Pirate Ducks

What does a pirate duck say? According to Wesley it says "Arrrrrr. Quack matey!"

Manic Monday

Maybe it wasn't really so manic, but I have so many things I want to tell you all that it feels manic to me.

I guess I'll start with trying to get Wesley out the door today. He was in his playroom with his train set and he did not want to leave. "Come on, Wesley," I said. "We're going to go see Grandma and Grandpa P." His response? "I don't think so." Can you believe he actually said that!? I couldn't decide if I should be appalled or amused. I settled on amused because Wesley did go down the stairs with little to no fuss and was great on the ride to his grandparents. And they had a big surprise for him. They went to the fair today!

Yes, I know, it's something like 94 degrees to day with humidity so bad you could practically use a spoon in air, but the three of them went to the fair. I didn't get a lot of details from Grandpa, but I do know that Wesley petted a pig, saw ducks and chickens and had a hot dog and ice cream. When I asked Wesley if he had fun at the fair, he grinned at me and said "Yes!" He wouldn't even let me take his lost child tag off his shirt.



Wesley and Grandpa check out some animals.












Wesley met his favorite Buckeye!

"I don't have to touch the cow, do I?"

A busy little fair-goer




While we were getting dinner ready, Wesley ran around with the tongs and pretended to flip steaks on the grill. I said something to him (I can't remember what) and he responded "Yes, I know." How funny!

Duane brought some bubble wrap home for Wesley and I to play with. My son hogged most of it. He ran around the house with it flying behind him like a cape saying "I so fast! I so fast!" Yes indeed. I only wish I had that energy.

Reunion Recovery

I am so tired. I feel like I've been beaten with a stick. I don't know how going to a family reunion an hour away can take so much out of you! Yep, today was the Izer reunion. Some of you may remember me blogging about it last year - that I'm so distantly related to these people that Wesley could marry one of them. This year I found out exactly how far that distance is. My mom was a Martin before she got married. My Grandma Martin was a Fritz before she got married. My great grandmother Fritz was a Beal before she got married. My great-great grandmother Beal was an Izer before she got married. We're pretty far out on the family tree.


Anyway, this year was the 90th reunion. Even though I don't know anyone (other than my immediate family), and even though Duane and I are the youngest people there (other than 2 teenagers and Wesley) it wasn't too bad. They passed around a letter detailing the first reunion and it was kind of neat to read that my grandma, great aunts and great grandparents were all there. I saw pictures of my grandma and grandpa (both of whom have passed away) looking so young and happy holding my aunt Rochelle (their first child).


Wesley tried really hard to entertain himself. We took his new dinosaurs and some cars and a TON of books. We only ran into three problems with him while we were there. The first was that Wesley refused to eat a single bite of food - no bread and butter, no chicken (in any form), no lasagna, no cheese, no nothing! Okay, that's a little bit of an exaggeration, he did a few bites of homemade ice cream that Grandma H. and Aunt Carol shared with him, but we ended up stopping at a store and buying him a Gerber toddler meal.


The second problem we had at the reunion had to do with acoustics. Wesley discovered that his voice carried REALLY well in the hall where the reunion was held and he made sure we all heard it. He was so loud that the other people started calling him the Screamer or the Loud Talker. It was mildly embarrassing, but as the only kid, he could get away with it. And it was all happy noises so I think that counts for something.


The final problem we had was that Wesley had a ton of energy and all he wanted to do was run! He ran inside and outside. He ran across the stage. He ran between the tables. He was like a flash of lightning and poor Daddy really worked up a sweat chasing the boy around.


So that was basically our day. We drove, ate and drove some more. I have no excuse for being tired, but I'll be lucky if I last as long as Wesley. Wish me luck.

The Best Laid Plans

You know what they say "The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry." That pretty much sums up the craziness that was today.

The day started off calmly, but quickly picked up pace as I headed to work to sit in a dunk tank, Wesley went to Grandma and Grandpa H.'s for a few hours and a haircut, and Duane went to Aunt Susan's parents to pick up some toys they were giving Wesley. We figured we'd do all the stuff we needed to do, then we'd meet up with Kate, Colin, Laura and Elaina for a much anticipated playdate.

By the time I dripped out of work, our playdate was down two people. No problem - still sounds like a ton of fun. Kate and I decided I should pick up Wesley, go home and get pulled together, then give her a call and we'd either head to the park or hang out at their house. When I got to Grandma's to get Wesley, he was nine kinds of ornery. In fact, he was so awful while I was trying to put his shoes on him, that I had to break out the serious mommy voice. He immediately stopped acting like a beaster and tears filled his eyes. He did not utter another word until I was walking him in the car and he told Grandma "Have to leave now." Darn tootin!

