Happy Birthday Gabe!

I can't believe my little baby is ONE! Happy Birthday Gabe, I love you so much. Being your Mother is a gift so that is so precious and dear to me, you are my treasure. Since the moment you were born, I have loved you and have felt so special and proud to call you my Son. You have such a sweet and special spirit! You have been the BEST baby, always happy and cheerful. You have a love for life and a happiness about you that is so contagious, I hope you never lose it! I love having my little boy, it was so fun (and strangely novel) to go shopping for toy tools and Tonka trucks, I LOVED it!

Here are some things that are noteworthy for you and your life up to this point:



* You love to laugh, dance, and be innocently mischievous



* You are a GREAT eater! You have loved bananas but are now starting to love carrots or broccoli the best.



* You are still crawling, but love to tease us with a few steps now and again!



* You love to make other people happy, you love to get into a laughter fit with people



* You sing every once in a while, it is so cute!



* You throw the cutest little tantrums and kick and throw yourself. For now it is just really funny when you do it



* You are cautiously friendly



* You are a MAJOR scaredy cat!



* You are so sweet, but not cuddly



* You are sooooo cheerful! You usually wake up happy and then eat, play, and stay good until it is time for a nap. You are only every cranky if you are tired.

I love you so much Gabe, you are my sweet little boy, Happy First Birthday!

Here are some pics of the day, start to finish. Surprising we didn't get a pic of Gabe in his new favorite toy, his cozy coupe. He also got a Tonka truck, tools, blocks, and a baby laptop. I hope you enjoy your new toys as much as Laine will!

Of course, as is normal for this age, he enjoyed the packaging more than the actual toy

Mom helping him out with the gifts

Look at that sweet face!


Pure Carnage!

He seriously looks like his cousing Aniston here

Laine quite enjoyed the cake as well

Friends

The other day I took the kids to the park. EVERY time we go to the park, sweetest Laine finds a little friend, sometimes older, sometimes younger or sometimes really close to the same age. Within 5 minutes, her and her little friend are running around holding hands. The last time the little girl as a 2 year old Mexican girl who barely spoke English! They were just darling. They were having the time of their lives together running around, playing, despite the fact that they had just met and won't continue to see each other again on a regular basis.

It got me thinking about adults, and women in particular. It seems many women grow up to be so insecure about themselves. I have many friends who have wonderful talents, attributes and abilities; I totally agree that it is hard to not be envious when you see someone who's life seems to be perfect. However, I wish that we as women could put those feelings aside. I wish that when someone had a talent or attribute that we don't feel we posses, we could be HAPPY regardless, and be grateful for the way those talent and attributes go on to enrich OUR lives.

We really should appreciate what each other brings, and what each other teaches us, rather than having it make us feel so insecure about ourselves! Others talents and abilities don't say anything about our lack of that talent or ability, so why to we often let ourselves feel that way? If we all felt a little better about ourselves and our talents and what we bring to the table, we wouldn't have to always feel so bad about what WE FEEL we are lacking!

Okay, sorry for the rant, I promise I will go back to having it be lighthearted, just give me this once to be serious!

Our little doggy

Ben will be relieved to know that he won't need to make good on the promise of getting a pet when we finally "settle" somewhere. He has been promising me a dog for years, but I guess we already have one, and his name is Gabe. This little puppydog crawls around at my feet all day, following me around like a little shadow. He has also started to ALWAYS have something he is dragging around in his mouth, it is such a crack-up.

All of the being on all-fours combined with the various "bones" he finds and carries around in his mouth (usually a hackey-sack ball, but he does find all sorts of things) really make me feel like I've got a Son and a Pet all in one. Come to think of it, he even buries his toys...

Doggie eating lip gloss

Doggie in the tub

Crying doggie

Doggie eating lunch

Doggie playing with toys

Splashin' doggie

Doggie playing a board game... ya, that's a huge dice from a boardgame being played

House Update

I am writing a new book called, "Adventures in Selling Your Home" here is what I have so far:

"This sucks."

So this week we got the bait and switch twice. One person called midweek and said they wanted to drive by. I said if they gave me 10 minutes I could whip it together for them to come inside. They didn't sound like they were interested, but also didn't say they would not come. So, despite the fact that I was in the middle of dinner for Laine and a bath for Gabe and Ben was playing softball, I scurried around the house for 45 minutes to get it in pristine condition.

I wiped, polished, mopped, scrubbed, picked up clutter, shoved miscelanious objects in nightstands, armoires, and even the fridge (kind of reminded me of last week and the open house when I was so frantic I put a piant can in the fridge to get it out of the way). I once again lit ALL of the candles, the fireplace. The table is of course still set, so we are eating on a small patio set that I bought and haul in and out of the house. Anyway, they were a no show.

