Time, Stand Still!

For the last few months, we've been super busy with holidays on top of every day life, and I have just tried to keep up with the "major" events on the blog (which I still haven't done well).  Today, as I was watching Cale, I realized that in ten years from now, when Cale is almost 12 (holy cow), it won't be the major events that will be as much fun to think back on - it will be the "minor" events.  So, since I print this blog each year as our family scrapbook, I want to record some Cale-isms so that I will never forget. 

Cale has so much first child in him and also so much of me (yes, I was a first child, but my mom will tell you I was NOT the typical first child).  It really is a funny mix.  I guess it is what you get when you mix me and Adam together.  As of today, Adam and I both agree he leans towards my personality a little bit more.  

He is active - he likes to go.  He is content to play around in our house and in his room for a while, but he does start to go stir crazy if we never leave the house all day (and I am admitting that I have TOTALLY fostered that.  I hate staying home all day.)

He is an extrovert.  He loves people.  He LOVES his friends.  He wants to be around people all the time.  He loves Mother's Day Out, he loves BSF, and pretty much any place where people are.  Especially people his size.  He calls them all "friends", whether he knows them or not.

He is cautious.  He gets spooked easily and is hesitant to try new things without being 

reassured by one of us.  He doesn't mind trying new things, he just wants to make sure he'll be able to conquer it.

He loves the sand, the dirt, sticks, and all things boy, but he is not a fan of those things sticking to his hands...he would prefer his hands be clean!  That trait is 100% from Adam!

He LOVES to help.  I think this is pretty typical for most toddlers, but man do I have a helper on my hands.  It's amazing what he just mimicks (without me knowing he is watching) and does.

He is a problem solver and engineer:  He loves to use his tools and fix things around our house.  He loves to take things apart to see if he can get them back together.  In the picture below, while I was out of the kitchen for less than two minutes, he took all of Adam's beer out of the bottom of our fridge and organized them on his table.  He was so proud!  Ha!

Obviously, we weren't getting his water fast enough...he decided to take matters into his own hands!

He is a total crack-up!  He loves to make us laugh - no matter what the cost!  His words are exploding like crazy!  He's putting small sentences together now and his vocabulary growing like crazy!

The other day, I was in the kitchen cooking and Cale came running in from his bedroom.  He slipped on the way in and fell.  Before I could say anything, he picked himself up off the floor and said, "You okay, Cale?"  Then, he continued on his way.  I just laughed - I guess he's heard that phrase a lot!

He names everything he sees and can identify.  We are constantly looking for airplanes (with or without lights) in the sky, and as we drive we spot "frucks" (trucks...praying that "r" continues to be pronounced), cars, trac-tors, and buses.

Cale loves to color (makes my heart so happy!).  He will sit at his little table in the kitchen and just color his little heart out....for all of 7.2 minutes....which I think is pretty impressive for an (almost) two year old!  We recently bought him crayons for the bathtub.  He. Is. In. Heaven.  Our bath times have gone from 10 minutes to 30+ minutes!  We have to fight to get him out of there!

He loves music.  I mean, LOVES it.  I would not be surprised if he wanted to play and instrument of some sort as he gets older (he gets that gene from Adam, too).  Since he is allowed to watch the Wee-Sing DVD's sometimes, he has become hooked on some of the songs on those DVD's.  Right now, his song of choice is "Boom, Boom", as he calls it.  It's a song that incorporates a base drum, harmonica, kazoo, and washboard to make music.  My mom got him a harmonica and a kazoo - he has mastered both.  He loves to play that part of the DVD and play along with the music.  He is hysterical to watch!  He takes it very seriously!!

And my most favorite thing in the world right now, is watching Cale just soak up all he is being taught. I know toddlers are sponges, but wow.  We have a picture book of bible stories, and he can name the things that God created on the different days of creation.  He identifies Adam and Eve in the story, and can tell us (in his own broken little sentences) that Noah built a big boat that all the animals road on while the cities were underwater.  Then he goes on to talk about the ark and the rainbow.  He knows a rainbow goes with that story!  He can identify the Angels that came to tell of Baby Jesus' birth in the stable.  And, best of all, he just learned his first memory verse ever - well, at least I count it as him learning it.  When I say "All things are possible..." he will answer "with God."  Melt. My. Heart.

I am so thankful that I have the opportunity to watch him in action everyday.  

These moments are priceless.