T is my little "Mr. Tidy." Now, I'm not saying that he never makes a mess or ignores me when I ask for toys to be picked up. Lord, no! But in the "Odd Couple" that is Oo and T, T is the Felix to Oo's Oscar.
Oo leaves a trail of toys behind her as she walks. If she knocks something off a shelf, she leaves it on the floor where it fell. If you ask her to come to the table to eat, she flings whatever happens to be in her hand across the room to fall where it may before she'll come sit down. She prefers to have books in stacks on the floor rather than on the bookshelf, because that way she can keep the ones she has read separate from the ones she needs to read next.
T, however, wears a big toothy smile when he hangs up his coat and stuffs his hat into the sleeve (he'll also hang up Oo's coat if she forgets too). He practically giggles when he tosses his empty sippy cup into the sink. And as soon as he notices a couch pillow on the floor, he puts it back on the couch automatically.
Today, I came into the family room and saw T stuffing balls between the wall and the back of the couch. It's a tight squeeze back there, so not many of the kids' balls would fit, but he was trying his best. I asked:
Me: "T" what are you doing?
Oo (who always answers for T): He's shoving balls behind the couch.
Me: I see that Oo (I also see that T has begun shoving Oo's My Little Ponies behind the couch), but I asked T. T, why are you shoving things behind the couch?
T: Momma do not like a big mess.
I appreciated the attempt at cleaning up, but I did not enjoy having to move the couch to fish out ponies with dusty manes. Yuck! Didn't I just move all this furniture to vacuum behind and under it? Oh, wait... that was last summer. Yuck!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
February's Highlights
I spent a little time this evening downloading pictures from my camera and organizing them on the computer. (One of these days, I'm going to actually order prints and put my pictures in albums!) Below are a few pictures from February that I thought you might enjoy.
We had our 2nd annual Valentine Walk on our street. At one o'clock on Valentine's Day, all the little kids on the street walked around delivering Valentines to each other. This year, T was old enough to grasp the concept of getting mail from his friends. The picture below doesn't show his excitement (it was freezing cold that day), but once we were inside and reading all of the cards, he kept shouting, "Momma, look! Look! Anuhder Balentine!"
After the Valentine Walk, but before we headed inside for some hot chocolate, we played in the backyard for a while. When the snow gets deep back there, Adrian shovels out trenches so the kids can swing and play in their toy house. (I haven't been back there in a few days—I've been stuck in the house since Sunday with a sick Oo—but I've been informed that there's an igloo back there, just waiting for Oo to climb inside.)
For Christmas, the kids were given a small drum set, a toy guitar, and a couple of microphones. Adrian has been working to teach them a song by The White Stripes. Here's a picture of them rockin' out with a friend.
One of my favorite ways to be pampered is to be left alone in the house... by myself... alone... with no one yammering away in my ear or pounding on the bathroom door. On a recent Sunday, Adrian took the kids to the zoo to give Mommy some alone time. When they returned, the kids were excited to show me their new stuffed animal friends that they got from the zoo's gift shop. Oo named her harbor seal "Harrison" (we have no idea how she came up with that name), and T named his shark "Speeka." It was the first time that T ever named a stuffed animal by himself.
Oo has taught herself to read. It happened very suddenly, and it's super exciting for us on many levels. One cool thing about her being able to read is that she can now read books to T. He loves it when she reads to him (he's very proud of her), and she's happy to be playing the role of the big sister. You would think that I'd take that time to slip away to do a load of laundry or sneak a piece of chocolate (depending on the kind of day I'm having), but I don't. I find it hard to pull myself away. I love hearing her read.
We had our 2nd annual Valentine Walk on our street. At one o'clock on Valentine's Day, all the little kids on the street walked around delivering Valentines to each other. This year, T was old enough to grasp the concept of getting mail from his friends. The picture below doesn't show his excitement (it was freezing cold that day), but once we were inside and reading all of the cards, he kept shouting, "Momma, look! Look! Anuhder Balentine!"
After the Valentine Walk, but before we headed inside for some hot chocolate, we played in the backyard for a while. When the snow gets deep back there, Adrian shovels out trenches so the kids can swing and play in their toy house. (I haven't been back there in a few days—I've been stuck in the house since Sunday with a sick Oo—but I've been informed that there's an igloo back there, just waiting for Oo to climb inside.)
