He Said

Rane is quite a talkative little boy and even more so these days. He is closing in on 21 months and his vocabulary is growing each and every day. He is at such a fun age right now because he is understanding our questions (usually) and our requests. He does pretty good as far as obeying goes and, in fact, he often says, "obey," after we say it. We sometimes have to chase after him if he doesn't do what we ask the very first time, i.e., come to me or Spencer which involves punnishment, but he gets it even though he chooses to disobey. He doesn't have a majorly strong will like Ella Ann did at this age, and still does, so I consider him to be a typical 21 month old little boy! I wanted to share some of the "words" he says before I forget!
Byyyeeeeee
Hiiiiiiiiii (both "hi" and "bye" are said with huge waves)
Daydo (thank you)
Peeese (please)
Noooooo
Essss (yes)
Ardeereadeeee (Are you ready?)
Less go (let's go)
Deeee (do it again)
nuf (enough)
car, truck, usss (bus), tainnn (train, which is followed by a "choo-choo!!!!"), ata (MARTA)
appew (apple), annnaana (banana), hondeedew (honeydew), staadereee (strawberry), kiwi and he tries to say pretty much every other fruit as well
ogurt (yogurt)
potty (likes to sit on it often but has yet to "go")
diiiipurr (diaper)
at (cat), og (dog), nake (snake) and several other animals but I won't list them all
wuuuhoooonne (we're home....said as we pull into our neighborhood each and every time)
moneee (Mommy)
eeeAnn (Ella Ann)
opennnnittt (open it)
shut it
dirrteeeee (dirty)
yuck
grass, treeeee (tree), burd (bird), fish
eeeelunch (eat lunch), dinnor (dinner)
niii-niii (nite-nite)
Aaaamen (Amen)
ible (Bible)
oook (book)
pay (play), un (fun), ack (snack)
wurk (When I talk about Spencer he says, "work.")
Hi Budeeee (When I walk in to get him up each morning and/or at nap time I always say, "Hi Buddy!" Now he says it back to me and often says it before I even say it!)

Okay, that's enough! He is such a funny boy and is still keeping me on my toes. He gets into everything he knows is hands off but will bring it to us just so that he can touch it, i.e., the phone, remote, etc. He is starting to be a tidy little boy because once he is done playing he will often pick up after himself and sing, "Keeennn up, keeeenn up!" It's great! Of course if he doesn't clean up Ella Ann or myself are right on his feet picking up toys! It now drives her nuts to have stuff on the floor....ahhhhhh, my clone! Today when I picked up Rane from the church nursery 3 different workers said to me, "He is so funny!" "He is very entertaining!" "He is hilarious!" Yes, thanks, I know!

Accessorizing

I was making Ella Ann's bed yesterday morning and in the process of throwing all one thousand animals that she sleeps with back on her bed when I ran across this baby cheetah.....

I was rolling with laughter when I saw what she had done to the thing! In case you cannot see clearly, she put a ring on it's tail, silly band around the waist and two earrings on the ears.

I had to have a picture of Ella Ann with it before she left for school yesterday. No telling how long the cheetah has looked that way!

Growing Up

First off, I want to thank those of you who commented on my last post! I think 9 comments thus far is a record! I wasn't ever going to quit....I was just teasing! I enjoy blogging so much and now that I turn my blogs into books each year I do this now for my kids so that they will have a complete record of their lives as babies and children. I am so happy to do this for them because who actually has their life recorded since the day they were born?!? I know they will appreciate it when they are adults and can pass it on to their children.

Anyway, Rane started his PMO last month, as I have mentioned before, and he has to take a bag/backpack when he goes to keep all his stuff in. I have never bought a bag for him, surprisingly so, because I've always just carried the diaper bag. Now that we are expecting another baby I need my diaper bag to hold up for another child so I needed Rane in a different bag. He is also too old to be toting around a diaper bag so a backpack was in order! My Mom brought him the cutest backpack when they were down a week ago. He likes Ella Ann's backpacks and always puts them on so I knew he would love his very own! He wears it often around the house and wears it to church and his PMO two days a week. He looks so grown up wearing it and looks so cute!

