Archive: The Fine and Right Education of the Young Doctor Benny

I think our cat might be gone.

Benny went down the slide at the YMCA about 45 times on Thursday. He has a tendency to linger in the water at the bottom of the slide, so I had to sort of urge him on. We talked about the fact that he had to "Swim away! Swim away!" like a krill. Nemo fans will recognize that one! :) :) and eventually he became quite the pro. The other kids were much much bigger than he was and they helped him get up the ladder -- a tower of alternating triangles that you had to climb up -- a safe way to do it but taxing on the tiny person who was really too small to be doing this game. Amazing child -- he went up again and again and slid down with such exhilaration -- it was a joy to watch.

Here is an alarming conversation we had:

Benny: When it's springtime can I go to school?
Me: Do you want to go to school?
Benny: Oh yes!
Me: Why do you want to go to school?
Benny: If I don't go to school then I will miss all the kids!

Hrm.

Alright I've had some coffee and a shower and the baby is napping and I feel immeasurably better just being clean and stuffed with caffeine. :)

They finally went to sleep at about 11:15. And then were up again at about 12:15 and constantly throughout the night. I spent much of the night sitting on the top step in Benny's room. When I thought they were asleep and I'd try to creep downstairs, Gabe would say in a very level and awake voice, "Don't go downstairs." So. Very. Fun. At about 5:00 they went to sleep. Then at 7:00 up again.

Gabe just walked into the room and said, "Widdia. I want one more sleepover."

I said, "Last night you said you hated sleepovers. I don't think another sleepover is a good idea." It's true, last night he told me he hated sleepovers because "this is taking forever."

He said, "Well I changed my mind. So. One more sleepover for me."

This kid is such great entertainment, if I weren't so completely exhausted. I do not however feel that another sleepover is a very good idea.

Gabe: "LYDIA! LYDIA! LYDIA!"

Me: *trot up stairs* "Yes?"

Gabe: "I need three people up here, all the time, three people. Gabe, and Benny, and Lydia."

Me: "I will stay up here if you're going to lie down in the bed and try to sleep but I'm not going to sit here listening to you sing and act crazy and roll around."

Gabe: "Bye. We're playing. Bye."

Okay, so, Gabe wanted to call Mom and Dad and he had a little nervousness on the phone and going home was discussed but it was decided amongst the adults that he could stick it out. So he really tried to go to sleep but part of the problem was Benny tickling him and giggling and he could not fall asleep. So he said, "This is not the place that I'm supposed to BE! And I can't SLEEP in this house! And I'm tired of people MESSING UP MY LIFE! And COPYCATS doing everything that I DO! And keeping TRACK of me! And that's why I don't like sleepovers and I just NEED TO BE PLAYING!!!!"

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, they are playing. Gabe's parting words: "Just let us play for like ten minutes of half in a row." I think he meant half an hour. Then he hollers, as I'm going down the stairs, "HAVE FUN WITH DAN!!!!!!!!!!!!"

*CACKLE*

Well they're in bed with the lights semi-off. Everyone has their special blanket and Gabe's nightlight is on and the planets and stars are glowing. For 20 minutes there was silence and then I was called to the third floor.

Benny: I'm thirsty.
Gabe: I'm thirsty.
Benny: Two cups of water, please, Mommy.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! WILL THERE BE ANYTHING ELSE, MASTER BENNY? HAHAHAHAHA!!!!

So, I get them the water and I say goodnight again, and Gabe says, "We'll call you if we need to puke up or anything."

HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay... after the request came that the front door be shut so that Benny couldn't LOOK at Gabe, Dan went out there and gave a bit of instruction on the fact that it's Benny's place too and he can help play with his own toys if he wants to and he's not to be banned from portions of the house. Gabe responded that he was a guest and should do what he liked. HAHAHAHAHA!!! Yikes!!! At that point I am giggling in the kitchen. Dan went on to say that Benny should come in and play and that Gabe should share and be nice to him, and Gabe said, "Alright, I'll do that." So they're playing now. And it's all fine. But GORSH!!

