A Minnie Mouse Party

Prepare yourself for a photo extravaganza! We gave our camera to Sheila, an expert photographer, and ended up with some great photos of Ruthie's party. Thank you, Sheila! It was a wonderful time and Ruthie enjoyed every minute of it. As the title indicates, it was a Minnie Mouse party. First, Ruthie loves going to Disneyland. Second, she has a darling Minnie Mouse onesie that she looks so cute in. =) Third, it's just such a cute theme, how could I resist?

But first, let me start with the foot. That is egg salad sandwiches (Ruthie LOVES eggs), chicken salad on croissants (she loves chicken), fruit and chips (which she did not get to eat). Prior to lunch, we had appetizers of cheese and crackers, mostly because cheese is Ruthie's absolute favorite food (and her first word, coincidentally) and because mice like cheese, too. It was a Minnie Mouse party, after all.

And here are the Minnie Mouse cupcakes.

And the tables - I did simple centerpieces using my mom's red and white polka dot teapots and carnations.

Here is a shot of the back patio - you can't quite make it out, but there is a very cute pennant banner that says Happy B-Day which Heather gave to me. It is made of chalk paper, so you can change the wording. It is now hanging inside the family room and says Merry Christmas. =)

Here she is, mooching some cheese off Uncle Peter, who seemed quite willing to share with the birthday girl.

I didn't take any photos of it, only video, but we played two games. First, the "take everything out" game, which consisted of two boxes filled with the same number of toys. Each team sent a cousin down to take out one item, fling it on the ground, then run and tag off with another cousin. Ruthie's favorite game is taking things out - DVDs, dishes from the dishwasher, toys from her box, Tupperware ..you name it. If it's in something, she wants to take it out.

The second game was a dance off - Ruthie also loves music and dancing, so we played "You Say It's Your Birthday" and all the cousins danced, taking turns in the spotlight. It was priceless. Some of Ruthie's cousins can really shake their grove thing. =)

She LOVED when everyone sang to her - it was like she knew the whole party was about her. And why shouldn't it be? Every day is about her.

This is her face after licking some icing off the candle - I think it was a bit too sweet, since she shuddered a little after she swallowed.

But the cupcake itself, oh, did she enjoy it.

A little family photo...

She also did a great job opening the presents. She actually tried her hand at unwrapping them, and wanted to play with what was inside. Everyone was SO generous and she received some truly lovely gifts.

Here is the aftermath of all the presents, and her many cousins there to help her enjoy it. She's holding up a little Minnie bath toy that my parents gave her, which she really loves.

It was a wonderful party and we had a great time celebrating our girl.

Tonight, on her actual birthday, we will sing her silly Ruthie song, let her have another little piece of a cupcake and eat spaghetti, another of her favorite foods. I'm telling you, by the time this birthday and Christmas are over, she's going to wonder why January is so boring (and devoid of presents). But thankfully, she's a cheerful girl who is pretty much happy with anything, so I'm not too worried about it.

Happy Birthday, little Bugaboo! We love you!!

A Monumental Day

Yesterday was ground breaking. Wait for it...ready? Ruthie played outside. I mean, really played outside, like a big girl. I have been waiting for this day, longing for it to come. I love being outside but up until just recently, Ruthie hasn't been at an age where she can really do it.

But now that she officially walks, she had a ball playing outside in our back yard. And since she walks, less stuff goes in her mouth! Hallelujah! She did still eat some dirt yesterday, well and I guess some bark, but that is a vast improvement from previous trips outside!

Anyway, it was a lovely afternoon. She played in the little outdoor house, played in a tub of water and even played with a ball. Ahh, my girl is growing up!!

This Girl Loves Her Food

I can see now how mooches are made. I'm not gonna lie, I used to judge. But it has become so clear to me since Ruthie started eating pretty much everything. She looks up at me, makes a darling face, and I give in, and give her a bite of my grapefruit. Just one bite. But then the next day, as I'm having my traditional morning cake (it's a thing, I promise), she does it again, fully expecting the same results. Except I don't want her to eat cake yet. But she begs and begs. This is how mooches are made, going from family member to family member, begging little bites. And they are so hard to refuse!! When it is a niece or nephew, I don't really even try. But you will be pleased to know I stood ground and did not give her any cake. She is just going to have to wait for her birthday for that treat.

But man, does she enjoy the food she is allowed to eat.

