Oh Crud!

Ryan definitely has pink eye - and a whole medicine cabinet of stuff to take.

• drops for his eyes - 3 times a day for the next 5 days
• amoxicillin - for the sinus infection he apparently has - 2 times a day for 10 days
• benadryl - for the hives he somehow developed today - today only
• zyrtec - for the hives and possible unidentified allergy - once a day for 2 weeks.

Poor baby.

And I don't know if it's sympathy pains or what, but my eyes have been itching all day and I feel like there is something in them that I can't get out. I hope I'm not next.

The Circle of Life (or Pink Eye)

Ryan woke up this morning with both eyes crusted shut with what is most certainly pink eye. Why do my kids always come down with their illnesses on the weekend? Now we have to wait until tomorrow to call the doctor. Since Wesley just had pink eye, I'm hoping the doctor will just phone in a prescription and we won't have to go in. But here's what I'm worried about -

First week of November: a note came home from preschool saying Wesley was probably exposed to pink eye.

Second week of November: I fell into a false sense of security since Wesley did not exhibit any signs of pink eye.

Third week of November: Wesley has pink eye

Fourth week of November: No pink eye in the house

Last days of November/first week of December: Ryan has pink eye.

Now, if we continue to follow this scary pattern, here's what our holiday may look like

Second week of December: we will be pink eye free

Third week of December: SOMEONE in the house will get pink eye. Probably me since I'll be trying to get things done for Christmas

I'm just hoping and praying we'll be pink eye free for Christmas.

There is some good news about Ryan having pink eye. Wesley still has the trauma of eye drops fresh in his mind. We've told him that he shouldn't touch Ryan or take any toys away from Ryan because he might get pink eye again. So far this is working almost too well. Wesley runs away from Ryan any time he comes near for fear of getting pink eye again. Perhaps we'll actually have a quiet day.

The Season Can Begin!

We spent today getting the house ready for the Christmas season. It took almost all day, the stockings are hung, the nativity scene is ready, the Advent calender is hung and, most importantly, the tree is up and decorated!

Wesley was a HUGE help with the tree this year. I'll admit, Duane and I are a little picky about our tree decorations and I was pretty worried about how Wesley's "help" would turn out. It actually turned out really really well. He was super careful about where to hang the ornaments. When it was done, he stepped back, looked at it with a critical eye, and determined that one particular ornament needed moved. Of course, a few minutes later he decided it looked better where he had it the first time.

We're just going to take it easy this evening. We've got a movie on the t.v. and macaroni and cheese in the oven. Ryan helped make the mac and cheese. Well, he stood on the stool and said, "chee" over and over until I gave him a few cubes of the cheese. Guess we can add another word to the list of things he can say.

Happy Thanksgiving (Recap)

We had a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving yesterday! Tons of food, tons of family - and tons of pictures!

Ryan and Uncle Mark (and Bobo Monkey)

Ryan LOVED playing with the magnets on Grandma W.'s fridge.

Aunt Judy helped Ryan and Wesley decorate the front door.

Kierstin - America's Next Top Model

Mark isn't about to be left out!

Hummmm....can you tell which part of the tree Wesley decorated?

Ryan helped decorate too. He called all the ornaments "bubbles"

Wesley and Mark in their clubhouse.

Ryan was really excited when Uncle Doug set up the train.


After celebrating with the W. family, we went to celebrate with the P. family at Uncle Stacey and Aunt Paula's. Wesley and Ryan LOVE Uncle Stacey's basement AKA The Man Cave (which Wesley called the Man Tunnel)

Nothing says "Thanksgiving" like a toddler playing with the slot machine.

Wow! The pool table makes a mighty fine parking lot.


Eight ball in the corner pocket.


"Double or nothing, Uncle Kirk!"

Uncle Kirk and Ryan

Aunt Paula and her two little boys.

Grandpa P. and his "bug"

Grandma P. gave Ryan a new pair of pajamas. He liked them so much that he carried them around like a blanket for awhile. He even put them on the floor and rolled around on them.

