Gramma week!

Last week Olivia had dance class and Heather had a meeting, so Avery got to come over and play! It was so fun to watch Elle and Avery interact and talk to each other - they are only 6 weeks apart!

Avery was a sleepy boy and snuggled right in...but of course Elle wasn't too sure about someone else snuggling with her mommy. She checked him out and then decided it was okay. Avery ended up falling asleep before Jeremy and Olivia got home!

Gramma was here this week and Elle was sure to keep her busy! She needed a bath (she missed her Sunday night bath) so before she got clean...she got dirty!

We brought her water table inside and they played with shaving cream.

Scrub-a-dub-dub! Check out that Buddha belly!

I went down stairs to get out fall decor and stumbled upon Elle's potty chair. I decided to get it out, so she could get used to it and maybe sit on it...NO FORMAL training! :)

She thought it was the best toy ever...

She took the entire chair completely apart...

opened and closed the lid about five thousand times...

and finally tried sitting. We sit on it before bath time, and if she is in the bathroom with us. Maybe we will start thinking more seriously about it this winter....

Remember the water table from above...Well she decided to CLIMB on it. And yes, she is YELLING!! Actually she climbs on E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. Gramma found her standing on the end table (behind her in the picture), spinning the lamp shade!!! Seriously, this girl is NOT afraid of anything!

Gramma and Elle ventured to the sports center on Thursday. Elle rode just about every toy there...the four wheeler,

The red fire truck,

and the princess car,

Good looking grass Elle, your dad would be impressed!

Her first bounce house. Climbing something appropriate - yeah Elle!

She loves dolls, even the life size one at the sports center!

Tunnels are so fun!

As most of you know...Elle is NOT the best eater, but we have found a new love - Frosted Mini Wheat cereal. She will eat it dry or with milk and for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Thursday night, she was walking around with the bag...too cute. She can eat it whenever she wants - lots of fiber, not a fruity-tooty cereal and she drinks milk with with - all a win in my book.

Elle continues to enjoy climbing into things. Saturday morning, it got really quiet and I knew she was in her room. I walked int to find her in her play kitchen

Just playing....

See the three little flesh colored specks on top of the left door???? Yup - she closed herself inside!

She finally emerged about 3 minutes later! :) What a goof...

(excuse the bed head.)

It was a BEAUTIFUL day Saturday, so we ventured to Owen Park for the afternoon. Elle took off straight for the swings! She could swing the majority of our time at the park.

Although, she is getting to be such a big girl...she has to try these out too.

Elle loves climbing through the tubes and peeking out the holes (and giving kisses through the holes!) Such a sweet baby girl!

Once through the tube, she was coming down the slide! This picture makes the slide look really BIG - it is not that big.

All that playing - it was time to take a little break....we are hoping that this wasn't our last trip to the park for the year. We are looking forward to a nice week of weather!

Check out this fashionista...she wanted So badly to go outside with Daddy to let Paisley run, but she still had her footie jammies on. So...we put her fleece on, hat and since none of her shoes would fit over the footie jammies, we grabbed her winter boots. But who is really paying attention that early on a Sunday morning???

We ended the beautiful weekend with a trip to the apple orchard. We tried to go a few weeks ago, but it was raining. We had good luck and got a nice bushel of apples. Elle was so excited that her cousins were coming with! Here we are walking out to the orchard.

It was a LONG walk, because some little short person had to stop and pick up every other rock! :) Goof ball...

Once in the orchard, Elle had to taste test the apples to make sure we were picking the right ones. Yummy, she ate about 1 1/2 apples during our visit!


Ashton had to try them too...


Aiden was such a good helper, he picked some leaves. :)

After her taste test, Elle knew we had the right apples and helped us pick a few.

But this apple picking job is a little confusing when you are one. I mean, why don't we just pick the apples up off the ground - seems easier than reaching way up high in the trees?!? Right?!?!


Ashton guarded the apples (well, ate grass) while Daddy (Uncle Adam) picked more apples.

My favorite picture...How sweet is this!

Remember those rocks, they were just as interesting as all of the apples on the ground!

After we finally convinced Elle there were other fun things to do and see at the apple orchard, we made it to the animals. They had goats, llamas and 2 emus! How fun. Hmmm, I wonder how her butt got dirty?!?!

We took a hayride. Elle loved watching the tractor tires and wouldn't look at the camera.

The boys loved the tractor too! Ashton was saying vvvvrrrrr the whole ride! It was too cute! We had front row seats.


We thought it would be a great idea to get a picture of the three of them to end the trip....well you know how easy that was?!?!?


Nobody is looking at the camera....


Still nobody, but we are all trying the hay?!?!


