A little Monday morning potty humor...

Now that we have added a new member to the 'potty on the toilet' club at casa de Stiff (if we could just get Grant on board, we'd really be getting somewhere....), Ryan is becoming quite the teacher in bathroom etiquette.

Ryan:  You going to the bathroom mama?
Me:  Yes I am.
Ryan:  Okay, I will close the door for you
Ryan quickly closes the door to give me some privacy, but swiftly reopens it, peers in and says:
Ryan:  Call me when you're done
Me:  Okay
Me:  I'm done
Ryan comes rushing back in
Ryan:  Oh good girl, here's some paper, now flush
She tilts her head and pats my back
Ryan:  Big girl, you want some candy now?

Two babes, one shirt...

The beauty of hand-me-downs, iPhoto library and a few minutes to kill is a comparison of the two ladies each at about the eight month mark.....

Nothing says Turkey Day like Makers Mark....

I had some help in the kitchen this Thanksgiving.  Ryan was right by my side while I made the Sweet Potato Casserole and Bobby Flay's Pumpkin Bread Pudding (thanks to his Throwdown with the Pioneer Woman).

A pastry cutter and a miniature bottle of Bourbon, a deadly duo....

And not to leave Reesey out, my own little mini-turkey: 

Holiday Cheer!

This is the look I love......finger shaking about to tell you how to do something (or how not to do something for that matter).   Oh, Ryan, how we love thee and thy finger....

Ryan, can you sit here nicely, smile and say 'cheese' so daddy can get a cute pic of you in your Christmas pajamas?

Response:

Thanks Ryan!  

Sunday Funday!

Aunt Barbara & Uncle Bo are in town for Thanksgiving and the girls couldn't be happier, two more people to aid in their endless quest for treats and playmates.  Ryan and Reese spent this 60 degree Sunday playing with their cousins Anisten, Nolan & Jack.   Now if we can just teach them all how to rake and bag leaves, then it'd really be a 'Sunday Funday' for the Stiffs'.  

Can I get a ruff ruff?

This is for all the dog lovers out there.....Ryan hearts dogs, big time.   When we went to our favorite jewelry store (for Pa-Pa, not for me sadly), I brought Ryan along so she could get in her quality time with Scout...

Dog and jewels courtesy of Huffords  

Where was this 8 months ago (or 2.5 years ago for that matter)....

This is just too cute and is reason enough alone to have another baby.....Because that's right, you should totally treat babies like art projects.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/younghouselove/sets/72157624154743476/with/4911099437/

Hungry?

I dare you (double dare you) not to take a bite out of these cheeks.

All this free time!

Two days into the Facebook-free era and my mindless internet surfing has decreased by at least 75%!  Of course I still cruise the internets for fun and while I should be keeping up with current events, I still checkout People.com for a quick refresher in celeb news (Eva & Tony splitting - seriously?).  All that free time helped us officially potty train Ryan, finally.  She has been half-a*sing it the past few months and Tuesday I had had enough - we said goodbye to the pull-ups and busted out the 'big girl underwear'.  Three steady waterfalls on the kitchen floor later and she finally got the hang of not having the pullup as a trusty backup.   With the help from a Skittle or two (yes, the ones from 2007 in the candy machine on our stairs).

Not to leave Reesey out, that girl is pulling herself up like crazy - she is into everything and still as happy as a clam.  If ever there was a contest for cuddliest, chubby-cheeked baby, Reese Bentley Stiff would be a front-runner (and in my book, the winner, but I'm slightly biased).     

When good manners attack....

So the Stiffs' are big on 'please' and 'thank-you' --- we're trying to get to a point with the girls that those two magical words become habit.  Ryan has the hang of it, to the point where she knows exactly how to manipulate a situation to get what she wants.  Case in point:

Scene:  yesterday, dinner-time, kitchen - Ryan had a handful of paper plates scattered on the floor and decided to leave those in search of something else to play with.

Me:  Ryan, you need to clean up your plates before you get your blocks out.
Ryan:  No thank you mama, I'm too busy right now.
Me:  Maybe you misunderstood, but you need to clean up your plates before you get your blocks out.
Ryan (finger shaking, hips rockin'):  No thank you mama, not now, I'm too busy!

