christmas and new year recap

apparently, i have a lot to fill you in on.

because accountability does a body good.

or milk.

or whatever.

anyway.

so let's see. where did i last leave off? all of my goodies. um, yeah, the christmas cookies i MADE FROM SCRATCH? yeah, they rocked the casbah. i was so impressed. they were so delicious. seriously. big h and i rolled the dough, used flour with a ROLLING PIN. (never mind the fact that i wasn't even sure we had one. sad. my mom would be so disappointed.) baked them to perfection. iced them. sprinkled them. and just marveled at our work. we're humble like that.

we headed to the christmas eve service. where both of my children cried as they walked into their classrooms. because they were different. with different teachers.

and here is where i would like to give my kiddos props. week in and week out, they go to church where they kind of don't know anyone (even though we've been going there since before they were born). and have a great time. and adapt. and adjust.

high five, big h and goo. you're my heroes.

we set out the cookies for santa.

christmas morning brought fun and surprises. big h is a *tad* obsessed with batman. and basically santa and everyone else brought batman paraphernalia ad nauseum.

goo went more with a wonder pet theme. however, she did get one of these. and i'm pleased to inform you that it was less than $700.

and then, my two children got to open the window to the backyard. and see their present from my in-laws.

um, yeah. my kids almost passed out.

such a fun time. my parents came over that afternoon just to play for a while. we put our kids to bed, and buz and i watched a movie and snuggled.

then, friday we headed out to my parents' house to wait for my brother and his family to arrive from alabama. my son ADORES his cousins. he could. not. wait. for their arrival. he and goo spent the night at nana and papa's with all of the cousins and my brother and his wife. and buz and i headed home to pack and spend the night at our house.

alone.

without any children.

in our own house.

alone.

dude. it was so quiet.

we packed and went straight to sleep. and didn't wake up the entire night. oh my.

i took the longest shower the next morning. and we stopped at starbucks on the way back to my parents' house. so much fun to enjoy a hot cup of coffee and one hour of uninterrupted conversation with my spouse. poor buz didn't know what hit him. i talked the entire. hour. :)

then, the whole gang headed to our first destination. put our stuff away and headed straight for the water park. in december. do you know how fun it is to put on a swimsuit in december? i just reminded myself that i was going to have a great time with my family. and fun, we had. we wore ourselves out.

had some pizza for dinner. we so thought we would put goo down, put the other four kids in one of the hotel rooms with nana, and the four of us grownups would head downstairs for a nightcap.

except goo decided to cry bloody murder and proceeded to crawl out of her pack and play.

good times.

so instead, we all watched star wars the clone wars in that little hotel room. being parents changes things, huh?

the next day, we headed to destination #2. dropped our stuff off in our room and headed straight for the ice. luckily, buz had prepared me that goo might not have much fun at the ice exhibit. yeah, he was right. you wear these huge parkas and walk through this freezing tour of ice sculptures. it's awesome. totally up my alley. apparently, not up goo's. she cried the entire time.

good times.

but big h loved it. there was even a slide made out of ice, and buz, my brother, my nephew, big h, my dad, and i all did the slide, and it was so much fun.

we finished and sat down to have some hot chocolate. and big h spilled his. and burned his tongue. bless his heart.

had dinner and let the kiddos run around the hotel conference center, where no one was. so much fun to play duck duck goose with my little nieces and nephew.

and goo and i slept in a bed together. oh my. i am so not ready for her to grow up. and definitely not ready for her to be in a big girl bed. we'll keep her in the crib for as long as possible.

and then, it was time for them to drive back to alabama. and big h cried a lot. he loves the heck out of those cousins.

and now it's new years eve. we had some friends over for dinner. put our kids in jammies. and they were gone by 10. goo was asleep in about 6.2 seconds. big h was maybe 10 minutes, which is huge.

and buz and i are about ready to watch a movie and then turn over to the new york ball. i know. we live on the edge.

but there is nowhere i'd rather be. than hearing the faint sound of sleeping children down the hall. and cuddling with my best buddy, ringing in 2009.

praying for a wonderful new year to each and every one of you.

updated: since i started, buz has since fallen asleep. guess i'll watch a movie by myself. :)

i have this problem. i have always had this problem. i do one big night (or day) of preparation or shopping for a certain event. i get *almost* everything done. i only have a *little* left to do. and somehow that *little* left ends up killing me.

buz and i went Christmas shopping two weeks ago. we knocked it all out. or so we thought.

somehow i keep thinking of things i forgot.

oops. gift for my niece.

oops. gift for buz...even though we're not supposed to be getting each other anything. except, he always gets me something. even when we make this rule. jerk. not really. he's quite fabulous, actually.

oops. gift for my dad. well, his birthday is the week after christmas. "i thought we said we were doing one big gift?"

oops. all of the ingredients for sugar cookies from scratch.

(and screech goes the record player.)

yep. i said from scratch.

seriously. what am i smoking?

the holiday spirit. not only that. but i'm going to make the icing too. and use different food colors.

oh, and i made sweets today.

AND i made a pot roast this week.

