I Despise UPS

It is 108 degrees here, and the bathing suit that I ordered is lost somewhere in the Buffalo area, on or near a train.

First of all, it's news to me that UPS even used trains.  Their commercials certainly leave you with the impression that everything is delivered via bright shiny trucks and planes.  Second, their customer service makes the people at DMV seem downright accommodating.  The only thing the representative was able to tell me was that a train had been late.  Not whether my package was on a train, or waiting for the train, or whether it was in Buffalo, or had gotten on the next train, or whether it was going to sit in Buffalo until Monday.  And then I couldn't even use big words in my online complaint because they limit it to 500 characters, which infuriated the English major in me even more.  I'm actually in the mood to put in a second complaint that they only allow you to use 500 characters.

I understand that things get delayed, but when you can't explain to me what you're going to do to fix it or seem the least bit apologetic, the angry letter writing campaigns begin.  >:(

Ink Stains, Lowly, and the Further Adventures of Teddy Bear

Well, for those of you who were wondering, a combination of vinegar and lysol wipes will remove pen marks from seat cushions.  Consider yourselves warned that the combination will leave your hands smelling rather funky for the rest of the day, however.

I've realized that Baby Lowly really hasn't gotten much of a mention on this blog yet - namely because up until this week she really hasn't done much.  But the other day she managed to flip from her back to her tummy, which I thought was rather impressive for a 2 1/2 month old.  I had put her in her bassinet on her back, and she usually rolls immediately onto her side.  I came back 5 minutes later and she was on her tummy, fast asleep, and stayed that way for the next 7 or 8 hours.  Happy Dance!

WeeBee shocked me today by sharing Teddy Bear with Lowly.  He's always very sweet to her, and he's offered her things in the past (cookies, her blankets, the occasional tub of diaper cream) but Teddy Bear is one of his most prized possessions.  She was sitting in her swing and he put one of his other bears on her lap, which made her smile.  Then he ran off and got Teddy Bear, and put that on her lap as well.  (By this point we couldn't really see much of Lowly - the bears are about the same size as her.)  Then he got his blanket and put that on top, at which point I unfortunately had to intervene before he piled anything else on there.  Still, it was incredibly sweet of him, considering how attached he is to Bear.  Now if I could only get him to stop walking up to her when she's sleeping in the swing and shouting, "Lowly?  Lowwly?  You want out?"

Ink Stains

I don't suppose anyone knows how to get pen marks off a corduroy seat cushion?  WeeBee went to town on the living room while I was making breakfast.  The little stinker knows exactly what he did - as soon as I saw it and said "WeeBee, what were you doing?!?!" he grabbed my knees and started his "I sorry Mommy!  I sorry!" routine.

In any event, if anyone has any tips, I'd be extremely grateful.

Apparently Teddy Bears Get Ear Gunk Too

Poor WeeBee constantly has ear wax building up in his ears, which I suppose he inherited from me.  Usually he doesn't mind when I try to clean it out, and sometimes he will even come over and tell me he has "gunkies" in his ears.

Anyway, I was sitting on the couch this afternoon watching the Yankee game, when I noticed he was sticking his fingers in his teddy bear's ears and having a conversation about ear gunkies - full of "oh dear, bear" and "You have ear gunkies!  Blah!  Ear gunkies!"

He says the funniest things when he's in his own little world.

All Better

WeeBee and I were sitting on the couch this morning when he noticed there was a bruise on my leg.  (I keep turning too quickly when I get up from our computer desk, and banging the side of my knee into the corner of the desk.  Don't ask, I'm a klutz.)

Anyway, WeeBee pointed to the bruise and asked "Boo boo?"  I agreed.  He then put down his sippy cup and scooted over to me on the couch so he could pat my knee.  Then he looked up and asked, "All better, Mommy?  All better?"

Yep.  :)

Rain, Where Are Youuuu?

So for the past two days, the news has been saying we're supposed to get thunderstorms.  The western part of our county was getting apocalyptic hail, and twenty minutes to our south there were trees down.  We've had nothing.  Sure, the skies turn that orangey grey color you get right before a thunderstorm.  We can even hear thunder in the distance.  But nothing ever happens, and an hour or so later, the skies clear up again.

It's driving me crazy.  I can't take the kids out, because I don't want to go on an epic walk and get caught a mile from home with hail the size of my daughter crashing down on us.  Besides, it feels like 95 degrees out there.  In the house it's a little cooler - right at the point where you debate if it's worth turning on the A/C.  Carrying Lowly around is like having your own hot water bottle with you at all times, and I could swear WeeBee's head radiates heat.  The air in a 3 inch radius of his head is 10 degrees warmer than anywhere else.  I wish there was some way to test that.  Not that it bothers him - this is the kid who refused to sleep as an infant unless he was swaddled in a fleece blanket in August.

I'm just hoping the power doesn't cut out.  My neighbors on one side have a window a/c unit that was making suspicious noises yesterday afternoon, and on the other side I've got people who proudly fiddled with their central air unit to give it extra power, and now the lights on the whole block dim any time it turns on.  It's only a matter of time before that thing explodes.

Oswald and Weenie Dog!

As promised, a picture of WeeBee's birthday cake...

I know that in "real life" Oswald is supposed to be a darker blue, but in the interests of the icing not tasting like a bottle of blue food dye, we had to stop somewhere.  I have to say, he's pretty cute.

Happy Birthday, WeeBee!

Today is WeeBee's 2nd birthday!  Not that he's quite sure what birthdays are all about - he kept denying that he was 2 years old, and he's rather skeptical of me wandering the house singing "Happy Birthday to Youuu!"  Then again, that probably has more to do with the fact that he doesn't like my singing, but that's a story for another day.  I'm sure he'll be more enthusiastic once the cake and presents come out.


Speaking of cakes - his is Oswald the Octopus.  I didn't exactly ask him what kind of cake he wanted, because I knew he would tune out everything except "cake" and think we were having it right then and there.  Unfortunately I couldn't find black icing for his hat, and I didn't exactly want to make my own because I was afraid it would taste disgusting if I poured in 3 bottles of food dye to make black.  In the end I bought licorice wheels that in theory I'll be able to shape into a hat, and then use for the eyes and mouth as well.  It's all done, except for the licorice - I'm waiting for Daddy to come home and take him out in the backyard so I can decorate in peace.  If it ends up halfway decent, I'll post a picture tomorrow.  And if not...well, it can't end up any worse than the birthday cake I baked for my husband the first year we were married.  I didn't know it was humanly possible to screw up a Pillsbury Funfetti cake, (aside from burning it) but apparently it is, if your tiny little apartment oven heats unevenly and goes from 0 to 450 degrees in 30 seconds.  For those of you who were wondering, under those conditions, the cake will not rise, and you will end up with a giant smiley face air pocket on the bottom of the cake.  One of his friends has photographic evidence of this.


Anyway, Happy Birthday, WeeBee!  Here's to catching fireflies, jumping in mud puddles, peanut butter waffles, dancing in the kitchen, eating corn-on-the-cob, and the best hugs in the whole world. I love you ;)