bAbYsCrApS

Reagan's Pinkalicious Party!

2011-10-09T21:43:00.000-07:00

The Pinkalicious table.

Pink, pink, and more pink~ The girls loved the wand cookies, probably more than the cupcakes?

Reagan seeing everything for the first time.

Eeeewwww. The icky green things. Guacamole and green cupcakes, for the grown-ups.

Candles are lit and singing to our little girl. Hard to believe she's blessed our world for two years now.

Finally, a scooter just like her sisters. Now hopefully she won't have to take her sisters.

Happy Birthday, Miss Reagan. What a special girl you are. Your great grandparents came from New York for your special day. You've been so excited for this day for so long. I remember a month before you went up to some of Riley's friends and said, "My booday coming." They said, "No, your birthday isn't coming." You started yelling at them, "My booday is coming and it's Pee-lish." (Pinkalicious, your favorite book that I read every.... single.... night.) Then you broke down in sobs because they weren't showing the excitement you wanted them to show. Well, you were right, Reagan. Your birthday was coming and it was very pinkalicious! Happy Birthday, Miss Reagan. We love you so much.

Thank you so much to G.G. and Poppy for making it just that much extra special.

Last Trip To The Gorge...

2011-10-09T20:54:00.000-07:00

My two cuties. Love these silly girls...

First time ever that Reagan brought me a flower (weed). I know there are many more to come due to my awesome days with Ms. Riley. How she loved to pick flowers.

Our last photo op in the Gorge.

Guilty!

2010-08-08T09:39:00.000-07:00

Uh-oh, I think I hear mom coming!

Look what someone did, mom!

I don't think she's buying my story...

I'm outta here!

Working Mommy v. Stay-at-Home mommy!

2010-08-01T20:58:00.000-07:00

Okay, enough is enough! Time to get blogging again! The other day Jason and I were arguing and racking our brains as to what we did for Riley's 2nd birthday. So what did we do to bring about a solution to our annoying bickering? Checked the blog, of course! Oh, we figured it all out, and we have had many occasions like that, where we couldn't quite remember something, but then went and checked back on the blog as to what went on. What a great tool it is!

I love blogging, but for whatever reason, I have been much more busy since I've quit my job and started staying home with the girls. Not at all what I expected! I thought I would have tons of extra time, regardless of having another baby. Perhaps it was because when I was working I didn't put so much pressure on myself to have a perfectly clean house. After all, my job now is to do the cleaning, cooking, grocery shopping, bill paying, laundry, and the list goes on...

Well, let me tell you, being a stay-at-home mom is tough! But what's the hardest thing I'm finding? Not to feel guilty about taking a couple hours and just being silly with my girls! When I was working I never once felt guilty about a messy house, of course, except when company was coming. But then my husband and I whipped it together the night before and that was that!

Oh, did I mention laundry in the above list of chores?

A new study by researchers at Columbia University find that babies raised by working mothers don't necessarily suffer cognitive setbacks. Duh!

I always found it interesting when I was working and would meet different mommies at the park. Right away the topic would come up, "Do you work?" I was very surprised at how that question could so easily extinguish any chance of a friendship, depending on if she was a working mom or stay-at-home mom. When I would answer this question, I would know right away, without even asking, if this mom was a working mom or not.

What is my point to this post? To appreciate all aspects of motherhood! There are ups, and there are downs, to both sides of the spectrum.

When I was working I remember being out on a job and seeing a mom and a little girl out and about. It would sometimes make me cry and miss Miss Riley so much. When I went to pick her up from childcare, I would just be dying to wrap my arms around her, tell her how much I loved her, and take her to do something fun, regardless of how tired I was or how messy my house was!

Now as a stay-at-home mom I sometimes have to remind myself how fortunate I am to be able to spend all of my time with my daughters! I constantly find myself asking myself, "Did I tell Riley I loved her today, did I give my girls kisses, give them encouraging words, make them feel worthy?" Sometimes the answer isn't always what I'd like.

So the point of this post? Working moms and stay-at-home moms are all the same! We all love our children and want the best for them. As a working mom I so appreciated "every single moment" with Riley. As a stay-at-home mom I feel fortunate to spend this time with Riley and Reagan but know it comes at great costs.... literally.

We all do the best we can do, but as long as we give our children our hearts, encouragement, strength, and love, they will be just fine... probably better than us blubbering moms, right?

Fun Earth Day Project

2010-04-22T20:59:00.000-07:00

This is a great project, for any age! Riley loved it and is so proud of her, what she calls, "Planet earth ball." And the best part is I didn't have to buy one thing for it! We took her pink ball, which I'm sure every child has. The hard part is Riley's was, of course, pink, so it was a bit difficult in covering the pink up.

I mixed some glue, water, and baking soda in a pie baking dish. Then was took some blue tissue paper, soaked it in the mixture, and Riley just started putting it around her ball and very patiently putting it on. Riley usually does not have the patience for any project that takes too much time, but she really enjoyed this. Once it was all covered, we then turned our little space heater on and dried it. It dried very quickly.

Riley then painted it a light blue, dark blue and white, however she wanted to do it. She loved this part.

While she was doing the painting, I Googled "Continents, free art clippings" and got the seven continents that I printed off and Riley later colored. For each continent I would read to her the climate and animals that lived on this continent. She then colored them accordingly! She loved telling Jason that night at the dinner table that Antartica was a desert.

I looked long and hard for some great Earth Day projects but had a hard time coming up with anything. That's why I'm posting this. Riley really learned a lot from this and really enjoyed it. We'll probably do it again next year.... with Reagan!

A Day at the Park

2010-04-22T20:32:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter!!

2010-04-02T14:48:00.000-07:00

"Almost" 5 going on 16

2010-03-02T23:23:00.000-08:00

Or so she thinks she's 16. Riley is quite a handful. She's ready to take on the world, or so she thinks. She insists she wants to be a singer when she grows up. Her idol is Taylor Swift, and she knows the words to her songs by heart. Her favorite song and video is Love Story. She'll watch this video several times in a day and act out the video. Riley "loves" jewels. I'm pretty sure her Mawda is the reason for this. When Riley was 2-years-old Mawda bought her a bag of jewels from the Disney store. And the rest has been history. When she saw that Edward, from the movie Twilight, glittered like diamonds in the sun, she said, "Isn't Bella so lucky? (sigh, sigh) Her boyfriend sparkles." She wishes she could have a boyfriend who looked full of diamonds in the sunshine. For whatever reason, Riley has been enamored every since with jewels. She loves music and music videos. She can be the most dramatic little girl you've ever seen. "Laid back" are the last words you would use to describe Miss Riley.

As difficult as she can be, Jason and I wouldn't have it any other way. However, let's hope Reagan is a little lower key, as there really is not enough room in a household for two Rileys!

Baby in the pot!

2010-03-02T22:36:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when three girls are in a camper all day with nothing to do because of bad weather. Yes, Helen, this is your granddaughter, sitting in your pot, in your camper.

When the desert gives you snow...