Turns out he was a beaster because the poor little dude was completely exhausted and was fast asleep before we had even driven a mile.

Here's where the plans began to fall apart. Wesley was OUT! I carried him into the house, put him on the couch and heard him snore. I called Kate and told her that at Wesley's current snore volume he could easily be asleep for several hours. Since Colin is less than a year older than Wesley, Kate totally understood. We decided to just play it by ear since it was 4:00. At 5:45 I had Duane call Kate (since I was pinned by a sleeping toddler and a sleeping cat) and tell her we'd have to back out of plans. Even if Wesley woke up right then, it would take us nearly an hour to get ready and get to her house. Wesley ended up sleeping until a little after 6:30.

So did we have a nice quiet evening at home - just the three of us? NO!! While we were deciding what to do for dinner, Aunt Susan called to see how Wesley liked his new toys (especially the majorly cool train table). Since Wesley had not yet seen the toys and they were given to us by her parents, we asked if she and Uncle Kirk wanted to come over. They said yes and offered to bring wings. Since Kirk and Susan get along so well with Ray and Krystal, we called them, ordered some pizza and played dominoes.

The unveiling of Wesley's new toys was terrific!! Mimi and John gave us an incredible train table, a mat with a map on it to drive cars on (and the cars to go with it), some toddler golf clubs and ball, some dinosaurs and more. Wesley walked into the room and literally screamed "YAY!! TOYS!!!" like he doesn't have any at home. He was one happy camper and even kissed each of the dinosaurs! We couldn't get him out of that room to go back downstairs. We ended up moving the monitor in there so we could listen to him while the adults sat in the dining room. I know we are going to get a ton of use out of those new toys. Thanks Mimi and John!! That was incredibly sweet of you!

Pushing the train across the bridge

Uncle Kirk lends a hand

Traffic jam in car city

Fingerpainting

I ended up with another unexpected afternoon off yesterday. So instead of swimming with Aunt Melissa, and cousins Kierstin and Mark, poor Wesley had to run errands with Mommy. I knew he got the bum end of that deal, so while we were at the store I bought a package of fingerpaints. Wesley created three masterpieces and one big mess! I had to put him the shower to get his hands clean because his favorite part of the experience was getting paint on his hands then rubbing them together until they were entirely green. He looked like he was turning into the Incredible Hulk!



After clean up, Wesley helped me make zucchini carrot bread. And by helped, I mean he sat on the counter and ate raw zucchini while I mixed up the bread. When I tried to take the finished loaf out of the oven, Wesley said "Mom! Oven hot!" Good thing he was there!

I'm Stuck!

Well, I'm not stuck, Wesley's stuck. Actually Wesley isn't stuck either, but he likes to pretend he is. He'll stand in the shower with the door wide open and announce "I'm stuck!" He'll crawl under the table, sit down and announce "I'm stuck!" He'll bury himself in a pile of pillows and say "I'm stuck!" Silly boy! Just wait until he really gets stuck somewhere, he won't know what to do.

Awesome Afternoon

What had the potential to be a pretty stinky day has turned out to be great! I was supposed to work a 12 hour day today, but due to a meeting cancellation I ended up with a split shift instead. That might not sound great to a lot of you, but it means I get the afternoon with my favorite toddler.

I don't know where to begin with the numberous ways Wesley has entertained me this afternoon. I guess I'll start when he was sitting on the potty. Our downstairs bathroom is really small and has a stall shower. While Wesley was sitting on the potty, he noticed the shower door was open the that the shower head was dripping. "Mom! Shower pooping!" No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get Wesley to say "dripping." Guess no one will want to use our shower.

After that educational lesson, we decided to make a snack. One of Duane's co-workers has been bringing in gigantic zucchinis for folks. Duane has brought a couple home and I was tired of them taking up half our counter, so I thought I'd make some oven fried zucchini chips. I cut up zucchini and let Wesley dip the slices in milk. He took his job very seriously. I could barely keep up with him! And the best part of all? Wesley chowed the zucchini chips when they came out of the oven.

While the chips were baking, we went upstairs to put some laundry away. Wesley busied himself playing with some toys in the spare bedroom while I tackled the clothes in his room. A minute or two went by before Wesley came tearing into his room talking about a moose. A moose? "Mom, get the moose," he said as he dragged me by my hand into the bedroom. Sure enough, there was a moose in the bedroom - a little stuffed one that I put in our room during the winter. Wesley was not about to be left alone with that moose! He wasn't content until I moved it.

Now we're kicking back with Popsicles and lemonade. What an awesome afternoon!

