I mean, yeah, it's a clover, but it is really sweet.
Monday, May 08, 2006
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Easter Egg hunt bounty
Will shows off his take from the church Easter egg hunt when we were visiting in Kentucky.
Monday, April 24, 2006
My pal Poko
This morning, as I battled Adelaide's all-through-the-night diaper, Will walked in and stood by the door, looking quite thoughtful. I glanced over at him with my "yes?" eyebrows, and he sighed.
"Mommy, when is Poko coming back? I miss him."
Who, you may be wondering, is Poko? A stray animal from the neighborhood? A child with an unfortunate and bizzarre name? A Native American spirit Will has be channelling in his spare time? (For those of you who know about Will's escapades, this is a legitimate concern, I suppose.)
Let me introduce you to Poko the way I met him.
Last summer, I was in the last months of my pregnancy with Adelaide. Will was mentally preparing to be a big brother, I suppose, and was looking for something to nurture. He desperately wanted a pet. We tried explaining to him that now was not really optimum pet procurement time, what with the new little sister's imminent arrival. This for some reason was not an acceptable explanation to him. Being the strange little boy that he is, however, he chose to create a superhero-pet named Poko that he would draw pictures of and write stories about. (Why can't he just throw a tantrum like other kids?)
Poko became sort of a fixture around the house. Will talked about him like he was real, and so we played along. We saw no harm in his imaginary super-pet, so this was a productive diversion for all.
Poko pretty much lived in stories and a four-year-old's drawings until one hot day in July. I was heavy with baby and on modified bedrest (modified being that I could get up and do things until my fingers swelled to the size of hot dogs and my face was the color of ketchup) and Will had gone outside to get the paper for me. I watched him from the window, and he returned with the news in tow. A few moments later, however, he began to act strangely. I mean, more strangely than usual.
He was running around the house, laughing, calling after Poko. It was an imaginary game of chase, and Will was having a grand time.
"Look, mommy!" he shouted. "Look at Poko! I can't catch him!"
"Umm hmmm," I answered, scanning the front page of the paper. But Will didn't relent.
"Mommy!" he shouted, breathless from the chase. "Mommy, come look! Poko is up there!" He pointed to the top of the molding above one of our doors. Considering that Poko was a well-known super pet, I didn't think much of his sudden flying ability.
'That's great, Will," I answered, somewhat distracted. "Poko can fly, huh?"
"No," he said, looking a little confused at my apparent ignorance. "No, he walks up the wall." He answered me like this was the most obvious thing in the world and I clearly had something wrong with me that I didn't see that.
A few minutes later, I got up and walked over to where Will was playing with his imaginary pet. I was just about to ask him what he wanted for lunch when I discovered something shocking.
Poko was no imaginary super-pet today. Poko, rather, was a baby Gecko lizard.
I screamed and dropped the newspaper I was holding.
"Poko....Poko's REAL!" I yelled to the child who obviously knew that.
"Um, yeah," he said, confused.
"Poko...is...real...." I refrained from thumb sucking and reverting to the fetal position in that moment mostly because it was incompatible with my present state of pregnancy. I still consider us fortunate that my unexpected introduction to Poko Gecko did not result in premature labor.
I finally managed to get my wits about me enough to concoct a plan involving a plastic food storage container, a piece of cardstock paper, and the front door. Will was very unhappy about this development, but I explained to him that Poko lived right outside our house and that Will could visit him whenever he wanted. While he wasn't completely mollified at this resolution, I added a bowl of ice cream to the deal and it was settled.
I guess that now as the weather is warming and the geckos are beginning to crawl about our front door again, Will got to thinking about his old buddy Poko. We have since adopted a baby turtle named Swimmer who Will does take care of very well. But I suppose that a boy never really lets go of his first pet, even when its a formerly imaginary amphibian that he only bonded with for one fleeting afternoon.
Saturday, April 08, 2006
Intrepid Explorer
Doesn't he look adventerous and fearless here? Good...because as soon as he was out of Ben's reach, the rock wall was a no-go. I just wanted to make it look like he was preparing for his next adventure in the Andes.
We weren't even supposed to be at the Bunny Hop, actually. We were going to go to our nice, calm, personal church egg hunt this morning. Unfortunately, however, it was being held at the new church property where our next building is to be constructed. I haven't ever been there, but my friend Ann told me it was easy, that it was just at the intersection of Highland and Siegen.
No problem, I thought, that's simple enough. Besides, Ben was driving, so I assumed that any probelms that I had would be alleiated by the Y-chromosome compass in the driver's seat.
