Big Helper

Yesterday Jay was raking leaves in the front yard. I took Ryan out to keep him company. At first Ryan was just running down the sidewalk every chance he got. A couple times he picked up the extra rake, but it was so heavy he just dropped it and moved on to something else. Then Jay needed help bagging the leaves. I held the bag open and Jay scooped big handfuls and put them in the bag. Ryan thinks his daddy is great and wants to be just like him, so he started picking up leaves and putting them in the bag as well. This marks the first time Ryan has actually been a real helper. He didn't put some in and take some out like it was a game. He just picked them up and put them in the bag. Mommy is so proud of her little helper bean!

Hi ho hi ho it's off to hike we go...

We went hiking at Rocks State Park today. People who climb up those things are crazy! Those rocks just completely drop off and go down for what seems like forever. I will just stick to the trails, thank you very much! I have come to accept that I am much less daring since I had a baby. I wonder if it's just growing up and getting scared or some maternal instinct about staying alive to raise the baby.
Here is a picture. Jay, Ryan, Elizabee, John and Andy(a friend of the family) from the bottom up.
Hiking at Rocks State Park

Christmas Shopping Update

A special thanks to Jay's mom who kindly volunteered to watch Ryan Friday so I could get some things done. I managed to get to the doctor(which I have been meaning to do for a while now) and go shopping with Erin without babies! It's so much easier to shop without babies! I got a good bit of my Christmas shopping done. I'm feeling much more relaxed about it now. I only have a few people left to buy for in my extended family and I got a good start on the boy's gifts. Now we just need to buy a tree, clean, decorate the house, make Christmas day plans and wrap everything. Aren't the holidays great;-)

Monkey Business

There is a sale at Gymboree that I found out about on Erin's blog. Normally I wouldn't even think about spending so much on baby clothes, but they have this Monkey and Friends collection that is perfect for my little monkey. I was able to resist the regular prices, but I am very tempted by the sale prices. Even though the sale prices would seem fairly expensive to me normally I am torn by the apparent bargain off the regular price. I blame Erin for showing me this collection of monkey outfits! Will someone try to convince me it's okay to spend $20 on a sweater or a pair of overalls? If my will power breaks I may end up splurging on the hooded cardigan it's so adorable! ::grasping wallet tightly::

Christmas is coming...

And I'm NOT ready! There is so much to do. Boy I long for the days when I only had to buy a couple presents. Buying four presents for each set of family Kris Kringles and for all our immediate family is so much more than I'm used to. Boy I'm glad we do Kris Kringles though, with my huge family I'd never get my shopping done otherwise! I guess I'm a little over half done with extended family gifts and I have not even been to a store yet. That's pretty good I guess. I'm hoping to get out to the store soon so I can get the kids done and get some things for all the rest of the KKs. I think everyone should have a list! I am totally lost for about 6 of the people I have to buy for. If they just had a list like mine things would be sooooo much easier! I like to buy people something that suits their personality or something that they need instead of just some trinket or generic thing that kinda works for 'all girls' or 'all guys'. But this year I may be pushed to buy Bath and Body works. I just don't have the time I used to have for browsing and trying to find a gift that would be right for each person. It's especially hard when the people closest to the person you are trying to get ideas for don't have any ideas themselves! What to do, what to do?!