Three!

Let me preface this post by saying that this is an off-year.  As in I am taking this year off.  Not completely, but I am cutting myself some serious slack as I try to get back into the swing of things with 4 kids.  I’m not beating myself up for not putting up Halloween decorations, or taking pictures at Halloween, or not sending bread and cookies in for the bake sale at school.  I just keep telling myself next year I’ll do better.  Next year, I will post about birthdays when they happen.  At least in the same month.  Next year…

 

Anyways, Ben turned three in September.  When I asked what he wanted to do for his birthday, he said bowling and swimming.  Easy enough!  Us Chaplins love a good game of bowling.  Then we stopped by Wendy’s for some kids meals.  Can you find Waldo?No pictures of swimming (you’re welcome), but we did get some of him opening gifts.  Of all the awesome gifts he received his favorite was the whiffle softballs.  This kid loves his sports!  I absolutely love how expressive he is.  Cracks me up every day.  His next favorite thing was this ball.  He is so dang cute bouncing around the house on it.  Ben doesn’t love cake, so we made one out of ice cream sandwiches .  Super tasty.  Funny story about that candle there… When Ben turned 2, he took a bit out of his candle thinking it was candy.  So Carter thought it would be funny to see him do it again.  After a whole lot of encouragement from Carter and Samantha he ate almost the whole candle.  After which he threw it up.  Mike and I were pretty freaked out until we realized what he had eaten.  Older brothers are the best. This kid loves getting his picture taken.  I have to say I think he’s pretty good at it.  One thing he doesn’t love is clothes.  Mostly pants.  They are off as soon as he can get them off.  You know something is important to him when he will put on pants for it.  He loves making faces for the camera.  He loves making faces for anything, really.  He loves making people laugh.  So much that if he makes a face and you don’t laugh, he will tell you to laugh.  He will also tell you to say thank you after he does something nice for you.  “I held the door open for you, say thank you!”  I absolutely love these chubby little hands.  Why do they have go grow up?

He is such a fun, active little boy.  I have loved having him home with me as my little buddy while the other 2 have been in school.  He definitely adds his own brand of crazy to the family and we wouldn’t be the same without him!