Week 24 and 25

Honestly, I'm not sure where I am on my weekly updates. I know I need to catch up a bit...we've been on a cruise (that post to follow...hopefully soon!) and I've lost track of time! :)

Lainey // Both you and Walker love having "fashion shows" with my shoes. And you are awfully good at getting my shoes down and then putting them away...and for that, I am grateful. I am not totally sure how you get the shoes back onto the top shelf (that even I need a stool to reach) but that's okay. You seem to manage. :) You love, love, love your American Girl dolls. You packed an entire bag for Grace (your doll) for the cruise and you've already packed Lanie (your other doll) for our trip to Colorado. :) You have even made a video (on your [deactivated] phone) discussing the things you will be packing for your doll...and how you've arranged it all in your bags. :) I think you would love a YouTube channel... :) Ha! 

Walker // You use the word "handsome" quite often! And it's so hilarious. For example, when looking in your closet, you will point out that a certain shirt (usually a button-down...with a collar) will make you look handsome. (Might I add that you do NOT like to wear shirts with collars or buttons...even though they absolutely do make you look handsome!) Emmy also has a picture of you on her computer that you request to view when you are at her house...you refer to this picture as "Handsome Walker." :) Apparently it's one we have at our house too, but the one on Emmy's computer is "bigger." :) You also love to eat chicken nuggets. But you call them "chicken nuggies." So now we all call them "chicken nuggies." :)

I'll be sure to keep you posted...

I'll let you know how this story ends. Could be a real page-turner. :)

And here is a sample of Walker's work.

And again. I'm so glad he can spell "toots." :)

Walker's cute little eye :)

T-Ball Updates :)

Thursday night, after our T-Ball game...

Walker hitting Brayden. So typical.

Over the last 18 months or so, Walker has become SO physical. He just needs something to do with all of his energy. :) And thankfully, Brayden is (mostly) the same way so they just mess with each other all the time. Once, I had them both in the grocery store, and my only instructions were "Don't hurt anyone else and don't damage any property." :) 

Walker makes weird faces these days.

Thanks, Brayden, for smiling. :)

Sunday, after our T-Ball game...

AND! Look who got a black eye in the first inning of his T-Ball game! He was playing pitcher, and the ball bounced off the ground and hit him in the eye. 

To our amazement, Walker continued to play the entire game. And held it together pretty well. Anyone who knows Walker knows what a big deal this is!

Today's update:

Getting better! What a shiner. :) 

The Start of Summer

Summer is off to a good start! Lainey's been a little sick...a weird, on-and-off virus that has involved vomiting, loss of appetite, a little fever...just strange. Between these little bouts of sickness, we've played with kittens and puppies at the pet store. 

Lainey LOVES cats.

No kittens were actually harmed during this photo session.

This is the puppy. He/She was all over the place.

We've also learned that Princess Scales is actually a "he." So he's Prince Scales. But to me, he will always be Princess Scales. The pink plant and the pearl necklace hanging out of the treasure chest are strong indicators of his feminine side. :) 

Week 23

Walker // You love wearing these two Rainbow Loom bracelets right now...one is a light blue one and the other is a camouflage one. Both were made by your (second) cousin Andi while we were in Galveston. You take them off for swimming but that's about it...otherwise, you wear them constantly...one on each wrist. And the blue one even glows in the dark! I think you have worn these two bracelets longer than Lainey has ever worn anything. :) You have also just made me laugh lately with your random sayings...for instance, you call to me by saying, "M-O-M-M-Y!" and you often tell me, "Mommy? I space L-O-V-E space Y-O-U space so much." Thanks, Buddy. Love you, too.

You read this sentence the other day on our TV: "Odie finds a strange big bone in the garden; John buys a cleaning robot"....and yes, we do watch a lot of The Garfield Show. But I think it's strange. That you can read. 

