why the husband hates ordering my coffee.

do i need perspective?

So maybe it's just me, but I went for a run tonight. And it caused some thinking - other than the normal thinking that I might get abducted when I run at night. I was running and a Blink 182 song came on. It reminded me of that story about Travis Barker and his friend that were involved in a private plane crash. You know....right? The one where the pilots died and one of the two guys was injured...but not dead, right? Ok, well, I was reading a brief in People magazine while we were waiting in the Chicago airport that mentioned that a lawsuit was being filed. It has been reported that Travis Barker and his buddy are suing the pilots' and their companies for some sort of negligence on the pilots' behalf and they are suing for their estates.

OK, so maybe I am just too nice of a person (I do sometimes have a bleeding heart), but really? You're going to sue dead people for negligence? Wasn't their death payment enough? You're going to rob the grieving families even more by suing for their possessions?! Really? Really? And hello...? You're alive to be able to sue! Maybe it's me, but I can't help but wonder where the disconnect is. Maybe I am just sensitive, because Rob is a pilot. Or maybe I am sensitive because there were some fatal accidents here at Columbus AFB that cost two pilots their lives, and their families a deep, gaping sadness. And not only was it a problem with the plane that caused their deaths, but you can't sue the Air Force. Furthermore, it's not like they are hurting for the money. They could, you know, afford to fly this private plane.

I guess all that came from a silly Blink 182 song playing on my iPod in the dark on a cold, winter run, but I just had to let off a little steam. Unfortunately, letting off steam doesn't help, because it still leaves me sad that our world has become what it is. All I can really do is focus on the positive people in the world who can put a smile on their face and overlook negativity. Which is what I need to do right now.

it's your turn.

I have been reading through this quick read by Paul Riser (Mad About You) titled "Babyhood". He also has a read titled "Couplehood" which I have not read yet. Since parenthood is quite relavent to us, I have been finding this book hilarious. I am posting it, because I think some others out there might, too, find it all too true.

Here is the excerpt:

And it is here that you learn the three words that become the chief verbal staple of any household with a baby: It's Your Turn.
This phrase is the theme song of any marriage once it goes from Two to Three.
"I just changed him twenty minutes ago...It's your turn."
"I've been watching him all day. It's your turn!"
"I simply cannot stand up; it's your turn!"

This all-purpose phrase also works as a marital greeting. The "Hi-sweetie-how-was-your-day" of yesteryear is now replaced with the more simple, direct, and mildy irritated "It's your turn."
Before you have a child, you and your spouse are many things to each other: friends, lovers, competitors, partners...Upon producing a child, you relate to eachother primarily as sentries.
The two of you are guards who rotate shifts monitoring and protecting your new charge.
When Baby enters your world, there's no time for intimate conversation between Husband and Wife. In fact, the extentof conversation often consists solely of the reporting of Baby's "eating-sleeping-pooping" status - just before the changing of the guard.
"Hi."
"He ate, he napped, he needs to be changed."
"I just walked in. Can I take a shower?"
"You should've showered before we had a kid. It's your turn."
Then, like buck privates relieving one another at Guantanamo, you're on duty and your wife gets a four-hour pass.

aww....it's Christmas.

I guess this is the most appropriate picture to begin this post. Last weekend, we made it to a live nativity scene, complete with a marketplace, shekals, and Roman guards. It was cold, but it was a fun way to experience Christmas with Ben. He kept asking if that was really baby Jesus. It was held at the First Baptist Church here in Columbus. Afterwards, we enjoyed hot cocoa and cookies.

Here is Ben and Santa (aka "Smash") at Dad's work. This picture beats any ol' Santa picture at the mall. Ben is all smiles, because he just got done telling Santa that he wants Obi-Wan Kenobi's star ship. (Whatever that means...) Santa's job: just nod and smile. Hmmm...kinda like my job half the time ;)

This was the first year that Ben really enjoyed decorating the Christmas tree. He just loved it, and when there weren't any more ornaments left, he still wanted to put more on.

And dear Lydia...what can we say? You're just beautiful, being you. I took these pictures this morning before we left to take Ben to preschool. This cute little outfit came from a friend from Germany, who we were stationed with in New Mexico. I just think it's the cutest thing. And polkadots are a big deal down in the south.

