Category: Ryan

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Activities Cole Family & Friends Ryan

Brothers

Here are two pictures that I love from our photo session on Sunday:

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I was really impressed with the studio- my sister did a great job in convincing me to try the studio out. 

I thought it was going to be a disaster though, because no sooner was our session was ready to start, Cole decided he was having NONE of it.  Nothing the photographer, my sister, my sister-in-law, Ryan, or I, did or said could get Cole to stop frowning, and crying, as soon as he saw the camera.  Needless to say, the first 15 minutes was very frustrating!

Our photographer took some extra time, even though the studio was really busy, and she finally got some shots with Ryan and Cole together, both boys separately, (I’ll be posting those pictures on their own posts), both boys with their cousin, and both boys for their Christmas card picture (if you know me in real-life, you’ll have to wait to see that on your Christmas card.  I’ll post a picture of it though, after the cards go out).

The studio was very professional, and they never rushed us.  With my sister and I sharing the photo shoot, it was very economical, and they had the pictures done and printed in under an hour (we went and ate lunch, while waiting for the pictures to be printed).  

 The best part is they give you ALL shots (even ones you don’t end up choosing for pictures) on a CD, to do with what you want.  They said that is their equivalent of giving you the negatives (from the old days.)  So, any pictures I have in color, I can get reprinted in any size, or make black and white, etc.  I love having all shots, because even now, a day later, I am finding I like some pictures that I didn’t like yesterday, and the individual picture I chose for Cole yesterday, I am not liking it so much now.  I really like the flexibility of having the “negatives/CD.”  I even selected our wedding photographer largely in part (I of course liked his work), but he let us keep the negatives. 

The only bad part, was the drive for me.  It was an hour away, but that is a small price to pay.  I have been so bad about getting the boys’ pictures taken, I hope this will motivate me to keep up with it more regularly now.  Since my niece’s first birthday, and Cole’s second birthday are a month apart, I think we are going to go back and share a session again in the spring.

If you know me in real-life and want the name of the studio, send me an e-mail, and I’ll be happy to pass their information along. 

Categories
Cole Family & Friends Health Household Ryan

Man Hair, Pictures, & Toy Organization

I was really hoping no one else in my house would get sick, but Cole fell victim to the latest stomach bug today.  Fortunately, it seemed like it was the kind Ryan had the other day- he only vomited once, and was a lot better.

My sister and I are going to take our kids on Sunday to get some winter / holiday / Christmas pictures taken together.  Ryan and Cole are the only cousins Maelin has, and we bought them all coordinating snowman and snow-woman sweaters from Children’s Place over the summer.  We have been looking forward to this for several months.  I am also going to have some pictures of the boys taken together and separately.  It will be Ryan’s four-year picture ( I can’t believe he is almost four!), and Cole’s 18-month picture.  I actually don’t have one picture of the boys together in a “formal picture,” so this is long over-due.   

To get ready for the pictures, we wanted to take Cole to get his hair cut today.  So after his nap when he woke up, Ryan was ready to go.  He went in the room to see if Cole was awake, and he started laughing.  He said, “Coley, your hair is all messed up.  You are going to get a hair cut.  You have man hair.”  I am not sure what “man hair” means, but Cole’s curls do get very matted, but hearing Ryan say that made me laugh.  Cole was a trooper during his haircut.  He sat in the chair all by himself, with a little pout on his face, but he sat still for the entire time, looking in the mirror at himself, and holding my hand. 

I finished up tonight a project that I had started working on earlier in the week, which was to organize the boys’ toys.  I got rid of a lot of stuff that was broken and just junk.  I actually didn’t need as many storage bins that I had bought, but maybe after Christmas, they will come in handy.  It is nice to finally have a handle on their toys. I am going to insist now with Ryan, when he takes one toy out, he puts it back before he gets another one out.  We’ll see how that goes. 

Tomorrow, Joe is going to put together all the train tracks the boys have, and nail them on a board like they do at the toy stores.  Then we will be able to lift the board off, if the boys want to play with the train table, but all their tracks won’t be all over the place.  I am going to work for a few hours, since I missed it the other day, and I am hoping Ryan will be able to help Joe with this, and get excited again about his trains. 

