This is what we saw out our back window a few nights ago. Simply Breathtaking. I called Reid and Daddy into the kitchen to show them, and said, "Oh, Reid, isn't that so pretty?!" He replied, "Yeah! I painted that!." Nice job, Reid. You paint well.

(By the way, I missed the picture, but apparently Uncle Doug Gamble was equally touched by the view, and he got it. Nice job, Doug. You photograph well.)

THE LIVING ROOM WINTER OLYMPICS

Here's Reid on his "snowboard" or "skis", his ski sticks (golf clubs) and snow goggles, sliding down a mountain of snow. He can do jumping tricks, too!

In full gear. "Daddy, I wanna SKI!"

MOMMY'S LITTLE HELPER

Time to decorate the Tree!!

LAST DAYS OF FALL PARK WEATHER



We went to the park--lots of different parks--all this summer.

This one is at the library in Mt. Vernon.

Did you know if you spin the tire swing around and around and around, you can get a toddler to walk completely sideways? Heh.

Careful, this cowboy will shoot!

BEHOLD THE BOY-EATING DRAGON

You go into the dragon here...

Make your way to the end from the inside...

And a little toot later, and out you come!

ONE LAST SET OF SUMMER PICS--
Jennifer and Bryan's Wedding in August


The question isn't "why is he playing in the dirt while wearing a tux"--It's more like, "Why Not?"

MORE SUMMER FUN


Cruising at the Fair

In a cold, cold stream on a hot, hot day at Spring Mill Park

The beloved Spider Man scooter with Teddy riding along

SOME OF MY FAVORITE SUMMER PICTURES




A last splash in the sprinkler

Reid developed a deep love of popcicles

The first night in the Big Boy Bed

Reid at the fair--John Deere rules

HISTORY IN THE MAKING--THOUGHT THIS DAY WOULD NEVER COME!!

An African-American president elect in America? No, that's cool, but not what I'm talking about.

Gas prices again below $2? Again, very cool. Can't wait to fill 'er up, but that's not my point here.

The point here is that Reid finally went poopy on the potty! Yeah, I know...see why I'm so excited? So tonight, in celebration, and because we've promised him for months, we are going as a family to Chuck-E-Cheese's. (Heaven help us!).

REID DOES NOT LIKE TACOS...

We were driving to Target today and as we passed all the different fast food restaurants, he was asking me what each one was.

"That's McDonalds, that's Subway, that's Wendy's..."
"What's that one, mommy?"
"That one is Taco Bell."
"No, Mommy, that's not Taco Bell, that's Chicken Nugget Bell!"

Other terribly sweet, terribly funny, or just plain terrible things he has said recently:

• I LUFF you, Mommy
• I want my fluffly blanket
• Go AWAY!!
• (In a whisper at nite nite) Sweep wiff me, Mommy
• You're killin' me, mommy. You're killin' me. (Um, he might have heard me say such a thing...oops)
• After me starting to say the "now I lay me" prayer one night, stopped me and insisted I say "the one wiff my cousins." You know, the one where we name off EVERY single grandparent, aunt, uncle, cousin and friend he knows.

LET'S START OUR UPDATE FROM THE BEGINNING OF SUMMER

Most of the family took off in June to Outer Banks, NC and spent the week beachside and poolside. Reid had a great time in the sun and sand and playing with his cousins! He still talks about the ocean and the beach and the crabs all the time.

Bryan even took Reid boogie-boarding and even though Mommy was nervous, Reid had a great time and didn't even get upset when he fell into the water.

We just wish the beach--ANY beach--was just a little bit closer!
Chillin' with some frozen kool-aid

He rode this wave all the way in!

I love this picture of Ben and Reid

Diggin' for treasure

STAY TUNED! I'M COMING OUT OF SUMMER-INDUCED HIBERNATION AND WILL BE POSTING AGAIN--STORIES, PICTURES, UPDATES!

Birthday party with Daddy

At the park, he made friends with a little girl named Kayla

With his happy hour cup, it makes me wanna sing, "Its 5:00Somewhere". For the record, there's a milk shake in that cup. About five minutes after the picture was taken, Reid threw up. He thought it was "foooony!"