But...we couldn't find it. We turned down all sorts of imposing looking private driveways only to discover that we'd apparently trespassed upon the secret Louisiana hideaway of Bill and Melinda Gates. So after a few missteps like that, we gave up. There was huge billboard for the "Bunny Hop" on the road, though, and Will, being that he can read and all, decided that was an acceptable alternative.
So we went. It was okay...just really crowded. And we really don't like crowds. The rock wall was basically ten minutes in line for five seconds of climbing, and then we had to kill like fifty minutes until the egg hunt for his age group.
We kept expecting the guy with the microphone to announce the impending event, but he didn't. At five minutes to the appointed time, we decided to go over and check it out...only to discover about a thousand anxious kids amassed at one side of the egg-sprinkled field, waiting for the guy with the bullhorn to tell them to go.
So I was like, "Oh, no!" I grabbed Will's hand, threw everything but his Easter basket to my unsuspecting husband, and dragged Will across the parking lot, yelling, "Come on, come on! You don't want to miss it," all the while worried that I would have to search all over town for another egg-stravaganza to fulfill my promise to my son if we missed the big show. As we entered the field and approached the throng of people, I began to calm down, thinking we had made it.
Then, before we got to the starting line, as we strolled up to the area thinking we were fine, the bullhorn guy yells, "Go!" and the kids start running. I practically pushed Will onto the field, yelling, "Go go go!"
In the end, he did fine. He got a bunch of cheap candy and plastic eggs that made him very happy, and he even exhibited some smarts in the process -- instead of following the masses to the middle of the field, he went around to the edges, would stop, pick up a couple of eggs, and move on. We were impressed. It worked, and he got a basket with a perfectly respectable treat bounty.
And after all, that is what Easter is all about, right?
(wait...)
We weren't even supposed to be at the Bunny Hop, actually. We were going to go to our nice, calm, personal church egg hunt this morning. Unfortunately, however, it was being held at the new church property where our next building is to be constructed. I haven't ever been there, but my friend Ann told me it was easy, that it was just at the intersection of Highland and Siegen.
No problem, I thought, that's simple enough. Besides, Ben was driving, so I assumed that any probelms that I had would be alleiated by the Y-chromosome compass in the driver's seat.
But...we couldn't find it. We turned down all sorts of imposing looking private driveways only to discover that we'd apparently trespassed upon the secret Louisiana hideaway of Bill and Melinda Gates. So after a few missteps like that, we gave up. There was huge billboard for the "Bunny Hop" on the road, though, and Will, being that he can read and all, decided that was an acceptable alternative.
So we went. It was okay...just really crowded. And we really don't like crowds. The rock wall was basically ten minutes in line for five seconds of climbing, and then we had to kill like fifty minutes until the egg hunt for his age group.
We kept expecting the guy with the microphone to announce the impending event, but he didn't. At five minutes to the appointed time, we decided to go over and check it out...only to discover about a thousand anxious kids amassed at one side of the egg-sprinkled field, waiting for the guy with the bullhorn to tell them to go.
So I was like, "Oh, no!" I grabbed Will's hand, threw everything but his Easter basket to my unsuspecting husband, and dragged Will across the parking lot, yelling, "Come on, come on! You don't want to miss it," all the while worried that I would have to search all over town for another egg-stravaganza to fulfill my promise to my son if we missed the big show. As we entered the field and approached the throng of people, I began to calm down, thinking we had made it.
Then, before we got to the starting line, as we strolled up to the area thinking we were fine, the bullhorn guy yells, "Go!" and the kids start running. I practically pushed Will onto the field, yelling, "Go go go!"
In the end, he did fine. He got a bunch of cheap candy and plastic eggs that made him very happy, and he even exhibited some smarts in the process -- instead of following the masses to the middle of the field, he went around to the edges, would stop, pick up a couple of eggs, and move on. We were impressed. It worked, and he got a basket with a perfectly respectable treat bounty.
And after all, that is what Easter is all about, right?
(wait...)
Thursday, April 06, 2006
LEGO to help "rebuild" NOLA schools...
This is a really cool bit of info. It caught my eye because Will is LEGO-obsessed, but I really think it is a cool idea.
Apparently LEGO will collect the bricks and make a brick-for-brick matching donation to New Orleans schools. Some of the donated bricks will be used to construct a model of the rebuilt city, as envisioned by local New Orleans children and kids across the country, to be donated to the city as a public work of art.
