he can not be contained.....

I really do have so much fun with Ben as we go about our days. He brings such joy and hilarity (is that a word?) to the mundane. Driving to the market....a shreek from the back seat...."MAMA....I SEE A DIGGER!" "OCEAN" "WHERE ARE WE?" "IS THAT BEN'S HOUSE!?!?....no.....IS THAT BEN'S HOUSE? THAT'S BEN'S HOUSE!!!!" "THERE'S THE MARKET." "WE GET CHEESE AT THE MARKET. AND COOKIES. (which I never buy but he requests, knowing we don't have any at home and the market is where you get all things you want but don't have at home.) And he says hi and bye to everyone we pass at the market. Or anywhere for that matter. And he learns new things everyday. Whether it's a new word. Or a new trick (dragging his little chair all over the house so he can officially reach EVERYTHING....all the while declaring "I SO TALL!")

Each of these moments my heart is simultaneously filled with such pride, amazement that he is growing up so fast, and HOLY SH** how do I parent in this next stage of his life?!?! How do I keep him safe and happy and challenged?

So today, Ben declares, "I UNLOCKED THE DOOR ALL BY MYSELF!" My heart stopped. (thankfully he was talking about the door to our back yard, not the front door. Which for the record is kind of broken and I can't always open myself....which is a convenient safety measure for the time being). Let me back up.....since the day Ben was born, if ever he was having a fussy, crying for no reason, cranky, I'm not happy and I don't know why (etc!!!!) moment, if we just took him outside, the crying stopped. This worked from the time he was a week old, to today. Never fails. There is generally less whining, complaining, and all around fussiness when he is outside. It's his happy place. And apparently it's an even happier place if mama or dada is outside with him.

And now, that Ben can unlock and open the back door, we will apparently be living outside....for the next 16 years. Wish me luck. We already have Ben's potty out there. And next step is a cooler. And a sound system. I'll be working on that this afternoon. Now that Ben refuses to come inside, which means it will be near impossible for us to leave the premises.