Sweet, sweet baby...

Here's our little Lyla Joy - http://ruff811.cmdwebsites.com/?slideshow=meet-lyla-joy-ruff. She arrived last Wednesday, November 28th at 11:49am. Of course, we are in love already.

family of three no longer we'll be...

No baby yet. I'm scheduled to be induced next Saturday, December 1st. That said, this was our last weekend as a family of three. Owen had a fantastic Thanksgiving playing with his cousins. We spent Friday, Saturday and Sunday just hanging around the house. After five hours of contractions on Saturday, they just stopped and I went back to waiting.
I love Christmas movies, so this was the perfect weekend to be on the couch. Turns out, Owen is much like me in his liking of the season. We've watched Elf, A Christmas Story, the Wizard of Oz and Max and Ruby's Christmas. I never realized "A Christmas Story" had so much profanity in it!
We had some snow here in Chicagoland over the holiday - not enough to make a snow angel though, much to Owen's disappointment. The forecast is calling for more snow this week, with accumulation likely on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Looks like Lyla will come home in a blanket of white.

Jesus flies kites...

At dinner tonight, Owen began to talk about Jesus. A friend had told him yesterday about a man who died and was buried in a neighboring town. Friend said "that's not good," to which Owen replied "yes it is good if he's in Heaven." You can imagine my tears welling up.

Anyway, I was telling Kevin this at dinner and Owen chimed in saying, "Heaven is good and maybe Jesus is flying my kite." Took me a moment, but then I remembered - he was flying a kite last week with Uncle Bryan when the string broke and the kite flew away.

At least someone is enjoying the kite. =)

I vant to show you some pics....

After literally months of anticipation and countless drives by the "Halloween House" on our block, the day has come and gone - though the sugar high wears on. Monday Owen settled on being a "cute little vampire" who's "scary" (all his words), so I finally decided to go and purchase the items needed to create a costume. All he really wanted was the teeth with "drippy stuff," aka blood.

So without further adieu, here's our little vampire...

lucky shot

Owen rarely looks at the camera, so this was definitely a lucky one.

bedtime rituals...

For most kids, it's a story or two, some soft music or even some warm milk or something - the bedtime ritual.

Owen has created his own ritual, of sorts. Just after bathtime, his current favorite thing to do is get into mommy and daddy's bed, watch "that running show" (aka "The Biggest Loser"), and eat concord grapes. Not regular grapes - has to be concord grapes. For those who haven't tried them, concord grapes are ones you eat the insides and discard the skin. My three year old has perfected the process.

Did I mention he likes to do all of this in his towel? Thus, there is no picture with this post. Some things are better left to imagine.

giggles

Owen was just relaxing outside one day in the sun and I captured this photo - one of the few times he willingly smiled for the camera!

what a difference a year makes...

Many of you may remember that Owen's transition to preschool last year was difficult, to put it mildly. Having never been from mom or dad's side for more than a couple of hours (and then it was at grandparents' sides), let's just say he didn't appreciate the wonders of fun toys and friends in a new environment. For six full months.

This week marked his first full days of three year old preschool. He was disappointed the first day last week when moms HAD to stay for the hour. Yesterday, he ran straight into class and disappeared before my eyes. very nice.

Photos here are of ice cream to celebrate the first day and of Owen and Kevin in his newly finished room. It's all decorated now and if I ever get around to making both beds and putting the books away, I'll post a picture of the new room. Kevin really is an amazing man - he renovated the room, built a new pantry, ripped up basement carpet and padding (after moving all the furniture) and put it all back together again in less than two weeks!

On top of all that, he's hot. I'm a lucky lady for sure.

letter of the day...

Owen's special day, according to Sesame Street. He was thrilled to see the letter of the day was "'O' for Owen!" He ran to the refrigerator and grabbed the "O" letter magnet, sitting with Cookie and Prairie Dawn to celebrate. Then, like most other episodes, Cookie ate the letter of the day. It was fun while it lasted.

last day of summer break...

It's official - tomorrow marks the beginning of a new school year for Owen. Little Angels three year olds, here we come.

We spent the weekend getting Owen and Lyla's room and the basement all put back together. What a difference a week makes. We've reclaimed our living room and dining room for living and eating, and the laundry room is now functional without couches and other furnishings crowding into it. The carpet is dry - complete with new padding and deodorizing, though the latter is still questionable to my pregnant nose (no, my nose isn't really pregnant - you know what I meant).

