Benjamin’s favorite phrase is now “Do it by yourself.” Or, more accurately, “DO IT BY YOURSELF!!” Jonah uses it now and again, but as always, he prefers to delegate most of the annoying details of life to others. When he drops his toy: “Mama get it.”

Benjamin remains concerned about the hot potato who seems to always be crying, but he now also talks about “caterpillar, stomachache, nice green leaf, better.” ….the abridged version of Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar. We’re convinced he will be bringing up these issues in therapy in a couple of decades.

Each boy has his own version of The Angry Stamping Dance, which they demonstrate several times a day while whining and carrying on about having to share, not getting another cracker, not getting an orange cup, having to leave the bathtub crayons behind, and other life-shattering issues.

Benjamin knows his “big name” is Benjamin Henry. For a while Jonah insisted his “big name” was Nonah Henry, but now he’s resigned himself to Nonah Alx-an-duhr.

For Christmas the boys received a yellow metal school bus about six inches long. Jonah is obsessed with it and now needs both Puppy and School Bus to fall asleep.

Benjamin likes to be held by a parental unit who is pacing the living room – not in their bedroom! not sitting down! Since he weighs 5,000 pounds my response to his demands usually evokes the Angry Stamping Dance. What is this, “Colic, Part 2?”

Man, I thought the first year of their life required a lot of patience… this is getting a little ridiculous.