It’s hard to
believe that we have a two-year-old in our house! Where did the time go? And what were our lives like before our
little Addy Cakes came along?
In
celebration of Addy’s birthday month, Daddy was deployed to Biloxi,
Mississippi, for military training, so we found renters, packed, tied up loose
ends in Madison, said our goodbyes, and headed to Biloxi for an eight-month
adventure at Keesler Air Force Base. Our
trip began on Thursday, September 6, at 4:10 p.m. when we left Madison. Addy finished all the snacks we had packed
for the entire trip by 4:20 p.m. and was still hungry. We decided to stop in Rockford, Illinois, for
dinner. Once we exited the interstate,
Addy asked if we were going to a pancake house and then declared that we had
arrived in Mississippi. That should have
been our first clue that this was going to be the longest 16-hour road trip of
our entire lives! By 7 p.m., the girls
were in their pajamas and fresh diapers.
We headed out, noting that the first hour of our trip took three hours
to complete. Soon, Stella was screaming,
resulting in several stops on the side of the road while Addy told us, “Stella
sleepy.” When I declared that driving to
Mississippi was a terrible idea, Daddy shared one of his “glass half full”
analogies saying that at least we were not traveling the Oregon Trail in a
covered wagon fighting typhoid fever. Thank
you for those words of wisdom!
We reached
St. Louis by 1:30 a.m., and while Daddy and I were admiring the Gateway Arch
and commenting that Addy would have enjoyed seeing it, along with all the
construction cranes, Addy woke up. (Be
careful what you wish for!) She remained
awake until 5:30 a.m. when we arrived at the Holiday Inn in Batesville, where
Uncle Jay was staying. While Daddy and I
tried to catch a few hours of sleep, Addy laid between us monkeying around
doing “spider tickles” and putting Hooey in our faces. Addy had her first Mississippi pancakes at
the Holiday Inn restaurant in Batesville, but Daddy thought they tasted
horrible, so he told her we weren’t in Mississippi yet! We departed Batesville at 8:30 a.m. to begin
what would become the most excruciating part of the trip with two screaming
children who needed to get out and play.
Addy soon
determined that she could get us to stop the van if she told us she had a messy
diaper, so she began “crying wolf” over and over again. After a few false alarms, we decided enough
was enough, so we told her the story of the boy who cried wolf, perhaps with a
few embellishments, and vowed not to stop again. Two minutes later, Addy said she had a poopy
diaper. As I prepared to ignore the
statement and encourage Daddy to keep driving, something prompted me to turn around
for a quick visual assessment. Let’s
just say the poop was coming out of the diaper at this point and almost in the
carseat. As we pulled over and whisked
Addy out of the van, a Mississippi state trooper pulled up behind us. Daddy tried to distract the trooper and keep
him away from the van as we did not want him to ruin a good pair of shoes!
As we got
back on the road for what felt like the 100th time, we were going to
call Uncle Jay to let him know where we were on the map. Just as we started looking around to see what
city was coming up, we passed a billboard that read, “God Save America! Jesus Christ is the Answer. Vote Republican.” Unfortunately, I was too slow with the
camera, but it did provide an interesting landmark for Uncle Jay to determine
how much farther behind us he was in the trip.
We finally
arrived in Biloxi, where we proceeded to Keesler Air Force Base to sign our
lease and tour our house. The white
carpet, white walls, and white trim may prove to be a toddler’s dream and my
worst nightmare. Addy did finally get to
experience her “Mississippi Pancake House,” as we went out for breakfast the
next day. Unfortunately, the local place
we were searching for was nowhere to be found, so we had to settle for another
Mississippi hotspot…IHOP!
Uncle Jay
stayed with us for a few days before heading home. One night, we went out for dinner at a restaurant
called Shaggy’s. When we walked in,
Uncle Jay commented that it would have been a fun place if we were ten years
younger and not requesting highchairs.
It was on the Mississippi Sound with a beautiful view of the water, and
even though the beaches were technically “closed” due to the aftermath of
Hurricane Isaac, specifically the dead swamp rats that were washed ashore,
bloating, and spontaneously exploding, we had fun trying oysters for the first
time and enjoying the atmosphere.
So far,
Mississippi is hot and humid. Every time
I ask Daddy what the temperature is, I expect him to say 110 degrees because
that is what it feels like, but it’s usually only 87. The sun seems to be more direct and overhead
here; I am convinced we are on the equator!
There are plenty of interesting looking bugs and spiders, and we have
Dobermans next door who like to bark the entire time they are outside. They also haven’t had a bath since the last
tropical storm came through. Our house
is infested with mold, although we don’t have it nearly as bad as some of the
other families. There are few running
paths that can accommodate the jogger, and there are no hills for
training. I am calling this area a food
desert, as there seems to be a lack of high quality, easily accessible organic
food.
