Rylee's 2nd Birthday Celebrations

For Rylee’s birthday, we had a family celebration at a new favorite place – Little Monkey Buziness!

For the girl that never ever stops moving, it was PERFECT!

 

So many places to explore,

Run and jump and crawl,

And really, ACT LIKE A MONKEY!

And because it’s IMPOSSIBLE to take pics of her when she’s moving, I started taking lots of videos instead :) 

They even had bounce house/slide combo for the kids

  

Interactive games – we played a round of “soccer” then “lit” off some firecrackers!

Good ole parachute never loses its charm!

Good times on the slide! 

(Which is how she has a whole in those leggings, in case you were wondering :)

 

Something is wrong with me cause these STILL make me laugh so hard!  She didn’t really get hurt, she was up laughing a second later, but still, so FUNNY! 

Wipeout!

Wipeout #2

 

 

The kids had a BLAST – and it was hard to tell who enjoyed it the most.  We may have to make this a monthly Friday night tradition :)

When we came home, we celebrated with Smallcakes and each tasted a bite of the various flavors!  But not without SINGING to the birthday girl!!!

Then she proceeded to tell me how much she loved me!!  Can’t get enough of this girl and her wild crazy energy. 

Then we did the obligatory job of loading her up with lots of sugar!

On Sunday, we celebrated some more by having our extended family join us! 

 

A real birthday cake, candles, and everyone joining in for some might fine singing!

The cake turned out super yummy! A layer of strawberry and a chocoloate – with cool whip frosting.  Not too sweet, cool and refreshing.  I think Rylee agreed!

 

Then it was time to open presents!  And then I stopped taking pics.  Not sure why?!?

 

This girl loves sensory overloads – so she got a princess playdough castle and finger paints.  Which she’ll enjoy and we will loathe :)

Happy Birthday Rylee!!!

Rylee’s 2nd birthday

Hallelujah – we survived another year!  And that’s about all I can say!  There’s really no words to describe Rylee –It’s more of an experience :)

Except no one believes as she’s half angelic for others, she loves to explore new places and be on the go.  But at home, she is always by my side.  I’m the human jungle gym, climbing, jumping, holding, cuddling, and incessantly ask to watch Bubble Guppies!

Family birthday party, part 1:

 

 

Happy happy birthday to my Rylee! She brings happiness and adventure to every corner of our lives -- climbing and swinging on everything by day, cuddling her way into our bedroom each night (sleep study answers can't come fast enough!!!). She uses every octave range to let you know exactly how she feels. She attempts to sing to every song, whispers at every prayer, and screams at every tantrum -- quickly deducing her sister/brother to tears. Yet Tanner and Brooke can't get enough of her laughs and shrills - she has jolts of energy burst thru her body and her high pitched "whooooaaas" and "wooows" will have them both rolling with laughter. We love her full body smiles, her semi-permanent stink face, and everything in between. Happy birthday to Rylee!!!

Extended Family Birthday celebration, part 2:

All bout the Little Miss:

She keeps me on my toes.  Never know when she’ll leap from the stairs asking for you to catch her!  On the playground, she thinks she’s invincible – she’ll head out try to do the monkey bars by HERSELF – and as I run in terror to rescue her – she still doesn’t let go!

Trying to channel all that energy into something productive – GYMNASTICS!  She loves every minute, especially the bars :)

And jumping in the bathtub – WHY NOT!

She climbs, jumps, hangs, swings from any and everything!

Her sweet whisper “singing” voice – got a few seconds while watching conference. 

The other day in church there was a musical duet featuring a chello and piano.  She pulled out the hymn book and told me to sing, lol!!

Refers to herself in 3rd person.  And naturally so, everything is Rylee’s. 

Yells “I LOVE YOU” incessantly at the top of her lungs when you tell her you love her.  Even if she’s a broken record, I can’t help but LOVING IT!

She’s always on the counter, watching my every move in the kitchen.  Like ALWAYS on the counter.  She’s super smart – she knows the kitchen stove is hot and stays away, but learned again the hard way as she came running in from outside as I was by the kitchen sink draining a pot full of pasta.  Still burning hot – but she had no clue!  Ouchies!!!

Brooke and her are obsessed with owies and insist they need their daily allotment of band-aids (that and gummy vitamins)!  And every mole or dot or discoloration on my body *must* be an owie.  But she’ll always greet them with a small kiss and whispers me, “I’m sorry!”

She always says thank you, and on a good time, sorry.  All the time!  Kids are freaking geniuses, they mimic your every move and mannerism!  Most my bad habits come alive, but that’s one that’s so sweet!

But then she pulls hair.  Reduces Brooke and Tanner to tears with her gut wrenching screams and squeals.  Really, Rylee just has to look at Brooke the wrong way to get the tears flowing.  

Asks WHY all day long.  According to my Dad, she has a LONG way to go til she catches up with my childhood record, lol :)

Loves picking her nose.  Which can be hand during cold season, right?!

Everything is either hot or cold, and they’re permanent conditions that don’t change.  Once food is too hot, it’s always too hot and prefers everything at room temp.  She’ll devour bananas, berries, mandarin oranges, apple sauce, cheese sticks, hardboiled eggs, cereal, oatmeal, yogurt –all to the point where I think her tummy is literally going to explore.  Other days she doesn’t want anything besides my chocolate stash, the first of my kids to LOVE chocolate!

Goes crazy over “I-cream, I-cream!”

And carbonation.  Root Beer, Diet Coke, you bet!  She makes the silliest faces but always goes back for more.  That’s Rylee – always up for an adventure!

Finally cut her off her momma’s milk supply.  Yet she only takes a bottle under one condition – forcefully insists you sit down, hold her like a tiny newborn, and even hold the bottle up for her as she sips away.  She’s something else!!!

Cutting her off was surprisingly easy by day, and monstrous at night.  Se wakes up, finds her way to our room, and insists its time to be awake at 1 or 2am in the morning.  Begging for a tv show.  Climbing, nearly falling, out of our bed.  Wandering the house.  I'd like to point out that I haven’t slept more than 6 hours straight since she’s come into our lives 2 years ago, so now you know why i haven’t been “normal” :)

Hates wearing dresses!  Which makes Sunday mornings early 9am church extra fun, especially since Anth is at meetings and I'm running solo.   So i may or may not have just brought her naked to church for her Daddy to deal with. 

But she sure does look cute in them…even if it starts WW3!

Loves full sensory experiences – playdough, paint, crafting any shape or form.  Really – no surprise here!  Althought these were meant to keep my older 2 entertained, and yet Rylee can’t get enough!

When it comes to hair, comedian Jim Gaffigan said guys have one responsibly only – TO NOT HAVE A MULLET!  Any other style is just find.  Well – if this is a measure of our parenting style, then we’ve obviously failed, lol!!  But she is FINALLY letting my do quick pony tails or pig tails (even if she’ll pull out any bow) and they are freaking adorable!

The MULLET (and then some):

 

 
Pig tails and pony tails!  We try, most of the time :)

The first attempt -

The latest – halloween night!

Rylee is constantly humbling us as parents, just when we thought we were doing a great job, Rylee defies each and every tactic/strategy that’s worked for the others.  Pound for pound,  Rylee adds more spunk and adventure more than any other human I know.   She laughs, she plays hard, she lives life each and every moment.  And our whole family LOVES her!!!