Kate and Ben

Milestones and Visitors

2010-06-08T22:03:00.000-07:00

May was a big month for the Dillons. We celebrated Jesse's tenure and my graduation and job offer. Cousins Nichole, Tim, and Henry came to help us celebrate. We had a great time minus the stomach bug the afflicted Kate during their visit.

Henry is obviously saying something of great importance. It was most likely something about how bubbles are the greatest invention and the many ways in which they can enrich one's life. Ben appears to disagree and seems to feel that sticks are more important to one's happiness.
Kate obviously feeling better and happy that she can eat. She appears to not have a strong feeling about the bubbles vs. sticks debate but is in favor of french toast and not throwing up!

SIX!!!!!!

2010-06-07T14:35:00.000-07:00

Kate is six and I can hardly believe how fast the time has gone. She is a great girl or as she says a "boy-girl" which is a girl who like boy stuff like Star Wars. She has some good buddies and is very kind. Recently, she took money from her piggy bank to donate to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The 5th graders at school were taking donations and she listened and heard the need. I was so proud of her!
Here she is showing off her Star Wars jammies that were a gift from her brother. They are her favorites.

Easter Morning

2010-06-07T14:33:00.000-07:00

Kate and Ben had a very practical visit from the Easter Bunny this year. He obviously put his REI dividend to good use and stuffed baskets with flip-flops, water bottles, and lego headlamps.

The Big Three!!

2010-03-21T08:17:00.000-07:00

Ben turned THREE years old on Friday...which is so hard to believe. He is now potty trained and sleeps in a big boy bed. He has a best friend named Louie and can play and hang with all of Kate's buddies. He loves his sister and always wants to be with her. He is a very sweet boy.

To celebrate his birthday, we had some friends over for a BBQ and cupcakes. It was very last minute but nonetheless we had a pretty good turnout. Ben was most excited about his buddy Louie coming to his house.
Here is Ben the morning of his birthday in the crown that Kate made for him. She was so proud and wanted to make her brother something special.
Ben loves his big boy bed and has had no trouble transitioning. He is so happy to sleep in his "truckie bed."

Skating girl

2010-03-21T08:12:00.000-07:00

Kate has recently started ice skating lessons and tennis lessons and she loves them. We are lucky to have a Parks and Rec system that is very affordable with lots of classes for the kids to try out. She works on her skating with her roller blades. She is quite steady and is very determined!
This is the picture that Kate painted at school for Valentine's Day. It is so sweet. She is a really good big sister and is so good with her brother.

A Few Pics

2010-01-30T07:23:00.001-08:00

Here a a few pictures from Florida and Christmas. Again, I apologize for not updating regularly... I will work on that in the new year.

Ben on his scooter that Santa brought.
The kids at the sea turtle rescue in Florida.
Kate in her authentic flamenco costume from Auntie Liz and Uncle George.

Phonics

2010-01-30T07:14:00.000-08:00

This is a sample of Kate's homework. Her assignment was to draw a picture and write a few sentences about the class field trip to the farm. She did this all without any adult assistance. She worked very hard on this assignment. I love how her writing is emerging and how it is all phonetic. She is really reading and gets excited each time she brings home a new book from school.

Ben's First Drawing

2010-01-30T07:12:00.000-08:00

This is Ben's first picture. He tells me it is a self-portrait. As you can see, he has also written some letters. There is a B, an E, and an O. We thought he did an amazing job!!

Merry Thanksgiving

2009-12-16T21:30:00.000-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving in Seattle this year. We will head to Florida for Christmas. It is no secret that my family LOVES Christmas. So since we would be elsewhere this year we celebrated the Christmas the day after Thanksgiving.

A picture of Kate burning off some energy in the cold, cold northwest. It was hard for them to be inside most of the day as we typically spend a majority of out time outside.
Both of the little monkeys!
Ben outside. The day after this picture was taken we had to take him to the ER. He managed to find the only wood chip at the McDonalds playspace and get it lodged in his heel. It was so deep we had to get it professionally removed.
No Christmas is complete without a personal visit from Santa (two of my mom's friends who do the X-mas party circuit each year and donate their earnings to charity). The kids went crazy and at first didn't know what to do but warmed up to Santa pretty quickly.
The cousins (minus Garrett) in their new jammies. Ben and Kate love their cousins. Ben was happy to play construction and read books with them. Kate admires the boys and loves to just be in their presence. Both boys are very sweet with Kate and Ben.

Happy Halloween

2009-10-31T21:43:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of our trip to the pumpkin patch. The kids love going to the pumpkin patch. It is most random little carnival with imported pumpkins right off Pacific Coast Highway and they think it is fabulous. They ride the kiddie rides and get a pumpkin. It is not a bad way to spend the afternoon.
Here are Princess Leia and her little monkey right before trick-or-treating. We went to a neighbor's house for dinner and then went through the neighborhood. We love our neighborhood on Halloween. Our neighbor's decorate their houses and one turns his fishing boat into a pirate ship. We have a great time. Ben was a great trick-or-treater this year. He kept up with all the big kids and when I asked if he wanted to go home he said "No, I keep going."

