Category Archives: Wordless Wednesday

I went to the Milwaukee County Zoo with Jack’s daycare on Tuesday.  As Zoo Pass holders, Jack and I are regular Zoo devotees, but I was especially excited to see how Jack would enjoy our Zoo with the other Angelfish (the 3-year old classroom is called the Angelfish room, and these kids have some serious Angelfish Pride going.  It is pretty cute).

The weather was perfect, the kids were in a great mood, but the most excitement came from the tigers.  Those tigers put on a great show for the kids.

All of the little ones lined up by the glass portion of the tiger enclosure to get a better look at the big cats as they bathed and rested in the sun.  One of the tigers was pretty interested in all of the little faces peering in on his bathtime, so he came up to the glass and paid a special visit.

Jack was face to face with a tiger.

What a fun day.

How did it come to this?  How did this, my teeny, tiny little baby -

Turn into a big kid who gets school pictures taken?

And, perhaps more amazingly, what kind of voodoo did they use to get him to look at the camera AND smile?

Not to mention, how did they get him to POSE?  At home, this would have been an hour of “Jack, look here.  Smile.  No, look at the camera.  Over here!  Wait, move your hand.  Okay, keep it there.  Wait, stop.  No.  Okay, now smile!  At the camera, Jack!  Jack, come back here!”  Topped off with a nice glass of wine or two for me.  Child photographers are pretty amazing – it isn’t like Jack was the only 2 year old getting his picture taken that day.  Someone managed to wrangle a whole roomful of these little guys and get them to pose and smile in a way that would make their parents drop $50 on school pictures.

Jack's senior picture, 16 years early

It was worth every penny.

We are a family that wears hats.  We have hats for every occasion – formal or casual, hot or cold, wet or dry.  We love our hats.

This week we decided that it was time for Jack to have his first “nice” hat.  One trip to a local men’s hat store (the good, old-fashioned kind, where you can take in a fine hat for a cleaning and be sure that it will be well cared for) and Jack had his own fedora.

I think he wears it well.

Is there anything more wonderful than a walk in the woods with your favorite little person?

Walking with no agenda, no deadline.  No particular plan other than to enjoy the sights and sounds of nature, and of the good company.

If you walk far enough, you’ll find some pretty amazing things.  Like a giant tree ripped from the ground.

What a time we  had.

Totally unrelated to parenting, green living, eco-activism, or anything else I post on this blog, I have a very cool Wordy Wednesday post for you today.

I like to scour antique stores for old datebooks, diaries and day planners.  I enjoy reading the entries and getting a glimpse into the lives of people I don’t know.  One of my first such scores was a day planner of a woman who traveled all over the United States in the 1930s.  She recounted her travels and kept a log of her expenses, including boarding, food, and even some random things like pantyhose and cigars.

Recently, my husband added to my collection with my very first autograph book.  Come and enjoy this glimpse into 1949 with me.

Apparently autograph books enjoyed a stretch of popularity in this era.  I have seen my grandmother’s autograph book and it is similar.  This one has a touch of water damage, but it is still very enjoyable.

Many of the entries are in pencil, and some have faded over time, but those that are legible are a total joy.

“I like to be naughty, I like to be nice, but just to be naughty, I’ll sign my name twice.  Carol Ann Schank Carol Ann Schank.  2 good 2 be 4 gotten.”

“Dear Bev, I ‘auto’ cry, I ‘auto’ laugh, I ‘auto’ sign my ‘auto’ graph. Lots of love Margie Cherboneau.”

And finally, my personal favorite:

“I see you in the ocean, I see you in the sea, I see you in the bathtub.  Oh!  Pardon me!  Janie.”

On Sunday we had a wonderful time with my sister and brother-in-law at their home on Lake Geneva.  We had a half birthday party for Jack and enjoyed a ride on their beautiful boat.  We have so much to be grateful for.

A wonderful family who loves us and who wants to include us in their lives;

The ability to take time for leisure and enjoyment;

Security, in multiple senses of the word.

And this.  I love them so much:

“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” – Thornton Wilder

My new favorite thing to do is watch Jack and his chickens play in the yard.  You can’t possibly have a bad day with this going on.

Chickens! Come out!

Hi, my Chickens! I Jack!

No, chickens. Don't step on the tomato plants!

Jack has a little public service announcement for all of his fellow babies and toddlers:

Did you know that a diaper

can also be used

to store toys?

Give it a try!  Your mom will be so impressed when she finds Thomas the Train during your next diaper change!

How cool is this?

I woke up one morning to a treasure map drawn by my husband.

Next to it was a napkin, spoon and bag:

Aww.  And what did the treasure map lead to?  A nice helping of my husband’s homemade strawberry shortcake, all wrapped up in a to-go container so I could enjoy it at work.

Love it.  What a great way to start the day!

We’ve had some beautifully warm weather here lately, and Jack’s hair was becoming increasingly unmanageable.

The “final straw,” so to speak, was when he managed to cake wads of dirt from the garden into his hair just moments after a bath.

So once again, it was time for THE BUZZ.

Unlike last year when we gave him this haircut, this year he was perfectly cognizant of his hair being cut.  ”Oh no, my hair!  Bye bye, hair!”  He seemed a little sad, but he likes his new ‘do.   The only problem I see with his haircut is that it makes him look like an old man of three or four instead of the sweet little two that he is.  *sniffle*