a little bit of everything

Yesterday we got out the princess gear, put on the ballet shoes, and Ainsleigh danced until she couldn't dance anymore. Later we did some baking and got to share with Grandma Connie and Grandpa Larry. It was a pretty good day for Ainsleigh. We also got out the fairy tale book. The book that tells fairy tales the old-fashioned, not-so-disney way. She requested to hear little red riding hood, but would only listen once I explained why the little girl was called "little red riding hood." The fact that she wore a red hood wasn't quite enough. She couldn't understand what the word "riding" was there for. Hopefully I explained it well enough. She does a pretty good job of listening since there aren't many pictures. We got to the part where the hunter enters grandma's house, sees the wolf asleep in grandma's bed and realizes he has eaten both grandma and little red riding hood (this was a little unbelievable to Ainsleigh who told me, "that's silly. Wolves don't eat grandmas), so the hunter cuts the wolf's stomach open and they tumble out, amazingly alive. Then they fill the wolf's stomach with stones and grandma stitches him back up. Ainsleigh asked, "they put him in the sewing machine mommy?" No,they probably just used needle and thread. But it was interesting that she was thinking so deeply about it. She wanted me to read it over and over. Lots of animal-eating-people sequences so close together. Hopefully she won't have nightmares or be too scarred. We also read rumplestiltskin but it wasn't quite as interesting to her. She did decide that he got his name because his skin was so rumply.
Tonight she broke her princess wand and disappeared for a few minutes, to return with the wand nicely taped back together. Not bad for doing it all by her 3 year old self.

This is my favorite of the day, Ainsleigh's drawing from this morning. Notice how it somewhat resembles Picasso, his cubist period? She's been doing this all the time lately. Interesting compositions. Tim and I have been really impressed. I thought they were just abstracts but today she brought this one to me and told me it was called "Siahknockus." Then she went on to explain that it was named that because it was a type of dinosaur that knocks. Isn't that great?

some planting

This Spring Ainsleigh's almost 4 years are starting to really make a difference.She's so teachable and capable of doing so much more than she could just last year. We picked up some plants this morning. She picked out which ones she wanted, I made sure they'd survive with the pretty small amount of direct light we get. She shoveled in the dirt and then we planted some seeds in an egg carton. Hopefully it turns out. I don't know a lot about gardening but I'm hoping potting soil, plants and pots will be enough.





This is what overwatering looks like. She just can't help herself.
Afterwards we sat back and looked our plants over. I think she's pleased with herself. Here she's pointing to her favorite flower, the purple one of course. It's so nice to do these things with her. It is such a nice day today, I'm really glad we got out and accomplished something. Now instead of over-feeding her fish, she can overwater her flowers!

this kind of day

There is so much we need to get done but the last few days we've all been feeling a little blah. Ainsleigh's been feeding the fish over and over, whether they need it or not because, "they look hungry mommy." She's also been watering the plants over and over just finding excuses to get outside. I've been thinking a lot about the future, like always, wondering what I should do once Ainsleigh and baby smileyface (Ainsleigh's name for the baby) get older. It's been hard, feeling like I'm not getting anything accomplished, worrying about failures, things I've put on the backburner. It's all gotten so fuzzy and so overwhelming, like life is just passing by and I'm getting older and what do I have to show for it? You know the kind of thoughts. It's easy to feel that way right now, with all the morning sickness keeping me from getting much done. I know it's just temporarily piling up. 

Last night Ainsleigh and I were talking about the things we've done and what she was like when she was a baby. I've watched her learn so many new things and now she's starting to really put all we've worked so hard to teach her into practice. I guess that is what it has all been for. When I'm starting to feel out of touch with everything beyond my little family and I'm wondering if it is enough, moments like the ones we captured in these pictures help to put it all in perspective. That, and waking up to rain showers, some really great news from good friends, another day of once again realizing that some things just aren't in my control, it's all really actually very good. 

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "Stephanie, just listen to Oprah. There's this really good book she's working so hard to promote. I think you could really use it right now." Were you? It seems to have worked for so many. Hmm. Maybe someday I'll have my "aha" moment. 

Seriously though, I think sometimes I just feel guilty for getting to spend so much time with my little girl, and loving it so much. Oh, and we made the mistake of watching Oprah the other day. And maybe I'm just seeing too many metaphors in the swimming of the new fish in the tiny fishbowl. 

new additions

Meet Sheddy, Betty, and Eddy. Today we took Ainsleigh to the pet store and finally got her a pet. Well, three pets. Two guppies, Sheddy and Betty, and one algae eater, Eddy. She picked out her guppies and named them right there, as soon as the clerk asked her. She kept telling the clerk thank you so much for helping her. Since we've been home she has kept saying, "today is a really good day. Today is the day I get to have my own pets."

