Locks of Love

Emily has been growing her hair out for a long time now with the intention of cutting it and then donating it to either Locks of Love or Wigs for Kids. Well, yesterday was the big day! Our good friend and stylist, Rosemary, made it less painful. Honestly, I think she was ready.

BEFORE:


BANDED UP & READY TO GO:


This is our good friend (and sometimes babysitter) who just happens to be here too. We love Kasia! She's really sweet, and Elijah "luhs him some Kasia."


AFTER: VOILA!

This is not the best after pic, but it's all we have for right now. This style actually looks really cute on her...we've done it before. I think she was a little in shock, having had long hair for such a long time.

FYI: This morning she LOVES it!

toofs and fairies

So "Rufus" is still losing "toofs." Will it never end? This is the same kid, who once he realized that cash was involved, would actually wiggle not-yet-loose teeth until they surrendered and vacated his mouth...simply for the promised bounty. I guess I thought that he'd run out of stuff to pull. Alas, not yet.

This is a picture of "Rufus" during one of his not-so-bright ideas. He has tied dental floss around the dangling tooth, anchored by one lonely, yet stubborn little root, to the door knob. See?



I think he may be rethinking his decision. Ahhh, don't we love teaching moments?



And this is "Rufus" when the family gathered around him, all biding their time and awaiting their chance to yank that little sucker out. Can you see the panic?



Ok. So it's getting to be lunchtime, and this has been going on for approximately 30 minutes, from the couch to the door. Enough drama, already. Here is how the rest played out...good Mother that I am.

"Pull that stupid tooth or you're not eating lunch!"

I promise you, not 2 minutes later, somehow, mysteriously the tooth just came out. A little incentive never hurt anyone...especially a pre-teen with the appetite of a rhinoceros.

the toeses knowses

We have actually had a few chilly nights here in Louisiana, but I guess it's about time since it's almost the middle of November already. We found Wyatt's one remaining pair of jammies with the feet in them (we really don't need super-warm pajamas very often down here), and got him dressed for bed. When he woke up the next morning, this is what we found.

When we questioned his near-nakedness (the cowboy hat was really just a secondary issue at the time) and why he had removed his pajamas, Wyatt answered, very seriously, "I hadda wiggle my toesies."

Well, you can't really argue with that logic, can you? Even grown-ups like to stick a foot out to "breathe." 'Nuff said.

'dips' in the gene pool...I mean into

Ok. So this is our eldest (about ten years ago). Look at that face. Cute, huh? He was such a funny, bright little kid. He loved dinosaurs, building with blocks and was working 200 piece puzzles by the time he was three years old. As with most first children, we had high hopes for this one. I remember talking with my husband and having discussions like...

"I wonder what he'll be when he grows up," I'd say dreamily.


"Oh, it's hard to say," my husband would reply smugly, "a rocket scientist, a Nobel prize winner, the President...yep, hard to say."



Flash forward ten years...

"Rufus" as we lovingly refer to him is still very smart. The boy loves to read and is rarely without some big book in his hand. He also loves t.v. He is extremely proficient at kicking our rumps at most video games. And then gloating. He's taking guitar lessons and beginning to show all the signs of becoming a teenager. He could get along better with his sister, but all in all, he's a great kid.

You see, there are some attributes that I would run to the front of the line to try and claim proudly that I've passed down to him...things like his musical ability, intellect and quick wit. (Who wouldn't want to take credit for those things!) He gets jokes, though he's not great at telling them, and he can be king of the comeback (which if not used carefully can get him into trouble). You see, he can make me laugh, and the bad thing is he knows it. For instance, he thinks it is endlessly funny while I'm trying to correct him or discuss something in school to gesture to me by patting his chest and saying in his silliest voice, "Bring it on, old lady." Well, the first time it's really funny. But when you are REALLY trying to get him to do something, it can be extremely annoying. It makes me want to "bring it!"

That being said, there are other traits he possesses that scientifically cannot be linked to my DNA, that make me worry about his future and wonder what happened to my sweet child in the picture...and must therefore be attributed to his father. Like...the boy could belch the entire Bill of Rights if I did not interrupt him by shrieking, "Stop that! That is so gross! Don't you want to date some day?! EWWW!!!" His response? "So...rry." (sometimes burped) And then he falls out in the floor laughing. Seriously, is this just a guy thing? When was the last time you saw a girl behaving like this? I think there must be something attached to the y-chromosome related to belching and flatulence. It's the only plausible explanation.

