happy birthday little man

three years ago, we FINALLY finished laboring and got the little man out. thank you, dr. brough. big h was stubborn in the womb, refusing to come out, and hasn't changed a bit. he has challenged us daily, but my life wouldn't be the same without him.

today began with the thought, "is it really 6:30?" read something else by someone who shares my exact feelings this morning. but, then at 6:39, i remembered how my life was richer. sweet henry pattison. we woke up together and played with thomas and percy. you're shocked, i know. :) then, we woke up the goo to feed her. then, because today was a special day, we went to dunkin donuts. (i know you're thinking, "what makes that special? you go to dunkin donuts a lot.") oh, but we all went in our jammies this morning! so much fun! big h thought he was at the gates of heaven. henry said, "mommy, i have orange sprinkle donut. you have pink donut. and baby dee-ter (sister), well, her is too ee-tuhl (little)." isn't he bright? we had a lovely conversation about cakes and cars and hospitals and black doggies. somehow all those topics went together. not sure how, but they did. we got back in the car and came home and played...you guessed it. trains. greta wasn't up for that, so she took her nap. when she woke up, we all piled in the car for fun birthday adventure #2 for the day. when we got there, i realized that big h's shoes were in dad's car from last night. big cuss word running through mom's head. so i thought, "today is the day. i'm going to pull a fast one." i had bought a cute pair of shoes a couple of weeks ago with the hope that one day henry would branch out. so i nonchalantly talked to him as i'm attempting to put the other shoes on. no dice! he wouldn't have it. brad and i actually bought him a 2nd pair of his shoes for those "just in case" moments. so i had to resort to those. big bummer. i thought SURELY today would've been the day.

we went to the wiggly play center with aunt biscuithead (aka bitsy; aka who we named henry after). big h and andrew had an absolute blast. if you are NOT a wiggles fan (or do not have children under 8), you will not understand any of this. but we had spaghetti, hot potatoes, and fruit salad. in the words of one of my buddies, it was "dare i say" yummy yummy. overall, good time.

big h and i came home and made popcorn and watched the heffalump movie together. when dad came home, i asked big h if he wanted to go eat pizza, and he replied with a serious, "hmmm. no, i not think so." so i proceeded to ask him if he wanted anything special tonight for dinner since it was his birthday. he said, "yes, i would like to have some yay-yoh (yellow) pasta, mashed potatoes, and corn." ??? so boston market, it was. there was some music on, and he asked daddy if he could get down, and normally we try not to let him out of his chair until he's all done. but of course, he asked if he could get down so he could "get my groove on." yes, folks, my child wanted to get down to dance to the music and "get his groove on." nuts, i tell you!

and the BEST part of the day for ME was his total random comment on the way home. we are driving home from boston market, pulling onto our street, and henry out of nowhere says, "mommy, you make me happy." I KID YOU NOT!!! with no prompting. i am STILL crying. my sweet little man.

we came home and opened presents. wow, we have such generous friends and family! we are so blessed. he took his bath and read stories and went almost straight to sleep. (i.e. no nap)

little man, we LOVE you. happy birthday, henry.

fun on the slides...

the boys LOVED the big red cars (and sang "toot toot chugga chugga" continuously)

aunt biscuithead and greta goo

birthday eve for big h

today was a good day. tomorrow is big h's birthday, and so we had a birthday party for him tonight at a nearby park. it ended up being a beautiful day. thanks to daylight savings, we made it to church this morning. and we started the service by singing our (mine and buz's) favorite song. (you are holy/prince of peace) that is one of about 4 songs that i actually cry to every time i sing it. (and don't tell, but i think buz tears up too.) home for naps? nope, didn't happen. buz off to get ready for the party. mom *stuck* with both kiddos. i only use the word stuck because the afternoon seemed to drag because i was so excited for henry to get to his party. we finally got in the car, and i said, "henry, you wanna know where we're going?" he said yes. i told him we were going to a birthday party, and he seemed pretty pumped. he loves going to birthday parties. then i said, "you know whose party we're going to? YOUR birthday party!" i mean, the "oh ho ho ho" that came from his mouth was priceless. he was really, really excited! so excited that he fell asleep in the car on the way there. figures. we got to the park, and he was elated. he saw daddy and ran to him like lovers in an airport. it ended up being an incredible party. lots of our closest friends were there to help us celebrate big h and his life thus far.

however, greta surprisingly tried to steal the show tonight. i've said before that 5-8 is just NOT her time. most (including weentrab and my new friend amy) know this. but any of our friends who did NOT know this information were introduced to it tonight. poor greta goo. whew -- she showed everyone that henry is not the only wisner with a set of lungs. she looked cute, but that just didn't do it for her. so to all of you who were there, you'll be glad to know that greta is full and comfortably resting in her bed as i write this.

the best came when i got in the car with greta and big h. i asked him what the best part of his day was. (this question is asked daily, usually at the dinner table or in the bathtub.) his answer almost brought me to tears. "hey hey mommy, my friends came and ate thomas cake with me at my dee-day pah-tee."

isn't that what it's all about? we love you, henry pattison wisner!