The website says this: "Through the LEGO Builders of Tomorrow program, children are encouraged to donate one or more of their LEGO bricks and send drawings, photos or notes describing something they think would help New Orleans become a strong city again. Each child who donates one or more of their bricks will receive a LEGO-studded rubber bracelet to recognize their contribution to the cause."
I just think it is really a great idea -- I think I'll talk to Will about it tonight and we'll pick out some of his to send along. I would love to feel like we were able to be a part of an outreach to the kids of New Orleans. Besides, it is really a chance to share some child-like joy and imagination to help resurrect some of the art and spirit of NOLA that still seems waterlogged even after all these months.
Sunday, April 02, 2006
bad mommy! bad!
Okay, yes. Yes! I do horrible, humiliating things to my children that they will hate me for when they are teenagers.
With Will I seemed to need to photograph his early bathing experiences ad nauseam, and with Adelaide, it appears I must put her in ridiculously cute costumes and make her submit to my photographic will.
But how did it happen? How did I become a mother exploiting the chubby cherubic baby girl I love? Well...it all just came together -- I got the diaper cover for like a quarter at a garage sale. And then, one fateful day at Target...it happened. I walked by the ever-tempting junk at the dollar spot and I saw them. Pink. Fuzzy. And ridiculously adorable.
It was just all laid out for me, right there...and then, I did it. I picked up the pink bunny ears and placed them on her head. And my conscience spoke to me. NO! it said. NO! This is wrong! You cannot do this to your daughter!
But then...well, there was an ever so slight giggle from behind me. I turned to see a woman looking adoringly at my daughter.
"I shouldn't," I said to her, pleading with her to agree with me. "I shouldn't...it's just wrong!"
She smiled. "I have three boys," she said, still smiling, but now with an ever so slight look of longing twinkling in her laughing eyes. "If I had a girl, I would do it, too."
And there. She had done it. Sealed my daughter's fate as a baby bunny frozen in photographic time. With only the 25 cent bunny diaper cover to beckon me, I was safe. I had bought it, yes, but it had sat, dormant, for a week. It was the ears that did it. The combination of the two...well, it was too potent for any mother to resist. Like muses from the Odyssey, they sang to me of the fleeting moments of babyhood, the cuteness that it would be, and the realization that no child at all aware of themselves would consent to such a photo. Poor Adelaide. I was just too weak to resist!
I suppose I could have just taken the photos and kept them to myself. I could have sat back, admired my work, and gone on with life. But alas, I am weak! The grandparents...they're so far away! Her aunt and uncle...they would just love to see this. And there it went. To my flickr page, and now, to my blog. I won't tell you all there are more photos of her like this if you go to the flickr page, though. That too would be wrong.
My consolation lies in the fact that one, she is a girl. This isn't Ralphie from "A Christmas Story" bedecked in pink fuzziness at the age of eight. And two...well...okay, maybe there isn't a number two. Maybe I just need to admit to myself that I have done it for my own satisfaction and be done with the guilt.
Or maybe I should store these away for when she's in high school and they ask for pictures of her as a baby for the obligatory section in her senior yearbook. I bet looking back then, I will be glad I did it.
At least that's what I'm telling myself now. Because I am glad now, really. I love it, and I am going to enjoy it. So no guilt, right? Just loving that I have a beautiful baby...who can't argue yet.
With Will I seemed to need to photograph his early bathing experiences ad nauseam, and with Adelaide, it appears I must put her in ridiculously cute costumes and make her submit to my photographic will.
But how did it happen? How did I become a mother exploiting the chubby cherubic baby girl I love? Well...it all just came together -- I got the diaper cover for like a quarter at a garage sale. And then, one fateful day at Target...it happened. I walked by the ever-tempting junk at the dollar spot and I saw them. Pink. Fuzzy. And ridiculously adorable.
It was just all laid out for me, right there...and then, I did it. I picked up the pink bunny ears and placed them on her head. And my conscience spoke to me. NO! it said. NO! This is wrong! You cannot do this to your daughter!
But then...well, there was an ever so slight giggle from behind me. I turned to see a woman looking adoringly at my daughter.
"I shouldn't," I said to her, pleading with her to agree with me. "I shouldn't...it's just wrong!"
She smiled. "I have three boys," she said, still smiling, but now with an ever so slight look of longing twinkling in her laughing eyes. "If I had a girl, I would do it, too."
