Early birthday

Grandpa Curt and Grandma Jo came to visit this weekend and brought early birthday presents from family and friends. Granny thought Ben needed a barn to go with his nativity set. Now we have sheep from the Mid-East and the Mid-West.
Ben in his new Fila urban outfit. He's holding a block from a train set he got from Gale and Becky (I think).
These next two pictures show exactly what Ben was most excited about: paper and instructions. Below he's letting us know that we need to buy new batteries . . . lots and lots of new batteries.

Ben climbed our flight of stairs last week. He's not much for climbing down the stairs, but he likes the adventure.
Jules bought Ben a Playskool Little People Nativity set. He's taken a special liking to baby Jesus . . . and the camel.

Happy Halloween

For those of you who remember last year's halloween pictures, we thought we would continue the "pumpkin" theme. Ben wasn't much for the hat, but he liked his costume well enough. Walking while holding onto me is his latest achievement. Life is good. Enjoy the pics.

sleeping and standing

Ben stands now with regularity. He still holds on to furniture (and us), but we know we are just weeks away from walking.

World Series Game 3

Here are some random pics of my incredibly surreal trip to St. Louis for Game 3. My Uncle Jay called on Sunday and said that if I could make it to St. Louis on Tuesday, then I could have a ticket. Thanks to Aunt Kris and a generous Midwest pilot we know at church, I flew down Tuesday morning, walked around the city all day, and went to the game that night. It was great to see Daniel and Joy, too. My cousin's, Daniel, brick is right outside the stadium. The Buck family means a lot to them. Oh, our seats were 18 rows behind homeplate.

Both Julia and I had this toy when we were kids, so we thought Ben should have one, too. He just wants to eat the mallet.
We started swim lessons in September. Jules took this picture after his first lesson. He likes the water, but I feel like a fool singing, "The Wheels on the Bus go round and round" just so he can feel more comfortable.
People think it's rude to compare babies to puppies. Witness evidence A.
Evidence B: He crawled himself dizzy. This restful position usually lasts between 30 and 45 seconds.

Fall up Nort

Sorry for the delay in pictures. Here are a few. Our college friend Darin ran in the Milwaukee marathon last weekend. He ran a great race, and we had a great time showing him new things in Brew City. Darin bought Ben this rockin shirt. It was a hit at Daycare.
Now that Ben can sit up with ease, nap time is a bit of a nightmare. He yanks on the wood slats like he's in prison.
Yes, Ben is playing with detached page of the Bible. We call this picture, "the highlighter Christian." If he doesn't like what Jesus says, he just rips it out.

Labor Day Weekend

We spent Labor Day Weekend in Springfield. The week was packed with parties and family get-togethers: Kathy's 5oth, Julia's Great-Grandma Snodgrass' 90th, and small Wimberley reunion. I'll make sure the other side of the family is well represented in the next blog.
Ben met cousin Marcus--they played in Mema's brand new garden. Below is a picture of how the family tries to distract Ben from the fact that he's hungry and tired. They did a great job.
Aunt Tracy Ava was gracious to let Ben borrow some of Sam's toys. It's amazing how transfixed he is by these little people. He loves putting them in the bus and then taking them out quickly.

9 months

We went to the doctor today for Ben's 9 month check-up. At 21 pounds, it is obvious that he doesn't miss many meals. He's crawling now and starting to lift himself up. It's a lot of fun but certainly more work. The last picture is proof that the boy can flat wear himself out.

8 months old

Just a few random pictures of Benjamin Bear. We took him to the Ozaukee County fair last night to see pigs, cows, horses, rabbits, and roosters. Can't say he was too impressed, so we're headed to the Wisconsin State Fair today so he can have a Cream Puff and some fried cheese curds.

Unlike Nate, we saw a good movie last week. Monster House is worth your time--great animation with an interesting plot line.

not appropriate

For those of you who have not heard, my brother and Kim are expecting. Mom calls the little one "fritter." Ask her why. I can't believe Jules took a picture of this, but it is a welcome image for new parents. Check out Nate's blog for a more formal announcement.

