A Picture for a Smile

I am one who still frequently uses a pen and notepad to capture to-do lists, meeting notes, calculations and general things to remember.  I’m a faster typer and have grown to have messy penmanship, but this is still my preferred method for these types of things.  Typing on my laptop seems disruptive in meetings and, well, a pad of paper and a pen are easy to grab in a rush.  Plus, to be honest, I’m pretty old school.  I recently asked our high school intern at my company if they still use chalkboards or if it’s all whiteboards these days.

I worked from home yesterday and had a hand-written to-do list from which I was working.  I had my laptop on the island in the kitchen and the pad of paper that held this hand-written to-do list just to the right of it.  Typical of most work-at-home days, I got a lot of stuff done but not nearly as much as I had wanted before heading out to pick the kids up from school; so I left my laptop and pad of paper out on the island with the intention of picking up the work after putting the kids to bed.

When we got home from school, I had the kids sitting with me at the island looking at my laptop.  I had promised Cal I’d show him the “thumb guard” we’ve been threatening to buy to help curb his thumb sucking (gloves, pillows, hot sauce, positive reinforcement are not working), so I found it on a website, showed him a picture of it and described to him how it works.  I even showed him a view of the teeth of a non-thumbsucker and those of a thumbsucker, to which he had no reaction. (Note: the thumb guard will surely be a post for later – once Dan and I can swallow the $70 price tag, we’ll be buying one.)

Done with computer "fun," I left Cal sitting at the island with my pen and notepad so I could turn my attention to fixing dinner and managing Ella, now screaming for me to pick her up, off the ledge.

I didn’t watch him but periodically peeked in on Cal as he drew on my notepad.  He started with letters and numbers and some miscellaneous scribbles on my to-do list.  He then moved to a new sheet and drew a monster.  Next, he announced he’d draw a princess and then proceeded to do so, tagging the sheet as “Ella.” After that he quickly drew Batman (I needed help identifying that one but clearly saw it once I knew who it was – I told him that the cape and mask are clearly Batman’s).  Last, he drew the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse with Willie the Giant standing next to it.  I smiled and praised him for his work, and then he took the notepad with him as he went to sit on the couch, I figured to draw some more.

Ella was still screaming at this time, and I had barely made a dent in fixing dinner.  With Mickey Mouse Clubhouse in my head, I asked the kids if they’d like to “watch a Mickey.”  No surprises – they both did.  So we all sat on the couch and watched the “Mickey’s Show and Tell” episode together.  Ella stopped crying and was smiling as she stood up and sat down, stood up and sat down, stood up and sat down. And Cal, as is usually the case, had his eyes glued to the TV for the episode.

With Ella pleasantly distracted, I used the second half of the episode to fix dinner, which ended up being Mickey chicken nuggets, mac and cheese and some mixed veggies.  We ate, cleaned up the kitchen and then headed upstairs for “jammie time.”  To state it that simply is being ridiculously misleading.  Getting us all upstairs and into bed had many challenges and, frankly, put me over the top.  Once I got the kids into bed, I did the whole “I’ll just lay down on the bed for 10 minutes” thing, which almost always ends up being at least an hour and oftentimes extends into the morning. I managed to get myself up after an hour and headed downstairs to pack up my laptop, notepad and folders to take to work with me the next day.  No more work was going to be done last night.

I had a meeting first thing in the morning where I man the presentation, rendering my laptop unusable for note-taking. This is fine with me since, again, I am old school and do hand-written meeting notes. When I pulled out my notepad to page to the next blank sheet, I came upon Cal's drawings. I had forgotten about them over the course of the evening and the morning, which almost made it like I was seeing them for the first time. I smiled as I looked at each one. I proudly showed them to my boss. I shared one with a co-worker who was sad and sent one to Dan to make him smile, too.

Cal's pictures always make me smile - what a wonderful gift and start of my day!  Here are the pictures - do they have the same effect on you?

1. Letters, numbers and miscellaneous scribbles:

2. Monster:

 

3. Princess Ella:



4. Batman:



5. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse with Willie the Giant standing next to it. It looks to me like he also tried to draw Mickey but became frustrated with that:



Facebook Posts, August, 2012

Here are my Leatherkid-related Facebook posts from August, 2012. They are unedited and should generally be assumed to start with "Carla Reiter Leatherman..."

