Author: maggie

Posted on

Ummm . . . yes


You do have a hot pink popsicle tattoo on your leg. Your brother did it. It’s actually been there a couple of days, you’ve just been wearing pants and haven’t noticed it. I’m sorry you can’t get it into your mouth, I knew you’d want to, so that’s why it’s on your leg. But you keep talking to it, because that’s pretty cute. I’ll let you get him back with some lipstick or something one day!
Posted on

File: This Too Shall Pass

We have a cold. We’ve had a cold for going on three weeks now. We = everyone in the house except Phil. Phil had fore site and got poison ivy instead. He got to get a decadron shot before the cold came and was therefore spared. Wilson was sick first (and is still hacking a little), then I got it, and now Miller. Which means neither of us is sleeping. She already wasn’t sleeping in her bead (she’s still hanging out on the pallet on the floor), but that won’t even work these days. She now has to sleep upright. I use the term “sleep” loosely. She does it in spurts through out the night and is in her swing with Baby Einstein Lullaby on repeat in the DVD player in the play room. Last night she gave up on the swing at about 3 and we went back upstairs and gave the bouncy seat a try (I couldn’t believe the buckle would still fit around her). It worked nicely until about 6 when her diaper leaked and soaked everything. But that’s okay because her brother’s night time pull up was simultaneously leaking downstairs in my bed, on my side. Since we were up . . . we took the car to get the oil changed. Miller fell asleep on the way home, so I took her upstairs to take a nap while I did something that required the use of less than 5 brain cells. While I was checking Facebook, I hear her crying, not 20 minutes after putting her down. I start heading up and meet Wilson coming down the stairs. “Don’t worry mom. I just woke her up.” I love that his first thought was that I was concerned about her safety and well being- he should have been concerned with his safety and well being. Making that kind of announcement to your mom who’s had no sleep in a couple of days while standing at THE TOP OF THE STAIRS is not the brightest move. It’s been a good day.

Posted on

As Promised . . .

Pictures:


Wilson, playing in Cool Whip- 8 months

Miller, playing in Cool Whip- 6 months
Story:
I may have forgotten to mention that I was pulled over a few months ago. I can’t imagine why I elected to leave this sparkling detail of my life out :). I was coming home from Wal-Mart at about 6:00 one evening with both of the kiddos. Miller was screaming her head off because we were way late for supper. So we’re “puttering” along a back road/short cut home when I see the heart stopping, stomach churning, blue lights. Maybe it’s not for me, maybe it’s not for me . . . It’s for me. As I’m pulling over I realize I don’t have my seat belt on. Why in the world do I not have my seat belt on!? I don’t change parking spots at the grocery store with out putting my seat belt on. “Click it or ticket, Mississippi” is playing in my ears. So, I stealthily slide my belt on and hope Officer Friendly doesn’t notice. He walks up to my window to hear Miller howling in the back seat. “Ma’am, any reason other than your baby screaming that you’re going so fast?” “Nope, that about does for me.” “How old is she?” “3 months.” “Well, I have a grandboy just that age.” (“thank you, God!”) “Can I see your insurance?” “Oh you mean this expired card in my wallet? The new one is at home in the pile of mail I haven’t sifted through since the 3 month old came home.” He looks at it. “Oh, that’s fine- this’ll do.” (“thank you, God!”) He ran my license (with my old address on it) and came back to the car. Well, you slow down a little and get that baby home. He never said a word about the seat belt. (again, “thank you, God!”) So, as we’re heading home and I’m mulling over the fact that I’ve just dodged charges for not wearing a seat belt, driving 15 miles over the speed limit, expired proof of insurance, and a falsified drivers license (I’m pretty sure that all adds up to life in prison, so I’m uttering prayers of thanksgiving) I’m also thinking this will be the topic of conversation for Wilson for days, if not, months on end. He’s gonna tell everybody about how he got to see the flashing blue lights and how a policeman shined his flashlight on his baby sister and told his mamma she was driving too fast. We get home and I tell Phil I’ve just given Wilson material for an eon’s worth of chatter- beware. To my surprise, Wilson didn’t say a word about it for hours and even then it was kind of like an “oh, by the way . . .” kind of a comment. And he really hasn’t brought it up much since.
Until earlier this week. We were on our way to Wal-Mart. Going down the same road. We were stopped at a red light. “Hey mom, remember when we went to Wal-Mart that time and the policeman pulled you over?” “Yes, I remember (that time 3 months ago).” “Well, don’t forget, we’re just on a slow road- it’s not the interstate. Okay?”
“Okay, thank you, son.”
Posted on

