The kids waiting for parents to arrive at Ms. Gloria's house... Luisy and Christian are both on the step - Luisy is front, left, Christian is front, right! 

Christian has invented a new way to drive his truck... it isn't too effective, but hey, its fun! 

Peek-a! 

Boo! 

Daddy and Christian in our front yard one night when we arrived home... 

Luisy eating beans too... but out of the pan! 

Christian enjoying some refried beans for dinner one night...MMMmmmm! 

Tuesday...

Well... another bout of some stomach bug has hit... Christian isn't doing too great if you just look at his symptoms (tummy trouble) but if you hang out with him, he seems to be doing fine!

Mommy picked the boys up today at about 10:00 am... or around there... We came home, played all day and have had a blast! We ate cantaloupe melons and sandwiches for lunch. Then Luisy and Christian both had good naps...

Christian woke up first and mommy and Christian had some alone-time in his room playing... He is down for his second nap right now and Luisy is playing around, jumping on the trampoline, jumping off of his baby-armchair, playing with dump trucks, you name it, he has done it today!

Well... Hope you enjoy our pictures, mommy picked up a bunch last night!

September... Huh, what dates does this cover???
In any case, we're doing great (Luisy and Christian that is)! We're happy and pretty healthy - a little perpetual runny nose never hurt anyone.

Last weekend we had fun playing outside. The weather was cooling down a little bit - it was back up to 100 today, though. We drew pictures on the basketball court in the backyard and pushed our trucks, wheelbarrows, strollers, and anything else with wheels around all morning on Sunday!

On Sunday night, we went to a BBQ at Cathy and Gary's house - they are our neighbors - they have a little baby named Patrick - he was born 8-8-04 about one month before Christian! The boys had fun playing at their house and exploring all of Patrick's toys! Patrick was so nice, and happily shared all of his toys, even his favorites!

We have been having a lot of fun just running around the house, screaming and yelling lately - mom thinks we're nuts. . . oh, we are! Luisy is having a ball "chasing" Christian from one end of the house to the other! Luisy "runs" behind Christian, chasing him and making him laugh...

Luisy has also been having a lot of fun hugging and "holding" his brother (always with mommy and daddy's help) - Both Luisy and Christian laugh and giggle when Luisy "holds" Christian, it is quite a sight to see! Luisy sure knows how to make his brother happy!

We're just up to the usual, lots of reading books, signing and dancing. Christian has the smoothest moves you've ever seen for a one-year-old. He loves to dance, just like Luisy did this time last year! School is going just fine too! Both boys are having fun with their friends, and Christian actually threw a mini-fit when we were leaving school on Friday - it was so cute - he just adores his "Ms. Gloria" and she loves him. Luisy is funny, when he talks about school now, he refers to his friends by name - it is so cute to have an actual conversation with him about what he did, and what his friends did, etc.!

Well... Mommy has homework to do - daddy had a day-trip to California for a trial today - so he was up and out of the house before 5:00 am today (Monday) so he fell asleep with Luisy around 8:30 pm tonight! All is quiet in the Ramirez household - even the kitties have calmed down from their evening spaz-out!

Love you all!

Luisy trying to get away from Crazy Christian (who is laughing and screaming in the background - pushing a baby stroller with one hand)!!! 

Christian with his friend Kendall and her Mommy, Ally 

Luisy Cooking in "The House" at Kids Town 

I'm Up There!!! 

We went to a fun place called Kids Town not too long ago... Here are some of the pictures from that play date! 

Christian having some Happy Birthday cake... Angel Food Cake, nonetheless! MMMmmmm! 

Thru Saturday Morning, September 17th

Christian and Luisy are doing well! Their week ended nicely with the weather starting to turn for us here in Phoenix. By the end of August, mid-September, you feel like it will never cool down! But it is really starting to do just that... The boys are enjoying time outside each and every day at their school. They are really having fun on the climber - you know, like the kind you would find on a playground... Even Christian gets a chance to climb up and slide down, always with help, of course!

Well, daddy has been out of town (to WI) since Thursday morning, and we're going to be on our way to pick him up in just a minute! Luisy will be so excited. This morning, he told mommy, "I miss my daddy, can we go and get him now?" The boys will be so excited to see their daddy-doodle.

Grandma and Grandpa came over today (Sat morning) to play with the boys while mommy went to the eye doctor for a check up. Christian slept for most of the two hours that they were here, but Luisy dutifully played dump-trucks and dolls, and watched videos with grandpa. Grandma helped mommy get things cleaned up - keeping up with the house is almost impossible with two little ones, and no daddy to help!