There were a lot of good posts this month! This was the month of our "staycation," where Dan and I took a week off from work to hang out and do things in the area with the kids. The "sucker" posts later in the month were fun, and I do remember very vividly the "puke/naked buns" combo incident.  There were a couple of classic "thumb-sucking" posts, too.  I think I'd have to say my favorite was the one about Cal dressing like a father -- that was such a fun yet short-lived phase!

August 3, 2012
can't believe that Cal, Mr. Honest, totally LIED to the dentist this AM:

Dentist: "Cal, have you been sucking your thumb?"
Cal <without hesitating>: "No."
Me<flabberghasted>: "What?!?!?"
Dentist: "Cal, your mom thinks you are not telling the truth. Are you still sucking your thumb?"
Cal: "No."
Me: "Whatever. Yes, he's still sucking his thumb. We talked about this ALL week."

Ella's so pretty!
(posted 8/5/12)

August 5, 2012
had a conversation about "consequences" with her 3-1/2-year-old son tonight, initiated by him. At this rate, I'm going to run out of material by the time he's 5.

August 6, 2012
is a little disappointed in the "Okay to Wake" Owl's performance thus far.

August 6, 2012

Ella happy with her hot dog at
Kops 'n Kids Day in Lemont
(posted 8/5/12)

had a nice, busy first day of our "staycation"... got haircuts, handed kids off to Dan's parents for a trip to the zoo, bought running shoes at half their original price, worked out with new dumbbells, knocked out a couple of errands, had Choo Choo Johnny's for dinner, played cards with Dan's parents, and oohed and aahed about Dan's bathroom makeover... and now I'm enjoying some quiet time with the windows open.

Fireman Cal at Kops 'n
Kids Day in Lemont
(posted 8/5/12)

August 7, 2012
had a more relaxed and uneventful staycation day #2 today -- ran, hung out with the kids and Dan, used our rehabbed bathroom for the first time, had a family picnic dinner at the prairie path and used our $20 Kohl's cash on some clothes for Ella.

August 9, 2012
went to Chicago with the fam for staycation day #3 yesterday -- did the Sears Tower skydeck, said "hi" to the lions outside the Art Institute, checked out Millennium Park and the Bean and "played" some volleyball by the Fountain... and walked the whole way... with the kids... and a volleyball... :)

August 9, 2012
spent staycation day #4 with the fam again -- ran, dropped car off to have breaks checked, spent some time with Gramma Gramma, "swam" at the pool in Lemont, had dinner with Grandma and Grandpa Fred, survived a late meltdown by our napless Ella and took an unexpected nap from about 8-8:30pm.

August 11, 2012
had a casual staycation day # last yesterday... worked out, blogged, went to a couple of stores, (the kids) napped, played baseball in the driveway, went for a jog/walk with the kids, rolled a game with the new bowling ball, (the kids) ate ice cream and a bunch of little things in between and around.

August 12, 2012
likes Cal's suggestion that he wear his "cowboy gloves" (a pair of glove liners for extra warmth) to keep himself from sucking his thumb. No kidding -- all his idea!

August 12, 2012
is so proud of Cal who, when presented with the challenge of wearing his gloves all night to keep himself from sucking his thumb, is sound asleep with his gloves still on... :)

August 13, 2012

Cal looking "like a father" this AM,
complete with clip-on tie and
self-applied pomade
(posted 8/14/12)

loves her husband because he wore a shirt and tie to work today only because his son, also wearing a tie, asked him to.

August 15, 2012
So, for a month or two now, I've been telling Cal as I put him to bed at night to get some good sleep because he needs to rest up in order to change the world. Oftentimes, I tell him that he already has changed my world. Tonight, from his bed, he declared this as I started to walk down the stairs: "Mommy, I'm already changing the world. Mommy, I don't know what 'the world' is." It was already late, so I told him I'd explain that to him another day.

August 17, 2012
gets a kick out of Cal's problems-solving ideas. Tonight it was, "I could put my pillow over my head so my thumb can't go in my mouth." Hopefully it never comes to that.

August 19, 2012
Cal and I ran this route yesterday, he in stroller, me pushing him... it was great! Just like old times, except that he's looking for more conversation out of me, an historically non-talking runner, than he used to!

