A Boy and His Big Boy Toys

This past Sunday a friend from church came over with a treasure of "boy toys" found within the confines of a very large plastic container. She had been cleaning out everything her 14-year-old son had outgrown, and came to church with the mission of sharing the love. She announced in our Relief Society meeting that she had some clothes as well as some transformer-type toys, Legos, and other toys that a 14-year-old no longer needs or wants and wondered if anyone was interested. My ears perked up when I heard "transformer" because Ben has been talking about Transformers for weeks. I told her we'd take a few. Well, she came over to the house when I was at choir practice and brought her son's treasures for Brad and Ben to see. Wouldn't you know it, we ended up with the entire container! Ben was ecstatic.

There were so many toys that I said, "Hey Ben, now you don't need any birthday presents." I full expected him to disagree, but he didn't. He enthusiastically said, "I know!" He is also blessing his Transformers in his prayers - guess he is exceptionally thankful for this little gift from Heaven!

Ben has spent hours playing with the transformers and other goodies found in the box. The bonus goodies included a container full of little cars and a bunch of "guys". A few months ago Grandma Judy bought Ben some "guys" with little guy guns, and Ben has loved laying with them. He was very excited to get some new guys to add to his collection - especially the Star Wars guys - I guess because we have nothing Star Wars in this house.

I find it fascinating that Ben knows all about Transformers and Star Wars and other "big boy" toys when these are never a topic of discussion in our house. Somehow he is getting his boy education despite being surrounded by girls every day of his life. He did mention that he needed to show Jack and Morgan (boys of dear friends Rod & Lesli) his Transformers and Star Wars guys. In fact, he has mentioned it multiple times, so I am quite certain that he can't wait for Jack & Morgan to see his new collection of big boy toys. In the eyes of this almost four-year-old those two big six-year-olds know all the ins and outs of the world of big boy toys.

And just a side note about the life of Ben these days . . . this post could have also been titled "Pajama Boy" because he refuses to put on clothes! He wants to wear pajamas all. day. long. - thus all these pictures in pjs. If I ask him to get dressed because we are leaving the house, he grudgingly will do so (usually), but the minute we are home he runs upstairs and puts his pajamas back on. I'm hoping it's just a stage . . .

Totally Independent? Not Quite

When you're just 2 months shy of your 4th birthday, you think you're capable of conquering the universe, or at least conquering your own little world. After all, you're almost four years old! Do you need help opening the car door? Absolutely not! Do you need help buckling your car seat? Are you kidding? No way! Would you like a little help putting on your shoes or choosing an outfit to wear? Not on your life!

Yep - you're pretty self-sufficient in many ways. Even when you are in a difficult predicament, I can hear you say to yourself, "don't even think about helping me pull this tight-fitting shirt over my head. I would much rather scream in complete frustration and suffer near-suffocation than allow you to help me remove this shirt that is stuck around my Wallace head." Spreading a little butter on a serving of rice for you or helping you into the car is grounds for a complete "re-do" in which you need a new pile of rice so you can spread the butter yourself or you insist on getting out of the car so you can get back in on your own.

Yes, my dear, you are quite the independent soul, but when your blanket takes a trip to the washing machine . . .

You pretty much fall apart!

Don't worry, it will be our little secret!

It's About Time

I've never before had a kid this big or this old still sleeping a crib, but this cribbie has been Ben's happy little home for over 3 years now. He spent the first 6 months sleeping in my closet in his little portable bassinet, but since then, the cribbie's been his world. Ben's sisters all moved out of the cribbie before now because there was always another sibling on the way to take over the crib. For Ben, this hasn't been an issue. He has always loved his cribbie and never even climbed out of it until about a month ago. But, as his 4th birthday inches closer (now within 3 months), I guess it's time to retire the cribbie and time to grow up a little.


Ben is very happy with his new little bed. Granted, at almost 4, he probably should have gone directly to a twin, but . . . he's our baby - so the toddler bed it is! (Hey Lacey can still fit in it and she's 8, so leave me alone!) His new bed is just perfect for showcasing his new quilt made by Grandma Judy.

Looking good! Ben says he's definitely a big boy now. Anybody need a cribbie?

