Benjamin versus the Pad Thai

Oh my goodness! Time is moving fast and so is Benjamin. He is walking, sort of running, and today he was even spinning. Seriously, out of nowhere, he just started turning circles in the den and then walking like so many dizzy men do on “America’s Funniest Home Videos.” It was really wild. Where did he learn that? Daycare?

Speaking of daycare, he is back and still working on adjusting to life without Mom and Dad every moment of the day. His teachers are assuring us that he is getting better and better each day. I hope so. Tim has the dreaded job of dropping him off each morning. It sounds pretty heart-breaking. We are ready for him to be okay or even happy about daycare again, like he was last year.


Here they are on the first day back. Can you tell that Benjamin is sleepy?

Before we started back to work/daycare/school/real life, we took a short (I mean, really short) trip for a mini-vacation. We stayed at a nice hotel which included a great pool and even a place for Tim to fish. Also, we took Benjamin to the Rainforest Café (he loved it) and to the Bass Pro Shop (second time this summer, yikes). Benjamin entertained us by “wowing” over the waterfall at the Bass Pro Shop. This “wow” or “whoa” is one of his latest expressions. It is so cute. Usually, he says it with a little prompting, but on Sunday he heard the garbage disposal while I was cleaning the kitchen and he said, “Whoa!” I was truly delighted!

Another highlight of our mini-vacation was its proximity to DFW airport. I know it doesn’t sound too thrilling, but the planes passed over the pool constantly, and Benjamin was really intrigued. Again, he said “whoa” and “aadoo” (translation: airplane). It is so cool to hear him attempting these new words! Anyway, we had a great time on our last hoorah for summer. Here a few photos of the pool action.

Tonight, we ordered in and Benjamin chowed down on some pad thai. He loved the noodles, but his independent streak got the best of him. Those noodles were tough to keep on his utensil. If it was Benjamin versus the pad thai….

The noodles won! Oh well, Morey was happy.

To Do List: get master’s degree

Two summers ago, I began my first two classes toward my Master of Library Science, and last night (through a sleep-deprived haze), I pushed the submit button for my final project. What a wonderful feeling! Even though I’ve only been in school for about two years, it seems like a lifetime. In June of 2007, I had never taken an on-line class and I’d never worked in a library.

Now 36 semester hours, two years of librarianship, and one bouncing baby boy later, I have learned so much. This journey has not been easy for me. I have been frustrated, confused, and discouraged more times than I’d like to admit. I wish I could have handled all my responsibilities with a bit more grace, but I can only say that I did the best I could. The good news is I accomplished my goal, I feel like I got a quality education, and I’m excited about my job and continuing to learn more and more.

As I cross this very big task off of my “To Do” list, I’m grateful for the opportunity I have been given. I’m grateful for all the words of encouragement from my family, friends, and co-workers. And I'm especially thankful to Tim, who has witnessed the ups and downs along the way and still loves me enough to stick around!

from Google images

The Great Outdoors

Despite the crazy Texas heat this summer, we have felt it necessary to get outdoors with our resident monkey. It's true; Benjamin is keeping Tim and me pretty busy these days. Although our condo provides plenty of room, now that Benjamin is walking (as fast as he can - I might add), we just have to get outside! I thought I would share some pictures here.


Benjamin and I going to Farmers' Market. He snoozed through the first half of this outing. He did wake up in time to sample some of the yummy food being handed out.

Isn't this enough to make anyone love to eat veggies? Tim later made us a great meal from the food we bought at FM.

Here is Benjamin at an exercise park by White Rock Lake. He seems to have a thing for wood chips. He walked and walked and walked while his daddy finished up his workout at the park.

Banjo and Daddy hitting the road! This is a snapshot from another walk we took at the lake.

Isn't that a beautiful sight? We have had a few really pleasant evenings in the past couple of days. I still think it's wild that this lake is right in the middle of Dallas - so glad we live close enough to enjoy it.