all about caleb

I thought I would do a few posts this month that focus on each of the kiddos and what they are up to right now.  So today is all about my big, little man, Caleb!

He is a deep thinker and he asks a lot of questions.  So. Many. Questions.  It can sometimes be difficult for me to know how to answer him in a way that will satisfy him, because he and I think in very different ways.  But I love getting little glimpses into his thinking and seeing how his brain works.  He pushes me to think outside of the box, and I am so grateful to him for that.

He could build with legos all day, every day.  He got so many new sets for Christmas and had them all built the next day.  He is very proud of all of his creations and thinks that we should replace all of my decor with them!

He is such a good big brother!  Of course, he has his moments, and yes, those two little sisters can drive him crazy at times, but he really takes his job very seriously.  He knows that being the oldest brother means that he gets to be the leader and a protector, and he knows that his sisters will always look up to him.  We are so proud of him and how he has really embraced this role.

He wants to play basketball when he grows up like Michael Jordan, and he thinks that he won't need to know math for this.  He makes this argument every day to try and get out of doing his math work, but I have yet to fall for it.

He is so funny!  I love getting to see how he has developed this really fun sense of humor.  Not only is he starting to "get" our jokes and our sarcasm, but he is starting to dish it out as well!  There is a lot of laughing going on around here!

He is always very concerned about other people and their feelings.  If he thinks that he did something to hurt someone, it really bothers him.  Even if he accidentally hurts one of his sisters, he is very hard on himself about it.    

I feel like he is losing his little boyness, and while it is breaking my heart, it is also pretty incredible to watch these little people become big people.  We are so proud of him and the little man that he is growing into.  I thank God every day that I get to be his momma. 

#tbt stories - going to china

June 2013

Caleb had gotten himself ready this morning, and when I asked him where he was going dressed like that, he said, "I'm going to China."

He also had his teddy bear and iPad in his backpack, all ready to go with him.  Because if you're going all the way to China, what more could you need?!!

second grade

We are one week into second grade now, and Caleb is totally rocking it!  On his first day, he walked right into his new classroom, found his desk, sat down and got right to work!  After I talked with his teacher (who we love, by the way!) I went over to give him a hug and tell him it was time for me to go.  He looked up at me and said, "Bye mom.  I love you."  And that was it.  He was completely ready and totally confident in himself, and he wasn't nervous or anxious at all.  As a mama, there's nothing more I could ask for!

I walked back to the car hand in hand with my girl (who thank God doesn't leave me start school for another year) and I thought back on how far our boy has come.  We haven't always known what path to take with him, and there have been a lot of steps to take and decisions to make, both in and out of school, that we have been unsure of.  But our God is so faithful, and He has seen us through every step of the way.

I am so very thankful for our sweet boy, and I am so excited to see what he is able to accomplish in second grade!

|first day of first grade is here|  |first day of kindergarten is here|

|printable sign found here|

#tbt stories - haircuts

The kids have appointments for haircuts today, so I thought I'd throw it back to a picture of one of Caleb's very first haircuts.  This one was not his first - that one came at the ripe old age of four weeks.  Yes, weeks.  Our sweet boy was born with a head full of hair, and by four weeks old it was already covering up his ears!  This time around he was a whole four months old, and it was a much more pleasant experience since, you know, he could hold up his own head and all.  

And y'all - don't even get me started on those chubby cheeks and legs!

#tbt stories - school days

Talking about Caleb's school year had me thinking back to past school days.  This picture is from May of 2012.  It was the last day of his first pre-k year.  This was a tough year for him, but he had an incredible teacher who holds such a special place in my heart.  She ended up being his teacher for just over two years, and I know that he is where he is today in large part because of her.

It's so easy when you're caught up in all of the day-to-day happenings to forget where it is you actually started.  But when I look at this picture, it really does all come back to me, and I realize all over again just how far our boy has come.

first grade wrap-up

I know I'm a little behind on this, but I just have to take a minute and talk about our sweet boy.  He totally rocked his first grade year and we could not be more proud of him!  All of the choices and decisions that go along with school have not always been easy on this mama's heart.  We haven't always been quite sure what to expect from our boy - he has changed so much and has kept us all on our toes!  We've often found ourselves hoping for the best while still preparing for all sorts of different scenarios.  But he has continually surprised and amazed us with how far he has come and what he is able to do!

