Three Little Monkeys

The Joys of Springtime....And motherhood

2009-04-07T17:20:00.000-07:00

It's spring days like today that I L-O-V-E!!! When the kids want to do something distructive in the house I can tell them "Go play outside". But what they don't know is I like to secretly watch them out the window. I love to watch them play together (nicely for a change) and act like friends, not just brothers and sister. I love to listen to them talk and pretend and laugh together. Those are my three little joys of springtime.

Zoe, Izaac, & Cameron

Nightly Prayers

2009-03-17T14:56:00.000-07:00

Izaac's prayer:
Dear Jesus,
Please help me not have accidents at night anymore. Please help me get a good night sleep so I'm a good boy at school tomorrow.
Amen

Ouch Report

2008-04-12T19:42:00.002-07:00

It was bound to happen and I'm quite surprised it didn't happen sooner; Izaac came home with his 1st "Ouch Report" from school on Thursday. It reads something like this:

Name: Izaac Rucker
Date: April 10, 2008
Part Injured: Left arm
What Happened: Cameron bit Izaac on arm
Where did it happen: In the block area
What Caused Incident: Izaac said Cameron bit him on the arm because he wasn't picking up the blocks like Cameron asked.
Was medical action taken: ran cool water over arm

So since they gave an "Ouch Report" for this at school, does that mean I have to do them at home too???

First Day of Preschool...

2008-02-27T06:57:00.000-08:00

Today is the kids' first day of preschool. I have to admit, I'm a little sad. But at the same time, I'm excited for them. They didn't want mommy to go with them to take them to school, just Dad. So being the "Mom" who wants pictures, I had to send the camera with Rhett hoping he will take some for me. They were very excited and ready to go. I'm sure they'll have a great time and have lots of stories to tell me when they get home. I'll write more tonight after I hear how their day was and hopefully have some pictures. Oh yeah, I start my new job today too.

Cameron, Zoe, Izaac - 3 years old

T'was The Night Before Christmas...

2007-12-24T16:11:00.001-08:00

To get ready for Santa, we began by making "Reindeer Food" (Cheerio's and glitter). Rhett and I started by crushing some Cheerio's, but not all the way. Next, I told the kids that we had to finish it by adding the "Magic Flying Dust" - this is the dust that makes the reindeer fly - I took the bowl to the table and Cameron started crying "That's not Reindeer Food!!! That's my Cheerio's!!!" It took a little conviencing by Daddy, Mommy & Roo Roo to make him beleive that it was "Reindeer Food".

Three Little Monkies Jumping on the Bed...

2007-12-18T08:23:00.000-08:00

We all know the rhyme "Three little monkeys jumping on the bed. One fell off and bumped his head..." Well, here is the proof that monkeys should not jump on beds:

Izaac - Day 0

Izaac - Day 1

Izaac - Day 3

Izaac - Day 9

"Mommy called the doctor and the doctor said 'No more monkeys jumping on the bed!!!'"

Kids Say the Darnest Things...

2007-12-05T09:49:00.000-08:00

It shouldn't amaze me what comes out of the kids' mouth, but it does. Yesterday they said some of the funniest things:

1.) They were taking their pajamas off so they could get dressed for the day. We were getting ready to go check out some preschools. After the boys took their diapers off, they proceeded to pee on the floor and on the couch. Zoe looked at me and said "I'm a big girl and I'm going to go to school because I pee in the toilet. The rest of these kids just pee on the floor!"

2.)After we went to the school, I told the kids we could go to a park. I asked them what park they wanted to go to and they said "Walk across the trails Park", "Where?" I asked. And they said "Walk across the trails Park". Then I realized, the name of the park we walk to is called Ponderosa Trails Park. They think it sounds like "Walk across the trail Park".

3.) We walked by a house in our neighborhood that has been under construction since spring of 2006 and is finally done. As we were walking by, the boys stopped and looked at the house for a minute then Cameron said "He did a nice job building that house!" and the other two chimed in "Yeah! He did a really good job building that house!"

Only my kids!!!!

Oh yeah, Zoe also got her FIRST hair cut on November 21!!! Almost 3 years old before her hair was long enough!!!

