Category: Izzy’s Stories Page 3 of 6

The Tricky Parents Turned Off the Lights

On March 6, 2021

Introduction: In mid-February 2021, Texas got hit with the coldest winter in 30 years, dropping the temperature from 60F to 0F, leaving 2.8 million people in Texas without power, heat, or water. Below is a story of 2-year-old Izzy’s experience.

“It was 60 degrees this morning! How did it drop to 15 already!?” exclaims Mommy as she pulls another sweater over me.

“We need to conserve gas. We can run the generator for another 30 minutes. Let’s quickly eat,” said Daddy.

We gather around the table, our feet welcoming the space heater’s warm breath.

Mommy points at the flames igniting from the portable gas burner on the dining room table and sternly said, “Hot. No Touch.” She then starts shoveling noodle soup in my mouth as fast as I could swallow. What is the rush!?

Daddy handed Mommy a flashlight and said, “I’m turning off the generator. Let’s gather your stuff and head to the bedroom. Remember, keep the door closed to keep warm.”

“Ion King?…mote mote” I point at the remote, my usual reward for finishing my plate.

“I’m sorry, Izzy, there’s no electricity right now; we can’t watch TV today.”

I look at her, astonish. I am two years old, not dumb.

The lights are on; there is electricity. Before I could protest, a snap echo in the room. Then darkness swallows the living room whole. Suddenly, I can hear the wind crawling through the gaps, whispering in the silence.

I grab Mommy’s legs, yelling, “cared cared!”

“It’s okay, Izzy. Don’t be scare. Mommy is here.” Mommy picks up baby Dora on the swing. Together, we walk carefully down the hallway illuminated by her flashlight.

We turn into the master bathroom. “Izzy, after we brush our teeth, you get to blow out the candles,” she points at the flickering white block on the table.

Ooo, I love blowing out candles.

But first, brush teeth – ugh, flossing is so much more fun (link).

After swallowing the last of the toothpaste in my mouth, I hum “happy birthday to me” and take one final glance at our shadows dancing along the walls. “Pffftt!” The flames dissipate. Nice, all the practice had paid off, blew it out in one shot.

Luckily the flashlight is still on. “Okay, time for bed,” said Mommy as she nurses the baby.

Then it dawns on me. Did she turn off the electricity and heat just to make me go to bed early!? Tricky Tricky. I will not allow it. It is 2 hours before my usual bedtime.

I cannot let them win; else, I will lose precious playtime after dinner forever.

“No!” I yell. Sitting on the floor, I put together the zebra puzzle for the eighth time today.

When I finish the puzzle, I glance over at the parents on the bed, their eyes drooping in the dim light. My gaze moves to the baby in the crib, already asleep – successfully tricked.

I yawn. Oh no! I can’t sleep yet.

I rub my eyes. The dark is overpowering me.

One can only play the same puzzle so many times.

Crawling over Daddy’s limp body, I collapse in between the parents on my pillow. Even after wearing four layers, it feels like it is getting colder with every passing minute.

Just tonight. I will let them win just tonight. I snuggle closer against Mommy’s back, stealing her warmth. In the end, all that matters is that we are together. All of us, in the same room – Daddy, Mommy, Dora, and I.

Note to the Reader:

Having been without hot water, electricity, heat, and hot food at below zero temperatures for 51 hours made me realize a lifestyle change is needed. Climate change is real. Living in the USA, we are spoiled with these cheap essentials leading to overconsumption of our natural resources. This experience was scary, but it was only for two days while our future generations may suffer for the rest of their lives. Studies have predicted we will have limited clear water and clean air by 2050.

I implore you to learn more about climate change and about how we can reverse the impacts as an individual and a civilization. Some actions I will be taking are:

Taking a shorter shower to use less water
Installing solar panels or LED lights to use less energy and lower the electricity bill
Eating less meat (methane gas from animals is ~10% of the greenhouse gas emissions)
Buying used instead of new products (save more money along the way)
Donating/volunteering in reforestation efforts

Thank you for reading about this important topic.

Introducing Hurricane Dora

By Izzy Tornado

On January 16, 2021

In 00 Newborn, Izzy's Stories, Under 1 Year Old

The parents had been acting suspiciously for the past two months. They got out my old toys from when I was a teeny tiny baby. I am two years old already. They should know I am too old for those, and I could hardly fit in the swing. Although I didn’t complain because they put another crib next to their bed, I miss sleeping in their room.

One night, two strangers appeared in our house.

Mommy introduced a tall lady with a mask as “Nanny”; she said Nanny would stay with us for a month to help cook and clean. Then Mommy pointed at a sleeping baby in her arms, saying, “this is Baby Sister Dora.” That’s a long name. I waited for Mommy to finish her sentence, to explain how long is the baby staying and what’s her purpose, like what she did for Nanny. So many questions!

I screamed and started crying, throwing a fit on the floor.

I was exhausted because it is past my bedtime, I may be slightly hungry, and did I mention there were two strangers in my home?!

After calming down for a few minutes, Mommy pointed at the two gift bags beside her, saying one is for me, and the other is from Baby Sister Dora. I reached my hands into one of the gift bags and pulled out my favorite chocolate, Ferrero Rocher. OOooo. Now you got my attention. I reached my hands into the bag again and found a grey stuffed puppy. Hmm.

I dropped the puppy on the floor and stared at my box of delicious gold pebbles. Mmmmm.

