It's November, and Ben is 19 months old!

Joel sure appreciated Ben's help in the yard last weekend.

Especially since we live in this suburban forest/jungle/nature preserve. If anyone would like to come help with our yard, feel free! We'll give you our undying gratitude and Joel will take you out on the boat if you want. That would be a win-win situation for Joel, really.

What?!! That's not enough for you?! Geez...people are so greedy these days. *Side note: For all of you who don't know the saga of our yard, here's the short version. Eccentric old lady moves into house, and immediately spends 20 years tearing out every bit of existing vegetation (including grass) and replacing with ground cover, about 50 azaleas, 4o dogwoods, wildflowers, and HUNDREDS of randomly placed bulbs. And then acquires turkeys, geese, and chickens. Eccentric old lady gets sick and moves away. House goes on the market. Yard turns into overgrown mess full of dirt and weeds. Nobody is crazy enough to buy this house because the yard needs too much work. A young, optimistic, couple full of dreams and lacking money come to look at the house. Fall in love with it, and explain that the husband "loves to garden," and "we just love the bohemian feel." Couple buy the house and immediately start working in the yard. There is no end to this story. We're still working.

What? Like you've never felt the urge to take your pants off and play the harmonica?

Benjamin took a call for Ladybird. I didn't get a picture of it, but he ever so gently lifted up her ear flap so she could hear better.
Ben and Carson , livin' it up at the beach!

Here are some bullet points about Benjamin:

• He loves shoes and will try on every pair in the house. Sometimes I'll look over and just see him casually walking around in my sneakers. Flip flops still elude him though.
• He gets very impatient for mommy to get up in the morning and make him breakfast. He brings me my slippers and then gives me a not-so-gentle shove.
• He is really into imitating us. He tries to put deodorant on, and likes to take my blush brush and sweep it on his cheeks. I've seen him trying to figure out the eyelash curler, and today he picked up my can of mousse, touched the top with his fingers, and rubbed them in his hair. (And yes...I am aware that he is a BOY, but he's also 19 months old and spends most of the day with his mom.) The quickest way to get him to do something (like put on a jacket) is to show him that mommy or daddy have on their jackets. Whenever someone sighs and says "hmmm" he shrugs his shoulders and does the same.
• He loves his stuffed animals, and they have to do whatever he is doing. He likes for me to read EVERYONE a story, and wants Winnie the Pooh to sit next to him while he eats. The other day he tried to change Winnie's diaper, and I've seen him hold his sippy cup to Winnie's mouth.
• His new favorite "joke" is to put toy animals or people in his mouth....like duplos, bath toys, etc...Then you're supposed to say, "oh no! Don't eat me Benjamin! AAAHHHH!!!" He thinks this is hysterical. A variation on this game is for me to make his little plastic chicken or duck walk down the handle of a pot on the stove, have them peek over the edge, and then say, "nooooo!!! Don't put me in the pot!!! AAAAHHHH!!!" I don't think anything could be funnier. Is this disturbing?
• Ben still loves to be outside. His favorite activity is just walking around and looking at nature. He's alway bringing me rocks and leaves.
• He enjoys counting, and will randomly pick multiple objects to count. I DO NOT push him to do this. Five is the maximum. He loves to count our pumpkins on the porch (5) and his toy trucks (4.) Today we counted three chairs in the doctor's office.
• He is such a gentle and kind little boy. We believe that children need to be taught empathy, and we've been working on that with Ben. He's getting to the age where he needs to understand that his actions affect others. It's not easy teaching a toddler that they're not the center of the universe! I don't want him to always feel guilty about things, but just be more aware. Like, if daddy is trying to nap, we should be quiet. Or if we are at the grocery store, he needs to be patient until we leave. I've been explaining to him the meaning of the words whining and patient. It doesn't always work, but I can try! He's learned to sign "please" and that has really helped. Many times I've noticed him start to whine for something, stop and think, and then sign please. Anything that encourages him to think before acting is great!
• New favorite books are: Clifford the Big Red Dog, Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes, and anything Elmo. Favorite toys are his farm animals, duplos, push mower, and harmonica. Favorite foods are greek yogurt, any and all breakfast foods, and anything Italian. Favorite word? Noooooo!