Jacuzzi and Naw-Naw Fingers

Ben (still) has this obsession with his two left hand fingers (index and middle), putting them upside down in his mouth while he plays with a tag (aka "Naw Naw"). Nowadays, he usually only does it when he's tired.

XMas night, Jamie and the kids went over to the Holiday Inn where YaYa and BaPa were staying to use the jacuzzi. When they returned, Ben asked:

Mommy, after you go to the pool, and you put your fingers in your mouth, is it good for you?

(Wondering if the chlorine taste on his fingers was ok for him)

Christmas 2008

Santa's Delivery:

• Avery - American Doll clothes: matching outfit for Avery, a vball uni (including knee pads and shoes), a stand-up dresser for the clothes
• Connor - 2 Nintendo DS games: Mario Kart, Super Mario Bros
  
• Bennett - Nintendo DS system, black case with Mario on it, Kung Fu Panda

Other presents from the 'rents:

• More DS games, Khet laser/mirror board game, balance board with maze, bead mania (melt beads with an iron to make a design), twister hopscotch,
  

Dan: "Sport Comfort" Bike (looks like a mountain bike, but isnt)
Jamie: Ugg boots (the real ones, with the good treads), cookbook

Kids to all:

Avery

• Dad - bungie cords
• Mom - glass ornament
  
• Connor - book light
• Ben - big bird wrist watch
  

Connor

• Dad - book light
• Mom - vase
  
• Avery - stuffed animal penguin
  
• Ben - SWAT kit (handcuffs, suction cup gun)
  

Ben

• Dad - wind spinner
  
• Mom - bear
  
• Avery - wrist watch
  
• Connor - LCD sport watch
  

Aztecs at Camp Marston

Had a great weekend with Connor and the Aztecs at Camp Marston (Julian, CA). The highlights:

• Rock Wall Climb - Connor made it to the top! Wow! Unbelievable determination, based on picture time stamps, he was on that wall for 25 minutes. Brookie passed him to the top and they had a chat when he was coming back down. "Did you make it to the top?" "Ya, it was easy".
• BB guns - Connor was a sharp shooter, with a handful of buls-eyes. Of course he only moved the target on the cable downrange about 15 feet :)
• GA GA -- new game "arena" they built by the rock wall. Check it out. Boys were in the ga-ga pit all day long, opting for that over other activities. Even us dads got into the mix occasionally. (Now back at the homeland, us Aztec dads are looking into the possibility of building a Ga Ga pit at Pacific Rim)

Sleepover at Cousins

All 3 kids got to sleep over at their cousins' house Thanksgiving weekend. Check out the fort they built.

Quote from Ben about their cat Izzy: "Tan you put da tat in a tage? "

(He's not real fond of Izzy jumping all over him ... obviously)

The best part of the story is that Izzy did end up sleeping in the fort with them after all (probably laying all over Ben in the middle of the night), and Ben didn't know or care.

Thankful on Thanksgiving

Avery made a little tree at school where you write what you're thankful for on a small paper leaf, and then hang it on the tree. We all wrote our notes and put them on the tree up at Aunt Cherie's house. Some great one-liners:

• Avery: I am thankful for my family, nature, and oxygen.
• Connor: I am thankful for my family and cousins.
• Bennett: I am thankful for Batman DS game.

A & C also spent some time with Grandma Roth, asking her some questions about her life growing up. (They got the idea and some of the questions from a recent Rice Krispies box.) We recorded most of it for posterity. Some great info: getting to school on a sled, nobody could afford college cuz it was the depression, no vacations - parents took them to a park once, etc.

Avery Likes Beef Tacos

A couple weeks ago, Avery went on her solo trip with my parents to the elderhostel in Dunsmuir to learn about the Boxcar children.

Anyway, on the last night there, the food offered in the cafeteria was BEEF TACOS, and AVERY ATE THEM, and LOVED THEM ! Came home saying she'll have them with Daddy. Only problem: the meat had the flavored seasoning and she liked that part too :( (Daddy no likey)

I'll believe it when I see it. I want to have a ground beef taco blowout, soft shells, potatoes, the works...

