9/13/2013

Ryder turns Four - Cowabunga Dude!

Where to even start on this four year old love of my life (one of them at least).  While none of us on this earth are perfect, but this little boy is so perfect for ME that it isn't even funny.  I never miss a day letting him know how proud he makes me, how much I love him, how sweet he is and what a good little boy he is.  He always smiles and gives me a hug and tells me thank you when I commend him.  He loves when my toenails are painted and when my hair is in a ponytail.  Each night when it's time for bed he'll look at us both and say, "ok let me pick." But we always know he picks mama.  I think he picks me because I stay in there longer and give him good back scratches.  But what I love is that sometimes he scratches my back too!  I love that he says that his hair is "loopy" instead of curly.  He's naturally social, loves to learn and has a tender heart.  He's taught me more than I remember learning in school.  I'm serious.  He reminded me that Pluto isn't considered a planet anymore and he reminds me to turn off the lights when we leave because it saves energy.  He fights his afternoon nap like no other, but once he gives in, he's out for three hours and I love crawling in bed with him once Rhodes is down for a nap and just smelling his sweet skin and his loopy hair.  He likes to work and actually asks for chores.  He talks to Jesus and understands what it means to tithe.  If his daddy is working in the yard, he wants to go out and help, but only if he can wear the same outfit and hat.  He's affectionate but he's also tough.  He's far from aggressive but he's got a smart mouth on him!  It's okay though, he makes me laugh every day at the things he says.  Let's just hope he loses that smart mouth by the time he gets a little older.  He's still got a full blown lisp and it melts my heart.  It's the only thing that makes it seem like he's still my baby.

Since Ryder's 4th birthday was on a Sunday, I tried to make things fun all weekend.  Friday we got a snocone.  I let him choose the flavor and he said he wanted green and red.

Sunday morning cinnamon rolls and four candles.

Sunday morning Ryder let everyone, and I mean everyone at church know it was his birthday.

He had a Ninja Turtle party at the Children's Museum.  And ok, I'm guilty when it comes to a theme.

Cookie Cake.  Much easier than a regular cake, especially since all the kids ever eat is the cake icing anyway!

Turtle Shells
(bagel bites)

Sewer Lids (oreos)

Pretzel Sticks (Ninja Swords)

Shredder's Cheddar
(Cheeseball Puffs)

Oooze Juice
(green koolaid)

Favors - Ninja Turtle fruit snacks
"Thanks for 'Shell-abrating' with me!"























Just a few of the hundreds of funny comments Ryder makes everyday:

  • We have an ant issue.  I told him not to drop his waffle on the floor because ants love syrup. He replied, "but if ants get in the syrup, won't they get stuck? 
  • During his prayers the other night, he asked Jesus if he could be brown.
  • When I asked him to look at me while I was talking to him (instead of the TV), he said, "I have two eyes, one is looking at you and one is looking at the TV!  smart aleck!!!
  • He's in a good habit of getting up every night around 2 am.  When I asked him why this keeps happening he said, "if the conscrunction worker would've just put both of our beds in the same room I wouldn't have to get up and come in your room every night!
Ryder, you have such a special heart.  You look out for your buddies, you have a smile that melts the earth and you always have to be right.  (I know where you get the last thing).  I am SO glad you are mine.  

9/05/2013

Labor Day and Such

The lawn mower blades needed a little sharpening.  These contraptions are like magnets to little boys.

I made a nice italian bread crumb chicken tender dinner.  And lima beans.  Ryder refused to eat the "crusty chicken."

Still refusing dinner and I told him no dessert.

Since his life is incomplete without dessert, he decided to give dinner a shot.

Mustering a swallow.  That was the only bite he took.  He still got dessert as an A for effort.

I got Rhodes all registered for Mother's Morning Out last week.

Then we had a little lunch at Chickfila which isn't complete without a balloon.

My sweetheart.

This one was apologizing to the dead grandaddy long legs for stomping and killing him.

I'm happy to sit back and watch.

We bought ingredients for a homemade pizza awhile back.  I checked the expiration date of the dough and made the executive decision that we better get to baking or throwing it out.  Ryder wanted to make a picture on the pizza he said.


