Oscars, Foo & Silliness...

To say that I'm excited for the upcoming week is an understatement!!! My annual Oscars party is on Sunday (and ribB is taking the kids out of town so I can properly prepare--fun!), our college friends are in town this weekend, the Foo Fighters are coming on Wednesday...it's just all so good. This week has involved lots of cleaning and organizing, especially since we transitioned little B out of his toddler bed and into a "big boy" bed. This has meant some serious bulldozing in his room and my office (where the spare bed had been for company). Where does all of this stuff come from?! Wow. Here are some recent pics--my great friend Angie (with whom I had a serious giggle fit with during our photo session here...chin out! Twist! I can't believe we got any pictures at all...we were both bent over with laughter, which is why I included both a goofy and better one). The other pics were taken during play time last night with the kids...Kdee enjoys playing photographer (and took the one of me with little B--who obviously wasn't cooperating much). Fun times, indeed!

Lexi the Dog...

With all of the comings and goings of life, sometimes I forget to share some of the funny adventures that happen at the ribclan household...probably because I don't realize just how funny they are until later or it's so routine for us.

Case in point was the recent "drama" I walked into with my little lady Kdee. So, imagine if you will the following...I came home from a long day of work to find an equally tired ribB rolling his eyes over our children that he so kindly picked up for us (we usually each pick up a child). Little B was kind of a crabby mess and Kdee was no where in site. ribB explained her pick up was a little rough--she didn't want to cooperate with his requests, which made him a bit more cranky. Fair enough.

Since I needed to go downstairs anyway, I figured I'd head down and check out how Ms. Kdee was doing (as I suspected she was down there). Sure enough...I went downstairs and immediately heard the sounds of mumbling and crying. Uh oh. As I approached the lady in distress, I noticed she was pushing her scooter around, crying and talking to herself. Double Uh oh (with stiffled laughter, because I knew she wasn't hurt or being picked on). Turns out she was crying because she had asked her dad for a dog on the ride home and he said no. This is not surprising--ribB didn't grow up with pets and the cats have been more than enough for our household. I love dogs, but let's be honest, they are more dependent than a cat, and with 2 small children anyway...you get the picture.

So, back to the basement and me now holding Kdee on the couch...sobbing. In between gulps and tear-filled eyes, she shared with me that she really wanted a dog, someone to play catch with and to be with when she felt lonely. The cats don't do anything, so when they die, could she get a dog? All she wanted was a golden retriever with blue eyes and she wanted to name it Lexi. Yes, I know what you're thinking--it WAS really hard to stiffle my laughter during this heart-to-heart confession. Even more funny (at least to me) was her recalling that, "dad told me the only dog we'll ever have is our "Magic Dog" movie" (insert big sobs here). Despite the obvious humor in this situation, I could also empathize with how very real these wishes feel as a kid. So, after lots of "it will be alright" and cuddles, she rebounded back to her normal self and we actually had a pretty fun night. That's the beauty of Kdee...she can feel things so deeply and seriously...and that includes those moments she practically bounces on air, shy smile on her face with silly giggles filling the air. She is my pride and joy...my sweet little firecracker of a girl. Man, I love her so....

**Thanks to Trace' for her excellent photoshopping skills...check out those blue eyes on the pup above!**

Action Shots...

Here are some more recent photos...Little B's sticker mania (and his poor victims), using his new binoculars (thanks Uncle Myron & Aunt Karen!) to look at the herd of 9 deer in our backyard (munching on some newly delivered corn). Little B's birthday night, blowing out the candles on his preliminary cake....truly, the fun never ends!

Celebrate good times--come on!

Can it really be true? Little B is now an official 3 year old...and all I can say is "wow". As any parent can attest, it seems like a lot longer than 3 years (because it's like you've known them forever) and then again, it feels like just a few months ago we were in the hospital laboring away. I just adore this little miracle boy...full of silliness, cuddles (not as a baby, he's definitely grown into them!) and athletic prowress. We had an awesome birthday celebration last weekend, kicking off with the little guy and myself staying home together on the big day (Friday). We hung out, played with playdoh, watched Scooby Doo (of course!), had lunch with dad, took a nap together (complete with a smile and kiss from him when he woke up--melt!). It was really perfect. Then later, dad and Kdee came home from work/school and we ventured out to a big, swanky dinner at...Burger King! You know, that indoor playground is always a hit with the 3 year olds. Then it was time for ice cream, cake (just the preliminary version!) and presents galore. The big gift was the classic "Big Wheel"...little B might have to watch out--I always wanted one, and I might try to squeeze this adult body onto that child sized toy! I got a kick out of watching ribB and little B assemble it--especially since little B was in his underwear with a drill in hand. He's all boy!

The fun continued throughout the weekend with dinner out with grandparents on Saturday night (and patience during the day as mom/dad cleaned and prepped the house!), swimming and then the "Scooby Doo" themed blow-out on Sunday. Little B was all excited and had a blast with our immediate families (including Ann & Kevin!) as we whooped it up. He got a lot of awesome gifts and we are so grateful for the...new entertainment! I even attempted a "Mystery Machine" birthday cake and it was good enough for a 3 year old party!

Other fun we've been having lately--a "girls night out" for Kdee and me complete with dinner and a haircut for her (have I mentioned that she can eat an entire foot long sub from Subway? It's slightly disturbing to think about where all of that would go).

Little B is pretty much potty trained. His only "accident" lately at daycare was due to him falling off of the toilet and wetting himself. This still gives me the giggles. He also almost did this at home recently (with ribB flying out of the bathroom holding his mouth so he wouldn't laugh in front of little B)...turns out when a big boy leans forward to adjust himself on the Diego potty seat, gravity can keep the body moving forward and almost off of the toilet.

ribB had a fun boys weekend away at the end of January with our college friends--many of whom return from out-of-state for the thrills and spills. The guys play cards Friday night, then take a rented bus to Madison for the UW vs UofM hockey game (with scheduled stops along the way)...and come home in the wee hours. I would be remiss to not mention that libations are enjoyed to the fullest throughout the weekend, although the guys do seem to be getting older and try to slow them down on Friday so that can make it through the activities of Saturday.

It's February and I'm pumping up for my annual Oscars party (writer's strike is over! woo hoo, the show will go on!!!) and the Foo Fighter concert at the end of the month (on the heels of their 2 grammy wins--yes!). It doesn't get much better than that!
In preparation for the Oscars, I've been seeing nominated movies like crazy lately...and I just have to say...No Country For Old Men, which is winning lots of other awards, really annoyed me (and ribB who also got to see it with me). I'm not sure it's worth the accolades, but who am I to say this?! Juno is still my favorite of the nominees, much to my surprise. Another issue going on with the nominees this year is the fact that the movies really don't highlight any food or reference any food...this is a problem for my dinner menu for the party--I base it on the Best Picture nominees (so, there's a movie reference for beverage, appetizer, main dish, side dish and dessert...think "Cold Mountain Dew" or "About Schmidt Beer".) I'm going to need to be creative, but I'm feeling up to the task...

We've had some fun playdates lately--with Kirstin, Nathan and Carly. Little B is gearing up for a new era of big boy playdates, as we're working on scheduling one with his best daycare buddy, Brennan. Everyone is growing up too fast!!!

Until next time...may you all be showered with love on Valentine's Day!

Pics to enjoy: Little B with gifts, helping assemble his big wheel, the birthday cake, little B climbing on top of a gift to open it and a fun sledding picture (by the way, I almost got ran over trying to take this picture--it was pretty funny).