2010-03-02T22:30:00.000-08:00

Take your water tube, Seattle galoshes, daddy's hat and gloves, three pairs of sweat pants, and find the nearest sand dune! Needless to say, Riley is very happy!

Riley's American Idol

2010-03-02T22:15:00.000-08:00

This boy, Tim Urban, is a boy that I vote for every week on American Idol. Riley insists upon it. She loves this boy, and I hate to say it, but she's already determined to vote for him before he sings. Simon was so rough on him his first performance that it has just fueled Riley to vote for him every week. I mean, I'm sure that's the reason and not that she has a 4-year-old crush on this boy, right? I must say, she really lights up when he sings. As for my favorite, definately Andrew Garcia. I am blogging about this because, who knows, maybe Tim Urban will be the next big thing and when Riley is 16 we can look back and say remember when... Riley feels she has a big part in this boy's future. When he was saved last week, which was indeed a huge surprise, she said "It's sure a good thing I voted." You're welcome, Tim Urban. Your fate, atleast to my 4-year-old daughter, lies in her hands! Okay, I've got to go text my votes now.

Mischief

2010-02-22T08:08:00.000-08:00

Reagan watches Riley as if she can't wait to start getting in much mischief with her. Riley is the only one who can get Reagan to laugh. As silly as I've tried acting, even imitating what I see Riley do to get her to laugh, Reagan won't laugh when I try to get her to.

2010-02-22T07:59:00.000-08:00

You think you're going to get me in my carseat again? Think again...

Reagan at 5 months

2010-02-20T23:31:00.000-08:00

Reagan is already 5months. Really... where does the time go? She is a lot different baby than Riley; she has to be, since there is not enough room in the world for two Rileys! I suppose that's the way it usually works. While there may be a few similarities in their personalities at this age, there are many, many differences. Reagan is a very relaxed baby, doesn't cry very often, and just an all-around mellow little baby. She actually sleeps through the night! I can remember night after night with Riley where she just wasn't able to sleep at all. I suppose it could have something to do with the fact that we know with Reagan that she'll actually still be breathing in the morning. I honestly would run to Riley's crib every half hour, sure that this time she wouldn't be breathing. (I mean, I hadn't heard any crying for 30 minutes!) There were times when I would panic and whip Riley right out of her crib to check if she was still breathing. Jeesh, poor Riley. We're just the opposite with Reagan. Jeesh, poor Reagan.

Happy 5 months, Reagan!

Cuddle/movie time

2010-02-20T23:11:00.000-08:00

Reagan must be the most patient baby in the WORLD!! For the most part, she seems to really enjoy Riley's sistering ways...

Riley at 4 years old!

2009-04-17T22:27:00.000-07:00

Favorite breakfast: All breakfast food! It's her best meal of the day, the one I can actually get her to eat.
Favorite Lunch and dinner: Mac and cheese (Can't wait till that changes!) Tamale pie, Sloppy joes...
Favorite song: Single Ladies by Beyonce; Country Boy by Allen Jackson
Favorite color: Rainbow colors
Favorite game: Hide and Seek
Favorite book: Favorite-go-to book is Rechenka's Eggs. (Thanks, Debbie, for introducing that book and author.)
Favorite movie: Cinderalla, Parts 1, 2 and 3.
Favorite type of clothing: Any "twirly" dress.
Favorite play: Going to the park!
Shoe size: 10
Clothing size: Size 4 in little girls. No more toddler!
Weight: 42 lbs.
Height: Not sure on this one, but she's tall compared to the other girls in her class, so we'll see!

Riley is a very spunky little girl who always knows exactly what she wants and how she wants it. She talks non-stop at this point, even in her sleep. One of the first sentences out of her mouth when she turned 4 was, "Now I'm grown up, and I can do what I want." She had this funny notion that life was going to be changing for her, 3 going on 16, I swear!

She has a heart of gold. For her school evaluation, the teacher wrote how sweet she was to all the other children. She has already a cute, quirky sense of humor and can come up with the most outrageous comments. She loves a good joke, a nice bubble bath, a visit to a park, making shapes out of clouds, snuggling, and the list goes on.

Happy Birthday!

2009-04-17T22:25:00.000-07:00

My baby turns four today
How the time has flown...
For four wonderful years
What happiness I've known!

My baby turns four today
Yesterday she was only three
And each year I have my little one
The more she means to me!

My baby turns four today
While it was only moments ago
That they laid her on my tummy
And I whispered "Mommy loves you so!" (By Thena Smith)

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

2009-04-17T22:04:00.000-07:00

Riley was all ready for St. Patrick's Day, but imagine her dismay when leprechauns actually turned her eggs and milk green for breakfast. The leprechauns may have pushed it too far, because by the evening, she was wanting daddy to go upstairs and make sure the leprechauns were all gone.

Please, Riley.... Smile!

2009-04-17T21:56:00.000-07:00

Oh, sometimes to get Riley to give a nice smile is impossible. She makes a great tough face though, huh? She's such a little comedian.

Happy New Year's!

2009-04-17T21:26:00.000-07:00

Well, finally blogging about our New Year's! What a fun time we had. I had recieved a gift certificate for a restaurant in Tacoma, so we were off to a nice dinner. It was a seafood restaurant and was delicious. Then we were off to Zoo Lights in Tacoma. Wow - this was really fun. the lights were amazing, but unfortunately, didn't make for very good pics. Riley had such a good time and was very animated this evening. We went home and finished off our night with some WII and welcomed in the New Year's. What a year it will be!

Opy

2009-02-14T23:20:00.000-08:00

So Riley got this dress from GG. I don't know how GG does it, but every year she seems to buy something that Riley really wanted. We had, just a week before this, had a big meltdown in the store as I refused to buy her this dress. I had just bought her her Christmas dress. She made her choice, and that was it. Riley was so thrilled when she opened this. She disappeared for a while, then came down with it on and these beautiful princess shoes. She came over to me and said, "Look, Mom, I look just like that woman you like, Opy."

Jason and I were stumped and had no idea what she was talking about. "You know, Mom, that show you like; I look just like the woman on it, Opy."

Jason finally asked her if she meant Oprah. With great annoyance and exasperation she said, "Yeeeesssss."

I don't know why I couldn't figure that out. Silly mommy...

Christmas 2008

2009-02-14T23:05:00.000-08:00

As much as we missed being able to be with any family this Christmas, I must say it was a lot of fun starting some of our own traditions also. We started it off with a Christmas Eve church service. It was so nice. At the end of the service everyone stood around in the dark holding a candle up. Riley proudly pronounced, in the middle of prayer of course, "Look, Mommy, I didn't even light you on fire!" That night I pulled out some special Christmas books I had bought and we read stories. We opened up two special gifts, had a yummy dinner of clam chowder, crackers and cheese. Riley laid out her cookies she baked for Santa and put out some "magic" reindeer food for Santa's reindeer. Really, they do a lot of the hard work, too, so why not? Plus, Riley was most excited about feeding the deer more so than Santa!

