Back to Reality

We just got back from a 7 day Caribbean cruise....well, almost 7 days, no thanks to the fog. It's hard to come back to the real world, leaving behind housekeeping, room service, fine dining, excursions to tropical paradises, lounging on the beach, sipping pina coladas, and very little stress or responsibility.

I get to come home to loads and loads of laundry, but I have a happy helper.

Coming home to these smiling faces definitely helps us to get over leaving behind our tropical holiday and coming back to responsibliities. I can't believe how much they've changed in a week!!!


Stay tuned for the next few days for a recap of our high seas adventures.

Ryan Playing Ball

I wonder if he's gonna be a soccer player....

He's a Climber

You really gotta watch out for ol' Baby Ry these days. He is a climber. If there's an unblocked staircase, he's bolting for it. If I forget to strap him into his high chair one time, he's up and out. He figured out how to climb up onto chairs and the couch last week--even up on the arm and nearly over the top of the couch! Up until now, we've been able to barricade him into the living room using every free ottoman and make-shift gate available, but with his climbing {and walking} skills improving daily, I think that corral will soon no longer keep this guy fenced in.

And just in case you think he can be contained elsewhere.....

Stephen was on dad duty while Grandma and I went to Lunch Bunch the other morning. Of course, Ryan didn't follow his regular nap time and both boys were up and crazy. Stephen finally just put Ryan in his room, playing with toys, so he could jump in the shower--he had to leave to get his TB test read right after we got home. Who knows how it happened, but when Stephen opened the bathroom door after taking his shower, this is EXACTLY what he saw:



Ryan escaped from his room, climbed up into that chair, and was busy doing something quite important on the computer. Thank goodness Stephen had enough "Dad Skills" to remember to put the gate up to keep Ryan from tumbling down the staircase!

And where was Kyle during all of this?

Watching Wipeout!

Like Father, Like Son

A few days ago, I was bathing and dressing the boys while Stephen was showering and getting ready to go out. We both came out and realized that Ryan was dressed EXACTLY like his dad---even down to the camo-green cargo shorts. Too bad they weren't planning a father and son outing!

Stephen and his mini-me:

Swingers

The weather has been so nice this week, thankfully. {My blood is too thin from living in Sunny South Florida for so long!} I'm so grateful that we are able to get outside and play again; I hate having to hibernate when the weather is foul. It's also SO much better for Kyle to run around, play, and release some energy. On Saturday, we made a family outing to the park and let both boys get into the swings for awhile. It must be nice to bask in the warm sun and lay back as your mom or dad pushes you back and forth, back and forth, back and forth....

Even though the weather was foul for a few weeks, Ryan was still able to keep on swinging. It's been awhile since I put him in his baby swing regularly, but I needed to get some cleaning done the other day and he was cranky, so I gave it a try. He liked it so much and became so relaxed, he went right to sleep.


I'm thinking I need to get a hammock for the backyard...this swinging stuff sounds quite relaxing.

Bath Paints

Kyle got some bath time body paints in his stocking for Christmas. He LOVES them! Actually, I think he really just enjoys getting creative and rolling the color all over Ryan. A few nights ago, Kyle really got crazy with the paints and both of these boys had red and green bath paint from head to toe. Kyle promptly told me to take a picture and wanted to pose just like his brother.


I'm so glad Ryan is a good sport!

While You Were {supposed to be} Sleeping

Sometimes the boys are so tired that they fall asleep right when their heads hit their pillows. Other times we will hear laughter, chatter, jumping, doors opening and closing, crying, somebody sneaking down the stairs, or excuses of why it's not time for bed. About a week ago, we heard Ryan cracking up, presumably from something Kyle was doing, while they were both supposed to be in bed, going to sleep. I grabbed the camera and cracked open the door, but both boys were having too much fun to notice that I was watching them....at least for a few minutes!

Thing One....or Two

Even though he's really thing 2 in this house, Ryan is still rockin' this Dr. Seuss outfit. I love how he even seems to pose like the image on his shirt!

