lisa says

Push Me, Pull Me

2012-01-30T15:08:00.001-06:00

Snap!

2012-01-23T13:53:00.000-06:00

Ain't No Mountain High Enough

2012-01-10T11:38:00.002-06:00

to set a table properly?

You Never Can Tell

2011-12-29T09:30:00.000-06:00

these two apart...well I can, of course, but the girls have a hard time telling who is who when I show them a picture of Ava when she was little. They almost always think it's a picture of Gus. Gus at 13 months looks so much like his big sister when she was 16-18 months old... they both have a lot of the same expressions and mannerisms. Have a look see:

Ice Ice Baby

2011-12-27T09:30:00.001-06:00


The girls wait patiently for their surprise Christmas date with mom and dad.

Photo op in front of venue, girls still not sure what we are doing.

Ava spots the ice and guesses correctly...

Disney on Ice!

This is how they sat most of the show:

In awe


and filled with wonderment.

A priceless evening!

We Wish You a Merry Christmas

2011-12-23T09:30:00.000-06:00

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

2011-12-21T09:30:00.000-06:00

Waiting in line to see Santa.

Gus takes a good long hard look at this Santa fellow.

He's not too sure...

Santa reading Ava's Christmas wish.

Picture perfect

We've been seeing this Santa since Ava was a baby and he is absolutely wonderful! You have to have an appointment to see him because he is in such high demand and gets booked up before the middle of December. In our family, Santa brings one present for the children and we, parents, supply the rest. So this year, I made sure the girls asked for something they really, really, wanted and to dream big... this is what they decided on:

What you don't see is me in the background shrugging my shoulders and mouthing "I have no idea why they want this?". Funny little girls!

Dangerous

2011-12-19T09:30:00.000-06:00

So what's this thing do?


Whadda ya mean you just sit here and pretend?? Booooring!

Now this, this is much more fun!

I'm Getting Nuttin' for Christmas

2011-12-16T09:30:00.000-06:00

Except for a stocking full of these wonderful magazine inserts, I love these things!!

Crush On You

2011-12-14T09:30:00.000-06:00

So there's this boy...


He kinda stole my heart

He calls me "Mom"

* He also brings me blankets if he thinks I'm cold. :)

C'mon 'N Ride It (The Train)

2011-12-12T09:30:00.000-06:00

I interrupt this blog to bring you a very important Public Service Announcement:

Do not ride THAT train.

In fact, if you see said train...drop your stuff, abandon your cart, grab your children and get the heck out of Dodge.

This train derails often!

Your achilles will thank you.

The End.

A Day In a Life

2011-12-09T09:30:00.000-06:00


Gus fell asleep while grocery shopping. Comfy, huh?

Ruby fell asleep while taking a brief break from playing in the snow in the garage.

Daddy fell asleep while transferring phone numbers from one phone to another.

This happened in a span of 8 hrs.

This happens all.the.time.

Sadly this never happens to me.

These two littles got this narcolepsy like gene from their daddy.

They also got his hair.

Boy, did they get his hair...

Sing A Song

2011-12-08T09:30:00.000-06:00

I don't know what shocked me more at Ava's school winter concert that took place last Thursday; The songs Ava had been singing nonstop the past three weeks had full body motions to accompany the songs that she never once hinted there would be or her Celine Dion like moves during "Silver Bells".

Unfortunately for you, I was laughing to hard to catch that part of the song on video but trust me it was hysterical.

I did catch some action shots on this one:

Ruby was not impressed...

Hey Good Lookin

2011-12-06T11:32:00.001-06:00

Whatcha got cookin'?

* ha! at least someone in this house is making good use of these pot lids.

Two Times

2011-12-05T19:00:00.001-06:00

the trouble...

O Christmas Tree

2011-12-02T09:30:00.000-06:00

Warm Love

2011-11-30T09:30:00.000-06:00

When Will I See You

2011-11-28T09:30:00.000-06:00

I'm So Dizzy

2011-11-27T09:30:00.000-06:00

Don't Stop Me Now

2011-11-25T09:30:00.000-06:00

And Winter Comes

2011-11-23T09:30:00.001-06:00

Contemplating which is worse; Inside the Mall of America on a Saturday or outside during the first snowfall of the season?

Pump Up the Jam

2011-11-21T10:03:00.001-06:00

Hit Me With Your Best Shot

2011-11-17T09:30:00.000-06:00

Last week, while I was in the kitchen getting dinner ready, Ava passes through to retrieve something in the dining room and informs me that if I intended to visit her when she's older that I would have to travel to Thailand to do so.

"Thailand?? Why Thailand?"

"Tahm and I decided that after we get married, we are moving to Thailand."

"Um, okay??"

