Oh, my Ben-Magoo…what can I say? You have been full of surprises literally* since the day you were born! I can’t post a pregnant belly picture of you because I don’t have any. I was so busy with school and daddy with his new job that we hadn’t gotten around to taking an artsy belly picture when you decided to make your surprise appearance at only 33 1/2 weeks.
Tiny baby Ben in his isolette. His chest is smaller than my hand.
©PicklesINK 2013
You got it in your teeny head that you were ready to be born and there was no stopping you! I was scared at the time but I should have known you had it all under control. They told us that preemies usually have breathing problems – not you! They told us that preemies usually stay in the hospital until their due date – but you made sure you were home in time for my first Mothers’ Day!
We could have fit 5 baby Bens in this Moses basket!
©PicklesINK 2013
Have I told you before how smart you are? I know all moms think “My kid is so smart!” but my Magoo, your intellect continues to astound me. I haven’t been able to win an argument with you since…well, since you learned to talk…and ever since you started moving around you’ve been building and creating amazing structures – first “simple” towers and now extensive multi-level train tracks like Brio Peak.
Ben, around 18 months, creating a stack of jars taller than him.
©PicklesINK 2013
You have what your Uncle Chris calls “the knack,” and not only that, you have the single-minded drive, when you come up with an idea, to keep working at it until you see it through. You can get frustrated when things don’t go the way you envisioned though, so don’t be afraid to ask for help. Sometimes all it takes is a different perspective or a second pair of hands to finish the job, and asking for help is just a way of effectively problem-solving.
You are so kind and loving, my Magoo. We had a bit of a rough patch there for a while after Molly was born. There were times when I got really frustrated yelled too much, and I know that I hurt your feelings and made you sad sometimes, and you still loved me more than anything. But just like I said, asking for help is a way of problem-solving, and knowing how much you loved me gave me the strength to do that. Do you know what else? Me being able to talk about that hard time has given lots of other people the courage to do the same thing, and that’s all thanks to you!
Mommy and Ben snuggles
©PicklesINK 2013
I bet you didn’t know this, Magoo, but there are some kids who are unhappy or mad when a new baby comes home because they have to share their mommies or daddies. I don’t think that ever even crossed your mind, though, because you have loved Molly more than anything since the moment you first saw her.
Grinning big brother Ben holding his brand-new sister Molly.
©PicklesINK 2013
I don’t know if I’ve seen you so sad as the day I told you you couldn’t marry her because she’s your sister! And boy, does she ever look up to you. She thinks that you are just the coolest person ever, and I think she believes you could do absolutely anything.
Ben plays a private guitar concert for Molly in her jumperoo.
©PicklesINK 2013
I know that now that’s she’s getting older there are times when she gets on your nerves, but even when you two fight you work it out together and go right back to being best friends. I hope you two keep on appreciating and loving each other as much as you do now, even when you grow up.
Ben and Molly hugs
©PicklesINK 2013
Ben-Magoo, one of the most wonderful things about you is your integrity. I will never, ever forget when you knocked over a pile of socks that Molly had folded, and I said, “Don’t tell Molly you knocked those over because she’ll be sad.” She overheard me and said, “Did Ben knock over my socks?” and I said, “No, monkey, I put them in the laundry basket.” You leaped up and said, “Oh Molly, I did knock them over! I’m so sorry! It was an accident. I’m really, really sorry,” and Molly said, “That’s okay, Ben.”
Then you looked me in the eye and said, “Mommy, you shouldn’t have told that lie.” You know what, Bud? You were absolutely right. It it always better to take responsibility for your actions and face the consequences then to tell a lie to get out of trouble, and you were right to remind me of that.
Stern Ben dressed as Santa
©PicklesINK 2013
We had something sad happen in our family this year, didn’t we, Bud? Our Papa, your great-grandfather, died. You were so very special to Papa because you were his very first great-grandchild. The first time he held you in the hospital, he looked at me, his face aglow, and said, “Can you believe that I actually have a great-grandson?
Papa holding Ben – can you ever see the resemblance!
©PicklesINK 2013
Papa was very special to you, too. It must have been hard wrapping your head around the fact that you were never going to see him again, but you thought about it asked the questions that you needed to to understand, and sometimes I think that you understand better than us grown-ups – Like when you said, “Chris and Caitie are sad because Papa isn’t going to be at their wedding. But really he is going to be there with us, isn’t he?” and when at Christmas you said, “This Christmas our family just isn’t the same, is it, because Papa died.”
You also have real gift for creativity, Magoo. You and daddy share a special bond with your love of photography. (I know, I know, you don’t have that camera any more. You figured out pretty quickly that kid cameras just couldn’t capture the shots that you wanted and you took over mommy’s!)
2 year-old Ben with his obsolete kiddy camera
©PicklesINK 2013
You and daddy definitely share that photographer’s eye. I don’t think there are many people who could guess which of you took which of these pictures!
Sunset on the St. Lawrence
©PicklesINK 2013
(Your artistic shots are great, of course, but my favourites are your self-portraits!)
Self-portrait by Ben
©PicklesINK 2013
And your creativity and ambition don’t stop with just photography. How many other just-turned-6-year-olds can say that they are published authors?
Ben opening up his debut book,
Your Favourite Brio Peak Collection
©PicklesINK 2013
So, my favourite Ben-Magoo, keep on being your super-cool self, just like you have been from the day you were born, even if people tell you it’s wrong. (Except mommy. If mommy tells you you’re doing something wrong, you’d better listen. Because I’m mommy, that’s why.)
Ben and Molly at Day Out With Thomas
©PicklesINK 2013
Happy 6th Birthday, our favourite guy!
~ Love, Mommy, Daddy, and Molly
Team Pickles self-portrait. Can someone explain why 3 of us look goofy while Molly photo-bombs the shot with utter adorableness?
©PicklesINK 2013
*and y’all know I don’t use that word lightly.
picklesink 
You were right about our kids! Mine sounds so much like yours. Although your doesn’t sound like he’d be a pyromaniac, but the good stuff. It sounds like they have the good stuff in common! Sorry I didn’t get her sooner 🙂
Ben’s way too anxious to be the pyro – that will be Molly, and Ben will be wringing his hands desperately and telling on her!
Happy birthday to your little man. I’ve got one about to be six, too. Where did the time go? Guess I blinked.