Center of the Universe

Grandma and Grandpa H. came over for dinner tonight. From the time they walked in the door, all Wesley said was "Gramma! Gramma! Gramma!" You never would have known that he spent from 9:00 Saturday morning until 1:00 this afternoon with them. The six hours they spent apart, was apparently way too much for Wesley. Once Wesley finished his dinner he stood on the back of Grandma's chair with his arm draped over her, kissing her.

"Wow," I said. "I wonder who Wesley's most favorite person in the world is?"

Wesley didn't miss a beat. He looked up and said "ME!"

"Back" Again

For those of you who are paying attention to the saga of my back, here's the latest. Today marks the second day that I am practically pain free! That's right folks, two whole days of no pain medication!!!

I'm not real sure how this happened. Friday I was still feeling very poorly. When I heard from my doctor to get the x-ray results, I was told that my lowest vertebrae was "slightly offset" that could possibly be what was causing the pain. However, since I wasn't showing any improvement, she scheduled me for an MRI tomorrow and referred me to an orthopedist.

Friday night, Wesley ended up in bed with us at about 12:30. I distinctly remember a few sharp kicks to my back by a toddler size 8 foot. But when I woke up Saturday morning - there was no back pain! It was still tender and I could tell where it had been bothering me, but there wasn't actual pain. Not even a 3 hour car ride and a wedding and reception and three hour car ride back (while wearing extreme support garments) bothered it. Plus, it's felt great today.

So the new plan is to call the doctor from work in the morning and tell her that my 2-year old kicked me in the back and now my pain is gone. Maybe he can put this new skill to good use and pay his way through college.

I'm Still Here!

Sorry I haven't posted for the past few days. My back is still causing me a lot of pain so I haven't been doing much besides lying on the couch. I did get some x-rays done on Wednesday, but I don't know the results yet. I start physical therapy in a couple weeks too. Much fun.

On a lighter note, Wesley had his first taste of coffee this morning. My cup had maybe half an inch in it and had cooled off considerably when Wesley picked it up and finished the contents. "Mmmmm. Coffee is good!" was his response. Good thing I switched to decaf!

Watch for Low Flying Dragons

The following conversation took place as I was getting Wesley dressed yesterday morning.

Wesley: Mom, there are dragons.
Mom: There are dragons? Where?
Wesley: Outside flying.
Mom: The dragons are outside flying?
Wesley: Yes! They flying to the moon. Let's go see them. Come on.

Where do two year olds get this stuff? I am amazed by my son's imagination!

All the World's a Stage

Wesley sure was something this morning. Note the embarrassing picture of him as we were getting ready for church. Wesley desperately wanted to wear Daddy's socks, so we let him. It's like Rocky Horror Toddler Show.

Wesley made quite an impression (of a different kind) at church this morning too. The congregation sang "Shout to the Lord," and Wesley danced around in our row. As soon as the music ended he turned to me and said,"That was good! Sing another song!"

No Clever Title

I'm out of ideas for clever titles today. I'm tired and a little grumpy and I'm blogging at this moment because I want to have 5 minutes without a cat or a toddler sitting on me.

I got off my couch today long enough to take a drive into the country with Grandma H. and Wesley. We stopped at an orchard so Grandma could pick apples (I took pictures). Wesley got to ride in a wagon (I took pictures). It really was a nice day and if I wasn't so cranky right now, I'd tell you all about it. Instead, look at the pictures of Wesley being super cute. BTW, he has totally figured out that I can't chase him or pick him up right now and he's so taking advantage of it. People probably think I can't control my kid because my husband beats me (yes, the eye still looks pretty - drat that cat!)

