Sometimes it's hard to be a little boy

Ben and I had play-group today at the Parker Field House.  It's an indoor playground and Ben loves to play with all his new friends ~ once we get there.  However, getting there can be trying.  Normally, Ben is very good in the car.  But today he wanted to watch a movie (moo-vie!!!) in the car and I told him no.  He was very upset with me and learned to efficiently "pout" ~ even while I took his picture for the record.  Fortunately, he is such a sweet little guy and was easily distracted with singing silly songs in the car.  Once we got to the Parker Field House, Ben walked in like he owned the place and said "hi" to everyone we passed ~ as if to say, "I'm here now so the party can start!".  Today there were some older boys and Ben was a little scared of them.  One boy was being a dinosaur and it scared Ben when the little boy screamed in his face... ugh.  He also wants to be independent but isn't quite big enough to do everything by himself ~ like climbing up the little climbing wall at the playground.  Ben is also starting to protest wearing diapers but he has NO interest in going in the potty.  I have tried to introduce some of the "tricks" of potty training, but he is just adamant that he doesn't want to try the potty.  And so it begins... I hate potty training more than anything. 

On another note, Cailey is really enjoying second grade.  She was classroom helper yesterday and got to use the HUGE pencil that the student teacher brought back from her vacation in Italy!  It's takes so little to make a little girl happy!  They are studying life cycles at school and have watched a caterpillar turn to a butterfly, a tadpole turn to a frog, and they are getting to watch chicks hatch from an egg!!!  She comes home almost everyday with more "exciting news" and she looks forward to school each morning!  Her reading skills have exploded and she is reading chapter books!! She really, really likes her 2nd grade teacher.  We have parent-teacher conferences next week so we will get the low-down on her academic progress.  Last night she asked to put Ben's pajamas on ~ she desperately wants him to pretend to be a baby doll, but he isn't very cooperative.  She did a good job and she is a great big sister ~ sometimes we have to remind her that she is the sister and not the mommy :o)  Then, this morning, she woke up, put her clean clothes away (without being asked), took a shower, AND picked out her school clothes and got dressed ~ and it was all done in time to leave for school and without having to be asked!!!  It was a good morning :o) :o)  I think we will go for ice cream when Daddy gets home!