I always wonder what it would be like if you could somehow capture a moment in a jar--the feelings you had, the exact sounds, smells, sights you are seeing right in a single moment. I wish I could capture my children's childhood (parts of it--the good parts). I know when Sam was small, my heart would ache thinking that he would grow up and be different than what he was right then. It's almost like anticipating homesickness. But Sam has grown and I have loved him along the way as he has seamlessly become a grown-up boy. I ache a little today for Ben because I he's at a stage where he's bursting with personality, curiosity, and life. He plays with everyone or by himself. He's not at an easy stage, but it's the most fun he's been yet. And the way his brain absorbs everything around him amazes me! We've gone swimming often and when he runs full speed towards the edge I raise my hand and say "Stop!" He almost always does, so I guess he understood it. But yesterday he really showed me a window into his mind. I get nervous when Ben approaches the monkey bars because they are 6 feet off the ground. I know he can hold on to that first bar he can reach, but he just dangles once he's there (and he can dangle for awhile, but still--there's nowhere to go but down from there). He stood on the edge and I stood below him, knowing he would reach and swing. I held his waist to spot him. He stopped and fidgeted and kind of whined, but I didn't know what he wanted. He tried a few more times but didn't ever grab and hang. Finally he looked at me, raised his hand, and said "Ah!" (for those who don't speak Ben, that meant 'stop'). Who knows where's he "supposed" to be developmentally, but I know it's the first time he pulled a word out of a different context and used it to communicate. The brain sure works in wonderful ways. 
Ben has this new gait when he feels rambunctious (most of the time). He starts by squating down and swaying back and forth with his arms extended to the sides and then he runs in circles as fast as he can. Or he uses his squat move to sneak up on bugs. He saw a fly on the side of the pool so he squatted down and moved his feet inch by inch. Everytime the fly figured him out and took off, Ben would squeal and run in a circle and do it all over again (the fly kept landing in the same spot--not a very bright fly if there are bright flies).
Words: here go (like when you hand someone something and say "here you go"), where go?, go!, all done, Dada, Mama, gunk (drink), gunkgunk (binki), and you might hear peek-a-boo and stop if you listen with toddler ears.
Current favorites: climbing onto Sam's bed and jumping off into my arms, whacking people with long, hard objects (swords, empty paper towel rolls, etc.), dancing, swimming--he blows bubbles and kicks his legs really well, climbing on anything that gets him higher than he already is, coloring on the walls, eating markers, sticking his tongue out, sticking his finger in other people's noses (or his own), eating popsicles, trying to eat other people's popsicles, binkies and blankets at bed time (his yellow blanket with stars on it seems to be a favorite), Thomas the Train, wrestling.Dislikes: Getting out of the bath, carseats, Lucy squishing him, Sam poking him in the face, walking through doorways without someone holding the door open--he's really scared it will slam on him.