Then today, a whole carload of people show up for the Open House! Yay! Not really, because today we decided to take the day off, completely. When they showed up and noon, neither of us were dressed, appropriately and the house was a wreck. We ran to throw on shirts and hats and I finally ran to the door as they were backing out. They wanted to see the house, and I asked if they could give us 10 minutes to whip it into shape. They said they would go to another open house in the neighborhood and be back after that. So once again the routine of frantically cleaning and lighting began, as the lunch I had just finished making sat on the stove getting cold. Once again, all for nothing. They, of course, never came back. They probably really wanted to buy and ended up signing on the other house, I am sure that is what happened.

PS: I answered many of the questions in a comment on the last post about the house, but in case you missed it, the house is in in Herriman (that is in SLC for those of you who aren't familiar, really far south and really far west. About 5500 West 14200 South). It is listed for $379,900 and that includes our car, Mercedes-Benz ML320 for free. If you want more info I have a blog for the house too. www.homeinherriman.blogspot.com.

Baby's first corn on the cob

This Boy really puts the food down, at this rate I think he will be a linebacker. But I had no idea he was capable of handling his first corn on the cob! I will post some post-feeding belly pics. He always looks about 8 months pregnant after eating (or as Uncle Noah says, he looks like the starving children of Africa with a swollen belly)

Grrrrr... stay away from my corn!

Got it just about clean!

Would anyone like to buy a house?

Okay, although this is the 3rd home we have purchased, the last home we sold had tenants in when we sold it, so it was their job to keep it in pristine order. We still own the 2nd house, so this is really the first home we have had to do ALL of the work to sell. Trying to keep it clean, trying to get people here and see it, doing fliers and the whole bit. It is not just that you have to keep it clean, you have to keep every inch of it immaculately clean, including your closets, drawers, pantry, and refrigerator. I'm so over it already and it has only been a week and a half!

We had an open house this weekend, I had bottled water, homemade chocolate zucchini bread, banana bread, chocolate chip cookies (it was actually all dough so I could have it ready to bake up fresh). We had candles burning in every room, fresh flowers, balloons, even the car parked outside since it comes free with the house. Yes, you heard that right, FREE 2001 Mercedes-Benz ML320 with the purchase of your new home!

The table was set with brand new silverware and goblets so as not to have any water marks from the dishwasher on them. Ben and I had stayed up until 4 in the morning cleaning, organizing, finishing every last ever-lovin detail on the basement. We were here from 9-4 Saturday and NOT ONE person showed! Can you believe it, it was pathetic. I know that the home is priced right, the place across the street is only 350 square feet bigger and listed for almost 70K more, and no free car! Here are some pics of our beautiful home, please come and buy it!

Kitchen

Living Room Upstairs

Master Suite

Gabe's room

Laine's room

Upstairs Bathroom

Downstairs Guest Bedroom

Downstairs office

Downstairs Bathroom

Downstairs Family Room

Gabe's Wild Night

For those of you who know my Dad, you know he gets the biggest kick out of himself, which makes all of his antics that much more hilarious. Last week my family was in town for a visit. Sunday morning was, of course, crazy with everyone scurrying to get ready for church. In all of the chaos, I didn't happen to notice that my Dad was assinged to dress Gabe. Since we had to take 2 cars, I also didn't even see Gabe before we got to church.

Ben and I got there and sat down, and I look at my Dad is giving me that face from Dumb and Dumber, the one that says "eat up and I'll tell ya". I am wondering what the heck is going on. Then I look over at Gabe and realize that my Dad has dressed him with his shirt unbuttoned to his chest and his collar folded outside of his blazer. If there were goldchains to be found in the house, my Dad would have found them and put them on too. Alas, there were none, so he was missing that crucial aspect of the outfit.

By the time church was over, Gabe looked like a complete mess. He was so tired and he had crumbs from all of the food we shoved at him all over himself. The red tired eyes, the crumbs, and the outfit got us making up stories about how Gabe had had a hard night of drinking the night before. We made up story after story about him and we laughed our heads off. We almost got out a paper bag to put over his bottle to snap some pics of that, maybe it's not too late...

This is your cue to hang out with us

Hello Everyone! I can no longer just pretend that life is going on as normal at our house...

We are moving! Especially those in Utah, we would love to get together with you before we pack up and out of here in December or January. Unfortunately, it is a surprise where we are going, but we can tell you that it is an International location. We are SO EXCITED about it! We are also very ancy to tell you where you will all be coming to visit us for your next vacation.

It may be as late as December until we can disclose any further details, but to narrow it down, I have included a handy poll for you to give your best guess as to where it might be. Can't wait to see you all in __________!

PS: Sorry to those of you who still think we are going to Texas!

We Have Chicklets -I mean teeth!

