Night Creeper

I whipped little Rhodes into shape real quick on this bottle issue.  I was pretty positive we'd be on a bottle for months to come.  He despised it and would either chew on it or throw it across the room before he even tried it.  But after his one-year checkup, I decided to drop the bottle and warm milk cold turkey.  Honestly, I did a little praying about it.  It's okay to ask God for little things too, not just the big things.  He answered!  The next day I gave him COLD milk in a SIPPY CUP as soon as he woke up, and he drank it.  I thought it was a fluke.  Then I gave him COLD JUICE (mostly water) in a SIPPY CUP and he took it down.  He has refused juice since the first time we tried it, like 6 months ago.  He has also refused a sippy cup since the first time we tried it, like 6 months ago.  Thankful for the littlest blessings.

• Rhodes doesn't seem interested at all in taking a step.  But he'll stand in place for a bit.
• Loves to wave at people in the store, in the parking lot, you name it.  Friendly little fella.
• Favorite game is rolling the ball back and forth.  And when he sees a ball he'll say, "aaah-DA"  I'm a little impressed with his motor skills, when I roll it he catches it real tight and rolls it right back to me.
• I'm trying to teach him some animal noises.  According to him, the cow, monkey and lion all say "aaaahhhhhhh!" 

Killing time waiting on daddy to get home from work.

Emerson's first birthday party.

Our nightly routine.

Boys will be boys.  Let's see who can make the biggest splash.

Ryder wouldn't dare let it get his shorts wet though.  He's the most particular little thing I've ever known.

John Michael was playing golf out of town last Sunday so I got the boys ready for church and even had some time to kill for pictures outside.  Now I know why we are always late for church!  JM's fault!

The sippy cup has gotten so good to him it puts him right to sleep!  

Let's guess what Ryder's saying here...

Birthday lunch for my mom!

Let's compare plates.  I believe Rhodes could eat ME under the table.

Clearly, he was not done.

What always comes right after a spaghetti dinner?

Rhodes has the remote and he knows what to do with it!

Ryder with his buddies at the Fresh at Five Farmer's Market

Ryder wouldn't stay in the cart, so I started taking pictures of Rhodes.

Works like a charm every time!

Ryder is fascinated with the sunroof.  Once we pulled onto our street we let him hang out of the top.

Ryder's little cousin Madison came over to visit and he took her for a spin.

She returned the favor!

We went grocery shopping and I gave the boys a nice little thrill when I started pushing the cart fast and then let it go.

Ryder got to hang out at Clinton Park all week with my while I worked at jumpstart.

Everything Ryder sees on TV, he does.  He had just finished watching a show about a little boy who was writing a story.  As soon as it was over he found some paper and a pen and asked me to go play in my room so he could concentrate while he wrote his story.

I took real advantage of that and did a little housework.  When I walked back into the room he thought I wouldn't see him on the iPad.  He played me!!!

Ryder was thrilled with his "flat hair" as he called it.

The first thing he asked as soon as he woke up the next morning, "Is my hair still flat?"

When we have somewhere to go I usually put the boys in the car and go back inside to finish gathering everything we need to take.  This particular morning I got Rhodes buckled in and just put Ryder in and told him to get in his seat and buckle up (he can't buckle the bottom part but I said it anyway).  He thought it was real cute when he was buckled in up front.

Rhodes loves being up so high!

He would sit there and play with the door stopper all day and all night if I'd let him.

John Michael took Ryder around to some of the new construction.

When Rhodes took a bottle, the only way he would drink it was in the nap nanny.  Now that he drinks out of a sippy cup he loves to drink it in my lap.  The best!

10 p.m. story time when nobody wanted to sleep.

I spent Thursday helping my sister set up her classroom for first grade.  I don't play when it comes to getting stuff done and organizing.  We left that night with nothing left to do.  She knew who to call!!!

Ryder has been working with Rhodes trying to get him to walk.  He pulled him up and let go and was quite pleased at what he saw!

Sweet, supportive big brother.

Friday morning I took the boys to the children's museum.

Rhodes is finally getting to where he can join in on the fun.

A few things to jot down about Ryder:

• As we were riding around in the golf cart through the woods he said, "I'm a tree-ologist.  That's the study of trees."
• He has memorized Cars 2.  I was laying on the couch with him watching it and laughing so hard listening to him recite the lines.
• His newest meal-time trick is to hide his food so he doesn't have to finish it.  My first clue was when I saw what looked like an ant bed in the corner of our kitchen.  It was covering a piece of roast.  Ever since then I have found random food items scattered around our kitchen and living room.  This is NOT OK!
• Ryder's 4th birthday is in a month and we were at walmart the other day and I took him to the party aisle and told him to pick a party theme since his birthday is in a month.  As obsessed with Cars as he is, I figured that was a done deal, but he chose Ninja Turtles.  I made sure about 10 times that's what he wanted, and he said yes.  He loves the turtles too, now.  He knows who wears what color eye mask, what each of their "specialty" is, and so on. 
• He's recently become interested in playing domino's.  But he gets frustrated and says, "I just don't know how to domino!"
• The past few mornings we have woken up at our normal wake up time, and Ryder is in our bed. I am such a light sleeper I have no idea how I missed it.  He must be creeping in as quiet as a mouse so we won't hear him.  It's worked!