The boys are both sleeping now, and mommy has to get their cups of water ready, wake them up, and head for the airport (about 25 miles from the house).

Luisy's quote, "Ok, see you later, have a good weekend!" - He said this to his teachers when we were leaving school on Friday - Mommy must've said it to them, or visa versa; in any case, Luisy remembered to say it on the way out... such good manners.

Christian's quote, "acker istanbuoy," - Can you decode that one? A cracker for Christian Boy! By the way, anything that you eat is a cracker... melon, veggies, bread, etc. - only a bottle (milk) is called something else - of course, "bot".

This is a quick shot of Christian at his Home Daycare. This area is designated just for little ones to play - soft mats and toys all around....sorry for the foggy picture - but he really wanted everyone to see a little of his school! He's so happy there!

Luisy & Christian playing in Grandma and Grandpa's room on summer vacation (Sedona)... Does anyone else notice the half crazy look on Luisy's face - someone tell the little guy to look out! 

September 12-14, 2005

So far this week has been stellar. Luisy and Christian are feeling well - they successfully fought off a sinus cold late last week... and they are both sleeping well (as usual), eating great, etc.

The weather is getting nicer by the day, so they are starting to go outside at school. The Home Daycare (HDC) has a very nice outside set up that Mommy has been excited to see the boys be able to use - but when the weather is so hot, even plastic equipment outside is too hot to touch.

Nothing too exciting to report for this week; other than a trip to Cracker Barrel for pancakes on Tuesday night. We were all headed home, but mommy decided that pancakes sounded great, and nobody does them like Cracker Barrel. This was out first dinner out with the whole family that went really well! Christian and Luisy both had their own little chair, and they enjoyed drinking their milks (from a cup with a straw - which daddy had to work with Christian on, since his inclination is to either: a) poke himself in the eye with it; or b) try to drink out of the rim of the glass, not the straw... but hey, when you're getting big, you have to have a glass with a straw!) The pancakes were great, and when we were leaving, Luisy asked if we could come back tomorrow for more pancakes... maybe next week we'll do it again!

Really not too much going on... we're just trying to keep it all together, there is a lot that goes into being one and two, you know! Mommy and Daddy are keeping busy - Daddy is flying to Milwaukee tomorrow (Thursday) for business, and Mommy just started a Project Management class for school... Luisy and Christian will be doing some work tomorrow at the dinner table - Mommy picked up some more Rainbow Goldfish crackers, so we have lots of sorting (colors) and counting to do!

Luisy's quote, "Daddy, can we spin a cocoon?" - One of Luisy's favorite stories is, The Caterpillar and the Pollywog; in which you learn that a caterpillar turns into a butterfly - and at one point you see her spin her cocoon - so anyway, what does daddy do? Gets towels for he and Luisy to spin the cocoons! Way to go Daddy!

Christian's quote, "tawbewey" - repeated over and over as he ate a nice, messy, juicy, ripe strawberry on the way home from school - he had fun jamming his index finger into it to make a nice hole... oh, the fun!

Luisy and Christian got a couple of pictures taken just by chance at Babies R Us one day (we weren't planning on it)... Look at those smiles! 

Sa/Sun, September 10-11, 2005

We had a great weekend! We played so much... Christian is wearing his shoes (sandals) all of the time now (when we go out that is!). He is walking so nicely in them... What a big boy!

Luis, Christian and Mommy went on some errands on Saturday morning so that Daddy could have some much-needed quiet time to do some work (YUCK-we never want to work on the weekend!). We went to the car wash!!! Luisy LOVES the car wash. The one that we visit has the viewing window inside with steps up to the window for little ones... We got to watch LOTS of cars and trucks go through since we were getting our oil changed too!

Christian actually slept the entire time (from before we arrived at the car wash) that were were there... Mommy carried him sleeping into the waiting area and got him all settled in the stroller for a nap - he only woke up as we were leaving to go to Home Depot.

Shopping was fun, we got a new hedge trimmer... Mommy showed Luisy how to use it - he is a little afraid, but very curious. Mommy and daddy can't wait until Luisy and Christian are old enough to help out with yard work!

We didn't bake or cook anything super fun this weekend, but we did eat lots of watermelon - reminded us of our vacation.

We did get new books - Mommy brought us Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (an ABC book) for Luisy, and you should hear him sing the song!!! - and a new Elmo Loves Babies book for Mr. Christian! We also got a new dump truck/construction trucks photo book... we still can't get enough of those big trucks!

