OMG! We have so many videos of this! But I'm sorry pictures and my lame attempt to describe Riley's dance moves just don't do them justice! You have to see for yourself!!
Riley REALLY getting down! This is one of his newer moves - the run/punch move! I'm so scared he's going to knock someone out at Kindermusik with this one!
Here's a continuation of the above showing a little of his side to side sway move for when he needs to slow things down a bit!
See...words and pictures just wouldn't do all that action justice!
Showing posts with label Dancing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dancing. Show all posts
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Playing Catch Up Once Again!
So playing catch up is becoming a more regular post than I ever intended! The main reason I haven't been blogging as much lately is that my normal "blog" time has now become my workout time. Kelly and I started a new 60 day workout program on Dec 14th, it's called Insanity! And it IS!! It's definitely the hardest dvd workout I've ever done! Which makes me VERY happy b/c since I've trained for sports, with a body builder and some really good personal trainers - it's REALLY hard for me to find a dvd workout that makes me feel like I'm actually working out! To be honest, when Kelly and I first watched it before we did it - I psyched myself out thinking I wasn't going to be able to do it b/c I had all the "baby weight" to lose, but I surprised even myself! I'm happy to report I've lost 16lbs since November, so I am officially lower than my pre-baby weight. Now I just have to get to my "pre car accident" weight! We actually only have 2 more days of Insanity left, so I'm starting to stress a little about losing my momentum and focus! We're going to do a week of recovery workouts, then we have a trip to Maryland so we're going to start our own rendition of P90X when we get back from there.
Anyway, now that we've committed to working out 1 hour 6 days a week, my normal blog time on the weekends during Riley's nap has become our workout time on Saturday, and then I spend Sunday doing laundry and getting ready for the next week - so that leaves no free time for blogging!! And the week days are even more difficult! As it is Kelly and I don't get to bed until midnight or later, so there's not a lot of free time to squeeze blogging in there either! Sorry! Of course, lately I've been falling asleep on the sofa around 10:30 on the weekends which is earlier than I get to bed during the week! It's definitely difficult to "do it all". I find myself thinking back to that Enjoli commercial from the 70's when I was growing up with the lady saying I can bring home the bacon. Fry it up in a pan. (Click on Enjoli Commercial to see it.) Okay...tangent here - you have to love the age we live in - it totally perpetuates instant gratification! At first, I was thinking this was a Calgon commercial - it took 1 Google search to figure out it was Enjoli and to actually SEE the commercial I was thinking of on YouTube!! Crazy and amazing times we live in!!
Okay - I'm back from my tangent! Anyway! It is very difficult to keep it all going! Kelly and I were talking about how we could try to get to bed earlier during the week, and he was like if we go to bed any earlier all we'll do is eat, get Riley ready for bed and put down, workout and sleep! I was like I know!! I guess that's what normal people do! Except a lot of people I know don't do the workout part! And I can see why! We had to finally make a decision and commitment to put working out at the top of our list after our jobs and being Mom & Dad. And it takes that commitment and consistency! That's the only way I was finally able to see results! And I mean every bite of food I eat has been weighed on a scale and cooked a certain way! Thank GOD for Kelly! I'd never be able to do this with the intensity I've been able to so far without him and his support. I joked the other day that I'm like Oprah - I have personal chef that prepares all my meals and a trainer that works out with me and I still have good days and bad days!! It's hard to never go to lunch with friends or other social functions b/c you are committed to a program! But I've found that's what it takes! Hopefully once I get back down to my normal weight, we can relax things a little to maintain. But right now, I'm focused and committed to my end goal!! Seriously though, I can't give Kelly enough credit! He really does carry a lot of the weight during the week. He feeds Riley breakfast and gets him off in the morning, then he's usually home before me and gets dinner going. During the week, our share of the work may be closer to 60 Kelly, 40 me, but when you factor in how many hours I have to be in the office for face to face time, meetings, etc it probably ends up 50/5o. Sometimes I worry about Kelly feeling like he's carrying all the load at home though, but he's so laid back! If I say anything, he's like I don't think that at all. I can't say this enough! He may not be perfect, but he's perfect for me! Sometimes I actually get a little freaked out that maybe our relationship is too easy....like there might be something wrong because it just works so effortlessly! I know...I need help! It hasn't always been like this though - we had to work on things to get it to the point where it is now! However, things with our lives after Riley just sort of naturally fell into place without us even having to discuss it very much!
Anyway! Enough with my no time no blogging excuses! I'll try to be better! Just have to find a time to fit it into an already jam packed schedule!! Now let's play some catch up on what's going on with Riley since this is his show!!
- Just in the last couple of days he's started to shake his head 'Yes' - very slowly and he has to concentrate! It's so cute!! And now he'll say it to - "Cheeeessssssssss" as he's doing it.
- He's been shaking his head No for a while, and he knows he means No when he does it! I always ask the question twice just to make sure b/c sometimes he'll just shake his head no for the heck of it.
- He also mastered the art of the High Five! And we have NO idea how!! But thank GOD b/c every stranger tries to get him to do that! And Kelly and I would have to say - he doesn't know how to high five! So now he does!
- He'll point to our noses, mouth, ears...but not his own! And if he touches my nose, he has to touch Kelly's too!
- He'll point to his own bellybutton and raise his shirt up to show it to you.
- As far as words go - he's still got the old faithfuls of sht, ball, kitty kitty, mama, dada, dadadada and mamamama (when he's excited) and gitcha gitcha. Now he's added - cheese, all done, bye-bye (he'll wave bye too), shoes, a mixture of meow and ow, dunk and ish (as in gold fish - one of his FAVORITE snacks). I'm sure there's a few more that are escaping me now. More and more, you'll say something to him and he's a little repeater and just repeats it back. I SWEAR he said "washing machine" today! And open and close! Emily said she swears he said "magician" the other day too! Kelly and I REALLY better start watching our potty mouth slip ups now!!
