Hippos

While on vacation in Utah last month, Bennett ended up in bed with us the first couple of nights.  Different house, a bit of sickness and a little out of sorts made for a cozy family bed.  One morning we woke up and were just talking and playing around and Bennett leaned over Chris and pinched his nipple.  He then said "Hehe!  I pinched your hippo!"  I thought it was hysterical!  We all chuckled and I shared the story with the rest of the family who were equally amused. 

Fast forward to this morning.  I am out of the shower and in my room.  I am partially dressed in pants and looking in the closet for a shirt to wear.  Bennett walks in.  He looks at me and asks me what I am doing.  "I am looking for a shirt to wear."  His response "Oh.  Are you going to put on a hippo holder first?"

I guess it is time for a better anatomy lesson in the Neipert house.  Or, at the least, maybe we could start wearing shirts around Bennett!!!  :)

Music

Last week, out of the blue, Miles comes up to be and says "I like Justin Bieber.  You like Justin Bieber, Beth?"  How could I say no?  It was waaaay too cute.  I hear his crazy aunt Sarah is to blame.  It is pretty funny!

Yesterday we were playing Monopoly with the older boys I have this week.  We had been playing for about 20 - 30 minutes and Harrison was counting his money and starting singing "I want to be a billionaire, soooo frickin' baaad!"  I almost went berserk!  I gave him an evil look and then I turned on poor Brogan and Declan!!  "Did you guys teach him that?!?!"  "NO!!!"  Harrison looked at me and said "Dad lets us listen to it on the radio all the time!" 

I long for the days of John Prine and The Beatles and the Grateful Dead and many the more drug induced artists I listed to as a child...

Kara - A 6 word memoir

The following is an email I got from my friend Jennifer.  If you by chance do not know, I lost my best friend to leukemia in September of 2004.  It was tragic and heartbreaking in so many ways.  In honor and remembrance of her, I and many others participate in Light the Night sponsored by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  Every year we do team t-shirts for our Light the Night walk in honor of Kara.  This year we are putting together a collection of 6 word memoirs that will be on the t-shirt somewhere.  Please submit one.  It doesn't matter how you knew Kara or how well you knew Kara.  Just please submit one.  She was a very special person and is missed terribly.  

Unforgettable. This year's team t-shirt is a collection of
the ways we remember Kara- in words.  It's a tribute to the
six word memoir books.  You get six words to share your
perspective/insight, I've written a few examples below.
Whether you have walked every year, never walked, donated or
not- if you remember Kara in some way- please write your six
words and send them back so we can fill the t-shirt.

Object Sample:  The coolest dollhouse on Wilson Street
Behavior Sample:  8 o’clock bedtime even during summer
vacation
Biography Sample: Loved the Lobster/Olive Garden discount
Memoir Sample: Thought we would still be golf-carting

There is only one rule- SIX WORDS. Don't worry about grammar
or punctuation- just write. PLEASE PASS THIS ALONG TO ANYONE
ELSE WHO REMEMBERS KARA.

Not sure what to write? Here are the first results.

Our sister lived two doors down – Kathryn House

Stealing Jod's cheesecake after much drinking. – Nathan
Kromer

Laughing doing donughts on school sidewalk. – Nathan
Kromer

"I want to hear some Beasties" – Katy Wethal
Take care,
Jennifer

Please leave me a comment either on facebook or here on my blog.  Either place and I will get them to Jennifer.  

Also - if you feel like going the extra mile.  JOIN US!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  We walk every year in Davenport.  It is a wonderful experience and helps keep Kara alive.  That was her BIGGEST fear.  That she would be forgotten.  Please show her that she wasn't either by submitting a memoir or by joining us on the walk.  It doesn't matter if this is your first year.  Just come.  The walk this year is on September 24th at Modern Woodman Park in Davenport.  Please try and let me know in advance so we can get a t-shirt ordered for you.  They are usually around $10.00.  We usually get together at the Steeplegate Inn afterwards for beverages and stories.  If that doesn't work for this year, I will volunteer my in-laws backyard!  (Hi Pam!!!!)  Kara wouldn't have it any other way!

On an exciting side note - In 2011, Kara will be the memorial honoree for the Night the Light walk in Omaha, Nebraska.  We are all very excited for her to be recognized in this way.  

