My boy today

It's not always easy keeping my boy clean or still.

Really, that's oversimplifying why mothering a boy  -- well, my boy -- has challenged me in so, so many ways. But, you know, I wouldn't trade him for anything in the world, not even a quiet, slow-moving, always-obedient boy.

Because that boy wouldn't be Ben.

And Ben is fun. (And, yes, sometimes fun is exhausting. But, still, we rest, and we do it all over again the next day.)

Today included a really fun party at the park to celebrate spring. My dear friend Courtney planned it. There were 39 (I think ...) kids there ranging in ages. I heard multiple moms of 2-year-old kids say, "Where is she?" "Where did he go?" "Anybody seen ... ?"

Perhaps I was one of those moms once. Or twice. Or maybe even more times. The great thing was more than once when I momentarily lost track of him he was either in the tunnel on the playground or swinging with my best friend or brother-in-law pushing him. See, that's a small-town perk right there.

He keeps me on my toes, I'm telling you. Please remember my first-born child is a girl. And she's so, so much like me.

But back to Ben. Today.

Pretty sure this is the first time Ben has painted. I don't even let him color with washable markers yet.

Painting was serious business for him. Yes, he tried to eat the paint, evident by the pink paint near his mouth. He later planted a sunflower seed in the pot.

Eating came later. Of course, he made a mess then too.

I found myself wondering why I dressed my always-on-the-move boy in a shirt that helped him blend in with the trees. Note to self: Dress boy in bright orange when we go to the park.

Ben liked dumping the rice and beans on his head. Of course, it's not every day there is a bucket of rice and beans available to play with, even if that means spilling them intentionally on yourself.

And he tried to impress Caroline. She eventually laughed. Word is her mom found rice in her diaper later.

Ben has been excited about t-ball, which has been happening in our backyard a few evenings recently. Conveniently, he got a baseball glove of his own for his birthday four months ago {Thanks, Kim!} so we did have that going for us. But I knew he would be heart broken when he realized he'd have to watch Cate play t-ball and not actually play t-ball.

I was right.

This was Ben tonight at Cate's first t-ball practice. Greg is the coach, so he and Cate were out on the field with the team. Ben was so sad not to be with them. Yes, he's holding his glove, like it's toddler speak for "Put me in, Coach!" Really, he was saying, "Daddy! T-ball! Daddy! T-ball!" through his sobs.

Sad, I know.

He eventually regrouped, drank from his sister's water bottle, ate some Teddy Grams, and kept his glove close. What else is a boy to do when it's not his turn to play? My boy isn't cut out for the sidelines. He likes to be {at least part of } the action.

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