yesterday, Sunday, March 20 - 1st day of spring!

Realized that it has been a while since I have actually taken any pics of the kids. I got them all dressed and ready to go to church and then decided at the last minute that there was just no way that I was going to make it there on time, by myself and still get to hear the singing, etc. So, I opted to stay at home and hang out. (mike is heading out for a business trip and couldn't go with us due to time...)

So, I thought since the children were dressed, why not "try" to get a picture. Ryan is not the best these days when it comes to taking pictures. He either does a really cheesy smile while saying cheese, or he talks the whole time you are snapping, so you get really weird facial expressions.

We are trying to teach him that the quicker he can smile happily, the quicker he can go. I mean, I am all for candids, but every once in a while I would like a picture that I can put in a frame, ya know?

Here are the fruits of my labor...

After our little photo shoot, the children decided to play for a while in the bathroom and Ryan's room...

2 "cute as ever" bottoms!!

Ryan with his train table

helping Kaitlyn with the activity cube

This weekend...Chalybe Fest #3

Wow, how times have changed...Chalybe Fest used to be about parents getting together, hanging out, having a few drinks. This time it was about "jumpies", bumbos, and refereeing children. :)

Still, though, it was fun hanging out with the neighbors. Our time is going to be limited with one set of friends as they are moving this summer...we will so miss the Turners!!

Kaitlyn is thoroughly enjoying her time on the swing!

Making faces with Daddy

Ryan on the jump jump slide...in constant motion these days!

Seriously...when one has to go, they all have to go!!!

The kids today

This week has been spring break...and man, have we been "breaking". Took a break from everything...including going ANYWHERE. So, lots of time spent hanging around the house and finding stuff today. Pretty fun, actually. In between the wanting to strangle certain children, we have had a really good time.

These are pics of the kids before naptime this afternoon. :)

Kaitlyn's new "preferred" position for drinking a bottle

Look at those thighs!!!

Ryan with his favorite Buzz Lightyear t-shirt.

Night out with the Backyardigans!

The Backyardigans came to town during Spring Break here and we decided to go. Mimi and Doc were here for the weekend and graciously stayed an extra day to keep Kaitlyn while Mike and I took Ryan to the kid's museum to meet the Backyardigans - Pablo, Uniqua, and Tyrone were present.

We had our picture taken with them and had the run of the museum. Crafts were available for everyone to do and there was food from Chick-fil-A. It was a pretty fun night and definitely worth our time and money since Ryan is such a big fan. Wish that Tasha and "Austicles" aka Austin, could have been there too, but guess they can't all be at the same place at the same time.

3 year appointment

Don't have pictures for this one, but the stats are mostly for me anyway...so, here goes.

My little boy is still the same big boy that he has been since his 1 month check up. He is still in the 80-90th percentile and still growing like a little weed.

He has been embracing the 3's and has started doing the normal things that a 3 year old does...mainly finding out how far he can go with the two of us. :)

Other than that "testing", Ryan is doing great. He knows a little more than half of the alphabet by sight (or at least that is as much as we know that he knows. He probably knows the whole thing and just doesn't let on to us...stubborn child), he can count to 20, recite his birthday and tell you how old he is along with the number of fingers, knows all of his shapes, all of his colors, knows spanish for at least 4 colors and still learning, can do a little simple addition and subtraction, understands rhyming, opposites and finding "like" objects. He is forever comparing things showing us if they are alike or not and telling us what makes them so. He knows a few verses from memory out of his Bible, knows how to say the whole Blessing without being prompted, and probably many more things that, again, we have no idea he knows because he is JUST. THAT. STUBBORN!!

He really adores Kaitlyn and loves to make her laugh. He is NOT crazy about her touching his things, but we are working on that day-by-day. He likes everything to be "just so". Guess he has a little of his Mommy in him. :)

He is going to school 3 days a week and will continue to do so next year also. He is hoping to learn to swim this summer and talks about it all the time. He wants to go to the park everyday to ride his bike. He ZOOMS up and down the sidewalk so fast that we have no chance of keeping up just by walking.

He is a great little 3 year old. Even on the days when he tries my patience...he looks up like he knows that he has just pushed me to the brink and says "I love you too" along with a hug. (ryan always says " I love you too" even if you haven't previously said I love you. Guess he thinks that is how it goes from him...his part. hahaha so cute!!)

