A step back, in order to go forward.

Two Sundays ago, Ian had a terrible time at hockey practice. He was just not listening and therefore was lost the whole practice. I admit Ian's listening skills are not the best, however, I do have to say, in his defense, that his hockey class has probably 30 other kids, all with higher skill levels, ranging from about age 4 to probably 7 or 8. And for a little boy who has been at home and had no daycare or pre-school, this kind of thing is very unusual, very exciting and very distracting. But bottom line, he didn't listen, he didn't follow directions and because of this was lost the whole class and in everyone's way.

Brady decided to make Ian take the snowplow class last Sunday. We agreed that he needed to go back in there, prove that he can listen and follow directions. If he could, he would POSSIBLY be allowed back in the hockey class, but if he couldn't listen and do what he was told, then his whole little skating career was on the line. I personally have been thinking he should be withdrawn and put into the karate class I initially wanted for him. The class is small and he would have a 1 to 4 teacher/child ratio. But Brady didn't want to call it quits just yet on the hockey. He just wanted Ian to prove himself a little and EARN his place in the hockey class.

Ian was not happy about going to the snowplow class, but he accepted it and went. When he got there, he had his little game face on and worked his little butt off the whole practice. He watched the teachers, he stood where he was told, did what he was asked and performed all the tasks very well (even beyond my expectations). The coach, Miss Angie, came to Brady after practice and said that Ian came to her on the ice and asked if he could please go back to the hockey class next week. So I guess Ian and Miss Angie had a little pow-wow and came to an agreement that he could come back to hockey class and she would take him into her group if he promised to pay attention and follow directions. He agreed and was very excited after class. So I guess it is back into hockey next week. We had to take a small step back, in order to put things into perspective, but I guess he decided that snowplow was pretty boring compared to hockey and that maybe he should try hard so he can stay in hockey. But regardless of the outcome, I was just proud to see him out there, in the snowplow class giving it all he had. And then the fact that he had the initiative to ask his coach if he could come back. I am very proud and have high hopes for next Sunday!! Too bad I won't be at practice, since I will be cooking and cleaning and welcoming company for our annual Superbowl Party!

Mama's little baby likes mangoes, mangoes!

As you all know, we have ventured into the realm of solid foods with Ainsley. You also probably know, from a previous post, that she is none too fond of zucchini at this point. So, I was stocking up on new foods that can be pureed and frozen yesterday and came across a batch of nice, ripe mangoes. Now Ian loves mangoes, then again, Ian loves to eat everything! So I cut up some for Ian and pureed the rest to try out for Ainsley's breakfast. I was a little apprehensive as she has not really taken well to most of the solid foods. But she took one bite and I couldn't shovel that stuff in fast enough!! She ate a whole bowl of it mixed with rice cereal and milk. She didn't spit it out once, she didn't clamp her mouth down, she just opened right up and munched it all down! Looks like I'll be making sure we always have mangoes in the house now!

Sitting pretty!

The title says it all, doesn't it?? I think these are the first photos of her sitting on her own. She still can't get into the sitting position by herself, but with a little help to get there, she can sit and play for quite awhile. But eventually she abandons sitting in order to flop in the floor like a walrus!

Someone loves his sister!

Aren't they just too cute and too happy?!? I LOVE this!

Feeding Ainsley and help from Ian

We are moving along in Ainsley's introduction to solid foods. At this point she is eating bananas, applesauce, yellow squash, sweet potatoes and of course rice cereal. About 2 days ago, we introduced zucchini. And everytime I serve her zucchini I start out by saying, "You're gonna have ZOOOOOOO-KEEEEEEEE-NEEEEEEEE!!!!" Which gets a big smile from her and lots of giggles from her brother! Unfortunately, Ainsley isn't that impressed with zucchini. She clamps her little mouth shut, or when she does take a bite she makes the raspberry sound and spews little green flecks all over me, the table, and the floor! And she has this new thing where she shuts her eyes, wrinkles her nose and scoonches her lips up and makes this puffing sound, like a little rooting pig. So I enlisted the help of her big brother to come and make "aaaahhh" sounds and open his mouth to encourage her to open hers. It worked pretty well. She is so enamoured of her brother and adores everything he does, so she is more than happy to try to copy him. However, after the first few times of sticking the unwanted zucchini in her mouth, she became wise of the game (smart little toot) and began clamping her mouth shut again. Oh well, she'll eventually learn to love zucchini, whether she wants to or NOT!!

Are 5 year-olds just crazy??