Really, still NOT one of them... so we gave up! (and I have about 10 more like this)

We have another busy week coming up, but look forward to enjoying the warm fall weather!

Well, I know you are all amazed that I have the blog updated...I mean it has only been a week since I posted last....

Thanks for checking in!
The Rueber's

Long Time, No See

Well, thanks to Grampa, there is finally a blog post! To make a long story short... I order the memory card adapter from Ebay and did "buy it now" so I didn't have to wait for bids. Well, I still haven't received it and yes I am in contact with Ebay. So Grampa asked 20 questions and figured out what I needed and order me one! Thanks Grampa.

So it has been over a month since I have updated the blog and A LOT has happened, and changed! Here goes nothing...

First, the week after we got back from Door County, we took Elle's pacifier away. We are happy to report that it went better than expected and we have been pacifier free for about 5-6 weeks! Naps were the hardest...and they have gotten shorter. From 2+ hours down to( if your lucky) an hour...YUCK! But we won't have a toddler walking around with a pacifier in her mouth...taking it out to talk! ;)

August means (to me at least) summer is over. I head back to school usually two weeks before school starts to get my classroom ready. This is was a challenge to get everything done before the students arrived, for a few reasons.
1. I changed grades and needed to rethink how I do things.
2. I moved classrooms at the end of the year and had to re-organize everything.
3. Elle doesn't just sit or sleep in her car seat this year (like last year).

I did attempt to bring her to school O.N.C.E. That was enough. I did more clean up than I got done! As you can see from the picture, my room was EMPTY and not exciting. It looks so different today and all was done while Elle stay at HOME! :)

We tried to do a few fun things before mommy was a distant memory! We met up with another teacher and her daughter Ellie for our first trip to the Children's museum.

Elle L.O.V.E.S. the car at the bank.

Putting money in the bank....Daddy would be proud.

Ellie and Elle checking me out at the grocery store.

We checked out water works - maybe next year. She could barely reach.

August = corn on the cob! Elle really enjoys it....

Trying new sensory activities is fun with a one year old...but don't last long. We tried shaving cream...

She got into it after a few minutes. What a fun messy (good outdoor) activity!

Dave finally took us to the Zoo. I have been asking to go since well...we have been dating and he always tells me the Zoo is closed. Well of course he wouldn't say that to his daughter. We met up with Grandma Maureen, Brock and Aftin for a picnic lunch in the park before heading to the zoo.

First stop was a carousel ride. Brock and Aftin Loved it, Elle not so much. She only lasted about 30 seconds on her horse, then Daddy held her the rest of the 5 minute ride! :)

Our favorite was the giraffes! The animals were rather quiet and not very active, it was quite warm that day.

We stopped to smell the roses...and take a bite!

We met up with a small group for a morning at Irvine. Melissa and Claire, Heather and Finley, Abbie and Ellie. It was a fun morning and the animals were busy!

The black bears were checking us out!

The cougar was biting the glass...it didn't even phase the kids.

Claire is so good to Elle and was making sure she was okay with the cougar being that close to them! :)

Up close and personal with the goats.

Peeking and the bunnies.

Kissing the bear statues?!?!

We brought Elle's table up stairs and she have been interested (for about 2 minutes) in coloring. Her first picture is hanging on the fridge!

Her favorite part - taking the crayons out and putting them back. The box quickly broke, so the crayons are now is a zip lock bag....

And then we see if they taste good...

Did I mention she L.O.V.E.S. corn on the cob!!!!

Another end of summer activity (which I think will become a yearly trip) we rode the trains at Carson park.

Elle thought it was pretty cool looking out the window at those standing in line!
We met Heather, Patrick, Finley, and Hadley. Elle loves Finley and was excited to see her friends there.

Daddy was in a wedding (Congrats Luke and Alyssa!) and wanted to golf with the groomsmen before the wedding, but it was "his" week. So...he took her with and she did GREAT!!

Congrats Luke! (the groom)

Gramma is back to work and loving every minute (but is exhausted running after a one year old!). Gramma took her first trip to the children's museum. Elle showed her the ropes.

Our Little Girl is growing up so fast and wants to do E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. we do!

She loves our new Dyson, too!

I am so thankful for the job that I have, it allows me to spend 2 1/2 months of the summer home with my little girlie. I have only been back to school for one month and totally live for the weekends!

Elle is so lucky to have a wonderful Daddy who plays Mr. Mom 1/2 time...and VERY generous Gramma who drives 3 hours every other week to play with her! Thank you Grampa for letting us have gramma during the school year! We appreciate it more than you know! Now, if we could just get you to move!!! :)

Thanks for checking in and this time I promise it won't be a month before the next update!

Happy Fall!