Measuring Tape Guy

Cal's playing with his measuring tape. He measured Pooh Bear and gave him a glowing diagnosis. When he finished measuring my legs, I asked, "How'm I doin', doc?" to which he replied:

"I'm not a doctor, Mom. I'm Measuring Tape Guy."

Sweet Dreams

It didn't take long for Calvin to find a reason to cozy in on the top bunk. As it turns out, a faulty sippy cup propelled him upward.

When the leaking cap left his bed sopping wet just minutes into nap time we were both happy for an alternative literally steps away. Cal climbed up the ladder, settled in with Pooh, and closed his eyes.

Still, a two-hour nap is different than a twelve-hour night. He was allowed to nap up there (but sleep down below) for a week before we were confident that he would stay put.

Isn't he adorable? A sleeping child restores all gushy, lovey-dovey feelings that might have waned slightly during the three hour-long "why?" game, or the forty-five minute "but I don't want to pick up my toys" stand-off.

Sleep, child, sleep.

Now Taking The Stage ...

With Cousin Ava in the same town as Cal's grandparents -- in the same house one day each week -- he often finds himself happily in her company.

We took advantage of one of her (and Ingrid's) days in Grammy's care to arrange a play date.

Before walking to a nearby park for the morning, we took the first pictures of the four Anderson grand kids together. Calvin and Ava arrived at the unplanned 'photo shoot' with coordinated outfits and coordinated ideas: band practice. Though it appears they just had trumpet and lead vocals on hand.

Cousins United

Calvin's cousins, Chloe and Ava, are five days apart in age but (live) miles apart geographically. So it was a special treat to have them together in the same house at the same time!

Cal would gladly jump in any pool at any time, but it's especially fun on a hot day at the Petersen's.

Uncle Kurt guarded the splashy kids in the pool until dinnertime when they changed into their PJs and enjoyed some pizza by the pool.

Ingrid crashed just before dinner, but the rest of the grand kids on both sides were all around one table. A first.

A Boy and His Wagon

It's a lovely walk from Grandma's house to the downtown area, about a mile away. With equally lovely weather for the week, we put the stroller, the wagon, and the baby carrier to good use and walked.

We figured that the kids would enjoy the ride, but they often got out to walk alongside, even to pull the wagon!

Calvin could hardly resist. After tanking up on a morning snack, he pulled the wagon behind him nearly the entire way home!

Chloe and Storey

With a thousand miles between our homes, we hope for but don't expect frequent visits with Calvin's cousins, Chloe and Storey. We were thrilled, then, to learn that we would have another in 2008.

This makes three for this calendar year, two of them this summer!

The girls spent a week at Grandma's house while their parents were overseas for a wedding. Calvin, Nora, and I joined them there.

Calvin and Chloe picked up where they left off, playing and singing; same antics, different venue. We explored the Children's Museum, ran around the Morton Arboretum, swam at The Beach, and climbed at the neighborhood park. Grandma's encouragement to enjoy the simple things all around us led us to the Riverwalk. We walked along the river on our way to feed the ducks. And none of us were surprised when we all ended up wading in the water. Good old fashioned fun.

Especially when visits are few and far between, it's wonderful to see these relationships strengthened.

Ahoy Matey!

Julie and I found ourselves without husbands for the weekend so we decided to get together at my place. Somehow two adults with four kids sounds better than one adult with two kids. I'm not sure the union resulted in any less work, but it's always fun to see each other.

We don't need outings to make our visits adventurous. After fighting construction traffic coming around the lake, Wil emerged from the car in pirate mode, ready to conquer the world. He and Calvin ran immediately to his new room, mounted the bunk beds (aka their pirate ship) and made every pirate noise they knew. Aarrrrggghhhh!

We did pack a picnic lunch and head to Royal Oaks Farm. The boys climbed around the playground equipment before spotting the carousel and saddling up on the horse of their choice.

Calvin and Wil were unstoppable, as usual, but they both slowed down every now and then to acknowledge their younger siblings. They even let us snap a photo of the fantastic four.

Big Boy Bunk Bed!

