1st Makeup Application

Usually while I am trying to get ready in the morning, Julia will stand on a stool next to me and "brush her teeth" (play in the water, really!) or play with clean makeup brushes. Today, she grabbed an eyeliner pencil...and, uh, made herself beautiful!? Right after I discovered her "creativity" I learned I am apparently not the girlie-girl I think I am: we had NO makeup remover in the house. YIKES!!

Why Julia is a tough girl...

Earthquake in the playhouse!!

Sleeping Babes

Last night I went in the kids room to take photos and Jeff was asking "What are you doing!?". I always think they look so sweet when they are sleeping, yet I hardly have any sleeping pics of them as "bigger" kids.

Ry wants to wear these footed pjs now "just like baby."

And the little sleeping princess, who has recently demanded to sleep with every stuffed animal she sees on the way up to bed!

Dancing to Catch That Train

Daddy was out of town for work ALL week and is FINALLY home. We do a little happy dance in celebration to one of our favorite songs: "Catch That Train" by Dan Zanes.

Welcome Home Daddy!

He comes bearing gifts...

Daddy is EXCITED to see the kids again...and they both want to sit on his lap to finish up their dinner instead of in their chairs!

Julia is excited!

Cookie Baking

Tonight after dinner we baked some cookies. I had a magazine that had cookies on the cover, and Ry saw it yesterday and has been asking if we could make some ever since he saw it.
Ask, and you shall receive! =)

Ry proudly displays his star.

Julia doesn't like to waste time. She heads in two fisted. She is our efficient child...even when I ask them to clean up toys, Julia gets moving immediately and gets the job done, and Ryan could take 10 minutes to put his cars back in a bin!

I wish our story ended here. But about 2 hours after this photo was taken, as I am getting ready to put Julia in bed, I experienced very possibly my most massively gross mom moment EVER. (Before I tell this story, and your mind goes here, know that she didn't even eat one entire cookie.) This sweet girl vomited... flying chunks...and she was facing me..and at eye level, so she vomited. in my face (ok, and I am telling you, it came up with some SPEED, because it actually hit me pretty hard!!), splashed all in my hair and down my new shirt and pants. I was so shocked I think I just stood there for a moment in total AWE. (Not the good kind of awe!! Where did this come from!? She had been fine all day long!!?) And then SHE started crying...something I felt like doing, particularly after I glanced down at her carpeting and my sense of smell was beginning to kick in. Grrrr! She escaped this pretty unscathed. We did do a jammie change and brushed teeth again, but other than that, she came out of the ordeal much better than I did, or the carpeting. So she's crying, and I am very calmly saying "It's okay. Not a big deal, baby. We'll get this all cleaned up and you'll feel much better soon. It's going to be okay!"
And the Oscar nomination goes to.... =)

Moses

I was gone this weekend, so I didn't go to church, but this is what Ry brought home. I thought it was such a cute idea to learn about Moses. They had a sugar cookie they painted with blue icing, a Frito chip for the basket, and some type of fruit rollup around a sour gummy kid for baby Moses.
Now, of course, when I asked Ry what he learned this weekend, he said "What?" and when I showed him the cookie and said "Who is this?" He told me, "Baby Jesus." Still...cute idea. =)

Life Size Ryan!

Yesterday morning Ry "found" my gift closet stash. (GASP!..as "Santa" has already been stocking up!). He pulled this roll of craft paper out and in an extreme attempt to divert his little eyes from the gifts he was about to dig in, we did a little impromptu craft. He loved being traced and then getting to "decorate" himself. He decided he'd rather be wearing blue pants and an orange shirt, so he colored those in that way. (Aren't their little thoughts so random..and sweet?!) I never did take a pic of the finished result, but he ended up with orange ribbon hair and silver shoelaces. Of course, Julia was happy because she was able to continue her love affair with the glue bottle.

Tag! Megan, Krista, Trina, Sonya, Taran, Katie and Nicole

I've been Tagged for a fun new game by my friend Carly!

Here is what you do:
1. Open your pictures folder (or Picasa)
2. Go to the 4th folder
3. Open the folder and pick out the 4th picture
4. Once you find that picture, share the picture and what it means to you or what is going on in the picture.

I opened Picassa, and this video is in my 4th folder, it is the 3rd video...apparently, this folder only contains these 3 videos (which I never remember seeing, FUN!) in there, so I went with it with no #4 to choose from. Sorry...I realize it is LONG and repetitive, but in keeping with the game, I will say how excited I was to watch the first part of the video (before all the photos started repeating!). What fun memories!!

The date on this is December 24, 2005. (We celebrate Christmas with Jeff's family on Christmas Eve). I can't believe how little Ryan is -6 days shy of turning 1- and that Julia was "nothing" at this point in our lives! How time changes things so quickly! And how blessed we are!