Flash forward the following week and I had made stir-fry for dinner. Ava is going on and on about how much she dislikes Chinese food and says she isn't going to eat her dinner.On the spot, I come up with a brilliant comeback using the information I now know about her plans for Thailand and use it to my advantage in getting her to eat her dinner.

" Well you better start getting used to it because in Thailand they eat similar foods like this there!"

^^^ The ace in the hole^^^

"Oh, Tahm and I decided that we aren't moving to Thailand anymore, we're moving to Brazil."

Oh brother...

Ava for the win.

I Feel Pretty

2011-11-15T09:30:00.000-06:00

Hey, quick question for you?

Just which side is my better side?

This side


or this side?? In other news:

If you can't beat 'em, might as well join 'em!

What Goes On

2011-11-10T09:30:00.000-06:00

When Ava comes home from school Ian and I go through her backpack and check what the teacher sent home with her. Ian handed me the papers after he had finished looking through them. One of the papers was a journal consisting of several periodic day in the last month. When I came upon this drawing depicting a typical day in the Bruins household, I burst out laughing.

See for yourself:

Look a little closer.

Do you see it?

Let me help you.

Ava and Ruby are eating at the table, Gus is crawling around...probably looking for fallen food. ha! And I am doing some model posing (??). Anyhoo look at where she put her daddy, upstairs...in the bathroom...reading on the toilet. lololol

I then concluded that I must be standing there waving my arms and screaming..."Spray the freshner! Spray the Freshner!"

Oh, Ava that is classic. Pure Classic.

I can only imagine what her teacher thought!

Will she be able to look into to Ian's eyes at Friday's conference without busting gut?

I guess we'll find out!

*Ava did not see the humor in the drawing at all, to her that is her normal every day life. :)

Oh What a Night

2011-11-09T09:30:00.000-06:00

3 excited kids.
Not many lighted houses.
Lots of walking.
15 minutes in, baby was done.
3 suckers later, he was really done and really sticky.
No wipes.
No diaper either.
Ruby was tired of holding her bag.
I held her bag.
It got cold.
Ruby had to pee.
Found a potty in form of a bush.
In someone's yard.
Front yard.
We got lost.
I like to say confused.
Gps on phone not working.
Realized we lived in a very hilly 'hood.
Our dogs are barking.
Gus is growling.
The other street over had lights a plenty.
Mommy wanted more candy.
Mommy needs more candy.
Ruby loses a shoe.
Ava laughs.
Ruby crys.
Then Gus crys.
Mommy wants to cry.
One hour in and the girls are done.
I'm so done.
Go home.
Eat candy.
Put the kids to bed.
Eat more candy.
Just one more Snicker bar.
Ok, this is absolutely my very last one.
I promise.
Breaks promise.
Continues to break even more promises.
Sugar Coma.
Gulit Trip.
The End.

How cute is this?

When Ava was 16 months at Halloween she dressed up like a princess. My mom had gotten this really pretty white dress at a thrift store so Ava could start a dress- up clothes collection. What a handy, free costume at our disposable. Well, the dress was about 1.5 inches too long and she kept tripping on it all morning. When Ava took her afternoon nap, Ian went out to the Halloween store and picked her up a costume. A $60 Elephant costume!

I'd say we finally got our money's worth!

One Time

2011-11-08T09:30:00.000-06:00

For prosperity :)

Let's Hear It For the Boy

2011-11-07T15:53:00.001-06:00

Baby Gus turned one exactly a month ago. He started his one year already walking (10months), mastered the stairs, and weighing in a whooping 24lbs! He weighs as much as Ruby did when she turned two.
Ruby also celebrated her 4th birthday last Saturday. It would be suffice to say we have been in a sugar coma all month long ...

Better Day

2011-11-07T15:23:00.001-06:00

This morning we had a bit of fun playing with a new phone app that I added last night. These pictures made my less than stellar night's sleep and early morning wake a lot more bearable. Actually, the double twins frightened me a bit. To think that was my mom's reality but much, much closer in age. Eek, no.thank.you.

Jeepers Creepers

2011-07-27T17:52:00.001-05:00

She likes bugs.

I do not.

On occasion, I have given myself mini heart attacks when I have come across some of her plastic bug toys while cleaning.

Plastic I can handle..well, sort of.

But those real ones up in those pictures, I cannot.

I hope this is a short phase...although we are going on 2 years of said phase...

Free Fallin'

2011-07-26T15:12:00.000-05:00

Kid at heart.

Destination Unknown

2011-07-25T15:02:00.004-05:00

Such a peaceful quiet summer evening.

Wait a minute...what's all that ruckus?

Oooo, that looks a lot of fun!

On second thought...

I think I'll just stay over here.