Granted, Ian isn't officially 5 (not until next week), but I have recently had the epiphany that 5 year-olds are crazy! I don't think they MEAN to be crazy, they just are. As they get closer and closer to that birthday, the auditory system seems to start failing. I don't think it is a permanent condition, but it is very profound at this time. It is like the sound waves go in, but they don't quite make it to the place in the brain where they can be interpreted. "Please help the baby with her bottle," is somehow is perceived as, "Poor milk into the baby's nose!" Or "Put the cat medicine in the refrigerator," somehow translates into, "Throw the cat meds into the trash can." And what about the strange time delay that seems to be present in the 5 y.o. brain. When you tell the child to go get dressed because you have a busy day and once you, the parent is dressed, the baby is dressed and you are ready to put on your coat and go...you realize that the youngster is in his room playing with trains in his underpants!! And when you ask, "Didn't I TELL you to get dressed?!?" You get the response, "I was getting dressed, I'm just not finished yet!" Not finished yet, he was asked 30 minutes ago, how long does it take to put on a pair of pants, a t-shirt and shoes??? Apparently, for a 5 y.o., at least 30 minutes.

Don't even get me started with the attention span. We can be having school, totally engrossed in a page of reading and a bird will fly by the window. The attention turns to the bird, then what the weather is like and can he maybe play with the sidewalk chalk, and why doesn't Otis like to stay outside, and next weekend I want to wear my yellow coat. I have to stop the questions, try to lasso him back into the task and remind him of the lesson and where we are on the page. It is obvious in hockey class too. He is out on the ice, with a whole gaggle of little kids in hockey gear. The coaches are stating what the kids need to be doing and Ian is out there, looking at the lights, poking Cole with a the stick, looking at the net, staring at his skates, then when it's time to perform the task, he is standing there, looking flabbergasted and having no clue as to what he should do.

But I have done research and found that most mothers I know that have 5 y.o.'s have the same problems. One mom even mentioned the fact that the coach of her son's T-ball team would go to the practice field a half hour before practice with his mower to mow down the dandelions because all the little boys in the outfield couldn't resist picking them or stomping on them or being generally distracted by them. But as much as I am frustrated by these things, I have to look at the fact that he is 5. I honestly think in the "How To Be a Five Year-Old Handbook" it gives explicit directions on how to drive adults crazy and how to be a general pain in the ass. I think it helps them gain independence because they can make us so crazy that we don't want to be around them all the time anymore! So they get that breathing room that they desire. And as much as I want to pinch his little head off sometimes, there have been too many incidences to count that I have had to turn my head and giggle or smile. I am so mad, but the situation is still damn funny and to the casual observer would be hysterical. So I bite my lip, stand my ground and then write about this stuff so I can see the humor and laugh about it with everyone reading. In fact, blogging my be directly contributing to the fact that the boy and the baby are still happy, healthy and in one piece!

A couple more ice storm photos.

Yep, more pics of the ice. Give me a break, this stuff doesn't happen around here very often. Besides, when these photos were taken, I had been cooped up in the house with the kids for 3 days already! ANYTHING was a welcome distraction!

Something you don't usually see in Texas!

Well this is something new! Icicles hanging from everything! Notice the "ice tablecloth" on our patio furniture! Ian decided ice was sort of fun, it crunches alot. However, when you have on shoes and not ice skates, you fall on your butt alot too!

Sleeping Beauty

If I could only sleep like that, anywhere, anytime! But isn't she sweet when she sleeps?

Brrrrrrr! It's cold in here!

Ian's after-bath m.o., curling up on the bathmat in his towel to keep warm until he is sufficiently dried off!

Aaaaaawww!

All that rolling around and trying to crawl just tuckered her right out!

It's cold outside and we're bored!

So, in light of the sub-arctic temperatures happening outside, the kiddos and I are hauled up in the house with a fire going! What a bummer of a storm though! It really isn't fair to have to endure this kind of cold with no snow, only ice. Ice is no fun, you can't make ice angels or icemen, about all you can do is flail around on the slick surface and pray that you don't fall and crack your skull! Therefore, we are cooped up and bored. Ian and I had a LONG math lesson, followed by a LONG geography lesson (he's learning the continents and the oceans) and Ainsley, well let's just say she has been crabby ALL day. We have resorted to doing laundry, cleaning the kitchen, cleaning Ian's room, playing with toys, playing on the computer and I did manage to get Ian to take a bath (even though he expressed the desire to stay dirty today). I did manage to get Ian's birthday invitations sent out though (I RULE!). He has decided on a Pirate Party, should be fun. Anyone know where I can score a parrot pinata?? Nothing like whacking a paper mache bird until it spews forth gobs of candy to make you feel all pirate-y, right??? AAAARRRRGGHH! My mind is reeling with the possibilities of pirate festivities, treasure hunts, ships, pirate hats with feathers and the lot. I may have more fun with this than he will! But if Ian is Captain, does that make me Commadore? Or is it still bad luck for a woman to be on board? Either way, I want a BIG hat, and maybe an eyepatch! I suppose Ainsley will be Ian's First Mate, kind of small and loud though, she might make it hard to be stealthy! Anyway, we're bored, so I suppose I'll go make some cookies!

