Benisms

Ben has pretty much kept me smiling the last couple of months. He is learning so much these days that I can't stay ahead of him. He writes ALL the time and I need to go get him a lined notebook before he uses ALL of my computer paper.

He has also decided he is going to stay with me forever. I was packing up Everleigh's too small clothes yesterday, sorting them into various stacks for where they need to go and asked Kyri if she wanted me to save a few of her special things in case she had a baby of her own someday. Ben piped up with, "Is it ok if the grandma and grandpa live in the same state?"

"Of course, Ben. That would be nice."

"Ok, then. Kyri can move to Tumwater when she gets married and has a baby." (Tumwater is the next town over.) Kyri agreed that this was ideal. And so did the mother. Ben shows no large interest in parenthood but he is excited to be an uncle someday. (A certain bachelor uncle is always cited as an example, though eventually, that one did leave home. AND moved out of state, breaking his mother's heart.)

Ben is easier to parent these days. With one exception. Mealtimes. Ben is Mr. Picky. He is very diplomatic and smart about it. When I make something he does like, he showers me with thankfulness. "Oh Mom, my favorite." (Anything he does like is a "favorite.") "THANK YOU MOM!"

Last night I told him he was a big boy and needed to eat a little salad. He proceeded to argue that he was "a little boy" and thus shouldn't be forced to eat lettuce. During the conversation, Mike pointed out some of the things a big boy could do that a little boy could not. And Ben proceeded to bombard us with evidence to the contrary. His proud father could see the name plate already: M. Bennett ____, Attorney at Law.