"I guess I'm just not Caleb anymore."

Poor Caleb has had a rough day.  He was fine when he woke up.  I dropped him off at preschool and about an hour later I got a text telling me he wasn't acting like himself.  I called Travis to ask if he could go pick him up because I was still in Logan (18 month well check for B).  Travis said he'd go do it.  A few minutes later I got another text from preschool telling me Caleb was just laying on the table being miserable.  I told her Travis was on his way and should be there in a minute.  Not too long after that I got another text telling me, "Travis got here and then Caleb threw up.  I knew he didn't feel well!"  I felt so bad (for Caleb, Travis & Miss Shannon).  Luckily, he made it on the tile and it was pretty much just water.  Fortunately for Travis he's had worse.  And lucky for Miss Shannon Travis was there to clean it up!

Travis got Caleb home and he wasn't able to keep down even water.  The poor kid was just miserable as could be.  He just laid on the couch all day long.  Any time he tried to eat something it would come back up a few minutes later - even water.

Samantha and Nash had parts in the ward Christmas party program tonight.  I volunteered to stay home with Caleb and B (she was napping after getting ibuprofen for her owie legs).  Around 7 or so Caleb started to perk right back up like he'd been fine all along.  So weird.

My mom came up and helped me put one of the I Spy quilts on the quilt frames.  I realized the lady at Bernina screwed up cutting my batting.  You know, when you pay $45, they ought to do it right dang it!  Now I have to find my receipt (which I'm fairly certain is in the recycle bin outside) so I can take the one piece back and make them cut it correctly!

We finally got things organized (a little) around here and Travis went down to tuck the boys in bed.  A few minutes later Travis is standing at the bottom of the stairs to relay a message from Caleb.  "Mom.  I don't know where lamb is and I don't have my puppet cow.  I guess I'm just not Caleb anymore."  I busted up.  I know he was having a moment of self pity when he said this and so I shouldn't have laughed, but seriously, how could I not laugh?  I told Travis that cow was currently residing in the black hole in the big black garbage bag in my office but he could give it back to him (punishment for not cleaning up after themselves after mom asked a zillion times - I have 3 "black holes" right now).  Lamb however, is actually currently missing.  I know he had him last Sunday because he took him in the expedition to go to church.  He thought lamb would enjoy Sunbeams but I was a mean mom and wouldn't let him take him into the church.  I know I saw him again the other day but I don't remember where.

Let me just explain Caleb's lamb and cow obsession in case you are unfamiliar with it.  This lamb was attached to a small piece of soft silky fabric that was given to me as a baby gift when he was born.  Eventually, we cut the lamb out of the pocket that was on the soft silky fabric.  They were both a pale yellow when we got them.  They are both now an indeterminate color.  The soft silky fabric (currently MIA again - he was for awhile after we set Newton Dam on fire too.  Turns out he was in the bottom of Caleb's sleeping bag.) has stitches of (I think) two different colors.  He likes to bite it for some reason which then rips holes in it.  The little lamb isn't in too much better condition.  We've given him surgery to repair a slight tear here or there before.  And, I've had to reattach an eyeball.  At one point not too long ago he was wearing a band aid over said eye as an eye patch (Caleb was worried the eye ball was going to pop off).  Thus, lamb was a pirate lamb for a week or two.

The puppet cow I bought at Novemberfest the year he was born.  It isn't really a puppet.  It's a head with a fabric body that you can put your hand into but not up into the head.  Make sense?  This cow is in much better condition than the lamb but is just as much loved.  The only thing the cow has missing is his original bow that was around his neck (Caleb chewed it off).  Now, it isn't like Caleb doesn't have other cows. I've posted pictures of the kid with all the animals he keeps on his bed.  He even has a "newish" addition to the collection.  When we went to Grandpa/ma Butter's house earlier this year Grandma had a giant (about as big as Caleb) cow that someone gave her.  Caleb and Nash loved this cow while they were there so Grandma told them they could take it home.  It's big enough that Caleb actually sits on it, bounces, and pretends that he's riding bulls.  I think I have a future rodeo man on my hands.

I counted not too long ago and I think the kid has about three or four different cows.  One can be microwaved (thank you Grandma Kris).  One is just a small thing that my mom found for him.  He has the puppet cow and I think he has one more too.  He only has one lamb though.  I just thought his comment was funny because I know how stinkin many animals the kid has so for him to come up with that one just caught me off guard.  I guess he loves his animals individually!

And news about Brooke's well check:

She currently weighs 27.7 pounds (84%)
She is 33 inches tall (84%)  - have I mentioned she comes to Caleb's shoulders already?
She has a 19 inch head circumference

And, she started not feeling too great yesterday.  After the dr. listened to her lungs and looked her over he gave us a prescription because her lungs sound junkie and her sinuses are infected.  I was actually surprised they gave her her immunizations today.  On the bright side, she's now done with shots until she gets her Kindergarten shots!  Wahoo!  That means Sam will be getting her 12 yr boosters and Brooke will be getting Kindergarten shots the same year!  Fun times!

Little sister has entered the terrible two phase recently.  She's discovered how to pull chairs from the kitchen table to the center of the kitchen.  Once she's there she puts the chair right next to the oven and up she goes - right into the steak knives, the scissors, the spices, the coffee pot, the turn style AND the other day she went so far as to climb onto the counter and open up the cupboard!  AGH!  Fortunately, if I stack the chairs on the table she won't pull them off anymore (she did it once and that was enough for her).

She has taken a defensive stand with Caleb.  If the kid gets within three feet of her she starts screaming "MINE" and swinging for all she's worth.  What's odd is that she doesn't do it at nursery at church and she doesn't do it at daycare (yet).  She really only does it to Caleb.  I told Travis on the one hand, it's kind of nice that Caleb finally has someone that treats him the way he's treated Nash for the last four years!  Maybe he'll knock it off finally!  She however, may just turn out to be a big, fat stinker!

She says about a dozen words or so.  Some of her favorites are "Mom" (repeatedly...no matter what I say when I answer her), daddy, Char, dog, MINE, NO (she says no and understands what she's saying because if she wants something, she shakes her head yes - she just doesn't say yes), ball, baby, hi, and tank you (thank you).

She hasn't been eating much lately because she's been working on all four incisors and the last molar.  I believe the molar is completely through (she's only been working on it since APRIL), as well as all four incisors.

We haven't given her a hair cut yet.  I can't bear to cut the back.  Caleb's was curly like hers is and once we cut it, it lost the curl.  I haven't cut her bangs because I just pull them back into her pony tails.  They come clear to her nose so if I don't do her hair the poor girl can't see anything!

I really can't believe how fast she's growing up!  I know that all of them went this quickly.  I think it's just harder because I know she's the last one so I want it to go a little slower.  So much for that!  Sister is running to catch up to everyone and everything around her!