One Last Roll

On Saturday, April 20th, we set out on an adventure, along with almost 100,000 other Auburn fans, to roll the beloved oak trees at Toomer's Corner. Ryn enjoyed walking as much as we would let her and was curious about the throng of fans that were everywhere. We thoroughly enjoyed watching her take it all in. She was so worn out that she fell asleep waiting for dinner - which never happens! The next day we went back to get some pictures closer to the trees because we didn't even come close the day of the celebration. This time, Ryn was taken aback by all the white, snow-like decorations. We were glad to be able to enjoy this milestone with the Auburn Family and eagerly await what is in store for Auburn's future.

Hugs and Kisses

I've been meaning to share that Ryn has learned how to give hugs and she is very good at it. In the past, she loves to get settled in at daycare and would barely wave goodbye. Now, I get two or three hugs before I leave each day. It's the best way to start my day and shows me she is a caring person. She is also learning how to give kisses from time to time. Today, Ryn's friend, Bennett, was leaving daycare at the same time and we let them play outside for a couple of minutes before getting in our cars. Well, Bennett's mom is a friend of mine from work and she had her camera ready to take pictures. She asked Ryn to give Bennett a hug and Ryn did as she was asked and snuck a kiss in there, as well. Little flirt!! Luckily it was all caught on camera and here it is! So, hugs and kisses all around :)

Afternoons

One of the good things about Ryn's daycare situation is that I get to see her every afternoon in the car rider line at school. Ms. Sherrie comes to pick up her son and I can sneak around to the other side of her car and say hey to Ryn. Most of the time Ryn giggles and is glad to see me. However, there have been times lately that she acts like a silly teenager and ignores mommy so I make sure to say hey to all the other kids in the car and she immediately starts paying attention to me! Well, it was raining pretty good the other day and I didn't have my umbrella so I opened the door on the opposite side of the car and she immediately looked at me and pointed to her door and said, "See"!! She was unhappy that I didn't come to her side and see her! Little stinker loves mommy whether she wants to admit it or not :)

Ryn's Second Christmas

Ryn has had such a wonderful time this Christmas. We took her to see Fantasy in Lights at Calloway Gardens and she was amazed by all of the interesting Christmas displays. She also wanted some of my kettle corn. :) The Sunday before Christmas we went to the Haynie gathering and had fun with cousin Lauryn and all of the toys. Then we headed to the McFee Christmas and played with cousins Caro and Emma. Lots of happy memories were made and she was spoiled rotten! Christmas Eve was spent at church for communion and the celebration of Jesus's birth. Christmas morning Ryn woke up right on time and with lots of enthusiasm and curiosity. She was more interested in Santa's footprints and cookies than the gifts he left for her. She loved all of her toys, especially the musical ones. Then we drove to see Grammy and Grampy and receive more gifts! She's not spoiled or anything :) We ended the day with a visit from Nana, PawPaw, Uncle Manley, and Ms Tina. We still have the tree up and hope that its presence will help her to remember everything special about Christmas.

Halloween

We celebrated Halloween this year by visiting the pumpkin carving at the university. She enjoyed looking at the different pumpkins, but she liked the music even more. On Sunday, we went to our church festivities and participated in a couple of the booths. Unfortunately it was too windy and chilly to enjoy many of the activities. Ryn's friend, Bennett, and his mom invited us to dinner and trick or treating in their neighborhood. Both Ryn and Bennett were dressed as tigers and were adorable! Ryn walked around with Bennett's bucket and collected enough candy for both of them. She would knock on doors and stick her had in everyone's candy dish. She is learning early!

More

I have been teaching Ryn a few signs not only to communicate with us, but hopefully for her to learn sign language as she grows older. We had a breakthrough this week when she tapped her cute little fingers together asking for "more" Cheerios. Of course I got very excited and she and I both giggled about it. I kept giving her a couple of cheerios at a time and she continued to ask for "more". She seems happy to be able to communicate something to us and we are excited that she is learning. Keep it up, smart girl!

Cheerios

Ryn's favorite snack food is Cheerios. We use those O's for bribery and keep the peace when out in public :). Lately, she has learned she can feed us Cheerios and gets a kick out of doing so. Yesterday, she and I were sharing a snack of O's when she started feeding them to me and leaning in for kisses between bites. This was hands down the best part of my day. We love her so much! :)