New Flash

For Christmas, I got a new flash for my camera! I LOVE it! Here are just a few pics I took while playing around with it...

 Lainey's doing a passé on the trampoline. (Why wouldn't you?)

 cheese face #1

 #2

 #3 (with Tiana and Rapunzel)

 #4

 #5 

(As soon as I would take the picture, he'd run over to where I was and demand that I show him what he looked like on the screen!)

 #6 (and a good look at that split front tooth)

cute Asher

Grandfather's Memorial

On December 23rd, our family gathered to celebrate my Grandfather's life. He had passed away on August 5th of this year. Many traveled across the country to be at this event; it was truly remarkable that everyone was able to come and I think Grandfather would have loved it. What a memorable evening we had sharing stories, letters, and sayings that Grandfather regularly used (current and past). It was an event full of laughter and tears. :) We love you Grandfather! We miss you. Thank you for being part of our lives.

In relation to me...

Top Row: Uncle Dan, Cousin Nate, Cousin-in-law Stefo, Matt, Dad, Cousin-in-law Brian

Middle Row: Walker, Ben, Uncle Wayne, Aunt Nancy, Aunt Martha, Aunt Sarah, Mom

Bottom Row: me, Cousin Lizzie (holding Charli, Nate & Sara's daughter), Lainey, Cousin Kate (and her 6-week-old daughter, Lucie), Grandmother, Cousin Anne (holding her son Tom), Cousin Rachel, Cousin-in-law Sara (holding Andi, Charli's big sister). 

Maybe Daddy Won't See...

Lainey came downstairs announcing that she had written her name on "Daddy's table." She said that we couldn't see it because she covered it up with a piece of paper. And she was not going to tell Daddy about it. I pointed out that Daddy would probably see it anyway...so I had better go check it out. And this is what I found written on Daddy's desk. "DOD" is supposed to be "DAD." Thanks to magic eraser, which, for the record, does not remove washable marker from walls (Walker's doing...sorry again, Greg and Tisha), and some Old English scratch remover Daddy's desk is all good now. :)

Merry Christmas!

I must say that we had a wonderful Christmas. Maybe it's because we have much to be grateful for, maybe it's because Lainey really "got it" this year, maybe it's because Walker is so easily excited, or maybe it's because we got to spend the day with all of our loved ones. Probably all of the above. It was a fabulous - albeit exhausting - day, and we are grateful for the time we spent surrounded by our family members!

 Emmy and Tuck and Uncle Matt came up for Christmas morning and brunch. It was perfect!

 Walker got a fire truck. He LOVES it.
(P.S. - Dad, your legs look exactly like Grandfather's in this picture!)

 And Lainey got a beautiful princess castle. :) It's big.

 No day would be complete without a flapjack fit from Walker.

 The bird's-eye view. And yes, our trampoline has been spending time in our living room lately. It's been a good thing for the kids!

After brunch, we got dress sand headed over to Yiyia and Bud's where we celebrated with the rest of the family. Lainey walked into the house with her purse full of My Little Ponies that she was "gonna share with everyone" and her stylin' new twirling dress and leg warmers that Emmy got for her. 

 "Guess what I got for Christmas? Leg Warmers!"

(She was so excited to announce this fact and show these leg warmers to everyone! And this picture is cute because those boots are on the wrong feet!)

 Cally (9), Brooke (10), Kate (8)

(I swear, time is flying!! I can't believe these girls are so grown-up and so beautiful!)

 Lainey and her American Girl Doll named Lanie

Walker and his helicopter. Sadly, this toy was not built to withstand Walker. Or me. :) We both contributed to its demise!

Walker loves this inchworm. Uncle Greg was the intended recipient (as a child, he apparently loved this toy) but given that Uncle Greg probably wasn't going to play with it very much, he let Walker borrow it for the foreseeable future!

We hope that you all had a Merry Christmas!

Less is more?

 'Tis the season for Chapstick!

A Series of Blurry Pictures

Ho Ho Ho from Santa's little helper! This one is currently suffering from a sinus infection and hand/foot/mouth disease! Merry Christmas to Walker! :) 

Thankfully, after a rough few days and repeated doses of Advil and Tylenol and Augmentin, Walker is on the mend. Now here's hoping that Lainey doesn't get HFM...yuck!!

Bobcat, Round 2

Again! The stinker. I only got a short video of him - prior to my filming, he had been playing with the rope handles on our sandbox! Just like a cat...it was kinda cute. :) 

The Nutcracker

Yesterday, Lainey and I had the pleasure of going to see the Nutcracker with a group of moms and their daughters. Prior to the performance, one of the moms (Laura) and her friend (Stephanie) hosted a fabulous Sugar Plum Fairy Tea. The girls got to drink out of real glass cups and eat off of real glass plates! Such a treat. They also got to make their own snow globes!! Laura is super crafty and just went above and beyond to make this day memorable and special for the girls and their moms. It certainly was..thank you, Laura!