No Nap

Grandma H. usually has a pretty full proof way to get Wesley to take a nap. She loads him in the jogging stroller, they do a couple of laps around the neighborhood and voila! Naptime! Today they completed three laps then headed back to the house with a wide awake Wesley. The boy hopped out of the stroller, looked at Grandma and said "No nap!" with a big smile.

Undeterred, Grandma and Wesley headed upstairs to "his" room. Grandma thought that if she curled up on the bed with Wesley a nap was sure to follow. Wesley busied himself tucking Grandma and Stinky Bear in. He kissed them both and said "Night night. Sleep tight," but he did not nap - until the car ride home. Then he crashed big time!

Soaking It In

The way kids soak up information never fails to amaze me. I wish I could video record Wesley all day long so I could capture the many many things he sees and tries for the first time. And the connections he makes between what we do and say is incredible. And he's so observant! For example, this morning we drove to Grandma and Grandpa P.'s house, but skipped our stop at Starbucks. As we drove past the caffeine palace, Wesley said "Mom? Mom? Mom need coffee?" I told him that I didn't need to buy coffee since I brought a cup of it with me and that satisfied him.

Wesley had a big day with Grandma and Grandpa too. They went swimming and Wesley had a visitor on his floaty. See the frog on Grandpa's hand?

After swimming, Wesley was BEAT! He could barely keep his eyes open while Grandma gave him some strawberries.

On the way home I called Grandma and Grandpa H. I learned that their 19 year old cat, Bentley, went to the "hospital" today. "What happened?" I asked. After I hung up, Wesley piped up from the back seat. "Mom? What happened?" I told him that Bentley was sick. "Bentley sick," he told me. "Sampson is not sick. Bentley sick." I couldn't believe he listened that well. Guess we really need to watch what we say around him.

Now Taking Bets

Place your bets on which is the most persistent at 7:00 in the morning: an attention starved cat who was considered the first child until Wesley came along, or a still sleepy and somewhat cranky toddler. Both contestants want my undivided attention - who will emerge the winner?

Young Padawan

A short time ago in a neighborhood not too far away, a toddler was introduced to the phenomenon that is Star Wars.

We just returned from a fantastic afternoon and evening at Uncle Kirk and Aunt Susan's house. We watched the Destroyers in the Arena Bowl, ate yummy cook-out food, and chatted. After everyone was stuffed to the gills, we went to Uncle Kirk's Star Wars room (the basement). Duane discovered the joy of Guitar Hero. He LOVED it, but says it would be a very bad thing to have in our house. All I know is that it was super cute to watch him, Ray and Kirk all crowded around the t.v. with it.

While the big boys played video games, the little boy was content to examine all the Star Wars items around. He finally found some little Fisher Price ones that were just his size. He must have played with them for an hour! I couldn't get over it! Of course, I especially liked it when Wesley saw one of the creatures and thought it was real. After Duane touched it to reassure Wesley that it was just a toy. Wesley came over to me, hugged me and said "Mommy, it's OK." Boy, I'm glad I had him to protect me.

"Cousin" James

I spend a lot of time feeling a little guilty that Wesley doesn't have many friends his age. Never mind that he isn't two yet and stays with family rather than go to daycare, I still take myself on a nice guilt trip sometimes. James was here for a while tonight and watching him and Wesley play together usually takes my guilt down a notch or two. While they played together really well for most of the evening, Wesley did not want James sitting in his chair. "James. No sit in chair. James move." Never mind that Wesley wasn't sitting in it, for some reason he just didn't want James there. But the territorial act didn't last too long. When they both went upstairs to bed, they hugged and kissed goodnight and Wesley kept calling out for "Cousin James."

Junior Java Junkie

Wesley and I made our weekly stop at Starbucks this morning. Perhaps I am drinking a bit too much coffee these days, because as we got out of the car, Wesley said, "Mommy, I need coffee too." YIKES!!!

In cuter news, Wesley was sucking on bear's tag the other day and told me "I kiss bear's tag." Awwwww. Aren't toddlers cute? Remind me of this the next time I want to pull my hair out.

You Look Mahvolous

Wesley is all boy, but he does like to try on Mommy's shoes. At least he has learned early that flats are easier to walk in than heels. Now if only he would learn to put the shoes on facing the same direction!

Panic

I worked until 6:00 tonight. At about 5:20 the phone rang; it was Grandma H. "We've lost bear," she said. WHAT!?!?!?! Since Wesley, grandma and Bear all came to storytime today I did a very extensive search of the storytime room - I even enlisted the help of some kids who were back there. I checked the lobby and the lost and found - no bear. I had visions of putting up reward signs "Have you smelled this bear?"

