Outta the Mouths of Babes

There was a magazine I was reading that have these little cute quips about “Things Kids Say”. It's just amusing how the minds of kids work.

I made a trip down memory lane.

Wisconsinites are well-known as beer-guzzling die-hard fans.

My husband and I have sweatshirts and T-shirts with the Packers and Badgers. I wear a lot of these sweatshirts all the time. When my youngest was about 2 ½ years old, she learned to recognize the letter “W” on my sweatshirt for Wisconsin Badgers. It was so cool. I was happy that she was starting to learn the letters of the alphabet at her age.

One day my husband was watching TV. I mentioned how she knew the letter “W.” But neither of us was wearing a Badger shirt at the time so I couldn't use a shirt to prove it to him. I asked my oldest daughter to get one of the wooden blocks with the “W” on it. She gave me the block. I asked the little tyke what I had in my hand.

She looked at me and then looked at the block and said in a very serious, matter-of-fact tone, “A block.”

My husband just roared. We all did. The little stinker was happy to be the center of attention, especially when it's funny.

After we recovered, I repeated, “What letter is this?”

“W.”

There. But the moment passed.

Every time I think about that moment, I smile. It’s one of the perks of parenting. I should have written down all of the funny things that they did over the years. You think that you will remember them, but you don't. Other things crowd out that memory until it is pushed further and further into the back door of your brain, possibly lost forever. I do wish I knew about blogging when they were toddlers.

Remember When...

Remember these?

Modernization isn't so bad.

I remember family trips when I was growing up. We visited the Apostle Islands (northwestern tip of WI on Lake Superior), Washington Island (Door County-beautiful!), Grand Ole Opry in TN, etc., etc., etc.

My sisters and I would help my mom make sandwiches the morning of our trip. We'd make egg salad, ham salad, and cheese sandwiches. It was always the same. We'd pack them in separate bread bags. We put them in a cooler along with the drinks, of course.

Every few hours, we'd stop at a wayside to go to the bathroom or eat. I hated it.

They reeked. Spiders were all over the "outhouse". There was a big deep hole where you had to do your business. I would hold my breath or plug my nose as long as possible, try to avoid touching anything, and get out in record time.

I learned to associate "wayside" with the "stinky place with bugs".

Now the waysides are cleaner and not at all like I remember. It's a bigger building. It has maps and brochures. There may be a sign describing the county we were in.

My kids would never be able to comprehend the waysides I remember. I don't know if they even exist anymore.

Already I am feeling like I am preaching about "years ago". Is this a sign that I am getting old? I don't really feel "old".

Here's to modernization.