Melissa – Page 52 – Our Family Adventure

Head butting

So very sorry for the lack of updates this week. If it’s not one thing it’s another, right? Work, kids, sewer lines busting, ah life.

Ajax has been sleeping through the night lately, so that is some much needed relief. He’s also much more sturdy walking about and now starting to run. He is all about push toys right now and pushes them up and down the driveway and then gets mad when they won’t roll over the grass. He also all about head butting things right now. It’s getting a little ridiculous. His forehead is all bruised up and it makes me feel terrible, but I can’t put a helmet on him… right?

Ok, so as I mentioned major sewer line issues (we have a crew coming out tomorrow to dig up our yard), so Ajax has been getting sink bathes lately and just loves it. He thinks it’s the coolest thing ever.

Yard Work

Our house has basically been under construction since I bought it in 2004. Since our home is finally buttoned up we have finally put our attention on our landscaping! Of course we did a halfhearted attempt last summer, but with the nino, it just wasn’t going to happen and honestly I don’t even remember last summer (really, I don’t). So we have renewed our efforts and I am just so proud with how well our yard looks! Dave and I have been working so hard on it. We each take turns working, then playing with Ajax (because he’s not really that much help now).

We also put our garden in! After years of wanting a garden we finally got around to getting to it. We put in- beans, green peppers, carrots, tomatoes, squash, zucchini, swiss chard, and strawberries. It’s when you have no extra time, that you learn how to make time.

Weekends and teething

Ajax has had quite a busy weekend! Little man is also teething- his nose is all runny and he’s congested and his cheeks are all rosy. Maybe we’ll see some more teeth soon.

Yesterday morning Ajax and I headed out to Ann Arbor to meet my mom at Briar Wood mall (thanks for the clothes mom!). While we were waiting for my mom I let Ajax run around the carpeted area of the mall. A little girl went up to Ajax and was just so excited, she was maybe 2, and just a little bit taller than him. She was saying, hi hi, hi! She then hugged him and before I knew she was trying to pick him up. Of course he was too heavy for her and they both toppled over. Both kids were fine, but Ajax started crying and would not let me put him down till the little girl was far away. I couldn’t stop laughing and her dad kept apologizing, saying she had a little brother at home. It was pretty funny.

Ajax did great the whole time we were out. He made a bit of a mess at lunch, but my mom gave him a spoon and he entertained himself for a good 10 minutes with it. I think we’re going to have to start introducing silverware soon. Ajax has also learned the word- HOT! I tell him this as I place warm food on his plate. I realize I say it like a warning because Ajax will hold his hands together, look at the food and say, hot hot.

DSCN5702 — Who doesn't love a bath in the sink.

Sleep much

For the last month or two Ajax has refused to sleep through the night. We have forgotten what sleep is.

For the last two nights, however, we have had to let him “cry it out” and goodness has it been difficult. Tonight is night three and word on the street is that three nights is the magical number so that by tomorrow night we should have a full nights rest. Hopefully.

Ajax has been walking more and more. Last night he was walking around the living room, strutin’ around, kind of holding his stomach. He looked like Bill Cosby and it cracking us up. He’s also started a line of chatter- a keek-co keek-co, type of sound that is also pretty funny.

Also, I inadvertently had a freezer cooking night on Sunday. After Ajax went to bed I cooked for about 2 hours and was able to prep – pork in the crock pot for pork tacos/BBQ sandwiches, chicken enchiladas, and chicken spaghetti. Bam – dinner for a week. I was also able to make one spaghetti for the freezer, so bam, one for the road! Ajax thought the spaghetti was ok, but it was a bit difficult for him to eat.

Sorry this post is a little scattered, again so tired.

Rite Aid

I did two runs to Rite Aid- Transaction: 1) Before coupons my total was just over $25, but after my savings I paid only .17 cents! 2) Before coupons my total was $36, but after savings I paid $5.37 and will be getting a check from Rite Aid for $1!

We also finally put Ajax’s wagon together, which he got for his birthday. He got such a kick out of it that we had to take it for a test run around the block. He loved sitting up and being able to look all around. He waved at every person and dog we passed.

DSCN5618 — transaction 1 - less than .25 cents!

