Odds & Ends Before the New Year

Christmas seemed to fly by this year. Before the New Year rings in, I wanted to post a few pictures of our Christmas festivities. These first two pictures are from our Welcome Home Party for Rob(from Iraq) and Sam (from the hospital). Jae and Amanda drove up from Texas on their way to Utah, Mike and Christina from Norman and Randy from Lawton. Ben tried on all 48 pounds of Rob's body armor and the Behrmann men posed together for a quick family shot.


These next pictures are of Ben and Kate on Santa's lap. Ben enjoyed himself and was very thrilled that Santa "just knew his name without him even having to tell him." As for Kate, I will let the picture speak for itself.


We spent Christmas Eve with just our little family. Ben and Kate had fun making cookies with Daddy for Santa, reading the Christmas story from the Bible, watching the Nativity Movie and reading Polar Express, all in their new pajamas.


On Christmas Day, Rob and Di and family and Mike and Christina and family came to our home for the day. We enjoyed a great meal together and had fun visiting and playing Natalee and Katherine's new Wi and Rockband games. Ben was especially good at the boxing game and gave David a run for his money. While playing the guitar, Ben said, "I don't need help, I can rock it!" And he certainly did! Much better than both of his parents ever could.



We had a wonderful Christmas and wish all of you a Wonderful New Year!

And here is our "Life According to Ben" Section: 2007-2008!

Karen: "Do you love mommy?" Ben: "My love daddy better."

My OB is Dr. Goff. Ben calls the Dr.'s office the "Dr.'s Goffice."

Nurse Practioner: "Looks like Kate's cord will fall off any day now." Ben: "That's not her cord, that's her penis."

Karen: "Do you like my hair today?" Ben: "It's beautiful, just like the sun."

Karen: "What color are your eyes?" Ben: "White and brown, just like Daddy's underwear."

Karen: "I won't let it touch your chest." (speaking of a cold washrag while wiping his face). Ben: "I don't have a chest. You have a big one, with lots of milk for Kate. Daddy doesn't have one either."

Ben: (after several minutes of attempting to go to the bathroom on the toilet): Yelling to me in the kitchen: "Mom, it's not working! My penis must be sleeping."

Ben has an Aunt Di from Thailand. Speaking of her today he asked: "Where is my Thai Di?"

While upside down doing a headstand at his YMCA tumbling class. Instructor: "I can see your belly button Ben." Ben: "I have a penis too." One of the other mothers told me this yesterday. She said it took awhile for the teacher and all of the moms to control their laughter. I missed it, but can picture it perfectly.

Preface: We don't have cable. We are STILL poor college students. Ben: "Mom, how come Diego doesn't like to come to our TV? He comes to Aunt Dis and Madeleines." I took him to the library to check out some Diego movies. Problem solved.

While playing with toy animals Ben asked them: "Are you done hyper mating?" I believe he was trying to ask if they were done hibernating.

After saying a phrase we never say, Karen: "Where did you learn that from?" Ben: "PBS kids, where a kid can be a kid."

While watching TV, Ben: "Mom you are blocking my interview!" Can you tell its interview season for David?

Asking to eat another gobstopper, Ben: "Can I have a go stop?"

Ben had some friends over to play tonight. Karen: "Ben, tell them what you did in your soccer game today." Ben: "I scored a girl."

Ben took off his clothes and is running around the front room naked. David walks in the room. Karen: "Put your clothes back on." Ben: "It's okay mom, daddy is one of our people. He can see my bum. He is one of us."

While working on going #2, Ben yelling to me: I'm going to need some raisins in here!"

After finishing his YMCA swim lesson, while walking out of the pool, Ben YELLS to me: "Mom, I didn't even pee in the pool." Apparently he has in the past and now everyone knows it!

Preface: I recently bought Ben the go fish card game. We have been playing it alot. Today David was looking for the garage door opener when we were in the driveway. We always let Ben open and shut it. He likes to push the botton. David: "Ben do you have the opener?" Ben: "Nope, go fish."

Kate has learned how to open the DVD player. She scratched Ben's diego movie. In order to prepare him that it might not work anymore I explained to him the situation as he was beginning to watch it. He stopped me mid sentence and said, "If it works, it works. If it doesn't, it doesn't." Now if I can just get him to transfer that attitude to all aspects of his life.

While on the phone cancelling a family picture appointment. Karen: "I won't be able to reschedule at this point. My kids have pink eye." A Yelling Ben: "I don't have pink eye. I have red eye and Kate has blue eye." He was correct. His eyes were pretty red and Kate did not yet have it, I just knew she would eventually. Just like David, he doesn't miss a thing.

Sitting at a stoplight Ben spotted the lady next to us smoking. Ben: "Smoke isn't bad for her body, just mine." Karen: "Yes it is Ben. Its bad for everyone's body." Ben: "How come she is smoking then?" Karen: "Some people don't know that Jesus and Heavenly Father don't want us to smoke." Ben: "Mom (pause).....is she a stranger?" Karen: "Yes. We don't know her." Ben: "Does she have candy?"

The other morning as David was headed out the door he told Ben to give him a hug. He explained that he wouldn't see him until the next day because he was on call at the hospital that night. Ben looked at David with big, wide eyes and said, "Daddy, you get to have a sleepover?" David smiled and said, "Yep." The next day when David returned Ben ran to the door and said, "Daddy did you have a great time at your sleep-over?" We no longer refer to David as being on call in our home. He just gets to go to lots of sleepovers. A much more positive outlook.

Karen: "Can I have one of your reese's pieces?" Ben: "Um, no. They are very special to me...(Pause)...my daddy gave them to me."

Ben:(While running to the muted TV and pointing to Obama speaking) "That's a rock Obama, mom." Karen: (In shock because we seldom talk politics in our home and never include first names). "Who is he?" Ben: "He tells people what to do and what not to do." Karen: "Oh yeah, like what?" Ben: "Um stuff like, don't play in the mud." Karen: "Did you learn about him at school?" Ben: "Nope, just TV." Ben is a sponge! A good reminder for me to regulate what he absorbs!

After watching the video clip of Rob and Sam on the news 2 times: Ben: "Mom, Uncle Rob is a super hero!"

While opening the attic to get down the Christmas tree....Ben: "Mom, is uncle Rob in there? I haven't seen him in a loooong time!" For those of you who don't know Uncle Rob is serving a 15 month deployment in Iraq.