Swimming Lessons 2011

Alex loved swimming lessons this year! He is swimming really good on his own, and LOVES to jump into the water from low places, high places or pretty much any places.

Here he is jumping from the diving board. The sequence starts in the upper right corner with him getting into position, then moves to the top left corner for the leap, then moves to the middle for the splash, then to the bottom left where he floats on his back to the wall, and then to the bottom right  corner where, after a count of five, he rolls over and swims to the wall and pulls himself up. Whew! That was a long sentence. :)

He is really good at swimming unerwater to the ladder and the wall. He does this with little help, mostly just a nudge at the end if he needs it so he can find his grip on the wall.

Diving off the ledge with his classmates. Then they roll on their backs and float to the other side, roll over and grab the wall.

Being a starfish. He can pretty much float on his own. If it looks like I am holding him, I was just barely pinching his shirt in an effort to guide him to the wall.

Here are the swimming stars. Alex was really excited to get his star. Dominic is wearing his boots, to the right of Alex. He was in the class that took place right before Alex's class, so he already got dressed.

At the second day of lessons, something clicked in Alex's head and he realized he could go underwater and look around. Then he was trying to spin underwater, would let of the wall without warning and generally just LOVING it! It is really fun to swim with him now. He is such a water-baby!

Super Hero!

 Alex loves to play super hero!

These look like bugs, but they are the really loud jets that fly over BoatNik every year. Alex thought they were pretty awesome. They flew right over our house this year. It was really cool!

Always sleep with your guns loaded...

Alex wasn't taking any chances during naptime. Monsters never sleep you know!

Austin taking a nap, too!...oh sweet bliss!

Is it just me are do they sleep the same?

"I don't want to grow up..."

Summer has finally arrived! Out come the slip-n-slide and the pool...

Mommy (AKA Robyn, me) racing Alex to the finish.
 Zizi (Rochelle) purchased the slip-n-slide last year on clearance for $5!

  In the above picture Dominic is running down the track and Alex is wearing...well...his birthday suit.I had (emphasis on had) to teach Alex and Dominic how to use the slip-n-slide. :)
On Tuesdays, my mom watches Alex and Austin for me while I go work for a few hours, then i come back and get to visit for a couple of hours. Last tuesday was hot, hot hot, the first really hot day of summer that we have had so far. So, my mom finally was able to bring out her cool summer toys. Alex and Dominic really couldn't figure out how to use the slip-n-slide properly, and so I borrowed a suit from my mom and taught them how it is done. :)

 Alex and I relaxing in Zizi's new pool. She got this for only $15 dollars at WalMart. It is a great pool for small price!

 Dominic (left) and Alex (right) thought is was so cool that I was "swimming" with them.

 Dominic (left) and Alex (right) diving for the little squid toy thingys.

Yes, the experience wouln't have been complete if I didn't attempt to jump into the pool like the boys. Dominic was pretty insistant that I was really missing out. I love how excited the boys were that I was jumping. Thanks Zizi for the fun day and for taking the pictures!

"It's looking at me!"

Scene : 6:30am, I am just finishing nursing Austin and I hear a little voice calling from the other room...
Alex(speaking quietly at first and then progressivly getting louder): "mom? mom? Mo-mmy. Mom? MOM?! MOM!!"
Robyn (walking into his room squiniting without my glasses): "What's that matter sweetie? Do you want to come to mommy and daddys bed?"
Alex: "It's looking at me."
Robyn: "What?" Oh, just come here and we can go lay down in my bed."
Alex (voice cracking and on the verge of tears): "IT's LOOKING at ME!"
He points to the closet. I squint my eyes in the direction of his hand. Oh dear. His dragon costume is laying atop a pile of blankets, staring at him with his big googley eyes, and sharp, sharp teeth...frightening indeed.
Alex: "IT'S LOOKING AT ME!"
So, yes, I slayed a dragon this morning. Not many people can say that these days.

Here is a picture from Halloween, of Alex wearing the scary dragon costume. )
***

On a side note.
As we were getting ready for church last sunday Alex was playing on the floor singing to himself as he often does. I recognized the tune as "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" but he put his own little spin on the words...
"Un-cle Dag-null had a farm, e-i-e-i-O. And on his farm he had a pig-hat, e-i-e-i-O. oink oink here, oink oink oink. Un-cle Dag-null had a farm, e-i-e-i-O."
Then he noticed I was listening and hammed it up a little more.
"UN-CLE DAG-NULL had a farm, e-i-e-i-OOOOO. On his farm he had a PIG-hat. Hat hat here, hat hat hat! HAHAHA! That funnee Mom?"
My little comedian. :)
By the way, "uncle Dagnull" is Alex's way of pronouncing "Uncle Daniel," who is serving a mission in California.