For Christmas, the kids were given a small drum set, a toy guitar, and a couple of microphones. Adrian has been working to teach them a song by The White Stripes. Here's a picture of them rockin' out with a friend.
One of my favorite ways to be pampered is to be left alone in the house... by myself... alone... with no one yammering away in my ear or pounding on the bathroom door. On a recent Sunday, Adrian took the kids to the zoo to give Mommy some alone time. When they returned, the kids were excited to show me their new stuffed animal friends that they got from the zoo's gift shop. Oo named her harbor seal "Harrison" (we have no idea how she came up with that name), and T named his shark "Speeka." It was the first time that T ever named a stuffed animal by himself.
Oo has taught herself to read. It happened very suddenly, and it's super exciting for us on many levels. One cool thing about her being able to read is that she can now read books to T. He loves it when she reads to him (he's very proud of her), and she's happy to be playing the role of the big sister. You would think that I'd take that time to slip away to do a load of laundry or sneak a piece of chocolate (depending on the kind of day I'm having), but I don't. I find it hard to pull myself away. I love hearing her read.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Pacific Standard Time
Yesterday, with his finger dangerously close to my eye, T said, "I love her green eyes. Hey Oo, I love her green eyes."
To which Oo lovingly responded, "And I love your blue eyes."
Then T said (with his finger again frightfully close to my eyeball), "Yes, I have blue eyes. Her have green eyes... and red."
Darn you, Olympics! Why do you have to be on so late at night?
To which Oo lovingly responded, "And I love your blue eyes."
Then T said (with his finger again frightfully close to my eyeball), "Yes, I have blue eyes. Her have green eyes... and red."
Darn you, Olympics! Why do you have to be on so late at night?
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Imaginary Friends... or Fiends?
When Oo was little-er, her first imaginary friend was Chewbacca. And what a friend he was—always amusing Oo and trying his best to help Oo get her way. (Side note: Oo first saw Chewbacca on an old episode of The Muppet Show starring characters from Star Wars.)
Now that T is of the age of imaginary friends—ack! I still can't believe he's three!—he too has welcomed some rather strange beings into his private inner circle. The first of these is Green Cookie, and then there are the Zoo-Zooms. Unlike Oo's friend Chewbacca, I have no idea from where these creatures came. However, I do know this: their first appearances were in T's nightmares.
After a night of fussing and crying in his sleep, T told me all about a green cookie that walks around the bedroom whenever T can't sleep. The cookie is very, very big, and it has no face—the lack of a face is what scared T the most. After a couple more Green Cookie nightmares, T told me that the cookie was sad because it had no face. And so, T says, he drew eyes, nose and a mouth on the cookie and then the cookie was happy. (Sounds like the little guy is a lucid dreamer like his mom.) I was very proud of him for coming up with his own solution to his fear.
From what I can gather, Green Cookie (who only visits in the middle of the night) and T are now friends, and T will tell me about how silly Green Cookie can be. But Green Cookie is not a friend that I would pick for my child (as if we can pick our children's friends), because sometimes Green Cookie will pay a visit without his face, try to break T's feet, or try to eat T. And then the 2:00am tears start flowing. Yeah, I know. Some friend!
Now, as for the Zoo-Zooms, they introduced themselves in a nightmare but they are around in the day too. T hasn't been able to describe to me what they look like, but I do know that they move around really fast and that they change color from red to blue (a fact that disturbs T a great deal). Sometimes T laughs about "the silly Zoo-Zooms" zipping around really fast, but for the most part they terrorize him. And unlike Green Cookie who never ventures out of T's bedroom, the Zoo-Zooms tend to lurk about the house, usually behind the TV.
Hopefully, T's imagination will cook up some new friends soon—some that are more fun and can kick a big cookie's butt.
Now that T is of the age of imaginary friends—ack! I still can't believe he's three!—he too has welcomed some rather strange beings into his private inner circle. The first of these is Green Cookie, and then there are the Zoo-Zooms. Unlike Oo's friend Chewbacca, I have no idea from where these creatures came. However, I do know this: their first appearances were in T's nightmares.
After a night of fussing and crying in his sleep, T told me all about a green cookie that walks around the bedroom whenever T can't sleep. The cookie is very, very big, and it has no face—the lack of a face is what scared T the most. After a couple more Green Cookie nightmares, T told me that the cookie was sad because it had no face. And so, T says, he drew eyes, nose and a mouth on the cookie and then the cookie was happy. (Sounds like the little guy is a lucid dreamer like his mom.) I was very proud of him for coming up with his own solution to his fear.
