Getting Messy

A couple Sundays ago, I found myself smack-dab in the middle of one of my worst nightmares. In the car, Nathan told me he wasn't feeling well then proceeded to vomit into a bag... that had a giant hole at the bottom. It took every ounce of strength for me to drive home without vomiting as well.

Over the next few hours, I poured all my energy into washing vomit out of the car and his clothes. Then I had to disinfect every surface he may have touched, and do all sorts of other cleaning to distract myself from the atrocity that was unfolding. It is so hard to have emetophobia and be empathetic and care for a sick child at the same time. Between cleaning and checking up on Nathan, I had to do something else calm myself down.

So I sat down to paint the cover of my December Daily album. Afterwards, Caleb decided he also wanted to paint so I let him use some watercolours. He did that for a bit but it wasn't enough for him - the colours weren't bold enough, the paint didn't "last" long enough. He wanted to use acrylics just like his mom. By this point, I was too exhausted to argue with him so I braced myself and let him go wild with my paints.

Caleb squeezed colours straight from the tube, moved them around the paper with his brush, then selected his next colour.

I have always wondered how people paint, especially abstractly. I've always been curious to know whether painters have a picture in their mind that they re-create on their canvas, or if they approach a blank canvas with nothing in mind, letting their brush move freely. Of course, I can't generalize and just say this is how all artists do it, but watching Caleb over the next half an hour gave me a little glimpse into maybe what happens inside the mind of an artist, or at the very least, in Caleb's mind.

As he chose colours, he explained to me that one side was the goodies (black) and the other side was the baddies (yellow). He added grey to help the goodies, then added colours to help the baddies. He'd drag one colour to touch the next, saying things like, "red is having a piggy back on yellow".

I can now understand his painting as not just a random smooching together of colour. There is a story behind why he chose certain colours and where they are on his page, why some colours are touching and some are not. One day, the story behind this painting will probably be forgotten but the beautiful art will still be there.

Full Day

Caleb's been going to school for about 4 months now and he's still excited as ever to go to school every morning.

Towards the end of October, he got this idea in his head that he should stay for lunch. I let the idea sit for a while to see if it was just something he was saying, or if he actually wanted it. Sure enough, he kept asking so by the beginning of November, he started staying for lunch.

I had a quick meeting with his class directors and both of them agreed he was definitely ready to stay for longer - he has a good, focused work cycle and has the stamina to last through the afternoon. They were both excited about getting to do some work with him in the afternoons so that was reassuring for me.

He loved that he got to play with his friends at break time and have lunch with them. I was so surprised to see his lunch container completely empty every afternoon. I had expected him to be too busy chatting away to finish his food, but then again, the boy loves his food.

A week later, Caleb started staying until 2pm. That was such an awkward pick-up time for me to work around seeing as how I had to be back at 3pm to pick up Nathan.

Luckily, that only lasted 5 days because Caleb's decided that starting today, he will go to school for the full day. 

This happened so much faster than I had planned, but I'm glad Caleb knows himself well enough to decide this is what he needs to do.

I'm so proud of you, big guy!

Caleb's First Lunch at School

As of today, we are officially packing two school lunches!

Ignore the saucy bowls.

Everyday last week, Caleb asked me if he could stay at school for lunch. I didn't act on his request right away, just to see if it was something he actually wanted, but by Friday, he insisted that I "talk to Ashleigh, and I'll stand beside you". So I had a quick chat with his teacher, we set up a meeting for Monday morning, and next thing you know, my baby boy is staying for lunch the next day.

He was so, so excited. Not acting crazy excited, but genuinely ready to meet the next milestone in his Montessori career, and excited that he was able to do it.

It was so beautiful to see Nathan help Caleb pack his lunch and wish him a good first day of having lunch at school. Unfortunately, this means I'll no longer get to see Nathan in the middle of the day while he's out playing as I pick Caleb up from school. It also means I don't have anyone to eat lunch with anymore!

But seeing how happy Caleb was when I picked him up today, hearing about who he played with and how he played on both playgrounds, and seeing that he ate his whole entire lunch, I know this is the right thing for him.

Remember to Smile

A little while ago, Caleb caught me scribbling notes to myself on my hand as we rushed out the door to pick Nathan up from school. He asked me why I was writing on my hand, so I told him I needed to remind myself to do some things.

He asked me to write something on his hand, too, for him to remember. So I drew a happy face on his hand and told him it will remind him to be happy.

