The Growing Caldwell Family

This sweet girl and I have been at odds lately and just haven’t connected. We’ve had fun together, but then are quickly at odds. She wants independence but is still a little girl. That tug of war inside of her leads her to lash out and often I am the target. In a way it is flattering that she feels safe to yell and be her worst with me, but it is also hurtful and leaves me angry.   I helped her make bath bombs, we laughed, we talked, and she shared things. I left her room after tucking her in feeling light and happy, the way you do after time with a good friend. I pray that one day she will look forward to spending time with me as her friend.

Charlie is becoming more and more his own person. I love talking with him and am amazed at how well he can carry a conversation. He knows and understands so much and thinks so logical. The other morning Sarah Graves wanted to kiss him before he left for school. She loves to kiss him and touch him and it just aggravates him! He doesn't want to be handled anymore. While wiping her kiss off he told her, "don't kiss me! I not like it." He is really cute and I also have a hard time not kissing all over him. I was sitting next to him the other day and this was our conversation Me: Charlie, you are so cute that I just want to take a bite! Charlie: No bite me. I a boy. Me: You are a cute boy and I want to take a little bite. Charlie: No bite me. I a boy! Me: Why can't I bite a little boy? Charlie: Because I special. Me: Yes, you are my special boy. He just melts my heart and I really do want to just gobble him up!

Sarah Graves and I have some conversations that are not intended to be funny, but sometimes get that way. For instance, the other night I had finished reading to her and we were laying there in her bed talking about how she is a princess, Aunt Nay is the queen, I'm the fairy godmother, and then I asked her about Lovie.  She said, "well, she can be the shepherd."  I said, "oh, is that something that you talked about at Sunday school?"  She said, "no momma, we talk about God!" I sure am silly! Another night we laid in her bed talking about our trip to Shreveport that is coming up.  I was mentioning to her the idea of spending the night at Grancy's house, which she liked very much.  Then she asked about where daddy, Charlie, and I would stay.  Before I could explain it all she said, "oh yeah, you can stay in the stable because there's no more room."  I said, "like Mary and Joseph did when Jesus was born?"  She said, ...

I posted yesterday about our struggle to get adjusted to a new school, but I also have to write about just how cute my girl is!  She is really talking a lot now and it is just getting so fun!  She expresses all sorts of ideas and thoughts to us.  I never realized all that was going on inside her mind and still probably only know a little of it.  The other morning she was putting on her clean panties and kept pulling at her nightgown.  When I asked her what was going on she replied, "my pgs stuck in my butt, BaBa."  She said it with complete sincerity and it was so hard not to laugh. Sunday she was painting and I asked who she was making a painting for.  Her typical response is Lovie, but that day she looked at me and said, "BaBa, I make this for you bring your work."  I now have a lovely green painting hanging above my desk that I couldn't be more proud of.  Monday I started with a cold and didn't feel good and she was whining about ...

SG is talking so so much these days and she is able to have conversation. She gets shy when I bring out the camera so I can't capture it live. I want to remember some of her cute ways. Instead of tomorrow, she says tomano. When she talks about the fish Nemo, she calls it Meno! She calls her pjs, pgs. Up means the opposite of where she is. If you're holding her, up means get down and if she is standing, it means pick her up. She also does the same thing with upstairs.

Sarah Graves is really using phrases more!  Last night she ran in the den and jumped on a chair shouting, "shark get me!"  I took the opportunity to rush over to her pretending to be a shark that was gobbling her up and giggles ensued!  I know we pointed out sharks at the aquarium, but I'm not sure where she learned that sharks are predators.  I love seeing her imagination. Last night, I sneezed and she responded with, "bless you, baba."  This morning she sneezed in the car with Pops and he didn't respond.  She told him, "Pops, bless you, Sarah."  She knew that she wanted someone to say it to her.  On Sunday I told her that we needed to get dressed for church and she looked at me and said, "No Baba, fish" meaning that she wanted to go back to the aquarium rather than church.  Once I affirmed that we were going to church and we would go to the aquarium another day she said, "play toys."  That's her church, playing with to...

Sarah Graves is talking so much more each day and she says some funny things and sometimes even knows she's being funny! Me: Sarah Graves, I love you so much! SG: I know. (looking over her shoulder as she walks away) Me: Sarah Graves, I think we need to change your diaper. SG: (with a big grin) Lovie poop! Me: Do you have poop in your diaper? SG: Lovie diaper POOP! Me: Lovie wore your diaper and pooped in it? SG: (starting to giggle) MmmmHhhhmmmm. Aaron: Did Pops have to change her diaper, too? SG: Uh-huh (looking around pleased with her comedic talents). Yes, most of our conversations at dinner include some reference to poop or pee!  It really is her favorite topic of conversation; even though, she does not want to change her diaper or try to use the potty.  The best is when she shouts out POOP!  while we're in public.  Good times.

Sarah Graves is working very hard to talk and more and more often she is putting two or three words together to more fully communicate her idea.  She loves to identify that an object is hers as in, Sarah cup, Ba Ba cup, Da Da cup.  She can really say Lucy's name and she has totally picked up on how we call Lucy any time we drop food in the kitchen.  She dropped a craisin the other day and quickly called, "Lucy!"  I was somewhat surprised when Lucy came bounding down the stairs to see what Sarah Graves wanted.  Getting some food didn't hurt the reinforcement!  When Lucy is barking at what appears to be nothing, Sarah Graves will tell her, "Lucy, no!" just like I do.  That makes me aware of just how much those little ears are listening to everything I say! The most surprising thing she has said was the other day when she pointed at my chest and said, "boob."  I was so surprised that she had a word for that!  It's not as though we sit around ...

I have been waiting with great anticipation for Sarah Graves to say Momma.  She has been saying Da-Da for a while and she can say Pop for Pops.  I thought for a while that the mmm sound was hard for her, but she can tell you that the cow says, "mmmmm", so that isn't it.  Finally, last week we realized that she does call me, she just calls me Ba-Ba.  I guess that is kind of appropriate because I serve the purpose of a bottle in her world, so why night just refer to it that way! :)   So now if you ask her to say Momma, she will emphatically say Ba-Ba.  She is a funny kid.