We finally made it out to the lake this weekend to see JD and Linda. Lexi has been out there a few times already but this time we actually got her in the water despite the weather. Of course we had a great visit too. Lexi had lot’s of cuddles for Papa and Nana Linda.

Fathers day was awesome this year. Lexi sent me to the Ten Spa with Uncle Al for an “Intro To Hamam”. It is by far the best spa treatment in Winnipeg bar none. Not that I am any kind of expert on the spa treatments in Winnipeg but I love the Hamam and I already can hardly wait for my next one!

For lunch Al and I went to Loveys BBQ and I still don’t know what all the fuss is about. I am always hearing how great this place is but I have been about 3 times and the ribs have never blown me away. Roma’s are better fersure and so is Montana’s if you ask me. This time they came burnt to a crisp and I couldn’t even eat them so I sent them back. The next batch were a little less burnt but we mostly fat. Maybe I just shouldn’t get the ribs there anymore. We also tried the wings and they sucked too. Too chewy for my liking. My fries were good thought and the nice girl who worked there suggested we try the “Hogwash” beverage (50% iced tea and 50% lemonade) and it was awesome.

After I dropped off Al I went back home and washed both vehicles just as any good dad should. Can’t have my girls driving around in dirty vehicles.

At dinner time Grandma and what has now become “Papa” came over to babysit Lex while Shan and I went out for a nice dinner at the Round Table. I had a wicked steak and Shan really likes the Prime Rib there. After dinner we went to see Joe Rogan Live at the Burton Cummings theater. Big thanks to my parents for a night out with my wife.

I slept in this morning before going out and cutting the lawn like any good Dada should. We filled up the pool and Lexi and mommy had some fun outside. A perfect day if you don’t mind the mosquitoes!

My grandma sent over these dancing flowers for Lexi. She likes to stop and smell the flowers from time to time but it’s a lot harder when they are moving. She also manages to pull out a couple sweet moves right at the end so stay tuned or you might miss them!

Lexi’s great grandma Gladys passed away and we made our way to Vancouver for the funeral. Lexi was lucky enough to meet her last summer when she came to visit. This week we packed up our bags and flew to Vancouver to say goodbye.

Lexi was awesome on the plane. It is only about 2.5 hours but with a 15 month old it seems like 5. Once we were in the air we just jumped through hoops to keep her content but once that plane starts descending there wasn’t much we could do to comfort her popping ears. If you are ever going to fly with a baby around this age here are a few good pointers.

• Get the bulk head. It is the first row in the plane so there is more foot room there. On the way out it was already booked but we managed to get it on our connecting flight back home and it was a lifesaver. If the bulk head is pre-booked (like we tried to do), look for a row and book the aisle and the window leaving the middle seat open. If the plane is not full there is a good chance that middle seat will remain open. We pulled off the open middle seat both ways and it was much needed.
• Pack lots of snacks and let the little buggers eat whatever they want. They have a lifetime to eat healthy crap and you want them to eat so fruit loops were a winner on this trip. Shan even made a fruit loop necklace with her to keep it interesting and prolong the eating a little.
• Don’t let them drink too much during the flight. Save the sippy cup for the way down when the ears start popping and you will save you both some grief.
• I brought the laptop and broke out some Elmo’s World near the end of the flight when Lexi couldn’t sit still any longer. A bag of favorite toys or new toys will also serve this purpose.
• Gentle tugging on the ears seemed to work a little too on the way down.

Once in Richmond we stayed at the Holiday Inn on No 6 Road. I tell you this because the people there and the accommodations were super. I also really enjoyed the free breakfast each morning. The staff there loved Lexi and always played with her when they could. They treated her like royalty and called her the hotel mascot.

We were a little nervous about how Lexi would sleep in the hotel room, especially with us watching TV and with Uncle Tim sharing the room. We put her to bed the first night around 9pm and sat in bed expecting a battle but it never happened. At one point after some rolling around she stood up and looked over at us. I told her to lie down and go to sleep and that’s what she did. I was amazed. We were amazed.

