4th of July weekend at the Beach.

We spent our holiday weekend with Andy's family at his grandparent's beach house in a little coastal town called Manzanita. Ben had a blast playing at the beach (even though it was quite cool and breezy by the water - as it typically is in Oregon). We had great food and great company as Andy's mom and step-dad, brothers and sister-in-law, and grandpa and Claudia all were there for the festivities.

Here is Ben hanging out on the deck.

Walking the beach with grandma and papa Doug.

Hanging out with grandma for a parade. (Ben didn't make to parade time - nap and lunch took priority.)

Here is a family picture from the 4th of July (compare it to the next one)

Taken in the same spot on Labor Day last year when Ben was about 3 1/2 months old.

And here's a clip of Ben's "dancing" which involves him wiggling a little bit and shaking his head.

One more video to tide grandma over...

until July 10th when we arrive in MN for 10 days!

Nothing exciting here in the video, just Ben in the backyard, eating blueberries and waving "Hi" to the garden gnome.

Shark Pool!

For Ben's 1st birthday, we got him an inflatable shark pool just like his buddy, Levi. He loves it! He was in it so long on Sunday, that he was shivering, but he still didn't want to get out. Just like the summer days I remember as a kid...

Silver Falls

Ben loves the water, and we have been feeling the need to get out into the woods, so what better place to go then Silver Falls State Park? Just about an hour away and chock full of impressive waterfalls, it was the perfect place for a day-trip.

Ben napped on the way and when we arrived we had a nice picnic lunch in a quiet place away from the crowds.

Then headed out an a short hike under and around South Falls

Then did another very short hike (more like a walk) to Upper North Falls.

Ben got to splash in the cool, refreshing water at the base of the falls.

Really I was along on this trip, but no pictures of me...

This visit was just enough of a taste of the outdoors to whet our appetite for more. Tackling the outdoors with a toddler in tow adds a whole new dimension. A lot more planning and prep work but so much fun for the little guy. Maybe we'll get a camping trip in during August. Until then it looks like our weekends have gotten filled up quickly.

Upon our return, we let Ben finish his long nap at home and then drove to La Sierra, a nearby Mexican restaurant. It turned out to be a great time! There was live music - a trio of gentlemen travelling from table to table playing Mexican music by request. The whole little restaurant was enthralled with watching Ben watch the musicians. Andy requested La Bamba which got the whole crowd clapping along. They returned to our table for an encore performance of a cute little gato y raton song (cat and rat) with sound effects.

What a fun Saturday!

Da-coom

Ben's first word: da-da
Ben's second word: uh-oh
Ben's third word: vacuum (da-coom)

Too funny. I have been trying to get it on film - we'll see.

In the meantime - here he is laughing about mommy blowing the tiny bugs out of the raspberries from the backyard before feeding them to him.

What a champ!

This morning both Ben and I had quite a scare. Ben fell, head first, off of the changing pad that we have set up downstairs on the guest bed. It looked much scarier than it turned out to be, but I certainly panicked at first. He barely cried and hardly even has a red spot on his head. Phew. I was pretty freaked out at first, but a few calming words from nurse Jan from 1500 miles away helped me catch my breath. He was up playing away in about 20 minutes (after some cuddling with mommy).

I dropped Ben at daycare for a few hours again to get some shopping done (Old Navy, Target, Trader Joe's and Walgreens). Then I picked Ben up and took him (finally) to get his blood drawn (for hemoglobin, lead, and allergies). I read an article in some parent magazine that discussed numbing cream that you can use before your child gets their shots. So, I called my doctor and got some for Ben and applied it 1 hour before the blood draw. It must have worked, because he didn't even cry at ALL! What a champ! So far, we've heard back about the blood count (hemoglobin, etc) - totally normal - which is always nice to know.

I feel like a post isn't complete with at least 1 picture and some video, so here's a pic from today of Ben pointing at a Red-Shafted Flicker and playing with the watering can...

...and a short video of Ben taking some more steps. He's really gotten in some long stretches of 15-20 steps, but never when I have the camera...

My summer has officially begun.

Today marks the first official day of my summer. Everyone always thinks that teachers have 3 WHOLE months off for their summer. Well, not really. I actually only have 2 months and 1 week. I know, I know, at least I HAVE a summer vacation. But it is not quite as long as most people believe (well, I guess I still get Christmas and Spring Breaks, but who is counting). I am still paying for daycare, so I will be dropping Ben off here and there for breaks to get things done around the house. I think he thrives on the stimulus of kids and action - he tends to get whinny when sitting at home inside with boring mom and dad (even though he has a million toys to play with). As soon as we take him outside with so many new things to look at - he is totally content.

I really don't have any specific plans to accomplish over this summer, though I'd like to get caught up on some sewing, health care paperwork and Ben's baby book, as well as some deep house cleaning. We are headed to MN for about 10 days in July - I'm very much looking forward to that trip!

Here is Ben walking with the adorable Squeaky Shoes from Uncle Brent and Aunt Patti. With, of course, a stick in hand.

And another of Ben power eating blueberries. This was towards the very end of his dinner and he was still shoving food in like he hadn't eaten a bite all day.

I do hope that everyone enjoyed their Father's Day weekend. We attended a Blues, Brews and Barbeques festival in McMinville on Saturday joined by our friends Jim and Deb and their son Levi and Andy's brothers Adam and Aaron our sister-in-law, Rhonda. I forgot my camera, so no picks from Ben's *3rd* brewfest of his life. It was a great atmosphere with kids everywhere and lots of room for the kids to roam. On Sunday, we joined Andy's family for a fun picnic at a park near Estacada for Father's Day. We ate good food, played in a fun family softball game, and had fun catching up with all of the relatives. Again, I forgot my camera so no pics (although I did take some on Aaron's camera, so I may be getting some pictures via e-mail sometime soon).

Ben and I are so thankful that he has an awesome daddy like Andy. He has been so amazing in his new role being a father to our little Ben. He knows when I need a break and is always willing to take on any of the yucky parenting tasks (like diaper changes, snot wiping, tooth brushing) along with the fun ones, too (reading, playing, walking, and general entertaining). I can't wait to watch Ben and Andy playing catch or kicking the soccer ball back and forth or flying a kite or casting a fishing pole. We are so lucky. It really makes me appreciate my dad even more every day. Thank you dad for all that you did for me and Brent. You were and still are amazing. Happy Father's Day!!!