Back from Vacation

2007-10-16T12:11:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a nice vacation in Colorado. We were there for two weeks and had a great time. Our friends, Andee & Jack, went with us because they had never seen Colorado before. To say the least, it was an interesting car ride with four 2 year olds. We spent the first night at Yia Yia and Papa Mike's new house in Palisade. She has a great two-bedroom place next to the river on a very quiet street. Then we went to Nana's house for a couple of days, went to Grandma and Grandpa's "Ealge House" to spend the night, followed by four days at Papa Fatty's house. The kids had a great time seeing the cows, throwing rocks in the river, and of course, riding the 4-wheelers. On Monday, we took a 14 mile long ride to see some of the country and the kids ended up falling asleep on the "wheelers". I wish I could sleep anywhere like that!!!!
We took the kids to the new rec. center in Gypsum where they swam until their hearts were content and us "big kids" got to go down the water slide a couple of times. On Friday, Nana surprised the kids with a treat to the local museum where they have a caboose and real-life scenes from "the good ol' days". Next we got to go to the Eagle Fire Department where we got a tour of the whole fire station including where the firemen live when they are on duty. To round out this fun tour, the firemen took everyone (Andee, Jack, Cameron, Izaac, Zoe, Nana, & myself) for a RIDE in the fire truck!!! That was so much fun!
Next we headed up to Sylvan Lake State Park to see some of the interactive displays and take a nature walk. We got to see lot of pretty fall colors. After we left there, we went to visit Mike Bradley who raises alpacas. Alpacas are related to Llamas but smaller, and much cuter!!!
Saturday was the "Booby Party" for Aunt Tuff so the kids stayed at Aunt Tammy's house with the babysitters while the mom's got some away time.
Sunday, Andee woke up with Pink Eye so we had to make a trip to Avon to have it checked out by a dr. This put us behind schedule so we didn't make it out of Eagle County until Monday.
On our way home, we stopped at Yia Yia and Papa Mike's again where we went to the park and spent some time playing in the leaves.
We got home around 8pm and all the kids were happy to see their Daddies. A fun time was had by all and some good memories were made!

(Pictures to follow - camera is still in the suitcase)

A Plea for HELP!!!!

2007-09-21T14:32:00.000-07:00

Call me the queen of procrastination and now I'm paying for it!!!! On Wednesday, I was in the bedroom getting ready for the day and the kids got too quiet. That's the first sign they're doing something they're not suppose to. I go into their playroom and they have found a BIG jar of Vaseline and smeared it all over themselves, the wall and the carpet. Of course we have somewhere to be in 45 minutes so I throw all the kids in the tub and TRY to get them cleaned up to the best of my ability. I leave the playroom covered in Vaseline and away we go. Why do I leave the playroom in this state you ask? First, I have NO idea how to get Vaseline out of the carpet! Second, (Wishful thinking on my part) Maybe the kids won't get into it anymore. YEAH RIGHT!!! So, this afternoon, Zoe's in the playroom, being too quiet and guess what she's doing...You've got it!!! She's covered in Vaseline.

So here's my plea for help....

HOW DO YOU GET VASELINE OUT OF CARPET, HAIR & WALLS????

Out of the Mouths of Kids II

2007-08-30T12:36:00.000-07:00

So, I'm standing in the kitchen checking my email and the kids are in the living room fighting over something (what's new!!!) and Zoe starts yelling as load as she can. Then I hear Izaac say in a very calm voice "You really need to get out of the house", and Zoe starts yelling again. Once again Izaac says, "You really need to get out of the house, Zoe", so she goes outside to yell. Sometimes I wonder what is really going through those little brains.

Zoe sitting on her "potty" while camping.

A Trip to the Fire Station

2007-08-30T09:15:00.000-07:00

The tattoo we got at the fire station

On Wednesday, August 1st our MOMS Club took a trip to one of Flagstaff's great fire houses. The fireman gave a good presentation about "Tools & Toys", "Stop, Drop, & Roll", and how to call 911. Although the kids are still a little young to understand, they had a good time. After his presentation, the fireman put on ALL of his gear: pants, coat, helmet, and oxygen mask. Izaac and Cameron were okay with all the gear until he put on the oxygen mask, then he was "scary".

Next, everyone got to go out and look at the fire trucks. We got to climb through the back where the firepeople sit

and we even got to sit in the drivers seat!!!

Zoe driving

Izaac driving

Cameron driving

After all the "driving" everyone got a chance to spray the fire hoses.

Izaac spraying the hose

Zoe spraying the hose

Cameron spraying the hose

And then we got to splash in the puddles we made with some of our friends.

And to end the perfect day...just as we were finishing up with our tour, the firemen got a call and had to leave. So we sent them off with a great big thank you and wave and they drove away with light on and sirens blaring.

Out of the Mouth of Babes!!!

2007-06-20T09:51:00.000-07:00

Last night when I was making dinner, I had the refrigerator open and the kids saw cans of 7-Up sitting on the shelf. To them, anything in a can is "beer" so they all started saying "I want beer. I want beer!" So with dinner, they all got a "beer".

