Takoma Park Folk Festival

Shortly after these photos were taken, Benji decided that he was so taken with the giant dinosaur from the tie-dye vendor that he should actually take it. Which he did. Intercepted in the process of committing his first misdemeanor, he was forced to return the stolen goods and released to the custody of two young girls, whose mother kindly supervised him while my folk dance group performed.

--Victoria

It was a busy day on the Island of Sodor...

Almost all Benji's stories start that way. They usually take place at the quarry and the plot invariably involves "moving rocks" and not much else except personal drama among the train characters.

Aaron came up with the brilliant idea of making Benji a "quarry" from a plastic plate and putting "rocks" on it that are actually little pieces of bran cereal. Benji was delighted.

--Victoria

Things Benji Says (that you wish he wouldn't)

"Dammit! I'm comfortable."

Sidewalk Chalk

Using his new box of giant sidewalk chalk is one of Benji's favorite new pastimes. Apparently I need to teach his babysitter how to spell "Benji". . .

--Victoria

Sleepy Little Boy

He's growing up... but not THAT fast!

Because Aaron wears a beard and mustache, Benji has always been confused about the difference between a "chin" and a "beard" -- I think he learned the word "beard" first and he thinks that a chin is called a beard.

Yesterday, he bumped his chin on the wooden chest in the bedroom, and said "Mommy, I hurt my beard!"

--Victoria

Overheard at the Train Table

"Bill and Ben . . . were twins. Salty and Mavis were uncomfortable with tank engines. Bill and Ben were naughty. They are tank engines. They like to play a trick.

Bill and Ben were twins. You're tank engines, yes. Mavis is a tank engine too. Hi Bill, hi Ben, hi Mavis.

Then he saw the truck. [in a deep voice] CRASH, SAID THE TRUCK. Crashing not good. It's fun, he said.

Ben and Bill were twins. Ben and Bill were tank engines."


If Benji didn't speak so clearly, I never would have believed that he actually said that Salty and Mavis were "uncomfortable" with tank engines -- although the words "comfortable" and "uncomfortable" have featured prominently in his conversations over the past few days.

I can barely write fast enough to get it all down on paper...

--Victoria