Captain Underpants and his faithful sidekick

I just wonder what goes through his head . . . what is it about a pair of Thomas underwear on your head and a blanket around your neck that immediately transforms you into a powerful superhero?




Judging by the pony tail used to secure the blanket cape, I think this superhero was transformed through the help of a trusty sidekick . . .

The world is definitely a safer place with these two on patrol!

More "Benisms"

Here were a couple of my laughs of the day from Benny Boy -

Laugh One -
The scene: Still in the car after just driving into the garage upon our return from picking the girls up from school. Ben said -

"Mom did you remember yesterday I shot a bear?"

"you shot a bear, Ben? I don't remember that."

"yeah, I did!"

"where were you when you shot the bear?"

"I was really closer."

"and where was the bear?"

"He was hiding in the leaves. He was at Merrill's house (that's our neighbor who lives directly across the street."

Very impressive - don't you think? I am rather certain that Ben is the youngest bear killer in the state of Nevada. And, the fact that he discovered a bear in the desert southwest is even more amazing, I do believe!


Laugh Two -
The scene: In Ben's room right before I put him down to bed tonight. Lacey came in the room and I was reminded that we needed to review her spelling words. So, with Ben listening, I told her to go get her words so we could practice them before she went to bed."

Ben quipped - "oh yeah, mom - I need to do my homework."

Nice try buddy - off to bed you go!

"Upon a Time" - by Benjamin Wallace

[Note: please read with scariest, meanest, gruffest voice to get the author's intended effect of the story!]

Upon a time there was a helmet.

Upon a time there was a helmet and a sword.

Upon a time there was a scary monster.

Upon a time there was a scary guy.

Upon a time the monster was going to get mommy with his sword.

The mommy, while protecting herself from the sword, thought . . .

. . . if only an empty container and a ruler could bring out the imagination in all of us!

Ben says . . .

I didn't expect Ben to be so verbal, and I certainly didn't expect him to talk non-stop as he often does. There are times when I wish he were a little less verbal. He has 3 very verbal big sisters, and with so much verbosity in the house, sometimes, my brain just wants a break from conversation. When we are in the car, Ben talks almost incessantly, and he demands that I be part of the chit chat. If I allow my mind to wonder and don't answer one of his endless questions or don't recognize the very cool truck that he tells me about as we pass it, I am reprimanded. So - we converse (a lot), and Ben frequently ends up saying something that makes me smile or laugh out loud.

[Now - this really isn't the Ben blog even though I do a lot of Ben posts - but I want to remember his words years from now. If I don't record these moments, I will forget them. I know this, for sure. I have not been a proficient record keeper in the past, and though I know my girls have all said things at this age that made me smile or laugh out loud, I cannot reach into the far corners of my mind to remember the details. It makes me sad that I have forgotten, and I wish I would have written them down, but I didn't. And because I didn't write the details, I remember only a few of the things my little girls used to say. I remember that Madi could sing the ABC's before she was two - and that she loved to sing - a lot. I remember that she was the one who nicknamed my mom "Mammy" because she couldn't say "Grammy" and that she asked her dad for cinnamon toast and chocolate milk for breakfast every morning. When Katie was little I loved hearing her call her cousin Jacob, bup-bup, and loved listening to her say good night to Brad every night, saying "see you in the morning, daddy" in only the way an adorable, blued-eyed-brunette, 3-year-old can say it. And, I remember how she asked for "pampakes and syriup" or chocolate milk and milky for breakfast. I remember how Lacey couldn't say her "r's" and would call Brad's mom "gwamma Judy." I remember that she did a mean dance to Hokey Pokey Elmo and that she would always talk about our "baby" and would want to buy things for our "baby" long before Benjamin was a reality. I wish with all my heart that I could remember all of the details of what my little girls had to say, because they definitely had plenty to say! Sadly, the details fade from memory, and 13 years of parenting become a convoluted blur.]

Since I want to remember the details of the early years of at least one of my children, I come to my blog to record the profound sayings of Benjamin Bradley Wallace. Here are sample conversations from the past week or so -

"Mommy, when you grow up, you can be a worker man, and when I grow up, I am going to be a first grader and then I am going to be a garbage man."

"Mommy - how do firefighters fight?"

