the man in red

It's no secret that Alex is not a fan of Santa. To be more specific, he is not a fan of sitting on Santa's lap. I think he actually likes Santa and the idea that Santa brings toys, but the prospect of interacting with Santa one-on-one? Not so much. Take last year's Santa experiences for example:


and...


But what can I say? I'm a sucker for a good screaming kid with Santa pic. Is that so wrong? Maybe. So this year when our friends the Browns said they were going to go visit Santa at the Bass Pro Shop I decided to try to ease Alex's anxiety by talking through the process. We spent the entire day talking about it.

Me: You want to go see Santa tonight?
Alex: Santa not scare me?
Me: No, Santa isn't scary.
Alex: I don't want to sit on his lap.
Me: But you have to sit on his lap to tell him what you want for Christmas. What are you going to tell Santa you want for Christmas?
Alex: Airplane.
Me: What kind of airplane?
Alex: A baby one.

We carried on variations of this conversation many, many times that day and by the time we left the house I really thought we had made some progress. I wasn't going to get my screaming kid with Santa pic but I decided my own selfish desires were far less important than my child's mental well-being.

For the record, Bass Pro Shops has a pretty sweet set-up. There's an electric train that runs around a miniature town (which Alex was mesmerized by), a slot car track, and tables where the kids can color. Genius! See, here's Alex working away on his choo-choo...


And here's some fine coloring left behind by another child, demonstrating the other choice in coloring pages.


That's right, a choo-choo or a hunter aiming his rifle. Only at Bass Pro Shops...

Next up, the main event. Here's Avery seemingly unaffected by his first Santa experience. Awww...


And here's the rest of the picture...


What happened you ask? Well as we approached Santa Alex began to cling to Ben rather tightly and by the time we were standing in front of him the whimpering had begun followed quickly by tears. Santa tried to offer some comforting words (as did I) but it was to no avail. So when I heard Alex whine that he wanted one of the candy canes he had seen Santa give the other kids I took my chance and said "well you have to sit on Santa's lap and tell him what you want then." I have never seen Alex move so quickly as he did to look at Santa, spit out "airplane!", and turn back burying his face in Ben's shoulder. Santa produced the tiny candy cane as promised but wait, what about my picture? So I told Ben to peel him off onto Santa's lap and kneel there beside him if necessary. Santa looked at me like I was crazy as it was so you can imagine his face as I pushed my 6-month old into the crook of his other arm. I mean come on. Like this guy hadn't dealt with a crying kid before?!

Oh, and some have pointed out that they too would be crying if there were such freaky looking reindeer (perhaps once alive? quite possible based on the location.) only feet away. But no. He WANTED to sit on one of them!

So there you have it. I got my picture and 10 seconds later Alex was happily aiming a laser rifle at a target. Again, only at Bass Pro Shops... (Insert heavy eye rolling here.)

But speaking of screaming kid with Santa pics, mine are nothing compared to the doozy my cousin scored this year. Just check out the look on Santa's face! Priceless.

back on the blog wagon

OK so I will spare you the sob story of why this blog has been so neglected for so terribly long. I got behind this summer (what, with a new baby and a 2 year old? noooooo...) and the prospect of catching up just became so overwhelming as time went on that well, it was easier to just ignore. So here we are starting fresh. If I find the time and inclination over the coming weeks and months I will try to go back and share some pics and stories from the past 5 months (holy cow it's been that long?!?) but I make no promises.

So to catch you up... Avery is now 6 1/2 months old. Crazy, huh? He is a sweet smiley boy who is pretty content to go with the flow. He is a peanut compared to his brother, only weighing about 16lbs (Alex was close to 20lbs at this point), and a little less "high needs". He is actually eating some homemade baby foods -- from a spoon!!! -- (Alex never would) albeit with a few digestive/allergy issues that we're working to figure out. Avery also has 2 teeth and is this close to being able to sit without any assistance. He enjoys pacifiers, kisses and watching his older brother's every move. I think he's taking notes.


Cute, right?

Alex is 2 1/2 and literally a laugh a minute. You'd be amazed at some of the things that come out of this kid's mouth. Some of his favorite sayings include "that's awesome", "in a little minute", "oh stop it" and the sometimes proper, sometimes improper use of the days of the week and words "yesterday" and "today". He definitely has his challenging moments and possesses quite a strong little personality but all in all he is an amazing charismatic little person.