- Speaking of dunk - he's a dunking MACHINE!! He's even starting to get creative and do different and more challenging dunks. He'll stand behind the goal to dunk or back into it like he's doing a reverse dunk, etc. I tried to get some pictures tonight, and we take videos too so I'll have to get some of those uploaded. Kelly described it perfectly the other day - we came home from somewhere and Riley immediately ran to get his basketball and dunk, so Kelly said - it's like Christmas every day with that basketball goal and dunking.
- He also understands so much more than he can speak. I guess narrating what you do does pay off. Yesterday, I said take the paci out of your mouth so I can give you a drink, and he did it! I was like WHAT?!? If we say, where's the basketball - he always goes to look for it in 1 place first - under the coffee table. Then he'll go dunk it with AUTHORITY! I can say let's go to Mommy's room or your room, and he'll take off running to the room I said. I said do you want to slide tonight, and he ran and put both hands on his slide. And that's not something we say every day or anything.
- It's so cute every day when I come home from work, he hears the garage so he greets me at the gate with jibberish - then he runs to find his basketball and dunks it for me as if to show off! Like one of my friend's at work said - he's like a little puppy showing off! Then I'll squat down and say come give me a hug, and he'll run over to me - then turn his back to me and back into my chest like he's letting me give him a hug!! OMG! It makes my heart pitter patter just to type about it! He's so SWEET!!!
- He's still all about his baby signs too. Man have those ever saved many a tantrums!! And if you don't "listen" the 1st time he tells/signs that he's all done eating - he'll start frantically signing it! I think I said to him once. I don't know you're all done unless you do it with both hands, so I'll keep feeding him if he only "says" it with one hand. He usually eats about 2 more bites, then he's REALLY all done! He can be playing or whatever, then he'll just come up to you and sign for milk or eat if he's hungry. We should probably do more signs with him, but it's like he's starting to talk now so I'm not sure it'd be worth it.
- Kelly has this whole repertoire he goes through with him - I'm going to try to video it one day, but every time the video camera beeps - Riley gets distracted and it messes up whatever you were trying to capture! Here's the breakdown of their routine:
- Clap (very enthusiastic clapping)
- Say Yes - head nod
- Show me your belly button
- Dance
- High Five
- Where's my nose?
- Wave
So they just cycle right through them on demand! It's so cute and funny! Sometimes he'll even clap after he does one of the other things - like I know I did it!
- That's another thing - he's such a little cheerleader! It's like that "Go Hank" commercial from a few years ago every day at our house! I put dirty clothes in the hamper and he claps and smiles! He puts a puzzle piece in his puzzle and he claps and smiles! He dunks and he claps or does a little victory dance! If he gets something out, and you ask him to put it back - he puts it back, then claps and smiles!
- Dancing! OMG! How could I forget that?!??! He's a dancing MACHINE too! We finally started back to Kindermusik last week, and he danced his socks off in that class! He was running circles around all those kids! You could tell the other parents were like - why isn't my kid doing that?! And the teacher was loving it b/c all the new or visiting parents had twinkles in their eyes thinking their kids would be that excited one day too! We still have at least 1 dance song a day at home. Either real dance music on a Sirius channel on tv, or one of the dancing songs from his previous Kindermusik cds.
- I have to admit that I was concerned he might be a little anti-social since he stays with Emily and isn't in a group setting, but groups don't intimidate him at all! It's like he feeds off the attention! I was thinking he might not be as into Kindermusik, but he picked right up where he left off, but with his new and improved dance moves now. The last time we went to Kindermusik he wasn't even walking, so the teacher was totally loving all his dance moves! And we went to my cousin Cassie's baby shower yesterday, and he was working the room dancing and running around! I guess it drives home that nature versus nurture point - he was definitely born with his somewhat outgoing personality because one could argue we have not done much at all outside of Kindermusik to nurture that side of him.
- One of his favorite things is to just run around outside...omg! I think I have the cutest video that captures that - he literally runs and jibber jabbers non-stop! He LOVES it! Emily even took him to Grapevine Mills mall last week when the weather was bad and he walked and ran around the entire 1 mile loop! I'm ready for the weather to be nicer so we can go outside more!
- He has become a little more picky in the food department, but not too bad still.
- And the tantrums come and go. They can come on quickly, but the good news is they also leave very quickly.
- He definitely gets more "emotional" when I get home. I read in this weekly newsletter I get from BabyCenter last week that they do that when they feel safe to show all their emotions (good or bad) with you. It's like if your child is fine at daycare, then has a meltdown when you get there to pick them up. Sort of like we as adults do, we have to be on for work all day, so if we aren't careful our loved ones at home get the sloppy, short fused leftovers! I definitely try to be cognizant of that! I focus on being present in the moment with Riley and Kelly once I get home. I try not to check my phone, not to be thinking about all the things I need to get done either at work or home and just enjoy the few moments I get to spend with them. Especially Riley! :( Same thing on the weekends!
- I can see where people lose themselves once they have kids. I don't do as many happy hours, girls' dinners, etc as I used to b/c I feel like I should be home with Riley when I'm not at work. I'll try to squeeze some things in during his naps on the weekends if I can, but we've been working out during that time so I've been doing even less. It's definitely a balancing act all the time. I know he can't be my entire life, but when he's this small - sacrificing some of the things I used to do is a small price to pay! I know he'll grow up all too fast and not have enough time for me all too soon!
- We're definitely trying to keep dinner as the sacred "family time". Where we are all 3 at the table, no answering phones, watching tv, etc. I figure if we make that our routine and tradition now, it'll be easier to maintain later!