AND i let big h and goo play with playdoh today.

i know. i am not EVEN kidding.

next thing you know i'll be wanting to drink wine, drink diet coke, and take long bubble baths.

ok...not going that far.

um, the pot roast? first one i've made. ever. and buz went for seconds. i'll take that as a compliment.

the sweets i made? were supposed to be for goo's birthday party. yeah, in JULY. oops. i decided to go with white chocolate instead. and i had every intention of using red and green sugar sprinkles and multi-colored sprinkles. but the chocolate dried while i was blinking.

but they're cute. and EASY. go me.

and the FROM SCRATCH cookie dough i made is chilling in the fridge tonight. thanks, jenny. man, if i had a dollar for every time someone asked me if i just wanted to use the already made stuff...well, i would be about five bucks richer. seems that no one is a believer in my culinary skill. i'll show them.

oh, and never mind the fact that we have no one (other than santa) to give any of these treats to. i'm already preparing for a *bit* of a sugar high from both of my children.

we headed to the mall with some friends today to get last minute things.

and OH. MY. WORD.

have i mentioned that my daughter knows how to throw herself one mighty tantrum? i got to do the walk of shame through the halls of the mall while my friend took big h and her children to a store to look around. goo and i just loved on each other. and when she calmed down, she looked at me so matter-of-factly and said, "i crying. so youd. i sad."

understatement, sister.

big h is BEYOND excited about christmas. we have an advent calendar, and he cannot wait to get a treat every night and share one thing he's thankful for. and fun for buz and me? it's usually something along the lines of "i yuv my stister."

and as far as what we're doing...well, we are going to kick it this year.

my in-laws got my kiddos a trampoline this year. big h and goo are going to need to breathe into a paper bag. trust me.

and my parents are taking my family and brother's family to two different places to spend the night this weekend.

um, yeah.

and so. i'm off to hit the hay. and wake up to a christmas eve with my kiddos. perhaps some flavored coffee and some coloring. and jammies.

night night all.

as promised

big h making his entrance.


entrance from janet wisner on Vimeo.

santa claus is coming to town

santa claus is coming to town from janet wisner on Vimeo.

we three kings

we three kings from janet wisner on Vimeo.

signing in for my weekly update

i'm kinda like SNL.

only not as funny. and this isn't tv.

so really, i'm not like SNL at all.

just got done with my marathon list-make-a-thon.

i heart lists. they make my heart happy. really, really happy.

one of the items on this list is to start working on my christmas card list.

dear Jesus. be with me as i work on my christmas card list.

today, it was seventy-four degrees, and i was sweating coming out of church. tomorrow, the high is 38. texas, make up your mind.

last night, i took a shower before i went to bed. as i was preparing to wash my hair and enjoy my herbal essence experience, i dropped a dollop of shampoo RIGHT into my eye. and proceeded to imagine what ninety-five needles must look like INSIDE my eye ball. i even called buz into the bathroom to read the fine print. and his response was, "well, if it's meant to go in your hair, surely they know there's a chance some of it may go in your eye."

and so for the rest of the night, i tried so hard not to be pitiful. but i really wanted to talk about how MY EYE HURT ALREADY.

i woke up for church this morning and thought and thought about how i would explain to my friends at church that no, buz does NOT beat me. yep. swollen shut. with lots and lots of eye goo.

hello nasty. nice to meet you.

did i mention i really wanted to talk about how badly my eye hurt but refrained? i'm such a martyr.

came home and played outside for a long time because i might have mentioned that it was SEVENTY-FOUR degrees outside. in december. christmastime, people.

put goo down for the worst part of my day and hers. and probably buz's too. her nap. homegirl doesn't seem to want to go down for a nap these days. seems she thinks she's going to miss something.

but big h and i headed out to a deli to pick up a fresh salad for my buddy who just had her first baby on friday. oh, and she just happens to be our babysitter's stepmom. try to figure that one out.

we picked up a salad for her and headed to the hospital to catch a glimpse of her little punkin. she reads this blog, so i have to make sure to be COMPLETELY honest when i say that big h was a rockstar. he came and sat and ate cheetos and commented more than once or six times how cute this little gal was. and he might have commented on all of her appendages and how cute they were and how cute her face was and how cute her black hair was. i love hanging out with this kiddo.

we left and got the text from buz (who, btw, does NOT text) saying that big h and i could pick up dinner and go pick out ornaments for the four of us.

we went to four different places and only came up with one for big h and one for daddy. he and daddy have a date to pick out ornaments for the girls sometime soon.

buz's ornament is a replica of this...

this is big h's ornament.

i love my boys.

watched goo pitch one of her bigger fits tonight as we asked her to get into the bath and actually get clean.

again, there is a reason i didn't have a blog when big was two.

oh. my. word.

the tantrums that the wisners know how to throw. we are serious business.

she was asleep tonight within 6.3 seconds.

big h had his christmas program on thursday and friday. he kicked butt. yes, i'm biased. i'm allowed to be. he had a speaking part that he'd been working on for weeks.

