The Wilson 6 Chronicles

Today something miraculous happened in the Wilson household....Alden potty trained himself in one day. Yes, my friends, I said 1 day. Now there has a lot of talk of "pee pee in the potty" but no action at all on the part of Alden. I didn't push him- we would just talk about it and sit on the little potty occasionally but I hoped that one day he would take a liking to the potty and become its friend. A dream that every mother dreams, right? Apparently, my dream came true today. This morning, Alden declared his intention to pee pee in the potty by taking off his diaper but I thought it was just another false alarm. I told Zachary to grab the stool for Alden since he was headed to the big potty in the guest bathroom and a few minutes later, Zachary screams "he's peeing in the potty." And indeed he was. And he's done it all day with no accident- he even woke up from nap dry and peed in the potty. And he pooped in the potty too (well, he pooped in front of the potty having been unable to perch himself on the seat). Now, I know he's not technically potty trained yet but by george, I think we have all just witnessed a Christmas miracle. God bless us one and all.

I didn't realize just how much of a Carolina Girl I am until I moved away from South Carolina. Friday night football, that crisp in the air that comes with autumn, the mountains and how you can pretty much see the mountains from most places in upstate SC, hiking in said mountains- it just all forms together to make SC a pretty damn awesome place. I grew up dying to get out of SC- I wanted to be lawyer and live in the City (as in New York City although any city would do when you're an adolescent). Well, my law application got lost in the mail apparently as I still haven't received my acceptance letter from Harvard yet, but I'm no closer to NYC than before I left SC. And I'm okay with that (at least until I win the lottery and can afford to visit NYC on a frequent basis). But let's about the weather- the glorious weather. Sure, it's as hot as Hell's kitchen during the summer but you get the beautiful perfect autumn that more than makes up for it. You gets trees with leaves that really change colors, you get to wear pants and long sleeve shirts, and on a good day, a scarf too. And when you're finished gallivanting outside in the glorious weather, you can go into a restaurant and order a sweet tea- not some crappy powdered sweet tea, but real, honest-to-goodness sweet tea.

So if you're driving on the following interstates this weekend: 75, 4, 95, 26, and 85- you might want to watch out for a blue van 'cause I'm going to Carolina.

Well, I have decided that trying to get a picture of all 3 kids at the same time is definitely a trick, there is no treat involved in trying to wrangle all of them. Last night, I also found out that Halloween is much better in Florida and that we have cool neighbors. No less than 5 houses just on our street had adults dressed up giving out candy and we are talking premium candy- not cheap Halloween Mary Janes here- it is the good stuff. It was pretty freakin' awesome. Now I have 364 days to figure out my costume for next year.

Originally, I had planned on sewing the costumes for the kids but Zachary was embarrassed at having a homemade costume (he didn't say that, but I am pretty sure he was) so he chose the soldier costume. But I was still planning on making costumes for the babies (they were going to be convicts- in stripes complete with a ball and chain) when a trip to the Children's Place changed all of that. I found the cutest costumes for Eleanor there, I had to buy them. Yeah, I said costumes with an "S"- she had 2 costumes yesterday because every diva needs a costume change. For music class she was a fairy but for the afternoon and for ToTing, she was a witch. For what should be obvious reasons, I preferred the witch costume but the fairy costume had a tutu so it was perfect for music. So, I didn't think it was fair for the other 2 kids to have real costumes and for Alden to have a homemade one, so he got to be a knight. Which he totally played up- complete with stabbing the sword into the ground every so often. I guess we have watched King Arthur a little too much because there is a scene where he does this in the movie.

Eleanor has shown to be the bravest of the trio because last night, she didn't care how scary your house was decorated or the fact that you might be wearing a Jason mask deter her from getting the candy. If there was candy to be had, you could forget trying to scare her because she was going to take it and you could take your strobe light and fog machine back to the store because it was not about to scare her. Zachary and Alden just fell into step behind the strange magical powers of the littlest witch.

