Happy birthday, Callum!

Today, the most wonderful bhoy turns 9 years old! These last nine years with my little punk have been so amazing. The way that Callum is growing up is making me so proud. He's an empathetic, kind, and giving soul, who is also funny, very clever, and stylish too! 2014 was a year of many changes for Callum. He grew up a lot this past year, and is becoming a more independent young man that anyone could be proud of. It also marked the first time that he was able to stay up until midnight on NYE!

Callum has showed a consistent interest in technology and IT, as well as math and music. An avid reader, Callum blasts through books at a fantastic rate. He really enjoys a good laugh, and we spend a lot of time chasing each other around with threats of neck tickles. It's so fun! Callum and I are going to start writing this blog together, and I love that idea - it was his. At 9 years old, Callum is a rather good writer, and has a keen interest in expressing himself. We may even start making short movies and things. I'm sure that you'll see his dedication to the TTC as we go along. The TTC is one of Callum's hobbies, and greatest loves. Currently the new streetcar is his favourite vehicle. Love you so much, punk. You're the most fabulous human being that I've ever known. <3 Here's to another wonderful year ahead! xoxoxoxoxoxo

As if the earlier post wasn't enough!

I swear wee man was wanting something even more spectacular written about him than was already just said. No more than an hour after my last post I was getting Callum ready for his nap. Now, this may be t.m.i. for some of you, but he normally poops himself during his nap time. He's been doing this for as long as I can remember. This is one of the reasons why it's been so difficult to help him go to the potty because he'll just keep holding it until nap time or bed time.

Today I could tell something was different. How? I have no clue. Honestly. I guess it's just because I know him so well. Yesterday he coveted a yellow school bus, the one I mentioned earlier. When he sat down on the potty for his pre-nap pee, I mentioned casually that if he tried to have a poo on the potty, I'd make sure to reiterate his love for the school bus to Santa. He looked very carefully at me and then asked me to leave the room. As I was leaving he got off the toilet and pulled out his little potty. When I turned around to see what he was doing he asked me to leave, again. I laughed a bit and walked out, only to be followed by a little voice asking me to close the door. I closed the door.

I checked in a couple of times and he kept asking me to leave. He was busy sitting on his potty, reading his book about going to the potty! Too cute. Callum was in there for so long that I went, brushed my teeth, had a shower and got dressed. When I returned, the door was open. He was standing in the bathroom, blushing and pointed at the potty. Yep, you guessed it - he pooped! Needless to say, pure chaos of love ensued.

I'm so proud of our wee man. I really hope this is the start of a new chapter for us. This was all on his own terms, so hopefully he's just decided he's ready.

Love you wee man! I'm so very, very proud of you!!!!

Mummy.
xo

Almost 3 years old!

Well, it seems like it's really difficult to keep up with writing a blog. Go figure.

Here are some new things Callum has been doing:

1. He has started becoming more imaginative which is really fun for all of us. Just the other day he picked up and imaginary phone and said, "Hello? Hi, my name is Grandpa. Put on your trousers please". I mean, where does that come from?! Too funny.

2. Callum's sentences are becoming longer and more clear. He is starting off with standard phrases like, "I want...", "I would like..." etc.

3. The other day he told me he had to go to the potty, so at least we have a bit of progress. It's been a pretty rough road when it comes to food and potty issues.

4. When we're in the mall, or simply in public, we've been allowing Callum the freedom to walk without holding our hands. Talk about scary! He's such a typically hyper wee boy that he can be off in a flash and we'd have to run to catch him. Thing is, we both realize he needs to have some more freedoms and he grows up.

5. No click! No longer is Callum being clicked in to a chair at the table. No more high chairs in restaurants or malls. Big boy, in a big boy seat. He's actually been remarkably well behaved. We need to remind him on several occasions to get back in the chair, but that's to be expected with new found freedom.

Favourite songs:
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer - loves this song!
Yellow Submarine
All You Need is Love
I Wanna Hold Your Hand
Hey Jude
O Canada - he knows all the words!

Favourite activities
Watching wheels turn. I know this might sound a bit odd, but it's true. Who knows, maybe we have a little engineer on our hands. He could sit/lie and watch wheels on shower doors, garage doors, trains, cars, busses, dishwasher rack, etc. He still also holds a great love for doors and watching the hinges, as well as trying to figure out door handles. Not how door handles turn, but actually how they work and lock into on another.

Trains. Hands down. Anything to do with trains.

Favourite books
My Big Train Book - he knows every train in the book (and there are a lot), what they do and what country they're from.
Smithsonian - My Train Book
Counting Christmas - I think he might be able to read a bit, as in 3-letter words; he certainly can recognizes the words for one to ten
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
Oh, the Places You'll Go!


Favourite t.v. show
Max & Ruby

In January our wee man will be 3 years old. It's hard to imagine he's grown up so quickly. The first year of his life felt like a year! The second year of his life has gone so quickly. Also in January, Callum starts half days at school. I went and bought his uniform yesterday and couldn't believe it when I looked at this sweet boy, no longer a baby. He enjoyed nursery school so much when we were living in Toronto that we knew he needed to continue on with schooling.

Callum's teachers at nursery school were so complimentary of his level of intelligence, his "heart of gold" and his great spirit. He made quite the impression on a number of girls who actually seemed to be swooning! Since when do 3 year olds swoon?! One wee girl came up to me in the parking lot of the school and informed me that "He sings cool. He dresses

Living in Toronto.

