Cooking with Daddy

Margie Grace loves to cook! She can stay busy for a relatively long period of time with a bowl and spoon, mixing and "cooking" as she calls it. After she is done eating a meal, she likes to "cook" what food remains on her plate, meaning she likes to stir it together. (We typically try to remove her plate before this becomes a terrible mess!) And any time Neil and I are in the kitchen, she asks us if she can cook too: "Margie Grace cook!" she says. So lately we've been indulging this interest (under very strict supervision) and often pull a stool up to the counter and have her assist in small "cooking" tasks: helping to mix dry ingredients, adding cheese or nuts to a mixture or helping to put cookie dough on a pan for baking. Here are a few photos of Margie Grace helping her Daddy stir and "cook" some grits. She is a great help in the kitchen!

She's a Super Freak!

Tuesday night Neil, Margie Grace and I were having a leisurely meal out at Moe's Southwest Grill after running a few after-work errands when the most bizarre thing happened. If you have ever eaten at Moe's, you are familiar with the wide-range of music that is played throughout the restaurant while you are dining. It is a large part of the eclectic atmosphere of the place. On Tuesday night we heard everything from Elvis to the Beatles to Sinatra (not that wide a range, I know, but trust me on this). During dinner, Margie Grace was seemingly oblivious to all these tunes as she was pretty involved with her chicken quesadilla. However, suddenly as a new song came over the loud speakers, she was overcome with rhythm and began nodding her head to the beat while sitting at our booth. The song continued and her dancing became more and more involved. "What is she doing?" I asked Neil while trying to contain my giggles. "I don't know," he answered. "But I'm not wasting any money on dance lessons. She's already got it down!" "Got down" is exactly what happened; the tot was keeping time to the music, clapping her hands and nodding her head, as if she was front and center on American Bandstand. After a few seconds, I thought it would subside, but she kept going -- at one point even waving to the people in the booth next to us, perhaps trying to entice them in her own little way to get up and follow her lead. She was a toddler possessed . . . possessed by bad 80s funk rock music. Yes, folks, Margie Grace was getting down to the 80s stylings of Mr. Rick James and his perennial hit, "Super Freak." And it was as if she couldn't help herself! In fact, she really didn't even hit her stride until the saxophone solo started. And the whole time she kept giving us this look like "come on people, get up and dance!"

Now we've seen Margie Grace dance lots of times before. I think what made this time so funny for us was her song choice. We don't give it a second thought when she rocks out to the occassional commercial jingle or Playhouse Disney tune but Rick James?!? This was a first. And to top it off, lots of songs had played while we were sitting there but nothing else could motivate Margie Grace to boogie down like Rick James' signature hit. In fact, after that song finished playing and another song came on, she really didn't seem all that interested in dancing anymore. The scene really was hilarious, if not a little bizarre! (And for those of you who have seen the movie "Little Miss Sunshine," you can imagine how much harder Neil and I started laughing when that infamous last scene came to mind.) We have a little entertainer folks, and she's not bashful.

Check it!

As Margie Grace's vocabulary expands and her curiosity grows, not a day goes by that we don't pick up MG at the sitter's without hearing an anecdote from earlier in the day. "Margie Grace said this . . ." or "Margie Grace did that . . ." Today's anecdote was priceless! Margie Grace was playing with her buddies Ella and Claire (both will be 1 in October, while MG will turn 2) at Mrs. Elaine's when Elaine said she smelled a dirty diaper. She asked the girls, "Which one of you is poopie?" Certainly not expecting an answer, Elaine was surprised when Margie Grace answered with "Margie Grace poopie!" Even more surprising was when Margie Grace turned around and backed up to Elaine and said, "Check it!" and pointed to her diaper. Sure enough, Margie Grace was the guilty party.

Sweet Treat

What's sweeter than a little cutie eating ice cream? I can't think of anything! Last week we took Margie Grace on a post-dinner ice cream run to Chick-fil-A. I don't think I've ever experienced commercially prepared ice cream -- or "ice dream" as those uber-creative marketing geniuses at Chick-fil-A call it -- like that before. Neil said we've had it once at the mall but it obviously didn't make an impression on me like it did last Thursday night. I think I've found a new favorite treat. And this is saying a lot considering I wouldn't ordinarily choose ice cream over, say, chocolate cake or a Snickers bar or anything smoothered in Oreo cookie bits if given a plethora of dessert options. But I can confidently tell you that I would take "ice dream" hands down over anything! And I think Margie Grace loves the stuff too. As you can see from these pictures she was pretty content to eat her portion. Actually, as I'm writing this, Neil just asked if I was in the mood for a treat from Chick-fil-A. I think he was reading my mind!