On the
bright side, our house is spacious and new (built in 2008). There is a beautiful military cemetery nearby
that I can run through, and we are only 1.5 miles from the beach. We are in a tourist area, and cities like New
Orleans, Jackson, Mobile, Baton Rouge, and Pensacola are all within driving
distance. The weather promises to
improve as the weeks go on, and by mid-January, it should be wonderful. Daddy is enjoying his schooling including his
6 a.m. to 3 p.m. schedule, I’ve found a nice running partner, I’m helping out
with the South Mississippi Running Club, and I’m looking forward to checking
out the Gulf Coast Running Club Sunday mornings at 6:15 a.m. Oh, and having our handy maintenance man on
call 24 hours a day is not bad either!
On Addy’s
second birthday, we had professional family photos taken at the Memorial Union
on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus.
Per usual, trying to get all four people smiling at the camera was
nearly impossible. The photographer was
definitely not prepared for Addy’s “pretty smile,” aka scrunched up silly face,
as she kept saying, “Oh my,” every time she asked Addy to smile.
On the day
after her second birthday, Daddy and Mommy were in the midst of discussing how
Addy hasn’t really presented any “terrible twos” that we can recall. Moments later, when we sat down for lunch,
Addy began demanding the following foods, many of which she’s only tried once
or twice in her entire lifetime: bacon,
chocolate chips, juice, gummy worms, and marshmallows. When we said we didn’t have those things or
that we weren’t having them for lunch, a complete meltdown followed. And so it begins…
Mealtime has
produced a lot of tears lately, as Addy makes numerous requests for DIFFERENT
FOOD. We are pretty firm on the fact
that this is not a short-order restaurant, so we expect the tears to continue
on until someone wins this battle.
Hint: It will not be Addy.
Addy is
becoming Miss Independent, as she can now open the refrigerator and walk
downstairs by herself.
Addy is very
busy throughout the day. She can often be
found doing laundry, JUST READIN’ books in her bedroom, TOOKIN’ (cooking),
feeding dollies MILT (milk), cleaning floors and surfaces with a Kleenex,
talking on the phone, hammering, fixing things with Daddy, and using the dry
mop to Swiffer the floor, shelves, and pictures hanging on the wall.
At Addy’s two-year
check, Dr. Bellissimo was a bit concerned about her tippy toe walking. She asked if we’d like to have a specialist
look at Addy’s feet and possibly get them “cast.” Mommy had no idea what that meant, but it
sounded awful. We decided to go the
route of reminding Addy “no tippy toes.”
Addy is
enthralled with Great-uncle Rick and Great-aunt Karen’s CD that we purchased at
their last show. She especially likes
the songs, “Dust on the Trail” and “Timber,” as they both have repeated lines. “Dust, dust, dust on the trail,” and “Timber
timber timber timber timber timber,” are her favorite parts. She yells, “Timber timber,” every time the
song comes on, and she can identify yodeling and banjo playing. One night before bath, Addy took all her
clothes off, ran out of the bathroom, and turned on the CD player. She returned to tell Mommy that she needed
MOO-SIC during her bath. We will need to
pick up some of Great-uncle Rick and Great-aunt Karen’s other CDs, as we’ve
been listening to the one we have approximately five times a day!
Addy has
several key stalling techniques at bedtime, including asking for water,
insisting that her teeth hurt, saying she has to go potty, asking for a diaper
change, self-prescribing medicine, and asking Daddy to HOLD YOU (me). Her latest antic involved telling Mommy that
her BUTT HURT and she needed medicine, as well as demanding that DAFF (giraffe)
TAKE SHOES OFF. Mommy had to explain
that giraffe’s shoes are actually hooves, and they are part of his feet.
Addy enjoys
putting things in TIMEOUT. Recently, the
three balloons left from her birthday were shoved in the closet. She told us, “BALLOONS TIMEOUT.” As we tried to reason with her that perhaps
balloons shouldn’t be put in the closet for timeout, she wholeheartedly
disagreed and reminded us that they had been NAUGHTY. Well, this will be a great conversation
starter at preschool conferences!
Bonnie
Benson brought us dinner as part of the “Meal Train” Melissa Pfohl set up for
us prior to our move. Addy was quick to
point out to Mommy that MISS BONNIE took the STEMS OFF the kale in the dish she
made, which is apparently the secret to getting Addy to eat kale without
complaint.
Daddy and
Addy mixed together homemade pizza crust one night for supper. Mommy came in from her run, kneaded the dough
a bit, and assembled the pizza. As we
ate dinner, Mommy was thinking she needed to check the recipe to see how much
salt was in it, as the pizza seemed extremely salty. She decided she would cut the salt entirely
next time, since the recipe only called for one teaspoon. Later that night, Mommy wondered what was
wrong as she just could not get enough to drink, even after two glasses of
water, a cup of milk, and some lemonade.
The next day, she mentioned something about cutting the salt, and Daddy
finally admitted that he and Addy had put 2
tablespoons, rather than 2 teaspoons
into the double batch of dough. Mystery
solved!
Addy is
quick to point out NO LIKE THAT to tickles, food, and various activities like
sitting on the potty.
