Category: Ryan

Arts & Crafts

Post author By A Mama's Blog
Post date January 31, 2007

Today Cole’s wonderful grandma and grandpa watched him for us, so Ryan and I could have our special morning together.

We had our “Mommy & Ryan” time at our local museum. It offers a variety of arts & crafts every week, with a different theme. We love going there- Ryan gets to paint, make a craft, play in a play house, and there is a big table that the teacher fills up with different items every week like, cornmeal, painted rice, noodles, and dry beans. Today was Groundhog Day theme, so the table had potting soil in it, and there were lots of buried plastic worms.

Ryan made a groundhog puppet and painted a picture of a worm. He played in the dirt, and got to spread shaving cream around on a table. He also got his first taste of finger painting, but he didn’t like all the paint on his hands and wanted to go wash them off.

Ryan got to see a sea shell as well, on the science table. I held it up to his ear, and told him he could hear the ocean. Tonight he was walking around saying, “I hear the ocean.” I’ll have to get him a sea shell the next time I am at the craft store, so he can hear the ocean whenever he wants.

Household Ryan

Cleaning Day

Today I finished up some cleaning that Joe and I started on yesterday. We actually now have the entire house from top to bottom clean, which doesn’t happen too often. Before we had kids, Joe and I could clean the house in about an hour. Now it is a two day (at the very least) stop-and-go event. When we get a bigger house, I am not sure how we are going to manage to keep up with it. One of the first things I am going to do when I return to work regularly, is get a cleaning service / person to come in at least once a month and do the “heavy duty” cleaning. Maybe with some of that out of the way, we can maintain it easier on a day-to-day basis.

I am happy I have discovered Method natural cleaning products. I know you can make natural cleaning products, but frankly I just don’t have the time. If had time to make cleaning products, cleaning itself wouldn’t be such a time-consuming project.

So far, I have seen Method at Target. I only have the french lavender all purpose surface cleaner which is in the above picture, but so far so good. I have used it to clean the kitchen counters, and the bathroom sinks. I was using Pine-Sol in the bathroom and Method does just as good as a job. I love that Method is non-toxic, biodegradable, naturally derived, and never tested on animals. It doesn’t make my eyes water, burn, or make my lungs burn, like bleach does, and I am glad that I don’t have to worry about Ryan and Cole breathing those fumes in. I will definitely be buying more Method products in the future. Their website is: www.methodhome.com

It warmed up some today, and Ryan got to go outside and play with his snowplow- a $5 toy we got him after his haircut at the toy store. It has paid for itself already, he LOVES this thing. He went outside on our iceberg, on our patio, and pushed his plow around in the snow for an hour, while I was cleaning, and Cole was napping. Later he wanted his Thomas train, and he had a blast, even though he refused to wear his mittens and he decided he likes to eat snow now. I told him to make sure he eats only the white snow; no yellow or brown stuff.

Later when he came in, and I was finishing cleaning the bathroom, he helped me clean the hand mirror, and then decided our stairs needed some repairs.

I am very lucky, I have such good help around here. Tomorrow I am going to tackle the laundry.

Cole Ryan

Out of the Mouths of Babe’s

Post author By A Mama's Blog
Post date January 28, 2007
3 Comments on Out of the Mouths of Babe’s

Ryan isn’t really a “babe” anymore, but he still can say the funniest things. Usually on Sunday’s he goes over to his grandparents house, and Joe (my husband) will pick him up later in the afternoon. Today Joe said that Grandma told him that Ryan asked for more milk, and she asked him what the magic word is- most children at this point, would beam up at their grandma and say, “please.” Our little monkey said, “Damn it.”

As Joe and Ryan were cuddling before bed, I went in (after getting Cole to sleep) and hugged Ryan. I asked him to tell me that he loves me, and he crinkled up his forehead, and squished his eyes together and mutters, “I love you, Mommy.” Not exactly the tender bedtime moment I was after, but oh well- it made me laugh. If he is already doing this at 3, I can only imagine what he will be doing when he is 13, and I ask him for a hug!

Cole is learning something new everyday. Yesterday, as we were driving around in the car, doing errands he started to giggle and laugh. He usually is very quiet in his car-seat, or he cries until he falls asleep, so we were wondering what was so funny back there. He was laughing for a good ten minutes. When we stopped the car to get out, I discovered he had pulled his socks off and was tickling his toes, and cracking himself up.

Today he really started to clap. We were singing a song with Ryan, and Cole just started clapping along. Now if you clap, he’ll immediately start up. Here are a couple pictures of him, showing off his new skills.

Cole Ryan

Welcome to A Mama’s Blog

This is my first official blog and entry. I wanted to start a blog so I can preserve the memories and day-to-day activities with my two sons, Ryan-age 3, and Cole-age 8 months. They seem to be growing up SO fast, and there are so many fun things they do and say- I want a place where I can preserve this time, and also the time I have now with them as a stay-at-home mama. I hope one day to be able to print the best entries and give Ryan and Cole a journal of their childhoods.

Yesterday after naptime, Ryan and I were snuggling, and he started to tell me the things he loves. He said, “Mommy, Daddy, Baby Cole, Grandma, Papa Dan, Papa Leonard, and choo-choo trains.” Then he said he “liked railroad tracks.” I asked him if he loved railroad tracks, and he very seriously told me, “No Mommy- I LIKE railroad tracks.” Very adamant on that point.

Today we took Ryan for a haircut- he was getting pretty shaggy. We had the girl cut it shorter than normal, since it grows out very fast.

Finally, Cole is learning how to stand up, and is trying to walk. He will move around the play table and tries to take “baby” steps. He ate a ton today- noodles, chicken, peas, carrots, apples, and sweet potatoes. Here is a picture of Cole: (You can double click on the picture if you want it see it enlarged.) (thanks for reading my first entry). Check back soon!