A Walk Today with Calvin

The big kids were playing basketball today ... with Calvin's favorite green basketball that Santa brought him for Christmas. He wasn't thrilled with the situation. So, I asked him to take a special walk just with Mom! 

Things Calvin Jesse said on our walk:

"Mom! I'm a good runner! I'm fast!" [as he's running ahead]

"Sneak, sneak, sneak, sneak!" [as we're going around a parked car]

"Oh my gosh! Look at that big bush! It's dead!"

"Little purple poopies touched with yellow pee!" [upon seeing pansies]

"Mom, can we stop now? I can't walk all the time." [upon deciding to play with the monster truck car he'd been alternately carrying and chewing on]

"Mom, can you hold me?" ... "MOM!!!"

And then finally there was the following conversation, which I think just about sums up his 4.5-year-old self:

[Jenny]: "Calvin, who do you want to be like when you grow up?"

[Calvin]: "A truck."

[Jenny]: "You don't want to be like a person? You want to be like a truck?"

[Calvin]: "Yeah."

We sure love him.

Playing Frozen

He really, really likes being princess Anna.

Queen Elsa doesn't seem to mind too much.

Elf

I'm busy getting ready to host the preschool Christmas party--looks like I have a busy little elf following after me and helping in his own way :)

Laughing with Miss Lu

Shaker

Today, believe it or not, I changed a diaper. I know, I know, something new. Okay, not really new ... but today there was a twist: I finally convinced Calvin Jesse to lay back down so I could put his pants back on him. As I shimmied the pants up his legs and over his clean diaper, I saw an impish grin and then heard him say, laughing, "Shake it! Shake it!" It was pretty funny.

The strong-willed child

Calvin Jesse and Miss Lucy are really quite different creatures. He's taciturn and agile, she's talkative and, well, not always as agile (but definitely willing to try!). So it's funny when I notice things that they share. Such as having their own, strong opinions early on.

Right now, Calvin Jesse has decided that he would rather go hungry nine times out of ten rather than have Mommy or Daddy feed him. He will shake his head "No!"and swat spoons of applesauce out of the way with a vengeance. 

But, put the same food in front of him and hand him the spoon and it's a different story. He really just wants to feed himself.

The result? After every meal, Calvin's looking down at the mess as if to say "Huh? How'd that get all over me?" It's pretty funny. 

He won't appreciate this when he's older, but ...

... speaking of playdates, Calvin Jesse has decided that he doesn't want to be left out of the fun when Sissy and her friends play dress up. I think I need to invest in some dress ups that aren't so sparkly. 

It's even funnier because it's always this particular dress, and he always goes around knocking over block towers, playing cars, and being generally grubby (check out his face). He just does it with a little extra flair this way. 

What the?!

Miss Lu loves to say "What the?!" to express her surprise and/or confusion. The thing is, sometimes I want to ask her the same thing—what is going on in her marvelous little mind?

1) I tell her to get dressed for a walk to the park. While it's reasonably warm, there is still snow on the ground. When I ask her why she won't put on pants (let along boots) she says, "Because I'm trying to encourage Spring!"

2) At dinner, Mr. Nick and I note that Calvin Jesse needs a haircut because he's getting a mullet. "A mullet?! Oh no! Is he going to die?" is Miss Lucy's seriously concerned response.

3) Lately Miss Lu likes to play "would you rather" games, presenting various scenarios from which we need to choose an option. For example, "Hey Mom, would you rather die, or would you rather break both arms and both legs?" (I chose broken limbs).

Last night's "would you rather" question stopped Mr. Nick and I in our tracks wondering "where does she come up with this stuff?"

"Hey Dad, would you rather that everyone in the whole world dies, or that God dies?"

What the?!

PS She then followed up with evidence of her mormon theological training: "But don't worry, if God dies we'll still have Jesus!"

PPS Reading back over this entry, it appears that Miss Lucy is also thinking a fair amount about life and death. Guess we'd better see where that's coming from ...

