For Don and Susan

Benjamin recently went to Montana to visit his Grandma and Grandpa... I know they must have absolutely loved having this little man there...for a week!


This weekend at Gabe's, Benjamin found this little toy of Emerson's that looks like a remote control. He kept pointing it up at the ceiling.


Lindsey started laughing...and laughing...and laughing...
She told me Don and Susan have a ceiling fan that they turn on and off with a remote... That's what Benjamin was doing! He's pointing it at his Uncle Gabe and Aunt Emily's ceiling fan!

A little later, he would aim the remote at the small fan...the one he and Emerson were playing with...at one point, the fan was unplugged....

Our little man was confused...it wouldn't turn on!

But he kept trying!

My little men have their first fights (plural!)

It is no secret here at the JohnstonChronicles that Benjamin is infatuated with fans. He spots them in an instant and he loves to turn them on and off.

He will say, "The fan is on!" or "It's on!" and "It's off!"...or he'll point to the fan and say, "the fan!"

He's a pretty agreeable little guy with just about everything. If someone takes one of his toys, he'll usually just look at them, and then pick something else. Sometimes he'll pull it back...as I've witnessed with him and his cousin, Emerson. Benjamin had been playing with the fan when Emerson decided to come join the fun. Benjamin was telling him all about how it worked.

"This is the middle...don't put your fingers in here," he told his cousin.He was telling Emerson that right now, the fan was off...

But then...Emerson started turning the fan on and off, which was fine...until...he, Emerson, decided NOT to let Benjamin turn it on and off....

Oh no...you can take Benjamin's toys...but you cannot take his fan! And that's when their first battle, their first pushing and shoving match, their first fight began...

Donnie, in his wisdom, decided to go over and talk to the boys...to 'teach' them a little about sharing...to show them how they could both play with the fan...taking turns...

It worked...for a little while.

Until Benjamin decided to switch gears and check out the light switch once again. It's another device that he can work that turns things on and off... "The light is on!"

"The light is off!

Their lesson from Da-Da or Uncle Donnie lasted, like I said, for a little while...until Emerson wanted to also turn the light switch on and off. Benjamin wasn't too happy about his cousin joining in the experiment....

Da-Da or Uncle Donnie didn't intervene this time...because the boys went their separate ways...Emerson to find a ball...Benjamin back to the fan...


All was peaceful once again!

Until the next morning. We were all up before 7 a.m. and the first thing the boys went for was the fan. Emerson is about 1.5 inches taller than Benjamin...and probably a little heavier, but not much...so here they were, standing at the TV where the fan was...and when a little squirmish started, Benjamin hauled off and pushed Emerson out of the way. Emerson staggered back a few steps, but caught his balance. I don't even remember what happened next because we were all laughing so hard..

My boys...I absolutely love them...

Hanging out in Emerson's room

The boys decided to go play in Emerson's room.

Benjamin asked him who they should call...

Emerson told his cousin he didn't think he should be playing with Mimi's phone...

Benjamin told him it was Ok...he had watched and knew how to do it. Emerson said he also knew how to use it...but ....Benjamin started calling...

Emerson grabbed his blanket and left...he did NOT want to get in any trouble with his Mimi...

Oh Emerson, you are such a riot with your blanket!

Emerson then told Benjamin they should play with the ball popper and the zoo...They were busy little men..both so involved in the toys...There was plenty for both of them...They would chatter a little, play a little, chatter a little...

They were so focused on the zoo...they both started playing with it...together...

good job, little men!

The Little Look-Alikes!

My little men have matching basketball outfits. We were heading out to eat lunch, so I decided to dress them in these. We started with the 'shorts'...yes, those are shorts...but they're long!

They looked so cute in just the shorts, I tried - TRIED is the key word here - to take a picture of them together... I wasn't having much luck.