Well, Gabe is here for a sleepover! And I'm not quite sure what's going on... it started with Gabe saying "Go away from me, Benny, I'm busy! I need some alone time!" and it's now progressed to whenever Benny comes in the room with him, he's saying imperiously, "GO! LEAVE ME ALONE! I AM BUSY!" and if Benny continues to come in or tries to play with him he's shrieking at Benny to leave him alone. Then explaining to me calmly that he needs time alone and doesn't want to play with Benny. I think Gabe might just want to play with Benny's toys and not Benny at all! :) He's playing with Benny's trains and he won't let Benny play. I must admit I am nonplussed -- I don't want to force the issue but I also don't want Benny to think that I think this behavior is okay. Not very pleasant here at the moment, Benny's feelings are very hurt and I'm not sure what to do. Gabe won't let him anywhere near. What is going on? I guess we will see how the evening progresses -- it's probably just him processing this whole sleepover thing in his own way. It makes me sad to see Benny upset and sad over it though.

IT HAS HAPPENED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Benny went down the big slide at the YMCA. For a year and a half now (no kidding) he has been pondering that slide. But for a long time he couldn't swim well enough to try it out. You have to pass a swimming test to use it -- swim the length of the pool and tread water and etc. etc. It's about 25 feet high and inflated and water comes shooting down it and it shoots you out into the deep end and you go splash and go under. Then you have to resurface and swim out. So, yesterday we got there just as the day camp kids were getting out of the pool and the slide was still out. And RaeLynn, one of the lifeguards, said, "HEY BENNY!!! Wanna try out the slide today?" Well of course he did.

THAT CHILD CLIMBED RIGHT UP TO THE TOP OF THAT SLIDE WITHOUT HESITATION. I'm sure he's the littlest and youngest to use it in a while, if not ever. It's not for four-year-olds. My heart was in my mouth but I wanted him to be confident and I knew he could do it so I was cheerleading. He got up to the top and for about a half second his eyes got really big, but then he plopped right down on it -- I CANNOT EXPRESS TO YOU HOW HIGH OR HUGE THIS SLIDE IS! -- and slid down. His face, coming down, was priceless -- total shock and delight and insanity and fear and wonder and joy. He splashed down into the water and AS HE CAME UP he was in the process of saying "WOOOOOOO!!!!" Hehehe. He swam to the other end of the pool at a leisurely pace, giving the other lifeguard 17 heart attacks as he made his slow way back to the kiddie part. He was thrilled. Thursday we're going during the camp swim so that he can go down it a million times if he wants. BRAVE BOY!!!

Benny sent this email to his Grammy. I set up the window and walked away and told him to hit send when he was done. Background info: In her last email she asked about his jellyfish bite, and she just sent a package with a miniature golf set that he had been playing. Sidenote: He read her email all by himself with no help at all including the word "package":

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hi grammy
i KNWO THE GELE FISF ARE BETR
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
I WUSS PLAYING GLLF

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Benny's going to the zoo with Gabe and his Mom and Dad. Without me. This is an experiment. Benny has never done this before and I'm a nervous wreck. If there's anyone I trust not to let him die, it's Misti, because she's even more neurotic than I am, and in fact carries a first aid kit wherever she goes. I'm not even kidding. I know he will be fine. He is THRILLED with the possibility. I told him I could come along, or that I would stay home if he thought it would be fun to just go with Gabe and Gabe's family. He said, "OH I CAN GO BY MYSELF WITH MS MISTI AND GABE'S DAD." He is very happy about it all. Today at church he told everyone who would stand still that he was going to the zoo with Gabe. We got in the car to come home and he said, "You are not coming with me, Mommy, you're going to NOT COME!" And I said, "I can come if you want" and he said, "NO I WANT TO GO BY MYSELF WITH GABE." So, off he goes. We're going to take the boat out and pick him up at Misti's house when we're done. What an adventure, I hope I don't lose my mind.

Benny and Gabe had a blast on the boat together. Here are the pictures!