Sleeping Peacefully

The scrap of dirty-colored cloth folded under his head is Doh the Dog, of course. The striped blanket covering him is the "blankie" that my mother recently made for *me* -- but it's the most frequently "borrowed" item in our entire house. I never know whether I'll find it wrapped around Benji or Aaron!  --Victoria

Cute PJs

That Can't Be Comfortable

Father and Son Lego Time

Things Benji Says (in response to a discussion about religion)

A few days ago, Aaron was driving with Benji to pick me up from work and singing a song to himself that includes the words "plastic Jesus." Of course, Benji asked him: "Daddy, what's plastic Jesus?"

Me, I would have said, "a statue of a guy" – because I'm lazy.

Aaron, on the other hand, rose to the challenge and explained, concisely and in terms that a four-year-old could understand, that some people believe in God (including the topic, what is God), and that some people believe God sent a part of himself down to earth in the form of a man named Jesus, to help people on earth be better people. And that some people believe different versions of this story, or other stories completely. Which is what we call "religion" and different people follow different religions.

In short, Aaron is an awesome parent and totally my hero.

What was Benji's response to this thoughtful encapsulation of some of the world's most complex theoretical topics? He said: "Daddy, dogs don't have long legs, do they?"

Make of it what you will. They picked me up from work, Aaron told me this story, and we laughed for a long time. Then we had a long discussion with Benji about how animal domestication occurs and how dog breeds develop, and why some dogs do, in fact, have long legs. 

–Victoria

Playing with Modeling Clay

Despite the kind-of-sad face in the photo, we had a great time playing with modeling clay that my friend Danielle gave us.  I showed him how to roll a clay tube and then we wrapped the tubes around each other to make striped snakes.  We flattened the ends and added eyes, and the finished product was pretty cute.  --Victoria

Blast from the Past: "Afternoon Activities"

This is a photo from last year that I only just now realized I've never posted.  Benji spent weeks working on this project:  how to spell "afternoon activities" on our fridge door.  I was mystified about why he would choose this particular phrase until I was at his preschool one day and saw the daily schedule.  Of course, it included "afternoon activities."  Not bad for a kid who was barely four at the time!  --Victoria

Apple Orchard Trip (from earlier in the fall)

I just realized that I never posted these photos from our annual visit to an apple orchard with Sarah and Yousef, and their children Xavi and Kai.  --Victoria

First Visit to Chuck E. Cheese

A few weeks ago, Benji was invited to a birthday party -- at Chuck E. Cheese.  Neither of us had ever been there before.  I really had no idea what to expect!  Benji had a ton of fun and came home exhausted and happy.  It was a cultural experience for both of us.  --Victoria