"i hear something."

broadway, here he comes.

and he sang both songs with gusto. he's destined for fame, really. will post video tomorrow, ms. wiz.

this week is their last week of school before the holiday. goo has a breakfast on friday for parents and family to come to. for fifteen minutes. can you imagine the goodbyes that morning?

and on saturday, we're going to bathe them (well, probably big h -- goo's bath will depend on the alignment of the stars), put them in their holiday jammies, drive through starbucks for some hot cocoa, and go look at christmas lights. buz and i do this every december 20 -- the night we got engaged. we don't usually bring the kiddos. but our fabulous babysitter already had social plans. the nerve. should be fun. i think they'll have a great time.

oh, and my mom and i are going to the symphony on tuesday night for a little holiday cheer. because we're fancy like that.

and that concludes this wisner weekly recap. stay tuned for video from big h's christmas program.

definitely in the spirit

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

misc as usual

seems i can't get a handle on the whole "blogging on a regular basis thing."

buz is nighty-night. i am up way past my bedtime. but tomorrow is school for big h AND the goo. and i'm thinking about what i'm going to do tomorrow with my five free hours. take a nap on the couch? take a shower? pair buz's unmatched socks? maybe wander the gap? the sky's the limit, really.

let's see. what's been going on in the life with the wisners? had dinner with four fun friends. totally rad, franklin five, sugar, and amy (also referred to in our house as sarah's fun friend) for tamales and gingersnap lattes. i gotta be honest. i don't do girls' night outs very often. but every time i do, i feel so refreshed. granted, i didn't have to eat a tv dinner tonight -- that could be part of it. and i didn't have to give either kiddo a bath. but it was awesome to be with great friends and relax.

and i promised them i would post a video or two of my little man. the kid is freaking hilarious. i realize i am 100% biased. but c'mon. this spanish thing? kills you, right? i love this little guy. or "big guy" as he has corrected me since turning five.



spanish food song from janet wisner on Vimeo.




um. san diego. not going to lie. when you go to a photography workshop, prepared to learn from some of the people you admire most in "the industry," it really SUCKS when your camera breaks. your baby. your gateway to hopefully some awesome images. i told buz i SO didn't want to be known as "the girl whose camera broke." thankfully, most girls didn't even know about it. but again, in all honesty, it kind of yanked the rug out from under me. i actually ended up learning more about my character than i did photography. which was great. i used to always tell my dad that i wish God would stop "building my character." that's what he used to say when something disappointing happened to me growing up. "He's just building your character." but here i am.

my roommate? freaking rocked. and sarah? i might have even told her that i was ready to kick it roommate-style. and she didn't disown me. that's positive. met her right as i got off the plane. we took a cab together back to our hotel and hung out the rest of the day. we had a great week together. she was even able to laugh off my "choice words" when the camera died its horrible death. and still remained my friend. she's an amazing photographer who loves Jesus with everything she is. and i'm pretty sure we're going to be friends for a long time. meaghan, sure do think you're cool.

buz? yeah, he ROCKED it while i was gone. shocker. the guy is amazing. uh-mazing. and i think he had a great time. buz, you're the man.

fall janet? she's here. for now, at least. and seriously. she's so pleasant. i just love her to pieces. what constitutes fall janet, you might ask? fleece. keens. corduroy. cozy blankets at night. the lack of the a/c running. totally void of sweat.

so, hi fall janet. nice to have you here.

every so often, i try to think of words i don't use often and decide that i will work diligently to use them as often as possible. in 1999, it was millennium. buz will tell you i didn't fare too well. 2006 it was fantastic (pronounced fun-TAHS-tic with a bit of a british twist). again. not so much. while i was in san diego, i decided that my new word will be stunning. don't get me wrong. i'm trying. but it's such an extreme word. not many things can really warrant stunning, you know? but i'm really putting out an effort. what's your word?

anything else? OH! i got a cute, little award from a "friend" of mine. she's real cute. seriously. you should go over and say hello. tell her janet sent you. thanks, dude. i love my award. (and i realize that i think i've gotten some cute blog things/buttons, etc. but i forgot about them. and clearly, my blog hasn't been top on priority list lately. sorry, friends.)

i'm sorry. seriously?

granted. i would love for goo to have a doll house. but really?

700 big ones for a toy? that doesn't light up? or make noise? or somehow create revenue?

i love christmas

house divided

for the first time, we had a house divided last night.

but the lullably i heard growing up resonated beautifully throughout my home last night.

Fire ants

I hate fire ants.

I hate them even more after they stung Goo up and down both legs, her arms, armpit and her fingers.

They swarm so fast. Poor goo.

Is it possible for ants to feel pain the instant before they're incinerated? I'll get back to you on that.

Buzz unplugged

Some random thoughts about my last three days playing Mr. Mom...

Each morning after I drop Lil Man off at school, and I drag Goo away kicking and screaming I can hear a the teachers whisper in the hallway...DEAD MAN WALKIN'

My kids now say “boo” to each other as way to say good morning.

Lil Man told me he loved me and always will so that I never have a broken heart

When Goo doesn’t want me to take something from her she’ll say “ No daddy…I hode it”

Goo uses Ah as a subsititute for every pronoun
“Ah tis” here it is
“Ah boots” that’s boots
“Ah tur daddy” your turn daddy
“Ah pez” more wonderpets please
“Ah pink” I would like the pink please…no the other pink idiot

When I tell goo "it’s time to change your poop" she says “no daddy, ah tummy”?
Am I to assume she is telling me the smell is just gas?

When we got home from school today Goo and I played outside while Lil Man went inside. Goo is fascinated by the standing water in the sandbox which she calls mud. I rolled up her sleeves and she spent 20 minutes trying to get the water from her shovel to her little bucket without it falling out.

