Momma: The Xanderbender

I mentioned on FB yesterday that Xander has become fascinated with Avatar: The Last Airbender. Xander watches TV is spurts...sometimes he'll be into something for a full 3-5 minutes, and others, he's just off doing his thing, zoning in and out. But when I put this show on, he was transfixed. 

So we've been watching episodes in the morning...and this morning after he had a dirty diaper, and I needed him to sit still so I could clean him up, I decided to bend him. Like any good bender, I started by doing my moves (which were accompanied by a whooshing noise), then I gave him a "BOOM!" This is the prime move in Xanderbending.  After I did a few practice moves, Xander started throwing his arms up, making a whooshing noise, and attempting to bend too. I'm not sure exactly what kind of bending skill he has, maybe he's a Mommabender...

Regardless, I later got some video of his initial bending moves. Please to enjoy.

Trip Out

BUGGY!

Today the kids and I ran some errands.  While I was in Muncie for class, they were crazy wired and gave Sean a mondo headache.

So, since I needed to pick up a few things for Xander's birthday party and needed to return some things to Babies R Us, we ventured out.  Ainsley was very excited to ride in the back of the BRU buggy. Xander was very excited to chew on his wet wipes.

When we went to the party store to get the stuff for X's party, the cashier gave Ainsley a balloon. I declined a balloon for Xander, and clearly that was a mistake.

While Ainsley was outside with Sean, Xander made quick work of attacking the balloon. I watched him grab at the ribbon for a while before I ran to get the camera.  When I came back with the camera, I was able to record this:

This is Xander's first crawl up on the couch, which is littered with Ainsley's dress-up paraphernalia.  Notice how gifted he is.

Once he got on the couch, I gave him the balloon and this hilarity ensued:

The funniest/scariest thing: while Sean and A were outside grilling, I was inside making the sides.  One second, Xander was crawling under the coffee table, grabbing at a toy. In the time it took me to stir the rice and reheat the corn, Xander had crawled up on the couch and made his way onto the end table.

We're so in for it with this one...

Gates Are Bullshit

My children have a long history with gates.  This video was taken when Ainsley was 11 months old; she loved to try to go up the stairs, fall down them, and die.  So, we gated for her safety.  This was her reaction:  

Now, as Xander nears 11 months old, we have experienced a similar situation. Xander is protected from the kitchen, with its delicious dog food and joyful water bowl, by a gate.  However, the inherent differences between Xander and Ainsley are apparent here.  Whereas Ainsley will whine and cry to get her way, Xander attempts to POWER THROUGH THE GATE.

We keep that big bottle of fruit punch there to hold the gate closed when we're too lazy to latch it (if we're running back and forth between rooms, for example).  However, after this morning, it looks like we'll be latching the gate from now on.