Legos

Cal and Avery can be each others best friend and chief antagonist.  Usually all within the same hour.  When he's helping her look for Lego's, he is saying his version of "here ya go"...."here go".

 

 

 

 

Spaghetti face

Cal will eat, but he will eat more when he's on his Daddy's lap.  We actually packed the booster chair away because he refuses to sit in it anymore.  On a side note:  I'm getting an English lesson from Mitch while writing this.  "I'm teaching you to write in active tense and not passive tense."  Since when did he start writing these posts?!  :)

 

 

  He likes to hold the spaghetti up and suck it in like a worm.  Guess who taught him that?  This grinning man might have an inkling.  It's pretty darn funny to watch!!

He saw the camera and immediately said, "CHEEEESE!"

Look at our studious little man!  Again, he saw the camera and said, "CHEEESE!" 

 

....and again!

Not a lot to report!

Things have really slowed down since the holidays and I realized that I haven't taken many pictures lately.  Mitch is studying for the Bar exam every day, I'm staying busy at work with a flood of new evaluations, and Cal keeps busy playing and learning with his friends at daycare. 

We took Cal to the Ear Nose and Throat doctor last week and our suspicions were confirmed.....he needs ear tubes.  He has had fluid behind his ear drums since October, so he hasn't been hearing the clearest for a few months.  At his appointment, Cal actually failed his hearing test in the left ear so although we are nervous about him going under anesthesia, we're excited for him to have less frequent ear infections and better hearing.  He has the surgery on February 4th.  Luckily it is an outpatient surgery and the doctor said that it doesn't take any longer than 30 minutes.  Another positive is that he won't have to get an IV.  They'll have him drink something to make him sleepy and then they'll have him breath in a gas until he sleeps.

Cal loves playing with his good friend, Ollie.  I fear that the feeling isn't always reciprocated by his furry pal.  We've been teaching him how to be gentle with the dogs, because he will get really excited and start slapping/fake scratching them while laughing.  On this particular day, he decided that Ollie should enjoy the balloons, too.  She looks thrilled, right?

 

 

I found this hat at the Dollar store and he loves wearing it around.  Fittingly enough, Fireman Cal was wearing his firetruck PJ's!

 

He had stood still for long enough.....CHARGE!!!

 

The fireman's hat is fun for the whole family!

 

 

Our little nudist likes to escape during changing time. 

 

Napping at daycare

Cal has been sleeping on the floor with all of the other "big" kids at daycare.  Kay said he took to it so quickly (now only if his eating would follow suit) that he falls right asleep.  She sent these pictures to me this week.  He usually falls asleep like this at night, too.

"God our Father" prayer

Cal is learning to sing and say this prayer along with daycare. We've started saying it at our meal times, too, and he loves to sing along.   Just to add a cute ending, after we sing he claps and says, "YEAH!!!". 

 

 

 

We had a snowy NYE and start to 2013!

Topeka got about 3" of snow on NYE and we went tromping around in it today.  Cal loves the snow, but someone else REALLY loves the snow.......this guy:

 

He is our big snow leopard.

 

Ollie played in the snow but doesn't share Donnie's fervor for the white stuff. 

 

Cal learned how to throw snowballs today, although the snow wasn't very wet so it was more like throwing powder than a ball. We tried to make a snowman, but had the same trouble and failed. He smiled for this and then said, "Up! UP!!!" ha

 

 

 This dog is a hoot.  He can be the surliest creep at times and the most loving, cuddly dog the next.  We do love seeing him in his element, though.  He has always loved the snow and here's a clip of him enjoying it today.

 

Later in the day, I gave Cal some water colors and he seemed to enjoy them.  However, when I was busy snapping pictures, he decided to drink the water colors' water.  Whoops. 

I had to post this as evidence that he uses his left hand.  Mitch and my Grandma want him to be a lefty so badly!  Both of Cal's grandpas are lefties, so he clearly has a fighting chance to carry on that gene.   

 "Oh just kidding.....I'm a switch hitter."  It was time for some right handed painting on the table. 

 

Oh and in case you were wondering, Cal has been sleeping in his toddler bed all by himself still!  I do usually have to lay down with him and pretend to sleep then sneak out, but tonight I could tell he was just playing around so I kissed him goodnight and shut the door.  Holy moly.....let the crying ensue!  Mitch was trying to study for the Bar, so we sat in the living room together cringing while Cal cried and knocked on the door....pleading to be let out.  We hate listening to him in such agony, but we know that he sleeps best in his bed and he'll eventually get to the point that he'll accept it.  RIGHT?!?!  :)  Anyway, so he got quiet and we couldn't see him on the monitor.  I cracked the door open and found him sleeping....in the rocking chair.  I went in and transferred him to his bed without much of a struggle and it is there that he now sleeps.  Whew.  Bedtime is a new adventure every night!

 

 

Cheap, fun activities!

I found a GREAT blog and want to share the wealth. 

http://jennifischer.blogspot.com/2012/10/simple-ideas-for-baby-play-at-home-3.html

The writer posts all sorts of fun activities for toddlers, using materials that you probably have laying around the house.  We're 2 for 2 in our household and I'm hoping to create a few more of her activities today.  Cal spent about 30 minutes playing with these things, which isn't long but it is a nice reprieve from his usual energetic rampage.

Do you have an empty milk jug and pipe cleaners?  Bingo!

 

Time to make pom pom, milk lid, and lego soup!  Spoon the mixture into an empty egg carton and viola!  Instant entertainment.