Charley (Chaplin) & the Chocolate Factory

A girl after my own heart...

Bemusings: On Clothes & Accomplishments

In addition to the "T & C Files" updates, starting a new section of this blog called, "Bemusings: (Insert clever topic here)." It's nothing more than thoughts on a particular subject. Postscript: the way I write these is how my mind works 90 percent of the time. P.p.s. My mom would be proud I typed out "percent" as it is the correct usage of the symbol in grammar. But I digress...
On to clothes and accomplishments. I am officially able to fit into all of my old clothes post pregnancy with Harper. This is a big deal. I have missed my clothes, yearned for them, even. Sometimes I would just walk into my closet (zone out the fact that Tyler's side looks like he vomited clothes everywhere) and picture fun outfits to wear...someday. Someday is here, people! However, that being said I have quickly realized that having two children really means that I look put together complete with make-up about one day a week, decent for two (no make up in jeans), and the other four I am just simply wearing clothes because it's illegal not to. Alas, the grass is always greener.
For no other reason than because I was thinking about it: what's your favorite outfit? The outfit (if you had to) you'd wear for a year straight? Mine would be my Hudson jeans, Havianas, white v-neck t-shirt, and green scarf...
Harper is quickly moving through sizes. So fast that she's only getting to wear some things like twice which means all those cute clothes I saved for her from Pea are just cause for mad picture taking.
Pearson has all new clothes to start off the school year. She loves them all, but mostly prefers to wear about three specific items. In that sense she's not a super girlie girl, which is fine-neither am I. On the topic of accomplishments; we are rolling on two weeks solid of no pull-ups through the night which I must say I am proud of Pea for. Good job, Pea for not peeing!
While we're on the topic of peeing: I realized in going back through my blog that I never fully updated you all on the potty training. It started out being a HORROR show, then progressed to procrastination, and finally to full-on guerrilla warfare. We eventually won the war, but lost some good men. "Men" being my metaphor for patience and sanity. However, that said we are all good in that department and moving forward until I have to do it all over again in two years...

Starving Artist

Today I am so into painting. So much that I totally forgot to eat lunch while finishing this:

For the newest arrival to the Bensen Clan in November. Then, I did this painting:

Presenting Harper's first nail appointment with Momi. They are messed up because I was painting a 6 month old's toes, BUT she loves staring at them and I die for her smile so yes, it was worth every second...

School Daze

Upset

This is how we feel about today's football game:

It was a bummer...BNK was defeated; I'm careful to point out in body, not spirit. There were a few tense moments including Joey defending his honor, heated competition, and one millisecond where I actually thought we were going to see the famous Tanker Jump-Punch, but indeed we did not. Spirits are still high despite this upset, and I'm informed that said team is in for a whooping later in the season, especially number 32 whose mouth almost got him a jump-punch to the face...
Here are the boys devising an untouchable strategy for the next time we play them...

And some other cute shots from today:


Next week I'll be typing a different story, until then,

Fair Trade

On Friday, Tyler traded in a day at the office for a day with his girls at the Puyallup State Fair. It was a great day, Pea had the best time...her fav OF COURSE were the animals. I just asked her what her favorite animals were and she said, "The Zebra and the Camel", which I can tell you is not really true. That may be her ideal, but the truth is she LOVED and got to ride/pet the horses. She also liked the sheep and HATED the chickens. We didn't really know if she'd like the rides either, BUT it turns out those were super fun! I went down the big slide with her and she rode the boat and the "Flying Tiger" airplanes all by herself. Though we had some attitude issues and Babe H slept for nearly the whole time, the Puyallup was done: scones were eaten, animals were adored, and rides were conquered. Go family fun!

Jam Session

Momi went on photo shoot madness and here are some good ones:



Then I told Pea to hug Babe H (and it ended with Harper pleading for her life):


Ahh girls I love you, even if you HATE these photo sessions...

Sway & Cake

I have an old soul on my hands. I wanted to remember her exactly as she is at this moment and that happens to be a girl in a poodle skirt from the 1950's...
At the moment Pearson prefers to:
1. Watch I Love Lucy during lunch every day. Lucy is literally how I get her to eat (i.e. "Take another bite or I'm turning Lucy off..."). She laughs SO hard at Lucy's antics. Like Belly laughs. It's to die.
2. Requests ONLY and by only, I mean ONLY Dean Martin classics in the car. Mambo Italiano and Sway are her favorite by far. She actually sings the lyrics to them. Considering suggesting this as her signature wedding song in the future...
and 3. Would above all else prefer to bake a cake with momi for any occasion or no occasion. She insists on wearing her black poka-dot apron to do so.
Ahh, Miss Pea, you are delicious.

