Happy Birthday, Ben!!!

My big boy turned 2 years old. I can't believe he is so big already. It feels like it was just yesterday that we brought him home from the hospital. Well, he is definitely a 2-year-old now. Here's a little tribute to my Benjamin...

1. His favorite word is "No" or, most recently, "No way".
2. He is very independent and wants to do everything by himself.
3. He talks nonstop and is full of energy.
4. He loves to play with Scott's tools. Those two can spend hours in the garage together, fixing stuff. If I even try to get Ben to come in, he'll tell me "No, I workim (i.e. working), mommy."
5. He gives the best hugs. He hugs you really tight and then always follows a hug with a kiss. He’s willing to give out hugs to anyone who will ask.
6. He loves reading books. I think that’s about the only time you can get him to sit still for a prolonged period of time.
7. He loves the cartoon “Super Why” and recognizes most of the letters and knows their sounds.
8. He can count till 20.
9. He loves his baby brother and wants to hold, hug, and kiss him all the time. He just needs to learn how to be soft now.
10. He loves to hang out in the spa with grandpa. He says “get in the bubbles”. (Don’t worry, we cool the water before letting Ben in)
11. He makes friends very easily.
12. He has a best friend. His name is Austen. They go to nursery together. Austen is three but they really get along so well. Those two are always playing together.
13. He flirts with girls like you’ve never seen, his age or older. We were at the doctor’s office the other day and Ben was telling this teenage girl how beautiful she is.
14. He loves airplanes
15. He loves playing in the dirt
16. He’s scared of water parks (weird, because he loves being in the water)
17. His favorite food is rice and beans (I have this killer recipe for Cuban beans, it’s our family’s all time favorite, so I don’t blame the kid)
18. He is very friendly and says hi to everyone who passes by.
19. He likes to help. It’s great, I ask him to bring me stuff all the time, and he does. One day he’ll figure it out…
20. Whenever he hears a baby crying, he says “I get him” and takes off running. Naturally, I take off running after him to make sure he doesn’t “get” the baby.
21. He asks “What’s that?” while pointing at things all the time. I think he’s learned everything around the house already, but when we’re out somewhere, it’s nonstop.
21. He loves eating ice
22. He behaves terribly at the restaurants. It’s really embarrassing and makes it almost not worth going sometimes.
23. He is very polite and is very good at saying “Please” and “Thank you”.
24. He is so darn good-looking. Is that a mom thing? I just think my kids are beautiful.

We didn’t have a big party for Ben this year. I’ll make it up to him next year. I really wasn’t up to planning a party with a newborn and, on top of that, I came down with a pretty bad case of strep throat. We did take Ben to Chuck-e-Cheese. He had a blast and so did I. It was my first time at Chuck-e-Cheese. I had to beg Scott for extra tokens :o). We got Ben a Baskin-Robbins cake and had him blow his two candles out, which he was really good at. He got to open his presents there as well. His all time favorite present was…surprise, surprise… a tool box filled with all sorts of tools and a small toy work bench he got from the grandparents. He didn’t even look at any of the clothes he got. Like daddy, like son… I think I’m gonna need a baby girl one of these days… Well, back to reality. Ben carried his toolbox everywhere and insisted on taking it to bed with him. I tried to take it away, but the screaming was more than I could handle :o).

We love you, big boy.

Notice Ben holding on to his tool box while Daddy is reading a good night story.