junie

She's two and a half, and throws tantrums like you wouldn't believe, but I'm still so in love. She's talking a lot more now and says the funniest things. We're always laughing. I was singing at dinner last night (we do a lot of that in our home) and she says, "Stop singing mom. That's my song." Everything is hers, apparently. And she likes lettuce! I'm so happy! This kid has always been more into fruits and veggies than the other two, but I didn't realize she would eat a raw piece of lettuce.., and keep going. She ate a whole dry salad yesterday. I was so happy I almost cried.

Cole's growing. Noticed that he's outgrown 4 pairs of his pants. Can't believe he's in his 8th year! And he already acts like a stinky teenager sometimes (meaning, I'm not the center of his world....sad.)
Dayne trying to desribe a girl in the gym daycare to me:
"Mom, she's like a big girl"
me: "Oh, that's nice"
Dayne: "No, like a big woman."
me: "Is she an older woman, Dayne?"
Dayne: "No, like a bigger woman girl"
Finally, Cole: "Mom, she's like an 11 or 12 yr. old".
Me: "Oh, like a teenager?"
Them: "No!"

I'm not very good at helping my kids express themselves. It's always been a challenge for me too, kids. Sorry.

The girls joined Geof. and I on a "date" to do one of Geof.'s appraisal appts down in Emporia, VA. It was a little over an hour and a half south of us close to the N. Carolina border. I've never been to N. Carolina. Always wanted to go. At one point, I wanted to live there. Anyway, the house was absolutely perfect. Big porch, back porch, hardwood floors, huge windows, backed up to a park. Perfect. And only $78,000. I want that house. Geof. says you can have the greatest house, but it won't change the neighborhood. Yes, it was a bad neighborhood. And, a tiny town with little to no industry. sad.

2.22.02

What to say? I'm still very happy that I married Geof. We didn't know each other at all when we got married--at all!! He read me his journal entry this morning of the day we were married, and we both laughed at how naive we were. So naive! It's funny, but also sad. Wish we'd played more. Wish I wasn't so dang stubborn and insisted on living in CA. and making Geof. move out there. Wish I'd moved out to Utah, started school, actually "dated" Geof. We can only look forward. I love him more today than I did the day we were married. Much more. He is my home. I adore you, Geof. I really do.

Do you wanna dancE?

Bennett girls are always dancing. And don't forget to read the other two posts I posted this morning! Phew..

Geof's bday is coming up (on St. Patty's Day) and Cole was telling me how much he does NOT appreciate us always making the same thing for his bday treat: Peach Cobbler. Maybe we should think more about what Cole wants next time Geof.'s bday rolls around?

Ready for Spring

Yesterday was a little warmer than our last few months of FREEZING have been. I think it might have even reached 50. Oh, heaven. I insisted Cole go outside and play on the tramp with Dayne after school. He threw quite the fit, "It's too cold!! I don't wanna go out!". Wow. I guess we've really had a crummy winter if it's messed with my seven year old (BOY!) psyche that much.

I still made him go out.

I need to remind myself more often, that when the girls are getting whiny and following me around the house (due to boredom), to turn the music on! As soon as I did this, they ran to their rooms and changed into ballerina outfits. Too cute. Don't mind my tacky house and especially the playroom furnishings. Oh, and the mess. I could say it's because I'm hobbling around with this bad knee still, but it always gets like that in the course of a day's activities.

Dayne's been saying the funniest stuff lately!! And I always forget to post it. I actually wrote down what she said in the van yesterday so I wouldn't forget. We've been talking about Kindergarten a lot (mostly because I still can't BELIEVE she's turning 5 in 2 1/2 short months!!) and Dayne either gets really excited, or plays as if she hates Kindergarten. Yesterday when discussing her starting in 6 months, she said, "I don't want to start Kindergarten, I only want to get married."...and then she thought about it a little bit, "The boys are gonna be teasing me and liking me a lot". Saying that last part brought a smile to her lips. ooh...I'm in for it.

I'm remembering more! A few weeks ago she was talking about getting married (again) and said, "I don't want to leave you guys. I wanna live here forever! I don't want to get married!". But after letting those words sink in, she came back with this, "But I do want to wear a beautiful white wedding dress."

Knee still hurts..., bad. Dang it!

