Luda Time

because sometimes... its not always about the Benjamin.... even though Benjamin gets to come along...

First day of classes = a Monday.

I've never been anxious for school to start. I show up to class, usually unshowered... I never purchase my books until we actually Need them for an assignment (there have been too many instances where I have purchased but never used them... wtf!). I've never worried about my schedule. Never knew Where my classes were until the 5 minutes before when I had to walk there. I generally don't even know when school starts... sometime in august... i'm sure Someone will tell me the exact day. And i most Certainly havent ever had to coordinate my schedule with someone else - let alone someone else who also generally has no clue when classes start.

Of all things in our lives that Benjamin has brought upon change - this first day of class is certainly proving to be one of the most difficult/extreme. Jared has recently even agreed to share google calendars and has been using it!! and for those of you who have never known jared to show up to a place even within an hour of the requested time.... he has become punctual. That is extreme.

Despite our best organizational efforts... the first day of school has proved to be a ...Monday.

-The appetite on our alarm clock (benjamin) seems to have been tampered with from the schedule shift of this past weekend.

-I would have gone to the wrong classroom if it weren't for Brooke registering for the same class at 7pm the night before.

-I managed to lock myself out of the house.

-and when called on in my art history class today... my toolbox answer to the question "so about what year do you think 'modern american art to 1945' begins?" was "uuuh... I dont know? I guess uuuh when... modern things started happening?" ................. . . . . . idiot.

However! The one saving grace of today had nothing to do with school. ...While at Caribou in the afternoon...I heard benjamin's butt start to explode... but don't worry, I held onto his back right at the top of the diaper to trap it in... well played, self. well played. there was a Lot....and was truly the triumph of an entire day.

baby jared?? ooor gas station robber?

uuuh

i got a little bored and tried to see if ben would look more like jared with some facial hair and baldness............. . . . . . .

welll... uuum... yeah.

We'll miss you Maria!

One of the things about college is that it is a 'phase' in life. We come to this strange new place... for an education and maybe some independence and we also create a new sort of 'family' if you will (apparently Jared and I took that too literally...). Unfortunately there comes a time when the education has been completed and the real world calls (or grad school...). The past few years, friends/family!, really good good Good friends have come and gone. And though now and then they return... I would like to propose that instead of them always leaving, we just live in a village together... maybe a village of airstream trailers....

This past weekend, our good friend miss Maria packed up her things and headed to UofIllinois for grad school. Now, the good thing (from my selfish perspective) is that her family lives here in Ames, so of Course she'll be back!!! bwahahaha! But it really makes me wish that maybe I had spent more time at home when we were roomates. Makes me wish we had twice as many coffee/work dates as we did (errr except we'd be broke and the coffee shops in town would probably cover up all of their computer outlets to get rid of us), 3x as many trips to Dairy Queen, a few more backyard campfires, etc. etc. Anyway, miss maria... you'll be one we'll truly miss... especially when I am bored and/or hungry.

If we did all have an airstream village, I think maria would be the... over-caffeinated narcoleptic who paints things... every village needs one of those.

Now... realizing how much I value 'quality time' with my close friends, I think I should try calling one or two of them and get some time in. ...because before we know it, either they'll be on the road again or we will.

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And since we've been behind on pictures...enjoy!

WE LOVE BENJAMIN and bike MS

It shouldn't surprise you that Benjamin's smiles occur more and more every single day... and dang they're good smiles - consider his parents!!!

We are loving Every moment of those little smiles and half laughs... ah geez they're great. Especially when they come at appropriate times like when I say to Jared "oh my, I'm going to be in trouble when all you boys (including Luda) start understanding jokes and such and... start ganging up on me!" ***insert perfectly timed Benjamin laugh here***

Ooooh its so fantastic.

I love this kid SO much.... I would sell every single bicycle, bicycle accessory, tool and clothing article if I had to... and that says a LOT.

Speaking of giving up bicycling things... we haven't given up. In fact, Jared has become addicted as well now and has found himself a FREE frame toady entirely worth turning into a fixed gear. The sanding down has begun and the rustoleum spray paint has been purchased (green and orange of course)! Progress of this project will be photographed and posted shortly....

Our most recent focus however is on this year's MS Ride.

I started doing it a few years ago when a friend suggested I join the movement. He ended up being really sick that year so at 6am I trekked down to Des Moines to depart on a 7am bike ride... and though it was only 75miles that day, of course I did the century loop! ...Anyway, I have been hooked ever since, doing the century loops saturday and 75 miles Sunday... riding along for no better reason than because it is a TON of fun and it is for a good cause. (plus I've joined Team Road Hard and they're extra Extra fun!!)

This year... I have convinced not only Jared to join, but also Brooke!!! That's right friends, my buddy Brooke who has a 2 year old and who has not ridden more than 40 miles in a day will be doing two 75 mile days (100 if she joins us on the century!!...).

Anyway... all that said, part of the ride is collecting donations to support the research to fight Multiple Sclerosis. So if you have the time/extra funds to slip even $5 (more is obviously welcomed!!) toward the movement and toward our ride, please do so HERE.

If not, a "good luck" may also be in order as... Brooke has ridden 40miles in a day, but Jared has never ridden more than 20!!!

The link above is for my donation page thinger - but if you'd rather support Jared go here!!

