House

Well... in preparation for finding a renter for the house we took these pictures & I thought I'd pass them along for those who have never seen our sweet LITTLE home. If you know anyone who is moving to Jacksonville... :)

Spring Break '08 Continues

Betsy & Cia were here!!!


Tucker was enjoying this photo shoot more than his cousin.
And Kyle's Aunt Diann and Uncle Bill brought his cousin Emily's children down to visit from Indianapolis! This is Noah & Lily. They are here for the week and have been SO sweet to Tuck... he has had a blast with them!

Happy Birthday, Nan!

Nan just went back to St.Louis yesterday, but we want to wish her a Happy Birthday today!

THE car wash

If you go poo-poo on the potty 3 times in the Ryan house, you get a new car wash. He has not let it out of his sight in days.

This is us asking Tucker to laugh for the picture to try to get a smile. We need to try a different approach next time.

Surgery

Today was the day Tucker got his tubes in his ears. It was really an easy process and he was excited for most of it. He told every nurse and doctor "I'm getting tubes in. They're gonna knock my bever out!" (fever)

He didn't cry at all and was just a little out of it after waking up from "getting a wittle gas on my mouth." (Tuck's interpretation of anesthisia)

So now hopefully we will live a life free of ear infections and countless antibiotics!

Easter Scrambled

These pictures are all out of order...


Putting carrots out for the Easter Bunny.
How he slept that night. Making homemade icecream with Mimi.

Playing with Isabella on Easter. My mom is in town and we had the Smith Family with us for Easter dinner. Tucker was very hyper with both grandmothers and a girlfriend to impress AND a body full of Easter candy! Yikes.

"I'm eating Peanut Butter!"

After school Thursday, Tucker decided to raid his easter basket without me and I heard him yelling from the other room "I'm eating peanut butter!" This is the half eaten reese peanut butter cup. Strangely, he did not have his usual reaction. The pediatrician thinks it is possible he has outgrown the allergy and wants us to try a bit of PB again next week. Scary! But I'm totally open to some easy PB&J in my future!

Easter Parade at SUMP

The star of the parade!

Tuck & Caroline

More from the funny files

Me: "Tucker, what are you doing in there?"
Tuck: "Making a car wash. [long pause] I love carwashes."
Me: "You do?"
Tuck: "Yes, They are sooooo cooooool."

A few minutes later: "Come yook at it, Mama." So I took a picture so his adoring fans at home could also see it. Aren't car washes SO COOL?!

It's more hilarious if you know his undying obsession with car washes. Really. He just sits in the backseat looking for any car wash or tire store (also look like car washes) and then he lets me know how dirty my "Bolbo" - Volvo - is and that we need to go to that car wash. Then he proceeds to explain the entire process of the car going through and how my car is going to get clean. I can't tell you how many times a day I hear this.

A few days ago we were driving along and he was spotting cars, as usual, that he knows. We saw a grey BMW and he yells out "Mimi's car." We saw a taupe Pathfinder and he yells out "Miss Yesley's car." Then he says "Mama, there is a car like Scotty's."

So I ask: "Tucker, what kind of car do you have?"

Tucker: "I don't have a car!"

Me: "You have a Volvo."

Tucker: "NO, Mama! You have a Bolbo. I have a jeet? beet? ( I couldn't understand him)

Me: "A Jeep?"

Tucker: "No. A jeet, beet, whatever he tried to say."

Me (trying to understand): "What is it like Tucker?"

Tucker: "Like Vinnie! In the back of your car. I have a SEAT!"

I still had no clue what the word was, but in context he was talking about his car seat in the back. He doesn't have a car, he just gets a seat in the back! And he has the exact same car seat as his friend Vinnie which was the missing clue in the puzzle!

Funny guy

Going blind with my glasses on.

Quote of the morning: "Mama, I have a problem with you..." (I wasn't meeting one of his many demands!)

Quote of the month: "Tucker, WHY are you doing that?"

Tucker: "Because I AMMMMM doing that."

Oh. Mystery solved.

Zzzzz....

He continues to find alternate sleeping positions around his room.

This is a particularly good one - he was snoring standing up!

You know you have a boy...

when the first fort is built.

This is how we found him when we checked in last night.

Crazy week.

Snapshots of our week here in the Ryan household.

Tuesday: A very random shout-out to our awesome first born fur-son, Jackson. We still love you, Pup. It just doesn't seem like it.

Wednesday: Tut, Davis, Luke & Luke -- "the guys" as Tuck calls them, minus Tyler & Michael.

