B is for Bennett and the Quiet Quail O

Bennett is a piece of work these days. He is both hilarious and obstinate, learning new things and then reverting to being Mommy's sidekick.

He recently has become very interested in learning his letters. Poor thing, I am sure he has had less than half the attention Austin had from us poured into reading and teaching his ABC's, but he seems to know them all now anyway. Lately he loves books we have that teach ABC's and loves to say what each letter is for. Example, his favorites are A, B, M and D, for Austin, Bennett, Mommy and Daddy. Ever since we started potty training, he often says when he goes the bathroom "pee pee and poo poo both start with P". Almost every time. He originally said "pee pee and poo poo rhyme"( I have no idea what gave him that idea) but I corrected him and it stuck.

The other day we were passing this furniture store, oddly titled "QM". The letters are huge and on the top of the building. When we passed it, he said "It's the quiet quail O". He knows Q is for quiet quail (from a Curious George book) and recognized it, but I guess forgot the name of Q and came up with the closest thing. He is so cute and endearing, but then also has a very stubborn side too. Lately he is fixated on these 3 or 4 toys that he insists on carrying with him everywhere around the house. He would take them outside too if I let him but I definitely do not. Usually it is Jimmy doggie (his giant golden retriever), his drawing pad and either a play cupcake or ice cream cone. Chris said he will use this in a talk illustration about the hindrance of sin- how it is hard to hold on to things so tightly because of how much it weighs us down. Bennett is constantly dropping one, can't find one or has a hard time doing things because his hands are so full but he refuses to let go of one or more. Funny little guy, but they really do hinder him a lot of the time.

He still loves to be by my side most days and lately asks me about every 5 minutes if I will go downstairs and play with him. Most of the time he asks this at a most inconvenient time, like in the middle of washing breakfast dishes or something like that. While it often is not what I want to stop and go do, I have been trying to just stop and play with him more. He loves it and a lot will change in a couple of months and I keep reminding myself to treasure this time with Bennett now. So we have spent time lately, mostly playing "riding the boat" (a comforter on the floor of the basement that he and Austin usually say is a boat. We usually wake up and go to sleep multiple times on the boat and in between sleeping he makes me food (especially ice cream) and we "eat" it. That is definitely the favorite pretend game these days.

Today at nap when I woke him up he looked at me and said "mommy I'm little". True and not true too! I'm glad he is still little, but feels like he is getting so big (as in older) lately. Is sometimes wish I could bottle this stage of cute sayings up and affection up.