Nineteen months old!

Another month gone in a flash! Ben, aka Mr. Independence, as his teachers refer to him, certainly has a mind of his own and is trying so hard to let the world know what's happening inside that big ol head. This age is so neat, because every single day, he says a new word or comprehends a concept that surprises us.

"Heh, heh. I'm king of this castle!"

He tries to repeat just about anything we ask him to...sometimes it just comes out in a different language. His on-again-off-again relationship with the bathtub is at a high point as he'll make a mad dash for the tub when I suggest a bath and tries to take off his own clothes so he can climb in and pour water on himself, rub bubbles on his belly and even lay down to kick his legs try to blow bubbles!

Ben's still a breakfast and peanut-butter man, but he now enjoys a hearty serving of spaghetti, which marks his first tolerance of pasta...still boycotting mac n cheese... little weirdo.

"Cheese!"

(Grandma asked him to say it, and so he did. Who knew he could do that? Oh how I'm hoping to avoid the clenched teeth faker smiles that are sure to follow that instruction.)

He loves his school, and it makes this time in our lives so much easier to enjoy. When it's time to go in the morning, he runs to the door, then walks himself right over to the breakfast table to scoop out his own food from the serving bowl. The teachers told me today that Ben walks over to his cubby to get lovey for nap and walks it right back to the cubby afterwards. Big boys only need loveys for naps, you know. When we pick him up, he's happily playing with his friends, or like today, lying on his back on the reading rug looking at a book, legs crossed and propped on a bean bag. But once we see each other, he's ready to grab lovey and head home!

His coordination is improving, although I forget to breathe when he starts running at full tilt, just waiting for those chunky crocs to take a false step. But if they do, he's fortunately getting to be a much better sport!

Tyler and I are still finding our own footing when it comes to discipline (currently waiting on no less than four parenting books to arrive in the mail), but we do know he's got an understanding of the idea. The other night, when we told him he would have to go to his room if he didn't stop crying, he cried out "nooo waaaay" and then marched himself to his room, shook his finger at me and closed the door to have a little cry. Ridiculous.

But it's not always "no way" moments in the Prentice house. Ben loves to laugh, dance, tackle, tickle, and just have an all-around good time.

and who can argue with that?