Ben - "Mommy, when I get older, I am going to have a blow dryer."
Mom - "What are you going to with a blow dryer?"
Ben - "I am going to blow some trees."

Lacey - (on the ride home from school with just Lacey & Ben in the car - the big girls stayed late) "I am so hungry. I want something really good to eat when I get home. What can I have for a snack, mom?"
Ben - "Lacey, what would you like? We have steak or pasta."

Ben - "When I grow up I'm going to be a daddy and drive in a truck."
Mommy - "And will you have a little boy?"
Ben - "No, I'm going to have a little mommy."

Here's to remembering the details of our lives and the lives of our children. I want to remember when my life was filled with details like firefighters and garbage men and trucks and little boy questions and endless conversations . . .

A Milestone Accomplishment for Ben - my little man in embryo

Considering that Ben has now been potty-trained for almost 2 weeks, it only seems fitting that he get a blog post in honor of his great accomplishment! I was dreading the potty-training process, because I have not had experience doing this with a little boy. But, as is usually the case with me, things end up being much harder in my mind then they are in reality. Ben has been an amazing student, and he is even waking up in the night if he has to go potty. I would say he is just about a potty pro. All it took was a day of running naked (Ben, not me), drinking lots of Sprite and a handful of Poppy's cinnamon bears and gummy raspberry candies.

Whether I like it or not, Ben's 3rd birthday is looming, and my baby boy is emerging from the toddler phase and entering the preschool phase of life. As much as I am sad to see the baby boy leave, I love every minute of watching the "big boy" personality emerge. He is developing a manly, take-charge attitude, and wants to help take care of "things". He is very sure of himself and thinks he can do more than his little body is capable of doing. Today I went to get a new jug of milk out of the overflow refrigerator in the garage. Ben quickly told me that he could do it, and was rather insulted when I wouldn't allow him to carry a full jug of milk from the garage to the kitchen. As this little experience illustrates, Ben tries to help carry things that are way too big for him, a behavior that was also manifested as he attempted to help stack chairs after a school event in December. Surprisingly enough, he did a pretty good job of taking down chairs that were twice his size. Ben's self-confidence astoundss me, and yes, at nearly three, he is well on his way to manhood.

Ben keeps me entertained all day with his manly sayings, and I can't help but shake my head in wonder. For example, here a few things he had to say over the past few days -

"Mom - I need to go in the back yard and cut down some trees."
(wanting to get some use out of his chain saw that Katie gave him for Christmas)

"When I get bigger I am going to go in a garbage truck, and Lacey is going to go with me."
(said after watching the garbage truck pick up our trash)

"Mom, you need to go to the store and buy me a sword and a gun and a monster helmet."
(I am not sure what prompted this thought, and I am definitely not sure of what a monster helmet may be, but I do know Ben loves helmets! In this picture he is wearing a little helmet my mom bought to keep at the cabin. When we left the cabin after New Year's, Ben threw a tantrum because he wanted to take the helmet home and didn't want to leave it at the cabin.)

"My daddy needs to go out there and fix that bunny
(in reference to the flat-as-a-pancake, dead rabbit in the middle of the road in front of our house. Ben obviously thinks his dad is one powerful dude!)

"I can fix it mom"
(Ben loves his tools, and is eager to fix whatever needs fixing around the house.)

And finally - just to add to his manly attitudes, my mom bought Ben this pint-sized lazyboy chair for Christmas.
(I wanted Ben to pose for a picture, but he wasn't interested in the least!)

I love my little man, but I am really glad that when he's feeling a little tired he still sucks his fingers and holds his blankie up to his face and rubs against me until I pick him up and give him a little snuggle. Thankfully, we still have a few years before that man in embryo actually emerges!

Smug No More - Part II

In my last post, Ben's Uncle Doug put up some thought-provoking arguments in an attempt to vindicate Ben from the current accusations that Ben has become more naughty than nice.  I appreciate that Doug is looking out for the next generation of men in the Zobrist family, considering there are so few, and he even had me wondering if I was being a bit hard on Mr. Benjamin Bradley.  And then tonight -

Ben slathered catsup in Lacey's hair and then proceeded to give her a bloody nose - and not a minor bloody nose, but a gushing bloody nose!  And no, Ben was not framed, there were several eye witnesses linking him to these crimes.  So what do you say about your little nephew now, Uncle Doug?

