Which one is Benji?

Can you find Benji among all his stuffed animals? He now insists on each and every one joining him for his sleep times. (And yes, that is his beloved green blankie in the corner - he likes to hang it on the wall hook.)

Lessons from bedtime

For the first year and a half of Benji's life, I basically gloried in and embraced his dependence on me as his mother. He needed me to go to sleep, to get nutrition, to be comforted, and to feel secure. As he nears his second birthday (and the birth of our second baby approaches), I have been more focused on his independence - praising him for using the big boy potty, going to sleep on his own in his own bed, and feeding himself.

Last night Benji must have felt unusually insecure because he wanted me to stay with him while he fell asleep, whereas normally he's perfectly content to let me go to the living room while he goes to sleep on his own in his room. It was so sweet for him to fall asleep with his head in my lap. While I was sitting there, stroking his hair, I was thinking, "Don't grow up too fast. And Laurel, don't push him to grow up too fast. He is still such a little guy." No, I don't want to have to sit there with him every night to go to sleep (like before), but on a occasion, it can be one of the sweetest moments in a mother's life. I want Benji to always feel the freedom to need me, whatever his age . . . and I want to make myself available to always be there for him.

A song for my newborn

I've made a vow that for every newborn born into this home, he/she will be greeted with a baby song by his dad. With Benji, it was not a big deal trying to pick a song. The popular hymn, "Because He Lives" has just the words on the second stanza:

How sweet to hold a newborn baby,
And feel the pride and joy he gives.
But greater still the calm assurance,
This child can face uncertain days because He lives.

With the second baby on the way, I have to say it was more difficult trying to find a good song with the right message. But praise the Lord, for His timing is perfect! I heard the perfect song early last week. Some of you may have heard it too, and it's Mark Harris' "Find Your Wings". Here's the lyrics:

[Verse]

It's only for a moment
that you are mine to hold
The plans that heaven has for you
will all too soon unfold
So many different prayers I'll pray
for all that you might do
But most of all I'll want to know
you're walking in the truth
And if I've never told you
I want you to know that
as I watch you grow

[Chorus]
I pray that God would fill your heart with dreams
and that faith gives you the courage
to dare to do great things
I'm here for you whatever this life brings
so let my love give you roots
and help you find your wings

[Verse]
May passion be the wind that leads
you through your days
and may convictions keep you strong
guide you on your way
May there be many moments
that make your life so sweet
Oh, but more than memories

[Chorus]
I pray that God would fill your heart with dreams
and that faith gives you the courage
to dare to do great things
I'm here for you whatever this life brings
so let my love give you roots
and help you find your wings

[Bridge]
It's not living if you don't reach for the sky
I'll have tears as you take off
But I'll cheer as you fly

[Chorus]
I pray that God would fill your heart with dreams
and that faith gives you the courage
to dare to do great things
I'm here for you whatever this life brings
so let my love give you roots
and help you find your wings

I am very much touched by the first verse, which says I can pray that this newborn will grow up doing all things, but if everything fails, I want to at least have the assurance that he/she knows Jesus and walks in His Truth. Is that a prayer on mine? Absolutely. But it's a tall order as well for me as a parent, because a child will not know Jesus if Jesus doesn't live within the hearts of the parents. I am truly blessed by the message of this song.

If you want to listen to it, you can check out Mark Harris' website. Surprisingly, you can download this song for free at his site.

http://www.buzzplant.com/markharris/findyourwings/

New fashion statement

Some little boys like to wear coon skin hats. Not Benji, he is too much of a food connoisseur to bother with animal skins. He prefers to wear pots on his head so it's ready in case he needs to eat in a jiffy. (And no, I did not prompt him to put it on - it was his own idea.)

Let me explain...

When you are pregnant, you have visions of how your kid will look and behave (in a word, perfect). Then you HAVE the kid - and these visions are all thrown out of the window. Here we have Benji naked except for his diaper, wearing his swim buoy, going through the freezer to see what looks tasty for a treat. Not the perfect vision I had in mind, but I wouldn't trade it for a million dollars!

Excessive Heat Warning!

There is an excessive heat warning for Northwest Arkansas through Friday night. This is the first time I've ever heard of something called an "excessive heat warning." I take this as license to stay inside air conditioned buildings 24/7 and drink lots of cold drinks.

Prayer

We have been regularly praying before meals and before bedtime with Benji for at least a year now. Starting yesterday Benji has been requesting to pray for his favorite people - Nona, Grandpa, Uncle Kyle, Daddy, Auntie Jill, and his friend Lucas. We pray that Benji's heart remains tender towards his family and friends and that he always lifts them up in prayer.

More pictures from Branson

Benji got his second opportunity to play putt-putt golf over the weekend in Branson. He thinks the best part about putt-putt golf is throwing the ball into the water and watching Daddy fish it out.

Benji has a ball and his Daddy's hand - life is good!

Benji enjoyed the fountains in the hotel's pool.

Playing beach volleyball in Branson

Benji's first swimming lessons

Benji attended his first swim lesson at the Swim Ranch last Saturday. Sometimes we as parents have high expectations of our children enjoying an activity ... and then they hate it. This has happened with several activities at the library that I thought he would LOVE - but I was WRONG! However, fortunately, this was not the case on Saturday. Benji had a blast and might have even learned something as well! They taught the kiddos how to get into the pool the correct way, how to kick their feet, how to blow out when their face gets into the water, and how to use a kick board. He has 4 more lessons to go - hopefully they will all be as successful and fun!