motors making a funny noise

that's right
we're in a jeep.

and as Me am me wasn't here to find us a motor running, brakes working, roof attached Landcruiser on the side of the road, we had to settle with mommy finding us a skeleton of a jeep to play with.
mommy's the motor, so it all works out in the end, doesn't it.

we are best buds.  Sure Bendabin drops rocks on AnderZanders hands...
and of course AnderZander destroys every tower, race track and train track in sight
but all in all
we are best buds.

when AnderZanders not by my side....I look for him.

when Bendabin's not here.... things aren't right.

but when the best buds are together....it's open roads all the way.
Push mommy!

watermelon long grass

It's been a good couple of days
First family meal in a restaurant.....huge success and not because of of the flat screen tv's.
More teeth coming in, sleep time not a success (daddy's anxious for a time out for teething for a while)

We found a friend in the long grass at the back, Auntie Manta wanted shots of her five babies but we didn't want to upset her more then we had with discovering her in the first place.

so we took cameo's of ourselves instead....with watermelon for everyone.

yes everyone.

xoxo
Minamin aka Bendabin
&
AnderZander the Awake

splashes of everything

Hello family we love.

sunshine and shorts
pools and drool

all a recipe for summer

and it`s here so we`ve been taking it in stride.

we took nana`s advice and headed to Toronto Island- WHAT A BLAST!

had lunch with Franklin and his friends
ate under huge maple trees
walked on top of dead trees and over bridges
past willows from Ent days
and ice creamed our way home again
both AnderZander and I in back packs.

AnderZander likes his a lot!

climb every mountain mommy!

Mathey is allowed bigger walks, just no stairs yet or any funny stuff off leash.
NOT that he has much of a sense of humour, you should see his face when one of us come near him, he just gives daddy these sad eyes like -are you going to save me or what-

Daddy had such a nice time with the planes a while back that he decided a nice evening trip would be to go again, so we all piled in our even taller Landcruiser (note the tires) and headed to the airport!

And Grampa came up with his paint brush and went to town on AnderZanders dresser.  Mommy and daddy are just tickled, it looks so good.

They are really really happy about it, AnderZander is too, he just doesn`t know it yet.  I like my dresser that Grampa painted me and we are such blessed boys to have so much family love.  Dressers, quilts, trains, cousins....we love it all.

We love all our family.  Out wester`s- it`s count down.
xoxo
Benjabin & AnderZander

(part 2) algonquin adventure

There is lots to see in Ontario!
Lots and lots, just not enough time.

hello family I love.

AnderZander and I strapped into mommy's truck while daddy drove us bumping down the road.
The truck was really noisy as we have a vibration (daddy calls it 'cwap' so maybe that's what it's called).
I like to ask 'why' questions and when mommy doesn't know why, I tell her to make it up.
"Mommy what's that man's name"
"I don't know Benjamin"
"say something mommy"
"uhhhh his name is Darren"
"that's his name mommy."

Me-am-me and Boppa gave me a hiking backpack and it comes with a leash, but I would rather hold daddy's hand across the road and then walk myself thank you very much.
I need my own space to smell every tulip I can reach
to hug every tree I pass
to walk on every curb or stone fence I find
to run on grass
to chase Boppa
or find him a walking stick.
I am my own man.



We went to Great Grampa Lobacks for an afternoon stroll and lunch.  We played on his wood pile that covers his driveway,
an 80 year old tradition.

We saw the trees and river Boppa grew up romping around, we saw the house daddy knows at Grampa's.  We had lunch with daddy's Uncle David and Auntie Grace and she fed all of us ICE CREAM....EVEN MATHEY GOT ONE!  his own cone!
(looking pathetic and abused has it's perks!)

I'm getting to be such a big boy, I eat my own food when I want
I play on my own (AnderZander has recently started changing this, and I'm not impressed)
I tell mommy
"sharing is hard mommy"

I walk more on the hikes
I help boppa fix toilets
I fly helicopters with daddy
I walk mathey and feed him...



time is flying.  like our trip.  it all flew by.

Crawling in the Capitol (part 1)

Hello my family!

And it's official, on Mother's day I gave mommy a very special present of crawling for the first time across the bathroom floor at Jack and Robbie's house in Ottawa.  Mommy would have taken a video to send to all my family....had she not been in the shower at the time.

