Ainsley Is a Nerd and Xander Bats Clean-up

This morning, when we got up to get Ainsley out of bed, she ordered us out of her room.  You see, she was reading to her babies and needed to finish the story.  She'd lined them all up along her bed and sat in the center reading her book about trains.  I found this adorable.

Sean then informed me that her new ritual when she wakes up is to say "good morning" to each baby and give it a kiss.  Because she sleeps with approximately 4,000 babies (remember her bed?), this takes her forever.  Also, because I sleep like the dead and never wake up, it's what wakes Sean up every morning.

Nom Nom Nom

Today, while we were at Target I decided to get her a new plate--as we're going to need them because Mr. Big Boy is practically off baby food now; he only wants people food or a bottle.  She was given the choice between a plate with flowers, a plate with monkeys, and a plate with letters.  "Want letters," she said.

"But look, baby! This one has monkeys!  They're so funny!" I tried not to push her one way or the other--but that monkey plate was really cool. 

Alas, my child did not want monkeys, "NO. WANT LETTERS."  My kid knows what she wants.  On the way home, I let her hold her letters plate and told her she could have lunch on it today.

"Cover up letters?" she wondered.

...or Not So Nom Nom
Ainsley's "leftovers"

"Well,  yes, but then you can eat and find them again!"

"Ok!"  Her excitement made me think that maybe she'd eat better, as Ainsley's diet has been a point of discussion and concern since she was born.

We got home and I fed her hot dogs and stars with cheese--two of her favorites.  While the plate was awesome, it did not make her more inclined to eat.

Currently, she's in her bedroom "napping."  I can hear her dictating things to her babies, who knows if she'll go to sleep.

Leftovers shmeftovers

Her loss, however, is Xander's gain.  He already knew stars and cheese are awesome.  But today, he has discovered that hot dogs are also awesome!!

I honestly think that Xander is going to skip Stage III baby food altogether.  I can mash up practically anything we're eating for dinner--and it's so much cheaper.  Plus if we aren't feeding him what we're eating... He. Knows.  And he gets really ticked off if we have something that he doesn't. Lots of "MMMmmmMMMMM"ing and grabbing.

We're so lucky to have one kid who picks up the other kid's slack!

Choklit Nilk

NILK NOW.

Today, Ainsley brought me her play glass: "Choklit Nilk?"

Me: "Oh! Are you pretending to drink chocolate milk?"

Ainsley (with a look of irritation): "NO. Want choklit nilk now."

Her exasperation that I'd even entertain the notion of pretend chocolate milk was hilarious.

Playing Together and Cruising

Isn't my brother cute?

I realize that I've been doing a lot of Ainsley or Xander separate posts, and since this is Ainsley and Xander's blog, I felt it was time to report on how they're doing--together.

Don't LOOK AT ME.

Right now, according to Xander, Ainsley is the coolest thing that has ever been on the face of the Earth. Ever.  According to Ainsley 90 percent of the time, "EEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEee!!" to the pitch of dolphins as she runs away from him.  The other 10 percent though makes up for the attempts at dolphin communication because it's then that she decides to take care of him or love on him or play with him.

You play on *this side*, Xander!

Her favorite thing is to insinuate herself into whatever he's doing and show him how it's done. This week, I put the legs on the toy Uncle Brian bought for Xander for Christmas.  Xander loves to stand up--and now that this toy is a table/toy, it's become awesome again. He was playing with it just fine.  Ainsley decided to come over and show him how to play.  She was telling him colors...I have a feeling I'm not going to have to teach as much cause Ms. FancyPants will do it her own big girl self.

And Now for Something Completely Different

So, I caught Xander cruising on video...it's brief...but what I love about this video is Ainsley interacting with Mr. Man as well. Please to enjoy.

Xander EATS

Mac n Cheese: WIN.

Up to these past few weeks, Xander was contented to have his bottles, the occasional Puff, and maybe some baby food.  Lately, however, Xander has decided that baby food is for suckers and losers.  All he wants is REAL FOOD.

Please, please feed a Boomer.

So, to appease Mr. CrankyPants, I've broadened his diet. He's trying all sorts of mashable foods now.  His current favorite is macaroni and cheese.  Bananas are also made of win.

The new food developments have made Xander much more appealing to dogs, of course.  He hasn't figured out yet that he can actually *feed* the dogs, but that'll come. 

Is this Ainsley's? AWESOME.

For now though, Xander is content to wander around the house in search of food stuffs.  His most recent discovery?  Ainsley's goldfish travel container.  He found it in the basement and played with it as a toy until he discovered the delicious goldfish filling!  Of course, right now he doesn't chew very well, so we have to keep a good eye on him so that he doesn't choke--but I don't think it'll take too long to develop his eating skillz--he's clearly taking after his momma in that respect!

Ainsley Rediscovers Her Tent

I had to promise her candy to
get her to peek her head out for a pic.