Smug no more

I'll admit it, I've been smug. Not outwardly smug, but smug nonetheless. While many friends and strangers have talked about the difficulties of raising energetic, mischievous, exhausting little boys, I have sat quietly, thinking to myself, "I am so glad I don't have such difficulties. My little guy is just about perfect in every way. He's calm and quiet and for the most part, stays out of trouble. How lucky am I?" Certainly Ben has always had his occasional moments of imperfection, but for the most part, wow - what an amazing, gentle, sweet little boy.

But it's a new world folks and . . . if any of you have had the pleasure of raising energetic, mischievous, and often exhausting little boys (or girls), please accept my humble apologies for my inward smugness. I have been sufficiently chastened as my practically perfect little boy has turned into an energetic, mischievous, exhausting, and at times, a down-right naughty stinker. Call it delayed "terrible two's" or "early adolescence" - whatever it is, it's a new phase of life that I am not exactly welcoming with open arms. Where gentle, easy-going, calm, and sweet described the Ben of the past, stubborn, loud, argumentative, strong-willed, bossy, and sassy suit him much better now.

Hmmmm sounds like 3 other people I know quite well - but that's a different story. There's just something in these genes . . .


Stubborn Ben in Action -

Here is Ben on Halloween night, wearing his favorite shirt. He refused to get dressed in his pirate costume, adamantly declaring, "I don't want my pirate." It didn't matter how many times we tried, he only dug his heels in deeper with each attempt. So, his costume ended up consisting of a little drawn-on facial hair (remnants of the pirate costume), his favorite orange shirt and a straw cowboy hat. He thought he was totally cool.

Yesterday Ben got mad at me because I didn't put the right shoes on his feet. Then today, he wanted to wear a pair of too-small, size 18-month jeans rather than the new outfit I had for him to wear. I swear that when I had similar situations with my girls, mothers of little boys would shake their heads and tell me, "oh my son wears whatever I lay out on his bed. He doesn't care." Well - not my boy. I have lived for years under the illusion that I would have a little boy and I would get to dress him up just the way I wanted.

When Ben has decided something in his mind, there's no convincing him of a different possibility. For example, this morning while we were on a walk & observing some landscape workers, we had the following exchange:

Ben - "Mom, what are those guys doing?"
Mom - "It looks like they're trimming the trees."
Ben (about 30 seconds later & seriously yelling at me) - "They are not trimming trees, Mom, they're working!"
Mom - "OK, Ben."

Ben & I have this conversation on a regular basis -

Ben (talking to mom, usually at about 10 in the morning ) - "Mom, daddy's coming home?"
Mom - "Yes Ben, daddy is coming home. He always comes home."
Ben (getting a little angry) - No, daddy's coming home!
Mom - "Yes, Ben I know - but not till a little later when he's done with work."
Ben (yelling) - "No, my daddy's coming home!"
this little exchange can be repeated indefinitely until I finally give up and say, "OK, Ben, whatever you say." To me we're saying the same thing, that daddy's coming home. But - I think Ben wants me to admit that daddy's coming home sooner than he actually is.

Naughty Ben in Action:

Last Sunday Ben was in destructive mode. In one day he:

- stamped Lacey's cream-colored velvet dress with a black, permanent ink stamp before we ever got to church

- colored with black sharpie on the Barbie, yellow VW Bug

- colored with ink pen on the office chair

- decorated his shirt with 42 cent stamps

Ben has started running from us in parking lots. There's just nothing funny about that!

When he gets a hold of something he's not supposed to have, he screams and runs away from me with the object in hand then throws it - as if to say, "If I can't have it, you most definitely can't have it."

Ben is really into throwing himself on the ground & makes punching movements all in the name of play - and while screaming or making very loud sound effects.

Oh there's so much more - like when I told him to leave the dirty dishes in the dishwasher and he looked me right in the eye and said, "no, I'm not," or when he pulls his sisters' hair, or when he tries to tell Brad what to do or throws his magnet toys off the refrigerator door onto the floor on purpose, or when he . . . . I could go on! Stubborn? Yes! Loud? Yes! Argumentative? Yes! Sassy? Yes!

