Dinner Time

No, this dinner is not for Ruthie. It's "feed the doggies" time and we have the perfect little helper. Ruthie can run this routine with her eyes closed. She knows where to find the bowls, which bowl belongs to which dog, and where each of them eats. Before we switched Gertie to Hirschel's adult food, Ruthie could even tell you which container held which dogs' food. I wonder how many years will pass before Ruthie determines "feed the doggies" time to be a chore and begins demanding allowance money?

Ruthie Olson- Skier Extraordinaire

Don't worry- Ruthie's not skiing just yet! But, she does enjoy testing out daddy's homemade skis! She wants to make sure they're solid and sturdy and that daddy's signature stripes are nice and dry.

Night Night

As we are getting closer to transitioning Ruthie to her "big girl" bed, she is showing us clear signs that she is ready for the switch. Of course, you might notice that her choice of "beds" isn't too far off from her crib. Maybe I should ask the dogs their opinion on the matter.

Learning Curve

You would think that not a whole lot would surprise me in the realm of language and learning. I've taken many courses in education, psychology, linguistics and language acquisition- enough to know and understand the processes of and look-fors in language and learning development. And, of course, being a teacher of reading, writing, math, and language for the past seven years- well, that helps, too.

But, even with all of that experience, I just cannot seem to comprehend the amount of learning that is going on with my own child.

There is just something about this tiny little person who is still so new to this world, who somehow knows SO much. Ruthie is picking up not just words and skills at a pace faster than I can blink, but she's picking up actual knowledge. For example, I recently witnessed Ruthie making an actual self-correction. She was in bed looking at a book and I heard her say "car." Then, almost mmediately, she started saying "truck, truck, truck." I went over to her and, sure enough, the picture was of a truck, not a car. It can take an entire school year just to teach some 1st graders to even notice when they are reading something wrong, let alone how to fix it. Yet, my 21 month old daughter is correcting herself before she can even speak in full sentences.

This rapid learning curve of Ruthie's is totally expected at her age, but it's still amazing to watch unfold. No matter how much I thought I already knew, or how much I thought I understood, I am still learning right along with Ruthie.

WHEEEEEEEEEE!

Oh,to be a child again. It's pretty significant how our simple pleasures in life change as we grow and get older. If only in our adult lives we could gain pure happiness from being tossed inside a bag and swung around....

What is it?

We went to the doc for the ultrasound
And what we saw was quite profound.
There was the heart, the brain, the spine and all
And between the legs was a penis and balls.


IT'S A BOY!!!!!!!!!

Downhill Sledding

We have had quite the winter weather here in Denver for the past couple of weeks. There were a couple of super snowy days and lots of bitter cold temperatures that have kept the snow around for longer than usual. For anyone who enjoys somewhat warmer weather, it is finally heating back up and, with the snow still on the ground, makes for some enjoyable "play in the snow" time! And, thanks to our new nearby development called Stapleton, we now have what we can actually call a "hill" in Denver!