Back to the Real World: Take 2

Yesterday's plan to return to work, didn't exactly pan out. By the time I was getting dressed to go, my back was crying for a pain-pill, so I stayed home again. It might have been less hazardous to my health to go to work though. Sometimes during the four hours I was unconsciousness on the couch, one of the cats slipped off the back of the couch and I caught a claw underneath the eye. In addition to having an achy back, I now look like I've been in a fight. Thank goodness my glasses cover the worst of it. If I do make it into work today (as is the plan) I shouldn't catch too many funny looks.

"Back" to the Real World

After three days of lying around on the couch, I'm heading back to work today. I'm not sure my family is entirely supportive of that decision, but I need to go to work. Duane extracted the following promise from me last night: If my back hurts bad enough that I want to take a vicodin (I have to leave them at home because I'm not allowed to drive while taking them), then it hurts too much to be at work and I'll come home immediately. Sounds fair.

We went to Kirk and Susan's last night to celebrate their 8th anniversary and Duane's birthday (which is Thursday.) For me that meant lying around on their furniture instead of my own! :-) Susan made a killer lasagna for dinner and an appetizer of buffalo chicken dip that was so scrumptious I could have easily eaten the entire bowl by myself!

When we exchanged gifts, Wesley was pretty keyed up (from chasing the kitties and realising it was someones birthday). He kept singing "Happy Birthday" and insisting that I wear a blue bow on my head. The sad thing is, the picture Susan took of me wearing the bow is pretty good (and safely on HER computer, not mine!) Duane received a controller for his Play Station 2, the 80's version of Guitar Hero and a second guitar so he can play against his friends. We got Kirk and Susan a chocolate fountain, which Susan seemed to love. I was even surprised by an early birthday present (I still have 15 days to go). I FINALLY got Dance Dance Revolution!!!!! As soon as my back feels better I plan on dancing every night. I am so excited!!!!

Of course, the best present of all was received eight years ago. I am so glad Susan is part of our family. Kirk loves her so very much and I know she feels the same way. There have been times we thought that Susan's health problems would get the best of her, but she is a fighter an instead gives her best to her husband, family and friends every day. She brings out a part of Kirk that he would rather hide and I think he keeps her grounded. I am so happy for them and I wish them many many more years of a loving marriage!

God Bless Grandparents

I am so blessed to have all of Wesley's grandparents living within a 40 minute drive of us. Grandpa P. came and picked Wesley up yesterday so I could spend the day resting after my doctor appointment. Grandma H. is extending the same wonderful courtesy today. That means it'll be just me, the vicodin, the keflex, the anti-inflammatory, the cats, some books and the tv. I'll actually be resting!! Yes, I know how lucky I am and I can almost see some of my reader's turning green with envy.

My back is doing amazingly better (thank you vicodin), but I"m trying to following the doctor's orders and not lift anything heavier than my cat. Wesley doesn't understand why Mommy won't pick him up and why she is lying on the couch all the time. Last night he brought me four pillows, three blankets and wasn't completely happy unless I was actually holding my pill bottles. See why it's easier to rest when he's happily playing with the grandparents?

Feeling No Pain

I stayed home from work and went to the doctor. I'm now on three prescriptions and feeling no pain. She wants me to stay home this week , but I'm only willing to give it a couple of days (her minimum) So, I probably won't be saying much for the next day or two.

Pity Party

Poor me. Please break out the violins and accompany my pity party. My back hurts in the worst possible way. Seriously, I haven't had back pain like this since right before I gave birth to Wesley. It makes me nauseous and my entire body hurts. I've been popping ibuprofen like it's candy in order to get any kind of relief. One of my tonsils is swollen, I'm running a bit of a fever and I'm alternating burning up and freezing cold - and it's been like this since Friday!

I've been such a pathetic mommy today. Basically I've not done a thing around the house (Duane is going to freak at the dishes in the sink) and I've totally neglected my son. He's watched WAY too much t.v. today, but I don't have the energy to play with him. Instead, I'm playing my own game of Mommy Guilt Trip. I am so calling my doctor tomorrow. There has to be something that can make me feel like a human again.