Truckies!!!

2009-10-31T21:40:00.000-07:00

Ben loves his trucks and has recently started imaginative play with them. They are often "broken" and need tow trucks or they are somehow involved in construction. The boy is very passionate about his trucks.

We are back!!!

2009-10-04T20:43:00.000-07:00

The start of the school year has been a bit crazy for us! Kate started Kindergarten at the neighborhood school, Ben started preschool at the JCC, Jesse turned in his tenure file, and I am mostly done with my thesis as well as spending two days a week at Children's Hospital of Orange County for my internship. Plus, we all got sick the first week of school..just to start the school year off right. Then our computer died!! We tried to fix it but was just not in the cards. So now that we have new computer postings will be a little more frequent.

This is Kate's first year on a big girl soccer team and she loves it! It has been fun seeing her become more confident on the field and last week she even scored her first goal. She is extremely proud of her team and could not wait to wear her uniform for her first game. She also chose the most awesome gold cleats luckily they match her uniform quite well.
Here are Kate and Ben on the first day of school. Ben was so excited about his backpack. Kate decided to wear a skirt on the first day as she thought "it was only polite to wear a skirt on the first day." Her teacher is also the "best teacher I have had in my entire life." Ben has been a little slow to warm up to school. He naps there on the Monday and Wednesday which has been a big change for him. When I picked him up on his first full day I asked him how it went and he replied "I sit criss-cross applesauce, I be butterfly, and I cry." He is no longer crying which is a step in the right direction. He takes Monkey everyday and he has wonderful teachers that accept that he needs Monkey to get through his transition.
Here are Kate and Ben modeling their new backpacks. Kate the science girl chose one with the solar system and Ben, of course, chose a truck backpack.

Camping Trip 2009

2009-07-31T07:44:00.000-07:00

We took our annual family camping trip last weekend with five other families and had a great time. We cooked hot dogs on the campfire, made s'mores, and (kind of) slept in the tent. The kids ran around and entertained themselves very nicely.

Ben was barefoot and dirty the entire weekend. It was heaven for him. He took his trucks and played in the dirt.
Kate having her oatmeal with her tin foil super hero mask made by one of the other moms.
Ben taking a ride on a paddle board at the lake. He loved the board and said "Yook (look), I surfing."
Kate making a sand castle. She has recently gone thorough a growth spurt and I just can't believe how tall she is! As she said, "I am off to Kindergarten in the fall."
A shot of both of them playing in the sand. They had a great time.

Henry's Visit

2009-07-08T16:46:00.000-07:00

Our adorable cousin Henry came to visit. He, of course, brought his parents with him. We were happy to see them all but especially to meet Henry. This is the best picture of the three kiddos.
Kate LOVED Henry. On the last day, she was very quiet and then came to me and said "I haven't gotten a chance to hold Henry on my lap yet." She was obliged and she was very proud to be given the opportunity to hold the baby. Ben also liked Henry but was very confused that Henry has an identical monkey to his. He was upset when Henry's monkey was taken away from him as he claims all monkeys as his.
We spent a very windy day at the beach with Henry, Nichole, Tim, Doug, and Paisley. It was the last time we will go the beach with Doug and Paisley for two years as they set off for their great adventure in Africa. We will miss them!!!

Auntie Kerri & Uncle Andy's Wedding

2009-07-08T16:41:00.001-07:00

We had the pleasure of attending Kerri and Andy's wedding on July 3rd. We had a fabulous time! Kate was the very experienced flower girl, Garrett and Nick the handsome candle lighters, and Ben was a spectator that was adorable but noisy.

A picture of Kerri and her nephews and niece.
Ben eating his cake. It was very serious business.
Kate sitting still and resting before her 4th time around as flower girl.

Beach Day

2009-06-21T15:41:00.000-07:00

Today was a family beach day. The kids love the beach. They have so much fun digging in the sand and playing in the water. They come home exhausted! Here they are modeling their beachwear. A long sleeve swim top is a must at the beach for Ben. Kate likes to wear her swim top so she can look like a surfer. She is also wearing the paper tie she made for Jesse at school. On the back there are some questions the teachers asked about the dads. A couple of my favorites: What does your dad like to eat? "Everything" and What is your dad good at? "Chasing my brother." That he is!!!

Ben tumbles

2009-06-06T09:16:00.001-07:00

Ben sitter, Nelly, took him to a gym class at the local park this year. He loves it and often asks "I go clatt (class). I get tamp (stamp)." I got to take him to the last few class and it was very fun to see him be such a big boy following directions and doing all kinds of tumbling moves.

