My Beautiful Days

My darling little boy is now almost 29 months old.  Funny that I put it that way when I promised myself I wasn't going to count his age month-by-month, so allow me to correct myself: my darling little boy is now two-years-old. He is a ball of energy and excitement!  He loves to play outside, to "drive" my truck (in other words, to sit in the driver's seat and hit every button and switch he can find!), to chase each other through the house, to play, but most of all he loves to TALK! Here are some of the precious things that come out of his mouth quite frequently (that I'm blogging about because I don't ever want to forget them!): "My Rumple-Tum-Tum" - this is what he calls his belly!  It's my fault, really, because I started telling him that his stomach was his "rum-a-tum-tum", and that changed into rumple-tum-tum.  It's incredibly cute, though! "Christmas Clear"  - if the kids are in trouble and Monte is correc...

This past Wednesday (November 7th) we celebrated Ethan's 2nd birthday!  We had so much fun!  We started the day with a nebulizer treatment, since our birthday boy is currently fighting off a nasty cold ...  We had "Ethan's choice" for dinner, which turned out to be Macaroni & Cheese with hot dogs (I really wasn't surprised that he chose that .. he is a two-year-old, after all!) and followed that up with some really yummy cupcakes ... Ethan opened his present - a bouncing Tigger doll - and couldn't eat his cupcake fast enough to be done and play with it! Then, once he was playing with Tigger, I couldn't get him to turn and look at the camera even once! Happy 2nd Birthday my little love!  I am so grateful that you are mine and that I have had the last two years with you in my life.  I hardly remember what our family was like before you arrived!  Daddy and I love you SO much!!

It's no secret that we've been gone from the blogging world for awhile now.  Life just gets to be too busy to keep up, especially during the summer!  So, instead of trying to catch you up on everything I've missed telling, I'm going to sum it all up in pictures and minimal words ... We cleaned out some of our cabinets to prepare for our kitchen upgrade ...  Ethan has had some fits ...  I planted our vegetable garden ... Ethan played with sidewalk chalk and got it all over his face ... We've taken baths ...  Ethan has run around the house in just his diaper (and LOVED it) ...  Ellis has played soccer (and has done amazingly great this season) ... Colin graduated from Kindergarten and refused to smile for the camera ... We took a family (minus Ethan) vacation ... We visited Wall Drug in South Dakota and posed for pictures with fake cowboys ... We hiked through the Black Hills ... We visited Mou...

Sometimes I find that the biggest joys come from the simple things, like when Ethan and I spent time being couch potatoes together (I've been having issues with the camera on my phone, which is what I took these with, so just make sure to check out the cuteness of my baby and not the poor quality of the photo!!) ... My little flirty boy ... Completely distracted ... I can't get enough of his gorgeous smile! Should I pose, mom? Just like this, mom?  Cute like this?  Cheese!! Distracted by the world outside our windows.  Searching for his "button"!  :) *SiGh!*  It's official - I'm in love!!!

I know you probably see it a lot.  Some parent entered their kid in a magazine's cutest kid contest and now they want you to go and cast your vote for their kid. Well open your eyes and look at it again - cause you're not seeing things, that's exactly what I've done!  I entered Ethan in a contest and would love it if you would vote for him! Vote by clicking here .

Dear Ethan, I know you don't like it when mommy washes your hair ... ... but don't you think this was taking it a little bit far in getting your point across?!

Ethan loves Greek Yogurt ... I mean LLLOOOVVVEEESSSS it.  Whenever I am enjoying a bowl, he is right next to me asking for a "Bie?" (bite).  So, I have learned that it is just so much easier to get him a bowl of his own and let him enjoy it, too. And he really does!

My house is baby-proofed to an extent.  The electrical outlets that are within a child's reach have all been covered, we have gates blocking the entrance to our staircases (though they truly aren't necessary, as Ethan is the one who closes them when they've been left open!), etc., etc.  It has happened far more than once, though, that I have had the thought that the coffee table (which is in the room where Ethan most frequently plays) has the potential of being somewhat dangerous. I was right. The first time we discovered this was when the kids had been left with their (incredibly amazing) babysitter.  We came home to learn that Ethan had fallen and hit his mouth on the table, causing a fat lip.  While there was room for concern (because no mother wants to hear that her child had hurt themselves), we weren't too worried about it, as we knew that our babysitter really is amazing, she comforted him and made him feel better, and we knew without a doubt that she was ...

Untitled from Kami Rude on Vimeo .

While I still feel very indifferent regarding celebrating Halloween (or maybe it's that I have yet to really establish what it is exactly that I feel), I couldn't resist putting Ethan in this cute little Bumble Bee costume that my big kids have formerly worn.  Along with that, I shamelessly couldn't resist sharing these pictures with you: While the costume didn't stay on him very long (due to his repeated attempts to eat it off of his face!), we thought he looked pretty adorable in it!  We also caught a little video of him after the costume had come off and I thought you would enjoy seeing a little bit of this little love's personality ... Untitled from Kami Rude on Vimeo .

Consider my title a forewarning - this post is filled with grossness! :) For as long as I can remember I have had a problem with vomit.   Problem  is putting it lightly.  If I hear it, smell it, see it .. well, that usually results in me producing it.  I've dealt with it from my kids and gotten myself elbow deep to clean it up - not because I wanted to, but because I was the only adult available to clean it.  Regardless, I don't like it!!! So today, I was getting Ethan dressed and ready for the day.  Immediately afterward, I picked him up and held him over my head and was giggling with him when it happened.  As he was looking downward at me and I was looking upward at him he puked.   Not only did he puke, but because I was talking to him, the puke landed in my mouth!!!   I promptly set him on the floor, grabbed a baby wipe (or ten!) and proceeded to try to clean my mouth.  Thankfully, the mama in me kicked in and I took the time t...