frick r freat

Here is a quality photo of the Benson smile.




Benson was (is) superman this year for halloween and Banks was a bumblebee. Thanks to Nana for providing the costumes! Time to go frick or freating as Benson calls it.

pumpkins

Last night I talked to Benson about how I wasn't going to see him today. He said, "You are going to the doctor?" I told him I was. He said, "Are you sick?" I told him I was not sick but the doctor was going to help me with some things. Since I was talking in kind of a shaky voice Benson asked, "Are you sad, Mommy?" I said, "No, I'm a little bit scared though." Then Benson said, "Are you scared because there are monsters?" It was nice to get a good laugh in last night before today. There are no monsters, but I am still a little bit scared.

pandora

So I think I may have found my Pandora station. I typed in Dashboard Confessional for my main artist and I am amazed with the selection of music Pandora has come up with. I don't know what possessed me to choose Dashboard because while I do like some of their songs some of them honestly make me cringe. Anyway, does anyone else have a good Pandora station? Share share!

we're getting used to it

ABQ that is. Today Benson started rolling around on the rocks in our front yard like it was the lushest grass you've ever touched. He almost convinced me that it was soft and sweet smelling the way it should be. (siiiiiigh) Life in the desert.

More kid pictures! They are never ending, I assure you. Benson is starting to scheme a lot more now and Banks seems to play a part in many of the schemes. It will be funny when Banks is a little older and they start collaborating to really wreak havoc on my house. Until then, Banks has to suffer a little bit while Benson tries out his new thinking skills.

ummmmm...

i've got to think of something to write about. Benson likes syrup cereal. Banks sleeps all night long. We are going to look at a 3.4 million dollar house tomorrow. Ben has to work from 5pm to 1am tonight because the air force truly owns him. I am going to a fondue party tonight and I am a little nervous about the double dipping.

24

i turned 24 last week. wow. i feel like i am almost an adult. almost. anyway i wanted to say thank you for all the emails, phone calls, cards, and gifts. it was a great day thanks to my best friend ben, who worked hard to surprise me with things that would make me happy. my favorite part is that i got all the things i wanted: snake skin stilettos, skinny jeans, and a vacuum. my favorite thing to do now is put on said shoes and pants and use said appliance. what a great birthday.

balloon flopesta

here is a picture of what we were supposed to see.



So we got tickets to go to the night launch at the Balloon Fiesta here in Albuquerque. One of Ben's many commanders took pity on his lowly airman state and gave us these $100 a person tickets for free! Wow. It seems like Ben is always getting someone's pity perks at work. Anyway we were SO excited because the balloons glow and apparently it is amazing but, alas, we shall never know. It took us an hour to get there and when we got there they announced that there would be no balloons tonight-- too much wind. I should point out that when we went in the morning last year the same thing happened. Evidently we were not meant to ever see balloons in the air. Plus the dinner they served was all seafood. Poor Ben! I enjoyed it though.

true story

Today Benson, Banks and I enjoyed another lovely 80 degree day here in Albuquerque. Although I am itching to get out my winter clothes, I really don't feel too bad about the perfect weather we seem to be enjoying. Anyway, Benson was playing in his pirate ship when all of a sudden he started screaming and half crying. Here is what followed:

Benson: (after loud and girlie screaming) RUN FOR YOUR LIFE MOMMY!!
Me: Did you just say, "run for your life?" (clearly not as concerned as I should be about the near-hysterical two year old as I should be, more wondering where he learned this phrase)
Benson: YES, MOMMY! RUN FOR YOUR LIFE MOMMY!
Me: What is the matter Benson? (he is crying on my lap at this point)
Benson: There was a HUGE potato bug, mommy. IT IS GOING TO GET US, MOMMY. Oh wait, (the crying stops) I forgot mommy. It's okay, this potato bug was a nice little guy. We're friends.

Sometimes he is so needlessly dramatic. I love it and I have NO idea where he could have gotten it from...

a post about how to make brussels sprouts

first, you cut the stem end off of the sprouts. Then you cut them in half lengthwise. Then you saute them in olive oil until they brown a little and get tender. I got tired of waiting for the tenderness so i put a little water in the pan and put a lid on it until they got tender. Then you throw in a clove of garlic (thinly sliced) and a handful of golden raisins. Cook this for a minute or two and voila! Brussels sprouts.

it's interesting

how many of the Tracy children seem to be having spiritual breakthroughs at the same time. I love to read about the things that the cousins are doing and saying and I'd like to add our own recent sweet experience. We have been reading the scriptures nightly for a few months now and lately we've really started to wonder if anything at all is sinking in. A few nights ago we read about when Christ comes in the BOM and baptizes people. After we finished reading Benson said, "Daddy, I want to be baptized too." Not that he really understands what it means to be baptized, but it really meant a lot to two parents who have wrestled with this child for months now during scripture time. He might have actually been paying attention every once in a while. Benson is also quite a scholar on who and what gets burned in the BOM. Abinadi is his all-time favorite story. Kind of scary.

This is Banks' first time in a swing. He had a great time. The end.

on the menu

For lunch today I am eating maple roasted chicken with sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts (my new favorite veggie). Ben is eating something out of the vending machine and Benson is eating grilled cheese. I just felt the need to point out that even though the other members of the household eat poorly, it's not for lack of healthier choices. Although I should give Ben some credit as he did eat the aforementioned dishes last night without complaint.

baby taco

Banks rolled himself into the cutest baby taco the other day. I just thought you should all see his extreme cuteness.

dear mac users,

Why didn't someone tell me about firefox before? I feel like my life on the internet has changed completely. There are icons on blogger I had never even imagined existed. This whole experience has really validated one of my greatest fears: Someone as technology challenged as I does not deserve such a glorious machine. Any other helpful mac hints are welcomed.
Love, Carrie

last night I had a dream

that was all in French. I also had a dream where my uncle Brad traveled completely surrounded by an entourage of 20 bodyguards, and a dream about Harry Potter. I am exhausted this morning.

someone's wearing their cranky pants today

Benson woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. Big time. And it's a good thing I had a hilarious email from my sis in law Megan this morning or I could have veered dangerously toward the same path. Anyway. this seems to happen quite frequently around here. He wakes up and cries and whines and throws fits, and I have to say it is very hard to deal with first thing in the morning. I have tried being super peppy, ignoring it, indulging it, and distracting him. None of these seem to help and I am out of ideas. I would love to hear some suggestions from the rest of you, if you have them.

On the other hand... Banks is so happy! Isn't he cute?

that's better

So I decided to go a little girly for a while. I've decided that this is like carrying a girly diaper bag when you have boys. People will be upset, but we must remember that the diaper bag (or blog look) is an accessory for me, not the boys. Although I will surely go back to a boy theme, I am enjoying a little touch of girl for a bit. Thanks be to Ben for fixing my blog while at work. My computer will not allow me to upload new headers for some very strange reason. I am trying to decide if it is the Macness of my computer or the internet connection that is causing the problems. Any insight, computer people?