Good Riddance

2011-07-20T15:51:00.000-05:00

Bookends

2011-07-18T15:24:00.001-05:00

One Summer Night

2011-07-14T08:21:00.000-05:00

Gigantic

2011-07-12T16:31:00.001-05:00

Look how big Gus looks!

That picture was taken a month ago when Gus was 8 months old. This babyhood of his sure isn't lasting for long. He currently is wearing size 12months and weighs approximately 23lbs.(last time we weighed him was at 7.5lbs and he was 22lbs) Gus now sports 6 teeth with 2 more working their way through. He can say Mama, Dada, No, and roar and neigh. He sleeps about 10 hrs a night and takes two 45 minute naps a day. He is constantly learning new things and is quite the curious little fellow. Ava is always amazed at how clever Gus is and she is a big help in reining in that kid. As the months go by, I find myself saying that every new month is my favorite so without further ado...I wish I could freeze him at 9 months for longer than 30 days. :)

High fives are so last year...it's all about the high one!

*sigh* See.. isn't month nine just divine?

There She Goes

2011-07-11T09:04:00.000-05:00

A Hard Day's Night

2011-07-08T15:13:00.010-05:00

Poor girl...still recovering from the busy holiday weekend.

Eat It

2011-07-07T14:11:00.001-05:00

This thing you call ice cream...

has nothing

on these lovelies!

nom,nom, nom

Message In a Bottle

2011-07-05T19:57:00.003-05:00

I got a fancy schmancy new phone with GPS capabilities and the ability to add applications that we were able to start a new family adventure in geocaching.

Today we set out on 2 hunts for geocaches and had some success. The first one we found at a park not to far from our house and the geocache was hidden under a bench used to seat baseball players. It was a sign and date geocache so for the second hunt we opted to try one with a trinket prize inside. Unfortunately, walking along the river in flip flops and carrying a squirmy baby did not yield in the results we were hoping for.

Woot! Woot!

Geocaching? Eating clovers is where it's at!


Hot, thirsty, and too close to dinner we gave up on our search.

1 out of 2 wasn't bad for our first time out and it was fun trying to find the clever hiding places. I can't wait till we find actual treasure!

Ticket To Ride

2011-07-04T07:26:00.005-05:00

Yesterday we joined some friends at their local 4th of July Celebration Jubilee and started this holiday weekend at the kiddie carnival.

Anxiously awaiting for the carnival to open.

The big girls take a ride on the train...the littles were frightened by scary train face.

Ruby got all the way to the top....and then walked right back down.

This made me dizzy just watching them.

The cheerful spectator.

Ruby finally braved a ride...a scary one.

We break for mini donuts.

Ruby's highlight of the day...Biffy heaven.

Speed demons.

Ava riding one jacked up Curious George.

All Summer Long

2011-07-02T15:40:00.000-05:00

Here I thought with Ava out of school we can rest and relax all summer but it's been crazy busy . And that was before we made our Family Summer Fun List a few days ago, summer sure is flying...

Under Pressure

2011-06-24T20:51:00.000-05:00

Ava is currently doing some earned computer time. Of all things to pick to do...she chooses to read the blog...that I didn't update all week. :/

School's Out For the Summer

2011-06-17T16:30:00.001-05:00

First day of school (9/2010)

Last day of school (6/2011)

Last Friday marked Ava's completion of Kindergarten. She went half days five days a week. She learned so much this first year such as reading, counting to 100, and tons of history and science things. It just astounds me how much they learn compared to what I learned Kindergarten, it's craziness! She has a thrist for knowledge and I hope it continues throughout her lifetime.
Unfortunately, she also learned how cruel some kids can be as well. The school bus bully, being made fun of for wearing Spiderman(boy) shoes, and called a vampire (pointy tooth) were some of the issues that this year brought up. My heart broke to see that innocence lost but it also gave us an opportunity to arm her with smart, self- assured comebacks about being a leader and an individual.
Ruby missed her sister fiercely , I worry how she will handle Ava being gone all day next year.

We may be seeing a lot of this:

Taken after dropping Ava off on the first day of school. So sad :(

Drama!

2011-06-16T10:08:00.002-05:00

Aaaaaad ACTION!!

Eager

Shampooing

Oh me, Oh my!

Face stuck between stair banisters

Home Alone

This kid is quite the character!

Daughter

2011-06-15T10:00:00.000-05:00

I can't believe your six already! I probably don't tell you enough but you are an amazing little girl! I love that you are a determined, helpful, charming, and an inquisitive person. Being the oldest is sometimes hard and I, may at times, expect a lot from you but I see so much of me in you that I want to try to "save" you from making the same mistakes/decisions as I did. I suppose though I wouldn't be the same person if I hadn't learned from those same mistakes/decisions. My wish for you this year is to continue believing in yourself no matter what anyone else thinks. You are truly one of a kind.