Goodbye Pre-K

2009-06-06T09:05:00.000-07:00

Kate had her end of the year show yesterday. Each Pre-K class sang about a Jewish holiday. Kate and her class sang about Hannukah. It is hard to believe that she will be moving on to Kindergarten next year. Enjoy the show!!

Ben Speaks

2009-05-29T07:16:00.000-07:00

When asked how old he is Ben replies "I big two."

Ben's Track

2009-05-28T20:24:00.000-07:00

Ben has recently started to use toys and really play with them. He makes car noises, moves things around, and makes the "people" talk. Here he is with a train track that he built himself. As can be seen, he is very proud of himself.

Flower Children

2009-05-28T20:20:00.001-07:00

Kate is preparing for her fourth time around as a flower girl. This time it will be for her Auntie Kerri and Uncle Andy's wedding in July. Her dress came in the mail today so I had her try it on to make sure it fit. Ben saw that she was putting on a fancy dress and decided that he also needed to put one on as well. That boy does not like to be left out of anything!!

Kid Funnies

2009-05-17T21:48:00.000-07:00

A couple of funnies from the kids.

Upon arriving a a park that overlooks the ocean Ben calls out "yook (look), Mama, yook. A pool."

After asking me what unforgettable means Kate says "kind of like we just had an unforgettable earthquake."

Going for a Ride

2009-05-17T21:36:00.000-07:00

Ben got a lift from his big sister today. Ben thought this was the funniest thing and was laughing so loud I could hear him all the way inside. Ben adores his big sister and in return she tattles on him and then smothers him with kisses.

Back on Track!

2009-05-15T20:16:00.001-07:00

I know it has been a long time since there was an update but between visitors and finals there has been little time.

Kate is slowly inching towards the end of preschool and is talking about all the things she will do in Kindergarten. We drive by the school often and she always yells "there is my big girl school!" She read her first book the other night and I was proud beyond words.
Ben is talking up a storm. He is stringing three, four, and sometimes five words together. He is very savvy and always wants what his sister is getting, mostly candy. He can float on his back and loves to go to the pool. He is getting so big. I can't believe that he will also start school in the fall.

Season Opener

2009-04-15T21:33:00.000-07:00

In honor of the Mariners home opener yesterday, the kiddos donned their Mariners shirts provided by their Auntie Kelly (who else???). Ben does not seem too hopeful about the upcoming season. Kate on the other hand cannot wear enough Mariners garb. It can't be seen but on top of her hat and shirt she is also wearing Mariners socks.

The Big 5!!!

2009-04-07T14:44:00.001-07:00

Kate is 5 Today and it is hard to believe. Here she is this morning. She is so happy to be such a big girl. Kate continues to be great fun. She can carry on a true conversation, has her own thoughts and opinions about things. She is a fabulous big sister and a good friend. She loves her buddies and is often disappointed if there is not a playdate on the weekend. For her birthday she wanted a hula hoop and roller skates. We will go for the skates this weekend so she can pick them out.
Here she is giving a demonstration of her hula-hooping skills.

Happy Birthday big girl!!!

Shopping list

2009-03-24T16:04:00.000-07:00

Kate is on the cusp of reading. She is learning the sounds and is working on stringing them together. She loves to write and got very excited the other day when she made our shopping list for Costco. She is learning the difference between capital and lower case and is still working it all out. That is coffee at the bottom which we buy in bulk...we have to stay awake somehow!!!

TWO!!!!!

2009-03-19T19:44:00.000-07:00

Happy 2nd Birthday to Ben! This year for his birthday he got an ear infection and pink eye. And to make it all worse, I managed to nick his eardrum while putting in ear drops to make him more comfortable.

Ben, at two, is a lot of fun. He loves one thing and that thing is trucks. He can spot them and hear them a mile away. He stalks and takes other trucks at the park but do not ask him to share his truck because he will not. His three word phrases are "bye, bye big truck," "look big truck," "oh, big truck." When he hears a truck he puts his hand to his ear and says "oh, truck" and then he runs to the window and throws open the shutters. It is hard to believe that he is so big!!!!!

T-ball girl

2009-03-08T18:22:00.000-07:00

Kate started T-ball yesterday and loves it. Here she is showing off her best batting stance (sans bat). She is on Dodgers with a couple of her best buddies. She could barely wait for T-ball to start and when I got her a "real bat" she thanked me about twenty times. I figured it would be a bit unfair to make her go to practice using her bubble wand as a bat.

What????

2009-03-08T18:21:00.001-07:00

What? Can't a boy carry his pink shield, wear his pink hat, and push a stroller?

Hanging out together

2009-03-08T18:19:00.000-07:00

I just love that the kids get along fairly well. Here they are just hanging out together...huddling for warmth in our cold house!!! Kate will often say "Benny is my best friend in the whole, wide world."

