Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Rue Violet




Rue is one today. It seems impossible but its true. I truly don't know how a year has passed since she joined our family. I do feel a little sad about how quickly this time has gone and there is so much i'm going to miss. But I am excited too, she's changing and learning everyday. Its pretty incredible to see this little girl discovering the world. She isn't walking on her own yet, but she will happily scoot around the house pushing a cart or holding our hands. She laughs constantly. She's happy and funny and watches her sister with big bright eyes, giggling and squealing at everything she says. If you ask her, how big is Rue? She will fling her arms wide open and smile. She loves to clap her hands and give big kisses. She's still nursing and doesn't show any signs she's ready to give that up. I can't tell you what her favorite food is because she will eat anything her 6 little teeth can chew (including cat food from the cats dish) She says mama and reaches for me when I walk into the room or go to her crib in the morning and I love that. She loves me and I love her, and as much as I already miss my little newborn I can't wait to know this 1 year old. So grow on sweet Rue, there's so much happy ahead!








Monday, November 24, 2014

A 1st Birthday: Party of 2

As I mentioned before, Rue and her Cousin Amelia have birthdays just 2 days apart. We celebrated together over the weekend with a small and simple, just the family, party at our house. Its been really special to watch these two together over the past year. Although it almost always consists of Rue mauling Amelia with kisses or hair/face pulling while Amelia tries to get away. But you know, in baby language that's love, right? I definitely didn't get enough pictures, which seems to be standard for me during big events, but the day was amazing and I enjoyed every minute I got to spend celebrating these sweet cousins! I cant wait to see what the next year brings.


Earlier in the week Luna went to the store with her Lala (what she calls my mom) to pick out a special gift for her sister. I helped her wrap it in brown paper and she spent a good part of the day decorating it.

All dressed up!


The ladies of the hour

She sat in her highchair quietly taking tiny bites of cake for as long as I would let her.

Yum yum!


My sister in law made the prettiest little pink and gold cupcakes and both of the smash cakes (that didn't see much smashing)  Rue was fairly delicate with her cake eating and Amelia wanted nothing to do with it!


Our birthday girl and her daddy


Let me just have a little taste...


I really regret not getting enough pictures of the two birthday girls together but luckily we have a few snap happy people in our family that I'm definitely going to hit up for pictures!

Rue doesn't officially turn one until Tuesday, so I'm still holding on to these last hours trying to convince myself I don't actually have a 1 year old.

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Lets Make Tassels!

It's almost party time for Rue! Rue and her cousin were born just two days apart so that means two 1st birthdays in the same week. We decided it would be fun to throw a joint birthday party for the girls. Pom-pom garlands are my usual go to party decoration. If you know me at all you know I love a good pom-pom. But this year I decided to switch things up and make tassel garland. I bought a string of tissue paper tassels a couple years back but figured I could probably make them myself, not only for less money but that way I could use any colors I wanted and not have to settle for whatever i could find in the stores. The process is actually pretty simple! Why not make some for your next party, or to hang on the wall in your little ones room or heck, hang them in your living room like I do!



Here's what you'll need:
  • Tissue paper in any color you choose
  • Scissors
  • Glue gun
  • Netflix (you're gonna wanna sit on the floor and binge watch Gilmore girls while you make dozens of tissue paper tassels) *optional but recommended
And that's it!



First things first, spread your tissue paper out completely and then fold it in half lengthwise (or if you still use 2nd grader terms like i do, "Hot dog style")



Then fold it again "Hamburger style"



And again, one more time.


Now start cutting! Cut thin strips all the way across your folded piece of tissue paper leaving about 2 inches at the top.



One you've finished cutting the strips, unfold the tissue and cut it in half. Then cut those halves in half and you should have 4 pieces (like the picture above) One piece of tissue paper will make 4 tassels.




Now you want to take one of your 4 pieces and lay it out flat so it looks like " a spider with too many legs" as Luna will tell you. And start rolling it up nice and tight.



After you've rolled it all the way, it should look like this!

