Dear Bently,

Today was Halloween!!!!! I was so excited for this Halloween. Mostly because you are finally at the age where you really get what's going on around you! We talke about Halloween all the time! Every single time we went to the store we had to walk through the Halloween section. You LOVED it! You mostly loved just pushing all the buttons. I'm pretty sure we're the reason the batteries ran out! I worry what we're going to do now that it's over. :( 

Today was really fun! You loved being Mickey Mouse. And you looked dang adorable as well!! Your dad was ya school all day so we hung out. You napped for most of it! I woke you up so you could watch me out the dry ice in the root beer. You thought that was pretty sweet. 

Trick or treating was alright. You were SUPER cranky for some reason. You even had a nap! Between each house you would cry because you wanted to eat the treats you just got! It was funny and annoying. We then went and visited grandmas. You loved it! 

I think overall you enjoyed Halloween. At least I hope you did! You never did get good at saying trick or treat. It's not that you couldn't say it. You just chose not to! Ah well maybe next year! 

I love you my handsome man! 

Love,

Mom

Dear Bently,

I have this problem. I feel like each letter should only focus on one main topic. But by doing that I forget to write you about all the other millions of things I meant to tell you about! So my son, this letter is going to be random and full of things I want you to know and I want to never forget! ;)

First off, when you grow up and start looking at pictures of this time period I know what you are going to say. You are going to say we love Livvy more than you because we have a MILLION pictures of her and like 2 of you. I would like to stop you right here right now. You my son are in a stage where you do not want your picture taken. I tried all morning to get you to take a picture with me. You kept saying, "No! No picture!" It's a constant fight. Unless of course you ask for the picture. Then you are just fine with having your picture taken! So don't even doubt you are loved equally, just not as photographed!

You love to help out. You are constantly saying Benlty help or I do it. When Livvy cries you often say "I hold her" while you stick your arms out. Your favorite thing to do is help with the dishes. We spend a ton of time together at the sink. You love handing the dishes to me and playing in the water!

You have started randomly singing. I stinking love randomly hearing your little voice singing. The other day at different moments I caught you sing "The ABC's" "Set Fire to the Rain" By Adele, and "This is Halloween". It was stinking hilarious. I need to get a video of you doing it! I love it!

I think that's all for now. I love you little man!

Love,
Mom

Dear Bently,

You are obsessed with getting your picture taken. It's sorta strange because you beg me to take your picture but then won't look at the camera or acknowledge it's there. I have a lot of pictures of you staring into space at random times of the day. One day when you see those pictures you will know why they exsist. It's all because you wanted them! 

We tried on your Halloween costume today and you loved it! In fact, you insists on wearing it to arctic circle to show dad! You are going to be one stinking adorable Mickey Mouse! :) 

I love you so much handsome boy!

Love,

Mom

Dear Bently,

You absolutely hate bed time. I mean hate it. Okay maybe I'm over exaggerating. But it feels like every night you fight it. You will cry at your door until we come in. I've tried everything in the book to help you go to bed easier and nothing helps. Tonight I came home on break at 10:20 and you were still awake! Frustrated I went into your room angry and ready for a fight. You were just standing there in your little monkey footy pajamas crying. All the sudden you were just a baby again! I know you are big but honestly 2 is not very old. I swooped you up in my arms, wiped your nose and laid down with you in your bed. I was sitting there rubbing your cheek when you reached up with your arm, grabbed my neck, and pulled me down and gave me a kiss. After that you closed your little eyes and fell asleep as I rubbed your hair. I then was a creepier and just sat there and stared at you. When did you get so big. How can you seem so big yet so tiny all at the same time. I may have cried a little bit. I was just so overcome with love for my little boy. I love you so so much handsome man! Thank you for loving me, even with all my flaws.
Love,
Mom

Dear Bently,

I'm not going to lie to you child, you are in a pretty difficult stage. You don't want to take naps and will yell and scream for hours on end when I try. But then because you don't take naps you end up really cranky all day long. And when you're tired you turn violent. You hit me, your Dad, Livvy, random kids at Arctic Circle, I mean everyone. You throw tantrums when you don't get your way. You scream and cry when we leave something you wanted at the grocery store. You run away from me at Walmart and you are constantly telling us "no" or "go away" or "stop that mom". Some days I just want to pull my hair out. Some times I loose my temper and I am sorry little man. I hate it when I do that. But some days are magical. We play and smile and laugh together. You want to know what makes those days better than others? Sure you still throw tantrums and get mad at me, but I start off with the right attitude. I approach the day like everything is going to be awesome! And most of the time it is! It's a lesson I'm learning about having a good attitude! :)