I called Duane to let him know that we were in trouble tonight. My heart was racing. I was sweating. One of my worst fears had come true. Yes, we have Not So Stinky Bear, but Wesley continues to reject him. How were we going to survive without Stinky Bear!?

At 5:45 the phone rang again. Grandma had found Stinky Bear stuck behind/between some pillows on the bed. WHEW! I don't think I've ever been so relieved in my life!

I'm Not Drinking That

Wesley requested chocolate milk while he was at Grandma and Grandpa H.'s today. Grandma happily squirted some chocolate milk into his sippy cup, added milk, stirred and presented it to the boy. Wesley looked at the bottom of the cup (which still had undissolved chocolate), set the cup back down and said "Milk dirty!" He wouldn't drink it until Grandma got all the chocolate off the bottom at which time he proclaimed "Milk OK."

No Spoilers

I just finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I'm sad it's the last book in the series, but..well, I don't want to say anything else here. It's over. I can go back to my life (since I spent nearly all evening today reading). More posts about Wesley later.

BTW, if you have finished the book and want to chat about it - email me! I don't want to spoil it for anyone else!

It's a Webblett Thing - You Wouldn't Understand

Is it possible to have an inside joke with a toddler? I wrote a couple of days ago that Wesley has been licking me. Well, I'm still being licked on a regular basis and I'm the only person Wesley has deemed worthy to cover with saliva. Today he told me he was a doggie when he licked me. I felt a little ornery myself, so I pulled Wesley in for a kiss and licked his cheek. He giggled loudly, and rubbed my nose with his nose. Then he licked me and we rubbed noses again and he laughed and laughed. Apparently I have been indoctrinated into a secret toddler society and I now know the handshake. If only I could figure out the password.

Mommy's New Perfume

What's that intoxicating scent I'm wearing? It's the latest in mommy fragrances - a none too subtle blend of grape medicine, strawberry kiwi Popsicle and snot. Guaranteed to drive daddies of toddlers wild.

Puppy Power

I think Wesley's love of dogs has gone to his head - or at least his tongue! He has developed a fascination with licking things today. He licked my feet when I took my shoes off. He licked my arm. He licked my cheek when I tried to kiss him goodbye. Maybe I'll call him my "Slobrador Retriever."

Next American Idol

The first song is "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star". The encore is "Row Row Row Your Boat"

Three Unconventional Uses for a Cat's Tail (as Discovered by Wesley)

The following uses for a cat's tail are only recommended if you are a toddler and if you have a VERY patient cat!

1. Dental Floss
2. Tissue
3. Q-Tip

Have I mentioned lately that Sanders is the best, most tolerant cat in the universe.

Boogey Man

Not much to tell today. Wesley still has a rotten cold and spends most of his time covered in boogers. We spent Saturday and Sunday in the living room napping and watching every Dora DVD we own. I worked today, but Duane took Wesley to the doctor and stayed home for the afternoon. Big fun, huh? On the up side, I've read at least 5 books in the last three days. I'd give it up for a healthy boy, though.

New Answering Machine

If you are considering calling our house in the near future, consider this fair warning. We have a new answering machine - named Wesley. I went to the store today and left Duane and Booger Boy at home. While shopping, I realized I needed to ask Duane how many of something he wanted so I called home on the cell phone. The phone rang and rang. I figured the guys were in the middle of a diaper change or something since they weren't picking up. I was just about to hang up when I heard Wesley's little voice say "H'lo? H'lo? H'lo?" Figuring that Duane had pushed the button and handed the phone to Wesley, I said hi to him, told him it was Mommy and asked if I could talk to Daddy. Duane came on the phone and said, "Hello? Did Wesley answer this?" Apparently, Duane had run outside to move his car so a neighbor could park a moving truck. I called as he was on his way back in and Wesley answered the phone by himself!

Popsicles

Well, the boy is sick again so I'm home today. Grandma made a special trip down to our house with some Dora the Explorer popsicles and some mini-popsicles that Wesley loves. As soon as she arrived he asked for an orange popsicle, then a yellow one. After finishing the yellow popsicle, Wesley asked for a green one, but I was worried his tummy wouldn't be able to handle it. "No green popsicle right now," I said. Wesley turned to me and without missing a beat said "How 'bout blue?"

Cowboy Cookies

Wesley's new favorite thing is the Cowgirl Dora DVD, but he calls it "Cowboy Dora." Wesley is totally in love with it. In fact, he tells me "Cowboy Dora all time!" During this cinematic wonder, Dora and Boots go about delivering cowboy cookies to Benny, Isa, and Swiper. Wesley has taken this lesson to heart and has been talking about cowboy cookies for the past several days. So, I did what any mom would do. I called Grandma H. and borrowed some cookie cutters - a cowboy hat, a horse, a boot, and a cowboy. Daddy picked up some dough on the way home and we spent the evening making our own cowboy cookies!Wesley's favorite cookie cutter was the horse. No matter what shape I cut out, Wesley would say "How 'bout horse?" He also liked the cowboy a lot too.

