Nathan takes Mandie on a walk every morning and every night. He walks her in the rain, snow, and sleet and all through the blustery spring, sweltering summer, crisp fall and frigid winter weather. He could be a post man, really, for all the weather he endures just so Mandie can take care of her daily business. When Nathan comes home each night, Mandie does a little jig of glee because she knows she is going on a walk. The kids have picked up on her excitement and they also join in on walks during the nicer days of the year. For a while, only Libby went along on these walks while Caleb was a little baby at home with me. But now Caleb is growing bigger (and badder) and wants to go along as well. For almost a year now, he has insisted on going with his big sister and has been carried or pushed in the stroller or hauled along behind his Daddy in the wagon. This week, he got to go along on his own bike for the very first time! He was so excited and proud to be the "Big Boy" out and about and so very independent. He can't quite reach the pedals on his little bike, so he walks it along with his little feet. He can walk his bike almost as quickly as his big sister does pedaling on her bike. So off they went - Libby in the lead, Caleb next and Nathan trailing them while Mandie lagged behind and sniffed fire hydrants. They only went up the street and back, but Caleb was so proud of himself. He smiled smugly to himself and wouldn't make eye contact with us when he got back. 
Caleb has a knack for getting into trouble lately, especially if he is the tiniest bit tired. He is forever climbing on things. Recently he discovered how to climb on the night tables beside our bed. He scrambles up on one of the tables and then leaps off onto our bed, where he bounces joyfully until one of us catches him and forces him to get down or until he gets hurt. One night last week as I checked on him through the keyhole of his door, I caught him marching around and around the very edge of his little toddler bed when he was supposed to be sleeping. He loves dangerous things, especially high things. Today I caught him standing on the kitchen table and also busted him trying to climb on the counter! He routinely stands on the toilet lids of both bathrooms. Just this evening while I was working on this blog, he was climbing around underneath his slide in the basement and got stuck. For once something got the better of him!
We've just barely started on potty training Caleb, but he's not quite getting it yet. After I washed 3 pairs of tiny Thomas the Tank underwear, cleaned pee off the front of the couch twice, and steam-cleaned the living room carpet three times in the same day, I decided that he isn't quite old enough to figure this out. Unfortunately, letting him walk around in the buff that day was a bad idea. Now he has decided that going commando is fun, and that he should take off his diaper whenever he feels like it. On Monday, I sent an email to Nathan and our parents to let them know what Caleb had been up to that day. Here is part of the email.
I went into Caleb's room to calm him down and get him to go to sleep. When I opened the door, he was sitting up in his bed yelling "poop! Poop! POOP!". And he was naked. Apparently he has figured out that diapers come off, and used his new knowledge to entertain himself. He had taken a poopy wipe out of the diaper pail and deposited it on the carpet near his door. And then he had peed on the carpet in front of his door.
Well, after that incident, I assumed that he had accomplished his really naughty deed of the week early, but he outdid himself this evening. Libby and I had just cleaned up all the toys in the playroom and I had moved on to scooping the litter boxes in the basement. She had gone upstairs for something and opened Caleb's door for him after he woke up from his nap. I vaguely heard her yelling something about poop, but didn't pay much attention. I was, after all, scooping cat poop at the moment. Then I realized that she was telling me that Caleb had dumped poopy diapers on his carpet in his room. So, I wearily plodded up the stairs for the umpteenth time today. By the time I reached the living room, I could already smell the mess. From Caleb's doorway, I could see the diaper disaster dumped in the corner of his room. I could not believe what he had done! Not only had he opened his full diaper pail and dumped out most of the dirty diapers, but he had opened each individual diaper and taken the poopy wipes out, discarding them all on the carpet with the opened diapers - poo side down. I went all the way back down to the basement for the camera where I ran into Nathan coming in the door from his day at work. So this is how Nathan found Caleb's room when he got home. 
There was another incident involving Caleb and some poop mysteriously getting on the carpet in Libby's room late last week. We had spot cleaned it when we found it, but I steam cleaned all of the bedroom and hall carpets upstairs again this evening. Please keep in mind that this is Tuesday, and we still have four days left to this week. What will he do next?! 
I guess I rather set myself up for a full day of poo, because I spent a good part of the day working on a prank birthday cake for my friend Karrie from work. She always takes care of our pride of cats when we are away, so what could be more appropriate for her 30th birthday celebration at the veterinary hospital, than a litter box cake! Just so you don't think it tastes as nasty as it looks, here's a link to the recipe. I can't wait to see her face tomorrow when we give it to her! Ha ha!
There was another incident involving Caleb and some poop mysteriously getting on the carpet in Libby's room late last week. We had spot cleaned it when we found it, but I steam cleaned all of the bedroom and hall carpets upstairs again this evening. Please keep in mind that this is Tuesday, and we still have four days left to this week. What will he do next?! I guess I rather set myself up for a full day of poo, because I spent a good part of the day working on a prank birthday cake for my friend Karrie from work. She always takes care of our pride of cats when we are away, so what could be more appropriate for her 30th birthday celebration at the veterinary hospital, than a litter box cake! Just so you don't think it tastes as nasty as it looks, here's a link to the recipe. I can't wait to see her face tomorrow when we give it to her! Ha ha!
The kids and I on the front porch swing at Mom and Dad's house after church on Sunday.
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