Please do not write to me and try to explain that I'm being too hard on him and that it's "a part of nature" and he can't help it. I'm not buying it. It is not natural or normal to be able to belch long documents at will. I cannot be convinced otherwise. Don't waste your time.

Well, luckily for us, his good qualities overshadow (most of the time) these anomalies, again attributed to the paternal side of the ol' gene pool, and "Rufus" is a keeper. He really is a fantastic big brother, at least to the little boys. I think it's because on some level, he knows he will be able to "pass on" all these things that right now he thinks are fabulously funny. Elijah is a little young yet, but he's already started with Wyatt...you should hear him belch the preamble...

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DISCLAIMER: Lest anyone think Rufus actually knows the Bill of Rights, I simply meant the boy can burp, and at superhuman, unnatural lengths and volumes. He cannot literally or otherwise quote the Bill of Rights. It was the first lengthy document which came to mind while blogging about the boy and his unusual "talent." My apologies for any misunderstandings.

Sad Departure

With everything that has been going on lately, I think I have been remiss by failing to mention the passing of our "little" guinea pig, Heidi. We knew something was not quite right when we noticed a significant decrease in her normally large appetite and observed a marked change in her activity level...this one was a little tougher to distinguish.

Despite being in Emily's excellent care and sleeping next to a vaporizer to aid her labored breathing, Heidi didn't make it. Jay explained to Emily that, sadly, guinea pigs often get pneumonia, but that she did a really good job taking care of Heidi's needs, and that for a guinea pig, she had a pretty happy life.

Emily was understandably sad...and remarkably resilient. As her parents, we were a little surprised. Nevertheless, she continues to take good care of her other pet, Charlie, the (still untrained, though very cute) dog.

Here are a couple of pictures of bathtime. I'm sorry it's not video; it's very comical at times.

Mother's Day Out

Jay enrolled Wyatt in Mother's Day Out a few weeks ago. Honestly, I was not sure how it would go. He can be so sweet and loving...and such a handful. I think Jay could sense my apprehension, and proceeded to explain to me, rapidly, that it was only one day per week, and we could see how it goes, and that everything will be fine, and...Okay. Okay. "We'll try it," I said. Still, I couldn't help this nagging feeling inside.

I envisioned phone calls from The Early Learning Center at an area church, during which the nice teachers would tell me in the calmest, most reassuring tone they could muster that little Wyatt, while extremely cute and uncharacteristically bright for his age (you know how they always try to soften you up before the big blow), had...and then my mind went crazy...had what? Colored on the wall? Eaten the other kids' lunches? Unrolled an entire roll of toilet paper from one end of the school to the other...without breaking it? Wrapped himself in scotch tape? What?! Then, I snapped out of it. Silly me. He already did all that at home during the big kids' first week of homeschool. He won't do it there.

As the day approached for his first day of "school," we tried to explain to Wyatt what it would be like. I told him he would meet new friends, play with toys, eat lunch out of his brand-new Spiderman lunchbox, and then I said, "and take a nap." I said it super-fast and sounded a little like when you fast-forward a song to your favorite part, a little high-pitched and garbled. He totally heard me. He looked at me with "that look" he gets sometimes, and I thought to myself, here we go.

You see, Wyatt is a busy little guy. From the time he wakes up, he is basically non-stop. But, yes, I still make him take a nap here at home. I'm the grown-up; he's just 2, and he still needs a rest in the middle of the day (as do I)...besides, most of our neighbors work during the day so they can't hear the head-banging on the crib and the screaming from the upstairs bedroom..."I NOT LAY DOWN!!! I NOT GO SLEEP!!!" Of course, after a few minutes, he does. Either he knocks himself out (literally) or he passes out from sheer exhaustion, but either way, he naps for 2-3 hours every afternoon.

This picture shows him "practicing" taking a nap on his kinder-mat. I think he realized he had the rest of the proposed school day down-pat, but this nap thing might need a little work. He is lying down with "Blue" his bear blanket. (Wyatt's a little like Linus. "Blue" is a seasoned traveler and goes with us almost everywhere. You never know when you might have to sleep.) He also sleeps with "Ducky" a blanket with, you guessed it, little yellow ducks all over it. It's a little much sometimes, dragging these things around, but they seem to do the trick when it comes to nap/bedtime.

Well, like most things we worry about for no reason, "school" has worked out great. The only time Wyatt cried a little was on the first day. Of course when I picked him up I had a thousand questions as I buckled him into his carseat. Poor kid. What did you do at school today? " I pway." Did you meet new friends? "Yes ma'am." Did you eat your lunch? "I eat wunch." Did you take a nap? "I take nap." What else did you do? "I cwy a wittle bit." I knew this already from the teachers, but to hear him say it was different. I took his chubby little toddler hands in mine and looked him in the eye and asked, "Why did you cry, Sweetie?" His little lip started to tremble just a bit, and he said, "I neena Mama." I could feel my eyes begin to well up. For such a rough-and-tumble little guy, he really has a very tender heart, and is still in many ways just a baby himself. I hugged him tight and reassured him that I will always be here and that I will always come to pick him up from school. (He was probably thinking, Geez...I just wanted you there to tuck me in for naptime.) But that's okay. In the midst of all the "I do it myself!"...it's nice to know you're still needed.

There have not been any calls, and Wyatt's teachers tell me every Wednesday afternoon when I pick him up how sweet he is and what a good day he has had. He likes school. He likes to play with his "fins." And he even has a handle on rest time. His teachers tell me that sometimes he naps, and sometimes he doesn't, but he always lays quietly on his mat. (I'd like to know how they do that.)

This growing up thing is hard work. There are new things like school and teachers, lunchboxes and kindermats, friends and unfamiliar toys. How's a parent supposed to cope?

Happy Fall-o-ween!

For those of you who know us well, you know that Halloween is one of those 'holidays' that if given the choice to 'take it or leave it,' we'd probably leave it. I won't get into all the whys. We celebrated it as kids and dressed up and knocked on the doors of neighbors and took candy from people and were told not to eat the apples and don't stay out too late and watch for cars and stay together...and we turned out reasonably well. I mean, Halloween didn't cause any issues for us and we were not scared or scarred for life. Yep, it was all pretty innocent back then.

But as a parent, you wonder if you should let your kids dress up, and if they do, should it be scary or cute, do you trick-or-treat or trunk-or-treat or do you stay home with all the lights off and watch a movie and be really quiet when all the costumed little buggers come-a-knockin' at your door wanting sweets or do you go to a church-sponsored activity that serves as an alternative???? Wait...did I just say be quiet? Hahahaha. Okay, that's not a viable option for our family. Maybe for yours.

To be honest, this is an issue I revisit every year. What are we going to do? Do the kids even want to dress up? Can't we just skip the pumpkins and move on to the turkey? So this year, I decided not to stress. To just take it all in stride and hope that I am not screwing up my kids, that one day when they are lying on the couch of some highly educated, well-meaning, I'm sure, psychiatrist, psychologist, counselor, etc., to trust that they won't be saying, "...and my mom would/wouldn't let me be a superhero, ballerina, vampire...and I...didn't get to have candy or I had a horrible stomachache and false teeth by the time I started junior high... You get the point. They will no doubt have many more important things to discuss. I'm sure of it. I understand that there are those who believe we shouldn't even be celebrating such a 'holiday' in the first place and those on the other side that say, "just let 'em be kids for goodness' sake!"

With all that being said, I'd just like to give a shout out to Judith and a big "thank you" to everyone at Northshore Church who organized a Fall Festival and gave our kids a chance to dress up if they wanted to, have candy, play games, and overall enjoy a fun, safe time with their friends. THANK YOU!

And the winner is.....RYAN VICTORY!

Ryan won the costume contest for the youth. It's a little hard to see at this angle. He was a baby riding on Granny's back, complete with old lady stockings and shoes. We went shopping at Good Will and found this lovely floral number that as an unexpected bonus even smelled old. No wonder he won!

And here's EMILY!

She was a puppy. The sign says "FREE to good home." She definitely would have won for cute and original. This was a perfect costume for her because she still loves dogs and horses. Besides, a box full of horses would have been heavy and just plain odd.

And here's Wyatt. His expression pretty much sums it up. What is he, you ask? A basketball player, of course. (thank goodness he'll be too young to remember he got the un-costume). But he had his face painted. It's a spider. He was SOOOO tired by the time we got there, he ate a hotdog, played a few games and had a meltdown upon departure. A normal night for him.

"Hey, wait! Don't they have 4 kids now? Oh my goodness, maybe they forgot one!" Gimme a break. We didn't forget Elijah. He just got swooped up the minute I walked in the door, and I had to ask for him back when it was time to go. No, he was not in Halloween get-up. But he was still very cute. We don't have a picture from last night because we couldn't keep up with who had him, but here's a recent pic anyway.

YES! He is this happy all the time. Elijah is almost seven months old now. He has decided in the past two weeks to grow up all at once. He has two teeth now on the bottom and doesn't mind showing you that he is learning how to use them. He is sitting up almost unassisted (you actually have to be left alone to practice this skill, and somebody is almost always holding him). He will nearly rip your arm off to get to his bottle which he has decided to hold by himself; he's ninja-like. Oh yeah, and he's saying, "Dada." Whatever. He is rocking on his hands and knees as if his life depended on his getting somewhere...and fast. But since he's the last addition to this Victory clan, I smile and gently push him over and say, "Not yet." I know I can't stop him forever, but perhaps I can postpone his mobility and the subsequent insanity that I know will ensue once he starts crawling. I know what you're thinking. One day when he joins the others in the supine position on "the couch" (because he hasn't learned to sit up yet) he'll be saying, "...and she kept pushing me over and saying, "Not yet." It was really embarrassing when I had friends over..." Oh well, a mom just can't win. As my friend Kirsten always says, in lieu of a college fund, we are saving for therapy.

Happy Birthday!

Ok. I realize I'm a little late on this one, but Emily turned 9 last week. She decided to have a Chuck E. Cheese party. I thought maybe she was getting a little old for it, but after reviewing all of our party options, she looked at me with her hands on her hips and said, "Mom, everybody loves Chuck E. Cheese!" Yeah, I guess. Who can pass up a game of Skee Ball or Whack-a-Mole? Anyway, here are a few pics from her party.

As you can see, she is still completely enamored with horses and was thrilled with her birthday cake! It was a surprise, and no, I did not bake it. (That would have been the real surprise.)

This is a picture of Elyse and Wyatt, who were so enthralled with Chuck E. that they could hardly eat their pizza. Note Wyatt's balled-up fists. I guess he was getting ready in case the big mouse got too close. Elyse is the little sister of Emily's friends, Ashleigh and Jordan, and she and Wyatt have a very interesting relationship. They are church nursery buddies, depending on the day. They can be so sweet one minute, and then 'throw down' like siblings the next. I must say, though, that my money's on Elyse. Wyatt usually just hands over the source of conflict unless he's feelin' spunky. They are so cute and funny.

These are a few of Emily's friends who were able to attend the party: Jalyn, Veronica, Jordan, Julia, The Birthday Girl and Ashleigh. Emily's brothers (all of them) were also in attendance. Ryan, who is no longer impressed with Chuck E. Cheese, except for pizza and a mound of tokens, steered clear of the camera for most of the night and hung out with one of the other big brothers who was there. Elijah couldn't care less but seemed a little stressed out, maybe from the noise or from the biggest mouse he's ever seen, and spent the evening spitting up, alternating between Jay's clean shirt and mine.

Here's a picture of Chuck E. himself, doing the Birthday dance. I gotta add that Wyatt kept yelling, "Micka Mouse! There's Micka Mouse!" I think it's hysterical, but I'm not sure the teenage boy in the suit thought it was quite as funny. I guess to Wyatt, a mouse is a mouse, and they are all named Micka Mouse or Mimi Mouse (what he calls Mickey & Minnie).

This is Emily with her new Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus CD, which in addition to High School Musical and HSM2, is the new obsession. And I'm sad to report that I know way too many words to these songs. No, Emily's eyes have not changed color. The red-eye fix really did a number, didn't it? They are still a beautiful blue/gray like her Dad's and very sparkly, especially when she's up to something.

All in all, I think Emily had a good birthday, and since it was on Labor Day, it turned into several days of "partying." It's hard to believe how quickly they grow up. Being 9 is a good age, I think. It's o.k. to be between baby dolls and Barbies, karaoke and the latest "tween" sensations...and it's the last year of single digits.

The next few years should be interesting as we enter the pre-teen and teen years. Jay says that when the hormones hit, he might just move out. He knows that's not a viable option unless he takes half the kids, half the pets, half the laundry...you get the idea. Personally I think that even if he tries to "lay low" that he'll be lurking in the bushes with a big bat should any little boys who think they know it all happen to ring our doorbell or, God forbid, pull into the driveway and honk...that's another post entirely, and maybe we'll venture there one day. However, I do know that he's thankful to only have to "protect" one daughter, and is of the mindset that boys can better fend for themselves. I used to think so, but times are different. I've seen some girls that are way-scarier than most boys I have encountered so far. And being the mom to three sons, I realize that one day that means three daughters-in-law...again, another post. I only pray they choose well, and possibly run a back-ground check.

Buds

Wyatt and Elijah are pretty tight. He will kiss his baby brother on the head (I think because his hair feels like the fuzz on a peach and it tickles) and say every morning, "Good mornin' Wijah." But that hasn't always been the case. A few weeks after we brought Elijah home from the hospital and Wyatt realized he was actually staying and not just here for a visit, life got interesting.

I was sitting on the couch one afternoon nursing Elijah when Wyatt came and stood beside me. I didn't think much about it because we were watching Sesame Street together. I looked over to admire my darling, angelic, doe-eyed almost-two-year-old in that ethereal, sleep-deprived, hazy daze through which most new moms view life for the first few months, when I noticed that a vein was bulging out of Wyatt's forehead. Hmm, I thought. That's odd. So I asked him, "Watcha doin' Wyatt?" To which he replied, " I SQUEEEEZE IT!" Huh? Well, sure enough, I pulled back the blanket covering Elijah's legs only to unveil the vice-like grip of his big brother's pudgy little hand around his poor little leg. I "convinced" Wyatt to let go and that it was not nice to squeeze his brother so hard, that maybe a little kiss was more appropriate.

Later that day, I was sitting on my bed, looking at Elijah on the boppy when Wyatt bounced into the room and announced, "I need up." Awww, I thought. He wants to hang out with Mommy and Elijah. So I scooted Elijah back and sat Wyatt in my lap so we could see the new baby together. The next thing I know, Wyatt says, "I kick it!" and "kicks" Elijah's feet. We again had a "discussion" about how we have to be gentle with the new baby...yada yada, blah blah blah.

Well, just when I think he's not getting it, Wyatt shows some comprehension of our previous "talks" and proceeds to show me his understanding of this new life with a baby brother. I was again feeding Elijah when Wyatt climbed up beside me on the couch and rested his, in comparison- gigantic foot, on his brother's tiny head. I turned to give him "the look," to which he exclaimed, "I NOT kick it!" So, resigned to the possibility that he just may be learning, and too tired for another "chat," I allowed Elijah to finish the rest of that feeding with a foot planted on his forehead.

Wyatt and Elijah are now pretty close. That's due mostly to Elijah's super laid-back personality. And despite the occasional poke in the eye or being the target of a thrown toy, he thinks everything Wyatt does is pretty darn funny. I think, however, that Wyatt will somehow always have the upper hand in this relationship, and it will serve his younger brother well to learn to look over his shoulder and to beware. You can take a look at the following pictures, and decide for yourself.

Some days you get the boogie...

...and some days the boogie gets you.

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Disclaimer: This is all in fun. No infants were violated in the making of this post; no actual boogies exchanged.

Miracles

Pastor Larry has been preaching a series of sermons lately on the New Testament Church. And today's sermon was about miracles during that time. You know...like when the woman with the bleeding disorder whom no one had been able to help was walking among the crowd and reached out and touched the hem of Jesus's robe. She was healed instantly! And then there was Jairus's daughter, whom they said was dead. Jesus went into her room and told her to "wake up," and she did! Then Jesus told her family to give her something to eat. A sure sign someone is alive and well...a healthy appetite! There were lots of miraculous events going on back then...Jesus turning the water into wine at the wedding, Lazarus being raised from the dead, demons being cast out. The list could go on and on. It just got me thinking. The Bible says that God is "the same yesterday, today and forever." I believe that to be true, and if it is, that would mean that miracles still happen, right?

Well, I don't know about you, but I haven't seen any water turned into wine lately, and I'm pretty certain that none of my normal nightly dinners would feed thousands of people should they show up at my door. So, what is a miracle anyway? Ryan's American Heritage Student Dictionary defines it this way: 1) An event believed to be an act of god (should be capital G) or of a supernatural power because it appears impossible to explain by the laws of nature. 2) A person, thing, or event that causes great admiration, awe, or wonder. Ok, I think our previous list fits these definitions. But what about today? Right now? What about in our lifetime? Honestly, I'm not sure that if someone were raised from the dead in today's time, we'd quite know how to handle it. Maybe it's just me, but I think that after the media frenzy subsided and I had healed from my concussion from passing out cold and hitting my head, I'd be left in complete awe...speechless, totally without words. (Jay would probably think that in itself was the miracle.) On the other hand, I believe many other happenings could fit into our description of a "miracle." That's when it got me thinking. Have I ever experienced a miracle? Witnessed one? And I felt God whisper to my heart, "Bronie, look around you." Then it hit me. He unraveled a mystery for me.