Now, ever so often, I'll find Caleb with a marker in one hand and a handful of happy faces in the other.

He says it's to remind him to be happy :)

This one is the happiest because it has two dimples.

Smile Through The Rain

It rained a lot over the weekend but that didn't stop this little guy from smiling and having fun. Caleb spent an entire hour playing in the rain on Saturday while we watched Nathan's soccer game. He had his umbrella but didn't bother using it until after the game - when he was already nice and wet. Boys will be boys.

Working with Caleb

Caleb had been in school for less than two weeks when we were invited to his class to see him work. At that point, he had been introduced to about five activities so I wasn't really expecting to see too much. I know, how supportive of me. 

Regardless, I was interested to see how he was adjusting to this new environment. The first material Caleb chose to show us was the colour tablets. He showed us the secondary set first.

Then, he showed us the primary set of colour tablets.

Afterwards, he moved on to showing us a set of materials he had just been introduced to that morning.

When I picked Caleb up from school earlier in the day, he told me one of the things he did was, "there were black lines and I put yarn on the black lines". I couldn't figure out what that was but then he showed us - he had been learning to sew on hessian (burlap). Caleb was so meticulous and precise with his technique. I was so impressed by his determination to make sure his needle only went through the black line and nowhere else.

After a quick water break, Caleb showed us the brown staircase which involved going back and forth between the shelf where it is stored, and our spot on the carpet, about 20 times. It is so interesting to understand the amount of persistence and patience required to complete such a simple task.

By the time Caleb finished putting the staircase away, we were one of the last families left in the classroom. I love taking the time to go into the boys' classrooms to see them work. Even though us being present in the classroom changes how they behave, it's nice to see a glimpse of how they work.

Caleb's First Day of School

Caleb's big day has finally arrived. Ever since we visited his classroom last Monday, he has been asking me every single day whether it was time for him to go to school. Everyday, I had to tell him not yet, but today was the day.

We all got ready and had breakfast. Caleb won't have the option of dropping Nathan off at school and coming back for breakfast anymore! We managed to sneak in a couple first day of school photos as we were leaving the house.

Then, the boys walked to school while I went back inside to enjoy a cup of tea in silence. Just kidding. The boys really wanted to walk to school but unfortunately, we don't live close enough to the school for us to walk in the mornings. It would probably take us about an hour to get there.

We arrived almost half an hour early because Nathan starts school earlier. Caleb was so pumped but we had to wait for all the other students to settle in first.

When one of his teachers finally came to invite him in, Caleb was so excited, he walked through the gate and straight past her. She reminded him they needed to shake hands first, and then they were on their way. I could hear Caleb chatting with her the entire way up. He went straight in and didn't look back.

When I picked him up, he was all smiles and still bursting with energy. His teacher commented that he did lots of work and was "thirsty for knowledge" and invited him back for a longer visit tomorrow.  My little guy is officially going to school.

Lessons Learned

Growing up is all about learning lessons and Caleb had to learn a pretty tough one today, one with built-in natural consequences.

The boys have a tendency to play with the light in the car. Sometimes, they leave it on and most of the time, I'll realize and turn it off, but other times, it stays on and the battery gets drained. This happened one time with Nathan and he's learned his lesson.

This time was Caleb's turn. In the morning, we dropped Andrew off at his bus stop and when we got home, Caleb decided he wanted to play in the car a little longer. Usually when he's finished, he'll close the door and come inside. I went about my business, doing some work upstairs and when I came back down, I noticed the car door had been left open. It had been quite some time now but I didn't think much of it.

Later on, it was time for us to go to the park to meet up with some friends and pick up Nathan from his sleepover. We got in the car, all excited to go to a new park and then the dreaded sound of my car choking and dying filled the garage. I realized my battery was dead. We couldn't go to the park.

I told Caleb the bad news and he got really upset. I explained to him that we couldn't go anywhere because the light was left on in the car and it used up all the battery so now the car couldn't start. He was desperate to go. He thought if we waited a little while, the car would have battery and we could go again.

But unfortunately, that's not how it works. He volunteered another solution: I want to walk to Tennyson Park, Mommy. But the park was too far. It would have taken us 20 minutes to drive there.

Defeated, Caleb let go of the idea of going to the park and found something quiet to do. He scribbled away furiously on a piece of paper, then he taught himself another lesson.

