Happy 3rd Birthday!

Benji's haul.

Chocolate chip pancakes...and the cupcakes in the background.

Hooray! A GIANT train from Grandma Carol (as compared to his little Thomas-esque trains.)

A Big Police Car! (Make that, a big LOUD police car!)

And the guitar! Pretty exciting for a few minutes, but couldn't compare to noisy police car and stacking train...we're hoping the guitar has a quiet staying power that the other toys won't have :)

Pumpkin Patch

Guess who loves the ocean?

McDonald's Playland

Another conversation with Benjamin

Reading stories in bed, Benjamin gently strokes my arm.
B: "That's mommy's arm."
M: "Yes, that's right."
Continues stroking and smilingly says,
"That's mommy's fur."
So good for my vanity, this boy.

Counting and other videos

Assorted recent fun

Cheese!

Kissing the baby

Benj took this one of his trucks

Cookie, who?

New playroom set-up

So recently (okay, today) I decided we need to move all of the toys to one place and really make a playroom area. Benj was down and treated all of the old toys in the new space as if they were NEW toys. Fun to see.

Benji enjoying the new space

Cubby area

Hmmm...I never realized how cool my own toys were...

Conversations with Benjamin

Setting the scene: In Benj's bed, reading stories. My shirt is being inched up, up, up. Suddenly, in the middle of Dear Mrs. LaRue I feel a poke, poke, poke in my belly.
Me: What are you doing?
Benj: There's a baby in there.
Me: What?!
Benj: A Baby in mommy's tummy!
Me: No, there is not. (Must get back on exercise bike!)

Later...telling Jerry this story, Benjamin overhears.
B: Want baby.
M: Do you want a baby brother or a baby sister?
B: Okay!
M: Wait, a baby sister or a baby brother?
B: Okay!
M: Which one?
B: WANT A BABY BROTHER!
M: Okay, talk to daddy.

This morning, getting dressed, hear intense shouting from Benjamin's room.
B: DO YOU WANT SOME FISH? (fyi-Benjamin generally seems to be asking himself these types of questions, to which the answer is ALWAYS a resounding yes.)
M:?
B: DO YOU WANT SOME FISH?!
M:...
B: DO YOU WANT SOME FISH?!
M: Are you a cat?!
B: CAT SAYS MEOW!