I scream. You Scream. We All Scream for Ice Cream!

Last night Beckett's preschool held its annual Ice Cream Social. If you heard Beckett talk about it, you'd think hotwheels made of gold were going to be falling from the sky into tubs of ice cream and sprinkles. He was THAT excited. When he called Grandma to invite her, he was so overwhelmed with anticipatory joy that he shouted the entire conversation while literally bouncing around the coffee table. (this leads me into a question or future blog about why kids contain all the energy but have the least to do. i'm pretty convinced we could solve our energy crisis and global warming by simply harvesting the energy of preschoolers. maybe they could run on a 3 1/2 ft equivalent of a gerbil wheel. we could market it as entertainment to avoid those pesky child labor regulations.) But, back to the party. For a week and a half Beckett asked me how many times he had to go to sleep before his "ice cream party." It actually doubled as a good math lesson. Even his teacher told me how excited he was. Apparently, ice cream and grandparents dominated his conversations at school the past few days.

When Beckett arrived at his party last night, the first things he saw were Nana and Grandpa standing in the playground (they were early; clearly not from my side of the family!). I'm told the smile on Beckett's face was big enough to drive a truck through (and, quite seriously, that act would have made his smile even bigger!) I was not there to witness this raw emotion because I had volunteered to help set up the party. I was assigned the task of cutting strawberries, or, rather, crushing and ripping apart strawberries with some blunt implement I was told was a knife, resembled a knife, but failed to perform the sole function for which a knife is intended. . . cutting. But, the kids seemed happy to load heaping piles of strawberry mush on top of their ice cream sundaes!

There was one (and almost two) casualty at the ice cream party. Beckett's red balloon escaped from the firm grip of his hand (or was voluntarily released) and floated into a ceiling fan where it's string became entangled in the blades, creating a spinning torture chamber. There was nothing for the poor balloon to do but concede to the will and strength of the fan and allow itself to pop. The look of horror on Beckett's face as this tragic accident unfolded and the frantic, concerned pleas to "save the balloon" was enough to make you cry. He was so noticeably distraught that he drew in an audience of sympathizers (other parents and kids). I think prayers might have been uttered, though I can't be sure. We almost had the misfortune to repeat this tragedy when Kyler's yellow balloon (which had been a gift to Nana from Beckett, making it doubly painful) freed itself from its string and floated into yet another ceiling fan. But this balloon learned from his sad, red friend to leave its string behind. That way, it couldn't get tangled in the fan blades. Rather, it floated on the ceiling directly above the fan, where it probably still is this morning. Tragedy averted.

Even with the untimely parting of our trusted red, round friend, the evening was a success.. Ice cream was enjoyed by all (or most; Kyler had jello). Beckett and Kyler got to spend a fun-filled evening with their his grandparents, and Beckett got to show off his sweet little school. Nights like this are why we moved to Texas.

Diaper Update

Sorry for the delay. I realize y'all have been frantically checking my blog for the latest Huggies drama. I sincerely apologize.

I emailed the company complaining about the hike in diaper price and the reduced quantity. They sent me a stack of $1 off coupons. Yippee!! They also sent me an email that attempted to school me on price-setting of merchandise and alerted me to how increased oil costs have impacted diaper production. You see, manufacturers do not "dictate price;" stores set their own price (oh, and diapers are made from petroleum). Really? How stupid do you think I am, Kimberly-Clark? I realize they don't mandate prices, but if they institute an increase in their wholesale price, you bet your pretty pennies the store is going to offset its increased cost by passing it on to the consumer. Come on. We know how the game's played. It doesn't have to be a written rule. But, I do have a handy stack of shiny coupons to use! (seriously, they're holograms)

Home Sweet Home?

Okay, so this post was written last Monday. Only, I needed the picture to make it complete, and I couldn't find the USB cable for the camera. I found it yesterday under the guest bed next to my nephew's Barney doll. Such is life. BTW, it's 90 degrees again.