Wow! I think that's the highlights for now! Not to make excuses already, but it'll probably be a few weeks before I blog again. We're going to Maryland to visit Kelly's family on the 23rd, and I have two MAJOR presentations due before I leave so NO free time for me! Plus, preparing to travel with an 18 month old is already a HUGE feat in and of itself! You feel like you have to take half the house! He's not old enough to sleep on a pallet, so pak n play. Car seat for the rental car and plane ride. Stroller for the airport! And we haven't even touched on how on earth I'm goign to pack for all of us for FREEZING temperatures!! I'm praying for the travel God's to be looking down upon us for this trip! I figure it can only go 1 of 2 ways! Really good or really bad!! To be honest, I don't know if I'm more worried about Riley or Kelly! ha! I'm sure that will definitely earn a post all its own once we have survived it!
Anyway, now that we've committed to working out 1 hour 6 days a week, my normal blog time on the weekends during Riley's nap has become our workout time on Saturday, and then I spend Sunday doing laundry and getting ready for the next week - so that leaves no free time for blogging!! And the week days are even more difficult! As it is Kelly and I don't get to bed until midnight or later, so there's not a lot of free time to squeeze blogging in there either! Sorry! Of course, lately I've been falling asleep on the sofa around 10:30 on the weekends which is earlier than I get to bed during the week! It's definitely difficult to "do it all". I find myself thinking back to that Enjoli commercial from the 70's when I was growing up with the lady saying I can bring home the bacon. Fry it up in a pan. (Click on Enjoli Commercial to see it.) Okay...tangent here - you have to love the age we live in - it totally perpetuates instant gratification! At first, I was thinking this was a Calgon commercial - it took 1 Google search to figure out it was Enjoli and to actually SEE the commercial I was thinking of on YouTube!! Crazy and amazing times we live in!!
Okay - I'm back from my tangent! Anyway! It is very difficult to keep it all going! Kelly and I were talking about how we could try to get to bed earlier during the week, and he was like if we go to bed any earlier all we'll do is eat, get Riley ready for bed and put down, workout and sleep! I was like I know!! I guess that's what normal people do! Except a lot of people I know don't do the workout part! And I can see why! We had to finally make a decision and commitment to put working out at the top of our list after our jobs and being Mom & Dad. And it takes that commitment and consistency! That's the only way I was finally able to see results! And I mean every bite of food I eat has been weighed on a scale and cooked a certain way! Thank GOD for Kelly! I'd never be able to do this with the intensity I've been able to so far without him and his support. I joked the other day that I'm like Oprah - I have personal chef that prepares all my meals and a trainer that works out with me and I still have good days and bad days!! It's hard to never go to lunch with friends or other social functions b/c you are committed to a program! But I've found that's what it takes! Hopefully once I get back down to my normal weight, we can relax things a little to maintain. But right now, I'm focused and committed to my end goal!! Seriously though, I can't give Kelly enough credit! He really does carry a lot of the weight during the week. He feeds Riley breakfast and gets him off in the morning, then he's usually home before me and gets dinner going. During the week, our share of the work may be closer to 60 Kelly, 40 me, but when you factor in how many hours I have to be in the office for face to face time, meetings, etc it probably ends up 50/5o. Sometimes I worry about Kelly feeling like he's carrying all the load at home though, but he's so laid back! If I say anything, he's like I don't think that at all. I can't say this enough! He may not be perfect, but he's perfect for me! Sometimes I actually get a little freaked out that maybe our relationship is too easy....like there might be something wrong because it just works so effortlessly! I know...I need help! It hasn't always been like this though - we had to work on things to get it to the point where it is now! However, things with our lives after Riley just sort of naturally fell into place without us even having to discuss it very much!
Anyway! Enough with my no time no blogging excuses! I'll try to be better! Just have to find a time to fit it into an already jam packed schedule!! Now let's play some catch up on what's going on with Riley since this is his show!!
- Just in the last couple of days he's started to shake his head 'Yes' - very slowly and he has to concentrate! It's so cute!! And now he'll say it to - "Cheeeessssssssss" as he's doing it.
- He's been shaking his head No for a while, and he knows he means No when he does it! I always ask the question twice just to make sure b/c sometimes he'll just shake his head no for the heck of it.
- He also mastered the art of the High Five! And we have NO idea how!! But thank GOD b/c every stranger tries to get him to do that! And Kelly and I would have to say - he doesn't know how to high five! So now he does!
- He'll point to our noses, mouth, ears...but not his own! And if he touches my nose, he has to touch Kelly's too!
- He'll point to his own bellybutton and raise his shirt up to show it to you.
- As far as words go - he's still got the old faithfuls of sht, ball, kitty kitty, mama, dada, dadadada and mamamama (when he's excited) and gitcha gitcha. Now he's added - cheese, all done, bye-bye (he'll wave bye too), shoes, a mixture of meow and ow, dunk and ish (as in gold fish - one of his FAVORITE snacks). I'm sure there's a few more that are escaping me now. More and more, you'll say something to him and he's a little repeater and just repeats it back. I SWEAR he said "washing machine" today! And open and close! Emily said she swears he said "magician" the other day too! Kelly and I REALLY better start watching our potty mouth slip ups now!!
- Speaking of dunk - he's a dunking MACHINE!! He's even starting to get creative and do different and more challenging dunks. He'll stand behind the goal to dunk or back into it like he's doing a reverse dunk, etc. I tried to get some pictures tonight, and we take videos too so I'll have to get some of those uploaded. Kelly described it perfectly the other day - we came home from somewhere and Riley immediately ran to get his basketball and dunk, so Kelly said - it's like Christmas every day with that basketball goal and dunking.
