Bennet Bennet Bennet Bennet Bennet.
What a wonderful child you are to raise. You are truly, truly, gifted in your sense of humor. You crack me up daily, and your cute voice (one of just, the cutest voices ever) just adds to your overall vibe. You cannot be matched in a lot of ways. You are a wild child, you enjoy breaking the rules, you are hard to handle at times. When you make up your mind, Hannah and I almost immediately give up. You are a great sister to Lennox but you don’t take it as a duty. (Lennox feels like she NEEDS to be a good sister.) You just kind of are fun to be around and like to play, you share well most days and are just a solid hang. I want to write down some stuff that you do now, that makes you so uniquely you. Maybe this stuff sticks around, maybe it just fades away with time. But I saw a picture of you as a baby the other day, and that phase of you is such a foggy memory. The version I know of you now is the only version I know. I’m sure I will say that when you are 18 too, so let’s get some stuff written down right now.
Just Bennet Things (or JBT for short):
JBT #1 You throw your hands out in front of you in times of desperation. Even if we are just playing pretend and the “monster” is about to “eat” you. You bend your knees slightly and then extend your hands out palms facing up. This body language when you are desperately arguing something is just too good. I struggle not to giggle every time because it is SO exaggerated.
JBT #2 You made potty training really tough but also you were a good sport about it. The other day you told me you had to go to potty so we went to the bathroom, as we are sitting there you just look at me and say “Its gonna be stinnkkkyyyyyyyyyyyy! … I haven’t pooped in 2 daysssssssss!”
JBT #3 One time we were pretending to be each other, so as a little Bennet I pretended to cry and just be generally annoying. And then I asked you to pretend to be me. You sat there for a moment… deciding your next move, and then you hauled off and punched me in the face. I was STUNNED.
Let the record show I have never even so much as slapped you in your entire life.
JBT #4 We play videogames sometime and you get an IMMENSE amount of enjoyment out of trolling your sister. In Battleblock Theatre there is button you can hold down and it blows your character up rather comically. It also pushes Lennox in a direction she typically does not want to go, we have to beg you to stop doing it because you love it so much.
JBT #5 You recently started doing this facial expression of …. Pride? Confidence? I’m not sure but you do it at the cutest times. You and Lennox will race across the room for something and then you will ask who won. And I will say “Bennet you got there first so you won”. And you do this smug smile with your eye brows raised and a head nod. It’s subtle but it also screams “of course I won”.
JBT #6 We went sledding for the first time yesterday. You were first to go down the hill (before Len). You refused to carry the sled back up the hill, to the point that when I demanded you bring it back up the hill, you just decided to faceplant in the snow and not move until I came to check on you. And then, after we played for a long while you said “Daddy I am cold”. I responded with something half-hearted about leaving soon, and in less than 10 seconds you went “DADDY I AM COLD I WANT TO GO HOME NOW.” You hopped on your sled, rode the hill towards the car, and started walking. You screamed so loud in the car I thought I gave you frostbite or something… I don’t think your hands were even that cold.
JBT #7 You are a good eater. Straight up. You try stuff, you eat your veggies, and you’re an absolute homie when it comes to eating. Even spicy chips, you eat my jalepeno kettle cooked chips. They make you cry but you still eat them, pretty impressive.
JBT #8 You don’t need affection, until you do. I normally ask Lennox and you for a hug and kiss every night, I get the same answers. Yes from Lennox, No from you. At bed time Lennox usually gets pretty snuggily on the couch, you are usually trying to ride two scooters at the same time. Except last week you were sick, you needed snuggles and kisses and all sorts of babying. (Not to mention I saw you get jealous of Hannah holding a baby the other day.) Occasionally you act like the youngest child!
JBT #9 You love dancing and music so much! You’ve got talent for a little three year old! You pick up on lyrics quick and you dance like no one is watching all the time! I LOVE it.
JBT #10 That blonde curly hair. It does something to me. Every… time. It is truly precious.
I love that you have these things that make you so unique. And I promise to be a Father who fosters a love of being different. To be set apart from the crowd, both in your journey with Christ and who you are as a person. I can’t wait to write about the future JBT’s, but I am in no rush to get there. I am going to enjoy being a Dad to this little three year old this year, no matter how hard you make it 🙂
Love You,
-Dad
Gamenotes 