I'm wondering where I am this week. The past 3 days the high has been barely 80 degrees. It's sunny with a slight breeze. I'm keeping the windows open and have turned off the A/C. On Sunday, I saw a woman wearing jeans and a turtle neck sweater. Last night, with our bedroom window ajar, I actually had to turn off the ceiling fan because Dana and I were too cold. I dressed Kyler in jeans, and he kept tugging at the pants muttering, "uh, uh" as if to say, "what is this strange fabric on my legs, and where'd my knees go?" This morning on the local news, the weather-woman suggested some people in a northern suburb might turn their heat on, as it was just 49 degrees at 6am. I must be in a parallel universe.

Then, I went outside and saw this hanging from my neighbor's house:

Seriously, though. For the first time since we moved back to Texas, I've really been missing our old stomping grounds of Madison. Of course, I've missed my friends since I backed out of Jen's driveway in sub-degree weather at the end of February (though I had a huge smile on my face as I rolled into Dallas the next day into 75 degree sunshine!). But I haven't really missed the city. Now that things have finally started settling down, I've had some time to reflect on what we've left behind. Late summer/early fall is my favorite time of year in WI. The weather's so lovely. Our recent "cold" front (brought on by Hurricane Ike) is reminding me what I loved so much.

That, and the fact that our electricity bill was "only" $219 this month. (Who gets excited about a $200 electric bill you might ask? I do, when last month's bill was $340 and the A/C never went below 80.) My goal is to get below $200 for September. Root me on!

In other news, preschool seems to have sparked a new-found independence in Beckett. Not that he could ever be described as a follower. He's not exactly a maverick (much like McCain), but he certainly has always had his own idea of how things should be done, like pottying requires a full strip-down, not just pulling down his pants.. This goes hand-in-hand with his insistence on how things shouldn't be done, like refusing to dress himself b/c he's "a baby, not a big boy" even though he's fully capable of doing it. Well, here is a list of things Beckett suddenly can/wants to do by himself since starting school:

1) Cut up his own food

2) Put his pajamas on

3) Buckle himself into his carseat

4) Put his shoes away

5) Hang up his backpack

6) Wipe his own butt (how excited am I about this?!! I just might throw myself a party!)

7) Zip his pants up/down

8) Put his underwear back on after pottying

9) Cook his own food

10) Make his bed

Now, the majority of these tasks are not a product of watching other kids at school because most are things not done at school, except maybe for the butt wiping. But just attending school has clearly given him a sense of accomplishment and maturity that's sparking a desire for increased independence. Since I think this newfound desire to do necessary tasks on his own may very well be short-lived, I'm racking my brain for additions to the list so that I can maximize my own rewards. The possibilities are endless! I'm open to suggestions. . .

The boys also have new stats:

Beckett - 40 1/4 in. tall; 36 pounds

Kyler - 32 in. tall (75%); 23 lbs. 6 oz. (49%) (he's grown a foot since birth!); head size, 45% (though, this one's a little iffy. the first time the nurse measured his head, she was concerned that his head had actually shrunk since his 12 mos. appt., which is very, very bad for reasons undisclosed to me, but still, very, very bad. she measured it again, and he was fine. not sure how much I can trust these #s!)

Soggy Deals

This post will be a little different than usual, but I felt I must share my dismay with my shopping trip today.

I went to Target today to buy diapers and got quite a shock. The diapers I've been buying for 3 1/2 years have suddenly shrunk in package size AND increased in price! Two months ago, I bought a box of Huggies Supremes that came with 76 diapers (I think) for $19.99. This is actually $1.50 more than I could buy them for in Wisconsin (plus a 3% sales tax increase), so I was already in an adjustment period to my increased diaper cost. Today, the largest size box only contained 64 diapers, and it was ON SALE for $21 (reg. price: $21.99. HUGE sale. Thanks, Target, for the help.) I saw no sign or empty shelf space for the larger sized box. Nope. My diapers had been downsized and their cost upsized. Darn this economy that may or may not be a recession!