I have been meaning to post about Gabe's teeth for a week or two. I didn't get around to taking a pic while he had a fresh shirt on, as I wanted a pic sans the drool ring-around-the-collar. I will try to get a better view of his teeth, it's kind of hard since he doesn't show them off too much. He has a bigger gap than David Letterman, but his little chicklets are so cute!

When Laine teething, she got one tooth on the top and one tooth on the bottom so she looked like the spawn of Cletus the slack-jawwed yokel. When the other top and bottom tooth grew in, she too had chicklets for a while. A year later I looked at her one day and realized they had grown together, and she had the beautiful smile she has today.

Now she thinks they are jammies

Okay, so a few weeks ago I posted a post that caught some people's attention. While some thought it was completely rational and normal, others thought it was quite wierd. I dressed Laine in this dress on Saturday night in attempts to help us get to church closer to on time.

So, I guess I ruined the punchline for myself by the obvious title ... Last night she asked to wear the dress when getting ready for bed, since now she thinks the dress is jammies. Here she is eating her cereal this morning.

Many wondered if this did infact help us and problem. Sadly, at the time, no. Ben was out of town and my sis Kristine stayed with us for the weekend. I got up and started getting ready but the kids still weren't awake at 8:59. So rather than wake them, I thought a GREAT idea would be for me to have the week off and acutally be able to pay attention during Sacrament Meeting. Kristine stayed back (I don't think she minded having the week off either) with the kids and when I came home during the Sunday School hour, Laine was just barely waking up (10:20) and Gabe was still sleeping. He finally woke up at 10:45, we got him dressed and fed in a jif and were out the door, barely making it to Relief Society on time.

Now that pre-school has started, the kids are on a much earlier schedule that would have been perfect for 9:00 church. However, as of last week our ward was assigned a new and wonderful 8:00 slot, so we are back to square one.

Time for a new high chair?

Those of you who know me well will say that nothing has ever sounded like me more than what you are about to read.

So a couple of weeks ago I was getting sick of strapping Gabe in his chair for meal times. It was such an annoying waste of time, since he looked like he had grown big enough to not slip through and fall to the ground. So I stopped strapping him in but then the strap was always in the way and CAKED with food. So I did what seemed like the only reasonable thing to do at the time, and cut the strap out. Now we are plagued with this little ditty of a problem:

This one happened when I told him to sit down and he actually tried to obey,

but didn't quite get it right. The next three kind of explain themselves.

Just crown me Mother of the Year and get it overwith...

PS: I also found the strap holding the infant headrest in my stroller annoying and cut the whole thing out too

Hot off the Garlic Press

Hello friends,

I just wanted to let you know I have a new 2nd blog I am going to attempt. I love having the Rileyfamily blog as our family journal and to keep in touch with friends and family. However I am going to use my personal blog to include different things I won't include here, mainly relating to the kitchen, home and family.

I don't want to be a selfish blog hoarder with 2 blogs, but if you can find it in your heart to embrace two blogs from the Riley's, then there is a little blog called "Hot off the Garlic Press" waiting just for you.



http://hotgarlic.blogspot.com/

Sweetest Gabe!

Our little Gabe is the sweetest boy and we just love him so much! He has been the best, easiest baby ever. He LOVES life and loves to smile and laugh. Whenever he is eating, he sits and waits for me to look over and make eye contact so we can laugh and smile together. It is the funniest thing ever to peek over at him going "come on Mom, look over here, look at me, let's laugh together!"

He loves to be happy, wiggle, climb everything, and fart while being oblivious to it. He loves for Mom or Dad to be a human jungle gym for him to scale. His second love is food, he's an eater. It takes him about 10 seconds to down a banana whole (his favorite food), and that is with no teeth! He is a little champ!

Girl's gotta earn her keep

Yesterday I took on the brave task of detailing and washing my car. It is not a chore I look forward to, but do find that I enjoy it once I've stopped dreading it and just get going. I do LOVE driving a clean car (no, Dad, that was not a joke) and have ususally done my best at maintaining a clean car (seriously Dad, stop laughing!)


After I cleaned and vacummed the car all out, I went home to wash it myself, as I recently invested in all of the things needed to wash and detail your own car (I already had the armour-all and tire wet OF COURSE, gotta love that shine!).

Laine was VERY excited about getting to help. I got out all of the stuff to wash it, my new brushes and soaps and a bucket and towels. Then something came up and I had to do some work inside. While I as occupied, Laine was making calls on her "cell phone". I heard her call Daddy, she was having this pretend conversation with him telling him all about how Mommy and Laine were going to wash the car together. She was so excited! Even today she still has not stopped talking about it and wants to wash the car again.


Here she is scrubbing, she really puts her back into it



I gave her a 15 minute (unpaid) lunchbreak


Plummer!

She buffed it to a nice sheen, thanks Laine!