A Really Big Catch Up

Well its been over a year. What has happened in our lives? Too much to blog about thats for sure. In fact its easier if I blog the few things that DIDNT happen:

1. I didnt get pregnant OR have a baby in 2013
2. We didnt relocate to Paris
3. Nobody experienced any life altering catastrophes (Benett came the closest)
4. We didnt go on any amazing vacations that required airfare
5. I didnt cook anything incredible off pinterest
6. No home improvements have been made
7. I didnt buy any new pairs of jeans
8. I didnt buy a new car
9. I didnt fall in love with housekeeping
10. I didnt get any sleep.

So yeah. Looks like not much went on last year!

Benett DID choke on peanuts, aspirate them into his lungs and require surgery to remove them. That was our medical high light of the year for sure. This kid is KILLING US! He is so crazy!

Here was a lazy day this summer spent at Hart and Jorys in their hammock. Sometimes he can be quite pleasant. 

Benett likes violence. HE LOVES VIOLENCE. He has impulse control problems and smacks, scratches. pinches, and pulls anyone he can get his hands on. He is in fact the only child I know of that graduated junior nursery without every physically attending it. I spent this last year pacing the hallways at church wrestling him and dodging his mitts. He cant be released into the wild - he goes straight for the weak kid whos not looking. We dont go to parks or public play places. And he is a "barf when I cry" child - so he's really hard to discipline. Hence my year in hiding. He is a FULL time job. 

But we love his little dimples! He is super lovey to snuggle and is smart as a whip! He counts, sings abcs, and is a savant with animals! He knows all their names and sounds. And I dont mean zoo animals - Im talkin about flamingos (Mingos), hippopotamus' (hee-pos!), and tropical birds (which he says perfectly.)! He's pretty cute doing their sounds. Ive tried to tape him but he rejects that idea. 

This summer he also went through a hilarious "frank Sinatra" phase where he liked to wear this hat. He carried it around for a while and then all of a sudden freaked out when I put it on him one day. In one day - out the next! I loved it though and thought it was hilarious!

Benett's funny phrases right now are: no no Ben-ett, spencer/brigitte HURT me, I dont like it, not a good idea, i wanna bath, I poopies, I tired, and his favorite - I want baba nilk.

Last July we DID purchase a small rascal of a puppy who still likes to poop on my carpet. But I love him and he has been my small late night movie companion. He looked like a guinea pig when we got him - but has graduated to a smallish filthy mop now. We named him theodore after the fat dim witted chipmunk. But we call him Teddy. Or Teddy Scruffins. Or Teddy-poops. Whatever strikes our fancy. He goes everywhere with us and has been really really fun for the kids. He loves baths and the blow dryer and comes running when he hears it.

I am shamed to admit how much I love this dog. I needed some joy in my life and he delivered! He loves me. And hes just like a cat, only more high maintenance. I wish he was a girl because then I could do his hair a little cuter - but I seriously cant imagine our life without Teddy!!!

I fear Ive become a dog person - ew. 

ok - back to the kids.

 Brigitte is our dancing queen. Everyday after school she likes to do dancing and she has some *incredible* moves. We tried enrolling her and Spencer in gymnastics but she was too terrified of the teacher so we quit. She started Kindergarten and for the most part loves it! She loves her teacher but refuses to participate and is SO SO shy! Her teacher says out of all the kids shes ever taught Brigitte is the one that has taken the LONGEST to warm up! She is doing great academically - a math wiz like dad and her reading is coming along great! But she really shines in her art. Her AMAZING multimedia art projects that take HOURS and hours to complete. Shes like a crazed van gogh doing these pictures. If she cuts off her ear, Im taking her crayons away.

And remember her crazy hair? The source of her power? Well we finally were able to trim just a few inches off the bottom and convince her to let me roll it in curlers! This has been life-changing! It is a rare day to see this lady with straight hair anymore. Hallelujah! Combing out those tangles was a nightmare. As you can see in the photo below....we are still working on her irrational fear of photography. 

And last but never least - my little prince Spencer Beal:

 He is best friends with cousin Logan (wogan) and begs to play with him every day.

He has the cutest little faces ever and makes everything extra funny.

Its weird to see him transition from being a toddler into becoming a boy child. Its great and its terrible all at once. I love that he is potty trained - but hate that he loves the power rangers. He says things like "POWER UP!" and MISSION COMPLETE! after finishing food or putting on his coat. One thing is for sure: this boy loves his fashion. Take Halloween for example. Can you guess who he was?

Fred. From scooby doo. Of course he couldnt make up his mind and also wanted to be scooby - so he rocked two costumes. 

He is always up to something crazy. It usually involves "tools" like tape measures, wrenches, knives, keys, and anything else that can seriously injure a person. Here is a picture from conference morning when he just wanted to hold the dog and it kept wanting down! Pretty genius!

Spencer is a farm boy through and through. He prefers daddy (who he calls GABE. like his buddy, gabe. never dad.), cabellas, grandpas, tractors, trucks, scooters, being outside, and getting work done. Its funny to me that he also prefers skinny jeans and asks me to fix his hair everyday. A little mix of both of us I guess!

Well thats about it. I wanted to catch up on the kids stuff, since that is what this blog is primarily for. That and trash talking celebrities.  Golden Globes coming up next!