They say the first 24 hours are the hardest....

Hi, my name is Leslie and I'm coming up on one-day Facebook-free.  I did it.  I de-activated the account.

Granted I called my sister and asked if there were any crazy updates, babies born, fun pics and technically I can re-activate at any time, but whatever, for today I am FB free.  

Facebook - si or no?

After wasting an hour of my life away on Facebook today, I'm contemplating deleting my account.   That stinkin' website sucks away time like no other.  I could have cleaned a room, folded laundry, read a book, cooked a meal; instead I can now tell you what people I went to high-school with and haven't talked to in 15+ years (and have no intention of ever talking to) are up to, what their kids say, their scores on that damn Farmville, their lame status updates (I'm sick, I'm tired, I had a hot dog for lunch, etc.).

Not sure I have the will power to pull the plug.....but I feel there is better use for my time.

Hanging with these two stinkers comes to mind:

Back to blogging duty...

I hope the backlash* due to lack of posts this last weekend can be eased with a cute video..... While mom was out of town for work, dad doesn't do both blogging duty & daddy duty.   We're lucky the girls were dressed in regular clothes and not their pajamas.  Although, I did come home yesterday to Reese in a pair of leggings and her Christmas monkey pajama top.  Dad's responese "it'll be much easier when she needs to go to bed, I did half the work for you".

*backlash equates to my sister asking for an update

Another website created to help mom in the kitchen....

I just stumbled upon this courtesy of my BFF Gwyneth Paltrow....I for one, really enjoy a nice instructional video when it comes to cooking.  I love Pioneer Woman for her step-by-step photos and I think I will enjoy this one for the videos.  It doesn't hurt that celebrities are a guilty pleasure of mine so seeing the inside of Jerry Seinfeld's house and he himself, wandering around in the background, is an added bonus...
http://www.doitdelicious.com/

Oh yeah, and back to my lovely buddy, Pioneer Woman, I got rave reviews for her sweet potato recipe - extremely easy and yummy!   Perfect for Thanksgiving!
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/10/soul-sweet-taters-step-by-step-recipe/

And fine, another pic that makes me smile - I can't help myself....

Happy Veterans Day!

This pic has nothing to do with Veterans Day or our thanks for all those who serve, but it's cute nonetheless.

Happy Birthday Jacques!

So this precious little bud is 3 years old today!

Jack - November 2007

Jack and his cousin - November 2010

When Ryan calls out for Jack it has a French flair and sounds more like "Jacques" so in honor of this special occasion, Reesey busted out the beret:

HAPPY 3RD BIRTHDAY to our beloved godson, nephew and cousin!  

Books are for reading, right?

Um no....Apparently books are for laying on the hallway floor and playing hopscotch.  And then when you're done with jumping, books are for laying on.

Bouncing off the walls....

Literally.  Oh Ryan, you and your energy.

Target anyone?

Happy Friday!

Halloween candy and Santa pajamas.....quite the combo!

How I love the Keurig, let me count the ways....

Not only do you caffeinate this family and get us going in the morning with your delicious brews, you also provide endless entertainment for Ryan and Reese.  Thank you K cups for your kid-friendly sizing....

What's wrong with this picture?

Besides the dirty house and the ottoman-posing-as-a-coffee-table-with-a-brown-blanket-strewn-on-top-to-keep-Ryan-from-ruining-it-while-she-colors that doesn't match (it's purely for Reese, not a design decision)...

 Look closely please....

This is what I picked up at school today....she was apparently in such a frantic hurry to get her pants back on* so she could go with her friends to the gym for playtime, she obviously didn't care how they went on....  

*why she didn't have her pants on at school, we won't ask...presumably b/c she has yet to comprehend that you don't have to strip down to go potty.

A little junk in the trunk....

No one will ever accuse my sweet little Reesey of passing up a meal.  The girl likes her food and she has the thighs to prove it.  Love me some baby rolls!

What's your name?

That's Ryan's new favorite question.  "Mama, what's your name?"  - she now knows me as "Leslie Stiff" although it sounds more like "essiestiff" - she quizzes dad and Reese on a daily basis.  She'll proudly tell you her name is "RyanStiff" -one word, no break between the first and last.