THREE

Dear Benjamin,

Yesterday you turned three years old, and I still haven't figured out how that is possible. Weren't you a baby just three DAYS ago? Weren't you that roly poly little baby the doctor put in my arms just a minute ago?


And now you're sleeping in a big boy bed, sitting in a dining chair at the table, carrying your breakfast plate to the table in the den, riding a bike and swimming in the pool. It's insane how quickly you are growing up.

But, um...this potty thing? Yeah. I'm going to need you to figure that one out soon. I know you know what to do. You just see no reason to do it. Why should you, when you have a battalion of people at your beck and call, ready to change your diaper the minute it needs to be done?

This year has been an amazing one. And a tough one. As you have discovered more words and started stringing paragraphs together, you have also gotten more vocal. And by that I mean loud. Screeching if you don't get your way, screaming if someone dares touch the juice in the fridge before you, yelling when you think you've been slighted in any small way. But it's also been wonderful - you slip your little hand into mine, even for the walk from the bedroom to the kitchen. You smile every night as you drift off to sleep saying, "I love you, Mama." You play (mostly) well with Anthony, copying his every move. You run to the back door to see if Daddy's home from work yet, and when he finally comes you smile and jump up and down.

You love: your stuffed lion Leo, Thomas the Train, Mickey Mouse, singing, bubbles, swimming, balls, eating, napping, snuggling, riding your bike, and birthdays.

I will never forget: "I want you, Mama" when you want to be picked up, you singing to Anthony at bedtime, sticky kisses after you've eaten a lollipop, the sweet baby smell you still have when you first wake up, the way you say certain words (framera for camera, Fri Fri for Kri Kri, mel-lade for lemonade, and so many others).



You are awesome, and I'll never let you forget it.



Love, Mama

Branching Out

I remember when Anthony was about three years old, he began to add more and more people (and animals!) to his list of prayers at night. If we had seen an aunt, uncle, or cousin that day, they were added to our list, and usually were left on there for quite some time. We offer a standard prayer for "all of our family and friends" at the end of our usual litany, so I guess he never felt bad when he would eventually drop off a particular person. He knew they were covered! Now we're back to our standard list that we started with years ago.

Benjamin and I pray the same prayers at night as I do with Anthony. But what I've noticed about Benjamin is that he hasn't been willing to branch out from the standard list. Even if I add someone, or (God forbid) forget someone, he lets me know that it's not OK and we have to start over. Prayers can sometimes last a long time in Benjamin's world.

Tonight he totally surprised me. Mark's cousin, his cousins wife, and their two (grown-up) daughters are visiting and Benjamin has fallen in love with Allison ("Aslison") and Simone ("Mone"). Tonight they were added to his list...but not only were they added to his list, they rated the top spot (usually save for Mama and Daddy!). I think he's going to go into shock when they leave on Sunday. Thankfully, we'll be seeing a lot more of them because "Aslison" will be teaching locally through Teach for America.

I'm OK with giving up top spot in the prayer list for these two - they have played with both boys and totally worn them out! :o)