Ruby is Already 5 Months Old!

She turned 5 months old yesterday - so I thought it was time for another video montage.

Enjoy!

Varmint - The Rest of the Story

HERE's the beginning of the story

and HERE's the middle...

So.... who wants to know the rest of the story??

_______________

Some people may have chosen NOT to video tape something like this, but I'm not some people.

Enjoy!

Thank you Mr. Critter Control guy!

Varmint Sitch"eww"ation - the continuing saga

Ryan closed the door to the laundry room last night - because we just were not too sure that the little varmint was going to stay in the pipe. Ryan said he saw the little paws poking through between the bottom of the pipe and the top of the water heater. Closing the door was the best precaution we could think of.

This morning before MOPS I went downstairs to throw in a load of laundry, and when I saw the closed door I remembered he might be in there! I slowly bent down and peeked through the crack under the door to see if anything looked out of place, as if the squirrel would rummage through my laundry. Everything looked fine, considering my vantage point through the crack of the door. I proceeded to SLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWLLLLLLLYYYYYYYYYY opened the door, assuming at any moment a chipmunk would jump on my face... but nothing happened. So I quickly opened the dryer door and ducked (in case he was in the dryer). Luckily at that moment I heard the scurrying scalliwag in the pipe again. I knew I was safe.

I think when the little guy fell into the chimney thing on our roof he had a bunch of nuts with him... because he is still making a racket in that pipe! He's got enough food for survival - which is fine, except that the guy is coming to get him out at 4 today and is expecting something dead.

Should be interesting.

Sitch"eww"ation

We've got a varmint in our house...

I was working out this morning and heard a weird sound... then I heard it again and again - so I slowly began walking around with my ear sticking out trying to ID the location. I quickly realized it was coming from the laundry room in the basement, and more specifically, from the pipe that is on top of the water heater.

Here's what I heard:

(This video is for listening purposes... the visual is bad because I didn't turn the light on the tried to fix the footage afterward.)

There seems to be something furious and furry stuck in the pipe. What do you think? A chipmunk? Mouse? Squirrel? He seemed to be getting madder and madder as time went by, but I didn't know what to do, so I went out for a walk with my friend Emily and her daughter Madelyn.

About an hour later I came home and took Emily downstairs to let her listen to the little buddy... but we heard nothing. Not a peep, squeak, scratch, or thump. So I reached out my hand and knocked on the pipe... still nothing.

Emily looked at me like I was crazy, so I showed her the video - then she said "Maybe he got out" which led me down the following thought path:

• The varmint is loose, scurrying around my house and is probably going to jump on my face tonight while I'm sleeping.
• The varmint fell into the water heater and is polluting tomorrow's shower time. Perhaps we need a "boil water" ordinance.
• The varmint is dead in the pipe - and the pipe is pretty warm, so he's probably going to be stinking up my house really soon.
• The varmint is not alone - he has a family with 106 baby varmints and they're probably in the walls throughout our house.

What should I do about this sitch"eww"ation?

________________UPDATE_____________________

I heard our varmint in the pipe again! Hooray! He's not loose in the house... however, I heard something running in the ceiling while I was in Ruby's room this afternoon. YIKES!! We've got an infestation!!

_____________another update________________

When Ryan got home from work I told him all about my adventures with the varmint and how it is probably going to jump on our faces tonight. His response, "Hunny, this isn't Christmas Vacation."

All I have to say is, 'Won't he feel just like Chevy Chase when a squirrel jumps on his face tonight!'

...and now I am going to try to go to sleep.

Afternoon Distraction. You're Welcome

Colbert Nation | Winter Olympics

I love Stephen Colbert. Last night on his show he announced that the Colbert Nation will be the official sponsor of the U.S. Olympic Speed Skating Team for the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver. Here are some quotes if you missed it:

• "On their enormous, billboard thighs, it will say, 'Colbert Nation.'" Colbert said in an interview before Monday evening's taping. "Be looking for that logo as it comes around the final turn. It will be easy to see because it will be in first place..."

• "My character sees the Olympics as war, but nobody gets hurt," Colbert said. "It's a way to peacefully figure out who has got the top country."

• "It still tragically involves a lot of Canadians," the comedian said. "It's kind of unseemly how many Canadians I'm going to have to be dealing with."

Fall Photos | Chris Cox

Don't these pictures Chris took make you want to be sitting on that bench by Amanda? I love it!

A bunch of Chris Cox Photography is hanging on the walls at Lemonjellos Coffee Shop in Holland. Stop in and check it out. Many of the pieces are available for purchase at rediculously low prices. They won't be so cheap for long - Chris is going to be a professional you know.

Weekend in the Windy City

Since Ryan has to work a couple of weekends each month, we've made it a habit of taking full advantage of the few weekends that he has off - and this weekend was no exception.

Friday night we drove to Chicago to stay with our friends Bryan and Michelle. They were our neighbors during med school and both graduated from Hope. Amazingly, we did not know them during college even though we were all there at the same time. Needless to say, we met them at church and became fast friends.

Michelle is a whiz with kids. She has lots of experience as an aunt and I loved seeing her with Ruby, and seeing Ruby's reactions to her.

Ryan and Bryan enjoyed all the things they used to do together - here they are getting ready for a run with Bailey the dog. You wouldn't think a tiny little dog could run 4 miles, but this one likes to!

Saturday afternoon we met up with Aaron, Ashlee and their 2 year old daughter Hannah. Aaron and Ryan were roommates during their first year at Loyola. Ryan and I got married and moved down the street from Aaron - then he married Ashlee and we all got to hang out all the time together. Ashlee is expecting their 2nd little girl in February. So exciting!

We went downtown for the architectural tour up the Chicago River and into Lake Michigan. It was chilly.... really really chilly - which is why Aaron is wearing a ski mask. Also, he is a dermatologist and is good at protecting the skin on his face.

We all had dinner together at Claim Jumper Saturday night, then after church Sunday morning we went out to brunch at Redstone. Our time together was short but we packed in lots of laughs and great conversation. We are so blessed to have these friends and are thankful for whatever time we get to spend with them.

"It's better to have a partner than go it alone. Share the work, share the wealth. And if one falls down, the other helps. But if there is no one to help, tough!" - Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (the Message)

The Good with the Bad

Last night was a crazy night... Ruby has been waking up at night for a week - I don't know if she's growing or if I've created a bad habit, but she has been eating twice a night and seems to still be hungry in the morning. This has been the most sleepless week of my life since Ruby was 8 weeks old. She had two great months of sleeping 7-10 hours at night, then BAM - this week happened.

Today, however, is a good day. To make up for last night Ruby has been nothing but cooperative in every way. She is currently playing in her room by herself, squealing, hiccuping, and generally enjoying the sight of her own feet and the sound of her own voice. Her demeanor today has given me time to work out, pack, clean and do a couple loads of laundry. Thank you dear child!

We introduced Rice Cereal on Monday, and Ruby has been steadily gaining skill in the "using a spoon" category. Today was the most successful yet - she nailed about 1/4 cup of cereal and apparently loved every minute of it. When I wipe her face off she sticks her tongue out. The thought of the taste of paper towel makes me gag, but she doesn't seem to mind it.

To top it off, we get to see Bryan and Michelle and our friends Aaron and Ashlee this weekend! It's always fun to visit our old stomin' grounds in Chicago.

Leaves, Leaves and more Leaves

Ryan worked hard all day yesterday, then came home and worked some more. He spent hours raking and mowing the yard... unfortunately, this is the view of our yard today.

I have a feeling Ryan's not gonna like what he sees!

How many leaves can fall overnight?

Apparently A LOT!!