"I sorry"

Benny has been on my mind (and in my blog) a lot, lately.  To be fair to Benny, he's not all tantrums and exhaustion.  No, not at all!  Here's a glimpse into what makes Benny so lovable:

Benny makes us laugh.  His laugh is infectious, and he often laughs at himself.  He's almost three, but his antics remind me more of the range of an 18 month to two year-old.  He'll often remind you that he's funny, just in case you miss it.  "I funny, I funny".  The gift is that he does it innocently, not bragging, and proud that he knows the words to express the thought.

Benny is very repetitive.  His vocabulary and language skills are limited for his age, so I think he fills gaps in "conversations" by repeating himself.  He never really says anything just once, and if you're not focusing, he'll often repeat it until you listen.  It's not an annoying, nagging repetitive, but a very sweet, patient repetitive.  His soft, little innocent voice, trying hard to make communication happen, just makes me want to squeeze the stuffing out of him.

Benny moves fast when he moves, but he often gets absorbed in his own zone.  He may be focusing on a particular toy, or putting on someone else's shoes (which he loves to do), and concentrating hard on accomplishing one particular task.  When he is in one of his concentration zones, I love to just sit and watch him (without him realizing he is being watched).  Also, Benny still loves to snuggle and be rocked at bedtime.  Momma mostly spends this time with him, but sometimes I move in on her territory and spend some cuddle time with him.  It's hard to describe, but with time moving so fast around me, Benny's developmental delay is like time occasionally stands still, allowing me to just savor his extended toddlerhood.  I don't remember these moments with my other kids.

Benny is affectionate.  He's a hugger and a kisser.  When I ask for a kiss, he rarely turns me down, and rarely do I not get a face full (all accentuated by a "mmmmm" and spaced by a teasing Benny pause).

Benny can be tender and compassionate.  He loves animals, especially dogs.  "Ahhh, pup-pee" is something we often hear when we take walks, as he reaches out to touch the dog and love on it.  He sometimes senses tension in people, and tries to help the situation.  Recently, Lily was in trouble and I made her stand in the corner.  Benny, trying to be helpful to her, snuggled up beside her in the corner, and softly whispered, "sorry... sorry... sorry".  I'm not sure if he was sorry she was in trouble, or coaching her to "say sorry" and make it better.  Either way, it was adorable.

"Sorry" is one of my all time favorite Benny words.  He learned the word several weeks ago, and has been using it pretty extensively.  He has not fully refined the meaning of the word, and I usually smile when he says it (usually very tenderly).  It can literally mean, "I'm sorry", but it has a few other meanings.  It can mean, "I'm sad", as seen in the recent days of bus riding.  It also means, "I'm hurt" (one of my favorites).  Benny is a little on the clumsy side, so it's not uncommon for him to hurt himself (not bad, just a bump here, a bruise there).  On numerous occasions, I've seen him stub a toe or bang an elbow, followed by (speaking to himself), "Ooooo, I sorry."

No, Benny is not just a stressful handful of a kid.  To know Benny is to love him.  It's also to look forward to his bedtime... but it's to love him!