Overheard

Just some of the things the kids have said recently.

Caleb at the wishing pond - "I wish..." a dramatic pause, "for another baby sister!" he sounded so sincere and looked so hopeful that several of the adults started laughing, my friend Karen was sympathetic(her daughter wants a new baby too), but one man started crying, apparently, he was really touched by the wish.

Joya Claire to Carrina - "When you have another baby, I be happy!"


Joya Claire to Cody - "I have a penis."

Cody to Joya Claire - "Only boys have a penis, you are a girl, you don't have a penis"

Joya Claire to Cody - "YES! I do. I have a penis."

Cody to Carrina - "Carrina, do you hear this?"

Carrina to Cody - "Goodluck!"


Caleb to Carrina - "When I grow up and marry Joya Claire and we have children I am going to tell my babies that you are a mean mommy!"

Caleb to Carrina - "Mama, I want a baby brother, two childrens is not enough. We need to have four children like Anneke. We need another brother and another sister. When are you going to grow another baby?"

Caleb to Carrina - "Mama, how can we get another baby?"

Joya Claire to anyone, anywhere, anytime - "Look at me, I so pretty!" (she pronounces it 'pitty')If you don't comment on how beautiful she is she will frequently repeat the sentence until you do!

Caleb's Baby

Today I took a workshop to learn how to make a "Heavy Baby", a Waldorf style doll, with the head and hands filled with wool and the bunting body filled with 4 1/2lbs of millet and 20 drops of lavender essential oil. I had originally intended to make one as a Christmas gift for Joya Claire, but lately Caleb has enjoyed playing with his sister's dolls and the dolls at school that I decided to make the baby for him instead.

I was so tickled with how my little bunting baby turned out that when Joya Claire fell asleep early this evening I got it out and gave it to Caleb(I have never been good at waiting to give gifts)! So much for Christmas, but it was sooo worth it though, to see how sweet Caleb was with the baby. He held the baby and said over and over "oh! he is so cute. isn't he so sweet?" "how did you make it mama?" "oh! thank you so much, mama". He was so happy, he told me I could be the dad and he would be the mom, he cuddled the baby, got it a blanket and a basket to sleep in! He also pretended to change the baby's diaper and gave it a bath and swimming lesson. His play was wonderfully joyful! Then he told me the baby was crying and wanted milk so I searched the entire house for the one baby-doll bottle that we have, but when I couldn't find it Caleb was content to lay down and "nurse" his baby. He continued to lay quietly and nurture the baby until he fell asleep with his arms wrapped around it. He was so tender and loving with the baby and genuinely happy about the gift that I know I made the right decisions in making it for him and in giving it to him early. Now he wants me to make a baby sling for him "just like Joya's". What a wonderful blessing it was for me to witness his beautiful play this evening!

Happy Birthday Joya Claire!

So today my precious little baby turned TWO! I am not sure how it happened so fast, one day she was a tiny infant in my arms and the next, it seems, she was running around copying her brother at every turn. Joya Claire is quite the amazing little girl now. She potty-trained herself(now if she would just wean herself)! She speaks amazing sentences, her own and she parrots everything Caleb says. She can climb up and down the ladder to Caleb's loft bed! She follows Caleb and walks along the curb balancing very well, she refuses to let me hold her hand while doing this! She can climb on most play equipment and slide down any slide that Caleb can, frequently she wants to do more than I will allow! She knows the ABC song and is well on her way to identifying all of the letters(thank you Fridge Phonics once again)! She can count to twenty. Joya Claire will now stay in nursery, all by herself, if Carrie Coleman takes her, bless you Carrie! Even though she is 32lbs. she will still sleep in the sling for an hour during her nap time if we are out and about!!! She will go for the day with Nana or auntie Robin and act perfectly angelic for them. She loves babies, real ones and dolls. She carries her favorite doll around in a sling I made for her. She loves books and will sit quietly for an hour before bedtime as long as I am reading! She is as much of a water-baby as Caleb was! She loves all animals and will cry tears to go and see my mother's dog! She wants to know about everything and asks tons of questions. She loves Caleb and always wants to be by his side, she will do anything he tells her and she laughs at all of his antics! She is beautiful and bright and she brings joy to us all!