We celebrated Kevin's 31st birthday with dinner and a cake which Owen had proudly decorated with every candle we have in the house. I think there was more icing than cake somehow, but it was pleasing to both Kevin and Owen, so no worries.

My belly is getting huge! Not sure who came up with the idea that pregnancy was some lovely glowing state of existance, but I'm convinced it was not a 150+ pound woman who carried a baby to full term. There is nothing glowing about me - now the refrigerator light at 2am is another story. hehehe.

Have a great day!

water, water, everywhere...

There's something about chaos that seems to invite more chaos.

If you've turned on the news in the past week, you know the midwest is saturated. Yards look like lakes and streets have "no wake" signs in them. I'm considering purchasing one for our basement.

Just when we're in the middle of remodeling the kids' room - with no storage space to spare - the waters began to rise. Literally. At 5pm yesterday, I was talking to Kevin on the phone telling him the basement was dry - no sign of water. At 5:10, the cracks in the laundry room floor were bubbling and a quick current was carrying the water into our family room. By 6pm, the carpet was floating. The very NEW carpet was floating. aaaarrrrggghhhh.

Then we find out we're the lucky ones in our area. Barrington village called residents with a recorded message outlining locations of shelters and directing us to turn off electricity in flooded basements. Streets were under water just across the highway.

My goodness. More rain expected tonight. I'm considering trading the SUV for an ark.

here fishy, fishy!

This was Owen's idea of catching a fish. Don't get me wrong, he really enjoyed casting and catching a fish on the hook - but somehow the idea of chasing them with a net, all the while calling "here fishy, fishy" seemed more fun.

We spent the past weekend in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, aka the North Woods. This was my first trip ever so far north. I can honestly say it's the first time in my life I've had the heater on in August! The weather was apparently unusually cool, ranging from 40-65 degrees. Kevin's parents have spent the past year remodeling an adorable cottage, now fit for a "Cottage Living" cover story.

Rhinelander's mascot is the mysterious "Hodag," a large lizard/dragonish character who greets you as you enter town.

Below are a few highlights of the weekend.

ahhh, summer....

Sorry for the delay in posts. We've been busy bees the last few weeks, though not much to show for it I suppose.

Owen and I just returned from our second trip to Kentucky in less than a month. Things were getting slow around here and I didn't have to work for several days, so we decided to road trip it. About three hours and four bathroom stops into it, I remembered why I like taking the train so much. After five hours and endless whining from Owen about how long of a drive it was, I made the decision never to drive by myself again if at all possible. There's essentially only two roads (I-57 and I-24) the whole trip, and the sites are limited to corn fields, barns, a giant cross, and the Dodge Raminator. Smells abound in the southern part of Illinois for those who love cattle though. Just what the nose needs after six hours in a car, huh?

Once in Kentucky, we had a super time. Owen never wants to leave. Who would, when their days are spent as follows...

Mimi and Papa's - four wheelers, horses, swimming pool and toys galore.

Grammy's - Chips, sweet tea, ice cream sandwiches, Aristocats, and a thousand pillows on one bed. And a Grammy and Uncle D at his beck and call 24/7.

Grandpa - candy, golf, and a human trampoline.

Grandmother and Grandad's - the garden that always seems to have a ripe melon and tomato just waiting for Owen, the back bedroom with a the perfect bed for jumping (which somehow is COMPLETELY fine with Grandmother and Granddaddy), and an endless supply of melon for lunch every day.

Then there's Uncle Greg who's always up for playing and boating.

Suddenly, Kentucky seems like heaven. Nevermind it was 95 degrees every day and sweltering humidity.

All of that ended just in time for us to leave next week for Grandma and Grandpa's house up north in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. The legendary "Hodag" will welcome us to town for a weekend of boating, fishing, and no doubt eating (mom's favorite part).

Ahhh, summer.

Incidentally, I left my camera in Kentucky, so I'll have to post pictures next week when I get it back.

It's a....

GIRL!! We were thrilled to learn the results of my amnio today! Baby Ruff is a girl, and more importantly, a healthy girl so far!

Not sure just what to do with a little girl, as most days are spent picking up cars, saying "don't hit that!," and cleaning up mud (several times a day) - but we're excited to learn.

Thanks to all for your prayers and concern.

goin' to the chapel...