last year...






this year...

lots on my mind. nothing really worthy of blogging.

today started off great. big h and i laid in my bed together this morning. we slept for a little while, and then we watched some little einsteins. got the goo up and fed her. and i proceeded to begin the leaving the house process. and oh, what a process it is. whew! (big sigh) i don't know what it is about changing clothes (into or out of jammies) that is so difficult for an almost 3-year-old. but oh my goodness. for the love of all that's good, put on your freaking clothes. we were late, of course, which i HATE. and of all days, it was friday -- the day we get to play with amy and wes. it's amy and wes. do i need any more motivation to get in the car? so after i got a *tad* upset about the fact that he physically wouldn't let me put his clothes on, deep breath, we needed to pray. "henry, should we talk to Jesus?" and in the whiniest voice, a response came from this little person, "yes mommy." so we prayed for patience for mommy. that mommy would be a sweet mommy and love henry in the best way possible. we also prayed for sweet henry. that he would obey and learn to do what's right and have a good attitude. so after that, amazingly, he let me put his clothes on and we got in the car. greta goo was, of course, already waiting for us. what i would give to know what she's thinking about when she's in the car by herself waiting for us. :) henry and i had a talk on the way there about how his actions weren't sweet and that we were being selfish by being late. blah, blah, blah. trust me -- there were plenty of other things i thought about saying. but i think we did the right thing.

fun was had by all at "gymdandies." wes was the star of the show by doing his dance to "motor boat, motor boat..." henry *read* his gymdandies workbook the entire song time. and then poor bff. her car didn't start, so this super nice guy who must have been MAYBE 17 had jumper cables in his car and offered to jump it for her. all of the men out there will be so proud -- somehow i found the lever on her car to lift up her hood. give it up for janet. i felt like such a hoss. sad for us -- no lunch with amy and wes. :( bff...hope all went well and that you arrived home safely.

we got our usual friday gourmet lunch of taco bell "chips and cheese." we ate while watching the thomas movie, or "moomie" as henry calls it. when it was over, the goo went to rest comfortably in her bed, and i began my afternoon voyage to nighty night land, and i prayed big h would join me. he did. but naps are a tough call in our house. if he doesn't take one, the day feels SO LONG, but he goes to sleep at night in approximately 4.6 seconds. it's marvelous. however, if he does take one, it's usually really long, and he wakes up in possibly the WORST mood of anyone i know, and his going to sleep process at night is a lengthy one. tough call.

we made some fun out of our evening. i really needed to go get diapers, and i prefer to purchase them at sam's. so we turned it into a family outing. we went to sam's, bought our diapers, and had pizza at their little deli. we are really into fine dining these days.

both big h and the goo are down for the count. we wrapped party favors and some of henry's birthday presents. made a to-do list and a don't forget list (which my dad would LOVE to know). and now we're beginning to wind down. whew.

some funny things around our house. every so often, when we're on our way somewhere, i will ask henry where he wants to go. we have NEVER gone where he wants to go because it's usually pretty far out there. but i'm always just so curious what he's thinking about. so yesterday, i proceed to ask big h the age-old question, and his response had me doubled over. "so henry, where you wanna go today?" "hey mommy. i think we must go today to the um..the um...the grand canyon."

what? did my almost 3-year-old just tell me he wanted to go to the grand canyon?

what in the world?

i just laughed, and so did he.

and lately, we've been asking him what he wants to be for halloween. we know full well that he will refuse to wear any form of costume. so it's more just a fun question. he has wanted to be buzz lightyear about 85% of the time. after the pumpkin patch, he changed his mind and said he wanted to be a pumpkin (pong-kin). we've had several more responses to the question. normal ones. a cowboy. a football player. thomas. (shocker) my favorite, BY FAR, came yesterday when his response to the question was, "um...i think i'm going to be a trumpet."

what? you want to be a trumpet for halloween?

that's what he said. now, if i had any confidence that my kid would actually dress up for halloween, i would be UP A CREEK. lucky for me, he will wear a t-shirt and jeans and his shoes on halloween (school and that night). so i'm safe.

big moment for us. yesterday was big h's ECI (early childhood intervention) graduation party. miss kay-yen (karen) and ashee (ashley) came bearing gifts and cupcakes. couldn't beat that. the goo stayed for part of the party but then retreated to her bedroom for some quiet time. they gave him some play food, which he was tickled with. and he (I) gave them a car survival kit because they are in their cars all day. hats off to karen (his early intervention specialist) and ashley (his speech therapist). we will miss you! here is a picture of the occasion. ashley on the left and karen on the right. and you'll notice that henry refused to smile. he refuses ANYTHING that wasn't his idea.


had dinner with weentrab and my new pal amy on wednesday at one of my new favorite restaurants. super fun and SUPER chaotic. praise the Lord i didn't bring big h. it would've been madness. amy brought her 4-year-old carter and her almost 2-year-old twins, spencer and katie. and weentrab had her 4-year-old sam and her 2-year-old (as of tomorrow) ben. it was nuts but SO MUCH FUN! the goo joined me, and she really just doesn't like the time between 5-8. she is a crying maniac. i try to pretend she's not, but she is. let's face it. and poor amy lost her keys. thankfully, one of the employees found them in only the most logical of places, the jelly container. bless her heart. she handled it with grace. i, on the other hand, can say with confidence that i would have been a MESS. kudos to you, amy.

