Kids Say the Darndest Things
Thoughts on Mommy's Beauty WV: Daddy has beard. Mommy no have beard. Mommy only chin. ---------------------------------------- Wally's big boy phrases he uses often WV: It's a mess! WV: What should we do today? WV: What should we play? WV: (After playing with his trains.) See you next time, choo choo! WV: (After every song on the radio.) Good song! --------------------------------------------…
Christmas with Our Little Ralphie
When I was pregnant with Wally, young parents almost all reacted the same way when talking due dates—enjoy your freedom while it lasts, life as you know it is almost done, your lives are about to be turned upside down, get your sleep in now. It was so doom and gloom that Wally and I started to wonder what we had gotten ourselves into. And all of those things were true. We didn't sleep. We lost…
Kids say the darnedest things:part 3
Mommy's growing size. Wally is such a rough wrestler, we decided I can't wrestle with him while I'm pregnant. So I say, "No, I can't do that, I'm having a baby." One day, I was pushing Wally in a laundry basket. W: Mommy turn. Me: Okay, I'll climb in, you push. W: *strains to push me in the basket for a minute, then gestures that I should get out* Mommy no sit. Mommy have baby. Playing pretend…
WV sings the alphabet song
Tonight Wally Ottenhoff and I were singing the alphabet and heard WV say the "LMNOP" part, so I paused more to discover he usually knew the next letter. Then when I filmed this video, I expected to feed him a few letters at a time, but he just decided to take it away on his own. What an odd little memory he has. And of course, people, we realize that most of these are not actual letters. I…
He's a genius! Says his mom.
My son is a genius. Like every mom, I have unlimited reasons to believe this, but listen to me here. I have real, genuine proof that anyone in the country would agree with. I know for certain, because I asked my mom, and she agreed whole-heartedly that we must enroll her first grandchild—stat—in the best program around. Enough said. Here's some of my proof. I was checking my email while Wally…
On the transition to the toddler bed
Wally Ben shows a lot of "big boy" traits these days—he climbs into his car seat on his own. He wants to "help" with everything—including minor tasks, like "helping" me get dressed for a work out…"Mommy, now take these socks off. Now take belly off." Uh…not always helpful. Our big boy also (we discovered accidentally tonight) can finish the lyrics for most popular radio songs—Wally 4 was singing…
Age 1 to age 2: The best year yet! (Part 2)
One of the best parts of the year from age 1-2: some of them start to talk so you can get an idea of what they are thinking. Wally didn't really start talking until around 5 months ago, and his vocabulary has since exploded. Wally now says 3-6 word sentences, like "Mommy done shaving Butt," which Wally pointed out would sound really bad if you didn't know he was using his nickname for our dog,…
Age 1 to age 2: The best year yet! (Part 1)
I love the year from 1-2. I love it so much, it makes me hesitant that we have to do another 0-1 come April. If I could pop this little baby out at the age of 1, I totally think I would! (Besides the obvious extra pain a 20-something pound little person would involve, it sounds like a pretty good option.) Skip the only eat, sleep, poop phase (or if you were Wally Ben, cry, eat, cry, sleep, cry,…
On being a big brother soon, by Wally Ben
My mommy is having a baby. I just went with mommy and daddy to mommy's doctor and I got to hear the heart beat. It sounded like this: Wheoo-wheoo-wheoo, but you have to make the wind come out of your mouth when you make that sound. I felt really important to go to the doctor with mommy. When she went to the bathroom to pee in a cup, I sat in the waiting room with daddy. Since I wasn't sure if…
The best Silver Lake yet! By Wally Ben
My mom and dad said Silver Lake is an important trip, and that I have been there 2 times already and this would be my third, although the first time I was in my mom's belly and I couldn't see very well, but I do remember a long long long long walk across the dunes to Lake Michigan that was really long. So I was excited to go again, and let me tell you, I was not disappointed! I don't know what…