We Heart DeJong's!

Last week my sweet friend Leslie, invited Bennett and I to join her preschool group on a field trip to our local dairy (they were doing a unit on where your food comes from). We have been to the dairy a number of times to buy milk of course and some times we get out and look at the petting zoo they have but this was our first time getting a really good look around and it was fabulous! I got to talk with lovely mama's and Bennett got to wear boots and run around and feed cows! ha ha! All were happy!

Who taught this kid to stand with his hands behind his back like that?!
Haven't seen that in a long time! 

Bennett got real brave and wanted to feed the mommy cows.

After the mommy cows we headed down further to the baby cows - all the kids LOVED the baby cows!
One baby cow even gave Bennett a big lick/kiss before quickly slurping down a bottle! Bennett is still talking about how the baby cow licked his shirt!

More cow kisses! 

Bennett told me later that cows eat grass but elephants still eat noodles! :) 

My sweet boy spent a lot of time talking with this one lonely calf. 

(Not mine of course, but so precious!)

After spending a good deal of time outside we headed inside to see how the milk gets from the cow to the bottles. It was basically an episode of Mr. Rogers and I was in heaven! (I still love the episodes where they went to the crayon factory and the cheese factory ... makes my heart smile) 

And then we went and feed the animals in the petting zoo and we even got to feed ourselves a bit too! (with a good hand washing in between those two activities of course!)

NOTHING better than DeJong's Chocolate milk! 

Thanks so much for inviting us Leslie, we had a great time!
If you have never been to DeJong's you MUST go! (It's in Wildomar off of Corydon) Their milk is fabulous and their chocolate milk will change your whole world! :)

Crackers...

It's such a shame when you can't keep your eyes open long enough to even get your hand in the box.

Frog Jacket

When we first got this jacket he would cry when I even tried to try it on him (it was a hand-me-down) but now he LOVES it and I am so so so so happy each time he puts it on!

Last week's rain was fabulous for so many reasons, but I think the frog jacket was at the top of the fabulous list!

Bed Time

Without really trying to Bennett and I have created a bedtime routine that I am rather in love with.

First we read a book or two or three... then we pick out people to pray for (said list can include anyone from Mommy and Daddy to Uncle Casey to his monkey or trains or even himself - I think it's pretty stink'n cute when he picks himself!). After praying for them we always sing the same two songs which are usually followed by requests for more books to which I kiss him and say, "You can read books but mommy has to go get ready for bed too and I'll be back to check on you." and without a doubt he's asleep within 15 min with a giant pile of books next to him!

The other night as I walked out of the room I was thinking, "Oh I wish I could get that on video so I don't forget how cute he is singing those songs." After a week or so of thinking that same thing each night I figured I might as well try and it worked perfectly! I was worried the camera would throw him off and he wouldn't want to sing but he didn't even notice that I set it on the edge of the bed and I captured a very typical evening with my sweet boy... this video makes my heart happy, I really could watch it like 100 times a day!!!

Love this face...

... and his sweet little folded hands too :)

for the love of puzzles

So Bennett kind of has a problem right now... he is obsessed with puzzles. Like he cries if I even attempt to put them away! At least 5 to 10 times a day I hear ... "Mom, help me puh-puh" and the funny thing is, he doesn't need my help at all! He really just wants me to sit with him and say "good job" every time he  gets a piece in the right spot (which is constantly because the kid is kind of a puzzle master)

Last week, Bennett wanted to spend time with Adam but Adam needed to work so Bennett brought his puzzles to Adam ... pretty creative solution I think! :)

A couple days ago, the poor kid (after skipping a nap to play with some friends) sat down to do "puh-puh's" and he totally fell asleep! Dedication, I tell you, dedication!

I finally captured a bit of the puzzle master in action a few weeks ago ... watch and enjoy the cuteness (I'm pretty sure we need to start math flash cards next week with him! ha ha!)

This morning I pulled out the camera after watching in amazement as he just worked his way right through a 48 piece puzzle. Granted he knows the characters well, so it wasn't like he had never seen the pictures before but still, I'm pretty sure he's off the charts in spatial reasoning skills for a 2 1/2 year old (proud mama talking here of course)!


By the time nap time came around, our kitchen table was full of "puh-puh's" that Bennett was soooo proud of! 

