Family Update: Calvin

This boy. 

He has come such a long way in the past six months or so.  He still has his moments, but  I can honestly say that most days he is very pleasant to have around. 

He is so funny.  Really funny.  He has hit that age where he is expressive and talkative and I wish I could have a camera on him 24/7, especially in the car. He sings with gusto in the car.  His anthems of choice right now:  I Am A Child of God, I Hope They Call Me on a Mission, and any/all of the songs from Frozen.  He talks to everybody he meets, unless they talk to him first – then he pretends he’s shy and hides behind my legs.  He wants everybody he meets to know that he’s starting Preschool soon and that he’s going to have a Fix-it Felix party for his birthday.  (He has seriously been talking about his Fix-it Felix party since the day after his last birthday.) 

He starts his day off by coming into our room for snuggles.  He elbows his way in if he has to.  But he usually doesn’t have to.  I love his snuggles.  I also love his hugs.  He calls his best hug “The Big Squeeze.”  “Hey Mom – I know what will make you happy!  Do you want The Big Squeeze?”  The answer is always yes. 

He still adores Oakley.  They are good buds.  I worried that once she became mobile he wouldn’t want her around, getting into his things and wrecking his games.  And to a small degree that has happened.  There have been occasions when he will call and ask me to come take Oakley out of his room.  But for the most part he loves to play with her, and loves for her to play with him.

He still loves Cars and Planes.  Santa brought him a Radiator Springs train table type thing for Christmas, only instead of trains they’re all Cars cars.  (It’s quite cute.)  He has spent HOURS upon HOURS with this thing up in his room.  Best gift Santa has ever delivered.  It probably helps that we unplugged the TV back in November, mostly for Calvin.  He was getting to the point that he didn’t ever want to do anything – even fun things – except watch movies.  And 3-year-olds really don’t understand rationing TV time, so I felt like it was better to go all or nothing.  The first little while was rough, but now an amazing thing has happened – Calvin has discovered things he likes to do!  Color!  Do puzzles!  Read stories!  Seriously, I used to have to beg him to let me read him a story.  It’s been wonderful.  We have plugged back in lately because we’ve been watching the Olympics, but now that they’re over I think we’ll disconnect again.  I don’t know how long this will last, but for now I think it’s been good for us all. 

Calvin started Sunbeams in January.  The picture at the top is from his first day.  He loves it.  He loves his teacher.  In fact, he doesn’t even call it Sunbeams, or Primary.  It’s “Sister Whipple’s Class.”  We have 1:00 church with Sacrament last, which I was not looking forward to.  But honestly, it' hasn’t been too bad.  It’s later that night and the next day that we all pay the price for Calvin missing his nap.  :/

Speaking of naps, Calvin still takes one.  He doesn’t really need the hours of sleep, but he’s a bear in the evenings if he doesn’t get one.  And the whimper-crying. . . oh the whimper-crying!  I can’t handle it.  So he takes a nap in the afternoons and then talks to himself in bed from 8:30-10:00 or so.  I remember our old pediatrician telling me that kids shouldn’t be awake for more than a half hour after they are put to bed, but to that I say Psshhhhhh!  He goes to bed just fine and stays there until he falls asleep.  If it ain’t broke . . .

I’ve lost track of the number of quilts I’ve made for this boy, but he still insists on sleeping with his old ratty nasty rag of a baby swaddle blanket.  It has stars on it so it’s name is Twinkle Star or just Twinkle for short.  I’ve stitched it back together so many times that all that is left now are seams held together by strings.  In fact, it ripped in half and he carries both halves around in a big pile in his arms.  I asked him if I could just sew the pieces onto the back of a quilt but he said no.  I might do it anyway. 

Every morning he asks “What day is today?” and after I tell him he asks “What does that mean?”  Monday means laundry, Tuesday means Nora Day (his cousin), Wednesday is grocery shopping day, Thursday is Henson Day (another cousin), Friday is house cleaning day, Saturday is “The Day Daddy Stays Home,” and Sunday is Church Day.  Needless to say, Mondays and Fridays aren’t his favorite.  (Mine either, for that matter.)  He needs his schedule though.  He often asks me “So Mom, what’s our plan for today?” and he wants a pretty detailed run-down of what’s going on. 

He gets excited about small things.  He looks for things to be happy about.  He tries hard to be good, and gets sad when he makes mistakes.  He says sweet prayers and usually prays for others more than for himself.  He is quick to tell people how much he loves them. 

I want to be like him when I grow up. :)