From what I can gather, Green Cookie (who only visits in the middle of the night) and T are now friends, and T will tell me about how silly Green Cookie can be. But Green Cookie is not a friend that I would pick for my child (as if we can pick our children's friends), because sometimes Green Cookie will pay a visit without his face, try to break T's feet, or try to eat T. And then the 2:00am tears start flowing. Yeah, I know. Some friend!
Now, as for the Zoo-Zooms, they introduced themselves in a nightmare but they are around in the day too. T hasn't been able to describe to me what they look like, but I do know that they move around really fast and that they change color from red to blue (a fact that disturbs T a great deal). Sometimes T laughs about "the silly Zoo-Zooms" zipping around really fast, but for the most part they terrorize him. And unlike Green Cookie who never ventures out of T's bedroom, the Zoo-Zooms tend to lurk about the house, usually behind the TV.
Hopefully, T's imagination will cook up some new friends soon—some that are more fun and can kick a big cookie's butt.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Summer Summary
We had an absolutely wonderful summer. As in summers past, we spent a lot of time with the kids and parents on our street: every Friday was either a morning playdate (aka coffee klatch for the moms) or an evening cookout (aka Happy Hour for the adults), not to mention the numerous playdates in kiddie pools, on the many backyard swingsets, at the playground, and the sprayground. We celebrated my birthday (I stretched the celebration out over 8 days), Adrian's 40th with family and dear friends, and some of our friend's birthdays.
My last couple posts caught you up on a couple fun stories. But they didn't even scratch the surface. Now here are some pictures and quotes to better fill you in on our busy, busy summer:
Visiting with Uncle Mike
My littlest brother made the long journey home for a visit in May. It was especially exciting for Oo, who has been waiting for a long time to see him. Here's a picture of the siblings reunited and a picture of the kids totally at ease with their uncle and his friend, Alisha.
I Love a Parade
Our FAVORITE parade takes place every June on the east side of town. It's a spectacular event put on by many of the artistic communities in the city, with all of the costumes hand made. Any one can enter the parade, so there is always a wide variety of music, costumes, and ages. We took a lot of pictures of the parade this year, but this one is my favorite.
Despite the high energy of the crowd and the spectacular stuff to watch, Oo and her cousin found a woman giving away free kittens. So the two of them spent almost all of the parade snuggling with kitties.
God Is Everywhere, Right?
Oo: Is God in that banana?
Me: No, He isn't.
Oo: But God is everywhere.
Me: Yes, He is.
Oo: And He made that banana.
Me: Yes He did. But I don't think God is hanging out in that banana.
Oo: Well, I think He's in that banana.
Feeling Trashy
Our neighbors had an awesome party this summer. The theme: white trash! We did not, of course, want to introduce the term "white trash" to the kids or explain to them what it means, so we told them that we were going to "an ugly clothes party." Here is Oo hanging out with one of her favorite neighbors, Lola.
Here is T trying to abscond with a bra that was dangling from a tiki torch.
And here is the proud family. Notice how Oo is holding daddy's beer.
Oo Being Oo
Even the simplest of tasks becomes a big to-do when trying to get two goofy kids to cooperate. A trip to the post office in early July to mail birthday cards on time was supposed to be a leisurely walk to the neighborhood post office. But the "leisurely" had to be scratched from the plan once we experienced delay after delay, dilly-dallying, ill-timed diaper emergencies, and a pointless argument about picking out one's own clothes.
After all that, we barely had enough time to DRIVE to the post office before it closed. We locked the house door and quickly piled into the car. It is then that Oo declares she has to go potty. So I let her out of the car, unlocked the door, and sent her to the basement bathroom. Then I waited and waited and... (insert Jeapordy theme song music here). Frustrated, I went to see what was taking so long. I found her still on the potty; "business" was done, but she was leisurely flipping through a book. Leisurely was nixed earlier, so I pleaded, "Come on! We don't have time for that. Let's go."
We get to the post office with two minutes to spare. Since earlier I had surrendered in the clothing argument, Oo was wearing a blue, flowery dress and bright orange socks with her pink sandals. The lady at the counter took a look at her and quietly giggled. Oo was also clutching the book she was reading on the potty. The lady asked about what Oo was reading, and Oo smiled and held up "Time Management for Dummies." The lady and I cracked up laughing. Hmmm... that would've come in handy today.