(You have to hear him say "sting -ray" he totally thinks its two words and it is sooo cute when he talks about his Sea-Life puzzle!)

Balloon Surprise!

Daddy brought home ballons the other night when he came home real late from Back to School Night.
Bennett found the balloons first thing the next morning ... he was a very happy man!

Tent boy

So, I wasn't in the room for this but my understanding is that while Adam was making the bed, Bennett got on it and said he wouldn't get off because he wanted Adam to make a tent. Sooooo, Adam, being who he is, just kept on making the bed. All I got was a hand motion from Adam of "come her quickly" and I grabbed the camera on the way .... this boy is just too much!

Happy Birthday Grandma!

Last week due to a perfect storm of a birthday landing on a saturday and with out asking for it, getting that saturday off, we had a whole day to spend celebrating Mary Beth!

The birthday girl picked a fabulous outing to a place she had never been before ...

... and that I couldn't be more fond of!

 

Seriously, have you ever been to the Getty? There is nothing like it!  There is beauty in every corner of ever building, inside and out, it's stunning!

Okay, but let's be honest, it's a long drive from our house, but we all did rather well (only one bathroom stop for this pregnant girl!)

We were very glad when we arrived and were finally on the tram for our lovely view of the 405!

One of the first things we looked at were old Bibles ... totally facinating!

Especially this part where they laid the process and materials out.

I'm pretty sure we made it through each building and had a great time just wondering around and looking at all the art - there were so many different things to look at!

Bennett of course loved the pieces that had iPad's accompaying them ....

... and wasn't into a whole lot else while we were inside

... but then oddly enough, he seemed rather taken with this vase. He stayed to look at if a really long time and told Adam all about it. 

But being that he is 2 1/2, his favorite part of the day by far was the elevators and their buttons!

 

Okay and can I just share my favorite part of the day too?!  

If I lived in this part of the Getty, my days would consist of sitting in this room...

 ... or maybe this one.

... while drinking tea from this lovely set

 ...while I stared at this painting

... and then when I got tired I could go rest on my couch

...or if I really needed a nap, I would retire to my bed! 

... ha ha! Okay, thanks for indulging me! :) 

Back to reality.

When we made it out to the gardens Bennett was in hog heaven! He was ready to run and jump and play so we let him, a little... it is still the Getty after all. 

We thought it might be nice to try for a family picture like we took back in Nov. of 2009

Still that same crooked smile of "I'm not sure if I like this"

Then without even realizing it, I kind of re-took this picture too

The rest of our time outside is what could be expected ... you know, lots of running and saying "Bennett, No!" Oh well, such is the life of this young man right now.

We couldn't go see our bench (where Adam proposed) because that part of the garden was closed for work - but it still looked good from afar!

On our way out we had a moment of clarity and remembered to ask someone to take a picture of us all together and this really sweet old man did a pretty good job! 

Oh and one last Getty picture ... One of the highlights of the Getty (besides the art, architecture and gardens) is the people watching! There are so many people from all over the world, you never know what you are going to see! 

Unfortunately I didn't get her husband in the picture with her ... but really, what went thru her mind that morning? "Giant bear attack whistle, check! Pearls, check! Extra elastic sleeve covers, check! All right, I'm ready to go look at art!"

Okay, enough with the Getty ... Everyone needs a fun birthday dinner to make the celebration feel complete! So where could be more fun than Disneyland?! (which by the way, Mary Beth has never been to, so this was her first Disneyland experience ... a cry'n shame I tell you!) So we made our way to Down Town Disney to have a fiesta at Tortilla Joe's. We had a fabulous dinner and probably ate way too much guacamole but it's okay, we were celebrating!

Bennett LOVED the Mariachi band the roamed the restaurant and had a very hard time staying in his seat while watching them!

 After a fun song and a little dessert...

 ... we made our way out and about in DownTown Disney! Bennett was in love!

Buzz and Woody costumes!

Is there red 40 in a green lollypop? I don't know, i figured it was the safest :)

a "Raff" made out of blocks!

Hugging Woody!

Anyone still reading? ... you get a prize! 

What a great and fun day but we were all rather tired by the time we got home! Here's hoping next year we can actually get Grandma inside the real Disneyland for her birthday! :)