Grammy and Pop-pee

Bill and Vicki came up this weekend for a quick visit, partly because Bill is in the throes of Tax Season Madness and could use a little break, and partly - ok, mostly - because Alex wanted them to, and who could say no to this face?

It was freeeezing here this weekend, and not just for Dallas. It was cold by Inuit standards, so our Family Fun in the Park Day got postponed, and we had to find something else to do Saturday morning. So what we did was sit around the warm house and wait for Grammy and Poppa to get here. They arrived around 11am, so we killed some time before lunch by sitting around the warm house and watching Alex be a goof. Lately we have really been working hard on Alex's grandparent names - Granny B, Grampa, Grammy, and Poppa. He says "B" all the time (usually in reference to the letter) but he has a hard time with his "G" sound, so he is totally intimidated by "Grampa" and "Grammy" and won't even try to say them. Poppa, however, is another story. Alex has decided that Bill just isn't a "Poppa", and instead, he has started calling him "Pop-pee", with extra emphasis on the "pee". It is about the funniest thing I think I've heard him say, and frankly, I'm a little jealous that it's Bill's name and not mine.

After lunch and naps, we braved the wintery weather and went out to the front yard to fly a teeny-tiny kite that Grammy and Poppa (Pop-pee?) brought Alex. It was little windy, but not what I would call "ideal kite flying conditions". Basically, the experience consisted of Timothy running back and forth, trying to get the kite more than a few feet off the ground for more than a few seconds at a time, while Alex chased back and forth after him, trying to reach the kite and hollering, "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!" Yeah, I'm not totally sure where that came from, considering Daddy was the one flying the kite. My best guess is that, in his mind, Mommy is the one who always gets him things he wants, and if he wants that kite, Mommy is the one to get it for him.

After about the hundredth attempt, Timothy finally got the kite in the air.

By this time, Alex was about to hyperventilate, what with all the running and the "Mommy-ing". Lucky for him, Daddy's kite only hung in the air for a few seconds before getting caught in a tree.

It was still long enough that A was able to grab ahold of the kite tails and pull it down. Then he attempted to fly the thing on his own.

He got a taste of his own medecine when Murph started running back and forth after his kite, saying, "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!" What can I say, I'm in high demand around here.

This time, the kite didn't get stuck in a tree. It got stuck to Alex.

The harder he tried to untangle himself, the more tangled up he got.

Fortunately, Poppa was nearby and demonstrated his kite removal expertise.

After church Sunday morning, we went to one of our favorite lunch places called Cafe Express. There are many reasons we like this place - the huge selection, the fresh ingredients, the casual atmosphere, and the fact that they have stuff to keep Alex entertained until our food is ready, like free all-you-can breadsticks and stackable salt and pepper shakers.

Grammy and Poppa noticed the huge selection of delicious-sounding food on the menu, too.

While they decided what to order, Alex munched on some Goldfish appetizers.

Once our food came, we blessed our meals and dug in.

Alex has tried almost everything on the kid's menu except for the chicken tenders, so we thought we'd give those a try, along with some fruit and two of Mommy's french fries. Mommy's wasn't willing to share more than that, cuz them's some good fries.

When he was done eating, Alex bussed his own dishes, stacking his plate and basket and straw into a neat pile in front of him. This is a habit he has picked up recently, and he will do it at home, too. After he eats, he moves his plate, bowl, suppy cup, and silverware from his high chair tray to the table and stacks them neatly. I'd like to think he's trying to make my life easier, but I'm pretty sure he just thinks it's fun.

It had been a cool, overcast morning, but by the time we left the restaurant, it had turned into a beautiful, sunny afternoon. We were inspired to stop under the arbor and take a few pics.

Before they left, Poppa left Alex with a parting gift, a stylish and recyclable hat.

It was another great weekend with the fam, and Alex was such a sweet, well-behaved boy while they were here. He is just so much fun and so happy and such a good boy, and I love being able to share him with other people. I feel like I need to reiterate how wonderful and lovable and good-natured he is because I have a tendency to overemphasize the tough times, when in fact, the good times outweigh the bad by about twenty-to-one. Sure, the hard times make for more entertaining blog posts, but they hardly offer the most accurate representation of my daily life with A. I really don't think I take for granted how great my kid is - I am fully aware of how lucky I am - but I want to make sure that everyone else knows how great he is, too.

And now that I've got that out of the way, I can continue to blog about all the nasty, annoying things he does with no guilt attached. Hee hee, just kidding...sort of.