speaking of greta, is it possible that she could be teething? anyone know? yikes! she is drooling like a maniac, and nursing has become less than pleasant these days. is she really getting older? i think that's going to make me sad to think of her going through a new stage. :(

and i will end on a positive note. have i mentioned how much i LOVE my cute husband? he has been getting so excited about henry's little birthday party and buying little cake toppers (don't need -- we're having cupcakes) and games (pin the #1 on the thomas, which we also don't need because we're having it at a park and it will fly away). but he is the cutest. he loves that little guy so much, and the feeling is SO MUTUAL. before we had children, i wasn't sure how i would ever love him more. and then, i fell in love with someone else -- henry and greta's daddy. what an incredible father he is. he is so devoted to us.

brad, we love you! thank you!

nighty night all...

guest post by greta goo

hi. i'm greta goo -- the newest addition to the wisner family. i was told by my mom that it was my turn to post on the day's events. and because of my good nature, i was happy to oblige. i am typically always happy to do anything. that is who i am. however, i don't seem to smile for pictures yet. though, that's ok because my mom says she hates the "say cheese" face in kids' pictures anyway.

today was a good day. it started with my mom and brother getting to lay in bed together watching blues clues and eat eggos. my brother LOVES eggos! then, my mom assumed i was awake at about 8:45 (yes -- 8 in the morning). i was actually awake before then, but since i'm such a great baby, i don't make a lot of noise in the morning. i was SO PUMPED when my mommy came in that i gave her a big smile, which is REALLY hard for me because have you seen my cheeks? they really get in my way. so i ate my breakfast with my mommy and my brother was in a good mood. i like when he's a good mood. he makes a LOT of noise when he's not in a good mood. the best part of my day was at about 9:30 this morning when my dad made a surprise visit back home! yipee! we all love daddy. he had his 2nd interview in dallas (yes, dallas; that means he might not have to drive very far to get home to see us anymore). he wasn't in a very good mood at all because he told mommy that it didn't go very well. poor daddy. he and big h went outside to play, and i sat in my little bumbo seat that i have grown to love these days. i watched her dry her hair, which i pay close attention because someday i will have to learn to dry my own hair. we went out to get the boys and we did it -- we headed to the pumpkin patch. this was not the one my mommy wanted to go to, but daddy needed to get home for another interview (his 3rd). we got there, and my brother went crazy with all of the pumpkins. he has decided that he wants to be a "pong-kin" for halloween instead of buzz lightyear, which is surprising because he talks about "to infinity and beyond" all the time. then, they wanted to take pumpkin pictures, but it appeared that the rest of dallas also came to take pumpkin pictures. also, i am pretty sure that every school in dallas took their pumpkin patch field trip to the arboretum today. YIKES! after a while of taking pictures and soaking everything in, i expressed a need for some food. i don't know if my mom has told you about my aversion to some specific meal locations. for example, i do NOT care for eating in public restrooms. but there did not appear to be any other place my mom could feed me other than in front of the arboretum dallas kindermusik class. i've got issues with specific places to eat, and mom has issues with feeding me in public. just not her thing. plus, it's pretty hard for her to be inconspicuous with her big a-- breastfeeding pillow. :) so in true greta fashion, i obliged and ate in the public restroom. but here me now...i did NOT like it. then, we went and played with big in the water fountains. and then mom and dad decided it was time to go home. i fell asleep on the way home and so did my big brother. i transferred from my carseat to my crib and took a 2-hour nap. big h, however, did not. but it was fun. i heard that he and my mommy laid in their bed together and watched little einsteins and ate their chick-fil-a together. i'm pretty sure if my mommy had to eat chick-fil-a everyday for the rest of her life, she wouldn't put up a fight. daddy left when i took my nap because he had a 3rd interview. mommy and henry prayed for him, that he would be articulate (whatever that means) and that the lady interviewing would be impressed with his knowledge base and his character. oh, and my daddy looks so nice in a suit. my mommy talked about it all day.

i woke up at 4, and mom fed me on the couch while henry played superman with a blanket on his shoulders crying out, "mommy, i'm flying! baby, i'm flying." i'm not really sure how he doesn't know my name yet, but he just continues to call me baby. i keep wanting to quote dirty dancing. but i think that would show him up if i started to talk at 3 months, and he didn't start talking until 3 years.

speaking of, i find it funny that my brother had a speech delay because the kid talks all the stinking time. he literally never stops. and he also makes a LOT of noise. never a dull moment around here.

anyway, we went outside, and henry played trains and rode his roller coaster. i sat in my bumbo seat and just enjoyed the nice weather while looking cute. that's what girls are supposed to do, right? we went in for my mommy to fix dinner. it always surprises everyone when my mommy fixes a meal. tonight it was pasta and bruschetta. way to go, mommy. daddy came home from his interview a lot happier than before. mommy said she prayed this afternoon for him and that she knows God has us in His hands. who is this God/Jesus fella? guess i should ask about Him soon.

