Bluebonnets 2016

We made our annual trip out to get bluebonnet pictures of the boys. The intention was to get Penny in some pictures as well, but the big kids weren't all that agreeable to the outing, and we ended up cutting it a little short.

Aunt Joanah still managed to capture some great pictures, though! 

Love these kids. :)

ps-G has been calling them blueberry bonnets.

4 Year Letter

Dear Gabriel,

We've arrived at the day that marks 4 years since you slowly (so, so slowly) made your way into this world. Four years old seems so big when I think back to you as a little baby and then as a toddler. You've grown up so much in the past year, and we have loved watching it happen.

You are often so, so silly. We have lots of fun making each other laugh. When you're playing, we see how you've imagined a landscape we can't even see. We hear the voices you've given the other characters in your world, whether they be your stuffed animals or people/things only in your imagination. You make sound effects to help us see how your ideas are playing out in your mind.

You've learned a lot this year. You are counting way past 20 now (though still leave out 13 most of the time), and we've been working on comparing the size of numbers and on simple addition. It's awesome to see you get it. You've also been learning about letter sounds, so we've been playing some spelling games. You recently proved that you can spell your first and last names! You finally decided to take an interest in writing. I don't know why it took so long, but you've always been one to do things on your own timeline.

You still have that stubborn streak. That's a theme we've noted since pretty much day 1, and I very much doubt that it will be going away. You crave control, so I try to make sure you get to make as many decisions for yourself that are safe and reasonable to do. Even so, there are moments when you just lose yourself. You can melt down over seemingly small things, and we're still learning how to help you deal with those big feelings. You've always been a 0 to 60 kind of kid about your emotions, and by the time we think we can help you deal with it all, you go from 60 back to 0!

You still turn to your monkey for comfort. And that index finger. We've been preparing you for the past couple of months that when you turn four, we would start reminding you not to suck your finger during the day. I figure there's not much I can do about you sucking on your finger when you're asleep, but we'll keep helping you stop it in the waking hours. You are excited about being four, so hopefully this hurdle will be easy enough to get over.

It's been a good year, three years old. We made it to the other side of some tantrums, some assertion of independence, and some small rebellions. You get many, many, many reminders about following instructions and listening to parents and teachers, but you're much more cooperative on those fronts compared with three or four months ago.

It's amazing that we could already be at four years old, and I know five will be here before I even realize it. I think I better try to absorb as much of this last year of preschool as I can.

I love you more than anything,
Mom (somehow I became Mom this year...sigh)


Let's see what has happened since your last birthday...

Over the summer, we went to the pool quite a bit with our friends and neighbors. You were not so keen on the getting in the water part at first. Finally you started splashing and having fun in the really shallow (2-3 inches) part. Then I coerced you into the main part of the pool. We got you a puddle jumper for floating, but I don't think you really trusted it, so you did not want me to let go. Or to float you away from my body while holding onto you. At all. By the end of the summer, though, you were hanging onto the edge of the pool and monkeying all the way around by yourself. I'm hoping you'll become even more comfortable and excited about swimming this year.

You also got to visit with your cousins Blake and Caleb last summer. Having three boys in the house was a new and loud experience! We were fortunate enough to have them visit again this summer, and I was really proud of how well you all played together. You started running a fever the morning they arrived, so I was worried that things were going to go downhill quickly, but you hung in there. I think you all had a lot of fun, and I'm glad you get to spend time with them, even if it's not very often.

July 2014

June 2015

At Halloween, you dressed as a fireman. You were so darn cute. When Grammaw had you try it on the first time, you posed like the boy on the costume package.  Adorable!

At the school carnival last year, you got to hold and play a small guitar. You loved it! You had seen Grandpa play his before and had helped him play it, but you started asking for one of your own. So, 
at Christmas, Grandpa gave you a guitar of your own. Hopefully he can give you some lessons as you get older.

