Big Brother Ben (week 168)

The primary themes in my third year of life continue to revolve around eating and sleeping. Some say that these are the basics, but combined with saying please and thank you, washing hands, and brushing teeth, getting older becomes evermore complicated. Mama says that all-told, I am a very nice and polite little boy. When she watches me on the playground at St. Lukes or at a birthday party, she says that I don't hit or push (even though I am bigger than the other boys), and that I will often say "excuse me" or "sorry" when I bump into another kid in line to take a shot at the basketball hoop.

The argument about nature or nurture continues to rage at the Keisler household, but it is clear that my inclination for sports; to watch the Angels on television; to play baseball every night with dada; and my love for any game that involves balls or scoring; are somewhat embedded in my DNA. Maybe I got some of it from my Grandpa John or dada but my grandma says that my ability to focus, and my gentle disposition are also part of my nature. So where did all the whining and nagging come from? Was I born with an innate need to ask the same question (or for gum), as many times as required to either get me in trouble or a time-out. Are all three-year-olds born this way or did do we learn this also from watching our parents?

While these questions continue to be debated by mama and dada over dinner each night, the garden and both boys are growing huge. Everything takes a lot of watering, feeding, and weeding but the yields are great. Next week, grandma Dubby and aunt Linnie are coming to take me to Disneyland...more to come.

Project Little Brother (week 23)
Christopher is spending a lot more time in his exersaucers, and on his belly. Already, at nearly (6) months old he is wearing (9) month clothing (and stretching them at that). The strange thing is that he is just around the same weight as I was at the same age, but mama says we "distribute" the weight in much different ways. Whereas I was stretched out, Christopher is much more compact...earning him the nickname "Chubacus". He continues to attract crowds of elderly ladies and cashiers at the Trader Joes and continues to be the most social and pleasant member of the Keisler family. The only drawback, of course is that he still wakes-up for (6) ounces of formula at 11:00 PM, 2:00 AM, 5:00 AM every night. Now that we share a room, this makes sleeping a little more of a challenge. Dada just says I am getting a taste of my own medicine.
Word of the Week
Blue Blair Field: the current obsession and baseball stadium with the blue walls, where the Long Beach State baseball team plays their games; typically, going to the Blue Blair Field is used as a reward for sleeping through the night and not waking-up the household with requests for milk and pulling the covers up.