And there. She had done it. Sealed my daughter's fate as a baby bunny frozen in photographic time. With only the 25 cent bunny diaper cover to beckon me, I was safe. I had bought it, yes, but it had sat, dormant, for a week. It was the ears that did it. The combination of the two...well, it was too potent for any mother to resist. Like muses from the Odyssey, they sang to me of the fleeting moments of babyhood, the cuteness that it would be, and the realization that no child at all aware of themselves would consent to such a photo. Poor Adelaide. I was just too weak to resist!
I suppose I could have just taken the photos and kept them to myself. I could have sat back, admired my work, and gone on with life. But alas, I am weak! The grandparents...they're so far away! Her aunt and uncle...they would just love to see this. And there it went. To my flickr page, and now, to my blog. I won't tell you all there are more photos of her like this if you go to the flickr page, though. That too would be wrong.
My consolation lies in the fact that one, she is a girl. This isn't Ralphie from "A Christmas Story" bedecked in pink fuzziness at the age of eight. And two...well...okay, maybe there isn't a number two. Maybe I just need to admit to myself that I have done it for my own satisfaction and be done with the guilt.
Or maybe I should store these away for when she's in high school and they ask for pictures of her as a baby for the obligatory section in her senior yearbook. I bet looking back then, I will be glad I did it.
At least that's what I'm telling myself now. Because I am glad now, really. I love it, and I am going to enjoy it. So no guilt, right? Just loving that I have a beautiful baby...who can't argue yet.
My friend Tanya's hilarious illo
Okay, I saw this today and I had to post it, because the bottom thing with the little boy and the cat is just sooooo Will! Now, I do have to say if this were Will and cousin Caroline at Ma and Gaggy's house, well...the cat would be pursued by two tormentors!
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
hmmmm
This is a really fun photo of Adelaide from yesterday -- she is considering whether she would prefer her graham cracker or her fingers in her mouth.
Sunday, March 19, 2006
riding in style
Here is adelaide in her new carseat that we bought after she and Ben got rear-ended the other day. Both Ben and the pediatrician said that even though they were only rear ended (though "not a tap," as ben puts it) you should always replace the carseat after any kind of impact.
Thing is, Ben got a fair case of whiplash. Adelaide, however, was fine because she was rear-facing and in her seat correctly. Otherwise, she could have had some neck and back injuries. Thus, we purchased a seat that would allow her to be rear-facing up to 30 lbs.
Yes, that is a lot of staring out the back, but she's never known any different. And rear-ending happens in BR more than any other place I've ever known. So we aren't taking chances.
Besides, it looks pretty comfy to me.
Thing is, Ben got a fair case of whiplash. Adelaide, however, was fine because she was rear-facing and in her seat correctly. Otherwise, she could have had some neck and back injuries. Thus, we purchased a seat that would allow her to be rear-facing up to 30 lbs.
Yes, that is a lot of staring out the back, but she's never known any different. And rear-ending happens in BR more than any other place I've ever known. So we aren't taking chances.
Besides, it looks pretty comfy to me.
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
It's in their genes...
Took some pix of the kids with books the other day...appropriate for Will, of course, my ultra-precocious bibliophile. Adelaide, however, has started enjoying books quite a bit herself! Okay...enjoying chewing on them, but it's a step...I love these pix of them with their lit!
super-spin-mom
From flickr -- I love this woman's work because it is so my life!!! This is really one of my absolute favorites and I just had to post it...a picture IS worth a thousand words!
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Is that teddy ruxpin?
OMG, I found this on flickr -- that is Teddy Ruxpin! My brother LOVED his teddy ruxpin, which to today's kids would be a crude precursor to Furby-like animatronic plushies. (just ask my son) But I have fond memories of Teddy, such as constantly helping my much-younger brother change his batteries. Ahhh, Teddy...where art thou?
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Adelaide version 6.5
So she's 6 1/2 months old...and I got the picture bug! This is a sampling...
go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/alyson_mcnutt_english/ to see more of her, the kids, and general family pix...I just went "pro," which means I paid so I could have unlimited photo storage. We just knew soooo many people who lost photos in the hurricane, and I just thought online storage was the way to go. I plan to keep adding more, older ones too, periodically. We have really older digitals on a disc in a safety deposit box, but the ones we don't, I plan to upload. But you can always visit the about link and check out any new stuff I've put up!
Monday, February 27, 2006
One down, 19,999 to go! Way to get the job done, FEMA!
Passed this on the spillway headed into New Orleans. It was not, if you were wondering, part of a caravan.
Go FEMA. Woohoo. One trailer.
At least one more family will have a place to lay their heads. I am happy for them.