Now bring it together and twist until it looks like a tassel! Hot glue it so that it doesn't come unraveled. All that's left to do is string them. Use twine, yarn, whatever you've got!



Cute, right?! They make me so happy, they're so fun and whimsical!

Now you go make some tassels, I'm gonna go pick up someone else's mess!

Monday, November 10, 2014

Movie Night! A family tradition.

One of our family traditions that we love is movie night! It's something we've done since Luna was little. When we started this tradition she was probably about 2 and we would watch movies like Bambi, Toy Story and Lady and the tramp. While I love those movies (I really do!) it gets even more fun as she get older. It's so fun to get to show her the movies that we loved growing up and to see her love them too! Recently Annie, Mary Poppins and the movie we watched tonight, Milo and Otis were really big hits with Luna. Corey and I try to make Movie nights feel extra special. We make special treats and drinks, get cozy in our Jammies and blankets and lights out! We always keep the movie a secret right up until the viewing and Luna gets pretty excited about the surprise of it all. I cant wait until Rue is old enough to join in on the fun too! I hope our family movie nights are something that our girls always remember fondly as time goes by and they grow up, I know I will.


Getting our snacks ready. She's my helper.
A movie night with out popcorn is not a movie night!

Any seat next to daddy is her favorite place to sit.

Its usually bedtime for Rue before we get too far into the movie, but she's pretty keen on the eating part. Also, hair.
Yum!

Hot drinks are on the menu for tonight! Coffee for Dad, Apple Cider for L and Tea for me. Fall is so good.
These truly are the best days. 

I really love the idea of family traditions, like big Sunday morning breakfasts. I love that. I picture myself getting up before everyone else making a big ol breakfast, with all the yummy breakfast foods you can think of. My family rubbing their eyes as they trickle into the kitchen. But that's as far as I ever get, the idea of it. Maybe when I get to the point where I actually get to sleep through the night I will have the energy to make it happen! Ha! Do you have any family traditions that are special to you?

Thursday, November 6, 2014

The little things...

Life/Motherhood can feel so hard sometimes. Do you ever have those days where you want to lock yourself in the bedroom with all the coffee and the ice cream and binge watch Netflix? It's the little things in life that keep me from doing that...or at least waiting until my husband gets home! Ha! So here's some bits of life lately that are small but remind me why I do this everyday.



She does her own hair these days. She's pretty proud of it.



Watching big sis play in the rain.


Your classic 'head in the cut out' photo. From our trip to the pumpkin patch last week.

She insisted she wasn't tired. Didn't need a nap. And then she fell asleep on me. I win.

This girl LOVES music! There's always booty shaking going on (please pay no mind to the floors that still have no trim!)

Coming in from the other room to find both of my girls (and a cat) in the play tent together. Its so fun to see these two starting to play together now that Rue is getting older. These are the moments I always imagined with the two of them.

Saturday, November 1, 2014

Halloween! 2014

A Rue-nicorn and a Lunasaur


It seems like Halloween came out of nowhere. One day summer turned to fall and then instantly it was Halloween! Since I haven't figured out how to slow time down just yet, we accepted it and celebrated appropriately. Friday morning I decided to squeeze a couple drops of green food coloring into Luna's oatmeal and call it monster brains. You know, to make the morning a little more festive. She looked at it with a disgusted look on her face and informed me that oatmeal was brown not green and there was no way she would eat it. Well kid, I tried. A new batch of brown oatmeal and she was happy.  We went trick or treating that evening around our neighborhood with new friends and had tons of fun making memories and all that good stuff. I love these days. I took almost no pictures that night (and the ones I did take are blurry and grainy and just not very good, so please forgive that!)  which i was bummed about but I guess those are good days, right? When you forget about your phone?  Part of our Halloween tradition is to visit the girls' grandparents and Great grandparents in their costumes but Corey's schedule didn't really allow for that this year. To keep the tradition going we decided to get them back in their Halloween garb and do it on Saturday instead! Two days of trick or treating? No complaints. Halloween 2014, you were good to us. 




Trick or treat!



Luna wanted to be a dinosaur. But not just any dinosaur, A pink and orange dinosaur!