I Bet You Forgot This Blog Existed

That (sort of) makes two of us! It's been a few years (oops!) since I posted on Ben's blog, but I vow here and now to (try my hardest) to be better about this. I don't even know if anyone reads this or even missed it for that matter. Do me a favor - if you read it, let me know. Leave a comment. Send me an e-mail. Give me a call. Whatever. Just let me know that you're out there! So here's where we are now... - Ben is 8 3/4 (he likes when I give him that 3/4 worth of credit). - He is in the third grade at MICDS. - School is over in about four weeks at which point he'll be in the fourth grade at MICDS (God willing!). - Ben broke his right elbow a month ago while on Spring Break in Florida. When we got home it was determined that he needed surgery to have two pins placed. He just got his cast off this morning after having it on for 3 1/2 weeks. He's been a real trooper throughout the whole thing. I told him this is the only break he gets. If it happens again (which it had better not), he owes me money. - We moved in early March to a new house which we both really seem to like so far. Anyone want to buy my old house?? Please?? - Ben's aunt (my sister-in-law) and cousin Zazie (my super adorable niece) just visited for a few days from Brooklyn, and she's super cute (I'm referring to his cousin, but his aunt is cute too). His cousin is 11 months old. She didn't exist last time I posted on here. She wasn't even a twinkle! She sort of looks like me (and my brother - her dad - and my mother - her grandmother). I could eat her face but will try to restrain myself. - Ben is currently obsessed with Xbox and Xbox Live where he talks to strangers and plays video games with them. All he wants me to do is ask him about those games. He gets mad at me when I don't ask the right questions. - At this point in time Ben has lost 8 teeth and has recently had 4 (!) cavities filled. He currently has no loose teeth. He kept telling people about his 4 cavities like it was something to be proud of. It's not. - Ben played on a basketball team with his friends the last several years. We're still not anticipating an athletic scholarship. - Ben was a psychopath last Halloween (he chose the costume - trust me, I vetoed even worse costumes). It was just an orange jumpsuit and a makeup 5 o'clock shadow plus he had a plastic ax, and I made his hair all crazy and gelled. He looked sort of like he was on a chain gang. I REALLY miss the days when I got to pick out his costumes. I'm not sure that there's much more to post right now. I'm sitting here listening to Ben yammer at his Xbox friends. I think he might already be a teenager. If that's the case, we're in for a very bumpy ride. Don't forget - get in touch with us!! Let me know if anyone actually reads this thing. And if you want our new address, let me know too.

Major Catch Up Time

Time for yet another major catch up of Ben's life & times!

Thanksgiving was fine. Very low key. Ben ate pumpkin bread for Thanksgiving dinner.

Winter Break was good. We spent three and a half weeks in Florida with my dad (aka Ga). It was unseasonably cold so that part wasn't so great, but it was still warmer than St. Louis and there were palm trees so who cares. Ben went to holiday camp down there at the same place where he went to camp last summer and had an absolute blast.

Heading back to school in January was good for everyone. The winter has been busy so far with basketball (Ben's on a team, and he LOVES it), indoor soccer (Ben's on a team and seems to enjoy it so far), a snow day, Lego Club, COCA class after school, Xtreme Ice Racing, strep throat (two days home sick from school then still contagious over the weekend equaled lots of Wii and Cartoon Network) and another visit from the Tooth Fairy when he lost tooth #2.

Last weekend we were in Chicago for the four day weekend that the school so graciously gifted us with. We had a really great time. Friday we drove up, stopping at Cracker Barrel for lunch along the way. Incidentally, Ben was fabulous in the car both directions. We checked into our hotel then headed to the Lego store at the Woodfield Mall where we dropped a small bundle on Legos. After that we went to Medieval Times for dinner (Ben ate his garlic bread and mine for dinner) and the absolutely incredible show. Ben was even knighted before the ceremony! The next day we spent a few hours at the Legoland Discovery Center then headed to visit our friends in Vernon Hills. The next day we hit the Shedd Aquarium where we communed with various sea creatures. After that we hit the Chicago Crate & Barrel outlet (where one of us really had fun). That night we had dinner with our friends in Northbrook. Monday we hit the Lego store again then headed to Naperville where we hit the Naperville Crate & Barrel Outlet and The Land of Nod Outlet (where one of us had even more fun than the day before).

So that's Ben's life right now in a nutshell. He's chugging along and enjoying life as much as a 5 1/2 year old can. Coming up - a three day weekend this weekend, more basketball and soccer games to play, birthday parties to attend and then Spring Break in Florida.

Ben-O-Lantern

Ben lost his first tooth last night:




Ben left his tooth and a note for the tooth fairy last night, and she left him a note in return as well as a crisp $1 bill (she explained in the note that it was a little bit more money than usual because it was his first tooth to come out). Anyway, now he looks like a true big boy! I looked at him in the rearview mirror on the way to school this morning, and it was like looking at a completely different child. While I'm thrilled that he's growing up, part of me is a little sad about it too.

My Imaginative Child

Here are some of the things that my imaginative child has claimed and/or said lately:

* we have 45 rabbits (reality: a guy who does some work around the house rescues rabbits and has around that many)
* his favorite sport is golf (reality: I don't think he's ever actually seen a game of golf)
* he is an expert skateboarder (reality: I don't think he's ever seen an actual skateboard in person)
* he speaks and writes Japanese (reality: what do YOU think?)
* he has a pet goldfish that he bought at Petsmart (reality: no, he doesn't)
* he has a pet tarantula (or tyrantula as he says it) in his room (reality: what do YOU think?)
* he has an entire aquarium of pet fish in his room (reality: no, he doesn't)
* he knows karate (reality: no, he doesn't)
* he is a ninja master (reality: what do YOU think?)
* he is mean (reality: okay, that one's sort of true sometimes)

There are many other imaginative things that come out of his mouth on a regular basis. These are just the most recent ones. It's always interesting to hear what comes out of his mouth!

