Benjamin at 2 Years

by Tim

Robin and I decided to spend Banjo’s second birthday together as our small family unit. It turned out to be quite an epic day. First, we cleaned the house in preparation for a prospective buyer, then we hopped on the DART train and headed downtown to the Dallas World Aquarium. It’s a pretty cool place, and we were able to let Benjamin walk/run and enjoy the exhibits at his own frantic pace. His enjoyment of the stroller these days is limited to our family walks and runs, followed by the promise of something better when we are done, such as the park, or food.

After lunch and a late nap, we went for a swim, after which we ordered a pizza, opened more presents, had ice cream & cake and watched Toy Story 2. Robin is now trying to put him down for good; it’s 11:40 pm.

What a great day, an incredible two years, and (here’s the best part) a lifetime to go!

An early morning gift from Mom and Dad - it's Woody!

Waiting patiently for the train at the DART station

Waterfall!!!

Father and Son checking out the fish

Birthday lunch

Rock on

Digging in to his cake

6-4-5

Five years and counting...

The Naysayer

Benjamin has recently added a new word to his ever-growing vocabulary. It is two-letter word that I have been dreading, and now it’s here. “No,” he says more often than seems possible or healthy or appropriate. This phenomenon began about two weeks ago, but Benjamin has made quick work of incorporating it into almost every conversation. What a happened to my baby boy who never dared say “no?”

Perhaps that sweet little boy is hanging out somewhere with the Benjamin who is a perfect flyer. Remember the boy who flew to New York and back over spring break without complaint, garnering compliments left and right? Well, he has been replaced by a little guy who vomits all over himself and his mother. On our trip to Midland last weekend, we walked through the airport carrying our very large almost two-year old wearing his post-puke outfit of nothing but a diaper and sandals. After his great explosion, I realized that all his clothes were in our suitcase, so we had nothing to put on for the walk through the airport and out to Poppy waiting in the car. Where has my perfect airplane passenger gone?

There is a chance that my perfect flyer is spending time with the Benjamin who never did anything too daring or out of character. Yesterday that sweet image of perfection was replaced with a curious little boy who turned a quart of half & half upside down in the middle of the kitchen floor. He watched with fascination as it spread and splattered everywhere. Only when the carton was empty did the gravity of his actions hit him; then he began to bawl uncontrollably. I looked at him with shock and asked, “Benjamin, why did you do that?” I realize it was a ridiculous question. I imagine that if he could have stopped crying long enough to answer, he might have said, “Because it was there.”

Please don’t misunderstand, along with Benjamin’s new-found freedom of speech and action (sorry I can’t find anything good about the vomit on the plane) comes a capacity for learning and expressing himself that leaves Tim and I amazed. He continues to show his affection for our family and friends by constantly talking about them and all the fun he has had in times past. He rattles off their names in such a way that makes me wonder if he studies flashcards when no one is around. Another recent interest of his is the alphabet. He recognizes letters on signs, in books, on t-shirts, and even on his silverware, “Gerber.” For me, it’s a bit shocking to watch my baby boy studying the shapes of letters and searching his memory for the name of that shape.

Now at the end of May, Benjamin sits on the edge of the terrible two’s, and I must admit that I’m feeling a bit nervous. My reassurance is the journey he has taken us on so far. Surely this little person – who just happens to shriek “No” ten to twenty times a day – will continue to delight us.

Banjo and Emma Rae strolling down Missouri Street
in Midland last weekend

TJP

Happy birthday to my favorite forty-three year old...

Bring on Spring

Today was a beautiful, sunny spring day. It was so warm, in fact, that Benjamin even wore shorts to daycare for the first time since last fall. Rewind a couple of weeks to the first official day of spring and there was snow on the ground here. What a strange way to bring in the season!

That first day of spring fell at the end of our week long vacation from work for spring break. We were lucky enough to take a trip to New York City to visit Tim’s brother Matt, his wife Stacy, and the newest Pattillo, Abel. Our trip found Benjamin on an airplane for the first time in more than a year. He did great. Tim and I were relieved that he stayed calm and collected throughout our flights both there and back. In fact, he was quite the toddler-gentleman the entire time we were away…well, except for that plate he broke at the deli.


As we walked our way through NYC, Benjamin took it all in with delight. Although most of our trip was wet and cold, the last day was gorgeous so we spent lots of time outdoors. Benjamin made his first visit to a zoo on this trip, and not surprisingly, he loved it. However, the petting zoo was definitely his favorite. Without a care or bit of fear, he offered food to the sheep, goat, and alpaca from his hand. My first inclination was to hold him back – away from those big animal teeth! Luckily for Benjamin, Tim is much less cautious than I am.

Of course, the main attraction in NYC was that sweet baby boy, Abel. Just as Benjamin was perfectly pleasant as we wandered, ate, napped, and shopped our way through the city – so was Abel. For this little one, New York is everyday. Matt and Stacy have made a wonderful home for themselves and their son in the big city. It was cool and interesting to see how people really live there. Benjamin was very sweet with Abel and showered him with many wet kisses, cousin to cousin. We are looking forward to seeing them again this summer in Alabama – ah, summer…

As spring begins, we are excited to see the sunshine again and enjoy the warmer temperatures. We must soak it up now before those temps soar in the future summer months.

Here’s to the promise of spring.

It's in the Air

After a weird and wonderful week,

we are feeling the love this Valentine’s Day.

To our family and friends, we love you.
Happy Valentine’s Day

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…