Happy, Happy Birthday, Ben

My little man, my baby, my Benny, my silly little monkey is four. How did this happen? I'm not sure. I'm certain it was just yesterday that I was changing his diapers and wondering when I would be free of a nursing baby, sure that my sleepless nights would never come to an end. And yet they have.

A few weeks ago, Benny proudly pronounced the word, "three" instead of his usual, "flea." It brought a little tear to my eye to think that he's growing up. I'm not sure I'm ready.

But enough of me bemoaning my fate. On to the real reason for this post: all the great things about Benny.

• Those blue eyes are a killer. It really is hard to be mad at the little guy--he melts me. Someday he'll be a heartbreaker.
• Benny is hilarious--so very silly. It is hard to stay sad or mad when he is around.
• Benny is smart as a whip. He picks up on so many of the things that we do in school every day and then just whips out his knowledge. The other day he counted "1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11." When I told him that was amazing he just looked at me and said, "I just skipped every other number." Good enough.
• Benny is very clever. I just remembered this story last night. When my dad was here for Todd's baptism, I was in a rush and I asked Grandpa to help get Benny dressed. He came out all spiffed up. . . wearing his Christmas tie and a devious grin. Now, he had been trying to wear this tie since I got it on clearance in February. I kept telling him we would save it for next Christmas so he had finally given up. But he saw in Grandpa an easy target and pounced. Grandpa said he could wear whatever tie he wanted, and the look in his eye when he saw me said, "You want to tell Grandpa he was wrong?" Clever, clever little man.
• Benny is definitely my cautious child. He likes Todd to try the waters first, and then he might venture in, but only to the shallow end. He likes to play it safe. I wonder how long that will last.
• Benny likes vegetables and fruits, but will not be forced to eat anything he isn't interested in. WILL NOT BE FORCED.
• Benny still loves his blankie (made by Grammy) and carries it with him wherever I will let him. He has learned that he doesn't want to take it to public places for fear of losing it.
• Ben wants to be just like Todd. He doesn't particularly like big preschool legos, because Todd plays with the real ones. He doesn't like baby shows on TV, because he likes what Todd likes. He doesn't like preschool computer games, he likes what Todd and Daddy like. It is actually a little tricky with the second child to really find out what he likes, not what he likes as a reflection of his older brother.
• Ben is a snuggly guy. He loves to be held and carried around--he has yet to be kicked out of the baby position by another sibling, so he's taking full advantage. He loves to crawl up in my lap and snuggle. He loves to be held anytime I'm willing (but he is getting really big, so that's presenting a challenge).

Benjamin is a miracle and a blessing in our lives. We are so grateful he was sent to our family. Happy Birthday, Ben!

Shy Ben wasn't sure about everyone singing to him and watching him blow out his candles!

Grammy

My dear sweet great grandmother passed away at the age of 98. She lived a great life, and she died the way she wanted, surrounded by people she loved.

I last saw Grammy 6 weeks ago in Boise. She was still holding babies, cracking jokes, hugging great-great-grandchildren, and telling me what a good girl I was and how proud she was of me. Until last week, she had a few aches and pains associated with old age, but she wasn’t plagued with long-term illness, tied to a hospital bed, or placed in a nursing home. She lived an amazing life right up until the end. What a blessing.

Grammy has been part of my life for 32 years. She lived in Dillon, MT, where I was born. I remember sitting in her kitchen having juice and crackers. I remember talking with Grammy and G.G. in their living room. G.G. would sit in the corner on “his” chair, wearing his bunny suit (a one-piece jumper in blue) while Grammy sat on the end of the sofa closest to his chair and knitted or crocheted. As I thought about Grammy in the last few days, I could distinctly hear the sound of the back screen door slamming as it went into the garage and out to the patio. Grammy and G.G. had a sweet little patio carpeted with astroturf and full of comfy chairs. I remember hours spent there talking with the grown ups. I can picture bringing my future husband home and meeting the extended family sitting on that patio.

When we moved far across the country, I had the special joy of hosting Grammy in our home for a week. There was just something so special about having her in my own home and showing her my life as a grown up. Todd got time to play and laugh with her. She flew into Indianapolis and for part of her stay, Grammy and I drove together to Nauvoo (while Ryan watched Todd), where we attended the temple and saw the sights. Those hours in the car were so much fun as Grammy told me about growing up in Rexburg, Idaho.

