Mr. Froggy

Every day around noon I take Audrey and our dog on a walk around the neighborhood.  Because Audrey refuses to sit in a stroller these days she walks too and therefore what should be a 20-minute stroll usually takes about an hour.  She spends most of the time picking up sticks, acorns, and leaves while also managing to step in whatever dog poop is within a 2-mile radius.  Yes, the whole experience is about as awesome as it sounds.

Anyway, we always walk by this house that has a big ceramic frog planter out front.  Audrey naturally thinks this is a real frog that she can have elaborate conversations with.  I have no idea who lives in this house but I seriously hope they don't mind my child manhandling their yard decoration 5 days a week.  Here is the unsuspecting frog:

As soon as we get to the house, some version of this conversation takes place -

Audrey: "Hi froggy!  I'm here now!  It's okay!  Your dad will be home soon!  Do you want to kiss me froggy?  [Kisses dirty nasty freaking ceramic YARD frog]  Do you want a hug froggy?"

Here's the makeout session in action:

After about 5 minutes of this I try to get her to say her goodbyes so we can move on and I start walking.  I usually turn around to see her running back to the frog shouting, "One more hug froggy!  See you in a few weeks froggy!" and then another 5 minutes of kissing and hugging ensues.

The thing is, it's so freaking cute.  And sweet.  In fact, that's why I'm blogging about it.  So I can remember these random cute things that my 2-year old does because God knows my mommy brain won't.  As to whether or not we'll be getting a large ceramic frog for our front yard, I'm thinking no.  Santa doesn't do yard animals or anything in the "gnome" realm.  And so we'll just continue mooching off the neighbors.  I'll have to get them a Starbucks giftcard or something.

 

A Blank Stare

The last dance party I successfully initiated in my living room was with my dog to Ke$ha  back in 2009. And yes, at the time I had visions of reenacting that adorable scene of Jen Aniston dancing with Marley in my head. And no, actual reality didn't quite turn out the same way - I believe Jameson got in trouble for interpreting "dancing" to mean "jump all over and snag" my New Years' outfit.

I digress. On my way home from a sushi date last night, I decided the new Ke$ha song is a total jam and, as a result, not only had memories of my last living room dance party with the dog, but also had a stroke of genius that I excitedly brought home to the hubs.

I mentioned to Chris that now that "Ring around the Rosie" is a bonafide hit in our house, T was just about old enough for us to establish family dance parties. How much fun would be to put the music on and boogey around the living room all together?!

I was met with this expression.

Do I sense some excitement behind the "she crazy" look?

So I had to seek out the dog and tell him my plan. He wasn't thrilled either.

I'll work on them. Dance party here we come.

Picture Day

Audrey had picture day at school this past week which was naturally way more exciting for me than it was for her.  Because I have a little thing for kids in school uniforms, I made Audrey wear the closest thing she has to a uniform - this plaid Juicy Couture jumper and leggings I found on clearance at TJ Maxx.  Here she is practicing her pose at home.  J/k, this is just how she sits (girly much?):

From what I understand they had the kids stand in front of a fall foliage backdrop for the photo shoot, which is super cute but also hilarious given that this is Texas and it's still 90 degrees outside.  I'm guessing that Audrey stood there and gave her usual I'm-not-smiling-for-pictures face but maybe the photographer was a miracle worker and I'll be surprised.  Either way, I can't wait to see. 

School is a money SUCK I am learning.  After the necessary backpack and lunchbox, as well as the whole nap mat fiasco, there have been t-shirts for t-shirt day, Scholastic books, cash for teacher gifts and now pictures.  Nevermind the monthly tuition.  And we are what, 5 weeks in?  I may have to keep up my part-time working gig just to pay for preschool.  Jeez.

Bug 1, Us 0

We thought T was on the mend - and he even got to go back to daycare.

Until today, again.  Sent home sick again.  Same tummy bug, back again.

Apparently this stomach bug is running rampant all over Austin at the moment.  And the worst moment of the morning before T got sent home sick?  The terrible realization that came to me as I dropped him off at the same time as another kiddo's dad (who had apparently caught the bug from his daughter and was up puking all night).  I signed T in with the same pen as the dad, after the dad used it.  I realized what I had done after I had already put my hand to my mouth with the same hand that touched the same pen that pukey dad had used to sign his daughter into daycare moments before. (Miles and miles from the nearest hand sanitizer.)

I'm doomed.