Then Jason and I's work was just beginning. We had many toys to put together, batteries to get loaded, stockings to get ready, you name it. Riley really enjoyed her presents this year, so opening them was an all-day event. She wanted to play with each one after opening it. We were begging her at the end of the day to finish. It was a very quiet, relaxing day. We had a great dinner of prime rib, seafood, a baked potato bar for Riley, and way too many other things!

I put a photo album on the side, so go check it out. I loaded a new Picasa and, ever since, have had trouble loading in photo albums on. I finally figured it all out tonight, so hopefully I'm back up and running. Jeesh!

Happy Turkey Day!

2008-11-26T22:46:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

2008-11-26T22:24:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving we will be going to my aunt and uncle's house. Jason has to work on Friday, and Riley and I might venture on to my parent's house after that for the weekend. That's a lot of driving, though, for Jason, as he will then come back up on Friday, and so we're not positive yet what we're doing. We'll probably just take it one step at a time! Hope you all have a wonderful day and that you get to spend it with loved ones. Here is a cute poem that a friend of mine sent me that I thought was pretty cute!

May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have never a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Thanks for the Banner!

2008-11-10T11:24:00.000-08:00

My mom made this banner for me, and the last banner that I had on my blog. They're always very cute, but a particularly love this one!

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-01T14:10:00.000-07:00

We hope you all had a great Halloween. I have to say, I think Halloween is my favorite holiday. I know that sounds horrible, but I just love the changing of seasons, pumpkins, the no pressure of it all. It's like a month of fun events: pumpkins, farms, costumes, parties... I just love it.

We had a very fun evening. We started off with trick or treating in Kent. Everyone loved Riley's costume. I don't think we passed anyone without a comment and people were asking to take her picture all night. Riley kept saying, "See, Mom, I told you it was a good idea." She was saying that because I didn't really like the whole cupcake idea, mostly because I didn't know how we'd do that. Jason said when he took her into a restaurant to trick or treat, several girls were going crazy over her costume saying they would be cupcakes next year! I think Riley has started a food-crazed costume epidemic in Kent for next year!

It was so nice being in a neighborhood where everyone really gets in the spirit. When we opened the door to our house, you could hear all sorts of scary ghost sounds, wherewolves, you name it.

Riley is such a funny girl. All night I kept hearing, "Boy, they really like my costume. Aren't you glad I wanted to be a cupcake, Mom?"

Trip to New York

2008-11-01T12:49:00.000-07:00

My mom took this pic of grandpa and it's my favorite. It's such a perfect picture of him.

Riley relaxing before we get on the plane!

Riley giving the guys a hand

What an eventful trip to New York! I was very nervous about Jason not flying with us as he had a business trip to go to. I haven't flown by myself in quite a long time, let alone with Riley! We only had a half hour layover in Cincinatti so I kept explaining this to Riley and how we would have to have a race to get on the plane so we wouldn't miss it. I also told her if we missed the plane we wouldn't get to see grandma and grandpa. Nothing like a few get threats to get them running! And it worked. A couple times she even told me to hurry up! She had so much fun. She was nervous on the plane at times, and even screamed at one point because she thought the "plane was falling out of the sky." Every time the plane would descend it would scare her. Eventually she got used to it and really started to enjoy it.

While in New York we rested a bit and hit a few farm markets. It's such a beautiful area and amazing how open it is. It's such a different feel. The men, of course, found a small chore.

My favorite part? Grandpa's homemade bread! Yum, Yum, Yum! Riley and I were pretty happy campers, I must say. I could live off it... or die trying!

River Berry Farm

2008-11-01T11:04:00.000-07:00

What a beatiful place for a visit! I'm so lucky to have relatives that live in some beautiful places, like Fairfax, Vermont. Jason and I have always wanted to visit my Uncle Dave and Aunt Jane's farm, River Berry Farm, and finally got a chance to do so. They grow organic vegetables and small fruit. This summer I wasn't able to tear Riley away from picking raspberries and guess what the first thing Riley did when she got to the farm? Pick raspberries!! Ada and Huck, Dave and Jane's two children, led the way, and the kids were good friends from that point on.

On their farm they grow organic vegetables, strawberries, raspberries, pick your own and pre-picked, 18,000 square feet of greenhouse crops, and 400 organic layer chickens. I might add, the eggs were fantastic. Riley was eating three eggs in the morning and asking for more. No, I think three eggs is probably enough!

Going for a walk on their farm was so beautiful. The fall colors were out, actually we were a little late for the brightest colors, but it was still fantastic. Riley and I's favorite part was probably in the greenhouse picking their cherry tomatoes (I think they were cherry tomatoes) and eating them right there. Oh, they were sooo good. Riley asked for me to buy her some when we got home. I did, and she says they're not as good and won't eat them. Go figure!

Jane's dinners were amazing. Our first night she cooked lamb, squash, brussel sprouts. Now, this does not normally sound like a good meal to me. First off, I've never had "any" of these items. But this was the best dinner. Everything was so beautiful, including her table setting, and delicious. She made a rustic lasagna one night that just tasted so different and good from any other lasagna I've had. All the food they eat is organic, including their meat. And can you believe they have no microwave? That's right! Wow - I admire that. I don't think I could function for an hour. As a matter of fact, I was really fumbling around in the kitchen in the morning!

Their home is a historic landmark and is really amazing. I'm hoping to come up with some more pics to post, but I can't find one right now of their house. In the picture of the table setting, check out the oven there on the right. Isn't that cool?

Well, we hope to return one day, perhaps during their busy time to help out on the farm. Riley would sure love that. Her, Ada and Huck all hit it off. Even Riley and Huck had a fun time, as much fun as a boy Huck's age and Riley's age can have. They are sure some lucky kids, though, growing up like that! Wow!!

Trip to Vermont

2008-11-01T10:42:00.000-07:00

Uncle David helping Riley get the eggs... yummy!

Riley's wish - to jump in a big pile of leaves. She finally got to do it.

Of course, the guys got in some fishing. And good fishing at that. This was a Northern Pike that was 38 inches. Wow!

Riley and Mommy

2008-11-01T10:19:00.000-07:00

Riley brought this picture home and said it was of me and her playing. I've had it for awhile now and don't want to lose it, so what better thing to do with it than blog it? I was very surprised to see this picture; it was the first one I'd seen where she'd drawn actual people with faces. The date on this pic is 9/23/08. Thank you, Riley.

Remlinger '08

2008-11-01T10:06:00.000-07:00

Another fun visit at Remlinger Farms! Riley enjoyed a pony ride, but was a bit fearful of the other rides this year. I'm not really sure why. This will probably be our last visit to Remlinger and we'll really miss it. With the move, though, it's quite a drive. We've visited there for three years in a row; it has become our pre-Halloween tradition. We'll now have to find another farm in this area that can hopefully compare!

Riley's first day

2008-10-03T11:29:00.000-07:00

What a rollercoaster of a day. I dropped Riley off today at daycare and felt very uneasy. Riley's previous daycare was a small group of children. Kristi, her previous daycare provider, had children that were very well mannered, easy going, had great manners, et cetera. I'm not sure how she did that, but she taught them wonderful manners, and the children really loved and cared for one another. The reason for my uneasiness at her new school? Well, the kids were fighting pretty much the whole time I was there. Riley just stood by me plugging her ears. It was sooo loud in there! Another difference about her previous daycare is that there were basically only girls. Kristi had a few boys, Griffin, Eli, and Ryan, they were so sweet and gentle, never so loud and rambunctious. I'm not sure why the difference here at her new daycare.

