Easter 2014

Last night we had fun decorating our eggs with the kids and talking about the Easter Bunny coming to visit.  We hadn't really talked much about the Easter bunny coming here so when I mentioned it last night I realized what a mistake I made....since Rilyn is afraid of him.  Ha, she only came out of her bed once last night saying she heard him so we were pretty lucky; although, she did have lots of questions about what the bunny would be doing at her house and where he would be.

This morning, when she saw her basket I think she decided the Easter bunny could visit whenever he wanted.  She kept saying how nice he was to her.  Ryder wasn't too excited about his basket since he takes a little longer to wake up than Rilyn does and Rilyn was pushing his basket on him the second he woke up.  When he did wake up he was excited to see what the Easter bunny left him.

showing off his new slippers...he loves anything that goes on his feet

 After our baskets it was cinnamon rolls for breakfast and then church.  After church the kids got to find all the eggs the bunny had hidden.  Ryder wasn't too interested in finding the eggs just opening them so Rilyn got to have one more year with very little competition.  She was super nice about it though and gave Ryder a lot of her eggs.

After that we had a little down time before we headed to Stacey and Jason's house for Easter lunch! The most exciting thing for us was having Xander there....finally some cousins and next year there will be 2 more babies!

Seriously can Xander and Rilyn look anymore alike?  I really think they are going to look a lot alike as they get older.

It was a wonderful Easter with lots to celebrate!

Good Friday

Today we celebrated Good Friday with some friends from our mom's group.  Our organizer set up 3 stations at her house to teach the kids about 3 different events that took place Easter week and the characteristics of Jesus that we can learn from each of the events. It was perfect for Rilyn since we have been talking about these events the last few weeks!  It was a great way to reinforce everything we've been learning.

First we read from John 12: 13 - 14 and marched around the yard with palm branches learning about Jesus being our KING.

Next, we went talked about how Jesus washed his friends feet even though it was a SERVANTS job. We read from John 13:4-5. I think for Rilyn this was the most meaningful and a concept we've been talking a lot about the last few weeks.  I feel like she already has a servant's heart and want to continue to develop it.  Although, I'm guessing her and Ryder won't be washing eachothers feet much as they get older...ha!

Finally we gathered for a picnic and read about communion in Luke 22:19-20.  We had bread and juice and talked about how Jesus is our SAVIOR.

I didn't get any pictures of that since I was mostly trying to get Ryder not to spill his juice and Rilyn not eat all the bread on the plate!

Overall it was a super meaningful way to spend Good Friday with the kids.  The mama that set it all up was super creative and did an amazing job.  

Easter Egg Hunting

Yesterday we enjoyed a beautiful spring morning here in Larkspur for an Easter Egg hunt.  Both kids had tons of fun and enjoyed hunting for eggs as well as enjoying the loot inside of them.  Rilyn was very excited to hug the Easter bunny until we actually go there and then decided she wanted nothing to do with him.  Ryder of course LOVED the Easter bunny and would have hung out with him all day.

Swimming, Playing, and Baby Loving...

I thought I would just give a little update on what we've been up to around here lately....

Rilyn has had swim lessons on Saturday mornings for the past month.  It was a lot of fun, and she really became super comfortable in the water.  She also started showing some skills which is nice. Her last swimming lessons she was so young it really was about water comfort and safety.  I feel like she is actually starting to learn the mechanics of swimming and that has been fun to watch!

 Trying to get outside when it's not snowing!

Lots of fun outings with friends...this was a really fun indoor playground that was right up Ryder's alley.  He was a maniac and I can't believe we left without blood and/or bruises!

 Talking a lot about the baby and giving it lots of love already.

Walking the neighborhood and collecting lots and lots of rocks.

Ryder at 18 Months

Ryder is really closer to 19 months at this point, so really this is going to be an 18 - 19 month post.  Finding energy these days to do much of anything seems to be getting harder and harder!  It doesn't help that Ryder's energy is doubling most days!  He is definitely in the toddler stage and we are getting the non-compliance and fun tantrums that will probably last for the next year and a half!  He has his own idea of what he wants to be doing and most of the time it doesn't coincide with what I think he needs to be doing!

His language is really expanding.  He puts 2 - 3 words together, will repeat titles of books (Brown Bear Brown Bear & Caps for Sale), fills in words that repeats in stories if I purposefully leave them out, has so many words I've lost count at this point, and knows quite a few words to different songs.  A fun word he started saying recently has been HaHa which we figured out means Grandma.  Other than that word though he is pretty easy to understand.  He doesn't really babble yet, and I'm really hoping he does!  Rilyn babbled forever and I loved it, but he might just go straight to talking.  

He seems to be a little less picky when it comes to eating lately.  He is at least attempting more foods and has a pretty good diet right now.  He loves candy and cookies and asks for them after every meal...which he obviously does not get.  He really likes edamame, any fruit, oatmeal, eggs, and bagels with cream cheese.  

He loves to be outside and we've been lucky enough to have a few nice days where we have gotten out for walks or to the park.  It's been fun since he just started walking when the weather changed and we haven't been able to enjoy him as a walker outside much.  He really likes going down the slides at the park and is very brave.  He has no fear when it comes to anything on land or water.  

He loves trains (is actually a little obsessed), books (very obsessed), and playing with all our kitchen toys.  He plays great and already does lots of pretend playing thanks to sissy. It's so much fun watching the two of them together.  

We had his 18 month well-visit check the other day and he is healthy and growing just as he should be.  It is such an amazing blessing to have two healthy kids and it is something I am so thankful for every day.  Ryder hasn't even had to go to the doctor for a sick visit yet! Of course the kid has a perpetual runny nose, which our doctor says is expected of the 2nd because they are exposed to so much more with the older sibling and pretty soon his immune system will catch up.  As far as his stats go...he weighs 27 lbs which puts him in the 70% and is 34 inches tall so he is in the 95% for height!  I think he just went through a growth spurt since his shoes started getting a little small and his pants a little less long so we will see if that trend continues on his 2 year visit.

Minus all the normal toddler behaviors he is a lot of fun and already very polite.  Even the doctors were impressed when after they checked his heart and lungs he spontaneously told them thank you and then preceded to tell them thank you after each little check.  He is really a goof ball and keeps us laughing.  I am sad to report that he has finally stopped cuddling...I would probably be crying right now, but since I have one another coming out in a couple months I will get my cuddling fix then.  He barely has time for a quick hug before running off. 

This little ball of energy sure keeps us moving and laughing around here!