Gone Daddy Gone

2011-06-03T17:10:00.000-05:00

Triple Trouble

2011-06-01T16:05:00.000-05:00

I Like To Move It

2011-05-30T15:46:00.000-05:00

Now that I've got Gus on a napping schedule, I thought that I would be able to catch up on blogging but then he decided to do this:

He's 10x faster since I last shot this video. This just may well have to turn into a photo blog...

Centerfield

2011-05-23T14:51:00.001-05:00

Ok, let's get this party started!


Let's pitch them the ''2 for 1''

Swing!

It's not so easy running this fast with this behemoth on my head.

Come to mama!

hey, you're supposed land in this hand..

check out that arm!

our little slugger!

This year we signed Ava up for some T-ball and these pics were taken at her first game two weeks ago. She loves playing and looks forward to going the games and practices. She's a natural at this game and has an excellent throwing arm. It's been so fun watching her and Coach Ian (daddy) having a good time at the ball park.

The other two siblings enjoy it too...but more just the playing with friends part.

playing princesses with Bug

Put me in Coach, I'm ready to play!

Another One Bites the Dust

2011-05-16T10:15:00.000-05:00

February 2011: Ava lost her first tooth!

She wiggled it loose while at school.

April 2011- Ava loses 2nd tooth.

Daddy pulled it out and she was happy until she saw the blood...

then she quickly realized the Tooth Fairy would be visiting her that night and all was right in the world.

I'm So Tired

2011-05-14T12:02:00.005-05:00

Notice anything unusual about this picture?

Maybe now?

This stinker is refusing to take naps in his crib. Why?

Because this is much more comfortable???

Baby Boy

2011-05-12T14:23:00.004-05:00

Let's take a trip back down memory lane: May 2008...

Now take a look at my dilemma:

I'd say he got both of his sisters' best feature...I'm in so much trouble with this one.....

Raising Hell

2011-05-04T16:38:00.004-05:00


since 2005

more like since 1973....

You Spin Me Around (Like a Record)

2011-05-01T17:35:00.005-05:00

Well Ruby was not satisfied with her blog post because I did not post the new dress twirling photo shoot that she also orchestrated last week.

So here you go Ruby!

My Girl

2011-04-29T17:00:00.001-05:00

is:

Serious

Flirty

Funny

Craaazy!

Cautious

Giggly

Dreamy


Smiley My girl. (My girl, my girl) Talkin' 'bout my girl. (My girl)

*Ruby orchestrated the whole photo session just so I could write a blog post about her...she's so silly*

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

2011-04-28T14:08:00.002-05:00

Patiently (barely) waiting for the festivities to begin.

They were off before I even said "GO!"

Doodle was on top of her game that day.

These two... not so much.

Ruby in her ruby red slippers was so excited to find the only red egg.

We then went wild with some silly string!

He was not amused.

Until he got to sit on Mel's lap. :)

Thanks to Mel, Doodle, and Bug for joining us on our 2nd annual Easter Egg Hunt. It was fun as always and we are so fortunate to have such great friends!

Macho Man

2011-04-26T19:40:00.000-05:00

Oops, did I do that?

Gus' mission in life right now is to disassemble his exersaucer. He will grunt and pull the toys until they finally pop off. He has figured out how to get two of them off and in no time I am sure the other two will be soon to follow. It's has been interesting watching him grow up, so different from his sisters. He is a bang, push, and pull kind a kid...all boy!

Let's Go To the Hop

2011-04-24T20:06:00.001-05:00

Egg dyeing, Easter basket looting, sisterly loving and little fighting...it was a good holiday!

Some(bunny)body To Love

2011-04-24T13:31:00.000-05:00

Hoppy Easter!

Open Arms

2011-04-22T15:40:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday, the little mister decided to wake up at 5:00 am. He was raring to go and could not wait to show me his surprise

for the next 2 hrs..

I did my own version called "Sooo Tired" while laying on the couch as he continued to play.

Sweet Dreams (are made of this)

2011-04-21T10:00:00.000-05:00

(all together now)

awwww

Awwwww!

We're Not Gonna Take It

2011-04-20T11:30:00.004-05:00

a decent family picture, that is...

Why don't we get professional pictures taken, you ask? You are looking at Exhibit A above. I finally had the kids perfectly posed(together,nonetheless) and in a split second they did this. I give up.

Hey Ladies

2011-04-19T17:29:00.001-05:00

Hey Ladies!

Who's ready to snuggle?

Spring Fever

2011-04-17T10:41:00.000-05:00

During Spring break there was some:

Play Dating

Stuffed animal washing

Lipstick wearing

Leaping

Water sliding

Jucy Lucy eating


Weight speculating (with mom's found treasures)

This Land Is Your Land

2011-04-16T20:18:00.006-05:00

To the tune of "Where is Thumbkin?"

