one track mind

This picture cracks me up.

Alex hearts cake.

Bapa and the chicken

Alex really likes her Bapa. She kept a close eye on him.

She kept saying, "Hurry Bapa! Hurry!" (no matter what he was doing).

Then, when we were all eating cake, she made double sure that Bapa got a piece.

"Bapa? Cake Bapa?"

Music Class 2010

Musical genius? Um, YES. Isn't it obvious?
10 weeks of intensive music class has begun.

Walking Spot

The Social Worker came over last night, on a counta the state says that BFF has to adopt Alex officially.

Alex was HI-LARIOUS. First she refused to eat the delicious meal we prepared for her, and she demanded Craisins for dinner. Then she was showing off her enormous vocabulary for her.

The Social Worker asked Alex, "Can you say your FULL NAME?"

Alex said, "YOUR FULL NAME."

Minus 1 point for sugary dinner, minus 1 point for sarcasm, plus 1 point for working smoke detectors in each room.

We'll let you know the final score.

Forever known as, the Springer beach

Alex and I played at the local lake and beach yesterday. (You can also see from the photo that I tried exfoliating her face with a mixture of sunscreen and coarse sand.)

We had to leave early because I got all craaaaazzzzzy mama on her.

These two 4 year old boys kept saying, "SHUUUUT UUUP!" "No you SHUUUT UP!"

I asked them to please not say that word anymore, because it's not nice. They kept it up. Then Alex started saying it!!! I then asked them where their mom's were.

They were all, "I DON'T KNOW!"

So I came unglued. I marched up and down that muddy beach shouting, "Who has the 2 blond boys on the playground?"

2 different Moms stood up, both smoking cigarettes, both on cell phones.

I narked those little boys out, then we left cuz I didn't want their Moms to go all Jerry Springer on me.

My friend

Alex showed this monkey her baby. She called this particular monkey "friend". She would say, "Hi friend. My baby, friend. Bye friend."

Hat Mama, hat!

Alex tried on Jack's new hard hat.
It fit her perfectly!

KITCHEN!!

We went to Jack's 2 year old birthday party yesterday. He got this sweeet toolbench. When he took it out of the box, Alex screamed, "KITCHEN, KITCHEN!"
(She just got a new/used kitchen that she loves.)

puffball

Isn't that just the cutest little puffball of hair?

gymnastics class

Gymnastics class has begun!

There are no other kids in this picture because they are all sitting on the big red mat singing a song. Alex could not control her urge to move.

"Mama hang, mama hang!"

Alex ran around for the entire hour, and found ways to hang upside down on EVERYTHING.

"More stamp please"

Alex really felt like she deserved stamps on every inch of her skin after all that hanging.

She kept telling Mrs. Amanda, "More stamp please. More stamp please."

The Incredible Alex

Alex still loves her Hulk.

(She just seems so big to me!)

Shaving cream smile

Barbasol makes for hours of entertainment.

1 year ago today...

Can you believe it?

cracking me up

The chicken travels with a lot of accessories.

She has a new word, it's "apricot". She pronounces it "APA-COCK!" (while screaming).

Cousins

Vince, Alex and Joe were up on stage while the family sang Happy Birthday to Alex. It wasn't her birthday, she just REALLY likes that song.

mommy, this isn't a foreign car

Alex has never actually driven an American-made vehicle.

When in Rome (or Michigan)...

fly bye

While Alex was spreading the love to this poor cat, Angelica kept doing "fly-bye's" on her big girl bicycle (much like Goose and Maverick).

Narnia

Ever been to Narnia?

Alex has.

This dirt road leads to a land where animals talk, magic is for real, and good battles evil on a daily basis.

At the end of this road, you're tripping over frogs, getting grass stains on your rear end from the zip line, catching a fish on every cast, getting dirt stuck to your skin where your Popsicle just dripped, working up a SWEAT climbing that grassy hill you just rolled down on your belly...oh, and the adults might have rules, IF THEY CAN CATCH YOU!

too tired

Then you're too tired to walk YOUR OWN curly-haired self back to the fire pit where you're making S'mores.

Thanks Mimi and Megan, this truly was a day we will never forget!

Grandma and Alex

Grandma is zipping up Alex's cowgirl boots.

A diaper and cowgirl boots, again, the apple does not fall far from the tree.

CHEEEEEEESE!

Growing up with the paparazzi, Alex knows how to ham it up in front of the camera now.

This kid loves hats.

shirt-pants

How do you like Alex's SHIRT-PANTS?

Alex insisted on wearing her pajama shirt, as pants the other night.

BIG A

Chocolate pudding finger painting before dinner.

1 step forward...

We are making some progress regarding the dinosaur desensitization therapy. The dinosaur book titled, "Potty Poo-Poo Wee Wee!" has been a big help.

I give my parenting choices that dreadful day a C- however (she did still get 3 square meals, a nap, and 20 minutes of books).

scar face

WAIT!