Garden

I have 'garden' coming out of my ears right now.  And it is only going to get worse.  The zucchini and cucumbers are about to explode and the tomatoes are right behind them.  Harrison and I are currently picking peas and green beans.  We have about 8 lbs of green beans and 3 times that many left to pick, plus they are in full bloom again!  Holy green beans.  While picking green beans, Harrison was being a little rough on the plants (not really his fault, just his age) so I sent him over to the peas.  He said he was on pea patrol!  Anyway, after he got done picking them this is what he said to me;

"I don't really know if I should tell you this.  I mean, he's being secretive and a little shady.  I think he is trying to keep this from you.  I mean, really, (whisper) Dad doesn't like peas."

:)

Lil' Gary

I love my dad.  He's a great dad.  And by all accounts a great person.  As with any person, he also has his faults.  One of his (many!) faults is being a literary jerk.  If you don't talk in perfect english he calls you on it.  "Dad, will you make me a sandwich?"  His response:  "You're a sandwich!"  "Dad, can you put my shoes on?"  His response:  "I don't think they will fit me."  It was a great childhood.

Friday, Bennett decided to take one of his looooong naps.  Brogan, the 11 year old that I am watching likes to play in the boys room with a knight set Harrison has.  He had it all set up that morning and wanted to go back and play with it.  Around 4:00pm he asked (again) if Bennett was up yet.  Harrison looked at him and said "Do you see Bennett?"  There was a lot of sarcastic emphasis on 'see.'  Brogan was a little confused and looked at Harrison and said "No."  Harrison said "Well, then he's not up!"  

My dad said Harrison sounded practical.  My brother, Nathan, decided Lil' Gary should be his new name.  And my mom said that if she would have been here she would have had to walk away!  Two Gary's are too many!!!

Love you, Dad!!!! :)

My baby(ies)

The boys and I just walked Grays Lake.  We had along two boys that I am watching this week, Brogan and Declan.  They are 11 and 8.  We were having a nice walk, no complaining, no hurrying, just nice.  Harrison at one point was walking past me and I ruffled his hair like I do.  He shot away from me and gave me a dirty look.  I didn't think too much of it because he had been a little owly at me 30 min or so before because he got sand in his Keen's and I should have known that he wanted to wear his tennis shoes...  

Anyway, a little while later Bennett caught up to me and reached up to hold my hand.  It hit me how nice that was.  His little, tiny soft hand in my hand.  His confidence in me and his love for his mommy.  I don't know what made the moment so special, it just was.  While we walked hand in hand over the bridge, I watched Harrison up with his 'friends.'  Again, they were 11 and 8 and they were older.  Could it be possible that he didn't want me ruffling his hair because he was too old for that?!?!  NO!!!!  I am trying to keep that thought out of my mind, but all I can see is him up ahead of me looking and acting like a big boy.  Having a big boy laugh.  Enjoying big boy conversations.  At least I still had Bennett holding my hand.

And then, 5 minutes later Harrison tripped over his own two feet and needed his mommy to help him up.  All is well...

Short takes

It sometimes gets crazy around my house.  I don't know why it gets crazy; I mean a five year old 2 three year olds, a two year old, a 9 month old and a 4 month old, what's crazy about that?  So far no one has hung from the ceiling fans (not from lack of trying - "BENNETT!!  Get off the table!") and no one has squished Graysen (Annabelle has come close!) but there is always tomorrow.  Here are some short stories from the past month.

As most boys do, we have an obsession with bugs in our house.  ALL bugs get a proper welcome and announcement.  "MOM!  There is a HUGE fly over here!  It's going to eat Annabelle!"  "No, Harrison, it will not.  I will be right there with the fly swatter."  Often times I think Miles is going to scrap his nose on the concrete because he gets so close to the little ants he sees.  "Beth, I see a aaaaant."  His voice is so cute and deep.  Often times when Caden sees a bug he immediately asks if it is a bumble bee.  There is definite fear in his voice.  We have spent a lot of time talking about the good things that bees do, but there hasn't been a lot progress.  He does not like bees.  Dead bugs are also good.  This quote was made so dry and matter-of-fact that I couldn't help but laugh.  "We found a ladybug.  I killed it.  They wanted to see what was on the inside."  And then I got quizzed as to why that was funny!  

One day when I was changing Graysen's diaper this is what I heard:  

"Oh what a cute little penis.  Isn't it the cutest, Mom?  It's so little!" (now imagine a 5 year old talking in a cutsie baby voice.  That is what is going on here)  "It's just soooo cute and little!  Aaaahhhhhh"  

(now we switch to serious, 5 year old voice) "But his penis won't always be little.  It will be BIG!  It will be big like Daddy's.  And then.  You know what?  It will get hair on it!"

