"Waiting is the hardest part!"

Gma J at Heritage park. We rented a wheelchair (mentioned earlier) and she pretended to like being pushed around in it.
Ma and Pa Joad with Buck on "the whip" at Heritage park. I don't know if this ride is made for this crowd.
"Hey! Having a great time getting woozy!"
Buck and Pa Joad getting on a ride that just goes in a circle with up and down dips. Ma Joad and I were on the car ahead of them. I was sick all day once it was over. Yuck!
Ma Joad on the same ride looking enthusiastic (I made her pose this way) :)
I love this picture. Gma J would sit on our back porch and read (and smoke) to get some alone time. Buck loved it because he could play with the sandbox while she was out there!
Aforementioned sandbox with Ma Joad.
Heritage Park Carosel.

In the interest of toddler science, I would like to describe my day to you (so far) - please keep in mind that it is only 9:15am here in Canada:

4am - woken to child screaming. Feel dead tired, pull him into bed with us. Both husband and child roll over into mommy. She is forced to lie with her head at the bottom of the bed just for space. Cold since covers can't cover feet if this would stifle child's head.

6am - woken by kiss from husband who is leaving. Very nice - Mommy able to flip back to the front.

7:20 - child wakes for the day (a nice, respectable time in contrast with previous months). Mommy attempts to keep eyes closed and ignore child. He begins pulling on mommy's hand with cries of "get up mommy!" and "Mommy, Done!" Mommy sends child to his room to get stuffed animals and bring them in, buying about 10 more minutes of sleep. Child still young enough to be fooled. Mommy is definitely not the woman mentioned in Proverbs 31.

7:30 - Mommy and child finally walk down the stairs. Take a detour to the large TV room to watch a recorded episode of Veggie Tales. Child not interested in animated vegetable humor, proceed downstairs around 7:40am.

7:40 - Have breakfast to ward off cries for milk which is consumed by the jug by husband and son. Buck - peanut butter toast and strawberries (Buck only decided he liked PB two days ago) and Mommy - a bowl of Golden Grahams (God's cereal, seriously) and a large cup of coffee.

8am - Barney begins. Today's episode was about rainbows. Child does not stop saying the word "rainbow" and wanting to see a rainbow - no logic of "needing rain" is absorbed by the child. Two seconds ago, child was crying for rainbows again. Mommy begins to hate Barney. During Barney, Mommy is answering e-mails.

8:30 - emails are not finished, but Child is finished watching TV. Brings the following toys to mommy insisting she play: a choo-choo train, a little people airplane, 2 books to read, a digger, the umbrella off of his little people airport and a stuffed duck (Daffy). Mommy continues to read email because she is a bad mommy.

8:40 - Mommy rushes child upstairs attempting to make 9am daily Mass. Child decides he would like to poop in order to get a Backyardigans sticker (stickers are the reward for pooping on the toilet here). Naked child is placed on Master bathroom toilet (his favorite). Talks....talks....talks....talks...Intereseted only in earning the sticker. Eventually spies his smaller potty across the bathroom, asks to be moved. Firmly planted on child's potty, with pee-pee gaurd in place, child proceeds to pee and then to pick up pee-pee gaurd and wave it around the room - spraying pee all over mommy (who, thank goodness, has sworn off showers for the duration). Then, child proceeds to say "big fart comin'!" and to make semi-accurate noises with his mouth and hand. Still, no poop.

9:02 - about 22 minutes later, dumped pee into toilet. Child flushed and washed hands (very important part of using the potty). Mommy doesn't remember to put diaper on child before he leans up against the sink...no too comfortable for toddler peeper. Again, not winning mommy of the year.

9:05 - In child's room to get dressed. Child more interested in Thomas the Tank Engine set and will not come over to mommy to put on shorts and shirt. Mommy threatens to take away Backyardigans sticker and then realizes that educational psychology insists that a reward once won should not be taken away. Mommy stops threatening but is still tempted seriously. Child ignores Mommy anyway. Mommy wrestles child away from train table, forces on t-shirt and shorts. Child cries entire time and runs to Harold the Helicopter immediately upon completion. Mommy says, "I'm going downstairs." Child continues to push trains around the track.

9:15 - Mommy decides to blog the first 2 hours of her day knowing that this is just the beginning. Starting to miss teaching other people's teenagers who can be punished (but who mainly just sit there sleeping). But, Child has his Backyardigans sticker and insisted to watch 1 show. Mommy has a blogging breather.