Sassy Pants

This is Raya's new nickname.  She has quite the little attitude and LOVES to yell "NO"!  Whenever you ask her a question.  It doesn't matter if you ask if she wants candy, a million dollars or to take a nap.  The answer is always "NO"!  Her new favorite word is, "mine."  So, we have lots and lots of struggles with Easton about who gets to play with which toy.  Super fun...  But her sassiness just adds to her cuteness so she gets away with it most of the time... unless it's accompanied by her new discovery of hitting.

Raya loves her new daycare and gets excited to go see her teacher Hanna everyday.  Often times she also doesn't want to leave... another good sign! :)

Found her sitting in Easton's room reading a book :) 

Just the cutest 

While brother's away I'll play with his stuff and wear his hat

The fighting begins 

Kisses for Charlie

Add caption

Pumpkin carving time

All settled in (kind of)

Well, we did it!  We successfully moved out of our old house on Morgan Ave and into our new and much improved house on Penstemon Lane!  Hooray!  I have no idea how we did it but we did (and that's all that matters now).  The amount of crap we had (and still have) amazed me.  It didn't seem like we were ever going to stop finding things to pack.  Thanks to our super hard working parents who made this move possible... and our 2 men and a truck!    To say we love our new house is an understatement.  Sometimes I just stare in awe that this is ours.  My favorite things about our new house are: 1. mudroom (can't believe I was going to sacrifice having this in another house we thought about buying).  2.  the kitchen - it's big with so much storage and it's just pretty to look at  3. carpet.   Yes, carpet.  Holy Moly having carpet is amazing (and it's new)!  I mean I love our wood floors too but they aren't everywhere which makes the house warmer and much, much quieter.  The first week in the house we kept scaring each other by accident because we were so used to hearing someone walking from a mile away and in this house you don't hear people walking at all.  The list could go on forever but I'll spare you and just give you my top 3 :)  Wait, I lied.. I just thought of one I couldn't leave out.  The floor plan... having the kitchen, living room, play room and a bathroom all on one level is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!  Especially, with small children.  Things just magically fell into place for us with our move here.  From getting the house that we dreamed of to having both kids new daycare and school be phenomenal - we are pretty lucky.  And I'm going to chalk it up to karma.  We're such darn good people that we deserve some good in our lives ;)  I can toot my own horn. It's ok... we all should do that more!  I should also give a shout out to Tom and Cathy who saved us while we were drowning in payments at our old crappy house because if it wasn't for that help we would still be trying to recover and never would have been able to move.  Ok, ok, enough of that.  On to what you really came here for... the kids!

Easton LOVES his new school.  I am so impressed by what they are teaching him too from reading and math all the way to social/emotional skills.  It's funny to hear him say things like, "today when I went to STEM lab..."

He also just got his new glasses this week.  And O.M.G. they are stinkin' adorable on him!  He has really impressed me with how much he wears them and keeps them on without complaining.  He will ask to take an occasional break from wearing them but they must be making a big difference if he will wear them all the time.  I thought his old daycare was great with the activities they did and what they taught him but now I think it was crap that we paid MORE and he receives such better care and education where he is now.  Such a great change!

Raya's new daycare is also a change for the better.  Within the first week she loved it so much she didn't even want to leave to go home one day.  It's just what she needed because she gets SO MUCH MORE attention  than at they old daycare.  Plus she naps about 3 hours a day at the new place!  The difference I think is because she sleeps in a pack-n-play versus a cot and she gets a room to herself rather than sleeping in a huge room with 20 other toddlers.  Who could sleep like that.  Plus she can take her shoes off.  Her new daycare couldn't believe that they weren't allowed to remove her shoes at her old place.

So, all in all we are so thankful for all the new changes and that everyone adjusted so well! :)

This is a story all about how our life got flipped-turned upside down...

Life as we have known it is completely taking a 180 degree turn and I'm holding on with all my might.  So many changes and it's all happening so dang fast.  Since my last post we have sold our house, bought a new one, Easton started a new school and is attending a full day fours preschool that is all day, everyday.  Raya has started daycare and today is her last day at that daycare.  She starts her new one on Tuesday.  We move into our new home in 13 days and we have about 13 boxes packed.  It is impossible to pack with 2 kids.  Especially when Raya has literally been teething for 3 weeks.  She has never been a good teether but this has been by far the worst.  She is getting 4 molars all at once.  Jake and I didn't sleep for 2 weeks straight.  Seriously.  All while trying to buy, sell, start new schools, pack a house etc.. etc... I'm not sure how we're still functioning - but we're surviving.  I feel bad that Raya is finally getting used to the new daycare and now she will be starting a new one.  However, I am hopeful it will be a good switch for her.  The teacher-to-kid ratio is 4:1 at this new location which I hope gives her much more attention.  I haven't been impressed with her toddler room lately when I pick her up - she is usually sitting all alone in the sandbox, not playing, and just sitting alone sucking her thumb.  When she sees me she starts running for me all while breaking down crying.  

