Having the opportunity to spend quality time with Duke, Courtney and Alexandra has been a true gift – probably one of the most fortunate experiences Mike and I have ever shared together. Here are a couple highlights from the trip...
Highlight #1: Mike reaches one of life’s big milestones… He babysits for the first time, EVER!
Yes, Duke and Courtney trusted my husband with their adorable daughter Alexandra (Lexie to us) while they escaped for a much-needed night out.
Being that I was on the road at the time (and knowing Mike is hardly Mr. Diaper Extraordinair) there was eager anticipation as we all waited to see how things would play out.
Yes, I was anticipating the frantic phone calls… “She won’t stop crying!” “I can’t figure out which side of the diaper goes on the front and which side goes on the back.” “Oh my gosh, Lexie swallowed something. What should I do?”
But the reality was that I did not get one, single, freaking-out, first time babysitter phone call... Mike was a natural.
I did manage to pull a brief rundown of the evening's festivities out of Mike on Saturday morning:
Mike: “I am so tired. Kids are really consuming… They require your complete attention. You really can’t do anything else.”
Ashlie: Laughter
Mike: “We read Green Eggs and Ham 7 times Friday night and then 5 more times Saturday morning."
Ashlie: More Laughter
Mike: "I think kids help improve your public speaking… When else can you read a book out loud like that?"
Ashlie: Eye-roll (that is such a typical comment for my husband to make), but with a smile (I love him so incredibly much)
Highlight #2: Alexandra Bucy, Master Doggy Walker
If Mike became the Diaper Extraordinair while we were in Houston, Lexie developed into quite the little Addie assistant. It was amazing to see how quickly she could pick up on things.
If Lexie saw me holding Addie’s leash, she was at the front door ready to go (often quicker than Addie was). She always wanted to be the one carrying the leash, which she insisted on doing all by herself. And whenever she was holding the leash it was always by the bag holder, as opposed to the built-in handle. (My only guess as to why is because the bag holder is pink.)
I will admit that putting an almost two year-old at the doggy-helm made me a little nervous… I could not help but envision one of two scenarios playing out.
Fear number one was that Lexie would use the famous death grip that all babies seem to develop at birth (most often exemplified when hair or jewelry are in-hand), and while Lexie was showcasing the grip, Addie would take off running, dragging poor Lexie down the street by her right arm.
Fear two was that Lexie would let go of the pink bag holder and Addie would take off (at warp speed) afraid of the mini-me she was not accustomed to seeing behind her. At that point I would have to chase her down in heels, in the God-awful Houston heat, with a 35 pound kid in my arms.
I am happy to report that neither scenario played out!
Highlight #3: The Face Game
Lexie and I were having a dance party in Courtney’s living room one afternoon. I must have been trying to buy a couple of minutes for a breather (running in circles while simultaneously spinning a dog and a kid is not easy). Anyway, on a whim I invent something called the “face game.” Well, watch out Milton Bradley because who would have ever imagined my “face game” would become such a hit! Within five minutes I could name a face and Lexie would act it out. The best part was that it was as equally entertaining for me as it was for her.
The faces we worked on most diligently were: happy face, sad face, oh no face, mad face, and scared face. I wasn’t able to capture all of them on camera before I left, but these should give you an idea for my niece’s acting talents.
Sad Face
Mad Face (Typically accompanied with a point of the index finger and a verbal "Stop that!")
My favorite; Oh No Face
Highlight #4: A quick visit from Mike’s Dad
Mike and I don’t get to see a lot of his father (neither do Duke and Courtney) so it was incredibly special that Dr. Bucy and his wife Karen were able to come over from Florida while Mike was in town. As I am sure you would have imagined, Lexie stole the show! Here are a couple pictures from their visit…
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