Kate Funnies

2009-02-16T21:23:00.001-08:00

Kate is really experimenting with her vocabulary. Here are a few of my recent favorites.

Upon walking into a restaurant where the TV was on in the bar and showing the basketball game. "Daddy is going to be very pleased when he sees the TV and the sports."

While having dinner with some friends. "Look at that coincidence Mama, there are three boys and three girls. What a coincidence."

Discussing the unlocked gate. "One gate includes a key but the other does not include a key."

Getting her Kindergarten shots. "This is not fair. This is not fair. You cannot give me a shot." This was said through hysterical screaming.

Getting some work done...

2009-02-16T21:17:00.001-08:00

In an effort to be like Daddy, Ben pulled out his laptop so he could get some work done over the long weekend. Notice his hand poised perfectly on the "mouse" and the other on the keyboard. The tongue sticking out is his new look of concentration.

Pasta Faces

2009-02-06T18:09:00.001-08:00

Tonight was spaghetti night which is always a bit hit. A meal everyone likes and will eat without a fuss!

Kate showing her best pasta face and Dillon chin!
Ben and his pasta face and the new truck sent by Cousin Beth (Thanks Beth).
Ben using his dump truck for hauling his pasta. The Boy loves a truck!

Pig Pen!!!

2009-02-01T12:54:00.001-08:00

Ben is all boy. He loves trucks, cars, the garbage truck, and he thinks it is hilarious when he burps. Here he is playing in his beloved dirt pile in the back yard. Needless to say, he went directly into the tub.

Rock Star

2009-01-12T13:38:00.000-08:00

Here is Kate playing Guitar Hero with her Aunties and cousin. The picture was taken by Auntie Kelly (who Kate loves because "she likes to make rice krispy treats with me"). Kate is doing fabulous! She loves her school and her buddies and in the past few months has discovered her "best friends" that she can't live without. She has recently discovered games and constantly wants to play them. She is a lot of fun and growing up way too fast!

Pics from Seattle

2009-01-02T20:55:00.000-08:00

We just returned from our nine day trip to Seattle. We had a fabulous time hanging out with the family and seeing some friends. Our first couple of days there we were snowbound on Nana's hill but managed to get out and play in the snow.

Kate and Ben had their first snow experience. We borrowed my friend Joy's sled and went sledding in the park that happens to have nice big hills for sledding. Kate also built a great snowman with her Auntie Kerri. Ben seemed to enjoy throwing the snow and yelling "SNOW."
Kate at her tea party that her Auntie Kim threw for her. It was delayed due to the snow but Kate had a fabulous time having tea and cupcakes with her Auntie.
Ben lounging in Sammy's dog bed. Ben LOVES Sammy...Sammy is still deciding if he loves Ben.
Ben and Kate's favorite thing about Auntie Kim and Uncle Jeff's house(aside from getting anything they want and playing with their cousins) is the large, jetted tub. They get to put bubbles in it and play. They both go crazy when the jets are turned on.

The Christmas Picture

2008-12-15T21:59:00.001-08:00

After many attempts to get a picture for the Christmas card, I gave up and used the one where Ben had a mouthful of raisins.

Pie Dough

2008-11-26T19:02:00.001-08:00

Now is the time of year that we begin to channel Granny and her wicked baking skills. I think Granny would approve of these baking babies!

Ben and Prince charming are getting into the pie making action. In case it has not been noticed yet Kate is in her fake smile stage.
Kate showing off her fabulous apron. A must when making pies.

Benjamin

2008-11-17T21:52:00.001-08:00

Ben is just a few days shy of being 20 months. He continues to amaze us each day. He can climb anything, holds his own with his sister and her buddies, does puzzles and then looks to us as if to say "that was so easy...why are you clapping?" He is also starting to say lots of words. His newest is "cheese" which means "please get me some cheese and I will take one bite and leave it somewhere around the house for you to find later."

Ben at a recent outing doing some arts and crafts.
Finding a way to get out his energy while trapped inside during the wildfires.
Apparently, his lunch was so good he fell asleep.

Dress-up Dance Party

2008-11-17T18:50:00.000-08:00

Each night before bath Kate and Ben like to have a dance party. It sometimes takes place in Kate's room and other times in the room with the computer so they can dance to the music on the computer. Tonight, it turned into a dress-up dance party.

Kate as a witch, bunny fairy. Doesn't every fairy wear a football jersey?
Ben as a pretty flower. He thought this was hilarious! He danced around like a ballerina.

Different Baby, Different Goggles, Same Age

2008-11-13T22:20:00.000-08:00

Kate in the tub on 12/5/05. At 20 months. Just a few teeth.
Ben in the tub on 11/13/08. At 20 months. Many more teeth than his sister.

Dress up

2008-11-13T19:27:00.000-08:00

Looks like Ben likes dressing up as much as his sister!