The Rare Quiet Weekend
There were just a few Saturdays and Sundays this summer when we didn't have plans. We took the opportunity to hang out in our backyard with the kiddie pool, pudding pops, squirters (squirt guns), and the sandbox.
Pudding pops were definitely our favorite treat of the season.
A Trip to See Great Friends
Some very dear friends of ours moved off of our street last year, and we just haven't been the same since. A car trip this summer to spend the weekend with them was exactly what we needed. We had so much fun that I practically forgot to take pictures. But here are the few that I did take. This first one is a combined dress-up/craft session that kept the girls busy for at least an hour.
Both Adrian and Oo really enjoyed the chance to play Guitar Hero with our friends. Adrian and I have agreed that we won't get a game system for our house, but I don't mind when Oo plays a game or two in someone else's home. In the middle of playing Guitar Hero, Oo says, "Mama says that video games make you lazy, so I'm going to take a break." Then she dramatically plops down on their couch as if she'd been striken by a wave of laziness so intense that it made her incapable of standing on her own two feet.
Despite the one-year difference in age, the two boys loved hanging out together. Here they are playing with Mr. Potatohead accessories.
And of the few pictures I took, here is my favorite: Story time with Miss Nicole.
A Stop Along the Way
After our visit with our friends, but before we drove all the way back home, we stopped in Ft. Wayne, IN, for a 24-hour mini vacation. Why Ft. Wayne, you ask? Well, we learned that Parenting magazine had rated Ft. Wayne's zoo as the 5th best zoo in the country. A top-ranked zoo in Ft. Wayne?!? We had to check it out!
We arrived in Ft. Wayne late in the afternoon, and checked into our hotel. The kids jumped up and down on the beds for a while, then we had an early dinner. After dinner, we spent some quality time in the hotel's pool. The beauty of a vacation destination such as Ft. Wayne: we had the entire pool to ourselves! I am pretty sure that this was the kids' first chance all summer to play in water deeper than our kiddie pool. They had a BLAST floating and kicking around in their "floaties." We laughed and played together until bedtime.
Back in our hotel room, we put a kids' movie into the DVD player and climbed into our pajamas. The kids didn't stay awake for very long.
The morning was filled with anticipation and chocolate chip pancakes. Once we were inside the zoo's front gates, we soon discovered why Ft. Wayne's zoo was so beloved. Great exhibits! The animals were all in natural habitats, and yet we were able to get so close to them. This first pic is of our monkey having a blast watching the real monkeys.
And here is Oo on an African safari.
Judging from his reaction to the lion, I'd have to say that some of the exhibits were too close for T's comfort.
This zoo lets you feed the giraffes!
And the HUGE seal tank was a HUGE hit.
We took this picture of Oo near the tortoises. Notice how the zoo has a subtle rock wall within the exhibit to keep the tortoises from getting too close to the visitors.
Well, this one tortoise in particular was so interested in Oo, that he bee-lined (SLOWLY bee-lined, that is) right toward her and tried to scale over the rocks. His short legs and heavy shell caused him to get stuck on top of that short rock you see him on in the above picture. With his little legs flailing, his claws scratching, and the bottom of his shell scraping on the rock, he finally made it over to Oo.
T was absolutely fascinated with the tortoise, so much so that Adrian had to hold on tight to keep T from going on a tortoise ride.
Fortunately, the zoo's petting farm gave the kids a chance to finally touch some animals. We pet pigs, cows, horses, sheep, bunnies, and of course, goats. But not only did we pet the goats, we were given brushes and asked to brush them. Oo made it her personal mission to brush each one of the 30+ goats on the farm. Even after one of the goats tried to eat Oo's shirt right off her little body, she remained focused on her objective.
Milk
Oo: How do mommy cows make milk?
Me: I don't know. That's a good question.
Oo: I think that the baby cows make it when they're in her tummy. (pause) And they sing a little song. (pause) And they march up and down her bones. (pause) The baby cows make them [the udders] out of dough, and then they paint them pink.
New Bikes!
One sunny Sunday afternoon, the kids and I pulled our car into the driveway, and what did we see? Two brand new, shiny bikes—a surprise from Daddy! I could not get the kids unbuckled and out of the car fast enough. And who could blame them for their excitement? Check out the sweet rides:
And so for the remainder of the summer, there was no more kiddie pool, no more chalk drawings on the driveway, no more digging in the sandbox. There was only this:
My last couple posts caught you up on a couple fun stories. But they didn't even scratch the surface. Now here are some pictures and quotes to better fill you in on our busy, busy summer:
Visiting with Uncle Mike
My littlest brother made the long journey home for a visit in May. It was especially exciting for Oo, who has been waiting for a long time to see him. Here's a picture of the siblings reunited and a picture of the kids totally at ease with their uncle and his friend, Alisha.