Vote for the Auburn Band!

Ok, avid readers, the Auburn University Marching Band needs your help! Below is a little blurb I wrote at work about the situation for the Auburn Report, AU's faculty/staff newsletter. So visit this Web site and vote now and vote often and be sure to share this with all your AU friends! We are currently getting slaughtered by LSU and while it is too late to rally for football, we've still got a chance to beat those "wrong kind of tigers" and their "Golden Band from Tigerland" in this contest!

Here's the scoop:

ESPN and Paramount Pictures selected Auburn's marching band as one of the top 8 marching bands in the country. As a result, a production crew was on campus Sept. 12 to film the band as it performed the famous theme song from the Indiana Jones movie series. Taking the field in the shape of a skull, the band played the song over and over again while cameras were repositioned to film at various angles. The taped performance will be put online Sept. 29 and fans will have an opportunity to vote for their favorite college marching band. The promotion coincides with the DVD release of the latest movie in the Indiana Jones franchise: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The other bands selected include Louisiana State University, Clemson University, and the universities of Georgia, Florida, Texas, Oklahoma and Southern California. Each university represented will receive $5,000 for being selected and the winner of the online voting contest will receive $25,000 for a first-place finish.

Now stop reading this and go vote!

War Eagle, Hey!

On the eve of another Auburn football game, I thought I'd post these pictures of Margie Grace from last week's AU vs. LSU pep rally. She had a great time (and had a great view from her Poppy's shoulders!) but seemed to get a little overwhelmed at the size of the crowd and all the incessant cheering. We stood near the band and she really enjoyed watching Uncle John play his drum. She even got to play it herself when the pep rally was over. War Eagle!

Blowing Bubbles

One of Margie Grace's favorite things to do outside is blow bubbles. Until recently she has been pretty content to let me blow them and her chase and pop them. But now that she possesses the independent spirit of a toddler, she wants to do it herself -- or in her words "Margie do it." One night this week we went out on the deck because Margie Grace had asked about bubbles. And of course, she insisted that she do it herself! Here are some pictures from that episode. She ended up with wet pants, an empty bubble container (from lots of spills) and more bubbles on her mouth than anywhere else but she had a great time doing it!

"Mr. Needle"

Three weeks ago Neil and I prayerfully answered the call to help teach 4-year-old Mission Friends at our church. Another couple that we know, Jeb and Lacy Jones, had signed up to teach the class and discovered they were going to need extra help when 24 kids showed up on the first night. We've been working with them ever since. (Anyone that has ever been outnumbered by preschoolers knows what an impossible job this would have been. Our presence has cut the ratio to approximately 6:1 so it is somewhat manageable. Still, each week Neil says he feels like Gulliver being overrun by Lilliputians!)

We have a lot of fun and are really enjoying getting to know all the little ones. Our first night teaching, "Mrs. Lacy" (as the kids call her) played a little game to help the kids learn all of our names: Mrs. Lacy, Mrs. Katie, Mr. Jeb and Mr. Neil. In my opinion, these are four relatively easy names to pronounce but for some reason, these little southern children like to draw Neil's name out into two syllables with a strong emphasis on the long "e" sound. (Mr. Neeeee-uhl) I have been surprised how well they have remembered our names from week to week. (It is taking us a little longer, however, to remember all of their names!) Tonight at Mission Friends each of us was manning a table during craft time and assisting with their projects when suddenly I heard a little guy at Neil's table say something about "Mr. Needle." I had no idea what he was talking about and then I realized he was referring to Neil! "Can you help me Mr. Needle?" "Can you tape this for me Mr. Needle?" "I don't know how to do this Mr. Needle!" It was such a hoot and Lacy and I started chuckling. But Neil didn't miss a beat -- he kept right on coloring and taping and cutting. So next time you see Neil, ask him how Mr. Needle is doing!