my mom woke me up, and i got to sit in the bathroom while henry took his bath. they read stories and laughed. henry had to talk to a LOT of people on his cell phone. he kept having to tell people he was busy reading stories with his mommy, daddy, and baby. (greta, henry. it's greta!) i just sat and looked cute. still couldn't do a lot of smiling because with these cheeks...well, you know.

we (they) put henry to bed, and then it was off to my favorite part of the day. i got to get in my jammies (girl ones, thanks to mommy's friend davis) and nuzzle up to my mommy when it was dark and quiet and eat and go nighty night.

overall summary of the day. great to get out on such a beautiful day. great to be with my whole family on a non-weekend day. great to look cute. :) great to have a couple of really good naps. i do love naps.

tomorrow is a school day for big h, and mommy has NO plans, which means it's a day just the two of us. i love my mom. hopefully she'll just put me down for a much anticipated nap and perhaps take one herself.

some pictures. first of all, me at 3 months...

here we are in my bed when henry woke me up from my nap and got in my bed. sometimes he's not very gentle, but i love the guy...

here are my dad and my brother at the park today...

here are our big pumpkin pictures for the year. not that great, but they will do...

here is me with my mommy and my brother...

here are my fat cheeks (my mommy just can't stop taking pictures of them)

i am so in love with my husband. va va va voom. he is the most incredible friend, husband, and dad i know. friday was one of "those days" where motherhood was just tougher than normal. we had to get out of the house, so we did a little grocery shopping (big sigh) and headed out for some lunch with our buddy sarah and her two kiddos kaleb and baby girl (sex to be determined in december?). i even called our speech therapist (ashley) to cancel because i didn't want to have to discipline over and over again while she was there. horrible. i talked to buz on his way home and let him know that the day had not been one of our better. he immediately instructed me to get in the car and head out for some solo time. PRAISE JESUS! much needed. no carseat to get out of the car, no veggie tales playing (yes, i got to listen to my own CD), and just some janet time. i got home, fed greta goo while big h was being put to bed, and ate a really late dinner (typical for weekends). buz and i just hung out. he played...what? yep, he played playstation, and i "dorked out." that's our phrase for geeking out on the computer or doing picture stuff or doing laundry (yes, on friday night) or writing emails or writing in greta or henry's journal. saturday was a beautiful day. buz took big h for a train ride. they rode the train down to get some lunch and play by the fountain. i stayed home with the goo-ster and took a shower with no one in my bathroom asking me what station toby or percy will stop at. it's the little things, right? i wrote some thank you notes (we are SO blessed) and just got some stuff done around the house. stuff that typically doesn't get done when both kids are present and awake. i took greta on some errands yesterday while henry and brad took naps. ok, truth be told...only brad took a nap. :) we came back and played for a while, and buz took big h out for pizza and greta and i stayed at the house and had salads. actually, i am the only one who had a salad. actually, now that i think about it, she did have a salad, sort of. :)

today we skipped church. brings me to a pressing point. we are taking a break from church for a couple of weeks. before you gasp in amazement, it's for a good reason. we could take greta when she was still really young and could fall asleep anywhere. but these days, she is quite a bit more vocal. i am not ready to put her in the nursery (selfish, i'm sure), and i get nothing out of the sermon when i am not even in the sanctuary. sad thing is -- big h LOVES church. i mean, LOVES it. he hasn't noticed that we haven't been going, but i really feel like he's missing out. hopefully soon, we can get back on our schedule. fingers crossed.

so today, we had dunkin donuts for breakfast, which is always a treat. while greta was taking her morning nap, big h, buz, and i played hide and seek out in the back yard. SO MUCH FUN! he is so funny. we would hide, and he would count, "one, two, see, bor, nine, TEN!" oops, left out a couple of numbers, which i was bummed about because one of henry's funniest words is seven -- say-bin. and then he would say, "hmmm...where mommy daddy went?" and every time he would find one of us, he would yell out, " i always find you!!"

had lunch and buz took greta on some errands. apparently, she is going to be a daddy's girl because he reported that she LOVED home depot. you go, greta goo! and then daddy of the year act #2 of the weekend...BUZ WENT TO THE GROCERY STORE!!!!! can i get an AMEN?! so that was a HUGE weight lifted! i LOVE my husband!

tonight was long but now over. :) have i mentioned how attractive my husband is when he is "firm brad?" we LOVE firm brad. again, henry doesn't, but i do.

i was doing a little internet surfing, and i came across this and started crying. i'm sorry, but does this say low in the 30s? have i talked about fall janet? gosh, she is SO MUCH FUN! everybody loves fall janet. hopefully, we are getting to bid a permanent farewell to summer janet for a while. three cheers for fall janet!

we noticed that greta goo doesn't smile a lot. looks like it is a lot of work for her. think these may be why?

look at the size of those things. i think they are the biggest cheeks i have ever seen.

tomorrow we are *trying* the pumpkin patch. i can't guarantee anything. the first year we went, henry was one, and he did great. the weather was nice, and he was so intrigued.

