When our Mom as a young Mother, she kept a diary.  She typed out excerpts about observations on my (Benny) personality as a kid.  It’s interesting how emotional it made me reading about my early life, and seeing how so much of who I am was already shining through.  Wild to see how I was with kids even then considering all the work I do with children now.  Anyway, felt like I wanted to share it with you all.  Here is a peak into my young life, compliments of my beautiful mother.

BENNY - AGE 3 
Benny’s very shy. As soon as he’s in a confrontative situation with anything or anyone unfamiliar (including his teacher when she directs a question to him) his fingers go into his mouth, he tries to hide and he won’t answer any questions or talk with me above a whisper. He likes to hold a person’s chin (young or old) when he wants to talk lovingly or personally, or even about something he likes or wants a lot. He hates getting his hair washed, LOVES his brother and sister, cries when I leave him at school but is bubbly happy when I pick him up. He has a hard time eating at school. He disliked school lunch so I pack one for him which he likes more but he hardly eats any of it.

BENNY - AGE 3 
Benny says, “I can’t wait! I want to take a rest with you holding my hand!” I say just a minute he says come! come! then, “eh! eh! eh! Momee! Come NOW!”
— Another thing — When Dad (grandpa) arrived, before he even came into the house, Benny screamed with nervous excitement and jumped up and down an ran into the bathroom and kept happily screaming until Dad opened the door and said Hi. A couple days later dad was playing hide and seek with them and Benny hid in the bathroom and screamed the same way when he heard dad approaching then dad hid in the bathroom and then Benny came looking. DAD screamed and jumped up and down just like Benny.

BENNY AGE 5 
Benny love loves adores learning - It’s his most favorite thing to do. He’ll learn his Alef Bina with anybody and right now were (the two of us) are crazy in the middle of figuring out “uninvited” the computer game.

BENNY AGE 6 
Benny has matured so much. he turned 6 and at the same time started eating much more, going to other people’s homes, sleeping more soundly and complaining a lot less. 

BENNY AGE 7 
Benny is so interesting and complicated. Always figuring out what might be wrong and yelling at Rafi and bossing and defending and complaining. But all with a kooky serious wildness and boy is he smart and cuddly. 

BENNY AGE 9 
Benny has a depth of feeling and wisdom that makes his eyes shine. I saw him respond to a 2 year old by kneeling down, smiling warmly, and gently stroking her face. I started to cry to see what a gentle and loving person he is. He excels at school, showing leadership qualities. And he is still very very cuddly.

BENNY AGE 11
Benny is a stat freak and is working on not getting so down when he is disappointed. He’s doing really well with working on himself to be a better person and he already is great person. He is great with his computer baseball manager game and we just got sega genesis and he’s great at those games.