- He also understands so much more than he can speak. I guess narrating what you do does pay off. Yesterday, I said take the paci out of your mouth so I can give you a drink, and he did it! I was like WHAT?!? If we say, where's the basketball - he always goes to look for it in 1 place first - under the coffee table. Then he'll go dunk it with AUTHORITY! I can say let's go to Mommy's room or your room, and he'll take off running to the room I said. I said do you want to slide tonight, and he ran and put both hands on his slide. And that's not something we say every day or anything.
- It's so cute every day when I come home from work, he hears the garage so he greets me at the gate with jibberish - then he runs to find his basketball and dunks it for me as if to show off! Like one of my friend's at work said - he's like a little puppy showing off! Then I'll squat down and say come give me a hug, and he'll run over to me - then turn his back to me and back into my chest like he's letting me give him a hug!! OMG! It makes my heart pitter patter just to type about it! He's so SWEET!!!
- He's still all about his baby signs too. Man have those ever saved many a tantrums!! And if you don't "listen" the 1st time he tells/signs that he's all done eating - he'll start frantically signing it! I think I said to him once. I don't know you're all done unless you do it with both hands, so I'll keep feeding him if he only "says" it with one hand. He usually eats about 2 more bites, then he's REALLY all done! He can be playing or whatever, then he'll just come up to you and sign for milk or eat if he's hungry. We should probably do more signs with him, but it's like he's starting to talk now so I'm not sure it'd be worth it.
- Kelly has this whole repertoire he goes through with him - I'm going to try to video it one day, but every time the video camera beeps - Riley gets distracted and it messes up whatever you were trying to capture! Here's the breakdown of their routine:
- Clap (very enthusiastic clapping)
- Say Yes - head nod
- Show me your belly button
- Dance
- High Five
- Where's my nose?
- Wave
So they just cycle right through them on demand! It's so cute and funny! Sometimes he'll even clap after he does one of the other things - like I know I did it!
- That's another thing - he's such a little cheerleader! It's like that "Go Hank" commercial from a few years ago every day at our house! I put dirty clothes in the hamper and he claps and smiles! He puts a puzzle piece in his puzzle and he claps and smiles! He dunks and he claps or does a little victory dance! If he gets something out, and you ask him to put it back - he puts it back, then claps and smiles!
- Dancing! OMG! How could I forget that?!??! He's a dancing MACHINE too! We finally started back to Kindermusik last week, and he danced his socks off in that class! He was running circles around all those kids! You could tell the other parents were like - why isn't my kid doing that?! And the teacher was loving it b/c all the new or visiting parents had twinkles in their eyes thinking their kids would be that excited one day too! We still have at least 1 dance song a day at home. Either real dance music on a Sirius channel on tv, or one of the dancing songs from his previous Kindermusik cds.
- I have to admit that I was concerned he might be a little anti-social since he stays with Emily and isn't in a group setting, but groups don't intimidate him at all! It's like he feeds off the attention! I was thinking he might not be as into Kindermusik, but he picked right up where he left off, but with his new and improved dance moves now. The last time we went to Kindermusik he wasn't even walking, so the teacher was totally loving all his dance moves! And we went to my cousin Cassie's baby shower yesterday, and he was working the room dancing and running around! I guess it drives home that nature versus nurture point - he was definitely born with his somewhat outgoing personality because one could argue we have not done much at all outside of Kindermusik to nurture that side of him.
- One of his favorite things is to just run around outside...omg! I think I have the cutest video that captures that - he literally runs and jibber jabbers non-stop! He LOVES it! Emily even took him to Grapevine Mills mall last week when the weather was bad and he walked and ran around the entire 1 mile loop! I'm ready for the weather to be nicer so we can go outside more!
- He has become a little more picky in the food department, but not too bad still.
- And the tantrums come and go. They can come on quickly, but the good news is they also leave very quickly.
- He definitely gets more "emotional" when I get home. I read in this weekly newsletter I get from BabyCenter last week that they do that when they feel safe to show all their emotions (good or bad) with you. It's like if your child is fine at daycare, then has a meltdown when you get there to pick them up. Sort of like we as adults do, we have to be on for work all day, so if we aren't careful our loved ones at home get the sloppy, short fused leftovers! I definitely try to be cognizant of that! I focus on being present in the moment with Riley and Kelly once I get home. I try not to check my phone, not to be thinking about all the things I need to get done either at work or home and just enjoy the few moments I get to spend with them. Especially Riley! :( Same thing on the weekends!
- I can see where people lose themselves once they have kids. I don't do as many happy hours, girls' dinners, etc as I used to b/c I feel like I should be home with Riley when I'm not at work. I'll try to squeeze some things in during his naps on the weekends if I can, but we've been working out during that time so I've been doing even less. It's definitely a balancing act all the time. I know he can't be my entire life, but when he's this small - sacrificing some of the things I used to do is a small price to pay! I know he'll grow up all too fast and not have enough time for me all too soon!
- We're definitely trying to keep dinner as the sacred "family time". Where we are all 3 at the table, no answering phones, watching tv, etc. I figure if we make that our routine and tradition now, it'll be easier to maintain later!
Wow! I think that's the highlights for now! Not to make excuses already, but it'll probably be a few weeks before I blog again. We're going to Maryland to visit Kelly's family on the 23rd, and I have two MAJOR presentations due before I leave so NO free time for me! Plus, preparing to travel with an 18 month old is already a HUGE feat in and of itself! You feel like you have to take half the house! He's not old enough to sleep on a pallet, so pak n play. Car seat for the rental car and plane ride. Stroller for the airport! And we haven't even touched on how on earth I'm goign to pack for all of us for FREEZING temperatures!! I'm praying for the travel God's to be looking down upon us for this trip! I figure it can only go 1 of 2 ways! Really good or really bad!! To be honest, I don't know if I'm more worried about Riley or Kelly! ha! I'm sure that will definitely earn a post all its own once we have survived it!
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Wow! It's been a while!