Go Browns

Duane is on his way to the Browns/Bengals game in Cleveland with a friend of his. Poor Wesley was desperate to go. When we walked Daddy out to the car, Wesley cried "I get in car too! I go football too!" Maybe we'll have to watch the game and see if we can spot Daddy in the crowd :-)

It's Fall by My Book

Last night was the official start of autumn in my book. It was the annual hog roast and bonfire at Uncle Walt and Aunt Shirley's! The weather was absolutely perfect and we had a great time walking the land (they own 25 acres), visiting and eating way too much!



Wesley wasn't nearly as impressed with the spread of food as most of the adults were, but he did eat a ton of homemade macaroni and cheese!








Finding Daddy's nose in the barn. Wesley was hanging out with Melissa there, bringing her rocks and mooching her m&m's from her cookie.








This beautiful dog (Mya? Abby?) belongs to one of Duane's cousins. The dog spent the whole night running around the chicken coop. She seriously wore a trench in the dirt. Wesley spent a good part of his time following the poor dog. "Dog. You run and I chase you." My favorite part of this was when the dog pawed at the fence, then Wesley kicked it. When the dog stuck her nose through the openings, so did Wesley. He even barked a few times!





We took a hayride around the property. I don't think Wesley remembers the ride we took last year, but he LOVED bouncing along this year.






Aunt Shirley decorated with squash and pumpkins. Wesley loved the squash. He called the bumpy one in the picture to the left "popcorns." Wesley brought a smooth one home that he decided was pear.







Wesley ended the evening by counting the sparks from the fire with Grandma H.

Go Away Monsters

It's time to put some of my Mommy Power to work - I think Wesley is afraid of monsters. He was sitting on the couch with Daddy, watching a puppy movie, when I got home at 9:30. Apparently, Wesley had gone to bed as normal, but about 20 minutes later started calling "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" Duane figured Wesley's insomnia was due to a late nap, but now I'm not so sure. Wesley asked to please sleep in Mommy and Daddy's bed - and he may have actually fallen asleep at 11:00. He work up early this morning (but after Duane was already up) and cuddled into me.

Wesley: I'm OK, Mommy.
Mommy: I know you are, Wesley.
Wesley: There are no monsters.
Mommy (slightly puzzled): That's right, there are no monsters.
Wesley (after a brief pause): Except Cookie Monster.

So do I ignore the monster thing, or do I do the librarian thing and check out books about empowerment against monsters - like "Go Away Big Green Monster?" Do you think it's all the Halloween stuff invading the stores?

The Faith of a Child

Sometimes I am just so overcome by being a mother. Overcome with love, with gratitude, with responsibility - all rolled into one. I wonder how I became responsible for molding a child in such a way that he will be a responsible, productive person someday. I wonder how I am doing as a mom. Am I too lenient? Too strict? What kind of man is my boy going to be? How can I instill a love and commitment to God and family in him? And when all of these questions start to weigh too heavily, Wesley does something to make me know that it's all going to work out fine.

Last night when I got home from work, I heard Wesley kicking his bed - not in anger, but in boredom. I went upstairs to his room and knelt down beside his bed.

Mommy: Hi Wesley.
Wesley: Hi Mommy.
Mommy: Why are you still awake? It's late.
Wesley: I want Bear and Rabbit.
Mommy: They are in the kitchen. I'll go get them for you.
Wesley: (sighing) I know.

My heart just melted then. Wesley has complete faith that his parents are going to make everything alright. Of course Mommy was going to go get his stuffed animals because he needed them. Of course Daddy can toss Wesley around without Wesley being scared - Wesley has complete faith that Duane is going to catch him. A kiss still heals all boo-boos (Wesley even kissed my head after I bumped it today). Is anything in the world sweeter or more precious than the love, trust and faith of a child?

