pipe dream

Sick and Tired. Been holding the fort for three days, going on four (last, yippee). Don't know why kids were expected to sleep in today, but they were. They didn't. Say kids don't thrive on routine. You will be refuted. These ones do. Seven a.m. every morning. Better than most kids, granted. But not enough for a mother with laryngitis.

squeak

Today's Bad Idea:

Get laryngitis while trying to hold down the fort alone for four days.

-brought to you by Squeaking Mom

chasing monster

Today's Bad Idea:

Take your toddler along with you to your older child's ice skating class without anything to keep it occupied.

-brought to you by "Stupid Mom"

stairway to heaven

hysterical kid quote of the day:

"Mommy, I wanna buy Jesus!!!"
-Big Boy, trying to express his desire to have a Playmobil Nativity scene

curiosity

mothering quote of the day:

"Curiosity is a wonderful thing, but not when we're grocery shopping."
-Sami

way nouvelle cuisine

Hubs works at home on Mondays so he can spend more time with Big Boy. This means family lunch on Monday. Big Boy hated the idea of soup. Caved and made oven fries. Supplemented it with apples and grapes (courtesy of Hubs' uncle's garden). Monster screams (as usual) for ketchup with his fries. Decides after a while to try grapes and ketchup. Cringe inwardly, but allow. Monster likes. Monster screams (as usual) now for mayo with his fries (considered normal over here). Decides after a while to try apples and mayo (not considered normal over here). Big Boy asks what a dessert of baked grapes would taste like. Seriously consider trying it, and marvel at Big Boy's gustatory creativity.

clash of the alter egos

Took the kids skating today. Got those little double-bladed things you put on mini-shoes for little skaters. Got out on the ice with monster, who takes on alter-ego: "Mercury Man, the amazing toddler! Able to melt out of any parental grasp, especially in moments of danger, inconvenience, and social awkwardness!" Decided after 5 minutes to put him in ice-stroller (little tikes car with handlebar for parental pushing). Got up to good speed, when monster opens car door and tries to get out. Have half-heart-attack, slide to knees like the closing of a dramatic figure skating number, and close door in desperation, while shrieking. Hubs skates by on new hockey skates and laughs. Find situation not hysterical at all.

Take on own alter ego: Macgyver Mom. Upon investigating door, handle is analyzed: a hole. Wondered why in the world there was no type of belt or lock on the door. Remembered: living in Switzerland, where people do not think of these things. Got slightly annoyed, decided to move on. Emptied contents of fanny pack into basket of car-contraption-stroller-thing (band-aids, arnica globules, tissue pack and hand sanitizer), lengthened belt of fanny pack and tied door shut by putting one end of belt through hole-handle and other end through non-existent rear window. Tied it shut. Problem solved. Until skating by near-tears Big Boy, whose feet hurt. Turn back into exhausted mom, run out of ideas.

hot stuff

Sitting in the living room with Monster and his Girliefriend. They play parallel, as they are under two. They do well together. All of a sudden, Monster walks by and says "Heiss!" (German for hot). I turn. Monster has taken a play napkin to pick up his play pot. His first potholder experience. Not bad for 19 months.

du-tie

du-tie

pronunciation: (doo-tee)

Function: noun

origin: monster

cold rice dressed with vinegar, formed into any of various shapes, and garnished especially with bits of raw seafood or vegetables

thanks to Merriam-Webster's online dictionary for the definition.

2000 flushes what?

At the dinner table at my friend's house. Sitting there, enjoying the conversation. Hubs is supposed to be keeping an eye on unleashed Monster (roaming 19-month-old). Hubs comes in, interrupting conversation. "You won't believe what he just did." Turns out Monster was sticking his fingers into the toilet deodorizer (thing that hangs in the toilet and turns the water blue when you flush) and then proceeding to lick the stuff off his fingers. Hubs thinks "poison!" I think "bacteria!" Monster apparently thinks "yum!" because hubs saw him do it twice. And before that? Only the toilet knows.

welcome to trippidi

Trippidi is a word invented by my son. My husband had mentioned that something was "trippy" (a psychadelic screen-saver), which prompted my then 4-year-old son to ask "Daddy, what's trippidi?"

It seems that every day, my children do something either adorable, amazing, insane, inspiring, or insanity-inspiring. I've decided to share the joy with the rest of the world.