 (a partial group shot)

 (I just like Lainey's expression in this photo. I'm sure I'll see more of that look as the years go by...)

During the performance, the girls did great. It was two hours long, and by the time 5:00 rolled around we were all getting pretty antsy. Lainey danced in front of her chair towards the end, and I was content to let her do that because it meant that she wasn't wiggling around in her chair (or in my lap). Throughout the ballet, Lainey asked me about 1,000 questions about the dancers and why this was happening or why that was happening. She truly enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to making this an annual tradition!

Walker, 22 Months Old

1. Favorite new activity? jumping and galloping 
2. Unfortunate character trait? impatience, going "boneless" (dead weight) when I don't want to do something
3. New words? "shay"(shake); "uh" (up); "dah" (down); "ockey" (hockey); “eehhh” (eew); “abuh”  (open); "amah" (straightens his arm, opens and closes his hand, and says this word...it must mean he wants something); "ah-guh" (all gone); "eye buh" (eyebrow);  "buh buh" (baby); "poo poo"; "hum" (home...I say it exactly how Lainey used to say it); "dee dee" (dizzy – I know this is what happens when I turn around and around); "Ho Ho Ho" for what Santa says; "tah" (stop); "ow" (out); "Dahdah" (Dora); "dah" (dog); "Sissuh" (Sister/Sissy); "eye" (I/eye); "cee" (the letter C); "yay"; "yeah" (complete with a head nod) 
4. Least favorite activities? going through the car wash, being strapped in a stroller/car seat, getting a haircut
5. Favorite thing do to outside? Ride my tricycle (well, my mom pushes me and I pretend to pedal) and jumping on the trampoline is fun. I also like slides. But not if they have wood chips on them. I will point and fuss until someone gets them off the slide.
6. Cute character trait? I'm shy unless I really know you. If I don't know you, then I put my head on my mom's shoulder or I turn around so I don't have to face the person.
7. Funny eating habit? I eat pizza upside down...and usually, the cheese side first.
8. Every day you take an object or item to school. Why is this? I like to hold things in my hand and don't like to let them go. I think it's a comfort thing. Fruit snacks, chap stick, toy cars, bath toys, ornaments, rocks, toy dinosaurs, etc. Sometimes I even sleep with them in my crib! Usually, at school, my teachers can do what my mom couldn't do: take it out of my hands because there are so many other fun things at school to play with!
9. Funny thing you do? stick my tongue in and out like I'm talking and waggle it back and forth
10. What bothers you? I don't like it when things are misplaced. My cup of milk goes on the coaster on my bedside table, not my mom's Coke Zero. I don't like books on the floor when I go to bed; they should be in the bookshelf. I don't like taking "different" routes on my tricycle. I like to go the same way, every single time. Food remnants on my cup or my binky bother me. I don't like it when balloons float up to the ceiling. They don't belong there! I also like to wear socks and shoes, not one or the other.
11. And what happens when you get bothered? I usually throw a whopper of a fit. I cry and scream and kick and lie down wherever I may be.
12. My sister... is great. I love to copy everything she does. If she jumps, I jump. If she runs, I run. If she squeals, I squeal. If she tries to make something, I try to make the same thing. If she forms a letter "O" with her hands, I try to form a letter "O" with my hands. :) Most of the time she's really, really good at playing with me!
13. I am the most hyper at... 8:00 p.m. (My sister and I like to play crazy at this time.)
14. How are you when you awaken from naps or in the morning? I'm grumpy and I wake up slowly...I don't like anyone messing with me until I've fully awakened.
15. I will cling to my mom's legs... when I'm put in a new situation.
16. What is something you love? I love being rocked. If someone is reading to me and not rocking back and forth, I'll push up against them to make them rock back and forth. I really don't like it when Lainey sits in my rocking chair in my room; I especially don't like it when my mom or dad sits in that chair with her.
17. I like... wearing my coat. I'll even point to it!
18. How do you feel about diaper changes? They are not so bad anymore. Sometimes I'll grab at my diaper and willingly lie down to get my diaper changed.
19.  My dog, Reagan... is very wary of me. She doesn't like me all that much, I don't think.
20. How do you feel about TV shows and movies? I'm starting to react to them more...I'm starting to get scared and I'll laugh and I'll do what the characters are doing (if they ask for audience participation, that is). If Dora asks me who we ask for help when we don't know where to go, I'll answer her by saying, "Muh!" (for Map). If Dora asks me to "shake" I'll yell, "Shay shay shay!" and move my arms and legs. I also like to move my arms and dance like Dora does when she sings the "We Did It" song at the end of the show. If there happens to be a singing performance on TV, sometimes I'll try to sing along with the singers and I'll even make some repetitive singing noises.
21. What is something you are obsessed with? CHRISTMAS LIGHTS! Whenever I see them, I say, "Tee tee!" (This refers to "ree-tee-teets," the name Bud gave to Christmas lights when he was just a little boy...the name has stuck around the Harris family ever since!)
22. What do you like to do after school? Lots of times we play on the playground. I love hanging on the bars and sliding on the slides. However, if I don't like where my mom has put our bags, I'll single-handedly drag each one over to her so she can put them in a new spot. Sometimes I just grab one bag, other times I try to grab all four.
23. I answered my first "real" question! My mom asked me if the water was hot or cold, and I answered with, "Ha Ha!" (That means "hot.") (And I also realize that my question was an easy one!)
24. Whenever I don't want my mom to sing, I push her face away. My teachers say that I love singing at school! I also hide my face when I don't want to say "hi" or if I don't want to be videoed or photographed.  Sometimes I try to push the phone/camera away, too.
25. I love to point out any and all trucks, school buses, or construction vehicles.
26. The only two-word phrase I say is, "Hi, Yiyia!" (But I only do this when talking on the pretend phone.) I do say the word "Yiyia" when we drive into her neighborhood.
27. In what area have you regressed? I am totally, 100% addicted to my binky and blankie. Remember when I had gotten so good at keeping them in my crib? Well, not so much anymore. I hope I get to keep it till Kindergarten! :)
28. What is one really helpful thing that you do? I like throwing things away. I don't like holding trash, so I always hand it to my mama or I throw it away if I see a trash can. However, I've also thrown away some things that I shouldn't have. Once I threw away Lainey's can that she uses for school notes and projects and another time I threw away Ainsley's snack bowl. Hey, they both looked like trash items to me!
29. What is one thing you are especially proud of? At 22 months? I am really good at carrying around four binkies and three blankies. And I am proud of that. And sometimes I like to add a little car or toy to that load. :)
30. How are your teeth? Well, I'm getting two new ones! Two new molars. One on the top, and one on the bottom. They don't make me too grumpy, but I am drooling a lot and like to chew on things a little more than usual.
31. What makes you so happy? Food, milk, cuddling with my mom or dad, watching Dora the Explorer on TV, racing my trucks around on the hardwood floors, chasing my sister, playing with the Christmas tree ornaments, going to school and playing with Grace and Jenna and Mattie (my three best girls at school), hanging on bars (at the playground), art projects (especially using markers and paint), and imitating Lainey's dance moves and gymnastics moves (I'd LOVE to be in her class - either one - gymnastics or dance).
32. You reserve the right to... be picky about what shirt I wear. 
33. How do you serve your community? I'm currently the president of the I-Hate-Getting-My-Nose-Suctioned Club and I'm the vice-president of the Couldn't-Care-Less-About-Getting-My-Teeth-Brushed Association. Oh, and I'm a member of I-Hate-Getting-My-Face-And-Nose-Wiped Club.
34. I make it hard to... take me into restrooms. I like to flush the toilet constantly. Even when you're sitting on it! Usually I cry because my mom makes me stop, and my sister's yelling at me, but I continue to try to do it anyway. :)
35. If you could be an animal, what would you be? A parrot. I am getting good at repeating words!

