Of A Different Spirit

Yes, the word “two-ray,” created by my niece, Torrie, when she was a toddler, seems to sum up the feelings around here as we dive into the fun, ever increasing, and sometimes volatile world of the two year old. I used to cringe at the thought of having a two year old. I’ve heard the horror stories and seen the worn, frazzled faces of mothers who just can’t take one more thing their toddler dishes out. However, now more than two months into it (and yes I know we’ve got a ways to go yet), I have found it to be a lot of fun and just, well, precious.

Caleb continues to be an independent, but obedient little guy who loves to laugh and be silly. Even though at times he likes to be quiet and enjoy a book, he is certainly all boy and likes to run around making lots of noise. I have found his need to jump, run, wrestle, throw, and destroy (only his toys of course) to be ever increasing. Having all that energy and noise around has been wonderful. I love listening to it. It also helps me keep track of what’s going on; if things get quiet I know to check on him. Caleb’s love for all things boy has not overshadowed his sweetness, but has instead seemed to highlight it. He still gives plenty of hugs and kisses through the day and will even cuddle sometimes.

The two-year checkup went well, as it always does. He was even braver than I was when they had to stick his finger to do blood work (all of which came back fine). He is around 32 pounds and very tall. My only complaint is that he grows out of his shoes too fast, which is a good problem to have so I’m not really upset about it. The summer has given us a break from the frequent nose issues. They have recently made a comeback, but I am determined that they won’t be the constant bother this year as they have been in the past.

Travels, parties, and learning have been the name of the game since the last post. In August, we made a very long overdue trip to Tallahassee to see the Kelso family up there. Grandma and Grandpa were as thrilled to see him as we were take him. He had fun reading and cuddling with Grandma. He spent most of his time following Grandpa around the house and the garden with an extra cane. He continues to use a “cane” sometimes when he can find one, such as his bat. They spoiled all of us with good food, laughs, and sweet stories. We won’t wait so long next time!

In September, our travels took us to go see his cousins, Evan and Avery, to do an early celebration for both Caleb and Avery’s 2nd birthdays. Uncle Shaun, Aunt Robyn, Grandnana, Twodaddy, Aunt Mindie, Laycie, Torrie, and Bah (Caleb’s name for my mom) were all in attendance. The theme was Toy Story, which was perfect. Both of the boys really like the characters and were thrilled to see them on plates, cups, balloons, and more. The visit in itself was wonderful, as always. I enjoy watching all of the boys play together and it just gets better the older they get. It’s also great to see the girls interacting with and entertaining the younger ones. I’m so glad that we live within a reasonable amount of time from one another so the boys can celebrate together with family. I can’t thank Aunt Robyn and Uncle Shaun enough for allowing us to invade their house. And on top of that, they did ALL the work for the party. Shaun made an incredible cake and Robyn did all the planning and got all the decorations. It was fantastic guys, thanks again.

A party was held later just for Caleb so that his Lakeland family could celebrate with him. Again, we were fortunate to have family sweet enough to let us invade their house. I love our little home that is just perfect for us, but it is way too small to hold any event of this scale. Although, in some areas of the country, a September birthday is the perfect reason to spend an afternoon at the park, this is not the case in Florida. So, Grandma and Granddaddy Kelso opened their home to us. We filled it with around 20 adults, several kids, and Veggie Tale decor. I must say that I was quite proud of the decorations. I couldn’t find any decorations that were within a reasonable budget, so I decided to make them myself. Those that know me well know that Martha Stewart-ish stuff is not my strong point, but I think I did okay. It involved a lot of coloring, cutting and gluing. The bonus is now we have some stuff to decorate Caleb’s “big boy” room with, but more on that later. I also tackled the cake on my own with my own idea. I was happy to hear the compliments and that my hard work had paid off in a somewhat cute cake. It was a great day for Caleb and thanks to everyone who came and made his day so special. And thanks too, to everyone that lives a little too far away, but thought about him on his birthday. You are important and appreciated as well.

October was a lot of fun this year. We paid a visit to a local pumpkin patch where we picked out our “cat pumpkin.” Halloween was great this year because he is finally old enough to enjoy dressing up…well, sort of. He was Woody this year. As you can see it isn’t an exact match, but I pieced it together rather well, I thought and he looked awfully cute. We took him, along with his new friend, Noah, to a festival at Southeastern University, where they played a few games and got some candy.

