Category: Weekends

I enjoy letting Ajax help me in the kitchen.  It’s a fun time together.   Of course his idea of helping and my idea of helping are vastly different, but nonetheless I like it.  I usually sit him up on the counter with me and give him a wooden spoon.  He then helps me stir or acts as a general taste tester.

Today Dave demanded a chocolate cake, so Ajax and I whipped up a delicious confection.  We made a double layer cake, it came out a little lopsided, but it was the first I’d ever made and I was pretty darn proud of it.   Ajax was also pretty proud that he discovered he could lick the wooden spoons and then cram them into the toaster.  What a little helper (Don’t worry as a precaution I always unplug the toaster when he’s helping, lol).

I also stopped by a garage sale and picked up this little rocking toy for a buck.  Ajax had a ton of fun riding it all over the living room and then put his teddy bear on it and pushed his bear all over.

Sorry for the lack of updates this past week.  I had a trial, a minor accident, and Ajax started at a new babysitter (a.k.a. Ms. Karen, who lives on our same block and is within walking distance).  Crazy busy and stressful!   Due to the increasing stress Dave finally convinced me that I should sign up for a gym membership as well, which I did today, and hopefully I’ll be able to hit it up about 2 – 3 times per week.  I’m really looking forward to it as it has a pool and also offers baby swim classes, which I plan on signing Ajax up for in October.

Anywho!  Yesterday we headed out to Brooklyn to help prepare for Emily’s going away party.  Next week Emily heads off to Alaska to begin a new adventure.  We’re all very excited for her and will miss her terribly.  The party was a hit and there were quite a few people out.    Ajax had a blast.  There were other kids to play with, a swimming pool made out of a canoe, and a DJ.  Ajax out-danced everyone there.  He loves music and would stomp his foot and wiggle.  It was cracking everyone up!

My in-laws came down for the party as well and then came home with us and stayed the night.  In the morning we lounged around, I made us baked french toast and then Rod and Dara were kind enough to babysit so that Dave and I could have a little alone time.  We ended up doing some errands and lunch, which was nice.  The nino is now napping and I’m not really sure what our afternoon plans will be…

Today has been a rainy day.  A constant downpour.  I’m not complaining, mind you.  Our yard and garden desperately needed the water, but at this point in summer I don’t think the rain will save our brown grass.

Due to the weather, we have therefore spent our day indoors and it’s been pretty quiet.  Ajax is still the little helper.  While I was in the kitchen making cupcakes he crawled into the tupperware cabinet, pulled everything out, and then sat in there opening and closing the door.  I then handed him a flashlight and we played “hide and seek”, though his hiding place was always the same (ie. the cabinet under my feet).  He also proceeded to help Dave fold laundry and then got stuck in the laundry basked … kind of like a turtle.

Do you see that one circular clear spot?  That was where I was standing.

I’m not sure what other people do, but we routinely spread our clean clothes out onto the living room floor before we fold them.

Ajax thought this was hilarious, till he realized he was stuck.  Don’t worry, I helped him out.

I need to apologize for the lack of updates this past week, what I can I say I’ve been busy.

Yesterday was a quiet Saturday around the house.  We ventured out to a garage sale and the mall (briefly to pick up a baby shower gift) and then headed back home.  It’s been hovering in the 90s with ridiculous humidity, making it impossible to be outside for long periods.   You know it’s hot, when Ajax doesn’t put up a fight to go into the house to cool off.

At the garage sale we found quite the find for Ajax: A little shopping cart.  He has been all about push toys lately and his grandparents have a little toy cart up north that he just loved when we were up visiting.  So of course we paid the $1 and Ajax pushed that little cart all over the place.  He threw a fit when we had to load it and him into the car to leave.  Dave picked him up, but he refused to release the handle of the cart; so he was leaning over Dave’s arm dangling the silly cart and screaming.  So cute.

Last night Dave’s sister, Lisa, came over for dinner on her way to Philadelphia, where she will reside for a few months while finishing up school.  Dave made us ribs and they were great.  They were our second attempt at ribs, the first (which occurred about 4 yrs ago) was a disaster, but this second round was fantastic.  Luckily Dave called his dad and got some over the phone assistance.  Ajax loved them as well and even though I cut up some of the meat for him, he preferred to gnaw on the bone.  What a little meat-a-sauras.

