LAP. DOG.

 This big Marmaduke dog hasn't grown at all since he was seven months old.  He's still 95 lbs.  And, at nearly one year old, he still thinks he is a lap dog.  My guess is this won't change.  Ever.  😳 

"Ramsey Says" 2021

 Another "Ramsey Says" segment... while he's still little and says funny things.  ;-)

12/29/20:  Ramsey is walking downstairs to wake Connor up (in the afternoon!).  

Ramsey: "I'm sorry, but I'm still really afraid of the dark."

Eric: "That's OK, a lot of kids are."

Ramsey slaps himself twice (lightly) and says, "Man up, Ramsey, MAN UP!"

12/29/20:  Ramsey and I are snuggling in bed, watching TV.

Ramsey: "Mom, I love you.  You're so intelligent and fun... and pretty.  You make my heart melt."

Me: "Awww!!!!"

Ramsey: "And, you have a really wonderful son... who likes to pick your mole."

1/4/21: Ramsey hugs me, takes my hand, looks up at me and says, "Mom, I'm attracted to you!"

After laughing hysterically, I explained what that means - using magnets... and also a discussion about boyfriends/girlfriends.  

2/1/21:  After saying nightly prayers....

Me:  "Ramsey, what do you want to thank God for tonight?"

Ramsey: "Dear God, thank you for the infinite wonders and endless possibilities you can make in this world." [Pause] "I know why God made human beings.  He wanted to make life.  He said, 'Let there be life!'.  But first, he said, 'Let there be light.'  He created everything!"

2/4/21: At bedtime, Ramsey crossed his hands over his heart.

Ramsey: "Mom, I love you with all of my heart.  And, my heart makes 100 million loves per millisecond!"   He pauses.    "And, what is a millisecond, you ask?  Well, it's a..... [insert very long diatribe here about what a millisecond is]."

2/11/21:  While on one of his weekly [afternoon!] Zoom calls, Ramsey was still wearing his pajamas (his favorite bright yellow Pokemon Pikachu PJs with the eared hoodie).   Though he LOVES the PJs, he must have been self-conscious in front of the other students and his teacher because he decided to blurt out, "Um... so my Mom made me wear this!"   (For the record - NO, I didn't! ha!)

Incidentally, it wasn't too long after this that he threw his Dad under the bus during a conversation with his other teacher (via Zoom).  They were talking about getting school work answers wrong.  The teacher told him, "It's OK to get things wrong sometimes - that's how we learn."   Ramsey replied, "My Dad doesn't think it's OK!!!"   

Thank you, oh dramatic child.     We laughed.  The teacher may have judged.  Oh well.

4/17/21:  After arriving home from Nana and Bumpa's, while we were still in the driveway, Ramsey threw up in the truck.  We put him in the shower immediately.  While in the shower, Ramsey says, "Those lemon donuts I had were really good!  They made my puke smell better and taste better!"

I think he'd OD'ed a little on sugar while visiting!!!

4/22/21:  Ramsey had diarrhea this day.  He later told us, "Family is more important than money.  And, money is more important than having a clean butt... because you can buy a droid that will wipe your butt for you!"

5/2/21:  At bedtime, Ramsey and I said prayers.  We hugged and I gave him a kiss.

Ramsey: "Mom, you kissed me on the lips!  I'm not your husband!!  You'd better watch where you're kissing!"

6/4/21:  After having a sleepover with the neighbor girls...

Ramsey: "Mom, Ashton says she's grossed out with the idea of marrying me."  [Pause]  "But, Raelyn says she really wants to date me!"

6/17/21:  Eric was in the living room and Connor was in the kitchen, cleaning fish.  Ramsey was keeping Connor company.   The boys were talking... Eric didn't know what the topic was.  But, Eric heard Connor tell Ramsey, "I don't care what the media tells you, only women can have babies!"

6/19/21:  Ramsey changed out of his pull-up.  He asked me if I was wearing my 'night underwear'.   Then, he leaned over and whispered to me, "You know, someday Dad will have to wear adult diapers!"

8/3/21

Me: "Ramsey, did you know that it's your Dad's and my 8th wedding anniversary next Monday?"

Ramsey: "Wait... is that like when you and Dad go into your bedroom and have private time and kiss on the lips a lot?"

Me: [laughing uncontrollably]

Ramsey: "What?  I mean... it's just a suggestion.  I think you should do that!"

8/29/21:  Grandpa Orin and Grandma Judi were here visiting.  We were all sitting at the kitchen table, chatting.

Ramsey (to Grandpa Orin): "You know what you should do for your next job?  You should be a master storyteller!"   Then, later, he told him, "If you tell five more stories, you will achieve the rank of Grand Master Storyteller!"

9/4/21:  Ramsey waking me up early....

Ramsey: "Mom, Jango's breath is so bad, it made me almost barf!  What are you going to do about it?"

Me: "Uh, nothing.  Go brush his teeth!"

Ramsey: "Can't he just have some fluoride?!?!"

12/20/21:   After being quarantined from school due to COVID in the house/exposure....