Did I mention he has the best smile ever?

I guess I'll quit gushing about my kids now and figure out what I'm going to post next. Check back often because I'm gonna be a blogging fool. At least that's the plan.

Oh, and speaking of kids, Spencer would have been 4 on Thanksgiving. FOUR. As in years old. How time flies...

P.S. Like our festive new layout?

giggle of the day

This morning as Alex was busying himself ripping up and crumpling Ben's discarded sections of the newspaper Ben asked "why do you crush everything, are you angry?" His reply? "No, I'm Alex."

take me out to the ball game

A few weekends ago we tempted fate by taking both boys to their first Diamondbacks game with our friends the Browns. At 1:00 in the afternoon. For those of you unfamiliar with toddler law (or so far removed that you've forgotten) that puts the game smack dab in the midst of prime napping time. I can't tell you much about the game -- I was just there for the nachos -- aside from the fact that we played the Anaheim Angels, we lost, and Alex was amazingly well behaved for only catching a few winks in the car on the way there.

Avery slept nearly the entire time but did wake up every now and then to catch a few plays.


Alex and Peyton bounced around from seat to seat keeping each other entertained until Peyton finally gave in and crashed out.

Alex managed to power through and I think had a pretty great time although I'm pretty sure football is still his #1 spectator sport.


And the icing on the cake? Getting to watch the "choo choo" (aka light rail) that runs right in front of the stadium...

1 month: a recap

Before anyone begins to worry that I've been swallowed whole by the vast undertaking that is becoming a mother of two, I thought I'd better post an update. The truth is Alex has become quite fond of the computer (and quite adept at using it as well) so it's something of a challenge to get on long enough to even read an e-mail or two, let alone respond to one, without him wanting a turn. Updating my Facebook status is sometimes pushing it. And well I just seem to find better things to do while he's sleeping. Like take a minute to relax and watch something on TV other than 'Cars', 'Thomas', or his new favorite -- a FAA produced DVD on Agricultural Aviation that Ben was kind enough to bring home from work. Or re-fold the load of laundry he so kindly "helped" me with.

But seriously, life with two is good. Alex couldn't be a better, more loving big brother and Avery sleeps. A lot. So far. It's too bad that after growing 3 babies and now juggling a toddler and a newborn my brain is completely void of any semblance of memory or I might have a few cute stories to share. I'm sure something will come to me at some point but until then, here are some pictures. Which I'm sure is what you're really here for anyway. There are probably so many that I may even break them out into a few separate posts so keep scrolling down until you get to something you've read before (probably Avery's birth announcement).

brotherly love

If I were to be completely honest I'd say we were all a bit nervous about how Alex was going to take to having a new baby hanging around but this kid never ceases to amaze. Granted for the first few days Avery was "baby Alan" (Alex's cousin) but he quickly upgraded to "baby brudder" and eventually "Avwy". He looooooves his new baby brother and I can honestly say there's hardly a bit of jealousy there. Our biggest problem is making sure he doesn't smother Avery in fact. Well that along with reminding him to gently push the bouncy seat so Avery doesn't catapult out of it, your mouth is not a place for Avery's pacifiers, and yes you may kiss the baby again but please just don't smother him!

The feeling is definitely mutual being that Alex seems to be the only person guaranteed to get a big smile out of his little brudder so far.

squeaky clean

Somewhere in the past month Avery got his first bath. Not much more to it than that except Alex reeeeeeally wanted to get in the tub and help. I managed to keep him out but he was not happy about it.

Avery started out thinking it wasn't so bad...


...and ended up changing his mind.

But all was forgotten once he was dry, clothed, and snuggled into the sling for an evening walk.

everything old is new again

Not only does Alex love his baby "brudder", he loves baby brudder's things. All of which were previously his things though he seems to be enjoying them much more now than back then.

Alex in the Bumbo. (This one I find particularly funny considering his chunky thighs outgrew the Bumbo when he was about 6 months old yet at 2 years he fits quite comfortably.)


Alex on the Boppy (with a baby blanket).


Alex in the infant car seat.


And my least favorite -- Alex with the pacifier in his mouth. (This one makes me crazy. He doesn't even suck on it, just lets it sit in his mouth.)

pictures!

