Monday, February 3, 2014

A Few Things to Remember

My kids are adorable...I can totally say that, because it's true. :)  They are getting more and more fun every day.  I'm finding their personalities coming out more and more the older they get.

The other night while Steve was wrestling with Ross and Ruby, Steve pretended to eat Ruby up. Ross proclaimed, "We don't eat girls dad. We eat fish and cereal!" Thanks for keeping us in line buddy. The world would be in chaos without you to keep order.


Ross has also been having trouble settling down for the night lately and comes up with every excuse imaginable. After number 27 which was "my finger's sticky!" Steve grabbed his finger and licked it off (a pretty dicey move if you ask me) to which Ross happily scampered back to bed and Steve got to have the after taste of...ear wax. I think we've all learned a valuable lesson from that one. 


We were at the store the other day and I had Ross and Ruby strapped in to the boat cart they have for multiple kids.  Ross really wanted to get out and kept chanting, "Get me out of here! Get me out of here!" to which I replied to him, "Sometimes I feel the same way kid...sometimes I feel the same way."  He didn't really care and continued on his rant...and eventually ended up out of there (and behaved quite well to his credit).  Whenever he would be a little to far away for my liking and I'd call him back to me he'd yell, "Whaaaat?!  Oh!  Okay Mom!  I'm coming!!! aaaaaahhhhhh" all while he trotted or raced back to me so the entire store could here.  Hilarious.

Potty training is actually going pretty well.  He'll have the occasional accident, but it's never very big and he finishes in the potty.  He usually goes through naps without a diaper as well.  He still uses the potty to his advantage at night and gets up a few times to go, but we've even gone to the library and the store with him in underwear.  He's pretty good at letting me know if he needs to go.  He loves his sticker chart and M&M's, and seems to prefer underwear to diapers too now.  Hooray!  Hopefully this will continue to go smoothly. :)


I was getting Ross ready for bed the other night as well and as I was zipping up his pj's he looked at me with this ear to ear grin and said, "You're pretty mommy." and gave me a big hug....oh my heart - may he always stay this age. 

I love when he wants to read books with me and sit in the rocking chair to read them.  I love when he wants to snuggle with me (even if it's just to get out of going to bed), or how he likes to sit with me and share my food.  He will always give us kisses and hugs whenever we ask for them and can be so sweet whenever he's asking questions about the world around him.  I love being the one to explain things to him for the first time - it's a precious responsibility - it makes me try to be more patient and opens my eyes to see his perspective, being new to everything.  He is such a sweet boy and I love him with all my heart.

Ruby is a proper toddler and she's barely over one!  She walks like a monkey a bit still, but is pretty sturdy when it comes to balance.  (I think it has something to do with their toys everywhere and a brother who bumps in to her more often than not.)  Her vocabulary is growing like crazy.  The doctor told me the way she mimics things (like our words and actions - pretending to say hello on the phone, etc.), and how she had already been saying around 10-12 words was reflective of what 18 month olds and older do.  She's trying so hard to keep up with the big kids!  She's skinnying out more with all her activity, but still has a few rolls in her legs and cute potbelly hanging around.  She's pretty much weaned and I have been savoring these last few times nursing her.  My baby is getting older and I'll miss that sweet intimate time nursing I think - now that we're done of course.  Funny - I always hate it in the beginning and am sad when it's over.  Something about being a girl! 


I've found Ruby to be quite girly actually.  I saw her trying to put on my headband a couple days ago, so I helped her out.  She promptly left the room, heading for mine and stopped right in front of the mirror to admirer it on her head.  She LOVES hanging around the mirror - silly.  She likes to comb her own hair, (as well as constantly pull the bows out of it I put in), and has recently become obsessed with Ross's monkey, calling it, "Baby" and hugs it close while she says, "Awwww".  It's adorable.  

I've found Ruby and I have a Marco Polo game that goes on throughout the day.  She likes to do her perimeter checks, so when I can't see her I call out, "Rubeeeee!" to which I hear her reply, "Mommmmyyyy!"  It's hilarious.  

She can say, "Mommy, Daddy, Baby, Ruby, Dank you, Apple, Bu-bye, Hi, Hello, Lellow, Choos (shoes), I love you, Papa, Bama, Ba-ba (bottle), Ah Done (All done), Too (whenever she wants something too - like "me too"), Happy, Happy Bay (Birthday), Tah (Uncle Tom), Nae-Nae (Auntie Janae), Yaya, No No, Potty, Peepee, Poop (figures since that's said a million times a day to Ross), and Ligh (Light).
 

It seems everyday she wakes up there are more words coming out of her mouth!  She's a gabber!  Whenever we're at the store, she's the ice breaker to everyone around her since all she says to them is, "Hi! Hi! Hi!" and they all respond "Hi" back because, well, she's adorable. :)  She'll be a good little missionary someday I think. :)


Ruby is also very good at playing the dramatic card when she doesn't want to go to bed.  She experiments with different cries that are pretty impressive, and, given, I've gotten a bit softer the second time around and give in a little sooner than I did with Ross, but she usually will throw in the towel.  It's funny though - she still does the same thing after sounding like you've left her all alone in the world and you go in only to find her with a big happy grin on her face and a "Hi!" waiting for you like she knew you'd come all along.  She kills me.