I love being with you. I love it when we laugh together. As you get older and understand more we are laughing more together. The other day you were drinking out of your cup and you started to talk in this crazy voice into it. The cup made your voice echo and sound even more strange. We both had a good long giggle fit over it! It was pretty hilarious. :)

This letter is going to be super random but I want to tell you a story. Yesterday it finally happened. I lost you in Walmart. I try and let you walk around the store because you love it so much! It's quite a sacrifice to let you do this. You are constantly pulling things off the shelf, throwing things in the cart, or running away. But I like to give you the chance to be good. I always tell you "Bently if you run away, you have to sit in the cart." You hate sitting in the cart. Yesterday you were doing good. You were staying with me and not touching everything in site. Well one second I'm looking at an outfit for Livvy and the next second your gone. Now usually when this happens I yell your name and you come running. Or I turn the corner and you are there. So I don't panic at first and call for you. I don't hear anything in return. I start walking around and can't find you anywhere. I'm trying not to panic, but I can't help it. My heart is beating fast and I'm running around like a crazy person calling for you. Finally after what seems like a lifetime (it was maximum like 4 minutes) I went to the dressing room and told the Walmart employee I lost my child, I hoping they wouldn't judge me too harshly. I tell them your a blonde haired two year with a monsters inc shirt on. Within 2 minutes they find you. You were looking at the toys in the baby section. I should've known. I stand anxiously at the fitting room waiting for them to bring you to me. Longest minute of my life. Finally they turn the corner and the nice lady is holding you. She told me you wouldn't come to her at first but then she asked if you wanted to go find your Mommy and you went right to her. I was so grateful to see you. I knew that you were probably fine but that didn't stop your Mommy from having an anxiety attack. I love you so much Bently! You are my whole world and I never want to loose you! I think we'll be sticking to the cart from now on!

Love,
Mom

Dear Bently,

You my son LOVE music. I don't know if I've written about it before but you do. You can sing to almost every song in on the radio. I love hearing your little voice trying to sing along to the music! :) As adorable as it is, it does come with some drawbacks. For instance, now you have an opinion on what we need to listen to. If I switch the song and you like that song, you end up screaming your little head off. "NO! Not this one!" The screaming continues until I give in and let you listen to the song. It's pretty hilarious. I honestly don't mind. Because I love hearing you sing to the radio. What I do mind is you don't let me sing! I don't know if I have a really bad voice or what, but you'll yell "No mama sing!" Now that one is quite annoying! ;)

Love,
Mom
p.s. I don't think my singing is that bad. I think you are picky.

Dear Bently,

Today we watched Wreck it Ralph together. It was right before I had to leave for work. The movie literally ended with 3 minutes to spare. The music at the end was pretty darn awesome. It was just begging for a dance party. So you and I started rocking out. Dancing like crazy people. Your little giggle filling the air. After a couple minutes I knew I had to leave. I gathered my stuff and then went back to the family room to kiss you goodbye. I found you on the couch with Livvy kicking her leg, helping her dance. It was seriously the cutest thing ever. As I walked back in you insisted I dance with you some more. So I was a little late to work because I know my dance parties with you won't last forever. Today was a hard day leaving you. Today I wanted to stay home with you and Livvy and dance like crazy people! I treasure every single moment I get with you son. I love you more than you'll ever know!
Love,
Mom

Dear Bently,

We drive down main street pretty much every single day. Usually multiple times a day. We'll go to Arctic Circle that way or to the bank or any number of places. Every single time we are driving I hear your little voice pipe up "Mama, Doctors!" You exclaim it so proudly and with so much enthusiasm. We went to the doctor in that building for your Dad 1 time and you have never forgotten. You do the same thing with the Park we pass and the churches. (There are a lot of churches) Every time you are so proud of yourself for recognizing these places. You will not stop repeating it until I answer you. Your dad and I have gotten in the habit of stopping mid conversation and saying "yes Bently the doctors" and then picking up right where we left off. The other day I was thinking how it was getting a wee bit old. But then I realize one day you won't do that anymore. You won't think to mention the doctors or park or various churches and I'm going to miss it. So I'm going to work on appreciating the small things. Because they'll be gone one day. I love you so much Bently! I love your cute little voice and I love how much more you talk now! I can't get enough of my cute boy!
love,
Mom