August 19, 2012

had this conversation with Cal last night during his first round of getting up out of bed:

Cal: "I have to go potty."
Me: "Didn't you go potty before you went to bed?"
Cal: "No."
Me <thinking 'big liar'>: "Go ahead and go, then."Cal: "I was spitting in my bed."
Me <I know, I heard>: "Why were you spitting, Cal?"
Cal: "Because I wanted to get you to come in to my room."
Me <thinking 'it almost worked, but I would have spit on you'>: "Cal, that's not a good way to get my attention. There are better ways, like ASK me for help."
And then there was more conversation about getting slippers and wearing long pants and riding motorcycles and...

August 20, 2012
was cleaning up Ella's and Zoe's piles of puke (conveniently "plopped" adjacent to each other on the floor) when she heard a loud crash from behind the bathroom door and open said door to find Cal's bare buns "staring" back at me from the sink. Apparently, he had stinky feet and wanted to clean them after using the toilet.

August 21, 2012
sent Cal to school today dressed "like a father" - long-sleeve button-down shirt, clip-on tie, khakis, and a homemade work badge hanging from his pants pocket.

August 25, 2012
loves how Cal points out when he sees Cars characters in everyday traffic. This morning it went like this:

Cal: "There's a black Doc!"
Dan and I: "You're right, Cal - it IS a black Doc!" (It really was.)
Cal: "Yeah, I know my Docs!"

August 25, 2012
Chuckled after this one outside of the bank this AM:

Dan (to Cal): "If you're patient and a good listener, you can ask politely to have a S-U-C-K-E-R. Do you know what that spells?
Cal: "Umm... lollipop?"

August 25, 2012
So Dan explained to Cal that "sucker" and "lollipop" are synonymous. A bit later, Dan asked what's synonymous with "lollipop," and Cal responded, "Sugar." Not a bad answer!

August 26, 2012
just asked for "two minutes of alone time" from her kids. Cal's response was, "okay, I'll count to two and you'll come with me." I guess I should've asked for 120 seconds. :)

August 30, 2012
sent Ella to school in an outfit picked out by Cal (wearing his own t-shirt backwards) - blue school t-shirt, teal plaid shorts, hot pink socks and diaper. It was good enough to think I selected it and bad enough to think I don't dress my kid very well.

August 31, 2012

Ella in shark jams

Several days this week, Cal picked out some of his jammies for Ella to wear to bed -- here she is in his shark jams, brushing her teeth while she stands on the stool, looking just like her big brother.

Facebook Posts, July, 2012

Here are my Leatherkid-related Facebook posts from July, 2012. They are unedited and should generally be assumed to start with “Carla Reiter Leatherman…”

There were some good ones early in the month, but my clear favorite was the "moustache" post later in the month.  Cal was SO excited to wake up and see that.

July 1, 2012
Cowboy Cal eating beans for lunch because "that's what cowboys eat."


Cowboy Cal eating beans (7/1)


July 1, 2012
Cowboy Cal napping with his hat and "boots" (not pictured) because "cowboys sleep with their boots on" (I think to protect them from snakes)

Cowboy Cal napping (7/1)







July 1, 2012
Ella after having eaten only half of a homemade chocolate chip cookie. Not pictured are her hands and legs, which were also caked in chocolate chip "residue."


Ella, post chocolate chip cookie (7/1)



July 1, 2012

chuckled through this one this AM:
Cal: Daddy, remember when you put spicy stuff and a band-aid on my thumb to stop me from sucking my thumb?
Dan: I do. Did it work?
Cal: Nope.

July 3, 2012

managed to negotiate Cal out of his jeans and into some shorts this AM - Mommy 1, Cal 0.

July 4, 2012

enjoyed digging for the the story behind the missing Croc earlier this afternoon:
Me: Cal, do you know where your other Croc is?
Cal <standing with one Croc on his foot>: Yes, upstairs... I threw it at Daddy.
Me: Why'd you throw it at Daddy, Cal?
Cal: I was trying to wake him up.

July 5, 2012

wonders if she's the only person to have washed a diaper in the washing machine on more than one occasion...

July 11, 2012

wonders why she's the chosen 1am "Cal Can't Help It" (Fergie) turner onner every night and is fighting the urge to tell Cal this is a job for Daddy.

