June 2012

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Playing with Reed



Playing with Reed is so much fun! He is always making us laugh and is always laughing! The trouble is, he is hard to catch on camera laughing. Every time he sees the camera, he stops to watch it instead of continuing to laugh! Silly kid :) But, I love the little man! This video is daddy playing cars with Reed - of course, a favorite past time. You can actually hear his laugh towards the end of the video...it's worth the wait! Reed, when he gets a car in his hand, even makes the car noises (not shown in this video, unfortunately)...something he learned after seeing Tyson do it once! Boys really are good at making all the sound effects - no fair!



One of Reed's favorite games to play with Tyson is chase around the island that separates our kitchen/dining room/living room. Its pretty hilarious to watch in person. Reed chases Tyson and then Tyson speeds up and 'catches' Reed and then Reed turns around and chases Tyson again. All-in-all it makes for a fun time!




Reed loves playing with the wood chips at our little play area (as you can see)! I have already mentioned his fascination with airplanes, well, anything in the sky, really. This video just demonstrates again how much he loves airplanes....it even distracted him from playing with the wood chips. That, is a big deal!


Tyson found some paper scraps and was keeping them from Reed. Apparently, this is the funniest thing ever to Reed. The video seriously does not do him justice! He was busting his gut laughing for a good 15 minutes! Ah, I love the little man! Oh, random - yesterday, I put Reed down for his nap and 45 minutes later I heard giggling from his room! He was laughing for close to 5 minutes before he finally fell asleep! Something was pretty funny in that dark room of his. I still haven't figured out what, but it made me laugh :) I am glad he is happy in the dark by himself. Should I be worried about that?! :)

Friday, April 24, 2009

Happy Late Easter and The Farm

So, Reed and Tyson ended up getting their Easter ties from Grandma Walker the day after Easter....the mail is just super slow, but they still loved them! Reed was lucky enough to get 2 from Grandma - lime green and yellow. On Sunday, the boys decided to wear their ties, Reed chose his green tie. They looked great! Thanks Grandma Walker!

On Wednesday, Reed and I went to a fun playgroup activity at Frying Pan Farm. I was a little worried that it would be raining, but it ended up being pretty nice until the wind kicked in at the end. Reed was so excited to see all of the baby farm animals! There were baby lambs, cows, goats, and pigs! There were also adult horses, cows, goats, pigs, ducks, turkeys, hens, rabbits, and we even saw a peacock! It was pretty spectacular! All-in-all a fun day at the farm. Oh, and Reed got to pet a baby goat! Thanks to Jenny for organizing such a fun-filled morning! Oh yes, and Reed did see a dog (someone must have brought him to the farm) and started barking when he saw it! So cute :) He still loves dogs!




Here's one of the Easter ties! I think it looks awesome with Reed's vest!

Looking at me like, "I don't know what you are up to, but I will sit here anyways." Still gotta love those baby blues :)

Tyson and Reed with their Easter ties :)

The adorable baby lambs!

Reed and his pal, Justin, watching the baby lambs

Reed watching the cow....

Still watching the cow....he really loved watching the cow!

I am certainly glad that I probably will never have this many babies at one time. I know it's hard to see, but there are at least 10 piglets, if not more (I didn't get a good count), nursing their mom at once. Man, I would hate to be that mom! But, the pig did not seem to mind too much.

The baby cows!

Reed was watching the baby goats, but got distracted by another kid....normal

The turkey says, "Gobble. Gobble."

"Quack, quack," says the duck (Reed loves that sound).

Here is the gorgeous peacock. I find it a little unfair that the females get the shaft as far as looks are concerned in the peacock family.

He opened his feathers! It was amazing!

Reed loved watching the peacock strut his stuff!

Reed with his friend, Jane.

The horses - they were so beautiful!

Moo cow

Reed found the grass and decided to try and pick some.....

Of course, it went into his mouth. He has to taste test everything. I think he looks so much older in this picture, but I don't know why.

Then, he went back to pick more grass.....funny kid.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Blow Pops, Sleeping Babies, and Planes

The other day I went to pick up our dry cleaning and remembered why I hate taking stuff to be dry cleaned - it is so dang expensive!!!! So, I decided to take one of the blow pop suckers that was at the register - thinking about it now, I probably should have taken the whole cup full just to try and curb some of the cost of the dry cleaning..... but, I didn't. I will remember that next time.