Alden: "Daddy, Daddy, look at my bad ass truck!"
Justin: "Alden we don't say that!"
Me: "We don't say what?"
Justin: "Bad ass truck"
Me: "Aldi, where did you learn that?"
Alden: "In my bad ass room"

Whoever said that after you have your 2nd kid, the rest are easy to handle obviously never had 2 children 15 months apart. You know, Zachary is almost 8 so I consider myself a pretty experience mom but the team known as Alden and Eleanor are wearing me out lately. A couple of weeks ago, it was powdered sugar. What is so bad about powdered sugar you might ask? Nothing except when your 17 month old takes an entire box and shakes it all over your kitchen, through your hallway, and into your dining room. And then repeats the same little routine the next week. Let me tell you, that little white power is very sneaky. It looks all sweet and innocent as you sprinkle it on your french toast or funnel cake but try to sweep that crap up and it because a monster. And walk through it and it melts and sticks to your feet. I solved that problem with a child proof lock on the pantry door. But all of that was child's play compared to this week. So this is how my week played out thus far:

Monday- while loading the washer, Alden comes into the laundry room with Stinky Dog and tells me to look at him. Well, Stinky has a weird yellow ring around his mouth. Alden's response when I ask him what it is "I don't know" which always comes out sounding like "nah-no." So I walk into the kitchen, there behind the island, Eleanor is squatting done with paper towels trying to wipe EGGS up out of the floor. Yes, you read that right, EGGS!! Having found the pantry locked up tighter than Fort Know, they moved on to the fridge. Luckily, it was only 2 eggs to clean up but have you ever tried to clean up eggs? Imagine a kid blowing his nose all over your floor and multiply that times 100- and you get the consistency and stickiness of eggs on a tile floor.

Tuesday- Eleanor decides that she doesn't want to just play in the toilet, she wants to sit in the toilet. But what happens with a tiny toddler foot slips into the toilet...it gets stuck in the hole. So, I am trying to play trains with Alden when I hear Eleanor screaming from the bathroom and what do I find. Her sitting IN the toilet with her foot stuck in the hole.

Wednesday- Bless their hearts, they gave me a little break from the mayhem.

Thursday- In order to make up for giving me a break on the day before, Eleanor decided to go all out this morning. Alden and I were sitting and watching Cars and Eleanor was playing with her baby doll. So she picked up the doll and went behind the love seat which she does sometimes. She likes to play back there occasionally so I wasn't concerned until she came walking out from behind the love seat and is missing a diaper. I told her to go and get her diaper and when she turned around her bottom was covered in poop. So I scooped her up and threw her on the changing table, wiped her down, and put on a clean diaper. And I told her to go her diaper. So she brought it to me, I checked the area behind the love seat and didn't see any stray poop laying around and didn't see any on her hands. So I thought we were done with that. Nope, I was wrong. So I went back into Alden's room and changed his diaper and put him down while I changed the cover on the changing pad. Then, I heard him say "El-da-nor! Mommy, El-da-nor colored on wall!" So I run into the living room and there she is in all her glory- squatting down, smearing poop on the wall with both of her little hands. Yes, Eleanor colored on the wall- WITH POOP!

Now, I've been trying to figure out who is the ring leader in this little gang they have formed and, after this week, I am pretty sure it is Eleanor. Not that Alden is without guilt, but I think she leads him down the path of temptation. I guess she plays Delilah to his Samson except with the hair cutting and seduction.

This is approximately how many miles we walked this weekend on our maiden voyage to the land of Mouse. One of the conditions of moving to Florida was that we got a house with a guest room, a house with a pool, and tickets to go to Disney World. We 2 out of 3 ain't bad. So this weekend, we finally sucked it up, threw down enough money to make my head spin (something not easy to do) and heading westward to the land of Mouse. And it was Fabulous. We surprise Zachary with the trip, telling him that we were going to go shopping at a big outlet mall in Orlando. This was enough to ruin his entire month since he hates shopping with a passion. The trip seemed to take forever because 1. I hate keeping surprises a secret and 2. I really really really wanted to go to Disney. When we finally got off the interstate, Zachary started asking questions about Orlando and it was really hard to keep up the charade, then once we saw the Pearly Gates, I mean the entrance to Disney, the game was up. And I yelled surprise and was rewarded with the biggest smile I have ever seen.