Donnie, aka Da-Da or Uncle Donnie, manhandled the little men and told them to smile for Mimi...Geez! They did JUST what he said...As soon as the shirts went on and they were free from Donnie's clutches, Benjamin headed straight for the fan and Emerson was hot on his heels...

They discussed who should turn it on and off first...

We told them we were proud of them for not fighting...They were pleased with themselves...They even turned around and smiled for their Mimi...

I just kept telling them how adorable they looked...and how much their Mimi loved them...

Then we took off for lunch...

The Light Switch

Benjamin loves to turn things on and off...and tell you, "It's on!" or "It's off!" He probably thought he had struck gold when he found a light switch at Uncle Gabe and Aunt Emily's...a light switch at the absolute perfect height for one little man!

Emerson walked up to see what was going on...

"It's on!" Benjamin told him.

"Wow! I want to do that..." Emerson told him."Uh-oh..." Benjamin thought...we've already been through this...It was Ok...Emerson was just watching...Benjamin continued to check out the switch and figure out which way was on and which way was off..."Mimi, Benjamin won't let me play," Emerson told me.

"You boys share, OK?" I said.

"BEN, it's MY light switch! I want to do it, too!" Being agreeable, which is his usual nature, Benjamin was happy to share the switch with Emerson.

Emerson enjoyed turning it on and off, too...and each time he did, Benjamin would check out the light..to see if it was working correctly...

"Mimi, it's ON!"

I know, Benjamin...Off and on...

On and off...

Off and on...

After awhile, Benjamin took off.

"Hey, where are you going?" Emerson asked.

Benjamin just grinned and took off...not answering his cousin.

He headed straight for the fan...

Emerson quickly left the light switch to find his cousin...

Uh-oh...another place where there had already been some issues...but, so far, so good. The boys took turns turning the fan and turning it off...

Until Emerson didn't want Benjamin to play with it...

Benjamin...he wasn't sure what to do!

Ahh...Emerson saw something outside and off he went...
Benjamin was happy to have the fan back!

The Battle for a Picture

We spent the weekend at Gabe & Emily's. I had a People to People meeting Saturday...and after I got back, Lindsey, Donnie, and Benjamin came up.

I was a happy Mimi...

Sunday, Gabe and Emily went to Sears Point Raceway (Gabe had free tickets...he and my guy went on Saturday), and we stayed home with Emerson...along with Lindsey, Donnie, and Benjamin. The boys played...and fought...more on this in another blog:)

At 3, Emily's friend, Lisl, came to watch Emerson so we could start home. I gave Lindsey the camera and asked her to take a picture of my guy and I with our little men...

It proved to be a challenge...

We never got a great photo...

We started off with me holding Emerson...and my guy with Benjamin. They actually HAD been dressed alike, until Emerson had a major blow out and ended in the tub!

That's Lisl in the background, probably thinking, "These people are crazy!"Trying to get the boys to both look at the camera...well, how about getting at least one of them to look at the camera?This could have been a little jockeying for position...but they were squirming...

Emerson was yelling and Benjamin tried to make him be quiet!Emerson wanted absolutely no part of his younger-by-17-day cousin telling him to be quiet!
Having no success, my guy and I decided to switch boys...

Benjamin wanted to tell us something...

Emerson kept hollering...I told them to look at the camera...

Lindsey and Donnie were trying all sorts of antics to get their attention in the right direction...
Emerson wanted down...

My guy thought maybe we should turn them upside down...Emerson loves to be upside down...

Benjamin liked it, too...but he thought I needed a little assistance to turn him rightside up!

I told the boys they were like kissin cousins...

Neither of them liked that comparison..

there had been 'issues' over the weekend...

'issues' over the fan...and the light switch...

they wanted no part of kissin each other...Benjamin, not one to hold a grudge, was still a little...well, not happy with his cousin not wanting to let him control the fan! Emerson was trying to apologize...

"Come on, Ben, I'm sorry..."We kissed them both...told them we loved them...and told them how much fun we had had with them...

All was well...

Our boys...they're growing up so fast!