February 20, 2012

Dear Bennett, Months 28 & 29

Dear Ben,

I love you. I feel like I need to tell you that now, and all the time, because you've become quite a stinker. Much of the day is spent correcting you and leading you away from trouble, so I need to say "I love you" as much as possible in an effort to balance all of the "No, no" and "Get away from that" that I have to say every day.

December 2011

You really like to tell us what time things are going to happen, even though you have no concept of what it really means. Over the weekend, I noted how it was so cold in the basement and you let me know that it would "be warm at five o'clock." One night last week when I told you it was time for bed, you told me that "bedtime is three o'clock." You sometimes even look at the imaginary watch on your wrist as you're telling me these things, to add an element of credibility.

December 2011

You're a silly boy, too. Each and every time I ask you to bring me a diaper so that I can change you, you walk back with a pull-up behind your back and a huge smirk on your face. I say, "Alright, give me the diaper." And then you pull it from behind your back and exclaim, "I GOT JACK'S PULL-UP!" as if it's the funniest trick anyone's ever played. Also, "pull-up" sounds like "pul-yup" and I refuse to correct you because I think it's adorable. We go through this ritual at every diaper change. I can't even get frustrated by it, because you really do think you're the biggest prankster ever and the look on your face is priceless.

You and Jack have a saying whenever you're racing: "Last one there is a stinky shoe!" So, whenever you and I are going upstairs, or out to the car or anywhere, you start running and yelling, "Stinky shoe! Stinky shoe!" giggling the entire way.

Christmas 2011

Your vocabulary has exploded and you put so much time and thought into putting words together so that they make sense that it's as much fun to watch you talk as it is to listen. You're very deliberate in everything that you say. I love watching you process things.

January 2012

When we were brushing your teeth last week, you looked up at me and said, "Me love you."

Now, you've been telling us that you love us for a long time now, but normally your "I love yous" come out sounding like "ilouee" because that's how you said it when you first started talking . . . and it just stuck. Most of the time, you only say it when you're leaving, or when I'm leaving, or in response to me.

I looked at you and said, "What did you just say?" And again, you looked right at me and said, "Me. Love. You." Totally unprompted and intentional. Perfectly clear. Melt my heart.

December 2011


You're so easy to love. I love you, too.

Mama

2 comments:

Sarah said...

This is just making me cry right now. It was your opening statement. How we need to say I love you....a lot. To outweigh the times when we're reprimanding. That was me tonight. I know it's part of them being 2, and having to learn and us having to teach, but I still feel like a bad mom right now for all of the "don't do thats" tonight. Thank goodness the "I lOve yous" were the last thing he heard before he fell asleep!! :)

Amy said...

Ben looks so grown up in that picture of him and Jack lying on the ground!