Like father, like son

I know that Ethan looks just like Clay, but he is really starting to act just like Clay.  Friday evening about 50 people from our church met up at a nearby park for dinner, playing, etc.  I had been telling Ethan about it all day and he was super excited to go and see all of his friends and play on the playground.  In the past couple of weeks Ethan's little legs have gotten long enough for him to reach the pedals on his bike, so we took that along as well.  We got to the park and got settled, and his friend Hannah had brought her tricycle along.  They thought it would be fun to switch, and that was the beginning of Ethan's obsession for the rest of the evening.  Apparently, her tricycle is a little easier to maneuver than his, so he spent a few minutes inspecting the wheels and the pedals, and then he was off.  He really did ride that thing the entire 2 hours we were there - nonstop.  I tried to get him to play on the playground, play with the bubbles, watch some of the kids fishing, but all he wanted to do was ride that thing. 

So, being the overly concerned person that I am, I asked Clay if he thought it was strange that Ethan didn't want to play with any of the other kids.  That's when Clay looked at me and said, "He's my son."  Translated to the full version, this means that when Clay learns something new or really gets into something, it would take an incredibly earth shattering event to pull him away.  I just shook my head and went on letting him ride around the park all by himself - happy as a lark! 

(And while Rachel was not at all thrilled to be at the park that night, she did have a few moments of peace lounging in a camping chair.)

And the winner is...

Way to go, Cara!  I think you must be remembering the good times Ethan has had sitting on the piano bench with your kids banging away at the keys on the PIANO!  Side note - even Clay couldn't guess what it was.  I suppose it's one of those things you pass every single day but never really notice. 

While we are a musical family and we love having the piano around, it's much more than just a piano.  It's also much more than just a piece of furniture that fits oh so nicely in that space in the living room.  For me, it's the only tangible thing I have from my Granny & Pa (my dad's parents).  I am blessed to say that they are still living and they're both quite healthy, so not many of their things have been passed down.  But, some time during my growing up years (Dad, I can't remember exactly when we got it), they gave the piano to my parents, and then when Clay and I got married my parents gave it to us. 

My dad actually remembers when his parents got the piano - I believe it was 1960 - and it was already old then.  My dad likes to tell the story of a man sitting in the back of my Pa's truck playing the piano as they drove it home.  I would have loved to have seen that!  I love thinking about all of the people who have sat and tickled the ivories.  I'm not sure that either of my grandparents actually play the piano, but for some reason they thought it would be a good idea to have one.  That piano is a good conversation piece, a great place for fall and Christmas decorations, hours of entertainment for children and adults alike, and I love it. 

When my brother and I were in high school, my parents would have a cookout at our house every Friday night before a home football game.  We would both bring a bunch of friends over to hang out and eat.  Well, Bryan had a friend named Nathan who was a great piano player so we spent a lot of time hovered around it listening to him play. 

So, that's the story of our piano.  And although it needs to be tuned (badly), it still sounds great when Clay is playing ABCs for Ethan on the left end, and Ethan is playing his rendition on the right end. 

Happy Birthday Cousin Kelsi!

What a happy day for a certain 17 year old!  Kelsi Lynn, we love you and wish we could be with you today to help you celebrate.  And even though you not only stole my spot as the youngest cousin, but also took away my "only girl" status, I still love you.  I just can't believe you're 17!  Have the best day and hopefully we'll see you soon.  (and don't be mad about my picture selection - I just wanted to showcase some of your many "talents")

 
 

What is it Wednesday

Remember, all guesses are welcomed!  (also, you can click on the picture for a better view)

Music class

Cara, Jack & Josie invited us to go to Mainly Music with them this morning, and we had a blast!  For the first few minutes the kids just play with toys and get acquainted, and then for the next 45 minutes they sing their hearts out while jumping, jogging, skipping, sitting, etc.  Ethan was in heaven.  I thought he might be a little shy or reserved at first, but he just jumped right in there!  It helped that Jack was showing him the ropes.  The lady leading it was very animated and patient, and we'll definitely be going back.  And the best part is that it was only $1 - and they have a snack at the end!  Thank you, Cara, for sitting with your 2 children (3 really) and Ethan while I held Rachel (who, by the way, probably enjoyed music class as much as the big kids), and thanks Jack & Jo for dancing and singing with Ethan. 

