11 Lessons of 2011

Benton has learned and experienced a lot in the last 12 months. The following is a partial list of what our kid knows now that he didn't know at the beginning of 2011. And 2012 is sure to bring lots of new adventures, too.

1. How to count to two
2. The names of our family members
3. How to identify the color yellow
4. What noises the following animals make: horse, cow, dog, cat, pig, sheep, frog, rooster, duck, bird
5. How to pick his nose
6. The location of his penis
7. The motions to "Wheels on the Bus"
8. How to get his water out of the fridge
9. The tomahawk chop
10. How to hit a baseball off a tee
11. That he's going to be a big brother next summer!

Merry Christmas!

"Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:10-11)

Merry Christmas folks! 

Wheels on the Bus

Turns out Benton is picking up things at school other than coughs and a runny nose. We just discovered today that he knows this song.

Also, this is now how he sits in his car seat. Like he's the king.

Last week for Thanksgiving, Benton got to spend a lot of time with the family. Here he is playing with his cousin Cooper in Alabama.

He also got to break the wishbone with his Uncle Zach and Uncle Jess. 

After Thanksgiving, we put up the Christmas tree. This is new for Benton since last year we just had a baby tree. We're not sure if the tree is worth it or not yet. So far, the number of times we say "no" every day has increased by a thousand.

But we're definitely excited about Christmas! Should be a visit with Santa coming soon.

Happy Halloween!

Wishing you a fun-filled evening of tricks, treats and silly costumes. Go bananas! Benton sure will.

Pumpkin patch

We celebrated the fall season at the Pumpkin Patch this weekend. Even though it was unseasonably hot, it was still fun. Our friends, the Mollettas, went with us so that Benton could spend some quality time with his GF, Madelyn. 


The Bento Box was not in a photogenic mood and the sun was ridiculous, so our pictures are unimpressive. But here they are anyway.

Obsessed with animals. He kept mooing at the goats.

Seriously adorable kids. Look like they could be siblings.

We didn't buy a pumpkin. But if we did, it would have been this one.

Tractor fascination.

With Dad on the hayride.

Family shot.

I guess we'll have to wait for Christmas tree season to have the sweatshirt and apple cider experience I was hoping for. At least Benton and Madelyn had a lovely date. 

A Fair to Remember

Our house is divided when it comes to feelings about the county fair. I get excited about going to the fair every fall and love everything about it. Brack, not so much. I am happy to report that after we took Benton to the fair for the first time this weekend, Brack is now outnumbered by fair-lovers in our family. 


No county fair is complete without livestock. This one had goats, chickens, bunnies, sheep, pigs, ponies and cows. Benton thought hearing the cow "moo" was hilarious. I'm glad he now has an experience to call to mind when we ask him what a cow says. Reference is everything, you know. 

Benton rode the carousel, slid down the fun slide and picked a winning rubber duck to get a shiny new stuffed lion. He drank lemonade, watched pigs race, ate a funnel cake and even got up close and personal with a monkey. 

About halfway through our time at the fair, Benton required a diaper change. About this same time, we also discovered we had no wipes. Oops. Enter the lovely Kiwanis Club with their complimentary rugrats play area. Changing table and wipes right in between the corn dogs and the funhouse. Lifesaver. Thanks, Kiwanis!

Benton's first fair experience couldn't have gone any better. I think he might even be able to talk Daddy into going back next year.

Tailgate party

Benton had a great time tailgating for the first college football games of the season. Don't worry, we took his keys away.

What's really important

Other parents teach their children how to communicate with things like words and sign language. Here at the Hassell house we have our priorities in order. Here is a small sample of what we have been teaching Benton.

-Brack

Empty nest

My little guy started daycare today. After an entire summer of working from home with Brack and Benton nearby, the house is eerily quiet today. I already miss being interrupted.

The silence is making me nostalgic. Here are my boys one year ago.

Counting down to next summer...

Stamps and turtles

We introduced Benton to a hobby of ours this weekend. It's called letterboxing. If you've never heard of it, you should read up on it. But in short, it combines Brack's love of exploring the outdoors with my love of solving puzzles. Pretty fun.


Sometimes you need a compass. Benton enjoyed navigating for us and then blindly leading us around.

When you find a box, you stamp in to your logbook. This was especially fun for Benton since it involved getting blue ink all over the place.

During our outing, Benton discovered a turtle. I believe we scarred the poor amphibian for life by letting Benton hold it. Sorry, little guy.

While Benton really likes playing outside and picking up rocks, sticks, pinestraw, dirt, or anything else he finds on the ground, he always instantly wipes his hands off when he puts it down. The kid doesn't like dirty hands. 

What a little adventurer. By the way, he's 5 for 7 on his finds. Not bad for his first trip.

One year later

Stepping in the ocean

Hanging out on the beach

Seaweed mustache

Too short for go-karts

Driving the Batmobile

Stone Mountain