Oh well, I guess I had a good ride while it lasted. I should be grateful for that, right? I should have seen the "new" Ben on the horizon when he started the "arch-your-back-and-refuse-to-get-buckled-in-your-car-seat" fight about 2 months ago. I remember thinking then - "well, we're four-for-four when it comes to this fight. I can now say that I have mastered the feat of pushing a writhing child's body into a car seat with one hand, while buckling a 5-point buckle with the other, all in under 1 minute. I think I deserve some sort of award for that. It took me 4 kids to conquer this challenge, but now I stand victorious! I can even do it in extreme circumstances including suffocating heat, rain, and near-frigid temperatures. As I was complaining to my mom the other day, she said, "well, at least you got in 2 good years!" This is true, and now, I really appreciate the tiny glimpses of the sweet and gentle Ben of the past that peek through the new Ben very occasionally. But then, he catches himself, and off he goes to discover more ways to initiate his parents in the raising of an energetic, mischievous, exhausting little boy.

He's always watching

Some blog posts are for me - just because I want to remember. This is such a post. This is about an experience from a little over a week ago. I am finally finishing what I started then -

When you have a 2-year-old, you realize that this little person constantly emulates everyone in your household. This is particularly obvious when he mirrors the somewhat obnoxious philosophies of those you live with such as - yell when you're mad, say naughty things like "you're stupid", scream and throw a fit when you get put in time out, yell when your hair gets brushed, even if it doesn't hurt, and so the list goes. Thankfully, the good is emulated as well, and he demonstrates daily that he knows when to say "thank you", when to say "I love you" and "I'm sorry", how to carry on a phone conversation, how to clean up his toys, and more. Eventually, Ben will learn to sort out the good from the bad and form his own thoughts and feelings about how to handle his life and the world around him. In the mean time, he watches and listens and learns and emulates.

Ben has observed the prayers of his family members during these past 2 years, and he has learned the fundamental elements of praying and is ready to branch out on his own. He has started expressing the desire to pray aloud and to take his turn at the dinner table or during family prayer. The girls all want Ben to pray every time because his prayers are quick & cute and not long & boring like mom & dad's. Tonight, 2 1/2-year-old Ben said the sweetest prayer, without the help of anyone. He is learning and listening, and capable of verbalizing his own ideas - as he illustrated in his simple prayer tonight:

He folded his arms, bowed his head (eyes open, however) then started, "Dear Heavenly Father" - in his high pitched, yet quiet prayer tone.
He then said, "thank you Lacey go night night. Thank you Katie go night night."
"Thank you Madi go to dance."
"Thank you for Jesus and thank you for pictures" (you may remember from a previous post that this means scriptures).
Then he ended with, "Amen" in a louder, less high-pitched, proud tone.

He waited for his praises, smiling his proudest smile. He knew he had accomplished something grand. When he & I pray together before he goes to bed, he usually wants me to say his prayer for him. But, when the family is gathered together, as of late, he is eager and hopeful that it is his turn to pray. I have a feeling it will be Ben's turn any time he wants it to be.

As I think about all Ben has learned in these 2 years of life, I can't help but think about all those who influence his life for good - the people he emulates - the people who are part of him. He loves his family and talks about everyone frequently, as demonstrated by these remarks he often makes -

Granddaddy catch a fish.

Poppy takes me for a four-ride (four-wheeler ride at the cabin).

I want to talk to Mammy.

I want to go to Grandma Judy's house.

Aunt Kimmy bring me my Thomas puzzle and my turtle deetee from Grandma Judy.

Where's Uncle Mike & Aunt Karla?
The goats are at Aunt Aimee's and Uncle Casey's.

I want to see Ava and Vivi.

Where my Lacey go?

I love Ry and Ella Bean.

Daddy, can you play with me?

Can we see Abby J?

And - a few photos of Ben - observing the people he loves - remember that he is always watching -

Big sister Katie shares her DS with Ben

Jeffrey & Clark - "Boy" cousins - something he doesn't have much of on the Zobrist side of the family!

Jamison - the Wallace "boy" cousin who is closest to Ben's age & Ben knows it!