Goo has found the joy of hiding in the bathroom behind the shower curtain.

Little man is always hungry.

We had spider man mac n cheese tonight. Lil man was sad I had already put the noodles in but he got to add the cheese and butter.

Last night he wanted to wear his incredible jammies so he could be a super hero like goo (since she was wearing her superman)

Mysteriously, he woke up in car jammies this morning. Apparently mr incredible isn’t fully potty trained yet either.

JANET HURRY HOME!!!!

seriously

seriously.


the humble pie the Lord served me today was almost too much to swallow.


i got to california yesterday. met my roommate at the airport. she is awesome. loves the Lord. awesome. we had a great day getting to know each other. we went to a mixer last night to meet all of the (40) girls who are here for this workshop.


i love mixers.


actually, no. i don't


(note the sarcasm.)


but i did fine. way to go, janet.


this morning, we had class. lots of class. then, lunch. and then we were to break up into groups to shoot the various models assigned to us.


so i'm shooting. feeling confused. but ready to keep learning. after all, that's why i'm here.


i'm doing more shooting. and more shooting.


and chink. chink. kunk. kunk.


these are NOT good sounds coming out of one's camera. NOT GOOD SOUNDS.


and then. my camera stopped working.


let me repeat myself.


my camera STOPPED. WORKING.


so...cool. alright. i'm at a photography workshop without a camera.


talked to one of the instructors. we spent some time together. she said it didn't look too good.


she walked me back to my swanky hotel. i talked to the "whatever, whenever" rep about whether or not there was a camera store anywhere around here.


she arranged for a driver to take me to the one DOWN. THE. STREET.


i went in. and immediately burst into tears. i couldn't help it.


three unbelievably nice guys helped me. first, by asking me what year i was in college.


thank you. i'm 33. you are such a dear.


and they looked and looked. and then said, "time of death...4:30PM."


i called my parents. (totally by God's grace, i wasn't able to reach buz. i was afraid i would've totally lost it had i heard his sweet voice. course, i lost it when i heard my parents' sweet voices.)


so basically, he sold me a very basic display model camera for not much. at all. to get me through this week. i will decide where to go from here once i get home.


but my roommate was awesome, asking what she could do. and the instructor who originally talked to me about has continued to ask.


but God is good. i'm pressing on. i refuse to let this get the best of me. i am here for a reason. i know i am.


the hotel is awesome. i am surrounded by unbelievable talent. and some women of God. that part, i really love.


so tonight, i am heading up to the lounge with my (buz's) laptop to try to learn the bulk of what i missed this afternoon.


this is just a bump in the road. a big bump. but just a bump.


and i know my kiddos are being loved on by their daddy which makes all of this easier to take.


kelly, i love you. thanks for talking me down. :)


buz, i literally can't imagine my life without you.

two posts in one day

seriously.

tomorrow night? friday night? big h is having a friend over. and not just to play after school.

sleep over.

oh. my. word.

i could swear to you -- i just heard big h ask me if he could borrow the keys to my car.

i'm thinking that putting him in a pull-up is mandatory. yes? :) can't think of anything that would ruin the mood more than waking up to a wet spot in your friend's bed.

this is a little boy that big h has known for more than half of his life. longer than he has known goo. they started at the same preschool for MDO FOUR years ago. they have been in the same class every year. sweet, sweet kid. so he knows him pretty well. and he has a little sister a couple of months younger than goo. so the mom and i have gotten to know each other.

but i can't tell you all of the thoughts that have been running through my head.

will he sleep in the same bed with big h? will he sleep in a sleeping bag on the floor? will he fall asleep faster than big h? will that weird big h out? will big h want to cuddle with him? will they ever actually go to sleep? will his mom end up coming to get him at 930? will he want to come and get in our bed at 4am too? what will goo think?

this is way new.

but big h has been asking for weeks now. i finally bit the bullet and called his mom. and she said, "are you sure you guys are up for it?"

buz and i? we're risk takers. sure, we're up for it.

(kidding on the whole risk-taking thing.) :)

so milestone #671 will occur tomorrow night at home of the wisners. pray. pray for big h. that he doesn't weird out with his friend over. pray for his friend. that he has a good time here. pray for goo. that she'll be able to fall asleep with all the fun happening. and really, pray for buz and me. that we don't literally age overnight.

i'm doing it

i'm taking a big plunge. into uncharted territory. for me, at least.


this monday, i leave for san diego, california. for a photography workshop. like, a real one.


(and save your comments about me being a jet setting stay-at-home mom. i have gotten plenty of those from my spouse.)


i am nervous. i am anxious.


i will try and spare you the story of how things have gotten to this point. in a nutshell. took a darkroom developing class with a friend. she went hard core successful. she's amazing like that. i've watched from afar. with awe. but have wanted to be more. more confidence. more satisfaction. more. and to be honest, i think she's wanted more for me too. she has been the all-encompassing friend/mentor. she has helped me with everything. and when i say, i mean everything. like frantic phone calls about my "work" not looking right. and her response always being, "oh no big deal. we'll just fix it for you." and her other comments? basically can be summarized by "dude. you rocked that. seriously. you rocked it."