North America, South America

all these lands

are so grand!

Africa and Asia

Europe and Australia

Antarctica...Antarctica

and again and again and again and again and again and again and again...

This is the only song or thing, for that matter, that will calm Gus down. As soon as he hears this song, he immediately stops fussing and crying. Ava brought this little ditty home from school this fall and taught us the song here at home. Ava and Ruby were singing this 24/7 for about 2 weeks straight hence the reason Gus has latched on to this particular song. If you dare try switching up the song to, let's say, "Itsy Bitsy Spider" because your mouth wants to exercise other words be prepared for fits of rage and wailing for he does not like anything.but. the.continents.song. Trust me.

So obviously this is Gus' baby song. Ava's was "Wheel's On the Bus" and Ruby's was "Twinkle,Twinkle Little Star".

I am relieved to say that I am glad they each had their own song as I don't know if I could of handled singing the same song for 3 years over and over and over and over and over and over....

Centerfold

2011-04-12T10:58:00.001-05:00

The classic arm shelf pose

is not only classy

but apparently hereditary too!

There Goes My Baby

2011-04-07T10:22:00.013-05:00

Yo Mom! Why are you crying?

Today is a glorious day!

It's my Half Birthday!

Oh brother!

All this sobbing stuff is so embarrassing.

Gaa Gaa Goo Goo (humoring the mom)

Oh, Jeez! Don't get yourself all worked up about it,

just sit back and relax.

Because you see, Mom, I will always be your baby.

Jump On It

2011-04-06T19:06:00.001-05:00

We have had the privilege of hosting visitors this past month. In the middle of March, my sister,Cat, came from the Chicago area to spend her Spring Break with us. I loved all the help she was able to gladly offer such as the ability to sleep in, shower, and do some home decorating in peace. (It's the little things that mean so much.)

Last week, my two sisters, Pia and Laura, who reside in Vail had the chance to come and spend some time with us during Ava's Spring Break. The girls had so much fun. One of the things we got to do was to stay overnight at a hotel and play in their waterpark but I do believe this was a highlight as well :

With a move like that right above..I have a sneaky suspicion they have been doing this at home too...

Stand By Me

2011-03-31T07:04:00.000-05:00

Uh huh, yep that's little o' me standing like a big boy.

I am still a little shakey so you better stay close by...

as I'm liable to fall...ahem..right, Daddy?

Sweet Child o' Mine

2011-03-30T06:49:00.001-05:00

An enigma, this one is.

Just when you think you've got her all figured out,

she does a 360.

One thing for sure, she is the best little sister one could ever have.

The kind that volunteers to be the prince, just so you can be the princess.

She's a sweetie

this child of mine.

Sparkle

2011-03-29T12:03:00.000-05:00

Ava has got to be the best toy ever "made" for Gus, no doubt his favorite!

"You laugh and laughing, fall apart. Laugh and laughing, fall apart."

Two of Us

2011-03-22T16:50:00.001-05:00

gus- 5 months old

ava- 6 months old

Now that Gus has lost his hair, he is looking more and more like his sister, Ava. Good thing Ava has her ears pierced because it could have been difficult to decipher who is who in past photos.

Eyes of the World

2011-03-21T10:17:00.004-05:00

Little Sister

2011-03-20T13:38:00.005-05:00

I can't believe that it's already been almost 3 years since this was blogged about:

http://sugaree314.blogspot.com/2008/12/what-child-is-this.html

(ava 3.5 years)

This must be a 3.5 year stage because now Ruby has discovered her many hidden talents too.

Baby Got Back

2011-03-18T20:43:00.001-05:00

Baby Got Back

and big kissable cheecks

oh my, I just love those thighs!

all the way down to those sausage-like toes

He was blessed with so much crazy hair

well..up until last week when it all fell out.

Dude Looks Like A Lady

2011-03-14T18:41:00.002-05:00

"Laugh it up, sisters. But don't you realize that in a short few years, I will be bigger and stronger than you.."

Heavy Things

2011-03-10T10:14:00.018-06:00

Why yes, that is Ava carrying Gus on her shoulders all by herself next to some dangerous steps....why do you ask?

Rumpshaker

2011-03-09T10:00:00.000-06:00

This girl cracks me up! Lately she has been wanting to be the center of attention and always wants to put on some sort of show for me. Perhaps she is suffering a little bit from middle child syndrome? In any rate, I would love to keep her at this age forever, she is just so scrumptious!

Ill Communication

2011-03-08T11:17:00.009-06:00

This little story first appeared on facebook on Valentine's Day and is what actually got me thinking about going back to blogging to spare my facebook friends of my silly shenanigans...

Psst...lean in a little closer, I have something to ask you.

