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.

Johnny Appleseed Extravaganza!!

This weekend was the Johnny Appleseed Festival.  Last year, my mom came to go with us.  This year, she brought my grandma and my sister, Jill.

Slides Are COOL

While we were at the festival, Ainsley and Xander fell in love with one of the playsets there.  Aunt Jill loves to take the kids on the slide.

My favorite thing about this picture is that Aunt Jill and I were trying to create a "picture moment," and Ainsley just wanted to slide. This is Jill being all surprised that Ainsley pushed off to slide because we were trying to get A to slide with her...  I love the look on A's face. It screams, "Screw you guys, I'm gonna SLIIIIDE!"

Hay...Also Pretty Kick Ass

Though the whole festival, Ainsley was fixated on the bales of hay. After some perusing of random smoked meats, homemade snowman crap, and patchouli soap, Mom, Jill, and Grandma made their way to the flea market section of the festival. I really hate flea markets. I have enough crapola in my house. I really don't have an interest at looking at other people's crapola.

SO...Ainsley, Xander, and I decided to hang out with some serious hay bales.

Xander was happy to get out of the buggy—Johnny Appleseed isn't to conducive to new walkers what with the 10 gajillion attendees.  I tried to get him up on a hay bale with his sister to create a picture moment. (Yes, I'm aware that this is clearly an issue of mine...but I don't care. I like to take pictures of my kids.)

The moment I pulled out my phone for the picture, Ainsley snapped her arm around her brother's neck and started smiling for the picture. It was freakin' adorable.

Xander was, understandably, less tolerant of his sister's assault. He immediately started trying to unwrap himself.

She's still just a little bit bigger and stronger than him, though...so it took a while.  This second picture is of him freeing himself from her. Check out that look on her face...pure sass.

*side note* I sincerely doubt she'll have this advantage much longer. Just yesterday we had to tell Xander to get off his sister, as he'd decided to lay on top of her so she wouldn't move.

I particularly enjoyed telling her that she taught him that move and I'd warned her it'd be used against her. She didn't appreciate the irony. Ok, fair enough, she didn't understand the irony. Sean did though...and we laughed the laugh of really tired parents of two toddlers.

Please Don't Call Social Services, Lady

Big sister

So, this other thing happened while we were hanging with the hay bales at Johnny Appleseed...

Xander decided he needed to RUN around.  He's moderately quick and there were a lot of people and I've been having these horrible dreams about losing the kids (in every horrible variation), so I tried to keep him close to me.  Ainsley was also free ranging at that point.  Xander started to walk off. I told Ainsley to stay by me and we pushed the stroller after him.

I'm not sure if you
can see the bump here.

It looked a lot more disorganized than it was. Worse came to worse, I could have easily abandoned the stroller and snatched up each kid in my arms.  But I'm a hard core control freak trying to let my kids have a little bit of freedom...so I was letting him roam a bit.  Ok, like maybe 3 feet away from me...but still. I was telling Xander to "stay near Mommy" because he's young and needs to start learning that...but I was still making some progress.

What I failed to consider is that Ainsley is mini-Jenn. At one point, Xander got what Ainsley deemed to be "too far away," and she SNATCHED him.  I mean she grabbed the back of his shirt and yanked him down...where he proceeded to bust his head on the stroller.

Then the crying started...and Ainsley freaked out and ran off. Luckily, I was prepared to grab both kids at once. That's just what I had to do. Then I had to start simultaneously comforting Xander and reassuring Ainsley it was just an accident but she still had to say she was sorry.

All while this was happening, I was being watched by some woman in desperate need of either a hair cut or a conditioning treatment; she was like Melissa Leo...not desperate Oscar baiting Melissa Leo, Melissa Leo from Homocide. Anyway, she was watching me way too closely, and I had that moment I assume every mother of a toddler (or two) has. I wanted to both yell at her "Screw off, lady" and give her the finger.

MY PARK!! Part Deux: Parklectric Boogalo

Action shot!

 As many of you know, I've been busy—hellabusy.

I had just submit my IPFW grades today (with 40 minutes to spare!), when I realized that the zoo that I'd promised Ainsley after her nap wasn't going to happen.  I needed to walk, so I decided to take the kids to the park.

When Ainsley woke up from her nap—before we even put her glasses on, she said, "Let's go park! Let's slide!"

Swingin'

"Sure! Let's go!" I said. I gathered up our jackets and the stroller and got us out the door.  Ainsley wanted to walk, so I had her hold onto the strap and walk alongside the stroller.

As we passed random people on the sidewalk or working in their yards, Ainsley would say, "I going PARK!  Come on!"

Once we got to the park, Xander decided that he should continue his mulch eating festivities and Ainsley revived her love of the slide.  Oh, by the way, Xander can now crawl up stairs, which makes the playground a bit more hazardous.  JOY!

MY PARK!!

I took the kids to the park today. I gave Ainsley the option of park or store (she needs a new spring coat). "PARK!!" She demanded.  She was so excited she could barely contain herself when we got out of the van.

She ran as quickly as she could to the playground.  Seriously, it was like grown women and the Victoria Secret's SemiAnnual Sale.  She'd have shanked you to get to that playground.

I booked after her with Xander in tow.  He didn't really seem to care, but Ainsley was ALL about the slides.  She's always greatly enjoyed slides, but at first she was hesitant.  She kept reading forward and asking me to hold her hand to help her down the slide. 

That lasted for all of about five slide trips.  Then it was: SLIDE!!! SLIDE!! I SLIDE!!

Xander didn't get too into the slide.  I put him on it and he slid. He didn't giggle or laugh, but once I put him down on the ground, he discovered The Most Awesome Thing in the World: WOOD CHIPS.

Wood chips are awesome for several reasons.
     1.  There are a million of them.
     2.  They cover DIRT.
     3.  They are deeelicious!

Hold my hand &
tasty woodchips!

Needless to say, I spent most of the time at the park holding Xander to prevent excessive wood chip consumption.  At one point, while Ainsley was slideslidesliding, Xander made a break for it. He crawled completely away from the park at Top Xander Speed, which is quicker than you'd think!

There were a few other kids at the park--we went at around 5pm. Late enough that the "normal" families have to get home for their dinners, but early enough that the hoodlums haven't come to the park to smoke and be surly.

There was a girl Ainsley's age and her bigger sister playing at the park. Miss A had more fun chasing after the big girl--she's still leery of kids her own age.  I'm not too concerned about it; she'll adjust soon enough.

Peekaboo!

Ainsley became super adventurous. The slide had a tube that connected to a larger, spiral slide. Because the bigger sister was in the tube, A followed her. Then she slid down the spiral slide. She wasn't really prepared for the spiral slide and sort of shot down it backwards and sort of upside down. She landed face first in the dirt/wood chips--her glasses fell off her face. It took EVERYTHING in me to not rush to her. She got up and dusted herself off, but couldn't get her glasses back on. So I helped.  It was nice to still be needed a bit. *grin*

She ended up becoming quite skilled at maneuvering the spiral slide. I didn't have to teach her anything...she just knew to hold on to the side to balance herself.  In case there was a doubt, she is a genius.  There are decidedly fewer pictures of Xander because he lived this trip on my hip.

When it was finally time to go, Ainsley protested something wicked.  If you heard a great wailing coming from the Fort Waynian direction? It was Ainsley...lamenting our abandoning her beloved park.

MY PARK!! WANT
MY PARK!!

Do it again!

Then she noticed that I had taken her picture...