Scary Ghosts!

Since Halloween, Maisy has been interested in "Scary Ghosts". (Pronounced "Skuh-Whee Gh-OH-st!")

She got a Halloween book and there was a picture of a ghost on it and Johnny enjoyed teaching her the sound effects for ghosts.

I was finally able to get video of her making her scary ghost sounds.

She's just about the least scariest ghost ever!

Halloween Wrap Up

About this time every year I have a bunch of Halloween photos I want to share and don't because it's close to Thanksgiving and I figure it's too late.  But, this year I'm going to post them anyway.

We took a trip to the pumpkin patch.

You should see these boots...they are the smallest boots ever.  Johnny wore them when he was about 1 and no child has been able to fit in them since...until Maisy.  They are about 2½ inches from heel to toe!

Veggietales pumpkins!  Johnny was so excited!

This picture reminded me of the picture here

Johnny's annual smashing of the rotten pumpkins, Maisy enjoyed it as well.

And the pumpkin patch pictures stop after this!  It starting pouring (DUMPING) rain and Maisy slipped and fell face first into a pile of dirt.  It was the saddest thing ever.  She was cold, wet and bloody.  We got her cleaned up and she survived with just a scratch on her nose.

The kids got to dress up at Maisy's babygym class.  They are all adorable and so fun to see in their costumes, because they have absolutely no understanding that they are dressed up or what they are dressed up for.

Here are Maisy's best little buddies (or favorite people to steal toys from) Brynn and Murphy

Pumpkin decorating and cleaning.  Both kids jumped right in

Somehow, playing with the pumpkin guts in a bucket is way more fun than carving pumpkins

Seeing that Johnny got to draw on his pumpkin, Maisy insisted on drawing on her "pumpkin"

Never one to pass up an opportunity to decorate, Johnny began decorating himself

Johnny and Gabe had a "sleep over" in our bed.  Mommy got to sleep in Johnny's bottom bunk. 

(discussion followed the next day on whether or not Johnny needs a new mattress)

We went up to Bailey's for her 4th Birthday party and trick or treating.  Here are the kids before we head out to trick or treat.  so many silly things are going on in this picture I had to share it!

Maisy LOVES to sit on Kim's lap and play the piano with her.  It's so sweet to watch.

Kim got the kids matching pajamas with their names on them and a "sceh-wee ghost" as Maisy says.  By this time the kids were tired, had candy and fiesty.  I believe Johnny is trying to get back his omnitrix from Bailey who is holding on to it for dear life.  Maisy is just trying to get off the couch.

Finally the sleep over!

The alarm on Johnny's clock got turn on somehow and went off at 7:00 am, which was actually 6:00 am because of the time change.  Kim tried to get Johnny to go to sleep but he wanted nothing to do with that idea and both kids got up and were ready to play.  Johnny proclaimed he is now ready to spend the night at Haven's.

Maisy spent most of October talking about "skeh-wee" ghosts.  In fact, she still enjoys talking about them.  It's actually very cute.  She also likes to dance and sing, alot.  Twinkle Twinkle is a favorite and she sings about every 3 word and babbles for the rest.  She also enjoys singing the hand clapping songs we sing in baby class.

Bailey thinks Gabe is named "Uncle Dave".  Before we came up she asked who was coming and Kim told her "Treetree, Gabe, Maisy and Johnny" and Bailey said "What about Uncle Dave?".

School Carnival

The Pioneer School Fall Carnival was this evening.  Both kids were excited to wear their costumes.

Johnny is dressed as "Ben 10 Alien Force" which is his favorite television show, toy, concept, game to play, thing to think about about, think to talk about, thing to draw, etc... He was very excited for his costume to arrive.  His mother was also excited as his other costume ideas involved me sewing something from his imagination and I'm not entirely sure my sewing capabilities are up to that!

Maisy was Dorothy.  Ever since Bailey was a baby I have had my eye on this costume.  I offered to make it for Bailey, but she had a mind of her own at this age.  Thankfully Maisy does not!!!  (and her mother never gave her the option!) 

Unfortunately I forgot to hand Maisy her little stuffed Toto dog for her picture!

Some of our friends (Maria, mother to Haven and Morgan and Carina, mother to Helena and Andreas) taught Maisy has to make this face, and Gabe has given it a name....if you ask Maisy to make her "funny face" this is what you get!