Before you call Child Protective Services on us I can explain.

She is learning to walk up and down stairs on her own. Alex hangs out with older kids, and she wants to do EVERYTHING they are doing. She fell 2 days in a row, and both times, her face broke the fall. Clearly, you can see from the picture, that her pupils are the same size. No need to worry.

The funny thing is, I don't think she knows that she has "owies" on her face because she can't see them. Her favorite thing to do is to point out all of MY owies and make a big fuss about them. She always looks for owies on herself, but can never see any.

Dinosaur Desensitization Therapy

Alex sure looks like she's walking with a purpose.

We spent the day at Water World. We had so much fun...well, until the Dinosaur ride.

WHAT WAS I THINKING!??????

I'll tell you what I was thinking, I was thinking that Alex likes dinosaurs, and Alex likes the inner-tube rides. Put the 2 together, and "BOO-YA"!!! She's gonna love it.

This ride scared the poop outa her. She's been scared of the dark ever since, and she always mentions the dinosaurs and pool when the lights go out. She's been waking up in the middle of the night CRYING for her Mamas.

WHAT-WAS-I-THINKING??!!!

We have begun some intensive Dinosaur Desensitization Therapy (DDT).

This involves silly Dinosaur books from the Library, it involves talking about things that scare other kids, it involves a gi-normous belly laugh whenever the word "Dinosaur" is mentioned.

I am open to suggestions.

after Water World

Our tired little swimmer fell asleep in my arms after the last ride.

mini-me

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. We both love to cut the grass.

piggy back ride

Alex and I took a field trip to the Aquarium yesterday.

She LOVED that turtle. LOVED. Then the tigers distracted her with their "piggy-back" rides.

What is in her purse you ask? A stuffed Nemo of course. The other day when we went to the park, Alex ran around the house gathering items to bring with her. She grabbed a bucket, a wrist watch, and a Chinese menu. She cracks me up.

not funny

It's really not that funny Alex. I know you can sense my weakness, and then you exploit it.

How did you know that I had a rough night at work, and that I've been up for like a million hours straight? You skipped your nap today, and you worked me over like a Hoboe eating a ham sandwich.

Putting you in the car in your pj's was my last-ditch effort to get you to close your eyes, didn't work.

abc's

We're hitting the Alphabet HARD this week. So far, she can recognize A, B and C.

23 more to go.

camel (toe)

Camel (Toe)

Party girl dance

Just can't hold back her excitement.

camping in the back yard

"CAMPING" in the back yard= a bunch of sweaty, smelly kids, hopped up on sugar who are afraid of the dark
SUPER FUN.

FIYA

Alex says the word "FIRE" like she's from Boston, as in, "FIYA".

Roasting marshmellows were a huge hit.

sniff sniff

Alex was smelling this rose like it was her job. She's all up in that rose's grill.

kiss please

Mommy and Alex.........awwwww

Mia and Moose

I presume that Alex is immitating me talking on the phone in my underwear and running shoes.
BFF's cousin, Mary and her travel partner/boyfriend, Murph came through town last night on their motorcycle.
Great to see you "Mia" and "Moose" (Alex's names for them).

winnie the pooh

We went to the park today and rode the train, then we played in the creek.
Alex has been real attached to the Winnie the Pooh neclace that her Great Mimi gave her.
She is beginning to string words together to form sentences, and she also repeats words that BFF and I use, when speaking with each other.
She has been calling Mommy "Hey Leigh", and Mama "Kendra".

All aboard!

Alex talked about this choo choo the rest of the day.
She would say, "Choo choo train, ALL ABOARD!!"

En fuego

En fuego.

(Picture taken in our front yard!)

nice dreads Barbie

Alex likes to make sure that Barbie (and her nappy hair) has a good view of the pictures when I read to her.

click click partner

Can't you just hear her making that double click sound with the side of her mouth like cowboys make?

how embarrassing

Isn't that just soooo embarrassing when you find yourself in the SAME outfit as someone else, and you didn't even call each other?

roundy round

Being a toddler must be like exploring a new planet every day. Alex really enjoyed her first experience on the merry-go-round.

lil campers

These are Alex's cousins BEFORE the epic backpacking trip of 2010 (note the chapter book and the i-phone). They had to stir their freeze-dried lasagna with the poop shovel. That my friends, is an advanced camping maneuver right up there with the guy who had to saw off his own arm in order to free himself from the boulder that trapped him for 4 days.
Nice work boys.

vans and ankle socks

Backpacking in Vans...hope he doesn't get a soaker.

life is good

Cowgirl in her Chariot tipping back a beverage on a hot summer day.

Jessie and her steed

We are in the mountains this week with Alex's cousins. Alex wanted this hat because she says she looks like "Jessie" in it, we agreed.

You know that sign that says, "No shoes, no shirt, no service"? That apparently does not apply to the cutest cowgirl in Colorado.