Wow! I knew it had been a while, but I didn't realize it had been so long since I had last posted! My excuse for November is that I didn't have my home pc going for a while because I got a new one (Thanks Rusty!)! Then work has been so crazy lately! I had to cancel at least 4 scheduled vacation days early in December due to issues at work, which meant I REALLY didn't have any extra time to post. Then when I finally got to start my vacation on Dec 14th, I had to play holiday catch up! I joked to Kelly that I needed to go back to work so I could get some rest! Seriously, the 1st day I got to relax was yesterday (the day after Christmas). Leading up to that was all nighters to get Christmas cards done and out, gifts wrapped, photobooks made, etc! Which is ironic b/c I so want Riley to know the reason for the season and not get caught up in all the mass marketing hoopla of it being all about him and what presents he gets! However, Mom is going to have to practice what she preaches and lead by example there! There's always next year!
One tradition we decided to start this year was Riley choosing which toys he wants to donate the day after Thanksgiving. Obviously, Riley can't choose yet, so I started that process this year by gathering up at least the toys he never plays with. I am sad to report they are still stacked in a box in my room. My intention is to get them donated so less fortunate people will have them to choose from for Christmas presents! I did however offer to our housekeeper to take whatever she wanted out of the box to her daughter and nieces. Which she did, so it wasn't a complete lost cause! I also had lofty goals of filtering through Riley's toys before Santa came, but my to do list was too long and that one wasn't on the critical path so it didn't get done!
Okay...enough of my rambling on and on with my lack of blogging excuses! Let's play some catch up!!
Riley continued to add to his dancing repertoire through all of November and December. He actually started to put some of his arm and leg moves together, then he added a shoulder swivel, then all of the sudden his main move became pivoting on one foot in a circle as if he were dancing around something. He's still the same way - he can be doing anything - and if Kelly turns it to the "dance music" Riley comes running to the front of the tv and starts working his moves. He even shows a preference for certain beats, etc. He doesn't like them all.
Here are a couple of the "greatest" hits videos that I've captured over the last couple of months.
Here is his greatest hits (from a month ago). GiGi, my sister Amy and her new baby Jayden came to visit for Kelly's birthday (Nov 20th) bearing an ice cream birthday cake! Yum! My mom grabbed my point and shoot camera and captured Riley working the dance floor which is why it's a little dark. As you can hear in the background - the 4 of us are literally crying we are laughing so hard! This went on for a WHILE! This is just the 1st video captured of his best moves before he started to get tired!
This is another video of Riley dancing with all his cousin's at my cousin Brandi's Christmas celebration for my Mom's side of the family on Dec 20th! As you'll see, he's stopped doing some of his moves and traded them for this new shoulder twist thing! Here since there was a larger crowd than normal, he was giving other people their props by clapping for them too. When he would do one of his funny moves and people would cheer. He would stop dancing and clap with everyone else. It was so funny! My Mom was much better at holding the camera steady than I was though! So prepare yourself! This is still so funny! I can only imagine all the fun these kids will have playing together as they all grow up. Lessa in the pink pants is 6 months older than Riley, so it's interesting to see all the things he'll be able to do in 6 months that he can't do now.
Riley had a really good Thanksgiving too. Unfortunately, I don't have any pics. Kelly and I BOTH dropped my new Nikon camera on Halloween so it's been out of commission! And you can't get pictures of Riley with the little point and shoot one anymore - they are all blurry because he's constantly on the move. We got a new lens for it just before Christmas, so we at least have some Christmas pictures! For Thanksgiving, we went to my PawPaw's house. He was the center of attention and worked the room! He also LOVED all the Thanksgiving food! This was his 1st time to eat the same meal that we did. From the way he ate it, I'd say he agrees with Mom & Dad that MemMaw's Dressing recipe that Aunt Char continues the tradition of is the BEST of all time!! :) Afterwards we stopped by to see GiGi at work, and he worked the room there too. All the elderly people LOVE him! And he loved all the wide open spaces to run up and down the halls!
He's signing a lot more now. And also adding many more one worders to his vocabulary. It consists of Mamma, Dadady, ball, baaaaallllll, BALL, curtain (go figure! I have no idea except that he's always pointing to his curtains so we say it A LOT!), GiGi, he signs and says 'all done', dog, downshairs (downstairs) as you walk down the stairs, and he'll just randomly repeat words you say throughout the day like cheese at his snacktime, etc.
BUT the BEST and WORST one of all is SHT! SHT! SHT! This one actually deserves a post all on its own but I'm playing catch up! Literally, I don't think he means "sh*t" when he says it obviously...I'm thinking it's code for something obvious, but he says it at the most appropriate and inappropriate times! You'll open his door in the am, and he'll greet you good morning by saying it. Then one day he was literally squatting down doing his business, and he started saying it! I was like WHAT?!? Then Kelly went into our powder bathroom one day and he said it! Then he dropped a toy and said it! The best was probably when Kelly brought him down on Christmas morning, and it was the VERY 1st word he said when he put him down and he saw all his toys! I think I have that video to upload here. Kelly and I of course have done the worst thing you can do! We can't help but crack up when he says it! OMG! It's so cute! GiGi and Granny did the same thing when they were here for Christmas, so it may take us a while to undue the damage we've done this past week! I forgot about taking him to Walmart and him literally saying it non-stop as I walked up and down the aisles! Some people would do a double take, other's didn't even notice. I just kept walking as if that wasn't what he was actually saying! What can you do?! I'm hoping we move on to the "next" word sooner rather than later! But I think this SHT has gotten him so much attention and laughs from me, Kelly, GiGi and Granny that he may keep using it for a long while! Kelly and I joke that Emily (Riley's Nanny) is the enforcer b/c she's so much more about discipline than us that she'll break him from saying it after the 1st week in January! We can only wish!! Ha!
