Benjamin age: 20 months 3 weeks

Benjamin David

• What can I say about Benjamin? He has such a sweet disposition but is quickly learning to stand his ground. (I wonder where he gets that from?) He has learned not to let Rachel boss him around and has even learned to push back. If he doesn't want you to do something he will point his finger at you and say "NO!" From there it is up to you whether you listen or not.

• He LOVES balls! Bouncing them, throwing them, catching them, and kicking them. We have a drawer in the kitchen that is reserved for kid stuff (papers, stickers and bouncy balls) and more often then not the balls are missing from the drawer because he has taken them out. If they are not in the drawer he will come up to you and say "ball" and that usually means that you have to go on a hunt for all of the balls that have disappeared.
• He LOVES LOVES LOVES water. Playing in it, swimming in it, bathing in it, drinking it, pouring it on himself . . . He is our little fish! I always make sure that he is in the bathtub first (yes before Rachel gets in with him . . . I should separate them one day) so he can have lots of play time alone. He thinks it's absolutely hilarious to dunk his head under water and get splashed in the face. He also lays down in the tub and 'swims' (moves his arms and legs around), I just know this summer we are going to be in the pool pretty much every day. On non-bath days he gets upset and will say "Bath, bath!" over and over again. There are many times I will find him, fully clothed, in the tub playing with the toys and yes, sometimes the water is running.

• He loves to color and not just on paper. Yep he likes to draw on the walls, cupboards, dressers, doors etc. We have to be very careful about keeping crayons, markers, pens and pencils out of his reach. We used to keep crayons in the kitchen drawer until he discovered them.

• He LOVES shoes! Not just any shoes, the shiny, sparkly, pink princess ones that are Rachel's. Well actually I'll take that back, he loves ALL shoes. It doesn't matter who they belong to or what size they are he will put them on and walk around the house in them. If you come to visit us and are missing your shoes, check Benjamin's feet, you'll be sure to find them there.

• Next to shoes and balls he loves cars. He likes to drive them on the walls, the tables, the piano, the couch, the beds, pretty much anywhere but the floor. He thinks it's hilarious to let the car go and watch it crash to the floor. After it hits the floor he will take a deep breath and say "uh-oh!" Then climb down to do it again.

• He LOVES to dance and LOVES music. When we turn on music he is right behind his sister in getting down to the beat. He also tries really hard to copy some of the silly dance moves that Marc and Rachel do.

• His favorite movie right now is Cinderella. It's the only movie that he will sit through the entire thing without getting bored. His favorite cartoon characters are Mickey Mouse and Blue (from Blue's Clues). Because of his sister though he is quickly learning to like dinosaurs and the show Dinosaur Train. If you ask him what a dinosaur says he will say "Rarr!!" Which ironically enough is exactly what a lion says and is similar to what a sheep and duck say.

• He is getting more and more interested in books and loves to point out to you things that he knows. He is also speaking much better now, just not in public or around a lot of people. Then most everything is "uh." If you are lucky enough to hear him speak you will hear him say: Dar (car), Dar (star), Daddy, Mommy, Chee (Rachel), uh-oh, Joe, Mamy (Amy), Book, Da (dog), Ada (duck), inky (stinky), poo-poo, more, eez (please), chee (cheese), Ju (juice or orange, even the color orange is Ju), Bu (blue), Ach (Zac), Jese (Jesus), Oon (spoon), Ool (bowl) and so many others that I can't think of.
  

• He is finally beginning to like nursery on Sundays which is a major help for me and Marc.

• He folds his arms during the prayers and bows his little head. When we are done saying the prayer he will spread his arms out wide and then take a deep breath.
• He loves to be outside whether it is for digging in the dirt or going on a walk. His favorite part of our swing set or any park for that matter is the slide. He will go down, run around, climb up the stairs all the while saying "more!" He also loves to run after Rachel and is always trying to keep up with her and try everything she does.
• He is a BIG climber. Some of the things he climbs amazes me, but I have to remind myself that if he can get up then he can get down. Which is true about 98% of the time.

• He has the cutest little smile and the BEST pout face of all time. Whenever I see either it's hard for me not to smile/laugh and give him what he wants. Don't worry I'm really good at not giving in but sometimes it's really hard not to.