How Do They Make Mirrors?

Ben was calling for Mommy in the middle of the night last night. She went to go see what he needed.

Ben: Mom, how do they make mirrors?

Bennett's BDay

Ben turned 4 this week. Friday was the big birthday - we went to the movies to catch WALL-E on opening day. Great movie, the kids loved it, and it was entertaining for mom & dad too.

Leapster is the present he's loving these days. A & C got Nintendo DS systems for their birthday, so now Ben has a handheld game system to play like them. Got Nemo to start with.

Presents:

• Rescue Heroes command center
• Foam noodle things (Super Fort?) to build forts
• Alvin and the Chipmonks DVD
• Magnetix
• Leapster case
• Diego Leapster game
• Ben bought Backyardagains with birthday money
  

Ben Demands Cheezits

Ben just got back from Costco with Mommy.

"Dad ... we got a big box of Cheezits for you, but you have to share them with me, cuz I holded them all over the store - not the cart!"

Ben - did you actually sleep during your nap?

Ben's answer: "well, I payed'ed and I sleeped'ed ... taking turns"

Translation: I played a little, slept a little, ...

Ben and his naw-naw

Ben has slowed down with the amount of time he spends with his fingers in his mouth and rubbing his tags (he calls them "naw-naws"). Now he pretty much only gets them when he's in his bed for naps and night night. Occasionally, we break the rule and let him have some down stairs.

A couple months ago, Jamie started cutting the tags out of some of his shirts / PJs. Ben noticed this and told mommy: "next time you wash my PJs in the sink, cuz I dont want the naw-naw to fall off in the washer and go to the ocean."

Another quote on the same theme: "please only wash my fireman shirt in da sink so the naw-naw wont go away"

Mary Had a Little Lamb

Bennett - his rendition of the song, see this post for A & C.

Mary had a yittle yam, yittle yam, yittle yam...

Cleaning out baskets

This evening before bed, the kids were cleaning out their baskets (down in the kitchen where they keep workbooks, nick nacks, etc)

Avery: "Mom, is it OK if I have a hole in my basket, cuz I dont have enough stuff to fill it up"

Disneyland

We went to Disneyland today to celebrate Avery & Connor's 8th birthday. Got there about 930a (opened at 9), 3 of us got signed in by Cheri's friend Cathy, and we started the day. The quick rundown of what we did:

• Nemo submarine
• Watched Jedi training show while Daddy waited in line
  
• Space Mountain - talked all kids including Ben into going with us, but Avery and Ben didn't like this one so much
• Buzz lazer ride
• Rockets
• Lunch at Tomorrowland Terrace
• Dad & Connor - Star Tours, Mom & Ben & Avery - Autopia
• (Started raining, on and off all day)
• Pirates of the Carribean
• Mark Twain river boat
• Dad & Connor - Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Mom/Ben/Avery - Carousel
• Mad Hatter Store - lots of pics of funny hats
  
• Toontown - pics with Minny, Pluto, Goofy, Mickey
  
• Dad/Connor - Matterhorn
• Mom/Ben/Avery - Buzz lazer ride
• Dad/Connor - Indiana Jones
• Mom/Ben/Avery - more Buzz lazer ride
• Ben souvenir - buzz lazer gun with darts & Dash hat
• Avery souvenir - Tink hat
  
• Train around the park
• Leave the park, shop for Connor's souvenir - Disneyland football
• Stop in Irvine for dinner at Red Robin
• Home in bed at 10pm! School the next day! Ugh

Note to Tooth Fairy

Connor wrote up a quick note to specify his preference from the tooth fairy.

More Ben-Speak

Just a couple good quotes from Ben-Ben:

• "Avery had a longer turn of I" -- on the computer, Avery had a longer turn than Ben
  
• To mommy, "you broke my feelings" cuz I was gonna play with this toy, now we have to go to the Doctor

Easter vs. Christmas

Ben told Mommy today on Easter:

"I like Easter better than Santa cuz bunny no spy on me"

(Santa knows if you've been naughty or nice, whereas the Easter bunny brings you candy regardless...)