Olivia's Nursery

Recently I made some changes to Olivia's room. Since her bedroom doubles as our guest room, I wanted to get some bedding for the guest bed that actually matched everything else in the room. So I finally ditched the cheesy bear and moose queen comforter set we got for our wedding, and replaced them with this $30 score from T.J. Max (don't you just love a bargain?). It is a quilted matalese cover.

I think her nursery looks kind of cute considering it is made up of a hodge-podge of hand-me-down furniture and accesories. And considering we are renting, so I can't paint anything. However, once we move into a house, my plan is to do white beadboard molding in her room, with a light yellow, off-white, buttercream like color on the top half of the walls.

An Entertaining Read

This was a fun and informative read. I highly recommend it; although, it is at parts depressing as the author gives frank and non-sentimental commentary on gangs, the crack epidemic, abortion, the war-on-crime, and other disheartening social ills.

The most educational aspect of this book, to me, was a more accurate depiction of what it is exactly an economist does, and what the field of economics studies. I guess I had previously felt the study of economics was limited to interest rates, inflation, supply and demand, etc. This book portrays the field as much more of a social science than a strictly financial one.

Obviously Levitt has a strong faith in statistics, and what can be learned from facts and numbers. However, the book is careful to distinguish between relationships of causality and correlation. Still, I find myself always being a little weary of statistics and polls, because evidence gathered this way can be easily manipulated. The authors do a good job of explaining where the book's data comes from, and what processes where used to analyze it.


One random, fun fact I learned from the appendix of this book:

average years of education for mothers with a daughter named Olivia: 14.79

Another Cute Lagoon One . . .

 

What We Do . . .

from day to day.

Bathtime!

Lagoon!

In what is becoming a yearly tradition, we Bensons tagged along with the Campbells (Mike's sister Cheryl's family) for a fun day at Utah's best (I think only) theme park. I guess Mike and I are just big kids at heart, because we love amusement parks!
Every year Cheryl's husband Dave gets discounted tickets from his work, which include a big all-you-can-eat barbecue for lunch.
This year and last year we have tagged along with the Campbells, staying at the park from soon after the doors open until things close down at 10:00. After we leave the park, we enjoy our after-party tailgater in the Campbell's suburban eating juice boxes, apple slices, chips, and turkey sandwiches -gotta love it!
Olivia actually did really good at the park. She enjoyed most of the day's festivities from the double stroller, which she mostly shared with her cousin Jill. She was so mesmerized by all the sights and sounds: flashing lights, running children, screaming, music, spinning rides . . .

Thanks Campbells for letting us join you and for watching helping soooo much with Olivia! You guys are the best!

Ella Pattee and Olivia meet for the first time. John Pattee and Mike were born within one day of each other; their mothers were in the hospital delivering at the same time. Mike was born on January 3, John on the 2nd. The joke is that Mike "pushed John off the cloud." They grew up across the street from each other, went on missions at the same time, both graduated from BYU in Business-Information Systems, and both were married in spring/summer 2004. Ella and Olivia were both born in February 2006. Erica and John were visiting from DC this weekend, and it was so fun to have the two little princesses finally meet.