Family-ing

We've been having lots of family time lately! Jen is home for a visit. What better excuse is there to get together?
Terry and Sarah invited us down for X-mas weekend, so one car took Mark, Marilyn, Jen, and Granny down, and the other car took Nate, me, Rhya, and the pooches down. We had a fun, lively, fast weekend that consisted of walks, awesome food, fun games (refer to pictures in previous post, thanks to the game of 'Things'), and lots of chattering.
Speaking of Terry and Sarah, it's their 2nd anniversary today!!

We're looking forward to more time with Jen this weekend. In the meantime, I am trying to clean house with a 28 week belly bulge that looks like THIS:

We met my parents at Pizza Hut last night and they took Rhya home with them for the night! It was her first night away from her parents, and she did great. She always loves her grandparent visits!
This house is dead quiet, but I'm so preoccupied with getting stuff done as fast as I can I hardly notice! I wonder how much 'Nama' is getting done. :-) She was going to attempt to clean the basement with the 20 month old 'helper'!

Laugh Til Ya Cry!

Cracking me up

Rhya's been sick. Like sudden puking episodes on the lightrail and on the down comforter sick. I actually helped her reach the garbage can w' an oral output yesterday. It was almost a reason for celebration besides the fact that the poor peanut was bewildered and pale faced and weepy.

Sick equals crabby. We spent a lot of time under the down comforter (a different one) yesterday reading books and attempting to munch on Puffins and sip on Pedialite.

Here's the story that cracks me up every time I think about it. Background: We usually let Rhya feed Sakari her dog food. She carries the bowl across the kitchen and plunks it down next to the garbage can. Sakari follows her inch by inch the entire way, and Rhya says, "WAIT, WAIT, WAIT" the entire journey over.

Yesterday, as we were lazing around on the couch, we started feeding each other white corn chips. Rhya took one, held it up to my mouth, and declared, "WAIT, Waaaaait." I busted out laughing and so did she. It was SO FUNNY coming from a somber, 'nothing is funny right now' spirit.

One thing I've learned (and not just from having a sick kid)- IT PAYS TO BE JOLLY around kids! It's so easy to let negative attitudes destroy my own, but if I look past it and go on my jolly way the kids pick up on it. Easier said than done (Nate is way less affected by me: definitely an even keel kind of guy), but it makes my heart sing when they forget about their ailments and pick up on the optimism.

Speaking of singing, Rhya has been humming 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' lately. It is so stinkin' cute.

Bumpety bump bump

Nope, that's not my bump. I need to stand next to a boulder sign. This is my big sis Kristina!!!!! She is due July 12. Isn't that picture the cutest way to share news? We are sooooo excited! These cousins are going to have so much fun, as will this auntie and uncle.

2012 will be a busy year, as here are the due dates:

March 2: Amanda and Elliot
March 19: that would be me
June 2: Sarah and Terry
July 12: Kristina and Mike

Anyone else out there waiting to add to the list? :-) (I know you are, Jessie K, but yours is practically here, right?!)

Rhya's Words of Choice Lately (the interesting ones)

Uh oh SOSESSSSS!! (absolutely NO clue what the sosesss is all about but she thinks it's hilarious)

Naukeee (hungry)

Noninn (vitamin- she likes to beg for vitamins)

Nike (Mike)

un iiiime!!!!!!!!!! (she yells 'lunch tiiimeee' down the stairs to Cory and or Travis)

We can pretty much understand everyhing else she says, but these are a few that are specific to her personal language.

Consider yourself updated

- Dad had a birthday. We ate delicious gluten free fudgy chocolate cake. Court and Melanie's family can't have gluten, so we were introduced to all SORTS of awesome gluten free creations!

- Mom, Dad, Mike, Kristina, Gpa, Gma B, Court 'n Melanie 'n kids, and Nate, me, and Rhya checked out the Omni Theater last Friday night. It was in honor of Gpa and Gma's 60th. The topic was 'The Amazon'. Rhya sat stock still the ENTIRE time. Her eyes were like saucers.
 Everyone came back to our place and we pigged out and chit chatted until LATE.

Court and Melanie spent the night that night. We went to bed at 1:30AM. Didn't think I could do that anymore, but we just couldn't stop talking. :-) After all it was their last night in the WI tundra. There was no time to waste!
- The kids played in the falling snow the next morning before heading off to the airport. We also packed all three munchkins in the Burley and the dads took them on an outing to the grocery store. There was not an ounce of extra space but they handled it well!

It was SAD to see them go, but we were glad for the precious time we had together. I told the kids to throw snowballs at me while taking this picture:

- Mom had a birthday last Sunday. She's now in her low 50s. :-) You'd never know it right Mom? I don't think that woman ever sits down except to eat and catch up quick on the computer. Dad treated us to China Moon for supper. burp.

- Kids were here every day this week. This is Rhya and Jordan's relationship lately:
Love

And then.....not so much:

Let's just say that Jordan has very specific buttons that are very easily pushed. NO ONE can touch his stuff. THAT'S his rule and if Rhya breaks it he's gonna bawl. and bawl. and bawl. Rhya knows it, so what does she do? TOUCH HIS STUFF! Even if it's just to poke the monkey that he's holding. That's ALL it takes and he freaks out. She thinks his reaction is pretty amazing. Amazing enough to take it to the next level of grabbing something and then running out of the room just so she can hear him scream. She'll hide for a while and then run back and give it back. Cause and effect, over and over.
Don't get me wrong...I don't just let her run off with his stuff. We talk about sharing and grabbing and being nice and making people happy and...... ooofty. 

Today Jordie went home sick. He puked on the carpet. I didn't see it right away, but they got oddly quiet, so I checked it out. They were both staring at the gross pile in wonderment and slight confusion. Rhya pointed to the pile and said, "Jordie's!"

Mom's project with the kiddos

I love the enthusiasm!