Ben!

Earlier this month Ben turned 5 years old. This is a big milestone that brought with it preparations for kindergarten, new responsibilities, new freedoms, and usually a big party. Unfortunately Mom was unable to put a party together this year so we will have to have a big bash next year. We celebrated with cupcakes, presents, and a start in karate.
Ben visited the doctor's office for his check-up a few days later and announced to everyone in the office he was Benjamin Jared Bjarnason, he is now 5, he was there for a check-up, and he did not want any shots! He was taken back to complete all the normal check-up procedures and failed the eye exam miserably. Who knew??? We then saw the doctor and after just a few minutes of chatting with Ben the doctor turned to me and said, "Do you have plans for when he comes home bored from school? He is way ahead of most kids I see and he is reading the magazines in the room. When did he start reading?" I told him he taught himself to read at age 2 and his jaw dropped. He then said good luck with that! I then laughed and said, "Well he's reading but apparently we missed that he was blind to everything more than 10 feet away." He said that happens all the time, (makes me feel a bit better). The nurse then came in and gave Ben 2 shots. (Charley can't believe there were only 2, she had 5, its amazing that they can combine them all now). We left and made an appointment with an optometrist the following day. Ben chose BYU blue glasses, he says because we like the Cougars! At least that is what he tells everyone.In the last month Ben's preschool has been very busy. They captured a leprechaun, visited the fire station, had grandparents day, and had a parent teacher conference among normal class time. At the conference the teacher told me that they were starting rhyming, reading, and spelling. She told me during the lessons Ben is not allowed to give an answer until all the other kids give up and then they will ask Ben for the answer. Ben loves that he is the "special helper" in that way. I'm amazed he can keep his mouth shut long enough for everyone to have a guess before blurting anything out!On a side note, the other day Ben was at the top of the stairs holding something in his hand. Sam started up the stairs and the next thing we hear is, "Hey why'd you throw that at me???" At which point Ben yells out, "Sorry, I thought you were Joseph!" Ronny and I had to bite our tongues from laughing and then called Ben in to talk about the situation. Ben and Joseph go at it all the time. Ben puts up with nothing Joseph dishes out and dishes just as much back to him. Its hilarious and frustrating at the same time. We love Ben so much and are so happy he is in our family. He prays for his family every night with sweet sincerity and has lately been asking the Lord to bless Aaron to be healthier than healthy. Happy Birthday Ben!