So anyway, I believe her teacher was starting to see my uneasiness. Actually, what was going through my head was that I didn't want to leave her here today. The teacher suggested Playdo, and Riley perked right up. I then told Riley I was leaving, and she seemed just fine with that. I had been telling Riley that I would leave her at her new school until lunch, then I would come eat with her, and we'd go home.

So then I went home and cried, cried, cried, called Jason, and cried, cried, cried... you get the picture.

At 11 I went to have lunch with her. When I walked in she was thoroughly enjoying a plate of stroganoff noodles, peaches, and broccoli, even had seconds. This is hilarious considering I can't get her to eat anything at home! She was sitting by a girl, Taylor, with whom she had enjoyed playing with on one of our previous visits. When I asked her if she was having fun, she nodded her head, very excitedly, with a mouthful of noodles hanging out her mouth!

So here I was sitting at home feeling guilty, while Riley was enjoying her day. She decided she wanted to stay till 3 because they were going to be making apple pies this afternoon!LOL!

I'm so proud of Riley, how outgoing and open she is, so brave, quite a little trooper. I could learn a lot from her.

Riley at 3

2008-09-17T14:11:00.000-07:00

Riley is an amazing little girl, if I may say so myself. She is constantly cracking me and Jason up. She is very dramatic. This morning she said, "Mom, I'm thirsty; could you get me a drink of water?" I told her to hang on a second because I was putting the laundry into the dryer. She said, "Fine, I'll just lay here and die of thirst." I had never heard her say anything like that before. She's always that dramatic, though.

Here's an update on some of Riley's likes, interests, et cetera.

Sizes: Size 8 shoe, but probably really needs a 9. 4T clothes, but that also is getting very close to change. I can't believe how much she is growing. She gets growing pains a lot also. She currently weighs 40 pounds and is very proud of that fact. I'm having a very difficult time carrying her anymore.

Favorite Food: Macoroni and Cheese, please. She loves cheese. One of her favorite things is going to Central Market on Sundays because that's when they have all their cheeses out for samples. Also any fruit.

Favorite Toy: All of her stuffed toys. She keeps wanting me to reassure her that we're taking all of them when we move.

Favorite playtime activity: This is an easy one: she loves pretending. She'll give us this looooong scenario she wants us all to act out, like, she's the princess, someone else is the prince, (you get the idea) and she'll run out of the room leaving a shoe behind. She'll get all dressed up for this. She loves costumes, shoes, and jewelery. She loves playing outside with a ball or riding her bike.

Favorite movie: Any movie with a princess or an animal in it.

Favorite TV show: Dora the Explorer and Lazytown.

Little tidbits: I can't remember a time when I've picked Riley from daycare and she didn't have a flower that she had picked for me, a beautiful "sun flower," also known as a dandelion. Kristi swears she's going to be a horticulturist. She loves berry picking, also. I was really looking forward to taking her huckleberry picking, but unfortunately, we had a very poor year for huckleberries, so we stuck with the blackberries.

Riley loves little babies and whenever we're out and see one, she'll talk to them in this little baby voice that's hilarious. She still loves animals, all animals. We've told her when she's five she can have her own dog, and she's very excited to be five.

Riley is very hyperactive and talkative. She tells me these long drawn-out stories. She asks tons of questions about everything, even asking how the baby gets in the stomach!

Bob's Corn Maze

2008-09-17T11:09:00.001-07:00

We had a great time at Bob's corn maze in Snohomish! This picture is just half of the corn maze; it's huge and so much fun. It took us a while to get through, but they have a great middle half-way area where you can rest and use the restroom. Riley took the maze very seriously and worked very hard to help us get through it. At their store, we picked up some great jellies, a yummy vidalia onion and cucumber salad dressing, and each of us had a peach for a treat before we left.... oh, yeah, and we bought some corn!!

My Poor Girl

2008-09-16T11:07:00.000-07:00

I'm writing in blue because that's how my girl's feeling. Riley and I went to the Puyallup fair yesterday, which we've done the last two years and have loved it. The only difference is that yesterday is was pretty warm, 80 degrees. I'm not sure if that has had anything to do with her state today, but it all started with a rash I noticed on her skin when we were at the fair. Not the type of rash with heat, like sweat bumps, but a rather lacy-looking red rash that was only in the exposed areas of her skin. I had a 60 sunblock on her, so I knew it wasn't a sunburn. Anyhow, when we got home, she was experiencing some bathroom issues. (I'm assuming Riley is going to read this when she gets older, so I won't go into this area anymore) Okay, several hours later, she "finally" was able to go to the bathroom with her mom and dad sitting on the floor talking her into the fact that it wouldn't hurt and would be okay. She was so excited after she went, and I assumed all was okay.

So today I had a job at 9. I would have loved to have gotten out of it since we were all so tired, but it's hard to get coverage for a 9:00 job. But it was only going to go for two hours, so I figured I could get Riley caught up on her sleep after that point as I'd be able to go pick her up.

I put her in her carseat at 6:30 a.m. and hear, "Momma, my tummy hurts." And that was that; the next thing I know she's throwing up everywhere. I'm pulling her out of her carseat, because she was screaming for me to hold her, and stuff is everywhere: carseat, my freshly drycleaned suit that I had just picked up on Monday, shoes, Riley's new Seahawk's outfit, and a trail into the house. The neighbor ran over and asked if everything was okay. Uhhh, not really, but not too much you can do!

Poor Riley. We've been so lucky because she's never had a stomach cramping-type of sickness before. When I called the doctor and told him about her rash and throwing up, he said he definately needs to see her, which is unusual because usually he says, nope, not too much we can do, to just give her lots of rest and fluids.

Okay, wish her luck. Poor girl. She's sleeping really good right now, so that'll surely help.

Summer Fun

2008-09-06T00:42:00.000-07:00

Riley sure enjoyed her swimming lessons. She is eagerly awaiting to move out of Minnows and into the Guppies. I did not have the heart to tell her, the last three swimming lessons, that she is not yet a guppie. She keeps asking me about it, if she passed to Guppies or not, and I'm never quite sure what the best thing to tell her is. I told her she passed. Yep, that's right: I lied!!

As we're leaving the last day of swimming lessons, and I've lied to her about being a Guppie instead of a Minnow, a father asks me, "Did Riley pass into the Guppies?" Yep, he yelled it across the parking lot. Not thinking, I said, "No, she'll be a Minnow next time." Riley said, "No, Mom, I'm a Minnow; why did you tell him that?"

Oh, gee, did I feel awful. It was hard getting myself out of that mess.

Riley is doing great in swimming lessons. She really enjoys it and gets so excited whenever she goes to her lessons; it's hilarious to watch her!

Who knew?

