Benjy loves Mummy and Daddy

I am sure I've mentioned it before, but Benjy is a real Mummy's boy. Always wants to come to me, wants me to carry him, I'm always the first choice. This morning, he threw his arms around me and said, 'Lovely Mummy'. He does know how to melt my heart, that's for sure. He adores Eddie too and loves being with him when it's just the two of them, but when it's the three of us, he's more all about me. However, when Eddie's not there he talks about him all the time. He draws pictures of him, he tells me thing Daddy has said, he copies things he's seen Daddy do - it's very clear that he looks up to him loads. So sweet.

Five words

I have just been reading back over the blog and saw that only a month ago, I was amazed that Benjy was regularly putting two words together into a sentence, and sometimes three. Now, we get four word sentences effortlessly, and sometimes five. It all happens so fast!

Benjy's latest game

Just had to post about a thing Benjy does which I think is pretty clever. We sometimes leave the last word off sentences, as you do, for Benjy to finish. One is, 'Are you Mummy's best...' - the answer being, 'boy'. Recently, he's started looking at me with a very mischievous look and instead of saying 'boy', saying something else entirely. Often it's something within sight - can be anything from a telephone to the garden to the fridge - but very often it's something entirely in his imagination. He thinks it's hysterical. This can go on for up to perhaps twenty alternative answers before he gets bored and just says 'boy'. This is just one example of when he likes to play this game. Others are when I ask him what his name is (recent answers include 'Chuggington' and 'Mummy'), and in fact anything where I leave off the last word of a very easy question ('Who's that - Grandma...'; answer - 'Microwave'). I love how it shows me his imagination and sense of humour.

A few current favourites

Had to capture some of the things Benjy says and does at the moment which I find cute beyond cute.

'Happy cake' -birthday cake

'Mummy help you' - what he says when he wants me to help him

'Plikit' - Piglet

'Wobbly' - the way he describes how he's feeling when he's dizzy

'Be' - this follows a noun, when he is looking for something, a shortened version of 'where can xx be?'. Walking round Ikea today - 'Daddy be?'; when looking for the missing jigsaw piece - 'piece be?' etc

'Lovely' - I must say this a lot, because Benjy has recently started using it, and it seems an unusual word for a toddler to use. We were in the park the other day and went to sit on the bench. As we approached it, Benjy said, 'Lovely bench'. The next day, we went back to the car after the playground and Benjy said 'Lovely our car' and gave it a kiss and cuddle. Very odd but very cute

'Excuse me' - overheard as Benjy squeezed through a tight spot to get past his table and chairs and into the kitchen

'Mummy/Daddy off' - when we are singing along to his music in the car but he wants to, well, turn us off

'Mean' - when I misunderstand something the first time he says it, then eventually work it out, he says 'mean', as in, 'that's what I mean'

Lastly, for now, having a favourite toy or character in a book and having to show it everything he does. I will often find a book, or even a catalogue (there is a picture of a girl dressed as a fairy that he loves) laid out in the middle of the room surrounded by his toys. 'Mittens, look - train! Fairy, look - jumping!' and so on

Hello, spring

We're getting there. We've had some hot days, we're still having cold days, but it's definitely on its way. Here's Benjy enjoying early spring.

Benjy loves his teddies

When Benjy was really little, I always thought it was a shame that he had no interest in cuddly toys. I thought it would be so cute, seeing his little podgy hands clutching at teddies. Well, I think we're there at last. He is 21 months old, and now has what seems to be a deep and meaningful love with his cuddly toys. None in particular (so far) which I am quite pleased about, as I could definitely do without him having one particular toy that needs to go everywhere with him, but he is generally very affectionate and caring. He shares his lunch (in this photo Iggle Piggle is the lucky co-diner), reads them his books, brings them toys to play with, gives them enormous kisses and cuddles (I am ashamed to admit that in these instances I am actually jealous of teddy bears), is often clutching one when we go into him in the morning, and really, just likes them to share in everything he is doing.

Dressing up

I take Benjy to a playgroup called Arties. In one of the songs, the children dress up. For weeks - months, even - Benjy just wouldn't even entertain the idea. Then suddenly (I think he was around 20 months), he put on a pair of bunny ears. And hasn't stopped since then. Here he is with various scarves and blankets over his head (not sure what he thinks he is dressing up as in these but he finds it hysterically funny), a not very clear photo from my phone of him doing his shopping in a toddler-sized Marks & Spencer at Eureka, and wearing Eddie's cycling gear, very proud to be dressed up like Daddy.

Our little helper

At last, some photos - from perhaps two or three months ago (I lost the wire that connects my phone to my laptop). These next few posts serve as a photographic update of what Benjy has been doing lately. First - helping. His favourite thing is sweeping, but any kind of cleaning - especially if he can wear washing up gloves like Mummy's - is always a good game. He has recently started enjoying cooking with us - Eddie makes pancakes most Sunday mornings and Benjy helps. His attention span when it comes to cooking is still very short, but hopefully it won't be long before we can do lots of baking and cooking together.