Here are Maisy and Johnny together...and Maisy and Johnny making funny faces at each other.

Johnny won this cake at the cakewalk.  2nd round even!  Last year we probably played the cake walk 15 times before he won and selected the cake we brought.  This year he found a cake that fit him perfectly.  This person obviously made this cake with Johnny in mind.

Next weekend, we will be attending the birthday festivities of Bailey and staying to trick or treat and have a sleep over.  Bailey told Momo that Johnny, Treetree, and Maisy were all going to spend the night in her room in her extra bed.  It's a twin bed, and Johnny's bringing everything he owns, so it should be really really...um...comfortable.  Bailey's extra bed is a trundle bed.  Johnny's wondering if he can sleep in the "cave" section.

Below are 2 pictures of Maisy.  Each snapped as she said a word.  In the first picture she said "No".  In the second she said "stop".  I thought I did a pretty good job of capturing the exact feeling she was having.

Grammie made Johnny a new spider pillowcase.  He insisted on me taking a picture of him with it.  The pillowcase couldn't be more fitting...Johnny favorite color of green and spiderwebs and spiders on it.  I think he probably slept well that night!

I washed his hair and told him we needed to make sure and wash it good ‘cuz the school told us to make sure and be on the lookout for lice and one of the ways to prevent lice is washing. He asked what lice was and I told him they were bugs that live in your scalp and make your head itch. He said “can they control my brain?”.

We got the proofs back from school pictures.  Remember he told us he smiled like a vampire....I chose not to order that picture.

We may have a front tooth in soon.  Remember Johnny knocked it out 2 days after his 5th birthday?!?!  It might arrive!  Unfortunately the gum is not looking good and he will be visiting the dentist on Monday, but I'm hoping this means it may be here for christmas.  The funny thing is that everytime we look in his mouth we are reminded of possibly the most terrifying day of our life since he was born.  Being called and told that you need to get your child from school 'cuz they've had an injury isn't my idea of a wonderful memory.  Johnny, on the other hand, doesn't even remember how he lost that tooth.  He has no memory of it at all.

Maisy enjoys playing in the water and Bailey loaned her this tower.  Unfortunately she's still too short to reach the water, but she still finds a way to dump it on the floor...and tells us "no wa-wee" while she's spilling it all over the floor.  It's a huge mess to clean up, but it means I can cook dinner without being interrupted!

It's October!

It is Fall at the Rutledge house! 

Maisy is learning new things every day.  She learned how to climb up the couch and sit on the window sill, just like Johnny.  Thankfully she forgot after this one time!

She also gets tired out easily and crashes wherever seems to work.  She has attached herself to this little blanket that I knitted her, after attaching herself to a scrap I had made while learning to knit years ago.  Johnny nicknamed it her "fuzzy"; but Maisy calls it her "FUDDY".  When she's tired she runs around saying "BOPPY?  FUDDY?".  Which is "paci" and "fuzzy" meaning she's ready for "night night" as she will tell you.

Johnny LOVES to jump off everything and loves having his picture taken while jumping.  He has many alien battles to fight in our house and does so on a daily basis.

Maisy got very offended when I did not include her while mopping the kitchen, so I got the swiffer out for her  Uncle Joel helped also, only he didn't realize it.

Momo knitted Maisy a poncho.  Whenever I put it on her she won't let me take it off.  It is very warm and soft like a blanket and Maisy loves all things snuggly.

Our front porch is finished and Johnny has totally enjoyed decorating it for Halloween.  This is Johnny's holiday.  He LOVES spiders and this is the only time of year that is filled with spiders.  We have a web out front and Johnny has collected all the spider figures he could find and put them inthe web.

Maisy continues to harrass Don.  He's so tolerant of her.  I love to hate Don, but really appreciate how gentle he is with Maisy.  Also, I am working on a new creation for my Maisy Cakes store....a Tutu Tie shirt.  (Also a plain old Tie shirt for those wishing to go tutuless.) 

As usual Maisy is my model and guinea pig for all designs and creations!

Momo showed us her cat's Halloween costume and I tried it on Don.  I'm pretty sure he LOVED it and wishes he had his own.  She also got Maisy this furry coat and Maisy thought this was an opportune time to go for a ride on Don.

