Too tired for dialogue

I find myself fairly exhausted this week. Too tired to write anything particularly witty or insightful, but here are some pictures at least to catch you up on a few things.
Brody man has graduated from his Army crawl to a regular crawl and man is he ever fast! He's also started pulling himself up and cruising along anything that's the right height from furniture to the edge of the bathtub. I really would feel a lot better if I could just fashion him an all purpose helmet. Just tonight, he was holding on to the edge of Riley's play kitchen and sent it tumbling over on top of himself...EXCEPT for the fact that I was sitting right there with him, so as TJ so astutely pointed out..."Don't worry, Brody's fine, your head broke the fall." Which it did, luckily it didn't hurt too much. Guess we'll be anchoring it to the wall this weekend. Here's the Brody man first learning how to pull himself up a few weeks ago. Look how proud he is of his new skills!

Here he is just a week or two later, able to pull himself up to his music play station with ease. He can stand and play for 20 minutes or so at a time. I really don't think it's going to be long before he's pulling up completely on his own and taking first steps.

Here he is just looking handsome (it's what he does best) in his mini bomber jacket.

Just have to share the picture of the Valentines Day cake pops I made for Riley's classmates. They took a very long time, but turned out so cute. Cake pops will have to be for special occasions only. They are as delicious as they are adorable, so they are also dangerous to have in the house.
In another burst of craftiness, I decided to try my hand at making hair bows. They are pretty time consuming, but it turns out, not too difficult. When I can find little pockets of time, it'll be fun to make her some more and maybe start to give them as gifts.

We finally had a little dusting of snow a few weeks back. Probably not more than three inches, but it was enough to finally get Riley's new sled out for a spin. She let me pull her around the yard and driveway for a bit and then she wanted to pull me. I told her I was too big for the sled, so she just decided to pull it around on her own.

Her school also had chicken eggs, which they got to watch hatch into baby chicks, last week. It was really fun to see how excited all the kids were about it. They got to hold the chicks and did chick art projects, it was so cute. Made me want to take a day off of being a mommy and go to school. Recital outfits have arrived at dance class and the girls are practicing their performance number. I must admit, the idea of them actually performing a synchronized routine is not as ludicrous as it once seemed. Riley even practices singing the song around the house. She continues to amaze me with her verbal skills...even when the content is less than amusing.
A few recent conversations:
Me: Riley, I'm tired, can I take a nap in your bed?
Riley: No Mommy! You are waaaay too big, you will break my bed. You nap downstairs.

Me: Riley, you are not listening and you are going to get in big trouble.
Riley: I not in big trouble. You being rude. Go to time out and stay there.

Me: Riley, if you are a good girl, you will be able to go to Wesley's house to watch a movie.
Riley: We watch Lion King and have popcorn, candy and donuts! (Yup, she is definitely TJ's daughter!)

Never a dull moment around here, that's for sure. Now, I'm off to get some rest.

The Brody Man

Just look at that face.
That's his personality, to a tee...slobber and all.
I took Brody's 9 month photos last weekend, and I really had to stop and marvel at how quickly the time has flown by. It seems that's just the way it is with babies, but when they're just as easy going and smiley all the time...HONESTLY...all the time, the days and weeks and months just seem to fly by even faster. From first thing in the morning, when I walk in his room and he pushes up on his arms and flashes me the biggest smile, to late at night, when I check on him right before bed and listen to his soft breathing, he brings me joy. Such pure joy. Not to mention all the laughter, exploration and snuggle time in the daytime hours in between. He is a crawling maniac, thought it's still a rugged Army crawl, and he has said "Mama" a number of times, sometimes while crawling toward me. He's got two more teeth coming in up top, bringing the grand total to four. He's growing so quickly, it'll be interesting to get his current stats at his checkup in a few weeks. All I know is, the outfit he had on today was 12-18 months and it fit just fine. One hilarious thing he's been doing is finding his way to the wine cabinet again and again. The first time, he grabbed a bottle and stuck it under his "Brody car" and then continued on his merry way, with his luggage underneath, as you can see:


The second time, he crawled over and pulled down a bottle and then tried to have a cocktail. Earlier today, same thing, I heard a thud, and he'd grabbed another. I guess I really just need to empty the cabinet...

We've been playing a lot of chase and he's getting pretty fast in his car. When he really gets moving, he just laughs and laughs. I definitely think he'll be ready to walk sooner rather than later, and he's already trying to pull himself up.

What can I say? It's such a shame you all live so far away, because this little man would light up your life every day, just like he does ours.

A few words on the Riley Roo, too. I took her to her very first movie last weekend. We saw Beauty and the Beast, one of her favorites. It was such a fun date for us. She loves movies, and she loves treats, so she probably thought it was the greatest thing ever. I loved how small she looked in the oversized theater chair, with waaaayyy too much popcorn and a big cup of fruit punch. But, hey, that's how your first movie ought to be, right?

