Best Friends

Reagan

Ruby

Every Wednesday Reagan and I go to my sister's house to swim and hang out with Colleen. I really enjoy this time since Colleen and I haven't lived in the same city since she graduated from college. Reagan loves his aunt and uncle, but there is someone else he also enjoys visiting while he's there...

Colleen and her husband, John, have a Border Collie puppy named Ruby. Ruby is about 5 months old (I think), and she is the sweetest little girl out there! But she is also a puppy who loves to play, play, play! When she first joined the family she was a little fuzz ball, but now (as you can see) she is pretty big dog. She is taller than Reagan when she stands up on her hind feet. For quite a while this was hard on Reagan. You see, Ruby is very excited to see us (and anyone else who walks through the door) when we first come over. She loves to jump and kiss us. Reagan wasn't too fond of this...but now things are different.

Reagan and Ruby play games together! They love to play frisbee outside. They love to chase--Ruby does the actual chasing. They love to wrestle and kiss--Ruby nibbles Reagan's ears which he thinks is hilarious! Their favorite game is "Get the Leash!". Reagan made this game up over the 4th of July holiday. Reagan holds a rope toy at one end, and Ruby holds the other end with her mouth (of course). Then Reagan runs through the house and around the kitchen pulling Ruby along saying, "Get the leash! Get the leash!" over and over again.

They both also get into trouble together. They both love to dig in Uncle John's dirt. They enjoy moving Uncle John's rocks. They sometimes get the toy that they are playing with into the hot tub~~yet neither one of them can get it out. They both LOVE to drink pool water, especially out of the little bubble coming up out of the shallow end of the pool.

Once all of this playing is finished--and they do ALL of the above every time they see each other--it is nap time for both of them. Reagan is wiped out by 3:30, and so is his favorite puppy. She sleeps just as long as he does!

They really are the best of friends!

I did not tell him to do this for the camera!

Ruby really does enjoy Reagan's hugs.

Almost nap time for the kiddos!

Run, Daddy! Run!!! (done in my best Forrest Gump voice)

Faster than a speeding bullet!! (He's the one in the blue.)

Last Sunday David competed in a couple's triathalon. And, before you ask...No, I was not the other 1/2 of the couple. David has been doing quite a few races (10k's, triathalons, etc.) this year. I have been to one race--and that was when I was pregnant with Reagan. Since then it never seemed possible for me to get Reagan up early, go to the race, and find David in the 1000's of people at the finish line. However, this was one that made sense!

David left before the sun was up. (Thank you for not waking me, Honey.) Reagan and I got up at 8am. He was such a trooper!!! (By the way, he sleeps in until 9ish most days.) He didn't complain one bit about getting up and getting ready so quickly! We were out of the house and on our way to the race at 8:30.

We missed the swim portion of the race, but we were lucky enough to have parked towards the bike finish. We were walking up the hill and David spotted us as he was finishing the bike portion!! How lucky!! We then waited so we could see the start of the run.

David did really well for the race being where it was (very hilly bike ride and a trail run) and for how humid it was that morning.

Reagan also did terrific! We were there for more than 2 hours, and he was a perfect kid. There was a lot of waiting around at the finish line while we were watching for David, but he didn't complain one bit. He was also completely drenched given how thick the air was without any breeze.

By the way, watching David and his "couple", Shawnda, cross the finish line inspired me to sign up for my first 5k run in October! My sister, Colleen, says that she will run it with me. I hope Reagan meets me at the finish line like he did his Daddy.



Way to go, Daddy!!!!

Friday Playgroup

A couple of years ago Reagan and I used to go to Gymboree once a week for playtime. We had a great time while we were there. However, it got to be a bit expensive--and it was only 45 minutes once a week. Being a new mom at the time, this was hardly enough time interacting with other moms [adults] for me to stay sane. Fortunately, one of the other moms there decided to get some of our phone numbers to start a playgroup. (Funny thing is--that mom NEVER showed up to a get together!!) We started meeting every Friday at one of our houses~~this was at the end of 2005

After a few changes due to moves (out of and into the Austin area), our Friday Playgroup consists of 6 moms and 9 adorable kids (ages 2 1/2 months to almost 3 years!!). Reagan and I are so blessed to have this group that we can truly call "friends". Reagan loves all of the kiddos, even though he is sometimes the bully of the group. He looks forward to going to somebody's house every Friday. He admits that playgroup at his own house is kind of tough on him...but I think the other kids may feel a bit the same way when we go to their house.

The moms have become some of my best friends! We have monthly (or at least we TRY to do it monthly) girls' nights where we can be together without our precious accessories. I must thank our husbands for allowing us to do this since they keep the kids on those nights.

Here are a few pictures from a playgroup a few weeks ago where Ann ordered pizza for everyone!! Thank you, Ann!!!!

Pizza Face!

The Jumping Place

The Obstacle Course

There is the perfect place in Round Rock to take Reagan (and his friends) on a rainy day. It is called Ready, Set, Play!~~although all of us (my playgroup girlfriends) always call it the "Jumping Place".

Ready, Set, Play! is a huge room full of inflatable bouncy "things". Really...what are they called?? There are some that are just for jumping. There are some that have just slides and maybe some barriers to push through. And there are some that are obstacle courses. Reagan loves the "Jumping Place". I love it, too, because it really tires him out! (But don't tell him that.)

We have been going for several months now, and there has been a HUGE change in what Reagan does there now than when we first started going. At first all he would do was play in the toddler area. It has a huge giraffe who I think he must have had a crush on. I would tell him that we were going to the Jumping Place, and he would talk about the giraffe during the entire drive.

Reagan's wrestling partner, the Giraffe.

One day we went with his friend, Jack. Something just clicked on that day a couple of months ago because both boys were climbing up tall slides and being very adventurous. Since then the Jumping Place has become a lot more fun. Reagan LOVES the big tall slide. He'll go down that 10 times in a row! He really enjoys the obstacle course (the pictures at the beginning of the post). Oh, and he still likes to tackle the giraffe at least 3 times while we're there.

Ready, Set, Play! is one of our favorite rainy day activities, and I'm sure we'll enjoy going there in the heat of August, too!

Taking a water break. Can you see how sweaty he is?

Remember that you can click on each image to see a larger version.