Well, its obviously late - and we are actually sleeping... mommy really writes this, don't tell anybody! Christian dozed off tonight around 7:40 (after dutifully tossing all of his stuffed animals and blankets out of his crib), and Luisy fell into dream land around 9:00 (after putting up a very good fight with the Sand Man)... Daddy is also sleeping now... we lost him after hours of work on his presentation for tomorrow... poor daddy.

Luisy's quote, "Mommy, can I pull your pony tail a little?" Luisy loves to pull (gently of course) on mommy's pony tail and sing, "this is the way we wash our hands..." as he wiggles his fingers through the pony tail.

Christian's quote, "Cisstanbuoy," - Christian goes by the name Christian Boy here at home... and he started repeating it over the weekend... he also says it whenever someone starts eating something and he wants a piece!!!!

"Kitty" Luisy... Ok, so sometimes Mommy and Daddy let luisy eat his dinner off of a plate on the floor, while he meows like a Kitty... and??? He's happy isn't he? And so creative! 

"Am I really just suppossed to RIP this paper?" 

"Happy Birthday to ME!" 

I'm having SO MUCH fun!! 

The boys having fun after baths. 

Luisy, showing his brother how "it is done" (climbing on the sofa)! 

Christian is a little bit busy... Climbing on the couch, reading a magazine, and eating one of mommy's hair ties.  

Ohhh... It has been so long since we posted... We have just been so unbelievably busy - being toddlers is extremely tough you know!

Luisy and Christian are going phenomenal - yes, that good! They are both feeling good (minus a little mouth irritation - Christian's one-year molars are coming in - nothing a little Motrin can't fix). Health-wise they have had their little bouts with stomach bugs, colds, etc. but overall doing well.

School is going just beautifully - Luisy is taking part in some art projects, which he used to do all of the time, but was opting out of until lately... we have some new paintings, paper-plate art, etc. Luisy is enjoying school. He is used to the routine... that is what is important.

Another big feat in our lives... Luisy is wearing underpants all of the time! He even wears them to sleep his naps and wakes up dry... at night we still put on the diaper, just in case - but most days he wakes up dry as can be! He gets to wear his underpants even out to run errands on the weekend... ok, but, we'll have to admit that he's peed in a couple of parking lots... HEY - when Christian is all strapped in and their is ice-cream in the back of the car, who is going back in to use the potty??? Thank GOD we have BOYS!!! Aside from our parental misgivings, we are so proud of him. He gets to pick out his own underpants... its the little things, you know?!

Christian has been walking now since mid-June so he is what you'd call a "Pro". He can walk and even run carrying a toy or ball... he can toss a ball while walking, and boy can the skinny-man dance! He just broke out some new moves today while listening to our favorite vacation song, Chacaron (Luisy endearingly calls it "Shake around")... Christian sort of hunkers down, starts bouncing, and then spins around one time... and starts over.... Its hard to explain, but we video-taped it, so if you're ever here, ask to see it! He dances in the spirit of Boohbah - if you are lucky enough to know what I mean, pat yourself on the back - if not, visit: http://www.pbskids.org and click on Boohbah... it'll be an experience!

We had a birthday party for Christian last weekend. It was a blast - our entire family made it to play, we shared pizza, salad, fruit, lemonade, etc. etc. and had Angle Food Cake for dessert - Mommy's favorite - and Christian really likes it too! Christian received some very exciting gifts, a new Mega-Blocks castle, a dancing Boohbah, a dancing LaLa, a new silly Elmo, an exciting Helicopter (that drives around by itself!), and a new little Teddy Bear! He also got the cutest new Elmo sweatshirt from Gramma Jeanne - it'll fit just perfect when the weather is cooling down! Uncle Mikey also brought some cash - and Christian got new car-seat-belt covers, and some magnetic ABC's. It was officially a balloon party - so everyone brought balloons for Christian - he is still enjoying them about a week later!

Ok... so that is enough info for now! We hope that you are doing well! We know that we are doing fantastic - how could we be anything less than great???!!

Luisy's quote, "excuse me, please, can I please have some milk, please?" - at 4:58 a.m. - still dark outside... but how could we resist with those kind of manners???

Christian's quote, "hahahaaa haa ha ha ha," - laughing as he spun past his brother, who happened to be on time-out. Christian was laughing, staring at him from across the room, and drinking Luisy's lemonade. Nice little brother.