And if you have made it this far. This by far is my favorite picture: a Strawberry Shortcake complete with her own "Guitar Brush". Gotta love multifunctionality. :) I love this so much, because it is Lydia's first toy - from her big brother Ben. The backstory is that Ben had Awana's last Sunday and it was a special night because it was Awana Store night. This is the one night that they take all their Awana bucks (that they have worked so hard for by memorizing bible verses and other good deeds) and cash them in at the Store. With no prompting whatsoever, Ben was insistent to his teachers that this is what he wanted to spend his hard-earned "money" on - a Christmas present for his sister, Lydia. When we picked Ben up and pulled it from his bag, we were both completely speechless and in awe. Collecting ourselves, we asked the teachers if he was really sure this is what he wanted. They said they asked him the same thing, and he was set on his purchase.
I sure hope Lydia grows up one day to know how much her brother loves her, in spite of all the fights and arguing they will someday have.

And at the end of a day, it's the smiles and laughter that make it all worth it....

and i quote...

Lately, Ben has been saying a few things that crack me up. And it is the last story that made me decide to publish the first couple along with it.

Before Lydia was born, I gave Ben a briefing on how feeding the baby was going to go. We talked about breastfeeding and how mommies feed their babies this way. When Lydia arrived, he was watching ever so intently, and then rather bluntly said, "Lydia likes boobs." Not a tough concept to wrap your brain around, I guess.

For the last couple of weeks, Ben has been in our family bubble, enjoying Dad being home and having my MIL, Liz over. Rob and his mom did a great job attending to him and his social activities, but I still think he missed his friends. We were leaving base, and Ben started asking if he could have some friends over. So Rob begins the whole explanation of how babies are too young, and that their immune systems aren't fully developed. He explains to Ben how your immune systems fight off germs, and how all people have germs. Rob concludes, "So, Ben, we have to protect your baby sister from germs in the beginning."

Ben: "Well, can I have one germ over?"
Rob: (standard parental response) "Well, we'll just have to wait a little bit and see..."
Ben: (clearly not satisfied, especially considering he thinks he came to a good compromise with "one germ") "Well, Gram is here, and she's a germ..."

What can we say? Is there such a thing as family germs being OK over friend germs???

And last, but not least.

So, many of you know that fighter pilots refuse to use the word H-E-A-D. Yes, it's a little dumb, but they have so craftily thought of other words to use. So around the house, Ben knows his H-E-A-D to be a "nugget". And it just becomes a word so normal around the house, especially when your son has quite a knack for "bumping his nugget." Today we were eating lunch and he was remembering the other night when he bumped his head on the coffee table so hard that he had a bit of a goose egg. And as much as he has made a career out of hitting/bumping/falling on his head, I said, "Should we take him to the doctor?" (Rob ended up icing it and you could hardly see it the next morning.) Ben was asking me today why I suggested going to the doctor, and this is what he said: "Mom, why did you say I should go to the doctor when I bumped my (wait for it) fore-nugget?" A fore-NUGGET?! As if I couldn't believe it, I said, "Ben, what is a fore-nugget?" and he pointed to his forehead. I just had to laugh.

lydia's nursery.

Here are some photos of Lydia's nursery. She has not yet moved in yet ;). But the room did get completed (sans wall hangings) the day before she was born.

This is a gift from Elizabeth, who had a friend paint this wall hanging.

A dear friend, Wendy, painted these ones for me.

My mom sewed the bumper, and I sewed the rag quilt hanging on the back of the crib.

bakesgiving.

Tonight at Awana's Ben had to complete a project called "Bakesgiving", in which the dads and kids are supposed to bake a cake at home sans Mom. I really love baking, and the prettier the baked item is, the more curb appeal it has for me. So Ben chose to make a Gingerbread cake with Cranberry filling and Orange cream cheese frosting out of Paula Deen's Holiday Collector's magazine. For Ben it was the gingerbread cookies that circled the outside of the cake that made his decision clear. For me, I wasn't sure about the tastes, but the longer I thought about it, it sounded good. I love the orange-cranberry muffins at Starbucks, so I figured it might be a good one to try. I must also say that the boys did a great job, special kudos to the husband, since a 3 year old's attention span would not have baked the cake alone! Rob did a fantastic job, and Ben was a fantastic helper, who was very proud of the cake. Once Ben and his cake arrive at Awana's, it will be judged by some of the church members, and when we pick up Ben tonight there will be a small social for all the families involved. I can only imagine how much cake will be there tonight. Mmmm.

Here are a few pictures of the afternoon:

The masterminds at work...

Pretty much right out of the magazine, huh?!

Rob has been a super Mr. Mom to Ben, I truly couldn't ask for more. I will miss him when he goes to work for the whole day tomorrow. My parents are arriving on Wednesday, and are very ready to meet their second grandchild, Lydia.