Welcome Paige Leann

Duane's cousin and his wife were blessed with another addition to their family yesterday. We took Wesley to visit his new relative tonight. He was pretty impressed with little (5 lb., 12 oz.) Paige. He said hi to her, kissed her, touched her hair and even sang her The Baby Song - which goes "Enh. Enh. Enh. Baby song." Wesley composed it himself. You may notice it's similarity to The Tiger Song, The Bear Song, The Kitty Song and the Puppy Song. Hey, if it isn't broke, don't fix it.

Sweet little Paige (and the top of my head)

Wesley greets his new cousin









How to tell when your two year old is done looking at the baby. Note the brown sandal peeking out from behind the curtain.

Reality

I was dreading Wesley's drop off today. I figured that after a week at home with Mommy, there would be lots of tears and crying when I left Grandma and Grandpa P.'s today. We talked about going to Grandma and Grandpa's on the ride there. Wesley told me he wanted to push the button (doorbell) and see Maggie and Abby. When we got there he rang the doorbell, and Maggie and Abby arrived a few minutes later. As the time for me to leave approached I told Wesley that I had to go to work. "Bye," was his response. When I walked to the door, he followed me and told me it was time to go home. Grandma and Grandpa told him that Mommy had to go bring home the bacon. Wesley hugged me and said, "Go home, Mommy. Get bacon," then walked away. So much for a meltdown.

End of Vacation

Well, it's back to the old grind tomorrow. I can feel the final minutes of my vacation ticking away. In once sense this past week flew by and in another sense it went forever. I would love to be a stay at home mom. I'm betting that I have more trouble leaving Wesley tomorrow than he has with me leaving.

Let's have a little vacation review!

The Highlights

1. Dinner/playtime/bunny park with Kate, Greg and Colin

2. Flea market and visiting Grandma W. and Great Grandma S.

3. Going to see "the castle" and the carousel with Aunt Carol

4. Wesley's adorable portraits and lunching with Aunt Carol and Al

5. Swimming with Grandpa and Grandma P.

6. Going to the zoo with Daddy, Cathy and Kei

7. Picking Grandma and Grandpa H. up at the airport WAY past Wesley's bedtime

8. Seeing Kierstin get baptised today and seeing Aunt Judy out of the hospital

The Lowlights

1. The major embarrassing meltdown Wesley had immediately after his portraits

2. Aunt Carol winding up in the hospital from a cat bite (long story)

3. Only getting 5 books read

As long as the highlights outweigh the lowlights, I guess we can call it a successful vacation. See ya tomorrow!

Confession

Hi. My name is Heather and I am quickly becoming a Guitar Hero addict. I played for two hours last night. I created a character. I chose a guitar. I played through an entire set. Eeek!!

Weird Kid or Artistic Genius

Daddy assembled Wesley's new easel before work this morning. Wesley has now discovered the joy of chalk, or as he puts it "chalks." When he was ready to leave Grandma and Grandpa P.'s today he told me he had to go home and get his chalks. So what does he do with his chalk? He puts it in his toy refrigerator and puts his play food in the tray of the easel. Note the eggplant in the right hand tray -->

G.H. & F. Widow

Why do I have a suspicion that I may never see my hubby again? The first reason is that NFL football starts tonight. I don't consider myself too much of a football widow, because I also like to watch the games - it's just that Duane likes to watch every game, regardless of who is playing. I keep up the best I can, but to be honest, if it isn't the Buckeyes, the Browns or the Super Bowl, I"m not horribly interested.

My more immediate widowhood has to do with Guitar Hero. Ever since Duane was exposed to it at Kirk and Susan's he's been obsessed. Playing it at Kate and Greg's the other day only fueled the fire. Last night we went out and bought a PS2, a wireless guitar and Guitar Hero 1 & 2. Oh! And a memory card to save the games! Duane's cousin came over last night to play. I have no idea what time Duane came to bed, but I know he was happy.

