Alphabet Soup

Chef Benji is cooking up some delicious alphabet soup. As all good cooks must do, he used the ingredients that he found handy - which mainly consisted of his alphabet magnets.
Chef Benji wanted Daddy's opinion if the seasoning was perfect. Daddy gave a big thumbs up!

And here is a bite for you too...

Benji and the kangaroos

Benji ran up and down the yard after this one particularly lively kangaroo. He just couldn't seem to understand that if he walked up, the kangaroo might let him touch it. He thought surely the kangaroo would see how enthusiastic he was and want to be his friend too!

Hey, can we be friends, Mr. Kangaroo? I'm really a nice boy - I'm just a little enthusiastic.Here is Benji with a mother kangaroo carrying her baby in her pouch. Maybe because she is a mother, she had more compassion with Benji and let him get close and pet her as much as he wanted.

I need some water and a snack after all that kangaroo chasing!

Benji at the petting zoo

Today we went to a petting zoo/drive-thru safari in Gentry. We all enjoyed the petting zoo, though the drive-thru safari wasn't quite as interesting. However, the ostriches were very friendly in the drive-thru safari; they would come right up to your window to ask, "Hey you, in there, you got any food for me?" Of course you weren't supposed to open your windows, but the Jeep in front of us seem to have missed that part of the brochure, and since we the next car, all the animals thought, "Great, more food." but we weren't so generous. Benji thought the ostriches were great fun though and kept on signing for more, more to come. He also used them to practice his new word - "Hullo."

Here Benji is getting to know a baby goat. The animals were all really friendly and tame. Benji did a great job at being gentle with them - no doubt from his practice with Nona's dogs.

Billy Goat Gruff climbed all the way to the top!

Pregnancy picture

Here I am at 16 weeks.

A busy day in the garden

Benji is doing a great job at using his "one finger touch" to touch the iris.

Benji is showing off the weed he dug up (with just a little help from Daddy).

Here Benji is taking a much deserved break after all his hard work.

Baby, baby

Benji will be my baby until he's 20 years old -- and maybe longer!

But not just anybody can call him baby I have discovered today.

I can call him a baby. Shearn Yoong can call him a baby. Any relative can call him a baby. Any other mom can call him a baby, since she knows what I mean when I say he'll be my baby forever. But other folks might need to start using the "toddler" term in my presence. Other special aunties and uncles are also included in this list.

Three 8 or 9 year old boys called Benji a baby today. The first was one my mom's students, and he did it in the "look-how-cute-the-baby-is" way. So that was fine. The other two, one at the park and the other during our evening walk, had a different tone of voice - more like "look-at-the-sub-human-baby." Especially the boy playing on the jungle gym - I started getting annoyed at how often and in what tone he was calling Benji a baby. I tried to call him by his name (Benji), hoping the boy would follow suit. No such luck.

If you're reading this post, most likely you are in the aforementioned catergories allowing you to call Benji a baby - if not, beware! :)

Dirty, barefoot babies in Wal-Mart

Pre-baby I used to see dirty, barefoot babies being strolled around in a stroller in Wal-Mart, and I would think, "Why can't these parents get their act together enough to clean up their kids and put shoes on them? I know we live in Arkansas, but shoes are a normal piece of attire."

Well, it has happened - another helping of humble pie. I have joined them. But now I understand, I really do. First, keeping a baby or toddler clean is a 24/7 job, and sometimes even the most meticulate fall short. Second, shoes are useless if a baby is in a stroller. And Benji will take off one or both of his shoes somewhere in the store and drop it. Several times we have reached the exit doors, only for us to have to re-trace our steps to find the offending shoe.

Tonight it wasn't Wal-Mart but Harp's; Benji's face wasn't dirty, just his shorts from dinner; but we definitely looked the part. When checking out I realized that not only am I pregnant with a toddler missing his shoes ... but I also forgot to wear my wedding ring. As my fingers are swelling, this is a more and more common occurence. I think they need to invent a wedding ring hologram - that way I won't have to wonder if I put my ring or not.

Living the good life

Benji doesn't do a lot of dumping with his new dump truck, but he does think it makes an excellent car when Mommy or Daddy pushes him around in it.

Happy Easter

Benji is trying on Mommy's new shoes

The eye pillow

Benji is getting some much needed rest and relaxation with mommy's new eye pillow.

Toddler at work

Remember to wear your hard hat!

Away from Home...

So last week was the first time I’m away from my family for a considerable amount of time – Tuesday till Friday noon. Work-related trip to New Jersey. I wasn’t looking forward to being away from my loved ones so long, and I was right. It’s funny how things change. When I used to be single, I would think it’s the coolest thing to be able to travel for work. I’ve dreamed of landing myself a job that would regularly take me across continents from time to time.

Not that I hate traveling now, I still love to be able to travel. It’s just that I have a different perspective now. Intellectually, I foreknew it would be a drag to have to leave your family behind for a period of time, but nothing prepares you for the reality of it. I never quite realized the power of the family bond. And I’m grateful for that. I’d rather have that than to feel like I finally am able to get away from my family for once. I’m a sucker for my wife and kid, and I’m proud of it.

Uh-dor

“Uh-dor”. That’s Benji’s very first, two-syllable Chinese word he uttered for the first time at the end of last week. I’ve been working with him on his anatomy for some time now, so “Uh-dor” refers to the ears. Should be pronounced more like “Er-duo”, but hey, we’ll take what we can get. I was lying down next to him one night trying to put him down for his bedtime. He sat up, leaned towards me, pointed to my left ear and said, “uh-dor”. I was elated!

His very first, two-syllable English word is “the door”. No, every door is not just “door”, every door is “the door”. He pronounced it like “de-dor”. “Da-da” doesn’t really count because it’s the same sound twice. I’m talking about more complex sounds.

It’s amazing watching him try to speak at this age. Sometimes, you say a word and you can just watch him trying to shape his lips the way we would, making some of the sounds for the word. Sometimes when he’s unsure if he’s got it right, he’d mutter it more silently.

What’s the word he can pronounce, with intonation mind you, the best? “No!” I guess us parents have been using it quite a bit of that…..

Next Grill Master

Benji is learning how to grill from his Daddy. The grill is a very interesting contraption.

Favorite sleeping position

It doesn't look so comfortable to me, but this is Benji's favorite sleeping position - with his little bottom stuck up in the air. (Of course, he has to have his green blankie somewhere nearby.)