Hopefully this will be the only picture of Ryan behind bars

Afternoon to be Thankful For

I have had the BEST afternoon! I only had to work until noon today. I picked up a pizza for the boys and I to share for lunch and then prepared to do some baking for Thanksgiving. To my surprise, Wesley curled up on the couch and took a nap! I couldn't believe it! Wesley almost never naps unless it's for about three minutes in the car on the way home.

Wesley's impromptu cat nap left Ryan and I with a couple of hours to spend together. We rolled cars back and forth across the kitchen floor while the sweet potatoes boiled. When I had to turn my attention back to the food, Ryan pulled the step stool over and kept himself busy "helping" me. And by "helping" I mean tasting everything he could get his little hands on. He stuck the teaspoon that had some cinnamon remnants on it into his mouth. He licked the spoon that had held vanilla extract. He sampled the dark brown sugar and the caramel sauce. It was so cute to hear him say "mmmmmmm" whenever he tried something new. Maybe he'll be as much of a little chef as his brother.

More Brotherly Love

Wesley got his H1N1 shot a couple of weeks ago. Today it's Ryan's turn. I made the mistake of telling Wesley that Ryan had to go to the doctor to get a shot. His response was to grin and say, "He's getting a shot?! Can I come watch!?"

Alarm Clock

I know I talk a lot about what a bear Wesley is to wake up in the morning. This morning when I went in to get him up he groaned, "Mom! Just three more hours!" Gee, whatever happened to 'five more minutes?'

Not Me Monday

I did not have a running "conversation" with Wesley's bear (with Wesley doing the bear's voice) for half an hour for the sole purpose of trying to keep Wesley awake on the ride home. I'd never do that!

I certainly didn't spend most of the morning craving a scone, but was too lazy to walk to the bakery across the street to get one. That would have been self torture.

I couldn't have driven along oblivious to my cell phone ringing because I thought the ring tone was background music to the audio book I was listening to. Not only would that have been embarrassing, it also would have been a very "blond" moment.

I did not load up my ipod with Christmas music even though I NEVER listen to Christmas music until after Thanksgiving.

I did not burst into tears after seeing a deer that had been hit by a car but was still alive and trying (failing) to stand up. I did not call my mom and ask her to call someone to help the deer. I did not cry again after hearing that the deer died before my step-dad reached it to help.

I know I didn't make the "Santa won't come to our house" threat before Thanksgiving even arrives.

There's no way I packed leftovers from the freezer for my lunch when I couldn't even remember what meal they were from.

Somebody's Watching

It's taken 16 months, but Wesley is officially "done" with his brother. He told Aunt Susan that he didn't want a baby anymore. He's told me that too. In fact, today he told me that Ryan needed to live with Grandma W. so it can just be Mommy, Daddy and Wesley at our house. He's been hurting his little brother too - jumping on his toes, biting him, pinching his fingers in the door, pushing him down, etc. I'm about at my wit's end.

I was so frustrated by Wesley's behavior towards his brother that I actually played the Santa Card today. You know, the ol' "Do I need to call Santa and tell him NOT to come to our house this year?" It may have been early to play it, but it worked! Wesley immediately started saying that he LOVES babies and likes having one at his house. Perhaps I need to put Mr. Claus on speed dial.

Poor Kitty

Wesley decided that Friday was Sanders' birthday. When we went to Target, Wesley was adamant that he pick out some birthday gifts for the cat. Here's what he picked. Doesn't Sanders look thrilled?

Everybody's a Comedian

Wesley has been in rare form today. We were at Target when he did something (I don't remember what) to which I responded, "Wesley, you are so funny." Wesley answered, "I'm not funny, but I do tell a good joke!" I didn't have the heart to tell him that his jokes aren't that good either!

This evening I caught Ryan sitting on a couch eating a crayon. Yes, I did say 'eating a crayon.' I ran over and snatched it. Wesley watched the commotion and said, "Now his poop will change colors!" Maybe I'll let Duane change that diaper, just in case Wesley is right.

Finally, as I type this Wesley has a magnetic fishing pole he is playing with. When I asked him what he was doing, he said he was fishing for his dinner. First he caught a fish (which he doesn't like), then a bone, then he finally caught a pepperoni pizza. You know what they say, "if you teach a man to fish....."

