Ben on the Farm

The stables are just a short walk away and Ben has already become friends with most of the ponies, the deer, Clyde the Clydesdale, and the bunnies. He hasn't quite warmed up to the pigs and goats yet, but there's always tomorrow. Hmmm...does this mean that watching Animal Rescuer Go Diego Go counts as educational?

Actor/Director

We've got a regular Ron Howard on our hands...not only can you enjoy Ben's rad dance moves, but also his direction from behind the camera. Merry Christmas from Hilton Head!

Play-Doh...Ben's New Favorite Snack

Thanksgiving 2009: The Pilgrimage

Just in from our whirlwind week...some cold and wet days in Hilton Head with lots of friends, then back to Athens for less than 24 hours before we hit the road for a grand tour of North Carolina. Finally home and unwinding a bit with some Karate Kid II.

Hilton Head...went there with some Columbia friends and met up with some Miami kids too. It was lots of fun being social butterflies. Note in Ben's picture that he was fully-clothed and knee-deep in the ocean...it didn't take the sniffles long to catch up with him.

Asheville...Team Hoffman treated us to a fabulous turkey. Greg (dressed here as a lumberjack) cooked one heck of a bird and the Graichen Nation voted all 47 of Ali's desserts as her Thanksgiving specialties. Ben mashed the potatoes, we listened to "Alice's Restaurant," toasted those in NJ, and ate way too much. A very happy Thanksgiving indeed.

And Durham...The World's Best Godchild (TWBG) celebrated her first birthday, Ben (in an attempt to have all eyes on him all the time) showed the full force of all two of his years, and we were surrounded by lots of NY and NJ extended family, none of which we're actually related to. Definitely good times. I fired my photographer for slacking on the job on this leg of our trip...would love some pics from our hosts (maybe of the finished-product-Minnie-cake and the Birthday Girl herself?!) so for now we have to settle for Todd's handiwork in crafting Minnie Mouse's bow for the birthday cake.

Ben's Dance Party

The things I miss when I'm on the phone...

Halfway Through November...Already???

The conversation accompanying the photographs:

Ben (who had run away): "Mommy!!!" (shrieking)

Jody: "Ben...this way!"

Ben: "Mommy!!!" (shrieking)

Jody: "Ben...this way!"

Ben: ""Mommy!!!!" (shrieking)

Jody: "Bye Ben...I'm going this way!"

Ben thinking he's being left alone at the park.

Run, run, run...

A fabulous family hike that did not result in us leaving Ben behind.

Mommy, 1. Independent Ben, 0.

Mr. Fix It

For Ben's birthday, his good friend Jen gave him some very impressive power tools. Since then he's fixed everything in Athens...and he's given Todd a hand here and there too.