On the road

2008-11-09T20:19:00.000-08:00

Looks like the kids might be planning a vacation without the parents...or an escape from the House of Crazy!

Looks like Ben will be driving. He is a good So Cal boy and wears his shades to protect his eyes.
Kate is his trusty assistant and will navigate for him. Just an FYI her face is painted like a leopard. My friend and I took the kids to LA today to see their favorite kids singer Steve of SteveSongs where they got to do arts and crafts, get their face painted, and see the concert. Kate and Ben both danced the hour away.

Kate's Best Day Ever!

2008-11-02T14:18:00.000-08:00

Today was the day of the much anticipated Backyardigans Live show. It met all expectations and we had a fabulous time. Kate danced and sang and was just really happy to see her favorite show live. It was made even more special that Kate got to go with all of her buddies. A truly fun morning. Kate is here showing off her souvenir t-shirt that she will be wearing to school tomorrow.

Fun in Chairs

2008-11-02T14:11:00.000-08:00

I was in the other room and heard Ben laughing hysterically. He and Kate were rocking themselves in the rocking chair. Both giggling like it was the best thing ever!

Lounge Act

2008-10-28T18:20:00.000-07:00

I feel pretty lucky that for the most part Kate and Ben seem to like each other. Kate, of course, gets annoyed with her brother and Ben is frustrated that he is not as big as his sister. On the other hand, Ben thinks Kate is absolutely hilarious and Kate loves it when her brother comes to get her up in the morning. I hope they continue their good relationship in the future. Here they are lounging around watching Backyardigans.

Halloween fun

2008-10-25T19:18:00.001-07:00

We are gearing up for Halloween here in Long Beach. We went to two parties (Kate's class party and the neighborhood gathering) today and visited the pumpkin patch a couple of weeks ago. This is the year of the superhero. Both parties were full of them!

Kate showing off her best Supergirl pose at the neighborhood Halloween party.
Have no fear...SuperBen will save the day.
Riding rides at the Long Beach Pumpkin Patch. It is not really a pumpkin patch just an empty lot turned in to a carnival with lots of pumpkins for sale.
Ben with a pumpkin that probably weighs more than he does.
Kate among the pumpkins.

Questions

2008-10-09T22:08:00.001-07:00

Questions one might ask about Ben...

Does he ever get dressed? Yes, he gets to wear clothes out of the house.

Does he ever stop reading? Yes, he likes to also throw the book, jump off the back of the couch, climb anything in his path, and eat the scraps of his sister's dinner.

How big are those feet? Very big and an extra wide (courtesy of Grandpa Ben).

Will he ever get a tan? Sadly, no. The boy has to wear SPF 55 and even that does not do its job properly.

Katie-Bear

2008-09-30T20:55:00.001-07:00

Just a shot of Kate. She is doing well. She likes school and just started her reading class which she is very excited about. She is going to be Supergirl for Halloween with Ben complementing her as Superman. She is getting ready to be a flowergirl in my friend Joy's wedding. I told her that Nana saw her dress and that it was very pretty. Her response was "that is nice but I am more excited about my Supergirl dress."

Ready for Bed

2008-09-30T20:53:00.001-07:00

Ben loves to look at books. He recently started getting into bed and taking a book with him. He can't get into his own bed so he usually gets into his sister's bed.

All boy

2008-09-16T08:36:00.000-07:00

This is a special picture for our friend Joan and her love of the back hoe! Ben is all boy. He loves trucks, dirt, eating said dirt, and climbing anything that might be in his sight. This week there is construction on our street and Ben is in seventh heaven. He has been standing at the window all morning with no signs of moving.

Then and Now

2008-09-09T07:53:00.001-07:00

What a difference a year can make! I was getting ready to post the bouncy on craigslist and Ben thought he would crawl in for a little lounge time. I thought it might be fun to compare how Ben looked exactly one year ago (give or take a few days.)

Here is Ben on September 1, 2007. At about five months.....such a delicious baby!!!!
Here is Ben on September 9, 2008. Such an active and into everything toddler!

Pre-K girl

2008-09-08T23:19:00.000-07:00

Kate started pre-k last week. She is very excited to be such a big girl. Three of her best buddies are in her class and just the other day said "you know, my new teacher is actually pretty great." The adjustment to five days a week has been a little hard especially since I am gone two days a week now. Overall, she is doing well and is excited to "carpool" with her buddies.

Utensils

2008-09-08T23:13:00.000-07:00

Ben is learning to use eating utensils. He works very hard and sometimes gets the food to his mouth before it falls off the fork or the spoon.

Here he is trying some oatmeal. It sticks quite nicely to the spoon.
Using his fierce determination to cut up some green onions with a plastic knife.

Off in their rocket

2008-09-08T23:09:00.000-07:00

I went to Costco the other day and came home with a box full of stuff. Kate immediately asked if she could make the box into a rocket when I emptied it out. Here is her masterpiece. Kate loves art and recently has been getting into making things...puppets, a puppet theatre, the rocket, and the solar system.