Where Oh Where Has Cooper Gone?

Shhhh....just thought I'd let you know that Wesley hasn't asked Duane or I if he could be a cat for over a week! Could this be the end of Cooper??

It's All Downhill from Here

See that ornery little boy? The one in the picture above? Yeah, that one. Guess what he did today?

This morning Ryan and I went into Wesley's room to wake him up. Wesley didn't want to get out of bed and Ryan must have been tired of waiting for him. Ryan opened the door to the bedroom, walked to the stairs and laid down on his tummy. He positioned himself feet first and slid down our VERY steep steps! I had to race over the steps so keep a little bit ahead of him. Of course, he was very proud of himself for navigating the stairs by himself. Is there no stopping this kid?

Wrong Side of the Bed

Apparently today was “one of those mornings” for Mr. Wesley. He did not want to get out of bed, or go downstairs, or get dressed. He did not want me to go to work and he did not want to go to Grandma and Grandpa’s. He whined and whined and whined so much that I finally said, “Wesley! You are driving me nuts!” Wesley looked at me and snapped, “I’m driving myself nuts too!” Ain’t that the truth.

Things failed to get better as we headed out of the house. I asked Wesley twice before we walked out the door if he wanted juice or milk “for the road,” and twice he told me no. We got in the car and I asked him if he would like some “travelin’ music.” He said, “Not today, but maybe something to drink.” ARGH! I did not go get him anything and he spent the trip to Grandma and Grandpa’s in silence. It didn’t last when we got there though.

When we arrived at Grandma and Grandpa’s, Wesley the Brat emerged. Before getting out of the car he put all the armrests down, just to try to annoy me (didn’t work). Then he jumped out of the van and purposely landed on Ryan’s toes! He ran from Grandpa and I, yelling “NO!” when we tried to get his drops in his eyes. He crawled on my lap for a few minutes, then tried to knock the diaper bag off the table and complained that I didn’t pack the right book for him. When I left he was sitting under the table, not talking to anyone. I got back in the van wishing for something stronger than coffee in my travel cup!

Apparently Wesley adjusted his mood after a little chat with Grandpa and some breakfast. Thank goodness it didn't last.

Seeing Pink

Well, Wesley has pink eye again. I knew it was coming after the announcement at preschool that his class had been exposed. However, to be honest, I'm surprised it took this long to show up. Grandma and Grandpa P. (former elementary school principals) took one look at Wesley yesterday morning and said, "Yep! He's got pink eye!" They took him to Dr. M. for me and now we have the oh-so-joyful experience of giving him drops 3 times a day for a week. Break out the straight jacket and straps to help hold him down!

Not Me Monday

Following the lead of My Charming Kids, it's another "Not Me Monday"



I am not already dreading the cat's vet appointment that isn't until Friday. How counterproductive that would be?


There is no way I started craving a certain kind of cereal just because a certain friend who shall remain nameless changed her Facebook profile picture to that cereal's mascot.


I know I didn't see Wesley wipe his boogery nose on the sleeve of the sweater I was wearing. If so, I know it didn't happen when I was dropping him off for the day, forcing me to wear a boogery sweater to work. And even if all that happened, there's no way I though to myself, "Well, at least the sweater is kind of a booger green color, so Wesley's addition will blend well."


I did not allow myself to get so freaked out by a "reality" ghost hunting show that I ate and entire pint of Chubby Hubby ice cream while watching. Nope. Never happened. And since it didn't happen, the calories don't count.


I am not already researching different schools for Wesley so I don't have to send him to our neighborhood school. Nope, not me.

Little Drummer Boy

Check out our little rock star last night.

Boys and Their Toys

Sometimes, you just have to go for a spin!

Something is not right about this picture. I don't have a garage, but apparently Ryan does.

Not a Creature Was Sleeping

Last night was definitely "one of those nights" in the W. house.

10:00 - Duane and I return home from a hockey game to find both boys in bed, although Wesley is still awake.

