Apple Picking

We decided when we woke up this morning that today would be a beautiful day for apple picking!

The girls were much more into it this year than last year! We picked tons of apples, hand yummy donuts and delicious apple cider.

The girls think that the best part of the day was getting to eat the apples right off the tree.

Too Cool For School.....

This is Ruthie's favorite shirt. She insists on wearing it to school everyday. It is either this shirt or her Froggy Polo.

Lovely Lulu

Our lovely little Lulu has not been getting much blog love lately as it has been a very big few weeks for her sister. So this post is all about our sweet, sweet girl.

As sister's go, they are certainly night and day. And it can be rather difficult for both of them at times. While, Ruthie thrives on praise and positive re-enforcement, Lulu does not like any attention on her what so ever. She likes to take things at her own pace, and does not like cheering on from the crowd. She prefer's to not have "the people" (anyone, that she does not know and is not comfortable with) look at her EVER! She prefers to do her own thing when everyone is playing outside. When all the kids are riding bikes up and down the street she loves to sit on the curb and cheer all of them on. "Good Job, Ruthie keep it up" is one of her favorites. She is really a great cheerleader. She would really like you to not bug her to ride her bike, and when you are not looking she just may go get that bike out of the garage and ride it.

She loves to cuddle and watch shows. It is her favorite thing and the current show of choice is Hi-5. She could watch this all day every day, and thankfully, our family loves to watch reruns, sing songs and dance to the tv. We never get bored of this activity.

She gives the best hugs ever. I mean, the true squeeze, hug it like you mean it hugs. It makes my day when she is handing those out for free. She also wakes up the happiest person ever. Total morning person and you just know it is going to be a good day, when you go get her in the morning she gives you her trademark hug and then starts to giggle.

She may have gotten a little bit of her sassiness from her mother. For example, if she doesn't get what she wants, she has been known to dive head first on the floor and cry on cue. This happened just this morning when she wanted a popsicle for breakfast and I wouldn't let her.

Lulu went for her very first pony ride today. And she just kept saying...."I really loved my pony ride" This of course, in true Lulu fashion, was something we couldn't get her to even look at a pony just 2 weeks ago.

She loves to color pictures and have me hang them all over the cupboards in the kitchen. I often catch her in the kitchen by herself saying..."That is a beautiful picture" "ooohhh "I love that one, it is gorgeous" Stuff I know she has heard me say before.

She doesn't like to be called Lucy, she will usually correct someone by saying..."No, I'm Lulu". Yet, she prefers to be called dude above all things. Lulu we can live with, I don't know about signing her up for school as Dude Bisson.

And lastly, she is really good at walking in my heels. She was seen brushing her teeth on the steps in the bathroom just the other day.

lovely, lovely, Lulu

Go Ruthie Go

I had to post a couple more pics of the hot rod. Now that she has cleary gotten "the hang of it" as she told her gammy on the phone, I have had to tone down the tricks she is trying to do.

Yes, I caught her standing on her pedals and then trying to stand on the crossbar of her bike like the boys down the street do. I don't doubt for a second that she could do it but I am just not ready for that. She lost the memo that she is only 3.

Another Milestone for Ruthie!!!!!!

I am proud to report at the ripe old, old, age of 3 years and 5 months Ruthie is now riding her bike without training wheels.

The transition took about 5 seconds and it was painless for Ruthie and a real emotional one for Simon.

I told Ruthie that I think today we will see if we can ride without trainig wheels. She gets all her knee pads, elbow pads and is preparing for the worst. I take the training wheels off her bike. She jumps on and Simon says "Go get the camera, I have been dreaming about this day forever. I will go run her up and down the street." I turn around to get the camera and turn back to find this occurring. Sorry it is shaky. Gammy is dying to see the video.

I know, I don't need to point this out but for Simon's sake I will. He gets her on her bike, she starts to pedal. He lets go, and that is the end of his "running up and down the street daydream." I won't mention the tears shed. She never looked back and is crazy riding up and down the street like she has been doing it for years. I mean, stopping, starting, getting on, and off. No help needed for this pro. I just wished we would have done this sooner.

Also, this video was taken after I was running to catch up and listen for her little....."I'm doing it!" at the end. Too Cute!

"A Band-Aid for my nose"

Lulu woke up abruptly from a nap on Friday afternoon, crying. Exactly, in her words she says......"My ear hurts, you call the doctor" I gave her some pain meds and thought we'll just wait and see. But, something in my inner voice told me to call the doctor. Sure enough, we brought her in that afternoon and she has a pretty bad ear infection.

Then Saturday morning, both girls woke up with horrible conjestion, coughs, and were miserable. So, this morning Ruthie says she needs to go to the doctor, in her words "When I cough things are swimming in my ears and in my belly" (kids say the darndest things, but you never want to put words in their mouth, so I always ask them to explain themselves.)

Back to the doctor we go, Ruthie has 2 ear infections! NICE! and her lungs (where the stuff is swimming) is ok so far not too much weezing. Great! Love the start of the school year!

Anyhoo, this picture is because Lulu wanted a band-aid for her nose to make her better and walked around with that on her face and a tutu over her pajamas for the entire day yesterday. I tried to take alot of pictures but she is in the middle of a (fingers crossed) phase right now that having her picture taken right now makes her FREAK OUT and start screaming and diving on to the floor 0r running away. And, while I normally would just make her deal with it, I thought I would give her a break, she is sick and all.

Hopefully the band-aid helped.

Dependency Issues - - Yeah, right!

Ruthie's First Day of Preschool was last week. The parents go with the kids get them comfortable then leave the area for a parent meeting and paperwork, then come back and take their kids.

Ruthie was totally fine. Loved playing every game, and riding all the bikes. Simon however was a total fatality. Tearing up before we left, taking tons of pictures. I even think he cried himself all the way to work when it was over. There I am thinking he is a total wuss and he needs to get it together.

Yesterday I had to take her for the official...."Drop her off and Leave for 2.5 hours then come back and pick her up first day".

I teared up!

I can't remember if it was when we pulled up to the drop off line and she was absolutely giddy, kicking her legs and smiling from ear to ear. The teacher comes to the car and Ruthie was all "HEY! Mrs. Dolbee check out my cool backpack" And she says "are you ready to have fun?" and Ruthie's reply as she is jumping out of the car......."YEA!!!!" Runs off into school. never turning back, as if my sheer pressence was totally embarrasing her.

OR

When I picked her up and she skips to the car with the teacher and the teacher puts her in the car and says..."Ruthie had such a great day" we start to pull away and she says to me....."I don't want to go home, I want to stay there forever"

At least I still have the dude who will have to be surgically removed in order to attend school. Surgically removed from Simon that is....... I am totally seeing a pattern here.

Vacation 2008

Awesome vacation. We were able to spend time with some wonderful friends and family.

There were too many pictures to choose from so I made them into a video for us to enjoy.

The girls love watching the video and now that I have watched it a bazillion times I can do so without crying.

Check it out...... Devon

Totally took a picture for Devon. Looks like she has a gig on the side that we don't know about.

Didn't get the chance to check this out as we were in Milwaukee when this picture was taken and I forgot I had it!

Funny Video

Love this video clip taken while on vacation for many reasons.....

* The way Ruthie is really enjoying herself

* Yes, they are wearing "Team Bisson" T-Shirts that Ruthie and I made

* That an uncle who doesn't have kids can imagine this oh so safe way of entertainment

* Lulu's voice at the end of the video just makes me smile.

Enjoy.