Games and Giggles

DJ:  Mommy, have you ever pwayed monopowy?
Me:  Yes, I've played monopoly.
DJ:  Have you ever pwayed the Dora game wif cards?
Me:  Yes, I've played the Dora game.
DJ:  Have you ever pwayed da beep beep game?
Me:  No.  What do you do in the beep beep game?
DJ:  You go, "BEEP BEEP."
Me:  Oh, well I guess that makes sense.
DJ:  Yes, Mommy, it makes 10 cents!

Oh, you goofy kid.  I sure do love you.  You make me smile every day.

Short, little trouble

It was a late bedtime last night, and I told little man we only had time to read, "a short, little book."  His response?  He handed me two books.  "Here, Mommy," he says, "dis one's short, and dis one's little!"

2009 Ruhlig Family Letter

Greetings from the Ruhlig family,

My theme verse for 2009 has been Romans 8:28 which promises us that, “All things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are called according to His purpose.” It hasn’t been a peaches and cream year for us, but we have so much to be thankful for. His many promises to us are just one of our many reasons to rejoice, even amidst the trials!

Doug lost his job after the end of September. We had suspected it was coming, but it’s still a little surreal when it actually happens. We are praying for wisdom to lead us to the job that God would have for him as well as if we will be able to stay in our house or not. There are a lot of unanswered possibilities and scary what-if’s right now, but it would just take too much energy to worry about all of them right now. So for now I’m just thankful that Doug is around more and thankful for the opportunity he has to discover a more enjoyable career path. He continues to enjoy playing sports and has played on both a softball team and a basketball team this year. Saturdays that he’s able to, he plays basketball at the church with friends. Unfortunately he has not been able to go hunting this year, but the pain is somewhat soothed by his one true love – his Jeep.

This year was my first full year of running the Just Between Friends of North Tampa events. This has been such a rewarding experience for me on so many levels. I am so thankful this opportunity was given to me and I look forward to many more years being part of the JBF family! I continue to dislike my transcription work, but isn’t that usually how it is with the job that pays the bills? I did, however, get to take a break from it to have my gallbladder removed, and for that I am thankful. If you ever feel run-down and need a few days to sleep it off, just have something surgically removed. Important life lesson.

Kaitlin is now 6 years old and in 1st grade. She is a genius and has looks to boot. She joined Girl Scouts this year as a daisy and we appear to have found something that she truly enjoys. Being a daddy’s girl, she rarely passes up an opportunity to snuggle with him. She makes us laugh every day and draws attention everywhere we go with her insanely lovely mane of hair. I’m pretty sure we could charge admission to see it. She is brilliantly artistic (I might be slightly biased, but one would expect that, me being her mother and all) and is constantly creating new “projects.” She loves school, but says that she doesn’t like reading. Sigh. I guess everyone has a flaw.

DJ is 2 and all boy. He climbs, jumps, wrestles, throws, prefers toys with wheels and, much to his father’s delight, can point out a Jeep from a mile away. He resembles his daddy both in looks and attitude. Please pray for me. He does, however, have a sweet streak and never a day passes that I’m not at some point smothered in little man kisses and hugs. I often make him promise to me that he’ll never stop being sweet to his mommy. So far, so good. Of course, he’s his big sister’s greatest fan and thinks everything she does is just the best. She has so much patience with him! I just love seeing them play together. We finally discovered part of DJ’s allergy problems this year, and as a result he cannot eat processed sugar. It’s made such a change for him for the good!

This year has certainly held many changes for our family. While some may not be as good of a change as others, we are thankful to know that God can work all things together for good. As a family, we continue to go to Christian Church in the Wildwood (no spot is so dear to our childhood…) and are continually blessed by the sincere love of the believers there. As a family we also took a trip to Oklahoma this summer to visit my family. It’s always a good visit and always passes too quickly. We look forward to the possibility of more family trips in the future.

We hope that 2009 has found you trusting His promises and able to have joy and peace, even during life’s tests and trials. May you have a wonderful holiday season and a heart ready to see the good in any situation for 2010!