10:30 - 11:00 Wesley gets in "the big red bed" with me and proceeds to chat

sometime before 12:30 - Duane moves Wesley back to his own bed

12:30 - Ryan starts screaming and screaming and screaming.

12:45 - Ryan gets moved to our bed and spends the next hour tap-dancing on us instead of sleeping

1:30 - Wesley starts crying. I go into his room and end up in his bed for a while

3:30 - Ryan has driving poor Duane to the edge, so Duane attempts to put Ryan in the crib.Screaming commences. I head back to my room with Duane and Ryan

3:30 - 4:00 - Sanders (cat) decides to join the party in the bed. Ryan climbs all over me trying to kiss the cat - who is also climbing all over me.

6:00 - Duane gets up to help a friend move some stuff. I get up with a wide awake Ryan and think maybe I'll sleep on the couch while he plays - instead, I'm on the computer.

So basically, if you see any of the W. family today, be aware that we could suddenly fall into a deep sleep at any moment.

The Things You Say

I think part of the reason I am so anxious for Ryan to start talking is that I can't wait to hear the kind of things he'll come up with. Wesley cracks me up on a regular basis! Check out today's tidbits.

This morning I was talking to my mom about the upcoming library holiday party. I told her that a DJ had been hired, so there would probably be dancing. Wesley's ears perked right up when he heard the word 'dancing.' He asked if he would get to go to the party too. When I said yes, he answered, "Good. I'll do all my moves!"

I reminded Wesley that there is no preschool tomorrow because it's the day that mommies and daddies go talk to the teachers. "So while you're at Grandma's, Daddy and I are going to go talk to Mrs. P and Mrs. T. Are they going to tell me good things about how you act at school?" Wesley answered seriously, "I sure hope so!"

Oh Brother!

I know I have lamented about Ryan's lack of vocabulary before. He does have a few words down pat though - including Mama and Daddy. I have to admit, I love waking him up in the morning and hearing his little voice say, "Ma-ma!" So much nicer than Wesley, who STILL often wakes up to tears.

Anyhow, two words that Ryan is not even close to grasping are "brother" and "Wesley." We have noticed that Ryan does use the same two syllable word when referring to Wesley, but it doesn't sound like "brother" or "Wesley." In fact, the thing it sounds closest to is "Dodo," which is probably appropriate on a whole other level. After I get Ryan dressed in the morning, we go into Wesley's room to wake him up. Ryan always points to the door, smiles, and says "Dodo!" He repeats, "Dodo" when we see Wesley in bed.

Tonight Ryan and Wesley were in the kitchen. Ryan was trying to tell Wesley something and said, "Dad-dee". All I know is I heard Wesley saying, "Ryan! I am NOT your daddy, I am your brother! BRO-THER!" Like saying it louder and slower was going to help. Here's hoping Ryan comes up with something else to call his Dodo soon!

What Have I Done?!?

The storm clouds are gathering above. I can feel a little knot of despair settling in the pit of my stomach. Oh, what have I done? I must have been out of my mind! One of my cats is LONG overdue for a visit to the vet. On top of that, he has HORRIBLE kitty breath and deep down I know that he probably needs a tooth pulled and a cleaning. So I finally sucked up the guilt over not taking him to the doctor for so long and made the appointment for my next day off. Sounds reasonable, right? Wrong!

The vet we go to is near Wesley's preschool. So next Friday, I'll load Wesley, Ryan, and a yowling cat in a carrier into my mini-van. I'll drive to the preschool, gather Ryan and Wesley and leave the cat in a carrier while I get Wesley into his classroom. Then I'll buckle Ryan back in the van and drive to the vet's office, where I will have to sit in the waiting room with a toddler and a yowling cat in a carrier.

When the doctor is able to see us, I'll have to juggle Ryan and the yowling cat (now out of the carrier), balanced with my extreme guilt and embarrassment over how long it's been since the cat's last appointment. I will watch my cat get shots, fork over a lot of money and make a follow up appointment for whatever is wrong with his teeth.

Then I will get to shove the cat back into the carrier and listen to him start yowling again while I kill some time waiting for Wesley to finish preschool. I'll unbuckle Ryan, collect Wesley from his classroom, buckle both boys back into the van and drive back home to accompaniment of the yowling cat in the carrier.