You've been doing so well at school. Your two closest friends are Charlie and Conrad. Unfortunately, Charlie moved away last year, and Conrad will be moving at the end of this month. We're sad to see your buddies move away, but we know you'll make other friends.

Conrad, Charlie, and Gabriel

I think the Montessori approach has been really good for you because you get a measure of control that I know you want/need. Your teachers are great, and they've worked with us to help you grow socially and academically this year.

We, of course, did our annual bluebonnet pictures with Aunt Jordan, William, Aunt Joanah, and Grammaw. We are so lucky to find such good friends right in our family. I always love the photographs that come out of these sessions because the series captures you so well. You can be so goofy sometimes, and I love capturing that silliness.

Here's hoping this coming year is awesome!

Mom's 90th Birthday

My grandmother, Kathryn Rodgers, turns 90 years old later this month. Perhaps one is not supposed to talk about a lady's age, but this is a milestone that should not be ignored. As many of us who could come gathered at my aunt Beth's house to celebrate with Mom. I know she loved having all of us together. We even got my cousin Christina (who lives in England) on the phone.

Lydia's family was able to come from New Mexico which means Gabriel got to play with his cousins Hunter and Easton. I can't believe that we didn't get a picture of all 3 of them!! But I did get Easton and Gabriel.

Gabriel was willing to let me take just a couple of extra pics also.

Visit from Sarah's Family

My sister Sarah moved her posse up to Colorado just after Gabriel's first birthday and I'm not sure he's seen them in person since his party that year.

Luckily, Sarah, Casey, Blake (8), and Caleb (4.5) made a tour of family and friends in Texas and New Mexico and we were lucky enough to be their first stop.

Let me tell you, three boys in the house is a LOT louder than just one.

3rd Birthday Party

We held Gabriel's birthday party at The Little Gym of Round Rock this year. He and his friends got to run around and climb and tumble just like they're never allowed to do at home on the couch.

Here's all but two of the guests who came to celebrate with us.

Aunt Jordan made cupcakes for us. A few too many cupcakes. I was expecting parents to eat some, but they didn't.

I tried to continue the grumpy clown tradition of getting a picture of Gabriel with the rainbow wig on. He didn't really want any part of it.

But Will, Ruby, and uncle Matt humored me. :)

*Credit to Matt's family for the pic of him dressed as Bozo.

2014 Ramirez Family Reunion

Last weekend, Grammaw, Aunt Jordan, cousin Will, Aunt Joanah, Gabriel, and I drove up to the Dallas area for a family reunion of Justin's grandmother's family. It wasn't quite as large a crowd as two years ago, but we still had a great time visiting with the family.

Last time Gabriel had just turned one year old and wasn't too mobile or interactive with folks. This year, he and Will were running around like they owned the place. They made quick friends of other cousins and had a blast.

I didn't take a bunch of pictures, but here are a couple to commemorate the day.

This is Justin's grandmother's sister Lily doing a soft shoe routine as part of the talent show. So great to watch her living life to its fullest.

Bluebonnets Photos 2014

We took the boys (Gabriel and cousin Will) out to the campus of St. Edward's University to get some bluebonnet pictures. We met up with Justin's dad and Hannah for a few pictures as well.

The bluebonnets are so dense and tall and fragrant!

Thank you, Joanah, for bringing your camera and capturing these moments.

Feel free to vote for the one that best captures this little Monkey's personality. ;)

Photo update

Here's some of the things Gabriel has been up to. 

Playing at Will's 3rd birthday party. 

Wearing a hat, just like Daddy...but backward. 

Wearing Daddy's hat and shades at dinner. Dinner tastes better that way. 

Chomping on a cupcake at the preschool Thanksgiving party. 

Not wanting his picture taken. 

Building and then knocking down a tall tower. 

Lining up french fries. 

Doing puzzles and learning games on "his computer" (the iPad). 

Being super cool. 

Going down the slide at the park. 

Decorating and eating Christmas cookies. 

Watching movies with Will. (While uncle Cory watches the big TV.)