I Love a Parade
Our FAVORITE parade takes place every June on the east side of town. It's a spectacular event put on by many of the artistic communities in the city, with all of the costumes hand made. Any one can enter the parade, so there is always a wide variety of music, costumes, and ages. We took a lot of pictures of the parade this year, but this one is my favorite.
Despite the high energy of the crowd and the spectacular stuff to watch, Oo and her cousin found a woman giving away free kittens. So the two of them spent almost all of the parade snuggling with kitties.
God Is Everywhere, Right?
Oo: Is God in that banana?
Me: No, He isn't.
Oo: But God is everywhere.
Me: Yes, He is.
Oo: And He made that banana.
Me: Yes He did. But I don't think God is hanging out in that banana.
Oo: Well, I think He's in that banana.
Feeling Trashy
Our neighbors had an awesome party this summer. The theme: white trash! We did not, of course, want to introduce the term "white trash" to the kids or explain to them what it means, so we told them that we were going to "an ugly clothes party." Here is Oo hanging out with one of her favorite neighbors, Lola.
Here is T trying to abscond with a bra that was dangling from a tiki torch.
And here is the proud family. Notice how Oo is holding daddy's beer.
Oo Being Oo
Even the simplest of tasks becomes a big to-do when trying to get two goofy kids to cooperate. A trip to the post office in early July to mail birthday cards on time was supposed to be a leisurely walk to the neighborhood post office. But the "leisurely" had to be scratched from the plan once we experienced delay after delay, dilly-dallying, ill-timed diaper emergencies, and a pointless argument about picking out one's own clothes.
After all that, we barely had enough time to DRIVE to the post office before it closed. We locked the house door and quickly piled into the car. It is then that Oo declares she has to go potty. So I let her out of the car, unlocked the door, and sent her to the basement bathroom. Then I waited and waited and... (insert Jeapordy theme song music here). Frustrated, I went to see what was taking so long. I found her still on the potty; "business" was done, but she was leisurely flipping through a book. Leisurely was nixed earlier, so I pleaded, "Come on! We don't have time for that. Let's go."
We get to the post office with two minutes to spare. Since earlier I had surrendered in the clothing argument, Oo was wearing a blue, flowery dress and bright orange socks with her pink sandals. The lady at the counter took a look at her and quietly giggled. Oo was also clutching the book she was reading on the potty. The lady asked about what Oo was reading, and Oo smiled and held up "Time Management for Dummies." The lady and I cracked up laughing. Hmmm... that would've come in handy today.
The Rare Quiet Weekend
There were just a few Saturdays and Sundays this summer when we didn't have plans. We took the opportunity to hang out in our backyard with the kiddie pool, pudding pops, squirters (squirt guns), and the sandbox.
Pudding pops were definitely our favorite treat of the season.
A Trip to See Great Friends
Some very dear friends of ours moved off of our street last year, and we just haven't been the same since. A car trip this summer to spend the weekend with them was exactly what we needed. We had so much fun that I practically forgot to take pictures. But here are the few that I did take. This first one is a combined dress-up/craft session that kept the girls busy for at least an hour.
Both Adrian and Oo really enjoyed the chance to play Guitar Hero with our friends. Adrian and I have agreed that we won't get a game system for our house, but I don't mind when Oo plays a game or two in someone else's home. In the middle of playing Guitar Hero, Oo says, "Mama says that video games make you lazy, so I'm going to take a break." Then she dramatically plops down on their couch as if she'd been striken by a wave of laziness so intense that it made her incapable of standing on her own two feet.
Despite the one-year difference in age, the two boys loved hanging out together. Here they are playing with Mr. Potatohead accessories.
And of the few pictures I took, here is my favorite: Story time with Miss Nicole.
A Stop Along the Way
After our visit with our friends, but before we drove all the way back home, we stopped in Ft. Wayne, IN, for a 24-hour mini vacation. Why Ft. Wayne, you ask? Well, we learned that Parenting magazine had rated Ft. Wayne's zoo as the 5th best zoo in the country. A top-ranked zoo in Ft. Wayne?!? We had to check it out!