he doesn't look excited, but he's a very pensive little guy. he really did have fun, i promise.

last year was a tough year for the pumpkin patch. he pitched a grand mal fit and i carried him in true white trash fashion, under my arm, to the car. needless to say, we didn't talk the whole way home. :)

so we'll see how tomorrow goes. anyone's game, i guess.

stay tuned...henry or greta may guest blog to report of the day's events.

p.s. janet having some trouble "editing" tonight, so i apologize that the spacing is all messed up. too tired to figure out the problem.

sometimes i'm amazed at what henry says during the day. here is the history behind today's funny and yet insightful comment. you should all know by now about my kid's obsession with trains (thomas the tank empire, in particular). so last year, we went to "day out with thomas" where you get to ride a HUGE life-sized train that looks like thomas. my kid was totally awestruck. while we were there, they just *happened* to have a gift shop, for the all of the sucker parents like buz and me. the one that big h picked up was this gordon that was for a *real* train set (like the ones my father-in-law and dad enjoy building and playing with.) these are not little cute toy trains. these are serious business metal trains for the serious train enthusiast. so in haste, buz bought him this gordon. i will not EVEN tell you how much it was. we won't go there. he calls it his *daddy gordon* because it's much bigger than any of his other little wooden trains (that most boys his age play with). well, it has had a hard life so far. some of the wheels have fallen off, the coupling rod (yes, coupling rod is my vocabulary) has broken. his face falls off. it's pitiful because this is our most expensive train and it has had the most problems. but it's henry's favorite. all but one of daddy gordon's buffers have broken off, and big h constantly talks about "going to the store and buying new ones." i keep having to tell him that the store doesn't sell buffers for daddy gordon, and his reply is always, "oh but they can." i proceed to attempt to explain that you can't just go buy daddy gordon buffers and so on and so forth. he just doesn't get it. finally, today, i think he got it.

i told him we needed to go to the store to get some groceries, milk, etc. he said, "mommy, we no buy buffers for daddy gordon at the store. but we do buy crunchy cheetos." i LOVE this kid! he's SO subtle.


sick, sick, sick is the story of our life around the wisner household. big h has been sick since thursday night. fever, runny nose, cough, the one episode of diarrhea, the whole nine yards. he was better friday night and saturday, though he didn't really have his A-game on for the big weentrab birthday party. you'll notice that henry did NOT have on a costume. brad and i didn't feel bad because neither did the birthday girl. :) i'm not sure if henry will EVER wear a costume on purpose. we'll see. maybe i will eat my words. he felt good enough to whine and annoy us yesterday, though. amazing how that works. he gave greta goo the snots too. saline and bulb syringe -- those two words give me nightmares as a parent. she's better but she doesn't have her A-game either.

next weekend is big h's big 3rd birthday. do i have a THREE-YEAR-OLD????? sheer craziness!

not to make anyone jealous, but i got to do a little more online shopping with my mother-in-law. greta is so much fun to buy for. thanks, ms. wiz. so fun!

THIS JUST IN!!! a miracle has just occurred in the wisner household! and i can't help but share the news!!!!! as always, history behind the story. there are a LOT of things that henry does NOT like to do. part of it is that he's been in the terrible 2's since he was about 10 months old. part of it is that he's just henry. strong-willed. odd and quirky, in a good way. very opinionated. the last MAJOR tantrum the kid had (and i am talking MAJOR tantrum -- the ones that don't happen in most households) was over me cutting his toenails. he HATES to have his fingernails or toenails cut. so i wait until they are a safety hazard to someone else or himself, and then i just let him know that it has to be done. it was an absolute nightmare the last time. i held his foot so tightly and he squirmed and screamed and yelled and almost made himself sick. it was awful. i actually gave myself a timeout so that i wouldn't do anything i would regret. it was a horrible experience. as i'm sitting here tonight enjoying some computer time, checking emails, looking at stupid stuff online, enjoying my "free time," i hear my little man calling from his room. now, these *calls* are usually centered around what train is not in his bed, or that he needs some water. my favorites are when he asks for some random snack that never, in my right mind, would i EVER give him. (i.e. gumballs, cheetos, frosted flakes, etc.) so just now, i hear little man calling for me (big sigh). buz says, "you're not going to believe what he's asking for." i get into his room, where the light is on (and is NOT supposed to be). he has a HUGE smile on his face and says in the sweetest voice possible, "hey mommy, hey mommy, ummm...can you cut my tee-uhls?" i'm sorry, what? you WANT me to cut your toenails? PRAISE JESUS! so i cut his toenails with no blood shed and the neighbors are still asleep. of course, in true janet fashion, i tried to press my luck and ask if he wanted me cut his fingernails (tinga-neels) too. but to no avail. hey, i tried.

to celebrate such a huge occasion, let's share some henry pictures...



a classic "oops, i shouldn't be in here, should i" henry face!


did mention my kid's obsession with trains? (yes, he STILL takes them to the bath.)

well, pray for healing around our house. that big h would get better. that greta goo wouldn't have the snots anymore. she does NOT like having the snots. i don't either, greta goo. and pray that brad and i don't get it.

my kid has clean, fresh toenails. we shall all sleep well tonight.