Ye olde Webbs

Over Christmas, Mr. Nick and I participated in a fundraiser dinner for the local theater (Los Alamos Little Theater). It was medieval dinner theater at its best: singing, skits, and many jokes regarding the private bar the next room over (it was held at the Elks Lodge). We really had fun.

Afterwards, we stopped by the church to pick up Lucy and Calvin (our friends the Maxwells graciously took them to the ward dinner that night) and my friend Sam was still snapping family photos. So Nick and I jumped in for a few shots of us in our costumes. Enjoy!

Bedtime frustrations

Our favorite quote from Miss Lu this week occurred as she was trying to brush her teeth to get ready for bed after a long, long day. She dropped the toothpaste into the sink and was overheard to say in a very frustrated voice:
"Oh, come on!"
Made us laugh (later, when she couldn't hear us).

Communication 101

 

I took Miss Lucy to see the Indian dancers this weekend, hence her outfit here. But this post isn't about that. I just like these photos. 

Here's the conversation Miss Lu and I had on Saturday.

Me: "Lucy, we just need to communicate better. Any ideas how we can do that?"

Miss Lu: [pauses for a moment] "Umm, text?"

Made me laugh :)

Lunch bunch

This fantastic banana is going in Lucy's lunch tomorrow. Yes, I'm really an amazing mother :)

 

 

(It's double sided! Sweet!)

Little ears

Conversation today in the car following our FHE picnic in the park. 


Miss Lu: [asks Mom something about why we didn't do something earlier in the day]


Mom: "Well, given the circumstances ..."


Miss Lu: [interrupting] "Wait a minute! What circus dances?!?"

 

(Miss Lu at the downtown Salt Lake City fountains, summer 2011)

Calvin Jesse decides to practice for his upcoming birthday festivities

 

We were at a surprise party for our bishop's birthday. There were four adults sitting in this side room off the kitchen, talking and watching the babies crawl around. All of the sudden our friend Petra said "Oh my gosh. Well, Calvin will do well at his birthday party!"

Nick and I turned around and saw ... a very enthusiastic Calvin Jesse attacking a forgotten piece of cake. Nobody had seen him because he cleverly positioned himself just out of sight behind the chair. 

He spent the rest of the party naked.

Take a drink

Things are starting to heat up here in New Mexico, and Miss Lu has figured out how to keep cool.

Miss Lu: "Mom, I'm low-drated. I need to drink some water so I can be hydrated!"

Sunday

Today I looked down as we walked in to church and realized I was still wearing my slippers. Lucy thought it was hysterical.

At least I was really comfy.

Bunny business

Scene: Our dinner table, the night before Easter

Me: "So, the Easter Bunny will come and visit us while we're at church tomorrow."

Miss Lu: "How come the Easter Bunny won't go to church?"

Mr. Nick: "I always thought he was a Seventh Day Adventist."

Miss Lu: "Wait, he's going to the dentist? Why would he need to do that? He only has two teeth!"

Jumping to conclusions

(Photo by my friend Katharine Hansen)

Scene: Urban Park

Miss Lu: (looking up toward the tennis courts) "Wow Mom! Look at that kid jump!"

Me: "That's not a kid, that's a grown-up."

Miss Lu: "No, that's a kid. Grown-ups can't jump!"

Me: "Yes we can!"

Miss Lu: "Show me."

Me: "Now?" (glancing around)

Miss Lu: "Yes!"

Me: (jumps up and down)

Miss Lu: (not at all impressed) "That's not really good. It wasn't very high. See, grownups can't jump."

Me: ...

Quote of the day

"Everybody loves their head. And everybody dies."

—Lucy Webb, 12 January 2011

Clean read

Last night, sitting down to read Lucy her bedtime story from her (modern, young-child-appropriate) book of fairytales:

Miss Lu: "And can I pick the story?"

Mommy: "Sure."

Miss Lu: "Ok. And you read it and then tell me if it's sanitized."

Mommy: "Sanitized?"

Miss Lu: "Yes. If it's sanitized, then you tell me how it really happened, the not sanitized story."

Mommy: "Um, ok ..." (thinks: How did she figure out these stories have been changed?)