We arrived in Ft. Wayne late in the afternoon, and checked into our hotel. The kids jumped up and down on the beds for a while, then we had an early dinner. After dinner, we spent some quality time in the hotel's pool. The beauty of a vacation destination such as Ft. Wayne: we had the entire pool to ourselves! I am pretty sure that this was the kids' first chance all summer to play in water deeper than our kiddie pool. They had a BLAST floating and kicking around in their "floaties." We laughed and played together until bedtime.
Back in our hotel room, we put a kids' movie into the DVD player and climbed into our pajamas. The kids didn't stay awake for very long.
The morning was filled with anticipation and chocolate chip pancakes. Once we were inside the zoo's front gates, we soon discovered why Ft. Wayne's zoo was so beloved. Great exhibits! The animals were all in natural habitats, and yet we were able to get so close to them. This first pic is of our monkey having a blast watching the real monkeys.
And here is Oo on an African safari.
Judging from his reaction to the lion, I'd have to say that some of the exhibits were too close for T's comfort.
This zoo lets you feed the giraffes!
And the HUGE seal tank was a HUGE hit.
We took this picture of Oo near the tortoises. Notice how the zoo has a subtle rock wall within the exhibit to keep the tortoises from getting too close to the visitors.
Well, this one tortoise in particular was so interested in Oo, that he bee-lined (SLOWLY bee-lined, that is) right toward her and tried to scale over the rocks. His short legs and heavy shell caused him to get stuck on top of that short rock you see him on in the above picture. With his little legs flailing, his claws scratching, and the bottom of his shell scraping on the rock, he finally made it over to Oo.
T was absolutely fascinated with the tortoise, so much so that Adrian had to hold on tight to keep T from going on a tortoise ride.
Fortunately, the zoo's petting farm gave the kids a chance to finally touch some animals. We pet pigs, cows, horses, sheep, bunnies, and of course, goats. But not only did we pet the goats, we were given brushes and asked to brush them. Oo made it her personal mission to brush each one of the 30+ goats on the farm. Even after one of the goats tried to eat Oo's shirt right off her little body, she remained focused on her objective.
Milk
Oo: How do mommy cows make milk?
Me: I don't know. That's a good question.
Oo: I think that the baby cows make it when they're in her tummy. (pause) And they sing a little song. (pause) And they march up and down her bones. (pause) The baby cows make them [the udders] out of dough, and then they paint them pink.
New Bikes!
One sunny Sunday afternoon, the kids and I pulled our car into the driveway, and what did we see? Two brand new, shiny bikes—a surprise from Daddy! I could not get the kids unbuckled and out of the car fast enough. And who could blame them for their excitement? Check out the sweet rides:
And so for the remainder of the summer, there was no more kiddie pool, no more chalk drawings on the driveway, no more digging in the sandbox. There was only this:
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
I Am Stuck on Band-Aids 'Cause Band-Aids Stick on Me
Here is the band-aid story that I promised to you in my post on July 31:
One morning in mid-July, Oo woke up and told me she had a bruise on her leg that stung. I took a look and saw a bizarre, dark pink blotch on her thigh that was obviously some sort of bug/spider bite. By lunch time, part of the blotch had developed a small water blister, and by bedtime the blotch was fully blistered—over one inch long and 1/2 inch high... seriously. The next day, I took her to the doctor, who was stumped as to what may have bitten Oo. The theory: perhaps Oo was having an allergic reaction to a bug bite. The prescription: give her Benedryl and wait for the blister to pop.
For the three days that followed, we found ourselves addressing the bug bite and a fever (from 99 to 102) with regular doses of Benadryl and Motrin.
After the blister popped, we used band-aids and Neosporin on the spot. Removing band-aids to put on fresh ones turned out to be the MOST traumatizing part of Oo having this daddy-tarantula bite* on her leg. (* Oo's self diagnosis.) Before I could even touch the old band-aid with so much as my pinkie finger, she would scream and thrash around. Band-aid removal was definitely a two-parent job.
One night Adrian was working very late, and the band-aid task was up to me, alone. In a moment of desperation, I decided to cut the band-aid in half through the pad, so that I could pull it off one half at time. Oo and I thought this was a great plan, and all was calm while I cut the band-aid and pulled the first half off. Immediately after pulling it off, however, there was a dramatic scene of flailing and wailing and dirty "How could you, Mom?" looks. And so it was decided that the other half of that highly waterproof band-aid would stay on her leg "until tomorrow."
