To Ben:

Well buddy, you're a kindergartner! I can hardly believe it. You still seem so little to me, and even littler when I see you at school with all the big kids. You keep telling me that you miss me too much to go to school all day, and I miss you too much to be away from you all day too.

The thing is, I can't help but want to keep you here. You are such a special little guy. Your daddy and I have talked about how much we love your innocence and your openness. We've never met another kid who feels things the way you do. You wear your heart so close to the surface that everything seems to affect you so deeply. Love and praise make such a difference to you and I know the reverse is true too. You want everyone to love you, and you try so hard to make the people around you happy. And you do. All the time.

It's so easy to make you happy, and it's also really easy to hurt you. We love the softness of your heart. We love how you look out at the world with such innocence and faith. We don't want that to change and we worry about you out there without us to protect you every minute of every day. But you are growing up.

It seems to soon to send you out there to start to make your own way, but I know you're going to be amazing. I know that your kindness and gentleness will make a difference to the teachers and kids at your school. I know that you are smart, and talented, and so funny! You'll make lots of friends and learn lots of amazing things, and I'm praying that when I can't be there, God will guard your precious little heart and keep it safe from harm. I know that there are bound to be some tears and struggles, but I'm trusting that they will only help you grow stronger and braver, not knock you down. I'm praying that you will learn to trust God to take care of you, but also that you will learn to trust and believe in yourself, because that's what school is for... To teach you the things you need to know to be able to walk without me holding your hand every step... But Ben? Even though you're getting bigger, and even though I know you need to be able to do things without me, will you keep holding my hand sometimes? You don't really need it as much as you used to, but I do and that will never change.

I love you buddy. Just exactly the way you are.

May 21st

I had my very last day of preschool a while ago. Well, not my last last I guess, because I'm going again next year... But sort of my last. For this year anyways. Well, not my last for this year either, because I'll start going again in the fall... Let's just look at the pictures okay?
We had a picnic in the park with bubbles and parachute games and snacks and crafts and songs. I brought a present to Mrs. H. and she brought one for me too! It was great!
Mrs. H. cried though... I'm not sure why...
... Maybe she was sad because we ran out of juice?

I did it.

"Itsa big poop! I ded dit!

Itsa fishy in dare! Itsa alligador in nut duh potty chair. Wow."

"Ah poop uh duh duh potty chair! Gamma? Gimme duh phone."

* Mommy's note: I have no idea where the fishy and alligator thing came from.
All I can say is Ben is one weird little kid.

Coincidence? (Mommy thinks not.)

Mommy and Daddy have been trying to teach me to say please when I want something. Yesterday I finally made a break through. Mommy is wondering if it has anything to do with the other new word I learnt the same day...

New Words:
Please (Sounds more like pees.)
Candy (Sounds more like tanty.)

I'm such a big boy.

My new words for today:
Elmo
Hungry (Sounds more like hungy...)

Mommy is so proud of me today. I have FINALLY mastered the scooping technique that is essential to effective spoon usage. That's right people. I can scoop all kinds of things now! I have also learned that if I say the word hungry Mommy will jump up and get me food. She's so happy with me.

In other news, I am getting really good at recognizing pictures of people in my family. Mommy shows me pictures on the computer all the time. I love it! I can recognize Grandma and Grandpa. (I call them both Mama.) I know who Aunt Angie is too. (I call her Aunty.) Isn't that impressive? I still can't figure out who that little blonde kid is in most of the pictures though. Usually I just call him Noah... Mommy brought a mirror upstairs to see if she could help me figure that guy out. I pushed it over today and it fell on my head and knocked me over. I don't think I like that blonde kid very much anymore. He's even tougher than Ethan.

Too much Veggie Tales? Is that even possible?

New word: Bob (As in Bob the tomato from Veggie Tales. Larry is always yelling it and the other day I decided I should too. So now I just run around the house randomly yelling... "Bob! Bo-ob!" Mommy thought I didn't know what I was talking about so I brought her the case from my video and showed her who Bob is. Now she thinks I'M A GENIUS! She also thinks I should possibly cut back on the Veggie Tales... )

Today...

