The Freeman Family: Ainsley 2 1/2 years

As much as I want to call Ainsley my "baby", it's getting harder and harder. She's turning into a little girl and is no longer a baby. It seems like every stage we get to with Ainsley, Joel and I agree that the current stage is the most fun stage yet. She's absolutely hilarious right now and keeps us on our toes, and we love it!

It would be terrible to actually smile for a picture.

Ainsley was two and a half on August 1st. She learns something new everyday and has been rapidly learning new things for the last few months. Joel and I will look at each other several times a week and ask ourselves how in the world Ainsley knows what she does.

Powdered donuts for breakfast

She loves to imitate everyone. Repeating everything that comes out of our mouths has been a recent activity of hers. Last week, she said her first cuss word after repeating her Daddy. We've both been extra careful with what we say, because nothing gets past her! I know Ainsley's shown me some things I obviously say way too much. I was standing in the kitchen one evening fixing supper and Ainsley was running laps around the kitchen island while Lily was getting frustrated because Ainsley was running by her too fast and she couldn't see her. The following words came out of my mouth: "You're driving me...." and I didn't finish because I got busy doing something else. Ainsley loudly finished my sentence for me with "NUTS!". I turned around to look at her and she was standing there with a huge smile on her face. I couldn't help but laugh. She was right. That is exactly what I was going to say, but stopped myself. She thinks it's funny now to say "Mommy nuts, Mommy nuts". Another one is I can say either "OMG" or "Oh, my......" and Ainsley will then pipe back with "oh my gosh".

Ainsley is very independent and plays well by herself. She likes playing with trains, trucks, tractors, her doctor kit, and baby dolls. Her favorite cartoons right now are: Bubble Guppies, Dora, Team Umizoomi, Max and Ruby, and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. It's like Christmas morning anytime it rains outside because she knows I'll let her go outside and play in the water puddles. She asks to go for a walk every time we're outside, and gets mad when we get back to our driveway after our walk because she doesn't want it to end.

She told me she was lining Daisy, the bunny, and Clarabelle up to watch Mommy work

She loves her Uncle Tanner

Watching "the puppies" (101 Dalmations)

I was talking to Mom on the phone and looked over to find Ainsley on top of the table whining because she couldn't get down

Wearing her sunglasses like Daddy and Mommy

Papa Bill was tired after working doubles all week

Joel and Ainsley have been going to Bluffs on Sunday mornings to check the cows. I haven't gone with them, because I don't want to interrupt their Daddy-daughter time, but Joel says she just sits in the back of the truck. She doesn't want to get too close to the cows.

It's amazing to watch and listen to everything she's learned in the past few months. She's picked so much up. She can do a pretty good job of spelling her name, and knows what the letter "A" looks like. If I ask her to spell her name, she'll usually say: "A-I-M-S-Y". She has spelled it all the way through three times now that I know of, but she says "m" instead of "n" and can't really say "l" but we're working on it! She knows the following shapes: circle, square, rectangle, triangle, oval, diamond, heart, star, and crescent. She knows some colors, but isn't consistent with them. Counting isn't her forte. I've been working on counting to ten for over a year now, and she's adamant on counting to ten like this: "two, three, five, ten". That's the way it always is. She doesn't even start with "one"!

She knows how and (most of the time) likes to share. I'll pick her up from Lisa's and put her in the car and ask how her day was. She'll usually reply back: "Girl....share". Yes, she still calls herself "girl" instead of Ainsley!

Swinging with Daddy

Purple is her favorite color and she loves butterflies. She's starting to get freckles on her nose and cheeks. If I ask her if she wants to paint her fingernails, she jumps at the opportunity and usually requests "purple". She loves to be Mommy's little helper, and help cook, clean, and do laundry.

Helping clean up her ice cream mess on the front porch.....with the lovely tattoo left over from Drake's party!

We've been in the picky-eating stage for over a year now and I wish it would go away. She's not a very good eater. Meat is still out of the picture, except for some chicken nuggets every so often. Fruit was her go-to food, but she hasn't even been eating it like she used to. Cottage cheese is usually a staple every night at supper because it's the only thing she'll really eat.

Lily was eyeing Ainsley's watermelon

Daddy snuck Ainsley some fruit snacks in the bathtub one night....

She loves ice cream cones!

She can be hard-headed (wonder where she gets that from!) As hard as I try, she still refuses to go to the potty. I bought her a new Bubble Guppies little toilet seat, a new potty book, and have told her numerous times she gets a surprise and stickers if she goes on the potty. She'll sit on it, but has never actually gone. She also refuses to let me put her hair in a ponytail. If I even mention doing it, she'll point her finger at me and tell me "NO!"

She was suppose to be sleeping, but sat up in bed with crazy hair!

Joel calls her our little Sour Patch girl. She can be terrible and the next minute be the sweetest little girl who loves to give hugs and kisses.

Telling Daddy "No" one evening

If you were to walk into our house, you would most likely hear Ainsley singing. She absolutely loves to sing. If she doesn't know the words, she just inserts her own or mumbles them. "Twinkle, twinkle little star", "ABC's", and the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse song are her favorites. She even does the roll-call from the Mickey song.

Playing and singing "Twinkle twinkle little star"

Talking to Papa Bill one afternoon while I changed her clothes

We swam quite a bit in August after not being able to much at the beginning of the summer. Ainsley can't wait to get in the pool, but doesn't last long once she gets in and wants to get out.