THREE DAYS later, enough was enough. Oo's skin is sensitive to adhesives, so that half of band-aid, with its dark dirty edges curling up at the corners, had to go! I armed myself with lots of baby oil (to loosen the adhesive) and Adrian's assistance. The anticipation was too much for Oo. She screamed and kicked; she pleaded for us to leave the band-aid alone. While she was distracted (trying to throw a most spectacular fit), I grabbed the edge of the band-aid and quickly yanked it off.
Her immediate reaction to my cruelty: "WOW!" Followed by a smile and "That wasn't so bad." Oo was relieved and now at ease, but Adrian and I collapsed, doubled over from both emotional exhaustion and laughter.
(Note: Just minutes earlier I posted an old blog entry that I started to write back in June. If you have not already read that entry, scroll down now to read "Better Late Than Never.")
One morning in mid-July, Oo woke up and told me she had a bruise on her leg that stung. I took a look and saw a bizarre, dark pink blotch on her thigh that was obviously some sort of bug/spider bite. By lunch time, part of the blotch had developed a small water blister, and by bedtime the blotch was fully blistered—over one inch long and 1/2 inch high... seriously. The next day, I took her to the doctor, who was stumped as to what may have bitten Oo. The theory: perhaps Oo was having an allergic reaction to a bug bite. The prescription: give her Benedryl and wait for the blister to pop.
For the three days that followed, we found ourselves addressing the bug bite and a fever (from 99 to 102) with regular doses of Benadryl and Motrin.
After the blister popped, we used band-aids and Neosporin on the spot. Removing band-aids to put on fresh ones turned out to be the MOST traumatizing part of Oo having this daddy-tarantula bite* on her leg. (* Oo's self diagnosis.) Before I could even touch the old band-aid with so much as my pinkie finger, she would scream and thrash around. Band-aid removal was definitely a two-parent job.
One night Adrian was working very late, and the band-aid task was up to me, alone. In a moment of desperation, I decided to cut the band-aid in half through the pad, so that I could pull it off one half at time. Oo and I thought this was a great plan, and all was calm while I cut the band-aid and pulled the first half off. Immediately after pulling it off, however, there was a dramatic scene of flailing and wailing and dirty "How could you, Mom?" looks. And so it was decided that the other half of that highly waterproof band-aid would stay on her leg "until tomorrow."
THREE DAYS later, enough was enough. Oo's skin is sensitive to adhesives, so that half of band-aid, with its dark dirty edges curling up at the corners, had to go! I armed myself with lots of baby oil (to loosen the adhesive) and Adrian's assistance. The anticipation was too much for Oo. She screamed and kicked; she pleaded for us to leave the band-aid alone. While she was distracted (trying to throw a most spectacular fit), I grabbed the edge of the band-aid and quickly yanked it off.
Her immediate reaction to my cruelty: "WOW!" Followed by a smile and "That wasn't so bad." Oo was relieved and now at ease, but Adrian and I collapsed, doubled over from both emotional exhaustion and laughter.
(Note: Just minutes earlier I posted an old blog entry that I started to write back in June. If you have not already read that entry, scroll down now to read "Better Late Than Never.")
Better Late Than Never
In June, I downloaded a few photos and wrote only four sentences before I needed to turn the computer off and head home for a visit with my family. Afterward, I forgot all about this blog entry and never posted it.
This morning I finally finished writing the entry. Here it is... originally from early June:
Okay, so this picture has nothing to do with the stuff I'm posting about today, but I just had to share. In my unbiased opinion, it's cute on so many levels.
I need to make this a quick post; this morning we're leaving for a car trip to see my "littlest" brother at Chippie's house and again at Nonny's.
Yesterday we went to the zoo to spend some quality time together. The day was beautiful and perfect for watching animals. Before getting to the zoo, we stopped at a neighborhood carry-out to get bottled water. Oo took a long look at the store and said...
Oo: That place is for DJs.
Me: Yeah? How do you know it's for DJs?
Oo: Because the last time we drove by, there were DJs coming out.
Me: How did you know they were DJs?
Oo: Because they were wearing necklaces and black shirts, and they had their hats on backwards.
(Sounds plausible to me.)
Last summer the zoo had a dinosaur exhibit that scared the pants off of Oo (it had life-sized robotic dinosaurs that growl and spit). But when Oo heard that the exhibit was at the zoo again this summer, she said she HAD TO go see it because it was her FAVORITE thing at the zoo.