Wesley couldn't wait to taste the cookies he helped make. As soon as they were out of the oven he ran to the dining room table and snagged one off the cooling rack! He immediately bit the head of the horse cookie and said "Yum-O" before galloping it around the couch and all over Daddy.It was so much fun to cook with my little boy! I can't wait to do it again!

Tickle Me Wesley

Wesley has rediscovered the Tickle Me Elmo that Grandma and Grandpa P. got him for Christmas. Good thing he hasn't started associating that Elmo with the Elmo's Potty Time DVD or we'd have a whole new kind of toy! I took some really cute video of Wesley running around with Elmo, but it was too dark to post. Maybe he'll still love Elmo tomorrow.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Wesley has two new phrases he has learned to say. "Mommy is not a jungle gym" and "Tails are not for pulling." Too bad he hasn't figured out that just saying those things is not enough! Of course, I caught him climbing on the dining room table the other day. When I asked him what he was doing he answered "I climb on table see Sanders." Sometimes the truth isn't any better!

Perfect Day

Today was a nearly perfect day. It reminded me of the summer days from childhood when the day stretched out forever and there was nothing you had to get done. I'm typing listening to Wesley fake snore through the monitor and I'm feeling very self satisfied.

There isn't too much to tell about today. Wesley and I played Stay at Home Mom and son. We did errands and laundry. We ate lunch. We played games. We snuggled. We read.

The two big events of the day took place when Daddy came home. First of all - Wesley pooped on the potty!!! I know that may be TMI for some of you, but when you have a toddler in the house, that is front page news. You're just lucky I didn't take pictures!

After we all calmed down from that event, we went to COSI to see the big machines that are there for a couple of weeks. I had visions of Wesley running around in excitement and trying to climb on the trucks. Boy was I wrong! He was completely underwhelmed with the whole thing. I had to carry into one of the machines for a picture. See how completely thrilled he his?

Luckily the folks at COSI must have anticipated the lack of enthusiasm from some of the younger crowd. They had toy trucks and tunnels set up inside. That perked the boy right up!




Why play with one truck when you can play with three?













Even Stinky Bear decided to go for a ride!












"I'm coming Mommy!"








After COSI, Wesley took a quick dip in his pool - which is really too small for him now. He insisted I sing Row Row Row Your Boat while he made his pirate ship do laps. "Mommy, I like that song," he told me. I didn't even know he knew that song! He's full of surprises!

Puppy Paradise

Wesley had a doctor's appointment today, so after the doctor we took a special trip to the pet store. The store has completely been redone since I was last there (when we bought Sadie) and it was a paradise for Wesley!

As soon as we approached the door we were greeted by a VERY large turtle walking around the store. Actually, he was trying escape. I didn't know turtles could move so fast. One of the women in the store said the turtle was trying to escape because it was so warm outside. Makes sense to me.

After the made our way through the turtle obstacle course, we came upon the puppies! As Wesley began running back and forth in front of the glass puppy cages, saying "Hi doggy!" to every dog he saw, one of the workers brought out a Japanese Chin to play with. Wesley and this little puppy were the perfect mix! It was lively and energetic and Wesley giggled with every move it made. The puppy kissed Wesley and Wesley kissed the puppy. All was well, until the puppy (in true puppy fashion) stopped chewing on my shirt and began to chew on Stinky Bear. "No puppy!" Wesley yelled! "My bear! My bear!" Guess toddler love is somewhat fickle.

BTW, Wesley may look like he's choking the puppy in the first picture, but he really was being very gentle. No puppies were harmed in the taking of these pictures.

After we put Wesley's puppy away, Mommy got out a puppy to play with. I LOVED her!!!! She's an Australian Shepherd/Corgi mix and so beautiful and so sweet and gentle. The biggest drawback was her price tag - over $1000!!!! Someone needs to tell those people that Australian Shepherd/Corgi isn't a breed or a show dog - it's a mistake! But what a cute mistake!

Too bad there are no puppies in the W. family future right now. Maybe someday.

Prayer Request

I believe in the power of prayer so I am asking others who feel as I do to please pray for my sister-in-law Judy. Judy has been in the hospital for a couple of weeks. She had surgery and seemed to be doing well. She even went home Monday night. But yesterday she started feeling very poorly. She was taken to the emergency room and was admitted once again. I don't want to disclose anything else here. Judy is a private person and I know she wouldn't want me putting the particulars out where the world can see them. However, I know that she also believes prayer can heal. Please pray for her quick recovery.

