A Boy and His Bike

It’s been awhile since I did a post about Benjamin and since writing about his antics is basically why I started this blog, one seems way past due. My firstborn has been losing his three-year-old mind over the idea of riding the balance bike we ordered for him. But we had yet to get him a helmet. So, I took the little man helmet shopping last week and after an agonizing decision, he chose the “farm animals in space” theme over the helmets with skulls and monkeys (naturally).

He is so proud of his helmet and has been wearing it all day, every day, even in the house. Occasionally, he takes it off with a sigh and sets it down saying, “Well, I just got home from work.” It’s precious. (My husband rides a bike to work so that we can be a one-car family and Benjamin wants to be just like Daddy.)

He was so excited when Daddy put the bike together and he was ready to ride it for the first time. In fact, he was smiling so big that he started drooling. Hilarious.

Silly boy had his shoes on the wrong feet (as per usual) so Daddy had to assist him before he could really go to town on learning to ride. He still hasn’t mastered the idea of coasting, but he’s learning to steer and coming along nicely.

The Quotable Benjamin:

“Instead of having breakfast, can we just go on a little bike ride, Daddy?”

“You and Daddy look alike, Mama.” “Why do you say that, Benjamin?” “Because your teeth are the same, aren’t they!”

After I drew an apparently unsatisfactory picture of a boy’s face for Benjamin he exclaimed, “But I wanted him to have legs…and a bottom….and nipples!”

“Lucy, you’re so comfortable to snuggle with.”

“If we have another baby someday, Mama, I have some ideas. If it’s a boy we could name him Humperdink and if it’s a girl we could name her Able Baker Charlie.” -(from the three-year-old that wanted to name Lucy “Baby Dachsund” or “Baby Granola”)

This is the song we hear his dulcet tones gracing us with at 5:30 in the morning of late:

While having dinner guests over the other night, we heard a SCREAM from his bedroom where he had been tucked in 30 minutes prior. Daniel rushed in to find his head in the bed, but his entire body sticking out through the headboard. There was no getting his head out. There was no getting his body back through.

“How did this happen, son?”

“I don’t want to TELLLLLL YOOOUUUU! I’M STUUUUUCK!”

So we ended up having to release him by sawing through the headboard with a handsaw.

I thought about taking a picture but it just seemed cruel. What a nut he is.

Although he is still VERY THREE, we’re getting a little respite from the 24/7 testing the boundaries that we’ve been experiencing. He has entered a new phase. And although he still has meltdowns at the drop of a hat, he is becoming easier to reason with.

He brings us so many laughs and so much joy. He is ALWAYS sweet to his sister (really, I’ve been stunned at how loving and kind he is). And his active little body and mind never cease to amaze me. What a vessel of grace he is to our family.

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