Trying to embrace winter as an opportunity for reflection and a slowing down our lives, I share a blog post with limited thought and preparation....blame Old Man Winter. He is draining me....and I resist, resist, resist...remain optimistic, remain optimistic...Anyone have any promising winter mantras I can try on for size?In this first border-line appropriate picture, we see two cuties enjoying bathroom time together. Girls like to go in twos, and cousins have limited privacy rules. (Sorry for this one, Ellie, you're happy faces are too much not to share with the somewhat filtered blog audience). As evident from this potty pic, New Year's with Grandma and the van Howe's of Davenport was fantastic. The grown ups even got in some 4-person Wii. And thanks to Grandma, Jen gained a good 5 lbs in Fisher chips and truffles (ouch). We also were paid a visit by the Harned family, which is always a blast. Maddy was particularly patient with Ainsley manhandling her hair accessories and overall person.
To kick off 2011, we checked out the Shedd for the first time as a family, and truly enjoyed ourselves. Luckily, we beat the rush and had purchased tickets ahead of time, likely saving us a good 45 minutes in line. Having packed our own lunch, we sat near a large window that was less frequented (for whatever reason), and we took in the dolphins and belugas. It was an awesome view and felt like our own private viewing. Of course, I loved the Wild Reef, saw fish and serious sharks (gotta love the sharks). Ainsley seemed most excited about the arts activities, the interactive kids' stations (penguin environment with slides, submarine, and water filled plastic coral and anemones). I think dad dug the anaconda and octopus most -- and just making the early bird parking special put a spring in his step too!
We are still very much enjoying Musikgarten classes and it's tremendous to watch Ainsley's musical confidence, ability and curiosity grow. She also enjoys Friday night gymnastics with her buddy Benjamin. We feel that something happened over the last couple of weeks where she is putting together more complex and conditional phrases than ever before and emphasizing her opinions and various other emotions. The common question this week has been, "What does x mean?" I share a few favorite comments and interactions:
- When at Bed Bath and Beyond and fixated on me getting her the Buzz Light Year faux computer, I try to explain that just because we want something doesn't mean we can just have it. Things cost money. We need to work for special things, ya da ya da... She looks at me and says, "It's okay, momma. You can just get it. Kids don't work."
- When fighting bed time, and angered that we set limits, she says, "I'm frustrated with daddy. He is breaking my heart."
- Another one the other night, "I need to get off from my parents".....which I think translates to, "I'm trying to get away from my parents," or "These parents need to go away -- get off..."
- When I tell her that we are all done with stories, and she is trying to push bed time, she looks intently and says, "Say one from in your mouth"--translation: from your memory... Or she starts flipping through a book, "I don't remember the words. Can you say them with me?" She clearly has inherited her father's negotiation skills. I'm not ready to take responsibility for her emotional hyperbole--let me chalk it up to toddler hood for now.
