More Stories about Canaan

New Big Boy Bed
Since we have finally moved into a permanent house, our first priority was to get Canaan out of his pack-n-play that he has been sleeping in for his entire two years of life! We wanted to get him into a big boy bed around 18 months of age, but with moving from Moscow to Ukraine, and then moving several times since we've been here, we couldn't do it until now. However, Gran-Nan and Grand-Dad have been collecting things for his new bed and room, including a sheet set, a comforter, and wall appliques. Dougle got into the mood of the Disney "Cars" theme and bought him a nite light for Christmas. So, as soon as we moved in, we put his new bed together and he loved it! Here is a picture of him laying in it. He has done really well so far, though he still falls off the bed in the night. Right now there is an extra matress that we have for another bed that we put next to his bed to cushion his night time falls. We are hoping he will soon get used to the bed size and not need any cushioning soon. He is also just now starting to sleep in his own bedroom BY HIMSELF. For the past year, our apartments have all been one bed-room, so he has slept in the same room with us. However, now is his first time to sleep by himself in his own room. He is also doing well with this adjustment. He loves his "Lightning Big Boy New Bed"- as he calls it!!

Sorry
We really try to treat accidents as accidents in our house. I try really hard not to come down on Canaan over “spilled milk” kind of things. However, a few days ago, Canaan was trying to climb on my clothes drying rack. I told him not to climb on it. Then, a few minutes later he comes running into the bedroom saying, “Uh-oh. Mommy fix it back on!” I went in and found that he must have continued to try to climb on it and broken part of it. Because I had told him not to do this and his disobedience was the cause of this, I came down on him and told him that he needed to listen to Mommy because he broke it and I wasn’t able to fix it (even though he kept repeating- Mommy, fix it back on!). Apparently, this serious little conversation stuck in his mind and when I got out the clothes drying rack the next time, he examined the broken part of it and said, “I sorry Mommy!” What a sweet boy I have! I have since got out the rack a few more times and he always points out the broken part. I try to brush it aside now and say, “Yes, it is broken, but it is okay now.”

Car Spoiled
For those of you wondering, we have been thoroughly enjoying our new car! After walking around for everything for 11 months, we are enjoying our new “luxury!” Even Canaan is enjoying it. The other night, Dougle and I got out to walk to a nearby little store. I suggested we not take the stroller and just let Canaan walk because he LOVES to walk around places by himself. However, he must have been extra tired this particular evening and wanted carried. When we walked past our car, he said, “Canaan go in new silver car!”
When we are in the car, as soon as we start up the car, he says, “Listen blue hearts.” He has two CD’s called “Hide It In Your Heart” that Nancy Stover introduced us to. On the CD’s they sing Bible verses and Canaan really likes them. Volume one is blue and volume two is green, thus Canaan’s naming of them “blue hearts” and “green hearts.” He just loves to have them playing in the car and will sing along with them as we drive around. Sometimes he even requests- or rather at times demands- that we sing with him. Then he gets extra happy and sings even louder. It is so much fun to see him singing these little Bible verses, some of which I am sure he doesn’t understand now, but will in time!
This and That
For those interested, Veggie Tales are his new favorite movies at the moment, though he still loves Bob the Builder. He has recently started using gerunds in his speech: Mommy talking to David, I eating now, etc. When we are ready to leave, he tells us what we need to do: Canaan put on coat, lightning hat (his new Lightning McQueen hat that Gran-Nan and Grand-Dad sent him for Christmas), and boots. He says, “Go down stairs and go bye-bye in silver car!” He is also VERY into “Canaan do it all by myself!” Today we walked into the house and he pulled off his hat and proudly exclaimed, “Take hat off all by myself!” And earlier today Daddy carried him down a step he wanted to go down on his own; when he was put down, he went back up onto the step and stepped down on his own, saying, “I do it all by my-self.” This is nice, sometimes, and at other times this new-found independence is just inconvenient or time consuming. Of course, he also has the other reaction to some things. I will tell him to do something by himself, and he tries a little before exclaiming in pathetic and stressed tones, “Mommy, this TOO HARD!” So I have to encourage him to try again if it is something I know he can do.