At the main zoo gate, we were each inked with a dinosaur stamp on the back of our hands so we'd be permitted into the special exhibit. The stamp was enough to get Oo over-the-edge excited, but T had a different perspective as he stared at the blue dinosaur on his hand...
T: I want dinosaur OUT! It's stuck!
The kids had fun seeing the dinosaurs, but our trip to the zoo was during T's naptime. He's been slowly weaning himself off naps, and we figured that seeing the animals would ward off any sleepiness. Well, we were wrong. As we pulled him around in the wagon he became less and less interested in animals. Soon he was completely crabby and miserable. At the mere mention of monkeys, however, he perked up.
Our zoo is horribly spread out. To see the monkeys, you have to make a long trek uphill. It's quite a schlep, and there are no animals to see on the way. By the time we made it to the monkey house, T had reached his limit. To our dismay, the first few "cages" were monkeyless, and the empty cages sent him flying off the deep end. He threw himself down on the floor—arms flailing, feet kicking—and began screaming, "I NEED monkeys!"
After Adrian and I had a quick chuckle at T's expense, I scooped up T, tucked him under my arm like a football and ran through the monkey house looking for a monkey. Some of the monkeys I showed him were apparently not monkey-ish enough, prompting T to repeatedly scream "NO! Not a monkey!" The picture below documents the glorious moment when we finally found a monkey that was satisfactory.
After the monkey house, we ran back down the hill and all the way back to our car. T fell asleep on the ride home and again once we got him in the house. The pic below perfectly captures his exhaustion.
Lesson learned: Never assume naptime can be intruded upon by anything other than monkeys.
This morning I finally finished writing the entry. Here it is... originally from early June:
Okay, so this picture has nothing to do with the stuff I'm posting about today, but I just had to share. In my unbiased opinion, it's cute on so many levels.
I need to make this a quick post; this morning we're leaving for a car trip to see my "littlest" brother at Chippie's house and again at Nonny's.
Yesterday we went to the zoo to spend some quality time together. The day was beautiful and perfect for watching animals. Before getting to the zoo, we stopped at a neighborhood carry-out to get bottled water. Oo took a long look at the store and said...
Oo: That place is for DJs.
Me: Yeah? How do you know it's for DJs?
Oo: Because the last time we drove by, there were DJs coming out.
Me: How did you know they were DJs?
Oo: Because they were wearing necklaces and black shirts, and they had their hats on backwards.
(Sounds plausible to me.)
Last summer the zoo had a dinosaur exhibit that scared the pants off of Oo (it had life-sized robotic dinosaurs that growl and spit). But when Oo heard that the exhibit was at the zoo again this summer, she said she HAD TO go see it because it was her FAVORITE thing at the zoo.
At the main zoo gate, we were each inked with a dinosaur stamp on the back of our hands so we'd be permitted into the special exhibit. The stamp was enough to get Oo over-the-edge excited, but T had a different perspective as he stared at the blue dinosaur on his hand...
T: I want dinosaur OUT! It's stuck!
The kids had fun seeing the dinosaurs, but our trip to the zoo was during T's naptime. He's been slowly weaning himself off naps, and we figured that seeing the animals would ward off any sleepiness. Well, we were wrong. As we pulled him around in the wagon he became less and less interested in animals. Soon he was completely crabby and miserable. At the mere mention of monkeys, however, he perked up.
Our zoo is horribly spread out. To see the monkeys, you have to make a long trek uphill. It's quite a schlep, and there are no animals to see on the way. By the time we made it to the monkey house, T had reached his limit. To our dismay, the first few "cages" were monkeyless, and the empty cages sent him flying off the deep end. He threw himself down on the floor—arms flailing, feet kicking—and began screaming, "I NEED monkeys!"
After Adrian and I had a quick chuckle at T's expense, I scooped up T, tucked him under my arm like a football and ran through the monkey house looking for a monkey. Some of the monkeys I showed him were apparently not monkey-ish enough, prompting T to repeatedly scream "NO! Not a monkey!" The picture below documents the glorious moment when we finally found a monkey that was satisfactory.
After the monkey house, we ran back down the hill and all the way back to our car. T fell asleep on the ride home and again once we got him in the house. The pic below perfectly captures his exhaustion.
Lesson learned: Never assume naptime can be intruded upon by anything other than monkeys.
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