Boo Buddy

I get more one-on-one time with Benjamin than with Asher or Charlotte- every afternoon, when his siblings nap, Benjamin and I get to have our special time together.

He's always been a poor napper- he was the first to give up his morning nap, and now he's the first to give up napping altogether.  He takes an afternoon nap 1 or 2 days a week, and for the most part, we've given up trying to get him to rest.

shoveling snow

Some afternoons, I tell him it's mandatory quiet time.  He usually sits down with the iPad and watches some shows while I either get something done or watch TV of my own choosing.  But some days, we have outings or play time just the two of us.  We run errands, or go on a walk or jog (sometimes ending at the playground), read books, or cook in the kitchen.

at the playground during no-nap

He surprises me with his affection for his little sister.  He says all the time that he loves us.  He's grown attached to more and more comfort objects, and he carries them around the house with him.  It used to just be his "snuggle blankie," but now includes his blankie, his "fire doggie" (a stuffed dalmation from Ikea), and now his panda (a small beanie baby panda we got at the zoo in DC).  He has to sleep with them, and he lugs them all over the house all day long.  When he gets tired, he balls them up and lies down on top of them to rest.

There are days where he is in a foul mood.  He only wants "nuffin'" to eat, and he will lie on the floor and flail if you come too close.  But he is quick to calm down.  At meals, he'll inch his chair closer to ours until they touch, and sit next to us while we eat.  Or even sit on Eric's lap to eat!

At school, with the rocket he built

I love his face, his funny voice, the feeling of his little hand in mine.  I love how every time we go to Trader Joe's he asks for a banana and then cookies and I always have to hold a half-eaten banana while he eats the cookies.  I love that when he gets up in the morning, he comes to our bed and insists we snuggle before we do anything else.  I love his tiny white teeth and his adorable smile. I love how cute his tushie looks in his little boy underwear.  I love how he can diligently see a task through, and how his mind is always working to figure things out.  Where Asher is a smooth talker ("Oh, mommy, you look really pretty in that dress!"), Benjamin tells it like it is ("What that mommy? A sweater? I think it's too big on you!").  I love his observations on life and the world- he always notices something out the window that I wouldn't see without him.  I love his big, serious eyes.

I love you, my sweet boy.