A River suns through it. Punny, I know.

Apply yourself

Although I try to limit media for River in this increasingly annoying media-loving world, I do let River play with my phone. So I look for cool apps sometimes. This one is really fun. It's called KidsDoodle. She makes masterpieces and then I watch her save them to my phone! I had to have her teach me how to save them...geez, it's happening already.

Here is one of her pieces of spectacular art:

River and I have been doing lots of fun stuff!

River and I try to have as much fun as possible when we are together. This includes trampolining, Grand Openings of Cupcake shops, painting pumpkins, and dancing at weddings. You know, 'cause that's how we roll, yo.


Side note: blogger is annoying and won't keep the photos in the order I put them, so they are jumbled up. This weekend was the wedding, last weekend was the cupcake fun and intermittently we've had lots of pumpkin decorating :)

Kelly and James Getting Married at White Sands, AKA: River's dream come true

Sleepy after a long day playing in the sand, 

Last weekend, we went to the Grand Opening of Small Cakes. Super yummy!

Ladybug paint from the Small Cakes opening

OOOooh, pretty ladybug. She picked it out herself!

SAND SAND EVERYWHERE!!!

Sliding down the big slope. Even mommy slid down once.

Bosque

These posts have been coming few and far between, I know. And I also know that some of you that follow River's Ramblings don't have facebook, where I have been posting photos regularly. I hope this posts makes up for my blogging transgressions...at least a little.

My mommy-friend Magen is a photographer and we did a little "mini session" with her down near the bosque. I'm keeping some secret for now because a couple of them will be turned into Christmas presents! So I can't post them all...until after Christmas ;) Here are just a few:

Sisters Scattered

 Suddenly, the time was upon us that both of Chris' older girls were going off on their own adventures. Cassia, although she has been there for a year already, is going back to Switzerland for about 2 more years.

Terra has been accepted to Mills all women's college in Oakland, CA and will be leaving for 4 years this fall.

River just turned 2 and increasingly, her sisters have been more and more important to her. She asks if we are seeing them almost every day and thinks it's the best thing to hang out with them. She skyped with Cassia and enjoyed that and we plan to do the same when both are gone at the end of this month.

Chris has been increasingly aware of the fact that it may be a long time before all three of them are together again, and with him. I asked Olivia Jean, of Olive Bee Photography to help me put together a memorable set of photos for each of the girls, and Chris to have as they set off in all directions. She did an incredible job and I can't thank her enough.
                               http://olivebeephotographyblog.wordpress.com/2013/08/01/sisters/

She's so....TWO!

 

These were all taken a friend of ours, Mukul. We will cherish these photos for a lifetime and also the memories of our little two year old and how difficult it was for us to get these magnificent photos!

River's Birthday

Thank you so much to all of you who shared River's special day with us. Thank you to those who where there in spirit, or otherwise. Thanks to Grampy Ken for taking such wonderful photos. You guys are all so beautiful!!!

Keep Calm and Carry Me Mommy!

River is rip-roaring into her TWOs people! April 30th at 11:01 am will mark River's emergence into this world two years ago. Every day she has changed me. Every day she and I are new again. 

Clearly, every mother has the cutest, most-awesomashious, most intelligent, clever baby. And I'm one of those mothers.

I love you, my sweet little River diver schmiver Isabella Rae ducky face smoochy woochy. More than your or I will ever know.

When I'm really freaked out I just look to you for the answers...and you always have them. Even if they aren't the ones I want to hear. I trust you more than any person or thing or idea on this planet. You are you. And you are perfectly you.

Today, River loves:

Burger, my mom's dog
All of her grandparents
Drawing
Dancing
Singing her ABC's
Sidewalk chalk
Playing pretend
Playing in the park
Playing with children twice her age
dirt
Saying the word "tyk-so" (tricycle)
Music and singing to the different cds we have
Seeing her sisters

Today, River hates:

Participating in group organized sports. Lol. Sorry. She still likes watching them
Being put down on a hard day
Leaving a grandparent's house


River's newly aquired skills:

*Accuracy in her ABC's
*Filling in sentances from using ah for articles to using words like "want" and "like" and "love," and the, a, in, on, etc.
*Imagination-she has an imagination second to none. I am often fascinated by the elaborate worlds and conversations she makes up and plays within. It's as if she lives in two worlds at the same time. Today she was pretending to put the dog's leash on and every time Burger moved she'd pretend to be pulled along by the leash. She often "mixes" new foods and washes and takes care of her baby dolls.
* She actively uses whichever name she's using that day. But she does have a sense that she is an individual.
*She's fully ambulatory (or thinks she is) on the playground equipment. Apparently babies can fly.
*Using chopsticks...well, pretty well for her first time around!

My sweet little weirdo

Seventh inning stretch with Orbit in the background. Daddy and River joined Grampy Ken for an afternoon at the baseball game! All dressed up in her soccer uniform for this ABQ pasttime. ;)

Happy Schmappy Easter 2013!

"Laugh"

Egg decorating with snap sticks, stamps, stickers and colors.

Egg stacking.

And this is when we called it quits on the "decorating."

All for the hiding and finding later on today. Filled with goldfish crackers and candies.

Biscuit the Dog is one of our favorites.

That's one way to use chop sticks.