Some days - well, to be honest, most days - no matter how well I clean a room, within 10 minutes it looks like a bomb hit it again. As soon as I put all of WeeBee's trains in their basket, he runs into Lowly's room and dumps them all over the floor. I have clean clothes folded in a basket, and Lowly decides to use it to stand up, flipping the basket and herself over onto the floor. My husband decides to throw his dirty clothes into an invisible hamper in the bathroom. And I load up the dishwasher, only to forget to actually turn it on.
It's not that it's time to call in the producers of Hoarders, or Clean House, or whatever spinoff show the cable networks are cranking out these days. It's not like you can't sit on my couch because it's been overtaken by a collection of Taco Bell hot sauce packets, or some other useless thing. But some days, the general "lived in"-ness of the house really gets to me.
But the other morning, just when I was about to go sit in a corner and cry over the pile of laundry that I could swear is increasing and multiplying every time I turn my back, WeeBee wandered by.
"Mommy?"
"Yes?"
"You're cute, Mommy." He then gave me a kiss, and puttered off to find a train, or color a picture, or something.
The laundry situation might be hopeless, but I definitely have the sweetest little boy in the whole world.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Lowly Speaks
I get a lot of comments on how Lowly is extremely quiet. Granted, compared to WeeBee, most people are quiet, but they have a point. Most of the time she's perfectly content to chew on a toy and watch WeeBee cause mayhem. Occasionally she eggs him on by giggling. I wasn't particularly concerned about the limited babbling, because I have heard her do it - I just figured when she had something to say, she'd say it.
The other evening she was playing with her dollhouse on the floor, while I tried to convince WeeBee that it was time to change his diaper. He was rolling around on his bed and protesting, when I heard "Mummum," to my right. I didn't really notice, and continued negotiating with WeeBee, who was now flailing around like a dying cockroach. Then I heard it again, but much louder, "MUMMUM!"
At that point it clicked - that was Lowly talking. She had apparently tried to crawl towards one of the dolls and gotten stuck, unable to figure out how to sit back up again. She was glaring right at me with a look that clearly said, "Hey, stupid, you going to do something about this?"
The funniest part of the whole thing was that she didn't say "mummum" like a baby trying to figure out a new sound. I've heard her do that - a few weeks ago she decided 2am was the time to experiment saying "Fa! Fa! Fa!" She said it like an adult would, the first time normally, and the second time with the tone of "Hey! You! Wake up!" Apparently she's been paying more attention than I'd been giving her credit for. And even if she does look at me like I'm a moron, it's nice to be called Mummum again. That was WeeBee's name for me when he first started to talk, and I really wasn't expecting her to say the same thing.
The other evening she was playing with her dollhouse on the floor, while I tried to convince WeeBee that it was time to change his diaper. He was rolling around on his bed and protesting, when I heard "Mummum," to my right. I didn't really notice, and continued negotiating with WeeBee, who was now flailing around like a dying cockroach. Then I heard it again, but much louder, "MUMMUM!"
At that point it clicked - that was Lowly talking. She had apparently tried to crawl towards one of the dolls and gotten stuck, unable to figure out how to sit back up again. She was glaring right at me with a look that clearly said, "Hey, stupid, you going to do something about this?"
The funniest part of the whole thing was that she didn't say "mummum" like a baby trying to figure out a new sound. I've heard her do that - a few weeks ago she decided 2am was the time to experiment saying "Fa! Fa! Fa!" She said it like an adult would, the first time normally, and the second time with the tone of "Hey! You! Wake up!" Apparently she's been paying more attention than I'd been giving her credit for. And even if she does look at me like I'm a moron, it's nice to be called Mummum again. That was WeeBee's name for me when he first started to talk, and I really wasn't expecting her to say the same thing.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Getting From Point A to Point B
I had always heard that some babies learn to crawl backwards before crawling forwards. It never made any sense to me - how is that easier? The other day I happened to read that it has something to do with their arms being stronger than their legs, but it still made no sense. Then, last night Lowly started crawling backwards across my dining room floor.
