Another day of miscellaneous photos

John and Emily Lozides spent the night at our place.  Ryann was delighted to find her friends laying down in her living room the next morning.  She was all for laying down next to John and drinking juice from her sippy-cup.

I have mentioned before that Ryann loves to climb anything.  Now she has figured out how to climb onto the couch and over its back.  Here in this photo, she's on the window ledge between the couch and window.  

All dressed up for church.  I thought she was so adorable and really wanted a picture of her.  She was NOT cooperating!  So, here she is, fussing at me and telling me to just pick her up!

oh those summer days...

Don't you all (my cousins) remember those sweet summer days of childhood?  

Somehow and in some way, water was always involved in mine.  We had a small creek running through the property of the farm, it was a place for imagination to roam.  We played explorers as we floated down really creepy parts of the creek on inner tubes that Dad had discarded from his tractors and fixed up for us.  We had mud wars and competitions on the rope swing that swung out across the water.  I love that place.  With the creek, we also had sprinklers, flooded front yards (from busted culverts), milk buckets, hoses that ran 300 ft long (ok, exaggeration there), water balloons, Maranatha Pool, the Great Lakes and all the little itty bitty lakes that dot the state of my beloved home, Michigan.  My family and I including all my cousins certainly grew up loving the water. It is my hope to raise my children finding delight in the water as my cousins and I did growing up.  I might have to be as creative as possible in certain circumstances.  But for now, while in SA, we have a little kiddie pool.  

 

Not to impressed with the camera being out when there's a pool.  Hello! 

 

In and out she would go.  It was such a sport to her. 

Pool hair rocks.

Little water boats being smashed together was such an intensely good time for her.

Yep, there is only 5 inches of water in the pool for now.  She is totally satisfied and I don't need to put more water in.  Plus, it saves water!  Go earth.

Chillin' like a villian

Today at lunch, Ryann had personal cheese pizza, cumber (cut up into small pieces of course) and sippy-cup of water.  It was such a beautiful day, Ryann had just came in from a swim out in her little pool and was in such a chill mood that it affected her eating/sitting habits.  

 

Her right foot was propped on the seat and the left foot was swinging away.  Her body was slouched down and her head was relaxing against the back of her chair.  As she reached for her food, she would ease her body forward, reach for the piece of pizza and slowly slide back.  Rough life.

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(I had fun with her hair in the pool)  :)

*Side Note*

It may look like there was no food but I assure you there was.  I can only give her two pieces at a time.  If all her food was placed before her, she will shove her mouth full as if she was playing 'Chubby Bunny".  Then cough and choke and scare the crap out of her parents.  So, we're trying to teach her to swallow her food first, and then put more in!

most random blog.

Its been a while. Wow, I've got like four blogs that i have started but never finished.  They are saved in the blog account.  I'll eventually get to them i guess.  But just to get a move on, here's one for now.

I saw this on Christy's blog and wanted to do it on mine. :)  You're suppose to bold what you have done...

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied 
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies.
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

Moses and the Red Sea

This is just another story.  It isn't inspirational or deep.  My apologies.

Two days ago, which would be the 12th, Bethany and I had a VERY full day of shopping.  We headed to Salt River (which is nearby Jubilee and is where all the ladies from SunShade live) and did our first portion of our shopping list as well as eat a yummy lunch there.  From there we decided to head over 15 minutes to Paarl where a HUGE shopping mall is.

At the Salt River Market, I carried Ryann in the sling.  It is way too crowded for a pram to be pushed through.  She did great except the last 5 minutes before we left, she really wanted to be put down.  So we left very quickly after small hints fussed at us by Ryann.

We headed to the Canal Walk Mall and we were shopping for christmas gifts.  By the time we got to the mall, Ryann was doing ok.  Not great, but okay and manageable.  So we put her in the pram (stroller) and headed inside.  Bethany and I spent about 30 minutes getting my dress for Laura's wedding and Dave and Anthony's gift.  Around that time, Ryann was becoming very unhappy about being in the pram so we decided to take a small break and feed Ryann lunch and get ourselves a smoothie.  

After our little break, Bethany and i decided to split up so we can shop for each other's gift.  I thought Ryann would be fine with a full tummy.  WRONG!

So I carried her with one arm and navigated the pram which suddenly became stubborn and unnavigable through throngs of million people with the other hand.  Okay, this mall is HUGE, reminds me of Mall of America, which I've never even been to, but no other mall that I've been to has been this big.  

Alright, I'm on one end needing to get to the center of the mall to get to the certain shop for Bethany's gift.  At this center of this particularly HUGE mall, Barney and Bob the Builder were making appearances and also there was this train ride going around with this annoying conductor that walked in front blowing this loud and shrilly whistle while his lucky buddy gets to drive the train full of kids around the mall.  

So, yeah, me... I'm stuck with my baby girl who is not happy with being in the pram nor in her mom's arm ("not happy"=pushing, squirming, arching back, throwing her head and fake crying) and this piece of contraption that supposedly is called a pram/stroller.  

