Ben's Birthday!

Ben wearing his special birthday crown from preschool

Fun at the Brookside Fall Carnival

This boy is in heaven!

Sylvia being very brave on the rock wall

Time to blow out the candles...

Sylvia couldn't wait until we finished singing "Happy Birthday" to blow out all of Ben's candles for him. This is her face when she realized what she'd done! The funny part is, we didn't even get mad at her or yell at her at all. She's just mad at herself!

Happy Birthday Benny! Being 4 is totally awesome!

Soccer! (Part Deux)

Goooooooooaaaallll!!!

Soccer!

The air is crisp, the leaves are beginning to change color, and you know what that means--it is Soccer season once again! Nate has been talking about coaching the kids' Soccer team since June, so we were all excited when September finally rolled around. This year, we snuck Ben onto the team, since he technically doesn't turn 4 until September 30th. We just couldn't have him sitting on the sidelines watching Sylvia play for yet another year. We have a mixed bunch on the team this year--some kids are real hustlers, and others are content to just run around aimlessly on the field. Our kids fall somewhere in the middle of the pack. The kids are so fun to watch, and as long as we keep cheering Sylvia on, she will run after the ball and do her best. Ben, on the other hand, is making us nuts. He gets upset and runs off the field whenever someone "takes away his soccer ball." Isn't that the whole point of the game?

Gone Fishin'

We don't take these kids fishing often, unless we're fishing from land. My kids wouldn't last five minutes on a boat! But, Nate goes fishing with his Grandpa, Dad and brothers as often as he can get the chance. This fish is one of the many big trout that Grandpa Bill caught while the boys were up fishing at Strawberry Reservoir a few weeks ago. Four and a half pounds, twenty inches long to be exact! My kids were so excited about this whopper of a fish that Nate made sure to take a picture of them with Grandpa Bill and his catch of the day.

Yay for Preschool!

This little boy has been so excited to start attending preschool again. When he didn't start on the same day as Sylvia did last week, I could tell he was starting to get a little worried! But of course, his fears were put to rest when he saw the bus waiting at the curb this morning. Some changes from last year:

• Ben is potty trained. Instead of sending diapers in his backpack, I just sent a spare set of clothes that he can change into if he has an accident.
• Ben will only be attending school three days a week this year. He has made satisfactory progress over the summer, and the district has decided he needs less specialized help.

This year, Ben has some specific goals, most of them speech-related. He has made amazing strides, but still only speaks and understands language at a level that isn't quite consistent with his age. So, the boy has a set of short term goals that we want to see him meet, and I know that with time (and help), Ben will be able to meet those goals. What I want most for him is to better communicate with his peers, as this is proving difficult in social situations, like Sunbeams. But what Ben needs the most is to continue to learn, grow and be happy. And that is exactly what he is doing!

Homemade Doughnuts? Yes Please!

Sylvia rolling the dough

Cooking the first batch

Nom Nom.....

I know that for most people, there are foods that their mother made that were amazing, and evoke fond memories. My mother makes many many wonderful things, and personally, I love her apple pie and homemade doughnuts the very most. The last time she ever made me doughnuts was when I was in high school. I remember she always had three toppings: cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar, and chocolate buttercream frosting. My mother's doughnuts always turned out perfect-in taste as well as looks.

Sylvia is really getting to the point where she can help in the kitchen without destroying it, so today she helped me make doughnuts. She liked eating them, but I think she had a better time rolling the dough and watching them puff up in the fryer. My favorite part? Dunking the warm doughnuts into the powdered sugar. The sugar will melt just a little on your fingertips, and it is so awesome when you get to lick them.