Lessons...5/29/11

I was sitting in my sewing room when I heard Cael speaking very sternly to someone.  When I went to check on him I found him correcting Carmine (our dog).


Cael: (on the stairs holding Carmine's ear)  You need to walk down the stairs.  No running!


(He lets go of Carmine's ear and Carmine trots down the stairs)


Cael: Come back here!  I just told you to walk!  I'm not trying to be mean to you...if you run, you might fall down and hurt yourself!  I'm trying to save you!


Me: Cael, what are you doing?


Cael: Being frustrated!  I tried to teach Carmine his lessons but he wants to fall down the stairs! I gave it my best try...if he falls, I won't feel bad for him!




He was so serious.  I'm thinking that Cael needs a friend so he'll stop talking to the dog and stuffed animals!

A Prince...5/27/11

Cael saw a prince in a movie and decided that he really wanted to be a prince one day.  He was pretending to be the prince but wasn't listening to me...


Me: Cael, you need to listen or you could have a very unpleasant time today. 
Cael: "Very unpleasant"?  What does that mean?
Me: It means that you will not enjoy it...I'll have to punish you for not listening.
Cael: Oh...well, I'm the prince of this castle and a prince doesn't get a spanking.  I'm sure of it!


Crazy child...

Be honest...5/21/11

We traveled to a family reunion in Alabama this past Saturday with my mom and dad.  Daddy was trying to get directions to the community center in which this shindig was to be held but Mom isn't too good with directions and, although she thought her directions made perfect sense, Daddy made a wrong turn...Cael is, of course, observing the entire situation from the back seat...


Mom: Not this way...you should have kept going straight.
Daddy: You said to go the same direction I would go to get to Carolyn's house.
Mom: Yes, except you don't turn left.
Daddy: I was following your directions.  
Cael: (very serious) Grandma, just be honest with him about it.  No matter what way we need to go, just be honest.  That's all...


Well, honesty is the best policy.  Nothing like having a 3 year old remind you of that fact!  Hysterical...side note: At least we made it to the reunion on time.

Hair Bow...5/20/11

I was driving Cael to school this morning when he decided to critique my sense of style...


Cael: Mom, you look beautiful today!
Me: Thank you, little man!
Cael: Are your kids going to see that bow?


(side note: I'm wearing a ribbon in my hair to keep back the fly aways)


Me: Yes.  Why? Don't you like my hair thing?
Cael: Well...it's better than my hair thing.
Me: You don't have a hair thing.
Cael: I know.  That's why yours is better.




I guess I should have seen that coming and I'm pretty sure that was his way of telling me that I should change my hair.  Oh well, it's too late once I'm out the door...at least he thinks I look beautiful!

Broken...5/17/11

I woke Cael up this morning and carried him into the bathroom to get him ready for school, as is our usual routine.  When I get him into the bathroom he was a little more drowsy than usual...


Cael:(shaking his shoulders and letting his arms flail around): Uhhhhhhh....
Me: Cael, what are you doing?
Cael: Mom, I'm just stretching my arms to make sure they work...
Me: What?
Cael: Never mind...sometimes they are broken...I'm just checking...


Jarod and I have decided that this is his way of describing what happens when his arms fall asleep.  He was so serious about it and completely relieved to find that his arms were in working order!

Geese...5/16/11

Cael and I were getting into the car this morning when some geese flew overhead "honking"...


Cael: Mom, is that the geese?
Me: Yes.
Cael: What are they doing?
Me: Well, they are honking.  
Cael: Who is in their way?
Me: Nobody.  That's just how they communicate with each other.  It's how they talk.
Cael: Well, they need to learn to whisper.  That's loud and people are trying to sleep!


I love his logic and I couldn't agree more!  Now all we have to do is train the geese of this world to whisper...

What a shame...5/14/11

Cael and I were discussing my parents upcoming move to North Carolina.  He hadn't quite grasped the concept that they would be selling the house they live in now and it would no longer be "Grandma and Papa's" house...


Cael: When will we go to Grandma and Papa's house if they are in North Carolina?
Me: Well, we will go to their new house to visit but we won't go to the house we go to now because they won't live there anymore.  Someone else will live there.
Cael: Can they come visit?
Me: They will come visit.  They'll just stay with us instead of sleeping at the house they live in now.  
Cael: They can't keep their house?
Me: No...they have to sell this one to buy a new one in North Carolina so they have a place to live there. 
Cael: Oh...I think it's a shame that Grandma and Papa can't keep their house.  Poor Grandma and Papa!


I didn't fill him in on the fact that I think it's a shame, too!  Oh well, he'll have a whole new house to explore...

Bad idea...5/14/11

Jarod and Cael were watching the Looney Tunes (Wile E. Coyote) together this past Saturday.  The coyote had fallen off the cliff for the second or third time...


Cael: Well, that seemed like a bad idea...
Jarod: What?
Cael: He should pay attention the first time.  That was a bad idea...


Truer words were never spoken...too bad the coyote never figures it out!

Give me a minute...5/12/11

I went into Cael's room this morning and, after turning off his fans, gently pulled back the covers to wake him up...as I always do.