Raya has really changed a lot - especially since the last post.  She is a talking machine and will try and repeat anything we say.  She also is all about pushing her limits and will do things she knows she's not supposed to... all with a big girn on her face.  But damn she's cute so she usually gets away with it.  She continues to love music and dancing and anytime music comes on she bends those knees and starts bouncing away.  Simply adorable.  She loves to give hugs and kisses and usually will pick 1 person each day that she clings to.  Sometimes it's me or Jake but she's also been known to pick the neighbors, grandparents, etc.. etc... she knows what she wants and that's all there is to it :)  She loves to play with Easton and will laugh hysterically while they chase each other all over the house.  My favorite thing lately is that she just finds everything funny and busts out laughing.  She loves to read books and sit on your lap while you read them.  She also loves her babies and loves to rock them to sleep and cover them up with blankies.  She also loves to sing songs and will sing a couple words to: itsy bitsy spider, rock-a-by baby, twinkle twinkle, and if you're happy and you know it!  

Words she knows:

• No
• Bye-bye
• Hi
• Sit
• More
• Nana (banana)
• Milk
• uh-oh
• Whoops
• love you
• Wazat (what's that)
• ball
• meow
• whoof
• mama
• dada
• gramma
• help
• up
• nigh-nigh (night night)
• book
• nose
• eyes
• baby
• elmo
• shoes
• socks
• owie

I'm sure there is more - but that's all that comes to me now.  

Playing at the neighborhood park at our new house.. we can't wait for this to just be down the road!

Just loungin' on the steps

She did not like the zoo.  Big scary animals... there was a lot of clinging to mom and saying, "no no no" and "raaawwrrrr"

Wearing Mom's old Snoball queen crown and not impressed 

Visiting Eddie and sending him notes to heaven.  Raya however did not like the 3 balloons that popped and scared the crap out of her.  

Morning snuggles 

Loves the slide.  She was a drooling machine during while cutting those molars through.

Those baby blues...

redneck american

Family <3 

This is what happens when we try to pack

safety first

Helping to take the training wheels off of Easton's bike

This girl loves the sandbox

During a long night of squirming while teething

Refusing to sleep...my teeth hurt.... I just want to read books.  Auntie Mary has a similar picture when she was younger but it was with puzzles instead of books :) 

Such a goof!  

We survived

Well, Raya attended daycare for 2 hours today.  Dropping her off was easy peasy... for multiple reasons.  1st -  because I love her teacher, Angie.  She is the one who I loved for Easton too and I am so happy that Raya starts out with her because I know she's in good hands.  2nd reason is because Raya was oblivious to what was going on so I don't even know if she realized I was leaving when I said, 'bye.'  Now, next week I'm sure will be a completely different story.  I guess she did okay today until some stinker decided it would be a good idea to dump sand on her head when she was in the sandbox.  Angie said after that happened she was not a happy girl.  Angie tried to put her back in the sandbox and Raya would just say, "no no no."  At this point Easton was also on the playground and heard a baby crying and said, "that must be Raya" and went over to the fence and cheered her up through the fence.  What a good brother. :)  When I dropped Raya off he wanted nothing to do with her and wouldn't even come over to say "hello."  Not sure if he likes sharing his "get-a-way" spot with her :)  Just kidding.. he'll love it!  She loved to go down the slide at school too and say "hi" to everyone.  Angie also said she just needed to be right by them at all times.  Which is what we expected because that is how she is with us.  She was sad when I picked her up though... instant tears and hugs when I got there---she was ready to get out of there and started to cry when I shut the car door too.  So we had to spend some more time talking before we went home.. wasn't ready to be out of my site again for the drive home.   Not to mention there is no morning nap at school either so she was exhausted from it all.  BUT we survived.  That's all that matters.  I'm not sure I'm ready for the messy, germ-y disaster that daycare entails but that's what bath time is for, I guess.