weentrab, i heart you so much. i love you for the photographer you are. but i love you even more for the friend you are to me. roots and now wings, right? :)



anyway. in APRIL. i took that next step. i got a call one saturday night. the four of us were having dinner. we normally don't answer the phone during dinner. but for some reason, buz answered. well, not for "some" reason. for a Jesus moment. it was one of the photographers putting on the workshop. she wanted to know if i would be interested.


um. duh.


luckily, that's NOT what i said. but it was close. don't think it's not what i wanted to say.


i knew it would be a stretch for buz and me financially. but we both felt like the Lord was making the decision for us.


easy enough.


so since APRIL. i have had time to be nervous. anxious. afraid.


all those warm fuzzies.


but i've been clinging to the comforting peace. i have officially breathed a sigh of relief. i feel like i can hear Him whisper, "it's going to be great. be still. know that I am God."


ok. well then. that's it.


so, now i'm packing. staying in a fancy hotel. gonna kick it roommate-style with a fun, new friend (who probably isn't it aware that i just used the phrase "kick it roommate-style -- bless her heart). preparing to learn from four unbelievable photographers from different parts of the country. and leaving my "duties" back home to my freakin' RAD buz and my parents.


so because i'm clearly so frequent in posting lately (tongue in cheek), i just wanted you to know that i'll be gone for a while. honing in on my mad skillz.


or whatever.

(and if someone can tell me WHAT IN THE HECK is up with the formatting and why my post is double-spaced? well, that would be great.)

so many things to say

so prepare yourself. as usual.

i haven't been around. for exciting reasons. like my recent vacation/"business trip" to montana two weeks ago. like big h turning five.

we're going bullet points tonight. because i want to get this written out. more for posterity sake than anything else.

(and beware. i'm not proofing any of the layout. like if the pictures are in the middle or on the left. which will kill the OCD side of me.)

and because lately, i would really rather be snuggling with buz watching fun shows and looking through the THREE FEET of christmas catalogs at night than blogging. it seems to have taken a number on the low priority list.

(speaking of buz. right now. he's looking through old pictures. to have scanned. friends of his on facebook -- consider yourself warned.)

• milestone #1 since we last "spoke." big h and goo went to the dentist.

this is pretty big. big h is FIVE and has not been to the dentist yet. don't judge. but you gotta start somewhere, right? and so we did it. took them both for the first time at the same time. and i'm here to report. nothing. my kids are freaking rockstars. ROCK STARS! big h went first. x-rays. check. of course, he's a boy interested in anything electronic. so he asked the tech if he could look. then, sunglasses and a movie on the ceiling. rotating toothbrush with toothpaste. check. water "squirter" to rinse off teeth. check. "straw" to suck out his saliva? check. fluoride treatment with "mouth thing" and straw? check. and a goody bag filled to the brim with new crayola toothbrush, floss, toothpaste, and coupon for kid rinse. not to mention a prize. seriously. he thought it was like going to the store. he told dad, "i got to get my teeth all sparkly AND look what all i got while i was there!!!!!!" and then it was goo's turn. they let her sit in my lap while holding nemo with teeth. she brushed his teeth while they did hers. hoss. she didn't care about the goody bag. but the bouncy ball was well worth it. and the icing on the cake. the dentist? my age. not only that. but it turns out we were both freshman at baylor the same year living in the SAME DORM. hello. and now you're talking to me about my children's dental hygiene. weird. yet surprisingly cool. which brings us to...

• huge milestone #2. big h using a normal amount of toothpaste. he has been saying for several months now that when he turned five, he was going to start using more toothpaste and spit like me. flattering. and by more toothpaste, he meant enough to actually see. well, every night since we got back from the dentist, he has wanted me to floss his teeth. i know. AND. tonight. he put a GLOB of turquoise lightning mcqueen toothpaste on his toothbrush and let me brush. EVERYWHERE. perhaps you don't understand how HUGE this is. if not, pretend. this is HUGE. and he was delighted. he even said that swooshing and spitting was cool. i love this kid.
• ENORMOUS MILESTONE #3. i am writing this out for my little online scrapbook of sorts. so please, please, please save the judgment for someone else. my child. my FIVE-YEAR-OLD little boy. has slept the last two nights in UNDERWEAR. for those of you without children, feel free to skip this part. you'll be bored. i can assure you. our awesome pediatrician suggested we wait to potty train big h until he was at least three. after goo was born. he has always been a little late doing things. talking, etc. but he always makes up for it. like, when we did potty train, it took THREE days to potty train. three days. and that was it. except for the nighttime part. and we have worked for TWO YEARS on wetting. i'll admit it. it's been a real struggle. but we knew in time, it would happen. and to be honest, i was done changing so many sheets all the time. so he's been in a pullup for a LONG time. well. i think it's happened. and i don't really believe in the whole "jinx" thing so i'm writing it on the internet. friday afternoon, we met some friends after school to play. one of the kids asked if something had scared big h. and he responded, "nope. i'm pretty brave. i'm pive. i also sleep in underwear." (can you imagine if it was ok for me to talk about what underwear i sleep in?) anyway. that night, he had gone to change into his jammies, and buz and i were getting goo out of the bath. (yes, it takes both of us.) and he came in. instantly buz noticed, and big h said nonchalantly, "yeah, i'm just wearing underwear tonight." secretly, i was bummed because i knew we were going back into the season of changing sheets. he woke up saturday morning totally dry and again was so nonchalant about it. this morning, he woke up dry too. TWO DAYS. unbelievable. i am so impressed with my little man, i can't stand it.
• now, the only other thing he wanted to do once he turned "pive" was to get a "real" massage. guess i need to get that scheduled.
• he had a fun birthday party. know how to take a flattering picture of yourself? send yourself down a bounce house slide. works every time.


