I don’t travel as much, which is a great thing, especially since it looks like more airlines are going to adopt the habit of charging passengers for luggage. When I traveled, it was really stressing, and I hated being away from home, especially since my son was born. My life was going from airport to airport, trying to remember what my hotel room number was.
However, there was one thing about traveling that really warmed my heart. Whenever a group of soldiers would be coming back (or leaving from duty), people in the airport would stand up and clap. The whole airport would be standing and applauding these men and women for risking our lives for the war. The soldiers would smile and wave, sometimes with tears in their eyes. It definitely is a sight to see! I may not agree with this war, but I do support the men and women who are fighting it.
Luckily, Budweiser created a commercial that conveys a little bit of how powerful that recognition can be.
….because I don’t remember, since 2 years ago, a little miracle came into our lives.
My little Benjamin turns 2 today, it’s hard to believe that he’s two whole years old. I know I don’t talk a lot about him on here, though I DO post a lot of pictures of him. He just keeps me so busy I don’t really have time to post things. I had planned on posting all sorts of milestones and cute, little quirky stories of him growing up, but those plans had the same outcome as all my other plans - out the window.
My life is very interesting now - not that it wasn’t interesting when I was single and traveling all over the country - but now it’s interesting in a very different kind of way. My days are completely full - if I’m not working, then I’m taking care of Ben. I rarely go out without Ben, and life has become more centered around my family and my home. I am constantly in wonder of this little person who has taken our lives hostage.
When I was pregnant with Ben, people gave all sorts of advice, to the point where I was like, “Yeah, ok, right”. But the thing is, in the end, they were all right. I would never had known it at the time or really fathomed what they were all talking about, but those common phrases that people said that really ring true for my life right now:
“They Grow Up So Fast!”
Man, Benjamin learns something new every day. It seems like just yesterday that he was crawling around on the floor and just spouting gibberish. Now he’s walking, running, climbing, jumping and he talks. Not full sentences, but enough that we understand what he’s asking for, like his favorite words - “Cookie!” “Ice Cream!” and “Cars!” It’s incredible to watch him grow up. The kid is a sponge, and his ability to figure things out is uncanny. It’s so cool to see his personality emerge - he’s a little mama’s boy, with a bratty temper, a love of music and dancing, who loves giving kisses and gives great baby hugs.
“It’s incredible how much you’ll love them”
I’m married, so I’ve got an idea of what love is. But the love I have for Ben is something completely different. It’s so strong, unconditional and easy. I love to watch him sleeping, to silently sit in awe, watching this being that I gave life to. This little bundle of energy that adores me and wants to spend every minute with me. I may have given him life, but he has made my life so much better.
“It’s the toughest job you’ll love”
It’s not all perfect. He sometimes has tantrums. I discovered that I became that mom whose kid throws himself on the ground when he didn’t get what he wants. Did you see a french fry fly in front of you in the restaurant? Yeah, that could have been my kid. The kid who doesn’t share at gymboree? Mine. The kid clapping and saying “Yay” after someone sings at a funeral? Yep, that one would be long to me. Who’s the kid that’s crawling all over me when I’m trying to get some late night work done? Ben. Even with all these little quirks, I love it. I love it all.
He’s only been here for 2 years, but it’s so hard to imagine my life without him. I can’t lie and say that I don’t sometimes envy the lives of the people I know who don’t have kids - there’s a freedom that you have that you no longer have once you become a parent. I can’t go out and party like I used to love doing. Can’t stay up all night playing video games. All vacations have to be planned, no more spur of the moment trips. But that’s all right. I’m perfectly happy hanging out at home with my family, having Ben jump around on the bed or watching him watch his favorite movies.
So happy birthday, my little boy. You are loved by so many people, and you have brought such a joy to our lives that I can’t even put it into words.
Here’s a look at the last year of Ben’s life - it’s a little sloppy since I’ve been swamped, but it’s the thought that counts:
I know it’s a little late, but it’s been a busy couple of last days. Anyway, here’s my mini game and ad recap from this year’s Superbowl.
All along I’ve been rooting on the Giants. I’ve been cheering on anyone to beat the Patriots. Ever since I was a little girl and the Patriots played the Bears in the Super Bowl, I’ve felt a little animosity towards them. Even more so this year, for several reasons:
1) CHEATERS! I really don’t have to say much else.
2) I don’t like Bill Belichick. Rubs me the wrong way. More on that later
3) I can’t stand Tom Brady’s hair. There’s just something about it. I used to think he was good looking, but after he broke up with Bridget Moynahan (who later announced she was pregnant) and started appearing with Giselle Bundchen soon after (who I do like) he was no longer attractive to me.
So this year, I was all about the New York Giants. To me, they were treated the way the Bears were treated - no respect, their quarterback always under question, playing against a team that “deserved” to win, etc. So I had a soft spot for them.
For such a low scoring game, it was pretty exciting! How I enjoyed watching Brady make incomplete passes, snapping at his teammates, lying flat on his back after getting sacked. Randy Moss was catchless for a good part of the first half. It seemed like things were going great for the Jets, but there was always that looming dread, the knowledge that, as much as I didn’t like them, the Patriots were arguably the best team in the history of the NFL. Then the Patriots scored their touchdown. As the game wore on it was obvious that the Patriots were a little off, and that Eli Manning was playing the game of his life.
By the time the fourth quarter came and almost went, the Patriots were winning. The Giants had the ball with a little more than two minutes left in the game and my stomach was heavy, my mind thinking “Can they do this? Can we break the Patriots?”
Then the magic happened. In a play where it looked like Eli was going to get taken down, where he was smothered by the Pats’ defense, he was able to wriggle away and toss an improbable pass to David Tyree.