Lollipops in the morning

2008-08-25T07:35:00.001-07:00

Ben loves lollipops. He has only had stolen licks from Kate's but he knows what they are and how they taste and he wants them. Yesterday on the way home from picking up Jesse at the airport it was just a little too quiet in the backseat. Jesse looked back to find Ben eating a lollipop with the wrapper on (we had just been to a birthday party where we seemed to get thousands of lollipops). This morning, it was just a little too quiet and I found Ben with another lollipop. This time he was able to get the wrapper off and was enjoying the sweet, sugary goodness.

Tyrone

2008-08-25T07:30:00.001-07:00

Kate was a very good and helpful girl while Jesse was gone so I told her she could use a gift card from Christmas and get her most favorite Backyardigan, Tyrone. The Backyardigans is by far her favorite show to watch and has been for a while. She is looking forward to the live stage show in November. She is so excited to have a Tyrone doll that he got to sleep with her and got his own pillow and blanket.

Chores

2008-08-25T07:28:00.001-07:00

This is Ben and Kate "making the bed." It was really a game of play in the sheet and hide. They thought it was hilarious.

Monkey

2008-08-18T08:01:00.000-07:00

Ben has a little furry monkey blanket. I bought it for him when I was pregnant and it got stuffed in a box when we moved. I found it a while back in a box and threw it on the ground and Ben just took to it. He loves Monkey and it can bring him great comfort when he is upset or tired. He always looks for the head of Monkey to cuddle and likes to hold Monkey over his shoulder or in his mouth. Monkey sometimes gets thrown in the toilet, bathtub, shower, and rubbed in the dirt. Ben then becomes very distressed.

Monkey being chewed on.
The best way to carry monkey.
Monkey in the shower.

Camping Out

2008-08-12T15:18:00.001-07:00

Here are a few shots from our camping trip this weekend. We went with three other families..so there was a total of eight kids and eight adults. Aside from Ben getting carsick and throwing up on the way there....we had a great time sleeping (sort of) in the tent, eating outside, and swimming in the lake.

Here are Ben and Kate lending Jesse a hand in putting up the tent.
This is how Ben looked all weekend...dirty!!!
Kate enjoying her morning oatmeal in the woods.

San Diego

2008-08-08T08:30:00.001-07:00

We had the opportunity to go to San Diego with Nana, Aunt Kerri, Aunt Kim, and cousins Nick and Garrett. We had a tight schedule of fun while we were there. We went to Sea World, Legoland, and caught a little bit of Garrett's baseball game. We had a great time.

Kate loves rides! She is not afraid of any ride and especially loves roller coasters.
I used to laugh at the baby leash and said I would never put my child on a leash. Then I had Ben. The leash actually gives him freedom from the stroller and me peace of mind that I know where he is at all times.

A few a shots

2008-08-08T08:27:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lapse in posts but between computer troubles and my summer school I have had little time. Here are some recent photos.

A conversation

2008-07-25T12:16:00.000-07:00

Kate has a good friend Andrew. They have seen each other at least once a week since they were six months old. They play pirates, dress up, and babies. When they are together they disappear into the bedroom , close the door and are not heard from for at least an hour or until they are hungry or need help with a costume. Andrew recently returned from a 10 day vacation with his family. We went to his house the day after they got home and this is the conversation that Andrew's mom, Debi, and I overheard.

Andrew: Kate, you are my friend.

Kate: You are my friend too, Andrew.

Andrew: Kate, I love you.

Kate: I love you too, Andrew.

Debi and I about cried at the sweetness of the exchange. It is just amazing to think that a four year old can express love and friendship.

Kate's desk

2008-07-24T15:35:00.001-07:00

This is Kate at her new desk. She loves to draw and can sit for quite a while doing her artwork. Jesse and I both got tired of keeping Ben "out of her business" so we decided to give her a special, Ben free work space. She goes in and closes the door. We have seen very little of Kate since the desk arrived in the mail on Tuesday.
This is Ben being locked out of Kate's room. It truly frustrates him. He sits at the door and screams.

Ben's Tower

2008-07-15T21:01:00.001-07:00

Ben has discovered blocks and building towers. I remember teaching Kate to build and about a month ago I just happened to look at Ben and there he was building a tower. Last night while I was cooking dinner he discovered the spice cabinet. And again, I just happened to look over at him to find him building a tower with the spices.

Ben's first nectarine

2008-07-05T14:57:00.000-07:00

The nectarine tree in the backyard is overgrown with fruit. We have picked some to relive the pressure of the branches. One of these happened to fall on the floor of the patio. Ben, being one to smell food from a mile away, found it and decided to have a little taste for himself. This is where he differs from his sister, who still wants her fruit cut up, Ben takes the whole thing and takes a bite out of it. He would take a bite then look at me and say "MMMMMMM."