Ice Cream and Toys

Now there's a fun title! On Friday after Ella Ann got home from school, the four of us went down the street to Bruster's for a spoil-your-dinner snack of ice cream! Ella Ann got a huge, even though it was a kiddie cone, scoop of chocolate ice cream wrapped in rainbow sprinkles, Rane and I split birthday cake ice cream and Spencer got a big carmel sundae. Yummmm....it was all tasty! It was a very special treat to kick off our weekend with lots of ice cream!

This morning Spencer had to work and I decided to take advantage, which I often do each week, of Whole Foods' 99-cent early bird special, which is a huge pastry of your choice and coffee every morning from 8-9 a.m. It is very fun to walk or drive there (about 1 mile) and sit and enjoy coffee while the kids eat my pastry...well I do have a little! Spencer really likes it as well and enjoys their yummy pastries and coffee when he's around in the mornings. This morning I busted out of storage the large double stroller, which unfortunately had 2 very flat tires. Of course I have no clue how to air up a tire and even asked Ella Ann (she has watched Spencer do it many times) how to do it so she instructed me on how she thought Daddy did it....all wrong. I wasn't going to give up, I was going to walk there and enjoy the beautiful morning! I told Ella Ann she was going to ride her bike while I pushed Rane in the singleton stroller. She was a little apprehensive but I told her she could do it so she strapped on the helmet and was ready to ride! The street is full of hills and bumpy sidewalks but she made it the entire way there and back...2 miles! I was SO proud of her because she never complained, made it up and down the hills all by herself and really had fun! She even asked if she could continue on past our house once we got home! I couldn't believe it! It was awesome!

Ella Ann has been working the same 70-piece puzzle, even though she has many puzzles, for days and days. I believe she could put it together with her eyes closed. So when we went to Target this afternoon I told her to pick out a new, harder puzzle. She choose a 100-piece puppy puzzle. Since she picked out something I told her we needed to find something for Rane as well. Finding a toy for Rane is nearly impossible. You would think that a toddler would be super easy to shop for but Rane will stump you. He has many toys, although not many boyish-toys, that he does not play with....ever. He doesn't play with too many toys and he never has. When I was roaming the isles I would pick up a toy and think, there is no way Rane would play with this for longer than 2 minutes. He wants to roam the house, get in my business, Ella Ann's junk and roll around and give Spencer grief while he is on the couch! So when it comes to toys there's really not much that will capture his attention. However, when I saw an indestructible remote control truck for two year olds I immediately threw it in the cart. Rane does love anything that moves and makes lots of noise. It has two buttons, one to make it spin and one to make it go forward. He loves it! Rane held it all the way home, carried it inside the house and gave it to Spencer to load up with batteries. Spencer showed him how to operate it and he thought it was the greatest thing ever. Yeay....I finally got a good toy for him!

Ella Ann couldn't eat it fast enough. It was down her arm in about 1 minute!

Such a guy thing....at one point they were both laying face down on the floor playing with the truck! Side note, yes Rane is wearing one sock and has been for two days. He has a very ugly, bleeding blister on that foot and he won't leave it alone so we have to keep a sock on his foot!

Oh and second side note I am "needing" comments on the blog! Helllloooooo! Are you out there??? Do I need to give my readers an ultimatum???? Either comment or I quit! :) Much love, Katie

"Buy Me Some...."

Rice, Corn and Broccoli." This is what Ella Ann requested to eat at the Braves/Cardinals game yesterday! My parents came down for the weekend and while Rane stayed with a babysitter, we took Ella Ann to her first baseball game. I'd have to say Ella Ann takes after me as far as sports/sporting events go. I know nothing about them, dislike watching them on television and go to games for the food and atmosphere. She was excited to try cotton candy for the first time and after we got her to take a bite she decided it was gross and that's when she asked for rice. Spencer took her to search for some food (ended up with a veggie dog) and when he told her again that they didn't have rice she said, "Okay, I'll take some corn." After Spencer told her they didn't have corn that's when she asked for the peas and broccoli. Obviously we need to broaden her horizons! Since Spencer couldn't find any veggies for her, after the veggie dog Ella Ann had Dippin' Dots and a scoop of chocolate ice cream....she was not deprived of any treats at the game, believe me!