Ryan is 10 months and 1 week old today, and in total defiance of my pleading to the contrary, this little man is soon on his way to walking. He took his first 2 steps on February 14th and has been trying to walk everyday since then. Soon my little Thing 2 will no longer be a baby.....

Kyle's New Toy

It's not uncommon for Kyle's activity level to get noticed. Just the other day, a stranger made a comment about wishing she had his energy! We're always looking for ways to wear Kyle out, and we just might have found a fairly easy one--the treadmill. It's indoors, so we don't have to worry about bad weather ruining his playtime. There's no prep-work, materials to gather, or clean-up, like for a lengthy craft project. The only downside is that is takes close monitoring because there's a level of danger involved. Kyle absolutely loves this new toy and begs to get on it. I've caught him playing Wipeout on the treadmill several times--he's got his own "motivator" now! If only I had the same level of desire to get in a good workout several times a day....

The Moose is Loose--Again

The cooler than usual weather we've been having means the boys are able to get more use out of their winter jammies. I just love these moose pajamas from Alaska!


Even Grandma got her thermal pjs on!

Date Night

We had a wonderful night out to celebrate Valentine's Day.

Kid-free, we headed out on the town with another couple of love birds:


The love special at Pappasito's, Plato Amor, was a dinner for two of fajitas, grilled lobster, grilled shrimp brochette, and chocolate dipped strawberries. It was quite tasty!


Here's baby Ryan begging us not to leave--or is he begging for more milk? {As if he needs it--look at that double chin!}



That adorable face wasn't enough to keep us from leaving the kids at home and having some fun as just grown ups. {We seemed to be about the only parents who didn't bring their kids along for Valentine's dinner!} Thank goodness for babysitters because I truly enjoyed going out for Valentine's Day!

I {Heart} U

Happy Heart Day! I love this day of love. Kyle and I had a fun time making Valentine's Day cards. He's also been very excited about all the chocolate he's gotten to eat for this holiday!


Everywhere we've gone today, Ryan has put a smile on someone's face. What a sweet, little cupid!




Happy Valentine's Day!

Climbing Stairs

The kids who live in a house with stairs always seem to learn how to navigate them. Maybe it's out of sheer necessity or trial and error. Ryan has tumbled a few times down the stairs, but it only took a few times before he figured out that it's better to go down backwards than head first. By now he's pretty good at getting himself up and down stairs, but we still try to keep the gate up for safety! Kyle has helped him out on luring him up the stairs as well as on how to make his way back down.

And, just for fun--here's what happens when Maxo barks and Ryan isn't prepared for it!

I hope you enjoy videos of these 2 boys as much as I do!

Family Time

It was so nice to spend some time with Stephen's brothers' families this past weekend. Stephen, Bando, and Steve-o were able to go golfing one day, too. Afterward, Uncle Bando's golf clubs were out, and Kyle asked if he could "share them a me?" Of course, Uncle Bando couldn't refuse a chance to teach his nephew a few pointers. Kyle has a long way to go before he'll have enough patience to actually stick with it, but at least he got a little taste of the game.



Ryan and Claire also had some fun times playing together. It's fun to see them interacting and taking turns playing with the same toy, taking it from each other, giving it back, trying to climb over each other--okay, it was mostly just Ryan climbing over Claire, and just being together.





Here's another post from Julia's blog about the two little cousins together.

It sure is fun to be close enough to at least one side of the family to get together more than a couple of times a year!

SO Big

Ryan is standing tall these days.....

Kyle, as to not be left out of the spotlight, just has to try to do everything his little brother does. He also can't stand for Ryan to have any attention while he's not being noticed, so of course Kyle wanted his dad to hold him up tall, too. Unfortunately, Kyle is a little heavier than Baby Ry and could only be tossed up in the air. Unfortunately, as well, my camera is a piece of crap and can't quite capture all the moments I want it to. Just pretend you don't have your glasses on, but can still see the joy in Kyle's face.


Aren't dads fun?