With child number two on the way, we -- well, Eric -- decided to renovate the spare bedroom, which also served as our office. In short, he tore off the tongue and groove paneling and vaulted the ceiling. But it was no small job! Throw in new windows, new floor, new electrical work, and a not-so minor flood when one of the radiators busted mid-project, and you'll believe me when I say that he has been keeping himself busy this year.

The end result, however, is beautiful. And just perfect for a Big Brother.

Calvin moved into his new room after Nora was born but before she moves into the crib. (She's staying in our room for a couple of months.) Of course, we've been talking it up for a while now and his anticipation has been growing, giving tours to visitors.

We moved the pre-renovation bedroom set back to the room upon completion. It happens to be Eric's first big-boy bedroom set, including two twin (bunk) beds, a dresser and desk. But while Cal's excitement about his room was growing, his attachment to his crib had not waned. I envisioned moving the crib to the room, as well. Which, for the record, was fine with me. I wasn't in a hurry to move him to a new bed.

However ... we did set up the furniture while he was in Montana with Grandma.

We talked to him by phone as the carpet was laid, and I let him know that I was setting up new beds for him. He was stoked. We brought him home from Montana in the middle of the night so he slept in the crib. But first thing the next morning he scoped out his new digs.

Not surprisingly, he immediately climbed to the top bunk and wanted to nap there later in the day. I agreed to let him sleep on the bottom bunk (not so keen on the idea of going straight from a crib to the TOP bunk!) but he was too excited, too fidgety, to actually sleep. He ended up crashing in his crib. But that night he tried again and fell right to sleep in his big boy bed.

There's no turning back now. This kid's growing up.

Dog Days of Summer

As we all adjust to life with a new baby, I have been intentional about finding a fun activity for just Calvin and me to enjoy. Nora's nap time provides a perfect opportunity.

While Nora slept, Calvin and I washed the balls for his play house. Filling the bath tub, we dumped them in and sloshed them around until they were clean. Fun. So fun, in fact, that Calvin couldn't resist jumping in. I mean, balls AND water? That's the perfect combination!

We drained the germy water and refilled the tub for the boy to play. I wondered whether he'd ever get out.

Nothing says Summertime (to me) like homemade orange juice popsicles. Cal and I mixed up some OJ and poured them into the cups, took a nap, and returned to the freezer to find our refreshing afternoon snack waiting to be enjoyed.

We took them to the back steps where we could let the juice run down our arms as it pleased. The best part? We got to eat another one when Daddy came home from work!!

We even packed some in a cooler and walked them to our friends' (the E-Bs) house.

Up, Up, and Away

(Post by Grandma. Pictures coming.)

Calvin had a couple special weeks shortly after becoming a big brother. Grandma Caldwell came to stay and help with things around the house for 1 week and then Calvin and Grandma flew to Montana to visit Uncle Chris, Aunt Jenifer and cousins Chloe and Storey for the 2nd week.

With toy figures for each person along, Calvin chatted with them about the trip, even showing each one the view from the plane.

Though each day, Calvin got homesick for Mommy and Daddy for a little while, he wanted them to 'go up, up in the sky' to be with him where he was.

Chloe and Storey had fun showing Calvin their new house, the deer that stroll naturally through the yard, the wonderful parks and mountain streams in beautiful Missoula, Montana.

The World from Cal's Perspective

Calvin is usually in front of the camera; especially in the pictures featured here. So here's a taste of what he does on the other side of the lens.

While out on our porch, Cal got a hold of the camera and snapped more than a few artistic shots. Here are my favorites:

- Cal's toys, and nice clean carpet. Thanks Grandma!!

- Dad on the phone

- Mom's knee and hand

Comfort Under Cover

Calvin finds a great deal of comfort in two things, Pooh Bear and snuggling into a blanket.

So when his sister started crying he suggested that she might like the vibrating chair, then proceeded to give her Pooh Bear and cover her up with a blanket -- from head to toe.

Yeah, that's Nora under there. Pooh Bear's in there, too, down by her feet.

It was such a sweet move, topped off with his mother's (which is probably actually his grandmother's) comforting technique: the double-pat.

"It's okay, Nora", he'd say, while gently patting her.

He's such a great big brother.

Galena: Party of Four

After a few special Big Brother days with Grammy and Papa, (about which I hope we'll hear more soon ... ) we joined our little guy in Galena, reuniting us as a new family of four.