Love,

The Ruhlig Family

A Labor of Mud

Doug took the family out in Jeep number 4 (don't ask) on Labor day for some quality family bonding time. Nothing says family love like mud!

The majestic Jeep stands atop a hill, surveying its' muddy domain below. I couldn't figure out why Doug sat there for about two minutes until I realized that he couldn't see me at the bottom of the hill and was afraid he was going to run me over. See, he really does love me.

Doug didn't want to get the Jeep muddy. Hahahahhahahah. He shouldn't have told me that I could bring the camera.

Yep, this clean-up definitely looks like a job for Daddy.

We found a flat, mud-free spot for a family picnic. D.J. thoroughly enjoyed the peanut butter portion of his celery and peanut butter.

Mmmm...peaches for "dessert."

We couldn't have asked for better weather, but the sun was getting ready to start going down which means the invasion of the killer mosquitoes was about to begin. Time to pack up and head home.

We stopped at a car wash to let Daddy clean the car (I was serious when I said it looked like a job for Daddy!) and I got the chance to get this classic photo of D.J. riding in the Jeep. He loves it!

I just love family days!

Getting Nowhere...

He may look all sweet and precious, but I assure you, he's 99 percent stinker.

I have desperately been trying to convince little man that he's ready for potty training, but he's so not falling for it. He's a tricky little one. These kinds of conversations are happening on almost a daily basis now.

DJ: Mama, I 'tinky.

Me: You're stinky?

DJ: Yes.

Me: That's yucky to go stinky in your pants, bubby. Where does your stinky need to go?

DJ: In my bum.

or...

Me: Don't you want to be my big boy now and go potty in the big boy potty chair?

DJ: No tanks.

Me: Do you want to just be my baby?

[looking quizzically]

DJ: No baby.

Me: Do you want to be my big boy?

[now looking at me like I'm crazy]

DJ: Noooo.

Me: Then what are you going to be if you're not a baby or a big boy?

DJ: Das silly. I DJ!

Me: Oh, yeah, you're DJ. Apparently you're your own classification of boy.

DJ: Yes. I like birfday cake.

I don't know how cake got into the conversation. Maybe he's giving me a clue that birthday cake is the secret trick to getting him to chuck the diapers?

Seriously, he's a stinker.

Kids in the Kitchen Breakfast Sundaes

In honor of our attempts to eat a little better and cut out the artificial sugars for D.J., our Kids in the Kitchen post for today is Breakfast Sundaes (although they're good enough to eat anytime!)

You only need the following:

Bananas

Yogurt

Cut fruit

Cereal or granola topping

First order of business is to cut the bananas...

...then add the yogurt!

Next, add the fruit toppings...

**Please excuse the poorly cloned in cluster of blueberries at my daughter's bosom. The child kept losing her nightgown, and I wanted to insure that this picture would not come back to haunt her if she ever chooses to run for Miss America or the President.

...and a little bit of cereal for a nutty crunch (we used Grape Nuts).

What a yummy breakfast...

...and fun to eat, too!

Little Man Update

Some of you have asked me how D.J. is doing since I posted about his "issues" here. Since we've had a few appointments with the G.I. specialist and a few rounds of testing, I thought it was about time I give an update on how he's doing.

The doctor sent D.J. in for a slew of test - lots of blood work and stool cultures. At our appointment a couple of weeks ago, we finally had all of the test results back and the doctor feels that his initial suspicions were correct. It appears that little man Doug has an inability to process certain sugars. We're pretty sure that he's okay with natural sugars, but his inability to tolerate artificial sugar/sugars seems to be what is causing the diarrhea.

The Doc says that the only way to know for sure WHICH sugars he's intolerant to is to take a biopsy which would require putting him under for the procedure. However, since we seem to be managing the low sugar diet and seeing definite improvements with it, he does not feel that this is a necessary risk at this point in time. As it sits now, D.J. has been on a low sugar diet for about a month. Although he has had periodic cases of diarrhea, we have not had the on-going issue of 12-15 times a day with constant raw and bleeding skin. That's a definite praise in this house! We'll be monitoring his diet for the next three months. If we feel that all is going well, then we will not be doing the biopsy (for now, at least!)