So I can't remember a time in my life when I didn't love to read. I'm sure there were a few early years when reading wasn't as important as say, learning to walk or pee in the potty but otherwise, my love affair with books has been a long and meaningful one. Just walking into a library or book store is like an addict walking into a crackhouse. I take a long deep breath- I love the smell of books, the looks of books lines up on shelves, I love the way a new book crackles when you open it up and the way an old book feels- like it's made just to fit into your hand. When I was a sophomore in high school, we were assigned a book to read called The Year the Lights Came on by Terry Kay. It was a pretty good book about the things that divide a small town (the haves from the have-nots, if you will) and the change that is brought about when the Rural Electrification Administration bring electricity to the have-nots. Well, there's more to the story but that is moot in my anecdote. Anyway, there was a mom of a girl in my class who has issue with the book because it contained profanity. If I remember correctly, a character used the word damn. Gasp, the shock. So my English teacher (who was one of my favorites) was under fire and the book was going to be banned from being taught in my school. So, I stood up for my teacher, wrote a long essay on the merits of the book, and took it before the school board on why I thought it shouldn't be banned. And it wasn't banned. To this day, that is one of my proudest moments because aside being a book lover, I am also a flaming liberal and feel that there's a reason why we have the First Amendment. While there are a number of things out there I don't choose to read for whatever reason, at least I have that choice. And in that vein of thought, let's all gear up to celebrate Banned Book Week. Pick out your favorite banned books (many of which I have read and loved), pick it up and read it. Read it in public, tell people you are reading. I personally recommend To Kill a Mockingbird (it is in my Top 5 of favorite books Ever) but there are tons of great ones out there.

Today I had the chance to do something that I have wanted to do for a long time- volunteer at my kid's school. Many of my clearest memories of school are set in the background of my Daddy's constant presence. For as long as I can remember, my Daddy was a parent volunteer at my school- not just any volunteer, but The Volunteer. You know, the one that knew all the parents, all the teachers, all the janitors. He would get off of work after a long 3rd shift, take me to school (Shannon too) and then volunteer. He would copy papers, run security back when the biggest threat to school safety was that there "might" be some vandalism in the boys bathroom, run the PTO- anything that he needed to do, he did it. It never occurred to me to be embarrassed because my dad was always at school. I just remember being proud to walk down the hall of Daniel Morgan Elementary School and peek into the copy room and see my dad there. And when I left elementary school and he left 3rd shift for the 1st shift, we adapted to our new surroundings. He would show up at my junior high and direct traffic. He would come to my marching band practice and volunteer to run the concession stand. That was just the parent he was- the one who was there to help. And since Zachary has started school, I have desperately wanted to be that parent myself. But being pregnant and/or caring for an infant made the logistics a little hard- until this year. At our new school, the PTO provides a Preschool Co-op for parents with children too young to be enrolled. And today was my first day. Sure, today I just manned the co-op but soon, hopefully soon, I'll get to stand in the copy room and make copies. Just like my Daddy.

Since Eleanor has become obsessed with walking everywhere and at anytime, I felt like she needed a little more sole between her feet and the ground. So, off we set out in search for shoes- sounds easy, right? WRONG! Why is it that every pair of shoe for a little girl has to be PINK? Why is that? Don't get me wrong, I love dressing her up in little pink outfits as much as the next mama, but let's be honest, pink shoes with a pink outfit- not only is it pink overload but the pinks don't match. So after going to a million different stores and ending back up at the first one we went to- Eleanor finally had 2 pairs of shoes. A pair of red canvas Last weekend, I decided that it was time for Eleanor to have a real pair of shoes. No leather soft soled shoes like her Robeez, but real honest-to-goodness shoes. Now that she is so adamantKeds and a pair of leather saddle oxford Stride Rites. And she wouldn't wear them to save her life- she screamed and kicked and wanted nothing to do with them. Until a few days ago and now, my friends, it appears that I have a shoe addict on my hands. Leave a pair of shoes laying around and she is putting them on her feet. And trying to walk in them. Loves them- she just spent 20 minutes putting on Zachary's red Crocs and trying to take a step in them- until she got mad at them and threw them across the room. I guess that will teach that pair of shoes to cross the Shoe Queen. I hope they learn they're lesson.

