The Park Remains Awesome

It was freakin' 60 degrees today...on January 31...in INDIANA. Those of you who claim that global warming isn't real are invited to reread that first sentence a few times...then shut the hell up.

WEEEEEEE!!!

Ainsley came with me to a meeting with Sarah, and we decided since it was so nice, we should really take the kids to the park.  So, that's just what we did.  We actually went to Johnny Appleseed Park first, but the river was high and there isn't a good fence between the park and the river and I didn't particularly want Xander to run, jump in the river, and die, so we detoured back to our usual haunt: Northside Park.

Ainsley and Big Sarah
CLIMB!

Now that he's older, Xander has become more enamored with the slides. After seeing Big Sarah climb up there, Ainsley gave the climbing wall a shot. I climbed a little and tried to entice Xander, but he was just all about the slides.

While we were there a WFFT reporter guy interviewed me about bringing the kids to the park and the good weather. He asked what the kids preferred to play in...snow or 60 deree spring-like weather. Ummm...no doy, dude. We'll see if our kids make the color spot at the end of the news....cause clearly "What kind of weather does your toddler like to play in" isn't exactly lead material. Or is it?!?!

After my thrilling interview, we decided to let the kids swing. Their love affair with the swing has returned...as evidenced below:

Of course, they cried when it was time to leave. Luckily we had a sandwich for Xander and the iPad for Ainsley. *whew* Don't worry kids, spring is just around the corner. Oh wait...not it's not.

Xander's Babies

So, as you may have noticed from the sleepin' babies series, our kids love their babies. Ainsley has a set three that she loves (she'll move additional babies in and out of sequence, but the original three remain)...and now Xander has his own three babies that he loves.

Happy, happy boy.

He's attached himself to the big bunny, Beebee. But this last week, Scout, the LeapFrog dog that Grandma and Grandpa Stewart got him for his first Christmas, and Ainsley's Care Bear, a Christmas gift from Grandma and Grandpa Parker for that same Christmas, have joined the ranks. I find it really weird that both kids have three babies and that Ainsley has essentially given up the Care Bear. I guess she understands baby love.

Tired beebee

He's also doing this new thing that is so adorable it almost makes me want to have more kids...until I remember how much I hate being pregnant. The last few days between about 12 and 1, he'll bring his three babies and climb into the chair to sit with me. Then, he'll fall asleep. It's so cute I can't stand it, and I won't put him down for nap earlier because I love it so much.

I'm selfish. Sue me.

Ainsley's World

I mentioned in our Christmas post that Ainsley has started taking pictures with the camera.  I thought you'd enjoy seeing some of her handiwork. She's had three sessions: one was when Aunt Alysse came to visit...the second was to prevent a morning of crankiness...the third to assuage a busted lip.

Aunt Alysse: Close Up

Momma Lovin Xander

Toy and Game Closet

Fat Beebee Torture

Make Faces, Momma!

"I take picture of the ceiling!"

Fuzzy Sadie

Make faces again, Momma!

Sippy cups

Xander!!

Big Sarah is crazy!!

So...This Just Happened

This is the grin
of victory.

Ainsley and Xander had just gotten up from naps and wanted snacks. I brought down a bowl of grapes and a bowl of Cheerios. While we were watching the Big Bang Theory, Ainsley decided to eat all of the grapes, which are her brother's favorite, while Xander was distracted trying to step over her DVD player cord. (At 1, that requires multiple attempts and all his concentration.)

Me: Ainsley, did you just eat all of the grapes really fast so Xander couldn't have any?

Ainsley: I eat grapes!

Sean: Sweetie, did you? You need to share with your brother.

As we were talking to her about this, Xander quietly got himself past the DVD cord, walked by Ainsley, swiped her chocolate milk, and proceeded to drink it all in the corner.

I suppose we should just let them work it out, huh?

Fingerpainting!

Notice the trifecta of girly coolness in this picture:
Ariel cup, My Little Pony toy, Buffy mug 

My mom bought Ainsley fingerpaints for her birthday. These fingerpaints, specifically. These paints are awesome because they're washable.  Mom got A the primary colors. I must now replace them & get the secondary colors because of A's immense love for them.

I've let A paint several days in a row before I decided that Mr. X needed in on the action. He wasn't really good about getting the paint out of the tray, so I had to squirt it directly onto the paper...once it was there though...It. Was. On.

X will always smile for the camera.

After I went downstairs to snag the camera, I returned to discover that A had painted her face red. Then she started painting her body with each color declaring herself to be Rainbow Dash, one of the My Little Ponies: "I Rainbow Dash!"

I really do love letting them paint...and now Ainsley asks every day, "I paint now?"

Xander's Birthday

The Spread

So, in June, we had Xander's first birthday party.  As promised, I'm here to report on the festivities...and show some of my sister Alysse's awesome pictures.

First, I must thank Aunt Sarah for letting us use her home..there's no way we would have been able to fit all our friends and family in Casa Stewart.

A metric crap-ton of
awesome people

Please note the beauty that was the taco bar. I think I may have to have taco bar at every party. Mmmmm!

So, we held the party on a lovely Saturday in June. I was very excited for this party and its outcome for two reasons: 1) I didn't get drunk (unlike Ainsley's first birthday, when I pushed myself too hard and raided Aunt Sarah's cabinet) and 2) I wasn't pregnant.  Before you get all judgy (though really, anyone who'd read this isn't judgy), I didn't know I was pregnant at Ainsley's party. I found out five days later, but it definitely explained the stress/need to drink!

Outdoor Fun...and a SPRINKLER!!


