Cal-isms

Cal has been entertaining us with some great lines lately. Here are a few:

Lately the boys love to listen to the radio while we are driving. One time a few weeks ago Clark got a lot of attention and laughs for saying, after a John Mayer song, “I sure like that song.” We were in the car on the way to the store yesterday, and during a song I saw Cal lean over and touch Clark’s arm and look at his face searchingly. He said, “What do you say, Shark? Do you like this song?” I like to think he was trying to get Clark to make us laugh and not stealing the show, but he sure did steal the show.

Yesterday at home Brian was trying to get Cal to come over to him so he could get his diaper changed. Cal was playing hard to get so Brian instructed Clark to go get Cal and bring him to Dad for a diaper change. Clark, the one who always loves to be physical, ran across the room, put Cal in some kind of a friendly-toddler chest hold, and dragged him across the floor to Brian. Cal didn’t protest, and when he was down on the floor mid-diaper change, he said to Brian, “Sharky pulled me like a wagon.” There goes Cal again with his brilliant similes. As an English teacher and poet I couldn’t be happier to hear his cool takes on his world.

Curious and Cautious Cal with his Cousin at a Coop

Cal and I went on a date the other morning while Brian took Clark to the doctor. We went for a walk to town center (without a stroller!) and Starbucks and threw coins in the fountain. We sat outside the coffee shop on the bench while I prepared Cal’s juice box for him. I set my iced coffee down on the bench for seriously what seemed like two seconds, looked across the road for some reason, and looked back in time to see Cal come up for air after taking a sip of coffee out of the straw on my cup. He puckered up and looked at me, his nose all wrinkled up. “Kids don’t like it,” he concluded.

Today in the car I gave the boys each a cracker. Cal nibbled around all the sides of his, making it jagged and said, “It’s a star!” Again with the figurative language. Love it.

I'm including this picture of Cal and his cousin at a petting zoo chicken coop because I think it nicely captures his delightful mix of curiosity and cautiousness. Also it proves that he is like me because he called the chicken "yucky" on the way home. Maybe I prompted the response from him, maybe I didn't. I can't remember.