July 11, 2012

enjoyed Cal's rendition of Fergie's "Clumsy" from behind the closed bathroom door earlier tonight: "Can't help it, Cal can't help it... boo bay... can't help it, Cal can't help it... boo bay..."

July 14, 2012

is listening to Cal's tune "I want 'Cal Can't Help It' back on... I'm ready to make a good choice now...Mommy...my leg is stuck <confirmed it's not>..." and holding firm on not giving in to him. Perhaps he'll just sing himself to sleep in lieu of Fergie not doing so.

July 21, 2012

just got a character-building run in, and is now sitting outside in this beautiful weather watching her kids play in dirt. :)

July 21, 2012

just watched Ella, as she shoved the last of her Nutrigrain Bar into her mouth while making "mmmmm" sounds, get scolded by Cal, "it's not funny, Ella. Don't smirk at me - it's not funny."

July 21, 2012

thinks Cal needs to practice his "ignore it" skills a bit - I told him the best thing to do with a wasp is to ignore it, and he proceeded to "roar" at it, chase it and shake the chair it was hovering over. Then he stomped his foot and declared, "I stepped on him." I think he did.

July 22, 2012

Cal was told last night that to grow a moustache he needed to eat all of his chicken. So he ate all of his chicken and woke up with a moustache this AM!

Our moustached Cal (7/22)

July 23, 2012

was amused by this last night: Cal, from the living room after having passed on dinner which the rest of us were still eating in the kitchen, "Daddy... Daddy... Daddy Leatherman... Do you hear my stomach rumbling?"

July 24, 2012

Those who know the Notre Dame Fight Song may appreciate this exchange I had with Cal this AM. It went something like this:
Cal: "Mother Nature rains on Notre Dame football players."
Me: "Oh yeah? Why is that?"
Cal: "They shake down the thunder."

July 30, 2012

loves how Ella says her name... "Ya-ya!"

Ella winking (posted 7/1/12)

She's Not Pumping!

Since he was big enough to sit in a swing, Cal has always enjoyed a good swing session.  Consistent with the risk-averse nature of his mother, he never wants to go too high, or “fast fast fast,” a rule which he has no qualms letting us know we’re in the process of breaking.  Cal prefers “medium fast,” and would swing for hours at “medium fast” if Dan and I didn’t time box the swing session.

We used to have to go to the park in our subdivision to swing.  It was great.  Cal would always opt for the bucketed baby swing (safer) and would talk incessantly about anything that popped into his mind as Dan or I pushed him in it.  Oftentimes, he’d break into song, more often than not singing Fergie’s “Glamorous.”  “G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S, yeah, G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S… flying first class up in the sky… champagne, living the life…” he’d sing. And he would only stop talking or singing if he needed to inform us strongly we were going “too fast fast fast” or to say “hi” to the “grills” (girls) at the park.

That was last summer.  Earlier this summer we bought and assembled a playground set for our own backyard.  Complete with two swings, a slide, a climbing wall, a lookout deck and a trapeze, this has been our replacement for those trips to the neighborhood park.  The kids can just go out our back door and be at a park.  It’s fantastic in its convenience – it’s no longer an event to go swing for a bit.

At 3-1/2 years old, we believe that Cal should start learning how to swing himself and have repeatedly impressed this upon him over the course of the summer and, now, the fall.  It hasn’t been easy – swinging is one of those things that just seems so natural, so instinctive.  Judging from Cal’s resistance to it, it’s not as instinctive as I think it is.  It’s also not that easy to teach – “kick out going forward, pull back going backward” isn’t sufficient as you have to get some of your arms and body into it, pulling you up.

Respecting this is new to Cal and not so natural for him, Dan and I compromise, telling him we’ll push him on the swing as long as he tries to “pump” as we push him.  This historically hasn’t gone as smoothly as we hope.  We stop pushing Cal when we see his legs not pumping, he “yells” at us to push him, we tell him he’s not pumping, he responds he is and starts pumping his legs, and we start pushing again.  And the cycle is repeated several times until we realize we’re the parents and in control of the situation and will not be bossed around by a kid.  Swinging with Cal is typically a struggle that oftentimes ends in a swing session cut short because it’s just not fun for anyone.