Guest Blog by Buz

Janet asked if I wanted to guest blog and I said I'd give it a try. Most of those reading this know that I'm a softy at heart so I won't pretend to be masculine guy. (I do draw the line at Oprah however!) I guess the hardest part of blogging is getting started... Of course, as I type, I feel like either Doogie Howser or the narrative voice from the Wonder Years. (for the ladies, substitute Sex in the City or Grey's Anatomy female voice over). With that said, I'll share some brief thoughts about my family, and why I'm the luckiest guy this evening.

Henry woke up with a fever last night so he spent most of the day getting loved on by Janet. I didn't ask, but my guess is Buz,Woody and the horsey (that's Toy Story 2) might have been on a continuous loop today on the ol' DVD. Is it wrong to enjoy when your child is ill? With willful Henry, there are few times when he lets his guard down and allows us inside his inner space. There is no better feeling than having what Janet and I call the "wrap around." That of course, is when both arms and legs are wrapped around your neck and waist, and his head rests on our shoulder. As we walked in from the garage after dinner, I got the wrap around. Priceless...

Then there is sweet Greta. Greta is just an angel and I don't even know her yet. I know I'll miss these early months later, but I'm so impatient for her to be older. I can't wait to see her eyes connect with mine and get the smile. The smile that says "I know that voice, that's my daddy." Until then, she has a place right on my shoulder, drooling and gurgling. But let's be clear about one thing. She won't get away with any shenanigans. Look how firm I am with Henry.

Finally there is my sweetie. I think we all love Janet for the same reasons, but I'll share some of my own. I fell in love with Janet because I saw the most beautiful person I've ever known. On the outside I fell in love with her eyes and her smile. On the inside I fell in love with her purity. I was instantly envious of anybody she cared about and knew if I ever let her go it would be the biggest mistake of my life. Luckily she saw something in me. After we watched Greys' Anatomy last night one line stuck in my mind. When Patrick Dempsey told the girl "you deserve better." I really feel that way about Janet. I have such a cynical, brooding, slanderous side; and she loves me anyway.

I love that she is writing this blog because each of you get to share her with me every time she posts a new message. My joy is that when she finishes each night, I get to hold her in my arms, and thank God that see's beyond my flaws. I love you sweetie. Come to bed soon... Buz

howdy folks

well, we did it. we did what every texan is supposed to do sometime during the month of october. we braved the texas state fair. there are several things that never cease to amaze me. first, being that if you're not a size 2, there are just some things you should NOT wear. for example, 1982 really tight, really short jean shorts. news flash -- those aren't in anymore. and tank tops without undergarments -- never appropriate for ANY occasion. let's be honest, a size 14 will never fit into a size 4, not even at the fair.

second, being...where do some of these people come from? do they live here in dallas and i just don't notice? or do they just come out for the month?

also, let me speak again on the subject of texas weather. why must i continue to wear a short-sleeve t-shirt and still sweat in the middle of october? when i have dreams of going to "the fair," i envision wearing jeans and a long-sleeve t-shirt and being just the slightest bit on the chilly side. but no such luck tonight. i heard about our *cool front* and thought "surely, tonight's the night." again...no such luck. (big sigh) i would also like to congratulate myself on being overprepared for our first official *family outing.* this included jackets, bottles of water, camera, multiple diapers in 2 different sizes, an entire box of wipes, AND the kitchen sink.

if anyone is on a diet, the night you go to the fair should be the night you *cheat.* i mean, i look forward to the fair for 3 reasons: corndogs, nachos with jalapeños, and cotton candy. am i 31 or 10? i LOVE it! i don't feel so good afterwards, but the happiness i find in licking the nacho cheese off my fingers is indescribable.

funny henry moment: when we got into the main part of the fair, henry spotted big tex and said, "oooh...mommy, it's a really big woody!" i love this kid.

we went with the pattisons, and i'm telling you -- my kid digs their kid. andrew, you are one fun little man. and my hats off to you for riding the train. henry rode a couple of rides. the kid has NO FEAR. it's crazy. he was showing interest in riding the teacups, but i made up some lame parental excuse so that i didn't have to deal with post-teacup vomit. (and let's face it -- those 6 coupons had dr. pepper written all over them. sorry, henry.)

greta was a champ as usual. the girl is too much fun! she just kind of always goes along with the plan. sometimes, she's not as happy as usual, but doesn't put up much of a stink. i tried to feed her in the handicap stall of the state fair restroom, but she wouldn't have it. she's kind of a meal location snob, if you will.

fun was had by all, and henry managed to get to sleep in a matter of minutes tonight, which was pure bliss for mom and dad. i fed greta when we got home, and i swear i heard her whisper, "mom, i love my jammies."

tomorrow is attempt #2 at school. pray for good stools.



here are some pictures of the evening.

henry in awe of big woody, and greta just hanging out



henry reading the map to us (and no, i don't wear a hat EVERY day, i promise)



andrew wondering what in the world henry is talking about


henry on the airplane (that actually went much higher and faster than he thought it would)

scarred

hmmm...not sure who is more scarred -- me or henry? (read on to find out the juice of the story.)

