Art with a Heart

Momma Post: I hate to admit it, but the past five weeks have been a little overwhelming at times. Frequently I'm tired and often glued to the couch breastfeeding Willa, which makes it difficult keeping up with an active toddler. I'm completely guilty of relying on the television to preoccupy Ruby while I'm tending to her sister. I do justify my actions by telling myself that we only allow her to watch PBS KIDS Sprout programming (Sesame Street, Teletubbies and her favorites, Caillou and Make Way for Noddy). Due to Ruby's desire to watch her favorite shows repeatedly, both Matt and I have reluctantly memorized several Noddy episodes (and swear that Noddy has a "thing" for Tessie Bear). This weekend I had a breaking point and pulled out my dry erase board pens from my former life as a consultant, stripped Ruby and gave her full permission to get as messy as she wished without me wincing too much. She obviously needs her parents to get her a smock and art supplies for Christmas. The pictures of Willa depict her critiquing Ruby's work.

Fridays with GG

Momma Post: Friday mornings are reserved for quality time with "GG" otherwise known as Great Grandma Alice. Ruby loves GG's and knows when we're driving east on Sandy Boulevard that we're going to GG's. Ruby gets to run around and act like she owns the place. She fills up on Ritz crackers and mini apple juices (don't we all). And, she plays with blocks, dice, polished rocks and other trinkets. This has been Matt and Ruby's routine for the past18 months and it has been nice to join in on the fun with Willa. Despite all the good times Ruby has her occasional tantrum which you can see in the last picture.

The Scary Wonder of Christmas

Daddy Post: Another year, another attempt to convince Ruby that Santa is not to be confused with Satan. As the pictures indicate we'll have to give it another shot next year. The Meier & Frank "Santa Land" has been quasi reborn under the Macy's brand. While the train that used to circle "Santa Land" (and which Marty & I both rode) remains as a static monument to the past it just isn't the same. This past Sunday we made our annual visit to Zoo lights with our good friends Tommy, Kristen, Karen, and Alison Pace. A little snow made our trip on the train a memorable one and the lights kept Ruby entertained for the time we were there.

Willa has been a champ. She's becoming more animated each day and has fallen into a nice rhythm with her sleeping schedule. The girls have been a handful, but we value each moment and miss them as soon as they're out of sight. We're looking forward to our trip to Medford for the Holidays so that we can share the "joy" with the rest of the family.