And boy oh boy has the world opened up for me since!
Mathey's ears are free game
Benjabin's toys are no longer his
Daddy's shoes are mine
Mommy's vacuum is a favourite stroll

and they still have no idea what's coming!

Jack and Robbie Wallace took us to one of their all time special places, the museum of civilization - children's area!
It had everything that we could touch,
boats
horses
buses
pretend food
market places
around the world tents and homes
construction
theatres
bakery
motorcycles
cars
games
movies
camels

and lots of kids.
we spent a couple hours there (me snoozing on and off)
and then headed for a meal downtown Ottawa at the Byward Market
I was a very good boy the whole time.
I smiled
and laughed
and slept
and strolled in the backpack
and ate oranges
and threw food on the floor
and wore my hat (we ate on the patio)
and only gave mommy and daddy a run for their money at night time.

put you in a new pack and play in new room and see how you like it!

 I have tried all sorts of new things with my family
With boppa, I gave him the most slobbery kisses this side of the prairies
With Me am me, ICE CREAM
With daddy, conversation.  I would start with a great big holler.  Not upset-just loud.  And daddy would say "da da da" and I would copy "da da da" and we would have a good ole' chat.
With mommy, driving from 3:30 am until 5:30am in the rain around the countryside of the capital, her trying to convince me to sleep.
With Benjabin, sharing everything, food, laughs, a cold, sleep times, awake times, smiles, shrieks, mommy and daddy kisses, toys....
With Mathey...

he was mostly just jazzed to be on the show.


We had a big time.  A big vacation that felt like two crammed into one.

And we are home now to find sleep schedules
eating schedules
healthy food
walking
walking with Mathey soon

and...did mommy mention sleep schedules?

xoxo
Alexander the Adventure-some

dandelion days

a dandelion?  why thank you mommy

if mommy gave it to me, it must be yummy

what was she thinking?

hmm, doesn't look disgusting....hmmm

note to self...looks can be deceiving.

here.  you eat it. (Benjamin our beautiful boy.  At Nana's.  11 months)

I will get my own dandelion thank you!

hmmmm, what do we do with you?

get a good tight grip, that's always key.

contemplating...is this disgusting or isn't it?

I mean, it's no sweet potato...

but I've had worse.  (Alexander our joy. with Me am me. 8 months)

flowers and family

Look who's holding me.  Yes yes, it's a Me am me!
or as Benjabin calls her - Me am.

and Grampa's here, who Benjabin calls Grump (or Bop).  And yes we are having a blast.  Just picture with me for a moment four adults who all want to hold you in their arms, read you books, stroke your hair, kiss your cheeks, feed you food, laugh at your jokes, run to your summons, rock you to sleep, and hold your hand through all twenty four hours of the day.  Benjabin and I are in h-e-a-v-e-n!

Mommy saved her pennies for a few months and today has become the proud owner of a 1910 Manchester window.  We visited an antique stain glass store that holds over 2500 windows from the United Kingdom where they may not be in vogue, so they ship them all over the world to people like mommy who think they are.  There were so many to choose. so many to hold....but oh no, daddy held Benjabin, mommy held me and Me am and the Grump were on back up.

Benjabin has a new ride, so we both have back packs now.  We picnic'd at Crawford Lake and then hiked along the escarpment, showing our family all the sites we have enjoyed in the spring, and we couldn't stop admiring how pretty the trail is in the spring.  Triliums, moss, new leaves, even the turkey vultures were a sight to see.

 Of course we left room for all of you in the photo, all our family and friends. It was a nice day, we wish you could have been with us Auntie Wu & Uncle Cam.  Amelia Bedelia, your mommy's a superstar, she would have carried you all over the roots and stones and your daddy wouldn't have hit his head on any branches.

Joshy thank you for the use of the snugli, now that I'm in the backpack, I'm not so close to mommy, it's a bit of a stretch to drool on her.  Hannah, mommy says she loves you and DON'T YOU FORGET IT!

Nana....so wish we could have taken you on this trail, it has your name written all over it.

We will have to all do the Brightsand trails this summer and Uncle Chris and Auntie Sylvia will bring good shoes!

xoxo

Benjabin & AnderZander the Outdoorzee.