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Cole Health Me Mothering Ryan

Sick Yet Again

I am getting so tired of getting sick!  Yesterday evening when I arrived at my in-law’s house, after work, my mother-in-law said that Ryan had gotten sick after breakfast, but he was fine now.

He ate some of his dinner, was playing, and whatever he had, wasn’t bothering him anymore.

About three hours after dinner, I started feeling terrible.  My stomach was cramping, and I just got that sick feeling. I knew I was going to be vomiting at any time.  I managed to put Cole to sleep, and then it hit me about 9:30.  At 2 AM, I vomited for the last time, in between Cole waking up.  He wasn’t sick, but he just kept waking up, which was ironic. He has been sleeping through the night now, for about a month.  He goes down, and doesn’t make a peep until 6:30 or 7 in the morning (pending that he isn’t teething)- except for last night- he kept waking up every hour, and only wanted me. 

I felt so sick, I just sat in the glider with him, with a big bowl near me, in case I couldn’t get to the bathroom in time.  Then I tossed and turned the rest of the night, until I got up at 7, to call our child care provider to tell her I wasn’t going anywhere today, and to call in to work.    I begged Joe to stay home today, but he just couldn’t- he had a big meeting. 

I told Ryan he had to be a good boy today, and he was so good!  Around 10, Cole wanted to take his nap, so I snuggled in bed with him, while Ryan played in his room, right next door to us.  I didn’t fall into a deep sleep, but I dozed, and Ryan was so quiet and told me he had been playing with his blocks, and reading his books.  He kept asking me if I felt better, and told me he was sorry I was sick.  He would say, “Don’t worry Mommy, you’ll feel better in a few days.” 

I managed to keep some toast down at lunchtime, and took a nap.  I feel better tonight, but feel weak, cold, and clammy.  I thought I might have gotten food poisoning, but my in-laws, Joe, and I, all ate the same thing for dinner last night, and they were fine.  Thinking back to Ryan, there probably was some bug that I caught, although I’m glad that Ryan didn’t get as sick as I.

So hopefully, no one else around here will come down with that bug.  It was awful. Fortunately, Joe is taking tomorrow off.  It is SO hard to take care of your kids, when you are sick.  We have had so many bugs and viruses since the summer, I really think we have payed our dues.  No more sickness!  🙂

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Activities Cole Family & Friends Ryan Shopping

Weekend Review- Relatives, Party, Santa, & Shopping

We had very busy weekend!  My baby sister (well, she just turned 29, but she is still my baby sister), was visiting this weekend from out-of-state. 

On Saturday morning, we met her, my sister, my brother-their spouses, and of course my niece for breakfast.  Then we took the kids to the park for an hour.  Ryan had a great time playing with his aunts and uncles, and Cole, just loves slides.  He has no fear.  He climbed up the tallest slide at the park, which had to be about 30 feet, turns around and slides down, feet first.  He laughs, and just wants to do it again, and again.

On Saturday night, Ryan and I attended a house-warming party of a friend, who moved into a new house (they had it built), about two months ago.  Unfortunately, Cole has been teething, and the excitement of the park and with his teething, he was very cranky.  Joe stayed home with Cole, since he was not in a very good party mood. 

Ryan had fun at the party, playing with a new set of three-year-old boy toys, which included new Thomas toys, he doesn’t have, and a little airplane, which was the hit of the evening.  I had fun too, visiting with some friends, and meeting some new people.  My friend’s new house is beautiful.  One of the things I liked best about it, is it has the laundry room upstairs, right next to the bedrooms.  I have seen that in new home models, and it always seemed like it makes a lot of sense- saving you time from lugging the laundry downstairs, and then lugging it back again.  At any rate, we were both having such a nice time, we were one of the last people to leave, which doesn’t happen very often. 

On Sunday, we met Joe’s sister, her kids (the cousins), and her husband at a amusement park, about two hours from our house. It had lots of rides that were just right for Ryan and Cole, and Santa was there! When it was Ryan’s turn, he just hopped on Santa’s lap, and started to tell him the one gift he wants, and how hold he is. 

The rest of the day was spent riding rides with the cousins. We left about three, and then went to my dad’s house, who made a wonderful Mexican food meal for us.  We finally arrived back home at 7. The boys played for a while, took their baths, and were conked out, shortly after.  They slept wonderfully last night. 

