Assorted Stories

For Christmas, Benjamin received a new Baby Einstein movie about animals: Baby Noah. (For those of you who are outside the Baby Einstein culture, each DVD has a theme and is named Baby _____, appropriately. For example: the video about the sun, moon, stars, and planets is called "Baby Galileo.")

One evening, while we were watching this "movie" (or "mwee," as Benjamin calls it), I was thinking about how enamored Benjamin had become with the story of Baby Jesus ("Baby Sus") during the Christmas season. He had learned the Christmas story so well, it dawned on me that it would be fun to teach him other stories in the same way, focusing on one per month. And why not start with Noah? So I began to point out all the references to Noah in the movie (artwork, toys, and cartoons depicting the ark.) Later, just as we had with the "Baby Jesus" story, we found the Noah story in his children's Bible and read it to him before bed.

The next morning Benjamin brought his Bible to me. Opening it he handed it to me, just as he had when he wanted me to find "Baby Sus," and implored, "Baby Noah?"
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On another occasion Benjamin was sitting with his Bible, flipping pages and looking at the pictures. "Uh oh," I heard him say. Curious, I looked up. The picture on the page showed John the Baptist baptizing Jesus. Jesus was in the water, with only his head showing, clearly dripping wet. Benjamin was pointing to the dripping head. "Uh oh," he repeated with a concerned look. (Did he think Jesus had fallen in?)
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One afternoon last week the kids were playing in the living room while I was doing dishes in the adjoining kitchen. Unfortunately, Benjamin has been known to push his (immobile) sister, knocking her over backwards, so I was keeping a fairly close eye on them. I heard Talia protest and stepped back to see what was bothering her. Benjamin was standing close to where she was sitting and was clearly "in her space," but was not touching her. She wailed again and then, looking up at him with furrowed eyebrows, she very deliberately threw herself backwards and started wailing loudly! Had I not seen it, I never would have believed it. Wow.
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Benjamin recently marched into his bedroom, where I was changing Talia's diaper, and announced, "Potty!" Not understanding I told him, "Yes, I'm changing Talia's diaper." "Potty," he repeated, indicating I had not understood his intent. "Ben. Potty!" Oh my! I was not at all prepared for that one! (We don't have any of the appropriate potty training equipment yet.) "You want to sit on the potty?," I asked him. "Ben! Potty!," he joyously repeated. So we went. He didn't do anything except sit there, but he was so pleased with himself. He hasn't asked since and we had already decided, with his personality, we are not going to push it. Still, I think a new phase may be just around the corner. Oh my.
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If you're not laughing yet, this one will do it:

Last night the kids were having a hard time settling down to go to sleep. Benjamin would screech loudly, making Talia screech and babble, which would get them both laughing. We have been working to curb this kind of bedtime delay lately and so I was keeping a close ear on the situation. I removed Benjamin from the room for discipline and explained very clearly that there was to be no talking, no laughing, no screaming. He was to lay down and close his eyes because it was time to go to sleep. The expectations were clear and Benjamin confirmed his understanding. Looking into my eyes he said earnestly, "obey Mama."

I placed him back in his bed and closed the door. Almost immediately I heard him screech and laugh, getting Talia started again. This cycle repeated itself several times. I was amazed at the seriousness with which he would repeat, "obey Mama," only to turn around and immediately disobey again! I was beginning to get frustrated!

In my frustration I pulled out one of those pointless phrases parents use on their kids: "How many more times am I going to have to discipline you?" Benjamin answered in a small voice, "Three."