C and B

I have had a couple of seriously proud math-teacher-mama moments with Calder the last few weeks. Who am I kidding? Principal Hugh was equally as proud! Both moments happened on play dates. The first I was actually a bit shocked to over hear. While sitting at the table having a snack, Calder's buddy asked him if he wanted to do hard math questions. I couldn't believe it - another 5 year old who liked to practice math facts! LOL. The first hard question was to Calder. One hundred plus one hundred. Calder quickly said, "200, but that's too easy." His buddy knocked it up a huge notch on the next one asking Calder 99 + 99. I smiled on the couch. We give Calder 2 digit addition questions when we play our game, but nothing where you are carrying a bunch of digits. Calder paused for about 3 seconds and announced, "198". I could not believe it. I actually had to leave the room. I was beaming from ear to ear and stifling a giggle. Later when Hugh asked him how Calder knew that one, he told us, "100 +100 = 200 and 99 is one less and 99 is one less, so it was 198." Hugh has talked about this strategy before with Calder, but we were pretty pumped to see him apply it! The second time was on a different play date and a game of hide-and-go seek had broken out. The kids began playing by counting to ten, but they were ripping off 1 - 10 so quickly, they weren't giving each other enough time to hide. Calder likes to win, so it wasn't shocking to hear him ask his buddy to count to 30 instead. When his buddy replied he didn't know how, Calder just told him, "count to 10 three times". Just like that the game continued. We were pretty pumped at his problem solving. When Hugh and I talked about the situation after, Hugh had thought that not being able to count might end the game, and the only thing I could think of in the split second was maybe to count "Mississippis". Calder and his friend had it all worked out, all on their own.

I will finally say BOONE IS TALKING! Okay. Maybe that was shouting. He is actually trying to repeat all kinds of words and has started using words like "me", "up", "cup", "help" and "no" on a regular basis. I can't tell you have much easier this has made our lives, not to mention the fun we have been having hearing him say words, "Harper", "Uncle", and "Calder". I will note that he is really struggling with the last syllabol on Calder's name, so mostly we just hear "Caa" with some random sound on the end!  Boone is really obsessed with "guys" right now and will carrying around any Lego men, or the two super heroes we have in our house pointing them upward at anyone who will listen and say"guy". Hugh dug out the Fisher Price Little People and Boone has really taken to them - including the animals that go with them. Hugh and I are excited we might actually have figured out something he wants for Christmas. Boone is also loving shutting doors these days and will purposely lock himself in a dark room to play. He will knock on the door for us to open it, but as soon as we do he giggles and slams it shut. We often will turn on the light for him wherever he has locked himself, but he will scream for it to be turned off. We know he is done with his game when the full out screaming starts from his location!

Two weeks ago Calder got to skate on his backyard rink! He was so thrilled. Almost as thrilled as Hugh. We have been eating supper late so that Calder can get a skate in after school. Hugh swears after two skates back there that Calder is improving already! He is having so much fun. It is a delight to see.  Boone wants to get in on the action as well. Hugh put Calder's first pair of skates on Boone last weekend. They are too big, but Hugh thought it might be cute to let him try and walk around. Boone was very wobbly at first, but after about 3 minutes of walking around our basement holding Hugh's hands, Boone was off on his own. He left those skates on for over a half an hour. Earlier this week, I had to hide the skates from him because he was carrying them around screaming for me to put them on and I needed to be upstairs making supper. Now every time we go to the basement he says "skates" and we have to put them on for him to cruise around in. I'm sure he'll be wanting to wear them on the rink in no time!

Familiar sight? On the left is our Christmas card shoot from 4 years ago. Calder was not happy sitting on my lap. On the right is last weekend. Not-so-shockingly Boone was not happy sitting on my lap!

Happy Thursday!