• big h got stickers for his birthday. he's been rewarding himself for good behavior. again, i love this kid.


• seems that i cannot, CANNOT, stop eating peanut m'n'm's. have i mentioned i don't even like chocolate?
• goo has become increasingly more sassy. and i use sassy as a cute word for OHMYHEAVENSWILLSHEEVEROBEY.
• last night, she insisted on wearing big h's raincoat to bed. it was one of those battles i didn't want to fight. so she worked it in her bright yellow, way too big rain coat. all night long. goo.
• and several nights ago, she was adamant about wearing big h's rain boots to bed. and so she did. what is up with her obsession with rain apparel? too big rain apparel.
see? cute, little goo asleep. with her cute, little jammies. pink blankie underneath her head.nice.

• reasons i love having a daughter.

• two weeks ago, we had some family pictures taken by my friend, courtney. actually, we took hers, and she and her husband returned the favor. so fun NOT to have to use a tripod.


• what else? RIGHT. i went to montana. i freaking love montana. i so wish i lived there. not only does my best friend live there, the weather is unbelievable. do you remember the reason i went? the long story? the senior i photographed? um, hello? he could not be any more handsome. and the personality and character to go with it. and his mom was telling me that because of the accident, he will most likely go into full-time ministry for Christ. i'm telling you. this was NO JOB. he has a younger sister and brother, who are such neat kids. wait...young people? how not to offend 17- and 15-year-olds? cool? awesome? i'm finding myself feeling old right now. and their parents? so much fun. and wow...great parents. i SO don't want big h and the goo to grow up and be teenagers. anyway, they were such a blast to hang out with.

meet chase, the senior. i know. how handsome?

and his sister. brynne. gorgeous.

and his brother, cole. so handsome.

and his WAY CUTE parents. so young and hip. please let me look like this when i have teenagers.

• as for kelly? well, she remains my best friend. we did a bunch of running errands, eating, drinking dr. pepper (oh how the two of us can polish off some DP), talking about patagonia, making dinner for each other, and loving on little lizzy, who has more clothes and blankies than she will know what to do with. we watched movies, wore sweaters and jeans and warm socks, cried at touching things on the internet, talked about purses we wanted. we just were. which is how it always is. which is why i love her so deeply.
• and buz? well, he's just pretty much ALL THAT. he did such an awesome job while i was gone. awesome. you know what? after having such a great time, i was actually ready to go home. after spending time with kelly's kids, it really made me miss my own.
• let's see. anything else new? i think that's about it.
• oh wait! i told my mom and mother-in-law that i would start taking pictures of goo after church. it's the only time she wears something without a stain or pink converse. not to mention, she started smelling the flowers outside church. on her own. her very own photo shoot once a week. here you go, mom and ms. wiz.

which means now i will sign off to have a DP, cuddle with buz, and start making a dent in those catalogs.

the obligatory halloween post

so, i guess there's an unwritten rule that says when you have children, you have to post pictures of them in their halloween costumes. and of course, how darling they are.

and so, i am here to do just that.

see? darling.

big h as bumble bee, the yellow transformer. and goo, as a fairy bag lady of sorts.

we went to a carnival that a VERY LARGE church here hosts every year. here is big h riding in a parachute ride. couldn't believe he did it.

even more so...goo, the fearless wonder did it. almost fell out of the harness because she wasn't big enough. after that, she was done with "rides." (clearly, she was SO done with her costume.)

the fam enjoying some refreshments.

don't mind goo, who inhaled an entire polish sausage, including the bread. she's so dainty.

and that concludes the wisner halloween extravaganza.

happy birthday, little man

my sweet big h.

well, first. rest assured i won't repeat your birth story today. but please know that i really want to. like, really badly. i had no idea that i would join that club of women that tells their child their labor story every year on their child's birthday. but i joined that club at 639am on thursday, october 30, 2003.

big h. this year has been an incredible one. you have grown up so much. i can hardly believe it.

you love having our babysitter, J, over. you guys play the Wii together. i looked at my calendar, and i realized that you NEVER saw dr. g this year. never. as in, not once. you've still got your tubes in your ears. three years running. unheard of. actually, we're headed to see dr. m in about two weeks. if they're still in, we'll have to get them surgically removed. bummer. but wow -- we owe SO MUCH to those tiny, little miracles.

you played t-ball for the first time this year. your first organized sport. you didn't love it. but you learned to have an amazing attitude about it. your last game, your coach put on the "pitcher's mound." you went after every ball. and decided that you loved "baseball." last game of the year. figures.

you took swimming lessons for four straight weeks this summer. and big h. you did it. you went under the water. and really swam. you're not training for the Olympics or anything, but i can't tell you how my head swelled with pride for you. you overcame such a big fear.

