Summer Fun

This summer, I have been trying very hard to make it be a lot of fun for Dexter.  It's our last summer with just him, and I felt like we had to live it up.  We have gone to the zoo a lot.  He loves to go to the butterfly house and to see the monkeys so make sure to hit each of those every time we go.  One time, we even took the sky-fari (a ski lift thing that takes you across the zoo and back.  I was a little nervous, as was Dex, but Ashton was really good at making Dexter comfortable which helped me out.

Dex and I went to the Children's museum quite a bit as well.  I've finally given up on going there this summer because it is extremely busy and impossible to find a parking spot.  We did get to see their new dinosaur exhibit that both terrified and fascinated Dexter.  He wouldn't go near them by himself, but had to go see them with me holding him.  

We have done a lot of coloring and painting as well.  One time while he was painting, He kept painting in circles and with each rotation, he would say "circle, circle, circle..."  pretty smart cookie!

We have gone "bowling" as well.  I saved a few containers that look like flat topped bowling pins just for him to bowl with.  I got them out the other day and we go bowling all the time.  The first time that we did it though, we had a special play date and had a blast bowling.

 We have enjoyed going to story time each week at the library.  We made butterflies and they are hanging up as decorations right now.  He has been ecstatic to see them "flying" in our house.  We have also been having fun in our little swimming pool.  Of course, we have kept up our cookie making sessions.  We also got him little trike to ride, which he almost can do, (grow legs, grow!)  It has a parent push bar on the back for us to help him.  I found it on craigslist.  Probably one of the best things I've found.    We played with it early this spring and early summer.  It is too humid now (for me to be out at least).

He also figured out how to put his train tracks together by himself and enjoys playing with his puzzles.  He is so smart.

If You Make a Boy a Cookie...

One of the things I have been wanting to do with Dexter, is to "act out" the "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" book.  Thanks to Grandma Jenks for Dexter's birthday, we got to do it without going to the library.   

To start out, we had to make our cookies since we didn't have any on hand, and he loves to help make them.  I was out of chocolate chips, shocking, I know, so we made snickerdoodles.  They were a first for Dex.  Here is our version of "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie"...

If you make a boy a cookie, he is going to want to help.  In order to help, he'll ask to wear an apron.

  When he has his apron on, he'll ask to help put in the ingredients.  When he puts the ingredients in, he'll just eat the sugar.

(see his sugar mustache.  He did it while I was getting the cinnamon, the sneak)

 When he's done making cookies,

 he'll ask for a glass of milk.

  (That's right, I also taught him how to dunk them in his milk.  He has to eat it correctly!)

When he's done eating cookies, he's going to want to color.

When he is done coloring, he'll want to sign his name, with a pen.

When he's done signing his name, he'll want to hang his picture on the refrigerator.

When he sees the refrigerator, it'll remind him that he's thirsty.  So he'll ask for a glass of milk.  And chances are if he asks for a glass of milk, he's going to want a cookie to go with it.

Swimming

Earlier this spring, We put Dexter in swimming lessons.  He has always been afraid of swimming so we thought that lessons would help.  We enrolled him at the YMCA here in Council Bluffs in the "shrimp" class, which was "a parent and me" class.  It worked wonders.  He did amazing and now loves to swim.  YAY!  Because he did so well, and because our apartments were sold and are now under new management and we weren't told we couldn't have swimming pools this summer, I bought him a little inflatable pool to play in.  We go out in the early morning (7:30-8 am)  after breakfast and before it becomes a sauna outside, and he gets to play.  This last time, I found a bubble machine on clearance that I bought, and had it going for him too.  He had fun splashing in the backyard next to our tomatoes, chasing the bunnies trying to eat their breakfast, and chasing after the bubbles.

The pool isn't very big so he lays down on his belly, kicks his legs, and says "swimming, swimming".  Ha, ha, what a cutie!

And what swimming time isn't complete without a Popsicle?   

He likes to play with shadows and here he is saying "hi Mommy!"  to mine.

Not too bad for some homemade summertime fun!

4th of July

To start out our day, we took Dexter in to get his 2 year old pictures taken at JCPenny.  They turned out alright. We got a couple of cute ones, but as a whole, they aren't my taste.  Good thing for coupons, because I don't think we'll be going back.

After that, we hung out at home and met up with Ashlee and Julia for a fireworks show.   We sat there and chatted and ate yummy snacks.  Poor Dexter was terrified the whole time.  People brought their own fireworks and were shooting them off before the show started and he was very uncomfortable.  We sat in front of a senior citizens apartment complex that Dex and I walked around.  All he wanted to do was go inside and take cover or go to the car and leave.  Just before the show began, I had the idea of making Dexter's blanket his safe zone, so we played by hiding under it, where I reassured him that he was safe.  The girls had brought glow bracelets and he also had fun playing with them in under his blanket.

When it came time for the show, Ashton held him and every once in a while he would peak his eyes over the blanket and watch the fireworks, but he was quick to hide again.  On our drive home, he kept asking to see more fireworks and couldn't get enough of what he saw out the windows.  Silly boy.  I think next year will be better for him.

My poor concerned Dex.  This is how he looked most of the night.

Julia and Dex

--Ali

p.s.  thanks Ashlee for the pictures!

Dex is 2!

Dexter turned 2 last month.  I can't believe it.  He seems like such a big boy.  To celebrate, we met Kevin and Karen and their boys at the zoo, went to the butterfly house (by Dexter's request) saw monkeys, and the big cats.  Then the boys got to ride on the carousel.  We did it last year as well for his birthday.  I know, I'm pretty original, but he had fun and that's all that matters.  Afterward, we went back to our house for some pizza and basketball cupcakes.  I have video of us singing the birthday song and him opening his presents, but it's a little hard to get it off.  So sorry.  From us he got a train puzzle and a big dump truck with pail, shovel, and rake, and a race car thing that I'd been storing for a year.   He loves it all.

Below are pictures of his basketball cupcakes (he picked basketball over trains for his theme), and his birthday shirt that I made him.  I was only going to do the basketball and 2 on the front, but Ashton really wanted it to say Jenks and #2 on the back.  So I did.  He makes a pretty darn cute 2 year old :)

Dexter is a lot fun.  He speaks amazingly well, 3-4 word sentences.  He is a jabber box and a mimic.  He loves to play with all his trucks, cars, and trains, and he loves books.  He can count to 4 and then randomly spouts out more numbers up to 10.  He loves anything alphabet too.  He loves nursery and to play with his friends.  He loves sports and when he sees one on TV he can tell you just what it is.  He loves to play them too.  He is constantly bowling or playing tennis or baseball with all his toys.  His froggy is his pal.  He makes sure he is included in almost everything.  He is so happy, too.  He loves to help do whatever Ash or I do, especially in the kitchen.  

At his 2 year check, he weighed in at 23 pounds and I think was 32 inches tall.  

Sand in the City

Each year, Omaha does Sand in the City.  It is a competition between different companies, done by amatuer sculptures, raising funds for a children's foundation.  This was our first year going and it was pretty fun.  We met up with some friends and enjoyed a rather lovely evening.  

 Horton Hears a Who

 Lightning McQueen and Mater.  I loved his 1 working light.

This train is the one that Dexter voted for

 Wizard of OZ.  

 They also had a couple of large sand piles with tons of toys for kids to go and play in.  Dexter enjoyed it immensely and came home covered in sand.

I don't know which one won, but it was nice to be out and enjoying downtown Omaha for a free family event.  Our friends continued on to the river and pedestrian bridge, but I was a bit tired from all the walking around so my boys and I went out for some ice cream.