Field trip to the Fire Station!

Last week Ryan went on his 2nd field trip of the school year. We went to the fire station! What little boy doesn't like seeing the big red engines and the flashy lights!? I know mine was grinning ear to ear thinking he could actually sit in one of these large trucks!

The morning started out with a video for the kids on what to do in case of a fire. Ok, actually, it started out with an episode of Jerry Springer while we waited for the 'firefighter in charge' to figure out how to turn on the DVD player. As the parents and teachers were all gasping and giggling (the firefighter completely oblivious to what was playing in the background), one of the teachers spoke up and asked if he could at least mute it until he had the video ready. Whew...

Can you just see the excitement on his face!?


'Driving' the truck


The bell is actually rung from inside the truck, but since other kiddos were in there at the time, Ryan got creative!


Hanging out on the back of the truck

I have lots of cute pictures of Ryan with his classmates, but I don't like to put up pictures of other people's kiddos unless I have permission. Sigh...it's too bad...they're really cute!

Kids say the darndest...

We have kept a running quote book (well, one day it will be a book) of the smart and funny things that Ryan has said since he was old enough to talk. Recently, when I do something he really likes (like make cookies, or buy him a new 97 cent car while shopping, or anything, really that makes him happy) he will say to me "Mom, you're the best Mom ever!". Makes the heart melt, doesn't it!? Consequently, when I do something he doesn't like (like reprimand him for knocking his sister over, or making him clean up a mess, or tell him that no, he cannot have a snack two seconds after finishing his lunch) he responds with "You're not the best Mom ever anymore." Sad, I know. The other night, I told him it was time for bed and he was not "ready yet". I was WAY more than ready for it to be bedtime and so I forced the issue and it quickly spiraled into a complete meltdown (number one sign that it is DEFINITELY time for bed!). I apologized for not being the best Mom ever anymore (as he kept telling me so...very loudly) while trying to put pajamas on my ever so wiggly son and his response was "It's ok, Mom. I still love you anyway." Good thing he is so darn cute!

Ella is just learning to talk. She has several words that are easy to understand (kitty, ball, baby, bye-bye) and several that are unique to her that we can decipher as actual words (na-na for snack, muh for milk, dee-do for thank you, and many others). Her most recent "thing", however, is hitting. I remember Ryan trying this out at this age, too. When she hits one of us we hold her hands together and say "Ella, no hit." She understands that we are unhappy with her when she does this because she will repeatedly say "Mama" (or Dada, depending on who is doing the reprimanding) until we give her a hug. It's almost like she needs the assurance that though she is "in trouble", we still love her.

And speaking of funny things, Ryan just came in to see me after his bath and said "Mom, when I go to the barber lady (the lady who cuts his hair), I'm going to wiggle my bottom (as he is shaking his naked toosh). Ah, kids DO say the darndest, don't they?