Now, to start off, "crawling backwards" isn't the best way to describe it (unless my daughter has come up with a completely new method of crawling.) It's more like scooting backwards, closer to when you're sitting on the floor and push yourself backwards using your hands to get out of the way of someone walking by. That explains the whole "arms being stronger than their legs" part, as they are putting all their weight on their arms to push themselves back, and not really using their legs at all. What it doesn't explain is why Lowly started doing it, as her pediatrician was pretty emphatic that she has subpar upper body strength. Granted, I never thought it was all that bad, so maybe she was just being uncooperative that day.
In any event, Lowly is now officially puttering around. I'm doomed.
In other news, do you think God frowns upon telling your toddler that the black beans you're trying to get him to eat are raisins? Is it not quite as bad if your toddler thinks they are raisins, and you just agree with him?
Now, to start off, "crawling backwards" isn't the best way to describe it (unless my daughter has come up with a completely new method of crawling.) It's more like scooting backwards, closer to when you're sitting on the floor and push yourself backwards using your hands to get out of the way of someone walking by. That explains the whole "arms being stronger than their legs" part, as they are putting all their weight on their arms to push themselves back, and not really using their legs at all. What it doesn't explain is why Lowly started doing it, as her pediatrician was pretty emphatic that she has subpar upper body strength. Granted, I never thought it was all that bad, so maybe she was just being uncooperative that day.
In any event, Lowly is now officially puttering around. I'm doomed.
In other news, do you think God frowns upon telling your toddler that the black beans you're trying to get him to eat are raisins? Is it not quite as bad if your toddler thinks they are raisins, and you just agree with him?
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Weird News
First it was the poisonous toothpaste in the dollar store, now it's the radioactive tissue holder of doom from Bed Bath and Beyond! Yes, folks, your bathroom is trying to kill you.
Radioactive Tissue Box Holders of Doom!
I love how these things made it through New Jersey with no problem, and then got flagged in California. All the more reason to avoid the truck lane on the Turnpike.
Radioactive Tissue Box Holders of Doom!
I love how these things made it through New Jersey with no problem, and then got flagged in California. All the more reason to avoid the truck lane on the Turnpike.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
More Random Musings
1. Flippy the Fish is still alive. He has breakfast with WeeBee every morning. (He gets fish flakes, WeeBee gets bran flakes, life is apparently good.) I'm just grateful the thing is still alive. I hadn't seen him eat for the first 3 days, and I was starting to worry that he was too stupid to swim up to the surface to get the food, and he was going to starve to death. Apparently, I was wrong.
2. WeeBee may or may not have an imaginary friend. (Besides the fish, that is.) He keeps talking about a Girah, who is apparently also two years old. I can't figure out whether Girah is just his default name for people when he's playing or if Girah is an actual entity. (He named one of the inhabitants of Lowly's dollhouse Girah, but he also had a whole conversation with Baby Girah, who appeared to me to be a ball of yarn.) I didn't want to ask too many questions because a) I didn't want to make him embarrassed, and b) if it was just his default name for things, I didn't want to force it to become an imaginary person. I mean, I don't care if he has an imaginary friend, I just want it to be his imaginary friend, not something Mommy invented. I'm sure he things I'm weird enough as is.
3. Apparently having your little brother run up to you and scream "HA!" is hilarious. Hilarious to the point that you laugh so hard you throw yourself backwards and nearly crack your head on the edge of a table. Some days I worry about what those two are going to get up to once Lowly can walk.
4. Speaking of mobility, Lowly considered crawling today, and apparently decided it wasn't for her. She was sitting on the floor of her room and wanted one of WeeBee's trains, so she leaned forward so she ended up on her hands and knees. She stayed like that for a few seconds with a look of complete disgust on her face, clearly thinking, "Well, this is the stupidest thing ever." She seems to like trying to pull herself up on things, though. Just what I need, another climber.
