puzzling development

Nathalie bought Benjamin a puzzle for 50¢ at the "Used Resource Sale" at the homeschooling conference. When we got back to the room, he dumped it out and started putting it together. Nathalie asked, "Have you done this puzzle before?"

No, apparently not. He's just suddenly super fast at puzzles — after showing no particular skill with them before. (He wanted to play with puzzles when he got home from school today, so I had already seen his new interest in action. He was fast earlier today, too, but not as fast as he was tonight.) Here's his puzzle, completed:

my architect

OK, our architect.

If Benjamin ever becomes a famous architect or engineer or artist, I think this photo, which his mother took a few minutes ago, will probably become a book cover.

PS When I told Benjamin that an earlier version of this same structure was "the best castle I've ever seen you build," he replied, "Would you like to see me make it even more interesting?"

automobile elephant

When Benjamin was born, Miss Angel gave him a wonderful mobile for his crib. It played Mozart, Beethoven, and Bach. Benjamin adored it.

Before he could walk, before he could even stand unsupported, he would pull himself upright in his crib and select his favorite composer: Mozart.

This afternoon, Benjamin started requesting his "automobile elephant." I had no idea what that meant. Eventually, we figured out that he meant "mobile" and not "automobile" and that he was missing the one seen here:

So I got it out of storage and set it up in his playroom for him. And he lay down beneath it and stared up at it.

And the way it's set up now, I could lie down with him and finally look up to see what he saw every night, three years ago.

Thanks, Miss Angel.

Benjamin's lion

One of the first gifts newborn Benjamin received was his toy lion skin:
Almost 2 years later:Benjamin sleeps fine in his bed at night, but recently he's begun taking his afternoon nap on the floor. Fortunately, his lion is there for him.

- papa

Benja 19mo

Benjamin at 19 months, looking out the front window
(just before a haircut)

Here's a picture of the doll he's hugging.

longest protosentence yet

Benjamin has recently grown extremely attached to his baby doll, Louis. Nathalie began putting Benjamin's own newborn clothes on Louis, and it seems to have inspired Benjamin to start treating Louis as his baby. He carries him around against his shoulder, pats Louis on the back, and gives him kisses. Tonight Benjamin pointed to Louis lying on the living room floor and said,

Bébé dodo par terre.

(The baby is sleeping on the floor.)

We were pretty impressed.

- papa

Benjamin with computer

Here's Benjamin in South Carolina with his new computer:

identification and solidarity

I found this lost image from almost a year ago, Benjamin leading the moose uprising:


His animal loyalties have moved on since then, as evidenced last Halloween.

Here's something his mother said the other day. She had scattered some finger foods on the table of his high chair, and he was trying to lower his mouth to them to eat them that way. His mother said,

Qu'est-ce que tu fais?	[ What are you doing? ]
Tu n'es pas un petit chien;	[ You're not a little dog; ]
tu n'es pas un petit chat;	[ You're not a little cat; ]
tu es un petit singe:	[ You're a little monkey: ]
mange avec tes mains!	[ eat with your hands! ]

- papa

bb's first laptop

A very successful gift from grandma was the Kiddieland Laptop, which is the reason "computer" is Benjamin's newest word.

He's been obsessed with Maman's and Papa's computers for almost as long as he's been alive, but it's only having his own computer that finally inspired him to use the word.

You can read about the product here, where there's also a video product demo.

- papa

popper

Benjamin's new word this morning was "popper" — referring to one of the many gifts his great aunt just gave him:

He has already put it to use helping his mother clean house:

- papa

Washington Park

Miss Angel took the kids to Washington Park and sent these photos from her phone:

- papa

pulled over for speeding

passer le canard

Benjamin likes to help out Maman while she's cleaning house.
Here he is joining her in vacuuming: