A Little of This, A Little of That
In honor of the fact that Alexis' mouth has suddenly developed multiple personalities, with Mouthelica being the one that says things like, "I want to sleep, please" and her evil twin sister Mouthette saying, "I don't want to sleep. No! Mommeeeeeee! Waaaaaaaaah!!!!", I bring you randomness:
- OCD is apparently either genetic or contagious because wo-howdy! does Alexis have a good case of it. The girl cannot, under any circumstances, go to bed unless she his hugging her Elmo Pokey Pokey book (that's what she calls it, I find that my brain takes her title to places my brain shouldn't go). Since I find amusement in other people's neurosis, I have made it a habit to find the book half an hour before bedtime and hide it from her. It's always in an easy spot like the second shelf in her bookcase (instead of the first where she keeps it), in the middle of the floor, or under the covers in her bed. I suppose I should feel guilty for laughing at her as she looks all over the place for the silly book, but I don't. Ahh, Alexis, perhaps someday you'll have kids of your own that you can torture.
- I added two more hermit crabs to the worm-laden tank and haven't spotted any worm heads poking out of holes since. I do believe I may have broken the cycle, at least for now.
- Alexis has decided it's a fantastic idea to tell Mr. Husband and me to "Go away!" I think it's a dreadful idea and have been trying to figure out a strategy for getting her to stop being a mouthy little snot. Ignoring her did not work. Telling her it wasn't nice didn't work. Acting like she had hurt my feelings and pretend crying made her LAUGH HYSTERICALLY. She stops the deep belly laughs long enough to ask, "Mommy, what happened?" but then promptly goes back to enjoying how she's killing me with each and every word.
- Last week my company held closed bidding for a few of the older fleet trucks. We had a wee bit of money sitting around from federal taxes (woohoo!), so I bid less than the delivery fee for a few yards of mulch on one of the trucks. Wouldn't you know it, I won. So, I bought Mr. Husband a hunk-a-junk big, ugly truck last week. He's in heaven. His undying need to talk about his heaven-sent truck has turned me into a walnut, a cashew, a peanut, an almond, and ever other freakin' kind of nuts that you can be. ENOUGH WITH THE TALKING ABOUT THE TRUCK, PLEASE!
- When Alexis was born, Mr. Husband and I agreed that we would save money for her by holding on to all of our change. If the lady at Target handed me 99 cents, I stuck 99 cents in Alexis' piggy bank. If Mr. Husband got 40 cents back from the soda machine, he stuck 40 cents in Alexis' piggy bank. And so on. Even though neither ever carry much cash (I think I'm rich if I have a $10 bill), over the course of two years, we saved over $500.00 for the munchkin. She could have bought Daddy the truck she's so rich. Would that mean she would get to be a little peanut as well?
- I took Alexis with me to cash out the last of her change today (so she can start earning interest on her pennies, you see). I went to the change machine at the grocery store for various reasons, and Miss Thang had a GREAT time shoving the coinage down the hole. I started to feel a lot like a hockey goalie as I tried to block her shots when they went wide. Really, I spent fifteen minutes making sure she didn't take out some old guy's eye with a flying nickel.
- Saturday when Mr. Husband took Alexis out with her truck for a spin in the driveway, it turned into Gigglefest 2008. She thinks it's a riot that the little truck moves when she pushes on the gas. The only problem is that she can' laugh and push the gas at the same time, so she moves a few inches, doubles over laughing, moves a few more inches, doubles over laughing, lather, rinse, repeat. I got a zillion great photos during Gigglefest 2008 (some of which you've already seen):
But this one is, by far, my favorite:
Monday, February 18, 2008
Reader Comments (46)
Okay. Now I feel informed about all your cryptic "truck" comments. HAH. Mr. H. should feel lucky.
You obviously did not pay attention when I posted about how mine thinks making me cry is the funniest thing EVER...he still tells us to cry.
Go away is now happening over here, too.
We are saving our change to "Go to Mickey's House." And, you know he thinks this is a Clubhouse. I hope the Magic Kingdom's awesomeness will counteract the lack of clubhouse.
I have been loving Gigglefest 08 pictures. Can I be a roadie? Where's the t-shirt? Can you make one?
I love the truck! Your blog is looking pretty fab to:)
"Here honey, I bought you a truck." Mine would be driving me into the arms of Mr. Peanut as well if I came home with anything of the four wheeled variety for him. At least now you'll never have to pay a delivery fee again.
Make sure you have your video ready when Alexis is out hot-wheeling it around. We have a priceless video of me careening down a hill, under the split rail and into the creek in my Jeep Powerwheel. You don't want to miss any opportunity like that ;-)
Maybe I should start the coin saving thing for ME! I never have any money in my pocket, just the damn debit card. I hate that thing.
She just looks so joyous in those pictures! What a cutie pie!
Those round little cheeks of hers are just so pinchably cute! (THAT little angel face told you to "Go Away!" ?) I refuse to believe it! :)
Way to go for Mr. Husband gettin' a truck! Now he and Alexis can cruise the neighborhood together in their pimped out rides! Yee-hoo!
Lizzy
I love the last photo too! What a gorgeous smile!!!
That is the cutest picture. I love how it's faded around the edges. It looks professional!
I have a niece who has a mouth on her. She and I don't get along very well sometimes. Thankfully none of mine did because they may not have made it to have their 3rd birthday. God knows who can handle what! :) Good luck.
Punkin has a Roley Poley Oley doll that she calls Pokey Pokey. It never fails to crack me up!
When my kids tell me to go away or to leave them alone, I always tell them what my mother used to tell me (and used to infuriate me, I might add) "If I leave you alone then you'll be by yourself."
I hope you got HUGE wife points for getting him that truck!
Wow, John would be HUGELY impressed!
(don't think I'll tell him what you did!)
Hallie
Do you plan on keeping said truck indefinitely? Because if there are ever plans to lose it after a mulch delivery I know where you could off-load that sucker.
Lovin' the road fest!
I can't imagine a better picture of Alexis than that last one! Is it me, or is there even a sparkle in her eyes? That kid is photogenic!
she is precious...
what a really nice wife, to have won your hubby a truck...didn't they have like day at the spa's, you could have bid on or, manicure/pedicure/facial hair waxing?
xoxo
My father dreams of such truck experiences...literally. I will be seeing him this weekend and I will tell him your story of bidding on the truck and I am going to bet that he will be talking about it and asking me to ask you about a million questions about the truck.
I couldn't get past worms...
Then I saw the Gigglefest '08 pics and my heart melted. Aw...
Yeah - I'm not so good at this blogging thing. Should've left it on the shelf where I put it to collect dust the first time around!
I agree..that last one is my favorite too! Sounds like your little one is as mouthy as my nieces. Jonathan is not quite there yet...he is mouthy but I can't yet understand what he is mouthing at me about. The giggle, gas, giggle, gas -- oh man, makes me laugh. Gas peddle I meant, not gas....well, you know what I mean.
Your favorite picture is a great shot :) She's such a gorgeous little girl!
We, too, save all our change for Morgan's piggy bank. Given neither of us ever have cash (seriously? I think the last time I had cash in my wallet was just after Christmas), it takes a while for the pennies to add up.
This has nothing to do with your post, but had to share. Inspired by Alexa's love of blueberries and raspberries I purchased a small box of each to see if I could encourage my children to eat them. Peanut is a very picky eater and I am always looking for something new. No go! How do you people get your kids to eat stuff like that? I try constantly and it's a challenge to even get them to put it in their mouth! At least none of them cared for fruit snacks.
Looks like Alexis is having fun in her truck! That smile is contageous!
Kimmy
That last picture is just priceless. What a beauty!
Such a toddler. :) I don't even remember those days, and my baby's only ten! You're doing a great job, though!
Wow, just what you always wanted a truck! lol!
Looks like Alexis loves that car...I think I can see almost every tooth in that smile!!
I hate it when my mind goes "there" with innocent childhood comments. Like yesterday when Girl-Child stated that she wanted to sit on Spongebob's face (it's a giant stuffed toy, like a pillow). I had to suppress the urge to have a serious discussion with her.
Lucky Mr. H, lucky Toddler! Sorry you're a crazed almond.
I'm impressed with your change saving ways and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the last picture. She is adorable.
That looks like one happy girl to me!
That looks like one happy girl to me!
Love the gigglefest pics! That last one is Gorgeous! Oh, and thanks to you, this morning when my daughter threw a fit because I wouldn't let her open the cabinet with the cleaning supplies, all I could think was "I wish I had my camera! BBM would have some great pics if it were Alexis!" How is that for a good mother? But if you could have seen the indignation on her face... it was classic.
Pokey pokey. heh heh.
Oh, and have you read Playful Parenting by Lawrence Cohen? He suggests doing things like the pretending to cry to get them to laugh, and since they are laughing about it takes the bite out of telling you to go away so that she will stop or at least say it as part of a game. Or something like that. Anyway, it sounds like it's a good technique, especially for this age.
oh my goodness, that's so cute & funny about her in the driveway, giggling & driving!