Happy 4th of July

2008-07-04T17:04:00.001-07:00

Kate is ready for the bike parade.

Ben contemplates the meaning of the 4th.

Bookish

2008-06-30T07:21:00.000-07:00

Ben has discovered books. He walks around the house carrying one at all times and then climbs in your lap the minute you sit down.

Viking Kids

2008-06-30T07:15:00.000-07:00

Kate has finally earned her viking helmet. On the last day of doing her "chores" she said "I am not so bored doing chores because this is my last day doing them."
Ben likes the helmet as well. Whenever he puts on a hat he does a growl. It is very funny.

The Little Mermaid

2008-06-22T09:35:00.001-07:00

This is Kate's picture of Ariel, the little mermaid. It is her most representative picture to date. I had to take a picture and share it! This picture is inside of her friend's birthday card. She wanted to draw Ariel for her friend Kathryn since "she is having an Ariel birthday party."

One last great quote. Kate really wants a viking helmet. I told her she could earn it by helping out around the house or she could take money from her piggy bank. Her response was "Mama, you know how I feel about taking money from my piggy bank."

Ben's First Haircut

2008-06-16T19:26:00.000-07:00

Ben getting his hair cut with a train in each hand.
Ben's hair was getting a bit wispy so it was time for the first haircut. He was so good. He loved the razor she used to "blend" his hair. He doesn't look too happy but rest easy...he was totally transfixed on the TV they have for the kids to watch. He looks like such a little boy now.

Ready for Summer

2008-06-13T10:50:00.001-07:00

Kate can't wait to try her snorkel and mask.
We are ready for the pool here at the Dillons. Both kids love to swim. Ben has no fear which has earned him a trip to baby survival swim class.

What about Kate?

2008-06-10T13:18:00.000-07:00

I realized there have been few pictures of Kate lately. Here are a couple of pics of the little lady. Swimming recently "clicked" for her. She can now put her face in the water, hold her breath, and do her big arms. She is very proud and rightfully so!

Resourceful Baby

2008-06-03T09:29:00.001-07:00

Here is Ben standing on the farm to get to the phone and the jar of pens...two of his favorite things. When he gets them he takes them to a little space between the chair and the bookcase and hides because he knows he is not supposed to have them. Smart boy!!

Ben helps out

2008-05-15T10:22:00.000-07:00

Ben is helping out by unloading the dishwasher.

Toothy

2008-05-09T14:22:00.000-07:00

Ben is showing off his teeth.

Batgirl

2008-05-08T20:03:00.001-07:00

Dress up still continues to be part of our daily life. Here she is in one of my favorites so far. It is a combination of her halloween costume, Ben's halloween costume, and of course rain boots to finish it off.

Trains in the Morning

2008-05-08T20:00:00.000-07:00

Ben is discovering play. He is becoming interested in more sophisticated toys these days. Here he is playing trains with Kate. He was working so hard on getting the trains on the tracks and making them go. He even has a little sound for cars and trains.

Soccer Girl

2008-05-02T17:20:00.001-07:00

Kate started her soccer class last week and LOVES it. She is so attentive and works so hard during the drills that she actually sweats. She gets really excited each Friday when I tell her it is soccer day. She takes water breaks especially seriously. Ben like soccer because he gets to crawl around and eat other people's snacks.

Walking Man

2008-04-30T13:46:00.001-07:00

Ben has shown little interest in walking. He can get everywhere he wants to go by crawling and climbing. But today he realized he could push the doll stroller. He thought this was hilarious. He walked all around the room laughing.

Seattle Pride

2008-04-30T13:30:00.000-07:00

This is Kate's favorite shirt right now. She loved the space needle and is constantly asking if her shirt is clean. She wore it to school today and was "a bit disappointed" that nobody noticed her shirt.
Here they are in their Husky jammies. Kate's is a big shirt from her cousin Nick and every time she puts it on she reminds me that Nick gave it to her. Ben is wearing his Husky jammies that used to be Kate's. I have yet to get a good picture of them together.

Pirate Ben

2008-04-24T18:23:00.001-07:00

Ben wanted to get in on the pretend pirate play with his sister. Doesn't he look fierce in his eye patch and jammies?

Pirate Kate

2008-04-21T12:31:00.000-07:00

Kate loves to dress up and pretend. She has such a great imagination and it is really fun to watch. She is fond of wearing her disguises to places such as Costco. Yesterday, she roamed the aisles of Costco wearing a life jacket, sunglasses, and a baseball cap...we got many a look.

Serious

2008-04-21T12:27:00.000-07:00

My friend took this picture of Ben at a birthday party and it truly captures him. The picture was taken before he took a face plant and skinned his forehead and nose!

Happy Birthday Kate!