Sleepy Sunday

We got back church today and Geof. left almost immediately to go pick up a brace for my knee (skiing injury..., I'll explain more later). June started crying instantly from mere exhaustion and hunger (thanks to 1-4 church!) and while I'm hobbling around the kitchen rummaging for food (this same knee injury preventing me from doing ANY food shopping this weekend. Thus, no food.), she passed out at the table. Poor little beebs. I know she's not a baby anymore, but look at those cheeks and lips. Still baby to me.
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Dayne is really quite sweet to June. June follows her around the house and if Dayne finds any toy to play with, beit stroller, baby doll, what have you, June insists it's hers and throws a fit until she gets it. No, I don't always give in to that kind of behavior, but when I'm desperate, I do. Actually, Dayne usually is the one to hand her what she wants before I even step in. She loves her little sister. During one of our snow days last week (when I was desperate for any idea to keep us entertained), we decided to paint toenails. Dayne had to be the one to do Junie's nails and June was very patient and still during the whole process (even with her toes freezing from our poorly heated home..yes, she WAS wearing tights, even!).

v>We went skiing on Friday with our friends/Geof.'s boss to a place about an hour and a half west of us in the rolling hills of Virginia. Beautiful, but I don't think I could ever call them mountains. Anyway, skiing went well, the terrain was a bit boring for the more experienced snowboarder Seth and skier Geof., however, Emily and I found it to be a perfect challenge. Anyway, at one point, Emily and I went down together to give Geof. and Seth some time to enjoy themselves more, and since it was later in the day, and the wind was picking up, the sun was going down, the snow was a lot icier/crunchier than it had previously been. I picked up way too much speed at the end of this particular run (and we were so close to the bottom!!), when I hit a patch of ice and lost control. I knew immediately that it was going to be a bad fall. I even closed my eyes. My right knee in particular has always given me a bit of trouble being that it's always been a little off and not competely "straight" (those are all medical terms, trust me), and this same knee got the worst of it. It twisted and turned to a point of excruciating pain and when I landed I literally starting crying out, "oh! oh!". Emily was farther up the mountain and didn't see me fall (thankfully?), but a bunch of other skiers stopped and I begged one guy to undo my skis since the weight of 'em wasn't giving me the relief I needed.

Emily arrived and we got ski patrol down there, who within 15 minutes (not fast enough!) zoomed me, on a rather bumpy ride up the mountain. We haven't gone to the hospital beause fortunately we have a friend who is an orthopedic surgeon and came to look at it the next morning. He said there was not much they could do (xray wise) until the swelling went down, anyway. I have crutches and a knee brace and am hoping (!!) that it won't require surgery and phyisical therapy. Oh, please no!!

What perfect timing for Valentine's Day weekend, right? I was so weepy the last few days. Geof. is my angel! He really is. He's done everything around here--not just these last few days, either. He's done way more then he should have to and I can't be grateful enough. We had our Valentine's dinner last night (just spaghetti since there was nothing else in the house)and I just sat there and cried when I taabout how much I loved Geof. Cole and Dayne laughed uncomfortably, but Geof. just stared at me with a little water in his eyes, too. Sweet man.

now

It's been hard to think of anything new to blog about. It's still snowing (on and off), and that's weird for Richmond. It's beautiful, but everything stops when it snows. Literally. Even Geof. and I don't know what to do with ourselves...as if we've never lived in a place that snows. We did get out tonight to take the kids swimming at the Y. Boy, do we love our YMCA membership. It only cost us $3 more to join every Y in Richmond--wonderful. I don't know what we would of done to pass the time this winter if it weren't for our gym pass. Geof. takes the kids there every Tues/Thurs night while I go to my math class and I pick them up on my way home. Perfect. I can't stop dreaming about a beach vacation, though. And then I think about the millions of people who are suffering--in every condition you can think of (be it emotionally, economically, whatever..) and I feel down right cruel. Speaking of cruel, Dayne and June love singing, "Cruella Deville". They sing all the time, in fact. I do love that they sing, however, June sings during family night, family prayers, serious mommy/daddy talking to kids time, reading books. It's almost like she knows that's the time to sit still and listen, yet thinks singing as loud as she can is okay to all of us. Which I guess it is since she gets away with it. To think I had a newborn with the other two when they were her age. No baby urges right now. Still in survival mode. Don't like that I'm almost ALWAYS in the mode. What's wrong with me? Geof. and I took a suunto spin class at the gym the other day and Geof. couldn't believe how high my heart rate was compared to everyone else. Should I worry? Probably. I think I need to focus on my breathing, medicating, maybe do some calming (yoga?) exercises.
Or I can just dream about that beach vacation a little more...
To be warm again!!

dayne

I had to sneak up on her to get this video. Absolutely hysterical! This girl! What do you think? Too much pop music on our

drives? Not enough time spent outdoors (thanks to the snow!)? Dayne's future looks bright..

dang it, it's sideways, again!