We went to a Superbowl party yesterday with our friends, the Dilles and Schauss's.  Our kids are all about the same age give or take a few months which was fun.  I ended up staying upstairs chatting with the girls the whole time which was really fun.  I enjoyed catching up and planning our 10 year anniversary's together.  I think we planned four trips in there to be exact :)  A cruise, Harry Potter World, Naples, and Disney World.  I'm all about vacations!!  We also planned how to have all our kids married to each other's so we can make this all official.  Again - totally fine with that. :)  It was a fun night even though the bowl was a bore.  Nothing like getting together!

 
Hugs!


Hugs!

Moms!


     

Cabela's and Cool Runnings

We've been trying to keep it alive over here with the weather and wait for Spring.  That dang ground hog needs to move house so he can find his shadow and get us an early spring!  

We decided to go to Cabela's one Saturday since it was a halfway meeting point for family, we had never been there before, and the real seller - it was free to go look around.  That place is pretty amazing with all the different departments and things to look at.  Ross loved looking at the fish most of all.  




Ross is explaining who they animals are down there to Steve.

"And we don't touch them" - this is Ross's "I'm serious" face :)

Ruby got a bit bored in the cart...

Planning a camping trip with Grandpa

Planes are AWESOME! - especially ones with antlers

THIS is what you need for camping!

We headed in to the aquarium right when they had a feeding time.  The fish were all thrashing like crazy for their fish food...and then the terrible slap of reality presented itself in the circle of life as they dumped live goldfish into the tank.  All the giant fish went nuts, and I have never seen a poor little goldfish swim so madly for its life.  They were gobbled up in seconds.  Steve loved it, Ross was amazed, and I was half horrified at how quickly the goldfish went!  It was quite the finale for our visit.  Ross wanted to stay and watch those fish forever.  We took a gander around some more at the mounted animals, and the gun department for Steve's sake.  He got real excited about getting a gun someday (which I only OKed when we first get a gun safe...a really nice, extremely expensive (so it will take a long time till we can justify buying one) safe.  He got in the mood for hunting for sure.
Ross can't tear his eyes away from the fish.

Squabbling for food


Those poor goldfish!

Ross saw a "really BIG one!" on the other side. :)

We also had my cute cousin Ashley come visit with her daughter Ellie for dinner.  Ross and Ruby loved playing with little Ellie Bean.  She was so petite - Ruby looked like a giant next to her, but they had a ton of fun playing.  They were too fast and uninterested in me to stop for a picture, so this is all we got...
Faster than a speeding train!

The camera flash got their attention for about 1/2 a second.

Cutie cousins :)
One evening, while our upstairs neighbors were gone, we decided to go out and shovel the walk as a family.  I found some great snow pants for Ruby at Saver's...love thrifting (even if it isn't as amazing thrifting as Oregon was).  She looked like an adorable giant marshmallow and was hilarious to watch try to walk around all bundled up.  She mostly waddled around the driveway watching everybody and Ross shoveled snow in and out of his bucket.  That kid still refused to put on gloves...or blankets when he sleeps for that matter.  It's like he would rather be freezing than be partially restricted in any way.  Love that boy.  
This girl is READY!

Getting ready to play in the snow

Throwing snow in Daddy's face...

Cuties :)



They are SO over pictures :)

A Cute Boy on a Mission

Ross helping :)

Ruby waddling away :)

As we are getting more and more excited for the Olympics coming up this week, we decided we had to have a Pre-Olympic party.  Everyone was assigned to bring a food from a different country, we played a couple Olympic Minute to Win It games, and watched the all time best Olympic movie ever - Cool Runnings.  
Ruby ready to party in her ADORABLE outfit from Auntie Rachel and Uncle Dain :)  She rocked it!


A few of our favorite quotes:

"He's as handsome as a lion, that one.  I could watch that backside AAAaall day!"
"How about I draw a line down the middle of your head to make it look like a butt."
"Will you shup up about the damn Swiss!"
Swiss guy, "Say something Jamaica!"... Yul Brynner, "No problem man!"
"You mean winter? As in igloos and Eskimos and penguins and ICE?!"
"Talula! Sounds like a two dolla hooker...." Jr- "that's my mothers name..."

Oh that movie never gets old!  We had a great time eating fabulous food including, Poutine from Canada, Shortbread from Scotland, Yorkshires from England, Bacon wrapped, cheese filled Jalapeno's and soda from Mexico, Jambalaya from Louisiana (inspired from the Spanish and French), French bread from France, Pasta salad from Italy, Buffalo Chicken Dip with veggies and chips, artichoke dip and bread from America along with American Brownies.  
Poutine from Canada

Shortbread from Scotland

Yorkshire Puddings from England!

Bacon wrapped, cheese filled Jalapeno's from Mexico!

Mexican Drinks

Artichoke Dip and bread from America?

Mexican chips...that went with the Buffalo Chicken Dip I didn't get a picture of!

After we stuffed ourselves we used our Olympic skills to attempt balancing three golf balls on top of each other.  We started on the table, deemed it impossible, went to the carpet and also deemed it impossible.  The next game was the best - flicking leis onto your head with only a stick in the mouth.  It was both hilarious and doable.  The end winners were Stephen and my mom.  Go winners! 
Concentration...

Trying hard..

Experience...

Diligence...

Hope...

The closest we got.  Way to go Claudia!

Steve going for the win

Tom...doing a beetle move...

Dallas gaining momentum

Claudia calling it a night. :)

Joanne trying not to give up!
 
I almost got it!  There's a skill involved - that's for sure. ;)

Then we settled in for the movie and finally felt prepared for all these crazy Olympians to come.  Wahoo!


This girl partied hard and is ready for bed!