Beginning 2012

Happy New Year!

Puppy love...

I love, love, love watching these two play together!

Spaghetti dinner...

Ruby thoroughly enjoyed herself.

Look at this big girl who's car seat is now forward facing.  Hey, this girl is as big as some 2 year olds I know.

She loved her first ride like this.  She was looking around in awe. 

Video of big sister helping Ruby get strapped in. 

We've had such nice weather here.  Windows open, kids playing outside, running in shorts and t-shirt kind of weather.  We've been loving it.  Ruby is saying more these days "Baw"=Ball, "Tell-A"=Stella, Nigh-Nigh, "Mill-yee"=Millie, "Bah"=bye and she's finally referring to Dad as Dadda and not Mommy.  Ruby is getting so tall and is about 25 lbs. now.  Her hair is curling up in the back and she can run...fast!  She gets into everything and especially loves remotes, phones, and sissy's lip gloss.  This morning she ventured into the bounce houses at this place called Giggle Bugs where we meet friends quite often.  It was the first time she really got in.  She had a great time sitting in them and bouncing all over the place and watching all the kids.   

Tuesday we recieved a great note from Stella's teacher.  It said, "Stella has changed from a timid and quiet girl to an outspoken LEADER.  It's been a fun transformation to watch!  I love my job"  Talk about bursting with pride and joy.  It was so cool to read that.  I thought it was a great opportunity to talk to Stella about what it meant to be a leader and what a responsibility it was not only in the classroom but for her sister.  We talked about way to be a good leader and I definitley let her know how excited I was for her to recieve such a special note.  I am looking forward to my first PT conference coming up next week!

This is a picture of Stella after her nap.  She did not have this on before her nap.  I routinely find her in a completely different outfit after her nap everyday.  I love it that this girl is into fashion, but I do not love the heap of clothes piled up on the floor each day.  Her philosophy seems to be that if she's had something on for more than 4 or 5 hours it is time to change!

Christmas blog part 2-A video

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Christmas party hopping

We traveled to Ohio Friday, Dec. 16.  Pagi and Grandma were glad to see us.

We celebrated our second Christmas party here and had a great time. Santa even stopped by with some early presents!

Waiting for more guests to arrive for the Christmas celebration!

Here they are!

Santa walks in the door...Stella was thrilled.

Christmas party #3 in Indiana with the Kruse family.  Granpa Claus hands out the gifts to a captive audience.

Ruby was VERY interested in a little baby there.  She was very careful with him and liked to gently pat his legs and feet.

Pre-school Christmas

Stella had her first ever Christmas program on Thursday.  It was so much fun to watch her 'perform' up there. All the three year olds were candles and sang 3 or 4 songs up there.  Stella really knew the words and the motions to all the songs.  Second classmate over from Stella's left is Trevor, her very favorite friend in class.

Classroom Christmas party after the program.

Stella with her teacher, Mrs. Cahill.

My Video 12/12/11 at OneTrueMedia.com

Pictures from December. We had our first Christmas party with friends. All the friends exchanged gifts and had a great time. The nest night we went to Hollywild to look at an amazing amount of lights and see some really cool animals. Very fun.

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Santa Claus

The girls and I went to the mall yesterday and guess who was there!

Jolly old St. Nick. Stella was very glad to see him. Ruby was too until I sat her down on his lap! I suppose this is a classic picture with Santa and I'm glad we have one. I hope Santa gets paid very well for his long days at the mall holding everyone's crying babies.

 

Ruby got a gingerbread man cookie for her troubles.

lately

Ruby is such a funny little girl.  She loves to spin herself around and around until she gets dizzy.  She rocks forward and backward in her high chair durning mealtimes.  She smiles really cheesy and on purpose; she knows that makes us laugh.  When she gets in trouble and I frown at her she smiles very coyly at me.  It's as if she already knows how to weaken my resolve.  She a child prodigy!  :)

She will steal Stella's blanket from her to cause a comotion and she has been ALL ABOUT the christmas tree.  She is always messing with the ornaments and has already broken several; she is relentless.  Our tree is very top heavy with ornaments now.  We are really looking forward to Christmas this year; Ruby is going to be so much fun and Stella can't wait for Santa to come!  Every night she asks if it will be the night for Santa to visit. 

Stella is doing great in school and we are really looking forward to her first christmas program which will be next week. She wears a necklace, bracelet and bow or head-band to school almost everyday.  We've been having lots of fun shopping together this month, and putting up the christmas decorations, getting the christmas card and envelopes ready and making ornaments and a gingerbread house together.

This was the night we put the christmas tree up.  We watched a christmas movie, drank hot cocoa and had popcorn.  It was a fun night.

Stella ate one piece of candy for every one she put on the gingerbread house.

We went to the annual Greenville Christmas Parade last weekend.  It is always a great parade.  Stella's favorites are all the bands that come through, the cute dogs and Santa in his sleigh.