The last Riley-ism of 2007

We were all out shopping the other day.

The stores were busy, mom was hungry (watch out!) and the kids had had enough ... everyone was at the end of their rope.

Ryan and I were gently disagreeing about something in the front seat of the car as we were driving through the parking lot.

Riley from the back peeps up, "Are you guys having issues up there?"

Nope ...no attitude in this family at all ...

Miss Paige ... this morning as I was setting up for a shoot today ...

Looking at the second picture I can see what my aunts have been saying ... that she looks a lot like me.

Just a bit cold this morning ...

We had a really cool frost come in overnight with some fog. I snuck outside this morning for just a few minutes (until I couldn't feel the tips of my fingers) and snapped a few pictures of the branches and bushes. The first three are my favorite.

Merry Christmas!!!

Ho ho ho .... MERRY CHRISTMAS! Hope Santa found everyone this year. He found us in a big way!

Backing up a few days ... we had a blast with the Zahradnik clan on Sunday. The presents that Aunts and Uncles had taken days to pick out were opened within 20 minutes or so. It was a frenzy of wrapping paper with a few shouts of excitement thrown in. Instead of spending the whole day in the kitchen for a big meal, we all brought appetizers. Let’s just say there was no shortage of food. Thankfully, great auntie Gayle and cousin Jesse came over to help us out. :)

Monday I had to work a half day so I left dad and the kids in bed. Riley and dad made Santa chocolate chip cookies and daddy was extra thoughtful and picked up the house. Mom got home and after lunch we ALL took a nap. I think we all needed it. Here's Mr. Riley as he was sleeping ... we'll just call him Al Bundy with his hand down his pants ...

We joined some family at Kristin’s aunt and uncle’s house for dinner and good conversation. Riley, Paige and Jack provided the comedy for the night. :)

After we got home, we got our Christmas jammies on and dad read The Night Before Christmas. As you can see, Riley was good at listening ... Paige on the other hand ... um, not so much. :)

After stories Riley worked on setting out chocolate chip cookies and milk for Santa ... as well as carrots and celery sticks for the reindeer.
Then it was off to bed ... where Paige took off her pants twice and screamed (happily) for close to 30 minutes.

Mom and dad weren't sure that Santa would come ... but sometime throughout the night ... HE DID!

Riley and Paige woke up around 7 this morning. Riley ran out to see if Santa had enjoyed the cookies and milk. He had ... but he'd certainly left a mess of cookie crumbs. Not only that, but he must have fed his reindeer on the front walk ... because there were carrot and celery pieces ALL OVER! I told him that if Santa was going to leave messes at our house he wouldn't be welcomed back. :)

Riley tore into the presents while Paige ... well, Paige was more interested in the milk and cereal we'd brought downstairs for her ....

Riley was SUPER excited that Santa had listened to his requests ...

... and Paige .... was still enjoying breakfast.

Riley jumped for joy when he opened the camera Santa had brought him ....

... and Paige wondered what could be more interesting than her Kix.

Finally she decided she was sick of us yelling her name ... so she decided to join the party ...
... and discovered that this opening presents thing was a lot of fun.

The rest of the morning was spent in our jammies. Grandma Karen came over around 2:00 to check out everything the kids had gotten and stayed for a yummy (if I do say so myself) dinner.

So it's 6:00 and we have one Miss Paige who's not far from bed, a Peanut who probably won't be far behind her and a mom and dad who are looking forward to a quiet house. :) Merry Christmas to all .... and to all, a good night.

What do you have in YOUR pockets?

Yesterday as we picked Riley up from daycare, we were told that he had some issues with listening most of the day. He'd been doing SO well ... having so many good days in a row. I think part of it is the excitement of Christmas coming up.

So this morning as we were getting our coats, hats and mittens on, Ryan asked Riley if he "had his listening ears on" for Shelley's house. Serious as all get out, Riley takes off his glove, reaches in his pocket, digs in his pockets for a while, comes out with his imaginary set of ears .... and puts them on. LOL One of the funniest things I've seen in a while.

I didn't know such interesting things could be in the pockets of your jeans. :)

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We're mostly prepped for Christmas!! I have a wedding rehearsal to coordinate tonight and the wedding tomorrow. Sunday is Christmas with the Zahradnik's. Monday I volunteered to work since we weren't leaving town and then we have church and dinner at my aunt and uncles house. Christmas Day we're staying home and my mom (and possibly my aunt) is coming over. It's a jam packed weekend but it should be a lot of fun!

