Being a Mom is so much fun, it is all I had ever wanted to be my whole life. I think I'm pretty good at it, but it definitely has it's challenges. I have been so frustrated recently at the amount of forms, papers, instructions, events and HOME WORK that the boys bring home. I always think, am I supposed to be teaching them?  Why am I even sending them to school when I feel like I am doing quite a bit of the work? I cook every weekday, I have the baby, I am constantly cleaning up after them then so much school work! For about 5 years I have watched an hour of  movie every night with the boys before bed.  It is our tradition now. They love it.  I love it.  7-8 no one calls or texts, that's THEIR time.  If we miss movie night they get so disappointed they cry, we can't have that. So everything needs to be cooked, cleaned, tidied, bathed, home worked all by 7pm! Any way, point being I try to have fun with them, spend time with them, cook for them, ...

Going from living in Jamaica where Spring is Sun and sand, to Georgia where spring is pollen, to Dubai where it is sun and sand to Illinois. Let's just say I was not expecting a massive snow storm! I have never experienced snow like this in my life! Amazing what a difference 9am to noon can make! This is how they do spring here it seems! We had so much fun! Lots of games with the kids, just dance 3, wii golf etc. Of course John took the boys out to make a snowman and snowball fights and even gave them a big job to make a little money. I don't know how they handle the cold so well, it truly amazes me how long they can stay out there and be completely okay. I of course stayed inside, I do not like the cold, not one bit.  I do enjoy watching the snow from the windows though, it is so beautiful. I even fell asleep on the carpet in front of the fireplace! We did have a small mishap.  Kaiden decided he wanted to warm up his pillow pet and it melted on the glass on the...

Living in Dubai was fun, and skype made it so much easier being away from my family but there are so many things you forget. Like how much fun it is being with my family.  Sure skype allowed us to talk, but it is nothing close to having my mother come and stay with me for a long time. I forgot how silly we are together. I forgot how helpful she is.  I did almost nothing the entire time.  She cooked, cleaned, bathed the baby, chaufered, entertained the boys, made crazy dance videos with me and much more.  I have believed strongly in nursing all my children and being that I am just weaning Amalia she has been with me literally 24/7 for an entire year. Yes, that sounds crazy to some people but there is something about the bond it builds that I wouldn't give up to have "me time".  There will be plenty me time available when she is older, right now is Mummy and Me time. In Dubai even when we had a nanny come and help out I never left Amalia, she was just a...

Hey guys! I have so many requests for another video and here it is I have been working on this for almost a year now. I truly despise the editing process so I may never make another video again, but this one will be fun to have in the future! Hope you like it! It makes me cry every time I watch it! Amalia's 1st Year from Rebecca Benham on Vimeo .

Having the whole family here has been so fun and familiar... and exhausting. I am not used to staying up that late chatting and laughing till I cry, literally rolling on the ground laughing/crying. It is so funny that people find it so strange that my parents are divorced and get along so well. For us that is "normal". I have seen loads of dysfunctional family behavior and people see our family and think we are the ones that are not normal for always getting along. We really actually always get along.  Every one of us, all the time.   Even Daddys sisters, brothers, nieces and nephews get on with Mummy and her family and vice versa. I think its's cool.  I love it actually. My family knows me as the "bossy" one.  So they should have known I had some plan in mind for them. Something that they were going to be really sweet and go along with whatever I want nodding and smiling through it all.  They are happy they did! We had so much fun doing this toge...

I know that it seems that her birthday has been happening for months, mostly to my hubby, and that's because it has been happening for months! I had to do the photos for the Dubai party, then I had to do the early party in Dubai because we were going to move and then today is her birthday!! Mummy Daddy and Binky are here they all flew in to celebrate with us, I swear I have the best family! They are always at my side every chance they get. I also have loads family about an hour away so they all came as well, it was a great time with our favorite people. I of course told John that I was just going to cook and no decorations, then 2 days before the party I changed my mind and made a long awaited trip to Michaels and got to work!! Her party was perfect.  Everything was perfect.  I cannot believe I woke up this morning with a one year old!!  We adore her more then any words can describe.

We were invited to got to watch some motorcross in the FRA private suite. Umm, sure! Nothing I ever thought I would do but having 2 little boys I have much more "boy stuff" in my life than I ever imagined. Kaiden and Ethans friend just turned 9 and he is a 10 time motorcross champion! Talk about amazing! You would imagine it is dangerous for a kid and he hasn't gotten hurt much but a few weeks ago fell at school and got stitches, go figure! He is a pretty cool kid! I spent the next 24 hours with the boys begging if they could do it too, umm, how about no!

I have finally replaced my camera charger and usb connector that I misplaced during the move. Seeing these pictures are so weird, our life has changed drastically over the past week, Dubai seems like a dream. I have posted pics of us with our friends, mostly because the kids are always running around with their friends.  I made sure to get some before we left for their memory boxes so they can remember them forever. Amalia made great friends too, really some of the sweetest people I have ever met. She has good taste in friends. =) Boys had loads of friends, as you can see from the pictures Kaiden had a hard time leaving them. Very sad, but I am so happy the children enjoyed their Dubai experience this much! Goodbye friends, goodbye view, goodbye Dubai!