Deep Thoughts

"I love you so much, Mommy, because the world is black."

"Jesus died on a cross." (I learned this in Sunday school. I now ask Mommy to role play this with me: "You be the soldier, I'll be Jesus.")

"I want my chocolate bunny." (Didn't convince them.)

"I didn't watch TV already this morning." (I say this whether or not its true, to plead my case for getting to watch TV).

"Please, God, help Mommy get her cold away." (It worked! She's healthy now!)

"Don't make the sun go down, God. We want to go outside!"

"When you need help, you say like this: "CAAAALEB!""

"I can't do it, Mommy. I'm sorry. There's just no way to do it." (when she asked me to pretend to fix something)

"You can do it, Mommy. You're strong! You have big muscles to do it." (when I wanted her to lift the lid on the toilet tank so I could see in it and she told me that it was heavy)

"One a ponce a time, there was a castle..." (me reading a book aloud)

"You have your sunshine glasses on."


Today was a busy water day. I poured water out of a pitcher onto a plate (and the table and a chair and the floor), I washed a kleenex box by holding it under the tap and pouring water into it (Daddy said it was broken then, and I told him to fix it in the garage), AND I even had a bath.

What will tomorrow bring?

We'll just have to wait and see.

My "big-boy"cake (only underwear from this point on). Yes, it's true, I am potty-trained. Well, mostly anyway... have to keep the folks on their toes (more like on their knees, ha, ha!) 

The Chloe-pillow!




















Sweet green eyes.




















The forest below

 

 

This is me, displaying a sample of some of my latest artwork, a birthday card for Grandpa Newman. If you look closely, you'll notice that I can now draw people! This is a drawing of Grandpa and Grandma (Grandma is the one with the smile, along with a head and feet). I can also print the letter "C" (a most important letter, don't you think?)
This is what I wear when I play with playdough (so I don't end up wearing as much playdough). I really like driving my toy bulldozer through the playdough and making tracks. It doesn't even matter when I drop some on the floor, because Chloe just comes along and eats it!






Rosy cheeks! This is what I look like (for a long time) after coming in from outside. It is spring now, and that means puddles! The other day, when Daddy took off my rubber boots, water poured out of them! (A little soak in some warm water in the tub warmed my feet up right away).









This was my highlight of a walk we took recently. We got to watch this backhoe at work digging out huge pieces of concrete and dropping them onto a pile.

Able, But Not Necessarily Willing...

...to go to (and on) the potty
...to put on my own pull-up and pants
...to talk without whining or yelling
...to drink from a normal cup without spilling it
...to take off my own snowpants, jacket, mittens and boots
...to have my picture taken (really not willing for this one, despite being so photogenic)
...to say please, thank-you, sorry, I forgive you, pleased to meet you and other social niceities
...to eat without half of my meal ending up on the floor
...to play by myself
...to take turns with toys
...to obey my parents when they ask me to do, or stop doing, something

Mom actually asked me the other day, "Are you opposed to everything, or just to agreeing?"


You see, it is all about control, power, free will, independence...

and all part of my grand scheme to take over the world! (Think globally, act locally.)


On the other hand, there are many things I'm quite willing to do, such as:

help myself to food/drinks from the cupboard or fridge
brush my own teeth
clean the windows with my mop
watch "Baby Einstein" (my code word for TV)
pull the cushions off the couch
run around the house without all (or any) of my clothes on
throw things down the stairs (such as Mom's box of Christmas ornaments. She wasn't impressed).
give multiple hugs, kisses and Eskimo kisses (always appreciated and good for damage repair after serious infractions, such as previous)
help Daddy shovel the driveway

Really, I'm quite an agreeable guy, as long as its my idea we're talking about.

Well, someone's gotta be in charge!

Playing "grocery store". Wanna buy some tomatoes? 

Me with my two best friends, Abby (left) and Emily 

Halloween puppy 

Baskets of fun 

Just looking outside 

My first fingerpainting (a present for Daddy's birthday) 

Cuddling Chloe! 

Take the picture, already! 

Headlock! 

Merry Melin Christmas! (missing from photo: Great-Grandma) 

The "kids' table" at Leoville 

"CHUGGA CHUGGA CHOO CHOO!" Garrett and I made serious tracks running around in the cabin pretending to be trains.

"Lean on me.." 

Tate and me being loud (visually, anyway)

All bundled up to play outside at the farm 

Wanna Play With Me?

Here are the top ten "Caleb-isms" of late:

10. I have an apple tree in my backyard. (After pondering the Johnny Appleseed song)
9. Wanna play with me?
8. Hi, Lion (referring to Mommy)/ Hi, toes (Mommy's toes talk back to me; we have quite long conversations, in fact)/ Be a robot, Daddy (he does).
7. Come to my lyoom. [room] (followed by jumping on my bed when it is a friend that I invite. Often, I close the door first.)
6. I don't want to eat. (My parents frequently interrupt my play to try and get me to the table. Can't they see I'm busy?)
5. Wanna play with me?
4. I sure. (When asked, "Are you sure you don't want any more milk?")
3. I can't do that. I'm busy! (When asked to do anything that isn't my idea).
2. Are you happy, Mommy/Daddy?
1. Wanna play with me?

Exciting developments in the past month (or so):

- a Bobcat showing up at our place, which Daddy used to dig and move around sod and dirt
- rainfall on the yard following the above, rendering it a muddy paradise
- sliding down Mud Mountain on my stomach, face first (Mud Mountain is a semi-permanent fixture in Mom's garden, built by Daddy and the Bobcat)
- having lots of Grandma time (Grandma and Grandpa Melin were here 3 weekends in a row to help out with the backyard project)
- going to the farm with Grandma and Grandpa Newman to stay overnight ALL BY MYSELF, and getting to drive the combine (I had to tell Grandma to get out of the way, though, because she was standing in front of the combine with a camera and not paying attention to the fact that we were about to run over her!)
- a weekend visit from Garrett and family (we played so hard I was literally hoarse by the end of the day Saturday)
- starting Sunday School! I get to wear my "church shoes", and play and eat and be with my friends, and my teacher, Mrs. Wiens, is great (and always gives good reports to Mom and Dad, no matter how I behave)
- I'm just two teeth short of a mouthful (and one of those is poking through a little. Mom keeps telling me, "Take your hands out of your mouth!", but lets Chloe chew away on anything she wants! Where's the justice?)
- playing hide and go seek with Daddy

Mommy says she hopes people appreciate these pictures because they are pretty hard to get. I no longer like having my picture taken (or video footage, for that matter), and work hard dodging shots and hiding when she starts pointing something at me. Sometimes she tries to fake me out by pretending she's just going to photograph Chloe, but I'm on to her.

And there you have it, U.T.!

Chloe and me, October 30th, 2006.

Fun in the bathroom