So after making my first solo trip home from SC to FL (well, not entirely solo- Zachary played the role of Navigator and Alden and Eleanor play the roles of Instigators), I came to some conclusions about the music in my CD changer. There are just some great CDs that are not great for travel- especially when you are driving 9 hours and need something that keeps you humming. Case in point, 10,000 Maniacs from MTV Unplugged. Yes, this CD is decade old at this point but after a lengthy separation from it, I was excited to listen to it again on my way to FL. Natalie Merchant has such an awesome and unique voice but man oh man, it was a hard CD to listen to at about 12:30 at night (or would that be in the morning?) Anyhow, so I skipped up to Pink's I'm Not Dead. Now that is a CD that can keep you awake. I love Pink's kiss-my-ass attitude and her potty mouth (being blessed with a potty mouth of my own). Is it just me or does anyone else want to drive to Washington to kick W's ass whenever you listen to "Dear Mr. President"? It really gets me in the mood to elect a Dem in 2008 (oh wait a minute, I am always in that mood). And it just doesn't get better than harmonizing by the Indigo Girls. Which leads me to the next 2 CDs in my changer- the Indigo Girls 1200 Curfews. Oh my God- these CDs just never get old for me. I've had these since I was in 11th grade and was fortunate enough to be exposed to the awesomeness that is Amy and Emily and I am surprised the CDs still play. I am generally not a fan of live music on a CD (except for the previously mentioned 10,000 Maniacs Unplugged as well as Nirvana Unplugged) but this CD is great enough to stand on it's own as just a plain old great CD. Up next, Liz Phair's Liz Phair. This CD always make me giggle because when Zachary was 3 years old- in the back of the car one day, he belted out "who the hell are you?" which is a line from Liz's awesome song "Extraordinary." To this day, one of my favorite songs and probably one of my favorite CDs as well. So that leaves my last CD in the changer- Fergie 's The Duchess. Yes, I said Fergie. I would have to thank Kelsie for my recent appreciation of Fergie. As I am typing this, I still have "London Bridge" floating around in my head. Where it will probably hang out for the next few days until I can find something new to replace it. Well, at least it kept me awake and out of the median.

One of the best things about our move to Florida is our close proximity to the beach. We can drive a few miles and be at the beach- a real beach. One with water that is clear enough to see the bottom of the ocean and water warm enough to not give you cold chills as soon as you step into it. And the kids love it. Actually, love it might just be an understatement. Alden wakes up everyday demanding "beach! beach!" and Eleanor starts to squeal as soon as we put her bathing suit on. And Zachary- that's a whole 'nother ball game- he has now decided that he is going to be professional surfer, open a surf shop, and love at the beach the rest of his life. As someone who liked the beach growing up, I had kind of had a falling out with it in the past few years. I mean, you likes grainy sand and cold ocean water- plus wearing a bathing suit. But watching Eleanor crawling towards to ocean like a baby turtle has renewed my love of the beach. What can be more fun that walking along the beach after a big storm with your pants rolled up because you decided to make a spur-of-the-moment trip to the beach to try to find shells. Zachary picking up the flat shells and trying to skip them across the water, Alden trying to go as deep into the surf as possible without getting in trouble, Eleanor tied on my back and kicking my ribs with excitement every time a wave comes crashing in, the sight of Justin with his pants rolled up to his knees trying to find a sand dollar. Some days, I think, life just doesn't get any better than this. Well, if they served margaritas on the beach, it might...

Me: "Alden, who do you love?"
Alden: "Uh, I wuv Nelnor."
Me: "You love Eleanor? Who else do you love?"
Alden: "Uh, I wuv Zackwee."
Me: "You love Zachary? Who else do you love?"
Alden: "Uh, I wuv Aldeen."

At least he has high self-esteem.

So I've wanted to start a blog for months now but couldn't think of a good title. Lame reason, I know, but if I am going to do a blog, by God, I am going to do it right. That includes a snappy title. Unfortunately, a snappy title never came to me in my sleep (and I am too darn forgetful to try to think of one during the day) so here it is- the Wilson 5 Chronicles. Nothing too cool, just what it is. A chance for me to write about us and what goes on in this little piece of chaos we call home. So for anyone reading who doesn't know why there is a 5 after that snappy name up in the title- here is a rundown of us. Justin (husband and dad) works in management for a company that makes robots and likes to talk about cars- All.The.Time., Amy (me!) stays at home and eats cookies while watching soap operas and occasionally yelling at her kids to put the pirate swords down before someone loses an eye, Zachary is 7 and likes baseball, Batman and dreaming of hitting the pro-surfing tour, Alden is 2 and likes Cars (the movie but also cars-the toys you pour out of the basket as soon as they are picked up) and trains (or choo-choo cranes as he calls them) and Eleanor is 1 and likes to pretend she can't walk unless you leave the room, then she walks all over the place because she is not about to let her walking schedule be dictated by the Man.

So there you have it- a brief intro to us. I don't really have an expectations for this blog- I just thought it would be fun to get some of my random thoughts out of my head before I lose them and never find them.