Blue Bell Fun Run

The Blue Bell Fun Run is something that my family has been a part of for many years.  My dad loved competing in races, but the Blue Bell Run was one of his favorites.  Before he got sick, we always ran this race together.  After he passed away, our family decided that we would continue to get together each spring and race together.  

Ready for the gun to start the race!  The weather was absolutely gorgeous!

Here is a little comparison photo....this one was taken a year ago, April 2012, at the same starting line!  Look how their little feet don't even hit the bottom of the stroller yet!

Daddy and Sugar decided that they would walk with R&R in the stroller so that my sister, Caydee, and I could run.

Yay!  We made it!

 R&R pose with Sugar at the finish line

My sister Caydee and her hubby, Sean at the finish line

After the race, you walk around the corner to see the famous Blue Bell Ice Cream Truck!

This is the only race I know of that lets you eat as much ice cream as you want after you run! R&R were very excited to hear about this!

Rhys happy to have her own strawberry bar

love at first bite!

 Rhys and Uncle Sean

 YUM!

 "Here, Rhys, try mine"

my favorite people

 happy boy

 Rhys and Sugar going back for more

Sugar letting Rhys pick anything she wants....SPOILED!

Rhys enjoying her second ice cream of the morning

 better sit down for a break....this is hard work!

After our ice cream treats, we headed to the airport in Brenham to eat at the diner there.  It is so much fun!  First we looked at all the private planes.

Mommy, R&R, and Uncle Sean 

Mommy, Rhett, Sugar & Rhys 

 Daddy and Rhett pose in front of a cool plane

Sugar and Rhett watching the planes fly in

 Aunt Caydee plays with Rhett while we wait for our table

Uncle Sean keeps Rhys busy with her purse 

I didn't get any really good pictures inside the restaurant, but this diner is so cute!  The waitresses wear poodle skirts, there is a jukebox playing, and the burgers and milkshakes were delicious.

 We had such a great day and look forward to continuing our Blue Bell Run tradition each year.

The Things They Say...

As we were driving home from church yesterday, Tim and I were laughing because Rhett did not stop talking the whole way home!  When Rhys had something to add, she would shout her thoughts so that she could be heard over Rhett's constant chatter.  It sounded something like this:

Rhett:  "Car, big car, bus, car"

Rhys:  "Mom, car!"

Rhett:  "Doggie, big doggie, car, doggie, ruff ruff, ruff ruff"

Rhys:  "Mooooommmm, big car!"

Rhett:  "Dada, Mama, big big car!"

Rhett:  "Outside, car, doggie, ruff ruff, eat, apples, cracker?"

Rhys:  "Moooommm!!! Cracker?"

And this continued for 30 more minutes.

About 8 months ago the twins were not talking AT ALL.  They were tested for speech therapy, qualified, and both started receiving weekly services.  We just love our current therapist, Kathleen, or "Lee" as Rhett calls her.  I don't think they will continue to have therapy for very much longer.

I have been really fascinated watching their language skills develop these past few months.  It seems like they are learning new words every day, and really starting to be able to put together a couple words at a time.  Sometimes it is cute because Rhys will sign some words, say some words, and act out some words all at the same time to try to get her point across.  

I wanted to make note of some of the cute things they say so I don't forget.  It is interesting to me that they use the same pronunciation for most words, even if it is wrong.  There are only a few words that they say differently.

The things we are hearing these days (at 2 years old):

"On-yo" - orange

"In-yo" - inside

"Beto" - Caleb

"Baby Anna" - Savannah

"Ry Ry" - Ryland

"Guger" - Sugar

"outsi" - outside

"oink" - the name Rhys has given her pig

"baa" - the name Rhys has given her sheep

animals

car

"coo coo" - choo choo trains

baby

table

books

bike

"wa-on" - wagon

"side" - slide (after this word is spoken it is always followed by a "wheeee")

shoes

socks

ready go

cracker

"froo" - fruit

apples

"nana" - banana

"neck-ace" - necklace

"bace-let" - bracelet

"tee" - tree

"wing" - swing

"dis" - this, also meaning anything they want at the moment (I think because we say "you want this?"

ball

"pay" - play

eat

milk

"wah wah" - water

up

ice

bowl

"bork" - fork

cookie - which may be a cookie or a cupcake

"bock" - block

"bish" - fish

dip - which may be hummus, ketchup, mustard, tomato sauce 

"nak" - snack
bubbles - cheerios
"mun-nuh" - monkey

They are also very much into labeling things that belong to people.  "dada cup, dada shoes, etc."  They label things that belong to each other and mama and dada.  Rhett is using mostly 2 word phrases, and occasionally 3 words together.  Rhys uses one word most of the time, but is starting to put 2 words together.