***

Lainey // You are becoming quite opinionated about clothes! I don't feel like I can go shopping without you anymore. You have an opinion (thankfully, it's always stated nicely) about your clothing...so it's just safer if I take you with me. Your favorite clothing store is Justice. :)

Lainey and her friend Noor, on the second-to-last day of First Grade. :)

Sweet Lainey

Sweet girl...I love that she picks out her own outfits without a care in the world. I'll be sad when she starts to realize that maybe her choices aren't the most fashionable...but for now, I love her random, sweet, innocent fashion sense. :) (She did eventually remove the leggings...not sure if it was because she was hot or if it was the particular style she was sporting.) :)

This is Lainey in relay-race mode at her friend Faith's birthday party. 

It was a "Willy Wonka" themed party...and my goodness, did this girl eat her fair share of candy.

Lainey made this for me on Saturday, before her last set of recitals. So sweet! :)

Update on Walker

Walker Harris. I realize I have a lot to say about the boy but not a lot of opportunity. So...I'm taking a moment now.

Walker is a clever, sweet-hearted kid with a heck of a temper. He gets frustrated so easily and loses his temper quite quickly. We're working on the "take a breath and walk away" technique. He's a perfectionist who is really hard on himself if he doesn't do something well - a bad combination. But many times, these personality traits go hand-in-hand.

Walker...

• is an excellent listener and responder. He says "Yes ma'am" more often than not and realizes his boundaries. 
• is obsessed with time and numbers. He told me today, "I wish I could control time." Well, Buddy, that would be nice. He's also very aware of the times we (usually) eat dinner, take a bath, and go to bed...and if we're early or late to any one of those things. It's sorta funny. He's our little timekeeper. 
• is a challenge to take to the grocery store. He always asks "How many more things to we have to get?" and then he'll keep me accountable. Because one is always able to stick to their list white at the grocery store. 
• starts his rebuttals with "But Mommy..."
• burps all the time.
• is very physical and has a lot of pent-up energy. He drives Lainey and Reagan crazy sometimes.
• will squeeze my cheeks and tell me, "I'll never leave you." And to further emphasize this fact, once, in a department store, I took a different route to the escalator and wondered why he didn't follow me. He surprised me by taking a shortcut. I said, "Walker, you can't leave me like that." He replied with, "Mommy, I'll never leave you." 
• is against "texture" on his feet and hands like sand, grass, mud, dirt... Dirty feet are okay as long as the dirt is not texturized...if that makes sense. 
• is really good with babies and kids younger than him. He loves them. (Baby Eva, his second cousin, is a perfect example.)
• once compared his "peanit" to Baby Jesus when playing in the bathtub. I frequently let the kids play with shaving cream in the bathtub. One time, when the bathtub, he exclaimed, "Look! It's Baby Jesus!" (He was referring to his penis - his "peanit" - surrounded by white shaving cream, which apparently resembled Baby Jesus in swaddling blankets.)
• is obsessed with having a clean bottom. He examines it in the mirror. Having a dirty bottom is one of his biggest fears.
• mouths words without speaking the words and expects us to understand. :) 
• called tangerines "tambourines" for awhile... :)
• likes to have a collection of things on his nightstand...a couple of Hot Wheels, a random assortment of things from his "collection" (i.e. his drawers of random "stuff"), and of course, his clock.
• always wants to see the digital clock turn "__:00." And he loves reading the temperature and knowing "what degrees it is outside." (Everyone, I know what you're thinking. I think he's just quirky...if he had social adaptation issues, I'd be more concerned. But he has relatively normal interactions with his peers and adults...for the most part. He's shy, but I think he can make eye contact and have (short) conversations with people, even if he's a bit anxious.)
• has lots of excuses for things. For instance, he once told me I couldn't clean his fingernails because I "might dig into [his] bones."
• sporadically thanks me for things. :) This melts my heart.
• still wants me to hold his hand while he sits on the potty in a public restroom. He doesn't want his hand to touch anything else in the bathroom, so he holds my hand "because [I'm] not a bathroom." I guess that means I'm clean, haha!