Ryan's Stats from 3 year appointment on March 7, 2011

37 lbs

39.5 inches

9 month visit

The mischievous look. Getting ready to pull up and get into something...or everything...

The famous throwback...

Rockin' the "Pebbles" look today. Just a shout out to my Mama who did my hair like this constantly as a baby.

February 28 was Kaitlyn's 9 month check up.

She is "thriving" as usual...which really means...very large baby!!

Kaitlyn is 20 lbs, 14 oz and 29 inches long. Both were in the 86-88th percentile. Not surprising considering I can feel every pound of her as I carry her around the house. Oh how I had hoped for one of those petite babies that don't break your back. Guess that just wasn't in the cards for my children!! haha

Anyway, as of Feb. 25 weekend, Kaitlyn has been pulling up on everything...and I mean everything! She is really having fun with it and has definitely gotten quick about it. She loves standing at the couch and pulling up to grin at me while I am sitting or make funny faces or just talk a bit. She is a lot more talkative than Ryan was at this age. (maybe that means we will actually have a child that speaks before their 2nd birthday!)

Anyway, she is doing great and just adores her new-found freedom. She isn't crazy about being put in a walker, but I think that is mainly because she can't chase big brother around from room to room while strapped in a walker. Yesterday she was cracking me up because she literally chased him around the house in circles while he rode through the den, dining room, kitchen and hearth room on his bicycle. It was so funny to watch her go as fast as she could, stop turn around and chase after him the other way. They are so cute together!

night, night

Night, Night Daddy!!

We had a good night and now it is time for bed.

We love you!!!

Kaitlyn is attacking the camera!!

February 27 - us

Just one day after church...thought we would try to get some pictures with the children. One of these days we are going to get a family picture!!

My baby is 34 weeks...or 8 months old!!

So happy!!

Mike is 34!!

Mike's birthday has rolled around again. Can't believe that the end of February is already here.

Mike and I got a baby-sitter (Miss Brittany - their teacher who we LOVE) and headed out to dinner at a new restaurant.

The children had a lot of fun blowing out the candles in Mike's raspberry/white chocolate brownie that I baked.

It was a great day overall!!

Argentina

Mike and I had the opportunity for an amazing trip with his company. They flew us and 15 other couples down to Mendoza and Buenos Aires, Argentina for a week to learn all about some new brands of wine. It was a spectacular trip.

#1 - we had 7 days to just be with each other

#2 - we got to sip and taste some of the best wines the country has to offer

#3 - we attended a private polo match just for us

#4 - we met some fabulous wine makers

#5 - we visited some great cities and saw some amazing scenery

We started the trip in Mendoza to visit 3 wineries that mainly export Gascon and Alamos to the Gallo brand. This area is really famous for Malbec and Torrentes!! Both AMAZING wines. We toured the vineyards of both Alamos and Gascon and got to meet both winemakers. We learned about what goes in to the final product of the wine and how it gets from the grape to our wineglass. Very interesting stuff.

This is at Gascon

Our private polo match with some famous players from Argentina

Posing in front of the field

Again, the polo players

Alamos vineyard

Wine tasting at Alamos with the winemaker

Atop the Aztec facility at Alamos

The wine cellar at Alamos

Up in the hills with the Andes in the background for another type of grape grown for Gascon.

They use grapes from 4 different regions - high altitude and middle altitude and then 2 other locations to provide 4 different flavors of the same grape to be blended together into the final product that we actually taste. If you haven't had an Argentine Malbec, try one. Both Alamos and Gascon are great wines to sample.

Another picture of high altitude, rocky soil vines.

Buenos Aires - they have a monument just like our Washington Monument in DC.

This tree is insane. 200 years old and big enough that a whole homeless family lives inside. Is that crazy or what? (actually you can see some blue in the right side of picture -- that is from the family's things.)

I have never seen anything like this (top and bottom) This is a cemetery that is like small buildings. Each one has an altar and a door to go in. Then you go down these steps to the crypt. There are currently 40,000 people residing and each space has been purchased. Some are large meant for family for many, many generations to come. Others are just big enough for a door leading down to the crypt and maybe generations of family if everyone is cremated. Very creepy, but so interesting to a history person like me.

Down one of the "streets" of family plots. The whole cemetery was like this with streets and avenues winding through.

The stain glass in one of the crypts that is more modern day.