Animal Rescuers

Yesterday when I got home from physical therapy, Dexter excitedly told me about how he and Daddy are animal rescuers. The story I got from Dexter went something like:

We saw a bug go on the diaper and threw him outside and I said, "Daddy, are we animal rescuers?" and Daddy said, "Yes, we are animal rescuers!"

Daddy elaborated a bit explaining that as he was changing Dexter's overnight diaper, he noticed a bug on the floor.  He put the rolled up dirty diaper next to the bug and the bug climbed up onto it at which point he took it outside and threw the diaper and the bug into the yard saying to Dexter, "Now the bug is free." Apparently Dexter was very excited asking if they were animal rescuers and thrilled with Daddy's affirmative response.

Heading Home at the End of a Perfect Day

First Time Kite Flying

Ben and I were so happy to have a full day together as a family (neither of us had to work!).  It was a very hot day so we all went to Menard's to buy some supplies for household projects and a $5 turtle kite.  Dexter "helped" Daddy put a light in Mommy's closet then we all went out to a field (dubbed "Kite Field" by Dexter) and Dexter had his first kite-flying experience.  He got the hang of it right away.

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

We got some Mister Rogers videos from the library and I got very nostalgic watching them. Ben got inspired to make a paper hat with Dexter.

Calling Grandparents

 Dexter called his grandparents this Memorial Day morning. While talking with Grandma F., he spontaneously put his sunglasses on top of his head just like she wears her's.

Banjo, Dexter style

"When I play banjo, I do finger picking." (Dexter, 2012)

Good Puppy

My Bologna was so good with Ashton who was very interested in My Bologna and would follow him around to give pets.  Ashton was very gentle and My Bologna didn't even flinch each time Ashton came toddling over. I think Dexter broke him in pretty well.

More Good-Byes

Our friends John and Ashley came over with their son Ashton this weekend. Dexter and Ashton played in the pool (provided by John & Ashley) and in the sprinkler.  Ashton was overjoyed to see all of Dexter's vehicles and Dexter was more than happy to "show and tell" for Ashton. John just got a Music Director position at a private boarding school in California so they all are headed west. Good-bye good friends.

Diggin' the Gig

 Kim and Dylan met us at the festival and everyone enjoyed watching Daddy play some tasty guitar with the Brian McDermott Band.

Festival Fairy

Dexter and Ian got their hands painted by a very sweet festival fairy.  Ian got an elephant whose legs went down his fingers and Dexter got a cloud with a rainbow and some sparkly raindrops (when the fairy asked Dexy what color he wanted, he said "white" so she came up with the cloud/rainbow idea). 

Overexcited

You'd never guess that 30 minutes prior to these photos being taken, Ian and Dexter (and Jason, Elissa, and I) were in the bathroom covered in vomit. 

Ian, Jason, and Elissa came over to our house to have some dinner before we all headed out to Ben's gig at a local festival. Ben hadn't yet arrived home from teaching but was looking forward to having some pizza before running off to play the festival. Dexter had been excited to see Ian, Elissa, and Jason all day (waking Mommy and Daddy up before 5am asking, "Are my friends here yet?")  Needless to say, Dexy and Ian excitedly ran around playing as soon as "Dexter's friends" arrived around 4pm.  Around 4:30, Elissa and I were in the kitchen heating up pizza and preparing dinner when we hear everything go quiet and Jason shout from the living room, "Napkins!  We need napkins!"  I handed Elissa a bunch of napkins and she ran to the living room. As soon as she got there, I hear Elissa shouting, "No! Bowl!  We need a bowl!"  At this point, I grab the bowl that we were going to use for the salad and run out to the living room only to see Jason holding Ian on his lap, puke projecting from Ian all over Jason and Dexter, sympathetically puking as he's running towards me.  I hand the bowl off to Elissa and get Dexy into the bathroom.  His "episode" was minor but still required a total change of clothes. While Dexter is standing naked in the bathroom, Elissa and Jason bring Ian in and put him the tub, peeling off vomit-covered clothes. Eventually, everyone settled down, got into a new change of clothes (Ben said to Jason when he got home, "Hey, I have that same shirt!"), and there was surprisingly little to clean up on the couch and floor. I said to Elissa, "When Ben gets home and we tell him about this, the only thing he's going to be thinking is, 'thank God I wasn't there for that!'" The boys not only ate dinner but enjoyed chocolate cupcakes before we all headed off to the festival.

