Sunday Spencers Series

Daddy/daughter breakfast time where apparently we're not going for style in the hair department.  I'm not confident a brush was even used....my apologies to the staff and patrons at Spencers.

10 years too soon....

I envisioned this conversation happening when Ryan was about 13, fully engrossed in teen drama, but not at the ripe old age of 2.5.  I was all excited to pick up Ryan from school today, as we got loaded in the car I asked her all about her day:  who she played with, what they had for lunch, what she did in gym class, the usual....Her response:
"Mom, I don't want to talk right now"
Sigh.  At least I have Reese, right?  She still likes to talk to me.

Oh happy day....

Parents, you want some cheap fun?  Break a kitchen cabinet (no I didn't intentionally sabotage).  One of our cabinet doors came unhinged and you give these girls an inch, they'll take a mile.

Reese's very own kitchen sled

 Surveying the damage

 After a hard afternoon of pan playing, time to relax with some ice

And truly, the title for this post.....oh happy day because in two weeks time the Stiff's will be proud owners of NEW, get ready for this, NEW STAINLESS STEEL appliances.  For the kids of course, not for mom and dad.  Happy dance!

Let there be light!

You'd think the sleeping issues in our house would be due to the baby.  Oh no.  As we've said many times, Reese is a sleeping connoisseur, it's Ryan who likes to party into the wee hours.  In my next life, I'm developing a crib for toddlers/young adults.  One in which you can't escape.  One in which you sleep all night.  Somewhat akin to a jail cell.  Anyway, bed time has been a b*tch for oh, 4 months now.  Dare we say we finally discovered the trick last night?  Drum roll please.........a nightlight (whatever, I know, parenting 101, but we Stiffs can be slow).  I put one in her room, it illuminated the entire city of Kirkwood, she said "oooh pretty lights" and then stayed in bed without protesting and fell asleep.

Of course she woke at 4am to urinate on her floor, but who doesn't do that, right?

Reese x 3

No not triplets (but wouldn't that be fun) - just 3 pics of my favorite 10-month old for your viewing pleasure....  The crazy chica took a step the other day.  Of course it was for Grandma.  Of course.

Hotel de Britt

In order to not reveal our whereabouts, therefore alerting internet stalkers hellbent on burglarizing the innocent citizens of Kirkwood, I did not blog last week while the girls and I checked into Hotel de Britt. Can you tell I am the daughter of the Director of Public Safety?  Anywho, while Grant spent a torturous 8 (yes, E-I-G-H-T) days in Cabo San Lucas for work, the rest of the Stiffs packed up and spent a 3-day weekend at my parents house in the equally glamorous West County.   While dad had beaches, Ryan and Reese got a sweet new computer setup all for themselves.   Grandma & Grandpa hooked the grandkids up with their very own (older) computer to use (aka - bang away at the keyboard).

 While locations may change, one thing doesn't.....time-outs.  Ryan still had her fair share even at Grandmas.

 And if one weekend at the oh-so-accommodating Hotel de Britt wasn't enough, we checked back in last Friday night for one evening before Dad got home and while Aunt Barbara was in town!  The girls had a blast and Babs got some great practice as her first bundle of craziness is due May 6th.

Not only did we miss dad because he's dad, we really missed his words of wisdom and sound parenting. As the girls were both playing in Reese's crib and Grant and I were cleaning our room, I wondered if the girls were okay......he said "as long as we keep hearing two voices, we're okay"

Rear view....

God I love these thighs, can't get enough of 'em. 

Dare I even venture to say that as she grows and becomes even more mobile (when allowed, she has set some speed records getting to the top of the stairs), those rolls are slowly diminishing?  Say it ain't so.......

Seriously people, how great is Photoshop for ridding this pic of Ryan's feet in her little house slippers.  Yeah, that's right, when Ryan is at Grandma's she has 'house slippers'.  Someone get the girl a silver spoon please.