It was a pretty quiet visit for Nora and me, (she was just four days old, afterall) but Cal and his Dad managed to keep busy. The big adventure was our evening at the pool.

Yes, that's my two-year old jumping off of a diving board. Granted, it's about two feet above the water, but still -- look at him -- he's flying!

Cal watched others jumping for a while before he and Eric swam over to give it a try. But he didn't hesitate. Holding my hand, he stepped up on the board, walked to the end and jumped.

And then he did it again. And again. And again. And again. ... and again.

There were quieter times as well. He cuddled up with Baby Nora, too, even sharing his beloved Pooh Bear with his new sister. I don't sense jealousy or competition in him yet. It was his idea to let Nora rest on his bear, and his choice to join her when she looked comfortable (instead of pulling it back for himself).

My son.

A Big Brother In Galena

(Post by Grammy)

With mommy and Nora getting good care in the hospital, Calvin joined Grammy and Papa for a few days of fun in Galena. With a picnic supper, Pooh and a big blanket, Calvin watched a pre-4th of July air show over the Mississippi River, followed by fireworks. That was so much fun, Calvin got to see more fireworks on the 4th.

Most of the time in Galena was spent just hanging out at the playground, playing in the playhouse and, a favorite Galena activity, happily playing with Daddy's old toys. Grammy and Papa had lots of fun too!

For more pictures of this visit, click here.

A Big Brother is Born

Calvin was the first on the scene when Nora was born.

He woke up to Grammy and Papa at his house and the three made their way to the hospital lickety-split.

A wide-eyed boy entered our room and climbed into the bed with Nora and me. Taking note of the baby in my arms, he turned his attention to the subtle details, like my hospital gown and Nora's oxygen tube.

But he soon found Nora's eyes and her nose, and it wasn't long before he wanted to take an active role in caring for his sister. "I want to hold my baby in my arms", he said.

He settled in next to me and held out his arms. Handing over Nora, I wrapped my arms around both of my kids for the first time; what a feeling!

And just like that, a big brother is born.

If you'd like to meet Calvin's little sister, check out her blog.

More Body Art

With his smiley face wearing off, Calvin was itching for more body art.

This time he wanted something on his arm, so Dad went for the old standby, an anchor; one on each arm, in fact.

The growing obsession didn't stop there, though. Calvin convinced his dad to join the club and helped to draw an anchor on his arm, too.

This, of course, led to pirate noises and manly poses.

A Day at the Movies

I haven't been chomping at the bit to take Calvin to a movie theater.

He's not overly interested in television and even his favorite videos don't hold his attention for more than thirty minutes, if that.

Cal has watched one feature-length film in its entirety exactly once: Toy Story II (I think the original is too scary, with that neighbor kid, Sid, destroying toys and whatnot.) And while he periodically asks for Buzz and Woody, he's up and playing after fifteen minutes.

What I'm trying to say is that it was fully out of character for us to take Calvin to a movie today.

I'm not sure whether it was the promise of another Pixar film (do you love them as much as we do?) or just an excuse to get out of the house on a rainy afternoon, but we were suddenly off to the theater with peanut M&Ms and Pooh Bear in hand. Just incase we needed a little comfort.

We watched the trailer at home to introduce Cal to Wall-e and talked about sitting in a chair in front of a big, big, BIG screen ... but one has to experience the theater to know it.

Honestly, I thought he'd find it loud and overwhelming and we'd head home after 30 minutes. But Cal surprised me. He sat adorably in his own chair, between Mom & Dad, Pooh Bear in his lap and munched on his M&Ms. He stared awestruck at the screen. He loved the previews -- more cartoons -- and would talk quietly to the characters just like he does at home. He laughed and 'ouched' at appropriate times, and seemed quite at home at the theater. Must be our kid.

Of course, thirty minutes later ... his M&Ms were gone and he was ready to play. He seemed to understand that he needed to be quiet, but found the moving seat remarkable and, if there had been more available for him, he would have sat in every one of them!

After a few minutes of playing he would settle in on one of our laps for a few minutes, then stand, then sit, then stand, and finally nestled in on Dad's lap for the remaining twenty minutes.