As always, Grandma Fitzgerald arrived with chalk. Ainsley and Kaelynn both enjoyed playing with the chalk. Of course, Aunt Jill had to get in on the action, too!

Aunt Sarah provided a sprinkler for some backyard fun.  All the kids loved the sprinkler immensely. It was one of those wacky sprinklers that shot water everywhere...so much fun!  Ainsley ran willy nilly; Faith and Ripley enjoyed the sprinkler.  I think Kaelynn was less enthused. Either that or she was showing her sass-face for the camera!

Friends and Family Are Cool!


So, just like Ms. A, Xander took a big ole nap during his party. Grandma Ballay got her baby hoggin' hands on him, and he passed right out!

CAKE!!

Alysse said Sean was looking
at me in this picture. *grin*

So, for Ainsley's birthday, we ordered from Halls Takes the Cake, which makes delicious...and very expensive cakes.  They messed up the flavors of hers, so we had a discount on file that I'd forgotten about.  We took advantage of that with Xander's cake and it was awesome.

Unlike his sister, Xander was willing to Tear. That. Cake. UP!  I kinda knew he would, Xander enjoys playing with his food.


Presents!


Xander, of course, was showered with lots of presents.  The hat that Grandma Fitzgerald got him was a big hit with the crowd, and he seemed to not mind wearing it.  Sean was in charge of Xander's presents this year, and he did an excellent job. I was particularly thrilled that Xander got a Cookie Monster doll instead of the standard Elmo. Well done, husband.

This is exactly the
kind of cute you can't handle.

 All in all it was a great party, and we were happy so many people could come out and celebrate Mr. Awesome's birthday. Now, I just need to write those thank you cards!

THE POOL!!

So, Laura Romano got Xander a little pool for his birthday.  Today, now that I have a few things moved off my plate, I was able to dig it out for them.

Watching Ainsley OCD out

At first, Xander didn't want to have anything to do with it. I put him in an there was screaming. Lots of it.  So he hung out on the side of the pool for a while.

The pool has these blow up butterflies that velcro to the sides of canopy thing. Ainsley, of course, fixated on placing and removing them over and over and over.  Xander watched and occasionally messed up her groove. He got in trouble for that from Miss A.

Then I let the dogs come out, and they were thrilled to have such a fancy water bowl. Boomer and Sadie got to hang out for a while, but they ended up annoying us by barking like idiot dogs at the neighbor's Jack Russell terriers.  Annoying Jack Russell terriers. 

In the pool!

At least Sadie's embracing the pool made Xander more amenable to it.

At one point, Ainsley decided it was time for them to dry off...so she got out her towel and started drying herself and Xander off. I was able to get the towel away from her before she threw the towel into the pool.

Ainsley decided to smell the flowers on the porch...and requested I take her picture while she was doing it.

"I want picture, Momma!"

Ultimately, the pool was a big hit with a little boy.  I got a lot of pix of his cuteness.  

Ainsley, of course, threw a *huge* fit when we put the pool away: "WANT POOL!!!"

Geniuses and Gentle Giants

Guess I'll be holding that Mensa application a few more months

I am well aware that I often espouse the brilliance of my children.  Tonight during the Twilight Hour, the kids and I started to watch Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole. (I haven't finished watching it, but the kids abandoned it. I'm finding it interesting. Plus Jason Stackhouse uses his real Australian voice in it...so there's that.) Anyway, I went to find Ainsley doing this:

For those of you unclear on the happenings, that's Ainsley, rubbing two sticks against her dresser and blowing spit bubbles.

Sabine the Scavenger
Several days ago, Xander and I were finishing up a lazy dinner, he was getting tired and this happened:

After watching the video, I now see where "keeeetty" comes from.

Chillin'

Xander's Senior Picture

The Stewart Children At Play

Yesterday, when Ainsley and I went to get Xander up from his nap, she decided they needed to play in the bed together. Hilarity ensued.

They had a grand old time rolling around and wrestling together.  He, of course, used it as opportunity to try to rip off Ainsley's glasses.  She used it as an opportunity to sit on his head and suffocate him.

"I GET HIM!!"

Scrunchy Face

And Then There's This...


Xander has been more and more expressive. The last few weeks he's been making this hilarious scrunchy face. I've tried and tried to catch it on film...and finally here it is!

Xander's First Birthday Celebration....and Then Some

This past weekend, we had Xander's birthday party. I'll blog and post pics from it later—I didn't take a single picture, so I'm relying on my family to share theirs. Alysse took pictures as part of her present, so I know there'll be some kick ass pics to come.

But on Xander's birthday proper I had to work. So on my way home, I picked up some Dairy Queen and returned to my brood bearing gifts. Xander celebrating his birthday with hot dog and french fries and ice cream cake.

He quite enjoyed smearing the ice cream around in his tray....training for Saturday, I suppose. Once Ainsley saw I was taking pictures of Xander, she demanded her 15 minutes of fame.  Mostly it involved her jabbing at the camera and giggling insanely.

Now that Xander is a big boy, I decided to serve him dinner on a plate as opposed to on his tray like always. At Saturday's party, Reece Merritt came—he's 3 months old. I held him for a bit and had several "awww baby!" moments. But tonight, while Xander ate his meal relatively unattended and moderately cleanly and Ainsley ate solely unattended and cleanly, I had a moment of "ahhh."

Ainsley, again, got in on the picture taking when she noticed Xander was having his moment in front of the camera. I think it's pretty awesome that in this picture, she's 1) stolen Xander's birthday present bugs, 2) she's lined up said bugs, 3) she's insisted on a picnic that she's promptly ignoring.

Also, I've noticed that I post a lot of pics of my kids eating. That's weird.