The Benson Boys

The Benson Boys
A glimpse into the lives of our three boys (one big guy and two little guys)

Friday, February 25, 2011

These monkeys have been "in the zone" today. Now, I am guessing you may need to be their mom or dad, or spend a great deal of time with them to really appreciate "the zone". The zone is basically when they get along beautifully for a chunk of time, while interacting and having fun together. It's a wonderful thing. We have a rule in our house that no one is to interact or make eye contact with them while they are in the zone, unless you are spoken directly to or asked a question. Reason being, the "the zone" is only a temporary thing and it will most likely just be a matter of minutes before an adult is needed to break up a wrestling or screaming match, but "the zone" is wonderful while it lasts. Despite another sick day stuck at home (well that is if you don't count the THREE hours we spent at the Minute Clinic getting the diagnosis of strep throat - the Minute Clinic really needs to rename themselvesl I think), Joel and Grant have been "in the zone" more than usual today. The day started with the pile-up of EVERY pillow in our entire house, which they called their fort. I've watched them play cars, watch a movie, build rockets, color, play hide-and-seek, all the while getting along quite well today.




Wednesday, February 23, 2011

All Wet

Since we are home (yet again) for another sick day. (joel had a fever this morning, although he appears to be pefectly fine today). We decided a day stuck at home called for a bath in the BIG bathtub.


Last Week - what we were up to

Wow, what have we been up to the last week. We have spent most of the last week at home, as Grant first had croop and then ended up with strep by the end of the week:( A week ago Saturday, before all the sickness started... Grant was thrilled to that Mitchell got to take him in the water at his swimming lesson. (And I was quite thrilled too actually:), for those of you who know how much I love swimming...
sick day #1. Grant, a little under the weather, but with 40 plus degrees outside, he still got to help Joel shovel off the porch!

(it was also pajama day, ALL day)

Lightning McQueen game with Dad on a sick night.
Sick day #2, another pajama day and some Football Guys.

Joel being silly, trying on Jeff's glasses :)
Grant coloring (I think one of the first times he is attempting to color inside the lines), hence the picture

Joel singing in church with his Sunday School class. He didn't sing, but when we asked him about it afterwards, he said he was "humming" because he was a "little scared"
Celebrating Nana's 59th birthday with her on Sunday. (don't mind the cake... it didn't exactly work out). However, it did taste delicious:)

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Letters

Once again, my printer is out of ink, from printing templates and activities off the internet... anything to try to get these boys (the eldest especially) to take a liking to letters, numbers, and just learning in general. I search and search for tips, tricks, and templates to print to help bring some fun to the learning. Like my flour in the pan idea, our cookies shaped like letters, our crackers with letters inprinted on them, etc, etc. I NEVER realized I would need to think about it this much... some of my friends tell me that they never really had to teach their kids letters or numbers, that they just kinda had "picked it up" by age 3 or 4... others tell me that their 3 or 4 year old's favorite thing to do it learning letters and numbers. And being a lover of school myself that seems like about how I THOUGHT it would go. Joel, however, definitely challenges me and has let me know that is not the way it will go around here. Now don't get me wrong, Joel does know some numbers and letters, but most of the time is not about to let me in on what he actually does know or not know or just tell me "not to talk about it". I just have to figure it out and keep trying. Here is the latest... letters that look like race tracks to drive cars on... it's amazing the things you can find on the internet:)






Sunday, February 6, 2011

Keeping busy, part II

You know it's cold and you're bored when you give you kids a cookie sheet full of flour to play with. Unfortunately, this didn't go over quite as well as I hoped. The plan was to practice writing letters in the flour with our fingers, but Joel had his own plans of making a pile and then knocking the pile down, repeat, repeat. Letters was not part of the plan. But... whatever, as I need to say quite often. He was tired of it after a few minutes and Grant...

really wanted nothing to do with it.

and today... watercolor coffee filter hearts. They did this for at least 15 minutes.. that's a success, right?...





very pretty in the window, don't you think!

And finally, the weather has warmed up this last couple of days. Joel got to go sledding today and loved it as usual. He is fearless and never complains trucking his sled up any hill.
Grant... still not much interest in sledding, but this little hill was perfect, with
a park for Grant to play at right at the bottom of the hill.