End of summer adventures

I have some catching up to do so I am going to lump several adventures into one post.
Back in August we went up to Townsend for a day and Ben loved showing off his new skills from swimming lessons.

 Jimmy even got in on the action in his special floating sphere.

 Doodoo busted out the hobie cat for a sail.

 A Dirty Dancing lift fail.

 Martin and Aaron out for a spin on the yacht.

 The next day wasn't nearly as nice, but we still enjoyed the views.

We went to the State Fair on the record attendance day.  I am not kidding.  Here.Here

 252,000 people were there that day.  I had huge plans for the carnival section and cheese curds and fried pickels but by lunch time navigating the double stroller was near impossible so we bailed.  We succesfully visited a little farm section for the kids and got a PonchoPup and Chocolate covered key lime pie on a stick.  Martin is already saying he is going to take a half day so we never have to go on a weekend again.

We went to Blue Heron Days in Lino Lakes which was Ben and Jimmy's first parade. He hasn't too sure to begin with at the parade, but once he realized that with a wave and a cute smile you could get candy he was loving it.

 We got cheese curds and corn dogs for lunch.  The food of champions.

 Jimmy was just having fun sitting in a new location.

 That bucket of candy was Ben's.  He wouldn't sit in the car without his bucket.  Let's backtrack.  The last float was Target and they were throwing out items from their dollar section.  Amazing. Bucket was a useful acquisition. 

 Then we got to our destination, I thought he had been sleeping.  Nope.  He was unwrapping every single sucker he had gotten and was simultaneously eating them all.

We went to Taylor's Falls and St. Croix Falls and visited Fawn-Doe-Rosa.

 Ben liked all the animals except the llamas.  He was not a fan of the llamas.  Martin was though, so he gets the llama picture. 

 Ben even suffured through a pony ride.  And yelled YeeHaw about 12 times.  He is adorable.

 He didn't get spat at or bitten once.  He wasn't chased by geese and I didn't see any ticks or mangy looking animals to infect him.  There were handwashing stations and no poop was snuck into the car on a shoe.  By far the most successful petting zoo experience I have ever been part of.  And I got to pet a skunk.

And with this we bid the summer of 2014 adieu.

9 months old and counting

Well he's 9 months old (and a half by the time I got to writing this) and crawling and pulling to a stand and forgetting to hold on sometimes which for a second appears as if he is just standing there.  He is eating three solid meals a day plus 15 a night.  Not really.  Makes hilarious sounds - part dolphin part pterydactyl part elephant.  Weird  child.  Is freakishly strong.  Loves his mama and can take or leave most anyone else.  Loves to play with balls and dances like a mad man to music.  Is officially too big for his jumper (25lbs which is like 98th percentile)
and falling off the scales height wise (28 inches) only in the 67th percentile.  His head is huge like his weight.  He has come down with his last ear infection and after needing Augmentin to clear it we have decided to pull the trigger and go with the recommendation for ear tubes.  That comes in September.  Seems like many people's kids have had it but I am not looking forward to the general anesthesia. 

His personality is starting to show, he is very determined and gets very frustrated if you try to stop him from what he is doing.  It is funny now but I can see trouble in our future.  Luckily he wakes up happy and is happy unless he isn't.  He snaps out of it though.  And can cheer up his brother.  And can take getting sat on and pinched and pushed over by his brother like a charm, no drama there on his end.  But if he should flail and hit Ben watch out.
And these are his skills now, clapping and mimicking.

Speaking of Milestones. . .guess who is pacifier free and in a toddler bed

So I am really really slacking here but Ben has been taking some leaps and bounds in terms of growing up.  I have been ready to have him give up his pacifier for some time now but he and his daddy were not.  I mentally prepared him starting 10 days in advance that once it was August he wouldn't get his pepe anymore to sleep.  Every day I shortened the count down.  Then it was August 1 and we headed to Green Bay for the Family Night at Lambeau but I was sticking to it and that was when he was giving it up.  We were prepared for drama and screaming and no sleeping, this is Ben we are talking about.  But it ended up being mostly a non-event.  We had a box of toys from rummage sales this summer and the first week every morning he got a new action figure or something and he gave them up no problem.
Oh and we lost dirty doggy. Two weeks ago.  He has been tolerating a new doggy but it isn't the same at all but he isn't up nights toiling over it.  At last that dirty thing is gone.  It hasn't turned up either.  Where did it go?! We have no clue.  It hasn't shown up yet.
He has been pepe free at daycare for months now so I guess we could have figured it would have gone as easy but you never know.  Since that went so well we decided to transition him out of the crib as well.  Nana got him a toddler bed to sleep in in Clintonville and he LOVED it.  We have the darn convertible crib and since we pulled the trigger and got Jimmy a separate one we might as well take advantage.  Lo and behold, Ben is no longer in a crib.  But he has it in his head he is a "big boy" now so napping has gone by the wayside.  HE sleeps at night no problem and still calls for us in the morning to get him up and out of it, he won't get out on his own unless it is nap time.  Success.

Potty training.  Not so much.  We have had bags of M&Ms sitting in the bathroom for months now as incentinve, bribing him with toys and treats and adventures but the kid is not interested in going  to the bathroom in the toilet.  Word on the street is that no kindergartners show up to school their first day in diapers so it will happen before then.  Here's hoping.
Because Jimmy has dominated posts here I thought I'd add a Ben montage..

 This flower is the first flower that Ben has picked for me.  Sooooooooo sweet.

 He is obsessed with his daddy. 

 Loves to help in the garden, especially picking tomatoes.  Don't let him see a tomato plant or he will pick every last one or sit and stare at them until they ripen.  Literally, can't get him in the house.

 I can't take credit for this last one, my neighbor took this of the kiddos and her dog Mocha playing in our back yard.  But it actually captures a Ben smile which I am seeing is rather elusive.