Calvin clapped at the end. And he deserved a round of applause, too.

Entertaining Visitors

It's true, we're waiting for our baby to arrive. But we're not just twiddling our thumbs and drawing on our bellies -- we're entertaining visitors, as well!

Uncle Shane came for the weekend, to spend a little time with his favorite nephew and to help prepare his Big Brother room. They played at the park and enjoyed cracking each other up. Sadly, Mom was too slow with the camera to get a picture of these two because Shane arrived wearing a shirt that matched Cal's: picture perfect.

Friend Wil stopped in for lunch on his way home from GG and Papa's. He was kind enough to bring his Mom, Dad, and brother, Josh, though these two boys were the main event, as usual.


It was a quick visit, but we found time to swing by the fire station and Wil helped Calvin break in his new Big Brother chair!

(You know, the one that only Big Brothers get to use ... when babies are in the swing ....)

Anyone else want to come over? I think we'll be around for a while longer ....

Passing Time ...

What do you do while you're waiting for a baby to arrive?

That's For My Baby!

With the birth of our baby just around the corner, we've started to prepare the house. We pulled out items we haven't seen in years: a swing, a bouncy chair, a moses basket....

Our intention was to make things easier for us when we return home with a little one who needs to be set down somewhere, but this served as good preparation for Calvin, too. I was pleased with how quickly he figured out what was going on.

He came down in the morning, looked at the bouncy chair and said, "That's for my baby?!"

Now, at least once a day, he'll make the rounds pointing out everything that belongs to his baby.

Father's Day 2008

Calvin is fortunate to have a father like Eric.

No doubt he already feels the affects of a dad who has made career decisions based on how much time he'll have with his family.

Whether Eric is mowing the lawn or setting up for a group at camp, Calvin is welcome by his side, and on his lap.

From his dad, Calvin will learn to value family, to work hard, to contribute to his community, and to love the Lord.

I am so proud of Eric and thankful to have his influence on my child(ren).

Happy Father's Day, hon.

Time with Ava ... and company

A busy week at work for Mom & Dad meant some good quality time with Ava. Really, with Grammy, Papa, Uncle Ryan AND Cousin Ava, but let's be honest ... it's all about Ava.

Spending a couple of days downtown Chicago, Grammy planned and provided fun opportunities for these two, and Uncle Ryan took time off of work to enhance the experience.

They beetled around town, visited a museum and strolled through Lincoln Park Zoo.

And while they wouldn't have done any of it

without Grammy, or had nearly as much fun without Ryan, the time together served to increase the bond between these two little ones.

I mean, c'mon, they hold hands without encouragement!

Bath Time with Pooh Bear

Poor Bear is still a beloved member of our family. He has taken up permanent residence in Calvin's bed and goes back and forth to school each day for nap time.

Needless to say, he requires frequent washing. Fortunately he's washing machine compatible.

I usually scrub him with a brush before sending him for a spin. But this time, as Calvin was hopping into the tub, I thought that Pooh Bear might just want to go for a swim, too.

Turns out he did. Just look at that water! Poor Cal had to rinse off afterwards.

Pooh Bear is especially cuddly after he's washed properly and "nice and warm" from the dryer.

Ready for another week.

Ouch!

A scratch on Cal's palm warranted his first band-aid. No blood, but the removal of a couple of layers of skin leaves poor little nerves exposed.

The kid was crushed. And although the band-aid provided a little cushion, it didn't help all that much. So we propped him up on the couch for a little R&R with Pooh Bear and a snack.

Fortunately the pain didn't last long. Before I knew it, we had moved on to happier topics: glasses.

Back in the Pool

I had hoped to get back in the pool with Calvin before summer, and before our little little one arrives at the end of June. When friends of ours said that they had signed up for a swim class at the YMCA, I broke my one-activity-at-a-time rule and hopped on to that bandwagon, too.

Yay! Back in the pool!!

For kids Calvin's age, swim instruction consists of water acclimation, getting kids used to the water. Well, this is not an issue for our little guy.

Perhaps it's because we took this class when he was six months old, or maybe he's just naturally drawn to water, but if Cal can get his toes -- even better, his whole self -- into the water at any time, there's no holding him back!

