I Want Candy; I Want Candy!

Some days as a stay-at-home mom require chocolate sedation. Today was one of those days. Liam may not be fully two yet, but if the terrible twos get worse than this, then please nobody tell me about it. Because I may just go stark-raving mad at the possibility.

Today began with Liam insisting that yellow "dirt trucks" make their appearance. Will and I only have ourselves to blame for this one. We made the mistake of thinking that we could do a little Christmas shopping for Liam with Liam present. This was NOT one of our brighter ideas. So we bought a set of yellow, wooden, block construction vehicles (a.k.a. dirt trucks), and feigned ignorance when Liam began asking for them as soon as we got home. He actually became so aggravated with our ridiculous show of idiocy that he had the biggest, baddest meltdown EVER last night -- neither Will nor I have ever seen him so mad. And I guess he dreamt about those damn trucks all night because he woke up asking for them. According to Will, their "good morning" conversation went like this:

Liam: "Mama" (as in take me to her)
Will: "Good Morning!"
Liam: "Big trucks! Big Velyow Duht Trucks! Big Velyow Duht Trucks OUTSIDE!" (as if it just occurred to him where they might be hiding)

So it was hopeless, and I relented, and he got the yellow trucks. Merry October 24th!

Except it wasn't. Anything that didn't involve playing with big, yellow, dirt trucks was a major ordeal. I tried to shower -- Liam threw a fit because I wouldn't let him risk cracking his head open on the tile floor by playing with the sink faucet while teetering on his step-stool. I tried to dress Liam -- Liam threw a fit because he did NOT want to wear overalls or a coat. I tried to dress myself -- Liam threw a fit because I wouldn't let him use the iron. I tried to get us both in the car -- Liam threw a fit because he couldn't take both yellow dirt trucks AND his fire truck basket containing around 15 Matchbox/Hot Wheels vehicles AND baby brother's stuffed fish AND. . .well, you get the idea.

Lunchtime didn't get any better. Liam bit my hand for no apparent reason and landed himself a time-out. Then napping (it couldn't have come too soon), and then another fit upon waking because Mama wanted to sit on the sofa and read while Liam wanted Mama to sit in the floor and play trucks, which culminated with ANOTHER bite and a really, really, really long time-out (more for Mama than child).

Yes, chocolate is my friend, friends. It keeps me from driving to a remote location, dropping the boy off, and leaving my son to fend for himself on days like this. Thank the Lord these days are few and far between. . .at least for now.

And now for the REST of the story.

Here is the conclusion of the day in pictures started below.

Once we finish wearing out the dog (well, as much as you can wear out a Weim), Liam and I head out with the intention of going to the library and the grocery store.
Stop One: Anderson County Library


Liam adores this enormous "bug" and makes a beeline for it every time we go to the lbirary. Today, they happened to have Goodnight Moon in the basket on the table, and he immediately flipped to a page he remembered and said, "Goo-nigh hooouuuuuse."


Liam also loves the fish sculptures which reside in various spots around downtown Anderson -- this one has its home in the library's children's courtyard.


Also in the courtyard is a "guy" that Liam talks to. . .


and tattles on for not wearing shoes.


Our time on the town is cut short due to more sciatic nerve pain, so we head home and walk in the door to discover "Dada!" cooking dinner!! (My hero!) Liam shows his dad what he scored at the library -- an Elmo Halloween video.


Liam is entranced by Elmo and the Count, so Mama and Daddy work on finishing up dinner.


But not for long! Even Elmo is no match for Daddy and the grill.


Picking tomatoes from their sadly overgrown garden plot -- Will is telling Liam, "DON'T eat that! We have to WASH it!" (hmmm. . .wonder why the boy is so particular?)


Will and I have yet to figure out why the food on our plates is ALWAYS more appetizing than the food on Liam's plate.


After dinner, the bedtime rituals begin. First there is the getting naked part. Tonight Liam decides that he'd like to do a little drawing in the nude.


Then there is the chasing and hiding part. (Wheeeeere's Liam????)


Then there is the rolling and tickling in John Patrick's room (yep, that big-bellied lady attempted to ROLL!).



And then it's time for a bath.


Liam is most cooperative during tooth-brushing.


He wants to do it "all by self."


Bedtime story


And off to dreamland he goes.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes. . .

Welp, it's been over a year since anything has changed on this blog, so it's possible that no one will notice the big changes that are about to happen. Change number one: a post! This past Thursday I decided to document my day with Liam; what follows is the result.

Change number two: the author of this blog. Yup, Liam's Mama is overtaking this one since Will has his hands full and barely has time to eek out a post every couple of months on his own site. I finally succumbed to Will's Blogger tutorial and am now capable of updating this site (to steal a phrase from Liam) "all by self." I make no promises about the regularity of my posts -- especially with the arrival of John Patrick inching ever closer -- but I can promise that they will happen more than once a year!

Change number three: the name of this blog. I don't have any big ideas, so input would be appreciated, but Liam's Land is about to be invaded, so I think the name of the site needs to reflect that.

Anyway, without further ado. . .heeeeeere's Liam!

A Day in the Life of Liam

Wake up time -- Liam calls out, "Mama, pick you UP!" (He doesn't exactly have correct pronoun usage down.)


He's too busy asking for his trains to bother with a morning greeting.


Bed turned railway. . .


Once out of bed, it's time for a little "monica" jam session. He actually makes some pretty good music on this (thanks, Uncle Joe!).


My very particular son is pointing out the yogurt that is befouling his plate. "Wipe off, Mama. Wipe OFF!"


Liam helps with the grocery list. . .


putting soap in the dishwasher. . .


and turning the dishwasher on.


We have to hurry! We're supposed to be at playgroup (a.k.a. social hour for the under 3 set, involving new concepts for this nearly two-year-old such as SHARING) at 10.


"Go, go, GO, Mama!" But wait. . .where did that paci come from? (I swear he stashes them in little hiding places.)


No pics of playgroup because Mom ended up on a heating pad on the sofa of the host's house due to crippling sciatica pain. Good times. After playgroup, we stop off to see my OB, and as I'm hobbling to the door, Liam offers to "kiss Mama."


Lest you think he's too sweet though, I should also note that he tried to run away from me as we were getting off the elevator (I could barely walk much less run), and the elevator doors nearly shut on me before I could get to him!


Back at home, Liam procrastinates about going inside by picking flowers for me.


That's sweet, honey, but we still have to go inside.


No, really, we ARE going inside!


A short-lived fit -- he is distracted by me taking pictures of it.


Liam plays with puzzles while I make lunch.


Yummy pizza


Time for a nap


"Put me to bed, Mama. . ."


". . .I'm sooooo sleepy."


What a good nap! (Mom had time to catch some shut-eye, too.)


Bed head


We head to the bathroom to rectify his hair, but no trip to the bathroom would be complete without a little handwashing.


Liam "calls" Daddy to tell him about his day, but I want to get that phone away from him ASAP (he called 911 from the home phone earlier in the week which resulted in a VERY embarrassing visit from a police officer).


So I bribe him with promises of going outside and playing with Wiggle.



TO BE CONTINUED. . .