Adding Insult to Injury

Long story short: Saturday was not Neil's day. He possesses a deep abiding love for all things Auburn, including Auburn football. So it was beyond disappointing for him that our team lost a heartbreaker of a game to LSU. But that was only part of his troubles. The day began to take a turn for the worse for Neil when he stepped awkwardly off a curb while tailgating on campus before the ballgame. His misstep resulted in a severely swollen and probably sprained left ankle. It was bad enough that the foot was hurting, but we exacerbated his injury by walking what seemed like several miles (ok, maybe just a mile or so but it seemed like more!) from our parked car to the stadium and back again. By the time we were within sight of our car after the game, Neil was shuffling like Harvey Corman. I offered to carry him for the duration but he said we wouldn't get very far. (He's right.) Neil woke up Sunday morning with what looked like a giant flesh-colored tennis ball attached to the side of his foot (see photo above). Let me tell you -- the thing was huge! Neil is such a good sport and really didn't complain much, although I know how badly he was hurting (flashback to Katie's sprained ankle incident of 04!). A good barometer for how Neil is really feeling is how much he lets something like an injury or illness slow him down. He is not one to sit idly but he spent pretty much all Sunday on the couch, which is truly rare. The swelling has gone down a bit but as of Tuesday night, the ankle still looks pretty bad. However, Neil is pushing through and at this point isn't letting it get in his way. Hopefully, he'll be healed in time for Saturday when the Tigers have an opportunity to redeem themselves against Tennessee. I know another loss would surely make Neil forget about his pain but let's not go there!

My Brief Brush with "Fame"

For posterity's sake, I thought I'd put this picture on the blog, although I e-mailed it around last week to most everyone who reads this anyway. This past Friday, on the eve of the AU vs. LSU football game, my colleagues at work and I ran into ESPN Gameday's Lee Corso at AU's new Student Center. ESPN was broadcasting the game and had set up their headquarters in an office suite on campus. Corso was in the hallway talking on his cell phone and when we all emerged from the stairwell and turned a corner, my friend Kevin immediately spotted him. Corso's not really a big deal to me -- sure he's on TV and all but so is Rich Thomas the local weather guy -- so I kept walking. Not my male colleagues. They thought we'd run into Elvis back from the grave! And so they hatched a plan to pull a little stalkerazzi move so they could get their picture made with him (these are grown adult men -- wow, football is a powerful thing!). Deciding it would be worth it to wait for the right opportunity, they loitered around the corner in earshot of the man. Once he was off the phone, Kevin "casually" approached him about taking a picture. Corso was very cordial and accomodating and agreed right away. I snapped a picture of the guys and then decided since I'd gone to the effort to wait, I'd have one taken as well. So there you have it -- my most recent brush with "fame."

Pictured from left: Matt Laney, me, Corso, Brock Parker and Kevin Fichtner

(You can't tell very well from the picture but Corso actually had on an orange and blue tie!)

The Power of Cheese

Saturday morning, while in the middle of fixing breakfast, Margie Grace was insistant on getting into the refrigerator (isn't she always?). I explained to her that I was making her something to eat but that wasn't good enough. "No, no, momma," she kept saying as she was tugging on the refrigerator door. With my leg strategically placed so she couldn't open the door, she became more and more frustrated with me and we reached the brink of a breakdown. So I asked her, rather rhetorically, "What do you possibly need from the refrigerator?" I was quite surprised when she emphatically answered, "I need cheese!!!"

That statement was all it took -- I laughed so hard and quickly stepped aside so the little lady could have her cheese!

Pint-sized Picasso

Isn't there an ancient Chinese proverb that says, "Beware the child wielding soap crayons?" Well, if not then there should be. Being as Margie Grace serves as our first foray into parenthood, Neil and I have no prior experience with soap crayons. These particular crayons came with a bath toy given to MG by her Uncle Tim (see previous post). They looked like fun and seemed harmless, but I'm sensing Uncle Tim knew more than we did when picking out this toy and now the joke's on us. You see, a white-tiled tub/shower with white grout plus three vibrant colored soap crayons in the hands of a creative-minded toddler (who told us while she was creating the masterpiece that she was writing her "name on the shower") equals hours of scrubbing for mom and dad. Yeah, they're made of soap but still quite tricky to get clean. When we first offered the crayons to her in the bathtub, Margie Grace thought they were the greatest things ever and she's left her mark on every square inch of that tub! For the most part, the hall bathtub is now accented with bright blue, green and orange -- we call it an "MG original." We're going to let her keep them because, thank goodness, soap melts eventually! And then maybe we'll take a break from the tub crayons . . . either that or I need a year's supply of Scubbing Bubbles, stat!

Crisis Averted

So this is the scene after your 23-month-old stealthily grabs a pack of gum from the deep recesses of your purse and you discover it only moments after she has stuffed two pieces -- wrapper and all -- into her tiny little mouth. You remove said gum just in time and confiscate the rogue pack, which is placed high atop the kitchen counter, well out of the toddler's reach. This particular action sends the toddler into a mad fit and what happens next is not pretty: crying, kicking, screaming, throwing of oneself onto the floor (it ain't always rainbows and roses, people). However, after about 20 seconds, once the toddler rage has subsided, peace talks begin. Thankfully, on this occasion, mass destruction was averted when the principle negotiator offered the toddler a nice piece of string cheese . . . and all was right with the world!

