On Routines
Wally V has proven to really like routines. Like all toddlers, he thrives best when he knows what is going to happen next, step-by-step. Every morning, I bring Wally Ben downstairs once he wakes up—which is earlier and earlier these days...6:30 currently. I then usually get my work computer out and go through my emails and plan my day's work. I usually sit at the kitchen table. Wally has decided…
More more more!
Wally Ben has started the toddler thing. No, not the tantrum toddler thing (although we've seen glimpses of that and this morning, I even volunteered to take a timeout with him to make it easier). I mean the repeat yourself thing. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Except for him, it's "Mo, mo, mo." If we read a book, and he likes it for any particular reason (like the Gingerbread Man ends with the fox…
On taking orders from Charlie Chaplin
Wally V likes things to be exactly as they should be, in their proper places. If a cabinet is open, he yells at us and points until we close it. If we open the microwave to take food out and it scrolls "Press Start" instead of displaying the time, the world must stop until we press the clear button. Only when the numbers are in their proper place will he continue with his lunch. It must be hard…
Celebrity interview—Wally Ben: On smiling, modeling, and iPhones.
Sherman Hospital ICE App model Wally Ottenhoff is winning an army of fans as smiley-baby John Appleseed's son in ads plastered around the area, but his mom is none too pleased. Wally, 18 months, broke into a wide grin and said of his mother Mollie: She calls and tells me to stop letting it go to my head, stop hanging around the hospital offering to sign autographs. She says to come on home and…
My Cousin Kellen
The day his cousin Kellen was born, Wally Ben was playing with his Bs. Ba ba be be ba ba ba be. Me: Wally, you said "baby!" WV: Ba ba be be ba be. Me: Yes, "Baby!" WV: Bay be. After much encouragement, that became one of his new favorite words. A few days later, we put the word into practice. When we met Cousin Kellen, we said "Baby!" enough times to hammer it into his head. We Facetimed (video…
What a mess kids can leave!
Donno (Wally Ben's Great Grandma) tells a story that her sister Junie's daughter's first words were "What a mess!" because Junie would march from room to room saying that phrase over and over. As a mom of an 18 month old, I believe it. I vacuumed yesterday and somehow the room was destroyed with toys by this morning. I live for those 2-3 minutes post-vacuum, when the floor is spotless—free of dog…
Dizzy Wally
WV loves spinning. He discovered that one of his toy phones spins on the table and has spent, altogether, hours standing by the coffee table, spinning the phone, walking away, then looking back to see how long it spins for. He is obsessed with fans spinning and can do nothing but point and run from room to room at each grandparents' house looking at the fans. So we decided to give him a go at…
I do not like the car. By Wally Ben
I like a lot of things. I like animal crackers. I like tails. I like clapping. I like fans, a lot. We don't have any fans in my house, so when I'm at my grandparents, it is a real treat. I get to run from room to room and point at the fans. If I'm lucky someone will spin one for me, or turn one on. And then it goes around and around. It is really something. But, like they say, black and white,…
Wally's First Real Actual Word
Wally Ben has said his first word that's not of the "mom mom", "dada", "Ellie" variety. A few weeks ago we were at Chipotle, and Wally5 was getting worked up, so by way of distraction, we asked him where the exit sign was. He has always had an affinity for exit signs. Since he started pointing, it has been one of his favorite things to point out. Our friends have mentioned that this obsession has…
My Cousin Grady, by Wally Ben
I've known my cousin Grady since I was born. He was born 5 months before me. He was my mom's guinea pig, teaching her how to put a diap on a baby—something she never even did before him! Can you believe it? So good thing for him! When I was born, Grady already knew all about life. He was so big! I thought, I'd like to be that big one day. So I worked very hard at it. And guess what, would you…