Ben on the Ice

I feel as though I am neglecting the old blog these days.  It's not because I don't want to write anything.  It is because Ben quit napping so now I can't get anything done ever.  Without getting into it and sounding really whiny and like I don't enjoy my children I will just say that it's bad around here.  Conditions are deteriorating rapidly and discreetly stashing toys away has become nearly impossible.  He's watching "Curious George" in another room right now and I am stealthily using the computer before he figures it out and comes in here wanting to press various letters and numbers. 

So, let me see...what has been interesting in this house lately?  Ben went ice fishing with Justin and his friends last weekend. 

 

This is when they were setting up.  They each have a portable house with a heater so it's not so unfathomable to have a little kid out in the cold all day.  However, they did have to come up with some...interesting...alternatives to a toilet while he was out there.  I was impressed.  He really is trained now.  The photo above was taken when I dropped him off and yes it is in the middle of a lake.  It was my first time driving on a frozen lake!  Don't freak out Grandpa!  He loved to tell a cautionary tale of a pickup that fell through the ice on a lake near my hometown many many years ago. 

 

Here is a fun candid of Ben wearing Allan's Christmas costume. 

 

I am always embarrassed to behold the clutter in the background of most photos taken in our house.  This one isn't even bad.  I can explain most of it.  The shoes are from a drawer in the dresser where I stash all the slippers and baby shoes of various sizes.  Tessa loves to open it and empty it so there are mismatched shoes all over the house most of the time.  That blue circle is a coaster.  I have no idea why that is there.  None of our tables are worthy of coasters and I used to just use them for looks until Ben was old enough to take them and spread them all over the house.  This one was probably in his toy box. 

 

I was going to explain why the crib was full of blankets when I noticed that Tessa is in there!  I think she was supposed to be napping and Ben snuck in there to play with her.  He likes to throw all the blankets from that quilt rack by the crib into the crib. 

 

My big recent excitement is that I got jury duty for today.  When I called last night for details I found out my pool was off the hook although the trial actually is happening.  Although I have no problem fulfilling my civic duty I am relieved about today.  The child care part was going to take some orchestrating. 

 

We are leaving for a trip to Montana on Saturday so I have a lot of packing to do and also cleaning because we will have guests staying here the night before we leave.  So hopefully I will have one more post before then!  The day we leave is Ben's 3rd birthday so maybe I will do his birthday post before we leave.