the morning started with some much needed rain. oh how i wished this morning that it was a saturday and i was either still in college or married (without young children). it was one of those good rainy mornings that was dark and cool. i wanted to sleep in SO BADLY. but to no avail. however, with 2 children under 3, i had it as good as it possibly could've been. i woke at 8:00 with NO ONE ELSE awake!!! so i took my shower in silence (bliss) and began to change my clothes only to find my almost 3-year-old standing alone at the end of the hallway like someone in a horror movie. now mind you, we leave the house at 9:00 on school days and watch 2 episodes of "koos skoos" (blues clues) before we leave. if you know anything about childrens' television, you know that each episode is roughly 20 minutes or so. so if you do the math, it appears that we will NOT have enough time for the 2nd episode. and for those who know my older child, you know that breaking the news that we only have time for ONE episode was not on the top 10 things i looked forward to doing. but as always, big h pleasantly surprised me. we watched 1 1/16 episodes of koos skoos. then, i told him it was time to go, and he marched right to the car. attaboy, champ.

i had to WAKE "baby" to get in the car. yes, i put her down at 8 last night, and she was not yet awake at 9 this morning. sheer craziness, i tell you. it was pouring down rain, and i dropped a very happy little boy off at school. greta was in desperate need of something to eat, so i fed her in the nursery of his school.

i then proceed down to northpark to get a couple of things and to meet my preggo friend elizabeth for a nice girls lunch, greta included. and the minute we sit down to enjoy our soup and salad, my cell phone rings with henry's school number displayed. hmmm...

"janet, i just wanted to let you know that miss kyra just changed henry's diaper and he has diarrhea, and that is one of the conditions we send children home for." ahhh...no better way to interrupt a friendly lunch. :) so i inhale my soup and salad (sorry for the rush, elizabeth) and head BACK to school to get my little man. little man was sawing logs when i arrived. so i fed greta again in the nursery of his school. greta just runs with it.

so this afternoon, we headed to our friend davis' house to get her double stroller that we are going to use for the fair tomorrow. plus, she was offering to give us some girl clothes for greta that her girls had outgrown. she has twin almost 4-year-old girls, but henry LOVES playing over there. i had done something downstairs and wanted to make sure henry was ok before i went back downstairs to look through clothes. i found henry in the girls' closet trying on all of their shoes. girl shoes! keep in mind, this is the same kid who only wears ONE PAIR OF SHOES and refuses to wear anything else! i quickly removed him (in a loving manner, of course) from the female closet and led him into the playroom where the girls were playing.

we had gotten the stroller ready and had gone through all of the clothes. (davis, you're the best. greta goo is going to be so pumped to finally sleep in girl pjs and to have some hand-me-downs that don't have chugga chuggas on them.) i had told big h that it was almost time to go and he was fine with the announcement. i came up with greta to get him, and hannah and emma were playing dress up and told me they were having fun with henry. wait, what? playing dress up and henry in the same sentence? that can't be good. (now don't get me wrong. i married a softie, so i am perfectly fine with boys/men getting in touch with their more sensitive side. but...)

here is where the "who is more scarred" thought occurred. i arrive to their playroom to find a sight that i don't think i will ever be able to get out of my mind. my big h standing STARK NAKED (diaper off too) holding a Cinderella/princess dress getting ready to put it on. "this isn't happening. i did NOT just see that."

"ok henry, we need to put our clothes on and mommy will get you a new diaper." i'm sure davis was pleased to see that he had pooped in this diaper. luckily, he had not made a mess (that i know of). what in the free world is my kid doing putting on princess dresses? not to be stereotypical or sexist or anything, but someone find this kid a jersey and some cleats or something.

do i tell brad or not? that is the question on my mind tonight.

wearing black for mourning

well, sad weekend around the wisner household. wearing crimson and cream on friday and saturday didn't do enough good.

university of texas 28, OU 10

let's take a moment....

poor sooners.

my *buddy* amy had a great time and got to celebrate. amy, my hats off to you and your team.

with last week being fall break, we got creative. henry would tell you that creative is a relative term around here. we went to the galleria to play on thursday with our buddies, bitsy and andrew. and friday we went to stonebriar to play with our friends, sarah and kaleb. both days were blessed with the *lift and lay.* (a phrase coined by my insightful husband meaning that henry stayed asleep in the midst of the transfer from the car to the couch or other place of sleep.) praise jesus! friday, he got to wake up to the arrival of not only his speech therapist but nana and papa. it was very important to big h that nana and papa watch 'buz, woody, and horsey' (toy story 2) with him. upon completion of the greatest movie of all time, according to my almost 3-year-old, we got to have dinner out at on the border. greta came too and really enjoyed herself. (i'm smiling right now.) fun was had by all. saturday was a great wisner family day. lots of playing outside and napping (done mostly by greta) and just having a lot of fun together. and hold on to your seats...brad and i had a DATE saturday night! we put both kids down (did i just say both kids? that's still a lot for me to grasp.) and headed for la madeleine for a sit-down dinner with NO RUSH. we hardly knew what to talk about. i wore a necklace that never got pulled on. i brought a purse that had no diapers or wipes or thomas trains in it. then, we headed to the dollar theater to see the devil wears prada. yes, my sweet husband agreed to go with me. c'mon, it was a buck combined with free babysitting. can't beat it. so fun to hold my husband's hand and feel young and hip again. yes...i feel as though i've lost my "hipness." (another blog)

good day today and great weekend but feeling the sunday night blues coming on. and oh, the chore of the grocery store is upon me again. (big sigh) i was not meant for the kitchen. just the thought of the grocery store or even thinking of what to make or actually preparing the meal. ugh.

