Ben is 3 1/2 going on 18...

 

So I figure it's time (for my memories sake) to do a little Ben update. It's been a while.

• Lately, he's been coming home saying that so&so is coming over to his house. It's all the talk at the daycare apparently. No one ever goes to each other's houses they just talk about it.
• this is his new thing: "mommy, I'm hungry"
  me: "Hi Hungry, I'm mommy" (shaking his hand) (this repeats a few more times)
  Ben: "no mommy, I'm NOT hungry... I just want to eat!"
• I'll tell him to do something and he says "Just a minute, okay mommy?" to which I reply "uh no, how about now". He usually slumps his shoulders because he doesn't like that response.
• The other day at the store, he told me when his baby comes out he's going to be "this big" holding his two little fingers to the size of less than an inch. The lady next to us said "he's hilarious!" I told him that it was getting harder and harder to bend over because of the baby and he said "Mommy, when the baby comes out you can bend." I just love these little jewels!
• Obviously he started Primary this year, that's exciting.
• He's still eating baby food vegetables. Am I a horrible mom for allowing him to? I mean, I figure he's getting them in some shape and form right? There's just something that angers me so badly when he's trying to eat something new, or we've forced him to try something and he gags on it. So it's just one battle I refuse to fight, for now.
• He's really concerned about getting and giving hugs and kisses lately. "Mommy, you didn't give me a HUG?" or "kiss?" Maybe we don't do it enough? I don't know... 
• He's been sort of a trouble maker. I feel like this stage of being three, so close to 4 is almost worst than when he was 2. And I feel that way because he knows better now. He's become accustomed to throwing tantrums lately, and that's not cutting it in our house. So we've taken on some discipline measures that we hope work. Our ultimate goal is to have a well behaved and respectful person one day who knows his parents love him more than anything.
• He can write his name now, I guess he's been able to for some time. But he can do upper and lower case, but his name includes Ben S. It's not just Ben, it's Ben S. Smith is still not something he can write but we're working on that. He moves to a new class this upcoming Monday and I think they'll be focusing more on educational things like that in there. Then in Aug or Sept (I can't remember) he'll got to Pre-K. They have him trace letters and numbers at school every day during class time. He's a smarty pants... I hope he keeps it up. He's full of excuses though when he doesn't' feel like trying... and it all seems super familiar to me, hmmm, wonder where he got THAT from.
• Speaking of that... in a lot of ways he's really like me. He's a sensitive person, as am I. And there are just little things I notice about him that I can TOTALLY relate to because I'm the same way. And they aren't things I taught him, it's just how he came. He's definitely like his daddy too, but it's good to know that somewhere in that mini-me of a Ryan there's a little of me too. :)
• He's also been always needing to hold something. Honestly- it started when we went to Knoxville to visit my cousin and her family. Her little boy seemed to always have something with him at all times, so I'm thinking Ben picked up on that. It's kind of annoying, because shopping is like torture, especially if he DOESN'T have something to hold- because then he wants to hold things in the store and says "mommy can I have that?". Like pulling eye lashes out... 
• Ben is realllllllly sensitive to people's moods and happiness or sadness. I love that about him. He's very concerned with people, and I think that's a wonderful attribute I hope he hangs on to. Our family needs that, and he will be able to relate to and touch so many people's lives. I just have this motherly intuition that he will. He's got a lot of soul behind those eyes.
• He's got an excellent memory. He seems to remember mommy buying some of the same toys Santa brought him... hmmm, weird. He remembers random details of things from like a year ago. He helps me remember things too which is nice.
• Ben is in charge of feeding Ally in the mornings. We are trying to give him more and more "chores" but we're both kind of control freaks... so we'll have to "try" and give him even more. hehe
• He's got a great sense of humor. And he's quite the negotiator. We'll give him a rule or instructions and he'll pull out a "OR mommy..." and then say what HE thinks is what he should do. He also sometimes decides that what we want him to do is not what he wants to do and then just doesn't do it. Which is typical of all people I guess. I hear myself saying "I don't care if you don't want to..." a lot. 
• He's so very handsome. He is. We made a cute kid. And I love that little munchkin. I also just can't wait for the stage of tantrums and attitude and not listening to be over with. I guess........ that means in like 15 years huh?
• He still is a child who needs his sleep, especially naps. Man oh man he does NOT do well with out them. Just like any other human, he does not do well with out sleep or food. I realize my child is almost 4 and is still taking naps. I'm not complaining...

• He starting to enjoy sports. We got him a real life football for Christmas, and Ashley got him a Nerf basketball and hoop for Christmas too. He loves playing with them both. Ryan and Ben went for a bike ride just last weekend to the park and they threw the football around... I can't believe he's growing so fast and actually doing things like that now!

• 

  riding in the new trailer Daddy got for Christmas for his bike!

• He's still pretty skinny. I got him in to some 3T jeans finally, but that is just one pair. Not all jeans are created equally... but he's growing. He's just little. He needs some meat on his bones though. I guess we need to let him eat more often. I just hate so many snacks because then when it comes to eat a meal he's too full. Ugh...