2 year old Bennett

I know, I know. Too cute to handle, right? Well guess what? This boy is turning two!!!

I can't believe it's been two years since he was this little...

Bennett-isms:

"I YUV that!" (I love that. He'll say this most enthusiastically! He will sometimes add in "I yuv blank" when talking about something specifically)

"I jumped very so high" (Gotta love those filler words!)

"Oh my word", "Oh my goodness", "Oh my gosh" (all things he repeats from yours truly! Although the last one I don't like hearing from him... so I'm trying not to say it much ;))

"Mama, what am I sinking about?" (he asks this question all the time, and his answers are so genuine and hilarious! He'll say 'doors' or 'blankets' or 'bablanas' {bananas}, etc. What a cutie!)

"Woah, you see dat?" (when he does something he thinks is SO cool :D )

"Um, hmmm. Yeah, I tink so" (this is his response to MOST questions... it's so funny! I don't know where he got this from, but he will usually say all three together.)

"Yeah, dat's right" (another statement he uses frequently that he  got from yours truly!!)

"I need help!" (I taught him to say this instead of just whining or crying about something... it comes in handy!)

"What's my name?" (He'll ask this and then respond with "My name BENNETT!!" Then he'll say "What's Mama's name".  I always smile and tell him "Mama, silly!". Just yesterday I said that, and then he crinkled his little nose at me and said "Ma... SAL!" in sort of a 'you can't trick me' kind of voice! I guess Bryan calls me Sal most of the time :D It's hilarious the things he picks up from Bryan and me!)

"I gotta be so careful!"

"Quarter, Quarter, Half Note" (I teach piano, so he hears me doing this with my students, and will walk around repeating it long after they leave!)

And so many more...


Bennett's Favorite Things:

He loves building forts, reading stories, singing songs, doing puzzles, playing with cars and dinosaurs.

Some of his favorite books are: The Three Billy Goats Gruff, Wolf's Coming, We're Going on a Bear Hunt, Seven Blind Mice, Bearenstein Bears: The Spooky Old Tree, etc. He loves reading stories!

Some of his favorite songs (that he will sing with/for me)are: Rock-a-bye, don't you cry (a Grandma Hamblin special!); Let me call you Sweetheart; The Itsy Bitsy Spider; Three Little Monkey's jumpin' on the Bed; ABC's; "The Temple Song" (I Love to see the Temple); Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam; Once there was a Snowman; I Love Trash; etc. (I know I'm forgetting something!)

Favorite songs that he doesn't sing:  "The Jesus Song" (I'm trying to be like Jesus); Whenever I hear...; etc.  He will usually ask for "Just ONE more song, mama" after every song... :D

He is starting to tell me when he needs to go to the bathroom.  This is awesome news for potty training! I am not quite ready to tackle this task, though. I think I'll wait until Elise is at least a few months old... He likes to sit on the "big boy potty" though! Just the other night he sat there and said in a strained voice: "I know it's coming..." TMI??? Sorry, it was so cute!

Recently he has been on this kick where he will buzz or roll the beginning of a word if the second letter is an "R" or and "L".  EX: blue, please, bread, etc. Silly boy.

He is sleeping in his big boy bed! We are soooo impressed and relieved that he has transitioned to this so well... although sometimes when we go in to check on him before we go to sleep, it's like playing hide-and-seek because he will climb out of bed and fall asleep in funny places!

He speaks LEAPS AND BOUNDS over what is "normal" for two year olds... he amazes me everyday!

He will walk up to me with his blankets and say "Mama, I need to cuddle" and then lay his head on my shoulder.  So sweet!

Another one of his silly favorites is to be "wrapped up".  He'll come up to me with his blankies and then wants me to wrap him up like a burrito so his arms are tucked in, but he can still walk around.  

He knows how to turn the piano on, and more specifically, the demo songs on. Then he will sit there and move his fingers like he is playing the songs! So funny!

He will climb on the piano bench and say "Sing the I Love Trash song!" This comes from the Reader's Digest Children's Songbook, and he will sit on my lap with his hands on my hands while I play and sing.  Then he will want to sing She'll be Comin' round the Mountain and many other fun songs in the book. This is one of my favorite times!!

He hates if there is something weird on his finger, or if a finger nail has broken and it's hanging off.  He will hold out his hand and say "Mama, fix my finger". 

He LOVES Daddy.  When daddy is home, he will always want daddy to do puzzles with him, or daddy to get him some juice, or whatever it is. 

He knows all of his colors. 

He can recognize the letters: R, O, B, and S

He knows all the names of his dinosaurs. (He'll tell you the color too! Ex: Blue triceratops... with excellent pronunciation :D )

He will count to about 15 before he starts getting confused with all those "teens"!


The NOT so sweets: 

He still LOVES to throw all the books on the floor.  He will just run up to the book shelf and swing his arms back and forth to knock them all off.  I think he mostly loves my reaction to him doing this, so I have been trying to not show any emotion when he does this, but just ask him to help me clean up the big mess.  Then he'll sing the "clean-up song" while we put them all back on. I would love to be able to kick this habit, but I don't think it will happen anytime soon! 

Lately he will go grab any picture frame he can reach and throw it on the ground.... Of course this results in broken frames and glass.  Ahh! One of my biggest pet peeves.... Anyways, I've had to move them to avoid this, but then I am left with these big empty spaces in my decorating. Hmmm... oh well. 

Sometimes he will still go play in the potty.  This is only if he is REALLY riled up, but nevertheless, it's icky! I try to keep the upstairs doors closed as much as possible, but sometimes they get left open. 

"MINE".  I hate this word, and I don't know where he learned it. He will say this now when playing with his friends.  It usually comes out in a grunted "miiiiinnnnnneeee", so we always have to have talks about how, yes, that may be "yours", but we are going to share our toys with our friends so they will share theirs with us!

He used to throw HUGE tantrums where he would throw himself on the floor and scream and cry for sometimes 30 minutes, but he hasn't done this in a while.  At first, I think my reaction to this would cause it to be prolonged, but I prayed and prayed about how to deal with this.  I feel SO much more calm than before and can just allow him to cry (in the corner) until he is done.  Because he is not getting a big reaction from me, he might scream for a second, but he knows I'm not going to give into what he wants, so he stops.  It has been so nice! I think the biggest part is communication.  I just tell him what is expected and give him choices, then he can choose from that.  It has worked wonders! I love having a good communicator! 

............ 

Wow, I could go on and on about this sweet boy of ours! He truly is SUCH a joy in my life.  Bryan could tell you that it's almost every night that I sigh and say "Oh I just love my Bennett boy!" He is busy and curious and sweet and smart and I just love him to pieces.  It breaks my heart to watch him grow up so fast, but I am trying to cherish EVERY moment with him. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BENNETT! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!