Columbus

Team Bisson and our great friends the Kahoun's

This past weekend we went to visit Columbus, OH. It is only a 4.5 hour drive and Simon had to go for work so we all taqgged along. We were able to crash at our dear friends the Kahoun's. They have a 3 year old Jake and a 1 year old Audrey so the kids were all very busy all weekend.



We all haven't been back to Coluumbus since we moved 2 years ago. While Simon goes there quite frequently for work, it is a little more difficult for us all to pack up and go. For starters, we are all home-bodies and love being in our own beds. Lulu just kept saying on the last day..."I want to go home" But one of the main reasons is that once you visit an awesome city like Columbus aqnd awesome friends it is extremely hard to get in the car and come back to Michigan. While we are finding our way slowly but surely in Michigan, it is nothing like the time we had in Columbus and we miss it tremendously along with our many, friends we left there.



The Kahoun's were great host's and we were able to do some of our favorite things while we were there..... Chinese for dinner, the zoo, shopping, hitting some of my favorite stores, grilling out, and a big fire and beers on Saturday night. Sunday we hit an awesome park. The kids had a blast and the park and slides were so huge the adults could take part!

To put the park to scale, that is Ruthie at the bottom of the slide. HUGE!

I was able to visit with my friend Amy Jo and her new 4 week old baby Sutton. Yet, there just doesn't seem to be enough time to do everything and see everyone. I guess, now that my sister is moving back to Columbus in the next month and the fact that she has a pool in her backyard leads me to believe we will be returning much sooner than in another 2 years. I just hope it gets easier. I mean, I thought I died and went to heaven just going into a real grocery store! I have heard of retail therapy but it usually doesn't include a grocery store. Yet, when you don't have grocery stores like those you really grow to miss it.

Ruthie's first boyfriend. He must have kissed her a million times while we were there. He would chase her around and kiss her. I wonder where he gets that from Cory?

blogworthy pictures

tiger doing his business

We all headed down to Columbus this past weekend to visit with some wonderful friends and for Simon to do some work on Monday.

Simon headed to the zoo with the kids and our friend Cory and his kids while the wives went shopping.

Last thing I said to Simon was: "Make sure you take blogworthy pictures". Apparently this was blogworthy enough. the tiger pooping.

Last thing Simon said to me this morning was: "I will be checking the blog today alot so you better post pictures from this weekend."


How is this for pictures honey?

The first day of the zoo!

Our zoo doesn't have elephants so Lulu has to just admire the statue.

Our local zoo opened its doors for the 2008 season today and guess whose was there?

We, love all things dealing with zoo's. We only went to the zoo for the last hour it was opened. But we did get our usual pics.


There is a large bug right when you walk in and EVERY time we go to the zoo Ruthie has to have her picture taken on it. And as a warning, anyone that comes to the zoo with us, Aunt Katie, Gammy, you name it, must also get on the bug with her and Lulu.




Also, we had the ride the Carousel. As you also know, we are huge fans. Lulu is not a fan and tolerates them as, she has to go since I can't leave her while I ride with Ruthie.





The most excitement of the day were the Peacoks.


First they were everywhere and they were crowing like mad.


They were all fighting for the ladies attention. The peacocks with all the colorful feathers are males and the females are white. I took a few pictres of the male really working this female. As soon as I turned around to put the camera back the male mounts the peacock! Holy Crap!! We were only 10 feet away at most. Talk about traumatic!!!!!! The most traumatic part...... I couldn't get my camera back out and take a picture of them in the action! Man he was quick!


Also, Lulu was like a peacock magnet. Everywhere we went the male peacocks were showing their feathers to her. They were at one point even following us. My camera had died at that point.

British Man's American Dream

Mowing the lawn

This weekend had boring, typical American Dream written all over it. As I was snapping pictures of the girls and Simon doing typical weekend things, I couldn't help but think about the good old days of dating, living in Jersey and all Simon ever dreamed of ..... Wife, House, kids, chocolate colored dog, yardwork, and backyard barbecues.

Friday night was as usual pizza delivery, with a birthday cake for Ruthie's BFF Andie (our neighbor).

Saturday was Soccer practice for Ruthie, Simon is the coach, then yardwork, planting trees and planting new flower beds with bushes, cookout with neighbors.

Sunday was more yardwork, picnic on the swingset for lunch, cutting the grass, washing the cars, trip to the park, the very typical and very usual.

We certainly are enjoying our awesome 70 degree weather, and I am sure this is just the beginning of a great summer but nothing quite tells the story like pictures......

Dreaming of Georgetown on the swings, Lulu's Grandpa went there and she is thinking she might get lucky enough to have her Aunt go there, then she will be a double Legacy.