As first time parents were easing their first time children into the water, Calvin was jumping in, fully engulfed, and working hard to land anywhere BUT in my arms.

Our teacher (who remembered us from nearly two years ago) suggested that we put Cal in a life jacket and give him a little freedom. He loved it!

So each week he straps on a life jacket and hops in the pool. I'm not sure that he's learning much but he loves our 30-minutes in the pool each week.

He spends most of his time jumping in, kicking and paddling back to the side of the pool, climbing up the ladder to get out, and hopping back in.

And his mother, at eight months pregnant, loves this independence!

There's Juice in There!

Quite innocently, while eating a clementine today, Calvin looked up at me and said, "There's juice in there!".

Brilliant little boy. He's right!

Then he proceeded to line up his pieces "like a couch".

I love to see this little guy's mind at work.

The Sign of a True Artist?

When music class ended we found something else to do on Tuesday morning: art class!

The class is open to two and three year olds, and our wonderful teacher, Ms. Carol, knows just what to do with these little ones; we're never in one place for too long.

Class begins with "circle time". We sing a few songs before listening to a short lesson on the daily topic. So far we've covered birds, butterflies, wild flowers, and spiders.

Once we learn about our subject, its natural habitat and the like, we're on to the art! We've assembled a bird's nest and fashioned a bird, painted a butterfly, planted a flower in a hand-painted pot, and strung up our own spider web.

I have to admit, it's tempting to help Calvin with these projects. They're meant to be just beyond his abilities, (I use the scissors, for example) but he holds the paint brush, chooses the colors, and applies paint where he will.

His artistic ability really showed itself during the spider web project. We were meant to make an orb web, symmetrical and roundish. The matrix was laid out for us, we were meant to apply a long string to it. (This is what one student created, with the help of her mom.)

Calvin wanted nothing to do with it.

As I applied dots of glue as a guide for placement, he wadded up the long string and mashed it all onto the paper at once. (This is Cal's.)

Ms. Carol was by our side, on cue. "Good work, Calvin! That's beautiful!"

I think her encouragement was just as beneficial for me as it was for Calvin. As someone who values playing by the rules, I would have preferred a symmetrical orb that more closely resembled the teacher's example. But Calvin's is beautiful, and I love that the spider web we took home represents my little boy's desire, intuition ... artistic eye, even.

I fulfilled my role and applied the glue, ensuring that Calvin's brilliance was captured just as the artist intended.

A Boy and His Berries

Knowing how much Calvin loves berries -- strawberries, blueberries, and especially raspberries -- Grandma arrived with the gift of a raspberry bush of his very own.

We searched the land for a good place to plant it. (Where, oh where, could this thing survive in spite of Calvin's Mother's amazing ability to kill plants?!)

Once settled, Grandma went to work. Calvin ate berries as a promise of good things to come, (notice how he puts one on his finger before popping it in his mouth?) and I took pictures.

The Times, They Are A-Changin'

Leave it to the expert marketing teams at Huggies to provide a reality check for the status of our home.

With our names on baby lists all over the place, we've been getting coupons and free samples of various baby products as long as Calvin has been alive. They track his development better than we do, sending the next size of diaper just as he's moving up, etc.

So we weren't surprised when we received a Pull-Up potty training diaper in the mail. We were surprised when a newborn diaper with umbilical cord care arrived with it!

Oh yes, indeed. The times are a-changin' 'round these parts.

Burying Grammy-Great

Grammy-Great's entire family was present for her funeral.

She would have loved it.

We had a private graveside burial before a family dinner to celebrate her life. We were each given a rose and the opportunity to share some thoughts about our dearly departed.

Needless to say, this was a touching time for everyone ... except perhaps for the two-year olds among us. Calvin and Ava expressed themselves by around the graveyard, enjoying the tombstones, benches, bushes, trees ... pretty much anything they found.

When we did return to the group, Calvin knew just what to do with his rose. He walked straight over to the vase by Grammy-Great's grave and added his rose to the rest. I followed suit, expressing tearful sentiment for both of us:

From "the cutest little kid ever" (what she always called Calvin). And "because you always spoke your mind".

Rest in peace, Grandma.