2008-09-04T23:12:00.000-07:00

Wow - what a romatic pic. Of course, Jason will hear nothing of it, but I'm so impressed that my hubby took a picture at something that I might not have realized he'd notice. Haaaa.......

Check out the folder of pics on the side of my blog of dad and Jason's fun fishing trip!

Goodbye

2008-09-04T23:03:00.000-07:00

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Last week Riley had to say goodbye to her "best" friend, Anju. Anju is starting kindergarten and starting all-day school. This has been confusing to Riley. Anju, afterall, has been there every day with Riley. She loves this girl! They're both the same in the sense they'd rather build a block building than play with a "My Pony," feed the horses than playing in the playhouse. We'll miss you so much, Anju. I have to say, Riley has great taste in friends, and I'm so proud of her choise of a first best friend. Anju is one of a kind. We'll miss you, sweet girl!

Swimming Lessons

2008-07-03T22:24:00.000-07:00

Riley really improved with her swimming lessons. She's so funny to watch. When she first gets in the water, she gets such an adrenaline rush. She'll dunk her head in the water, come up out of the water, body shaking, and scream! It's hilarious. She doesn't stop moving in the water. She'll still be a minnow for the next swimming lessons, but let's keep our fingers crossed that she'll be a guppie soon!

Limbs in the Car, Please!!!

2008-07-03T22:20:00.000-07:00

Imagine my surprise when I see Jason and Riley pull up with Riley just lounging in her carseat with her foot out the window. Jeesh!

Finally... Sunshine!

2008-07-03T22:00:00.000-07:00

We were so excited to finally have some nice weather! Riley goes to this park with her daycare for a field trip every year. It's called Forest Park and is it fun! There's a little water park, pony rides, a small petting zoo, you name it.

Gymnastics Graduation

2008-07-03T21:24:00.000-07:00

Riley had a great gymnastics graduation. They even had a little routine, which was pretty cute and had the parents very entertained! Riley loved her teachers, especially Teacher Natalie. At home Riley pretends to be teacher Natalie and wants to teach her mommy and daddy how to do somersaults, wall climbs, et cetera.

The Reptile Man

2008-06-22T14:10:00.000-07:00

What a great birthday party! One of Riley's most favorite friends, Anju, had a party with the Reptile Man out of Monroe. It was a great party for the children... and the adults!

Woo-Hoo - Bloom's Day 2008

2008-06-06T21:25:00.000-07:00

I "love" Bloom's Day! It is definately one of the highlights I look forward to.
First of all, I really miss Spokane. It's a "bit city feel" without all of the freakin' traffic! I had a great race, beating any of my previous times by quite a bit. (although, that's not saying much!) You have to really admire all the great entertainment along this race! It truly keeps you going and motiviated. I particularly love running past the group of nuns that are chearing for everyone!

Riley and Lauren taking a little break from all the excitement!

Riley and Lauren being goofy - as usual!

Look at that poor soul trying to finish this race!

Happy Mother's Day to me!

2008-06-06T20:36:00.000-07:00

Flowers and a strawberry cheesecase! Wow - they really know how to get to mama's heart!

Alki Beach

2008-06-06T20:31:00.000-07:00

We finally made it to Alki Beach. How could we have lived here for two years and not gone there yet? Wow - it was so much fun. We had no idea what we were in store for. It's a beautiful beach and so hard to believe that it's so close to Seattle! It was great fun! Miss Riley refused to keep her clothes on; slowly, she kept peeling her clothing as Jason was saying, no no no! It's a beautiful beach and a beautiful day!

Birthday Party

2008-04-28T22:11:00.000-07:00

Riley's good friend, Lauren, turned 4 this weekend. All the kids had a great time at the party which was held at the Children's Museum.

Cinderella

2008-04-28T21:46:00.000-07:00

Riley loves Cinderella. This is her friend, Lauren, and her getting ready to go to the Cinderella play. They had a great time. The play was wonderful and we can't wait to go to Pinocchio one next month. Riley sat at the edge of her chair and was mesmerized the entire play. Riley loved dressing up but wouldn't dream of letting me touch her hair. No way!

Easter '08

2008-04-19T16:05:00.000-07:00

Check out the Easter album in the right column I just posted!

We had a great time at my parents over Easter. Riley's focus was finding Easter eggs. She had a great time. We then went to a beautiful Easter brunch. Riley just asked me yesterday how the Easter bunny knew she like rain boots so much.

Riley's three Easter pics!

2008-04-19T15:46:00.000-07:00

Age 1
Age 2
Age 3

My cute girl with her Easter dress on!

2008-04-17T12:14:00.000-07:00

Looking for the Easter basket

2008-04-17T12:13:00.000-07:00

Riley running out of her room ready to search for her Easter basket and eggs.

What!!?? The Easter Bunny hid her basket up on a beam!

Easter Dinner

2008-04-17T12:07:00.000-07:00

Mom made a great low-fast Easter dinner! Doesn't look so lowfat, does it? Yum.

And finally taking a little break!

2008-04-17T11:53:00.000-07:00

Eric's Birthday

2008-04-06T01:03:00.000-07:00

I'm posting in blue as that was Eric's favorite color. I know my mom always wonders what Eric would be in his life right now, as do I. I believe he would have been a lost and waundering soul for some time. Eric was very sensitive and creative. Who could forget his crazy stories he would write, his intense anger when the TV Guide would be incorrect about its late-night TV lineup? He would yell that he was going to write a letter to TV Guide. Can you imagine a little boy yelling that he was going to write a letter to the TV networks? I believe Eric would have taken our family from "conventional" to "unconventional." Instead of doing what society tells people they have to do, he would have broken the mold and felt free to do what he wanted to do, however crazy and "unconventional" it might seem to some. I miss Eric every day, and like I always say, knowing Riley and Eric the way I do, the two would have been an incredible duo. Happy Birthday, Eric. I miss you so much, the late-night Christmas stories, secret eye rolls between the two of us, French toast, and the love for music I will never forget.

Happy Birthday, Riley!

2008-04-05T22:06:00.000-07:00

Wow!! What a birthday Miss Riley had! She really enjoyed getting to spend time with her grandparents. Jason and I can't believe Riley is three years old. I remember when Riley was a baby people would come up to me in stores and say enjoy it because it goes by so fast. I would just laugh and go on my merry way. Well, now I find myself wanting to tell that to other woman that, yes indeed, enjoy it because it "does" go by so fast! Every day Riley keeps us laughing with her never-ending funny comments, creative imagination, and dramatic meltdowns. We love it all. Maybe we don't enjoy the meltdowns at the time, but they're sure a chuckle for Jason and I when we have endured!! I big high-5, for sure!!

Okay. Riley has entered a magical age, in her own world. For the first two weeks, she thought she had grown 3 feet. It was hilarious. Every time she would reach for something, she would say, with shock on her face, "Look, I can reach this! Boy, have I grown! Can you believe it?" She was amazed with herself for quite a while. I truly believe she thought 3 was a magical age and the world was going to open up. Afterall, this was the age she was able to start gymnastics without mom and dad, the age where she was able to play at McDonalds legally, use the play area at Ikea, and getting to use the "big kids'" room at daycare.