So, I had actually not intended to eat it, even though I grabbed my favorite flavor, sour apple. I decided, instead, to let Reed try it! He loves little dum dum suckers, but had never tried the awesomeness of a blow pop (well, he won't get to experience the awesomeness of the gum center until a couple years down the road). So, after we were done with dinner, I gave it to him, just to see what he would do. He absolutely loved it!!!!He stuck the whole thing in his and began to suck and drool all down his clothes! It turned into a sticky mess, but he loved every minute of it! I finally took the sucker away when it was about half gone. I figured that is enough of a sugar rush for the next week :) Note to self: Blow pops create sticky messes and happy children! At least something fun comes out of a big dry cleaning bill :)

This is random, but the other day Reed fell asleep in the car and I just had to take some pictures! I just love pictures of sleeping babies. There is nothing quite so peaceful as a baby fast asleep. They look completely content and just beautiful. I also love his chunky cheeks (that are daily becoming less and less like a baby and more and more little boy like....mixed emotions about that one)!

On Saturday , we decided to go and watch the planes land in DC. There is this park right off George Washington Parkway that is right next to Reagan National Airport and the water. It is a perfect little spot for kite-flying and plane-watching (we forgot our kites, though....next time). Reed has been obsessed with planes for a while, but now he actually points out planes and helicopters every time he sees one in the sky. He can even hear them when we are inside! He had amazing hearing :) So, we weren't for sure if Reed would like it since the planes get super close and it's really loud, but we thought we should try. So, we got out our blanket and some snacks and found a spot (semi-close to the port-a-potties....we will avoid that spot next time) in the shade and waited for the planes. It was a beautiful day and tons of people had the same idea! So, I got a video of Reed and Tyson watching the planes land. It actually was pretty fun. Reed did get a bit nervous, at first. But, as long as we stayed close to him, he loved watching them land. He was a bit puzzled as to why he could hear the planes taking off, but not see them (they were taking off away from us)....but we will explain that to him a little later. It made for a fun family activity!!!!
The first suck of the sour apple blow pop.....

The sticky mess it soon became!

My sleeping baby!

I just love sleeping babies :)

Watching the planes land.....pretty sweet!



Reed and Tyson watching a plane land!

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Easter Egg Hunt and North Carolina!!!

** Disclaimer: Lots of pictures and 2 viedos ahead!**

So, this past week has been pretty packed with fun adventures! First off, on Wednesday (the one before Easter) Reed participated in his first Easter Egg Hunt!!!! It was pretty sweet. We got together for our play group at the church. The kids played with toys and the moms chatted - nothing new :) but still enjoyable! Then, we all went outside to the front where Jenny, one of the moms, had set up an Easter Egg Hunt for the kids. I was pretty excited about this, especially since we DID NOT get tickets to the White House Easter Egg Roll (I am still pretty bummed about that, but maybe next year). Reed was not quite sure what to do at first, but he picked up amazingly fast! I showed him and egg and then put it in his basket for him. So, we went crawling through the grass looking for more eggs. When he would find one, he would pick it up, shake it for a bit, and then go and place it in his basket!!!! I was thoroughly impressed - my son is brilliant :) I even have a little video to prove that's what he did. It was a success! Reed loved it and just had fun! Thanks to Jenny for getting it all together! It was fabulous!

Over the weekend, we went to the Outer Banks in North Carolina, more specifically Corolla, NC. My parents had rented a beach house for the weekend and invited us along! It was like a mini-family reunion since it included Tyson; Reed; my parents; my brother, Ryan, my sister-in-law, Barbara; my brother, Brandon; my sister-in-law, Kim; and their 7 children - Tyler, Lanae, Sasha, Coleman, Josh, Alia, and Sawyer. So, it was almost a full Rowberry family reunion - minus 11 more grand kids, 4 siblings, and 3 spouses! Yes, I have a big family :) But, it was way fun!

The whole adventure started on our way to Richmond, VA, Thursday night. Tyson and I rode with Ryan and Barb, while Reed got to ride with Grandma and Grandpa. During our EXCITING drive to Richmond (I really hate that drive. There is always traffic, and it always takes like 3 hours despite the fact that it is only about 100 miles from my house) Ryan's car overheated! We pulled to the side of the road and turned the car off. We sat there for a while and ended up getting the antifreeze out. We needed to mix it with water since it was not the 50/50 kind (note to self: always buy 50/50 kind). There was bumper to bumper traffic (of course), but ah well. Then, a Cadillac pulls off to the side of the road and a man in an official-looking vest steps out. Turns out he works for Metro (that explained the vest) and had a ton of 50/50 antifreeze in his trunk! So, he gave us some (would not accept $, even though we tried to give him some). Thankfully, it worked and we were able to get back on the road. The rest o that trip was smooth sailing and yes, it took 3 hours to get there(if not, a little more due to our 20 minute stop).