Mom Pants and a Bicycle Race

One of my greatest fears of parenting... is becoming really "mom" looking! To some people that just means looking grown-up maybe... or "mature" or something... but in my head i see:

the MOM pants!
I promise Benjamin, I will never give in to Mom pants!

There was a time back in January when the school semester was just under way. And at that point, it had finally come out that I was going to have a kid. The first reaction from a peer was (It was Becky...so for those of you who know her, insert voice over)

"wooow, really? You don't really seem like the....'mom' type..."

It would be easy to be offended by something like that, but I think both Jared and I say "whew! Good!"

I still have no idea what it Really means to Look like a "mom" according to society. But what I do know is that... even though I've only been a mom for a few months, I've already done a bike race, gone to a girls slumber party, crammed in some freelance work, and gone to Adventureland... without the kid!

Now, if i can just stay away from the mom pants, i'll be Fine!

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Speaking of the bike race! It was tons of fun. I was out riding the loop with Erin and Don last week...and while we were riding I was telling Erin she should do the race that would be the following weekend. She thought she was too slow though. Later that week, she says she IS going to do it! Yaaay!

For some reason that gave me confidence and I wanted to do it too! And we did! Yaaaaaay!! I got dropped from the pack way before I'm used to getting dropped (my chain fell off to the inside TWICE! ...sad), but dang it... I hung with the group of men and a spattering of women until about half way AND I didn't get last... I got second in our group to who else but "i'm too slow" Erin!!

The best part was that Benjamin and Jared were at the finish line waiting! :) They wanted to take pictures there... however about 5 miles from the finish line a MONSOON struck! Gusting winds and some downpouring rain made going down a hill around a curve and over a bridge at 40mph REALLY interesting. But those kids being at the finish line... made the whole getting dropped part not nearly as annoying or frustrating - because I knew that it was just for fun, and my other priorities were waiting for me at the top of the last climb.
zoom zoom!

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In other news, related to our oldest son.

Somewhere between Benjamin being born and last night... LUDA CAN SWIM!!!

We threw him sticks waaay out into the water and it wasn't just a ...*hesitate, hop over some water and pray I float* action out of Luda, no no... he was SWIMMING!!! yaaay Luda!! We're so proud of him. What a big boy... bout time his

We don't have much to blog about these days... We have been really just trying to squeeeeze everything in in our lives that has been happening. Whew!

Benjamin is doing great! He's playing with computer cords already, under supervision of course.

And giving us blank stares of "what on earth are you doing to me?"

We have figured out that from 8-9pm it is his witching hour. ...by that I mean... it is his time to scream. He's great during the day - smiiiiles for miiiles generally. But then night time comes along and he gets So mad about how tired he is (understandable) and he lets us know. Its okay, I still love the guy. We're figuring out ways to deal with it. The latest method is taking rotations with him... 15 minutes each, so we don't lose our minds. It is working quite well so far!

In generally, we have also been doing a good job of figuring out ways to not lose our minds. Just this past week(end) Jared made it to some Brawl and band practice with his boyfriends and I had a slumber party with ma girlfriends.It feels SO great to have some no-Ben time... That pressure/responsibility lifted for a few hours. As much as I cherish time with the little guy, it feels great to socialize again!!! :)

Oh, and I got to do a bike race, too! we'll post those pictures next time!

When I think Abooout You I Talk to Myself

first, Dear Anand,

This is a Burley:

Benjamin's been enjoying rides almost daily. Our most recent adventure was with Brooke and Logan. Brooke let Logan have a water bottle during the ride and... errr at the end of our ride, about 6 blocks from the house, Logan spewed in his burley... ewwww.

Fortunately Logan LOVES little Benjamin and hung out in his diaper until Brooke could cruise home, grab clean clothes and their car... Double fortunately we have SpongeBob season 1 and 2 dvd sets (...don't ask why...) so Logan was Totally occupied and hardly knew his mom was even gone.

But today's post isn't really about that... It's about what I noticed while driving around with Benjamin.

.....Finally....

Finally... it is ENTIRELY socially acceptable for me to talk to myself!!!!!!

Why?

Because 'talking to benjamin' isn't talking to myself, nooo, it is enhancing Ben's language skills! Brilliant! I can now walk to the park and hold an ENTIRE conversation with MYSELF. ...err with Benjamin. "What did you do today Benjamin? Oooh you had fun with your mom? That's fantastic!" It is the greatest self esteem boosting conversation. In some cases, it is more awkward to Not talk to Ben than to do it. Pumping gas for example. It is always a somewhat awkward/boring event when you're alone... standing there, waiting for the tank to fill... oooh but if there is someone else to talk to... problem solved!

The best part, is that ...it isn't only socially acceptable to talk TO him, it is acceptable to assume/pretend he Actually answered and continue on with the conversation........ If someone were to be walking down the street without a child, and talking to herself, we would automatically assume there was a break-out from the looney bin.... Put a melon-headed, pooping, spitting up, eating machine in her arms and she's Fine!

I hereby conclude that the real reason people have babies: to talk to themselves.

I'm sure glad to have Benjamin around... I think the neighborhood thought I was a bit weird as much as I talked to Luda on our walks.

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Do you like your swing, Benjamin?

Yeah? awww aren't those little lions cute! Look, there's a lion and an orange elephant and... some other animal that I can't figure out! Should Mom play nintendo now that you are occupied? Or get some work done?

Oh!? Nintendo? Well... i suppose, only because you told me to. ;)