Ok, I think it's time to update this blog again! I wrote some stuff about Callie and Gustav a couple months ago that I am going to post first. Then I will update you all on little Gabe :)
Written in early February 2009:
Callie has been in Pre-K at Roanoke Catholic for 5 months now and loves it! She is doing so well. We had a parent teacher conference about a week ago and she had only great things to say about her. Apparently, back in October, her teacher, Mrs. Meadows did an evaluation of her skills when starting Pre-K (letters of the alphabet, numbers, counting, social skills, spirituality etc.) She said that Callie started school with a lot of knowledge and I was pretty surprised. Aside from reading books, I never did much with her at home (we do have an alphabet book that she likes.) She told me that reading is the best thing you can do and even the most underprivileged children will know as much as the ones who watch TV and have all the games in the world, if they are just read to. I truly believe that, and I believe most people do too much and worry too much about how ‘smart’ their children are. Callie is 4 ½ years old and is beginning to sound out words only because she really wants to! I’m also told that she is a leader, plays with everyone and helps others when they need it. The friends she most talks about are Rachael and Haleigh. She continues to be a sweet sister and daughter at home, although we are constantly reminded about how much she knows because she’s 4 ½ (the ½ being the most important part!) She is so ready to be 5 because all the kids in her class are turning 5! She is still all girl and loves dress up, jewelry and dresses. I did find out in a book about her that she made at school that her favorite color is purple. After school she still naps about 3 days a week and has room time the other days while Gustav naps. After that, the two of them are always playing together either in the basement or in their rooms. They fight often, but are usually able to work it out after the threat of staying in their rooms alone. She is excited about having a baby brother, but is waiting until ‘her’ baby comes (apparently I’m supposed to have a baby girl next.)
Some of the best Callie quotes and favorites:
1. I constantly drop things when I’m pregnant and I told her once that I have ‘butter fingers.’ We recently got new kitchen chairs that are about 1 inch smaller than the old ones and she constantly sits on the edge of the chair. One day she finally slipped off the chair and told me she has ‘butter bottom.’
2. She has 2 loose teeth because she forcefully bit into a plastic orange while playing with her brother one day. She is SO excited about this because she is the only one in her class with a loose tooth. Apparently, every morning at school they get to pray for something and Callie prays for her loose tooth. I’ve also been told that several other kids in her class are going home and purposefully trying to loosen their teeth.
3. Callie learned to whistle! She's getting quite good at it!
4. She is begining to read! She read her first book on 1/31/09!
Gustav:
Gustav is growing up so fast! He still thinks he’s going to school next year, but is going to be sad when he realizes he’s not. I’m going to hold him back a year since he will just turn 4 at the beginning of September. He is so patient and listens to Callie talk about how great school is and all her friends and he never complains. He is going to do well when it’s his turn! I hope spending time with me and the baby next year will be good for him too! He has learned to dress himself (except socks,) but occasionally forgets his underwear or puts something on backwards. He learns when he’s ready, and once he knows how to do something, he is content to let me do it for him. Yes, this creates a lot of battles between us! He is very observant and easily entertains himself. He has absolutely no interest in television (never has) and is really good at playing pretend, either alone or with his sister (right now he’s fishing with a race track!) He is really excited about having a little brother to teach things to. Probably the most noticeable change with him is he is becoming more forceful. He doesn’t let Callie tell him what to do all the time anymore and he lets her know it. He also tries to talk more instead of letting her do all the talking. When Callie started school, as soon as I would drop her off, he would start talking and never stop until we picked her up again. I think he likes that and has learned that what he says is important too!
Favorites about Gustav:
1. Callie got in the car after school one day and was freaking out because she had to learn her phone number for school. So, on the way home I kept repeating it to her over and over and she would constantly repeat it back wrong. Finally, after about 5 minutes of this, Gustav who was sitting back there not saying a word during this says “It’s 491-9478 Callie!”
2. We all like to call each other silly names (wiggle pants, monkey etc.) One evening during dinner Gustav when we were throwing out names, Gustav said “Callie, you’re a dot com.”) When I asked him what a “dot com” was he said “it’s a store.”
3. I can’t remember if I mentioned Gustav’s bumping car phase. He used to love to take a small toy car (like a matchbox car) and “bump it.” That means he would find a wrinkle in a couch, or a spot where a carpet hit a solid floor or an open book and drive the car slowly back and forth over it so he could watch it bump. Whenever I wanted to get something done I would say “Gustav, why don’t you go bump your cars” and he would be occupied for hours. During this time he was also into speed bumps – he still always asks me to drive out of my way so I have to go over a speed bump!
4. He loves to have his back rubbed and will sit on my lap and pick up the back of his shirt and tell me to rub his back.
5. He does not like being called ‘cute’ or when I try to take a picture of him when he looks cute. For some reason I think he thinks I’m making fun of him.
6. He loves all heavy machinery, police cars, fire engines etc. They are doing some construction at Callie’s school and every morning he asks me to stop so we can watch the construction equipment. Most of all he loves garbage trucks! He even pretends he’s a garbage truck when he drinks his milk.
That’s all for now. I think it’s about time to write an update on the newest member of our family!
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