This past weekend, we had a swing session that was headed that direction.  This time, we used Ella, swinging next to him, as incentive to pump… or thought we were using her as incentive.  Here’s how that went down:

Cal <whining>: “Push me!”

Me: “You’ve got to pump, Baby Bear.”

Dan: “Look at Ella <kicking her feet in a scissors motion> -- she’s pumping. She’ll probably figure out how to swing by herself sooner than you do.”

Cal: “She’s not pumping!”

Dan and Me <in unison>: “Yes, she is!”

Cal: “She’s not pumping – she’s kicking!”

He had us.  She was, in fact, just kicking, but we didn’t admit that.  We just let the exchange end there.

Shortly after that, Dan announced it was time to get off the swings and head inside.  He stopped swinging Ella, hoisted her out of her swing and then started doing the countdown, “10… 9… 8… 7…” which was interrupted by Cal who insisted he do the countdown himself,  “10… 9… 8… 7… 6… 5… 4… 3… 2… 1.”  I stopped pushing him after “1.” He started to coast toward a stop and then, unannounced and out of nowhere, started pumping his feet without any instigation. His swing kept going back and forth as he continued to pump.  He was doing it!  I could even see him pull back on the swing with his arms and body as he pumped his legs forward.  He kept swinging… and swinging… and swinging.  Here's the tail end of it on video:

 

I, of course, smothered him with praise and excitement over this, which was met with a proud smile extending across his face.  Could it be that we’re turning the corner, that he’ll be able to swing by himself?  Stay tuned.  If I’ve learned anything in my nearly four years of being a parent, it’s that there is almost always a setback on the road to post-toddlerhood.

How Times Have Changed

My Family, My Life

I cut work a little short last Friday to grab some drinks with co-workers.  Dan joined us, too.  We left at ~4pm and headed to a bar not even a block away.  Dan and I had adjusted plans to catch the 5pm train which would get us “home” in time to pick Cal and Ella up from their long days at school before school closed.

It would have been nice to be able to stay for more drinks and shared stories, perspectives and personal barbs.  Too often work is work and people I work with are work, and I don’t experience them outside of work.  They’re pretty interesting and entertaining.  But Dan and I had kids to pick up, feed and get to bed.  So we said our good-byes at ~4:50 and headed to Union Station.  It’s nice to work that close to our train, by the way.

During the short walk to the train, it occurred to me how different my life is today than it was 5 or 10 years ago.  I used to make the occasional “audible” to screw the evening plans or non-plans and just stay later to enjoy the impromptu, post-work happy hour longer.  I always had “Social Club” volleyball, softball and/or football games to get to, and these were typically followed by trips to nearby or sponsor bars to grab drinks and laugh and create memorable experiences with friends.  It wasn’t uncommon for me to respond with “I’m in!” immediately following an email or call for a “Girls’ Night” dinner or a friend’s birthday party.  I regularly went to Cubs games and White Sox games, fun which oftentimes extended beyond the games themselves.  My home was silent and peaceful if I wanted it to be.  Post-dinner cleanup involved dabbing my face with a napkin and doing a quick wipe-up of the table with a wet rag… if I even sat at a table... or used a napkin.  I biked everywhere and went for runs along the lakefront often.  I slept solidly through the night, and could count on solo, uninterrupted showers in the morning, after a run, whenever.

I don’t do that anymore.  I can’t do that anymore.

The one who screams

Instead, I pick the kids up from school before 6:30pm or suffer financial penalty or, worse, embarrassment or, even worse, my kids’ disappointment.  I have to either coordinate with Dan or line up a babysitter before committing to an evening event that doesn’t have me on a train by 5pm or home in the evening.  I regularly field complaints from a 4-year-old about what we’re having for dinner (even when it’s his favorite) and make repeated, always-challenged pleas to him to wash his hands.  I typically fix dinner with a kid screaming for me to pick her up or give her something or, worse, something I can’t possibly solve.  Post-dinner cleanup involves wiping faces, scrubbing tables and sweeping floors, and that doesn’t even get things clean.  My showers are either shared with two kids, interrupted by one or just need to be scheduled because the kids are needy when I want to take one.  I regularly unknowingly wear clothes soiled by goopy hands, rarely ride my bike and can’t go for a run without wondering if I’ll have my continence or not.

