Ferrara's in Florida

Joel is a Daddy's Boy He cries when Daddy leaves, he tries to jump out of my arms when Daddy comes home Joel the Onlooker:  Sisters need to get used to having a newcomer to their play times  The box our new top-of-the-line AC arrived in-- Sable wrote her & Ruby's names on the "door"  Window dressings provided by Sable Yukari Our old thermostat became Ruby's "game iPhone" Daddy left the batteries in so it turns on, ha!

Baby Boy.  Gosh I love this kid! Christmas Dresses -- Set One of Three, One for every week of December The sweetest princesses in the whole wide world! Art by Ashton Jefferson, souvenirs from our Nola trip in October newly framed and hung

At 9 months 1 week, Joel is officially walking.  He is consistenly walking 4 steps in a row over and over as of today.  His 9 month appointment yesterday showed him at 18lbs13oz (25%) 29 inches (75%).  The boy is cute as pie, he is delightful walking.  Sable & I cheer him on so not only is he walking but he is walking with a double-wide toothy grin.  Exploring the Kitchen Cabinets

While putting the girls in for a nap, Ruby asked me a question and the following conversation took place: Ruby:  Mommy, Are there spanking sticks in heaven? Mommy: I don't think so. Ruby:  Well, are you going to bring spanking sticks with you to heaven? Sable: No, Ruby, she's not.  Pastor George says you can't bring anything with you.

Nana & Emma momentarily posing on our jog/bike ride The girls love their Aunt Marlene...and helping her bake   Joel enjoying his cousin Emma

Ruby: "I'm working.  I'm at a meeting and I don't want to work.  I want to be working out instead.  But I have to work for my dad (read: husband). And I need to pray.  I need to pray for my kids so they don't whine on the plane." LOLOLOLOLOLOL

Ruby honestly can't keep her hands off our nativity set.  Maw-Maw gave it to us as a wedding gift so it's been with us for 11 Christmases with hopes it will make it several decades more.  So last Christmas I added a children's nativity set.  I put out the colorful wooden set in my girls' reach while the traditional one from MMG we placed high on the wine mantle. Last night after the girls went to bed I found the wooden set so I put it out for them to see this morning.  When I came down for breakfast, Ruby was playing with it.  She said, "Mommy, what is Baby Jesus' middle name?"  Mommy, "I don't know."  Ruby replied, "When I see Mary in heaven I'm going to ask her."  Sable said, "Mommy, I just love the Jesus farm you put out."  Mommy, "What?"  Sable, "Look, the Jesus farm.  It has sheep and a camel and wise men."

In the past week I received at least three emails asking for children's gift ideas for Christmas.  Since you're asking, let's start at the oldest and work our way down-- My big boy (Daddy-O)--He needs a waffle maker.  After 11.5 years, one of our favorite wedding gifts went ka-put.  And he makes us waffles every Sunday morning.  The girls will be ready to trade in their orange cinnamon rolls for homemade waffles, so bring it on.  And by the way, Daddy-O doesn't check the blog so it will be a nice surprise. Sable--Oh boy.  She checks the mail daily before naps for American Girl catalogs.  And because she rarely takes naps, she passionately peruses each page and would you believe that every page has a baby doll or stroller she has always wanted? Ruby--Spend nada.  $0. Zilch.  Please wrap your old high heels, purses, costume jewelry, chap stick and body glitter.  Actually, don't send the body glitter, she experiments on...

Today is a regular ole Wednesday with our 3 year old in full imagination.  Out of Ruby Simone's mouth: "Today is my birf-day.  I'm Mary and Joel is baby Jesus.  Daddy is Big Jesus. I'm going to marry daddy so I can have a baby girl.  Today.  Cuz it's my birf-day. My birf-day dinner is chicken, chicken hands, and for dessert protein bars." Daddy: "Do you mean chicken fingers?" Ruby: "No I mean chicken hands." Sable: "Daddy, where was Joseph when Jesus was dying on the cross?" Daddy: "I'm not sure." Ruby: "Joesph was probably working at home on his computer."

At the office-- Bookkeeper: "Ruby, that's a pretty picture you colored." Ruby: "Thanks.  It's a picture of me when I was a dog." Bookkeeper: "Oh, you were a purple dog?" Mommy laughing at bookkeeper trying to keep a straight face and at Ruby's 3-year-old imagination. At home-- Ruby: "Daddy, Look at my pretty picture." Daddy: "Oh, that's lovely Ruby." Ruby: "Thanks Daddy, it's me when I used to be a puppy."

