Two and a Half

Ben is a little over two and a half now (even though he insists he's "just two, Mom"), and is doing something new almost every day it seems. I want to record down his latest and greatest so I can best as possible capture his two and a half-year-old cuteness, I'm just going to skip the bad stuff (I don't want to remember that).

(Background: Ben's legal name is James Bentley Greene). But don't try to call him anything except Ben. He's adamant about it. We have tried to explain to him many times that his full name is James Bentley Greene, at which he usually laughs and points to Daddy. When I asked him the other day if he knew what his real name was, he very confidently announced, "Bentley."

Ben has been repeating prayers (we say a line and he repeats it) for some time now, but just this last week has started to say a full blown prayer all on his own, and it is completely heart-melting. He still needs assistance with beginning with "dear, Heavenly Father," but continues his sweet prayer unassisted. This is how they typically go: "thank you my day, my family, my Bastian (the little boy I nanny for, Sebastian). Thank you my food (and sometimes he goes on to say thank you my cereal, my spoon, etc). Have a good night (asking that he has a good night), my bed. Name, Jia (Jesus) Christ, amen! (He says the amen with great enthusiasm). Makes me feel like I'm doing something right.

When I ask Ben for kisses he gives me one kiss on each cheek, accompanied with a lot of loud smacking, which usually leave both my cheeks wet.

Ben's favorite past time is running. All throughout the day he tells us he's "practicing," starts at the end of the hall and counts down from three, usually not in the correct order, and with a "set, go" he's off down the hall and into the living area where he ends at the refrigerator and makes his way back. The process then repeats, and repeats; you get the idea. At the mall we let him out of his stroller (when it's not overcrowded) and just let him run. He moves his little legs as fast as they can and sets off down the mall. We are never far behind, because face it, he's not too fast. We have been deciding what activity we are going to sign him up at the rec. center this summer; they have toddler soccer, tennis, and martial arts classes. I turned and asked James at the mall last night as my child was running down the aisles dodging some amused, some annoyed shoppers, "I wonder if they have track and field?"

We are well into potty training mode and it is going surprisingly well. Without going into a big soapbox about what techniques I'm using, I just want to record a few funny details about the first few weeks with an almost-pottytrained little boy. He really wants to stand up just like Daddy. He got his chance when at Panda Express this weekend, the girl's room was occupado and of course he couldn't wait, so I took him into the men's bathroom (single stall mind you) and let him have a go at the urinal (it was just short enough for him to reach). He enjoys a good pee in nature (what is one to do when at a bathroom-less park or driving in the car and he says he has to pee, which means he has to pee RIGHT NOW). It's a nice perk about having a boy. He could care less sitting in soaked drawers. He doesn't even alert me to when he has had an accident. I mean seriously Ben... that's gross. He looks completelyadorable in underwear, and I am on the hunt for little boxer briefs!

My child is finally out of my bed and into his own toddler bed. While he still does not remain in his bed throughout the whole night on most nights, he goes to bed without a hitch. I feel like a more normal human being again. I have my nights back.

And I will end it with a segment of Ben Say's the Darndest Things:" When he finally caves into one of my demands after some resistance he will turn to me and say "fine, Mom." (insert attitude and annoyance). When we were in L.A. right after Christmas on our trip to Dinseyland, James got very ill one night and threw up in the hotel shower. Since then Ben is a little preoccupied with throw up. He often tells me, "Daddy threw up in shower" (oh and by the way when reading these you have to take a slight pause in between words for longer sentences, to really get the Ben effect), or "I threw up, (longer pause) yes-ter-day." He likes saying "yes-ter-day," and while he has an understanding that it describes time in some matter, has no actual concept of it's meaning. When we asked him who he wanted to say the prayer, :he kept repeating "Daddy say prayer, yes-ter-day," to which James kept responding "okay, so Mommy will say the prayer tonight," completely working Ben up in frustration, and Mommy too because I knew he was just messing with him, and I wanted to just get him to sleep already! Since six-months-old Ben has had occassional potty-issues (aka constipation). Regular milk really makes him "go" lets say (which is why he drinks soy), so when his tummy is hurting or his bottom (because of harder stool-- TMI?) I give him some normal milk for relieve. He has gotten the idea mixed up with just milk in general, so when he wants some milk, especially chocolate milk, he tells me either a) "my tummy hurts," or b) "my butt hurts." Usually it's b very loudly, and usually in public. : )

P.S. Those are playdough sunglass made by yours truly. They were pretty awesome, for the two minutes they lasted.