Renew a Right Spirit Within Me

In addition to all the fun projects and cute clothes and delicious recipes and interior paint color ideas, Pinterest is full of inspirational quotes and verses about everything and said by everyone.  I am usually more interested in the projects and clothes but this morning this little graphic caught my eye...

 

It stood out to me because it was a regular part of the traditional Lutheran church service I attended throughout my youth.  It was set to a song and the verse continues, "cast me not away from your presence and take not your Holy Spirit from me..."  What an uplifting and hopeful verse to start a week.  Back then, to me it meant that the service was almost over which was good because I was usually bored.  Now I realize was meant to serve as inspiration for the week ahead.  Thank you for the "Pinspiration" Pinterest and for taking me back to that candle smoke scented church! 

 

Today is October 7, which means Ben turns 19 months old today.  These months are flying by.  It is unsettling since the new baby and Ben will be 20 months apart so that leaves one month until I have two kids!  EEEh!  I haven't done a monthly update for a few months and even let 18 months slide by.  What he has been up to: 

 

Here he is with his best friend "Wal Wal". "Wal Wal" is Wally, my parents dog, who Ben is suddenly in love with even though he doesn't see him that regularly.  At the beginning of September we were there for one night and he caught on to Wal Wal right away and has now started replacing the word "puppy" which he was using quite a bit with Wal Wal in reference to dogs in general.  They were reunited this weekend and he is still in love.  Fortunately, Wal Wal is the most docile idiot you ever met so they can play together.  Be likes to try to feed Wally pieces of his dog food which he usually doesn't want because he self feeds and also gets more people food than any vet would approve of. 

 

Here he is on the way to the football game on Saturday morning.  It was a decent weekend without any major meltdowns. 

 

Here he is eating lo mein at our favorite Chinese buffet in Fargo.  I was surprised he ate it but he did!  Smart boy...to refuse food from there would be missing out!

 

 

It was going to be cold this weekend so I bought him some new mittens.  They actually stay on!  Major success!

Other 19 month old facts...good and bad...
-Eating has been horrible.  He only eats junk and will occasionally get my hopes up by eating something good for a while and then one day deciding he is going to start chewing it up and spitting it out.  It drives me crazy.  The only thing he doesn't ever spit out is hot dogs and the dreaded kid food chicken nuggets.  I can barely handle making those things because I have bit into enough gristly nuggets in my life to turn me off to them forever. 
-He is an impressive climber and scales this climbing wall inspired ladder at the park that is as tall as my shoulders. 
-Recently started obnoxiously using the word "nnnnnnoooo!" during diaper changes and many other situations involving restraint and patience. 
-Still loves balls and says "ball" when he sees football or baseball on TV.
-Loves tractors and points them out when he sees them or similar machinery.  This weekend Ag PhD was on TV and he kept saying "tractor!" when a tractor was on the screen. 
-After excessive pointing out of babies and baby related items by me he now says "baby" or "babies" when he sees babies, carseats, baby clothes in stores and pictures of himself as a baby.  Just getting prepared for what is to come!