Summer in New York Part II

We're mostly on photo hiatus here after vacation.  But pictures can't capture the developments in Benjamin and Eliza's lives these days anyway.  Well, except for this:

Benjamin and I spent a lovely while this morning drawing. I just sat back in awe as Benjamin's imagination took over.  First he drew a crescent moon--a good one--and told me it was a "crescent moon."  I think he is drawing first, then naming whatever the drawing looks like, but still, it is amazing to see him do this.  Not because it means that he is particularly precocious with drawing--about that I have no idea.  I am just in awe seeing this moment in development that I have been looking forward to so much!  He spent a while drawing shapes and then giving them names--"mushroom," "horse,"--then a whole scene with a few boats, clouds, and the ocean (even a tiger in the ocean!  Did we tell him about Life of Pi?).

The above picture is a cactus.  The little lump (with legs!) beside the cactus on the left is Brazos.  He often recalls the story of Brazos getting into the cactus on our camping trip last November.  JB had to take the thorns out of Brazos' fur and that made quite an impression.   It seems appropriate that it should be his first representational picture.

I am learning a lot about discipline these days (...failing a lot at discipline these days) and many of the things I ask Benjamin to do are met with "MUSH!"  "Mush" rhymes with "push" which he does as he says this.  We're obviously working on this.  But then today when I asked him to lie down so I could change his diaper (potty-training another thing we are working on...) he said very sweetly, "I would be glad to" and did it promptly.

Eliza Jane also amazes me with the delightful sounds she makes.  She'll often spend long minutes just talking away with me trying to imitate sounds.  Her smiles are bigger and more often and she is working hard on rolling over.  We had a harder night with sleep last night, but overall, what a wonderful relief from the newborn days!