you started your last year of preschool this year. excuse me while i get a kleenex. and you go everyday. you are such a big kid. you LOVE preschool. you have ten boys and five girls in your class. your obedience this year has surprised me so much. you have always had a love for all things structure. but the way that has started to manifest itself has blown me away. you love rules and crave obedience. you get really concerned when others don't. you're realizing that life/school is easier, more fun, and operates much smoother when kids/people obey the rules and do what they're told. apparently, there is a student in your class who frequently disobeys the rules and this bothers you so much and makes you so sad. you get your feelings hurt when people aren't nice to people you care about. every morning on the way to school, you and i talk to Jesus. i go first (at your request). you chime in sometimes and sometimes you wait until i'm finished. and the one thing you pray about every morning is that this specific student would make good choices. and then we let goo say amen. that's her favorite part.

speaking of goo. big h, you are, by far, the most wonderful big brother. sure, you don't let her play with your playmobils or legos or diego zipline or your computer reading games. BUT you let her pick the show you watch together. every time. even if it's a "girl show" or a "baby show." and you can't stop cuddling with her. and the things you say to her on a daily basis? make my heart melt. "goo, you're learning so many new words. great job, goo!"

and shows. just for posterity sake, the shows you watch are word world (but they don't have new episodes very often), wonder pets, max and ruby, wow wow wubbzy, and imagination movers. (for the record, mama cannot STAND imagination movers.)

you still sleep pretty good. you doddle a little more at bedtime, but dad and i are working hard on that. really, really hard. and a HUGE milestone for you. last night, you slept with only your lamp on. you have been sleeping at night with the overhead light on. i know...the people reading this are picking their jaws up off the floor. it's true. luckily, we've gotten away with the lowest wattage possible. but still. the overhead light, dude. so you decided (on your own) that there were several things you were going to do when you turned five. one was to sleep with only a lamp. and you did it. rock on, superstar. the other two things were to put more toothpaste on your toothbrush and get a real massage. yes, i'm serious. you want a chair massage at a mall. we promised that for your birthday. and we will come through.

when you get up in the morning, you come in our room. dad's already left for work. (dad's a morning person just like you. goo and i don't get that. at all.) you put your iceberg toes on my legs, and i love it. if it's before 7, you have to be quiet. i know, i have it made. we usually watch a show together. usually imagination movers. that sound you hear every morning? it's me sighing because of that show. but i wouldn't trade those thirty minutes for anything.

some days, goo gets up about the same time and you cannot wait for me to go get her. if it's early enough, i put her in my bed with us, and the three of us snuggle. but usually she doesn't get up until we're ready to leave for school.

you are totally self-sufficient in so many areas. putting your clothes on. brushing your teeth. putting your own ear plugs in at bath time. picking out what you want for breakfast.

you still love to take something with us in the car when we go somewhere. usually a lego vehicle that daddy has made you. (by the way, you have commented that i make awesome lego spaceships. just wanted that documented.)

you don't take a nap anymore, which is actually nice. when goo does, you do a great job doing quiet activities (playing computer reading games, playing legos, etc.).

as far as eating, i'll say it. you're picky. you love milk, chicken, turkey dogs, juice, couscous, pizza, any form of cracker, just discovered popsicles this summer, gummy fruit snacks, carrots, corn on the cob, and PASTA. oh how you love pasta. you can live on any kind of pasta (given that it is void of any "red or green things"). you don't like soda, and you're cautious when it comes to candy. ?? you like tootsie rolls (and call them tipsy rolls) and flavored tootsie rolls, cake and cupcakes, nerds (yes, the little sour crunchy candy), and you don't really like ice cream. crazy. you're like your mama. not into sweets but could eat your weight in a bag of nacho cheese doritos.

big h, so much has changed since you were born. you're an easy kid. (NEVER did i think i would say that.) you adore your family and friends. your conversations are incredible. three of your teachers (music, Spanish, and movement) have told me that you are the only kid who dances and sings at the top of his lungs in class. and that you are a joy to have around. you are absolutely delightful. i really feel like you're going to be a leader. you came home from school one day telling me "mama, i think i set a good example for someone today."

we went to pick you up from church one sunday, and you had a toy. i know they don't give out toys at church. you said you got it for learning your memory verse. "nothing can separate me from God's love." there is nothing sweeter to my ears that hearing you hide His Word in your heart.

you love your dad. you cherish the moment you hear the garage door open.

your hair is an amazing color. women have told me that they would pay money if "that" was sold in a bottle.

you love letters and numbers. your favorite number is one million. :) you love noticing letters that are lowercase. and you love when we go to CVS together because you tell me that you can read the sign. :)

this year, you are having your birthday party at a bounce house, which is funny because you have never seemed to enjoy them. oh well. and it is a batman theme. you love batman lately because he "depeats the bad guys." you are so into superheroes. you love to dress up. you'll be bumble bee the yellow transformer for halloween. you've never seen him before but you saw him at wal-mart one day and you love transformers. goo's going to be cinderella (aka "blue mama").

