Thursday, February 10, 2011

Green playdate at Ruby's house


One of the playgroups I joined has been organizing color playdates...where the snack, clothing and craft all center around a specific color. Since GREEN is my favorite color, we hosted the GREEN playdate.

I made Ruby a fun green tutu for the occasion.

As our craft I put together the frog face cutout, and glued it to sticks. Then Ruby and her little friends glued the eyes and tongues on.




I found some neat handprint ink and we all did the kids handprints.




Ruby tries soccer

Ruby and I joined some friends from our playgroup in a free trial of indoor toddler soccer. It was absolute chaos...I decided Ruby was still way too young for this.

I don't know how you convince a bunch of toddlers that they can't pick up and throw a ball! They were happy to just run on the field.

Anyways, good to let Ruby experience something new.

Lon and Toni visit Texas!

In January our good friends from London, Lon and Toni, visited Texas from New York. We took them to a rodeo...







And enjoyed catching up over drinks!















We also took them boot shopping in the Fort Worth Stockyards. Such a nice long weekend with good friends!

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Ruby is 20 months old now!

I told someone the other day that Ruby was 20 months old and they said, 'Oh, nearly 2 years old then.' WOW! I can't believe she is growing up so fast!

Nearly every day she is surprising us with a new skill or word. A few new things Ruby is doing...

Can say many many words now (I've lost count!). She knows some of her shapes (ball, moon, star and heart) and is learning her colors (the other day she surprised me by calling out the orange and pink colors of some balloons in our house...without me ever telling her what colors they were). Loves music and tries to dance and jump to all kinds of tunes. Can do the moves to 'I'm a little teapot.' She started singing parts of twinkle twinkle in the backseat of the car recently (this melted my heart). Cooking is another favorite pasttime (with water, acorns, dried beans, playdough, and empty spice shakers). Alex taught her how to say robot and make the corresponding arm movements (hilarious!) She enjoys coloring on her easel with dry erase markers and is starting to show an interest in playdough. We read several books at least once or twice a day - FISH books are the favorites now! We play five little monkeys jumping on the bed with some stuffed monkeys (and an energetic Ruby jumping on the bed). She loves beeing outside, going for walks, and to the playground. She is getting to where she really recognizes her buddies at all of our playdates and if I ask if she wants to see her friends she says 'friends' and gets really excited.

Every day I'm soooo grateful that I'm able to stay home with Ruby. We have so much fun together and I treasure all the little moments as much as the big milestones. I look forward to getting her up in the morning and seeing what kinds of adventures we will have that day.

I am much more confident as a mother now. I whistle more, I smile more, I'm silly more and I can almost feel my eyes sparkling with pride everytime I look at my daughter. Love you Ruby.

Ruby starts gymnastics class

After another trial of the mom and me ballet class, I decided against it. Ruby is still a bit young for it.

Instead, we decided to start a gymnastics and tumbling class. It is great exercise for Ruby in these cold weather months! She gets to climb all over things, stretch, walk on a balance beam and hang from a bar like a monkey! My friend Lori and her daughter Maddie are also taking the class with us.

Ruby liked our first class and we look forward to the next 7 weeks!

Tutu party at Ruby's House

Coincidentally I hosted a girls' tutu party at our house the day after Danielle's party.

Ruby was excited for her guests to arrive.




Ruby and her friend Lauren compare beads.




The girls had fun playing with dolls and playdough upstairs.

Tutu Party at Danielle and Emory's House

Last week Ruby and I went to a girls' tutu party at Danielle and Emory's house. I'm so glad that I took that tutu and bow making class so I can create fun things for Ruby to wear to such events! It is so fun to have a girl!

Ruby wore a pale pink tutu with her owl hat and lots of beads!


Here are all the girls in their frilly tutus!






Ruby got to visit with her friends and try out Emory's kitchen. She also liked Emory's play cash register.

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