The McCurrys Hit DC

In a moment of rash optimism, we decided that a three day trip to DC would be easy. And while the five hour flights were exhausting, we were certainly glad we did it! We love our dear friends in DC and we love the city, so it was a win-win (though my very practical husband has deemed it our last long flight for a while) (we'll see what "a while" means though). =)

Here we are, hitting up the city! Ian and Ruthie, by the Potomac River. It was cold and fallish and lovely!

Here's me and Ruthie, at the new MLK Monument - so beautiful and moving. We were really glad to get to see it, since it hadn't opened yet last time we were there in February 2011.

Here's Ian and Ruthie, standing in front of the Reflecting Pool, with the Washington Monument in the background. There is so much cool stuff packed into one small city, it's amazing!

Our favorite monument, Lincoln. We see this every time we come and I'm always touched.

Aside from seeing the city, we also spent time with dear friends. Josh and Lindsey, my long time friend from childhood, just had a beautiful boy this past summer and we were thrilled to meet him and hold him, and catch up a bit with them. Sadly, I have no pictures of this! But we enjoyed our time with them and look forward to watching their little Hudson grow!

We also spent some time with Sarah and Matt and their three kids. Sarah and I were college roommates and they had a boy, Rocco, about the same time we had Ruthie. Here are the two cuties (do I hear wedding bells?)!

And here is their whole family - thanks Sabatinos, for welcoming us so generously! We love you guys!

We also spent some time walking around the neighborhood of the apartment we rented, but I have no pictures of that. We loved our apartment and totally recommend that over a hotel. First, it was cheaper, plus we ate all our breakfasts in the kitchen and didn't have to sleep in the same room as Ruthie. Hooray! We rented it off airbnb.com - a very cool, cheap way to find places to stay. Thanks, Sarah, for the recommendation!

For some unknown reason, we booked a 7AM return flight. Given that we had to return the borrowed pack & play to Sarah and Matt, return our rental car and get to the airport with enough time to make my husband as relaxed as possible, we woke up at 4AM (read 1AM California time). Though it was torture in the moment, it actually worked in our favor, as Ruthie mercifully slept a little on the way home.

Here she is, a little refreshed after one of her naps.

And here she is, saying goodbye to the East Coast and hello to home.

It was a great trip. Very action packed, but incredibly fun and so great to see friends. Until next time!

Christmas Is a Coming!

Family Trip to the Grand California Hotel

Earlier this month, our family took a mini-vacation to the Grand California Hotel, one of the new(ish) hotels located right at Disneyland. It was originally supposed to be part of Ian's 30th, but we found our schedule (and the hotel prices) better in November, so we delayed until then. We still told the hotel people we were celebrating, and they sweetly included a Happy Birthday button for Ian, as well as a great photo of Mickey. AND, because it was a slow time of the year, when I asked for a free upgrade, they upgraded us twice to a room with a king bed, a small balcony and a view of the pools! We were supposed to be overlooking the parking lot, so we considered this pretty special. =) Ian wasn't even embarrassed when I asked for the upgrade, either.

Anyway, we had an AMAZING time. The hotel was spectacular  and if you've ever been to Disneyland, then you know they pride themselves on their customer service. The hotel was no different and we are already scheming of ways to get back there.

The hotel is fashioned after a craftsman style California home, just on a very grand (see hotel name) scale. The lobby is truly the biggest I've ever seen. Here is Ruthie, standing in front of one (yes, one) of the fireplaces.

One of the benefits of the hotel is that you get early entrance into the park while you're staying there. On our first morning there, my mom graciously came to babysit so we could take advantage of this perk. Here is California Adventure, just a few minutes after we got in. As you can see, it was empty. We made straight for the new Cars Land, which had a ride we really wanted to try.

And here we are, in line at said ride. It was Radiator Spring Racers and it was super fun. Normally, that line is about 120 minutes, but in our early hour, we only waited about 15. We really enjoyed our adult time in the park - we also rode Hollywood Tower of Terror, Midway Mania and of course, Grizzy River Run. Because if you're staying at the hotel, you should do the water ride so you can go back to your room and change your clothes! (Plus, it was 95 that day.)

                                    
Here is Ian and Ruthie on the Golden Zephyr - a rocket ride that actually goes pretty fast. They require everyone to be in their own seat, but Ruthie did great. She loved being out at night, and we felt like we could stay out late, since our room was just a short walk out of the park. Don't you just love that cheerful Mickey in the background?!