One story in particular has always brought a smile as I recall it. For her eighth grade home economics class, each girl was required to sew a dress which she would then wear to graduation. According to Grammy, the pattern was a hideous sailor-style dress which she hated. She had no desire to wear such a thing, so she decided she would just not graduate from eighth grade. Apparently, her mother thought otherwise because the dress was completed and she did graduate.

Later years took Grammy to Boise. I love that she was there where my parents lived, because I got to see her each time I visited. My kids always seemed to understand that no matter what mood they were in, Grammy always got hugs. They performed beautifully for her even when they were crotchety with everyone else. I’m so grateful.

There is a multitude of random things that come to mind when I think of Grammy:
· Her handwriting has been pretty squiggly for years, and she always signed cards with XOXOXOXO and a small hand-drawn image of herself. She also bought whatever card she liked and then modified it to fit her needs by crossing out whatever didn’t fit or adding words if she needed.
· Grammy served a mission in Salt Lake City when she was around 88 or 90. She was there when a random tornado came through downtown. After the tornado, the family was trying to contact her but could not find her anywhere. We were calling the Red Cross and Ryan and I were ready to head down from Provo when she finally called. She simply said the electricity was out in her building, so she and some friends had decided to go shopping at the mall. Easy as that.
· Grammy was there for my baby blessing, my baptism, my graduation, my wedding, and every other major milestone of my life.
· Grammy held and loved both of my children. They both knew her by name and sight and loved her. What a precious gift that is.
· Ben’s favorite crocheted-edge blanket is named “Ami”—it is an orange and blue blanket with an animal print that Grammy made for him when he was born. What a tender reminder of her love.
· Grammy made the trip to Las Vegas for Todd’s baptism in April. We celebrated her 98th birthday as well. She was right in the middle of things and took several good swings at the piñata. She also played stomp rockets with the kids and has a wicked good aim. One of the things she wanted to do while she was here was attend the temple. Amidst the hustle and bustle, the trip almost got scrapped, but we pulled together and went anyway. As we stood there she said, “This is the best thing that’s ever happened to me”—perhaps a slight exaggeration, but I’m so grateful to have stood together with her in the most holy of places and be reminded of what really matters in this life.

I know that Grammy is happy now. I am grateful for an eternal plan of happiness that seals us together as families. I’m grateful for the life, atonement, and death of my Savior who made it possible to break the bands of death, both spiritually and physically.

I remember there was a time when I was annoyed that Grammy couldn’t seem to get over calling me “Stephi” –I was ready to grow up and out of my little girl name. But a few years ago, I embraced it wholeheartedly, knowing that I would miss it when she was gone. . . I already do.

The One Eyed Giant

Todd and I are part of a fun summer book club for 2nd/3rd graders. We got to choose the book this month and host the activity at our home. Todd chose The One Eyed Giant by Mary Pope Osborne. It is book one of a series of five chapter books with stories from The Odyssey--right up Todd's alley. This particular book opens with the Trojan War, touches on the lotus eaters, and ends with the bag of winds, but the majority of the book tells the story of Polyphemus, the Cyclops. Read the book to find out what happens when Odysseus and his men explore the island--wasn't that a fun little teaser.

We started with a matching game. The kids chose a slip of paper when they came in the door. They then had to match the name on their paper with the appropriate character description to find a chair to sit in.

Next, we played Cyclops bean bag toss. The kids had to correctly answer a question about the story to earn three tosses at the Cyclops head. Harrison made it right through the eyeball on his very first try. I was so proud of little Ben when he correctly answered a question the seven year old couldn't remember!

After that, we made Cyclops eyes by decorating large round sugar cookies with frosting and candy. The lone girl in the bunch was definitely the most detail oriented--nice work, Sofie.

It was an enjoyable book club. I hope that Todd continues to develop a love of reading. It has been interesting to watch his tastes emerge. He can spend hours poring over non-fiction books describing history, but he hasn't been nearly as interested in chapter books that tell a story. I am just the opposite--get me hooked on a good story line and I can be lost in the intricacies of a plot for hours. Ryan has a bit of both in him--fiction or non-fiction can demand his attention for hours.

So, any great ideas for more good boy reads? We always love a good suggestion.