We had a very good time at the game, even though it was sweltering hot; it was a 4:00 p.m. game. Our seats were in the shade but that didn't matter to me....this pregnant gal couldn't handle the heat whatsoever so I spent most of our time at the game standing near the concessions trying to cool off. Ella Ann asked in the FIRST inning, "When is this 'thang' gonna be done?" Even the people in front of us turned around and laughed! She didn't watch one single pitch of the game, but I have to say I probably didn't either! We cheer for the Cardinals so Ella Ann was happy to sport her pink Cardinals tshirt that Grandpa gave her a while back and cheer on the Cardinals with us. After the game she said she had a great time and her favorite part was cheering, although I clearly remember her shushing the crowd when they cheered! The wave was fascinating to her, as were the amount of people around us because she couldn't understand why "all these people" were here! I know my Dad and Spencer really enjoyed taking her and it is so fun to see her enjoy activities along with the grown ups now!

My parents arrived Friday night and swung by the house to drop off all of Rane's old winter clothes that I am selling in a consignment sale at the end of the month and visit for a bit. Saturday morning after they arrived we played around the house for a while, went to the mall and ate lunch at Buckhead Bread Company. Once Rane went down for a nap it was soon time for us to head to the game. I didn't get any pictures of Rane with my parents...ooops.

Ready for some baseball action!

Spencer had to show her how to eat cotton candy and she watched with her nose turned up!

I don't think so.

I love this picture of my Mom! She looks so goofy! We couldn't tell when the woman taking our picture was actually pushing the button so we are all kind of stupid looking. Mom is holding a shiny pink baseball my Dad gave Ella Ann, which she loves. We have this same picture of all of us in this spot, minus Ella Ann, two years ago when I was pregnant with Rane....it was much better!

Good Intentions

This past Thursday and Friday were going to be fantastic. Jana and her girls were coming into town and while Ella Ann was oblivious to this at school I went to Andria's house with Rane because our group of friends were getting together. We had a wonderful time chatting and letting the kids play. Ella Ann would have been devastated had she known I was going to be with all of her friends while she was at school but Jana and I had a big surprise up our sleeves for her. Jana came over to my house after Andria's so that I could take Mara Kate with me to the bus stop. I really thought Mara Kate was going to jump out of her skin while we waited because she was so excited to see Ella Ann! As soon as Ella Ann saw her best friend in ALL the world she didn't know what to do with herself! I snapped a picture of her getting off the bus when she spotted Mara Kate....

Immediately they embraced and I managed to get a fantastic picture of them....

They held hands after several hugs and skipped together all the way back to our house......
When I say these two girls love each other it is not enough. Ella Ann talks about Mara Kate every single day. They have known each other since birth and we used to see her and Jana 3+ times a week before they moved last August. Moving has not diminished their relationship whatsoever. They want to be left alone in their own little world when they are together and Jana and I do not disturb them. In order to maximize their time together I decided to keep Mara Kate for two nights (Ella Ann didn't have school on Friday), which meant I would meet Jana halfway on Saturday morning. When I told Ella Ann of these plans she nearly shot to the moon! I was so happy to do it for her because Ella Ann would always choose her best friend over anything...any toy, any place, anything new. She always just wants to be with Mara Kate. Before Jana left Ella Ann got to hold Evelyn.....

No matter what, if there is a baby around Ella Ann will stop whatever she is doing to hold him/her. She loves babies!