Simple Pleasures

Yesterday I ran into an old friend at Target; a lady I used to work with when I was in college. She is beautiful and real and hilarious. We chatted for about 20 min. I had lost touch with her and when we met again it was like no time had passed except for now I have two kids and she has a 14 year old! Double take, say what?! Anyway, it got me thinking about simpler times, simpler conversations, and simpler joys. After some pondering; I think I may have lost touch with more than just a girlfriend: I have lost touch with a certain "lightness" my spirit used to have. Granted, I have more responsibility now and life weighs heavier in certain ways (the economy anyone?), but I do not think that has to mean we let go the simple things that make us smile.
On that topic Ty and I had a funny conversation about childhood last night that has me determined to search out a lighter attitude, find the humor, and pursue projects and relationships I'm passionate about. I feel the need to let all the other negative ish fall to the wayside. Speaking of: on a lighter note, per our conversation I found out that my brother-in-law Casey used to carry around a stop watch at all times in elementary school because he never knew when he would have to "time" something. I laughed fairly hard about this because if you know him, he is the perfect coach. I knew this one, but Ty used to research birds so if he spotted one he could tell whoever was in earshot exactly what species it was. This is also perfect because he pursues knowledge, researches everything, and likes to see the entire layout of something, anything first before diving in. My sister loves to bake; my guess is she likes the process of it and it's a way to show her love.
What does this tell us? There are hints, clues, holy spirit nudgings which let us know how God has uniquely created us. I plan to follow these clues...to pursue who I am and how I was made.
Buckle up. Game on. Come with me...

Like Pigs Lead...

You know where this is going... BNK killed today! Final score: 49-6. Ouch, oh yeah and p.s. we won by this much against the Saints, who actually gave BNK a run for their money at the championship last year...hmmm. Anyway, since the victory was sealed; attention was diverted to number one: Die hard fan Mike Lomardo rowing his BARGE to the football field from his house across the lake. He rose up out of the water like swamp-thing and the Saints were definitely intimidated. I am sure we were lucky he was wearing a shirt, which is not always a guarantee. And number two: see below; this holy mess (holy mess could also be a descriptor for the way the SAINTS played today-pun intended.)

Our backs were turned and this is the result of our inattention; making "Chocolate Milk Soup" with mud. ugh. What a clean-up that was...
That said, the sun was out and it was a beautiful day, here's my favorite shot:

Opening Kickoff

Saturday marked the start of FLAG football! Bad Newz Kennels started off the season fresh with a key trade and a 14-zip jamboree win. Let's just get this out of the way: Big Al (and the Curtis Lang sponsorship) were traded for Mattie who was a member of the Tea Flaggers last year. Everyone seemed to think this trade was more than fair; except for maybe Big Al himself, who knows. That said, the showdown between BNK and TFers should be a doozy this year. Of course, just like last year; I'll be posting scores, game stats, and most importantly sideline observations. Go BNK!



All of the die hard fans were there (including and maybe limited to Mike Lombardo.)

The Bell girls were out in support of their dads (or maybe just jumping and playing with sticks in the woods near by...) Two things I'd like to mention:
1. The scratches on Pea's nose are courtesy of the first and certainly not last boy to chase her on the playgroud at school.
2. You can totally tell Andrea is in Arizona this weekend from what her girls are wearing in this picture. I'm sure she's looking at these thinking, "Casey, purple headband with red shirt?" I think these girls were lucky to show up dressed at all...

Sister(hood)

Favorite picture of the girls together recently...looks like they are throwing up gang signs:

Here are few of my other favs...let's celebrate sisterhood! I'm so happy you two have eachother...

Breakfast Club

"Pea"school

This is how Pearson says preschool, though I'm sure it's not because this three year old thinks this institution was created specifically for her (wink..;)
Today is a landmark day! This morning my first born entered the world of formal education, I could not be prouder or little less than nostalgic as this moment. It was a hectic morning, one I'm not proud of. My hair looked like I stuck my butter knife into the toaster, Harper is teething, and to get these shots below I had to bribe Pearson with jelly beans. While this deal was going down I was rushing around and knocked her in the head with the car seat while at the same moment catching projectile vomit from babe H. We were a mess literally and figuratively. That said, we made it to Pea's first day of classes and she had a great time! I love my Pea pod and am so excited for her to make this transition. Congrats Pearson on your first day of school!





By the end of the intense picture session these were my favorite two; one where she completely hides her face and the second: a PREVIEW of the face I'm sure to see often when Pea is a teen...

Going, Going...

Back, Back, To Cali, Cali...
Cali is where we went this past Labor Day weekend to visit friends and enjoy some sweet summer sun (the last of it I am thinking we'll get before fall). Our main reason for going was to meet this cutie:

Baby Malin!
She's the newest addition to the Stone family; our good friends who recently moved back home to Walnut Creek near San Fran (where Denise is from...). Garrett is Tyler's bestie (and though he is cringing as I type that word, it's beyond the truth) and he was SO happy to play catch up and get some BFF time in (second cringe). We did not take Pea, though we missed her enormously, it was fun to just be with Babe H. Tyler and I both felt it was much needed bonding time, since mostly Harper bonds with her Bumbo chair and gets kisses from Momi intermittently. Here is Harp on her first plane ride (fortunately she slept the entire flight to and from; a blessing indeed...)

After we arrived we took some pictures of the little babes together here are two of my favorite:


While we on the subject of the babes: Nicole, Denise's sister plays for the AVP and is sponsored by Underamour; in honor of her, here are babe H and babe M posing as the hottest new Underamour models (I think they have a bright future):


While there, we also saw our good friend Josh and his GF Ashley, which was a FUN time. We watched the Huskies blow it. We ate at the Yogurt Castle. We took a dip in the pool. We checked out Berkley where I got called out by a political street corner clown for wearing my peace sign earrings. There was good conversation, REALLY unbelievable food (that fried chicken sandwich in Berkley could have been a whole other post all by itself...), but most of all good time spent with loved ones...