Love this sweet boy for all that he is. He's a handful, for sure, and I'm not 100% sure that I'll survive summer, but I am confident that he will never, ever leave me. Unlike Lainey who will probably go to New York someday. Walker will stay put. Maybe in our house.... :) Haha!

Lainey's Second Set of Dance Recitals, 2015

Friday night, after the final day of first grade, Lainey had her ballet recital. How pretty are these girls in their costumes? I love it! They are sweet!

Olivia, Asena, Lainey, Morgan, and Juliana

again :)

I'm so in love with this new hairspray that I had to photograph what Lainey's hair looks like after I hairspray it and after I remove the bobby pins and rubber bands. Besides the fact that she looks 14, I'm totally impressed with our awesome new hairspray!

She woke up Saturday morning and started dancing. Of course. Why not?

I have the privilege of working backstage for most of the shows. I love this...mostly because I love kids and I like being able to help people. I think it'd be different if I didn't love being around kids. Because being backstage is work! :) Anyway, Walker was with me for a bit because Ben had to do damage control at the lease with my dad. So, Walker hung out with me backstage. Walker thought all of these big girls were "so nice" and when we played a board game, they were eager to play with him.  I think I see future babysitters... :) 

Lainey. Playing "Never Have I Ever." A very silly version! "Never have I ever eaten a brown banana."

Ready go to! I took this just before she went onstage for ballet recital #2. :)

After the final recital (mind you, there were 6 total) we took the girls out to the fountains outside the Eisemann Center to let them blow off a little steam. It was so fun and before we knew it, it was 9:30 p.m.! :) 

Congratulations on an amazing year, girls. We love you all!

Last Day of First Grade, 6-5-15

Of course. This is the pose I get when I ask her to smile. :) Her hair looks like this because it had to be parted down the middle for Friday night's dance recital. We set the foundation early to make it easier for us later in the day. :)

Last walk to school for first grade! :) Next August I'll be walking a kindergartener and a second grader to school! :)

They really do love each other. They play so well together and for that, I am SO grateful.

We finally went to the pediatrician for Lainey's 7-year checkup. She weighs a solid 54.8 pounds (50th-75th percentile) and is 48-1/2 inches tall (50th-75th percentile). Her iron level is 13.1. And let's just say that the iron finger prick was quite traumatic. :)

 A random butterfly we saw on Lainey's last day of school...so beautiful!

Princess Scales

Welcome to the family, Princess Scales. Lainey's big sis at the dance studio gave this to her as an end-of-year gift. Lainey is obsessed and in love with sweet Princess Scales. And I'm not gonna lie, there's something quite fantastic about a non-demanding, quiet, peaceful pet who doesn't bite your kids or bark at every noise she hears. ;) I have no idea how to take care of a Betta fish. I need to do some research. Right now, her water is very cloudy and gross-looking. But I've been told that they like it that way? And all those shells at the bottom are from our little trip to the river the other day...but I'm afraid that little additions like these may be the beginning of the end for Princess Scales. I have no idea. This is pressure! I'll keep you updated. :)

Talent Show 2015

Lainey performed at the talent show today! She performed her solo ("My Boyfriend's Back") with a  few of her own moves. :) 

Here is a quick video! :) Hopefully it plays!

Playin' Down by the River

We live near a greenbelt and a creek/river feature. Not really sure what it is. But anyway, on Sunday, Lainey and her friend Ainsley rode their bikes with Ainsley's mom, Kelley, down to play by the water! 

Lainey looks so old here. I think it's because the previous night's hair/makeup hadn't been properly dealt with...therefore, she looks a bit older. Residual eye makeup can add a few years! :) 

looking for shells

(notice the dance clothes, again)

On Monday afternoon, Lainey, Walker, Lainey's friend Berkley, and I rode our bikes down to play by the water. Except my kids got IN the water. And they got so wet. And Lainey came home with a splinter. 

Dance clothes...again...this time with a t-shirt covering her dance top.

Both kids learned how to skip rocks! A necessary life skill!

I'm pretty sure the fact that we had just vacationed at the beach had something to do with the kids' desire to splash though the water. :)