Dinner with Grand Pops

While the boys spent the evening working on their Jiu Jitsu skills, we enjoyed some delicious Thai food with Grand Pops.  Ridley was quite the charmer but when told that she couldn't climb under the table, she pulled out the pouty lip.  Grand Pops didn't seem phased.  He just stuck his lip out, and this aggravated the drama queen.

Girl Time

While the boys are away at the hunting ranch, Ridley and I had our own fun.  A trip to Toys R Us for Barbies and lunch at the Cheesecake Factory.  I am enjoying this vibrant little diva and her joy for life.

Baseball Practice

It was a slightly cooler day, which made it nice to sit outside and watch a little baseball practice.  Ryland is really into the game this year, and it is obvious that he is understanding the game more and more.

While brother played, Ridley played in the grass.  She figured out she likes to eat grass, an she thought it was hilarious.

Sweet Potatoes

Ridley has started eating foods now, and until today she hasn't really been interested.  I introduced sweet potatoes, and the girl went nuts.  I could not get it to her mouth fast enough.  She must get this love from her daddy, because I am not a fan.  

Mellow Mushroom

We tried out the Mellow Mushroom with the Bunch Family tonight, and it was insane.  Anytime you get a group of rowdy boys together, it is sure to be loud.  We were lucky enough to be seated in the bus, and this made the experience so much cooler for the boys.  The pizza was delicious, and we will definitely go back again.  

Great

Ryland was snuggled inside Daddy's under shirt to keep warm after a swim in the pool.  I thought he was being silly, so I peeked in to see what he was doing.  He was eating a Twinkie.  He said the swimming made him tired, cold, and hungry.  I asked if the Twinkie helped, and he informed me that he was great.  I have to agree.  They do have amazing healing powers.

 

Stuffing his mouth

Reed is an eater!  He has always loved to eat!  Unfortunately, he likes to cram large amounts of food in his mouth.  We talk about taking bites and chewing up his food, but he still loves to shovel it in.  We all have to watch him to make sure he doesn't gag or choke.  Ryland is even in on the watching.  Ryland yells "You have too much in your mouth!"  Reed thinks this yelling is hilarious and he dies out laughing. I now think he is stuffing himself to get Ryland's attention.



Crazy fun

I know, the photo is sideways.  I have tried everything to rotate the image, and I finally just gave up.  It's funny because that pretty much sums up the day. 

We needed to order passports for the boys, so they will arrive in time for our trip to Anguilla.  John Chris and I made plans and picked today to meet at City Hall.  I had printed all the documents and filled them out, and I also made sure I had all the necessary documents to validate citizenship and identity.  I loaded the boys in the truck and took off to Town Square.  I wanted to make sure we had plenty of time to visit the Anthropologie sale before we had to meet John Chris. 

Town Square was bustling, so I was shocked that I lucked into a car leaving right by City Hall in the shade and on the end of the row.  I was more than thrilled.  It took a little while for the person to load up, but I was happy to wait.  I noticed another car pull up in the other direction and put their blinker on.  Hmmmm.  I sat there patiently, and as the car backed out the other car realized I wasn't budging and gave up.  I unloaded the boys and got them situated in the stroller, and we headed off the Anthropologie for 10 minutes of shopping.

I was in a heavenly place.  The rustic, clean scent of the store and the beautiful clothing and accessories almost had me in a trance.  Until I had to catch the clothes rack before it crashed to the ground.  My dear Reed must have really loved the feel of the adorable pants, because he was desperately trying to take them.  After a couple of sweet mom moments that included a few threats, I almost found myself begging them to be good for just a few more moments while I looked at the new sales items.  My nightmare was fueled by the young employee who kept telling Ryland how cute he was as he ran and climbed under the clothes rack.  Thanks!  He is so cute.  I then realized that my two angels were really putting a damper on my heavenly excursion.  I made a bee line for the door, just as John Chris walked in.

We head to City Hall only to find that the passport office was slammed.  There were 5 other groups of people waiting ahead of us, and I couldn't help but feel bad for them.  As we sat and entertained the boys, we overheard that checks were the only payment method accepted, and that 3 checks per transaction were necessary.  What?  I skimmed back over the paperwork, and the payment section said nothing of that nature.  I had only one check, so we had to make a decision.  I voted to give up and go home, but John Chris didn't think he would be able to get another afternoon off.  He headed to the house to grab the checkbook. 

I did the best I could to keep the boys from tearing that place apart, but there is only such much 2 active little boys could do in a waiting room.  We played with the globe a little before it turned into a pushing contest with the winner knocking it over.  I safely kept Reed from electrocuting himself with any one of the million electrical outlets.  I remembered I had a toy in my bag, so I pulled it out and started entertaining them with the circus zebra that flies out of the cannon.  I really felt great as they argued about whose turn it was to chase the flying zebra.  It was finally our turn, and John Chris walks in right before she calls us over to the desk.  All our paperwork looks great and our documents pass her inspection.  They boys take their photos, and I write out 3 individual checks for the fees. 