I spent last Saturday in Chicago celebrating my friend Jennifer's bachelorette festivities. Kevin and Owen took me to the Metra (suburban train that goes to Chicago) and on the way Owen asked where I was going and why. I tried to explain as best I could that my friend was getting married and I was spending the day in Chicago with her. Knowing the train was my ticket to such, Owen announced "I want to get married with you." Of course, I had no logical response. He then asked if I would be a princess too, since all brides are princesses in his adorable three year old eyes. nice.

The week previous was spent in Kentucky with grandparents, friends and cousins. Owen got to ride horses and four wheelers; pick corn, tomatoes and blackberries; swim in the sweltering heat; watch fireworks and play with "parklers" (remember, he can't pronounce beginning "s's" just yet). Of course, the sparklers were under the watchful eyes of Mimi, Papa and Uncle Greg - while mom and dad slept. The three aforementioned are oblivious to the 1800 degree toddler mangling temperatures of said pyrotechnics.

In the excitement of fireworks, our dog Petey took his first overnighter away from us. This is nice wording for he was scared to death and ran for dear life - through the cornfields, over the creek, across neighboring yards - nearly two miles from mom's. It wasn't until a kind stranger called Sunday morning to say they'd found him that my mom could rest. It had rained all night and morning, so she and Petey both looked like drowned mice, though she smelled better than he.

Below are some photos of the events mentioned above. Enjoy.

Jennifer's luncheon (personal appearance disclaimer - I am 19 weeks pregnant!)









Megan, Elizabeth and Sarah - Liz also has new twin baby girls!



























Owen enjoying the early Kentucky harvest and, well... watering the plants.


















Riding Bonnie with cousin Katie

the birthday week is over...

After eight days of continuous celebration, Owen's birthday reign has come to an end. The "ganastics" party was a success - no injuries or tantrums to report. I think every kid slept well last night after an hour of nonstop jumping and tumbling - topped off of course with a sugar-induced cupcake coma. I'll post photos later.

As we went to dinner last night at Chessie's (a local place where we can eat in a train car), Owen asked "mom, am I till (still) the birthday boy?" The waitresses at Chessie's helped to end the festivities by giving him a scoop of ice cream with a candle. He was in hog heaven.

The photo is of Owen on the deck, smiling in pleasure having just launched his new Styrofoam airplane successfully across the yard and smashing it into a tree (as planned, of course). Oh to be three again.

how much is that doggy...

This is Owen's favorite towel. He always asks to wear it with the "hook" (hood) on so he can look like our dog Petey.

Chivalry is dead - thank goodness

To honor Owen's third birthday and Father's Day for Kevin and Terry, we took a trip to Medieval Times to celebrate (they had a "fathers get in free" and "kids free on their birthday" promotion, so I couldn't pass it up). Let's just say I'm glad some of us were free because we soon discovered it was not entertaining for all.

First, we took a tour of the Dungeon museum - a horrific collection of medieval torture devices. Mom and I discovered the larger percentage of them were meant for women who "spoke out of line" - or criticized their men. There was the breast pincher, iron masks meant to be bolted on permanently, and the ever romantic iron chastity belts - which could only be removed when, and if, your man returned from war. Owen kept asking what everything was meant to do, so we quickly made a beeline for the exit because I could think of no preschool answers for any of it.

Then, we made our way to the main event - a "feast" of tomato-ish soup, greasy chicken, hard bread and potatoes and (cheap) store bought apple pastries. All, of course, were served in metal bowls and plates with no utensils. An overly zealous mom next to me brought her own plastic utensils (which I secretly coveted).

During the feast, we were entertained by knights of the round, jousting and fighting on foot for the fair princess. The entertainment included a creepy wizard of sorts, betrayal, death, and an executioner with whips and other barbaric tools.

Thankfully, Owen was ready to go after fifteen minutes of horses and swords, so Kevin took him home just before the creep show of betrayal and execution began.

I know some of you are dearly impressed by the romanticism of it all, but I'm here to report I'm a lover of Levi's, a crew cut, women's rights
and Oneida.

yipppeee! He's three!

Happy Birthday to Owen!

Kwon Ton Do

That's what Owen calls Tae Kwon Do (I don't even know if I'm spelling it correctly myself). He started his first class today at the Park District. Let's just say kicking and punching came naturally for this class. The "yes sir" and "no sir," not so much.