I thought this night was the first time Ryan jumped out of his crib -- he was SO EXCITED about a Thomas the Train pop-up tent that Aunt Stacy had given him he jumped right out (didn't get hurt!) to try and get back downstairs to it, and we thought our lives had changed forever. But I see from the photos this is the year she gave him "potty Elmo" and "sick Elmo", so we must have had one more year of bliss before the dreadful jumping and climbing to 'freedom' began! =)

Just hearing this music is putting me in a Christmas-ey mood!

I tag: Megan, Krista, Trina, Sonya, Taran, Katie and Nicole!

Jeep Drivin' With Grandma

Today the kids spent the afternoon with Grandma. Julia slept most of the time, but the time she was awake was filled with FUN!

Dance Party

Look at that little joyful smirk!

Tonight before dinner we had a dance party...this is where we put on music and all dance. The kids LOVE it. Sometimes, we even pull out the microphones, as we did tonight.

Julia belting out her solo.

My little star.

I LOVE this game!After dinner we were going to head to the library and exchange out our books. Note I said WERE. I asked the kids to put on their shoes, and Julia grabbed these boots and took off running. I found her in the foyer attempting to put them on...which she did get one...on the wrong foot, but great effort on her part. =) However, she made quite a big blowout in her diaper sitting here, and we ended up in the bathtub instead of the library. Oh well. They are clean now, and got to "go swimming" tonight, so no one is complaining. HA.

Here are some Ry-isms from today:
Ry to Julia: "Baby! Peace and quiet, PLEASE!"

Ry adds on to our dinner prayer:
Me: "...Amen."
Ry: "And please we would like a Geotrax set." (Because Santa is now up there with God in his head?)

Julia: "Aaaatter, please!" (water)
I knock over a baby stroller on my way to fill up her glass.
Ryan: "Uhh, ohhh! We need to call the policeman!"

Ryan: "Mommy, what happens if your car has an accident?"
Me: "Sometimes it can be fixed if it is a little accident, and sometimes you have to get a new car if it is a big accident."
Ry: "Because your car is broken?"
Me: "That's right."
Ry: "And then it falls off a cliff?"

Um...I think something is wrong with the camera!! This was not our special music video effects! =)

Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes

My Cup Runneth Over

Oh my...I am such a happy, happy, joyful Mommy right now. Jeff just told Ryan that I would be going out of town this weekend for a trip and that he and Julia and Daddy were going to have some fun. Ry very hesitantly said, "No." And then nothing more. So I talked a little bit to him saying I was going with Aunt Krista and Aunt Amy to Glammie/Papa's lake house. He pauses and says, "But Mommy, don't go. We like you." Of course, I then gave him about the biggest hug. The kind your grandma used to give you when you were a kid and wondered when you could come up for air. =)

Defiance

Julia is just waking up from her nap (early. ugh!) and here is what she is laying in her crib saying over and over.

"No, Mommy. No! No, Mommy. No! Hi, Daddy. Ohh, Daddy. No, Mommy. No!"

That same line. Over. And over. And over again. Further proof our girl IS a daddy's girl!

Give Thanks

Ever have those days where your kids are making you crazy? Ours started like that. Mine were both up at 7:45 this morning, and by 9am I was thinking it was going to be a L-O-N-G day! I had gotten nothing done from my to-do list and Julia was hanging all over my leg. So, regroup..attitude adjustment, and remind myself they are a blessing, and it is a blessing I am able to be here with them..in my jammies, and not stuck in some office...that they are my priority, and not that ever growing "to do" list! Besides, I can put the laundry away later..it's been hanging out 24 hours already, what's another few!?! =)

After breakfast the kids drag in the bin of train pieces and dump ever single bizillion piece in there on the floor as Ryan declares "We are going to build a VERY BIG, VERY COOL set, Mommy!" I bite my tongue and refrain from saying what I am thinking, "Yes, and you will be picking up that very big, very cool set when you are finished playing, as well!" Because, really, who could squeltch this enthausiasm..just look at their sweet happy (and dirty..yes, they have been wearing these jammies for the last 48 hours!! Yesterday, also a jammie day. Which I did question my mother about sending Ry to DQ with Papa dressed like this and she thought that it was a sweatsuit. I am not sure if she was serious or being very kind. Oh well. No harm done, the next laundry load will be that much lighter!)

Attitude adjustment: This is not a mess waiting to be cleaned up. This, here, is what it looks like when children have a very fun creative morning.

Yes, I might have gone off the deep end with the "happy attitude". This IS a full bottle of glue Julia is using...washable. I did check that out. So hopefully, it will wash out of her hair easily. =) I drew the line at giving her the scissors. A mom has to have her standards, ya know? =)
See the book? This is one we got from the library last week and it had a fun, easy craft on how to make a turkey tracing your child's hands (for the feathers) and feet (for the turkey's body). Anyways, we spent a chunck of our morning tracing body parts. Ry said, "This is fun!! This tickles, Mommy!" (That was the pen as I traced his feet). They were having fun, and I felt like we were accomplishing something....our Thanksgiving mantle decor...

TaaaDaaa. The turkey on the left is made with Julia's hands/feet, and the one on the right is Ry's. The banner reads "Give Thanks."