Reasoning with a Toddler + Pregnancy Hormones = Much Hilarity

If anyone is counting, I am now seven days past my due date.  We've been walking, running errands, going to the zoo; I've been toting groceries, and a toddler, and forcing myself to pick things up off the floor.  Anything I can think of to get this show on the road.  While I do have the occasional hormonal meltdown, I am really working on being at peace with the process, trusting God and "leaning not on my own understanding."

In the midst of this process, Benjamin's verbal skills have been just exploding lately … forming sentences, asking questions, pretending and role-playing … generally being funny, and sweet, and only occasionally ornery :)

The combination of these two scenarios has resulted in some pretty remarkable conversations lately… primarily resulting from my inability to think up anything to say but the matter-of-fact truth.

Yesterday at the park, Benjamin decided he'd rather be at the zoo.  In response to his continual no's, I said, "Well, we're at the park Buddy, so you gotta deal with reality."  He responded with an energetic, "Deee wit re-ad-a-wee!"

Benjamin loves seeing trucks and construction equipment while we're out … problem is that one is never enough.  The excitement is always followed with, "More digger!"  "More school bus!" etc.  Today, after hearing enough "More dump truck" to drive a momma crazy, I said, "Ya know, Benjamin, there's a thing called contentment.  You see something cool, you say, 'Oh wow! Dump truck! Awesome!' then "OK! Movin' on!"  He responded with a perfectly pronounced, "O-tay! Movin' on!" as if he totally understood what I meant.  And who knows, maybe he did?

Honestly, I have no idea if these matter-of-fact responses are good parenting strategy or not … it's just all I can think of right now.  And I don't know if his affirmative responses are actually good signs of progress in attitude, or just a reflection of how much he loves to try new words and expressions.

But, for right now, it's working for us.