoes!

Do you like my new shoes!?

Here, let me pose, so you can see my new shoes!

Breakfast with the Easter Bunny

We took Ben to see the Easter Bunny Sunday morning, with Grandma and Grandpa Shallman and Ava. Ava was a pro, and pretty excited about see the Easter Bunny. Ben was a little more cautious.

Having fun with Ava next to him.

Realizing he doesn't know who this big
white bunny is, once Ava leaves him alone...



And deciding he wants nothing to do with him!

Happy Easter!

Officially a Toddler!

I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm a big boy now! As of this week, I'm officially in the Toddler room! That means I get to play with big kids, eat at a table while sitting on a chair, take naps on a cot, and play outside. I love it!

And since I do such a good job of sitting at a table to eat, I told my Mommy and Daddy that I want to do that at home now too...no more highchairs for me!