And..... I'm Back!!

I cannot really give a good reason for having taken a nearly 2 month hiatus from blogging. I am just pitiful I guess. I would like to blame it on extreme busyness, or my slow computer, or anything else, but mostly I just have not been doing it. But that changes now!! So prepare yourself for an over load of posts for the next few days!! I will start with some great photos we had taken while Grammy was here in April.

I Spy a.......

....boy in a bed!! I went to check on Ben during quiet/nap time today.... this is what I found!

That pile of stuffed animals are his "bed buddies". He is allowed to play with them during quiet time. I am guessing that he made a "tunnel" as he often does and then fell asleep hiding inside it! It took me a minute to figure out where he was (the room was dark, this picture was with flash) and where the snoring was coming from!

Too much fun! I love this kid!

Random Sunday Morning Shots!

Ben's ABC's

St. Valentine's Day 2011

We had a nice Valentine's Day. We stayed in, had some spaghetti and a few gifts. Clara was over the moon for her card and her puppy dog. Ben got his favorite thing second only to trains, Matchbox cars! Matt got me a lovely bouquet of roses and some chocolates! He is good like that.

Wild sleeper!

I have been blessed with two children that are really good sleepers. I am so very thankful for that. Having said that I get a good chuckle out of what a wild sleeper Clara is! Each night when one of us goes in to cover her up again before we go to bed there is no telling what we may find. She is usually at minimum the opposite direction of what she was laid in there and completely uncovered! On this night Matt found her laying side ways, with her bottom in the air, and her ponytail hanging out of the crib! it was too funny not to get it on film!

Snow Storm #4

We have had a pretty intense winter this year, for Tennessee. We had 4 weeks in a row that we had enough snow and or ice to have multiple days of the schools closed. One day we got a pretty fair amount quickly and it was a good consistency. Clara was napping so I decided to head out side with Ben to play, I often just send him out in the snow alone, I don't like snow. But we had a great time! This first picture Ben was admiring his mittens, he had to ask me what they are! Ha kind of like that my kid is unfamiliar with winter clothing! Then I had to take some hard evidence that I was actually out in the snow!

We played trucks.

Built a snow man.

And Built a snow Dinosaur, yes a dino, Ben had been asking for one each time it snowed!

The Clara Bear

Here are some pictures of what the Clara Bear had been up to lately. She has started walking! She is still soo much faster crawling that she still does that primarily, but she can walk!


(okay so these pics show my not so tidy house, it was late, and I had not quite gotten the laundry folded, but since only friends and family look at the blog ;) I am posting these pictures anyway because Clara is sooo darn cute!)

This is the first time in a few months I have been able to get all of her hair back, it didn't last too long but I was still impressed, that is a pretty good ponytail! Matt saw her and once again was shocked at just how very much she looks like me. I think it was especially pointed because I had pulled my hair up too!

Daddy calls this her Willey Nelson look! Yup that is a 13 month old with a braid 3 inches long!

I thought I would post this as hard evidence that she does occasionally get cross. I am very happy that this face does not come out very often. This is what we call the the Angry Clara Bear.

The many looks of Ben

Ben has recently acquired the skill of dressing himself. Therefore he has aquired a desire to choose his own clothing. Here are some of the ensembles he has sported lately.

The Running Look.... The Jazzersize.......

And the I-Never-Get-Cold Plaid and Stripes.......

Can't Stand it!

Clara Jeanne has finally started standing independently. She can't quite get to that standing position with out assistance yet, but she is trying! Her biggest problem is dancing! She starts to shake her booty and topples over! Here are some videos of her various attempts!

You might also note in this second video her funny hair! I have it braided in the back! looks like a rat tail!