Jump Street

Our Monday play group met at the newly opened Jump Street.  It was absolutely awesome!  Ryland and Reed had blast jumping around with their friends, and they were completely worn out after two hours.

 

Oktoberfest

 

We wanted to get outside and enjoy the colder weather, and we thought a trip to Southlake Town Square for Oktoberfest would be the perfect outing.  The boys had a blast riding the train around Town Square.

 

The kids zone had bounce houses, small carnival rides, and games.  Reed was still a little too young to enjoy all the fun, so we cheered on Ryland.



 

The boys saw Sonic two blocks away, and I think they could have stayed there to play with him all afternoon. 

It was great to be outside experiencing Oktoberfest with our little men.  I couldn't help but think back to the first Oktoberfest when Ryland was just a baby.  Oh my, how things have changed. 

Rain boots

 

What do you get when you take two silly boys and give them fun rain boots?  A hilarious picture.  We can't decide if they are dragons or dinosaurs, but my little monsters are sure cute in them.

Football

It was a cold Saturday morning, but we bundled up for Ryland's football.  The boys ran drills and played a little bit of scrimmage before losing interest to the playset.

 

 

Reed wanted to play football with the big boys, so we tried to distract him with the swings. It worked until it was snack time.  He loves being right there in the middle of things, and we can tell he is more interested in football than Ryland.

Entertain us

In my attempt to pass the afternoon in a fun loving way, I turned into a balloon artist.  I pumped the balloons as fast as I possibly could and then let it go for the boys to chase.

 

 

Ryland tried to blow up one of the balloons, but he didn't have enough hot air.

 

Reed tried to blow up his balloon with the small pump.

 

Cooper realized we were having all the fun, so he started chasing the balloons as they would fly off.

 

John Chris came home in the middle of this fiasco and decided to really blow up the balloons.  He cranked up his air compressor to fill the balloons, and they went crazy when he let go. 

Sink

 

Reed is not allowed to play in our master bathroom for many reasons.  As if the medicine cabinet wasn't enough, the sink has become his new favorite spot to play.  He climbs in the bathtub and then climbs up on the side, so he can turn on the sink.  Of course the hot water is the knob he can reach, so this fun activity eventually turns into a screaming fit when the water warms up. 

He takes a few sips of water then pulls the plug to fill the sink.  And what is more fun than playing in a sink full of water?  Absolutely nothing!  No toy, that is for sure.

 

Coffee table

 

I remember growing up in a house with lots of pretty knick-knacks.  My mom was really good about teaching us to be careful, not play rough in the house, and to not break things.  I have attempted to teach my boys the same things, so I can keep my pretty knick-knacks out too.  A few months ago my trio of cool candle holders that sat on the coffee table were knocked over.  Not by one of the boys, but actually John Chris broke them.  I have tried to find something to replace them with, but I haven't found anything I am crazy about.

I look at my blank coffee table as a clean slate to decorate, but the boys see it another way.  They see a big climbing box, a performance stage, and many more destructive potentially hazardous ideas.  I figure I have got to gather the reigns now before I lose my ground.  I am just a little hesitant to put anything in the danger zone. 

We love the Dollar Tree

The boys and I needed to get out of the house this afternoon, so our housekeepers could work their magic. Ryland had been saving his "super big monies" for two weeks, so he finally had enough to go buy this boat he saw in a catalog.  I wanted to stop at the Dollar Tree to pick up some Halloween treats before we headed to Toys R Us. 

Well, the Dollar Tree was stocked with all kinds of costumes and accessories.  Ryland quickly found several things he wanted.  I gave him the choice to spend his money or continue on to Toys R Us, and he decided to purchase a bunch of stuff at the Dollar Tree.

 

 

The boys dressed up a knights as soon as we got home.  We have a golden and a silver knight.  Just watch out for the axes.

 

Dad even got in on the fun.

 

The flipping ninjas didn't last long, but they were a cool treat.  The boys threw them against the door, and they would flip all the way down.  It was a super fun trip to the Dollar Tree.  It is our favorite store.

Finished airplane

 

After a few hours of Dad working and lots of glue, the airplane is assembled.  It didn't come together exactly as directed, but it is super cool.

 

Ryland precisely painted the airplane.  He was sure to use all the colors and cover every bit of the plane.

 

 

The airplane is finished and will soon find a special place in Ryland's room.  He says he wants to put it on his dresser with his other airplanes. 

 

Fabric shopping

 After not liking my dinning room and entry for two years, I have tackled the project of creating an inviting and polished space.  I have found the perfect rug for the dinning room, and now I need to work on re-covering the chairs.  I visited 6 fabric stores in search of the perfect fabric.  After rows and rows of fabric, I found the perfect one.  Now the manual work begins.  Next thing on the list is new drum lamp shades.

