Good Morning!

Today, I'm anticipating taking Caleb to see the new movie that's in the theaters: "Curious George". I hope that he sits still. The one thing that I'm nervous about is that he woke up and hour earlier than usual and I hope that doesn't mean that I'll have a boy who is cranky or falling asleep in the movie that I'm attending just for him.

So a few back stories here.

Caleb again is showing how he can be a stellar big brother. Caleb comes and gets me often when Josh has woken up from a nap and says "Jockey cry mommy, Jockey wake". I told him, with much praise, how wonderful that it was that he came to tell me. (I'm thinking that in the future when they are both outside playing that Caleb will come and tell me if Josh has tripped, scuffed, fallen etc... not that I'm hoping for accidents, mind you.)
Also, in the cutest way, Caleb is reflecting the lessons that we have taught him. He has frequently shooshed me. He says "mommy, mommy, mommy...Shoooosh, Jockey sleeping" Of course he yells the first part to get my attention, and then whispers the second part as he holds his little finger in front of his mouth. It's just so cute, and a far improvement over his previous behavior, which was "Roaring" in Josh's face while he slept and waking Josh up. I'd prefer to be shooshed anyday over waking a tired sleeping baby who doesn't go right back to sleep.

Well, we have done it. We tried to take Caleb to the Lynnwood Chuck E. Cheese the Saturday after the storm, and it was experiencing a power outage. We survived the disappointment of a 2 yr old. I told Mike that we shouldn't say anything until we get there so that in case there is a huge line Caleb wouldn't know the plan. Well, it did slip out before we got there, and murphy's law had it when it was darker than a night sky with only one abandoned car in the parking lot. We had to tell Caleb that it was broken (a word he understands). And in the precious, trusting mind of a 2 yr old, he said "daddy fix chuck e cheese, mommy fix it." And then it when on to "Brian fix chuck e cheese, Zuie (zuma) fix it" and the heartbreaker of it all "I fix chuck e cheese?" He was forlorn. He wanted so desperately to have it fixed, I almost made the group drive to the Bellevue location. But Caleb the ever wonder boy, was very patient and understanding with his parents and life that he perked up quickly when we moved on to visit the mall. He got to run around the children's play area and that nearly made up for it.

Of course, this last Wednesday Play group was cancelled and we actually went to Chuck E Cheese. Daddy was still on nights, so he got to go to. Caleb had a GREAT, WONDERFUL, EXCITING time. And we did ok because there were maybe a dozen and a half other patrons total! So the crowd was non-existent, the noise was minimal, and we could see Caleb because he was nearly the only thing moving in the entire restaurant (if restaurant is the correct word for this place). Mom and Dad helped Caleb with the games, and the winning of tickets... and Caleb got to choose some really cool toys/trinkets to play with. If you're looking for deals on the toys, go to the dollar store for the items; you really have to be thinking in terms of an entire experience and the toys as just memory keepsakes. Speadking of keepsakes, when we go again (because I know there will be an Again) we will have to remember the pictures with Chuck E, we forgot them this time. :( But, Caleb was so excited about the day as a whole, I might be considering a Chuck E Cheese B-day for Caleb. Tessa was certainly excited to go when Caleb told her.

Wednesday rounded out the day with a nap at Grammy's and the luck of seeing the Surface family and GG in the evening. Caleb and Tessa had their usual rivalry and what has become standard fare of the usual naked time. It's never intentional on our part, but it happens when one is using the potty or getting changed, the other thinks that it is a prime time to strip themselves and start the giggle fest. At this stage I'm a bit unaffected by his nudity, heck Caleb cooks in the buff, finger paints in the buff, etc etc, then only thing I don't let him do naked is sleep (and he has tried that too without me knowing it...lets just say I found out to much bed linen changing at 2 am). At least these little cousins are only 4 months apart. If they were 4 years apart, I think we'd be in a whole different ball game. The over the top funny thing is when Caleb starts repeptively yelling "NAKED" but it comes out "nauuuckeddddd!!!!"; this happened in the Taco Time last week when we saw Tessa...Fortunately he was still wearing all his clothes when he was yelling because half the restaurant was turning their heads.

Back to this last Wednesday, here is an couple pictures. The first being an endearing moment of bonding between Caleb and Auntie Kristina. Caleb likes back rubs, and Auntie Kristina was willing to oblige, but Tessa also thought she shouldn't miss out!

This last picture was a day or so after the 'breaststroke in the bath tub' day. Daddy, Grandpa and Grammy got in the water with Caleb. Caleb had a blast, and he really liked the freedom that the lifejacket gave him. And Caleb did really well with a little of Daddy's directions. As you can see Papa Dahl had a good time with Caleb.

And this picture is just so Josh isn't left out.

Josh has got his own stories. Like he loves to mouth things, but gets frustrated with them when they aren't all suckable like a pacifier. The "sound plug" as the pacifier was called with Caleb, has been renamed the "drool plug" for Josh. He doesn't need it half the time that he is sucking on it for a comfort, but I need him to have it in order to keep his shirt front dry. Josh has also developed a painful hair pulling habit, hence a haircut was due... who knows, a drastic cut might be in order.

Well, that's all for now. We've got to get ready for all of what the day has for us.