He found a ruler, placed it on his paper and asked me: Mommy, this one you put your hand on it and you draw beside it?

And just like that he learned another lesson.

The Process Has Begun

It's finally happening. We've been dragging our heels for two terms now but we've finally decided it's time for Caleb to go to school. He is so ready for it, even though he told me over and over again that he wasn't going to start school until he turned four. A couple weeks ago, after dropping Nathan off at school, he asked me if he was four yet. I think that's his way of saying it's time.

We submitted our application on Monday and had an interview with the principal this morning.

I can't believe that this brilliant little boy I've had keeping me company for the past three and a half years is going to be going to school soon!

Writing in the Sand

Caleb has known how to write his name for about six months now, but it never hurts to practice!

Conversations with Caleb

Children are such interesting characters. Sometimes I wish I could take a peek inside their brains to see what they're thinking - their thought processes and the connections they're making. Occasionally, they'll say something to give you a glimpse of what's going on inside their heads.

Here are a few recent gems from Caleb:

On the way back from the mall, Andrew took a turn towards the highway, then groaned as he realized it would take us longer to get home. Caleb decided to add some wisdom to that moment, telling Andrew: the highway is not the best way.

After dropping Nathan off at school one day, we were driving home when Caleb asks me: mommy, am I four yet? He had been telling me that he wasn't going to school until he turned four so I replied: no, not yet. Do you want to go to school now, or something? To which he replied: yes, turn around. I explained: We can't go back to school right now. They don't have a spot for you yet and mommy has to fill out some forms! Later at home, he saw me writing on a piece of scrap paper and he immediately asked: Are you filling out the forms?

Occasionally, Caleb helps me put laundry away. He's usually very quick about it but this week, he put all his own clothes away and left out mine and Andrew's saying: I don't want to put yours and daddy's stuff away. I told him: Why? That's not nice! To which he replied: It's like onions. I don't want to touch it.

Andrew reads to the boys each night and one particular evening, he was reading the story about Joseph who lived in the land of Canaan. Caleb immediately told him: We went there on our cruise! Andrew later realized he was referring to Grand Cayman. Hah!

Caleb at 3 Years, 5 Months

It's time for an update on what's going on with Mr. C. After all, it's been about a year and a half since the last one! Caleb is still my lively little boy, so full of energy and love. He is more empathetic than any 3-year-old I know and I still love squishing his pudgy cheeks.

Right now, Caleb...

... is flip-flopping between being my baby kangaroo, and being my boy (as in, not my baby). And he keeps telling me he'll be a teenager in 10 years!

... always wants to help me in the kitchen. The instant he hears me bring out my metal mixing bowl, he announces that he wants to help me bake and pulls his little blue chair to the counter beside me. He's getting really good at cracking eggs and stirring slowly so the ingredients don't fly out of the bowl.

... has developed the habit of walking into a store, grabbing an item he likes and informing me that he wants to buy it.

... likes to order a hot chocolate for himself when I go out for tea with my girlfriends.

... no longer wears a diaper to bed. A couple weeks ago, he decided that they were not comfortable (they're a little tight, but we're finishing off our last box) and he was not going to wear them anymore. End of story. We've been washing bedding every few days but we're supporting his decision.

... helps me put away the laundry. I give him a little basket filled with clothes and within minutes, he'll have it all put away in their proper drawers.

... gets very emotional when certain things don't go the way they're "supposed to". For example, if he apologizes and the other person doesn't accept it by saying, "It's okay", he will burst into tears. It's happened twice and he's scared his little friends with his crying because he's normally not a crier but when he does, he lets it all out.

... gives Nathan a kiss on the cheek every morning before he gets out of the car before we drop him off at school. If that doesn't happen, Caleb will get very upset and burst into tears.

... has developed a nasty habit of letting out high-pitched squeals when he's overexcited. 

... plays Lego Batman any chance he gets (which is quite rare with our schedule). When he doesn't get to play, he grabs some of Nathan's Lego Marvel comics to read.

... looks at the camera, stands still and smiles (sometimes a really forced smile) every time I hold up my phone and point it in his direction. Sometimes, he tells me to stop taking videos of him.

... loves "In Summer" from Frozen. It's his wake up song*.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I can't imagine what my days are going to be like once this little guy starts going to school. He's been by my side everyday since we first arrived in Australia so I'm cherishing all our little moments together because I know that I'm going to be missing them, big time.