At the end of the class the teacher asks all the kids to come to the middle of the cirlce to say a prayer.  I told Ethan to go over to the circle and sit quietly for a prayer.  I can't help but smile and get a little teary-eyed looking at this picture:

Exactly two and a half...months

Not only do we have a 2 1/2 year old, but today we have a 2 1/2 month old!  I can't imagine our family without Rachel Ryan.  Here are some things about our little girl:

1. She gives great smiles


2. She loves to "talk" - especially during a diaper change


3. She still sleeps between 10 and 11 hours every night (I don't want anyone throwing things at me - we definitely paid our dues with Ethan and I think this is God's way of paying us back)


4. Not only does she sleep that long, but she wakes up happy and smiling


5. She does not like her car seat


6. She prefers being held while the holder is standing up - sitting down makes her upset


7. Her favorite place in the world is her changing table (this was also Ethan's favorite place at this age)


8. Her second favorite place in the world is her vibrating bouncy seat (especially if Baby Einstein is on)


9. She doesn't care much for a pacifer


10. Even though she seems to like being swaddled at night, she always manages to get at least one arm out


11. Her hair just keeps growing and hasn't fallen out yet


12. She has beautiful blue eyes and gorgeous long eyelashes


13. She loves watching her brother play


14. She doesn't care much for a stroller (probably because she has to be in her car seat to be in the stroller)


15. She'll usually fall asleep in the car


16. She can put herself to sleep at night


17. The vacuum cleaner still calms her down


18. She likes being whispered to


19. She only nurses 5-6 times a day (I think Ethan ate about 10 times a day at this age)


20. She is cuddly, mostly content, soft, precious, sweet smelling, smiley, lovable and perfectly two and half months.

Exactly two and a half

Ethan is exactly 2 1/2 today.  Here are a few things about my sweet boy:

1. He gives me unsolicited kisses every morning when he crawls up in our bed


2. He loves, loves, loves to be outside


3. He says his favorite color is purple


4. His favorite song to sing is the ABCs, and he thinks it hilarious when you sing it slow, fast, silly, etc.


5. He is so incredibly helpful - he takes laundry out of the dryer and to the bedroom, he throws away Rachel's diapers, he washes Rachel's hair, he helps unload the dishwasher, he vacuums, and he loves to dust the dining room and coffee tables


6. He can't stand for things to be upside down, wrong side out, etc.


7. He can work the DVD player (and referring to the subject above, he can't put a movie in unless it is exactly facing him, and if I'm putting a movie in, he has to "check" it to make sure I put it in correctly)


8. One of his favorite times of day is when Daddy reads books before bedtime


9. He makes up songs during the day and then asks me to sing them with him


10. He plays pretend with all kinds of things (today he was dragging a camera strap around the house saying, "Come on worm.  It's okay, Ethan's here.")


11. He loves his cars and knows every single one that he has


12. He gets excited about going to Bible class


13. He's still not potty trained


14. He enjoys Monday and Thursday mornings because he gets to watch the trash truck come by


15. He still says that every plane in the sky is going to see Addi and Libby


16. He loves wagon rides with Poppa


17. He says he can run really fast


18. He tells me to be careful when I'm leaving to go somewhere without him


19. He still wakes up from his naps crying


20. He can completely tune out Rachel's crying fits - he can even sleep through them


21. He will eat just about anything - as long as you can get him to take that first bite


22. He has the memory of an elephant


23. He has a new love of playing with sticks


24. He could watch Mickey Mouse all day long if we would let him


25. He is sweet, smart, sensitive, playful, funny, stubborn, literal, determined, rhythmic, energetic, and perfectly 2 1/2.

And the winner is...

This is so much fun!  I'm glad so many of you took the opportunity to wager on the inaugural run of 'What is it Wednesday!'  While there were many great guesses, this week's prize goes to David & Ginny, Tracy, and Nicole - nothing like a 3 way tie!  And I think I'll also give the 'creative answer' prize to Will for guessing that it's one of Mickey Mouse's ears. 

