BALD!!!

Take a good look at Roux's gorgeous brown curly hair in the previous posts because it is all GONE!!! He was at the "sitter's" and the "sitter" decided to clipper Roux's hair! It's my fault, well not really but he did tell me that if he ever watched Roux he would do it, and he did! It's growing on me. It really shows off his eyes and big mouth. And, its just hair, it'll grow back. At least now I know what he looks like without it. Apparently Roux thought it was pretty cool because grinned and wouldn't stop rubbing his head. He sure is one adorable boy!!!

Roux is 2!!!

Finally I am getting on to update for Roux's birthday!  Took me long enough to finally get things on the computer.  I can't believe I have an amazing and adorable 2 year old!!!  The hardest part is he's so cute that when he's a turd (which has been a lot since the morning he woke up 2) it's so hard to get upset at him.

We were in the week before his birthday and had a little party for the morning we left to drive back to AZ.  We went over to Papa's for cake and of course Roux liked the fire, takes after his mom.  Reminds me of the time Lars and I burned down the field by the blue apartments and the fire trucks came.  Lars went inside to mom and asked her for a glass of water, to put out the fire of course.  That was funny.  Pretty sure we were grounded for a while and not allowed to play with Daniel (I think that was the other kids name.)

Nonna and Poppa let Roux open his gifts a day early so he could play with them in the car.  Thanks!!! It really helped a lot.  Especially the cowboys and horses.
This is the Cowboy set he got and LOVES!  It's always Poppa's horses and he even started adding Nonna's horses, she doesn't have any horses.

We had a surprise birthday party for Mom's 50, which wasn't for another week but made it even more of a surprise.  Roux played with the balloons.  Whenever we go to the supermarked he's always scoping out the balloons and wants me to get him one. 
While we were in Roosevelt mom was teaching the mommy and me swimming lesson class and signed up Roux for it.  Dad took him to the class while I worked and they had a fun time.  I think there are pix on Mom's and Heidi's pages.  Roux is pretty advanced since he swims all the time here and passed the class.  Thanks mom and dad for taking him!  You can also check out mom's page for the horses and other stuff they did.  I worked, which is good, but missed out on all the fun activities they did.

I am returning one more time in Sept to do clients then I start a "real" regular hour job when I return the end of the month.  I'm excited for the next chapter to get started and know it is going to be good and will get me to where I want to be professionally.  I really think it will be good for Roux to go to a sitter also since he is getting so attached to me and he likes and needs to be around other kids.  

Cockroach

Last night after dinner I put Roux in the bath and went in to clean up and do the dishes.  He had been in the tub about 5 minutes and I hadn't even soaped him up yet and I hear this blood curdling scream!  I ran in there (the whole 5 feet away) thinking he had hurt himself some how.  He was standing in the corner of the tub with the water drained and still screaming.  I did a quick assessment of the situation and found nothing unusual until I looked at the other end of the tub from where Roux was standing.  There was a HUGE black slimy cockroach, about 2 1/2 inches in length, scurrying toward him!  GROSS!!!  I scooped him out of the tub and we both jumped when it started coming toward us.  It climbed out of the tub and I squished it while Roux was running the other direction still screaming.  I showed him I squished it and we threw it in the trash.  I told Roux to go get back in the tub so we could finish washing him but he backed away saying, "no no no".  I don't blame him, it was disgusting!!!

The rest of the night he kept saying, "squished bug" and stomping the floor.  

Fri Ark

Almost forgot about Friday.  Our flight was in the afternoon so in the morning we went to this random art shop/place with glass sculptures and fantasy troll things.  I appreciate artists who express themselves in different mediums.  

Nonna and Roux swinging next to the trolls.
This was just funny to me.  ha ha.  If you have a chance youtube.com "my Nammy" and you'll understand why.

Family Pix

Notice Roux on the right with his "snake".  When we were at the park Roux found a piece of hose and was carrying it around the whole time calling it his snake.  

The grandkids, well most of them.  Missing Heidi and her family, Lars, Mikie, and Nick.  What a bunch of good looking kids.

Family picture.  Again, missing some but a GREAT looking family!!!
My Oma and Opa!  I love you so much and am so grateful to have such amazing grandparents!  Thank you for all you have done for me and continue to teach me.  
Thank you for a fabulous week and making it possible for Roux and I to make it to out!  

Thurs Ark

Thursday we had family pix (I'll post those next) then afterwards we went to a reptile "museum".  It was this little shop with reptiles.  Uncle Keith will go down there and give the guy (we'll call him "Steve") chickens to feed the snakes so we were able to hold the reptiles and spiders.  I have a fascination with both spiders and snakes so I was all for holding and handling and watching them eat.  

This is one of the small tarantula's they had.

This is the alligator we were able to hold and after we held it Steve threw a mouse in the tub and we got to watch the gator eat.  It was pretty cool.  Roux touched it and kept saying he wanted to hold it but when I would get it close to his hands to hold he would back away.  He's getting more and more brave.
I forget what the name of this snake is but it's some kind of Boa.  This one was 40 lbs and is said to get up to 400 lbs!  I believe Steve said this snake was 9 yrs old and will get up into it's 30's in age.  The thing was HUGE!
Roux getting brave looking at the albino python.  We fed this one the chicken. 

