Just a few pictures from the week

Kirt is scared of heights- so this was a HUGE deal- but he wanted to stain the playset before Sam's birthday party next week

Who does Caroline look like?

Caroline 3 months Emerson 3 months

Here is all three kids at 3 months. Kirt & I think Caroline looks jut like Sam!

Should I laugh or cry??

She looks SO innocent. We have definetly gotten in a different phase with our 2 year old. She has been insistant on wearing her jammies every day for 3 days- I did convince her to get dressed to take Caroline to the pediatrician this morning and then as soon as we got back home she changed her clothes. I don't think Sam could dress himself until he was almost 4! But little Emerson never ceases to suprise us. She potty trained at 25 months and she can take herself to the bathroom independently and now this..... (see below) Yes, there is no more containing her in the crib. She is flipping herself out before I can even shut the door! Right now, I have her laying in her big girl bed- we will be making the big switch tonight. It was such a big ordeal moving Sam to a big boy bed (he was getting out at 18 months) that I am dreading it! Sam slept behind the door on the floor for months! The other difference is that Emerson has learned to remove the child locks on the doors. She hits them with her hand until they fall off then she proceeds to open the doors.

This is what I found yesterday- she was digging through my purse and apparently found my lipstick! Just say a little prayer for the sleep deprived Ruby Family! Luckily we are all well for now. I am tempted to skip out on church just so they don't get sick next week- I'm not sure I could handle much else! But on a better note- I am so excited Sam starts basketball practice tonight. He is looking forward to it!

Not me....

OK, so I read this great blog http://www.mycharmingkids.net and every Monday she posts her "not me" things for the week. You have to visit her website- it is hysterical to read! Anyways, after my day today I had to post my "not me's" and yes I know today is Tuesday not Monday!

1. I definetly do not have the number to Poison Control in my cell phone and I did not call it before 8:00 this morning because Emerson ate a piece of foam that she called "gum". What kind of mom would I be if I let my daughter play with things that she could choke on in the car.
2. I did not just find my daughter pulling the dogs tail.
3. I certainly did not make Sam go get family pictures done when he had been complianing of a tummy ache that morning. I would never just give him some medicine and some Sprite just so he felt good enough and I did not have to cancel with our photographer. Thankfully he did not get sick except that one time.
4. I defiently did not make a fuss to my husband about having to cancel my plans to go to Meredith's tonight and he had to cancel his work dinner so I could go out. I would never do that!
5. I did not find Emerson holding Caroline today. She would never pick her up out of her bouncy seat.

sweet girls

My mom & Emerson

Caroline

New Pictures

Here is the latest family pictures- can you believe ALL three children are looking the same direction! Emerson (27 months), Caroline (2 1/2 months), Sam (will be 6 next month)

Elf on the Shelf

http://www.elfontheshelf.com/ So I finally bought "The Elf on the Shelf". Sam was SO excited when he got home and he is busy making a list to find the perfect name for his elf so we can register him in the North Pole. This is such a fun tradition to start- I put the link to the website here. So, the elf is magic and he flies back to the North Pole every night to tell Santa if the children were good or bad that day and then he returns every morning but lands in a different spot so the kids have to find him every day, but they are not allowed to touch him or the "magic" rubs off. Just thought I would share this with you in case you wanted to order one for your family.

My first day at work

Today was my first day back at work, I am so lucky to have a job that I can work one day a week and get 12 hours! It is a VERY long day but I do really like my job. It was such an adjustment for ALL of us. I awoke this morning to Sam crying at 5:00 a.m. saying he was going to miss me today and begging me not to go to work, there is nothing like waking up with your child staring at you face to face-luckily I wasn't in a deep sleep or it would have scared me! Actually Caroline had woken up to feed at 4:30 this morning-this time change has been a challenge for the Rubys! Emerson went around all day saying "Mommy coming home?" then it turned into "Mommy coming, Mommy coming?". Peggy said she said that ALL day today. When I got home she hugged me around the neck and put her hand up and said "Daddy, go!" She wanted her mommy and she was so done with her daddy. She kept saying, "Mommy babies" and she would rock back & forth- interpreted...Peggy must have told her mommy was rocking babies at work, then she would say "Mommy, pump" you can imagine that I called every three hours while I was pumping. All in all a good start, I missed my family and will definetly go to bed early. I'll find out about the election tomorrow!

The Great Pumpkin

The kids had a great Halloween. We stayed in our neighborhood this year and we didn't have very many trick or treaters until after 8:30 when the big kids came out with pillowcases and no costumes. I guess that happens when you live in a cul-de-sac...we only had 2 trick or treaters before 8:30 then they started coming in cars dropping them off! I didn't care as long as I got rid of my candy! The kids were excited to wake up this morning and find out what "the great pumpkin" brought. My sister came up with this great idea to trade the kids their candy for a gift! Brilliant! I fixed up 2 baggies with the best candy (10 pieces apiece) and set out their presents. Sam was so excited you would have thought Santa was coming! One of the dentists in our area is taking candy donations and sending them to the troops!