Independence Day Recovery

How can a national holiday that celebrates freedom totally wipe a person out?

Let me start with July 3rd. Since the W family lives downtown and our city puts on a major fireworks display we invited a ton of folks over for a cookout. Even though quite a few people didn't make it, we still had 20 or so folks there. Duane spent days cleaning the house and I cooked my little heart out. It was totally worth it! We had a fantastic time, but I was so busy I didn't take a single picture! Not even of my friend who announced that she is pregnant!!!!! Can I just say how excited I am by this news!!!! She and her hubby are going to rock as parents!

Wesley missed the fireworks on Tuesday night. He was in his jammies and we were just about ready to walk out the door when Wesley said "Go bed." Uncle Kirk and Aunt Sus stayed behind with the boy and put him to bed. When Wesley woke up on Wednesday morning, he looked a the rocker he had been in with his aunt and said "Aunt Sus." Cute!

After our big party, the entire W. family slept in until nearly 9:30!! We had just enough time for breakfast before we needed go get ready to go to Aunt Melissa's for the annual Fourth of July party. We all had a great time at the party. Aunt Melissa and Uncle Mark recently got a pool, so even though it was pretty chilly, we all braved the water. Wesley was in heaven! Uncle Mark didn't have it filled very high, so Wesley could actually touch the bottom and walk around the pool. He loved that! I have a feeling he'll be asking to swim every time he goes to Aunt Melissa's - starting with today! I'd better make sure to pack his bathing suit.

We also learned that no matter how much we talk about football and hockey in our house, our son is destined to be a soccer player. Wesley was watching his cousin Mark bat a wiffle ball around the yard. Wesley grabbed a bat and ball, looked at it, then put the bat and ball on the ground and began kicking the ball. What can you do? I see lots of Crew games in our future!

Left Hanging

Poor Wesley. He went on the potty this morning and was so proud of himself. He hopped up from the potty and ran to Sanders. "High five Sanders!" Wesley shouted. But that silly cat didn't give Wesley five. Sanders just looked at him. So Mommy gave Wesley five instead.

Want Fries With That?

Apparently the W. family has been eating too many meals out of bags lately. Want proof? Tonight I stopped to pick up some dinner from Panda Express. As I took the bag from the cashier, Wesley pointed to it and said "I want the french fries!" Tough luck. His dinner was chicken and green beans. I put a little ketchup on his plate in case he wanted to dip his chicken in it. Nope! He dipped his green beans in it! YUCK!!!! I guess I can't complain, he ate them. Don't worry, the picture shows him dipping french fries at Johnny Rockets over the weekend.

Stars and Spin Forever

We went to a cookout at Grandma and Grandpa P.'s today. Wesley had only two interests - the flags that Grandma had used to decorate the yard, and spinning around with Daddy.

Five Things Mommy Style

Five Snacks I Enjoy

1. Potato Chips - especially kettle style or BBQ or spicy
2. Warm goat cheese on bread or crackers (Wesley likes this too)
3. Nuts (almonds, pistachios, cashews, peanuts)
4. Ben and Jerry's ice cream
5. Tortilla chips in melty cheese!

Five Songs I Know All the Lyrics Too

I've decided to NOT count children's songs

1. Remember Me (Mark Shultz)
2. Goodbye Earl (and honestly, any Dixie Chicks song)
3. I Would Do Anything for Love (Meatloaf)
4. I Am (Nicole Nordeman)
5. Independence Day (Martina McBride)

Five Things I Would Do if I Were a Millionaire

1. Move into my dream house
2. Take the family to Disney World (including a cruise) for at least 3 weeks and to Mohonk Mountain House (Duane and I honeymooned there)
3. Make sure Wesley had plenty of money for college
4. Give a large chunk to my church
5. Collect pricey Barbies

Five Bad Habits

1. I am a procrastinator. I'll think about it, I'll worry about it, but I won't actually start it one moment before I have to.
2. I am a firm believer in retail therapy - which stinks when you have champagne taste on a beer budget
3. I spend too much time on the computer while Wesley is awake
4. I'll do almost anything to get out of helping with the dishes
5. I tend to over commit myself

Five Things I Like to Do

1. Read (DUH!)
2. Spend time with my family (including the cat)
3. Take very long, very hot bubble baths
4. Sing along to the radio, CDs, whatever - LOUDLY
5. Swing on the swings at the playground

Five Things I Would Never Wear Again

1. Stirrup pants
2. Shoulder pads (they seriously make me look like a linebacker)
3. A bubble/balloon skirt (I wore one at confirmation and my senior prom that's more than enough)
4. A side ponytail
5. A romper

Five Favorite Toys

1. I love kitchen sets and play food. Now you know the real reason Wesley has such a great one
2. I'm not sure crayons are toys, but I love to color and nothing beats a new box of crayons
3. Barbies. I still walk down the pink aisle at the toy store
4. Super Bounce Balls. I can say I buy them for the kid/cats, but it's a lie
5. Stuffed animals

We Are Klassee

Yep. We are a klassee bunch. Take a look at our after dinner entertainment (and be sure the sound is on.)



