Author: It's Ben

Grandma P-Dubs and the EK’s Kitchen

Grandma is in town.  That in and of itself is not noteworthy since it happens frequently enough.  Actually, I’m not really sure why I mention whether or not it’s noteworthy because nothing here on this site or in our lives is really noteworthy.  Okay, whatever.  Grandma is in town.

Today she was watching EK to give Wendy a break.  EK had been playing quietly so Grandma got up to investigate.  She too has noticed that any period of silence can mean horrible things with our kids.  (They are strong in the force.)  She got up and came upon EK wearing an apron that she had tastefully matched to her outfit.

Grandma exclaimed, “You have your own apron?!”

EK got up and replied, “Grandma, I have my own kitchen.”

Fake Cries and Cell Phone Washes

Our youngest has decided lately, probably due to her total inability to communicate in any other way, to fake cry almost any time she crawls.  It’s her frustration sound.  It kind of sounds like a sad hiccup repeated over and over.  As I said, she does this primarily when she’s crawling.  I hope she will grow out of it soon.  I think it stems from the fact that she crawls but only just.  She’s only been properly crawling for about two weeks.  Up to this point I didn’t think she would.  She was going for walking and I think I coerced her into crawling.  At any rate, she’s not great at it.  She doesn’t have the motions down.  She started out by moving one leg forward and then kind of scooting on three.  She crawls nearly normally now though.

Not being able to move was a huge frustration for her.  At the beginning she actually did cry every time she wanted to move some place.  Eventually it turned into her crying and then trying to move.  Then it was her crying and successfully crawling a a few steps.  Then it turned into her fake crying and successfully moving a few more steps.  Now it’s basically her fake crying and crawling.  I have a feeling it will go away completely but for now it’s sort of annoying that there is a sound accompanying her movement.

Our oldest has decided to be helpful and wishes to always have her toy sink full of water so she can was her toys.  Yesterday she decided to wash an old Voicestream phone.  At least it wasn’t one of the good phones in circulation.  I feel bad because Mom gave her a mouthful but she was probably just trying to be helpful.

They’re both sweet girls.

Primary Prayer

Today our oldest daughter said get first prayer in Primary. She prayed for totally normal things even. Lately she has had tendencies to pray for Ariel, Repunzel and other Disney princesses who stand in need. Today she prayed for James who probably does need prayers. She was also thankful to be in Primary and thankful for her teachers. It was a cute prayer.

I’m glad she’s thankful for those things. They will help her be a better person. I suppose we’re official parents now. Is that right?

Kids

We have two of them now.  Before the first was born I decided to write a blog about my feelings leading up to and my reactions and feelings after the baby came.  I ended up writing in the blog fairly frequently for around a year after the baby was born.  The end result (at least to me) was enjoyable.  I hope that some day oldest child grows up to read it and appreciate it.

It contains a lot of the jitters of being a first time parent as well as many of the triumphs and joys.  It was always my intention to go back into it and clean up grammar and spelling in posts as well as add media (pictures and videos) that applied to posts.  I will continue to do that.

Recently I’ve felt that the existence of the blog of oldest child is unfair to youngest child.  This is assuming of course that both children put value on the baby blog which they probably won’t.  In the event that they do I have come to a decision.  At around the time that the second baby is the age of the first baby when I stopped writing in the first baby blog I’m going to start a second baby blog and write about the second baby.  I will continue that blog for roughly the same span of time that I wrote about the first baby.

This will make it as fair as possible to both siblings.  In the end, neither will probably care and it will be a fun exercise for me and possibly the Wendy.

Here is the first blog: http://canada.bendy.me

Here is the second blog: http://negus.bendy.me

Conversionated

I WordPressed the place right up.  Movable Type had to go.  In the more than 6 hour that it took to stand the new website up, export the old website, import the entries into the new website, clean them up and configure everything nicely I came to a realization.  I spend way too much time on this stuff.

I always come back to these types of thoughts.  Is it worth it?  Nobody is reading this.  Not even Wendy.  Sure, she’s setup as an author on this blog and I think she even has one or two posts but she hasn’t written anything here in forever.  I don’t think she remembers it’s even here anymore.  And that’s my wife.  I doubt anybody else is interested enough in our lives to read this.

I guess I will continue to maintain the blogs though and write posts periodically because if anything I enjoy it.  It’s something to tinker with and it’s something to do.  I occasionally like to write even.  Maybe it’s how some people like to hear the sound of their own voice.  I kind of like to hear the sound of my own words in my head which is kind of the same thing?  I dunno.

I gotta say though.  At least as of right now, the new blog in WordPress is pretty darn fancy.  Cute you might even say…

Christmas Day

I’m a very lucky man.  It’s Christmas morning.  I’m sitting in my basement at my computer and 5:01 in the morning.  I’ve been up for an hour because little E-face decided she was hungry.  I only slept a few hours and it’s extremely cold.  I’m going to have to drive back up on snow-covered roads and spend more hours in the car to get to the parents’ house.  It will be a hassle to pack the car with everything we own to be able to stay up there.  
But what?  Those aren’t things to complain about.  I’m happy to be where I am.  I love my wife and my daughter.  They are my world and more dear to me than I ever knew something could be.  I’m grateful to have a house and cars and crap that I have to worry about.  I’m grateful to have a job to be able to maintain it all.  My wife stays on top of everything at home so I can work.  She shows me love and affection and puts up with me.  My daughter is beautiful and smart and perfect.
I have knowledge in the Gospel that enables me to understand how to be happy and be able to keep my family with me forever.  I have a Savior, Jesus Christ, who has paid for my transgressions so that eternal life with my family is possible.
Merry Christmas!

Happy “The Verseries!”

We are pretty cool, right?  We have a nice place to live.  You make it nicer, fill it full of cute things, we like the neighborhood, etc.  It’s not in need of too much.  We drive okay cars.  They get us from point A to B.  We have a pretty much everything we’ve ever asked for.  This recently includes the new camera and will soon include a giant bed.  I think we’re doing okay for ourselves.
None of that matters too much though because it could change in an instant.  What matters is that we have a tremendous appreciate and love for each each other.  We have an amazing little girl.  Our love is sealed for eternity and we will always have each other.  You are my everything.  The bonds between us will not change.
You do so much for our little family.  You are always taking care of Elsie and doing something else for us at the same time.  You never stop and it must be tremendously hard to have her as a responsibility plus all of the rest of the chores and errands.  It’s a tremendous sacrifice to continually not get to do what you want when you want and it shows how much you love us both.
During a car ride home from the parentals I wanted to be in a bad mood because things hadn’t gone exactly as I had wanted them to.  My planned bad mood didn’t last more than a few minutes into the ride because I got caught up in your conversation and we started talking about whatever it was we were talking about.  I enjoy spending time with you.  You are the one I spend time with by choice.  I don’t like some of your TV shows but I always enjoy watching TV with you because it’s time spent near you.
I’m looking forward to a long car ride with you to the Great White North.  I’m looking forward to eating lunch with you today.  I look forward to doing anything with you.  You are fun.  You are giving.  You are kind.
I feel secure and comfortable because I trust you and I know you love me.  I’m happy and I want you to be happy.  I need you.  I want you.  I love you.