He's also become a Stage 25 Clinger and total Mamma's boy in the last month! Seriously, I dream of the day when I'll be able to go to the restroom in peace again! I walk 4 steps away from him, and he comes running and screaming and grabs my legs as tight as he can. I'm washing dishes - he's standing between me and the sink looking up at me. It's so sweet on one hand, but a little scary on other! If I go upstairs, he'll cry at the bottom of the stairs until I come all the way back down - standing at the top and talking to him just won't do it! So much so, that he's also become my little helper with laundry. Since that's usually the reason I go upstairs. It's so cute! Of course, dirty clothes get put in the dryer, and clean clothes back in the washer, and I've found socks in the trash can in the laundry room and his clothes in the sorter in our closet! But I'll take whatever help I can get with the laundry! :)
One day I couldn't find his shoes that I had set out in our room! I mean I looked ALL OVER for them! I finally declare myself insane and gave up only to find them perfectly lined up with my shoes in my closet. It was so cute to see his little shoes lined up neatly and perfectly right by my big shoes. He's totally figuring out "which one of these things does NOT belong". And where things go. He does the same thing in his bath each night. We have 2 purple bottles, so I will put them in separate corners, but by the end of his bath they always end up in the SAME corner together. Like he's organizing it! I love it! :) Now if I can only channel that skill to putting his toys away! He also would remove the same types of ornaments from the tree, he'll carry 2 sippy cups out of his drawer around, or two of the same types of blocks or puzzle pieces. Everything is about similar pairs of things right now.
Toddler Tantrums have officially begun!!! He's started the back arching, screaming, protesting, tossing toys, throwing food on the ground out of his high chair. His biggest tantrum tactic is lying down on the ground, then S-L-O-W-L-Y lowering his head onto the ground (because we have hardwood floors) and giving you a fake cry! Please pray for Mom & Dad! I've read about people putting their kids in timeout already, but I can't even imagine trying to pull that off with him. And I just don't think he'll get it. At this point, I'm just trying to squat down to his level and tell him in a calm voice that we don't do that, etc.
One tradition we decided to start this year was Riley choosing which toys he wants to donate the day after Thanksgiving. Obviously, Riley can't choose yet, so I started that process this year by gathering up at least the toys he never plays with. I am sad to report they are still stacked in a box in my room. My intention is to get them donated so less fortunate people will have them to choose from for Christmas presents! I did however offer to our housekeeper to take whatever she wanted out of the box to her daughter and nieces. Which she did, so it wasn't a complete lost cause! I also had lofty goals of filtering through Riley's toys before Santa came, but my to do list was too long and that one wasn't on the critical path so it didn't get done!
Okay...enough of my rambling on and on with my lack of blogging excuses! Let's play some catch up!!
Riley continued to add to his dancing repertoire through all of November and December. He actually started to put some of his arm and leg moves together, then he added a shoulder swivel, then all of the sudden his main move became pivoting on one foot in a circle as if he were dancing around something. He's still the same way - he can be doing anything - and if Kelly turns it to the "dance music" Riley comes running to the front of the tv and starts working his moves. He even shows a preference for certain beats, etc. He doesn't like them all.
Here are a couple of the "greatest" hits videos that I've captured over the last couple of months.
Here is his greatest hits (from a month ago). GiGi, my sister Amy and her new baby Jayden came to visit for Kelly's birthday (Nov 20th) bearing an ice cream birthday cake! Yum! My mom grabbed my point and shoot camera and captured Riley working the dance floor which is why it's a little dark. As you can hear in the background - the 4 of us are literally crying we are laughing so hard! This went on for a WHILE! This is just the 1st video captured of his best moves before he started to get tired!
This is another video of Riley dancing with all his cousin's at my cousin Brandi's Christmas celebration for my Mom's side of the family on Dec 20th! As you'll see, he's stopped doing some of his moves and traded them for this new shoulder twist thing! Here since there was a larger crowd than normal, he was giving other people their props by clapping for them too. When he would do one of his funny moves and people would cheer. He would stop dancing and clap with everyone else. It was so funny! My Mom was much better at holding the camera steady than I was though! So prepare yourself! This is still so funny! I can only imagine all the fun these kids will have playing together as they all grow up. Lessa in the pink pants is 6 months older than Riley, so it's interesting to see all the things he'll be able to do in 6 months that he can't do now.
Riley had a really good Thanksgiving too. Unfortunately, I don't have any pics. Kelly and I BOTH dropped my new Nikon camera on Halloween so it's been out of commission! And you can't get pictures of Riley with the little point and shoot one anymore - they are all blurry because he's constantly on the move. We got a new lens for it just before Christmas, so we at least have some Christmas pictures! For Thanksgiving, we went to my PawPaw's house. He was the center of attention and worked the room! He also LOVED all the Thanksgiving food! This was his 1st time to eat the same meal that we did. From the way he ate it, I'd say he agrees with Mom & Dad that MemMaw's Dressing recipe that Aunt Char continues the tradition of is the BEST of all time!! :) Afterwards we stopped by to see GiGi at work, and he worked the room there too. All the elderly people LOVE him! And he loved all the wide open spaces to run up and down the halls!
He's signing a lot more now. And also adding many more one worders to his vocabulary. It consists of Mamma, Dadady, ball, baaaaallllll, BALL, curtain (go figure! I have no idea except that he's always pointing to his curtains so we say it A LOT!), GiGi, he signs and says 'all done', dog, downshairs (downstairs) as you walk down the stairs, and he'll just randomly repeat words you say throughout the day like cheese at his snacktime, etc.
