Caleb told Daddy that he wants a kitty, and that the kitty can sleep in his bed with him. I don't know where he got that idea from, but thankfully Daddy feels the same way about pets that I do - they're great for other people but not for us. That said, Caleb has been VERY cuddly lately. Since Ryan's birth, he wants extra cuddles and hugs at night in particular. I realize that he hasn't gotten as much "lovins" (as we call back rubs or gentle soothing hugs, etc) since the baby was born. But, we still adore our little Caleb Luke!
Caleb LOVES to read books with us and he's starting to sound out words like his big brother. It is interesting to watch him learn and grow. He's also been doing great with tracing letters. He knows the alphabet and their sounds and numbers (although occasionally he'll still switch '6' and '9' or tell us that it's an upside down '6' instead of saying '9'). Caleb wears 3 or 4T shorts (pants will be interesting since he's so tall - I'm guessing 4T with an adjustable waist), 4T shirts and size 11 shoes. Most impressive to me is that he can do his own shirt buttons - he can unbutton the shirts and now he can button them himself. He still struggles with the pants buttons but shirts he's got. (Joshua is the opposite - he does pants fine and struggles to stay patient with his shirts.
Caleb LOVES to play games - Memory, Yahtzee, Dominoes, or made up games. He likes to play outside, too, and outside games like Mr. Bear, Mr. Bear, what time is it or Daddy's made-up "Ball Tree" where they take balls and run around our little tree to get their energy out. Caleb is doing better at riding his bike on his own without needing help. He used to peddle OR steer but had trouble concentrating on both. But he's making distinct progress.
He just got a backpack for going to school from Mamaw that is green and monogrammed, and he LOVES it (thanks so much!). He'll be starting big boy preschool this fall. I think he'll enjoy it. He loves to do crafts and sing songs and learn motions - maybe not as much as Joshua at times, but he soaks in more than I realize when all the sudden one day he'll sing something by himself. He has also enjoyed the little piano Thomas book we got which has the keys labeled with letters. I haven't pushed it too much, but he will sit with it every once in awhile and enjoy trying to play the music. He also loves scissors and cutting up random things - I need to do more with cutting on lines, but for now he's just enjoying making his own "origami." The Bluke also enjoys stickers and doing puzzles and look & find books and all sorts of activities. He also enjoys being told stories.
One thing I've noticed lately is how much Caleb is copying Joshua. I know that's normal but ESPECIALLY since the baby's been born, I hear more coming from Caleb that is EXACTLY like his big brother. For example, Caleb never was afraid to go downstairs by himself but now because Joshua always is, Caleb will remark "I can't go down by myself." It's not because he's scared; it's because he hears it from the Bean. He follows suit in not eating his dinner if Joshua doesn't like it, and he also threw himself down dramatically the other day when he was upset, just the way Josh does when he gets mad. It is becoming more and more evident how much he watches and mimics behavior.
Caleb has been drinking from a big boy cup - we never tried it too much before because my little guy likes to be a mess. But, he's doing really well. He is completely potty trained except for over naps and at night. He is a DEEP sleeper, so he's always wet when he wakes up. Hopefully soon we'll start working on that as well.
My little man loves to be wet - he loves bath & shower time (especially showers) and sprinkler playing and swimming in the pool. He also loves animals. He has a very tender heart and likes when everyone gets along - to the point that he often will give up or share a toy to make big brother happy. Caleb LOVES to dance, and watching him always makes me smile. He enjoys routine things we do as well, like asking if we're all on board in the car, etc. He's been buckling himself every time we get into the minivan, too, which is a huge help! He can unbuckle the top part but struggles to unbuckle the bottom to get out. I think that's perfect!
While he still enjoys Curious George, we haven't watched him all summer. Instead, he occasionally watches Super Y or Franklin with Joshua. Mostly, though, the boys play and play and play together. They will race cars, chase each other, play on the back porch and roll balls or throw them back and forth. One game they play that cracks me up is "human bowling" where they pretend to be the ball while the other one is the pin and they do somersaults to "knock the other one over" (although they barely touch till the 'pin' simply falls over on their own and they giggle and do it again. I crack up at the things they come up with! I am SO glad we had Caleb Luke. He is a great brother and he's been a great addition to our family.
Caleb loves his little brother, too, I can tell. He will tell us that he's now a big brother and he calls the baby his "Schnookie" (which is what I always say). He'll tell Ryan it's okay when he cries and smile at him. He loves to watch as I change the baby's diapers and provide commentary. He's a great helper, too, and he's getting better each day at being responsible for picking up his toys and things. I can tell that he's growing, maturing and learning. It's crazy to think an entire month of his third year of life is gone already. It's going too fast!
I love you, my big boy Caleb Luke! You are simply amazing to the Mama! Happy 37-months!
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