Once we get home, I'll feed the kids some lunch, put Ryan down for a nap and pray that the cat doesn't decide to pee on anything in order to get back at me for putting him through such an ordeal.

Now, don't you wish you were me?

Talking Turkey

We had some leftover cookie dough in our fridge, so Chef Wesley helped me make turkey cookies tonight!

Rolling out the dough. He did a great job!

Wesley was a wild man when it came to cutting out the cookies. I was lucky to get my fingers out of the way fast enough. He loved picking the excess dough away from the cutout.

Have spatula, will travel.

Adding the finishing touches - although truth be told, I think Wesley ate more of the decorations than made it on the cookies.

The final product.


Every chef needs someone to take care of quality control. We didn't know that's what Ryan was doing, but when it got really quiet and we couldn't find him, all we had to do was check where the cookies were sitting!

Not Me Monday

Following the lead of My Charming Kids, it's another "Not Me Monday!"

I most certainly did not do all my Christmas shopping for Ryan and Wesley (except for stocking stuffers) already. That would have been almost organized!

I have not been mildly amazed (and really grossed out) by Ryan's uncanny ability to fill his diaper RIGHT after he has just been changed, or as soon as I buckle him into his car seat.

I did come perilously close to draining a pot of pasta with the colander on the counter instead of in the sink.

I did not make buckeyes and pop them in the freezer for the sole reason of trying to make my own deep fried buckeyes the next time my brother comes over.

Think Again, Buddy

Wesley has been backtalking us left and right. He tries to be sneaky about it too. You know, making a nasty face instead of actually back "talking." Tonight Duane and I were talking and Wesley said, "Be quiet!" We turned to face him and (using my scariest Mommy voice) I asked, "Who were you talking to!?" Wesley's eyes got real big and you could see the wheels spinning. Barely 3 seconds passed before he answered, "Myself! I was talking to myself!" Good answer.

Well, Melt My Heart Why Don't You?

Tonight the boys and I were having some Mommy/Son bonding time - also known as sharing some Ben and Jerry's while Daddy did the dishes. We were watching Nick Jr., when Moose and Zee came on and starting talking about Thanksgiving and what they were thankful for.

Wesley: What are you thankful for, Mommy?

Mommy: I'm thankful for having two wonderful boys. Note: I managed to say this with a straight face even though Ryan COLORED ON OUR FLAT SCREEN TV not half an hour earlier. What are you thankful for, Wesley?

Wesley: leaning in and wrapping his arms around me: I'm thankful for a loving family. All of us together!

Who Needs Words?

Ryan still has a pretty limited vocabulary, but he has NO problem at all getting his point across (see yesterday's post). But what really gets me is how he expresses his displeasure. Take the following fine examples - some of which I may have posted before.

Once when he was mad at Wesley, he took Wesley's beloved bear and threw it across the room.

Another time when Ryan wanted to play with the same toy as Wesley, he went over and sat on his big brother.

Ryan is also an expert at throwing himself backwards when he's upset. He inevitably hurts himself, but it does get the point across.

This morning Ryan has been in rare form. We had a repeat of the banana bread incident from last night. Followed by him trying to be oh-so-sneaky and put a bite of banana bread in his toy mailbox. I caught him in the act and took the bread away from him. Not only did he start screaming like the world was about to end, he walked over to his brand new straw cup (which doesn't have a guard like a regular sippy) and dumped the milk all over the floor. Point made. Follow this up with pitching a fit when Daddy tried to set him at the little table instead of the big table and you'll know why the shirt Ryan is wearing says "Here Comes Trouble!"

So Close and Yet...Nope!

November is National Blog Posting Month and for the first time since starting this blog, I had every intention of participating and posting a little something every day. And then I got sick - not H1N1, not a horrible cold, just extreme tiredness, a headache and a scratchy throat. Enough to keep me in bed for about a day and a half. Hence, no blog post yesterday. Hence, I have fallen short of my goal less than a week into the month. Oh well, at least I have a couple of cute stories to share with you.