Today Ryan, Cole, and I met my sisters at a mall for lunch, so we could see my sister one last time before she left tonight.  It was so nice to see her.  I hope we will be able to go visit her soon.  When Ryan saw her at the mall, he ran to her with his arms wide open for a hug.

After lunch, my sisters had to get to some shops, and get my sister to the airport, so the boys and I returned a shirt at a store, and then went to play at a Pottery Barn Kids.  They always have such neat toys there.  I was bummed to see a lot of the toys were made in China, though.  I just don’t feel confident right now, buying pained toys from China. 

I had been wondering what to get Cole for Christmas- for some reason I have been drawing a blank.  He always plays with what Ryan has, but I want him to have something just for him.  After spending an hour in PBK, I was at a loss, no more.  He absolutely LOVED their cash register.   I was going to get it for him, but it was $59, and the money was $9.  I think that is kind of expensive.  I think I’ll look around and see if I can find something that may be more reasonably priced first.  He really just liked putting the credit card in the slot, which beeped.  So, a cash register with a credit card slot that beeps, is now on my list. 

(***UPDATE*** As soon as I was done writing this, I Googled play cash registers, and this one from Target came up- I’ll be making a stop there tomorrow- it even has TWO credit cards!****)

I did end up buying this play-mat for their train table.  Ryan really likes lining up his cars, and pretending they are on the street, so this should be a big hit, come Christmas. 

I am really excited for Christmas this year.  I think because finally, at least Ryan is old enough to really be in to it.  In previous years, it seemed like a lot of work, when the boys really wouldn’t have cared one way or another.  Ryan is talking about the Christmas tree, the lights, and the decorations.  It makes it that much more exciting for me, to try to make this time special and memorable for them.  I want them to always remember Christmas time as being special, magical, and fun.

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Cole Ryan

Boys Will Be Boys

Today after Ryan and Cole were finished eating lunch, Cole brought me his Crocs, and pointed to the patio door, indicating he wanted to go outside.  As soon as Ryan saw Cole was going outside, he wanted to go outside too.

I sat and read for a few minutes.  Ryan and Cole play together really well outside.  I can see them from my kitchen, and living room.  There is only about once place when I look out a window I can’t see them, and that is right up against the house, and they don’t play right there.  Ryan will even come and get me to tell me that Cole is eating dirt (which he loves to do.)

After about fifteen minutes, I got up and looked out the kitchen window, and saw Cole standing with hose, sucking on it.  I thought that was odd.  Then I noticed that his face had something on it, but I couldn’t tell if it was a weird shadow or what.  Then he turned his head, and I saw that he had dirt over his entire face, and around his mouth.  He was trying to suck the hose to get some water to get the dirt out of his mouth.

I stood there for a moment wondering how he got dirt all over his face.  He likes to sit down in the dirt, but he has never put it on his face.  He moved, and a ton of dirt fell out from under his jacket, and more dirt fell off of his head.  Then to top that off, he leaned down, and stuck a big chunk of dirt in his mouth!

Just then, I see Ryan, turning the corner with their play shovel in hand, with a pile of dirt on top of it, running towards Cole.  I got outside just in time to stop the big brother from dumping another shovel load of dirt on the little brother. 

As I inspected Cole up close, he looked like a coal miner.  He was covered with dirt from head to toe.  I should have grabbed the camera, but I was too busy stripping Cole’s clothes off and trying to dust enough dirt off of him, so I could take him in the house for a bath.

I asked Ryan if he dumped dirt on Cole, and he said yes, it was fun.  I told him he is never to do that again, and then he started telling me he was very, very, sorry.  I told him I was sad that Cole had all this dirt in his eyes, mouth, and nose.  I told him he was going to help me give Cole a bath.

As soon as Cole was in the tub, he perked up.  He even got on his tummy, and started kicking his legs like he was swimming.  I had Ryan wash Cole’s back, and then Ryan decided he wanted to get in the bathtub and take a bath too, but I told him no, since it was so close to their nap-time. 

At any rate, we got Cole cleaned up, and Ryan fell asleep shortly afterwards.  After a big morning at preschool, and then dumping dirt all over his brother, I guess he was worn out.

I don’t know how to get Cole to stop eating dirt; I just hope he doesn’t end up with a baby version “black lung,” 🙂