I got them all set up at the table outside and they were eating so I went and got my plate. When I came out and sat down with them Izaac looked at me and said "Mommy, you have no beer", and I said "No, Mommy doesn't have a beer right not", and he said "Mommy, go inside and get your beer now!"

I'm sure if the neighbors were listening they were wondering what kind of parent I really am!!!! Giving my children beer and letting them run around the backyard naked.

A Lot Going on in the Rucker Household

2007-04-22T07:24:00.000-07:00

We've had a lot of things going on in the past month. It all started with a trip to Albuquerque to see cousin Jesse compete in his very first National Karate Tournament. He did very well: 7th place in form (Kata)(sp?), and 4th place in sparring. Good job Jesse!!! The kids had a great time running around the hotel, checking out the elevators and being somewhere new.

The next weekend was Easter. On Saturday, we went to a local nursery (Warner's) to hunt Easter eggs and visit with the Easter Bunny. There was a lot of kids there so the staff asked that everyone only get five eggs each. Well, we got way more than our quota. All the eggs were filled with jelly beans. As you can probably guess, all the jelly beans were gone by the time we got back to the van and the kids were all saying "My tummy hurt". I wonder why!!!! On Easter Sunday, Yia Yia, Grandpa Mike, Auntie Roo Roo, Rhett, the Kids and I all went to Little America for their Easter Brunch. We all ate WAY too much and the kids go to to see the Easter Bunny again. Both boys loved the Easter Bunny, especially Cameron! Every time they would see him, they would run up to him and give him a hug. On Saturday, they wouldn't let go of him after we took pictures. Zoe on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with the big rabbit.

Things I've Learned Today

2007-03-24T15:42:00.000-07:00

Some of the things I've learned today:

Kids LOVE making anything as long as it makes a mess!
Just when you think your children "listen" to you, they don't.
Kids don't care if "eating uncooked eggs will make your tummy hurt".
Kids don't hear "Don't stick your finger in the batter yet!"
Cookies still turn out if you don't add the salt or the baking soda!!!

Today was our first experience making cookies together. All-in-all it turned out pretty well but as you can see from "what I learned", it was very interesting. Maybe we'll wait a few more months before we try again!!!!

Just Checking In

2007-03-21T16:13:00.000-07:00

Not a lot has been going on in our little world lately. The weather turned REALLY nice (70 degree during the day) a couple of weeks ago, so we were enjoying some much needed time at the park and in the backyard. The kids just love to be outside. Zoe's favorite thing is the swing and the boys are typical boys. They like playing in the dirt, chasing dogs, and going down the slide head-first. They finally got to break out their bikes they got from Santa this year and Izaac has discovered that if he rides on the sidewalk, he goes very fast!!! (For those of you who haven't been to our house, we live on a hill).

Last week both the boys came down with a bronchial infection and Cameron also had an ear infection. We had about four nights of up all night coughing and several days of two-a-day naps (YIPPEE!!) but now are back on the mend. Luckily, Zoe dodged getting sick this time.

On a sad note, my dear friend Mary (Sheldon) Akin's husband, Lee, was critically injured in a bull riding accident on March 8th in Montgomery, Alabama. He has undergone two brain surgeries and is still in an induced coma to give his brain time to heal. As of right now, the doctors are unsure of what the outcome will be. Mary and Lee have a beautiful baby girl, Jada, who was born September 21, 2006. Please keep this wonderful family in your hearts and prayers.

Toddlers Speech 101

2007-03-06T11:51:00.000-08:00

Here's and introductory lesson in Toddler Language 101. Everyday I learn something new.

What they say - What they mean

Ham-n-burg.........................Hamburger
Butt-hammas.......................Bahama's
Fimming Cool.......................Swimming Pool
Nagits....................................Gymnastics
Salt.........................................Somersault
Dust.......................................Anything you sprinkle on your food (salt, pepper, parmisain cheese)
Tout.......................................Watch out
moff.......................................take them (it) off
Sharp....................................Shark
morebagelmama.................More bagel, Mama!

We're still here!