Oh yeah, I'm outta juice for the little one's bottle... UGH

Finally, I made it through all the moms with their happy, smiling, giggling babies and got to the store. For some reason, I decided that I could still manage to shop with Ryann in this berserk behavior.  I got the items I needed and shoved them under the arm that was pushing/dragging the "pram/stroller" because i had all the other shopping bags loaded on there.  I didn't want anyone thinking that I was stealing if I set it down on top of the bags. So I got finally got to the cashier and waited seemly forever for them to ring up everything.  Mind you, Ryann is still dramatic acting.

After I got the purchased items, I set everything down on the ground, jammed shopping bags together and hooked them on the arms of the pram.  Then I buckled Ryann in and took off again for the same end of the mall needing to push through all the happy, fun, sweet loving families with Barney and Bob.  Now, Ryann is RRRRRRRRRREEEALLLLY MAD.  She's screaming and her face is bright red and she's getting white spots on her forehead from freaking out so badly.  

Lemmie tell you, if you need to get through a crowd of people quickly, just let that little one holler.

I felt like Moses parting the Red Sea.  The crowd who is loving and singing "I love you, you love me..." opens up and I have the freedom to rush down with the shopping bags poking out every which way and a daughter who is losing her voice.  Everyone was giving me sympathetic looks and trying to give me reassuring smiles... oooooooh, I was on the verge of tears.

Mom, my dearest mom, (Kris Carlson), I'm so sorry for ever putting you through moments like these.

I zoomed down the center of the walkway with the hollering baby clearing the way.  I kept my eyes peeled for a small shop or anything with some sort of juice for sale.  I found one PACKED with customers.  There wasn't any way I could get that pram through all that tightly formed pack of people who surround that saving potion called apple juice.  I made the quickest decision of my life and left the screamer at the entrance and bulldozed my way to the apple juice.  By the time I got to the apple juice, everyone connected the dots and gave me a little more room to rush back to the raw throated crier.  I filled the bottle with apple juice/water and gave it to her.  She took it and quieted down immediately.   I paid for the juice and headed out toward the end of the mall to meet Bethany.

I took 5 steps literally and my daughters eye's were rolling back and her eye lids drooped heavily. 10 more steps, she was fasted asleep with the bottle at her feet of the pram.

Whew!  You can obviously tell who Ryann got her dramatic genes from, I'll give you a hint, it isn't Anthony. I gotta tell ya, I still love being a mom.  :)  I'm just way more appreciative towards mothers and feel honored and humbled that God has given me this beautiful gift of motherhood.  It is only by His grace and mercy that I do not completely fail at being Ryann's mom.  

M U D

Once upon a time, in a gorgeous country where the skies are blue and sparsely dotted with white silky clouds and the old rugged mountains meet the magnificent seas, there was a little wee one named Ryann.  She is a very curious girl and loves to touch, taste and see new things that her Creator is spiffed up just for her.  

At one point in the day, when all the animals barely make a sound because they are napping off the heated and scorched afternoon, little wee one named Ryann decided to venture out to her garden.  Little wee one named Ryann found a very long green snake.  She toddled and waddled and crawled to the end of this very long green snake.  Feeling tired and thirsty from this long toddled and waddle and crawled hike, little wee one sat down and wondered what to do.  Suddenly, the very long green snake started spitting water out of its end.  

When the water fell to the dark and brown thing called dirt it became very mushy and gritty.  Out of curiosity, little wee one reached down to touch it.  To her delight, it was cool and soothing to her tiny, hot and sticky little fingers.   

After her tiny, hot and sticky fingers had enough pampering,  little wee one named Ryann thought and wondered how this will taste. Little wee one named Ryann had seen and touched this delightfully cool, dark and brown dirt, now she must taste it!

Icky, blechy, puffttthhh!!  She was not amused by this taste.  Her fine little eyebrows furrowed deeply into a disgusted frown.

Little wee one name Ryann looked up and found her mom smiling at her.  The mom squatted and told her little wee one that she was playing and eating mud.  The mom also told little wee one that the mushy and gritty dirt called mud would not taste good but there was so many fun things to do with mud, like, mud pies, squishing your toes in it, sliding around and building mud men and castles.  Little wee one looked at her mom and felt the mud on her little wee face form a smile... 

The End.

Here's another story about my child with food.  

One of her snacks that she receives during the day is Otees.  It is SA version of USA's Cheerio.  It is sweeter though.  Often, I'll put in on the ground for her to pick at her own pace. One time I had put some down and went to do some dishes.  Then I heard her complaining, so I turned to look at her and saw that she finished all the Otees... until she stood up.  

They were all stuck to her pant!  I've often found Otees or biscuits or crackers inside her onesies or even her diaper at the end of the day.  But I found this really funny.  Ryann looks like she's posing specifically for these shots.  I just love this girl.