Will you please, please be my Valentine?

No?? You just stomped my heart into two.

Then I shall kick you in the teeth. Did I ever tell you that your breath smells like cat food?

What? What's that you say? You WILL be my Valentine!

Oops, my bad. *insert foot into mouth*

You have made me one happy guy!!

Howz about we kiss and make up?

Imma Be

2011-03-07T08:38:00.001-06:00

4 weeks old

2 months old

3 months old

4 months old

5 months old today!

Beautiful Boy

2011-03-06T13:00:00.057-06:00

I remember in the hospital just after I had Ruby that I immediately wanted another baby. Ian wasn't so sure especially after 4 months of going through the colicky stage with dear Ruby.

So I gave up on the idea of having a third and tried to quiet the mind but I just felt we had one more life to give.
Fast forward 2.5 years (about the time one forgets the hard baby times and relishes in the fun toddlerhood) we had found out Ian's sister was expecting their second child in a few months.My baby pangs were sharp and I told Ian that I wanted to try for a third and that I knew if we got pregnant that it would be a boy. I was sure of it. Two months later, I was pregnant. The girls were very excited and both of them wanted a brother. Ruby always insisted that I was carrying a boy and never thought otherwise.
I was so sure too and went ahead and bought a ton of boy clothes one month before we had an ultrasound. My intuition was correct and I was indeed bringing a boy into the family.

Gus Irving Bruins was born October 7th,2010 at a mere 9 lbs 6 oz and 22inches long!

Smiling upon hearing that we were headed home.

Sleepy head

Our Peace Loving Guy

A wish come true.

Disappear

2011-03-05T14:00:00.012-06:00

It's been over a year since I last blogged and what a year it has been! I took a much needed break but in the last couple of weeks I have been feeling the push to come back and record our daily happenings here in our little family world. The girls like coming onto the blog and enjoy reading the stories and watching the videos posted about them. So I decided the it was high time I got back to some sort of regular posting.

Here are few pictures of the girls from the past year:

Now that is just a small sampling on what has been going on but some other "events" deserve a post all their own.... like this one:

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2009-10-16T15:23:00.005-05:00

Okay so I was tagged by 2 different people who just were dying to know 8 random things about me but since I slacked, I was told I had to come up with 16 total. So if this looks familiar, it is because you may have already seen it on my facebook page approximately a year ago. Ha! It's still relevant even a year later.

1. I have a birthmark in the shape of a unicorn.
2. I have yet to find a pair of slippers that don't make my feet stink.
3. When I sleep, my feet must stick out of the blankets.
4. I hate wearing a bra!
5. I always imagined myself with 3 boys but when it came time to have kids...I wanted all girls.
6. I regret getting a tattoo in the parking lot of a Grateful Dead concert. Only because it was poorly done.
7. I am so glad to have married into a wonderful family.
8.My fingernails often resemble people. ie. David Letterman Jimmy Carter Alan Alda
9. I can draw with my feet.
10. I can not for the life of me remember birthday's that fall between the 20th and 29th.
11. I can't tread water.
12. I often talk in pig latin.
13. I am a news junkie.
14. seeing things hung crooked or even slightly crooked sends me into a tizzy
15. Best class I ever took....Speed Reading...what a time saver!
16. I really hate cooking.

My Prerogative

2009-10-14T14:03:00.010-05:00

Since at about 18 months, Ruby has been developing her own sense of style. For the most part, her style has been a bit questionable, one even might call it... avant garde?

Let's take a look at some of her fashion fads over the last 6 months:

Here is what I call the "Head Case"

Right now we are in "The Clash" trend

Alternating with "The Eyes Have It" fad.

Let me tell ya, there is no talking that girl into trying something more mainstream...oh and how I've tried.. She is the quintessential "beat of a different drum" sorta gal....and that...I adore.

Everybody's talking all this stuff about me

Now now why don't they just let me live

Oh oh oh i don't need permission

Make my own decisions oh

That's my prerogative

Rain Drops Keep Falling On My Head

2009-10-06T14:37:00.002-05:00

Two weeks into preschool, Ava had her first school field trip. One of the many perks of being a stay at home mom is being able to chaperone ALL field trips. Ava loves it and frankly I enjoy it just as much as she does. For our first field trip, we traveled to the Minnesota Harvest Apple Orchard in Jordan.

Ava getting ready to board the bus.

We sat in the way back so we could bounce all around when going over bumps.

It started raining once we boarded the bus and I was not looking forward to getting all wet. But once we arrived the rain let up a bit and we took the chance to get on the wagon and head out to to pick out some apples.

Loic and JM stayed pretty dry, thanks to their smart planning. Luckily for us, someone had an extra Jumbo umbrella for Ava and I to use.

"Hey Mom, how you like dem apples?"