Wed Ark

In the morning Opa, Keith, Taylor and I went golfing.  I usually golf left handed but didn't have clubs so used Oma's right handed ones.  I read Opa's Tiger Woods golf book and had been practicing in the backyard with whiffle balls for a couple of days before our big morning.  Opa cracks me up, ha ha ha.  Our tee time was at 7 which is 5 AZ time, a little early for me.  The first hit was definitely not good, it took me the front 9 to warm up.  Opa would say "Just relax, now hurry up!"  He was telling me to do something and I turned to him and said, "but Tiger Woods said..."  What a fun morning.  Taylor and I rock!  I think I am going to switch to right handed since 95% of golfers are right handed and it's just easier to find clubs.  I would still prefer left though.

Wednesday at the lake four generations on the tubes.  Roux actually stayed on for a few min going really slow.  He wasn't crying but I'm not sure he "enjoyed" it.  After Roux and I got off Oma and mom stayed on one tube and Aunt Coree and Susan got on the other.  Coree tried to dump off her own mom!  When Oma did fall off she forgot to let go of the tube.  Good times had.  I didn't go boarding or do anything in the water.  I'm the oldest grandchild and didn't "fit in" with the "old folks" or the "young" ones so it was a little awkward, that is where I missed having my own siblings there.  Next time hopefully Lars, Heidi and Mike can come.

Roux and his cousin Vika.  She has my nickname and I feel sorry for Coree and Gavin since the traits seem to get passed along from the people you're named from.  Good luck and if you need any help call and I will tell you what to expect.  :)

Arkansas!

We just got back from Arkansas from the Bramwell family reunion for Opa and Oma's 50th anniversary.  It was so much fun!!  They moved there about 6 years ago and this is the first time I have been out to visit them.  I am very grateful for the opportunity we had to spend time with family.  

We went to Beaver lake (I think that is the name) Tuesday and Wednesday.  These are some pix from Tuesday.  Roux figured out how to use the life jacket and was swimming all over the place.  The problem is when we went swimming yesterday in the pool without the jacket he kept trying to swim by himself.  He didn't want me to touch him at all so I pulled out the floaties.  He didn't want them on at first but once I put them on he swam all over the pool.  It's kind of nice now he is getting more and more independent.

Roux with his cousins Emmi, Nicole, Jonny and his Nonna.

Independence Day

On the 4th Cody and Eric had a bbq with some friends and afterwards one of them needed to pick up his boat he had rented out for the weekend and invited us up.  The renters of the boat had broke the prop so we could only go about 7 mph but Roux had fun driving the boat and swimming in the lake.  Roux would jump off the side of the boat but had to have someone touching him in the water or else would freak out.  I've said this before but Roux sure LOVES the water.  I have to be really careful watching him around it.

Roux and Eric driving the boat at race speeds of 7 mph.  ha ha


I'm not as politically empowered by Heidi but I am grateful for the country I live in, however, I can't wait to have my beach house in Costa Rica!  I think it would be sweet to live in different countries.  

Ball Game

Yesterday Roux and I went to the last place Diamondbacks game with Brittney and her as of last night fiance, Jory.  She invited us on Tuesday and I asked her if she was sure she wanted to use the tickets on me and a kid.  The seats were AMAZING!  We were right by the Angels dugout and the ball Roux is holding is one of the game balls someone gave him.  Not signed but still pretty cool.  

Roux is trying to eat cotton candy which he doesn't really like.  He tried wiping it off his tongue while it was dissolving.  He was funny to watch, I guess he's not much of a candy eater.  He is so weird about food.  He had a couple sips of Jory's Mt Dew and that was enough to keep him going for the entire game.
Not very good picture of us but the best I could get.  He had his mouth full of grapes.  He was soo good!  I guess it helps that he has been going places and doing these sort of outings since he was a couple of months.  When he was two months we went to his nanny, Lindsay's boyfriend, Ian, minor league hockey game and again when he played in Salt Lake after we had moved.  Speaking of them, we sure miss you guys.  Maybe a trip to Canada to visit, eh?
This is how stinking close we were to the field.  The best part was when we yelled, they could actually HEAR what we were saying!!!  
Thank you Brittney for sharing the tickets and giving us an afternoon out with you!  And Congratulations on the engagement!!!!

More Utah

I wasn't around for the Roasting of the Mallows but it sure looked like they had fun.  

Again, I wasn't there but Heidi and Nonna took the kids to the pool and they had a great time.  I'm not sure how they were able to stay in the FREEZING water though!  It has been raining up there for weeks so not a lot of sunshine to warm up the water.  


Thank you for letting us stay with you every six weeks!  We'll do it again in August.  Next stop, family reunion in Arkansas!

Don't forget to check out "Familia Brown" blog page for some super cute slings!

Utah

Roux is still terrified of being on a horse with out Poppa holding him.  I don't blame him, if I was that little I'd probably be a little scared too (well, maybe not, but I understand.)

Deegan is so freaking big now.  When did kids start growing up?  

 Scare-dee Roux.  Poor kid. 
Observing the action of the horse from the security of Poppa's hand.

Growing

Seems like the only time I really post anything is when I go to Utah.  Huh...  It was a crazy week for me.  Worked the entire time while Roux got to play with Nonna and Poppa.  (He starts crying when he sees their picture hanging on the fridge, it is so sad.  He sure loves and misses them.)  Also was able to be there for Syiera's blessing, sort of.  Roux was crying so we were down stairs. (I'm sure I spelled her name wrong, sorry.)  Here are a few pictures with Nonna and Poppa and Sy.

These were taken in AZ at the house.  Roux finished his applesauce and was sucking the cup to his face.  It is so fun to watch all the things he is learning.  Some of them are frustrating but that is part of growing, right?
This is his new play place, under the only cupboard we have.  Good thing there is not a lot of stuff in there.  He likes to sort all of the tupperware.  I always wonder what is going through his little mind.