Joya - Joy or in Spanish - jewel
Claire - French - clear or bright The given name of my maternal grandmother.

Childlike Love

So, I am still giggling even as I write this. The original conversation happened about two weeks ago at bedtime, but the follow up statements occur every few days or so, to both Cody and I.

Caleb - Mama, will there be lots of womens in our house when Joya and me grow up?

Me - Do you mean that you will have children of your own and there will then be a lot of girls here? (I can't remember the exact conversation preceding this, but somehow I knew this was what he was getting at.)

Caleb - Yes, and there will be a lot of girls.

Me - Are you going to live here with your wife and all your children and Joya Claire with her husband and all of her children?(I was beginning to wonder where he thought we would put everyone, but I didn't want to burst his bubble so I didn't ask. I was a child that never wanted to move out of my mother's house and it used to offend me when she would suggest that I would someday feel otherwise so I can identify with his thought process)

Caleb - Yes, no. No mama, I am going to be the husband and Joya is going to be the wife and we will have children.(girls apparently, since we are going to have a lot of women in our house)

Me - You can't marry Joya Claire because she is your sister.

Caleb - Yes, I can.

Me - Look, Caleb I am not going to argue with you. Go to sleep.

Caleb - (defiantly)I CAN marry Joya Claire

Me - No. Goodnight Caleb.

Caleb - (crying)I am going to be the husband and Joya is going to be the mudder!

Me - Fine, Caleb you can marry whoever you want just go to sleep.

Caleb - I am going to marry Joya Claire.

Cody did not believe me when I recounted the conversation for him until Caleb had a similar conversation with him the following day. Cody could barely contain himself and was laughing about it later on as he told me. Caleb has reminded me every few days or so things like "I am going to be the husband and Joya is going to be the mudder" (that is mother in Caleb-speak) or "when I grow up I am going to marry Joya Claire". I realize this is something he will grow out of naturally so I don't even argue with him I just smile and think I have got to get this recorded! I seriously cannot imagine a better blackmail for adolescence. I am thinking along the lines of "Caleb, you better get your room cleaned up before I show all your friends that DVD of you crying because you want to marry Joya Claire" It would probably work on both of them! Oh, the things I could accomplish! The endless amusement!

On a more serious note. I am so grateful that Caleb and Joya Claire love each other dearly. Hopefully as they grow older they will continue to get along and have such a wonderful friendship.

What Does Joya Claire Think?

Poor little Joya Claire! I feel so sad for her on the mornings that I take Caleb to school. She seems so forlorn without her best playmate, dearest friend, the laugher at all of her antics, ally and big brother, Caleb. The first couple times we all went together to drop him off, but she was so devastated that Caleb was staying behind without her that now I try to leave her with Cody in the mornings to avoid traumatizing her! When I get back from dropping him off she is happy to play with me for a while, then she starts looking around and calling "Caleb, Caleb, Caleb" so I tell her that Caleb is at school and that he will be back soon and her fervent response is "NO! NO! NO school Caleb", it is so heartbreaking. On Thursday I took her to a little play-group, thinking it would distract her but, she even asked for him while playing with the other kids at the park, "where Caleb?", "Joya Care school?"(she wants to go to school with him now). She sounds so pitiful you would think he had been gone for days, not hours!

When I pick Caleb up from school, Joya Claire is taking her nap so he comes home and runs up the stairs and says "Joya, I'm home" and she immediately wakes up ready to play with her favorite person in the whole world! I am trying to come up with creative things to do to keep her happy and distracted. Thursday is play-group so that leaves Tuesday and Wednesday that I have to try and fill the enormous void that Caleb leaves behind. And I thought she was going to love having me all to herself three days a week! Oh well, there is definitely no competing with Caleb!

Welcome to Waldorf School, Caleb!

Caleb started Kindergarten at Olympia Waldorf School. He absolutely loves it! His teacher is Patricia Cairns, she is amazing, well-educated, very experienced and most importantly she really loves the children and is gentle and patient with them! When she calls the children she sings their names, it is so sweet. The assistant teacher is Elf Nelson, she has won my heart because she already loves my active, little child and gently helps guide him along in his new environment. She is patient and kind and quite energetic herself! There are 16 students and three of them, including Caleb, attend for three days a week instead of five. A wonderful option for parents or children who are not quite ready for five hours away from home five days a week. Caleb would probably love five days, I just wasn't ready for that yet.