I was curled up in a heap on the couch last night. Wesley asked me what I wanted to eat, then brought me a pretend banana. He asked again, then brought me a plastic egg. When he asked what I wanted to drink, I answered "water." I fully expected him to bring me back a pretend cup of water, but instead he went into the kitchen and told Duane that "Mommy needs some water right now!" Cute. We had to explain that Mommy only wanted pretend water, but Wesley made sure I (pretend) drank it all.

We have some chocolate chip banana bread sitting on the counter. Duane gave Ryan a few bites of it and carried the little dude into the living room. A few moments later, Ryan toddled into the kitchen and we heard a loud noise, followed by some crying. I went into the kitchen to find Ryan standing in front of the counter and pointing at the banana bread. Apparently he had tried to use the drawers as a ladder and one fell out. Maybe I should just start leaving the stool out for him. At least he wouldn't try to climb the drawers that way.

Love is in the Air - Sort Of

Two (sort of) lovey dovey stories for today's post.

Wesley ended up in time out at preschool yesterday. Thank goodness it was only for being REALLY loud and disruptive at circle time and not spitting on/licking his classmates. Anyhow, when I called Grandma H. to see how preschool went, she said, "Well, I'll let Wesley tell you," and put him on the phone. She wanted Wesley to fess up to his bad behavior to me. Instead I heard a sweet, almost syrupy voice on the line say, "I love you, Mommy." Like I'm THAT big of a sucker!

Ryan has a puzzle at Grandma H.'s that has a photograph of a puppy as one of the pieces. Apparently Ryan was busily putting in the pieces in the puzzle, but when he came to puppy, he stopped, looked at it and gently kissed the piece before placing it in it's spot. How cute.

If We Knew You Were Comin' We'd Have Baked a Cake

Actually, Wesley and I did bake a cake Sunday night. A brown sugar pound cake. And I was so proud of my little helper. We both wore aprons - mine has Tinker Bell on it and Wesley's is bright blue with a bee. He wasn't so sure he really wanted to wear an apron, but once I explained that he could wipe his messy hands on it, he was all for wearing it! Wesley was such a great helper! He floured the pan, added all the ingredients to the mixer and even cracked the eggs into a bowl. We only lost one egg to overzealous cracking, so I'd call that a success. In fact, he told me, "The next time I bake a cake, you can help me, Mom."

We took a couple pieces of cake to Grandma and Grandpa P. and packed a couple of pieces for his preschool teachers.

I hope Wesley continues to want to help me cook. I love working in the kitchen with him and watching him learn. I love the way his face just lights up when he's helping and how proud he is when our creation is done. What a sweetheart!

Not Me Monday

Following the lead of My Charming Kids, it's another "Not Me Monday!"

There's no way I worried I forgot something for 30 minutes of my morning commute just because it was "too easy" to get out the door.

I did not tear the house apart looking for a piece of cute stationary just because I had to write a note to Wesley's preschool teachers. And if I did spend that much time and energy searching, I certainly wouldn't have been really bummed out that I didn't find any.

I was not the person who made "Gingerbread Zombie Victim" cookies to take to work. That would have been in questionable taste, even if it was Halloween. And if it was was, I certainly wouldn't be posting pictures of them.

I know I did not feel guilty because I was on the desk schedule at work on my day off. Why would I waste time feeling guilty about something that was not my fault.

It couldn't have been me who accidentally buckled her youngest child's lower lip in his car seat harness. Seriously. Don't even ask.

I would never plop Wesley in front of the computer while Ryan was napping, just so I could take nap too. And if I did do that, I certainly didn't wake up totally well rested and not guilty at all.

Puzzling it Out

Last week I was busy complaining about how Ryan takes every puzzle we own off the shelf and spreads the pieces all over the living room. He must have understood why I was so upset and decided to do something about it. Last night Duane noticed for the first time that Ryan was actually putting one of the puzzles together instead of just seeing how big of a mess he could make. Ryan worked on the puzzles pretty diligently this morning too. Maybe this means the mess in the living room will be a little less? Nah, probably not.