BUT the BEST and WORST one of all is SHT! SHT! SHT! This one actually deserves a post all on its own but I'm playing catch up! Literally, I don't think he means "sh*t" when he says it obviously...I'm thinking it's code for something obvious, but he says it at the most appropriate and inappropriate times! You'll open his door in the am, and he'll greet you good morning by saying it. Then one day he was literally squatting down doing his business, and he started saying it! I was like WHAT?!? Then Kelly went into our powder bathroom one day and he said it! Then he dropped a toy and said it! The best was probably when Kelly brought him down on Christmas morning, and it was the VERY 1st word he said when he put him down and he saw all his toys! I think I have that video to upload here. Kelly and I of course have done the worst thing you can do! We can't help but crack up when he says it! OMG! It's so cute! GiGi and Granny did the same thing when they were here for Christmas, so it may take us a while to undue the damage we've done this past week! I forgot about taking him to Walmart and him literally saying it non-stop as I walked up and down the aisles! Some people would do a double take, other's didn't even notice. I just kept walking as if that wasn't what he was actually saying! What can you do?! I'm hoping we move on to the "next" word sooner rather than later! But I think this SHT has gotten him so much attention and laughs from me, Kelly, GiGi and Granny that he may keep using it for a long while! Kelly and I joke that Emily (Riley's Nanny) is the enforcer b/c she's so much more about discipline than us that she'll break him from saying it after the 1st week in January! We can only wish!! Ha!
He's also become a Stage 25 Clinger and total Mamma's boy in the last month! Seriously, I dream of the day when I'll be able to go to the restroom in peace again! I walk 4 steps away from him, and he comes running and screaming and grabs my legs as tight as he can. I'm washing dishes - he's standing between me and the sink looking up at me. It's so sweet on one hand, but a little scary on other! If I go upstairs, he'll cry at the bottom of the stairs until I come all the way back down - standing at the top and talking to him just won't do it! So much so, that he's also become my little helper with laundry. Since that's usually the reason I go upstairs. It's so cute! Of course, dirty clothes get put in the dryer, and clean clothes back in the washer, and I've found socks in the trash can in the laundry room and his clothes in the sorter in our closet! But I'll take whatever help I can get with the laundry! :)
One day I couldn't find his shoes that I had set out in our room! I mean I looked ALL OVER for them! I finally declare myself insane and gave up only to find them perfectly lined up with my shoes in my closet. It was so cute to see his little shoes lined up neatly and perfectly right by my big shoes. He's totally figuring out "which one of these things does NOT belong". And where things go. He does the same thing in his bath each night. We have 2 purple bottles, so I will put them in separate corners, but by the end of his bath they always end up in the SAME corner together. Like he's organizing it! I love it! :) Now if I can only channel that skill to putting his toys away! He also would remove the same types of ornaments from the tree, he'll carry 2 sippy cups out of his drawer around, or two of the same types of blocks or puzzle pieces. Everything is about similar pairs of things right now.
Toddler Tantrums have officially begun!!! He's started the back arching, screaming, protesting, tossing toys, throwing food on the ground out of his high chair. His biggest tantrum tactic is lying down on the ground, then S-L-O-W-L-Y lowering his head onto the ground (because we have hardwood floors) and giving you a fake cry! Please pray for Mom & Dad! I've read about people putting their kids in timeout already, but I can't even imagine trying to pull that off with him. And I just don't think he'll get it. At this point, I'm just trying to squat down to his level and tell him in a calm voice that we don't do that, etc.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Dancing Dancing!
OMG! I don't know what's funnier in this video - Riley's Dancing or Kelly's beat boxing/singing! You have to watch this one when you can turn the volume up! It is HILARIOUS! The Unc Unc Unc is from a Justin Timberlake song that escapes me right now! But it has a history of Kelly and our friend Phil singing it ALL the time one summer a few years ago much to the delight of Phil's wife Leslie and I! And now it rears its ugly head again!! The more things change...the more they stay the same!!
I say these videos capture what my "boys" do while Mom's away! I could watch these all day long and laugh and laugh and laugh! They are just TOO funny!!!
I say these videos capture what my "boys" do while Mom's away! I could watch these all day long and laugh and laugh and laugh! They are just TOO funny!!!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Playing catch up once again!
Wow! It's been soooooo long I'm not even sure where to begin to try to catch up with this post! My work life has been sooooo crazy that only people in the tech field can begin to understand the crazy stress and hours I've been having to put in lately! We're talking 20ish hour days - literally I was working with a team from Brazil until 6am almost every day for a couple of weeks straight, a couple of 40 - yes - you read that correctly 40 straight hour days! I wan't working all 40 hours, but I was awake all of them! The good news in all of this is that we only do a project this complex once a decade! And we pulled it off! We delivered the project without having to rollback to the old system! And to be honest, with minimal issues. We had some craziness last weekend, but hopefully that won't happen again! And my life will probably be a little unpredictible for the next couple of months until everyone gets accustomed to the new system and it stabilizes. Needless to say, that's why I haven't even had a chance to blog in my head lately...much less actually blog!
I'll just do a brain dump of all the things I can recall from the last month or so:
I'll just do a brain dump of all the things I can recall from the last month or so:
- Riley's still only taking a few steps at a time, and sometimes a few days apart. The funny thing is that he does it the hardest way possible. He'll be walking on his knees, then stand up in the middle of the floor (which is HARD) without the assistance of any furniture or anything. Take a few steps. Then we get excited and he realizes what he's doing and plops down! I keep thinking any day now, but I've been thinking that for a while! It's all good though! Kelly and I literally have to RUN after him because he crawls so fast - I can't imagine what it'll be like once he gets walking/running down!
- He can also do full squats! Seriously...like REAL squats without assistance! And sometimes like 3-5 in a row before he loses his balance.
- He STILL dances! OMG! It's so funny! And he'll dance to me snapping my fingers and Kelly beat boxing! It doesn't even have to be "real" music!