A Day at the Park

Recently one afternoon Neil and I took Margie Grace to Hickory Dickory Park. She had such a great time! Many of the play structures there are geared toward older kids and are too big for her to enjoy. But there is a special section just for toddlers and little ones. While Margie Grace showed a little trepidation about the slides, she absolutely loved the swings. She loves to swing and really enjoys the one we have in our backyard so I knew she'd like the ones at Hickory Dickory. Here she is hanging out and enjoying a day at the park. We are hoping as the weather begins to turn cooler, we can go to the park more often!

(By the way, aren't the leg holes in that toddler swing huge? I'd like to see the giant toddler baby that needs holes that big! The whole time I was just a tad afraid that MG was going to slip through one of those holes . . . thank goodness she didn't!)

Raidin' the Refrigerator

At nearly two years old, Margie Grace is acquiring new skills and words every day. It is fascinating to see all the new things she is learning. However, some of these new things can pose problems for her mom and dad . . . like her recently acquired ability to open the refrigerator. It is not uncommon to find a scene like the one above at our house these days -- Margie Grace standing in front of the refrigerator, its door slung wide open, and her pondering what exactly it is she wants inside. She has come to learn that goodness comes from within the frig's chilly depths. To her, this large, white box is the source of her yogurt, cheese, milk and grapes, among other goodies. And if she wants it, like any toddler, she's going to do her best to get it. On this particular day she made two consecutive trips to survey what snacks were awaiting her in the frig. She scored a piece of string cheese and a juice box -- a pretty nice take in her opinion (notice the smile of satisfaction!). At least with this new-found ability, she's able to get herself a snack. And with a little training, she can probably grab a snack for mom and dad too!

A Family Divided

When it comes to college football -- or college anything for that matter -- us Wilders are Auburn through and through. However, among extended family the allegiances are not that straightforward. Neil's brother graduated from Mississippi State and Neil attended one year of school there before transferring to Auburn (he claims to only bleed orange and blue, though). So the AU vs. MSU football game each fall brings about a nice opportunity for a little family rivalry. This past Saturday we ventured over to Starkville, Miss., for the game and met Tim, Sue and Neil's dad [who was sporting a MSU shirt and an Auburn ballcap -- he told me his heart belonged to Auburn but I could swear I heard him say the same thing to Sue about MSU:) ]. Neil, Margie Grace and I were dressed head to toe in Auburn orange and blue. Tim and Sue proudly wore their maroon and white. Like I mentioned earlier, Mr. Wilder wore both. Here are a couple of pictures illustrating our divided family. Although Tim successfully got Margie Grace to utter the words "Go Dogs" a couple of times Saturday night, Neil and I spent the entire ride home practicing "War Eagle" with her! The game was pathetic but we still had fun.

Mustang Margie

Move over Mustang Sally -- Margie Grace is behind the wheel! MG has a new obsession. She loves her Cozy Coupe car. Every evening when we get home from picking her up at Mrs. Elaine's, Margie Grace says "Momma, beep, beep, car, driving! Daddy, beep, beep, car, driving!" She is so excited to get to the backyard and drive her car. She loves it and drives it all over the yard. Some of the time she pushes it; some of the time she requests that I push her; most of the time she drives it herself while giving rides to her baby. She has demanded that I sit in the passenger seat a couple of times and I'm still trying to convince her that I don't quite fit. She's even attempted to wrangle Max into the car but he's a little too fast for her. Here are a few pictures from MG's latest stroll. And don't worry -- we've still got 14 years until she's street legal.

A Blog is Born

Back in May I had high intentions of starting a blog to keep folks posted on the Wilder family. I enthusiasically signed up for a blog at blogger.com to establish an account. However, I was unimpressed with the templates that were available through this program. I wanted to spiff up my blog a bit -- make it more personal and give it more of a look and feel that reflects our family instead of a canned template. After asking around, I thought the best option was going to be to pay someone to design a customized header and background for me. I looked into hiring a woman who has started designing cutomized blogs for a living (thanks Julie C. for giving me that info.!), but I soon learned that she is in such high demand, she wasn't taking on new clients for a while. We got busy as the summer progressed and, frankly, I forgot about the blog. That is until I learned from my friend Lacy that I could customize the blog myself. Thanks to an informative e-mail from her, I spent Friday night doing some preliminary design work on this here blog. I think it is looking pretty good if I do say so myself. I still need to do some work on the header and have lots of ideas for that. So stay tuned as this is definitely a work in progress. In the meantime, welcome to "A Walk on the Wilder Side"; I hope you enjoy reading about our family and experiencing life with us!