Seth & Ruby

Recently...

Aaron recently rekindled his love of bike riding. He learned to ride a 2-wheeler last spring, but has since preferred his scooter. But Bob took the kids over to the middle school parking lot a few weeks ago and took their bikes. Aaron has been riding every day since.
Danny and Rachel put their helmets to good use in this tree the found to climb. We don't have access to many climb-able trees, so they thought this one was fantastic!
Handsome men:
Playing together on a Sunday morning:
The boys were wrestling one night and Danny and Aaron decided it was hot and they needed to take their shirts off. Soon Bob and Seth wanted to join the club. I love this picture of all our men.

Visalia and Granparents

At the end of February Gma Monte and Grandaddy Gene were visiting Visalia, so we all went to see them. It rained the whole weekend, but we had a great time. Casey and Kami were the only ones who couldn't make it--they were expecting Boston to come anytime. We went shopping, visited a children's museum, did some P90X and, of course, ate a lot. It was so fun to spend time with everyone.

Uby!

Ruby's most common nickname is Uby. Seth can't say R's yet, so we've all adopted his version of her name. She is also Ruby-do, Ruby-duby, Ruby Doll. She's four months now. It's going so fast. She's not a tiny newborn any more. She has huge blue eyes. I get comments on them everywhere I go. And we can't tell yet what color her hair will be. It looks like it might have a little red in it, but probably not as much as Aaron's.

Valentine's Day

Rachel and Bob went to the annual Daddy-Daughter dance this year. As always, they had a great time.

We heart-attack our kitchen every year. Every one writes things they love about everyone else. It's fun to hear what the kids come up with.

Things to remember about right now

• Seth calls anything that could possibly be a sword, a "die". He's heard his brothers say die, apparently when they are playing with light sabers. Pens, spatulas, sticks, they are all called "die"
• Ruby takes all her naps in our bathroom in her carseat with the vent fan going because she loves white noise. She sleeps in our bed at night.
  
• Rachel loves her Nintendo DSi she got for Christmas and plays it almost every day.
• Aaron loves Ruby--and all babies, really. He always asks if he can be the one to go get Ruby as soon as she wakes up from a nap. He loves to talk to her and he asks to hold her on most days.
• Danny, Rachel and Aaron are all major pack rats and keep tons of stuff--books, trinkets, toys, pictures--on their beds at all times. I try to fight it, but they really don't have any other place to put all their treasures, so I let it go. In our next house, that practice will be over.
• The kids all want either bagels with cream cheese or toast for breakfast. They don't eat cereal much when I buy it, so I haven't bought it in months.
• Bob recently took over the duty of making the kids' lunches in the morning and I love it.
• Rachel is becoming quite an artist and loves to draw girls and horses. She's taught many kids in her class how to draw realistic horses.
• I can't convince Aaron to dress warm in winter. Several times every week, I have to tell him to wear long sleeves or shoes instead of sandals or put on a jacket. And every time he says, "Why?! I'm not cold".
• Danny is really responsible about getting himself ready and taking his own showers. I never have to remind him of anything in the mornings. He's more concerned with how he looks and gels his hair every morning, but then doesn't want it that way when he gets home so he wets it and smoothes it down.
• Aaron's hands are so dry his knuckles are always cracked and bleeding. But he never complains about it. The only time he complains is when I make him sit still long enough for me to rub lotion on his hands.
• Because Ruby spits up so much, (it is much better now than it was a month ago, though) I try to keep her vertical as much as I can. So, when I put her to sleep she lets me hug her until she falls asleep on my shoulder instead of holding her like a baby until she falls asleep like I did with the other kids. I love it.
• Rachel's big trends for this school year: headbands and skirts with leggings. She also loves her tall black boots.
• Rachel loves her tennis lessons on Saturday mornings
• Danny is a big leader in our house. He loves to plan projects or activities and get the rest of us organized to complete his plan.
• Seth loves letters and learned all of them on his own. He points them out when we go anywhere on signs or in books.
  
• The boys plug in their mp3 players to the speakers every night and all three of them dance until bedtime.
  

Seth turned 2!

Seth had a birthday this week.  It's sad and happy for us that our sweet, beautiful boy isn't really a baby anymore.  (Although he actually lost that title a few months ago when Ruby was born.) He is such a fun boy.  He has his own personality and even though he's surrounded by three older siblings telling him what to do, Seth is his own boy. He only does things in his way and when he's ready.  He's quick to smile and he's so loving.  He has always loved books. He loves to find a book and "read" it to himself or bring it to us to read.  He loves fruit snacks and squeeze yogurts and could live on those if he had to.

This year Seth found a show on PBS called "Super Why".  That show started his obsession with letters.  He has learned the whole alphabet, his favorite toys are sets of foam letters and magnet letters on our fridge.  He loves the book "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom". And he loves it when we sing the alphabet to him. Our favorite letter for him to say is W because he says is "bub-a-you" and Rachel always points out that she's the one who taught him that letter.

Seth has light blue eyes and long, dark lashes, and perfect eyebrows. We get comments on what a beautiful boy he is.  His curly hair has relaxed and now it's just a little wavy. And I love that he still has a slight dimple in is left cheek when he smiles.

He's a good big brother.  He's always concerned when Ruby cries and is the first to try to go get her. And then he pats her gently on the stomach and says, "niiiiice". Danny, Rachel and Aaron love to play with him too.  They all compete to see who can get the most hugs from him.