Yesterday I took the kids to visit Eddie.  This was our first time there since his funeral.  There was a lot of explaining going on to Easton as of course he had a million questions.  He also wanted to know what God likes to eat.  We brought ice cream (Eddie's favorite) to eat with him while we were there.  We also brought a superhero flag to put by his headstone.  Easton didn't want to leave and said next time we need to bring Eddie some toys.  He also wants to go visit where Grandpa Hugh is.  So sweet of him.

"owie"

So many new words coming out of this little one's mouth daily.  Her favorite is "owie!"  Apparently, she's always hurt :)  Most people probably think I'm a liar about what she can say as she can get pretty shy around other people (wonder who she gets that from......BOTH parents.... poor thing).  Anyways, her list of words is now: Hi, Bye, No, Owie, Whatsat (what's that), nose, eye, mama, Da (dad), and Meow.  I think that's all.. that's all I can remember anyways.  This poor little monkey just can't catch a break with her teeth.  She goes about 1-2 weeks without teething and then BAM we're back in it again... she can't sleep, eat and is clingy.  I can't believe that when Easton was her age he had 9 more teeth than she does.  Blows my mind.... mostly because I can't imagine that we have that many more teeth she has to suffer through yet.

She can walk all day long.  She just doesn't want to.  She'd rather hold your hand and walk next to you.  I have to remind myself to enjoy this!!!  Because soon, very soon, there will be a time she wants nothing to do with holding my hand.  So, for now, I will embrace this.. every time her tiny hand reaches out for mine so she can take her wobbly steps.

She's also really into books lately.  Her favorite is "goodnight moon."  She will look for the mouse on every page and when she finds the kitties she'll point to them and say, "meow"  We also have a "first words" big book that she'll look through.  It's hilarious, when she gets to the page with food on it she'll do the "more" sign and then she'll try and scrape the food off of the page and put it in her mouth.  It's great :)  

I know I mention this with every post but she is the gosh darn sweetest thing.  Ever.  She loves to hug and kiss and be held and is just so sweet.  She has also started to throw some tantrums but let me tell you.... these are SOOOOOO minor compared to what Easton threw at her age.  That's probably going to come back and bite me in the ass real soon.  But for now, she's sweet as sugar.  

I am in tears and in awe that she starts daycare in 2 days.  Well, kind of starts.  We're easing our way into it.  She'll go a couple times for a couple hours to start her transition.  My poor little Rayapie is going to be in complete shock that she's not getting 1:1 attention all day everyday.  I still think of her has my baby... not a toddler....so I just can't fathom her being in the toddler room.  It's mind blowing to me.  Sleep on a cot.  what???  sitting at a table and pushing in her chair when she's done eating.  what??  And let's not forget the germs.  So. Many. Gross. Germs.  I'm a huge germaphobe and this just grosses me out at the thought of how many snotty germs float (more like are smeared) around a toddler room.

Well, we are officially done with bottles.  We have been for a few weeks now.  Sad that we'll no longer have bottles in this house anymore.  But, so nice not to have to wash them and to get my counter space back (no more bottle dryer rack)!  It's the little things, right?  

I'll be back after Thursday to update on what an emotional wreck I was leaving Raya at daycare for an hour!  Ugh....

Happy 33rd birthday, Dad

Loves to be pushed on the scooter

Hugs for the kitty.  Of course Milly ruined it and bit her 2 seconds after this photo.  Naughty Kitty.  

Add caption

Having fun at the splash pad.  

Putting on her sun glasses

The cutest

Helping to water the yard.  AND that hair!! 

Enjoying a leisurely stroll by big brother

The sweetest thing you'll ever know

Happy little monkey

Taking a stroll with her favorite girls

Trying so hard to put on her swimsuit. 

Dr. Seuss parade.  Poor kids got stuck with these terrible costumes.  Last minute decision to be in the parade didn't leave me much time to create cool costumes.  Creative though, huh?!  ;) 

Hooray for driving carts at Home Depot!

Happy Baptism Day Harrison

Relaxin' in her floaty.  

Splash pad fun

Having fun with Emerson

Too cute

Loves the big girl swing.  Even though it's the same size as she is.

She's even cute when she is sad from bumping her elbow

She's such a little monkey.  Always climbing! 

More splash pad fun

 Park fun

Pushing brother on the scooter

Uh oh, bring on the tantrums