 He's got a great "cheese" smile. :)

 "Abuh! Abuh!" (Open! Open!)

Walker, we love you!! You are the cutest thing ever...and so, so lovable. 

Even when you're cranky and being unreasonable. :) Happy 22 months!!  

*It's hard to believe that Lainey was just 22 months old when Walker was born. He still seems like such a baby to me...wow! I think he'd have a hard time with a new baby in the house. :) He might not have adapted as well as Lainey did!

Bobcats!

This is what I woke up to this morning! In our backyard! I heard a noise, and Reagan was barking, and what I thought was just the wind knocking something down turned out to be bobcats playing in our yard! Holy moly. Reagan would be a Scooby snack for these things. I think I'll let her out to go potty at lunchtime..! I told Lainey we couldn't let her outside because the bobcats might eat her. And she responded with, "And then we won't have a dog anymore? But I love Reagan." I don't think that feeling is mutual, but I think Reagan would be happy knowing that Lainey does love her. 

*And, yes, these pictures are horrible...taken through the window in our bedroom.

 Mama

 Baby

 Baby Bobcat is playing with the rope handles on our sandbox. Like a house cat! She/He was batting it back and forth and attacking it with her/his paws. Kinda cute. In a wild-animal kind of way.

A few days ago I saw the bobcats in our neighbor's yard playing with their Rudolph lawn ornament. Well, playing is not the right word. Stalking is a better word. I think they were unsure as to what to think of it!

 Mama, again, watching her baby play. Reminds me of me in the backyard!

time to leave 

(Turns out that was a false alarm. I think they are still out there!)

 Mama pooped in our backyard. So she's covering it up. Thanks, Mama.

 Who knows. I guess she's keeping watch...I think her baby is playing in the neighbor's yard, behind the shrubs.