One day,
Addy insisted on wearing her winter hat and mittens, as well as her dress-up
skirt, on a walk up and down East Buckeye Road, despite the 90-degree
heat. When we got home, her hands were
dripping with sweat, but she still wanted to keep her mittens on.
Addy answers
the following questions pretty consistently:
Q: How old are
you?
A: 2 (holds two of her fingers together with the other hand)
A: 2 (holds two of her fingers together with the other hand)
Q: Where do you live?
A: Madison
Q: What neighborhood do you live in?
A: Elvehjem
Q: Where are we moving?
A: Mississippi (This question sometimes gets answered with HOLY MOLY SIPPI.)
Addy now
knows Mommy’s name—TIFF ROLTGEN. She
loves yelling for MITE MITE MITE when she wants Daddy’s attention.
Mommy and
Daddy still try to hide any treats or unhealthy snacks from Addy. One day, Mommy was eating a couple chocolate
covered peanuts while Addy had lunch.
Addy asked, “SEE IN MOUTH?” Mommy
replied, “No, it’s not polite to open your mouth with food in it.” Addy heard the word “polite” and responded
with her good manners, “MAY I SEE IN YOUR MOUTH PLEASE?” Thankfully by then, Mommy was done chewing,
as who could say no to that request!
Addy’s
menagerie of animal friends continues to grow with an armadillo farewell gift
from Great-uncle Rick and Great-aunt Karen, as well as a giraffe from her trip
to the zoo with Aunt Britty, Uncle Eric, and Aunt Lyddia. Of course, every animal has a name, and all
of them must accompany her to bed. Some
of the animal names are more creative than others, but here is a list of her
friends:
Big Bird: Little Sesame
Street big bird from Kathy Garton’s neighborhood garage sale
Giraffe: Large yellow
giraffe from Ellenbeckers
Henry: Small yellow
giraffe from Aunt Britty and Uncle Eric
Hooey: Green Dr.
Seuss character from Frank Conway and family
Hops: Big bunny
from Mommy’s Easter bin
Hops: Small
bunny from Great-aunt Audrey and Great-uncle Ted
Hungry
Caterpillar: Green caterpillar
from Wisconsin Heights baby shower (Jane Brunner)
Lamby: Blue donkey
from claw vending machine named by Grandpa Bob
Little Lamb: Small lamb from
Grandma Vicky and Grandpa Mark
Monkey: White monkey from
Daddy’s classroom
Moosey: Brown
moose from Mommy’s Christmas bin
Rexy: Yellow
long-limbed duck from Christina Treu
Snoops: Musical blue
puppy from Nijole and David Etzwiler
Socks: Pink monkey
from Aunt Britty and Uncle Eric
Stripey: Armadillo from
Great-aunt Karen and Great-uncle Rick
Violet: Talking dog
from Wisconsin Heights baby shower (Sarah Duhr, Dave Haas, & Kim Houser)
Woofs: Brown dog
from Longs
When Mommy
is on the computer working, Addy likes to convince Daddy that she needs to go
downstairs to say hi. She explains,
“Just sayin’ hi to Mommy,” and then proceeds to get into all the office
supplies like scissors, tape, stickers, paperclips, and anything else that
would make a mess.
One night,
Addy was up to her usual bedtime antics.
After several check-ins, Mommy and Daddy decided it was time for her to
cry it out. What we didn’t realize was
that when she kept yelling, “Take Hooey’s shirt off,” she was not asking us to
take Hooey’s shirt off of him, but off of her.
She had looped it on behind her arms, so she was essentially “stuck” in
Hooey’s shirt. A really fine parenting
moment on our part!
One day,
Mommy told Addy we were going on a scavenger hunt in the backyard to fill up an
egg carton with interesting things. Addy
was intrigued and said she also wanted to find the Easter Bunny. The Elvehjem Neighborhood Annual Easter Egg
Hunt made quite an impression on her last year; anytime we mention anything
about a “hunt,” she tells us the story about the eggs, the Easter Bunny, and
Miss Jamie and Mr. Kyle taking her there.
Perhaps it’s so memorable because she came home to a new baby sister
after the hunt!
Addy is excited
to move to Mississippi because she wants to see pancake houses, diggers,
cranes, and the ocean.
After
arriving in Biloxi, Addy kept saying in her saddest voice, “Grandma and Grandpa
far awaaaayyyyy.” She’s trying to make
her mommy cry! She also insists that
Grandpa Mark is coming to visit and bringing her Colby cheese.
When we
drove Uncle Jay to the airport in New Orleans, Addy thought Mommy said we were
going to see Miss Arlene (Orleans-Arlene).
When we arrived at McDonald’s for a quick lunch, arguably one of Mommy’s
finest parenting moments, Addy asked if we were finally going to see “Miss
Arlene?” No honey, we’re in New Orleans!
On the way
to New Orleans, Addy could not spot any boats in the various waterways we
crossed, so she informed Mommy that the “boats all went home to their
mommies.”
Addy now
tells us when she has a HOLY MOLY in her diaper.
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