safety first...

As you may remember, Ruby got a Plasma Car for Christmas this year. She's really good at it. Like, too good. Josh and I will set up lawn chairs at the end of the driveway and just let her go to town up and down the driveway. We have a little downward slope heading towards the street and man - she picks up speed. So... we did what any safe (read: over protective) parent would do and got her a special hat to wear while riding (read: helmet). Nerdy? Perhaps. So funny and cute to see her riding around in it? YES.

my apologies...

Only 2 posts in January? Sad, sad month. We've been busy. And sick. Josh just got back nearly 2 weeks ago from Canada and that first weekend he was back, Ruby generously gave us all a stomach bug. The bug had both Josh and I very friendly/familiar with our one family toilet and Ruby going through outfit changes quite frequently due to... er... spillage? Yuck. Anyway. We are all better. And now we will hopefully pick up a camera so we can document just how big that Rubybird has gotten... promise to work on that!

Stay well!

TWENTY months!

Ruby is 20 months old. And it's like a switch flipped and she's all of a sudden this talking, imaginative, creative, self-sufficient little GIRL. Not a baby anymore. She's practicing new words all the time, having conversations in jibberish with me and all 3 of her babies, coloring while laying on her little belly, balancing on her cute little elbows, and having tea parties with Mr. Bunny and Daddy or Mommy quite frequently. She got a stroller for her babies at Christmas and that thing is worth its weight in gold. She could play with it for HOURS. Unloading the babies and random objects, reloading it, moving it from room to room always yelling "BYYYYYEEEEE!" before leaving the room. It's just the sweetest thing to watch her in her own world. Oh. And she's like the happiest thing ever. Just look at that face:










She's just the best thing. Ever.

Happy 2012!!

Wait... am I late? Oh, it's already the 6th? Sheesh. Well, the Dunlop family is alive and well... although in 2 separate countries. We were just in Canada last week for a belated Christmas and it was great! The weather was "seasonably warm"... which means a balmy 25 degree average. Yeah. Downright swimsuit weather. Needless to say we spent a lot of time inside which was great - because it was like a whole new playground for Ruby with grandparents and a dog even. She was in heaven. Ruby and I came home on Wednesday and Josh is staying up there until Tuesday with his separated shoulder... oh, have we not discussed that?

Josh separated his shoulder about 3 weeks ago playing rugby. He was in a sling for awhile and now doing physical therapy. We're hoping to avoid surgery because the recovery time is about 3 months of immobility - like not even lifting up that daddy's girl of his. He's going in for an MRI next week to make sure nothing more is torn than the main ligament that was annihilated when he separated his shoulder initially... wish him luck!

That daddy's girl is sad her daddy is gone. Every day she's asked me about 14 times "Dada? Daddy?" She's going to be SO EXCITED come Tuesday. Come home soon, Daddy!

Update (hopefully) tomorrow on 20 month old Ruby!