We love you so much, Riley! Happy birthday. Here's a poem that Dad and I agreed reminded us a lot of you:

“What Is A Little Girl!”
She's a bundle of sweetness, brightness & fun
The beauty of springtime, the warmth of the sun
She's Innocence covered with mud, sand, & soot
She's Motherhood dragging a doll by the foot...
She's a composite picture of giggles & tears
Of tantrums, excitement, amusement & fears
A bundle of mischief and often a tease
A creature of moods not easy to please...

Who'll capture your heart with her pixie-like grin
Or chatter and beg till your patience wears thin
But obedient, naughty, mischievous or coy
She's Mom's little Darling & Dad's Pride & Joy.

Riley's 3rd birthday

2008-04-05T21:52:00.000-07:00

Riley made grandma a nice lunch.

Grandma and Riley preparing a masterpiece.

Riley loved her new sunglasses form Uncle Jon, Aunt Sue, Brayden and Cheyenne. She even had to wear them while opening the rest of her gifts!

Finally... she's able to pay her own way....

2008-04-05T21:42:00.000-07:00

We're happy to report that our daughter has finally got herself a job! Okay, this was her "second" third birthday party with her grandpma and grandpa Hoyt, and did she have a good time. These pics were taken at the children's museum in Seattle. This party's theme was Cinderella. What a contrast to the Spiderman party with her Mawda and Papa, huh?

Funny Faces

2008-04-02T12:32:00.000-07:00

I just love these pictures of Riley. They crack me up. She will never have this much fun at a photo shoot again. Either that, or I'll never get just a normal nice smiling picture again. She loved acting out each face: mad, happy, sad, scared, ambarrassed, sneaky. This was right up her alley!

Spiderman Birthday Party

2008-03-10T13:18:00.000-07:00

Riley had a great birthday party. We went to the children's museum and then had a birthday party at home after her nap. This year, instead of getting stuck on one gift, she was ready to move on to the next present as soon as she opened it. "Okay, what's next?" No happy medium here. So next weekend it will be a Cinderella birthday part, then Easter....

Riley's First Dentist Appointment

2008-03-02T23:23:00.000-08:00

Riley was, at first, excited about her dentist appointment. She became a little nervous when they called her in the office to see the dentist. She was such a great little girl. They actually had Dora movies playing for each chair. Hmm, I don't remember kid's movies playing when I was young and went to the dentist. Riley got a teeth cleaning. They taught her how to floss. Unfortuantely, the dentist said there was a concern with Riley and that is she has an underbite. You know, now that the dentist has said that, Jason and I have realized that, indeed, she does. After having jaw surgery myself and so many problems with my jaw, I can't believe I didn't notice that! The dentist said that there is nothing that can be done about this until she is approximately 6 years old, as that's the youngest that an orthodontist will see a child. Poor girl. Anyway, at the end of the appointment she got to go pick a toy out from "The Tower of Toys." Boy, was that exciting for her. I think she will very much be looking forward to going back to the dentist. What toy did she pick out? A ball, of course. I guess the ten she has at home just aren't enough!!

Goodbye Crib!

2008-03-02T22:59:00.000-08:00

Here is Riley's toddler bed! She did very well with the conversion and is enjoying her new setup.

Painting

2008-03-02T22:53:00.000-08:00

Riley "loves" to paint. Her Mawga and Papa got this easel for her, and she absolutely loves it.

Dress-up time!

2008-03-02T22:50:00.000-08:00

You never know what Riley might be dressed up as. She "loves" make-believe. She is always pretending to be anything from a princess to the big bad wolf!

Favorite Drink

2008-03-02T22:45:00.000-08:00

Riley loves this drink. She asks for it all the time. It has blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, bananas, yogurt and milk in it. She will always ask me if she can have her "special drink."

Riley's First Black Eye

2008-03-02T22:40:00.000-08:00

Riley got her first black eye at 2-years old! We were at a friends house and the bad mommies and daddies were playing Guitar Hero. Riley ran into the guitar that our friend was playing. Her eye instantly went through many colors, shapes, before ending in a nice shade of black and very puffy. I have to say this was a very hard time for mommy also, to see her little girl with a black eye. I actually wanted to cry right along with her. Riley was tough, as always, and was ready to go play not too long after the incident. She was very proud of her black eye. She went very proudly to daycare and told everyone about it.... several times!

Chloe

2008-03-02T22:28:00.000-08:00

There are no words that can say how much Riley loves her kitty, Chloe. Look at this haircut, in the second picture, of Chloe. We took Chloe to the groomer and Riley cried forever when we left. She didn't understand why Chloe would have to stay there, why we would be leaving her there. She kept asking us all day when we could go pick her up. When we picked her up, Riley cried again saying that they had "shrunk" her. (Chloe had been shaven.) She still talks about the fact that her kitty "got shrunk in the dryer." Riley loves to feed her kitty, pet her, cover her up in blankets, and absolutely harrass her beyond belief. However, Choe is a real trooper and tolerates it and is even starting to enjoy some of this "attention."

Pajama Party!

2008-03-02T22:01:00.000-08:00

The children's museum near where we lives holds periodic evening pajama parties. Riley and her friend, Lauren, had a great time. The first pic is the girls on a stage doing a little show. Second pic is Riley doing some grocery shopping - in her P.J.'s, and third pic is a water area. This museum is pretty amazing and the girls were plenty entertained! ( For Poppy and GG, this is where we spent her 1st birthday.)

Gymnastics Graduation

2008-03-02T21:53:00.000-08:00

This was Riley's "Super Beasts" gymnastic's class graduation. She will be starting classes all by herself on March 15th. Very hard to believe for Mommy! She really enjoyed this class and has a great teacher, Teacher Natalie. Another favorite part of gymnastics for Riley is going to the pet store before or after her gymnastics class, which is in the same complex. Riley and I have even been a little late to gymnastics due to a cute puppy or kitten! Riley loves animals and asks us all the time if she can have a puppy.

Snow Day!

2008-03-02T21:31:00.000-08:00

Just look at all the snow in Seattle! Jason had to go to work this day, but Riley and I stayed home and enjoyed the snow! Do you see the hat that she's wearing? Riley "loves" superheroes, especially Wonder Woman. However, Superman is very high on the list also (or Supergirl!). She loves wearing this hat.

Chistmas 2007

2008-02-01T12:35:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas; of course, how can you not with a 2-year-old little girl? Riley was opening presents "all" day. Her favorite gift was her Baby Lissy doll from Santa Clause. As a matter of fact, she takes Baby Lissy to daycare with her every Friday for show-and-tell. (Do you think the other kids are getting a little tired of this already?) After opening her doll, she kept saying to me, everytime I would even come near the doll, "This is my baby, not yours. I take care of her." She still lets me know that Baby Lissy is hers, not mine! We had a beautiful dinner. Mom made prime rib that was to die for! Mom, grandma and I took in some after-Christmas shopping the next day, while dad and Jason babysat Riley. And to top everything off... we got snow that afternoon. We couldn't resist and had to go out and make a snowman and throw a few snowballs, of course!