The clock was ticking, there was too much time wasted in between plays. “Stop the clock! Stop the clock!” I kept on screaming in my head. The Jets were knocking on the door of killing the Patriot’s season. Then Manning threw a beautiful pass to a very open Plaxico Burris (I always think of fish tanks when I think of his name). Whoo hoo! Brady still had a little less than 30 seconds to take history back, but it just didn’t work out that way.
Then with one second left, Belichick comes across the field, waving off the refs as they tried to tell them that the game wasn’t finished yet, shaking Tom Coughlin’s hand then running off the field, not staying to watch his defense finish out the game on the field. In a way, he stole that one second from New York’s victory, by not giving them the respect to stay for the whole game.
But hey, with that aside, it was an awesome game. The last 2 minutes were amazing! It was fun to see New England fall apart and to not see Eli Manning crack under the pressure. Big brother was in the stands, but the night was his!
Now for the commercials - to me, they were just “so-so” this year. Nothing really wowed me or had me laugh uncontrollably (like the running of the squirrels or boyfriend with knife spills spaghetti sauce on kitty of years before). But here are my faves from the night:
Tide Screaming Stain. I admit, I stare.
E*Trade Baby - there’s another one, but I like the one with the clown better.
Saw this on perezhilton.com the other day. Sometimes I forget that Posh Spice was a singer, rather than someone I always see splashed on the internet gossip sites and supermarket checkout mags. But even when she was with the Spice Girls, I don’t really remember her standing out as much as the other girls or thinking “Damn, that girl can sing!” To me, she was the eye candy of the group.
Anyway, I was curious to see this acoustic performance of hers. Because I know that one thing makes or breaks a performer - if they can sing live without all the background distractions. After watching this video, I’ve got a newfound respect for her. She’s got a great voice, though it isn’t Christina Aguilera strong, it’s sweet. The other thing that impressed me is that she always looks so serious and blah when she’s photographed, but it’s obvious in this video that she loves singing - she’s actually smiling and NOT posing!
Anyway, give the video a try - she does this weird rap thing for the first minute, but it gets better after that…
Don’t you hate it when a big trend comes up, or a song gets really popular and you’ve liked it way before it was “cool”? You want to tell people, “hey, I liked that WAY before it was popular” but you really can’t prove it…
Anyway, that “new”catchy iPod nano song, “1 2 3 4″ by Feist has been a video I’ve been enjoying for a while now in my late night/early morning work hours. First, it was a really catchy tune. Second, the video is disco-riffect. I love the video - the rainbow colors, the cheesy line dancing, the simplicity of it…
So, here’s the full video. It’s one of Ben’s favorite commercials - he always stops whatever he’s doing to watch it.
Hmm, I think I should start being a fan of Nickelback. I always seem to end up loving their music videos. Their music, not so much, but they always seem to have the coolest videos.
Here’s their latest, “Rockstar” which features several of my favorite things - people lipsynching, Eliza Dushku, Nellie Furtado, Chuck Lidell (and other celebrity cameos) and a lot of shots of Chicago - though it’s shots of Chicago (and other cities) that aren’t normally shown in videos.
I liked Rihanna’s song “Umbrella” the first time I heard it, but after the 4000th time on the radio, I’ve gotten a little sick of it. What turns me off even more? The remake that makes it a duet between Rihanna and some dude saying “Cinderella” instead of “Umbrella”. Ugh!
But I came across this little gem, sung by Mandy Moore. I love Mandy - she’s the winner of my “Pop Princess Showdown”. Britney Spears is a mess, Jessica Simpson is a floozy, and Christina Aguilera had a period of skankiness. Mandy’s the only one who hasn’t let it all get to her head, and she has become a great actress (have you seen “Saved”?) and just came out with what seems to be a more mature album. Her rendition of “Umbrella” is awesome…it’s good stuff!
I think it’s been a while since I’ve done a Ben update! Here’s his achievements as of late:
He loves to chill out in his chair that he got last christmas. He’ll often sit in it with one leg over the arm.
He’s an outdoor guy - always wants to go outside and wander around and explore
He walks, he runs, he can go up stairs and down stairs all by himself. Often he wants to be like the big people and take the steps one at a time, but after a couple falls, he’s realized that his legs just can’t do it.
He adores the show “Caillou”, about a four year old boy and his household adventures. Of course, he’s a big fan of anything Elmo on TV. He dances to Elmo’s theme song anytime it shows up on the television
For some reason, Ben stops whatever he’s doing when he hears the M&M’s commercial music
He is a handful at church. He loves to walk around in the back of the church and touch things, or talk to people. The other day he found one of the offertory baskets (the ones they collect money in) and he was carrying it around as if he was getting money from people.
He isn’t talking too much, but he’s trying. His “almost” words include - Elmo, fish, bubbles, papa, mama, thank you, cheese, cheerios, diaper, and i’m sure there are others that I can’t figure out…
He’s learned how to shake his head no. “No” when we’re trying to bring him back inside after playing. “No” when he doesn’t want to eat anymore. “No” when someone he doesn’t know is trying to carry him. “No” when we’re trying to get him out of the bathtub. I’m waiting for him to figure out “Yes”, though I think it’s going to be a while!
He’s sleeping through the night but……he’s still sleeping with us. I blame myself and my need for my little teddy bear.
Hmm, I’m sure he’s doing a ton more stuff that I haven’t listed….if you ask questions about his progress, it might make it easier to say what’s going on with him…
He’s become a mischievous little guy, giving his beautiful eyes look every time he knows he’s doing something he’ll get in trouble for. He loves to laugh and play, but he also makes sure that he gets what he wants. My baby’s spoiled! But he’s my baby, so I still love ‘im.