She's had really funny conversations with Tim. One went like this:

Ainsleigh: How will we get the tank cleaned with the fishies in there?

Tim: Well, we'll put new water in, but some algae and old food will stick to the rocks and the sides and Eddy will eat that and help us keep the tank clean. Isn't that neat!?

Ainsleigh: Yeah! That's really neat. But...a little yucky.

She's leaving kisses for them on the tank. So they aren't as cuddly as puppies, but it's a start.

a little relief

The last few days I've felt so much better and I'm hoping it's going to last! Ainsleigh and I visited my Mom and Dad yesterday. She blew bubbles, jumped in some some puddles with her rain boots, made some art with glittler glue and paperdolls, and watched Charlotte's Web. A pretty great day for her but unfortunately not captured on camera. 

Here's an opportunity to brag on Tim a little. He did some programming for the 3-D, interactive portion of a John Deere project for the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. It demonstrates how the new equipment incorporates GPS by letting the user actually, well, virtually, steer the tractor over a field. The farming exhibit that it is part of is here although I don't think there are pictures of his project. His company won a gold regional Addy award for it and it now it will compete nationally. It also won a muse award from the AAM, which is even more impressive because it competed internationally with museums all over the world. It's the first time his company has won a muse so Tim's pretty excited that he contributed to it and his company is pretty thrilled too.

So I've done a little cooking. I tried out this recipe for Thai peanut sauce and it turned out to be pretty tasty. I stir-fried some onions and green and red peppers and poured the sauce over it with some chicken and white rice. She's right about it making sure it doesn't get too thick. Mine got a little thick and it made the texture a little too peanut buttery. Still, it was really good, but a little goes a long way...especially if it is too thick. I was just proud of myself for actually doing some cooking and making a meal that didn't involve the phone and the pizza delivery man or the over and a frozen pizza. Oh, and there were vegetables! Adding a little chicken broth to the stir fry really made it tasty by itself. Then Ainsleigh and I made some cookies. It's been so long since we've done that and its one of her favorite things to do with mommy. We went in the kitchen and she says, "the first thing we need is butter, right mommy!" I think Tim even missed our cookies because he ate quite a few, even though he swears sweets aren't his thing. We use smart balance butter and turbinado sugar so I feel a little less guilty and Tim and Ainsleigh don't seem to notice. 

It's been a pretty good week and this weekend we have NOTHING to do! except play memory with Ainsleigh. She's set up the cards so I guess that means she's ready.

Spring. Finally.

There was a huge smile on the face of this little girl as she saw the park in the distance. Today we finally made it, one of the first trips we've been able to make since it has taken so long for Spring to really begin. We're finally having temperatures in the 60's and 70's which is warm enough for me to feel like getting out, without being freezing cold (one of the pleasant side effects of pregnancy). Ainsleigh woke up this morning, opened the door to our balcony and stepped outside announcing, "Mommy it's warm. I think we can go to the park!" She has been pretty bored indoors lately but incredibly understanding of my need to lay on the couch without moving in order to avoid throwing up (another pleasant side effect). I seem to keep running into women who say that they felt their best when they were pregnant. I just cannot relate and, honestly, I'm starting to feel just plain jealous.

Ainsleigh spent a little time playing on the playground, but then she wanted to search for treasures around the park. She looked around until she found the perfect stick and began to dig around in the dirt. She did find a huge hole in one of the trees that would do as the perfect place to put the treasures.




It was really nice. Nice to get out early in the morning for the first time in awhile, without feeling too sick to my stomach. I was surprised that she was more interested in a treasure hunt than playing on the playground but it was really kind of nice. It will be nicer when the leaves start to appear but still neat that it doesn't take much to entertain and excite a 3-year old. Even if the only treasure we found was a barrette buried in the dirt.

Last summer we were at this park at least once almost everyday. We usually get there by taking a bike path behind our house and it is about 1.5 miles away. It's actually very pretty and the bike path runs alongside Duck Creek. Today we drove, in case I started to feel sick and it was also supposed to be raining. I'm so glad we did. That's our new-to-us jeep in the photo. It's been really nice to have and Tim is so glad to have a car that makes it up the hill to where he works, especially in the winter. I got to drive it today though!

Here's to hoping that maybe the morning sickness is subsiding and Spring is beginning. We've got a lot to keep us busy. Ainsleigh was ready to head home for some stamping and letter making for her friends. Hopefully we'll get some out in the mail in the next few days. She likes to stay busy so it's probably good I have her to keep me on my toes when I need it the most.

getting started

We've tried this blog thing before and always seem to have problems following through. Hopefully it will be different this time. It seems like a good way to document the everyday things that are so easily forgotten but really precious in retrospect. So here I go.  Day One.