(and for the record, i am really sad. you are starting to say more and more words correctly. like you say "Four" and "Five" instead of pour and pive. i still get to hear you say your L's as Y's (i.e. i yuv you). but because i am proud of myself because i've really been teaching you the correct way to pronounce the words you aren't pronouncing correctly. even though it means i get to hear them less and less. i will miss your "speak." i love it. but i know that it needs to change as you get older.)

you and i started grocery shopping together once every two weeks at night. you are such a wonderful companion.

big h, i can't believe that five years ago, i heard, "it's a boy." i was so elated. and i proceeded to sleep for six straight hours. i was pooped. (here is where i am restraining myself from telling your birth story.) we have had a tough time over the years, you and i . but to my amazement, we have grown together and formed a beautiful bond. remind me to thank those who assured me that life would eventually get better (my two mentors at church, dr. g, all of the ECI crew, and your dad--even though i think he was as unsure as i was).

you are such a sensitive little boy. (hmmm...wonder where you got that. dad.) you are an absolute joy to be around, little man. i love you with all of my being. i am truly honored that God chose me to be your mama. i pray that daddy and i continue to work hard pointing you to your Heavenly Father.

thank you for blessing my life, HPW.

happy birthday, big h from janet wisner on Vimeo.

prepare yourself. it's a long story.

so my best pal kelly. you know this one? this one? yeah. her.

she just had a baby. and while i was/am happy for her, i was a little sad the day she delivered because reality had sunk in that i probably wouldn't meet her until she was walking and talking. because kelly didn't meet goo until she was two months shy of her second birthday. pitiful.

rewind to about a year ago. when kelly and i are talking on the phone, and she tells me about a horrible skiing accident that happened to a seventeen-year-old boy. he broke his back. this family goes to kelly's church. this boy's mother watched kelly's first child when she returned to work about five years ago. let's just say close family friends.

so i've been praying consistently for this boy by name. he's "fine" now. will never ski again. but apparently is back to "normal." and he's a senior.

fast forward to two days ago. his mom calls kelly and asks if i was coming to visit anytime soon. kelly tells her no. she asks if kelly thinks i would be willing to come up there and photograph her son for his senior portraits. she'll use her frequent flyer miles to get me there. and oh! how about janet come a couple of days early so she can spend some time with you and lizzy?

but there's a small catch. said senior has to turn in a yearbook picture by november 8.

um, please tell me you see where this story is going.

next saturday (the 25th), i get to board a plane for MONTANA and head out west to see my best friend, her baby, and meet the boy i've been praying for.

God is so good. you know why? (other than all of those things?) buz mentioned "now, you know. that is the week i was planning to take off anyway?" seriously.

my life freaking rocks.

so i'm leaving saturday and coming back on wednesday. i'm killing like fifteen birds with one stone.

at least goo thought it was funny

so big h has begun telling jokes. actually, he's been telling them for a while. but it seems that it's becoming a daily ritual these days. and typically we tell the same three knock knock jokes. and everyone laughs. which, really, is sad. because they're not funny. and after the token three have been told, the three of us start losing it and telling jokes that really aren't jokes at all.

the three token ones are:

1. knock knock. who's there? who. who who? hey, i didn't know there was an owl in here. (laughing begins)
2. knock knock. who's there? boo. boo who? oh, don't be sad. it's just a joke. (more laughing)
3. knock knock. banana. banana who? knock knock. who's there? banana. banana who? knock knock. who's there? orange. orange who? orange you glad i didn't say banana again? (and we're hyperventilating from all the humor)

then, the jokes that aren't really jokes:

1. knock knock. who's there? goo. goo who? goo had dinner tonight. (ha ha ha ha ha. wait, what? that doesn't make any sense.)
2. knock knock. who's there? daddy. daddy who? daddy is funny. (ha ha ha ha ha. huh? are these jokes?)
3. knock knock. who's there? car. car who? we ride in a car. (ha ha ha ha ha. ok. i'm sorry, but is this going to be over anytime soon? it's painful.)

the other night, goo had had enough listening to these. so she tried to tell her own. bless her heart. i think she might have told the punch line a little early.

great ending

today was good.

took big h to school. went home to play polly pockets with the goo. got back in the car and headed to music class.

you know. goo likes to kick it. she's got rhythm. and she knows it. i don't mind admitting it. it's kind of a cheesy little music class at the little church down the street. but it's something for the two of us to do together. today was fun. we danced in circles and then the music said, "freeze."

and home girl froze.

made me proud.

so home we went for a nap. goo. not me. though, i wish i had.

headed back to get big h. went to the grocery store really quickly to pick up a couple of things. big h LOVES this store. which is funny because he doesn't like fruits or vegetables.

i take that back. he does like bananas and carrots. i stand corrected. but ever since last friday when they had an "apple stand" at school, he's decided that he likes granny smith apples. and let me make a mental note today to get him saying "granny smith" on video. it's freaking hilarious.

so we went to sprouts to get said granny smith apples. now, he hasn't actually, you know, EATEN it yet. but we'll see.

but he HAS been singing A-P-P-L-E-S (to the tune of B-I-N-G-O) all weekend. so i'm hopeful for those granny smiths.

oh, and sprouts has his favorite chapstick. yes. my almost five-year-old has a favorite chapstick only available at farmers markets. whatever.

we headed home and watched two episodes of wonder pets. we love wonder pets. yes, i said we. i love them. buz thinks i would play a pretty good "tuck" if they were ever to need a back-up.

it was such a beautiful day (read: i had on jeans. Praise the Lord.) that big h suggested we go outside and play kickball. and that, we did. for an hour and a half. dad was going to be home late, so we went inside for me to make dinner, and we went back outside for a picnic.

i'd say it was a good time?