Weeland is under Assault!

I know it has been quiet in the Wee Blogosphere for awhile now. But I have good reason for my silence- a heinous, perfidious, dark and sneaky enemy has been besieging our Wee kingdom for several weeks and seems ill likely to give up its evil assault.

The name of this dastardly foe .... the EAR INFECTION MONSTER!

As is the case with most horrendous plagues, the ear infection monster is attracted to first born sons and the younger the better. Wee 4 has had a double ear infection for going on 6 weeks. Though he has been whisked against his will to all manner of people with very large certificates of "I know something about what is wrong with you" a cure has yet to be found.

Much has been made of the "antibiotics" which are to fight back and slay the Ear Infection Monster, but all they have done so far is to create an endless number of separate problems which can be encapsulated under the title "blow outs." In fact the use of 3 separate antibiotics have created an internal war within Wee 4's body which require the introduction of the probiotics. I hate to be political, but it is quite clear that the "pro's" in this battle are sissies as the "anti's" continue to wreak havoc. Their anarchistic displays of intestinal displeasure have tripled the needed contents of my diaper bag and reduced the number of others willing to hold Baby Wee due to the potential hazards of "blow back."

Those of you who are stalwart Whimsis of the Wee followers know that Wee 4 has always been a finicky baby. Not one who believes in taking a nap or (anything else for the team for that matter) he has chosen to be particularly offended by his selection as the Ear Infection Monster's target. His drool is even more plentiful then normal. In fact the city council of Niagara Falls is threatening to sue Reid as his oral deluge is becoming a popular destination for hordes of love blind honeymooners. His already sensitive and eczema challenge skin has become lacerated underneath his inflamed ears as his constant tugging irritates his dermis. All of these additonal symptons have taken him from "so cute, but a little fussy" to "cute or not I am sending you to the nearest relative in a well ventilated package" status.

Let it be known however, that here and now I proclaim to eradicate this beast and have set a countdown to ensure its eviction. All Ear Infection Monsters who choose not to succumb to this latest round of feebly effective magical potions (read here ammoxicillin) will be surgically removed and replaced with one uber powerful "tube" at the end of the month (or roundabouts depending on when the not-so-accommodating insurance companies make the time to make this happen) These tubes will ensure that the monster is unable to return and that Wee 4 can return to his usual only slightly perturbed demeanor.

In the meantime we beg the patience and compassion of our blog readers. It is most difficult to slay invisible biological foes, bounce a fussy baby and type in the Wee hours of the morning.

A Wee bit on the defensive,

CarrieAnne

Perspectives on Branding

It is an indisputable fact that Wees see the world differently than grown ups do. They value things differently. Adults have a tendency to place value and therefore remember things based on their economic cost, ease of use, or the durability of the item in question. Wees are far more "sense"ical. They value something based on their sensory interactions with it. How did it taste, feel, and was it the perfect accessory for their latest ballerina/circus clown themed dress up ensemble.

I find the use of Wee senses to be particularly strong when it comes to their attempts at remembering or replicating brand names for products, places and companies. My Wees have described Coca-Cola as "Mommy Juice," Nike is the "Check mark company" and Walmart is that "cheap place most people shop at."

This week Wee 3 celebrated her third birthday and she decided that as 3 was a very big thing to be celebrating that she and her sister Wees deserved a happy meal for lunch. Dad and I felt this was not to great a thing to ask so we let the Wees set about choosing where we should eat and as we drove down the main drag here in Weeville they saw a number of fast food restaurant signs and began discussing their options. This is how they described them:

Arby's = "Hat Burger"

Chick-Filet = "Mc - Cluck, clucks"

McDonalds = "Old McDonalds had a farm's restaurant"

Dunkin Doughnuts = "Yummy, but unhealthy breakfast place" (Victoria called it Dunkin DoughNOTS to stress her point)

Burger King = "The place Pops likes"

As Maddie was the queen for the day she went with her all time favorite "Old McDonalds" but it was very interesting to hear the kids discuss the quality of fries, happy meal toys and the return on investment they would experience at varied play grounds and questioning as to whether or not there was a reason to visit a Restaurant which did not have a playground at all. Wee 1 in particular felt that patronizing institutions without Play Places was almost criminal and not in the best interest of Wees everywhere.

A wee bit brandied,

CarrieAnne