It's Potty Time!

Inspired by our friend Wil during a visit a few months back, I bought a mini toilet seat for Calvin and we began half-heartedly, occasionally introducing him to it.

Every 10 days, or so, I'd remember to set him atop it as I drew the bath; hoping the trickling water would inspire ... audience participation. I had been warned that this might take a while, so I wasn't disappointed when it didn't amount to much; and I was thrilled when it did!

Cal didn't do much before the bath but quickly found inspiration afterwards. So after watching our product find its way down the wrong drain a few times, Calvin found himself on his throne straight out of the tub. (dry and wrapped in a towel.)

"All done, Mommy", he told me as I brushed my teeth. "Just a minute, honey", I responded. "Wait until Mommy's done brushing her teeth, please." And then -- there it was -- a trickling of his own.

I didn't respond right away for fear I'd scare him, but I did celebrate afterwards, explaining what he had just done, scooping him up in my arms and sharing the happy dance.

We've continued with a once every ten days routine, not terribly committed to the process, and we're hit and miss with results, as expected. Tonight, however, we had a breakthrough.

After the bath I asked Cal if he'd like to use the potty; he didn't. So we moved to his room to dress for bed. Before he was out of my arms, though, he said, "Uh, Mommy" and pointed to his pants. Back to the bathroom we went. He held it while I fumbled to set up the chair but once he was in place, he let it go. Bulls-eye! He was in control of this process.

This seems like a bit of a breakthrough to me. One that means I might need to get a little more serious about his interest and ability. Should I be more excited about this than I am?

Trick-or-Treat

Yes, it's already Halloween around these parts. Little ones in costumes flocked our neighborhood today, and our little guy was among them.

Calvin didn't help pick out his costume this year, but he was definitely more involved in the holiday. He greeted kids at the door and was excited to dress up and get out there himself.

A hand-me-down costume from Cousin Ava was a natural choice for Calvin. Pooh Bear would go everywhere with Calvin, if permitted, so transforming his own belly to a plush pillow is the best!

We branched out this year, going to four houses instead of just two. Our neighbors love every chance to see Calvin, especially if he's dressed up.

We even took along a plastic candy collector -- we had to, it was a Pooh pumpkin, it matched the outfit. Unfortunately this meant that our neighbors answered Calvin's "tick weat" with something to take home. And he followed in his mother's footsteps -- stripped immediately from the costume, dumped the pumpkin, and started eating.

He hasn't been a big chocolate / candy guy yet, but was pretty excited about M&Ms. We shared the bag so he wouldn't eat the whole thing (a trick I use with his father, too) and he pretty much lost interest when they were gone. We "cheers-ed" the last two to celebrate.

Denver, Colorado

Sometimes being one is a good thing. Life is an adventure for a one year old, with new experiences every day. And yet, a one year old doesn't feel the full effects of tragedy when the adventure ends.

Sadly, Calvin's Great Uncle, Dennis, passed away in Denver, CO, and the family went forth to celebrate his life. Fortunately, there was a delightful, mood-elevating one year old with them.

The trip was a big adventure for this little guy. He joined his dad, Papa, and Uncle Ryan for a road trip out west. They made it safely, and now Calvin asks to watch a video whenever he gets in a car.

Upon arrival, they spent a lot of time at Dennis' house. Calvin took particular interest in toys left behind. And spaghetti.

He met some extended family members, including Great Uncle Dwayne and several of Dad's cousins: Linnea, Peter, Andrew, and his wife, Timi.

This trip also allowed for a visit to Great Grandpa, Elom's grave.

When the work was done out west, Cal jumped a train with Grammy and rode home in style! They got a sleeper car and enjoyed the countryside passing them by.

Fall Fest in Wisconsin

I love the fall. I love the weather, the colors, and especially all of the farms that open their doors to us "townies".

Our Meetup group took advantage of more farm festivities at Von Bergen's. Four moms brought their boys out for a morning of climbing tractors, picking pumpkins, and petting (or at least looking at) farm animals.

Of course, my favorite part was the wonderful farm market with delicious baked goods, including pumpkin doughnuts!! Calvin seemed to enjoy that part, too.

I love living so close to such natural beauty, and having friends with whom to share it.

Little Climber

He's back at it. Calvin's climbing the hammock again.

I can honestly tell you that in all the time I've spent on this thing (and believe you me, I'm always looking to log more hours) I've never thought to climb it.

What's with this kid?

Daddy's Tractor

Calvin loves to help his dad mow the lawn, though I can tell you truthfully that I wasn't as excited by the idea. Even Eric paused before taking our little tyke onto his lap.

See, we have a riding mower, and hilly ground to cover. But the chance to sit on Dad's lap and ride a moving tractor is just too tempting for Calvin to just ask once. Now it's nearly standard procedure for him to ride along with Dad for a while each week.

He generally hums along with the sound of the bumping engine or chatters about things passing by. And it's usually a good half-hour before he accepts an offer to get down. His ride has ended early just once because he fell asleep!

Some people fall asleep while riding in cars ... some on lawnmowers.

More Fun With Wil

It's a good thing that Calvin's and Wil's parents get along, because I think we'd have to hang out regardless; it's just not right to keep these two apart.