We got to see a behind the scenes process of what happens to an apple once it is picked and then prepared for use.

Here the tour guide was showing the kids how they are able to peel and de-core 10 apples at one time.

My kid, along with her pals Mason and James, thought blowing around a dead fly was much more interesting.

We ended the tour with a tasty sampling of their apple donuts handed out by Miss Katy.

Despite spilling all her cider, Ava was all smiles at the chance to sit with Mason and his grandmother.

Before we left we had the opportunity to shop around and I bought some apple bread, 1/2 dozen apple donuts, bag of Honey Crisp apples (the tastiest apples evah!) and a pony named Princess.

1 field trip done, only 10 more to go!

It's a New Day

2009-09-28T14:10:00.006-05:00

Two weeks ago today was Ava's first day in preschool. Loic (part time son) is in the same class as well.... which is why I think drop off went so smoothly. No tears were shed...other than mine...and she wanted to go back the next day. Let's hope this enthusiasm continues for the next 17 years.

She has already made some new friends and has her first crush.

"Mom, I made a new friend today. Mason is his name and we played together and sat together at snack."

"Is that so?"

"Uh huh, I asked him to be my best friend because I really like him."

"Sure sounds like it. What do you like about Mason?"

"He's nice but I like his face the most."

Ava and Loic

Arm shelf!

Air Supply

2009-09-12T19:35:00.004-05:00

It was a balmy and humid 82 degrees this afternoon and I decided to run an oscillating fan instead of turning on the air. Earlier this evening, Ava went to get her notebook to practice writing and then went to the other side of the room to get her chair. She looked at the fan and sighed, "Why do you keep looking at me?"

Splish Splash

2009-08-20T13:51:00.014-05:00

Agent 1007 armed and ready to complete Mission Splish Splash

Target: "The Dumper"

1007 tired of big sis dumping large cups of water on head when bathing together and laughing hysterically at her expense.

Rule #1 Make friends with your enemy; highly recommend getting matching outfits for ease of assimilation.

Rule #2 Pretend that you are bored with activity and leave to climb on playground structure all the while hiding out to make your move.

Rule # 3 Don't wear squeaky shoes.

Rule # 4 Sneak up behind target with full bucket. Proceed to dump water all over HER head.

Rule #5 Squeal in sweet, sweet revenge delight as target runs away.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!

And if all else fails... release pent up frustrations on unsuspecting victim... namely mom.

We Are Family

2009-08-17T18:46:00.001-05:00

Ian, Ruby, Ava, Lisa
In this drawing she gave Ian and me some ears(gigantic ones) but didn't give any to herself or Ruby.
Oh, how art imitates life.

Ruby, Ava, Lisa, Ian

I like how she made a mustache and beard on herself so she could look more like her daddy who is in fact a different color than us. Pretty observant, huh?

Speaking of mustaches....
We were at some friends house last week and noticed that her friend's grandmother had some facial hair above her lip and quickly turned to me to ask "Mom, when am I going to get a mustache like hers?"

She may be the only female alive who actually welcomes facial hair. Soon enough Ava...soon enough...

Eight Days a Week

2009-08-13T21:49:00.005-05:00

Ava's sense of time is one that leaves me laughing daily; like when today I overheard her talking to her best bud, Loic, about something that happened yestertime...he understood perfectly. He must be in that same time zone as her.

Here's a handy translation:

last Friday= the last time it occurred
the udder day= any day...go crazy and just pick a day
yestertime= yesterday
dis Monday= sometime in the future
last week= months and months ago
da next day-= tomorrow
last Tuesday-= last week

She's Got The Look

2009-08-11T22:58:00.007-05:00

Killer pose: check (who taught her that?!)

high metabolism: check (21month old wearing a 6-9 month onesie!)

stone cold facial expression: check (trust me if looks could kill...you better pray you never get on her bad side)

natural strut: check

adoring fans: check (HELP!)

Tangled Up In Blue

2009-08-07T00:56:00.004-05:00

We were on our way to spend the weekend at Rose's parents cabin out west of the cities and Ava, then 16 months, had fallen asleep as it had began to grow dark. We pulled up to a gas station so Mike and Rose could fill up their gas tank and "Tangled Up In Blue" came on the radio. Ava immediately awoke and smiled the biggest grin and began singing along with Bob Dylan. It was the oddest and yet... most magical moment...

Beat The Time

2009-06-29T08:07:00.010-05:00

2-3 times a year we make the 6hr trip "home" to visit with our family. I pass the time by playing my Ipod while singing and seat dancing (I'm quite skilled) all the way there. The girls both brought books and dollies to play with but after the first couple hours I turn around to find the girls jamming out.

Toe jamming...that is.

My cue to bring out the DVD player.