2008-04-07T21:14:00.000-07:00

Kate is four today! The years have flown by. She is a funny, sweet girl who makes us laugh each day. The things she loves right now are: The Backyardigans, legos, swimming, reading, riding her bike, playing with her buddies, playing games, and her brother (most of the time).

I can get my own Mac n' Cheese

2008-04-06T17:57:00.000-07:00

Maybe Ben is trying to tell me that he needs more to eat. Again, spying the food on the counter he climbed the step stool and helped himself. He climbed up for the blueberries and then helped himself to his sister's mac and cheese.

Sleeping Beauty

2008-04-06T17:55:00.001-07:00

A rare event around here...a nap! Kate was so exhausted from attending a friend's princess party she passed out on the couch in her dress and all. She is hanging on to the last days of the paci...the paci fairy comes the night of her 4th birthday. It is about time she showed up.

Kate's big bash

2008-04-04T20:36:00.000-07:00

Here is Kate at her big party this afternoon. She had a fabulous time. They dressed her up and pulled her around in a sled and everyone yelled "happy birthday."

Peek-A-Boo

2008-04-04T20:33:00.000-07:00

This is Ben playing peek-a-boo. It is his favorite game right now. He usually uses his favorite monkey (in picture) to cover his face but has recently figured out how to cover his face with his hands.

Independent Man

2008-03-30T18:46:00.000-07:00

Ben discovered watermelon this week. Apparently, now that he is one he is capable of getting his own snacks. Spying the watermelon on the counter he quickly scaled the step-stool and helped himself.

Happy Spring!

2008-03-30T14:36:00.003-07:00

The day Jesse has been waiting for...

2008-03-30T14:25:00.000-07:00

Kate discovered "little" legos on our trip to Seattle. She got some from Nana for her birthday and could not wait to play legos with Jesse. I am not sure who was more excited to play, Kate or Jesse! Here they are having just woke up and getting to work on those legos.

Happy Birthday Ben!

2008-03-19T10:24:00.001-07:00

Ben is one today! The year has flown by. He is a sweet baby and has been such a joy. A few of Ben's favorite things right now are: climbing everything, chasing balls, spaghetti, and anything his sister does.

Here he with his first cupcake and candle.
The boy loves a cupcake.

The first taste of frosting

2008-03-16T21:51:00.000-07:00

We decided to celebrate Ben's birthday a few days early and had his favorite meal (pasta) and cupcakes tonight. Kate helped me make and frost the cupcakes during which there was an awful lot of tasting happening. Ben, never wanting to miss out on the action, climbed up the step stool and helped himself to the frosting. He immediately reached for more.

Siblings

2008-03-14T22:17:00.003-07:00

The other day Kate was watching her beloved Backyardigans and I plopped Ben down on the couch to have a bottle while I ran around getting ready for the day. When I came back into the room I found him cozied up to her...it was very sweet. As can be noticed, Kate is not looking at the camera in fear of missing one second of The Backyardigans.

Tuckered out!

2008-03-14T22:13:00.001-07:00

Ben fell asleep on the way home from the park. He had a great time playing in the sand and going down the slide (head first). He got a hold of Kate's juice box, poured it all over himself, and had to come home with no pants on as he was soaking and smelling of fruit punch. All in all a good day for Ben.

Big girl Kate

2008-03-06T20:03:00.001-08:00

It is hard to believe that Kate is about to turn four!!! She is quite the girl.

Here she is having just figured out how to roller skate on her stylish Dora skates.
She is also becoming quite the helper in the kitchen. She now requests things for us to make together (usually a dessert). Here she is making some rice krispy treats.

She has recently come up with some zingers. My favorite is her decision to be a scientist and her telling Jesse that she "is the child in charge of science when he is at work."

Ben's (exhausting) Afternoon

2008-03-06T19:37:00.001-08:00

Here are a few pictures of a typical afternoon in the life of Ben.

First, he likes to get into his sister's stuffed animals.
Then after a snack and diaper change (after which he could not hold still long enough to get his pants back on) he likes to climb on top of the hearth and get stuck in the doll house.
Once he is hauled from the hearth, he heads over to the stove to pull pans out of the drawer.
Determined not to be left out of a cooking project he climbs the step stool.
Finally, the end of the day and bath time.

Park Day

2008-02-28T14:41:00.001-08:00

After the last few weeks of rain, we have finally returned to our Southern California winters...sunny and warm. We met some friends at the park and enjoyed the warm weather. It feels like it has been a long time since we spent all morning at the park. There is little to do in Long Beach that is inside and we were all itching to be outside again.

Ben is a bit of a wild man. He loves to climb and crawl around on the play structures.
Kate was a bit frustrated with the lack of sharing of the soccer ball that was going on.
Ben could sit there for hours!!
Kate's obsession...sticks. We have a whole pile at home as there are many tears if we have to leave them at the park.