2. WeeBee may or may not have an imaginary friend. (Besides the fish, that is.) He keeps talking about a Girah, who is apparently also two years old. I can't figure out whether Girah is just his default name for people when he's playing or if Girah is an actual entity. (He named one of the inhabitants of Lowly's dollhouse Girah, but he also had a whole conversation with Baby Girah, who appeared to me to be a ball of yarn.) I didn't want to ask too many questions because a) I didn't want to make him embarrassed, and b) if it was just his default name for things, I didn't want to force it to become an imaginary person. I mean, I don't care if he has an imaginary friend, I just want it to be his imaginary friend, not something Mommy invented. I'm sure he things I'm weird enough as is.
3. Apparently having your little brother run up to you and scream "HA!" is hilarious. Hilarious to the point that you laugh so hard you throw yourself backwards and nearly crack your head on the edge of a table. Some days I worry about what those two are going to get up to once Lowly can walk.
4. Speaking of mobility, Lowly considered crawling today, and apparently decided it wasn't for her. She was sitting on the floor of her room and wanted one of WeeBee's trains, so she leaned forward so she ended up on her hands and knees. She stayed like that for a few seconds with a look of complete disgust on her face, clearly thinking, "Well, this is the stupidest thing ever." She seems to like trying to pull herself up on things, though. Just what I need, another climber.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Introducing Flippy the Fish
When I was little, my family lived in a 3rd floor apartment in Brooklyn. I don't know if the rental agreement expressly forbid dogs and cats, my parents thought it would be kinder to the dogs and cats of this world not to try to squeeze them into the apartment, or if three little girls were enough trouble without adding four legged creatures into the equation. For awhile we did have a series of goldfish named after the '86 Mets, however. My memory is a bit fuzzy, but I feel like they lasted quite awhile, and then we got some really stupid silver fish who kept getting stuck between the filter and the tank wall, and died off rather quickly. I think that was more or less the end of that experiment.
I know fish don't rank very high up on the exciting pets list, but I'm weird. Heck, as a kid, my favorite part of the Natural History Museum was the rock/gem section. I like boring. Anyways, I always wanted another fish, but my sisters all ended up with cats, and the odds of my 25 cent goldfish living more than a week in a house with three cats just weren't that good. Somewhere along the line I ended up with a husband, two kids, and a dog instead. Funny how things work out, no?
Anyway, yesterday I went into Petsmart to get our dog some rawhide treats so she'd leave WeeBee's crayons alone. (Don't ask.) We use it as our local aquarium/zoo, and take WeeBee to see all the animals. Hey, it's free and you can pop your kid in a cart and keep them from running off - can't beat that. Well, this time my husband suggested getting WeeBee a pet fish. I had just found the dog treats for 75% off simply because there was a red Christmas bow on them, and being in a good mood, I agreed, on the condition that we could find a round fish bowl. Not a roundish one with flat sides, a real round fish bowl like you see in cartoons. They're really quite difficult to find in real life, and I really wasn't expecting them to have one, but they did. Ten minutes later we were the proud owners of Flippy the Fish, Petsmart's finest 13 cent goldfish. (WeeBee named him after the fish from Oswald the Octopus before I could come up with a suitable Doctor Who name for him, but as it really is his fish, I'll let it go this time.)
The cutest part of the evening, though, was when WeeBee insisted that we walk quicker in the parking lot on the way back to the car. "Mommy, walk quickly! Walk quickly, Flippy will get cold, Mommy!"
I know fish don't rank very high up on the exciting pets list, but I'm weird. Heck, as a kid, my favorite part of the Natural History Museum was the rock/gem section. I like boring. Anyways, I always wanted another fish, but my sisters all ended up with cats, and the odds of my 25 cent goldfish living more than a week in a house with three cats just weren't that good. Somewhere along the line I ended up with a husband, two kids, and a dog instead. Funny how things work out, no?
