Caleb "Earns" a New Train

Caleb plays with his new Diesel 10
Originally uploaded by Justin and Kelly Webb.

Caleb had a big day yesterday. He gave up his pacifier completely (he had only been using it in the crib, but I still didn’t like him using it at this age) and he gave going to the bathroom on his toilet a really good effort. We weren’t pushing him to do either, but we have been enticing him with Thomas trains. We told him that if he gave mom or dad the pacifier, he could pick out whatever train he wanted. We also told him that the first time he goes to the bathroom on the toilet he gets a train too. He thought long and hard about the pacifier and has been looking at his Thomas brochures all week and telling Justin and I which trains he wants. He will seriously sit for a half hour and look at the book that lists all the trains. Each night he would give me the pacifier while we read bedtime books, but then he’d want it back when he got in the crib. He understood that this meant no new Thomas trains and he seemed fine with that. Well, yesterday he made no fuss about the pacifier …he just reminded me, as I was leaving his room, that he gets a “Thomas present for no pacifier”. We celebrated with him and really cheered him on this morning for going the night without his pacifier, and then today we left playgroup early to go to the store so he could pick out a new train. He was thrilled. He was so excited in the store and I was showing him the ones he had been talking about for the past few days. He decided on Diesel 10 and proudly carried it to the checkout, set it on the table for the woman to ring up and then told her who it was (“dis is diesel 10”). He was happy to carry the little bag she put the train in and he walked back to the car with the biggest smile on his face. I was proud of him. I was also pleased that he didn’t try to get more than one train…he made no mention of getting another one – he really understood what was going on (which really made me happy…I was alittle worried that he would want “all of the trains on my track mama”, which he often tells me.

So Caleb is playing with his new Diesel 10 in this picture...and is really telling a story. It is so fun to watch him play trains...he has such a good imagination. Yesterday, I was watching him from upstairs (okay, I was spying on him) and he was saying things like "I need a freight car, thomas said. The next day, percy went over the bwidge". It's like he's reading a book. Sometimes he tries to recreate or act out the Thomas books we read to him...other times he is creating a new story. Either way, it's really fun to watch.

I'm not going to put money on Caleb getting another new train anytime soon (for going to the bathroom on his toilet). He seems way too happy going in his pants. This is a typical conversation:

Caleb: I'm pooping mama
Me: Do you want to go on your toilet?
Caleb: No
Me: Are you sure? You can get a new Thomas Train if you go on your toilet.
Caleb: No, Caleb just go poop in pants
Me: Okay

And then here is the conversation a few minutes after:
Me: Did you poop?
Caleb: No
Me: Oh really? What do I smell then?
Caleb: Sammy