Flashback Friday

If we HAD done Christmas cards last year, this picture would have been a definite finalist. Gotta love a family in coordinating denim!

Christmas Cards

We decided not to do holiday cards in 2009 in order to save a little bit of money. I really missed doing them and wanted to find a way to send one out this year. They're such a great way to share a cute picture with family and friends. And we have no shortage of cute pictures of Ruby this year, thanks to David's awesome camera and my talented photographer friends.

This year, I was excited to see that Shutterfly was offering 50 free holiday cards for bloggers who posted about the awesome shutterfly card options. A win, win for everyone. Now I just have to decide which card to send.
Some of my favorites:

Sending Holiday Cheer

Oh Holy Night (D's favorite Christmas song)

Merry

Holly Jolly Christmas

There are about fifty other ones that I also love, but I figured I would just choose a few to share. I'm sure the final decision will be made by David, as he makes all "artistic" decisions in our household. He has an eye for these things, you know :)

Extended Breastfeeding

Before having my own children, I always assumed I would breastfeed for the first year.  I thought that once my child was able to walk up to me and unbutton my shirt that I would be done.  HA! The crazy parenting ideas we have before actually becoming parents....

Ruby is almost two and still nursing, four times a day actually.  Most days I love the nursing relationship we have.  I truly believe it is why she is so smart and healthy.  Ruby has definitely moved beyond being able to unbutton my shirt and latch on herself, waaay beyond it.  She now has the ability to bargain for her "milky", as evidenced by the following conversation:

Ruby: Momma, I need milky.
Me: No, Ruby.  It's not time for more milky yet. Would you like some cow milk instead?
Ruby: No cow milk. Momma milky... please?
Me: No, not until bedtime.
Ruby: Just a lil' bit? (smiling sweetly and tilting her head)
Me: No. Not until bedtime.
Ruby: I have a lil' bit? Just a minute, Momma?

She definitely gets an A for effort :)

My Cowgirl

Our Friday Jam

I've already made Ruby listen to this song six times today. As Ruby would say, "I LOVE IT!"

My View

I was in the kitchen doing dishes this afternoon and looked out the window to see this. 

It made my heart happy.

Ten on Tuesday

1. Ruby loved trick or treating... once we got her out the door and walking around the neighborhood.  We literally had to take her outside and to the neighbor's house to get her into her costume.

2.  Once she put her tutu on, Ruby became a beautiful bal-reena.

3.  While trick or treating, Ruby was cracking us up.  Some of my favorite things that she said:  "It is very dark."  "I LOVE it!"  "All of my friends are here."  "I can hear the crickets."

4. One more picture of the bal-reena and her mom, who went as a tired housewife. 

5. Somehow, we made it through the night with Ruby eating ONE piece of candy.  I was shocked.  She had one piece yesterday and one piece today as well.  Tomorrow, I'll be telling her it's all gone.  That doesn't make a bad mom, right?

6. That actually might be true by tomorrow, as I cannot stop myself from eating the candy.  I've had two mini bags of m&m's today.  They were delicious.

7. Speaking of eating, Ruby and I went to Houston last week to hang out with Gigibaba. After a super fun morning at the zoo, we ate lunch at Fadi's. OMG. The spread at Fadi's is phenomenal. Ruby agreed, as she ate the most I had seen her eat in over a month.

8. Ruby was tired by the end of the meal and kept "pretending" to sleep in the booth.  She fell asleep on the ride home.

9.  I wish I had final pictures of Ruby's big girl room ready to post on the blog, but it's slow to come together. I have a special Albina inspired project that I'm working on too. I'm excited.

10. I have been sitting here for ten minutes trying to think of something else to write.  Cleary, I did not think of anything clever.  I will note, however, that I didn't nap when Ruby did today because most of the time it's such a tease.  Right when I fall asleep, she wakes up.  Yet today, she has been asleep for two hours and I still don't hear her.  I can't believe I didn't try to take a nap.