We are thankful to see our little man feeling better. Who knew it could be something so simple? And to think we had him on a lactose free diet for a year!

Kids in the Kitchen - Pita Pizzas

The whole family got in on our Kids In The Kitchen project this week - even daddy! Pizza has become my 2-year-olds favorite food, and I love the healthier option that Pita Pizzas give us. As an added bonus, they're fun for the kids to make!

**I apologize for my consistently crummy pictures for my KITK posts. Remind me to never again purchase a house with only north and south facing windows in the main living areas. Grrr.**

All you need for Pita Pizzas is:

Pitas
Tomato sauce or Pizza sauce
Mozzarella cheese
Favorite pizza toppings

First the kids spread the tomato sauce on their pitas. We added some italian seasonings on top since we weren't using pizza sauce.

Next you pile on the cheese. You have to give extra cheese because, inevitably, little people will sneak it to eat when they think you're not looking.

All that's left is to add the toppings and the prep work is done. We were using tomatoes, bell pepper and pepperoni, but anything will work! This is also a sneaky way to get the kiddos to eat some extra veggies. Kaitlin VOLUNTARILY ate bell peppers - and then asked for more!

All of our pizzas are ready to go into the oven. See the pizzas all decorated with pepperoni in a circle? Yeah, those are Doug's. Told you he got into it!

We placed the pizzas in a 350 degree oven for about five minutes. Voila!

The kids like me to cut their little tiny pizzas just like a real pizza. Perfect size for little fingers!

Added bonus? This entire meal cost about $6 and we have enough left over ingredients to go another round at lunch with the kids some time this week!

I swear, I'm not lazy...just busy

Okay. Maybe a little lazy.

What happened to the summer being for relaxing? Our weeks just seem to be getting busier by the day. Wait. Can a WEEK get busier by the DAY? Well if it can, ours is.

My kids had load of fun with the fireworks display on the 4th. D.J. now calls them, "BOOM BOOM!"

Kaitlin hamin' it up for the camera.

Little brothers are so pesky.


And yes, I am one of those mothers that dresses their children in red, white and blue on the 4th of July. I hadn't noticed until just now what a good match their red shirts are. Do you know how hard it is to get reds to match?! I'm very pleased.

Those fireworks were kissably good.

Sunday was the party for our little friend Jamin's birthday. This is always a big deal because it marks the 3rd time each year that I actually pull out my decorating supplies and make a cake. This year he had a cars birthday, so his little cake was Lightning McQueen. (Remember last years sandcastle cake? Whew, Mindy is killing me with these cakes here!)

Good friends are such a blessing! Jamin with his mom, Mindy, and Dad, Jason. Get it? Ja-Min?

Kaitlin never gets to swim. Poor girl. She had a blast.
Jamin blowing out the candle on his Lightning McQueen cake.

The kids and I have started attending a weekly playdate on Wednesdays. We've had such a great time getting to know some local moms and we're already making some wonderful new friends through the experience. Today we had an ice cream social. The kids were as thrilled about picking their own toppings as they were about the ice cream!

Delicious ice cream... ...plus delicious toppings...
equals a delicious playdate!

I wonder what next week will have in store for us?

Patriotic Goodness

Shame on me for not having posted anything in-between my two Kids In the Kitchen contributions. If I don't get caught up on my blogging, you're going to start assuming that all I ever do is cook with the kids. Wait, yes, keep thinking that.

This week the kids and I made a festive red, white and blue trifle. It's super quick, super easy and super yummy!

Here's the ingredients you'll need:

1 box vanilla instant pudding (ours called for milk)
1 pound cake
strawberries

blueberries

whipped cream

The original recipe calls for Lady Fingers instead of cake but, um, we like cake.

Once again, please ignore the plethora of off-brands. I can't help myself. *we did not use both containers of whipped cream.

First we made the pudding and set it aside in the fridge while we prepared the rest of the ingredients.

Ignore D.J. in the background as he scrapes his fingers along the top of the cake and then licks them off. Yeah, Sherry, notice I post this AFTER I let you guys eat it! Teehee. It's a hazard of cooking with kids and you must be prepared for it. Hey, at least I don't let the dog help.