He is now officially a second grader, and we have less than a month of summer left until he goes back to school.  I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't nervous about this next school year.  A new classroom, a new teacher, all of the changes and expectations - it all definitely makes me anxious for him.  But he has shown us again and again that he can and will rise up to the challenge, that he is capable of more than we could have ever hoped for, and that he is confident in himself and his abilities.

I'm so thankful that God entrusted this sweet boy to us.  I see the work that God is doing in him, and it is a daily reminder of what a good and gracious God we have.

#tbt stories - his first word

I was looking back through some pictures from summers past and came upon this one.  Caleb is about sixteen months old here, and oh man, what a squishy little chunk he was!  I remember this day so well.  Right before we took this picture, Bobby had been walking across the field towards us.  When Caleb looked up and saw him, he was so excited and yelled out "dada!".  That was his very first word, and actually, it was his only word for a really long time.  We had no idea at that time what was in store for us, and it's almost a little strange to think back on those days.  We've sure been on one wild ride since then, but I am so very proud of our boy and the incredible chatterbox that he is today!

and then he was seven

My sweet boy,

What an incredible year you have had!  I feel like you have grown and matured so much this year, and as much as I want to slow time down and keep you this age forever, it really has been so wonderful to watch these changes in you!

You have the greatest little personality and have developed quite the sense of humor.  You are catching on to our jokes, and are now cracking jokes of your own.  You are laughing all the time, and you always have us laughing!  It has been so fun to see this side of you emerge!

You are such a good big brother, and I am so thankful for the relationship that you have with your sister.  Even though you do have some typical big-brother tendencies and sometimes pick on her and tease her, you are also quick to care for her and check on her, and you always make sure that she is ok.  The two of you play together (mostly) really well, and you have the greatest conversations with each other that I love listening to!

You still adore your daddy - I'm pretty sure that this will never change!  Watching the two of you together is one of my favorite things to do!  The relationship that the two of you have is so special.  You love to do anything with him, and you are always a good helper when he is doing things around the house.  You are his little sidekick for sure!

You are very into pokemon cards right now.  You've never seen the show, but this seems to be what is popular with the other boys in your class, so you've learned all about them and now have quite the collection.  You still like legos and superheroes, and you like to look at comic books.  You love to go swimming, but you hate taking a bath.  And you could eat popcorn all day long.

You are such an amazing little boy, and we love you so very much.  I am so, so grateful that God chose me to be your mommy.  You are the most precious gift!  I pray that you always remember that you are a child of God, and that you always let your little light shine!

I love you bunches and bunches, forever and ever, for always and always!

Happy birthday!

Love,
Mommy

time with dad

Bobby really loves to golf, although he sure doesn't have much time to these days!  Caleb has been asking to play, so they took their first trip to the driving range together.  They had so much fun - but really, I think these two could have fun doing anything together!  I am pretty sure that there are many more golf days to come for my guys.

He took Makayla to our church's Daddy Daughter Dance, and this girl loved everything about their night together.  It was so much fun to get her all fancied up for it.  As soon as she was dressed, she ran into our room to look in our mirror, and she immediately started smiling and giggling at herself.  It was the cutest thing!  They had so much fun dancing away, and she fell asleep about two minutes into the way home!

I am so very grateful for the relationship that these kiddos have with their daddy.  They absolutely adore him, and he absolutely adores them, and this mama sure loves watching them together.

#tbt.....the pumpkin patch

We are planning our annual trip to the pumpkin patch this weekend, which is one of my favorite things that we do every year.  These pics are from Caleb's very first visit when he was about 18 months old.  He was not in the mood for being still and taking pictures, but Bobby was determined.  So he did what any good daddy would do, and he busted out "The Wheels on the Bus go Round and Round", complete with hand motions.  Well, Caleb thought that was hysterical, and the rest of our visit was much more enjoyable!

See the original post here.