2-wheeler

Rhett had long insisted that he wouldn't ride a 2-wheel bike until he was 5 (the age Benjamin learned). We're so glad he changed his mind! It's a good thing he has a birthday coming up because that bike is getting a little small for this fast-growing boy!

New Year's Eve

 We were looking forward to spending New Year's Eve with friends, but we had to cancel thanks to this:

 

and this:

 and this:

 I took him into the doctor's office the next day (we always get sick on weekends and holidays), but there was no conclusive explanation. He's had a rash similar to this before (though not as bad), but a dose of Benedryl always cleared it up right away. This head-to-toe business lasted for about a week, coming and going between the prescribed doses of Zyrtec and Benedryl. The poor kid was uncomfortable. It faded out as I was getting ready to take him back to the doctor. I'm definitely glad he got better, but I still wish we knew why it happened!

To close out 2012, here's a picture of Lucy with her new (and improved by Mama with a new seat) doll stroller.

Happy Birthday, Rhett!

Rhett turned 4! (Can anyone tell I'm behind on the blog?)

This was his Cars 2 "cake." (Apparently we didn't get a pictures before people started digging in.) I had really planned on doing something nicer, but in the end I think I felt burned out and he ended up with cupcakes from a box (and homemade icing!), with sprinkles and Cars 2 character pictures printed off the computer and stuck in the cupcakes with toothpicks. (Come to think of it, his 3rd birthday cake was a little on the lame side too... Sorry, Rhett!)

Hey! Here's photographic evidence of the 3rd birthday cake lameness, since I apparently don't have a blog post to link to! Bless Rhett's heart for loving me anyway.

Our friends and neighbors from across the street came over to celebrate with us: Nayla, Guillermo, and Guillermo Jr.

Love this happy boy! Rhett is our most passionate child by far. Thankfully, his extreme sweetness makes up for any extremities in the... other direction (which are nothing if not plentiful).

Here's hoping for a better birthday cake when you turn 5!

Cow Eater

One of Rhett's favorite creations lately is this thing that he calls a "cow eater." I'm not sure why other than that his 3-year-old brain things it's funny. He builds a new one almost every day and carries it around. Such a funny kid.

Building a Bookshelf

 Due to my habit of acquiring children's books, our shelf has become inadequate to contain the collection.  So Paul kindly agreed to make another one this weekend, and the boys were happy to help.

Safety (or sunglasses) first.

Rhett

After I did a post about Lucy a couple of months ago, I meant to do one for each of the boys as well.  I didn't quite get to it, but I managed to compile a bunch of pictures of Rhett throughout the latter part of the year, and now I'm finally going to post them.

Rhett is such a fun little boy.  Ever since he was a baby he has had a fiery little personality.  He's our screamer and our hitter (and kicker/puncher/scratcher), but he's also snuggly and sensitive and quite thoughtful at times.

During the past several months his speech has just blossomed.  At his 3-year check-up I was concerned enough about the way he spoke that I brought it up with the doctor who, thankfully, assured me that he was totally normal.  (My concern was due to the observation that Benjamin's speech at the same age was far more advanced than Rhett's.)

He's just growing up so quickly.  I'm trying to hang on to every moment because I know they are so fleeting.

It's hard to take a picture of him without this happening:

June 8, 2011

I just love this face.

June 12, 2011

Rhett wore these sunglasses almost non-stop for several months.  Even in church.  It only stopped because they were left at a friend's house for a long time.

June 25, 2011

Rhett turned three in June and at the time was really into Toy Story.  I'm glad that he didn't mind this lame-o Toy Story 3 cake I made.  In fact, he seemed pretty thrilled with it.

June 28, 2011

July 3, 2011

He still really likes puzzles.  Tonight we did several together, but he can usually do them on his own.

July 5, 2011

He's a goofball.  Here he's modeling Paul's hat in during our road trip to Utah.  Below he's pretending to sleep.

July 8, 2011

He was a trooper on our Utah adventures this summer.  He loved his water back pack.  When Benjamin started preschool this fall and had his own backpack, Rhett wanted to wear his water back pack around everywhere for a while.

July 13, 2011

Not sure what to say about this one.  He used a stamp that was a prize from the library's summer reading program to decorate his face.  Maybe it's a coincidence that he applied the color so strategically?

July 28, 2011

Mariners game

July 30, 2011

Driving the tractor at the fair.

August 20, 2011

Self portrait

August 24, 2011

This was not the first time he dumped a mountain of baby powder on the carpet.  For days (weeks?) powder would poof out when you walked across this spot.

August 28, 2011

Rhett and Benjamin have really become good buddies.  It's so fun to see them playing with each other on (fairly) equal terms.  I think Rhett really looks up to his brother.  He wants to do everything Benjamin does.  Size-wise he's really catching up.  He's pretty tall for his age.

September 5, 2011

Little blonde boy.

September 8, 2011

He loves to use my phone to take pictures.

September 19, 2011

On a preschool field trip to the apple orchard.

October 6, 2011

 He loved riding his bike last year (when the weather was warm).  The yellow helmet sure didn't hurt.

October 8, 2011

He still loves to swing in the baby swings, even though he's perfectly capable of using a normal swing.

October 14, 2011

For Halloween we based our kids' costume theme off of Lucy, who we dressed as Lucy van Pelt from Peanuts.  It made perfect sense to cast Rhett as Charlie Brown, with his light hair and love of yellow.  Even though I think he had little idea who Charlie Brown is, he was sure proud of being "Charwie Brown."

October 31, 2011

I was quite impressed with his gingerbread house this year.  Everything he did was so deliberate.

December 22, 2011

He was a great helper when I made butter cookies for Christmas.  He put in the "pokey things" and tried to put as much "snow" on top as possible.