Now that Xander is mobile, Ainsley finds herself in a constant state of alert.  If he actually catches her, she goes insane and hits and punches him.  At one point, she hit him with a Strawberry Shortcake lunch box.

So, in attempt to protect him and prevent her from spending the next six months in the chair being punished with a tanned bottom, I've pulled out the tent that Aunt Jill and Uncle Joe bought her for Christmas last year.

This tent sat out for months after Christmas last year, and Ainsley showed little interest in it.  Now, however, it is the most awesome thing in the world.  I've positioned it in the basement behind my chair and put up a wall of chairs and toys to keep Xander out.  Miss A now spends her evenings playing in the tent.

The first night that I got it out for her, upon seeing her tent: *GASP* "TENT!"

She grabbed her picnic basket and stayed inside until it was bedtime.  Right after going inside, Xander started throwing a fit because he wanted a toy he couldn't get.  From the tent, I heard, "What's going on out there?"

"Xander is angry," I replied.

"OK. I in my tent."

Things Heard from the Tent

• Awww what's wrong? Want hugs and kisses? (Presumably to an upset baby...)
• That's gross! (I have no idea what that one's about.)

Ainsley Puts Things in her Mouff

Toothbrushes

Ainsley prefers double fisted
tooth brushing.

Well, Miss A is at it again.  First, I'm not sure I mentioned this before, but Ainsley loves to brush her teeth.  She has two toothbrushes that, if I'd let her, she'd carry around and brush her teeth with all the time.  I say "if I'd let her" because I don't let her.  Why not?  You'd think that letting a kid brush her teeth constantly would be a great way to promote oral hygiene.

You'd be wrong.  For 10 minutes (if that), Ainsley would brush her teeth. Then she'd go pet Sadie with her toothbrush. Then she'd brush her teeth. Then she'd drop the toothbrush in the toilet. Then she'd brush her teeth.  Then she'd go dig around in Ms. Fat Blacky Beaner's litter box. Then she'd brush her teeth.  You see where I'm going here.  So, no, Miss A.  You cannot keep your toothbrush with you forever.

Chapstick

I'm painting my lips green
for St. Patty's Day!

Ainsley was adamant about coloring this morning.  So, we dug out the coloring book and crayons and let her at it.  I'd left her alone for something--to get Xander, to make breakfast, who knows...when I returned, I first noticed that she'd pulled all the crayons out of the tin so she could line them up.  Oh A, you're so predictable!

Then I noticed that her mouth was green.  "Ainsley! I told you that you don't eat crayons!"

"Chapstick, Momma," she grinned.  She then started rubbing the green crayon on her face.

She loves chapstick--I have no idea why the green one became her chapstick, but it made me giggle.

Xander Is a Big Boy

Lately, Xander has started moving in leaps and bounds.  It used to be that he would army crawl around the house.  Now he does a right proper crawl.  His most favorite thing to do right now, though, is to pull himself up onto things. The other day, I went to wake him up and decided it'd be a good day to document some cuteness for the Interwebs.  This is how I found him in his bed.  

Seriously, Xander is the happiest damn baby you'll ever meet. He has his crying and fussing moments, but he is So. Chill.  I guess he has to be as a reaction to his sister, Captain Cranky Pants.

BIG BOY!

Anyway, lately, X is pulling himself up, so when we go to get him out of bed, he's no longer laying around chilling with Max, his Grinch dog. Now he's a Big Boy, standing up and yelling in his crib.  Big Boys stand in their cribs and chew on them.  Big Boys get excited and jump up and down in their cribs and then fall down. Big Boys find that hilarious and lay on their backs laughing.  Oh yeah, being a Big Boy is pretty awesome.

Can you hear the theme to Jaws?
I can.

Xander will pull himself up on anything he can.  I've forgotten what it's like to have an almost 9 month old baby in the house.  Lately, it seems we spend our days chasing after Mr. Big Boy and protecting him from our stuff and our stuff from him.  For example, my table in the living room ("The Mess" as Sean calls it) often will have random bills/mail on it.  Did you know how tasty bills and mail are?  I didn't. But I do now!

Can I haz stairs nao?

Another new discovery Mr. Big Boy has made is the steps.  Right now we have to leave the steps up to our bedroom open because Ms. Fat Blacky Beaner can use her paw to open the door and if she gets stuck up there, she pees on our bed in protest.  Ms. Fatty is a bitch, by the way.

This has allowed Xander to discover the stairs.  He can't crawl up them yet, but he is VERY interested in them.  You may recall Miss A's fascination with the steps (and her fit throwing when I put the gate up to stop her). Xander is no different.  At the moment, he'll just stand at them.  Then sit down and look at me..then stand at them again.  Rinse, repeat for 20 minutes.

Ainsley has the coolest stuff!

Ultimately though, Xander's favorite thing to do is to play in Ainsley's room.  Because A's toys are everywhere, Ainsley's room is a bounty of toys and awesomeness.