Caroline's first (play)date

Caroline & I headed to Meredith's house after we dropped off the kids at school. Andrew shared his swing and toys with us. Both babies were so good and we had a nice lunch. We can't wait to get together again! I just smile everytime I look at that picture- sweet little Andrew has come along way this past 6 months, he is so cute & just coos and laughs! Actually, Caroline laughed for the first time tonite- Kirt & I were so excited! She goes to the doctor tomorrow for her 2 month shots!

Fall Festival

Carving a pumpkin & boo grams

Well, the pictures ended up in reverse order- not sure how that happened- but here is Sam getting ready to deliver his boo grams. He was so excited! What a fun tradition to start! I will put the poem at the bottom if you want to copy it for your own boo-grams!

Sam was so happy when the doorbell rang last night and the basket was there (Thanks Lee Ann & Will) he screamed "The Easter Bunny came". And even though Will was supposed to ring the bell & hide he came running to say hi!

Here is the pumpkin the kids carved when they stayed with my parents on Sunday. Kirt & I went to a dessert at the pastors house- we are so excited to join the new church. We have been visiting for about 6 months and it is also where Josh & Tracey attend.

Here is the boo gram poem: You can print to "Boo" signs at http://www.boograms.com/

YOU'VE BEEN BOO'D!

A goblin was here with a treat just for you He crept on your porch to deliver this Boo. The treats that appeared alongside this rhyme are now yours to keep but don't run out of time. To continue this Boo is your number one mission, you don't have much time to pass on the tradition. First, post your Boo sign where it can be seen and leave it there until Halloween. So others who are Booing that come to your door will know a ghostie has been here before. Second, make two treats, two boos, and notes just like this and deliver them to tow friends that might have been missed. Deliver them at dark when there's no light, ring the doorbell and run and stay out of sight. Don't let them see you be sneaky, no doubt and make sure that they put their own Boo sign out. Last, but not least enjoy the season, don't worry, be happy for all the right reasons. Been cool and have fun but remember, don't be seen when you share the spirit of Halloween.

8 weeks & smiling

more arboretum

It was very sad to go without Sam, but he was at school! Brooke only wanted to smile for me- she kept saying only Aunt Stacey could take her picture!

Grandma Karen & Caroline. She is 8 weeks old and weighed 12 pound 2 oz at 7 weeks

Lunch

We had such a great visit with my cousins on Sunday!

Critical Thinking learned in Kindergarten

Funny story for the day---just a glimpse of the fun at our house! I was talking on the phone and Sam & Emerson spilled a bag of popcorn. Sam ran off and came back with the dog leash. He proceeded to put the leash on Andy (our 75 pound Golden Retriever) and then he led him to the staircase. It was at that time I realized that he was about to hook Andy's leash to the banister. He thought this was the only solution to keep Andy from eating his popcorn. I hurried and put Andy outside. Poor dog! I keep saying he is going to run away from home with all of these kids- he was our first baby!

Arboretum

Crime fighting in the hood!

So I got up to feed the baby at 5:00 this morning and looked out the window (remember we live on a cul-de-sac so no one usually is on our street), and I saw a blue mini-van with the door open parked beside the neighbors car with the drivers door open. Well, I hear something being thrown out and then it pulls up next to another neighbors car and throw something, then he literally speeds around the corner. So I automatically think someone is vandalizing the cars and call 911. I am thinking that I am saving the day! I get back in bed a few minutes later (I was so proud that I may have stopped a crime) and I start thinking about it....5:00 in the morning, blue mini-van, drivers side door open.... I just call 911 on the paper boy! Thank goodness when the 911 operator asked if I would like to speak with the officer when they came out I had said no or I would have been more embarrassed! I hesitated to tell Kirt since this is my 3rd incident this past year with the paper boy! I'll go ahead and tell you one of the other incidents- I leave for work super-early and one morning Kirt's car was parked out front and when I went to get in and after I closed the garage door a car pulled up behind the driveway. I panicked- I thought this guy is going to kidnap me and kill me! I grabbed my cell phone and called the house, I didn't know whether to reopen the garage and run or stay in the car! By the time I had made a decision he had already thrown the paper and left!

Fair day at the zoo?

This picture is for Janie- see this is the reason we never have pictures of my mom holding Caroline. Mass CHAOS! Janie has brought it to our attention that we have no pictures of my mom with the baby- therefore she believes that my mom must never hold her!

We did spend our day at the zoo, but I have no good pictures! I guess when you have 5 kids (Tracey & the kids & my mom went with us) it is hard to get it together. I know Tracey posted some pictures.

Kirt's birthday at the Lake