What can I say?  Has anyone ever had a parenting class that prepares them for a conversation like that?  I think not!

There are a couple of balls that we have in the house that can be tossed or thrown around.  Not many because I refuse to have a toddler proof house, but some.  Bennett and I were playing catch one day and the ball hit the wall.  Bennett then noticed the crack in the living room ceiling.  (This crack has been there since we moved in 3 years ago.  It has been patched and is fine.  The house is 100 years old.  It has some wrinkles!)  I decided to play with him a little bit.

B:  "Did I do that?"

Me:  "Oooo.  I think so."

B:  "No.  I didn't do that."

Me:  "Oh.  Then who did?"

B:  "I think it was Caden.  Yeah, Caden did it.  Does he have to go to the naughty spot?"

Me: "No, not right now."

Little stinker threw his friend right under the bus.  Beware future potential friends.  He's a sneaky one!

One day there was conversation about future careers.  Harrison is currently set on the armed forces.  He is going to be a pilot.  His big dream is to do fly overs at football games!  Bennett is going to be a chef.  He will cook his lunch EVERY day!  Caden is going to be a fireman and Miles is convinced he will be Daddy.  All very good goals and very fun to hear about.  I asked Harrison about Graysen and Annabelle.  "Graysen is too little to decide and Annabelle will be a smiler.  All she does is crawl around, hit Graysen and smile.  Oh and climb the couch.  She will be a smiler."  Now, I will add that she doesn't hit Graysen that often and she is getting much better at gentle touches!  Also, from Harrison's description and for other obvious reasons, it is safe to say Annabelle will be a super model when she grows up.

Favorite People

We were all on the porch this evening watching the storm roll in.  Before Harrison came out Chris, Bennett and I were on the swing.  Bennett was in the middle and gave us both a big 'leg hug.'  He wrapped his arms around our legs and squeezed. He seemed to be so happy and proud to be with us on the swing.  I took this opportunity to boost my ego a little.

Me:  "Bennett, who are your favorite people?"

Bennett: "Um, Harrison and Caden and Miles and Annabelle and Graysen and... you guys!"  

I guess Chris and I are on the bottom of his list, but I am very pleased that Harrison is on top!

Smile...

BCubs

Harrison decided that he wanted to play baseball again this year.  Last year was bam-bam and this year is t-ball.  This year they hit a regular sized ball instead of the big rubber ball they hit last year.  It's still softer than a normal ball but looks just like a normal baseball.  This year we were 'lucky' enough to be on the Cubs team again.  When I say lucky, I mean that Harrison's friend Johnny was going to be on the Cubs and his dad, Ryan was the coach so he requested Harrison be on that team as well.  So once again, he is a Beaverdale Cub.  Lucky for us, we are able to dress a bat boy to match!

Harrison likes all of the positions.  He has had to play all of them, even catcher.  We weren't sure he would like all of the equipment, but he did ok.  AND he looked really cute!

Getting ready to field the ball!

Hit it hard!!!

Johnny and Harrison on there way to the game. 

 

Coach Ryan and Johnny

One of the games we went to, it was 40 degrees.  Luckily we came prepared like all diehards!

We have 3 games left this season and it has been very fun.  Harrison enjoys baseball and tells us that he wants to play again next year.  This excites us (Chris especially) but it will always be driven by Harrison.  He is very excited to play soccer this fall.  I eventually would like him to choose one sport, but I was a two sometimes three sport athlete so we will see as time goes...  And next year Bennett starts bam-bam so we will be one of those crazy families that is always running somewhere.  If we can't keep everything in perspective and balance our time, something will have to go.  Maybe one of the children...  :)

Vanity in Pictures

Harrison has been obsessed with himself lately.  I know all kids go thru this stage and I know some people who have never outgrown this stage.  I often find him in the bathroom making different faces in the mirror.  It's very amusing to watch.  Although if he catches you watching too closely or laughing at him, he gets mad.  

He also loves to have his picture taken.  He is always saying, "Take my picture and send it to Dad."  "Take a picture of me doing this and send it to Grandpa."  This has led Bennett 'I do everything that Harrison does' Neipert to want to have his picture taken too.  Here are a few (a lot) from the past month.  Enjoy the cuteness!

"Freak on, freaky dude!"

Gene Simmons here I come.