Duane said to be sure that everyone knows who is making the sound effects, but I'm sure you all know already!

How to Give a Stinky Bear a Bath

I finally figured out how to get Wesley to willingly part with Stinky Bear long enough to give it a bath! Wesley was helping me unload the dryer today. You have to understand that to Wesley, "helping unload the dryer" means to take the lint out of the lint trap, throw it on the floor and occasionally take some clothes out of the dryer and put them in the dirty laundry basket. Today when Wesley emptied the lint trap, he emptied it right on Stinky Bear - who was nice and moist from being sucked on. Now, I'm not sure how many of you are aware of this, but lint does not come off wet fabric very easily. Wesley started to whine as the lint stuck fast to his stinky friend. "I'm sorry," I told Wesley, "But I think the only way we are going to get the lint off is if we wash Stinky Bear." Wesley immediately reached up and plopped Stinky Bear in the open washing machine. "Wash Stinky Bear!" he demanded! Well, that was one order I was happy to take. Less than an hour later we had a much less stinky and, more importantly, lint free bear.

Toddler Love

Wesley has a new girlfriend. Sorry Elaina, the long distance web-relationship just wasn't working. ;-) Wesley has now met Jana, who is the niece of Aunt Sus (she's my brother's wife's sister's youngest daughter) and apparently they are quite the item.

Last Saturday Wesley went to COSI with Uncle Kirk, Aunt Sus, Grandma H. and a whole slew of Aunt Sus's family. How fair is it that while I was at work dealing with power surges and small fires, Wesley got to hang out at COSI????? Jana and Wesley spent a great deal of time in the Little Kidspace together - sigh- their first date. Aunt Sus reports there was much hand holding, going down the slide together and even sharing of snack. Jana (eager to impress her little man) even tried some of Wesley's dried pea and corn mix.

It sounds like their second date has been planned too. Jana informed Aunt Sus that they (Jana and Wesley) needed to go to zoo. But Aunt Sus could go too "okay?"

Washington Recap

I'm home from DC! Of course, with the exception of a 1 hour nap, I've been up since 4:30 this morning (after going to bed at midnight.) I feel like I have been gone much longer than 24 hours!

I flew out yesterday morning (7:45 AM flight) with a bunch of people from the library. We got to DC, checked into our hotel and I spent the rest of the morning at the convention center. Since I was only at ALA for one day, I had an exhibits only pass. That was fine by me as the exhibits are my favorite thing. I called my friend, former co-worker and fellow blogger Kate so we could spend some much needed time together. We hooked up and spent the next 3 hours visiting vendors and eating overpriced cheese steaks. The highlight of the exhibits was meeting the author of the Skippyjon Jones books, Judy Schachner. We got autographed books, Skippyjon masks and finger puppets and inflatable toys. In case you don't know, conferences have TONS of freebies for librarians - especially children's librarians.

Of course, I was there for the Library of the Year reception - which was a blast!

Me, Molly, Debbie, Wendy, Amy and Sarah ready for the prom - I mean Library of the Year reception!

Me and Kate sans Skippyjon masks

Kate and Sarah (aka Colin's mommy and Isaac's Mommy)

Me with the White House in the background - way in the background!

That picture with the White House in the background is pretty much the extent of sights I saw. We drove past the Jefferson Memorial, and the National Archives on the way to the airport and I could see the Washington Monument from the gate. That was my sight seeing.

Summary: great trip, great friends, great honor!

Scattergories - Wesley style

I stole this from a blog I read. I thought about doing it for me, but decided to do it for Wesley instead.

Rules: Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following.

