A Word About Ben
It's only been a little over two months since Ben turned four, but I feel like he's aged about five years. Daily I am surprised, shocked, awed, and amazed by him. Last year I spent some time with Ben working on his letters and he wanted nothing to do with it. No desire to even try. Then one day, shortly after turning four, he busts out with this:
After that he wrote "mom" on just about everything. On Valentine's Day the kids and I made cookies and cards for all the nighbors and Ben wanted to write each of their names on the envelopes. When he handed them back to me he said, "I wanted to write all their names, but I only know how to spell Mom, so I just wrote Mom on all of the cards." It was pretty cute. Since then he's been asking all the time how to spell different words, mostly people's names but never his own. The B was difficult for him so he wouldn't even try. Then one day, bam!:
When he was two or so and not talking very much, or at all, people would always say that he probably knew exactly what he wanted to say and how he wanted to say it he just wanted to wait until it was on his terms to say it. I think that is a bit how he shows what he's learning as well. He's not really one to show the process only the product. It will be interesting to see if this sort of mentality continues and how it plays out in the fall when he starts pre-K. That's right, the boy is going to school! I never felt the need to put him into a preschool, although I've been asked what preschool he goes to since he was two. I just never felt he was ready and I certainly wasn't. (Oh I have so many thoughts on preschool, but this post is already leaning on the long side.) But like I said, in the last two months his desire to learn has exploded! So much so that I am now so excited for him to be in a school setting with a teacher and classmates and all that. I think he's going to do great there!
Ben has been computer competent since he got his first laptop for his third birthday. Unfortunately, at no fault of Ben's, that laptop didn't last long so he's been using mine. That boy is so amazing on the computer, what he can do and where he can go. Along with his increase in writing skills his computer skills have grown as well. He can't yet type much more than his name, but a click here and scroll down there and all of the sudden the Elmo video he's watching on YouTube isn't so child friendly anymore. I can't believe how easy it is to get to the trash online. So Mark and I spent an evening last week setting up all kinds of safety locks and blocks on my laptop. Now when Ben opens up my computer he looks to see if my name is in the top corner and if it is he knows to logout of "my" computer and long onto "his". Now he can only access about five websites (which YouTube is NOT one of) and each of those sites have major locks and blocks on them. I feel so much better about him being on the computer, even though I'm very much around him when he's on it.
He's also really starting to grasp the idea that the world does not revolve around him. That is a hard concept to teach and learn, my friends. Much of his days are still "me" oriented, but he really does look out for others, particularly Addison, more and more. He is so sweet with Addison (most of the time). Those two just play and play together! I love to watch them, warms my heart.
On one hand I love all this learning and growing and changing stuff. It means he's thriving in life and that is so wonderful. But on the other hand I'm starting to see the beginnings of lose of innocence. Don't get me wrong, he is still only four and thankfully has a long way to go before he plunges into the real world. But I can see little ways he's not so pure anymore. Like when he was a little toddler and couldn't say "blueberries" and instead, with all earnestness, would call them "big boobies" we'd all laugh and say how cute he was. But now if he were to call blueberries big boobies he'd probably get a time out and maybe some soap in the mouth for being rude. So see how that's kind of sad? He knows when he's being funny now which makes it not so funny, as opposed to Addison who is still young enough to not know when she's being funny so it's really hilarious. But man he's sweet and fun and interesting and crazy and still very, very funny. I am so proud of who Ben is and who he is becoming. He is my favorite little boy in the whole wide world named Benny, I've been telling him that every night for four years now, and I'll say it every night for forty more. (Ok, maybe/hopefully not forty, because that'd be weird and sad on so many levels. But I'll totally write it in a birthday card.)
I love you Benny!
After that he wrote "mom" on just about everything. On Valentine's Day the kids and I made cookies and cards for all the nighbors and Ben wanted to write each of their names on the envelopes. When he handed them back to me he said, "I wanted to write all their names, but I only know how to spell Mom, so I just wrote Mom on all of the cards." It was pretty cute. Since then he's been asking all the time how to spell different words, mostly people's names but never his own. The B was difficult for him so he wouldn't even try. Then one day, bam!:
When he was two or so and not talking very much, or at all, people would always say that he probably knew exactly what he wanted to say and how he wanted to say it he just wanted to wait until it was on his terms to say it. I think that is a bit how he shows what he's learning as well. He's not really one to show the process only the product. It will be interesting to see if this sort of mentality continues and how it plays out in the fall when he starts pre-K. That's right, the boy is going to school! I never felt the need to put him into a preschool, although I've been asked what preschool he goes to since he was two. I just never felt he was ready and I certainly wasn't. (Oh I have so many thoughts on preschool, but this post is already leaning on the long side.) But like I said, in the last two months his desire to learn has exploded! So much so that I am now so excited for him to be in a school setting with a teacher and classmates and all that. I think he's going to do great there!
Ben has been computer competent since he got his first laptop for his third birthday. Unfortunately, at no fault of Ben's, that laptop didn't last long so he's been using mine. That boy is so amazing on the computer, what he can do and where he can go. Along with his increase in writing skills his computer skills have grown as well. He can't yet type much more than his name, but a click here and scroll down there and all of the sudden the Elmo video he's watching on YouTube isn't so child friendly anymore. I can't believe how easy it is to get to the trash online. So Mark and I spent an evening last week setting up all kinds of safety locks and blocks on my laptop. Now when Ben opens up my computer he looks to see if my name is in the top corner and if it is he knows to logout of "my" computer and long onto "his". Now he can only access about five websites (which YouTube is NOT one of) and each of those sites have major locks and blocks on them. I feel so much better about him being on the computer, even though I'm very much around him when he's on it.
He's also really starting to grasp the idea that the world does not revolve around him. That is a hard concept to teach and learn, my friends. Much of his days are still "me" oriented, but he really does look out for others, particularly Addison, more and more. He is so sweet with Addison (most of the time). Those two just play and play together! I love to watch them, warms my heart.
On one hand I love all this learning and growing and changing stuff. It means he's thriving in life and that is so wonderful. But on the other hand I'm starting to see the beginnings of lose of innocence. Don't get me wrong, he is still only four and thankfully has a long way to go before he plunges into the real world. But I can see little ways he's not so pure anymore. Like when he was a little toddler and couldn't say "blueberries" and instead, with all earnestness, would call them "big boobies" we'd all laugh and say how cute he was. But now if he were to call blueberries big boobies he'd probably get a time out and maybe some soap in the mouth for being rude. So see how that's kind of sad? He knows when he's being funny now which makes it not so funny, as opposed to Addison who is still young enough to not know when she's being funny so it's really hilarious. But man he's sweet and fun and interesting and crazy and still very, very funny. I am so proud of who Ben is and who he is becoming. He is my favorite little boy in the whole wide world named Benny, I've been telling him that every night for four years now, and I'll say it every night for forty more. (Ok, maybe/hopefully not forty, because that'd be weird and sad on so many levels. But I'll totally write it in a birthday card.)
I love you Benny!
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