Today Mommy and Daddy took me to this place with all kinds of toys. I liked it until I noticed the lady there was coming at me with another one of those needle things. Then I cried. Then she poked me anyways. So I cried harder. Mommy is really hoping that I don't get sick like I did last time. So far I'm doing pretty well, but we just got back from going out to dinner and I always LOVE going out to dinner. I had french fries and I got to dip them in ketchup as much as I liked. Mmmmm... HEY! Those people at the restaurant forgot to give me my cookie. That's it. Next time I'm not leaving them a tip.

My new words for today are:

Guys (What I call my fisher price people.)
All done (What I said after my bath and after my shot.)
Aw Toot! (What I said after Daddy said, "Oh shoot!"


z sama

New Words for the Day:

Tent
Stairs (Sounds kinda like soos most of the time, and sez the rest of the time...)

Do you want to know how to make me happy? Let me go upstairs and downstairs whenever I feel like it. (All the time...) If that doesn't work then sit under a blanket with me.

It's a boy!

We got a new baby today. It came from the store. Just for me. Mommy says the next baby won't come from the store though. She says she's going to show me how to take care of my baby, but I think I've already got the hang of it. I gave him his soother, then I gave him a bottle, I gave him a few kisses, then I TRIED to give him a toy, but he wouldn't take it. I call him Noah. I like him pretty well, but I like the new train Mommy got me even better... "Chkuh, ch, ch, ch... ch. Choo! Choo!"

In other news... My newest word is Bob. Mommy thinks maybe I've been watching too much Veggie Tales lately. You know what I say? Just rewind the tape Mommy! I'm ready to go again!

Still More New Words:

I say this while spinning myself till I can't stand up: Spinny! Spinny!
Then I say: Ho. Ho. Ho.
I say this anytime anyone comes into a room where I am alone, or whenever I come into a room with other people: Boo!

Today I reminded Mommy of a song her friend Scotty wrote while working at Bible Camp.

Don't go swimming tonight...

You're bound to lose your life.

There's a logger in the deep.

Don't go swimming tonight...

You'll be thrown for a loop.

Oh, the deep end's full of poop.

That's how she THINKS it went anyways. She sang it to me while she scooped all of my little poops out of the bathtub before church. I sang too. I sang, "Poop! Poop!" Then I got kinda cold waiting for her to run me a new bath so I cried a bit... "Poop! Pooooop!" Someone really needs to think about potty training me...

More New Words:

Book
Well, well, well... (As in: Well, well, well... What do we have here?)
Socks

In other news: The monkey obsession rolls on full steam ahead. Here's a picture of Ben and his much abused friend... Yes... I washed it... Again...

More New Words:

Hands (Sounds more like Hans... Would be convenient if we knew any one named Hans...)
Cold (Sounds more like Coke... Actually very convenient when talking about coke... 'Cept we drink Pepsi... An interesting fact: Kirsten Ens used to call it "Coca"... And she called Mc Donald's "Two Burgers"... What a cutie...)

More New Words:

Duck
Bath (Sounds more like Bass.)
Quack (Sounds more like Cack.)

(In other news, after getting my freshly washed monkey back I was VERY happy. So happy I thought I should bring him along for my bath, so after Mommy got me all naked and ready to go I ran out to the loving room to get monkey... That's when I accidently peed on him... A TINY BIT! Mommy took him away to be washed again and I cried for a good ten minutes... "Monkey... Monkey!")

New Words:

Book
Pretty
Noah
Monkey

(Aunty Angie gave me a monkey for Christmas. Yesterday I spit up on it JUST A BIT, and Mommy sent him to the laundry room today. I asked for it all day. All day.)

I'm Weird.

I have a weird new habit. I like to lick windows. I stand on the coffee table and I lick all over the bit of window I can reach. I make weird squeeking noises with my face as I rub it all over the nice cold window. Today I licked the window in our living room for 15 minutes solid. Mommy wishes she had a photo of me from outside... Maybe I will let her take one tomorrow. Anyways... I should get back to my licking.

In other news... when I want to be picked up I usually say "Up!" over and over. Lately I have added, "Up we go!" (Only it sounds more like, "Up ee go!" Mommy doesn't know where I picked that up, but she thinks it's pretty funny.)