today in the life of the koks
Ben has been into copying everything Lauren does lately.
He's trying so hard.
Almost got it! Not sure if I really want two crazy climber dare devils but looks like I might end up with them. Who would've thought?!
Lauren's been into taking our pictures lately and she's actually getting the hang of it. I thought these two were kind of cute!
The other night Ben grabbed an empty Corona out of the recycling bin and headed straight for Kevin. As soon as he got there he kept trying to do cheers with him. It was too funny.
I know, I know... I have a million posts of Ben with Beer. When we get mad at him for drinking when he's 16 he's going to throw these in our face. Oh well, it's cute for now:)
We made chocolate pudding the other night and the kids were in heaven because I pretty much let them take a bath in it!
Ben would have done this all night if I let him.
SO GOOD!
Lauren is always asking what we are doing "next day" so since I just got all organized with my calendar we decided to get her one too.
She loves "writing" on it. It's pretty funny to watch her because she is so serious!
If you want her to pencil you in just go ahead and send her a text- she's been into that lately too:)
We went putt putt golfing last night at Rainbow Run. It was fun but also an interesting experience with the kids! Ben thought it was way more fun to chase everyone's balls and carry them away.
Lauren just shoved them down the holes- that is one way to win!
Ben getting ready to go after the ball.
Oma giving Ben some tips.
We went out to dinner afterwards and Ben slept the entire time! Putt putt golf is apparently very hard work. 
Baby Mackenzie made her arrival right on time on August 30th (her due date!). I got to meet her last night and she is seriously one of the cutest babies I've ever seen. She has the most perfect little nose and lips. We can't wait to spend more time with her! 
Someone found a 3-6 month onsie I stashed away in Ben's keepsake box and of course had to put it on. (It says Little Brother, that is why I was keeping it, I don't just keep random onsies for him, in case you wondered...) Looks comfy doesn't it?
Then we quickly changed into this one that he currently wears. I was laughing so hard at what it says, Lauren just didn't understand why I thought it was so funny. She was proud because she "matched" (the blue in the shirt matches the pants).
This was the grand finale of our night though...seriously, Santa can pretty much skip our house this year because Lauren got her dream gift tonight. She's been begging me to order this shirt off the back of her Mr. Bubble bubble bath for months. We talk about it every other day or so. Little did she know, I ordered it the first day she asked because I'm a sucker for this stuff. I remember my mom ordering us things from Kool Aid and thinking it was the best thing ever when they came in the mail. After 7 weeks it finally arrived today and OMG was she over the moon! I wish we video taped her opening it. Right after she put it on she said, "Mommy, can I wear this to preschool?" Just what I dreamed my daughter what would wear on her first day... I told her maybe on the 2nd day but not the 1st:)
Lauren snapped this little shot of Benny and I thought it really captured his perfectly plump lips!
I looked over the other day and Ben had climbed out of his chair and was on the table! Looks like someone might be taking after his sister after all! 
We ventured down to Golden Gardens today and it was so great. It was the closet to a real beach that I've been to in WA.
Had to get a shot of Lauren- she picked out this outfit. I was happy it was made up of girl clothes but the Christmas sweater was an interesting addition!
Kevin, Lauren, & I enjoyed the sand...Ben not so much.
Tonight Lauren asked me if we could get her a sand box so she can play in the sand all the time.
This is what Ben did the whole time- just sat on the blanket and dumped out cheddar bunnies, then tried to feed them to us all. I think I still have sand in my teeth:)
Lauren, Ben, & I headed to Farrell McWhirter Park today for a little picnic and animal watching. It was really fun just hanging out the 3 of us, which we rarely do. The kids were much more well behaved, I think they liked having me all to themselves!
We were doing projects this morning and Lauren decided each shoulder needed a sticker.
She was so serious about it too.
It was so great to finally get to know Miss Emma. She is one of the most perfect babies we've ever met. Always happy and ready for fun- a lot like her mom and dad!
Lauren adored her and wanted to be her "mom" most of the time. Here she is trying to get Emma to cuddle with her.
A lot of group shot attempts...not a single one was successful!
I like this one though, Hadley's face is cute.
Hadley's off to better things.
The rest of the crew just hanging while we wrangled the kids:)
Isn't she just the cutest?! Lauren gave her a bath both nights and Emma's never been so clean!
Auntie Meg & Uncle Ry brought over donuts Sunday morning- a huge hit!
When Doug & Marie & Emma were here we all went to Redhook for lunch and the tour.
We all had a lot of fun but the kids enjoyed it more than I expected.
Ben thought the glasses were so cool...until he broke one- oops! And Lauren is about ready to be a tour guide herself. We drove by a big water tank the other day and she said, "Look, that is a beer tank".
Ben wishing it wasn't empty!
I went shopping yesterday to try to find Lauren some clothes for the fall. I was looking for things that I thought she'd consider cool and that weren't too girly. I knew she'd LOVE this Paul Frank hoodie since she's been asking for one for months. But these shorts- wow! They were the jackpot of all jackpots! They were marked down to $1.00 at TJ Maxx and they have made my little girl so happy. I think it was the best $1.00 I've ever spent.
This is a big big deal for me. I feel like I've gotten over a hurdle. I am surrending and going to let her dress how she wants. I was reading an article by Jenny McCarthy the other day who I typically think is a bit of a nut job but she said something that really got my attention. They asked her what her greatest achievement in life is so far and she said, "Loving my son unconditionally". I thought to myself, "Am I doing that or am I trying to change my kid?" So Lauren can thank Jenny McCarthy for her new shorts! 
Now if Ben continues to want to wear pink hats we might have a whole new hurdle to get over:) Having kids teaches you a lot of life lessons!
