Rayler Randoms

I love his guts.

Rayler is a morning person. Irrevocably and absolutely. When I go to get him up in the morning I just have to follow the sounds of giggling and chattering coming from his room. I try to sneak in without him seeing me, which isn't hard because his room is so dark and I don't turn any house lights on. I only have to whisper "Good Morning!" and the fun begins. He expresses his joy by jumping up and running pell-mell from one end of his crib to the other. When he has exhausted that means of releasing his energy, he turns around in circles as fast as he can until he looses his balance and crashes into the crib rails. The entire performance is accompanied by loud squeals and constant chattering. Sometime Pig is launched out of the crib for good measure. When he is finally certain that he has adequately expressed his morning felicitations, he runs to the side rail, lifts his arms to me, and gives me the most heart-melting smile. Now, how can I, *NOT* a morning person, not be instantly infused with joy and ready to begin the days adventures with that winning little face smiling so adoringly as me? I can't.

I am trying to teach Rayler the joys of hard labor. JOKING. No, I am watching him explore and guiding him in light chores that he shows interest in. So far he is learning to hold the dust pan while I sweep, stirring things while *we* cook, and his biggest success so far, helping me with the laundry. Whenever he sees me head to the laundry room, he comes running and wants to help. So I turn on the washer and start the water, then I pick him up and hand him items to drop into the washer. He really enjoys this! Then, when the washing machine is finished, I hand him the lighter items (not jeans or towels because they get pretty hefty when wet) and he shoves them into the dryer. I am crossing my fingers that he continues to find these chores fascinating and that in a few years I will have spotless floors, chef made dinners and not a laundry mountain in sight. Hey, it could happen! And someday he will make some lucky young lady a great catch. (Did I really just say that about my 17 month old? Yi.)

We are really entering the stage when both he and I wish he could communicate a bit better. He gets so frustrated when he needs help with something and squeals and hollers till I come help. I am trying to teach him to say "Help!" but it just isn't catching on yet. Other words we are working on: please, up, more, hungry, thirsty and poop. Yes, poop. The whole pre-potty training thing.

I kinda bombed on the picture and narrative thing this time didn't I? Don't worry, I have a lot of random pictures to post at the end.

I noticed this week that Rayler has started tipping his head back while I am rinsing his hair, without being asked to. He still enjoys his baths and I am looking forward to getting him into swimming lessons this spring. Such a water baby, this one.

Insert random photo...

This is what comes from being the only boy at a playdate. Although Aaron pointed out that they *could* be Batwings. :) We'll go with that.

Bugs really loves to play on our bed. He thinks it's a big trampoline. He *jumps*, runs from one end to the other, and tries to somersault on it. Until this past week, his somersault consisted of him putting his head on the bed (or floor, as the case may be), sticking his little butt in the air, and us giving him a nudge to push him over. But I saw him turn a somersault in the front room all by his little ol' self this week. He came up grinning so big I thought his cheeks would fall off. All this energy he has will have to be channeled into some kind of sport in just a few years!

Weekend before last we went to the skating rink for cousin Noah's 7th birthday party. I really wasn't sure how Rayler would do, I though he would be bored out of his mind. I needn't have worried. All that wide open space to run as much as he pleased, he was happy as a dog chasing two tails! I couldn't get my videos from my phone to upload to my computer, that stinks, but here are a few pictures I took of the fun.

Uncle Ray playing skating limbo

Bugs playing with cousin Hannah

He really liked the colored lights reflecting on the floor. When they turned the disco ball on he went crazy trying to step on the lights.

Tyler braved it and skated with Rayler. I didn't. My middle name is klutz.

Rayler had his first bloody lip yesterday. He was chasing me into his bedroom and tripped over his own feet just as he got to the tile entry way. It took a minute for me to see any blood, but he did just barely break the skin on his top lip. Fortunately it was not enough to even drip blood and I let him chew on a wet rag while we read some stories. And that was that! I am so glad it wasn't worse.

He's got a little scab today.

Random picture time!

It has a hole and the blocks fit. Therefore they blocks must be stored inside. Tyler got so tired of fishing them out that he finally put masking tape over the hole. Ha!

Enjoying a snack of cheese and crackers and dried cranberries.

*Hiding* under the table at the fire station with James.

Licking the peanut butter off his graham crackers.

We've really enjoyed the nice weather lately!

Reading to himself. Not sure why he needed to remove the back cushion from the rocking chair.

Bugs and I had a floor picnic one night.

Solo usage of the spoon!

Sleeping on the pillow using Pig as a pillow.

Happy pizza eater!

I have no idea where he found this. He came over to me, grabbed my hand, and spit it out into my hand. Apparently he didn't inherit his Daddy's love of sunflower seeds.

Serious Sunday school playing, cutting four eye teeth, missing his nap and late for lunch is exhausting!

Is it possible to be any cuter while sleeping? I think not. He's got it covered.

Blue rice sensory play

He ended up sitting on the floor and dumping scoopfuls of rice onto his pants. I ended up sweeping. 

Sleeping on top of the pillow again, using Mr. Engelbert as a pillow.

Our first ultrasound 1/17/11, Rayler 1/18/13. What a difference two years makes!

Ok, so this isn't a picture of Rayler, but I finally got my Valentine's wreath up and had to include a picture of it. :)

One more picture, and it requires a bit of a prequel. I was cleaning in the kitchen one day and Rayler was playing quietly under the table. It's a little quirk of his, finding small hidey holes under or behind things and just playing there quietly. Anyway, after a bit I turned around and promptly felt my hair turn grey.

Hey Mom. Wassup? Just chillaxin here. Oh, you're worried that I'm gonna fall? How 'bout you worry about how I got here?

I have NO CLUE how he got up there. As you can see the other chair is a fair distance away and turned the other direction, so he didn't use it as a step stool. When I first saw him he was perched precariously facing the other direction, jauntily swinging his feet off the edge of the tray. I was having an impromptu coronary, he was just chilling and enjoying the view. Thankfully he hasn't trying this again. My heart (and hair) can't handle that.

End of randomness.


~My house isn't messy. It's been custom designed by a one year old interior decorator.