Lexi also took ownership of the pool. She was in there every morning after breakfast and again at night before bed. It was great to have so much fun with her in the pool. She is really liking it more and more since she started her swimming lessons. She is now jumping in off the side while we are holding her hands.

It was a great trip and nice to see some family while we were there. We went to the aquarium and although it was a long day for her Lexi was a trooper. It is getting so easy to travel with her now that she is eating more and napping less. We even had some time to stop for her favorite sub in honor of Uncle Paul.

On Friday Lexi and I went to Danger Park in our pajamas. We rode the bike too so it was super fun. Oh, it’s called danger park because the structure there is old school. It has the plastic tube slide with the screws all hanging out and all these old steel radial tires used as steps. This thing is 90% splinters. Didn’t stop us from hitting up the swings though.

Pajama day rocks!

Lexi has some big ass molars coming in and I have to take credit for those. Whenever I go for a cleaning my dental hygienist always comments on my enormous girth. Bigger than most I have seen she said. I am sure she is talking about my molars but I can’t be sure. There are a lot of large teeth in there. Anyway, Lexi’s are coming in fierce the last couple weeks and she has been a bit off.

She can be just fine one minute and then all of a sudden her body goes jelly and she lies on the floor and makes a fuss. Even at daycare this week when I drop her off she claws and scratches so that I don’t hand her off. The cries and reached for me and it is the most heart breaking thing in the world. Jennifer has called me a couple of days now because she just refuses to sleep there. She is fine the rest of the day but at nap time it’s been a fight. She falls asleep on the way home most days and although she is still sensitive in the evening I am sure the car sleep helps. Hurry up teeth.

Today is our day though and she has been nothing but an angel. We declared it pajama day in the park this morning.

I am sure there is some separation anxiety in the mix as well. I heard that comes on about this age and Shan and I can see it more and more. Last night she freaked when Shan brought her in and would not calm down enough even for a bottle. I went up to help out and she reached out for me and calmed right down. I think she figures I am going to hand her off every time we are together now or something. It’s also hard on Shan because she feels punished for having to go back to work and that has to suck big time when all she wants is to be home with her.

Just a couple months left then summer, can’t wait, and neither can Lex. Couple of new firsts: Swimming Lessons and popsicles.

Lexi got her second round of shots today and was super brave. Holding her still while she takes one for the team is certainly the worst part of my job. Afterward Dr. Hilderman asked if she could give her a cookie and my response was “I dunno, your the doctor…?”

She seems fine to me today though. Lexi gets her organizational skills from her Ma. The motor skills are mine.

Lexi is now 14 months and her personality is really starting to show. Often I forget this number 14 and expect much more from her than I ever should at this stage in her life. Sometimes I will give her a drink or a snack in the living room while we are watching Elmo. It seems so natural to just hand her over a bowl of Cheerios because 90% of the time she will just sit there and eat them all nice and dainty. Until a good song comes on and she starts dancing away with nary a care that her Cheerios are flying all over the place. I will then ask her how those Cheerios got all over the floor and she will raise her arms up over her head and squeak “huh?” – Oh ya, your only one I remember.

Speaking of good songs, I play this all the time for Lexi in the car while she is sleeping. The song in the video is called “Be Good Until Then”, by Butch Walker.

With a new season in our midst comes a whole bunch of new firsts. For the first time ever Lexi is outside in clothing that will actually expose her feet and allow her to walk and of course explore. Yesterday was +7 so we were outside for almost 2 hours getting all dirty and finding cool stuff to look at. We were intrigued by the rocks and puddles at the park and the sound of the snow beneath our big girl boots.

At the park Lexi was getting really brave and had a bit of a spill. She got her first raspberry patch on her face and she only cried for about 5 seconds. She is a tough little warrior.

This summer is going to be the best.

Sorry for the lack of posts but Lexi has been busy with basic training. Basically learning the basics. We took the walking up a notch this week by getting her some time in on the treadmill. I knew we bought that for something.

Inspired by Ok Go: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTAAsCNK7RA