Grossest Afternoon Ever

What we initially thought was a flu shot reaction in T has morphed into a lovely stomach bug.  Got his flu shot on Saturday and by Sunday lunchtime T had his first pukey-pukey episode. The hubs and I have been splitting our days off this week so we both get half time in the office and half at home with our poor little patient. And last night, I really thought we were turning the corner - T was playing in the bath and happy again.  Finally.

Today, he was home - but in pretty good spirits. Anyone with a sick kiddo knows how sad it is to see them miserable, so you can imagine how happy I was to see some playtime around here. You can also imagine how impossible it was to explain to my milk-drinking, yogurt-obsessed child that dairy has been put into the off-limits category until his stomach settles down -- so you can probably picture both the hubs and I breaking the rules a little and sneaking him some milk here and there (like when the hour long hysterics while hanging onto the refrigerator door screaming for milk happened). And when the kid has refused to eat anything at all (including anything on the B-R-A-T diet), turned his nose up at Gatorade and Pedialyte, and barely touched any water -- we both figured something was better than nothing. 

Well, apparently not. This afternoon was the Grossest. Afternoon. Ever.  The poor Uppa Baby might not ever recover from the trauma it experienced on our afternoon walk this afternoon. It's currently air drying in the backyard after a bathtub soak. I kid you not. 

I deserved some of this tonight --

Thankfully, despite the grossness, I didn't lose my appetite for ice cream. 

Tortilla Crazy

Yet another oddball way that my son is just like my husband...

He is crazy about tortillas.

I mean, yeah, they're tasty. But he goes bonkers for tortillas. Just like the hubs.

My genes are apparently way hidden in this kid.  Either that or he really hasn't had the opportunity to have M&Ms yet. He'll learn.

State Fair

Yesterday we made our first visit to the Texas State Fair and it was quite an experience.  Despite the 56-degree weather the place was packed and honestly, I have never seen so many crazy-looking people in my life.  I wish I were quicker with the camera phone but just like with Mr. Banana Sling on the beach in Ft. Lauderdale, alas, I am too slow.  Anyway, the hubs said first things first when we arrived and headed straight for an 18-wheeler that was turned into the world's largest grill I think.  He promptly ordered us the world's largest corndog, some french fries, and a tiny soda with no lid (Random fair fact: lids on cups are not allowed.  Because that makes total sense).  All this for the low low price of $20.  (Not so random fair fact: it's expensive as hell).  Audrey loves hot dogs so needless to say the corn dog was a hit:

Once our arteries were 97% clogged we headed over to the petting zoo, which was a smaller, smellier version of hell.  Aren't petting zoos supposed to be outside?  Should giraffes have to duck under scaffolding and light fixtures to walk around in their pen?  I don't think so.  Despite the hoards of people, the smell, and the half-crazed animals, Audrey was able to feed a white buffalo, and really, it doesn't get any cuter than that.  I on the other hand, made the mistake of petting a baby donkey, whose mother promptly charged at me and sent me jumping (and screaming, let's be honest) backward.  Oops.

Finally we walked around looking for some kiddie rides that Audrey was big enough to go on.  It costs about $7-$10 PER RIDE so we let her go on three (cue major temper tantrum...).  I sent her dad on with her because things that spin around repeatedly make me queezy and she wasn't big enough for my favorite ride, the rollercoaster.  Now this is what pure joy looks like:

 

 

 

I love that little monkey.  She had a great time and is already begging to go back.  Next year I'm saving room for "cup of trash."  Whatever that is it sounds delicious.  

Killer Mosquitoes

I don't know what it is about this summer, but the bugs are out in full swing.  I used to be the one to get eaten alive by bugs once the weather got warm. The hubs never quite understood the welts since he never got bit -- his theory was that if you didn't scratch, the bug bites wouldn't itch, and therefore, would never blow up to be the size of a variety of marbles and baseballs. Sure, honey.

But now he has a kid that puts my mosquito history to shame. These days, T has taken the "sweetest blood in the family" superlative to a whole new level. He is being utterly devoured by mosquitoes, no matter how much spray we put on and how much fancy outdoor bug-repellant equipment the hubs buys.

He looks like a bug bite disaster, almost any day of the week these days.

Even fingers aren't off limits to these crazy buggers!

How many bug bites can a kid get on his face at one time? Today, I count 6.

And one particularly bad reaction to a particularly mean bug. 

Yes, that is my child hidden under the half swollen face.