Watching big sis Lacey, quite possibly his greatest hero & grandest nemesis at the same time

Watching cousin Vivi

Helping granddaddy catch a fish

Helping daddy catch a fish

Big sister Madi - leads the way

Toddler Translations

I know my last post was quite the cliffhanger, and I am sure that some of you have been anxiously waiting ever since that post to find out the translations for Ben's words. I want to keep things compelling for my readers, you know! I must say that I was impressed because some of you were quite proficient at interpreting "Ben"ese. For those of you who don't understand toddler-speak so well, I will leave you hanging no more -

2-year-old Ben loves to eat meemul (oatmeal), beagles (bagels), and mokey (milky) for breakfast or just about any time of the day. I had oatmeal for breakfast one day a few months back, and Ben wanted to try it. After he got his first spoonful, he was sold & ate my entire bowl. When he's thirsty, Ben often asks for a drink of lauder (water). He also grabs partially emptied lauder bottles so he can dump out the remaining water and relish in the resulting puddle - he is not selective about where his puddles are created - on the carpet, on the kitchen floor, on his clothes, in the car, on the grass - whevever he happens to be. He might even stomp in the puddle while wearing his fop fops (flip flops) to create even more excitement.

Some mornings Ben likes to grab his little 1 lb hand weights to join me as I secacise (exercise). Other times, he abandons his weights in favor of sitting on me while I attempt ab secacises. He is very helpful!

Ben is very supportive of our attempted family pictures (scripture) reading in the evenings. He loves to sit with the family as we try to read pictures together, and sometimes he is very quiet and sits next to his dad quietly, gently paging through a set of scriptures. During such times, even at 2, Ben is the perfect example to his ever-distracted sisters of how one should behave during family scripture time. But, most of the time, he is entertainment and added distraction for his sisters, so scripture reading appears to be more fruitful when done after Ben goes to bed. But - if he hears us say "let's go read scriptures" before he's been taken to bed, there is no option but to have Ben join with the family because otherwise, a heartbroken tantrum will ensue.

Ben has been a devoted fan of his lalano (lawnmower) ever since Uncle Mike & Aunt Karla gave it to him for his 2nd birthday.

When we went to a children's museum in Salt Lake City this summer, Ben found the only lalano in the place, and promptly claimed it as his own. This was not a problem until he abandoned it momentarily and another little child declared ownership of the lalano. Ben found this to be more than he could handle, and I had to take him to another room in the museum until he could calm down. At such traumatic times, a deetee (blankie) along with his fingers inserted into his mouth, can be quite soothing. Luckily, the other child eventually lost interest, and the lalano was Ben's once again.


And finally, Uncle Doug was right, Dabid Cheddachedda is none other than David Archuleta of American Idol fame. I'll give you one guess as to who taught Ben to say "David Archuleta", which continues to be a household phrase, mentioned everyday around here. Madi & Ben have this little daily exchange -

Madi - "Ben, who is yucky?"
Ben - "Dabid Cook yucky."
Madi - "Ben, who's nice?"
Ben - "Dabid Cheddachedda nice."

When Ben wants to annoy Madi, he purposely says "David Cheddachedda yucky," when Madi asks him who's yucky. He already knows how to antagonize his big sis. That a boy Ben!

And just because you're really lucky today, a couple of bonus "Ben"ese words - "Cooloo" means screwdriver OR stroller - you must listen to the context of the word as it is being used to know which word Ben is referencing. And "Poppy Truck" - about a year ago my dad was using one of these little trucks at the cabin while Ben watched attentively. Ben was so enamored with this experience that he has named all Bobcat trucks "Poppy Trucks". I didn't even know Ben had a name for such trucks until one day when we were looking at his truck book and he pointed to a picture of a truck just like this one and called it a Poppy Truck. This was months after we had been at the cabin and watched Poppy on the Bobcat. I was shocked at Ben's memory of that truck.


As entertaining and "cute" as it may be to see language emerge in a young child, it is also incredibly amazing. One day in the not-so-distant future, Ben will say water instead of lauder and flip flops will no longer be fop fops, and he'll be just another human who has conquered his native tongue. I, for one, will be a little sad when the "baby" words leave him, one by one. Did you know that barring a physical or mental handicap or disability, that all humans are 100% successful at learning language? I'm sure you knew that. What miracles we are!