Building an airplane

We found this wood airplane kit months ago, and today was the perfect day to work on it.  Ryland and I popped out all the pieces and sanded them smooth.  I quickly realized the 3+ age printed on the box was crazy.  Not all the pieces were cut quite the right size, so we had some problems snapping them into place.  After two hours, we decided to put the assembly on hold, so Dad could help out. 

 

To be continued...

Ride with Pride

 

Today was the first Monday playgroup we have attended in several weeks.  We met our friends at Ride with Pride to enjoy a beautiful morning with the animals.  Pony rides were the highlight of the morning for most of the kids, but Ryland wasn't interested in riding.  He said he just wanted to watch, so I didn't push it.

 

Reed loved all the horses, but I couldn't get him near one for a picture.  He wanted to laugh and point, but he definitely wasn't begging to go for a ride. 

 

The horses were so calm, and it was obvious they were looking for some handouts.  As soon as you got close to them, they went for your hand.  I was happy to see Ryland at least touch one of the horses.

 

We headed over to the fish pond next, so the kids could give enormous amounts of food to the massive catfish.   

 

I was finally able to catch Reed smile.  He enjoyed pushing the glider and chunking fish food into the pond.  We finished off the fun morning with a little stick horse riding around the barrels.  It was great to be back with our friends.

Backyard lesson

 

John Chris mowed the backyard and was edging around the pool when he noticed something.  He stopped and called the boys over to check it out.  It was a very small snake, but it gave us a great opportunity to talk to the boys about what to do if they ever see another one.

 

 

 

After finding the snake, Ryland was a little hesitant to play in the grass.  He leaned up against the pergola post to do a little deep thought thinking.  It was obvious that he was taking it all in. 

Bunco

After a pretty rough day, I decided to go Bunco with my MOPS group.  I was back and forth all day, but I just knew these girls could cheer me up.  My close friends have respected my wishes not to spread my sad news, and they realize that I will talk about it when I am ready. 

 

It was a fun filled night of laughs, stories, and Bunco.  Even though we don't play regularly, it was fun to do something different. I love these ladies!



iPhone fan

Ryland loves my new iPhone!  He likes to play all the games, but his favorite game is Jake and the Netherland Pirates.  He traded his TV show time for time with my phone.  I am blown away at how quickly he picks up on how to operate it, because I am still learning.

Reed's 18 month well check

Reed is developing right on track.  The doctor was pleased with everything, but we still are watching the tongue tie issue.  We agreed to monitor it until he turns two and then re-address.
Reed weighs 28 pounds - 75.17%.  He is 33.5 inches tall - 79.10%, and his head is 19.5 inches - 89.25%. 

Silly class

 

Ryland is loving his new school.  Everyday I pick him up, I ask him how his day went, and he still tells me it was GREAT.  When I ask him what he learned, he tells me all about the letter of the week and what words start with the letter.  He is learning a ton of cute rhyming songs, and he is so happy and is getting more outgoing. 

Ryland's teacher sends email updates with all the info that the class is working on, so it is a great way for me to know what to ask.  She is having curriculum day next week, and she will cover the main goals for the year.  The picture was attached to her email for the day.  I asked Ryland why he wasn't making a silly face, and he said, "I didn't want to."



The procedure

This is not how I wanted this pregnancy to end.  The emotions are so difficult to work through, and the only thing that is giving some sort of peace is prayer.

John Chris and I spent the day at Baylor for the D and C procedure.  The staff, nurses, and doctors were very sweet and accommodating.  I held it together pretty well until the Chaplain came by right before I went to the operating room.  We chatted about the feelings that we are dealing with, and we were able to pray together.  She left a small stuffed lamb and some other items to comfort and assist with our grieving. 

The procedure was physically painless, and I am expected to recover within a week. I will take it easy and give myself the time.  I am looking forward to being back to "normal" physically.  I am sure the emotions will follow, but I am a short fuse of tears or anger these days. 

Cabinet project

 

We have been wanting to add another shelf to our custom cabinets in the family room for a very long time, but we have let it slip down the to do list.  I have been back in the project mode the past 2 weeks, so we decided to tackle this minor one today. 

We removed the door brackets and the small rectangular box that floated above the TV.  We added the shelf and a double speaker box at the rear of the shelf.  Only a little bit of caulk and paint to go, and we will have another task off the list.

 

Ryland and Reed were eager to help cut and drill.  Ryland puts on his safety glasses, while Reed gathers some of their toy tools.

The boys discuss their plans, and Ryland explains what he is going to do with hand gestures.

 



 

After they finished with the plans, they both started laughing hysterically.  John Chris and I should be scared.  Very scared.

 

Ryland hammered on the wood with his plastic tools, so it would fit.

 

Watch out!  There is no telling what Reed will wack.

 

Sad news

The follow up sonogram did not go well.  The baby had not grown, and our precious baby's heart had stopped.  John Chris and I are filled with sadness and lots of questions.  It is really hard to stop thinking about how things could have been.  We were really excited and looking forward to the third pregnancy and welcoming another child into our lives.  The dreams had already started.