I wish I could give you a sense of the school and how thoughtful and child-centered everything is.
The campus is seven acres with woods and "blossoming gardens—a kindergarten garden, a class garden, and an abundance of flowers and herbs surrounding the buildings." Throughout the woods in natural thickets there are log benches, wooden play houses and many hidden wonders to delight children of all ages. In the Kinderyard there is a large fire-pit for chilly days, a great sand-pit for the kids to play in and enough dirt to keep Caleb happy. There is a grounded boat for the children to play in and wood planks to build with. Everything is beautiful and natural including the classrooms. There is a tree-house in Caleb's classroom! All of the toys are beautiful wood or cloth, made with young children in mind. There is a little area under the tree-house for dramatic play and there are dress-up clothes aplenty! There is definitely no NCLB here, thank goodness.

Every day a healthy snack and meal are prepared right in the Kinderhouse so the importance of eating healthy and trying new things are reinforced at school. Today they had lentil soup for lunch, mmm. Also the entire school has a NO media policy and as Kindergarten parents we are asked to limit our childrens' screen time to Saturdays. I love this because I feel I can safely send Caleb to school without the constant worry of what inappropiate things he might be exposed to. And as we still do not have a television in our home it makes it very easy for us to follow this suggestion.

The following is a description of Kindergarten from the OWS website. I think it is an absolutely lovely way to begin school and exactly what Caleb needs! I wish every child could be blessed with such gentle beginnings...

Young children learn primarily through imitation and creative play. They are most secure in a warm, home-like environment. The Waldorf kindergarten is warm and welcoming and utilizes a full range of creative activities appropriate to early childhood activities. These activities include creative play, rhythm and movement, finger plays, singing and circle games. A weekly rhythm is established in which the children experience bread baking, modeling with beeswax, watercolor painting, beeswax crayon drawing and seasonal crafts. Fairy tales and nature stories are told and are further enlivened through puppet plays and simple drama. In order to provide a solid foundation upon which subsequent academic learning can flourish, the kindergarten program addresses the development of a creative imagination, provides focused activity, and nourishes a sense of wonder and reverence for life. We have two kindergartens, Briar Rose and Spindlewood, offering mixed-age (ages four to six), three-day and five-day kindergarten programs.
The kindergarten is intended to be a home-like experience so that the young child feels secure and comfortable in their first step away from the family home. There is a restfulness and orderliness in the classroom and in the rhythms that the teacher establishes—the rhythms of the seasons, of the day, and rhythms of the breathing in and breathing out of the curriculum. These protective rhythms are essential to the well-being of the whole child.
Kindergarten children are phenomenal imitators. Therefore, the teacher must be a role model worthy of their imitation. The teacher works with a reverence for life, honoring the dough to be kneaded, wood to be sanded, table to be scrubbed. . . When the teacher is enthusiastic and purposeful while sweeping the floor, stirring the batter or planting the seeds, the children gladly join in.
The teacher provides the rhythm, ritual and reverence that live within the Waldorf kindergarten. The beautiful physical environment, the rhythm of the work of the day, the reverent presentation of the fairy tales all work within the young child to encourage healthy growth and a respect for life and each other. Even the mood of music which lives in the room draws forth the healthy imagination of the young child. When we embrace the young child with beauty and respect, those values are reflected back, and we encourage a foundation for the healthy development of the whole child.

Finally, I would like to give special thanks to my Mom and aunt Robin who have helped make this all possible for Caleb! Thank you, thank you and thank you again!

Doughnuts?!

