Our Lil' Punkin

Momma Post: The term "nesting" would best describe my focus the past few weeks. Organizing dressers, cooking vats of soup and stew, stocking up on supplies, finishing Ruby's big girl room, and attempting to balance other aspects of life, like spending quality time with Matt and Ruby. This past Saturday we ventured out early to Sauvie Island. We stopped momentarily at The Corn Maze to enjoy the farm animals before the crowds encouraged us to move on...to the farm we were most impressed with last year, Columbia Farms, a quiet and scenic family establishment. They had mainly pumpkins with a few ghost and moon pumpkin varieties. We were the only ones there, but must have started the trend as several cars pulled up during our pumpkin hunt. Ruby became very protective of our wagon and was preparing to physically ward off any looters.

Last weekend, we had a nice brunch with Anne and Peter. They passed on the bucking bronco or "horsey" to Ruby, which has been a big hit. The horse has been in my family for generations. Grandma can't remember exactly when it was purchased. I have memories of climbing on what I remember being a much larger equine ride. Glad to know Ruby's carrying on the tradition.

Ruby has become very assertive. I've probably told everybody by now that her favorite phrase is "move back" with shoving motions. She's very protective of her personal space and this was something she was apparently taught at school as a tool to warn other kids that they were entering Ruby's striking distance. We first caught her saying it to Jack, who was lurking in the kitchen, hoping for a handout.

Ruby continues to be improving her language skills. She sings portions of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star", "Row, Row, Row Your Boat", and "ABCs". I was completely taken back at Kaiser for a doctor's appointment last week, when she pointed to the kid's floor mats and said "triangle" to a triangular shaped purple mat. She's very into reading books and prefers holding them herself. She likes to say "picture" and for one to explain what's in the picture. This is a pretty amazing stage. I find that I'm taking a lot of deep breathes to maintain patience, but feel an incredible amount of joy in watching Ruby be curious and find excitement in her world.