Ruthie, sporting a tongue on the swingwet

Crazy Slider

Lulu with a drill and rainboots in 70* weather




Lulu helping daddy water new trees


planting a mini greenhouse with mommy



playing with our watering cans and the mud


dirty hands


wait....i think this is facing the wrong way




yeah, that totally backfired, I am a little wet.

washing the car with Daddy and our friend Andie

I just think this is funny once you read the bucket.



Car Wash


Spraying Daddy with the hose

Popsicles


Popsicles with neighbor Cheryl - or as Lulu says.... Cherwool.

End the day with a snooze on the couch while watching 101 Dalmations.

Looking at these pictures it looks likes Simon's American Dream was achieved.

Spring Flowers

Last fall we planted TONS of tulips. A large flower bed in front of our house had TONS of bushes and wildflowers and would have been a gardner's dream if a gardner lived in our house. Over the course of the 2 years we have lived here we have managed to kill or pull out everything in the flower bed knowing that this summer we would replant tons of bushes that we never had to touch again. A Bisson Dream.

Well needless to say we have TONS of deer and apparently I was curious as to why the tulips have not bloomed when some daffodils that we missed pulling out have not only grown but bloomed. Upon further investigation and some helpful insight from locals........ The deer have eaten them as soon as they pop out of the ground. This flower bed did I forget to mention is only steps away from the front door. And yes last year when I got up in the middle of the night for some water, walked into the kitchen and there 2 feet from our door eating bushes in this spot was a rather large deer.

So needless to say, it does not look like we will be enjoying the beautiful tulips we told the girls while they were planting with us that they would be here for their birthday's every year. Instead we will just enjoy the daffodils. They are daffodils right?

Double Birthday Party!

While we were in Cleveland this past week we celebrated the girls birthdays. We had their party at a rec center that we visit often while in Cleveland because they have a great kid pool. This happens to be Ruthie and Lulu's favorite place to go with Grandpa and Uncle Kevin. So it was only fitting that we had their birthday parties there. We had pizza, snacks and cakes and then some much anticipated swimming. There were only 4 kids there, Ruthie, Lulu and my BFF Kelly's friends kids who are 2 and 5 months, but many adults, none who got in the water other than Simon and Justin.

The girls were blessed with many loved ones coming to share in their celebration. Ruthie had the best time ever, I barely have any pictures of her because she was running all over the place or hopping like a frog, and Lulu was a bit more timid. She would not get off Simon's lap the entire time and was a little overwhelmed by all the excitement. She only went in the water when there was about 10 mionutes left. Oh well better luck next time.

Also, the girls were so happy to get to spend the week with their Gammy. The always love cuddling, playing and just being with her. And she was kind enough to babysit one night while I met Simon in Detoit for a business dinner.

Lulu and her new flower raincoat. Did I mention she loves puddles? Good thing she got the boots to match.

Ruthie proudly displaying her new froggy boots. She also got the coat to match.

Singing happy birthday. Ruthie's cake had pink flowers and frogs and Lulu's cake had purple butterflies and elephant.

Lulu copping an attitude. Finally swimming.

Waiting to swim during rest period.

Birthday Gift for the Girls

The construction crew.

Simon and I got the girls a swingset for their birthdays. We had talked about it with them but I don't think they quite understood exactly what was happening. I spent alot of time researching swingsets and you have no idea how mind numbing that process can be. I mean, this is a big purchase and we are never going to get another one, that is for sure. Now that I am a professional in dealing with swingsets the details for those who care are.... It is made of cedar which is the best wood you can get for a swingset because it doesn't splinter and it never needs to be treated. It is also made "in the round" meaning that all pieces of wood are one solid piece of rounded wood so there are no sharp corners like on a 2x4 where the girls could trip and split a head open on a corner or edge of the wood.

The most important detail is that they cannot get enough of it. Ruthie would not take a nap this afternoon because she was worried it would not be here when she woke up. And Lulu was a little bit more sneaky. When we were trying to go inside for bathtime tonight she was caught tip toeing in the front yard and then when she got to the side of the house she started sprinting for the slide.


This will hopefully provide years of entertainment for the girls and the smiles on their faces makes it so worth it.

Before a long days work. It actually only took 4.5 hours. Record time!

During.

Testing the slide.

Happy 2nd Birthday Lulu

Today was Lulu's 2nd birthday. We are having their official birthday party while we are in Cleveland with friends and family but we did have our neighbors over for pizza and cake tonight. Lulu had a great day with gifts, cards and well wishes from many loved ones. And she blessed us with a full night sleep and a wake-up time of 7am. We went to the Y in the morning and then had a playdate for lunch and a playdate after naps so hopefully she will have a great night tonight.

Some recent funny stories about Lulu.....She is going through a phase right now that the past week she has been waking up at 3:30am exactly and singing and entertaining the house! I mean on the top of her lungs...."DADDY I NEED CHOCOLATE MILK, MICKEY MOUSE, AND I NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE, NOOOOWWWW!" Lulu is the girl that goes to sleep at 8 sleeps till 7 never a peep takes a 3 hour nap so we were a little worried about this new habit sticking. It takes her a good 2 hours to calm down in the middle of the night and go back to sleep. So things are pretty exhausting around here.