We arrived at Brandon and Kim's house and promptly got ready for bed. The guys (minus Grandpa) all got up at 5:45 am for a basketball game at the YMCA. When they came back we ate breakfast, packed up the remaining stuff into the cars, and headed to North Carolina! I have never been, so I was pretty stoked and just hoping the weather would be nice. We got there about noon, ate lunch, and then headed for the beach! The only other time Reed has been to the ocean was the Walker family trip, June 2008 to San Diego. But, he did not even touch the sand while we were there. So, I was pretty excited for him to be able to play in the sane. It was windy, but the sun was shining and the beach looked beautiful. It still kind of weirds me out that there is a beach next to pine trees. I am still used to the West coast palm trees, I guess. Well, the water was absolutely FREEZING!!! Reed just walked with me right into the water, but once a wave hit his feet, he began to lift up one foot at a time (he kind of loked like a flamingo). Then, he was not excited to be by the water. But, it was pretty funny :) On the up side, the sand felt WONDERFUL!!!! Reed did not know what to do with it at first, but soon began to dig in it with pleasure. His cousin, Coleman, even buried him and he just giggle about that, thinking it was awesome!

Reed got pretty tired and went to take a nap. I followed suit, since I hadn't slept well the night previous. When Reed woke up, we went back to the beach and met up with everyone else who was still there. We played for a little longer, then headed back home for dinner.

After dinner, we went to the "lake" - mostly fresh water, but still has a little bit of salt water in it - and watched the sunset. I love the water! It is just so beautiful! We ended the night playing games :) Family reunion here we come!

The next day, we hung out for a while, just lounging and talking. Then, I decided that I really needed to go running. So, everyone else except Barb and I went to the lighthouse while we jogged and lifted weights. The picture is pretty beautiful of the lighthouse and it was pretty fun, says the kids. Unfortunately, we did not get to see the wild horses because you had to hike this sand mountain or rent a jeep (super expensive). Too bad we did not bring the truck - we could have charged people to go and see the horses.

We hung out some more and then the adults (minus Grandpa) went to the recreation center to play wallyball. I have not played in YEARS, but it was pretty fun! It was a little hard since I did play volleyball, to wait for the ball to hit the wall, but I finally got the hang of it. We played for over an hour and were all pretty tired and of course, sweaty by the end! When we got back, we cooked some dinner, and then went swimming at the recreation center. Outside, the weather had turned a little nasty. It was cold, windy, and raining a little. Reed was a little upset at first, since the water was colder than his bath water. But, soon enough, he began to love the water! He splashed with his cousins and just had fun.

When we got back, I decided that Reed needed a bath in our jacuzzi tub! So, I filled the tub with water and poured in his body wash. Then, I turned the jets on! It was awesome - the bubbles filled the bathtub and Reed loved it! He did not like the noise of the jets so much, so they got turned off. I also decided that I couldn't let Reed have all the fun, so I hopped in and played with him. Afterwards, the kids all went to bed and the adults played games...fun, fun!!!!

Sunday morning came all too quickly. We woke up, cleaned the beach house, and then drove to Richmond to go to Brandon and Kim's ward before heading back to DC. I can't believe that it all happened so fast! I want to go back to the beach! We will definitely get back there! For anyone who is wondering, NC is beautiful....you should go!

He is growing up so fast! Reed loves playing with stickers!

Reed playing with his eggs.

Hmmm....where are those eggs?

I found an egg!

Almost at the basket with the egg......

Success! Putting the egg in the basket.

Reed, before he knew the water was freezing (along with Coleman, Sasha, Grandma, and me)

Reed and me at Corolla Beach (My dress was made from material Tyson brought me back from Tonga - I love it!) Oh, thanks to Ryan and Barb for providing Reed with the hat and matching shorts. Actually, they gave him the shirt as well, but it did not come as a set with the hat and shorts. Reed looks adorable in them!

This is how Reed avoided the cold water

Waiting for daddy to pick him up and avoid feeling the cold water

Daddy and Reed watching the waves

Our fun little family at the beach!

"Ummm, I am not exactly sure about this, but I wil try."

Reed figuring out that sand is fun - it's like a light bulb went on in his head!

Most of the crew!

Sawyer just taking it all in

Reed digging in the sane (probably looking for gold)


Coleman and Grandma burying Reed

"Being buried in the sand is pretty relaxing!"

Tyler coming back from a voyage at sea

Sasha, Alia, Josh, and Sawyer making a baby pool

Lanae rowing in the ocean

Josh playing with the sand toys

Kim trying to blow up an entire raft! She eventually, went back to the beach house and used a pump.


Alia loving the water!

Reed and Grandma burying Coleman

Brandon and Grandpa walkingon the sand bar

Brandon and Grandpa walking for the sand bar to the shore
Reed and Sawyer (Reed is 6 weeks older) checking out the "baby" pool Sasha made for them!

Reed and Sawyer playing in the water!

I love this little pale boy :)


Reed and Daddy - so cute

Our sunset at the "lake"

The light house

Bath time is so much better in a jacuzzi tub!

Reed playing with his sponge - of course



Reed at the Easter Egg Hunt - he is so smart!


Reed being buried by his cousin, Coleman. I missed him giggling with joy, but it is still a good video. I love how he let Coleman bury him! How cute :)