Next Kait helped cut up the cake into bite size pieces. This is where we lost D.J. as he was more interested in eating bites of cake than participating.

Next we washed the berries and cut the strawberries. This was my task, but the kids helped by tasting for me. So helpful.

We added a tablespoon or so of lemon juice and some sugar to the strawberries. Helps keep them firmer and fresher.

Now we layer the ingredients: cake on the bottom, then some berries and half of the pudding.

Yes, that is a cheap $3 Wal-Mart vase that we're layering our trifle into =)

Repeat the process with more cake, then berries and the last of the pudding.

Top your layers of yum with some whipped cream and strawberries.

See, a summertime masterpiece of deliciousness!

*Sherry, I hope I'm doing the button right!

Two weeks of rain has given us a gloriously green and luscious...

...bag of grass?

Hmmm...guess we waited a bit too long to seed our side yard. I will entitle this photo "procrastination."

Seeds aren't the only thing growing around here. Since I last blogged (way way long time ago, so it seems) Kaitlin has officially graduated kindergarten. She is already telling me that she's a 1st grader. In this photo you can see the class marching around us and singing. I was getting a little nervous by their fifth time around...

So, Moms, I need your suggestions of things to do with this non-stop action little girl over the summer. Any favorite crafts or activities that I can get her involved in with two 2-year-olds in tow?

Yes, that's right, two 2-years-olds. While I was busy not blogging, D.J. turned 2!

Stuffing his face with "pissa," his new favorite food, at his party.

Between the playground and trampoline, our backyard is a haven for small children. D.J., Wyatt and our friend Jamin LOVED the trampoline. I'm not sure you can tell in this picture, but the trampoline has a safety net. =)

You can tell that the family's rendition of "Happy Birthday" was especially moving by the way it brought D.J. to tears.

D.J.'s Jeep cake. Yes, I'm aware that it looks like a Hummer, but don't tell him that.

Okay, he may have hated the singing, but he loved blowing out his candle. We had to relight it four or five times so that he could keep blowing it out.

Several have asked about D.J. lately as he has been having some "health" issues. Truth is, other than having Doug and I as parents, we can't be totally certain than anything is actually wrong. Let's just call it "mommy intuition." Here's the scoop:

When D.J. was a few months old, he got a bad virus with severe diarrhea and a very high fever (almost to 105 - yikes!). For a month after the fever went away, we were still dealing with the diarrhea. Of course, with an infant, there's really no such thing as solid poo so we didn't think too much of it.

Since then, D.J. has been diagnosed with eczema and asthma (both very mild cases). He also has a tendency to get weird reactions to who knows what and break out in weird rashes or hives.

Over the past several months, the diarrhea issue has gotten much worse. About eight months ago we put him on a lactose free diet hoping that it would help, but it hasn't. We've discussed it with the doctor multiple times, but every time we hear, "I think he just has a virus."

Not only does he have chronic diarrhea, but it literally eats through his skin. Within minutes of having a bowel movement, his will be bleeding. Perhaps it just seems so much worse now that he can talk. Eight to ten times a day I get, "Mommy, me 'tinky. Me bum owie." It is the most pitiful thing ever.

I finally decided enough was enough. I took him to the doctor (who decided he had a virus) and asked that we test him for allergies. His allergy tests came back negative, but apparently my demanding made the doc look at D.J.'s symptoms a little more seriously.

Here's what he told me:

We all have enzymes that digest the protein in our foods. Most of us eat, the food gets digested and then it sits in our colons for 12-24 hours before being excreted. A lot of the enzymes are neutralized during this period. However, with the frequency with which D.J. is pooping, we can assume that food is going right through him. These enzymes are not getting neutralize and once he poops, they are basically "digesting" his skin.

Ow.

So we have been referred to a Pediatric G.I. specialist which we will be visiting on the 17th. We have to find out why everything is going through his system so quickly. At this point it could be anything from Chrons (which we seriously doubt because he's right on target for weight) to just a paranoid mommy.

We'll keep you up-to-date, but, in the meantime, you can pray with me that he will be easily potty trained. At least that way nothing will be on his skin long enough to eat it!