Callie's Expanded Kingdom

I guess I can't deny it anymore.  Callie is a toddler.  Other than nursing once before bed, she does mostly big girl things now.  She eats very well (LOVES peanut butter sandwiches - no big surprise there!)  She sleeps through the night consistently now.  (Oh, how I have looked forward to the moment that I could post that!)  And she now has the whole house as her kingdom to destroy.  We have permanently retired the fence that used to contain her to the family room.  I decided that it was time for her to learn some limits and I was also very tired of stepping over that fence or the baby gate and having to clean around it.  There are some rooms she is still not allowed in.  I have to keep the bathroom door closed to prevent her from crawling in the bathtub with her bath toys.  The other bathroom is usually open but she rarely goes in there unless Ollie is in the tub.  I do find the occasional toilet paper pile.  Daddy's side of the bed and our closet are still very popular Callie hangouts.  One day I will find all the missing paci's in one of my winter boots or stuck between Matt's crossword puzzle pile.  And I have strategically placed toys and interesting objects inside most of the  kitchen cabinets to distract her from pots, pans and tupperware.  All this new freedom is leading to a few naughty moments.  She loves the kitchen trash can and will probably always want to put her hands in the cat water.  But she is learning "no" and she is starting to understand when she is in trouble.  And she seems to respond well to reprimands.  She does throw an occasional tantrum, and I know this will get worse, but for now she gets over them quickly if we just ignore her and not cater to them.  (Take note grandparents!)  She used to throw her cup at meal times but now she knows she will get in trouble so she nicely sets it on the table and then looks for one of us to notice and praise her for it.  She is such a smart girl, and adventurous.  Matt discovered her standing on the arm of the big chair in the family room reaching into the opening to the kitchen to grab things off the counter.  Maybe we could get one of those trained dogs to follow her around, pick up after her and bark when she was doing something dangerous.  Right now it is taking both of us to keep her out of trouble and, I know, I know, this is only the beginning!

She loves buckets!  They have so many uses.  But they are not good protection from the "tickle bug"!

A favorite activity is playing outside with them.  Sometimes I fill them with water, but only if I don't mind her getting soaked.  (Notice the pigtails!)

I think she looks a lot more like me when she has her hair up.

We have a teepee, tunnel and playhouse outside, but sometimes it is fun to have a tent inside.

Chester agrees.

Everyone is enjoying the table and four chairs that I bought at a yard sale.  I have even sat at it several times to do artwork.  I plan to paint the legs and chairs...when I find the time!

We made a quick visit to Pa's house Sunday afternoon.

Sending Logan our Love!

Please keep praying for Matt's cousin's son, Logan.  He is recovering from chemo and a bone marrow transplant to treat a rare form of Leukemia.  Since the transplant, he has been battling Graft vs. Host Disease in his intestines which has caused an ulcer and he has had to recover from at least one staph infection.  I probably don't have all the details right, not being a medically minded person, but the gist of it is that he has had a very rough time of it so far and things are finally starting to calm down.  His parents are more than ready to bring him home from the hospital and get their life with their sweet baby boy back to some kind of normal.  Callie sent him this Yo Gabba guitar.  Hopefully by this time next summer he and Callie will be running around at Pa's house together, competing for his attention.

Longer Sea Legs and Flippers

We are loving this warm swimming weather.  The pool is open on the weekends until school lets out and we have even gotten to spend a weekend swimming at the lake.   We spent four days over Memorial weekend there which gave Callie plenty of opportunities to conquer the last of her water fears and hasn't looked back.   She was very uneasy when Nana and I both tried to put her feet in the water.  But once Daddy took her in, she was back to her normal water baby self.   You would think that all the splashing and flopping would mean great sleep but instead, she stayed up a good portion of three of the four nights we were there.  It was like she was way too excited about where she was to sleep.  And then there was a very unfortunate vomit incident on the way home that we still haven't figured out the reason for.  But we are all back to normal now and she is not a bit shy about the water at the pool and loves that she is not tall enough and capable of walking around in the kiddie section. 

Every body wants to throw Callie around!

Splashing Papa is still her main priority.

She just splashes a little bigger this year than she did last summer.

She hasn't met a sprinkler she didn't like.

Such a show-off.  My fault since I follow her around with a camera constantly!

Nana kisses were abundant.

She practiced riding in Nana and Papa's wagon so she would be ready for the Calliewagon that Grampie is fixing for her.

Last year the boat seemed to bore her.

This year it is much more exciting and she is tolerating the life jacket better.  She can make anything look good!

And to think summer is just beginning!

Building, Destroying , Shredding and Strolling

Our Callie Mae is so smart that she has taken up the study of architecture as her new daily activity.  Actually, we all have.  She is also studying the art of demolition, apparently.  We bought a huge box of blocks at a yard sale last week and they have been the center of our little world since.  Matt and I have each taken a turn trying to construct amazing edifices while attempting to keep our little monster truck from plowing them down before we are finished.  Matt tried at least seven times to make a tower that reached the ceiling.  It mostly fell over on its own but his persistence paid off and we were all so...um...proud, I guess.  Callie is amazing us everyday with her development.  She has added "uh-oh" to her vocabulary of "Da-dee" and "Ma-ma" and she is showing amazing dexterity lately in the way she plays with her toys and problem solves.  The boys are enjoying her more and she is getting much better at giving big hugs and pats rather than pulling whiskers or  tails.  Matt taught her to put her play scarves on top of them so she chases them around the family room trying to "dress" them.  She also knows how to use a phone (she has known how to use the remote to turn up the volume for months!).  She will pick up any phone, play or real, and sometimes just random objects, hold them up near her ear and say, "hu-waaa Da-deeee"  She always wants to call Daddy!  And, finally, her eating habits are terrific.  I really can't complain except about how much of each meal ends up in her hair.  She eats almost any fruit, chicken, ham and beef, yogurt, drinks her juice and milk well AND has now added peas and steamed broccoli to her diet.  Oh, and egg tacos (cheese omelets) that Daddy makes for her.  All this good food gives her plenty of energy to destroy and scatter and keep me moving all day long!

We have spent a lot of time with Matt's family the last few weekends, going to Richmond for Mother's Day and a party at friends and then celebrating Scott's graduation at Michelle's condo.  And, important to slip into this post is that Scott is officially on the track to becoming family and there is bling on Michelle's finger to prove it!  Yay for Uncle Dr. Scott! 

An early attempt at the "tower".

The bull in the china shop stalking her prey.

A proud moment!

Handing Daddy things to shred.  Notice the disaster in the background.

Such a good helper.  She already knows how to prevent identity theft.

The block box is good for many things!

I rearranged her room and bought a trunk and shelf so she could also play and destroy in there.

Grammie and Grampie took her to the church playground down by their house.

This is her "I am about to do something crazy" face.  She glazes over for a minute and then takes off.

  She and I have been on a lot of walks lately.  This one was on the boardwalk.  It was very hot that day!

We had to take a break and have a snack.  Callie really knows how to "chillax". 

callie in sprinkler 5-10.m2ts

hotdog dance.m2ts

magic blanket ride.m2ts