Christmas PJ's

2008-02-01T08:36:00.000-08:00

This is Christmas Eve night. Does Riley look a little anxious to you?

Cookies for Santa

2008-02-01T08:34:00.000-08:00

Riley is working very hard to make her cookies for Santa. After this she poured a nice glass of milk for him. He must have loved her cookies because they were all gone in the morning!

Christmas Train

2008-01-31T22:11:00.000-08:00

Riley really enjoyed her train this year for Christmas

Christmas parties

2008-01-31T22:05:00.000-08:00

So this year we had two Christmas parties, one for Byers and Anderson, the firm I work for, and a party for Riley that her little friend invited her to. Riley had such a great time at her party. It was a cookie exhcange and the kids had quite a sugar high! Perhaps the adults did, too? All the little girls had a table set up just for them with presents. They all felt very grown up and special.

Thanksgiving

2008-01-31T21:51:00.000-08:00

We had a very nice Thanksgiving. We spent it with Jason's family and were able to get in lots of fun activities. The first picture of Riley is checking out the great Christmas lights display that they have in Lewiston, Idaho. It's pretty spectacular. The second is Riley and Jason doing a little dancing. Riley has great moves, huh?

Riley at 32 Months

2007-11-08T13:32:00.000-08:00

Favorite Color: Pink, purple and blue
Favorite type of Clothes: Stretchy pants, soft shirts (The other day she asked me if I would stop buying her jeans because they were uncomfortable and hard to pull on and off at daycare when she has to go potty! So I went and got her several pair of stretchy pants and the way she reacted to them you would have thought it was some great toy she had been wanting.)
Clothes Size: This is a tough one. She's right inbetween a size 2T and 3T. If anyone is thinking of buying her clothes for Christmas, go ahead and get a 3T.
Shoe Size: Size 8. And boy does she love shoes! All shoes!
Favorite toys: Puzzles. Any art supplies, such as markers, paint. Baby dolls. Trains, cars. Dress-up items, jewelery, games, balls, Lightening McQueen, Thomas the Train, Little People.
Favorite Food: Pizza with pineapple, crackers and apple with brie (That's right; Jason and I bought some brie for us one evening to eat after she went to bed. She insisted on having some and practically ate the whole thing of brie. Now she asks for it all the time.) Fruit, fish sticks.
Favorite Drink: Chocolate milk
Favorite Read: She loves fairytales right now: Three Little Pigs, anything along those lines.
Favorite Cartoons: Scooby Doo, Tom and Jerry, Dora the Explorer, Diego.
Favorite Movie: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, (She drives us crazy with this movie!!) Scooby Doo movie, The Little Mermaid, and always her favorite, Cars.
Favorite Disney Character: Lightening McQueen and Ariel.
Favorite Music: Riley is just now getting to where she really enjoys music. I remember Eric had a passion for music right from the beginning. She's always singing some little tune and loves to dance.
General Interests: Riley is still very active. Her all-time favorite is just going to the park, anything to do with being outside. Her favorite friend is a little girl named Anju and another little girl named Lauren. She has a real love/hate relationship with a little boy named Eli. Oh, he's such a cutie, though. (Thought I better write that in here since you never know what the future holds, right?) One minute she's a real girly-girl, then the next she's as crazy as any little boy and absolutely loves playing with cars, trucks, trains, et cetera. She will ask you "why" about a hundred times, until you've gone in a complete circle with something and you've completely run out of answers. She's very curious about everything and when you're trying to explain something, you can tell she's really trying to figure it out. When I get her dressed in the morning, she'll go over to Jason with her hands on her hips sometimes and say, "Do you like me now?" And she is constantly rhyming. She's always rhyming her words, which is pretty funny.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

2007-11-08T10:20:00.000-08:00

I "love" Halloween! Maybe it's the change in weather, seasons, a holiday where there's no pressure what to get anyone for gifts, no pressure about what to make for dinner, et cetera. Riley and I had so much fun picking out costumes. Little Red Riding Hood is one of her favorite stories, and she really enjoyed having Jason dressed like the Big Bad Wolf. Halloween started with Riley getting dressed up for daycare. I only had her go for a couple hours so she could enjoy the party and seeing all the other kids dressed up. There was a cowboy, a firefighter, and a kitty. (There are four kids in Riley's daycare.) Then we were off to a grocery store that puts on a fun event for the kids. We went to Trunk or Treat. This was the first year for this event and it was pretty cool. It's a huge parking lot where several cars, vans and pickups are all parked in rows, like a car show. Their trunks or back of vans or trucks are all decorated. There was a van that was made up like a big ship and we could actually walk through it! Each car was giving out candy. We then met up with some friends and let the girls go trick-or-treating together and give out candy at their house. The girls were so excited. At one point Lauren, Riley's friend who is the pumpkin in the second picture, felt it was taking too long to answer the door and gave a very exasperated, "Come on" right as he was opening the door. It was so hard to keep Riley from, first of all, ringing on the doorbell, but then pounding on the door. Every house we had to hold the girls back from practically breaking down their door! It was a late night, but everyone had a great time!

Halloween - Part I

2007-11-03T23:52:00.000-07:00

The weekend before Halloween we went to the Pumpkin Prowl at the zoo. Riley loved seeing Jason in his big bad wolf mask and she was Little Red Riding Hood. Jason was quite a hit with the kids; they would just stare at him when we walked by! Riley wouldn't let Jason take the mask off for nothing! The zoo puts on quite a Halloween event. The pumpkins they carve are really amazing.

Fun Times!

2007-11-03T23:44:00.000-07:00

Okay, we had so much fun the first weekend we went to Remlinger Farms, we went back again the next weekend and took some friends. The two girls had so much fun. They rode on rides, pet all the animals, toured a haunted house, rode a pony, and much, much more! The hay pics were so much fun and don't you like how Jason cleans her off at the end - picks her up and holds her upside down! Riley really enjoyed the pony ride, and wouldn't let us touch her when she was on the horse - no way! She was going to enjoy this all on her own!

Pumpkin Time

2007-11-03T23:30:00.000-07:00

We went to Remlinger Farms to get our pumpkins. We enjoyed a hay ride and picked out some mighty fine pumpkins. Riley, just like last year, did not particularly care for the cleaning out of the pumpkins! However, she really enjoyed picking the type of face she wanted and helping cut out the face.

Funny Blurbs

2007-10-29T14:57:00.000-07:00

Today I was asking Riley to do something and she said, "You're bugging my chops, mom." (sorta like busting my chops, I suppose.)

Riley loves grapes. Jason accidentally bought some that had seeds in them this last time. Today I went through the grapes to get the seeds out. I then, after about a half hour, gave a big bowl of grapes to Riley. At the end she found a seed in one of her grapes and said, Mom, I found a seed. You need to be more careful; I could've choked."

Handygirl

2007-10-25T20:33:00.000-07:00

I'm not really sure why, but Riley loves hammers, drills, screwdrivers, et cetera. She is always asking me to let her use the hammer to "fix" something - yeah, sure!

Lil' Dancers!