December 23, 2011

A couple more things about Rhett:

Recently he has taken to carrying around a yellow toy duck that jingles and quacks.  He brings it in the car when we go places and likes to take it to bed at night.  On a couple of occasions he has woken in the night, distressed because he couldn't find the duck.  This is not new behavior, just a new object.  I've always been grateful that the boys didn't have one thing they couldn't be without.  No blankets, no binkies, no teddy bears.  But Rhett... he's so funny.  At different times throughout his life he has latched on to different objects.  (Maybe this is totally normal.  I don't know.)  At one time he wouldn't go to bed or take a nap without holding our two copies of Goodnight Moon.  For another period of time he had to have this little stuffed green monster that my mom gave him.  Sometimes it's various matchbox or "Cars" cars.

We've mentioned before his obsession with "3."  Right now he wants 3 blankets when he goes to sleep.  If we're giving out food or treats he wants three.  Not more than three.  If you try to give him more, even if it's candy, he'll get upset and give you back the excess.

He loves to say our meal prayers.  But bedtime prayers are another story.  He simply says, "Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for this day, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!"

When we go to Costco he only wants to sit on the "Costco" side of the shopping cart.  Never "Wholesale."  It's a good thing he sits by Lucy, who doesn't care.  When Benjamin and Rhett sat in the cart there was often squabbling about this issue, and I think Rhett usually ended up on the "Wholesale" side.

Both boys like to talk to Paul on the phone when he's on his way home from work.  The other day Rhett was upset when Benjamin hung up because Rhett wanted to talk some more.  He cried and screamed until Paul got home.  So Paul went back to the bedroom to change and called Rhett on my cell phone.  After only a second's hesitation, Rhett started  chatting away, just as if Paul was still driving home, telling him about his day and what I was doing in the kitchen right then, when he knew Dada was just in the other room.  It was both funny and sweet.

He recently discovered his ability to use the computer.  After months of making Benjamin navigate PBS Kids and "letter games" for him, he can now do it on his own.  He was taking such liberties with the computer that I finally had to put a password on it so he couldn't just help himself anytime he wanted.

He's potty trained!  He has done amazingly well.  He spent a few days naked from the waist down and I can't think of a single time he had an accident.  No accidents with underwear either.  I love it.  I'm glad we waited and didn't try to force him into it before he was ready.

Rhett sure keeps us on our toes.  He brings a unique spirit to our home and we are having so much fun (between tantrums) being his parents.

I love you, Rhett Rhett.

Christmas Art (to brighten the blog)

Our house is a whirlwind of Christmas preparations these days.  So much to do, and not enough time.  I'm trying to focus on what really counts and not do too much stuff.  This year is fun because Benjamin is more into Santa than before.  Last night after our ward Christmas party, he confidently affirmed that the real Santa had been there.  Rhett is getting into it, too, but not as much.  Benjamin keeps reminding Rhett that "Santa can hear you."

Something really fun (to me) about Benjamin recently is his artwork.  Up until now, he would never draw pictures, or even color in a coloring book much.  This past summer for Grandpa Duersch's birthday, Benjamin drew him a picture of some balloons and it was the first picture of his that was really recognizable as what he said it was.  Now he seems to be coloring up a storm.  It's so fun to see the things in his brain going onto paper.

For the ward Christmas party the primary kids were asked to color these ornament outlines which were then hung as decorations on the walls.  Maybe at some point I'll post pictures of our family at the party (we took pictures!) but with my track record this year I wouldn't count on it.  For now (or forever) this will have to do.

Rhett is really into yellow lately.  Really.  He loves anything yellow.  He cried at Thanksgiving when he learned that I had not, despite his request, made a lemon pie.  (I had in fact told him I would not be making a lemon pie, but his little 3-year-old heart was still counting on it.)  It really is so funny, his yellow obsession, until we can't find his yellow spoon/plate/cup at dinner and a tantrum ensues.  Rhett has been alternating between very sweet and very sassy.  Sometimes he'll respond to one of my instructions with a cheerful "Um, sure!" and others he responds with a surly "No, mommy-poopy!"  (The latter "endearment" has been going on for months in different variations.  He hasn't tired of it, but I have.)  I am amazed every day at how much he is growing up.  Sunbeams in 3 weeks!

Since this "short" post has now turned into an update post, I guess I have to mention Lucy.  She's pretty much the same as last time, though.  A third tooth has come through.  She's delightful as ever.  She'll be nine months old at the end of this week.  This has been the fastest (and most blurry) nine months of my life.

Back to the purpose of this post, I'll finish off with another piece from Benjamin.  He drew this in his primary class today.  This may be the last post we get till next year, so maybe I should have titled it "Merry Christmas!"  The subject of this picture is what it's all about, after all.

(If you can't tell, it's Baby Jesus in the manger.  And maybe that's a star up above?)

Sharing, April 18, 2011

You may remember that Rhett likes to share.  This time I think it was a cookie that Rhett was so generously sharing with his sister.

E-mailed to Paul 25 minutes ago:

Apparently it's sunny enough to pee outside again.  The boys are out there playing, Benjamin opens the door to put his apple inside on the ground, and goes back out to pee in the trees.  Comes back in a minute later to get the apple.  Rhett watches with interest.  I'm glad his diaper is still on at least.

xo




(What can I say?) 

Better late than never

I made Rhett's first Christmas ornament today.  It has been in my head for um... almost three Christmases.  I don't know why I didn't do it before.

I got the idea from here except I used Heat N Bond to fuse the letter to the circle, and I totally freehanded the stuff on the back (as if you couldn't tell).  It seems an appropriate way to commemorate Rhett's first Christmas with us since that's about when I began my new sewing hobby, and this was one of the first projects that I remember catching my eye.  For some reason I always envisioned it being green, so green it is.