Maw-Maw Gibbs is a classy lady.  She outdoes the Queen any day. And Aunt Jackie as beautiful as ever Some of the multiplying Gibbs family Literally steps from the white sand beaches  The girls rode the same ferris wheel I rode with Pops (back then he was affectionately called Daddy) Making memories with Pops & Mimi Silly faces A night in the French Quarter Thanks Pops & Nana for keeping Joel

 Our children are pretty good at CrossFit, perhaps because it's a school playground type workout.  When I finished my workout, we cheered Daddy on.  The girls asked me for a workout of their own so I sent them for 8--50 yard dashes & 10 burpees.  They were hardly winded and to top it off, they performed the workout in dresses and sandals.  You go girls! Kettle Bell = 1 Baby Pood

Publix field trip Everyone required to wear hair nets, including Joel Annual Pumpkin Patch Field Trip Playing in the Back Daily visit to the playground Caught under the table!  Sable Unplugged 

LIBERTYAIR donated a "green" air conditioning unit to Noche de Gala, an upcoming event' to raise money for a local children's hospital.  After visiting the pediatric ER with Ruby in Panama City, our decision to give to this cause holds more weight.  

I took Ruby on a walk to Starbucks this brisk fall morning (60 degrees woohoo!).  Scenario 1: She picked out her chocolate milk and then stood on line with me.  The man in front of us wore a blue tye-dye Grateful Dead shirt and appeared a true fan of the band.  Ruby has one volume and she blurted, "Mommy, that man looks like, ummm, he looks like..."and right then she realized he was staring at her all this time, she never finished her sentence (even at his prompting).  Scenario 2: Still standing in line, the Dead-Head in front of me and two businessmen behind me on line for a coffee before their children's soccer games, Ruby holding her chocolate milk with both hands.  She looks at her milk, she looks at me, "Mommy, you have milk in your boobs."

Dressing a boy is a 180 from bows, bangle bracelets and butterflies.  But we're digging the plaids, polos and pjs.  Last night Joel went to bed in dinosaur jammies, OMG how cute can it get?!

Fall weather = Outside fun (Notice Ruby's blackberry.  She doesn't leave home without it, and she would never be found without her jewelry on.) This boy loves to swing. Reality Check:  I have two babies.  Some pics make me realize Ruby is still just a babe. 

Mommy: "Can I have a hug?" Ruby: "No because you smell like running." Sable at dinner: "Daddy is funner than Mommy." Daddy: "Oh yeah?  Why is that?" Sable & Ruby:  "Because Daddy has a Jeep and a an iPad." Ruby: "When I grow up I want a pink phone and an iPad." (Okay, really?? She just turned 3 years old.) And perhaps the one that takes the cake-- Sable:  "Mommy, I don't want to be Sable anymore." Mommy: "Really?" Sable:  "I don't want my name to be Sable. I want a nice name." Mommy: "Uh, I think Sable is a beautiful name." Sable:  "Well I want to be Jenny.  Just call me Jenny."

Loving his first bath with big sisters

Perhaps the third child is born flexible?  Or is it that he has no choice but to go with the flow? Either way, Joel enjoyed shopping with the best of 'em last week.  While his sisters chose how to spend their allowance at the dollar bins in Target, Joel fancied himself with the nerf swords. 

Tomorrow my little baby boy turns 7 months. These are pics to document his life at six months. Milestones: eating baby food, pulling up to a stand, crawling up stairs, babbling First word: Mama (well, first babble anyway :) His stats dropped a bit but the doctor is not concerned.  He is 45% weight, 55% height  Mr. Joel likes to sleep on top of his blanket. He also rubs his fingers between two lovies. Joel enjoys R&R.  (Note to grandparents:  Yes, he is strapped in)   Joel makes for a very good grocery shopper.  He makes the most of the pink toys, like with this stroller.  He tips it over and spins the wheels.  Handsome in his high chair  Rookie on the stairs Enjoying a teething biscuit after naps   Into everything & everything into the mouth

Sable affectionately wrote MiMi (iMiM here, so cute!) This name needs no translation -- A+ for Sabes