Benjamin Boy

We have been blessed with children who have big personalities and a stubborn streak. Benjamin is no exception. This kid is cute, quirky and LOUD. He's also two and it shows.
Benjamin is in love with the letter B right now. He's recently learned to recognize it and it has only increased the number of items in his every day life that he claims are his. Anything at all with a capital B on it (i.e. the entire box of Honey Bunches of Oats) must be his. "It says B for Benjamin!" he loudly proclaims and hugs it to his chest. Benjamin also holds a strong belief that anything yellow (his favorite color) is also his. "It's my yellow! Mine!" As a result, I am now hyper-aware of things that are yellow and/or are sporting a letter B. Frankly, I think it's a miracle he hasn't hijacked a school bus yet.

Benjamin's speech continues to grow in complexity and, thankfully, clarity. He is still difficult to understand at times but we are usually able to figure it out. He is experimenting with new vocabulary and parts of speech. One of his favorite words to use right now is "pretty". He seems to think that adding "pretty" in any sentence makes your statement more emphatic. Sometimes this works fine like when he says "It's pretty windy out here." but he also says things like, "That candy is pretty mine." and "Yes, you pretty are!" Another favorite word is "also". He just tacks that on to any sentence. "I don't want to take a nap also!" "It's rainy out there also."
Benjamin has always loved things that are rich in flavor and I am beginning to wonder if he has under-developed taste buds. As a baby, he would eat chili, salsa and curry. Recently he licked the measuring spoon that I had used for cayenne pepper. I waited for the extreme reaction but it never came. He just smacked his lips, smiled at me and went on his merry way. Maybe he's unable to detect capsaicins? Regardless, this kid loves flavor and he loves his condiments. Given his way, he would eat whole bowls of ketchup with a spoon. I recently caught him giving himself a hot-wax style manicure with ranch dressing.

It was buttermilk ranch. Buttermilk is supposed to be good for your skin, right?
This kid is constantly eating and sneaking food out of the kitchen. He has also inherited an insatiable appetite for candy from his Opa. He is always asking if he can have some "eyepatch kids" (sourpatch kids). Unfortunately, he is usually too naughty to earn the "eyepatch kids" (children who unstock entire shelves and then have to be carried over my shoulder kicking and screaming while I push the cart with my other hand because they keep running away and then who try to go surfing on the conveyor belt at the checkout counter don't earn candy) but he keeps trying.
We are pretty sure that Benjamin somehow has some camelid properties because he can go for long periods without drinking. In fact, we sometimes wonder why we even bother pouring him a drink to go with his meals. It usually just ends up going back in the fridge to wait to be rejected at his next repast. Marc was wondering aloud at dinner the other night that Benjamin doesn't exhibit any signs of dehydration. I said, "I think he gets all of his water from fruits and vegetables. He eats a ton of those." We both looked over at Benjamin who had apparently been sneaking pieces of watermelon during our conversation.

We couldn't help but laugh. Yep, he looks plenty hydrated to me.
Oh, Benjamin. Sometimes you are so hard, but we love you so much and you give the best hugs. Thanks for being our Benjamin Boy.