- He still has these favorite songs on his Kindermusik cd's, and when they come on in the car - he gets the BIGGEST smile on his face as if he's saying OMG! It's my favorite song! And I mean EVERY time! Like even if I just replay the song immediately again - still the same smile as if it's the 1st time he's heard it in a long time.
- He FINALLY mastered putting a ball in the "rain spout" on his play house, and he turns to us claps and dances every time he does it! This one took a while! He'd try to put the ball in every slot exept the one that was big enough. But once he finally figured it out, GAME ON!
- His FAVORITE pasttime currently is emptying out the cabinets, drawers and pantry door shelves in the kitchen. There will be plastic bowls, his own sippy cups and our protein bars lying all over our floor at any given moment! Kelly joked the other day - like who runs this place?! Obviously not us anymore!
- He LOVES books! It started out with me reading his nighttime books mainly, and we progessed to him "closing the book" at the end, then him turning each page as we read it. And now he has a book in his crib he "reads" on his own when he wakes up in the am, and he has books out on the coffee table that he "reads" often throughout the day. I brought a new Halloween book home last Monday - Five Little Pumpkins - and it's already WORN out! He LOVES that book! It was ALL he played with for 2 days! And if you say "Five Little Pumpkins", he'll run to it and start turning the pages. I know it by heart now after reading it so many times, so if I say what's on one of the pages - he'll open it to that page.
- He's still a little HOSS! He pushes all sorts of things all over our house! Around and around and around the kitchen island. His push car, boxes, a dump truck he has, a music table, plastic bowls and lids around and around, a Little People airplane - whatever he can find.
- He's the opposite of me. He has a puzzle Josh, Nancy & Ethan got him for his birthday. I'll put the pieces in the puzzle...and it will bother him until he gets them all out! He HATES for them to be in the puzzle! Same thing with these wooden blocks Gigi got him. I'll put them all in their little holder, and he will grab it and dump them out! Cracks me up!
- Riley's 1st weekend trip to Gigi's went well. She kept him while Kelly and I went to Pittsburgh for the Steelers game. He didn't even miss us until the last night when my Mom brought him back to our house. It was so cute one night when Kelly and I called. I could hear my Mom, sister and Grandmother laughing so hard at him their stomachs were hurting. My thought as I heard that was - that's how it's supposed to be! Children are supposed to bring joy into everyone's life that they touch! It was so sweet! He got to see my Grandpa, Aunts and Uncles that weekend as well as his Grandpa. Actually..I'm not sure I know what my Dad wants to be called. I guess I need to ask him that! Some of them hadn't seen him since his birthday....I can't imagine how different he seems when you go that long! Kelly and I could tell he had changed and grown just over the 3 days we were gone!
- He's definitely got the baby sign for "milk" down, and he lets you know when he wants some while you're feeding him or at bed time. Emily and I KNOW the other signs are in there...just don't know when he'll break them out and start using them! I guess when he needs them.
- Emily said as of last week when she takes a toy away from him because it's lunch or nap time, he starts screaming! I believe it! That boy has some LUNGS! OMG! Sometimes I know dogs walking outside are just dropping left and right when he gets going exercising those lungs! It's PAINFUL!
- He can climb on the sofa in 2 steps. Hasn't quite mastered getting off the sofa though!
- He started this thing where he chews his food up then spits it out...YUCK! But I think that was like a week long phase that appears to be over now. The only time he does it now is when he's "all done" and he usually waves his arms back and forth at the same time to indicate he's all done.
- He's been cutting his back molars the last month, so that's no fun! At least he can strategically place his own fingers in there as teethers now, so that helps a little.
- One of his FAVORITE games is "I'm gonna get you". He loves for you to say you're gonna get him (tickle him), and he'll scream and move like he's trying to get away even though he's not going anywhere. Or he'll crawl away from you as fast as he can! He plays it even when you don't mean to play it!! If Kelly or I are walking up/down the stairs with him, and the other one of us is behind - Riley will almost "run" out of your arms thinking the other person is going to "get him". The other day the dr was trying to put her stethoscope to his back and he was trying to get away from her and screaming like we were playing that game. I don't think she She didn't know what to think about that.
- Speaking of Dr....that one deserves it's own post, so I'll do that next!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Just Dance!!
OMG! Riley has started doing the FUNNIEST thing EVER! He had Kelly and I laughing so hard last weekend, we couldn't even stand up!
Picture this - Riley's doing his usual playing with whatever toy, then music comes on from somewhere - either the toy he's playing with, a commercial on TV or a song in a show - and all of the sudden - he stops whatever he's doing and starts bouncing up and down dancing! Shaking dat booty!! OMG!! He's even begun to add the hand wave back and forth too.
We're trying to catch a good one on video, but he always gets distracted by the video camera when he hears it beep on.
Seriously though. It is one of the funniest things EVER! He'll even rock back and forth when he's crawling like he's dancing if he hears music.
I can't wait to see what hilarious thing he does at Kindermusik next week!
What can I say?! He gets it honest!! Kelly and I have been known to be the last ones standing on the dance floor more times than NOT! Although, I'm WAY out of practice these days!
Picture this - Riley's doing his usual playing with whatever toy, then music comes on from somewhere - either the toy he's playing with, a commercial on TV or a song in a show - and all of the sudden - he stops whatever he's doing and starts bouncing up and down dancing! Shaking dat booty!! OMG!! He's even begun to add the hand wave back and forth too.
We're trying to catch a good one on video, but he always gets distracted by the video camera when he hears it beep on.
Seriously though. It is one of the funniest things EVER! He'll even rock back and forth when he's crawling like he's dancing if he hears music.
I can't wait to see what hilarious thing he does at Kindermusik next week!
What can I say?! He gets it honest!! Kelly and I have been known to be the last ones standing on the dance floor more times than NOT! Although, I'm WAY out of practice these days!
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