Please know that I am grumping good-naturedly about this. Duane NEVER buys anything for himself. In fact, he tells me he'd prefer I buy things for me. But he works so hard and is such a good man and daddy. If he wants a new game and gaming system, he should have it. Of course, we're calling it his birthday present too - that sucker wasn't cheap!

Daddy's Job

You may remember that a few weeks ago Wesley told me that his daddy was Superman. Well, it seems that Duane has switched jobs. This morning after Duane left for work, Wesley crawled into bed with me.

Wesley: "Daddy gone."

Mommy: " Yep. Daddy had to go to work today."

Wesley: "Daddy at work. He saving baby armadillo"

Mommy: "Daddy is saving an armadillo?"

Wesley: "Yes! Daddy save armadillo in trouble."

Guess Daddy's new job is being Diego.

Great Aunt, Great Day

Wesley and I took at trip to the north to visit Great Aunt Carol today. As a kid, I always thought Aunt Carol was the best. She always had time to play a game, read a story and she always had Certs mints in her purse. Best of all, she always had time for me and Kirk. I'm so glad Wesley gets to spend some quality time with her - it's like having one more grandma.


Wesley behaved himself so well considering all the running around Carol and I did. We went to the post office, to Ollies (a terrific discount store where I bought way too many books) and then had lunch at the golden arches. Bless her heart, Carol even volunteered to sit in the play area so Wesley could run around. There's something special about going to a McDonald's in my aunt's town. My grandpa used to work as a customer relations person at a McDonald's and I always associate eating there with him - even though we weren't at the one he worked at. I think he would have gotten a real kick out of seeing his great-grandson having such a good time at Mickey D's.


After lunch, we headed to the Ohio State Reformatory. It's a beautiful old building that has not only been used in several movies (most famously, Shawshank Redemption) but also has some family history for me. No, no one in my family was an inmate - that I know of - but my great (or great-great) uncle used to work in the mail room there. When my Grandma M. was a girl, she and her sisters were friends with the warden's family and would sometimes perform concerts there, or picnic on the lawn. Aunt Carol currently works in the gift shop. On the other side of the family, my dad's stepdad (my Grandpa D.) once worked as a guard in the dairy at the reformatory, so I definitely have some family ties to the old place.


As soon as the building was in sight, Wesley said "Look at the castle! I want go in castle!" He's right too, the old reformatory really does look like a gothic castle.


We didn't take a tour per se, but Carol took us into some of the cell blocks and into the solitary confinement area. Supposedly the place is haunted, and it's very easy to believe in ghosts when you are walking around there. The whole time we were there Wesley kept telling us he heard something. "What's that noise? I hear something," he'd say. It started to creep me out a little, but then I reminded myself that yesterday in the car he told me he heard something and when I asked him what it was he said "Ants."


Once we were finished at the reformatory, we headed into town to the carousel. Wesley was so excited when he heard the music that he ran into the pavilion. We had to ride it twice and both times, Wesley chose to ride a cat. For the first ride the cat was orange and resembled Sanders. For the second ride, Wesley chose a pirate cat. During the ride I asked Wesley what a pirate cat said. His reply? "Arrr. Meow matey!" That cracked Carol and the carousel operator up!








This is so much fun!






Aunt Carol liked it almost as much as Wesley!








Arrr! Meow Matey!







We managed to squeeze in a visit to a very sweet dog named Betty Wiggles before Wesley crashed. He slept the entire ride home (about an hour) and I had to pry him out of the car seat. All in all, it was an awesome day. Thanks Aunt Carol!

Labor (Day) of Love

What a busy busy Labor Day the W. family had! When we left the house this morning, I had no idea that we'd be gone for 10 hours! It didn't seem like that long though, the day flew by!

We kicked off the day with a trip to the flea market in Duane's hometown. The flea market is held on Memorial Day and Labor Day on the town green. In my humble opinion, the Labor Day flea market is far superior because that is when they also have the ox roast. Now don't freak out on me, no one sees an actual ox being roasted, but we all enjoy the yummy ox sandwiches for lunch, followed by homemade ice cream made by the Methodist church.