2007-10-25T20:26:00.000-07:00

The kids at the wedding were a wild bunch! Riley loved this little boy that was behind her - all the girls did!

Future Bride?

2007-10-25T20:22:00.000-07:00

We went to a beautiful wedding of my cousins and had a great time. I wanted to show her wedding dress, as I thought it was so unusual with the blue that runs down the back. It was beautiful and very fitting for her. It was so cute because at the end of the ceremony, they put on sunglasses and danced their way down the isle! That's Shannah! Another great thing at the wedding were these little "Future Bride" bags. They were filled with the cutest toys and Riley loved it! We had a great time at the ceremony and Riley got in a little dancing, as did Jason and I - first time since our honeymoon!

Elephant in the Room!

2007-10-25T20:11:00.000-07:00

Riley makes such cute things at daycare. Every day she brings home projects and is usually wearing some animal hat. In her preschool she is on the letter "F." Every two weeks they do a different letter of the alphabet. This is an elephant hat that she made for the letter-E week. Cracks me up!

More Leavenworth Pics

2007-10-04T20:46:00.000-07:00

Riley's First Race

2007-10-04T20:42:00.000-07:00

What a proud moment for Daddy - getting Riley ready to run the race!

Leavenworth Trip

2007-10-04T20:38:00.000-07:00

Just like last year, we had another great trip in Leavenworth. This place is so much fun! Jason's parents always watch Riley for us so we can go have a nice dinner. Okay, that was the second nice dinner we've had together since Riley has been born! I was able to get a little Christmas shopping done for Riley while doing some shopping in Leavenworth. They have an amazing candy store where I was able to get some stocking stuffers. We were able to go to the farm where they have pumpkins, a maze, animals to feed, great food, and a store with crafts, food, et cetera. Riley took a ride on the little cow ride. She wanted to sit at the end because I told her that was the fastest one! On Sunday we went to the Salmon Festival at the Fish Hatchery. Check out the photo album on the side - those are all the pics from our trip. There is a section where they have tons of costumes, and the kids just try on different ones. How fun! Riley, Brayden, and Cheyenne did great paintings of fish, enjoyed music, and Grandpa Hoyt
bought Riley her first cup of hot coco.

Aauugh, She's so Sweet!

2007-10-04T07:44:00.000-07:00

The other day Riley and I were grocery shopping. She had some money and dropped it on the floor. Riley says, "I'm sorry, Mom, I dropped my money. Please, could you pick it up?" A lady overheard this and stopped and was gushing at what a sweet girl she was to say sorry like that. As she was going on and on, I was picking up the money for Riley. As the lady was still there, I handed the money over to Riley. She wrinkled her face up in this awful little squishy face and said in a not-so-sweet voice, "Now, give me my money!!" Ugh, the lady looked a little uncomfortable at this point and just walked off!!! Oh, Riley, couldn't you have just kept it up for two minutes longer?

Lil' Seagal!

2007-09-23T21:57:00.000-07:00

Funny Blurbs!

2007-09-23T21:43:00.000-07:00

Riley says hilarious things every day. I thought I would blog one day of "silly comments."

1. Jason was going to run after dinner and was on his way in the kitchen for seconds. I reminded Jason that since he needed to run he might want to think about seconds! Riley, with her body puffed up and head down, with eyebrows furled up, said, "Don't tell my daddy not to eat; he needs his energy!"

2. "Mommy, I forgot what I was going to say. What was I going to say?" I reply, "I don't know, Riley. To which she replies, very frustrated, "No, mom, what was I going to say? I don't remember. What was I going to say! TELL ME WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY!!" We must have went round and round with this forever, as I am trying to convince her that I really had no idea what she was going to say!

Puyallup State Fair

2007-09-23T21:34:00.000-07:00

Riley enjoyed her first fair last weekend. What a great time we had! I was very nervous when Riley got on her first ride, which was probably too fast of a ride to be her first. I "pretended" to be very enthusiastic, however! She wasn't too sure and just kept looking at me to see if it was fun or not. Finally she decided that it was very fun, and that was the end of any hesitation. She and Lauren went on rollercoasters, helicopters, haunted houses, you name it! Riley and I went to the fair with some friends, Danielle and Lauren. The two girls were so funny together. In the helicopter ride, they are actually holding hands! (check out the photo album on the side of the fair!) It was pouring rain that day, but on the other hand, nice that we didn't have any lines for the rides! This pic is of her visiting Diego.

Go Cougs!

2007-09-23T20:06:00.000-07:00

What a great cougs game! Riley was a very faithful chearleader! She got a kick out of being able to yell as loud as she wanted without hearing, "Inside voice!!" And trust me, she took advantage! I absolutely love going to football games and hope we can get to a Seahawk's game. Looks like they're doing good this year so it might be hard to get tickets.

Cookies

2007-09-07T22:52:00.000-07:00

Riley made some yummy cookies with mawdga!

Miss Riley

2007-09-07T22:49:00.000-07:00

Riley is growing so fast. She herself marvels at how she's growing: "Look at how big I am!" There is not a day that passes that something hilarious does not come out of her mouth. Today we took a bike ride to the park and she kept pulling up my shirt in the back and saying, "Tickle, tickle, tickle!" Riley's favorite color is purple. Her favorite food is any fruits. She loves to sing songs, dance, play games, ride bikes, make believe, paint, crocs, dresses, playing ball, frogs, slides, parks, fruit, Seahawks, trains, airplanes, cookies after daycare, a fire on cold evenings, costumes, flowers, the ocean, animals, parks, bike rides, driving with the windows rolled down, et ceters. Riley reminds me to enjoy these simple things myself.

Labor Day Weekend

2007-09-07T22:25:00.000-07:00

Mount Hood from the Fish Hatchery

Riley's catch of the day!

This is a busy time of year for my dad; the fish are coming up the ladders! I remember when I was a little girl and the men at the hatchery were doing the spawning, I would try to collect all the fish eggs that had accidently fallen on the ground. I also enjoyed seeing the two-headed or albino eggs that would be in the fish trays. I love that Riley will get a chance to enjoy this also.

Hood to Coast Race

2007-09-07T22:15:00.000-07:00

Jason had a great race in Seaside, and Riley and I really enjoyed it also! What an amazing race this is. We really enjoyed walking around and seeing all the vans decorated, and the excitement of all the racers was contagious. Jason did such a great job and is looking forward to doing it next year.

Ahhh, Brent took this photo. Hopefully Daniell and Lauren will get to come next year!

Hide 'N Seek

2007-09-07T21:46:00.000-07:00

It's so hard to believe Riley is almost 2 and a half year's old! Her favorite game is hide 'n seek. Isn't this a great hiding spot?! Hard to beat! Riley is a constant chatter bug. Not too much quiet time at this point. She has something to say about everything and her own opinion on everything. Today she made the comment, "Mommy, when I was little I used to go there." When she was little?!?! Oh, she thinks she's such a big girl already.

New Pics

2007-07-22T15:08:00.000-07:00

I made some new photo albums which are located in the side column. They are of camping, Thomas the train, boating, fishing, et cetera.