Already?

This afternoon I was lying in the bed with Benjamin. Well, I was lounging and he was sitting up playing with a curious assortment of things--a plastic toy band aid cuff, my foot arch support sling, a paper/plastic bowl, and a handful of goldfish crackers. His lips were pooched out in deep concentration as he stratigically placed the goldfish inside the sling and next to the cuff, round and round. He was so darned cute I wanted to just eat him up! So I asked him, "Can you give Mommy a kiss?" Without looking up he says, "I can't." I asked why and he said, "Me busy." So I waited. A minute or so later I ask again. "I can't. Me busy." *sigh* He's already too busy to kiss his Mommy.

New Tonight

"Come on, Mommy--it's easy!"-Benjamin Bug (as we ran around the kitchen island)

Lots of fun stuff happening!

Benjamin had his first visit to The Little Gym this past Thursday. There were some group activities (like going in a circle with a parachute and chasing bubbles and ringing bells), but much of the session was just 18-30 month old kids running wild on padded gym equipment. Bug was very at ease with the instructor and the other kids, and was extremely active and vocal- especially when they brought out a giant tub of balls.

Also, he played in the snow for the first time about a week ago. It was a little hard walking at first- there was a crunchy two inch slab covering the other six inches of snow, so he'd punch through the top layer one step at a time to find himself up to his knee in snow, then have to climb forward one leg at a time. When the going got to rough, he just crawled through the drifts excitedly. And he really liked tasting and tossing around clumps of snow and running around on the pre-flattened snow on the road. That night he passed out on the couch before bedtime (which never ever ever happens). Sweet little guy was totally tuckered out!

Pictures of both events are below...

FIRST JOKE

Don't get me wrong, he's always hilarious and is easily cracked up by his (and our) antics, but Benjamin made his first sort-of complex joke today. (At least the first that his simpleton audience has caught on to so far). Bug and Mommy and Daddy were all laying around in bed and Mommy started calling Daddy "Mommy" and visa versa. Just silliness. Then Bug corrected comically by calling Daddy "Grand Daddy." He caught onto our teasing and threw it back at us with a twist. We all laughed like crazy. Good times.

25 Months

Well, I guess that sounds strange--25 months. This is when you drop the months and only speak in years and half years. A new era. But I will still count the precious months and celebrate the Bug each 22nd that comes. Happy 25-month birthday, Benjamin! We love you!

To celebrate this milestone we spent Saturday afternoon at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham, N.C. It was an amazing afternoon--great weather, a welcome break from the rain and cold temps we've had, and lots of things to look at and play with. Benjamin liked the Butterfly House a lot and really enjoyed looking at the "cwittuhs" in the petting zoo. A highlight was when the donkey named Lightning brayed loudly to summon all the children to come visit him as he was not getting any attention at the time. And boy did it bring us all running over to him! Benjamin has been saying "hee-haww!" a lot yesterday and today remembering that loud donkey! We also got to ride the train and yell inside the tunnel, which didn't even phase Benjamin who was being lulled to sleep by the rhythm of the train. We thought for sure he would be out after the train ride but he got his second wind. He rocked out on the drums with his dad. He also got a chance to play in a group with all much older children. He held his own quite well and really enjoyed filling his cup with beads with everyone else. We all had a great family day together :)

Chopsticks and ABC's

Benjamin used his practice chopsticks--a gift from his noonah Jennifer-- tonight at dinner for the first time. He said, "Daddy help put fingers!" So Henry placed his little fingers in the circular finger rings. And it only took him a minute or two and he was able to eat some rice with them!

Benjamin also sang about 2/3rds of the ABC tonight all by himself before dinner. Henry and I just listened quietly while he sang, shocked that he knew that much of the alphabet, in the right order. He is also really into "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" but he doesn't know those lyrics as well. He fell asleep tonight with Henry and I singing it to him. Then Henry fell asleep and I sang until Bug went to sleep, too.

Oh, and this morning, I was pretending to still be asleep and Benjamin stared at me for a very long time. Then said, "Good night, Mommy. Night night, Mommy." And then he got off the bed and went into Halmuni's room. It was so cute. And nice because he usually holds my face and says, "Open eyes, Mommy! Wake up, Mommy!" So a few extra minutes of rest was wonderful :)

Say What?

I had my first real conversation on the phone with Benjamin today. I was on my way back home from working some and called home and Halmuni handed Benjamin the phone like she often does. Usually he might say hi but more often than not he just listens to me talk. But today was a whole new thing.

"Hi Benjamin. It's me, Mommy."
"Hi, Mommy."
"How are you doing?"
"Good."
"Did you have a good nap?"
"Yes."
"What are you doing now?"
"Sitting eating pretzels."
"Are you watching T.V.?"
"Yes. (Then he says something that I have forgotten about the show he is watching)"

It was so strange hearing his little voice over the phone, so clear and... well, grown up sounding. When the heck did we have a baby that can talk on the phone? *Sigh* He is growing up so fast.