Today we went grocery shopping, at the store that must not be named, with the kiddos. After we had completed most of our shopping and headed for checkout Caleb spotted a box of m&m encrusted brownies. Holding the box to his chest like a long lost love he asked if we could get them, I told him (and I took a serious chance here) we could only get them if he wanted to put back the raspberries he had chosen earlier he looked longingly at the brownies for a moment and then put them back!!! Hurray! Then he grabbed a bag of something and asked if we could get the doughnuts and yes, I did feel significant pangs of guilt as I looked at the bag of mini-bagels and told him we could get them. The whole time Joya Claire was singing “doughnuts, doughnuts, doughnuts”. He was so excited about the “doughnuts” that I began to worry about the realization of the truth in the not so distant future. Caleb has never had doughnuts, but apparently he knows they are supposed to be sweet and obviously the mini-bagels were not going to be sweet. Well we got home, made dinner, ate in relative peace and then the dreaded question from Caleb “May I have a doughnut now?” and Joya Claire “I want doughnut”. What could I do? So we got out the bag of mini-bagels and both of the kids chose one out and began happily eating. Never a word of complaint just quiet contented eating! After he finished one, Caleb asked for another “doughnut” and even wanted a third, but I told him we would need to save some for later! I am so lucky and I only wonder how much longer I will be able get away such things.

Misunderstood

Cody took both of the kids fishing the other day and there was evidently some confusion as to which fishing hole they were going to. Caleb had one place in mind and Cody had another and Caleb was getting quite upset that they were not heading to his favorite spot, so Cody patiently explained that Caleb had misunderstood about where they were going to fish. Caleb's response was classic, "I didn't misunderheard you, Daddy".

Hush Little Baby

Joya Claire likes to snuggle up in my lap when she is tired and say "ba bas, banket, song", so I snuggle her up in a blanket to nurse and ask her what song she would like me to sing. Her usual response is "hush baby" and when I start singing the line "mama's gonna buy you..." she will stop nursing and say "no, no, no Nana" because apparently my mother sang the song to her first and so she almost always wants it to be sung "Nana's gonna buy you..." which is admittedly pretty funny. Well yesterday she decided to be a little more creative with her favorite song and when I started singing the line in question she said "no, no, no Suki". For those of you who don't know Suki is my mother's Shi Tsu, that both of my children are in love with. So I had to sing Hush Little Baby in its entirety with the words "Suki's going to buy you..." and if I forgot she would stop nursing and repeat the instructions so then I would correct myself. Once she had me singing to her satisfaction she snuggled in, smiled and laughed all while continuing to nurse! It really was comical.

More Pets?

So this is an interchange Cody and I had via e-mail the other night when he was at work. I thought his reply was funny and that you all might get a laugh. I edited out a few things, but otherwise changed nothing.

Dear Cody
OK, so we have some fish and we can't afford anything that might have large vet bills, but what about a couple of small parakeets or finches? I have been considering this for several weeks (since Caleb said he wanted one) and just haven't mentioned it. I had a Cockatiel when I was in high school and I really enjoyed it. (Alicia let my bird out and it flew away!)Anyway, I thought a couple of small, inexpensive birds would be fun for the kids. Give it some thought and let me know.
Love,
Your little wifey,
Carrina

Sweetness,
I think that getting a bird requires a lot of responsibility because they poop so much and the bottom of the cage will have to be cleaned at least every other day. We also have got to consider the impact of getting many pets. It will be harder to leave and watch your grandpa, for instance. If you are ok with that then I say we should do it. I support getting a bird. However, in the future, I want you to be understanding when I show up with a minature pot-bellied pig.
xoxo,
Cody

Tricked By His Own Cunning

This evening for dinner Cody made omelets for us and the kiddos were absolutely NOT interested in them! No matter how much Cody and I were enjoying the superb omelets they just continued to turn up their noses. In an effort to get Joya Claire to eat at least a few bites I told Caleb "Just p-r-e-t-e-n-d to eat it" (I spelled it out because Joya Claire is getting a little too sophisticated for me to just say it outright) he caught on instantly and started eating imaginary bites with relish. All of the sudden Joya Claire was fascinated with her omelet, she began eating little bites and saying "umm, yummy egg" and "egg is good", she was enjoying it so much that Caleb was becoming interested in trying some also! He started eating little bites and commenting on how wonderful it tasted and this is the child who hasn't eaten egg in two years! It was absolutely hysterical to watch them both succumb to such mild peer pressure, especially Caleb because he knew that Joya Claire only started eating her egg because he had pretended to enjoy his! What funny little ones we share our meals with.

Little Steps Forward

Just as I was beginning to feel frustrated that my beautiful little daughter thought her name was "baby" I heard her playing in her bedroom softly saying, in her sweet little baby voice, "me Joya Care, me Joya Care". I was so excited and relieved that she had finally realized her given name was Joya Claire that I ran in, caught her up in my arms and gave her hugs and kisses and lots of praise for knowing her name. She was delighted, of course, and continued to say her name in a happy, little, sing-song voice.