Bible Study with "the guys" was apparently quite loud and wild and Tucker was awake for most of it. When Kyle went in to his room at 10:30, this is how he found him... on his chair instead of his bed. He was trying to keep up with the party.

Thursday: Peek-A-Boo Mama! I heard "I'm hiding" in a very muffled voice coming from the back of the house. Hmmmm. These pictures are not indicitive of the week of doctors appointments, being up for hours and night, the fevers, etc connected to Tucker's continuing battle with chronic ear infections. Most of the time he is just a happy kid - lovin' life. The past couple nights have been extremely unusual -- one of the problems we have had is that he is not symptomatic while these infections are raging. We finally, after many, many doctors visits and countless antibiotics over the past year are getting tubes at the end of March. Praise Jesus! Life will be so much better. When the doctor told Tucker about the upcoming surgery, he jumped in to the air, clapping his hands & said "Yeah! I can't wait to get tubes!" She said, "Now that is a new one."

Rocking out with his guitar! Yes, he dances like Kyle. Scary.

Friday: On top of the ear infection that won't go away, Tucker decided to pick this week to refuse to wear a diaper anymore. We are now in full-time potty training mode. Above he is sitting on the pot pretending to be Mr. Potato Head. Below is a picture of how he spent everyday since Wednesday- naked!

After the number of co-pays we have paid to Dr. Soha, Stanley & Maddern, Tucker is going to need to become a doctor to pay us back!

Monster Jam

Our non-southern friends will not understand that many, many people (especially all our high school friends) are at Monster Jam right now. Above the Mason-Dixon line, this event would be considered "hoosier," but down here in Jacksonville this is the place to be tonight! The Ryans have chosen Memphis v. Tennessee basketball, but Tucker was kickin' his camo hat and dirty face and white dirty t-shirt in honor of all our hoosier friends. In a few short years, with no other choice unless he wants to hang out with the comicbook store kids, Tuck will be there with all his friends - tailgating in the back of his enormous truck, wearing cowboy boots, camo hat and Levis - and lovin' every minute of it.

Our little hoosier.

Quotes from Friday

I wish I could remember all of them even from just today. I think most of what he says is hilarious.

Tucker to Kyle: "You have big eyebrowns." (that's an understatement)

On the way to the doctor this morning:
Me: "Tuck, we are going to a new Doctor today."
Tuck: "Dr. Mawee (Mary)?" (our normal ped)
Me: "No, Dr. Mattern. He is going to check your ears."
Tuck: "Oh. He's gonna get rid of my eawww infections??"
(can't possibly write how he says the word "infection")
Me: "Yes."
Tuck: "No, mama! I'm not sick anymore. I'm all better."
Me: "Well, Tuck. You had a fever the other night. I think your ear is still infected."
Tuck: "I had a beaver??" (fever:))
Me: "Yes."
Tuck: "Oh... [pause]... Well, after Dr. Mattern we gonna go to Chicken-a-way (Chick-Fil-A)."
Me: "Really?"
Tuck: "Yes. You are gonna take me there."

Hmmmm. I hadn't realized I wanted Chick-Fil-A for lunch, but I don't really determine those sort of things anymore.


Forgot one from just a few minutes later in the car:
(as we passed our Publix - grocery store)

Tuck: "Mama, I need some new cookies at Pubwix."
Me: "You do, huh?" (there is a reason it took 3 months to break him from saying "huh?" to everything! Oops!)
Tuck: "Yes, it will make me feel better."

He wasn't born yesterday.

11:15 pm

I just peeked in his room and this is what I found. He often sleeps like this. I'm not sure how he pulls it off.

An Update for Katie Rau

Teddy & Tucker celebrating Valentine's Day together! Two wild-haired boys eating chips & queso while watching the portable DVD player. Quality parenting in action.
Congrats Luke! Kyle & Will drove down to Lakeland Friday night to watch him wrestle and he ended up winning state. (Will & Luke are two of the Bolles guys in Kyle's small group) David & Katie bought a new boat! We love when our friends buy boats :) Saturday was a gorgeous 80 degree day and we got to be on the "maiden voyage" -- took it downtown to the landing and enjoyed the most fabulous, fun day. This day was one of the 359 days of this year I have LOVED living in Jacksonville, Florida! And need I mention how excited Tucker was?

Tom or Eli?

We are not New England or NY fans, but I always like to cheer for whoever has the cuter quarterback. In this case it is hard. Tom is definitely slightly better looking. But I'm partial to the Manning boys ALWAYS, so I'll be cheering for the Giants and cute little Eli. The Dunns sent this jersey from Boston in hopes of converting little Tuck... and he does seem to be channeling Tom Brady's male model ways in these photos.

Touchdown!