Cal, Me and Ella

And the thing is, that’s fine with me.  It’s my reality.  It’s what my life has become.  And I’m happy to do it.  Sure, at times I miss my life from 5 or 10 years ago and the fun, flexibility and friendships that characterized it.  But I miss my high school years, too, those wonderful, carefree days with as much responsibility as I wanted to take on, friends I still have today and everything ahead of me.

It comes down to this: my life 5 or 10 years ago is a great memory.  My life today with all of its insanity, stress, sacrifice and compromise is wonderful, perfect in its imperfections; and at the root of that wonderfulness is that I regularly get to see my kids smile and hear my kids call me “Mommy.”

The ones who call me "Mommy"

Sweet Ella

I rocked Ella to sleep last night.  It was the best half hour I’ve had in awhile, which is not to suggest I haven’t had many good half hours.  This one was just especially good, absent any noise other than the sound of the rain hitting the house and of Ella’s breaths… absent any rules about how I should really put Ella to bed... absent the stresses of knowing I have to do some work before going to bed myself.

I didn’t plan it – it just happened.  We were sitting on the glider in her room.  I had just finished reading “If I Could Keep You Little” to her as she paged through “Good Night, Chicago.”  We both put our books down on the re-purposed nightstand next to the glider.  Ella turned to look at me and said, “Nye Nye,” to which I responded, “Ready to go Night Night?”  She nodded and then twisted her body to face mine entirely and cuddled up against me, tucking her head under my chin.  There aren’t many better feelings than how I feel when she does that. I smile just thinking about it.

I expected this to last for only a minute (if even that), for her to tire of being upright and let me know that she was officially ready for “Nye Nye… heah” (pointing at her crib).  Ella has never been the child to fall asleep on mine or Dan’s chest or to curl up next to us, relax and just happen to fall asleep.  Her cuddles generally last only a few seconds.

Sweet Ella, the day after she was born

Since she had just paged through “Good Night, Chicago,” I had Chicago on my mind.  I started telling the story of the night she was born, that she was born in Chicago even though we live in Naperville… that it’s 40 miles away… that Mommy likes her doctors (they’re midwives) and nurses in Chicago.  I told her how excited Mommy and Daddy were… that I was in labor for several hours... that they told me to take a nap while in labor and how crazy is that... that I only pushed for 18 minutes with her help.  I told her that Mommy’s a little older so my pregnancy was a little riskier… that I was so relieved that she was healthy… that I was so happy she was a girl even though I would have been happy with a boy but there’s just something special about a little girl.  And the “story” went on a bit from there.  I don’t know how to make up fun fairy tale stories, so real stories will have to do.

She did look at me and smile after a few  minutes in this position, but she immediately curled her head back down under my chin to assume the position I (we) had been enjoying.  Her legs draped over either side of my hip, her right arm hooked gently around my left and her left arm hung down across my chest and stomach.  I rocked us back and forth in the glider.  Her breaths started getting deeper, and I felt the full weight of her body in my arms.  I smiled because I knew she was falling asleep.  I rested my head on the glider, closed my eyes and continued rocking, concentrating on the sounds of the rain hitting the house and of Ella’s deep breaths.  Several minutes passed.  I don't know how many exactly.  My mind was clear of everything except how sweet my Ella is, and how special those minutes were to me.

I’m not sure how long I would have stayed in that position holding Ella had I not been interrupted by Cal’s “Mommy!  Mommy!  Mommy!”  outside Ella’s bedroom door.  He didn’t know I was behind the door with her.  He’s been known to fall off of the stool in his room in the dark, so I couldn’t not see what he needed.

I counted in my head, “1… 2… 3” like I normally do aloud to her before standing up from the glider and then stood up.  Ella didn’t wake.  I walked her over to her crib, laid her down gently on her back and handed her “binkie” (blanket) to her. She immediately rolled to her belly, crunched her legs to her belly and curled her arm around her blanket.  I draped her other blanket over her back which was met with a softly uttered, “No” (she doesn't like the "extra" blanket draped over her now). She wasn’t completely asleep but was so relaxed.  “Good night, sweet Baby Girl... I love you,” I said.  Thank you for that moment, Ella.  There aren’t many better ways to spend a half hour in my book.