Uncle Daniel and Alex.
Ignore the date, this was taking in November 2011, the night before Daniel flew to the MTC.

Budding Photographer

Alex has been trying his hand at taking pictures lately. He is getting pretty good. Here are some of the best ones he has taken.Mommy

Mommy and Austin

Our lovely TV

I love the things that he wants to take pictures of. Toys are a big favorite, or just single body parts, like a toe or a hand or something. He is very busniess like about it and doesn't want my help. "No hep (help) me Mom. I do it ah-myself (all by myself)."

Sunny Play Day in March?!

Isn't Austin adorable?!
I sure love this boy!

Trying out the swing for the first time.

He loved it.

Dominic (pictured in front) came over for the day.

He and Alex played outside ALL day...I think it was something like 11AM to 4PM...5 hours!

Oops! I think Austin is done! Alex was pushing him. I am certain that is not why he is crying :)

The boys kept bringing me this pitcher to refill with warm water. They played like this for at least an hour.

Dipping, drinking, dumping...

so simple...

Now it's time for a mud bath in the sand box! (Alex left, Dom right)

Mud pie...Mmmmm (Alex)

Alex sees an airplane...Dom is eying the ball of mud in his hand.

Alex loves mud and water....typical boy I guess. :)

Dominic with a mud worm (or is it a sea horse) on his forehead...

Roley-Poley-Ollie!

Alex is really excited that he can sort of wrestle with Austin now. And pull his ears out! haha

Happy 3rd Birthday Alex! ~ April 7, 2011

Alex woke up to decorations and streamers in his bedroom doorway, plus a pile of presents.

He opened this one first thing in the morning, because it was a box of cereal that he got to puck out all on his own.

Then Daddy felt bad making him wait and let him open ONE more gift.

He was thrilled.

Austin thought Rocky was pretty cool too. Alex always plays with this guy at Fred Meyers, so when I found it used for $2 I couln't pass it up.

Alex sneaking a taste of his cake before the party.

Gavin and Alex posing before we lit the candles.

(We watched Gavin that night so his mom could help with Paige and Connor's school carnival.)

"Happy Birthday to you..."

Can you tell how excited Alex was for his birthday this year?

Blowing out the candles

Gavin helping blow out the candles, apparently Alex wasn't doing it fast enough. :) Paul and I were planning on making a Thomas the Train cake, but decided to save it until his b-day party with his cousins on Saturday. So, I made this simple little cake for his actual b-day.

Opening presents. He stared at the pile of gifts all day and kept asking, "That my presents mom? What in them?"

This was a play doh barn set, complete with a chicken, cow and farmer. Alex absolutly LOVES play doh, so he was pretty excited.

The big one!

What can it be? I love how Austin is trying to help, too.

It was a train set, you can see the pictures below. Alex had been asking for a train set for his b-day for a couple of months.

Trains! He loved them!

Austin is a little frightened, or excited? LOL

Putting together the train set.

Austin LOVES the to try and catch the train as they come by. He is pretty good at it, so we call him the baby monster. Alex always yells, "Oh no! Baby monster gonna get train!"

Gavin was all business about setting up the track. He loved it too.

We searched for a month or so before we won this one on eBay for $30! We lost three bids before we won this one. It was a great buy!

We also did a b-day party for him on Saturday so he could have his cousins over to play. Paul made this awesome Thomas the Train cake. (There are more pictures below.)

Alex and I made his pinata this year. He had a lot of fun painting it. It is a rocket if you can't tell.

Alex taking a wack at it.

Dominic's turn.

Annie's turn.

After this it started falling apart, so Gavin had a quick turn to end its misery.

Everyone was laughing as this somewhat constipated pinata pooped out whole bags of candy! The three year olds aren't that good at scrambling to get the candy, so I pre-packed some treat bags with toys and candy. I thought it was a good idea, but it was a little anti-climatic when they came out.

Here's the back of his cake.

Blowing out the candles. Dominic is on the left and Alex is on the right.

Thank you Aunt Molly for Mater's Tall Tales! Alex was estatic!

Zizi gave him some cool police cars and Cars bandaides. He just used up the last bandaide just a few days ago. Aunt Brooke and Paige, Connor, and Gavin got him a golf set, which he also loved.

Happy B-day Alex!