Marching On

Tonight after Benjamin’s bath, Tim was eager to get his nightly chores done and I was finishing up folding Benjamin’s laundry. So we put our son in the rocking chair with some of his favorite books. Usually, one of us reads to him, feeds him, and rocks him to sleep. Tonight he just relaxed in his green chair and “read” his books all by himself. Tim walked by and said, “That is just so cool. Look at him!” Seeing Benjamin reclining all alone in his room studying his books really was kind of amazing. It seems our Banjo has passed baby, entered toddler, and occasionally looks just like a little boy.


Am I happy about this? Anyone who knows me well can answer that question. I’m not exactly happy about my baby boy growing up. Change, even when it’s the best kind and totally natural, is not easy for me. However, I realize that no one can completely avoid change, and when you’re the mother of a growing boy, change cannot be ignored. As for Benjamin, he is embracing each new step – some steps more than others.



This year even taking down our Christmas tree was a bit painful for me. Benjamin had such a wonderful time celebrating the season that I just didn’t want it to end. His sweet voice reading about baby Jesus and Mary and Joseph was heart-melting stuff. Each morning he looked at the still unlit tree and said, “Uh-oh, Christmas tree” until someone turned on the lights. Singing Christmas songs repeatedly at his request was even fun. I left the tree up a couple of weeks longer than usual to savor a little more of Benjamin’s second Christmas. He played with his new toys tree-side until mid January; it worked for us.

For now, I’m trying to enjoy these fleeting moments, doing my best to document and remember them. And when Tim and I feel at our wits' end with our very independent toddler (who is sometimes like a little boy), I try to remember that no phase, no matter how sweet or sour, will last too long.

At my house, time is definitely marching on…