Today Dave evened up the nino’s hair cut with the clippers.  We had Ajax sit in his wagon outside and I distracted him while Dave buzzed away.   In the movies it always looks so quick and simple to give someone a buzz cut, but in reality it was quite difficult as Ajax kept trying to see what Dave was doing.   I don’t think it’s the best haircut in the world, but we’ll get better with experience.  Ajax definitely looks older with his new cut.

It was hard to take a picture as his hair is so light, but you get the point.

Today was a pretty quiet Saturday.  Ajax has been doing much better in a world without pacifiers and goes to sleep quite well without one.  As a matter of fact we are all sleeping much better in a house without pacifiers.   We did one trip to Home Depot and then went to a surprise birthday party for my aunt Terri.  The party was very nice and Ajax had a blast playing with his cousins.   There was a pool at the house and Ajax got to dip his feet in (I forgot his bathing suit and little swimmers).   He didn’t eat a ton at the party because he was just too distracted, but no biggie.   His cousin, Eliza, was following Ajax everywhere.  It was too cute.   Everywhere Ajax went Eliza was right on his heels.

Ajax spent some quality time with his grandparents this past week.

On Tuesday Rod came and picked up Ajax and took him home to Mikado, MI.  Ajax did wonderful up north without mom and dad (really, he slept better for grandma and grandpa than he has been for us, lol).   Ajax took a trip to Dara’s work (she’s a nurse) and they weighed him in at 24.6 lbs, he also ate lunch with her coworkers and stole a bag of potato chips from someone.   Dara also took him to a wedding (his first), where he had a blast!  Dara said as soon as the music started he was off dancing and running between the tables,  she also said there was a laser light show and he was enthralled.   Ajax also visited the great-grandmas and apparently great-grandma Indish caught him right as he dove off the couch.

Now Ajax loves tractors, we all know that, however, I now believe he is obsessed.  As soon as Ajax would get up he would run to the door, wanting to go outside and once outside would take your hand and lead you right to the John Deere for a ride.  I think all grandpa Rod did this weekend was take Ajax for rides, lol.  Ajax is now spoiled rotten with rides.

On Thursday night Dave and I headed up north as well and spent a very relaxing weekend hanging out.  The weather was just lovely and we had a great time.   We came home on Sunday as we had a funeral to attend and then put the nino to bed early as he was worn out. (note: grandma isn’t in any pics because she was the photographer!)

Today it’s supposed to be another scorcher.  Channel Two said 105 with the heat index.  I weeded the garden this morning around 10 am, but it was still ridiculously hot.   We have tons of tomatoes and beans coming in, and the zucchini, cucumbers, and squash are starting to grow.  How exciting.

To help Ajax beat the heat we pulled out the sprinkler.  He was pretty hesitant at first and basically it was Dave and I both holding him running through it, but then he worked up a bit more courage and walked through it on his own and then thought it was fun to grab the sprinkler head and push it back and forth.

After the sprinkler fun Ajax relaxed with Dave and I and ate watermelon.  What a perfect summer day.

Today I finally got my tomato plants some much needed support.  They were getting too tall and toppling over.  We went to two different stores, but no one had those silly tomato cages (which I had considered buying earlier in the season, but thought they were a waste of money… this is my first attempt at gardening remember), so we ended up buying stakes and I zip-tied the heck out of those plants.  Ajax tried to help but ended up stomping on some of our green pepper plants and then almost tripped on the string I used to section off the garden, lol.  Dave ended up taking him to play on his play area and watch from a safer distance.

Ajax finally got another tooth in (grand total = 7 teeth!).  So hopefully he’ll be in a better mood and sleep a little better.  He’s been a bit of a pistol, lol.  Something Dave and I have also been talking about, is how incredibly loud Ajax is.  We used to think that all babies/kids were just loud and that that was the normal volume for all kids.  Recently however, we’ve been hanging out with a LOT of other kids Ajax’s age (or there abouts) and we are realizing that our child has no control over the volume of his voice.  I know he’s Italian and all, but it’s a little ridiculous.  For example today at Meijer Dave and Ajax went to look at some things and I was to catch up with them.  Well I had no difficulty in locating them because I heard Ajax throughout the store! (I have even had cashiers say-  so you’re the one making all that noise!).   What a little personality.