We moved to Toronto a couple of months back, from our beautiful and beloved B.C. It's been very hard here so far, but there is a light at the end of the (smog filled) tunnel.

Callum has changed so dramatically since we arrived and so I thought it would be a good idea to document just a handful of the cool things that have been going on.

1. Tonight I was wearing a cheesy nightshirt that has a picture of a cupcake on it. Callum loves this shirt! He looked at it and said, "gateau"?! Since when does Callum know the French word for cake?!
2. Also this evening, he looked at me and said, "M-O-M spells Mom" - did I mention he's a genius?
3. Pees on the potty, but sneaks poops in his pull-up at bedtime. Someone along the line has told him it's dirty (not me!) and now he seems a bit freaked by it.
4. Went to camp for the first time at Bayview Glen and LOVED it.
5. Started nursery school this September!
6. Gives other kids hugs now with the added bonus of a gentle hand pat on their backs :)
7. Knows his days of the week.
8. Can count to 3 in English, German, French and Spanish. Can count to at least 20 in English, but I think maybe even higher than that.
9. Gives hugs and kisses and says I love you (on occasion).
10. Loves to dance, do 'horseys', drum, listen to music, read, run, swim, etc.
11. Won the "Super Super Super Safety Award" at camp, as well as the "Best Runner" which is pretty impressive because he was among the youngest of campers in his group that was mostly comprised of 3 - 4 year olds.
12. Has started to colour and play with play dough.
13. His communication skills are great and improving by leaps and bounds everyday. His vocabulary is amazing, but it always has been.
14. Knows the first 1/2 of "O Canada" and sings it really well!

Favourite music:
1. The Beatles, by a landslide. He calls them the BeatOs.
2. Queen, especially two songs in particular; We are the Champions & We will Rock You, or "Knees a clap" as he refers to it. Today he actually got the beat right for the song and did two knee slaps and a clap for quite a while!

Favourite food: still thinking... oh yeah, none. Still a really fussy eater.

Favourite colour: blue; green comes a near second

Favourite activity: riding trains

Favourite t.v. show: Franklin

Dislikes: anything really loud, especially fans in public bathrooms; automatic flushing toilets; trying new foods; vacuums

Once we get into our house, I'll measure and weigh Callum and then post his latest stats.

I'm very tired.

I bid you adieu.
Allison - Mummy.

Inspired.

It's been almost a year since I've posted any news about Callum and our lives. This does not mean there hasn't been anything going on, or that we've given him away to Gypsies. Somehow time has just passed by and before I knew it, we're in April of 2008! Photographs of Callum have been posted on a monthly basis at: http://flickr.com/honig so please visit the link to see how the wee man has changed over the last 10 months.

My goal is to post here more regularly, as keeping a hand-written journal of Callum's achievements, life, adventures and loves isn't very fitting for me. It's very rare that I pick up a pen, but clicking away on the keyboard is a regular occurrence.

Callum has changed leaps and bounds in the last year, but is still the most amazing person ever. Many of you know me and realize I never wanted to be a Mum. Kids were annoying and men were all pigs. Somewhere along the line these ideas were changing and I didn't even realize it. Callum has changed our lives forever and I'm really glad that I finally won the lottery, the kid lottery.

Here is a list of the things Callum likes:
1. Trains, primarily Thomas the Tank Engine, but trains in general are huge on his list.
2. Reading and then reading some more. I guess technically I should say being read to.
3. The park, in particular the slides and rocks.
4. Mummy & Daddy
5. Toothpaste
6. Climbing.

Favourite books:
1. Green Eggs and Ham (quoted by Callum on a very regular basis - In the dark. Here in the dark? Would you? Could you?)
2. Little Engines Can Do Big Things (I think he's smitten with Lady the Golden Engine)
3. Snuggle Puppy
4. Moo, Baa, La La La (I think he will learn to read with this book, he's very close)
5. Curious George Goes to the Chocolate Factory (he memorized all of the different chocolates!)

Favourite songs:
1. Old MacDonald had a farm, or EIEIO as Callum refers to it
2. Frere Jacques
3. Happy Family - The Ramones
4. Apples and Bananas (Apples and Manas)
5. Goodnight Callum, Goodnight (song I made up for bedtime)

Favourite activities:
1. Playing with trains
2. Riding escalators (Callum calls them squadors)
3. Climbing, running, sliding, digging, etc.
4. Reading
5. Singing and dancing, especially if it includes honking someone's nose

Disliked activities:
1. Trying new foods - the message from Green Eggs and Ham doesn't seem to be getting through!
2. Having his hair rinsed, or really any water touching his head
3. Sitting still

Favourite foods:
1. Cheese toast (grilled cheese)
2. Strawberries or blueberries with yogurt
3. Mac 'n' cheese (back cheese... sounds gross when he says it!)
4. Gummies (fruit gummies of any kind)
5. Granola bars

Boasting section:
- can count to 20
- can add up to 4
- has an outstanding memory (quotes books and sings full songs)
- says 5 word sentences
- has peed on the potty twice!
- knows the alphabet (has done since Xmas when he received the magnetic letters from Great Auntie Mary)

I could go on forever, but I'll leave the achievements at that for now, I don't want to sound too boastful. Well, I do, but I'll restrain myself.

I've noticed that Callum seems more interested in typical boy things, like mechanics, transportation, math, etc. Art is not something that seems to come naturally for him and that's okay. He does like taking pictures, but I'm pretty sure it's because he gets to press a button.

Over and out.

P.S.
Thanks Jacquie for sharing your blog, it inspired me.

Callum T.V. - Episode Two