2007-02-26T12:17:00.000-08:00

I know it's been a while but that just means we've been super busy. The past couple of weeks it seems like we've just been go, go, going. On Wednesday, February 14th, (Happy Valentine's Day!!) Rhett had to fly out to California for his yearly Title Officer training. So the kids and I were on our own for three days. We had a Valentine's Day party to go to with our MOMS club and all the kids got to exchange Valentine cards. We didn't stay long because the Monkeys were EXTREMELY grumpy. We had about two weeks of nothing but total grumpiness!! On Friday, February 16th, Aunt Tammy and Angela flew down to visit for a few days. The Monkeys and I drove to Phoenix to meet them, then went to lunch with there next door neighbor, Zach. Over the weekend, we went to Nagits (gymnastics) on Saturday and the Deer Farm on Monday. I got to get our with "the girls" and do a little shopping and have some "Me" time. I took Aunt Tam and Angh back to Phoenix on Tuesday while the Monkeys stayed with some friends. The whole rest of the week we had something to to everyday: Wednesday was Nagits, Thursday was Recipe Club (with MOMS Club) and Friday we had Dr. appointments.
The Dr. appointment was our two year check up (almost 2 months later because the Dr. is so busy). Everyone is doing well and are typical 2 year olds. Cameron weighs 29.5 lbs and is 34-1/2" tall, Izaac is also 29.5lbs and is 34" tall. Zoe is still the petite on at 24.5lbs and 33 inches tall.
That's all the updates for now. Keep checking back for more trials and tribulations of "Three Little Monkeys".

A Trip to see Granma

2007-02-13T13:52:00.000-08:00

Two days later and I'm still trying to recover from a short overnight trip to Monticello, Utah to visit with Granma Peggy. Granma was back in the States for a week and needed to get her "baby fix" so we agreed to meet her halfway (between CO & AZ). We stayed at the ONLY hotel that had an indoor pool for the kids to swim in. They had a great time!!! Being the "off" season, there was hardly anybody else in the hotel so the kids could pretty much run up and down the halls and not disturb anyone. Of course, the "fimming cool" as Izaac would say, was the best part of the stay. We played in the "cool" for about an hour then had a heck of a time getting them out. We went for pizza and one of the three restaurants in town and again, there was hardly anybody there so the kids ran amuck. All in all, a good time was had by all, but hotel stays are hard on mom because I can't sleep in the same room as those monkeys. Granma heads back to the "hamma's" (another Izaac word) today and we wish her a safe trip. We love you Granma, tell Granpa "Hi!".

Better Safe Then Sorry

2007-02-02T20:19:00.000-08:00

Today stated out the same as any other day except for when Zoe gets out of bed and starts complaining the she has a "boo boo". She kept grabbing at her pj's like maybe she had something poking her so I took off ther 'jams and nothing. She started walking around and she was limping and favoring her left foot. She would only walk a couple of steps then want me to "help me" or "hold me" so I ended up carrying her around the house all morning. The top of her food was a little swollen and she wouldn't let me touch her foot so I thought I would just let her be for a little while. We had playgroup, so we went to that and the poor little thing either sat on the couch or had Mommy "hold me" the whole time. I could tell she really wanted to play but it hurt too much to walk on it. So I called the Dr. and they were able to get us in late this afternoon.

We went to the Dr. and she looked at the foot and tryed to touch it, but Zoe likes Drs. SO much, she threw a fit!!! Next we were sent down to radiology to have "pictures of our bones" (that's what I had to tell Zoe they were doing) and you would have thought some one was pulling her teeth. She cried and scream, but a soon as the two ladies were done, she waved to them and said "bye bye" in her sweet little voice. Back upstair to the Dr. There is no break or fracture so it's probably just a sprain or a severe bruise. How she got it? We'll never know!!! So now, she's limping around the house asking for Mom or Dad to "hold me". It sounds very sad, but it is VERY cute watching her limp around the house. Dr. said she'll be good as new in a day or two.

2 year update

2007-01-28T21:52:00.000-08:00

We are two weeks into "the terrible twos" and some days are better then others. We actually have more good days than bad but the bad days sure are rough!!! Everybody has been healthy (knock on wood) with the exception of a few little colds here and there. Izaac and Zoe have a vocabulary that grows more and more everyday. I need to start writing down everything they say, sometimes it's just too funny. The other day I asked the kids if they wanted to help me change the sheets on the beds, Izaac looked at me and said "Change the sheeps?". Now who wouldn't laugh at that?! Cameron has a few words but he's pretty quiet for the most part. I think he has his brother and sister there to talk for him. Zoe is defiantly the queen of tantrums. She knows how to cry and throw herself on the floor and roll around. Rhett & I think its funny to watch her and that just makes her even more angry. They are all very energetic and active. We are doing gymnastics once a week (thanks to Papa and Great Grandma & Grandpa Peterson). It's really not gymnastics, the kids mostly just run around and do their own thing for 45 minutes. The coach tries to do "organized" activities but how many 2 year olds do you know listen to directions? Zoe has really taken to it and likes to come home and show Daddy what she did at "nagits". Mommy can't wait for summer to get here so we can start spending more time outside. I used to not mind winter, that was before I was in the house 24/7 with three toddlers!!!

KISSES!!!!

Have a great week!