You just went out an bought a truck. I mean, most people pop out and buy milk, maybe a CD--you, a truck. How cool is that?
Alexis is so cool in her green mean machine!
Hee hee . . . GO AWAY!!! Oh, what fun?!?
i have been doing that coin-saving thing for years. paid for a trip to israel, my son's bar mitzvah and my daughter's bat mitzvah with that. seriously!
i ALWAYS empty the change out of my pocket every nite.
and alexis? is adorable in her car!
Yeah, Little Man, when I pretend to cry tells me "NO CRYING, MAMA!" a la bootcamp sergeant. The compassion in that kid is unbelievable.
Love that Alexis loves her big green jeep. How's her steering? Little Man continues to drive into the wall with his 4-wheeler and laugh as the motor strain to go through to the next room.
That little gigglefest attendee is so cute. And I love those wheels!
Catwoman--Steering? HAAHAHAHAHA! The girl is related to me. She cannot possibly steer and press the gas pedal at the same time. No way, no how. Right now it doesn't matter since she only drives four inches at a time.
I wish mine were still doing the "go away" thing... it was easier to deal with than "get-away-from-me-I-hate-you-you-suck-my-life-is-ruined" thing we've got going on now...
*sigh*
Alexis is so adorable. And the shovel on her Jeep? It's the icing on the cake!
Again -Lovin' the new look - the new font is rockin'! You are so talented....maybe you have an at home job on your hands as a web designer!
I LOVE-LOVE-LOVE that last pictures of Alexis! What a girl!
Wait 'til "Go Away!" changes to "I HATE YOU!" You'll love that even more! :-O
Watching them learn to drive those little trucks is probably the funnest thing ever! My three year old gets so frustrated still!
That last pic of your little one is just PRECIOUS!
As a seasoned mom I need to beg you to go now to the store and buy another copy of Hokey Pokey Elmo and put it in a safe place. Someday, when she loses it and you find yourself realizing that she is going to need to sleep again, you will think me a genius.
Love the baby sports a truck worth more then dad's.
And cuuuuuute pictures!
You win on my blog - you found Ralph!
Also, I love all the giggling? Do you giggle when she giggles? I would be giggling all the time if I had a giggling baby.
First, that is a MUCH better font. I noticed it right away. It's nice and clean.
I love the "go away". Happy likes to brush his own teeth but I have to "sit over there". Lovely. Great pic of Alexis up close.
The pictures are priceless!
heh! the gigglefest sounds a lot better than when Gavin drives in a circle in his jeep because he can't figure out how to steer and just puts the pedal to the metal...and screams "mooooommmmmyyyyy" because he wants me to get him out of the donut he's doing but won't let me steer it (no! I do it!).
We never got to hear "go away"; instead I get "Watch Out Mommy" when he's climbing into bed and wants me to move over so he can squeeze in-between, or "I don't wanna like it" when I set dinner in front of him.
And those pictures are priceless...her eyes are the loveliest shade of blue-grey in that last one.
LOVE the toothy smile! I can't wait until LM's is filled out (though I could skip the teething).
hiding the toddler's book...omg hysterical
I was hoping that you were going to grace us with a gigglefest video. There is nothing more delightful than baby giggles!
Hubby won a chocolate fountain in an auction - wanna trade? I bet Mr. Husband wouldn't gab nearly as much about the fountain as he does the truck! ;o)
That *go away* thing got quashed pretty fast at our house. After doing everything you've tried, I finally got frustrated enough to get creative. The next time Bug told me to go away, I said, OK, and did. I went and hid in the bath tub with the shower curtain drawn. He walked around the house for a good 5 minutes screaming and crying, MOOOOMMMEEEEEEE COMMMMME BAAAAACK! When I reappeared he grabbed me and hung on for dear life. The next time he started to say it, I reminded him what happened the last time - and that was the last we ever heard those words out of his precious little face. Traumatic, but effective. And he doesn't even remember it now, so he wasn't scarred for life like I was afraid he might be while I was listening to those gut-wrenching cries! Oh, man. Now I'm feeling all guilty all over again. Gonna go call and tell him I love him right now! :o\
OHHHHH the last pic is my favorite too! We saved all our change for Kassidy when she was a baby... then Kameron came along so we gave Kass the quarters, and Kam got the dimes and nickles. The pennies went into a separate jar... Then Kennedy came along so we had the girls share the quarters since Kam was getting jipped. haha Now we've thrown Keeghan into the mix and the poor kid is 9 months old and has nothing. LOL Kass and Kam are earning tooth fairy money now so they think they are exceptionally rich! Ahhh the good ole days!