Anyway, yesterday I went into Petsmart to get our dog some rawhide treats so she'd leave WeeBee's crayons alone. (Don't ask.) We use it as our local aquarium/zoo, and take WeeBee to see all the animals. Hey, it's free and you can pop your kid in a cart and keep them from running off - can't beat that. Well, this time my husband suggested getting WeeBee a pet fish. I had just found the dog treats for 75% off simply because there was a red Christmas bow on them, and being in a good mood, I agreed, on the condition that we could find a round fish bowl. Not a roundish one with flat sides, a real round fish bowl like you see in cartoons. They're really quite difficult to find in real life, and I really wasn't expecting them to have one, but they did. Ten minutes later we were the proud owners of Flippy the Fish, Petsmart's finest 13 cent goldfish. (WeeBee named him after the fish from Oswald the Octopus before I could come up with a suitable Doctor Who name for him, but as it really is his fish, I'll let it go this time.)
The cutest part of the evening, though, was when WeeBee insisted that we walk quicker in the parking lot on the way back to the car. "Mommy, walk quickly! Walk quickly, Flippy will get cold, Mommy!"
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Happy New Year to You All!
I've had a cold since the day after Christmas, but I hope you all are having a better time of it than I am. I'm sorry to report that we had the most boring New Year's Eve ever. After WeeBee and Lowly went to bed, my husband and I started channel surfing. After 5 minutes of a special on the Children's Miracle Network that left me paranoid about what mysterious diseases my children could suddenly come down with, we switched to the coverage of the Times Square New Years Eve spectacle. Around 10:30 I realized I had been staring at some rapper bouncing around on tv for the last five minutes and I had absolutely no idea what I had just watched. At that point, I grabbed a box of tissues and headed to bed.
Apparently New Jersey isn't enforcing their anti-firework laws this year, because I awoke at midnight to the sound of everyone in the immediate area setting them off...for the next 20 minutes. (I was too tired to be annoyed, just vaguely curious as to where all the fireworks came from.) And then at around 5 pm that evening, my neighbors must have found a box they drunkenly misplaced the night before, because they started setting them off again. I wish I hadn't been so sick, because it was a really clear night out and I probably would have gotten a pretty good view of most of the fireworks, but what can you do?
Aside from all of us being sick at the same time, the New Year hasn't been too bad. One of my New Year's Resolutions was to do a better job of using up everything in my fridge. I'm not horrible about wasting food, but I have a tendency to get towards the end of a container of something and then forget about it. I know it's only the 4th, but I've managed to use up 3 eggs, 2 tomatoes, a bowl of roasted potatoes, and a ham bone. I think I'm going to have to buy ham more often, because the ham bone turned my slow cooker split pea soup from pretty good to absolutely amazing. (And that was with a cold that is seriously impairing my sense of taste/smell.)
Unfortunately, my head is very fuzzy right now, so I'm going to stop before I type something completely incoherent. Sorry if this post sort of went round in circles.
Apparently New Jersey isn't enforcing their anti-firework laws this year, because I awoke at midnight to the sound of everyone in the immediate area setting them off...for the next 20 minutes. (I was too tired to be annoyed, just vaguely curious as to where all the fireworks came from.) And then at around 5 pm that evening, my neighbors must have found a box they drunkenly misplaced the night before, because they started setting them off again. I wish I hadn't been so sick, because it was a really clear night out and I probably would have gotten a pretty good view of most of the fireworks, but what can you do?
Aside from all of us being sick at the same time, the New Year hasn't been too bad. One of my New Year's Resolutions was to do a better job of using up everything in my fridge. I'm not horrible about wasting food, but I have a tendency to get towards the end of a container of something and then forget about it. I know it's only the 4th, but I've managed to use up 3 eggs, 2 tomatoes, a bowl of roasted potatoes, and a ham bone. I think I'm going to have to buy ham more often, because the ham bone turned my slow cooker split pea soup from pretty good to absolutely amazing. (And that was with a cold that is seriously impairing my sense of taste/smell.)
Unfortunately, my head is very fuzzy right now, so I'm going to stop before I type something completely incoherent. Sorry if this post sort of went round in circles.
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