“Here, can you give this to the Baby Sister Dora?” Mommy interrupted as she handed me the other bag. Why don’t you give it to her? I have important matters at hand, literally. I reached into the bag and pulled out a painting I drew the other day. “Thank you for giving Baby Sister Dora your painting. The pink and purple swirls are so pretty,” said Mommy. I guess I can gift this as I handed the painting to the sleeping baby.

It was then that I got to look at her face to face for the first time. She seems… familiar. She looks… like me. Like, baby me.

Daddy whispered, “can you give the baby a kiss?” Sure, I love giving kisses as I landed a wet one on her forehead. She stirred a little bit. Then I turned my attention back to my chocolates. How many can I eat at once?

Mommy’s Denial About Her Weight Gain

By Izzy Tornado

On January 9, 2021

In 00 Newborn, Izzy's Stories, Under 1 Year Old

Is it me, or is Mommy… getting fat? As a two-year-old, the top of my head barely touches the bottom of her belly; I have to tilt my head backward when I stand in front of Mommy just to see her face.

Her belly is growing so big that I can’t even wrap my arms around her waist anymore when we hug.

It has been even more frustrating in the last few months. She stopped picking me up, claiming that her back hurts. We don’t play tag anymore because she waddles too slowly. She also stopped going on bike rides with Daddy and me.

This weight gain is getting a little ridiculous. Ok, so, how should I tell Mommy nicely that she should consider losing weight? Hmm. Maybe I’ll say,

“Your clothes are getting a little tight; should you lose a few pounds?”

Nah, too straightforward. What about I can tell her during dinner, “are you sure you want a second helping?” or “perhaps you should just eat salad tonight.” Ugh, there’s no easy way.

It also doesn’t help that she’s in denial of her weight gain.

She often points at her belly and says there’s a baby inside of her. Sometimes, she’ll even ask me to kiss the baby. Unsure of where to kiss, since I haven’t seen this “so-called baby,” I would kiss her belly instead. I always get rewarded with “aww, you’re a good girl,” so that’s the right place?

But c’mon. Anyone knows a baby can’t fit in there!

Why would a baby want to hide in a human body? On second thought, maybe the baby is playing hide and seek with me? What a genius! That’s the best place to hide! Where’s the opening?

The Teeth Acquiring Ceremony

By Izzy Tornado

On January 2, 2021

In 08 Months Old, Izzy's Stories, Under 1 Year Old

At 8-months-old, I can finally mark my territory with my army of four teeth. Lesson learned: bite everything except for self. I bit my fingers, forgetting I just got the big front tooth, and those chompers hurt! Imagine what I can do when I have ALL my teeth?! Or the better question is, what can I NOT do?

I need to find more teeth. Pronto.

It is not like they are buried in the ground, and I just have to dig for them. The only way to get them is through the teeth acquiring ceremony. It is usually a pretty rough process. Every few weeks, they will appear out of nowhere after sacrificing my well-being, including loss of appetite and lack of sleep. A warm headache frequently occurs as well – the parents called it a “fever.” They’ll stick a machine in my ears every few hours, exclaiming a number. I’m assuming the higher the number, the more likely the tooth is arriving.

No pain, no gain – after 2-3 days of sacrifice, my gums will itch, and I’ll become a drooling zombie.

Usually, popping a chew toy in my mouth to gnaw at the sore spot will speed up the progress. Sometimes, I cry out in frustration; patience is not a virtue that comes pre-packaged for a baby. After what feels like an eternity, I can feel the head of the teeth peeping out of the gums’ its edges scraping on my delicate tongue. Finally, I’ll get my reward!

I can’t wait to expand my territory with my unlimited saliva supply and strong, sharp teeth.

So far, I have acquired a doll, broccoli stalks, and Mommy’s arms.

A Cotton Candy Christmas

By Izzy Tornado

On December 26, 2020

In 01 Year Old, 15 Months Old, Izzy's Stories

Now I know why everyone is excited about a White Christmas. I mean, who wouldn’t want an unlimited supply of cotton candy falling from the sky? Imagine sitting outside with your tongue out. I can just taste the sweetness as it melts in my mouth mmhmm.

I experienced this magical event at one year old when I watched the fluffy delicacy fall from the sky, scattering over my grandparents’ backyard.

It started growing thicker every hour as if weaving glistening blankets over the tractors to keep them warm. My favorite part is feeling the crunch as the cotton candy flattens underneath my palms and watching it slowly melt on my mittens. After ten or so handprints, I have finally made enough dents to see the green underneath the white sheets.

Then, I witnessed something even more magical.

At the corner of my eyes, I saw a white blob running out of the shed. Then it meowed. It was as if a big (very big), round, fluffy cotton candy fell from the sky and swallowed a cat whole, leaving only its eyes, mouth, and nose exposed. I tried to get closer, but its pointy ears perked up and ran away.

The next day, I found it licking its paws, camouflaged in the bed of cotton candy on the trailer.

It carefully tiptoed towards my Grandpa and rubbed against his right leg. I was hanging onto his other leg for stability since I just learned how to walk. “Oh, hey there, Pretty Lady,” said Grandpa. So it has a name!

My temptations overpowered my body, and I lunged forward, grabbing hold of Pretty Lady.

I wanted to taste her coat of cotton candy, thinking it must be sweeter. I quickly shoved a fistful in my mouth. How disappointing! It was not sweet nor sticky; it … tastes hairy and bland. Yuck. I immediately let go, and Pretty Lady ran away again.

Do yourself a favor and dress up your cat in cotton candy during Christmas (but don’t try to eat it). Only then would you have experienced a real white Christmas.