1. Famous singer/band: Weird Al Yankocivc (Mommy and Daddy love him!)
2. 4 letter word: Want (hey, he is a toddler!)
3. Street name: Wall Street
4. Color: White
5. Gifts/presents: Water toys
6. Vehicle: Winnebago
7. Things in a souvenir shop: Weird t-shirts
8. Boy name: William
9. Girl name: Wendy
10. Movie title: Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken
11. Drink: Water
12. Occupation: Welder
13. Flower: Water-lily
14. Celebrity: the Wiggles
15. Magazine: Wild Animal Baby
16. U.S. city: Washington DC (where Mommy is going tomorrow)
17. Pro sports teams: White Sox
18. Fruit/vegetable: Watermelon
19. Reason late for work: Waiting for late bus
20. Something you throw away: Wet diapers
21. Things you shout: WOW!
22. Cartoon character: Winnie the Pooh

You Know You're a Parent When

You know you're a parent when you spend your Friday evening watching "Elmo's Potty Time." To think, I used to pay money to go to the movies.

Tastes Like Pizza

Trickery works wonders when feeding toddlers! Wesley loves pizza so much that a lot of things are "pizza" at our house. Breakfast burrito? Nope! Pizza! Tonight I made chipotle pork tacos with corn salsa for dinner. Wesley was not the least bit interested in the pork I put on his plate, but wrap it in a tortilla, add some salsa, call it pizza and voila! It's a dinner fit for a picky toddler!

A Few Words from the Little Dude

, wkkk..........................,,knjkkkkkkkkkkwkxxxxxxkxxmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm89,mmq444444444444444444444444444t5e5555555y6680[
/////////////////////////////////////////////////99999999999999999999999999999999999kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvm888o89999ml00000=-=0p00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000900ppooo


OK, Shakespeare he's noT, but he types really well with a spork

RDRRMN JKFH;

Just Call Him Emeril

Wesley has been quite the little chef today. He is obsessed with his kitchen set - especially the fake egg and the spork. Whenever Wesley is at his kitchen, he is busily cooking an egg. Sometimes it's fried, sometimes it's an "egg samich" but it's always an egg.

There are some upsides to Wesley spending so much time in the kitchen. First of all, I now have someone to tell me when the cats have knocked the baby gate over. Wesley will come say "Mom! Downstairs broken!" That's pretty handy information. Also, I now have lots of pretend eggs to eat - after all, every great chef needs someone to eat his creations. However, if I'm too full to indulge in Wesley's latest masterpiece there's always the backup taste-tester. See the picture below!

Power Napping

Ok, so I know Wesley isn't napping in this picture, but it's so cute, I had to put it on the blog.

Remember me whining about Wesley's four hour nap on Monday? How can one kid need so much sleep? I thought that toddlers were supposed to be working on giving up their naps, not increasing them by hours! I worked a split shift today so I got to pick Wesley up at 1:00 and spend the afternoon with him. He was asleep on Grandpa H.'s lap when I walked in, but apparently had only been sleeping for about 5 minutes. I figured he'd wake up when I picked him up to go - nope! So I carried him to the car, figuring he'd wake up when I put him in his car seat - nope! It was such a beautiful day that I told myself if he woke up we'd drive thru somewhere for lunch and have a picnic at the park - no luck, he slept all the way home. He slept when I took him out of his car seat. He slept as I carried him in the house. He slept when I put him on the couch.

I took advantage of the nap at first. I ate some lunch, did some laundry, and worked on a list of things I need to do around the house. But finally, I gave in to what I really wanted to do - I curled up on the couch with Wesley and took a nap snuggled up with the boy. The phone rang twice, but it didn't wake Wesley up.

At 3:15 I decided that a 2 1/2 hour nap for Wesley was probably long enough. I rolled off the couch and he woke up crying. YIKES!!! He screamed and cried and cried some more. He finally calmed down and ate lunch at 3:30. Maybe Daddy will hook him up with the park while I'm at work tonight.

Tell Me About It

Wesley is saying new things everyday. Today he tickled my heart several times on the way to Grandma and Grandpa P.'s. Here are the highlights.

• We were driving along the freeway when Wesley started saying "Mom! Mom! Mom! Mom!" "What Wesley?" I asked. "I see big truck!" was the response as we passed a semi.
• Monday mornings mean a Starbucks stop on our way to Grandma and Grandpa's. Most mornings I go through the drive thru to save time or let the boy sleep, but since we were ahead of schedule and Wesley was awake, I decided to go in. As I was taking Wesley out of his seat I told him that we were making one quick stop because Mommy needed coffee. We took our place in line and after a few minutes Wesley loudly announced "Mommy need coffee." The woman in line in front of us turned around and sighed "Truer words were never spoken."
• Wesley also practiced his manners at Starbucks. When I paid for breakfast at the register, Wesley said "Thank you very much!"

Of course, his FOUR HOUR nap tickled Grandma and Grandpa! Wesley had a very busy weekend with very few naps, so I'm sure he's just making up for lost time. But if he is up at 3:00 in the morning I think I know who I'll let him call! :-)