Since we primarily use cloth diapers, a box of 76 diapers lasts us close to 2 months, so our diaper expense has been relatively low. This is how I've been able to afford the Supremes, which seem to be cut a little more baby-butt-friendly, instead of the regular Huggies. I may soon be rethinking this. Man, this irks me! Fundamentally, I know why Huggies would do this. But, gosh, I hate being screwed by companies who essentially have your hands tied to their products. I realize there are other diaper brands out there, but I really like my Huggies. A few months back, I veered off-track and bought a close-out special of Pampers Baby-Dry (136 diapers for $17.99!), which should be renamed Pampers "Sheets-Wet" b/c almost every morning Kyler awoke in pee-soaked sheets. The diapers actually leaked through the absorbant "fabric" or whatever it is diapers are made of, not out of the sides where all other diapers seem to leak. This not only created wet sheets and pjs but also a soggy diaper inside and out. It was like he was wearing a wet sponge. Weird.

So, what did I do? I'm sure the suspense is killing you. . . I bought the diapers. Actually, I bought 2 boxes. No, I haven't gone crazy or fallen into some money-wasting parallel universe. By buying 2 boxes of these riduculously priced diapers, Target gave me a $5 gift card. Plus, I used a $1.50 coupon. So, instead of $42, I essentially got 128 diapers for $35.50, which, if your math skills are wicked sharp, is more than twice what I paid for the Pampers, per diaper. But, the Supremes never leak, so I'm saving in laundry costs, and I go through the diapers more slowly (b/c they're more absorbant). This price gouging; however, will shift my diapering habits. Kyler will now only be wearing disposables to bed and on long trips.

The Sounds of Silence

Today was Beckett's first day of preschool. He had been talking about it since Tuesday, when he visited the school for the first time and met his teacher and classmates. He had fun, and it left an impression on him, and he couldn't wait to go back. He actually woke up early today, eager to make his bed, eat breakfast, brush his teeth, and get dressed. We could be on to something here!

He managed to sneak my camera into his bag and snapped photos all the way to preschool. I'll be sure to post some soon.

I dropped him off without incident. He quickly found Thomas the train to play with, so he didn't need me anymore. He told me he'd see me later.

When Kyler and I got home, I decided I'd use the time to clean the kitchen and family room, which somehow looked like the storms from Gustav actually had hit Dallas like the weather reports (incorrectly) predicted. I gave Kyler some toys that he never gets to play with (mostly cars and trucks that Beckett keeps to himself) and went to work. Kyler bored with the toys quickly and chose, rather, to run laps through the kitchen, dining/living room and family room. So, about every minute and a half I'd see him waddle by muttering "ball" or "mama." And then, I realized, that was the only sound in the house. I stopped for a second to relish the quiet. Kyler, who talks a lot for 15 mos., isn't really a loud child. I never knew this! I know Beckett makes a lot of noise, but I never understood how much he contributes to the air waves until today. And it's not just talking, though he talks A LOT. It's noise. . . running footsteps, hands slapping, cars racing and crashing. Just lots of noise.

About a month ago, some friends stayed the night with their 3 yr. old daughter. She (the mom, not the daughter) remarked on how much energy Beckett has (which, by default, contributes to his noisiness). I remember thinking to myself, "really? don't all 3 yr. olds run and jump endlessly around the house?" I remember back to our playgroup in WI, and Beckett seemed to have no more or less energy than the other boys so, despite the trappings of my sociological background, maybe it's a boy thing. Nevertheless, I discovered today energy does not equal mc-squared (okay, i can't figure out how to type exponents!), it equals NOISE.

When I picked Beckett up from preschool, his teacher commented that he did "very well." She also said he's "very gregarious" and talked "the entire 3 hours!" She said "he just had a lot to say." Like his Mama, Beckett talks non-stop. Only, I'm not so sure I fully understood what that meant until I didn't have it. Funny thing is, I missed our conversations, even if they are about flat tires and broken headlights. They say "silence is golden," which, quite honestly, I never have understood. There's just too much to learn from noise. (To be clear, I didn't miss the screams that come from not getting his way. I'm not that sentimental! Or crazy!).

Next Tueday, his class is taking a field trip to the library. Please, oh please, let him learn to whisper!