We are done.  Task complete.  John Chris is completely overwhelmed in just the fifteen total minutes he was there.  We both agree that MiCocina's dinner and drinks sound perfect.  The craziness only got a worse, and I knew it was time to go when the bus boy walked by our table and mumbled "JESUS" under his breath.  Yes, I would have to agree.  It was a mess.  I attempted to clean up as John Chris paid our tab.  We politely apologized to the tables around us as we head out, and both of the couples smile and laugh as they tell us how adorable the boys are.  I have to agree, but today was just off.

When we arrive home, Ryland starts begging to go swimming.  He immediately starts whining and crying.  I slipped his water wings on, and I made a dash for the pool.  I jumped right in which made him shriek with laughter, because I had my clothes on.  He jumped right in, and Reed followed right behind too.  The three of us laughed and giggled as John Chris snapped our picture.  This was the perfect end to a crazy fun day. 

Picnic in the truck

I broke my own rule. 

I have been very strick about eating and drinking in my new truck.  Nothing but water is allowed.  Until today, we were all hungry for lunch, so I whipped into Sonic.  I had every intention of sitting at one of the tables outside, but quickly found out that I couldn't open either of my front doors.  My truck was too big. I circled the building to find a parking spot, and every single one was taken.  With both boys quickly loosing their cool and starting to yell, I caved.  I pulled my big tank, I mean truck, back into a spot and ordered lunch.  We enjoyed a picnic in the truck, but the rule is back in action.  Only water!  I mean it!

Happy Meal

I am not sure what it is about the golden arches, but Happy Meals sure seem to make my boys happy. Reed man handled his cheeseburger, and Ryland was bribed to eat his nuggets with the toy.  I was shocked by the happy silence as they were digging in.  I know it isn't the most nutritious of choices, but it sure makes a nice treat!

Eating can wear you out

In celebration of Ryland's upcoming birthday, we had cake with Nana while she was in town. Reed loved it and couldn't get enough.
He took a little break, and he rested his head on the dining table. It is hard to eat so much cake.

Dinosaur grilled cheese

What kid doesn't like a grilled cheese or peanut butter sandwich? That kid would be Ryland. He is still not a big sandwich eater. I happened upon a dinosaur sandwich cutter that I thought he would possibly like. He helped me make delicious grilled cheese and then he cut them into dinosaurs. It was amazing. The dinosaur sandwiches tasted so delicious.

I can feed myself

Reed is all about finger foods and holding his own bottle. He loves Cheerios, Puffs, and Goldfish. He makes a total mess and enjoys every bite that actually makes it to his mouth.

Finger foods

Reed tried his first finger foods tonight after dinner. We put a few puffs on his tray.
He didn't understand at first, but with a little guidance he was able to grasp them. He attempted to put them in his mouth, but they would stick to his hands. John Chris and I put a couple in his mouth, and he quickly figured out how to chew.

Our happy boy has experienced another first. He is getting so big.

Messy eaters

Reed has continued to love every vegetable and fruit he tries. He is a great eater and gets very excited when he gets in the highchair. One thing I have learned is to have the food ready, because he will quickly lose it. Tonight he enjoyed some delicious peas. Even though they were messy, he enjoyed every bite.

Ryland is also on a big eating kick here lately. He is open to trying new things, and he likes most of the things he tries. He ate all of his dinner tonight, so he got a cupcake for dessert. Yummy!

Family date night

Since John Chris and I don't get many date nights any more, we loaded up the boys for a family date night. We had a delicious dinner at Stir Crazy, complete with the best dessert I have tasted in a while. It was nice to visit and catch up on the day without having to cook. I like family date nights.

Breakfast

Reed is serious about eating food. He was happy to sit in his highchair and put on a bib, but when he didn't see anything waiting on his tray, he gave me this very serious look. I knew I better quickly prepare his rice cereal or else.

Reed's first food

The day that Reed has been looking forward to is finally here. He had his first taste of food today. It wasn't a very savory meal. Just a bit of rice cereal mixed with apple juice. He was pretty interested in all the new experiences. He got to sit up in the highchair and wore an adorable bib.

Ryland was right there to help coach Reed on opening his mouth and swallowing. Reed did wonderful and wanted to eat more after each bite. We will see how he likes veggies.

Ryland sharing

I caught Ryland sitting in the hall with Cooper and Doodle sharing his corn pops. He absolutely loves these dogs, and they love him. Maybe now we know why? I am happy to see that he understands the sharing concept, and he is applying it to dogs. I just hope he is doing the same thing at school. I am so proud.

Super Bowl Halftime Show

Ryland was entranced by the Super Bowl halftime show. He was ready to dance, and he started bustin' a move.

He quickly decided that the volume needed to be adjusted.

He walked over and turned the volume up. Just who does this kid think he is?

This year's Super Bowl festivities were definitely different. This is the first year in a while that we haven't hosted a party, but we decided with everything going on that we would just kick back and relax. We stayed at home and had pizza and wings and called it an early night.