At USI's Spring Fest riding the kiddie rides in the rain. Good times!

********************

Oh, Hi. Remember Me? No? I'm the mommy who loves her little boy so much she thought she'd start a blog for/about him and drive the family and friends crazy with cute little pictures and stories about him growing and learning and...well, being cute! Still don't remember? It's been too long, you say? Well, let me catch you up.



Since we last met, little Roo turned TWO YEARS OLD! He had a party at the Children's Museum and all the cool people were there. Especially the little people. All the cool little people we know came to see Reid, celebrate his birthday and play in the museum. It was FUN, FUN, FUN. And please know, my cool people friends and family, that I haven't forgotten about your generosity that day, and someday...someday you might get a thank you card. They are bought and half addressed and all, but sadly like so many other things in the past month, they are just NOT DONE. I'm just a bad mommy. Please don't think the Roody has bad manners on my account.



We are so happy that spring is here and Reid wants nothing in world more than to be outside. Outside in the yard, at the park, at the neighbors' house, in the wagon, taking a walk. He doesn't really care as long as its outside. He'd prefer that to eating or sleeping or movies (movies are a close second, though!)



He is talking up a storm...saying whole sentences, which is pretty new and shocking at times. Like when he tells me to "throw it away, mom" or "I hurt my knee." The other night, I asked him if he was done pooping or still working on it. He replied "I'm still workin' on it, mom." Heartbreakingly, he's also learning other sentences that aren't as helpful, such as when I'm singing to him or with him anywhere around, he usually tells me "don't sing, mom!!" Yeah, I know I can't sing. I can handle the criticism. But the other night, instead of that, he told me loudly to "SHUT UP!" which hurt my little feelings. We may never let him play with other children again. :(



But most often, he's funny and charming and hyper and growing and smart and silly and dirty...just the way we love him.

ATTACK OF THE PINKEYE

Still pretty cheerful despite the fact that he's got goo coming from his eyes, nose and mouth. For whatever reason it seems that his cold is making him drool like crazy. Poor little dude. His face is sore from all of our rubbing the goo off. He's quite a trooper. We're trying to bribe him with a sticker every time he lets us put the drops in his eyes.

This has nothing to do with the pinkeye, but just wanted to post what happened last weekend. This happens to be my shade of Loreal liquid makeup that Reid got ahold of. Apparently he had untwisted the lid and took off running only to trip and spill it all over the hallway carpet. We have a handy dandy carpet cleaner...

And this is the final verdict. Unless we get some serious kind of chemical to treat the carpet, its gonna look like this forever. Not pretty at all. Mommy's fault for leaving it on the bathroom counter where he could reach it. Its just one of those things a shows we have a little one in the house, which I wouldn't trade for a clean carpet!

This is just a cute one of Woob lining up his cars ever-so-perfectly. He will also line his racecars up perfectly side-by-side so they can "Ready...Set...RACE!"

His second birthday is next week! How he's grown since I first started the blog...amazing!

Hello Friends!

I'm back finally! We got a new camera after Christmas after losing our old trusty one. I'm still learning how to use the new one. About three days after receiving the new one, of course we found the old one. I am required to insert the following disclaimer: Bryan DID NOT, I repeat, DID NOT lose the camera. I did. There, I said it. I lost the camera despite the fact that I thought Bryan did, and led others to think the same thing. (Sorry, Sweetie!).

So we are approaching a second birthday and the closer we get to two, the more "exciting" (loud, wild, high-pitched and independent) things get around here. Lots of new words, jumping, running, and screaming. Lots of "time out" and trips to the mall to ride the carousel horses and play on their indoor playground. Lots of new clothes because he's growing out of the old ones. Lots and lots of stuff going on around here.



So big.

OUR CAMERA IS LOST...

So, here are a few word pictures for you from the past week:

• Heard from Reid's bedroom first thing in the morning: "Mommy, where ahhhhhh you?" Similarly, when Papaw didn't show up for Sunday brunch, "Papaw, where ahhhhh you?"
• When Mommy is found : "Der you ah!"
• While drinking soapy bathwater against Mommy's advice: "Deelicious!"

We'll be back to our regularly scheduled cutesy pictures as soon as a new camera is purchased.