This is not only a picture of an antenna/rabbit ears, this is the picture of the Starr Family Band reconnecting with the outside world.  When we bought the house a year ago, we decided that we would not only not get cable, but we wouldn't even bother getting rabbit ears.  We really didn't watch that much tv, and we thought of it as a small adventure.  It's amazing what all you can get done when you don't have the option of turning on the tv.  It also meant that we've rented a TON of movies over the past year which has been fun.  However, last Friday when the tornados were rolling down the interstate and we had friends over who said, "Turn on the news so we can see if need to take cover," I thought we should probably try and figure out a way to pick up the local stations.  Well, who knew how clearly the stations would come in with rabbit ears!  Clay tried to explain the analog/digital station thing, but I really didn't get it.  All I know is that I can once again watch the news in the mornings, we can watch Sesame Street at 11:00, and Clay can watch this really weird channel called 'The Tube' that only plays footage from old concerts like The Who.  So, welcome back SFB to the wonderful world of television!

What Is It Wednesday

Well, since Ginny has her Sunday Stories and Cara has her Friday Funnies, I'm beginning my own adventure called What Is It Wednesdays.  Now, I'm not sure if there are any readers out there that never comment (maybe you're a friend of a friend because I know how easy it is to get sucked into those links), but here's your big chance to make yourself known!  I plan on taking a picture of something - just showing you a piece of it - and we'll see who can guess what it is before the big reveal on Thursday.  Now, don't roll your eyes because you think I'm going to take a picture of a carton of orange juice or a dirty sock or something.  Oh, no!  It will be good and it will (hopefully) have some relevance to the week.  So, that being said, get your thinking caps on, your fingers ready, and hit that comments button to make your guess. 

Here's today's pic:

Happy birthday, Dad!

Even though the post is a couple of days late, I'm so thankful we got to celebrate with you on your birthday.  Thank you for being exactly who you are, and for loving me the way you do.  I really do thank God for the blessing of you. 

(For the blog fans out there, check out my nieces singing happy birthday to Poppa - you'll want to watch it more than once!)

 

Monkey see, monkey do

That has been the motto around here today.  Ethan has a new love of doing everything Rachel is doing and it cracks me up.  If she's in her bouncy seat, he wants to be there.  If she's playing under her playmat (thank you, Tracy!), he wants to be there.  You get the idea.  Well, Rachel took her first turn in the Bumbo seat today (thank you, Nicole!), and Ethan thought it was hilarious.  He kept saying, "What's this called again?"  I guess the word bumbo is a little funny.  It just makes me laugh seeing him in all of these baby things.  He also loves to play with all of his old baby toys - at least he's entertained!







Tonight was also a very special night as our sweet friends Kevin and Jenny coordinated with Clay to give me a surprise birthday dinner.  Clay just said that we had plans tonight, and to dress casual.  Well, we left the house a little before 6:00 and headed to this great park by our house.  In the short little drive there, we went from sunny weather to 20 mph wind gusts.  And little did we know that a tornado was spotted just several miles north of our house.  So, as the tornado sirens are going off we head back home to Ethan repeating, "Eat first, THEN go home Daddy."  We got home and the doorbell rang - it was a rained on Jenny with ice chests, a picnic basket and pizzas!  So, we just ended up having my surprise birthday picnic in our dining room, but of course still had a great time.  The dinner was complete with brownies and ice cream.  Thank you, Crums, for making this night so special - we love you guys.

Oh, the life of a mom

Well, I did it. I actually did what I've been thinking about doing for a while now and it worked. I was at the grocery store at 6:00 this morning to do my "big" grocery shopping before Clay left for work. While I'm sure I was a sight in my baggy pants, t-shirt, pony tail, droopy eyes and whirlwind tactics through the store (had to be home by 7:00!), it was nice to be the ONLY one in the store. I have tried doing it late at night and other times during the day, but it just doesn't work with naps, fitting 2 kids plus groceries in the cart, etc. So, for all of you moms out there who have been wondering if it would be worth it, it did feel nice to have that big thing accomplished before I even had breakfast! And the best part was that I saved a little more than $25 with my coupons and Albertson's card. (Yes, I've already set aside that "saved" money for a really cute park bench that Jo Ann's is putting on sale next week - our front porch has practically been begging me for it.)


Here are a couple of random pics of the kids from the past week. Rachel really enjoys the caterpillar that Ethan loved so much when he was a baby. She just stares at it and coos and smiles...her first friend! And Ethan's picture is of him eating a moon pie at Lauryn's super fun Chuck E. Cheese birthday party last Saturday. Since he can't have cake or other birthday party treats, we usually take some candy or something else that he rarely gets to parties so he won't feel left out. Well, on our beach vacation in the fall we discovered that there are no milk or egg proteins in moon pies! So, Nana & Poppa have been keeping him well stocked on moon pies - thanks to our local Cracker Barrel!