Of course, Ruthie took several naps in our room. Here I am, reading to her, trying to calm her down. She was SUPER excited about being in a new place.

And here is Ian and Ruthie watching a new parade. Don't they look so much alike, enjoying the sights and sounds?

It was really a great time. My mom came a second time and meet us in the park and then took Ruthie out and back to her house, so we could enjoy a few more adult hours there. We got to ride all the big ones (that were open) - Space Mountain  Matterhorn, Big Thunder, plus a few of our favorites - Haunted Mansion, Mr. Toad's and more!

I don't have any pictures of it, but on the day it was 95, we also took Ruthie to the pools at the hotel. They have three beautiful pools, plus a big water-slide and a small one for kids. Ian and I tried out the big one and Ruthie went down (with help) the toddler one several times.

It couldn't have been more fun - thanks to my mom for giving of her time so generously and to the many gifts from siblings of Disney Dollars for Ian's birthday. We spent EVERY ONE OF THEM on delicious snacks - corn dogs, popcorn, Dole whip, churros, pretzel, frozen lemonade, ice cream...if they sold it, we bought it!

Two thumbs up from this Disneyland lovin' family!!

Do You Know Why?

Do you know why Ruthie's blanket looks like that? Because the blanket was touching her pacifier and she pulled it toward her so that the blanket would move the pacifier into her hands. And it totally worked. Ian and I are a little worried that we might have a crazy master mind on our hands.

Ruthie's Day in Photos

I like to call these Ruthie's "work stations." She sort of makes her way through the house, going from room to room, "working."

Here is the aftermath of her work day:

1. Diaper bag contents, all over the living room floor

2. Living room book shelf middle row, emptied

3. Commentaries from the hallway bookshelf, read and discarded

4. Every book minus two from her bottom shelf flung off; most of the books from the middle shelf also casually cast off

And here, you'll note, is her actual toy box, with each toy still in place. I guess it's true what they say - there's no need to buy toys because kids will make a toy out of anything.

And now, to clean it up. Ah, the joys of parenting. Maybe if I sit at this computer long enough, Ian will finish it all...=)

Getting a Jump on Things

Ian and I talk frequently about having our kids do chores and pull their weight around the house. We also talk about when is a good age to start that - I know you have to start before their "help" is actually helpful, but obviously, for at least a few years, it seems they are too young.

However, I was recently cleaning at my parents' house (one of my many part time jobs) and I thought I'd go ahead and get a jump on things. Ruthie was REALLY into it. Looks how she's bending her knees so she can really get in there and clean the toilet. =)

Water Works

This face, and all the water works, are because I wouldn't give her a second bite of my pear at lunch today. Seeing as she spit out the first bite, I felt justified. Apparently, I was wrong.

Halloween!

I hope everyone had a happy Halloween. We did, though it was very busy since I was organizing the carnival for our church. And I'm not talking a few people wandering around making wreaths and drinking cider (though that does sort of sound nice). I'm talking 4,000 people, 300 volunteers, 7 huge inflatables, 14 carnival style games, a whole list of food, more than a ton of candy and a live DJ, playing Thriller, because what else do you play on Halloween?

Anyway, my mom watched Ruthie all day and when Ian got home they feed her, got her in her costume and brought her to the carnival. She loved looking at all the people and hearing the music. This girl really does love getting out at night. Too bad for her that her bed time is 7:30.

I digress.

Here is the whole fam, dressed as Waldo, Wenda and Wendy. (Those are real people; okay, Waldo and Wenda are real - we made up Wendy.)

Those Child Safety Locks

Yeah, the ones I bought about two months ago? It's really time to install those...

My Family Dancing

The other night when Ian was doing the dishes, I looked over to see a scene that truly almost melted my heart. Each night, Ian does the dishes and usually, Ruthie "helps." She's very good at taking the dishes out of the dishwasher, just as her daddy puts them in. Anyway, Ian also frequently listens to music (or Spanish lessons) while cleaning up.

On this night, as I looked up from my book into the kitchen, I saw them both dancing. They were looking at each other and smiling, both shaking their grove thing. Truly, my heart almost burst. It was such a precious scene and one I hope to see many times over. It was hard to tell whose moves were better. =) If you're lucky, you'll catch a glimpse of it someday and then you can decide for yourself. As for me, I love the duet.

Pumpkin Patch!

Every year, our family goes with our sisters' families to the Pumpkin Patch* here in Long Beach. It is the highlight of the fall. As each of our families has more kids, the trips get more and more fun. They have pumpkins, rides and games, a petting zoo, ponies, a giant slide, carnival food and more pumpkins. The kids love it and so do we.