And in case learning her name wasn't enough Joya Claire found the potty chair in the garage and said "toilet, toilet" and tried to drag it out all by herself. Cody and I figured it we could get it out for her, so we set it up in our bathroom a few days ago and didn't do anything else since I didn't think she was ready to start potty training. Well, this morning Joya Claire came up to me, pulling at her clothes, saying "take it off, take it off", thinking she needed a diaper change I undressed her, but her diaper was dry. When I tried to put her diaper back on she said "no, no, no, potty", then I aked if she wanted to go potty in the little potty chair and she said "YES"! So she toddled over to the potty chair and peed in it! She was so pleased with herself that I think potty-training might be, dare I hope, a breeze. I am tempted not to intervene, except to offer praise, and see if she will potty-train herself.

My beautiful, sweet, little Joya Claire is on her way to independence.

The Infinite Truth and Well Not the Truth

Yesterday Caleb told me that his friend Finnegan said things that weren't true. I was a little concerned and told Caleb that it wasn't nice to say that about his friend and asked if Finnegan had ever had ever told Caleb something that wasn't true (I don't use the word lie because little children still have some difficulty comprehending the implication/magnitude of the concept lie, so we say things like "are you making up a story" or "is that what really happened"). So this is exactly the conversation that followed

Caleb - Finnegan said infinity was the last number, he said his dad could count to infinity.

Carrina - Caleb, do you know what infinity is?

Caleb - It means that the numbers never end they just keep going.

Carrina - Can anyone count to infinity?

Caleb - No, Mama, there is no last number.

Carrina - Caleb, do you know what the word infinite means?

Caleb - That things don't end, they keep going round and round, forever.

Carrina - (sitting in stunned silence for a moment) Caleb, you're a smart boy. Finnegan wasn't trying to tell you something that wasn't true he just misunderstood the word infinity.

How does a little 4 1/2 year old boy, who can barely sit still for a moment, have a basic comprehension of infinity? I so frequently underestimate the capabilities of young children, they absorb so much that we don't even realize. There are even times I think that young children simply have an inherent knowledge of some concepts.

Of Fairs and Pants

Last night Cody and I took the kids to the Thurston County Fair. It is the quintessential country fair. Perfect for the kids and we all had a lot of fun even though it was raining the whole time. The kids absolutely loved the animals. They pet goats, sheep, pigs and cows. There were baby dwarf goats that were the size of rabbits! After lots of time with the animals we headed off to the rides. Cody and Caleb got wristbands so they could go on unlimited rides and Cody was able to take Joya Claire on several rides without any tickets for her. She loved the merry-go-round and was terrified of the ferris wheel she was crying tears and clinging to Cody by the time it was done. Caleb was so brave, he went on every kid ride all by himself and went on several big, scary, adult rides with Cody and was thrilled with all of them! Since I don't ever go on anything faster than the ferris wheel I was in complete awe of my fearless little son.

Caleb wanted to play the game where you try to throw balls into tiny fish bowls filled with colored water to win a goldfish. He paid his two dollars, got ten colored ping-pong balls and started throwing. After throwing seven of the balls and missing it seemed pretty hopeless, but the sweet lady running the game was already bagging up a fish for him and then the eighth ball he threw landed in a bowl of water. He was so excited he almost forgot to throw his last two balls. Even though he only got one ball into a bowl the lady gave him two fish. He was so delighted with the goldfish and eager to get home to "take care of them" we could hardly talk him into a couple more rides before we left.

On the ride home in the car I asked Caleb if he got two balls in the fish bowls and he asked "Did I" in a surprised tone. Cody chuckled and told him that he got one ball in, but the lady gave him two goldfish because he is so handsome and Caleb laughed and said in a disbelieving voice "because I had pants on"? Cody and I laughed so hard at how Caleb had misheard the word handsome, then I explained to him what Cody had actually said and we all had a good laugh.

What is in a Name?

Cody, Caleb and I have all been working with Joya Claire on her name, but when she is asked what her name is she still says "Baby" in her sweet little toddler voice. When she is told that her name is Joya Claire she says "no, no, no, Baby". I think it has become a bit of a game for her and it is causing quite a lot of laughter for all of us!

