1 going on 12

Benjamin is 17 months old, but no one has told him that. He constantly cracks me up with his independent little approach to life. In some ways he's my most self sufficient child. He walks around this place and every place like he owns it and every human that he comes in contact with is there for him in his mind. Generally, he doesn't abuse this position either, he's friendly and happy and just looking to be involved. At the store he yells in his high pitched very loud way "HI!!" and will keep doing so until the random passer-by replies.

Yesterday he brought me Anna's shin guards which he found on his travels. He insistently shoved them in my face until I put them on him. He walked around with giant shin guards on for the next 30 mins. or so. Here's a photo of him proudly displaying his protected shins:


Last night while trying to get through our hectic family home evening, Ben insisted on being part of everything. Abby was teaching our lesson (which included a story she made up about two little Mexican boys who returned home hungry rather than stealing some bread they found which had fallen off a delivery truck) and had positioned a little chair front and center in the room. Ben kept shoving her off the chair and then sitting there with his arms folded saying things in his very best prayer voice. He would then climb onto the arm of the couch and grin while waiting for Brennan to grab him before he fell. He alternated between this reverent spiritual participation and his reckless, impish behavior for the duration of FHE.

The last few days he's had runny nose and each time I wipe his nose I ask him to blow. He very obediently blows air out of his mouth every time. We love Benny!