Jumping Ben

I've heard it said that toddlers, especially boys, seem to have a physiological need to run. Just to exercise their legs and get all their pent up energy out. I understand that jumping is a big part of that as well and Ben has definitely entered the jumping stage.

Somewhere along the line Ben has picked up the phrase "jumping for joy" and he loves to use it when he's excited. Accompanied, of course, by much jumping. It's so cute how literal toddlers can be.

We are due today with our second son and so we've been going to the birthing center quite a bit lately. Ben really likes going there and seeing our midwives. Maybe almost as much as we do. One of the apprentice's names is Joy and the other day, Ben asked if we were going to see Joy when we went to the birthing center. When Mindy said that we would he proceeded to say "I'm excited. I'm jumping for seeing Joy."

Lately Ben has also added jumping as part of his normal mode of getting from one place to another. Two nights ago as he was getting ready for bed, I had asked him to come to the sink to brush his teeth, and to come into the hall for this or that; just normal getting ready for bed stuff, but not for Ben. Everytime he came or went someplace he would run a few steps, then jump to the spot he was headed for and say "Daddy, I jumped here!" What I wouldn't give to have that much energy!