AMs at the Beardsleys

Ryan gets up at 6 or 6:30 and he is ready to go. He doesn't need his morning coffee, he needs food (and a lot of it!). After he is fed, he is off to play. Climbing on top of chairs and tables is his favorite thing to do right now. When he gets on top of the table he starts his one foot dance that I have to record one of these days.

He usually attempts to climb the stairs a few times to try and get to his sister's room. I like to let her sleep as long as possible but Ryan can't wait for her to get up so he can play. She eventually saunters down the stairs and he lights up. She loves every minute of it. She gives him a hug and a "smoochie" and then she is off to get some breakfast (usually waffles).

After breakfast it is time to play. Lately it has been Legos, Legos and more Legos. He can pull them apart, put a few together and definitely knock down towers that his sister builds. She is usually pretty easy going about it in the morning and we laugh as he runs away expecting to be hit or chased. They are starting to play really well together which is so fun to watch.

After the morning routine it is off to the gym or another activity we have planned because my coffee(s) finally starts to kick in around that time!

He's a "loverboy"

Ryan is hugging and kissing everything in sight lately. It started with hugging his sister and now he hugs just about anyone his size or smaller. He will stand in front of the person and stretch his arms out wide. He then walks towards them, tilts his head to the right and wraps his arms around them. He follows that by resting his head on their shoulder and saying "aaahhhhh".

Earlier this week he added "smoochies". Kaelen got a "smoochie" in the tub. He leaned over her with his mouth wide open and then placed his lips on her face. It was priceless. We encouraged him to give us some more and so he continued. His lips sometimes come together but most of the time it is a wet one.

Kaelen told me that because Ryan hugs and smooches so much she is going to call him loverboy. I am not sure what is more disturbing, the fact that she is going to call him that or that she knows the word.

And here is an example of Mr. Loverboy's smoochies:

Beardsley dads and daughters!

Uncle Steven is such a character!

Thanks Joanie!

Monday was the Tufts 10K in the Boston Common. Kaelen, Linda and I ran the races (Kids K and 10K). Ryan ran bandit at the end of the Kids K and Kurt ran a few blocks beside me bandit! Ken and Mary came to watch the kids while I ran the race. The weather was unbelievable and everyone had a great day.

Kaelen started the day off by getting right into the front of the pack of the kids race warm-up. She looks so small compared to all of the big kids but kept right up with them jumping and counting. She was a trooper waiting for the race to start (making them wait almost 20 minutes at the start was excruciating). As soon as they took off is looked like she was going to be trampled so Noni jumped right in and ran behind her so she wouldn't get hurt! KK came around the bend chugging her arms and looking great. She shook Joan Benoit's hand right after she crossed the finish line.

Noni was on Ryan patrol when he apparently wanted to run to the finish line with the other kids. He ran up to Joan Benoit and Noni prompted Joanie to give him a high five for his efforts and she did!

Last, but not least, I shook Joan's hand when I crossed the finish line after being cheered on down the straight away by Kaelen, Ryan, Kenbo & Noni after being surprised by my awesome husband along Comm. Ave! Joan doesn't know the Beardsleys but we certainly know her after Monday!

Quarterback princess?

Siblings

I think I finally understand what it was like for my brother growing up. The age difference, gender and birth order are the exact same with Matt and I as with Ryan and Kaelen. The birth of Ryan really changed Kaelen's world and their relationship is constantly changing and evolving.

When Ryan came home from the hospital, there was a bit of jealousy and a lot of curiosity. Kaelen wanted to do everything that I was doing and never quite understood why she couldn't take care of him herself. When Ryan was a few months old she entered a really sneaky/aggressive stage. I couldn't leave them alone because she often attempted to make herself an only child again.

When it was evident that he was here to stay and that I was going to protect him she came around again and started to be the little mommy. She loves to get things for him (diapers, bottles, toys, etc.) and also feed him, bathe him, and teach him how to do things. There is the occasional WWF moves, but for the most part she is very kind to him.

When they were sharing a room in Dorchester, we used to worry that Ryan would wake Kaelen and so we would run and get Ryan as soon as he made a peep. One morning we heard Ryan but then he stopped. We figured he had gone back to sleep so we did, too. I heard him a few minutes later and went up to get him. I found him buried under every toy and stuffed animal in their room. I looked at Kaelen and she said, "he wanted to play with something, mommy".

In Malden, they have their own rooms but are often in each other's rooms playing and it is fun to watch (and referee). He looks up to her and wants to do everything she does. She loves it but also gets frustrated. He never backs down. Ryan knows he is going to get hit or pushed trying to play with some things, but he puts his head down and goes for whatever it is anyways.

Just the other day, she woke up crabby after a nap and he was very concerned about her crying so he went over to her and put his head on her lap (that is how he hugs). She was not feeling it and turned away. Dee (the doll) was right there for the taking and he took her and hugged her. That would usually send her over the edge but in this case it was funny and Ryan saved the day.

Moving

Kurt and I got our first pet, engaged, married and had two children at 10 DeWolf Street in Dorchester. We lived in that one bedroom apartment for five years and decided we needed a little more room (Kaelen and Ryan were sharing the living room!). We found a nice place... in the suburbs! I had a really hard time leaving the city and so did Kaelen. After all, Dot is all she has ever  known. She told me that she wants to stay in her "old house" forever but as soon as she saw her new room, that she doesn't have to share with Ryan, she was pretty happy.

Boxes are everywhere but we are all in our new house and we will be unpacked someday. We have streaked the neighbors (Kaelen and Ryan running naked through the sprinkler) and Ryan seems to think that he lives in the house next door because he wanders into their driveway and flower beds daily. Yesterday we picked up the trash that the raccoons ripped apart (Kaelen thinks they left when they got to Ryan's dupies (diapers) which were strewn upon the sidewalk) and cheered for the men that recycle because they have a cool truck.

Welcome to Malden.

Blogging for the first time

I am not the greatest writer. I have decided that I am not going to let that keep me from blogging because I am starting to forget all the great things Kaelen and Ryan do and say. This is going to be my journal because I have attempted to keep one for a few years not but nothing seems to work. I tried a paper journal, facebook and even tweeting! The final straw was when Kaelen asked me to tell her some stories about her when she was "little" and I could only come up with a few.

So, here goes nothing...