Here is Ruthie and Ian, checking out some pumpkins. Ruthie is wearing a darling Peek-a-Boooo! shirt that you can't quite see.

And here are all the kiddos, having fun while Uncle Rob pulls them around in a wagon. In the back row are Mary and Mike's kids - Abbie (facing sideways), Sam (I guess also facing sideways), an Clare, showing off her newly learned skill of sitting up (and kind of facing sideways - they should do something about that).

In the front, left to ride, is Heather and Rob's Finnley and Rowan, then of course Ruthie. Aren't they all so cute?!

When we first arrived, Ian and I were both hungry. Naturally, our first order of business was "delicious" carnival food - I had a hot dog and chips and Ian had nachos and a corn dog. Then we had to feed Ruthie her dinner (which was not carnival food), while the other kids went in the petting zoo. By the time all that happened, we really only had time for one ride with Ruthie.

Here is Ian and Ruthie on the carousel - Ruthie has just started to not want us to put her on the carousel and stand behind her, like she used to do. So on this day, Ian sat with her on a bench. Yesterday at Disneyland, my mom had to get up on the horse and hold Ruthie in order to get her to ride King Arthur's Carousel  But in both cases, I think both parties had fun, so it worked out.

This Pumpkin Patch will, in just a few short days, become a Christmas Tree Lot, which will also be fun (though we tend to get our trees from Home Depot and don't make the drive back out to this one). I love this time of year - all the great smells, decorations, food, time with family, change in the weather. Two thumbs up for it all!

*You do realize that I use the term "patch" here loosely, right?  It's a parking lot covered with hay with pumpkins thrown on top. But it's what we've got, here in So Cal, and we'll take it!

Homemade Yogurt

For a while now, I've been wanting to make my own yogurt. I been postponing it because we really don't eat that much yogurt and I thought it was a huge pain.

However, as I was taking a look at our grocery bill recently, in the ever-present attempts to get it lower, I realized we were spending about $7 a week on yogurt. That's a lot, when your average grocery bill is around $80-$90! Ian frequently takes one of those individual serving Greek yogurts in his lunch ($1 each) and we were also buying plain yogurt for Ruthie, since she's started to enjoy it more (and not make such a tart face after each bite).

So, I called Sarah, who has already been making her own yogurt for some time, and asked if I could come over next time she did it. That happened about two weeks ago - I was amazed at how easy it was to do, even with small kids underfoot.

This week, I tackled the task on my own. Using a recipe and very easy to follow directions from thefrugalgirl blog* that I follow, I had the job done in about 30 minutes (not counting incubation time).

Here is my milk, getting hot on the stove. You're supposed to get it to around 185, which takes about 10-15 minutes.

Then you place it in the sink to take a cool bath, letting the temperature get back down to 120. This takes about 5-7 minutes.

Then you whisk in some starter, which takes about 30 seconds. Starter is just existing yogurt - I used what was left over from the batch I made at Sarah's house.

And here is my milky yogurt, ready in jars for the next step. This is half a gallon of milk - it make 5 medium size jars of yogurt!

Then you put the jars in a cooler filled with hot water to take a warm bath (yogurt sure likes a lot of baths). You simply close the lid and then three hours later...

You have yummy yogurt! Actually, it's a bit longer than that, since you should refrigerate it first so it gets firm (and cool - warm yogurt is gross).

This first solo batch is a little runnier than I prefer my yogurt, so I'll have to tinker with a few things next time. But we've already enjoyed it in fruit smoothies, with granola (homemade, of course), and Ruthie eats a nice big bowl of it every morning with her rice cereal.

Now let's get down to the dollar and cents of it - say each of my jars holds about two individual sized yogurts (I think they hold more than that, but just to be conservative we'll stick with two), that means in all five jars I have $10 worth of store bought yogurt. As a reminder, I used half gallon of milk to make all that yogurt. If the average half gallon of milk costs me $2.50, then I'm saving $7.50 by making my own yogurt. That's amazing! And so easy!

My thanks to The Frugal Girl for posting her recipe, Sarah for showing me the ropes and the good people at Fresh and Easy for selling me the milk. What a team!

*Disclaimer on the recipe - the frugal girl appears to boil her jars first. I didn't do that and neither does Sarah and we're all still alive. So I'm not sure how necessary that is. Just sayin'.