Relationships are important to Ben these days. He has called Ba and his new stuffed puppy his "sisters", and they are sometimes babies, sometimes "have a big belly with baby inside". Tonight it had been a few weeks since Uncle Sly Dog had come to visit, and when we went around the table and said what we were thankful for, Ben said "Uncle Sly Dog!".

Ben has started making up new lyrics to his favorite songs - currently the favorite is "Row Your Boat". Last night: "Row, Row, Row your truck, over mama's head,...... gently down the road." Tonight: "Row, Row, Row your Daddy, gently down the stream, merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a bathtub."

We went to our local thrift store today and I let Ben pick out a small toy - a snowmobile - which he named, unprompted, his "Motor-ski".

Ben has been obsessed with birthdays for many months (years? is that possible?). He has told us that he wants a train with a button that goes automatically for his birthday - he can point to the picture of it in the Brio catalog. He also said that he wanted a motorcycle - but when I asked him again about it he said "No! The train with the button!" (thinking that he couldn't get both of course).

When I asked him yesterday if he wanted to go to the playground, he said "Call Fiona." I asked him if he wanted to invite her to the playground and he said "Call Fiona, ask her come to my birthday party." (Over a month away!).

Lots of people have been asking Ben how old he is, and when his birthday is. A couple of times this week Ben asked me, "When my birthday, mommy?".

Today Ben said to Daddy, "After rest, we have my birthday party?" "No, Ben, your birthday is not for a while." And he unprompted, repeated the date!

Ben is getting into the grove of this big brother thing, painfully. Though he's pretty excited to play with Alex lots of times - especially today when Alex pushed him in the red wagon! - he gets frustrated and purposefully gets revenge when Alex gets into his things (think big pushes where Alex ends up flat on his back). This is pretty frustrating for everyone, though I think Ben will finally get his wishes - bunk beds, I'm on top! - and driving Alex in his car seat to the cafe (maybe not the car seat part).