Facebook Posts: Q2, 2012

Here are my Leatherkid-related Facebook posts from April, May and June, 2012. They are unedited and should generally be assumed to start with “Carla Reiter Leatherman…”

I think there were a lot of good posts in this quarter, from the goopy animal cracker to Cal announcing he's going to be "bad" to the unexcitement over the dry Pull-Up to Cal understanding why we didn't read books before bed.  My favorite over all of them was the one on April 13th about what Cal would take to school that day -- it was classic, and we still laugh at it today.

April 6, 2012
wishes she could re-do the first trip through the line to the see the Easter Bunny this AM... either that or stay firm on her "no" for the second trip. Cal: 1, Mommy: 0.

April 6, 2012
just had a wet, goopy, half-eaten animal cracker shoved into her mouth by Ella and could have done without THAT generosity.

April 6, 2012
was just told by Cal that Ella is knocking the garbage down and "she touched the icky toilet water"... great...

April 9, 2012
wonders how long the clip-on tie will be on Cal's polo shirt this AM - to school, through to naptime or all day?

April 10, 2012
has an unsolicited "I love you, Mommy" from Cal this AM that will prevent the spilled coffee and stiff neck from ruining her day.

April 11, 2012
is a little concerned about her kids' sensitivity to living creatures - Cal's first instints were to kick the cat and smush the spider, and Ella likes to poke people in the eye.

April 12, 2012
thought the clip-on tie might make another showing at school today for Picture Day, but Cal opted for the lovely train t-shirt instead. At least he wore jeans instead of sweatpants.

April 13, 2012
had a rough morning with an obstinate Cal. On our way out the door, Cal changed his mind about bringing something that starts with "N" to show-and-tell today, to which Dan responded (sounding it out), "you'll bring na- na- na- NOTHING." Too funny.

April 19, 2012
wonders if people are asking themselves if it's dirt or goopy animal cracker handprints all over my skirt this AM.

April 20, 2012
learned just yesterday that Cal's favorite team is the Blackhawks. I didn't even know he knew they exist!

April 22, 2012
"Where IS MY iPod?" Cal just asked in an accusatory, possessive tone. This was somehow translated from Dan's, "Do you know where the black iPod is?"

April 24, 2012
is still beaming from Cal giving her his last bite of chocolate cake last night. :)

April 26, 2012
was told "pick up the pace, Mommy" by Cal earlier. He used it correctly, which is to be expected considering all of the times he's been on the receiving end of that comment.

April 29, 2012
is regretting letting Cal take that 4-hour nap this afternoon. On the plus side, he's calling for Daddy.

May 6, 2012
is a little concerned after this comment by Cal: "Mommy, I'm going to be a BAD BOY today." Early signs are that he's right.

Cal and Zoe

May 7, 2012
Cal and Zoe... is this the same kid who terrorized Squeaker with the shopping cart? 

May 9. 2012
next time I tell any of you that I think Cal's past the terrible 3's, please punch me in the face.

May 15, 2012
The kids and me on Mother's Day -- Cal could only muster a fish face for the picture. I'll take it over no picture.

Cal, Me and Ella



May 24, 2012
thinks this is an indication that Cal's going to be in a Pull-Up at night for awhile despite all of our enthusiasm and encouragement otherwise:
Daddy <after showering Cal with praise and excitement after seeing he had a dry Pull-Up this AM>: "Cal, what did you want to tell Mommy?"
Cal: "Mommy, I had a GREAT BIG GIANT POOPY!"
Eh, I was proud anyway.

June 16, 2012
likes that Cal at least gets it -- check out this exchange:
Me: We didn't read books before bed TWO nights in a row. Why didn't we read books before bed two nights ago?
Cal: Because we watered the flowers instead.
Me: Why didn't we read books before bed last night?
Cal: Because I was grumpy and didn't make good choices.

June 25, 2012
is still laughing at the scene in Ella's room this AM after an engaging Cal left it: Ella sitting up in her crib, focusing on something; a pair of jeans, t-shirt, socks and diaper tossed in with her; and our girl trying (unsuccessfully) to put a sock on her right foot.

June 29, 2012
was informed by Cal on the way home from school yesterday, "I kind of had a rough day, Mommy." I eventually learned this was all due to almost getting a scratch after a fall on the playground.