DSCN5633 — transaction 2 - $5, but $4 after my check from Rite Aid

Slumber party

So Ajax had his second night away from home this past weekend (I dealt with it much better this time around and Dave and I had some much needed R and R). My mom picked Ajax up Friday, late afternoon, and my family had him till Sunday. They said he did very well, like a little adventure baby, he was all over the place- chasing the dogs/cats, moving buckets in the barn, and general goofing around. Dave and I headed out to Brooklyn Sunday morning to pick him up and I was so happy to get my nino back.

Since Ajax was gone Dave and I took advantage and got a ton of things done outside. Of course the weather was horrid- mid-40s and cold rain, but we were able to clean out the garage, picked out all our flowers/veggies for the garden, picked up all the material for fencing for the garden, and built a border for the garden as well. I also finally got my patio set! So we picked that up and put it together as well. Dave and I were up at 7 am on Saturday and didn’t roll into the house till almost 5 pm, we were so cold and achy, I’m just not used to working outside all day in the cold like that anymore.

DSCN5636 — the space for our garden. you may notice a gap in our border... well I refused to buy wood for the project and instead we used scrap we had laying around... we just didn't have enough. I'm not worried about it.

Cinco de Mayo

For cinco de mayo I made the most gringo meal I could find. I found the recipe in a magazine and thought it looked quick and simple, which it was! This would also be a great freezing meal. Ajax wasn’t too impressed and threw the vast majority of his dinner on the floor. Lately he hasn’t been into dinner even when I make him some of his favorites. Oh well.

Easy Chicken Enchiladas-

2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese
8 flour tortillas
1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
1 cup salsa
2 cups shredded cheese
1 can olives (I omitted these since Dave hates olives)
Shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and guacamole

In a small bowl combine chicken and cream cheese. Spoon mixture into center of each tortilla, roll up! Place seam side down in greased baking dish. In small bowl, combine yogurt and salsa, spread over tortillas. Bake uncovered at 350 for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese (and olives). Bake about 10 – 15 more minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve!

DSCN5615 — Ajax wan't too willing to try my dinner so he primarily ate peas.

Road Trip: Mikado

So we were up north this weekend visiting. Although we’ve taken Ajax up north a few times, this was the first time that he seemed to realize that he was going on trip and that he was someplace new. I guess he recognized it as an adventure to see Grandma and Grandpa.

We made pretty good time and arrived up north at about 9:45 pm on Friday. We made the mistake, however, of getting Ajax a little too wound up once we arrived and he refused to go to sleep. Dara ended up having to take him in the living room and I do believe they fell asleep in the chair for the night. On Saturday Dave and I went out to lunch and did some exploring so that Ajax got some one-on-one time with his grandparents and on Sunday Dara took Ajax to church. She said that he did wonderful, but kept talking throughout the service and throwing cheerios.

Rod and Dara have a pond in their backyard and Ajax was just enthralled. He kept trying to jump in and would have had I not been there!

DSCN5580 — Since we were out the ducks were hiding.

DSCN5598 — Loving Millie. Millie is such a good dog and so very careful with Ajax.

DSCN5609 — Explaining things to grandma.

DSCN5606 — Ajax was talking to the dogs who were outside.

Walking!!

So Friday night after dinner Dave and I were running around doing last minute packing for our trip up north when Ajax proudly declared – Mein Fuhrer…! I can walk! (if you don’t know this quote… look it up because you should). It was incredible. Ajax started doing circles around our house, zipping through the living into the kitchen and then back to the living room. He’s was pretty unstable but you could tell that something just clicked as far as this walking thing goes. 13 months and finally walking!

Lawn Care

This weekend we’re heading up north to Mikado to visit Dave’s family and since our grass has been growing like crazy we decided to do our yard work tonight after dinner rather than dealing with a messy yard on Sunday. I’m not sure if it’s a rule, but Michigan residents have to cut their grass every weekend, it you don’t your neighbors glare at you and look down on your wild yard.

Anywho, after dinner we all headed outside- Dave to do yard work and Ajax and I to help. By help I of course mean that Ajax pushed his little car up and down the drive way a dozen times. Ajax was very curious about the lawn mower and kept pointing at it. He’s all about pointing right now. When Dave was done and the mower cooled down Ajax immediately wanted to try and push it as well. He might as well get familiar with it now because really we just had a kid for manual labor.

Ajax found a yellow ball in our yard and of course had to have it, hold it and then chew on it. I have no idea where this ball came from… it probably belongs to the dog next door. And of course, instead of taking the ball away from him, I laughed and took a photo.