In other news....Ava saw her first rainbow!

They Way You Make Me Feel

2009-06-25T20:57:00.006-05:00

To say that Ruby has a mild obsession with our cat Murray (aka Momo...some days MoFo) would be a gross understatement. She is what I would consider a bit of a stalker. She is on a needs-to-know-exactly where her love is at all times.

Every morning she goes gaga at the very sight of him and must do her daily introductions.

Ruby to me: Mama!(points to Murray) Momo!
Me: Yes, I see him. Hi Momo.
Ruby to Murray: Momo!(points to me) Mama!
Murray: Meow meow meow

Every cat, black or otherwise,is called Momo. She carries around a picture of Momo and even carts him around in her baby stroller.

Don't get me wrong, Murray loves the attention as he is a ladies man, er cat...um cat man? But some days the tail pulling, the body using for one's personal pillow, and the scrap food stealing can be just too much for this itty bitty kitty.

Okay, there's nothing itty bitty about this kitty but he's finally found a way to stay incognito and keep his stalker away for at least a few hours and catch up on some much needed zzzz's.

"Uh oh, she's looking this way...blend in, don't breath, I am invisible..blend in, don't breath, I am invisible"

Take Me To The River

2009-06-24T18:54:00.010-05:00

A year ago, you couldn't get Ava into a pool without a lot of resistance and then once you got her in, you couldn't pry her off the stairs. I heard of an amazing swim school from a fellow mom (thanks Dawn!) and was astounded with how fast her son progressed. I did some additional research and Foss Swim School kept coming up as the place to take my apprehensive swimmer.

Two weeks ago, she finished her 11 week session and she did amazing! She ended the class with the ability to hold her breath underwater for 13 apples (seconds). That's quite a feat...stop and try holding your breath for 13 seconds right now............she's pretty amazing, right? Not only did we come out of this session with a better swimmer but a girl with a lot more confidence...priceless.

Look at her go!

**** warning**** you might want to turn down the volume(second video) as my cackling might cause permanent ear damage...at the least.. nightmares.

How Sweet It Is To Be Loved You

2009-06-21T07:58:00.004-05:00

Any man can be a father. It takes someone special to be a dad. ~Author Unknown

1. Daddy can scratch two backs at the same time.

2. He likes playing Webkinz as much as Ava.

3. He has unbelievable balance even after spinning the girls around one hundred and one times.

4. He's the go- to- guy when someone gets a boo boo.

5. He comes home with the best "toys". Black light lamp and large red siren to name a few.

6. He gives the best horsey rides.

7. He's OUR soft place to land.

8. When Ava draws our family, she often draws herself with a beard.

9. We picked Ava up from Sunday class and she had two slips of paper in her hand. One read " I love my mommy because she makes good food." (I know, I was shocked too!) The other read "I love my daddy because he's my favorite."
Not a shocker there....he's everybody's favorite. And rightly so.

10. He makes raising kids look oh so easy.

Thanks for making every day Father's Day!

We love you!

Let It Grow

2009-06-20T00:06:00.003-05:00

About a month or so ago, Ian came home from work and declared that we would be taking our recent virtual MyFarm addiction into a real life application. In the continuing efforts of going "green", Ian's company decided to start a company farm and dole out some unused land to those employees interested.

Yes! I could finally show everyone all those wasted hours and accumulated millions were not in vain.

Here's our plot of land. We haven't named it yet as all my suggestions have been shot down.

A few days earlier upon visiting the farm, Ian worked hard and did all the grunt work and planted watermelons, pumpkins, cucumbers, and tomatoes. Our job this day was to do a massive weed pulling sweep.

The girls did fantastic...I, on the other hand, starting pulling the all "big" weeds I had spotted. I quickly ripped them out and beamed with pride when I showed the fam just how skilled I was at this farming business...turned out I had pulled out all the tomatoes! *insert bruised ego here*

Ava watering the tomatoes/ "big" weeds after Ian replanted them.

Hanging out with "Dada" as Ruby affectionately called him. Tall and skinny...close enough.

Head To Toe

2009-06-17T14:40:00.002-05:00

What's the perfect accessory for that adorable polka dotted swimsuit?

Polka dotted feet to complete the ensemble , of course!

Courtesy of those infamous, so ugly they're cute, Crocs.

Ch-Check It Out

2009-06-16T18:21:00.010-05:00

I have baby birds! Er, I mean WE have baby birds!

Awww, don't you just love fuzzy newborn hair?

It took a lot of inner strength and a little physical strength from hubby for me not to snatch these little babies and love on them. Can we say, "Baby fever?" tick tock tick tock.

But with Mama Bird up in the tree above growling at us and fluttering about getting prepared to peck us if we touched her babes...I stood from afar. I like my eyes, thank you very much.