With his picture on our fridge, Wil is a familiar name around our place. And the word from Michigan is that Wil calls Calvin whenever he gets his hands on a cell phone.

They picked up where they left off, filling each other in on their latest antics, swapping tips for avoiding the naughty chair -- you know, the usual. Then they put arm chair covers on their heads and marched around the house.

We have fun playing at neighborhood parks, but did make a trip to Robinette's for some cider and doughnuts. They boys romped with the other children and were mistaken for twins (by a mother of twins!)

It was a quick weekend, as usual, but fun to see these guys continue to enjoy each other.

Behold, The Naughty Chair

As Calvin reached a year and a half we found it necessary to introduce boundaries.

It's not okay, for example, to ram one's tractor into the bottom step while complaining wildly that it doesn't miraculously transport itself to the top. I understand his frustration, but there are more acceptable and effective ways to communicate it.

So we implemented the 'naughty chair', AKA 'time out'. We have a kid-sized chair in the corner of the dining room and another in a nook of the upstairs hallway. Both are away from distraction / entertainment, but within view of most points of interest surrounding it.

The first time I sat Calvin in his chair, he screamed bloody murder. I got down on his level, told him why he was there and that he would need to sit there until he could calm down. Then I turned around and folded laundry while he wallowed in my betrayal. But after about a minute, he stopped, and I returned to his side (and to his level) for a recap.

I told him, again, why he was in the chair (excessive whining and crying for juice) and that I was proud of him for calming himself down. I asked him to tell Mommy he was sorry. "Saw-ee" he repeated (to my knowledge this was the first time he used this word) and I told him that I loved him. "Uv-ooo", he repeated and we hugged.

Aha! Success!

Two hours later, when he rammed the tractor into the stairs, we returned to the chair and to the screaming. This didn't last long, however, and when he stopped crying he said, "all done?". We recapped the offense and talked about a better approach, he apologized, and we confirmed our love for each other before returning to life as usual.

We've had many unhappy returns to the naughty chair, averaging maybe once a day, but the concept makes sense to him. A warning to stop the bad behavior or you'll need to sit in the chair seems effective.

It didn't take Cal long to find the rhythm in the routine. Now when placed in the chair, he immediately starts shaking his head and saying, "noooo", as if to kick start my correction, and his release!

Amazingly, he stays put. If he's particularly spirited, he'll spin around in the chair, or turn around, putting his legs through the back. But he doesn't get up and leave ... yet. He tends to sit quietly, often with his hands folded in his lap, until I return for him (a minute or two later). Such a good naughty little boy.

Lately he's even taken to confessing before God ... at least when I point the camera in his direction.

Assume The Position

We've started intentionally praying with Calvin. This translates to folding our hands before meals and at bedtime and really dumbing down our conversations with God.

There's probably a better way to say that ... we've been praying with childlike enthusiasm?

I'm surprised by how quickly Cal has taken to it. He'll have his hands folded before we do and has started to repeat what we say, sentiment by sentiment; especially at bedtime, when we list everyone for whom we're thankful.

Come to think of it, we'd better modify that practice before the days of delaying bedtime begin. Instead of getting out of bed for a glass of water, he'll be finding us to add someone else to the list! I suppose there are worse things ....

It's such a joy to see him enthusiastic to talk to Jesus, and he's so cute when he prays. He generally peeks with one eye, making his face all squinty. Even with pancakes half-eaten (and syrup on his face), he returns to pray for one more thing.

Bad Dream, Good Night

Calvin awoke tonight as if from a bad dream. I found him sitting up, clutching Pooh Bear almost as a shield. Poor thing.

I picked him up and he quieted right down, put an arm tightly around my neck (with the other holding Pooh) and rested his head on my shoulder. I held him and hummed, "Jesus Loves Me" a few times before deciding to sit down in the rocking chair. Why rush this?

It's a different experience to comfort a 20-month old than it is a baby. For one thing, he's twice the size that he was when we spent nights in this chair, nursing. Now, instead of cradling him comfortably over my shoulder, his knees touch the seat; he kneels over my shoulder! And he's quick to change positions on his own, settling onto my lap as if we were going to read a book ... or as if I was Santa Claus! Still, he's able to find comfort from my touch, and Pooh's, and I'm grateful.

After a while I put him back in his crib, but he wakened and stood up crying. Happy for the chance to comfort and cuddle with him, I offered to lie down with him in Mommy and Daddy's bed. He accepted the offer and snuggled right in with his head under my chin.

Oh. I remember this feeling. I loved snuggling with Calvin when he was just home from the hospital. We had the Moses basket by the bed and I would bring him in with me to nurse at night. It's rare, now, to have any quiet time with him. It's a treat to have him on my lap for a story or to tie his shoes!

Just as I'm getting used to this, he flips like a pancake and his feet are in my face. Literally. His big toe is touching my nose. This is not nearly as lovely at first, but as I remember my connection to these little feet that used to reach out for me from within, I take hold of one and kiss it. Calvin's feet. I love these feet.

Then he's back again, this time lying diagonally from the top right corner to the bottom left. It leaves little room for me, much less for me and Dad, but he settles into a deep sleep here; his hands are open and relaxed, just like Grandma likes them.

I'm not sure how I'll bring myself to move him back to his crib, but I have time to figure that out. I'm not tired, anyway.