My little-big boy

Just look at this picture and you get a good taste of my Bensy's personality. He is not as gregarious and outgoing as his older brothers. He tends to be a little more shy, but has a hint of mischievousness that keeps him from being outdone by them. He is my baby that came to me in multiple dreams when I wasn't sure I could handle any more after my two first doses of boyhood. He is the one that from the very moment I looked at him I knew him so well that it was literally overwhelming.

The poor baby had a rough go his first year of life and struggled with ear infections over and over until just before his first birthday he had tubes and then eventually a PICC line to fix the infection. It was enough to convince me we were most assuredly done having babies that I got rid of most all things baby. He has turned out to be such a sweetie and is usually a pretty good little minder. He is noticeably more mellow than his brothers and while it's hard to get them to be quiet, poor Benson's preschool teachers can't hardly get him to talk.

Benson turned four at the end of February. My baby boy turned four. Uh, it makes my heart hurt. Really, it does. It hurts to just write it down. Do any of you mothers know what I mean? That ache that makes you realize how precious and fleeting time is? I asked him if he would just stay little and his obvious response was, "But, uh, Mom, I really do meed to turn four and have a Super Why birthday."

He tends to go from little to big depending on what is most convenient for his needs at the time. He can often be heard saying either, "But I am too little," or the complete contradiction, "But I am so very big!" It is sometimes frustrating, but more often funny! I sure do enjoy his personality and have to remind my self daily that he is NOT a baby and that I can't just give into him. Why is that? The older two just seem older. I expect more from them. Especially poor Kimball, when he was four I considered him mostly grown. Does anyone else do that? Note to self: Benson is not a baby anymore. (Sniff)

The poor little man is so fun to tease and I do it WAY too often. He just takes things so literally and still, a year later after it happened, he thinks IFA is called Crazy because when he asked my mom and I where we were going we said, "Oh, I think we are going crazy!" And, remember the garbage story? If not, you can read it on my post Oh my Bensy.

Anything that is not as it should be in his eyes has been termed, "Squawgley" including everything from his bed, to his clothes, to his hair, to the counter tops, the laundry on the floor...however the word serves it's purpose at the time being. He uses it so often that I catch myself and Josh both using it now! He has even gone so far as to tell me he didn't need to brush his teeth because they weren't squawgley, and then he flashed me a toothy grin.

Here are a few pictures from the friend birthday party at McDonald's he and Ryanna (or as Besnon says: Ryna) shared since their birthday's are so close, and the Super Why birthday we had with family where Super Why himself graced us with his presence. Harry Potter kinda started to jump in the mix after he opened one of his gifts from us: a pair of party-favor Harry Potter glasses. I am not sure that the bike he asked for was as exciting as those silly glasses.

Blowing out four candles, with a trick candle in the mix!!

The three amigos: Kenna, Benson and Ryanna

Opening gifts from friends with Ryanna

Super Why to the rescue!!

Super Why, with the power to rip open those gifts

...and here's Super Harry??