Rainy Day Fun
We have had 24+ hours of rain these past 2 days. It seems so strange to get all this rain living in the desert. But we have LOVED all the fun things that come along with rainy days. We have made forts in the playroom, snuggled together and watched a movie, baked lemon pound cake and played in the rain! Derek LOVED all the puddles from the rain!! Driving around doing errands was so much fun as our car sprayed water and other cars sprayed us. Its so fun to see things through his eyes for the first time. In the afternoon we were itching for some exercise, so we walked to the park while Derek rode his bike. Boy did he have fun biking through the puddles. We ended up going to 2 parks to explore the puddles. They were both so flooded they looked liked lakes. Here are some pics from our rainy day adventures.

watching the rain

I love to see the size comparison between Derek (2.5 yrs) and Rylie (10 months).

 Racing the dump truck in the rain

 

 Playing peek-a-boo with Rylie

 Walking to the park in the rain

 Look how deep the puddle/lake was!!

 

Mommy Moments
Tonight was one of those moments in time that I want to remember. After coming home from my night off, thanks to my amazing husband, I noticed that Derek was still up. So I went into his room to kiss him good night. He was so excited to see me and chatted away about the fun evening he had with Daddy. He told me all about biking and getting muddy and proceeded to keep chatting about all sorts of things (rockets, the race track, how Chick Hicks was not kind to Lightning and did a "smash, clang, crash, bang to Lightning). I let him talk for quite some time enjoying listening to his sweet voice tell me what was on his mind. After a while I prayed with him and told him I was going to leave because it was time for me to bed. As I am getting ready to leave, he gives me a great big hug and says, "Mommy, we're best friends." Melt my heart!!! I replied, "We are best friends Buddy!" I wanted to pause time right there and soak in the whole half hour we spent talking together and snuggling in his bed. I love you sweet boy!

Retro Rylie 
This outfit was mine from when I was a baby. Such a cutie!!

I love this series of pictures. This captures the stage she is in right now of not wanting to sit still.

Biking on the Dirt Piles
After spending the past 4 days indoors with record low temperatures (highs of 40's...cold for Phoenix) we spent the morning at the park in sun and 60's!! Derek requested biking on the dirt pile at Bella's park so that's where we headed. Rylie did not want to be in the stroller, while Derek was biking. She cannot wait to ride bikes with Derek and run after him. I took her out and let her cruise around the BOB. I looked away from her for a minute to help Derek take off his fleece and she began pushing the BOB towards the dirt piles. It was hilarious. So, while Derek biked Rylie pushed the stroller around the piles of dirt. By the time we left they were both covered in dirt.

  Derek wanted to follow Rylie

Derek 2 years 7 months

This month flew by with Christmas and our trip to Boston. Derek is growing up so quickly and we are enjoying every minute of it. Being in Boston gave me the opportunity, from time to time, to sit back and observe both kids and experience such joy at who they are becoming. Derek is a sweet boy. We have such fun together. Derek is such an encourager! He will often comment "Good job Mommy!" or "Good job Rylie!" without even being told. I LOVE to see him encourage others. Derek loves to give and get hugs. Almost every night before I leave his room he says, "Mommy, can I have a hug?" Sometimes he asks for a hug right in the middle of dinner. Some of my favorite memories with Derek are when he is biking while I am jogging. We have such great conversations and its awesome to see him push himself physically (he will bike for an hour and a half at a time). Sometimes I forget he is only 2.
Over the past couple of months Derek has had several areas of interest that we have focused on during our one-on-one time. Its been so fun to watch him get excited about learning. These areas of interest have brought about such great conversations. Derek is good at asking questions. We have checked out books from the library, watched YouTube videos and looked at pictures of these areas of interest. Ideas fly through my head of different activities we can do and different ways I can take the learning. I feel like I am back in the classroom teaching again!!
One of the things we have been working on this month with Derek is learning how to share (his favorite toys) with his sister. Now that Rylie is mobile and quick, he is realizing that she can get to his toys. We continue to work on sharing. Derek is also learning how to make good choices. For the most part making good choices comes easy to him. Now that he is older and can express what he is thinking, it can be challenging for him to obey the first time. But just like everything else, there is a learning curve. Derek is making great progress in learning that making a good choice has its benefits. We are very proud the level of responsibility he handles in making the decisions and the consequences (good and bad) that result in his decisions. So many opportunities to teach Circle "A" life lessons in these teachable moments!!!

Derek is really into imaginative play with his trucks, cars, trains and even figures from a dollhouse Rylie got for Christmas. He has the cars talking to each other and the trains are acting out different Thomas episodes. Tonight he pointed to different parts of the train table saying,  "this is Brendam Docks and this is Misty Island," so creative. He also likes to pretend to be me and do some of our normal errands. So far his favorite is to go shopping. When we play I pretend to be him and ask for a squeeze pouch or a Lightning McQueen snack and say other phrases he says. Derek thinks its hilarious.

Derek started semi-private swim lessons this month at Hubbard Swim School. He couldn't wait to get back in the pool. It was so fun to watch him swim with the instructor. I am excited for him and all the things he is going to learn. I thought I would be a little sad since this was the first class that he has taken without me, but I was just proud and amazed at what a big boy he is becoming!!

Derek is a very physical kid. We spend much of our day moving. Lately he has been into jumping off the couch! He can finally jump with two feet!

Derek "racing" Rylie and Daddy with his dump truck...another favorite in the Buman house

Derek LOVES to read!

 Built his own airplane

Boston Visit
This year we spent Christmas morning in our own house and flew to Boston Christmas afternoon. It had been 18 months since we had been to Boston. We were excited for my family to meet Rylie and to meet our nephew Max (5 months old). We were not looking forward to the long flight. The kids were amazing on the flight. After the long flight, Matt and I were ready for Grammy and Pops to give us a break and play with the kids when we arrived at their house.

One of our adventures in Boston was taking Derek to ride the subway. Derek had been asking about riding the subway for a long time and he was excited!! We took the commuter train from Reading to North Station and then transferred to the green line (subway). We took the subway several stops out  and then took it back to North Station, got on the commuter train back to Grammy and Pops' house. It was a fun adventure! The weather was a little different than Phoenix, with temps in the 20's.

We enjoyed our traditional cappuccino in the North End. Derek loved his hot chocolate and muffin!

Rylie and Derek loved meeting their new cousin Max.
(Max 5 months old and Rylie 9 months old)

Cousins!!!

It snowed while we were in Boston! Derek couldn't wait to get out and play in the fresh snow. It wasn't wet enough to make a snowman, but Derek was totally content with shoveling!

 

We took Derek sledding too and he thought it was awesome!! LOVE his face as he is sledding down the hill! Rylie went sledding too.

Making carrot cake cupcakes for Pop's birthday

Happy Birthday Pops

 

Spending time with Grammy and Pops

  Meeting Great Auntie Lee Lee

Spending time with Great Auntie Elsie

Derek playing Great Auntie Connie's piano just like I used to when I was a kid

 Rylie loved playing the piano too

Making a Build-A-Bear with Grammy

 Seeing the Renoni/Taylor clan - our families keep multiplying!!

 Celebrating Christmas