We always make a few small purchases at the flea market, but this year we came home with a real prize - a small upright piano for Wesley! When he first heard it, he broke into a huge grin! Maybe we have a little musician on our hands.

Since we were in Duane's hometown, we stopped in to see Grandma W. and while we were there, a miracle occurred. Wesley FINALLY - after 2 years - warmed right up to her! They talked and played dinosaurs and looked at all of Grandma's knick-knacks. Wesley even cuddled up with her on the couch.

He further impressed his Grandma W. by singing her his tiger song - and "composing" a bear song right before her very eyes! Wesley discovered that his tiger song can become any kind of song by substituting another word for tiger. By the end of the day we had sung a tiger song, a bear song, a Stinky Bear song, a rabbit song, a puppy song, a cat song and a Mommy song. Whew!

After visiting we Grandma W. for a while, we drove on up the road to visit Great Grandma. Wesley made sure to turn on the charm and even shared his goldfish crackers with Great Grandma. To top it all off, he blew her a kiss as we were leaving.

On our way back into town, we accepted an impromptu dinner invitation from Grandma and Grandpa P. Wesley spent the evening begging Popsicles from Grandma and being absolutely smitten with Uncle Stacey. In fact, at the the end of the night Wesley told us he was going home with Uncle Stacey! When Uncle Stacey gets his basement "man room" finished, I think he'll have a frequent visitor!

Oh! In case you are wondering where Grandma and Grandpa H. are (since we normally see them almost every day) they are vacationing in Seattle to visit Uncle Dave, Auntie Sam and cousins Greg and Geoffrey. Wesley asked to see his Grandma and Grandpa H. this morning and I told him they were not home, that they were in Seattle. His response? "I want to go to Seattle."

Toddler Times Two

We finally got the opportunity to spend some time with our friends Kate, Greg and Colin today. Even though we don't live very far apart, I think it's been nearly a year since we've spent some good quality time together. They were kind (read: brave) enough to invite us to spend the afternoon with them and we had the most wonderful time.

Colin and Wesley are almost exactly nine months apart and considering they are both two and don't really know each other, they played pretty well together. Yes, there was some grabbing and some whining and a few tears, but there were also hugs, smiles and giggles.

What didn't we do today? The boys played in the bounce house. Daddy and Greg played guitar hero. Wesley LOVED Colin's twin sized bed. Wesley's bed is a converted crib and I think he feels a little cheated. When he had the inevitable meltdown, he ran straight to Colin's room and climbed into the bed. Colin followed him with his boo-boo bunny to make Wesley feel better.

For Wesley, the highlight of the day was finally getting to go to the bunny park with the fountains. We stayed until he was good and pruney, but I think Wesley would have been content to stay for hours more.





Check out all the really cool fountains!








Colin and Wesley shared some of Wesley's special "coffee"











One happy kid!





Kate and Greg - thank you so much for having us over. We had a fantastic time. Let's please do it again soon!

Cozy Cousins

Yesterday Wesley and I tagged along with Grandma H. to visit my stepbrother, his wife and their youngest. Wesley had a great time visiting Uncle Greg, Aunt Polly and his cousin Charli. They have a great yard and since Charli is only a couple years older than Wesley, there were lots of toys to play with. Not to mention the fact that Charli is an absolute cutie pie and Wesley really has a thing for cute older girls. It was great watching them play together - I just wish they didn't live almost an hour away.








Playing hopscotch. Wesley didn't get it, but he loved following Charli.







Charli took Wesley for a tour of the yard in her jeep.








The swings are always a big hit








Check out the climber!











Charli and Wesley check out the riding mower. I think they were cooking up a yard work business.







Thanks for letting us visit Uncle Greg and Aunt Polly. Hope we can see you again soon!