While I was spreading it out something about it gave me a glimpse of the state of Mississippi so with our first game being the next day, I thought it might be a cute idea to make a MSU pizza.

I sprinkled a little garlic salt and italian seasoning on the crust and then Ryder added the pizza sauce and cheese.

I had to fight Ryder for the MSU pepperoni's because he was determined to make a smiley face.  We compromised when I told him he could make the smile part (the "U")

Ta-Daaaaa!!!  It was a couple dollars more to make than to buy, but I thought it was so much better.  And fun too!

My little Rhodes gets asked several times a day if he's crying because he always has a baby tear running down his cheek.  No, he's a happy baby.  He's just got a clogged tear duct and that makes his eye run.  If this doesn't correct on its own by one year, you are referred to an opthamologist.  So we went for our visit and he look and said that yes, Rhodes' tear duct is definitely clogged and at this point doesn't look like it will resolve on its own.  So he has to have a procedure next week to fix the problem.    I'm not excited about my 13 month old being put under anesthesia but it is what it is.  Prayers please.

And you know Ryder had to steal the show while we were there.  When the doctor listed to Rhodes' heart he looked over at Ryder and said, "now these are my listeners!"  Ryder said, "I thought that was called a stethoscope!"  Don't bother dumbing it down for this one.

After the appointment we met some friends at the zoo.

It was Rhodes' first time.  He wasn't real impressed but neither was I.  There were about four animals who showed themselves.

Thank goodness for the splash pad though.
Rhodes and Cale

The big boys were tuckered out.
Canon and Ryder

Saturday was the big first game of the year.  Ryder got this chair for his first birthday and Rhodes looks just like him sitting in it.



I tell you, it's nice just watching the game from our own house now that we've got two kiddos in tow.

We had several friends over to eat and watch the game.  Rhodes took straight to Mr. Chris.

Noah and Porter

Aunt Kayla came over, fun!

Rhodes, Tate, Noah, Porter and Emerson

Mmmm Mmmm shirtless and ice cream sandwich time.


They figured out it was cooler under the porch, especially if they could watch Mickey Mouse too.

Sweet, sweet Porter.

Cookin' up some dinner for our guys.

The girls, and Tate :)

My sissy

Scrub-a-dub-dub with the babies.
Tate, Emerson and Rhodes.

That night, Ryder had his first spend the night company.

As you can tell, Ryder was thrilled with the sleeping arrangements.

After they came out of Ryder's room about 3 times, I decided it was high time to separate them because I was not going to be up all night.  So Gaines went to the guest room and Ryder stayed in his room.  Sometime in the night Ryder came and got in bed with us.  The next morning, here is Gaines coming in to wake Ryder up.  He was not interested.

He sat up and said, "Mornin' Gaines"

And flopped back down.
He's like his mama.  Don't wake us up!!!

The next day we went for a dove hunt get together in Vaughan and after Ryder's wild spend the night party he was beyond conked out on the way home.


Rhodes was tired too.  So much that he couldn't even lift his hands to hold that milk.

Labor Day Monday!  Lot's of chillin out.

Until we get a two seater, we'll rig it right up.

Rhodes started Mother's Morning Out the next day.

Ryder was trying to be so helpful by keeping him still for a picture.

Also on this day was Ryder's first show and tell.  It was for the letter "L" and I'll admit I totally forgot about it until that morning.  I told Ryder it was show and tell day for L and asked him what we could take.  I didn't want to do it for him, but I also needed us to hurry and figure it out because we were running late.  He came up with two options on his own that I was very proud of.  His first answer was a leaf.  But then he decided on a lincoln log, so that's what he took.  After I picked him up I loved hearing what everyone else brought.  He's growing up so fast.

Rhodes loved MMO, which was no surprise to me.

I'm trying to get him to look at himself on my phone to take us a little first day selfie, but he's too busy looking over there at all the toys.

I'm so thankful for an easy drop off.


His daily report was happy too.

The only negative is that they sleep on mats on the floor with 8 other screaming kids.  How do they sleep?  Rhodes doesn't, that's for sure.  They said he slept about 30 minutes (normally sleeps 2 hours) so he got a nice, long nap when he got home.  So good that he was a mess when he woke up.  I'm not sure he's ever been that exhausted.