Much Over Due- Product Placement

Okay, it’s been a long while since I last put my illustrious stamp of approval on a consumer good here at Wee Wee Wee- and it’s not for a lack of looking for something good. Actually, I have run across some great products in last few months the playplace (a piece of baby gear that has actually entertained Miller for going on 7 months now- it’s so versatile), the boon spoon (great way to do baby food on the go), the 6 crayon in one (perfect to pull out of your purse at any time and not have your preschooler roll 6 different crayons under the seats of everyone around you!). But none of those has struck me as quite genius enough to warrant a blog post- well actually they have, I’ve just been too busy or tired to post anything completely non essential. If you’re interested, I’ll be glad to elaborate on any of the above, just let me know. Truthfully, I’m still not here to do a true “product” placement- this is more of a feature placement. You see one of the things that grabs my attention most and really gets me bragging is when a company seems to have read my mind, at just the right moment, and given me a tool that is “practically perfect”. Today I was browsing Amazon looking at books and toys and learned of something new that I’m SO EXCITED ABOUT! This is something I’ve wished they had for years now. I would like to introduce the Amazon “Add to Wish List” link button. With this button added to your internet browser toolbar (very easy to do, just follow the instructions on the page linked above), you can put ANYTHING from ANY website on your Amazon list with one mouse click. Now, I know that there are websites out there that let you compile a list from many websites into one, but I love that Amazon has opened their doors (and is now using me as a free marketing tool to see what they need to add to their ever-growing site) and is letting me add directly to my existing list there. Anyone who knows me knows I’m a huge fan of the Amazon wish list because they have everything from diapers to diamonds, you can make a great list in one spot, and people can buy the stuff from wherever they choose, brick and mortar or cyber mall. However, there have been times when I was making Christmas or birthday lists for Wilson and I’d remember a really cute shirt from Gymboree that he liked, but Amazon wouldn’t have the exact one-and you hate to bombard generous “list seekers” (aka grandparents and out of town relatives) with 18 different places that you’ve seen great stuff. Now- it can all be added to the same list that we’ve always used and had a link to on our blog. (I checked- you can even add tickets to Disney World to the list- just in case anyone’s feeling like a super generous list seeker- he he he :)!) As always, you can add notes about the item like size and color. You can also use it to add to any list you have made like a personal shopping list or list of gifts you’d like to give. That way, you want forget about the great idea you ran across for your uncle 10 months before his birthday.

Well, that’s what excited me today. I’m gushing over a browser button. I’m a nerd. A nerd with a very easy to follow, comprehensive Christmas list. I’m a nerd.

Thanks for reading. I promise I won’t post again without pictures and funny stories about my kids.

Posted on

Sorry, Big Daddy . . .

but it looks like whatever “financial” genes that have been floating around in the Wilson chromosomal pool for centuries have just been completely diluted. But who can blame the kid with all those red arrows- it tough for anyone to watch!

Posted on

"…And This Bird You Can Not ‘Cage’…"


Miller has apparently developed an aversion to bars. She has begun crying every time you put her down in her bed and doesn’t stay asleep for very long. One night I went up and when she couldn’t get settled I just laid her down with me on the down mattress topper, perma-pallet I have set up in her room to camp out on for when I have to go up in the middle of the night and decide I’m too tired to safely take on the decent back down the stairs. She slept there until almost 8 o’clock the next morning (she’s usually up around 5). So, when it came time to take her morning nap, I put her back down on the pallet. She slept for 3 hours. I had to wake her up later from her afternoon nap when we were nearing the 2 hour mark and we had places to go! The next day she repeated the same thing. So, I stole the extra mattress pad and a twin bottom sheet from Wilson and this is now apparently her new resting place. FREE BIRD!

Posted on

The next best thing to a treehouse . . .


Lately, every afternoon at about 4:00 my bed becomes a pirate ship. My picnic basket is filled with old Beanie Babies and stuffed animals and becomes a deckful of swabbies. My paint stirrers become swords. My empty toilet paper tubes become telescopes. ANYTHING stationery in our house becomes an evil pirate. Apparently today the pirates all went running into my dryer. I was on the phone with my sis-in-law and heard a bunch of commotion in the laundry room. I went in to find Wilson hanging out in the dryer. I told him he had to stay for a second so I could take his picture but then he had to get out. Jack, hearing all the fun coming from the laundry room, came running to make sure his number one hiding spot was still secure. When he found his arch nemesis (our first born, two-legged child) in there he decided it was more than he could take. He’d risk getting cooties from touching said child to regain his territory. As he jumped in, he got a whack on the snout with the neon hot wheels that Captain Wilson was currently wielding. I wish we could figure out why they don’t get along better?! Curiouser & curiouser. Anyway, when I told Wilson to get out he asked the most profound of all three-year-old questions. “Why?” “Well, what if I didn’t know you were in there and turned it on!? Would that be very fun?” He looked at me and grinned. I told him that the correct answer was NO, that, in fact, it would not be fun.