*When Caleb gets sleepy in the car, depending on whether we want to keep him awake or let him sleep, we will play certain songs. Sometimes when he's tired, he'll request a song and that's when we know he'll fall asleep shortly after. Then, there's the songs that will wake him up regardless of how tired he is. Usually, they're pretty silly. For the longest time, it was one of the songs Nathan learned in Chinese class (about two tigers). Then, it was AJ Rafael's parody of Taylor Swift's "Trouble". Right now, his wake up song is "In Summer". He loves Olaf.

Captured: From His Eyes

The days of Caleb and I hanging out in the mornings are numbered as we creep closer and closer to when he starts school so I'm trying to soak up every moment we have together.

We arrived for a friend's birthday morning tea a little early so we hung out in the car listening to music like we used to do. He grabbed my spare pair of sunglasses, put them on and stuck his face right up to mine so I could see my reflection. I snapped a shot of us both wearing sunglasses and captured a peek of my Mother's Day present as well!

The Great PL Card Massacre

I really should know better than to scrap on the ground and walk away without tidying my things up.

Caleb decided my Project Life cards would be perfect for practicing his newly refined cutting skills. Instead of tossing the pieces into the bin, I pieced the cards back together and stuck them onto a white  background. It's been a while since I've made a 12x12 layout, and this is probably the fastest one I've made, ever. 

Thank you, Caleb, for the surprise dose of inspiration and motivation, but please don't cut up any more of mommy's Project Life cards!

Koala Sanctuary with Caleb

One of the reasons I kept Caleb back from starting school this term was so I could prolong our mommy-Caleb hangout times. He's been by my side every single day since we moved to Australia and it'll be a huge change for both of us when he starts school.

Last term when Andrew and I started talking about when Caleb should start school, I had all these grand plans of how we'd spend our last term together. I would take him out to the botanic gardens to feed the ducks, go to the koala sanctuary to feed the kangaroos, hang out at the park - just fun activities that we could do together while everyone else was at school.

As always, my good intentions took a back seat to reality and my laziness. Instead of hanging out with him, he'd play Lego by himself while I worked at the computer.

But enough was enough. The other day, after dropping Nathan off at school, we drove straight to the koala sanctuary with my annual pass and our bag of leftover kangaroo food in hand. Despite the sweltering heat, we managed to spend our entire morning there.

The first thing Caleb wanted to go straight to the kangaroo enclosure to feed them breakfast. On the way, we saw the elusive wombat being taken out for a walk. I had never seen that before! The lady asked us to step back because apparently wombats can be aggressive towards people so we gave him a bit of space.

As we turned the corner, Caleb spotted a few roos so he hopped out of his stroller and ran over to greet them. Then, he quickly ran back to grab the food he had left behind.

For the next little while, we criss-crossed all through the enclosure finding any animal willing to eat out of Caleb's hand.

This last one was a feisty creature and decided that Caleb's one-piece-at-a-time method was too slow for her. She grabbed the bag and tore it open, emptying its contents onto the ground in front of her so she could gobble it all up.

At that point, Caleb was pretty much bored of feeding them anyway so we left to see the lorikeets. I just can't get over how colourful these birds are.

For the remainder of the morning, we walked along the bird cages, stopping at each one for Caleb to ask what it was called. My favourite were a couple of kookaburras. Aren't they just so gorgeous?

On the way out, Caleb decided to rest for a little while on the kid-sized couches. I'm pretty sure it was to watch the insects cartoon and cool down in the air conditioning.

Lovely Scent

Every Friday, Caleb comes to Bible study with me and we park our car under a frangipani tree.

Every week, Caleb points out the flowers that have blown off the tree and landed on the ground around our car.

Every week, I tell him it's one of my favourite flowers and we pick up a couple for Caleb to hold onto during our car ride home.

Most weeks the flowers disappear before we get home but this week, they made it home so I lay them on the little cupcake stand that I bought ages ago.

As they sat on my desk, a breeze blew in and I realized that they have a really pretty scent.

So now, even though they've withered into a flat mess, they still smell fresh and I'll keep them on my desk until next Friday, when Caleb will undoubtedly bring new ones home.

Little Wooden Truck

Caleb isn't the type of kid to carry a toy around with him all the time.*

But when he does, there's just so much love and joy that comes out of it.

* When Caleb carries things around, it's usually his backpack and lunch bag (like the big kids), or his "ring and watch" (like his daddy).