Our "Otherwise Known As" Week So Far

Here's a rundown of our week so far:

Monday is now otherwise known as Meltdown Monday. Ben had a SERIOUS meltdown after waking up from a late nap after school and lots of tension and stress filled the air. It was a lousy night, but we both survived it. Enough said.

Tuesday was better so it's now otherwise known as Terrific Tuesday. After school we ran by the payroll company then headed out to shop for birthday presents for upcoming birthday parties and some grocery shopping. We headed home after that and had a quiet, calmer night until I realized that I had to run to Walgreens to pick up prescriptions that I had to have that night. Ben wore his new Mario jammies and looked very cute!

Wednesday - otherwise known as Today - has been quiet so far. Today was Late Start Day at school (otherwise known as The Most Wonderful Day of the Week!) so it was already destined to be a better day. And today was the Pokemon Dojo/Club/Thing that Mr. Ives arranged for the kids so Ben stayed until 4:15. He loves it although I don't know if he knows about Pokemon other than what he's seen on the cartoon on TV (and I have a feeling it's pretty different). I don't understand it at all so hopefully Mr. Ives does. After all, that's all that counts, right? Either way, Ben LOVES that he's with some big kids in the club (it's for SKers - 2nd graders according to the flyer), and he really loves Mr. Ives so it's a double bonus for him to take part in this.

Friday is the Big Day this week at school. Everyone in Beasley (Lower School at MICDS) dresses up and parades down to the MAC (the gigantic gymnasium) where the kids sing a bunch of Halloween songs before they parade through the Upper School for the big kids to see them in their costumes. It was so incredibly cute last year! I'm really looking forward to it, and I know that Ben is too. He's only asked me about 30 times if I'm going to be there, and each time I tell him that I wouldn't miss it. The teachers do a great job getting the kids prepared. Ben has been singing cute Halloween songs around the house for awhile now (taught to him by, coincidentally, Mr. Ives).

And everyone knows what Saturday is...one of the biggest days of them all for kids...Halloween (otherwise known as The Day It's Okay to Ask Strangers for Candy and/or The Day It's Okay to Take Candy From Strangers)!! Pictures will definitely be posted.

Last Weekend

Not much happened this last weekend. We took it very easy since Ben seems to constantly be on the verge of a potential cold and with the weather as wet and cold and back and forth as it's been, I'd rather not have him get sick. Besides, a three day cold for him turns into a two or three week ordeal for me.

Friday night Ben spent the evening with Grammy Eleanor while I attended the MICDS 150th Gala at the Ritz Carlton. It was very nice. More than 800 people were there so it was a bit of a madhouse (particularly during cocktails), but I had a good table so it was fine (Alex's mom, Harrison's parents, Jack and Paige's parents and Jack M's parents - it's all about who your kid is at this stage of life). Ben really enjoyed the special time alone with Grammy, something he never gets. She was dog/housesitting for her sister and brother-in-law so Ben got to spend some time with Hattie, their standard poodle, and he particularly enjoyed that.

Saturday we hung out at home during the day. For lunch we made homemade crinkle cut oven fries, and Ben got to crinkle cut the potatoes. He LOVED doing that! That night we had dinner at Michael's with Adam. Sunday we hung out at home until it was time to go to soccer where Ben actually kicked the ball a few times! Afterwards he hung out with Adam for a couple of hours then we all grabbed a quick dinner at Wonton King where Ben actually tried a couple of new things, one with a bribe of a quarter (which he forgot about so it's still in my possession) and the other completely on his own.

Halloween is what we're concentrating on now. Ben is going to be Luigi of the Super Mario Brothers, and I'm evidently going to be Mario (at least I'll be wearing Mario's hat - Ben's child size 4-6 costume won't fit me). We were even talking like Mario and Luigi this morning on the way to school, and I got several thumbs up from Ben so I must be doing a good job. Pictures will definitely be posted.

La Di Da...

Life is meandering right along. Ben has been busy with school and battling as usual. Yes, I said battling. It's all about battling around here. If we're not battling with Gormiti (which I don't know how to do yet am constantly forced to do) then we're battling with light sabres and swords. I'm evidently not so good at that either.

There was no school last Friday so a bunch of SK parents took the kids to India Palace for lunch since the kids are studying India. It was fun, and no, Ben didn't eat a single thing (even though he claims that he did, but I know the truth). Afterwards we went to the pumpkin patch with everyone, and the kids all ran around and had a great time for awhile. Wow, was it cold and gross out! When we left there we went to K-Mart for some more Halloween decorations (we'd been to Wal-Mart earlier in the week) then headed home to decorate. Ben was so excited to do that!

Sunday we went to Sweet Tomatoes for their brunch buffet. Since Ben wore his pajamas he got in for free (the whole reason we went...). Afterwards we headed to the Kirkwood Farmers Market for our annual pre-Halloween visit there to purchase pumpkins (because the 9 - yes, 9 - we'd bought on Friday at the pumpkin patch weren't enough). We bought a small gourd, three miniature pumpkins and a big one to carve that almost killed me as I carried it all the way to the car. I stupidly turned down the nice man's offer to help me carry the stuff to the car when I paid. Obviously I won't be doing that again.

This week Ben's class took a field trip to The Green Center, and he took part one afternoon in a Pokemon club/thing after school. He feels like a really big boy because he does that. Parent Teacher Conferences are in two weeks, and I'm extremely curious to hear what his teacher has to say about him. Keep your fingers crossed for me!