The weeks leading up to and just past his birthday have brought with them an explosion of growth and changes. He is an active part of conversation and processes throughout the day. He is no longer in his own world, but is very interested in the world around him and the activities of others. He wants to know the names of objects, what someone is doing, where objects and people have gone, and so many other things. He isn’t shy about asking, which means I answer countless questions every day, but that means he’s learning and I’m okay with that.

He not only likes to receive information, but enjoys sharing it as well, which is simply what he uses to reinforce the concept to himself. For example, most Tuesdays he will give the person bagging our groceries a vocabulary lesson in which he will name off several of the items that we have purchased as well as some other things in his immediate surroundings. That, accompanied with his sweet little grin and his recently departed curls have resulted in more than one comment about how cute he is, with which I certainly agree. He’s also had cookies offered to him, but our trips are way too close to his dinner time for me to accept those. The gesture is sweet nonetheless.

Playtime has changed a lot. He is no longer interested in an object simply because of its color, texture, etc., but is more interested in the toy itself and what it can offer to his playtime. For example, cars go “vroom, vroom” and he can race them around the kitchen which is lots of fun; therefore, Caleb likes to play with cars. He has started to create scenarios and has begun showing his imagination. Toys converse with one another, trains crash into cars, and pirates explore the unknowns of the bathtub. He remains happy to play by himself and doesn’t seem to have any trouble making things up on his own. His interest in characters has also grown. He identifies those that he is familiar with and can show favoritism for them, which has made passing by almost any toy aisle a thrill. Currently, he loves all things Toy Story, Thomas the Tank Engine, Veggie Tales, cars, trains, and planes. There is a thing about a purple dinosaur, but I’m pretty sure Keith would rather I not go into that one.

It isn’t all action, though. He still enjoys a few quiet activities, one of which has recently caught my attention. He loves puzzles or anything that uses the same basic idea. He can sit and play with a puzzle almost all day. The other day, he brought home a Mr. Potato Head home from Grandma and Grandaddy’s and spent most of the next week designing and redesigning the toy’s face. He enjoyed seeing all the different ways he could put it together and the different looks he could make. I also see this a lot in his play with his Duplos, which are still among his favorite toys. He will design something, but then he will move some of the pieces around to different places. He can sit and do that for a long time.

I have especially enjoyed his increase in communication. He no longer babbles in his own language, but uses English, and he uses it better every day. Communication has almost reached two-way, with a few exceptions. There are still concepts that he can’t understand, but he understands most instructions and can answer most questions. The only problem is that some questions are answered with an enthusiastic “yeah” when I know for a fact he really means “no” or vice versa. The cutest so far is when he answers questions such as, “what color is this?” with “yeah” or “nope.” However, my favorite answer is the one he gives to the question, “who loves you?” to which he answers, “God.” He will also name off several others, but his first answer is always “God.” His vocabulary continues to grow and he will at least try to say just about anything he hears. He loves to repeat things, except for when he is asked a question. Even manners have made their way into his vocabulary. He says “thank you” very well, but “excuse me” is used the most. Many times, if he walks past someone or the cats, he will say a very cute “cew me.” We are currently making a lot of progress with "please."

Caleb has started to count and identify colors and animals. He can count to three on his own and will count to ten if helped. Sometimes, he can tell what color an object is, but most of the time it’s green or yellow. Right now, his favorite game is to identify animals and the sounds they make. My favorites are elephant and monkey. I can’t explain the noises he makes for them; you’d just have to hear it for yourself. I’m beginning to see a trip to the zoo in the near future.

Potty training continues to go well. We are still taking things slow and simply watching for him to tell us when he is ready for things. There are days when he just isn’t interested, but those days have become fewer and he is excited to be a “big boy.” I am excited at the number of diaper changes and purchases being reduced.

“Big boy.” The term is used more and more around here. It is all too true that the bits of baby are all but gone; he really is a little boy now. Some of the last few pieces fell to the floor a few weeks ago in the shape of soft curls and were lovingly scooped up into a small envelope and placed in his room to await their turn to be put into his baby book. His room is even showing the change as nursery pastels change into boyish bolds. A crib has transformed into a bed. Stuffed animals and rattles have been replaced with things that race, fly, and chug down tracks. Legos, cowboy hats, balls, and Viking helmets dot the floor. I miss the baby, but it is amazing to watch all that God has placed in him begin to emerge. Oh, the plans that He has for this little man (Jer. 29:11)…