It was a big day in the Ruff house - Owen officially learned to go ALL THE WAY potty by himself (this after six months of one diaper a day for "that"). He proudly announced his accomplishment by running into the dining room naked with a ready-to-wipe bottom (by even typing about such, I'm separating myself from the civilized world of my friends without children, I know). As a reward, he got to pick out Jibbetz for his Crocs - he choose a skateboard, skull and baseball. The skull already fell out somewhere today, which I can't say I'm too sad about.

Then, as his grand reward (I'm kidding), he got to go to the hospital lab to have his blood drawn as part of our yearly pilgrimage to the allergist. We are hoping to learn he's outgrown at least some part of his food allergies. However, something tells me we are destined to live with an arsenal of EpiPens for years to come. I'll post the results in coming weeks.

Big weekend here - Owen turns three and Kevin gets to throw a birthday party for Father's Day. Nice, I know. I'll post pictures of the big day next week sometime.

Owen almost three

I'm learning Photoshop Elements these days. Here's one of my first editing attempts.

all in the family

Per request of my oldest (but still younger) brother, I am providing an update of the entire Ruff house, rather than just our cutest member.

Kevin is putting more sweat equity into our home as I type. He's tearing down a fence that separates our yard from the neighbors. It so happens our neighbor Wes is the Martha Stewart of landscaping, so I think my husband is the smartest man in the world to take down the barrier and let the world wonder whether it's our green thumbs or Wes's that created the beautiful plantings. =) Of course, now this means we have to landscape to match his handiwork. We should buy stock in the Home Depot garden center.

Bryan, my younger (but not youngest) brother, is sleeping as I type - as most any 24 year old bachelor does on a Sunday. He's become a quick success at his new career as a personal banker for Chase bank. I continually remind him to remember who got him the job when he hits it big.

Owen will be three next week, though he's telling the world he's five. Our neighbor Ray (Owen's preschool idol) just turned five, so naturally he wants to be five and have all Spiderman gifts as well. I realized the other night how quickly he learns - as I put him to bed, I asked what song he'd like me to sing. His reply... "no song mom, but you can kratch my back if you want." Unable to pronounce a beginning "S" sound, this was his attempt at getting me to scratch his back. And not just for a minute - for what seems like hours.

And finally, I am just taking things slowly these days. The first fourteen weeks of pregnancy proved to be less than fun, so I'm hoping the next twenty six will be better! I just finished up a set of wedding invitations with my stationery business (www.ruffhousedesigns.com) and I'm looking for someone to take on my site updates. This is proving to be not so easy, as it's a fairly small job and most companies want to build an entire site for a large fee. SO, if any of you know an interested webby person, please let me know.

Okay, back to admiring the landscaping.

my "cheese" slide...

Leave it to an uncle to take Owen to Target and return with a certain disaster waiting to happen. The Slip N' Slide has been discovered. At first, Owen was unsure of what to do with the long "cheese" slide, as he calls it. Kevin then discovered he could sort of bowl him down in a Superman pose, successfully sliding him all the way to the pool at the end. "Again, again" became his new favorite phrase.

By the end of the day, our neighbor Ray (Owen's five year old idol) had joined in the action. Once Owen eyed Ray's running start and slide, it wasn't long before our soon-to-be three year old had mastered the slip n' slide.

Emergency room, here we come.

last day of preschool

I can't believe it's already over - the first year at least. Owen had "costume day" at school today, since they weren't allowed to dress up on Halloween, for fear the pagan gods might get us all I suppose. So what to wear on an 80 degree costume day? The only costume he owns is a fleece "kelican" (skeleton) suit that surely he would melt in on a day like today. So we improvised. I convinced him that by wearing his swimsuit and spiking his hair he'd be the coolest surfer dude at school. It worked - until we arrived. Seeing every princess from Disney's unending supply, he asked "where's my costume?" Thank goodness for sweet teachers. They made a huge fuss over him and continually reminded him he was wearing a great surfer costume. Now he'll think he's in costume every time we visit the pool this summer. Nice.

catching up with the world

It's my first ever online post. I wanted to say something terribly creative and inspiring, but here I sit in a Quizno's induced coma with nothing more than a stomachache and desire for a long nap.
Owen, my almost three year-old son, is napping - dreaming of going to the movie theatre when he awakens. We're seeing "Meet the Robinsons," the only movie out at the moment that wouldn't leave him with nightmares or a potty mouth. His favorite new toy is a Shrek doll from "Mister Donald's" that belches on command. So much for a well mannered three year-old, huh?