New baby means a trip or two to our favorite photographer Kim Heffington. Alex and I went back in April to get some shots of he and I pre-Avery and then we all went again a few weeks ago to celebrate our newly expanded family. Click on the links below to see the complete slideshows...

http://www.kimheffington.com/show/lindstrom/


http://kimheffington.com/show/avery/

announcing the arrival of baby Avery!

It is with great pride and excitement that I introduce to you the newest member of our family, Avery Lucas Lindstrom. He was born Friday May 22nd at 4:46pm, weighing in at 9lbs 6oz (a whole pound less than Alex!) and 20in long.

His birth day was amazing and overall very productive day for me. I managed to hem a pair of curtains, go to lunch with my friend Lindsey, and have a baby by dinner! Here are a few pics taken by my friend Andrea Trotter within his first hour. As you will see, he was in fact born at home which was the most wonderful experience you could imagine.


More pictures can be seen here: http://imageevent.com/andreatrotter/lindstrom.

catching up

As you can see, I've been busy catching up on my posts. We've had lots of fun things going on the past couple of months so keep scrolling down to make sure you don't miss anything! But before life gets completely crazy with the arrival of our newest family member (due May 18th) I thought I would just catch up with a glimpse into our day-to-day lives lately.

Alex turned 2 just a few short weeks ago and has grown into the most fantastic little person (not that we're surprised). We ooh, ah, laugh, and sometimes cringe at all the new things he seems to be picking up daily. His obsession with all things motorized continues to grow of course and has even reached a new level in regards to the vehicles driven by those he knows best. Every GMC Sierra we pass on the street is "Damma's truck", every Jeep is "Mike's Jeep", every Tahoe is "GiGi's truck". Sure sometimes he mistakes a Honda Accord for Addie's Hyundai Sonata or a Chrysler 300 for Daddy's Magnum but who can blame him? A favorite hobby continues to be "driving" Daddy's car in the driveway as he has now mastered turning the car on and off as well as operating the stereo and garage door opener. But he also continues to keep in touch with his feminine side, regularly sporting Mommy's shoes, handbags, and cell phone through the house. I think he walks better in my red patent leather Steve Madden wedges than I do!

Seemingly overnight Alex has also become infatuated with numbers and letters. He "counts" everything -- "tree, figh, seben, eightnineTEN!" There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason as to which numbers get ommitted (he does include them all from time to time) but the order is always correct. He's also become quite fond of the ABC's as is evidenced by our magnet-laiden refrigerator and foam letter-laiden bath tub. I might even blame my lack of blogging lately on the fact that he kicks me off the computer quite regularly to play one of the ABC games on the Fisher Price web site but that might be stretching it. Just a bit though. When I started writing this post (how many weeks ago I don't want to admit) there were a choice few letters that he had mastered and would point out anywhere and everywhere they appeared. It all started with the letter H which still remains near and dear to his heart, and has since grown to include at least half of the alphabet.

Here are a couple of videos that will give you a glimpse into the little person Alex has become. And I promise once I figure out how to rotate the first one so you can view it without having to cock your head to the side I will update it!

Well I could probably go on and on about Alex as you can tell and truth be told he's probably more interesting than anything else going on around here at the moment. Except for the fact that we're expecting a new member in a matter of days (??) I suppose. I've been working a part time schedule lately which you would think should give me plenty of time to get everything in order. Yet somehow Alex's big boy room is still yet to be finished (although work on it has finally begun!) and I've yet to purchase so much as a package of diapers for the new baby (not that we need much more than that with this being #3). Ben is working as hard as ever, flying all over the country and even beyond from time to time. He and Alex have become quite the pair with their weekend projects and outings. I can only imagine what the future holds with another little guy in the mix!

look who's 2!!

Happy SECOND Birthday Alex! Can you believe it? I know I can't!! Where has the time gone??? We certainly had a great birthday weekend full of fun and celebration. Yesterday we had a party at our house with family and our closest friends. There were lots of bubbles, some wet 'n wild water fun, and of course cupcakes. Who could ask for more?

Alex & Peyton working the bubble machine.

Addie "working" the splash pad.

water balloons!

not sure who was more into the presents, Alex or Ben?

the fam -- me & Alex, Ben, mom, Mike, Angie & Alan, Scott

Today we got up and met the Browns at a local park that also happens to have a choo-choo. Imagine our surprise when the boys actually went more nuts over the humongous playground. Either way there was lots of fun to be had!

we always knew he was part monkey but future rock climber too??

the boy loves his slides! and this playground had some good ones!

all aboard!!!