Rolling, rolling, rolling...

This week Ainsley has been all over the place! She is rolling all over the house, off of her blankets, off of the rugs, all over the concrete floors (cringe), she is on the move. We have noticed over the last couple of days however, that there is a new development. She is really working on getting those knees underneath her! At this point she can raise up really far on her hands, then she tries for the knees, but usually ends up scooting back (kind of like a walrus in reverse). This mode of locomotion gets her into trouble though as she backs herself up underneath our TV stand and the couch and chair. We are now regretting that every piece of furniture in our living room has legs! So, several times a day, I have to go un-wedge my daughter from underneath furniture. But she is much happier on the floor these days, the bouncy seat is all but retired! I wouldn't be surprised if crawling isn't accomplished within the next couple of weeks. It's very exciting, yet I wonder if I'm ready for a baby that is THAT mobile! Time to get serious about all that babyproofing!

Babes in Toyland

Here we sit in the aftermath of Christmas and my house looks like a bonafide toy shop! A Robo-Pet (which Ian wants to name Robo-Jim, but not until his birthday?!?!), a Smart Globe, two I-Dogs, a new video/digital camera, Lincoln Logs, various cars and trains and tracks not to mention all the goods that Ainsley received (an Exer-saucer, soft blocks that jingle, crinkle, or quack, an interactive elephant and loads of soft, fuzzy animals and rattles). All of this stuff is great and I am pleased that my children had such a wonderful Christmas but I have to say, WHY on earth do toy companies have to make every toy ding or sing or buzz or quack or whatever?? Does no one believe in the idea of pretend play or, for the love of Pete, ANYTHING QUIET these days?? I specifically had to leave the house last night to go read my book in the relative peace and quiet of a local coffeeshop because I was bombarded all day with a Robo-pet that barks and makes cyber-pee and cyber-farts, two I-Dogs that when played individually aren't so bad, but when played at the same time have the most brain-crushing discord you can hardly focus on anything else! Not to mention all of Ainsley's little toys that sing Twinkle, Twinkle and Mary Had a Little Lamb, with the added bonus of Pop Goes the Weasel from her Jack-in-the-box (honestly that one is less annoying since it is more like a little music box). But seriously after a day, not to mention two weeks, of these kids and the noisy toys, it makes my head want to explode!

Now I don't want anyone to get the idea that I'm not grateful and that I am complaining. The kids, especially Ian, are in heaven. Life couldn't be better for him right now and that is SO cool. It is just me. I have to get a grip on the fact, like every parent does, that life is not like it was when I was a child. I spent most of my time playing quietly with stuffed animals, pretending, building with blocks, coloring in my little books, reading and so forth. The most hi-tech thing I remember having was the 3-story Barbie mansion with a little elevator on a pulley cord! And then of course once I reached high school age I had boomboxes and the such. Now I have to admit that I am lucky in the sense that although alot of these toys sing silly, little, annoying songs and maybe buzz or bark, they don't talk to the kids or tell them they love them. I knew a kiddo that had a Barney doll that said "I love you!" and it drove me crazy! If your child needs to have a stuffed toy tell them they are loved then that is a sad state of affairs. I prefer for my kids to love and interact with their toys on their terms and to know that Mommy, Daddy, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends love them. They don't need some stinkin' Barney doll to tell them they are needed, loved and worthwhile!

As I write, I hear the kids in the other room playing with Ainsley's kicky toy that sings "Aloutte", "Itsy Bitsy Spider" etc... and I cringe. But I suppose maybe, just maybe, "Chopsticks" is a little less annoying than a crying baby (the jury is still out on that one). Now the next step is to talk Ian the Horder into letting go of some of his older, less used toys to make room for all the new ones. Not to mention the fact that he has a birthday coming up, YIKES!!! So I embark on yet another day of gleeful children playing with noisy toys and I take a deep breath and look for the bottle of Tylenol, cause I'm gonna need it!

Look who's eating now!

We have now delved into the realm of solid foods for the Piglet! I actually made the first attempt on Christmas Eve while my mother was in town. She did pretty well with her first try. And I continued with feeding until we went to Dallas. Unfortunately, things were just too hectic there and not the best place to be starting new foods with a baby. So I held off until we got back, but she has now been eating rice cereal for breakfast and dinner since the New Year arrived and will start with some sweet potatoes tomorrow. And boy was she ever ready to start this!! I had been noticing over the past couple of weeks since she got her highchair that she was really watching us eat and would try to grab at utensils and food items if she was sitting in your lap. She just dove right in! Hardly any tongue-thrusting or anything! This girl was hungry and ready to eat! Now here comes years of bibs, messy shirts, messy face and hair, not to mention messy poop--OH BOY! But I fully expect her to be chowing down on turkey dinner next Christmas and eating black-eyed peas on New Year's!