Do you have kids? Have you ever held a newborn baby? I believe that the birth of a healthy baby is a miracle. Not metaphorically speaking, as in "Wow, with that traffic, it's a miracle we made it on time" or "After I drank all that coffee, it was a miracle I got to sleep last night." I mean a real, honest-to-goodness, act of God kind of miracle. Really, I do. I can't prove it to you scientifically or scripturally, but think about it. Think about all the things that have to happen in perfect timing, and in perfect order for God to "knit together" a newborn. Come on, really think. After conception, when this microscopic entity begins to divide, think about everything that must happen from that instant to grow this (yes, already baby) into a full-term newborn. How many events...hundreds? thousands? millions? I'm not a scientist or a doctor, so I can't say for sure. But I do know that there are a lot of things that don't "just happen" and that the events are timed, intricate, sequential and vital in producing the end result. And with that much going on, can you imagine the gigantic potential for error? Forget what you have read in the newspaper or have heard on tv about "the fetus" and even what you have read in most secular science publications. These things do not "just happen."

Let's really dumb down this concept so I can grasp it. Let's imagine you are baking homemade bread from scratch. For some of you this will be easy to visualize. For me? It's a real stretch, but stick with me. The ingredients have to be added in the proper order, at the right time, baked at the perfect temperature and for the exact amount of time for the end result to be successful. Even I know you can't throw a package of yeast into a pile of flour and then into a cold oven and expect good things to happen. Yeast has to be mixed with water first, dry ingredients sifted together, dough mixed and kneaded and allowed to rise...you get the idea. Everything in order and in its own time. A recipe usually has just a few steps, and can you see how we could truly mess up even the simplest of tasks? My point is you can't just throw the elements together all willy-nilly.

And babies aren't just born soft and cuddly, with an ear on each side of their head, fingers and toes on their respective hands and feet, organs neatly placed on the inside and operating at full potential right from the git-go without some miraculous, God-inspired "knitting together." Let's face it. We really have no control over the order in which these things occur, and factoring in the potential for human error or wanting to speed up the process (which having had four children, I'll admit there have been times I would have liked to speed up the process), it's a good thing we humans are not in control of such a spectacular series of events! A healthy baby is a real-live, awe-inspiring, supernatural act of God and a wonder to behold (and hold).

So I ask you again. Do you have kids? Have you ever held a newborn baby in your arms and witnessed the perfection of a brand new creation? It doesn't particularly matter if you are the parent or if the child actually belongs to you, if it was birthed from your womb or in your heart; there's no difference. This miracle is just that...a MIRACLE. So please don't ever think that just because you haven't seen your cup of water suddenly turn into a glass of Merlot, or you haven't seen someone actually come back to life that you have not experienced or been witness to one of God's miracles. Chances are, you have. And so have I.

Miracle #1.......................................Miracle #2

Miracle #3......................................Miracle #4

Sittin' in the "Man Chair"

It would seem that Elijah is being trained early by his big brother and Daddy in the art of the "man chair." Note the blank expression and "shlumpy" composure...arm slung onto the arm rest, the hand resting on the knee. He's well on his way. Next he'll be spitting and scratching and yelling at the t.v. over a fumbled ball. Oh well, maybe there's still time for a motherly intervention. One can hope.

"Aw, Mom! PB&J again?"

Wow. Apparently, Wyatt is tired of the same old boring lunch. But this is typical Wyatt. All out or passed out. There seems to be little middle ground for this little rockin' 2 year old.

Charlie (dumb animal #2)

This is Charlie. Bless his little heart. Adorable, isn't he? But he just doesn't seem all that bright. Potty training, using the "kennel method," just alludes him. Or perhaps he's just faking it, and we're really not all that bright ourselves. After being walked outside to take care of business, he prefers to hold it until he comes back into the house. He loves the ceramic tile. We've considered tiling a small portion of our yard to accomodate his needs.

Heidi (dumb animal #1)

This is Heidi, Emily's guinea pig. She eats 24/7, thus the "full figure" and obvious obsession with the food bowl. She is very messy with her food and bedding and thinks it is funny to turn her food upside down when it is full. I said she was messy, not smart.