Johnny is doing great in 1st Grade.  He's enjoying it and working very hard.  We had his conference today and his teacher said that he is always willing to answer questions, always does his work and tries his hardest.  Wow...I wish we could move into the school and have him act that way around us!

If you remember Johnny begins planning his Halloween costumes in November.  After last Halloween he wanted to be a spider.  But, during the summer he changed to wanting to be something that I really never understood what it was.  Then he changed to wanting to be a character from Teen Titans that was on the screen for probably 30 seconds one time...and a costume that would be impossible to create.  Then he decided he wanted to be a Spider King.  (I even bought the fabric for this one)  And then he decided he wanted to be a spider king that turned into something else that I have no idea how that would work or what it was.  And finally, I convinced him to be Ben 10 Alien Force.  Which has been his favorite tv show for years.  I've purchased the costume, ½ price even!  And he is very excited so I think this one might stick.

Maisy is going to be Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz.  She even had toto in a basket.  I'm pretty certain she's very excited about this!

On Halloween we will be going up to baby Bailey's birthday party and then staying to trick or treat and spend the night.  Johnny is going to sleep in Bailey's room.  This is a big deal!  Last summer I asked Johnny if he wanted to have his friend Haven spend the night and he said "ok...but he can't sleep in my room".  When I explained that a "sleepover" involved sleeping in the same room together he said "I guess he could spend the night, but he can't talk".  (we decided to wait for a sleepover)  I will be spending the night also so it will be a safe place for Johnny to experience sleeping in a room with someone else.  (Have I mentioned that Johnny is VERY set in his sleep routines?!?!)  He's pretty excited and has listed about 200 items he wants to bring to sleep in bed with him.  (I'm assuming that Aunt Kim and Uncle Adam are giving up their king sized bed for this endeavor!)

Johnny LOVES to make videos of himself playing with his toys, with hopes of putting them on youtube someday.  Recently he made one and Gabe was the camera man.  Gabe sang along to some of the songs.  When we playedback the movie on the TV Johnny said "daddy, the camera makes you sing really bad".

Johnny lost another tooth.  He was pretty excited about a visit from the "pretend tooth fairy" as he calls it.  He's got alot of space in his mouth right now.  I have been hoping his front tooth will be in by Christmas, but I'm not too hopeful.  (This is the one he knocked out when he was 5!) I actually had hoped it would be in for school pictures, but it was not.  This will be his 3rd school picture missing a front tooth!

Maisy's development has exploded.  She's used the toilet a couple times.  (I remind you her brother was almost 5 before this occured)  She is sleeping all night.  (PHEW!)  She talks a ton and it is ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE!  She will burp and say "CUSE ME".  (I never realized how much she burps) 

She still loves shoes.  She likes to paint and color at the easel and I think we are pretty safe in saying that she is probably a lefty.  She loves to kick the ball and loves climbing...everything.  She's also quite assertive with her buddies Brynn and Murphy and often (almost always) steals their toys.  Sometimes she pushes, she's also been known to bite and hit and sometimes even kick, and more recently spit.  As she's slowly learning that hitting isn't acceptable she will hit the air near her friends while looking at you.  She LOVES to tell on herself.  She has a certain voice she uses when she is doing something she knows she shouldn't and can't wait to come show you.  (Usually this is when she has broken into Johnny's room and is either coloring on something she shouldn't or eating a crayon or marker.)  She gets super excited on Sundays when Grammy and Grandpa and Uncle Joel come to visit and she runs around yelling "bee paw"; which means Grandpa.  She sometimes tries to get Joel to move where she wants him to go and will try to push him and then look at us and say "stuck".

Johnny and her absolutely LOVE each other.  When he's at school we spend most of the day saying "Johnny cool".  She gets so excited when she sees his bus coming.  He loves to hear about her playdates with her friends.  Maisy tried out a gymnastics class a few weeks ago and Johnny was so sad he couldn't go and watch her.  That is the best part.  Since they are so far apart in age I never thought  they'd be as close as they are.  It is wonderful watching their relationship....even if Maisy does spend a fair amount of time harrassing Johnny!

Both Maisy and Johnny are in really great places right now.  I wish I could freeze time.  As someone in our household (who shall remain nameless...GABE) thinks we are done having babies; I find myself sad that Maisy is getting older.  This evening I was reminded of a Dr. Seuss quote I've heard before need to my mantra..."Don't cry because it's over.  Smile because it happened".