If I don't get back before Christmas, I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday!

Murphy's Law ...

It's the holidays ... and what does holiday time mean? Well, a sick kiddo of course!

Miss Paige has been dealing with something for the past week or so. She's just been cranky beyond all get-out since last weekend, which is so NOT our Paigie. Saturday morning she had a temp of 102.5 and now today she's had a rash come and go on her face, neck ... and now belly.

So send healthy baby vibes our way please. Actually, send healthy vibes to everyone ... Shelley (daycare) found out at 3:00 today that the throat culture she took on Friday came back with strep throat. I'm sure there was only minor exposure. :)

Quick vocab update on the little Princess ... she's been saying "puppy" for a while now but this weekend I realized she was also saying "Pumba" ... and she also barks at Pumba too. Still no sounds for "Riley" at all though.

Pictures, pictures ... we want pictures!

Some pictures from the past few weeks ...

Mr. Weston in Warroad ... such a cutie!


Riley and Ryan went skating once while we were at Grandma and Grandpas. Riley can stand on the ice without falling down and once we got him something to hold on to, could move around a little. Ryan is going to try to get him out more this year. Riley loves it.

Family picture after we'd celebrated Christmas in Warroad.

Four generations ...

My daughter after she'd had sloppy joes and cake with chocolate frosting ... see how clean Weston, who had eaten the exact same food, is?We had an ice, then snow, then ice storm a couple of weeks ago. Here's Riley out in the middle of our yard ... walking on top of about 6 inches of snow without breaking through the ice at all ...
And the side of our truck that sat outside during it all ... it was covered with over a quarter inch of ice ...

Our dishwasher helper ...

Somebody partied like a rock star in her crib ... this is how we found Paige one morning. I had a flashback to my junior high days ...

Houston ... we have walking!

She's not walking miles or anything yet, but I think it's close enough to consider true walking. Last night, after weeks of dropping to her knees when more than a foot away from anything she could hold on to, she walked about 10 feet between Ryan and I. I think she shocked herself more than anything ... and then it was the slow realization that "Hey, this is pretty cool!" She spent the rest of the night walking around the living and family rooms ... with a few trips DOWN the stairs mixed in too (going down was new as of last night as well ... she's been going UP them since Grandma Knudson taught her when we were at their house over Labor Day weekend).

We also did a little dancing last night, which both Riley and her enjoy quite a bit. Daddy brought his iPod player up and I danced with the kiddos to some swinging Brian Setzer Orchestra Christmas music while daddy did the dishes. Riley was "twisting" his little butt off and Paige was bouncing up and down. It was just the cutest thing to watch the two of them. A few times Paige had her head swaying and arm going wild ... ha ha ... I'm laughing now just thinking about it.

Say no to carrots ... say YES to diamonds!

The Mrs. Clause gift conversation is still happening in our house. Ha ha ...

Last night Ryan tried to convince Riley that Mrs. Clause would be happy with cookies ... but I informed them that I thought I'd heard that Mrs. Clause was on a diet this year and probably wouldn't enjoy the cookies ... at which point Ryan said (a bit snarky, I may say) that maybe Mrs. Clause would enjoy the carrots and celery we're leaving for the reindeer then.

*sigh*

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas ...

Well, we've settled in for the winter storm today. Daddy's off at school and Riley, Paige and I are staying in our jammies for most of the day and I think making up a pot of soup is on the agenda. Oh yeah, and I get to go out in the middle of it tonight to work something for a wedding. *ugg*

Anyway, I had to drop off a funny conversation that's been going around our house since we got home from "too far away grandma and grandpa's". As we were going through our mail that had collected since we'd been gone, I came across an advertisement for the local jeweler that Ryan gets most of my jewelry through. Trying to take advantage of the marketing already being done, I told Riley that we should really remember Mrs. Clause this Christmas too ... because she really does a lot of work for Mr. Clause and everyone at the North Pole. I'm sure it's not easy taking care of all the misfits (I'm meaning toys here obviously ... *wink*) and that we should reward HER with a present.

"What do you think we should get her, Riley?"

*pause*

"I think we should get her jewels, mom ... maybe diamonds!"

I like how this boy thinks! :)