(And “yes”, to all you Sherlocks out there who noticed I said the pirate parade begins at 4:00pm and these photos show Wilson in his jammies, he was still in the flannel winter pajamas when I posted at 2:30 this afternoon and he stayed in them until about 30minutes before we ate supper tonight. He changed then because he spilt water down his shirt and hates even mildly damp clothes. Does anyone know if they’re looking for a new assistant for Mr. Monk- I think I pretty much understand the job description.)

And for one more laugh before I go to bed- Wilson, Phil, and I were watching a movie tonight and Wilson started climbing over Phil to get to me and chose, as usual, to go the shortest route, not the most polite or comfortable. This particular route involved Wilson’s knee digging into Phil’s shin. I explained to Wilson that Dad’s shins hurt when they get hit just like his do and that he needed to be careful climbing on people.

“Oh, sorry, Mom.”
“Tell Dad, not me!”
“Hey, Dad, not her.”

Thank you and good night- he’ll be here all week!

Posted on

The Cutest Little Town in Carburetor County

Here’s what Wilson and I have been doing today . . .
He pulled out this book and noticed the “track” on the cover. Mom I want to build that track. Oh. Good. A completely over complicated and precarious car track built out things that we actually have in our house so there’s no good reason I can come up with for us to not try it. (Except that you’ll attempt to play with it once, it will all fall down, and you’ll scream) Okay, Wilson, I’ll get your box of blocks, you bring down your train tracks.

This is the town we came up with

Flo’s V8 cafe- note the V on top

Mini Sally at the Cozy Cone Motel

Luigi and Guido at the Casa De La Tires (and roundhouse)

Guido is fixing a train car under the careful supervision of Luigi

Mater’s shack and Chuki’s (the Japanese reporter’s) chic flat

Red (and wanna be Red) at the fire station complete with statue of Stanley

Sheriff’s police station

Doc came to visit and split into multiple personalities (regular Doc, McDonald’s Happy Meal & completely out of scale Doc, and pit crew Doc) Also pictured are a police car, policeman action figure, and a chimney sweep action figure- have I mentioned I finally got a chimney sweep to come- no more squirrels, yea!! (and a free chimney sweep toy straight off the last barge of lead paint filled toys from Hong Kong) We’re super excited.

The “El”

The zoo and zoo keeper- we feature habitats as close to those found in nature as possible for all our animals

Exhibit A of natural habitats- the monkey cage


The “Ice Area” of the zoo- home to the polar bear and Yettie Truck

And last, but not least, a home for the many faces of Lightning

(“Sparkly, Dirt Track, and Regular”)

In case you’re wondering, I have no make up on, Wilson’s still in his pajamas, it’s 2:30 and we haven’t eaten lunch, and I’ve responded to two screams of “it fell, it fell” twice during this post. Miller’s taking a nap now, but she was surprisingly entertained with our construction while she sat in her swing and gnawed on a snail teething ring.

Wup . . . Make that three screams . . .

Posted on

6 months!

Everybody says it, but I’m going to repeat it anyway . . . I can’t believe she’s already 6 months old- where has the time gone?! It really seems like we just brought her home. She still seems new and I still don’t really feel like I know her yet. I guess that is the challenge of parenting any children after the first. I didn’t ever think about the fact that I’d still be a first time parent after I had my second child. I think I thought I’d be able to pay attention more to the baby stuff because it wouldn’t be so new and I wouldn’t be worried about doing everything right, but instead it’s just been a blurr in the background as I’ve tried to make sure everyone is somewhat clean and fed occasionally. The truth is, we’re still learning the ropes of parenthood and poor Wilson has to be the guinea pig as we go along. And while we’re old hat at bottles, diapers, paci’s, and onesies we’re still fresh off the showroom floor on preschool, persnicketyness, snarkiness, making new friends, and raising a child in general. Even when he’s 18 and we’re sending him off to college, we’ll still be first time parents. I’ll wonder if we bought enough socks and sheets at WalMart and worry about whether he’ll be able to find his way around okay. Will I even notice that Miller has finished junior high? Somehow I don’t think she’ll let me miss it. I just hope I can learn to pay more attention the moments in between the milestones. As for now, they both still smile when they see me, so maybe I haven’t made them completely crazy yet- or maybe they’re just humoring me.

The pictures above are from this morning. She wasn’t exactly Miss Personality while I videoed her, so I decided to add the photos of when she started playing after the camera was off. After the 6 month video (and, yes, I’m 4 days late making it!) is one of her playing her favorite game . . .

someone needs to teach her that when hiding, it’s generally a good idea not to squeal and kick your feet- it’s a dead give away