Serious About Sand

Earth Mover

 Dexy was thrilled to see the new playground equipment, especially the excavator! He didn't even need instruction, he just jumped on that thing and began excavating.

Adios Amigos

Kim and Dylan are headed east and had a little going away party last weekend. It will be very hard for me to see them go. Elissa, Kim, and I got a group shot of the three of us just in the nick of time.

Symbiosis

 Dexter and Ian share a symbiotic relationship: Ian likes to squirt the hose and Dexter likes to be squirted by the hose!

Words I Would Have Never Thought I Would Ever Say

"Hey, stop being a train on My Bologna."

Full Speed Feels Like Slo-Mo

Big Boy Bumper Bowling

Dexter's bowling process involves:

1. Dragging the chute to the lane and lining it up

 2. Retrieving his bowling ball from the return

 3. Carrying it to the chute "all by myself"

 4. Pushing the ball down the chute

5. Running back to the couch to watch the ball roll down the lane

Bedtime Books

Ben and I have been trying to get Dexter to pick out some of his "baby" toys to give away to baby friends but he is resistant to letting anything go. We managed to round up a few items while cleaning and rearranging his room yesterday. Dexter wasn't too happy with the bedroom changes - he complained when going to bed and even woke us up twice during the night to register his unhappiness with the new chair in his room ("it belongs in the living room!"). Still, we're keeping it.  Mommy and Daddy need to not sit on the floor while reading bedtime books anymore and since Dexy refuses to do any reading in bed, the chair it is!

Mastered the Mount!

Day 2 of the bike-riding syllabus involved learning how to properly mount the bicycle. Dexy mastered it in no time!

Training Wheels

Last weekend, Dexter and Ben bought pedals and training wheels for Ian's hand-me-down two-wheeler.  Unfortunately, they did not try on the hand-me-down helmet until we were setting off for the initial bike ride.  The helmet didn't fit over Dexy's big noggin so we just let Dexter "ride" back and forth in front of the house wearing his Harley cap (Dexter and Ben picked up a new "monster trucks" helmet the following morning). Dexy eventually got the gist of pedaling but I don't think he has a sense yet that he will need to also balance.

First Zoo Outing of the Season

 While I was busy at work, Ben and Dexter enjoyed a warm, sunny Spring morning at the Zoo. When I asked Dexter which animals he saw, he said "raccoon and skunk".  Are you sure you weren't just in the backyard?? They had pictures to prove it.

Lost and Found

Dexter LOST it when he realized we were leaving church before the service was over but he made a quick recovery when we found a nearby playground!

Mother's Day Musicians

 Dexter was excited to meet Tim, "the drummer", chatting him up while he unloaded his drums. Despite being prepped about being quiet in church, Dexter couldn't contain himself.  After each musical interlude, Dexter shout-whispered, "Is Daddy done yet?" Twice I had to run up the aisle to bring him back to his seat in the back, a move that was greeted with resistance and fussing. I could see the worried look on Ben's face every time the minister said, "Let us pray in silence." Eventually I lured Dexter out of the service at communion with a box of yogurt-covered raisins given to me by a sympathetic parishioner.

Mother's Day Expedition

 Dexter and I went with Daddy to his church gig on Mother's Day.  We had about an hour to kill before the service started so we wandered the neighborhood and ate breakfast together. Dexter was wonderful in the diner - he perused a car trader magazine, picking out his favorite cars (Corvette) and tracing letters.  Yet again, Dexter put away more food than I did.