10 Months Old

Baby Ry is 10 months old today! He's also a little over 23 inches tall {5th percentile} and weighs 19.4 lbs. {between 10th and 25th percentile.}


Here are a few tidbits about this little man:

Ryan is still a happy baby and LOVES his mom. He's easy-going and puts up with being pushed and shoved around by Kyle. He laughs all the time and is SO ticklish! There are now 6 teeth in Ryan's mouth, and he puts them to good use; this kid can EAT! (That's good, since this morning started his last day of nursing!) He loves to eat what we're eating, especially carbs. You can probably tell that he's starting to get a little meat on his bones now that he's chowing on some real food. I think it's also a reason that he's really sleeping through the night, which I am SO happy about!



Ryan is definitely a boy. He loves to play with cars and wheels, make noises, explore and get into messes, play with the dog, crawl up and down stairs, climb out of his high chair or walker, climb under tables/in baskets/over the bathtub wall.....I could keep going. He's always on the move and keeps us busy. He's in the pre-walking stage of letting go of a table and standing on his own for a few seconds while trying to reach for the nearest hand or object to hold onto. I'd be perfectly fine with his not progressing quickly in this area, though. I'm grateful that I have Kyle to help keep an eye on things because this boy is always into something.


Ryan also learns quickly and seems to try to copy his older brother. He likes to read books right alongside Kyle, laugh with Kyle, chase after Kyle, and play with what Kyle is trying to play with. Even though at times it drives Kyle crazy, I catch Kyle initiating this interaction more often than not. I hope they will continue to be friends as they grow!


It's been a wonderful 10 months with Ryan, and we love having his happy spirit in our family.

Superbowl Party

Uncle Bando, Aunt Julia, Claire, Uncle Hubba, and Aunt Rebecca were able to all come to Houston for a long weekend. We were able to spend some time together and we put together a little Superbowl Party.


I don't really care for either of the teams, so Ryan and I were rooting for the Aggies.


I barely paid any attention to the game, but we had a great time just getting to be together with family.

He Minds So Well

Ryan is a busy little guy lately--and he's not even walking yet! A new environment means new treasures to discover and messes to make. We're working on the meaning of "NO!" but he's still trying to use that sweet smile to melt my heart and get away with anything.

Hot and Delicious

For February, the Relief Society sisters had a meeting at Lou's house, learning how to make homemade cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate. When the activity was announced at church last Sunday, the leader said, "I hope it's cold enough for hot chocolate." {It was in the 70's that day.} It definitely was the perfect weather for hot chocolate! I got to help set up and get everything ready to go, which is one main reason we made sure all the Valentine's decorations were up! It was a fun excuse to get to know some more people in the ward.
Ryan even got to come down to the party at the very end and made a new friend, too.

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like......

Valentine's Day!

The Groundhog is on my naughty list. There's a reason I have chosen not to live in a place where true winter hits, so this past week of frigid temperatures put me in a foul mood. Spreading a little holiday cheer with some lovely red, white, and pink decorations helped to warm my cold heart.

The mantel:

Another Valentine's vignette:

We couldn't find a properly sized wreath, so we made one.

We also threw together this centerpiece, which was based off an idea we got from a magazine.{Better Homes and Gardens?}


The sun is out today and it's no longer freezing, so hopefully my mood will continue to be as rosy as the house is decorated!

Swamp Things

This is what happens when the pump on the pool goes out:

We were joking that someone was going to sneak into the backyard and "blow Nessie out of the water." Luckily, the pool man came by to fix the problem. With the addition of chemicals and after Kyle and Grandma cleaned the surface, the water was soon back to normal--No swamp monsters after-all!


P.S. The water FREEZING, and this was way before this February Blizzaster we're experiencing in Texas.

A FABULOUS Day

This day was great:


The after party was fun, too.


But today was the best day of all~Stephen passed his anesthesia board certification exam, so now he really can work for 100,000 plus!


We could not be more happy/relieved/excited/grateful for this great blessing! What a wonderful day and the culmination of a few years of schooling plus a few extra weeks of intense studying. And prayers and fasting. Like I said, it's a fabulous day!