finally, congrats to kerrie on the birth (and smooth delivery) of little braden patrick keith!

can't stop talking about it

played outside with henry in the sand today. which brings me to a point that i will make until i am in the grave. i detest "fall" in dallas!! i mean, since when does 94 degrees constitute "fall" weather? i love going into the Gap and seeing sweaters!!! do people really dress for fall around dallas, and i am out here by myself in my t-shirt and shorts? henry is just sitting in the sand playing, and i am literally baking trying to think of something i can do outside that will get my mind off how i am sweating like a man. (anyone who worked with me at kamp is dying laughing at this point. i can't help but be obsessed about hot weather and how my husband longs for "winter janet" to return. she is so much more fun than "summer janet.") so i start to write a letter, but that doesn't help. so i resort to the only thing that gets henry's attention...food. ice cream, henry? that did the trick.

we had ice cream and decided to focus on all things inside. we got an extra fun package in the mail containing a souvenir t-shirt with a bull on it from my in-laws who just got back from Spain. and they also sent a dress-up elmo costume. basically those 2 things consumed the rest of our day. let's hear it for care packages!

evidence of the day...



c'mon, how cute is this kid?





bedtime ritual was easier than normal due to lack of nap on henry's part. greta was spent, as she had not had much of a rest most of the day either. she doesn't nap so well yet...unfortunate. but boy is she a fun gal?


and a basic point and shoot pic of mama and the kiddos finishing up the day...



off to check out the new ll bean catalog. (these are the things that i get excited about these days?)

failed parenting 101

rats! i don't think of it as complete defeat. but i cracked. i couldn't help it. you're NEVER supposed to let your kids see you laughing at something they did that they shouldn't have done. and the inevitable happened to me tonight. we put henry (and buz lightyear) to bed tonight and talked to jesus. i heard him (AND his piano), so i decided to investigate the crime scene. i went in and he had the light on sitting on the floor playing his little infant piano with only 4 keys. he immediately started walking back to his bed, knowing he had been had. i asked if he wanted to be tucked in. and in a very, very sweet (manipulative little booger) way answered, "oh yes, mommy. i like you to tuck me in. buz too?" so i tucked both in again. and asked, "henry, are you going to make good choices?" (if you have never met henry, you are not aware of the inflections in his voice when he talks. they melt your heart and are the cutest little sounds. yes, i am a sucker.) so in his little inflection, he said so seriously, "yes, mommy, i DO make good choices!!!" darnit...i couldn't help it. i started laughing. not just a little chuckle, but full on out loud laughter. (now, i know what you're thinking. "janet, that story really isn't that funny." trust me -- if could hear henry's voice and see his face, it would be that funny to you too.) so then in my laughter, i TRIED to explain to him that his choice would include staying in his bed and keeping the light off. and he just laughed (because i was laughing) and he said while laughing, "mommy i DO wub you. night night." i couldn't help it.

and here is a picture of greta who graduated to the big baby tub. i will have to dig up the pictures of henry in this tub. it's SCARY how much they look alike.

also, a very funny recap of the bachelor. yes, i STILL watch this show. and i am comfortable with myself. so if you too watch it, you will thoroughly enjoy this!

thank you, jesus

classic.

tucking big h in tonight. we began the talking to jesus process...

dear jesus,
thank you for this day and all the fun we had.
thank you for all of our meals that you provided for us.
thank you for keeping us healthy.
thank you for the wonderful weekend.
and now begins henry's part...
uh-shoo (thank you) for mommy (deep down, i am pumped that i was named first) :)
uh-shoo for daddy
and ah-nee (henry)
and gree-ya (greta)
and papa
and gree-ya (no doubt greta appreciated that in her sleep)
and sand
wait...what? SAND???
and elbows
wait again...what? ELBOWS?
and the kid was dead serious. what a beautiful picture of what God wants from us. He wants us to be grateful for the things that He gives us. and henry was just that. grateful for the sand he played in today, and for some reason, really thankful tonight for his elbows. love that kid.

and as for greta, she came with me to get subway sandwiches tonight. she doesn't do a whole lot yet. :) and bless her heart, henry went to kiss her good night tonight, and he managed to get SO MUCH chocolate chip cookie all over her face. if she could only speak...

brad is leading his mighty baylor bears to a championship tonight, i'm sure. (his little land of make believe.) i just finished a real nice dr pepper. hit the spot. perfect way to end the day.