Eating

I've become very independent with eating lately. Here I am after eating yogurt. It's hard to get it to stay on the spoon! But hands can work just as well. And when you're done eating, it works nicely for a facial.


I insist on eating all of my fruit whole now--apples, pears, peaches, plums, bananas. It just tastes so much better that way! This was an apple I was eating as Mom made some applesauce.


Here I am sampling the applesauce--warm and pink, just the way Uncle Jonathan likes it!

Yard work

Benjamin "helped" Grandpa do a project in the front yard while he was here. They removed rocks and hostas, and then put in brick, lights, plants, and more rock. Moving rocks was Benjamin's favorite part. Grandpa will be happy to know, Benjamin still wants to get the bucket and move rocks.


Nothing is better than getting dirty!


Here's the finished project--a little hard to make out, but it looks great!


Helping Dad mow the lawn--Benjamin's in the backpack, if you can't tell. Dad got a great work out! Benjamin, however, fell asleep on the job.


Watering the tomato plants--another favorite job!


Grandma got Benjamin his own watering can while she was here. Most of the water still makes it on him, rather than the plants, but, oh well, that's half the fun!

Cape Cod

Sorry it's been so long since the last post! We've been busy with company (Grandma and Grandpa from Florida), and a couple little two-day trips. We went to New Jersey to see relatives and Cape Cod to do some sight-seeing with Grandma and Grandpa. Benjamin has been in seventh heaven with all of the entertainment and going "bye-bye." He definitely loves to be on the go! (So long as the car ride isn't too long!)

Here are some shots from Cape Cod:


Inspecting the shell collection. "Why do you keep putting them in the bucket, Grandma? It's more fun to take them out!"


Walking with Mama.


Hangin with Daddy and Grandpa


It was a little cooler the next day, with rain on and off.


Throwing rocks in the water--what a fun game!


Dad got in the water, even though it was chilly out, and the water was cold. He couldn't resist those waves.


We stayed on the beach, digging in the sand.

Bigger every day

Benjamin had his 15-month check-up yesterday (yes, two months late). He's still in the 90% for height and 25% for weight. He had to get his finger pricked and get two shots, so that wasn't pleasant. Oh, yeah, and the doctor had to touch him to examine him, so that didn't go over real well, either! He's run a little fever today, but doesn't seem to be feeling too bad. The crankiness probably came more from being stuck inside all day because of the rain ("ween"). I don't know what we're going to do when winter comes! Just bundle up, I guess--or send him to Florida! Know anyone who could watch him there?!


Going for a ride on the "putt-putt." He came up with this himself, and actually stayed to pose when I grabbed the camera! (He was even saying "John Deere" the other day, but haven't heard it since.)


Peaches taste so much better when I can hold the whole thing myself!


Getting ready to play euchre.

Beach Bum

This weekend we went to a beach in Rhode Island, where some church members have a summer home. Benjamin loved the sand and water--mostly the sand, as you can tell from these shots. He went non-stop all afternoon.







He loved crawling in and out of the holes that kids had dug.


Can we do it again, guys?!

Our Iowa trip to Grandma and Grandpa's house

We just got back from a two week trip to Iowa. (Jonathan joined us for one week.) We had a wonderful time hanging out with family. Benjamin loved all of the attention! It started and ended a little rough--Benjamin had hand, foot, and mouth disease as we left CT, and I had Lyme's disease as we left IA. Despite that, we had a good time. Here are some shots from the trip. (I didn't get any shots with Grandpa--Benjamin loved helping him with yard work, including his favorite--mowing. They were "buddies"--another new word Benjamin learned.)

Family shot--Happy Fourth of July!

Places everyone! (Cousin Andy's idea of humor--ha ha.)


Here's Benjamin entertaining his adoring fans! You'll note the bucket of water--endless hours of fun!

Every morning Benjamin helped Grandma water the flowers. "Wa wa!"

Getting braver in the water. He was sticking his whole face in the water and drinking it.

Aunt Rachel taught me how to sniff and smell things. He we are smelling the flowers. She also taught me how to say, "P.U." although it sounds a bit more like, "B.O."

"This is the way the gentleman rides." Another fun game Aunt Rachel played with me. She is sooo entertaining!


Playing the piano with Great-Grandma


Taking a drink break with Uncle Jonathan


Rocking in Mom's old rocker--I could get in and out, and rock all by myself.


Pulling the little people school bus--I learned how to pull it all around the house.


Mmmmm! My first ice cream cone!


Delicious!


We also got to see John and Sarah (friends from college) and their girls for an evening. Here are Naomi and Benjamin.

I couldn't get a very good shot of Hannah, but here she is trying to give Benjamin a kiss.

Block Island

Uncle David came for a visit last weekend, and we took him to Block Island for the day. There's an hour's ferry ride to get to the island. We brought our bikes to get around.

Benjamin LOVED playing in the sand! He was rolling around in it and had sand everywhere.


Uncle David helping Benjamin jump the waves.


These are the stairs we had to climb down to get to the beach.


One of the two lighthouses on the island.


All this bike riding sure tuckers a guy out!