Me: Good morning, little man.
Cael: Mom, can you give me a minute?
Me: Okay, but it's time to get up and go to school.
Cael: (reaching down to the bottom of the bed)I don't need school; I need these.  (pulling the covers back up over himself)
Me: No, I need you to get up so we are not late.
Cael: I won't take long to sleep...just 5 minutes!


I cannot believe that we are starting the "just 5 more minutes" thing at 3.  I am pretty sure I'm in for a long road ahead!

Preferences...5/11/11

We were having turkey dogs last night and I was trying to help Cael fix his...


Me: Cael, do you want ketchup on this?
Cael: No.
Me: Okay, how about mustard?
Cael: No.
Me: Are you sure you don't want anything?  It might be a little dry if you don't put anything on it...
Cael: (gently cutting in) Mom, I prefer just the bun.


I gave up and he ate it plain...prefer...I just love to hear him talk sometimes!

Rapscallion...5/8/11

We were having dinner at mom and daddy's house for Mother's Day when Cael decided to help my dad out with his drink...


Cael: (taking daddy's tea glass) I'll take this off your hands...
Daddy: (laughing)...
Cael: You won't be needing tea where you're going, rapscallion!


He was too funny and seemed so serious.  Of course, once he got a laugh, he was all about performing this scene again!


Rapscallion: a scamp or rascal

Noisy...5/7/11

Daddy took Cael to Home Depot to get some mulch this past Saturday afternoon.  The gentlemen had just finished loading the back of the truck...


My Dad: Thanks, fellas.
Cael: Hey, fellas...what was all that noise about?
Worker: We were loading the mulch into the truck for you.
Cael: Well you were being very noisy...


I must teach him about being appreciative...

No choice...5/7/11

Carmine (our dog) got into the wet dirt this morning when I let him out back.  I went to the door to let him in with Cael...


Me: Eww, Carmine!  Why?  Now you're all dirty...
Cael: I guess we'll just have to give him a bath.  I know Carmine doesn't like a bath and he doesn't want a bath but he just doesn't get a choice.  Oh well, you get what you get and you don't cry about it.


This conversation sounds oddly familiar...at least he is listening and he uses the lessons he has learned at the most adorable times.  I love this kid!

You should think about that...5/6/11

Cael and I were driving to work this morning when Cael decided it was time to talk.
I had just turned across a lane of traffic (it was clear) onto another road...


Cael: Mom, why are you driving crazy?
Me: I wasn't, I just had to turn and get out of the way of traffic.
Cael: Well, it was a little fast...you should be careful.  You don't want us to get in an accident, do you?
Me: Well, of course not.  I didn't drive crazy.  You're just being silly...
Cael: It was fast...we need to keep our family safe.  You should really think about that.  I need to pray for you.  I love you, Mom!


What can you say to that.  I need all the prayer I can get and he said he loved me...who cares if my three and a half year old is already telling me how to drive...

Exercise...sometime last week...

Cael decided to get his daily exercise done...


Cael: Mom!  Come look, I can exercise like you!

My child is so creative...

Hide and Seek...5/3/11

Hide and seek is so interesting at our house...

It was my turn to seek and I decided to snap this picture before I told him that he was found.  


Cael: Hey!  How did you find me?
Me: (laughing) Well it's my turn to hide.  You go count.
Cael: (climbing out of his "hiding place") Okay, hide there (pointing at this same hiding place) and I'll go count.
Me: I don't want to hide there.  I want to hide on my own.
Cael: What if I can't find you?
Me: Well, that's kind of the point of hide and seek.  I hide and you have to find me.
Cael: Well, I can find you if you hide there!


I finally convinced him to go count and I picked another place to hide.  He is so entertaining! 

That's just great...5/2/11

Today is teacher work day and Cael and I were able to come in late to work/school.  When I fixed Cael breakfast this morning he thought he was staying home all day...


Cael: Mom, can we go to the park after breakfast?
Me: No.  Maybe we can go this afternoon.  We have to go to school in a little while.
Cael: What? But it's light outside!  I go to school when it's dark!  You've got to be kidding me...now I'm late!  That's just great...


I tried to explain that he was not late but he didn't believe me until I got him to school.  I think he's going to take after his daddy in this department, thank the Lord!  I hate to be late but sometimes am...Jarod is NEVER late!

What??...4/30/11

Saturday afternoon Cael and I were talking about his friend, Evey, who's mom is pregnant.  Cael was very concerned for "Evey's baby"...

Cael: Mom, when does Evey get to go get her baby?

Me: Well, they will have the baby in July.

Cael: Where is it now?

Me: In Ms. Amanda's tummy.  Did you see the bump on her belly?  That's the baby growing in there.

Cael: What??  Oh no, she swallowed the baby??

Me: No...the baby starts in there...

He was completely ignoring me by this time and, five minutes later, this is the conversation I heard him have with Evey on his imaginary phone.

Cael: (sitting on the couch) Do you want to go to Chuck E Cheese or not? (waiting as if someone is really answering his question)  Well, it doesn't matter.  Your mom already swallowed your baby!

Hysterical...I think we need to have a conversation.  Maybe I'll let his daddy explain!