I almost forgot!

Before everyone got here for XMAS, Ian and I attempted our first gingerbread house. Now I will be totally honest and admit that we bought the kit! There was no way on top of all the other last minute stuff I was dealing with that I could have made honest-to-goodness gingerbread. So we hit Target and managed to find the last, decrepid, beat-up kit. We worked and worked while Ainsley hung out in her high chair and we tackled our first gingerbread house and Ian was proud! But, forgetful person that I am, I forgot to take a photo of this monumental accomplishment (in my defense, I was sick when we did this thing). Well I was getting ready to toss the house out yesterday and something told me I should check and make sure I had a photo of it. Sure enough I didn't, so I set it up and got a couple of photos of Ian with it before I trashed it. I guess it's better late than never!

Photos from the Dallas trip

A Boy and His Otter

After Christmas, we packed up and headed to Dallas with Brady's family for a fun-filled couple of days. The big event on our calender being a visit to the Dallas World Aquarium. Now I know I have written about this place before, but I just cannot stress enough how stinkin' COOL this place is! Seriously, anyone that makes it close to the DFW metroplex, this is a MUST especially if you have kids! Anyway, Ian and his cousins had a blast checking everything out and running around. And even Little Miss Piglet enjoyed herself, especially in the tropical reef section (all of those bright colored, beautiful fish to watch)! At the end of the visit we got to hit the gift shop where Nana and Poppa told the kids they could each pick out a toy of their choice. Ian's choice was this big, stuffed otter. This thing is about the cutest stuffed animal I have ever seen! And SOFT! This is one lucky otter because my little boy ADORES him! He named him "Ottery" (I know, the kid has a moose named "Moose", a puppy named "Puppy", a bear named "Teddy" and of course..."Harry" the pink flamingo!). Anyway, Ottery and Ian have been inseparable. Ottery comes in the car, sits next to the dinner table, and of course sleeps with Ian. Last night, Ottery was forgotten downstairs and I asked Ian where his friend was and the answer was, "Oh no, I have to go find him, he might need me!" I almost welled up hearing the concern and love for his little Otter friend. I had friends like that when I was a child. In fact, I still have Sousy Mouse, Teddy Bear, and Blue Bear, all of whom are tried and true friends, not to mention Sick Walrus, who when I don't have a baby in the bed still sleeps with me! But Ian and Ottery are quite the little pair. So here is a photo of the boy and his otter. Too cute!

Twas a Merry Christmas for all!

On Christmas Eve, Ian got into his jammies early and we wrote a note to Santa, put out pumpkin bread, peanut brittle and milk as well as some oats and carrots in the front yard for the reindeer (I neglected to do that last year and my other mom friends called me on it, how could I have forgotten those poor hungry reindeer!) Then it was off to bed for Mr. Ian, eagerly anticipating Santa's arrival.

The next morning he woke up and came into our room, looking terribly dejected. "Santa didn't come...there's no new presents under the tree!" So I got dressed and put my slippers on so we could go investigate. We checked under the tree and then we went out front to see if there was any evidence of Santa. Sure enough, the oats and carrots were eaten and there were several piles of reindeer poop in the yard! So I told Ian that he must have been here and we should go look around inside. We headed for the kitchen where someone had obviously eaten pumpkin bread, peanut brittle and drank the glass of milk and left quite a mess mind you! Then we noticed it...the loot had been placed next to the fireplace beneath the stockings!!! JOY! Ian's stocking was so full that it was not even hanging on the fireplace anymore! And much to his surprise and glee, there was the ever-coveted Robo-pet, all set up and ready to play with! The look of excitement was priceless! It's what Christmas is all about, right? The look on a small boy's face when he gets that ultimate dream toy! (I mean it wasn't "an official Red Ryder, carbine-action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time" but it was pretty damn close!)

And Ainsley was also visited by the big man, getting a new Exer-saucer, some new rattles and most importantly a new stash of binkies! That Santa, he's one smart cookie! So two happy children and parents and grandparents here to share in the magic of the season. Nice!

Happy New Year!

We have now entered 2007 and we, as a family, are looking forward to many exciting things this year! Ian will be turning 5 and doing all the great things that 5 year-olds do and Ainsley will be embarking on eating, crawling, walking and talking! So I invite you to check in from time to time and enjoy our adventures with us!