Ben loves the kitties and tries to play with them as often as he can catch themBen was very proud of himself when he figured out how to make his toy play musicHappy Independence Day!Grandma was cleaning out her house and found the ViewMaster my dad and uncles when they were kids. She was going to throw it out so we claimed the toy along with a stack of slides from the 50s-70s. Love it!Independence Day yard work. We tried the back carry with the Ergo for the first time. Ben didn’t like it as much because he can’t see and I don’t like getting my hair pulled. So far, nothing beats hip carry!Celebrated our independence by grilling a few filet mignon steaks, mini potatoes and fresh cornWhen the weather gets hot, we enjoy spending the afternoon in the poolChicken is now Ben’s favorite foodAbout half of the time that Ben goes quiet in the living room, I find him laying in a sea of books, happily turning pages and telling himself stories. That’s my boy!Big news of the month was when Ben started to crawl! He demonstrated his new skills by helping Mowgli chase down a half-dead flyNow that he can move, he doesn’t stop traveling and exploringHe is still a cute sleeper, even when he is a stinker during the dayOh, you know, just reading a book like a BIG KID! The crossed ankles get me every time!He figured out where we keep the good stuff he isn’t supposed to play with.Giving kisses to the adorable baby that lives in the hall mirrorCute hat day is always a good dayWe had our second reenactment of the season. This was Ben’s first time wearing his new green dress and our first event with a mobile baby. Since he didn’t get lost, hurt, or eat more than a blade or two of grass, it was a pretty successful weekend!I really wish this photo wasn’t blurry but it shows off Ben’s cheese-face so well! You can also see his top, front teeth that came in too.Pondering one of life’s many mysteries: Where does the water go after a bath?Ben figured out how to sit himself up from laying flat so bed time is much more complicated nowSometimes it’s just too much work to finish laying down before falling asleepI picked a peck of purple peppers… Not really a peck, only 3 so far but they are tiny and delicious! My supposed “early” tomatoes are not turning yet. I think the weather is too cold.Pulling himself to his knees on anything that sits still longer than 5 seconds. Baby proofing the living room was very high on our priority listDaddy left for WordCamp San Francisco and I decided to cut three teeth at once and be mean to Mommy for 5 days by not taking naps. She didn’t appreciate it.I can picture these two getting into a lot of trouble together in the futureBrian and I have been lamenting the sudden turn toward being a big kid. Where did the baby go? Did the big boy eat him?Brian came home from San Francisco and Ben and I were thrilled!