My favorite thing that Rhys says right now is "sick" which means sit.  I hear "Sick, Mom, sick" many times a day.

My favorite thing that Rhett says is "nofe" for nose and "tofe" for toes.  I also love that he calls Rhys, "Mees."  He also calls himself "Bubba."

The funniest thing of all is that they both started calling me "Mom."  Rhys does it more consistently than Rhett, but he will say Mom when he is really wanting my attention.  We are not sure where they got this from, since all of their friends still stay "mama" or "mommy."

I love listening to them talk to each other, too, although I usually have no idea what they are saying.  Rhys will say something to Rhett and he will laugh and laugh.  Too bad I don't get the joke!  :)   

Lots of blog posts to catch up on....stay tuned for posts on Easter, 2nd Birthday and more!

At Almost Two...

The twins will be turning TWO later this month!  So many fun things going on and I don't want to forget some of my favorite moments with my little girl.

So, 

At almost two...

Rhys is still in love with her stuffed animals.  She drags them around the house, pushes them around in her shopping cart, loads them into her little car, and always wants to take at least one with her when we leave the house.  She sleeps with a crib full of them.  If we are in a store and she sees a stuffed animal, she immediately starts sucking her thumb and asking for it.  We haven't "named" the animals, but tend to call them by their animal name. (pig, sheep, dog, etc.)  I think it is so funny that Rhys has named them herself, and she has chosen the sound they make to be their name.  For example, her pig is called, "Oink."  Her favorite friend right now is her sheep, or "Baa."

 sucking that thumb and snuggling with her pig

 Rhys put her "Oink" in time out!  

 the favorite right now, "Baa"

At almost two...

Rhys loves cell phones.  She loves real phones and pretend phones.  She will chit chat on her phone many times a day.  She usually calls "Guger" (her grandma, Sugar) or daddy.  She loves holding my phone, looking at pictures, playing the Veggie Tales app, and watching videos on You Tube.  And yes, she can do all of those things independently on my phone.  If she can't find a phone, she will use a toy or even her hand to make her calls.

looking at pictures

trying out daddy's blue tooth

 Rhys found a toy pager at the children's museum and it immediately became her phone for the day

just a girl sitting on a rock talking on her phone

At almost two...

Rhys loves cars.  She loves her princess cozy coupe so much that as soon as she comes downstairs in the morning, she sits in it right way.  She loves to fill the car with her favorite things and push it around.  She will occasionally ride in the car, too, and likes for Rhett to push her around.

future hoarder, maybe?  LOL

At almost two...

Rhys loves to eat.  She especially likes to have "dip."  This is usually hummus, guacamole, balsamic vinaigrette, or ketchup as on occasional treat.  She will eat almost anything if I give her some dip.  

enjoying a treat from Chik-fil-a with dip

 At almost two...

Rhys loves to sit in little spaces.  She really likes small chairs or couches, but she also enjoys sitting on cushions, her stuffed animals, or even rocks.

Rhys proud of herself for finding a seat on the rocks

At almost two...

Rhys loves music.  She hums a lot of the day, and gets excited when we play music.  She loves for us to sing to her, and sometimes tries to join in.  She can sing the first part of the alphabet song.

dancing with the jukebox at the children's museum

At almost two...

Rhys is starting to get into pretend play!  I love watching her do different things.  She likes to pretend to cook in her kitchen, change the babies diapers, clean the windows with a spray bottle and windex, and of course, talk on her phone.

changing the baby's diaper

At almost two...

Rhys adores her daddy.  She loves to sit in his lap and read books.  She always wants to share her dinner with daddy at the table.  She will do anything to make him laugh, and she thinks he is the funniest person she knows.  I just love seeing their relationship develop.

just before their first daddy/daughter date

At almost two...

She is growing up...

But she'll always be my baby girl.