Here I am, holding her friend Abby on my lap. Riley's still not one for much snuggling, but at least her friends like to snuggle me!

And sharing a seat with Kerington...the two were completely engrossed:

So, other than the giant, steaming popcorn poo that followed, a truly successful event. I can't wait to take her again, or to let TJ experience a date of their own. Speaking of snuggling, we've been trying to get Riley to come snuggle with us for a few minutes on the weekend mornings. She grudgingly climbs in bed and lays still for about 30 seconds and then shouts at the top of her lungs: "MAMA....I HUUUUUNNGGRYYYY!" Then, we discuss what she would like for breakfast and she usually tells me..."Bagel dogs."
Me: No, those are for dinner, what else?"
Riley: "Ok....um, CHICKEN!"
(We usually settle on French Toast sticks)
This week was pajama day at school, which she absolutely loved. And I did too. Man, is life so much easier when you don't have to actually dress your child in the morning. I wish everyday was pajama day. Anyhow, she still found the whole idea hilarious and kept saying, " I wear my pajamas to school? That's SO SILLY!"
So, that's the news for now. Time to get to bed, I have snuggle practice to look forward to in the morning.

Put on those dancing shoes

The week before Christmas break, parents were invited into the classroom at Riley's dance studio to take pictures and videos. Usually, we watch on a tv monitor from the waiting room. It was so much fun to see them all up close, and it made me think that the idea of them having a "recital" this spring isn't as crazy as it seemed when they started dance lessons this past summer. Dance has been great for Riley for a number of reasons: the physical activity, listening to and following directions, an outlet for her natural rhythm and enthusiasm for music, and as an introduction to tumbling. I don't know if this is the start of something she'll carry well into the future, of if other interests will replace it, but I do know that we spend an awful lot of time dancing in this house. After dinner dance parties with the music turned up loud are the norm. And we ALL dance. Even Bauer, but that's another video for another time.

Merry and Bright

It's hard to believe that my little Brody man is almost 8 months old. Pretty soon, I'll be planning his first birthday party. But before that, I'll be baby proofing the house. He is on the verge of crawling and he can most definitely move around on his own. The other night, I put him in the hall while Riley and I were brushing her teeth and hair, and next thing I know, he's backwards inch-wormed himself into the bathroom. This evening, tucking Riley into bed, I watched in detail and I'll try to explain it...he gets from point A to point B through a series of movements that can only be described as hurling himself with one half of his body and dragging the other half to catch up. Add in a few log rolls and you've got one mobile baby. He strengthens those little legs by jumping for nonstop power sessions on his doorway jumper. He's still about the smiliest baby you'll ever meet, and he charms everyone...his usual fan base, complete strangers, everyone. We really can't go anywhere without people gushing over him. It never gets old. Love that handsome little boy.

Riley Roo, who never would sit still for a picture, discovered that mommy will show her the picture in the camera screen if she sits still and says cheese. Now, she loves to pose and then wants to see it.

She went to her first fairy princes party a few weekends ago. She had a great time playing hide and go seek and beading a necklace, coloring, and of course, her favorite, eating a cupcake. It was the first time she really got into the whole princess thing, but it stuck. Now, she'll put on a tutu over any outfit and run around saying, "Soooo pretty. Princess Riley, Princess Riley."



We walked to the party, since it was just down the street. TJ took a picture...what an adorable sight we must have been to anyone driving by.


When we got back from the party, I needed to do some baking, and my little helper decided to join me. I don't know what to tell you about her baking attire. I guess sometimes you just need better range of motion in your arms to stir the batter. Note the necklace she made at the party. She's wearing it Rambo bandana style around her head. Are all 2-year-olds this profoundly unique?


This is the cute Thanksgiving shirt a friend made for Riley and a matching turkey bow from the bow lady in town. Too bad we weren't able to show it off to family in person.



This past weekend, we went to visit Santa. Riley had no problem hopping right up on the big guy's lap. She even posed and smiled for a few photos. I wonder if she realizes that her naughty versus and nice tally is not completely in her favor this year and she's trying to turn on the charm at the source.


The Brody man was just fine with Santa too. He was pretty fascinated with the beard. Lucky for Santa he didn't go for the glasses.

This month is flying by and Christmas will be here before we know it. What a magical time of year to have small children. What a great time to reflect on how blessed I am in my life. It is the simple things that fill my heart with joy these days. Sharing a big pile of books with Riley. Marveling at how Brody seems to be an inch taller every morning. Sharing stories and laughs with other wonderful moms and friends. Hot chocolate and a toasty fireplace. I know I say it all the time, but life is good and my heart is full.