So the girls played until their hearts content after Jana headed home that afternoon. Spencer and I only saw them a few times, mainly at dinner and at bed time. Friday morning while the girls were eating breakfast Mara Kate put her head down on our kitchen table and said she felt like throwing up. I didn't think much of it because she told me that she has felt this way before and it went away in the morning. So 20 minutes later when her head was still down I figured she was going to toss her cookies, which she did...all over the table. Bless her heart. Spencer gave her a bath while I cleaned up before Rane decided to play in it. Unfortunately this meant that Mara Kate was headed home that morning. Ella Ann was so upset. She cried and cried. After talking to Jana and watching Mara Kate play after she threw up I didn't think she was really sick. Jana said that Mara Kate has a weak stomach and that looking at food can often trigger her gag reflex, causing her to vomit. I think she just stared at her cereal for so long and thinking about having to eat it made her sick.

We met Jana and Ella Ann cried a lot of the way home. I swung by a bagel shop once we got back to Atlanta to get Spencer a bagel and I bought Ella Ann a gigantic cookie with icing and sprinkles to cheer her. I know I am teaching the wrong thing by giving my little girl food to make her happy but really nothing could bring her out of her sadness! So while Rane was at his PMO that morning the two of us went to Nordstrom to do a little shopping. I promised her that we would do something super fun on Saturday to somewhat make up for the time lost with Mara Kate. So Saturday morning (Spencer was in Toccoa all weekend) I took the kids to the zoo. It was the absolute perfect morning to take them. The weather was spectacular and my children were little angels. We got to see everything, including the new tiger and bear exhibit that recently opened....it was very neat! We had a picnic lunch, rode the train, rode the carousel, played on the playground and headed home after we exhausted all the sights and activities.

My favorite exhibit is the naked mole rat. They are the strangest looking creatures and their habitat is like a real house....each "room" has a designated purpose, i.e., kitchen, bedroom, play, worker room, etc. Rane enjoyed it too because several of their holes were at his eye level.

Our little Meerkats!

The parakeet exhibit is really neat too and this time I bought Ella Ann a seed stick so she could feed the birds.

Rane was saying "choo choo!!!"

On Sunday we went to church and baked chocolate chip cookies. For the first time I allowed Rane to stand on a chair and "help." Unfortunately his idea of helping is tossing everything on the floor, smearing flour all over the counter, sucking on the measuring spoons and trying to stick his hands in the mixer while it is going full speed. Quite fun, quite fun. I promised Ella Ann she could eat a cookie while they were still warm and gooey. I didn't get finished with baking until right before the dinner hour, which meant I spoiled their dinner with ohhh sooooo yummy cookies. What the hey, it was a Saturday night! I like to live life on the edge that way!

Ready to Roll

Miss Priss started gymnastics at the Y last week. She goes every Tuesday from 4-4:50 p.m. until sometime in October (I cannot remember). She loves it! I am, each day, amazed at how much Ella Ann has grown into a very independent little girl. Last week was very much organized chaos at gymnastics as far as checking in the kids who ranged in age from 3 to 7 or 8 and making sure every child was with the right instructor. Ella Ann's name was quickly checked off and one of the instructors told her to go on in so off she went into this huge gymnasium full of kids younger and older than her and she didn't know a single one of them. Once she ran in I never saw her until I picked her up at 4:50. No goodbye, no wave, no nothing. She just took off! I just turned on my heals and smiled at the progress she has made since school started. She is not the same child....remember the days of her clinging to my leg are not that far off! I really cannot believe she does so well at drop off at school each morning and rides the big yellow bus home every day all by herself. Spencer takes her to school, which we both love, because his dad always took them to school and my dad I don't think missed a day of taking me to school so it is important for both of us that he takes her and they get in some father/daughter time each morning. She has done so well with all the changes in her life in such a short period of time!

Anyway, back to gymnastics. Parents are not allowed to stay and watch so toward the end of the class I peeked in to watch her and all I could see was my cute little girl bouncing around with her class and running through a big obstacle course. She was all over the place and at the end they did a forward roll down the, what we called in gymnastics, the "big slice of cheese." She thinks it is so fun and wishes it was every single afternoon. Boy does she sleep good on Tuesdays!

P.S. The sticker on her forehead is from school. She usually hops off the bus with a big sticker on her forehead; she's a nut. Ella Ann told me that they get a sticker after rest time if they have behaved well all day. I have no clue as to why she likes to stick it to her head!