Blue is for Easter

Well, we did it. We actually made it through an Easter weekend without anyone getting sick or having an asthma attack or anything else traumatic. For the past several years someone in our family has been sick on Easter, therefore preventing us from being able to go to church. Well, we all made it -despite the freezing temperatures! I'm so glad Rachel had a little sweater to wear because it really was very cold. Of course I had to get the kids matching Easter outfits, and the color of choice this year was blue. Clay has tons of blue shirts so that worked out well, and I got a blue skirt (which I didn't wear because of the weather). The funny thing is, my parents were also dressed in blue - mere coincidence. We had a wonderful day, and want to thank Mimi, Granny & Pa, and Nana & Poppa for the great Easter gifts for the kids. We had very quick Easter egg hunt after church Sunday morning, and then went to my parents house for lunch. Ethan was quite funny during the egg hunt. After we finally convinced him to stop playing with the grass in his basket and come outside, he was not at all interested in seeing how many eggs he could find. He was, however, very interested in the mechanics of how the eggs open and close. He found a total of...4 EGGS! He would find one and just sit down and open and close it. I'm not sure he even cared that there was candy inside (this is probably because I was hovering over him to try and sneakily remove the candy he was allergic to). Anyway, we had a great time and a wonderful day.

Terrific two!

Rachel Ryan is two months old now! She is such a happy baby (except for when we went to Applebee's last night for dinner and got horrible looks from everyone around us) and she's still a great eater and sleeper. I took her today for her 2 month checkup and she's just as healthy as can be. She weighs 12 pounds, 4 ounces, and she's almost 23 inches long. She had to get 4 shots today which definitely was NOT the highlight of our day, but she only cried for about a minute so I was thankful for that. I can't believe how quickly the past 2 months have flown by, and I'm so excited to see what the next 2 will bring. I couldn't help but post both of these "2 month and a bear" pictures because of that big smile!

Funny little Ethan

Here are a few of the funny things Ethan said to me today:

(In the car on the way to Nana's house to pick something up)
Ethan: UGH!  Ethan forgot his cups.
Mom: Well, I think Nana has some cups you can use.
Ethan: (Sigh)  Okay.

---------------------------------

(Randomly while he was putting a movie in)
Ethan: Mommy, Miss Carolyn (his Wednesday night Bible class teacher) called Ethan Tyler.
Mom: Miss Carolyn accidentally called you Tyler?
Ethan: Ethan's not Tyler!  (starts cracking up hysterically)

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(While I'm getting him dressed)
Ethan: Mommy, these pants are GREAT!

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(While watching a Baby Einstein movie where they show pictures of old paintings)
Ethan: Mommy!  That is NOT Jesus!

A trip to Brownsboro

My mom and I took the kids to see my grandparents (my dad's parents) on Monday in Brownsboro (East Texas). Every time I'm there I just feel so blessed to still have my grandparents around and for them to both be in good health and very active. I wish we could see them more often, but unfortunately too many times I just let "life" get in the way of making the drive there. And of course Ethan LOVES being there because he has free reign of the outside world since they live out in the country. My cousin was there with her son, Timmy, who is 4, so the two boys explored the dirt under the shed, lots of old things in the shed, the old swing, etc. It was a lot of fun watching Ethan just roam around. My brother and I did this every single day growing up, and I wish Ethan had that same opportunity. Anyway, we had a great visit. My Pa has the touch with Rachel and was the only one who could settle her down from a crying episode. He sang her some really old songs and she was mesmorized by his voice. I hope I never forget that. I actually did get a short video of it, and will try to figure out how to put a video up on here (Clay...help!).





 

We hate allergies!

Poor Ethan.  The past couple of weeks have been pretty rough for this little guy and his allergies.  Apparently the pollen counts have been really high (this would account for the layer of yellow stuff on our cars, driveway, grill cover, etc.), and this does not agree with Ethan.  We took this picture 2 nights ago after going out to a restaurant.  But it's actually better than he looked a couple of days before that when his eye was just about completely swollen shut.  We just keep praying that he grows out of some of this - especially before he's old enough to want to play sports!  But the blessing is that we haven't had any major asthma attacks in the past few months.

Now if we can just figure out exactly what all he's allergic to...