Into Fall

We're well into fall and busier than ever. We had a nice Halloween trick-or-treating in our neighborhood with friends. Jessica (Mimi) and her boyfriend Allan came over to hand out candy while we took Riley around in her costume. Our little bumble bee and frog were absolutely adorable. For Riley and her sweet tooth, it was a dream come true...just knock and smile and nice people give you candy! She kept saying "more treats, more treats" and running ahead. At one point, she turned around and told TJ, "Dada hurry up!"We headed out around 5:30 with her friend Wesley, the pirate, for a little while, and then met up with Kerington (Didi) until about 8. Riley would've been happy to keep going for another hour, I'm sure. Brody was his usual easy going self, riding around in the backpack, smiling, and taking it all in.
Riley is growing and learning at an astounding pace. She tells me constantly that she's "hungy" and I try my best to keep healthy foods going into the bottomless pit, but there's no doubt she inherited her dad's sweet tooth. The good news is she just had her first visit to the pediatric dentist and no cavities. All of her teeth look nice and healthy. The dentist did warn that there's not much space in her mouth or between her teeth, so braces unfortunately are probably somewhere on the horizon. She seems to have a new developmental milestone each week. Last week was the week of "mine." Everything was MINE. "Mama, this is MY juice. This is MY toy. This is MY booger." Yes, she told me after I wiped her nose that I had taken her booger and she wanted it back. I had to draw the line at boogers. So, we're working on explaining that "MY" is not a nice word and that in this house we SHARE. This week is the week of "by self." She tells me, "Riley put shoes on BY SELF. Riley set the table BY SELF." And by self is usually followed up by "I got it." Everything therefore takes about 10 times as long, but it's a reminder that kids really do make the best teachers. I am not a patient person and this is forcing me to slow down and make sure I'm not squelching her efforts. It's actually been really good for me. I am honestly in awe of how being a parent challenges you to take an honest look at yourself on a daily basis. It's an incredible journey getting to know my babies and myself at the same time.
Whereas Riley is my exuberant maniac, Brody is my even keel. He is pure sweetness. It makes it easy for me to pawn him off on friends when I've got a dentist appointment or need to run some other non child friendly errand. In fact, just this week, after spending the day watching Brody man one friend told me "I no longer think you're super mom now that I know how easy and happy he is!" We both laughed, but man, it's true. TJ and I love spending time just making him smile and laugh. I hold him and my heart overflows with love.
Well, it's bath time, so that's all for now. I can't believe the holidays are just around the corner and its time to get ready for all the festivities. The pace of motherhood is relentless, but I'm determined not to miss all the little moments in the midst of never ending commitments and to-do lists.
Enjoy the pictures.

The koala and the dinosaur

Just a few of the shots from Brody's first photo shoot. Could he be any cuter??? Of course, Miss Riley got her mug in a few of the photos too!

Colorbutter

"Colorbutter"
That's what Riley asks for when she wants to read The Very Hungry Caterpillar. I love the little word variations she comes up with. Today, she opened up the kitchen drawer by the stove, took out some tongs and told me she was "cooking engs." Yes, engs = eggs. Hilarious. Her transition to a "big girl bed" (crib without a front) has been interesting. At night, we go through our ritual...bath, jammies, teeth, books. By the time she gets in bed, she's so tired that she settles right in. Nap time; however, is a little more interesting. Today, I put her in bed for a nap, and then listened to her run around for about an hour and a half...the kitchen is right below her room. She gathers most of the toys and books and animals in her room and puts them in her bed. Oh well, I guess as long as she's not a crab, mommy still gets some quiet time, which is the most important thing, right?!?!
She had her 2 year checkup on Wednesday and weighs 27lbs, is 33 1/4" and has a 19" noggin. All in all, fairly average. So yup, she's a healthy, spirited toddler.
The new house is just wonderful. It already feels so much more like home than our previous rental. We spend lots of time outside each day in the large yard, on the swing set, and getting to know the neighbors, especially the family behind us who have a dog friend for Bauer and 3 kids, one a little younger than Riley.
Getting the house set up is taking forever, but that's par for the course. I have so much respect for fellow stay at home moms and am realizing that it's much harder than any job I've ever held. I find myself wishing there were more hours in the day. I guess if I can tackle one little project a day, then eventually, the mess in the garage and storage rooms will disappear. Hopefully before we move again.
Brody man continues to be a wonderful baby. Just sweetness and smiles so long as he's fed. He seems to drool a lot more than Riley ever did. Not sure if that's a boy thing, or if he's gong to start teething earlier than she did. He spits up quite a bit, I guess from the formula, so he ends up smelling like cheese much of the time. But I don't mind. The top of his head always smells great and the big toothless grin is about the greatest thing on earth.