Update on Bennett

It's been awhile since I've filled you all in on Bennett's latest happenings.  First off, I think I mentioned a few months ago how we were getting Bennett checked out for his speech.  Well, after a few different meetings with some ladies from the school district and them doing lots of tests, we found out that he didn't qualify for any speech help.  Basically what it comes down to is that he is too smart for extra help!  All of the test determined that he is too advanced on his gross motor skills and that the only thing that he is behind on is his speech - big surprise - I could have told them that!  He is very good at climbing steps, running, puzzles, problem solving etc. and they all said that many times, if a child is so focused on this stuff, the language suffers alittle.  He is starting to pick up more words but he's not anywhere close to sentences yet.  And, many of the words that he does say, are missing letters or aren't very clear.  For instance, some of his newer words are "emi" = Semi truck and "in" = a grain bin.  Since we are with him all the time I can usually eventually figure out what he is saying but I don't think other people would be able to decipher much of what he's saying yet.  So, hopefully this will come during the next few months.  They did say that he would be checked again in 6 months when he turns 3 to see how he's doing.

Speaking above of semi trucks and grain bins, he has found a love for playing farming.  My brothers have all of their old farm machinery still and he absolutely loves playing with all of it and learning what it is and how it works.  Thanks Josh for playing with him constantly and sorry Josh and David for the huge mess Bennett is always making in your bedroom!

We are still working on potty training.  He is doing pretty good though.  For the past two weeks, unless we are going out somewhere, he has been in underwear all day and the only diaper he's worn was overnight.  Bennett isn't tell us yet that he has to go though so we are just taking him all day long.  The other day I asked him if he had to go potty and he shook his head yes and said potty.  So hopefully we are getting somewhere.  He does have #2 accidents though otherwise he's been staying dry pretty much all day.  He must be figuring out the control thing too because he has been staying dry during his naps.  I'm hoping this clicks soon so that I can return the unopened box of diapers I bought a few weeks ago!

Tantrums have started!  He had always been doing so good that I was hoping this stage would just pass him by.  Nope.  They started about 3 weeks ago.  He now will have little fits laying on the floor kicking or whining or crying if he doesn't get his way.  They aren't terrible and they don't last too long but, they are sure annoying.   And when he gets in these bucky moods, his listening is out the window and he gets mad at me.  Oh well, this too shall pass...just hopefully sooner than later!

This picture is a prime example of his gross motor skills at work.  Mike took him to a park one day and apparently, he was walking across this rope like nobodies business - over and over again at a fast speed.