The link to this blog is the first one in my "favorites" folder on my computer. It sits there and stares at me when I go months without blogging like a beacon reminding me that I'm supposed to be using this as both a way to communicate with family, but also as something that Ainsley can some day look back at to see how things went. Therefore my unofficial resolution is to be a better mommy blogger this year.
Going back a few months, Ainsley had a great Halloween. She was a cow this year, precipitated by a trip to Costco in early October and her mooing as soon as I picked up the costume. That sealed the deal. Added bonus - it was warm! She made the rounds to her school's Halloween party, then the costume parade, the neighborhood party and finally trick or treating on Halloween. Conor and his parents came over for Halloween and we did our block, about 12 houses in all, with the kids. It was sprinkling, but after the first house both of the kids (18 months old each) really got into knocking on the door and getting handouts. One house Ainsley even took off down the stairs, alone, before I could say "thank you" and catch up with her. They were a surprise and joy to many of the people who saw the two of them standing at the door with pumpkins in hand. As of today, January 17, 2012, we still have some of her candy kicking around in her pumpkin.
The weekend before Halloween Auntie Erin and Auntie Britt came to visit and we headed to the pumpkin patch! Ainsley was so much fun to watch toddle around the pumpkin patch checking out all the pumpkins. It was $20 for all you could carry for 3 steps, Chris managed to make it the necessary steps with all 7(!) of our pumpkins. Ainsley's vocabulary and talking was just starting to take off and that weekend she picked up the word "puk-in". It was great to have some family in town to visit and take the trip to the patch!
After Halloween, the next big event was Thanksgiving. We had dinner over at Aunt Allison and Uncle Kevin's. Thinking back to 2010 when we were in Oregon and Ainsley was just starting solids - eating pureed sweet potatoes - what a change 12 months makes. She sat at the little table with her cousin Brady and showed him how a girl can eat! Using her own fork and feeding herself - the contrast over 12 months was a reminder of how quickly they grow up.
In December, Ainsley's talking really took flight. She is a huge sponge and picks up on things very very quickly. Mommy and Daddy are running out of animals and sounds to teach her, resuling lately to crab and wolf. YiaYia arrived in the middle of the month and we all travelled to DC to surprise her for her birthday. Somehow once she saw Ainsley, it didn't matter much that Mommy and Daddy were there too. Auntie Erin and Auntie Britt also arrived for the Christmas holiday, so we had a full house.
The month of December is somewhat of a blur between getting ready for the holidays and surviving the holidays. Earlier in the month, Ainsley started the Lil' Kickers program at SCOR. Once a week we spend an hour running, jumping, scoring the occasional goal, playing with the parachute, and doing other fun activities with other kids in the 1.5-2.5 age range. It is somewhat of controlled chaos, but she looks adorable in her little uniform. For being one of the youngest in the class, she's one of the ones who follows directions better than most of the other kids. Very proud mommy.
Christmas was fun. Ainsley really got into the idea of opening presents...at first. After about 10 minutes, she just wanted to play with the things she'd opened from her stocking - never mind the 30 or so packages she had under the tree! We thought it was very important to keep her involved with opening her gifts, so we took breaks, let her play and opened gifts for the adults, and eventually finished up after breakfast, lunch, and a nap, with Ainsley's gifts about 330 in the afternoon. In the evening we went to Aunt Becky and Uncle Matt's and had dinner with 30 family members! Ainsley got a baby and stroller from Aunt Becky, Uncle Matt, Maddie, Kaitlyn and Brady - she LOVES it. She must've spent about 45 minutes after opening the gift doing nothing but pushing it up and down the hall and checking her baby to make sure it was safe in the seat. Now at home baby is accompanied in the stroller by Cookie (cookie monster doll) and Elmo (Elmo doll) at all times. They all have to be there.
Beginning the first week of January, Ainsley started another new school. This should be the last move. She's now at a school right near home with a great program. We get lots of detailed information about her day every day and she's fitting in wonderfully with the class. She's one of the younger ones in the class, but probably one of the more talkative. Mommy's hoping that seeing other kids use the potty will start to rub off on Ainsley. They have put her on the potty, but at this point she just smiles and says "all done" without doing anything. There are about 13 kids in her class, but she's in a smaller group of 4 that works together on projects throughout the day - all around the same age. She seems to be doing wonderfully.
January brought around the need to finally cull out all the 12 month clothes. While they still fit in the waist, they were finally starting to become high waters in the legs. She fits best in 12-18 month clothes, but can sport 18 month stuff (with a little leg or waist rolling).
Lately, Ainsley has starting singing her ABC's all the way through. A through Z and the "next time won't you sing with me" too. Sure, there's a dropped letter here or there, but I can't believe at less than 21 months she can sing her ABC's. She also can count to 10, on her own. She'll count things with you or just be playing and start counting parts of toys she's playing with.
Ainsley communication has become amazing - she can ask for most things that she wants, many times by name. The hard part is remembering that "raaang" means "orange"! She gets frustrated when we don't understand her right away, but we're getting better. At the same time as she's able to ask for what she wants, she has also lost her patience when she can't have or do what she wants immediately. Both at home and at school the is encouraged to use her words to explain what's wrong or what she needs, but we've started to get our fair share of whining and tantrums too.
For daily items, Ainsley really likes to read books - both with an adult and to look and identify items in books by herself. She's especially in love with Elmo. Most days include a request for "Elmo TV" or more recently "Elmo Worl" (Elmo's World). We try to limit her to one program a day, at most. After about 6 weeks of nothing but Sesame Street and Elmo, we've decided to add Dora to the mix just so we can keep our sanity. This morning I asked her to read her Elmo book (a see and spot book) while I took a shower, and she sat happily the whole time reading.
I guess the biggest and most heart melting development has been that Ainsley will say "I love you" to her Daddy and I. We always tell her we love her and now she'll return the same. Second on the heart melting list is the fact that she'll give us actual kisses now. Love that she is becoming so affectionate.
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