My name?

Joya Claire has been talking up a storm lately and I have been so proud of her language acquisition. In the past couple of weeks she has started using three word sentences. Today, though, she was priceless. I said "what is your name, little girl"? and without hesitating a beat she said "Baby"! I was so shocked, the poor little thing doesn't even know her given name. So after lots of laughter we worked on "my name is Joya Claire", she says "Joy Care". So then we practiced again "What is your name, little girl"? and she said "Baby", so I tried one last time "What is your name, little girl"? and she said "no, no, no"! We will try again tomorrow.

Later in the evening I had to wake Cody up for work and I was asking him for some money and the car keys. He was groggy so I had to ask him a couple times. Soon after that Joya Claire was saying "Daddy, money, keys" over and over. Cody and I laughed and we figure he is in big trouble if she is already asking for those!

Caleb's vocabulary is coming along beautifully also. Today when Joya Claire was talking about an elephant saying it "ephant" , this is what Caleb said "Mama, Joya Claire talks but sometimes she doesn't use words, 'ephant' is just a word approximation". It was so funny he said it as though he were an expert on toddler speech. The great thing about it is, if you ask him what a word approximation is he will tell you!

I am always astonished at the way children acquire knowledge so quickly.

Kisses

This morning all I wanted was a little peace and quiet so I could read the latest issue of Mothering, but alas it wasn't to be. Caleb and Joya Claire were running circles in and out of the curtains with lots of laughter and general chaos. It must have looked like a mad-house to anyone looking in from outside. At some point during the running and fun Joya Claire stubbed her little toes on the wall. She stopped running and looked down at her foot, usually she will come over and have me kiss away all of her little hurts, but today her desire to get back to the play at hand outweighed the need for mama kisses so she sat down and kissed her own toes then got up and continued running circles in the curtains with Caleb! It was so cute and I laughed out loud, but a portion of my mama heart mourns the loss of Joya Claire's babyhood as she takes her sure little toddler steps towards more and more self sufficiency.

Sick Day

It all started with baby Joya Claire, she threw up all over at auntie Robin's house on Saturday and it just went downhill from there. Think vomiting baby with explosive diarrhea in cloth diapers. I am barely able to keep up with the "sick" laundry let alone my regular household cleaning. This morning Caleb woke up with the same lovely symptoms as his little sister. He is still not quite able to make it to the bathroom every time to throw up so now I have had to start cleaning the carpet numerous times a day also. He doesn't get the whole "puke bucket" idea or is simply opposed to using one. And now, lucky me, Cody has come home from work with yes, you guessed it, the same symptoms. I can handle two sick kids, but add one sick and cranky dear husband who wants to be waited on hand and foot and well, it seems a bit much. Can you blame me for wanting to sneak out of the house while they all sleep instead of laundering pukey, poopy clothes and diapers? I am just hoping to get through it all without getting sick myself.

Beautiful Butterflies

As I was getting Caleb ready for bed and asking him about his day he started crying and told me that he wanted to be a butterfly. I didn't know where he had gotten the idea from so I asked him some questions. He told me that in his primary class at church some of the girls got to be butterflies but not the boys and he had wanted to be a butterfly. He started getting really upset as he was telling me that one little boy got to be a robin and some of the kids got to be ladybugs but he really wanted to be a butterfly and they only let little girls be butterflies. Oh! The injustice! (Good thing I am in Primary will be able to have a serious talk with the primary pres. about gender roles not prohibiting little boys from being butterflies and please could we be more equitable in role playing assignments). I really wanted Caleb to go to sleep but he was on the verge of hysterics about not getting to be a butterfly. I told him if he would stop crying and go right to sleep I had some beautiful butterfly wings that he could wear in the morning. This I assured him was much better than just pretending to have wings in Primary. It did the trick and he was sound asleep in ten minutes. At 8am he rolled over, opened his eyes and asked "can I wear the butterfly wings now". So I got out the said wings and some tutus and from 8am - 5pm Caleb ran around in pajamas and butterfly wings and Joya Claire spent most the day in and out of various tutus. During dinner Caleb said "this was a great day, mama"! It was a fun day for all.