But who would have ever considered that it might be a good idea to get temporary housing for people before kicking them out of hotels?
Nah. To much thinking. Says FEMA: head...hurts...can't...think...critically.....
Saturday, February 18, 2006
Mystique -- the kids first Mardi Gras parade...
Here are my favorite photos from the Krewe Mystique de la Capitale parade from this afternoon. We got SO. MUCH. STUFF. I mean, people were running over handing the kids stuffed animals, bling-o-riffic beads, and all sorts of goodies. Will had a great time, and Adelaide loved the music and bands. It was cold and a little rainy, but we all are glad we went. Next time, however, we're bringing a bag so Adelaide can actually ride back to the car in her stroller. (What you can't see is that beyond the stuff in the seat, the basket under the stroller seat is bulging with stuff!)
ha ha ha ha ha another good one
Once again, found this on flickr -- not one of mine, but awesome nonetheless...
HILARIOUS -- THIS is Mardi Gras!
I use flickr (see my little flash thingy to the left -- that's flickr) anyway, I had loaded all my mardi gras photos on there, and I thought I'd do a search for other mardi gras photos, and I came upon this one. Looking at it, I knew it was supposed to be NOLA mayor Ray Nagin...but I didn't know what it was all about until I read the caption...
"This is going on a "Chocolate City" float. Mayor Nagin will be playing the race card."
If you don't get it, check out this link http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/suburban/2210102.html
Friday, February 17, 2006
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Be my Valentine
They are the best Valentines in the world...they give me love, I give them love, and they remind me of how much love I share with my husband.
(Quit making gagging noises! We really are that sweet!)
Kisses and Love
Will gives his baby sister a smackeroo on the head.
This is different than the smackeroos on the head I am anticipating in a few years.
"Jupiter Rolled"
That's the way they talk about the Mardi Gras parades down here -- a parade doesn't start...it "rolls." Jupiter is the name of a "krewe," which is the name of the groups, sometimes secret, that put on each parade. And there are sooooo many parades! Jupiter was the first of the season in Baton Rouge, and coincidentally, our church was having a "Parent's Date Night" that evening. So we checked out our first ever Mardi Gras parade.
It was soooooo fun! Contrary to popular belief, there are "family friendly" parades and events during Mardi Gras season, and Jupiter was one of them. Now that Ben and I sort of know how it all works, we're going to take the kids to their first one this coming weekend!
Anyway, we did, in our opinion, not bad at all for two newbiees at a smaller parade! Check out the lootage....
Thursday, February 09, 2006
The helpful brother
My babies
This is such a great picture because it really shows what their relationship is like. He adores her and she thinks he is the most interesting, funniest person on earth. They have fun -- he gets such a kick out of making her laugh, and, well, she gets a kick out of him trying to make her laugh!
New Feature: My pet peeves
Okay, so I'm going to start listing my pet peeves to get them off my mind and let me vent about petty little things that just happen to annoy me. They don't always make sense, they don't always have a lot of sympathy for the masses of mankind, but boy, do they bug me. So when I get a pet peeve that is getting at me for one reason or another, I'm going to file it under "My Pet Peeves." Hey, this is my blog. I can whine if I want to.
Soooo...my pet peeves...
Okay, the first one on my mind at the moment...PEOPLE WHO WRITE IN ALL CAPS. IT IS LIKE YELLING AT PEOPLE IN WRITING. IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO LEARN HOW TO TYPE WITH ONLY OCCASIONAL CAPITAL LETTERS, just dont capitalize anything. it is much less annoying and much less stressful for the person reading. trust me.
Honestly, I have a rule that if someone is selling something on ebay and they write in all-caps, I don't buy it. No matter what. No matter how badly I want it...BECAUSE when I was first doing ebay, I noticed that all-cappers merchandise was never really like what it appeared to be on the listing. Or they'd mail it way late, or something annoying like that. And then I thought, hey, if they can't take the time or trouble to type normally, then they probably aren't really details-oriented people, kwim? And Amazon.com reviews in all caps...I mean, do the makers of excedrin send out minions to write numerous reviews in all-caps just to drive the poor, caps-sensitive masses running to the medicine cabinet? They're probably the ones behind that "punch the monkey" add that jumps all over the screen and tells you to click on the monkey to make it stop. I just navigate away from those pages. Now, if I got to ritualistically torture the monkey after I clicked on it...well, I might rethink my position.
Nonetheless, I beg of everyone...just stay away from Caps Lock. It's a public service. Or buy stock in Excedrin's parent company. Your call.
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