She has also been trying to master the scooter. Simon is upset because they "are not safe for kids" but it is not like she really gets going very fast. I hope that I am able to upload the video I took

Some wonderful things about Lulu.

1. She loves Elephants and sleeps with a stuffed elephant every night. She also loves to do elephant impressions.

2. Her favorite color is purple.

3. She has been doing great in her music class and sings her scales and wakes us up with songs from class every morning.

4. When asked who she loves her response always is.... "My Gammy, My favorite" or "My Gammy my best friend".

5. She loves her daddy so much that she is moved to tears most days when he comes home through the door.

6. Loves play-doh.

7. She knows alot of colors

8. She knows alot of her letters and loves to sing the ABC song.

9. She successfully kicked the pacifier habit. It was touch and go. You have never seen a plastic addiction like that.

10. She worships her big sister

11. She gives the best hugs.

12. She loves, loves, loves, to cuddle

13. She has a smile that can melt your heart.


Happy Birthday Lulu. We love you.

Happy 3rd Birthday Ruthie

Yesterday was Ruthie's 3rd birthday. She had a great birthday. She received so many cards and well wishes along with gifts form many loved ones. We are actually waiting to have the girls birthday party with family when we are in Cleveland next week so more pics to come. Her birthday dinner request was of course meatloaf, mashed potatoes and birthday brownies. We also went to see Bakyardigans live! I don't know if you remember but Ruthie was Uniqua for Halloween.

In honor of Ruthie's Birthday here are a couple good stories from the past few days. She has been hot on the topic of school and we keep telling her that she will go to school when she is 3 and she goes pee on the potty. Both items that are now officially checked off the list. So she was under the impression that yesterday being her 3rd Birthday the school bus was going to pull up and take her off to school. And she couldn't have been more excited. When I told her that was not the case she was absolutely devastated. Not only that she would not be going to school today but that she was not in fact going to ride a school bus for a while if ever. The Catholic School is nearby and bussing is not really an option. She was crying even harder! She says to me. .... "It's ok mommy, I don't need you to drive me. I will be fine on the bus. Can I go NOW?!" I think at that moment my heart was ripped from my chest and thrown in front of a bus. I know that she goes to the beat of a different drummer and she does not need her mommy for anything but really? really? at the age of 3 she can verbalize that? I guess this is the life of girls. I knew this day would be here but not at the age of 3.

The other story is that she is into babies. All kinds of babies. And yes, she has already asked us for a little brother. Simon's reply to her was a laugh and he informed her that he only knew how to make girls. So, she could have tons of babies but they all would be girls. My response was, a 4 beer night and alot more baby dolls! I think that the count of baby dolls is about 9-10 right now. She also considers her froggy which she sleeps with every night and 2 other stuffed animals babies to so she takes them everywhere with her. And you can only imagine the meltdowns that ensue when she drops them. You know, it is awfully hard to balance 9 babies at a time with 4 blankies and some favorite stuffed animals. Anyhoo, she insisted on having them all upstairs with her at bedtime and when we could hear her on the radio she was reading them all bedtime stories. As we go to check on her before we go to bed Simon says... "Come on let's go check on the Swiss Family Robinson upstairs" we get to her room and there is Ruthie but no babies in sight. We peel back the covers and there they all are in a row! The picture does not do it justice. There were 9 babies 4 blankies and 4 stuffed animals. It is amazing there was room for her.

But in true list form I am going to highlight some of Ruthie's 2nd year highlights.

1. She had her first haircut.

2. She learned how to ride a bike with training wheels. last summer when she was only 2.

3. She has been an amazing big sister, caring, kind, and thoughtful

4. She loves going to church.

5. She loves to jump in puddles. Her mommy taught her that

6. She is great at her music class and can already sing scales.

7. She has been sent to time out about 100+ times over the course of the year!

8. She learned to pee on the potty and has not looked back since.

9. She calls the garage a Gar-Age. Just like the brits.

10. Bubbles, sidewalk chalk, and her big girl bike = the best day ever.

11. She can sing the entire Ohio State Fight song.

12. She knows all her letters and the sounds they make

13. Knows all her colors.

14. LOVES, loves, loves, chocolate.

15. Favorite lunch PB and Jelly sandwiches. she wants this every day. flash backs from camp.

16. She has graduated out of her class for gymnastics and is on the waiting list of the next class. She can almost do a cartwheel by herself.

17. She loves to cuddle in bed.

18. Her daddy is her superhero.

She is such an amazing little girl, and looking at that list she has big things ahead of her for her 3rd year.

GO RUTHIE!