Ramsey: "Maybe even the kids at school who think I'm annoying miss me...?"

Me:  "Who thinks you're annoying?"

Ramsey: "Oh, like Josie.  She tells me what to do all the time!"

Me: "Oh, girls are just kind of bossy sometimes."

Ramsey: "...kind of like you?!  But... you're the 'good kind' of bossy!"

12/28/21

Ramsey: "Dad, do you prefer a cube or a hexagon?"

Eric: "A cube."

Ramsey: "Why?"
Eric: "Because it's three-dimensional."

Ramsey: "...but what about an icosahedron?!?!?!" 

Us: (uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.... heh?)

Apparently an icosahedron is a polyhedron with twenty sides. (We had to look it up!!!)

1/5/22

After getting his report card from school, we had a conversation about Ramsey's grades.  Scoring is as follows:  4 "Distinguished/full knowledge" is the best, followed by a 3 for "Mastered", 2 for "Developing", and 1 for "Beginning/basic knowledge but needs help".  (Sidenote: Ramsey got all "4"s!)

While chatting, and listening to some news on TV, Ramsey says, "I think Joe Biden scores a '1' - since he only seems to demonstrate 'basic knowledge' and still needs a lot of help!"

Two of My Favorite People

 

And my dog.  :-)

Puzzle-Mania

 I LOVE puzzles... always have.

So, while Connor was gone (working), Ramsey and I put some puzzles together.  We popped this one out in about an hour.  (My back and neck hurt after that from hunching over, but oh well!)  It was only 300 pieces, so sorting took the most time, it seemed.

Next: The 500 piece and 1000 pieces ones.  :-)  I can't wait!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Day.... all were very sluggish and slow to get up.  But, once motivated, Ramsey was the first to dive in to open presents.

Santa gave him books and Star Wars figures, pop-its, and fidgets.

Connor, while eating the entire time (haha), got mostly candy and some clothes.

And Ramsey found the Christmas Pickle.

Good fortune for a year plus a chocolate bar.  Not shabby.  He did share some of his chocolate with Big Brubby.

Jango got a stuffed fox.  Sidenote: The last one lasted a month or so. This one lasted about an hour before it was out of commission and already in the garbage can.  :-(      It's a "KONG" toy... which are supposed to be indestructable!!

Afterwards, while I cooked in the kitchen, Ramsey opened up his Legos he got for Christmas.  He kept me company.

The table was set.

Jango could smell the food and was waiting for us to give him something.  He got some leftover treats, once we were done.  Good ol' prime rib!

And... back to Legos....

After that... the boys stayed up LATE, gaming on the X-Box.

Merry Christmas Eve!

Christmas Eve day...  No one had to work and we could sit around, chill, and just spend time together.  Obviously, due to our recent COVID outbreak in the house, we were restricted from seeing any of our family, which really STUNK.  Our plans had shifted from traveling up north to see Nana, Bumpa, Uncle Cory, Auntie Sarah, Uncle Troy, Sadie, Isaac, and the pups.

Once again, Eric wins the prize for giving the biggest gift (it was to ME!).  The box had been in the garage for weeks, just waiting to be wrapped.   Eric enlisted Ramsey's help.  They did a magnificent job on the corners and matching up all of the lines.  Nice work!  ;-)

The oversized box got center stage that day.  

The boys were good for pictures.  :-)  No complaints!

Jango wanted in the pics also.  The Marmaduke-like baby sat right on my lap and awaited his mug shot with us.

And, my three boys.  :-)

I found my reindeer headband.  Love that thing!  It matches my Christmas leggings very nicely.

Throughout the afternoon and evening, Ramsey intermittently focused on where Santa and his reindeer were in the sky.  The Santa Tracker app was put to use.

And... this is what happens when Ramsey takes pics... and when Connor is in the background.  Nice.

After supper (as per usual tradition, pizza!), we sat down to open presents.

First present for the boys: The Christmas Pickle:

Tomorrow, we shall see who finds the pickle and has good fortune (and some chocolate candy).

First present for Ramsey: 

Legos are always a hit.  

Here he is with more Nerf-like guns.  Cuz... a kid can never have enough Nerf guns... even though we have a hundred.  :-)

Here's Connor's first present.  Shoes.  That is more my speed.  ha!

As the boys doled out the rest of the gifts, Connor found one that had an EXCESSIVE AMOUNT of weight.

Ramsey panicked under the excessive amount of weight!!  

Eric received, among other things, some humorous (and perhaps mildly inappropriate) T-shirts.

There were presents, presents, and more presents opened, as we listened to Christmas music on YouTube. 

The big present was a compound bow and arrow that I had been wanting.  Cuz... you know... who doesn't want to try archery?!?!

The heavy one was a practice target that could be set up anywhere (with no chance to tip over).

Jango wanted to help too.

He did NOT, however, want antyhing to do with my decorative reindeer headband.

Afterwards, we ate cookies and drank hot cocoa.

And, before bed, we took pictures of Ramsey on the hearth, wondering when Santa would be coming to his house to bring more presents.

Ho Ho Ho!