Ben has two teeth now, and he is just days from crawling. Right now he rocks back and forth until his arms give out and he face-plants the floor. He's also sleeping with his butt stickin up into the air--strange and seemingly uncomfortable. Hopefully, we'll get some new pics up soon.

Carolina on my mind

We loved our little strolls to the beach. Ben enjoyed the wind in his hair, and Jules likes being near the ocean. It was a great vacation.
These are a few random pictures from our family trip to North and South Carolina. John, Kris, Nate, and Kim spent the week at Fun in the Son in Myrtle Beach, so mom, dad, Grandma, Grandpa, and the three of us met them for a few days of beach, seafood, and relaxation. The above picture was taken right outside our hotel next to a samll pond with a sign that read, "Beware of Alligator." A bit disheartening until we realize we'd probably have him outnumbered if he ever surfaced..
My great-uncle Charlie passed away two years ago. To pay homage to him, John and Kris bought Ben a kilt with the Mackenzie plaid. They found it in St.Andrews, Scotland last year. Dad thought Ben looked just like uncle Chas and asked him why he forgot his hat and newspaper.

No words can possibly do justice to how funny it was to play with Ben in the pool. He went underwater a few times, but the boat was certainly his favorite way to kick back on a lazy afternoon. This picture was taken right before a wave nearly knocked him over. Ben was not impressed with the salt water, but he did love the sand . . to eat, of course.

4th of July weekend

Grandpa Curt and Grandma Jo visited for the 4th of July weekend. We played golf, ate, stared at Ben, ate more, played with Ben more, and went to the Cedarburg parade.
Welcome to Wisconsin. This guy got a standing ovation for his lawn mower oddity. Although the brewery shut down years ago, PBR is a beautiful thing in the land o' cheese.
He looks a little like Spanky in the picture above, but below he's sporting his Kurt Rambis imitation.
Pick your favorite lyrical caption: "I wear my sunglasses at night" or "The future's so bright, I have to wear shades." We're already for our beach vacation next weekend.

Bubba Bear Chair

Almost 32 years ago, Mema was awarded this chair for her work with Tupperware. It's called the "Bubba Bear Chair" and all her grandkids played in it when they would visit Springfield. When Ben was born, she gave it to Jules (her oldest grandchild). Bubba Bear Chair is now Ben's nickname. What's great is that the chair matches a dresser (with a big bear) that my folks had painted for me (30 years ago). I'll post that picture later.

Makin' up for lost time

I'm sorry I haven't posted any pictures in a while. Here are several from the last month. I'll try to do better.

Granny and Gramps came for the weekend, so we took them to a Milwaukee Fish fry and then to Strawberry Fest. This was Ben's first trip in the backpack--he may be a bit too small, yet. However, we had a great time.

Julia calls the last picture the "little Gar" face. She thinks he looks a lot like dad here. Ben will be 7 months old next weekend--Jules' folks will be here to celebrate the 4th with us. Should be fun.

If you haven't seen my brother's site in a while, check it out now. He's at his funniest. My random confession: I wish I was as funny as Nate. Oh well . . . I guess I'll just be the sweet, compassionate one.

Half-Birthday

Yesterday was Ben's 6 month birthday. We celebrated by making him sleep in his crib at night for the first time since we discovered that he hates his crib. . . we didn't sleep, either. But, we're bound and determined to make the crib work.

He's rolling over now and sitting-up fairly well if we have something for him to hold onto. With the weather finally turning, I put together the jogging stroller and took him for a 4-mile spin. We really like it. June will be very busy visiting (and being visited by) family. It will be a great month for all of us. We start the adventures with guys only road trip to St. Louis for my cousin Jodi's wedding. The extended Stratman family has not met Ben, yet. Then, Granny and Gramps and Curt and Kathy come up separately for Wisconsin Summer fun.

That's it--

P.S. Ben wore red today to celebrate Pentecost--already a good Presbyterian.