STARS Game

On Saturday night, we went to the Dallas Stars game! I love live hockey games. They are always entertaining and very fast-paced. We made it through two of the three periods; we left when the Stars were ahead, but sadly, they lost in the third period. It was probably our fault. :) 

Before leaving, Lainey put this pretty crown on Reagan. She misses the good ole days. When the kids didn't exist. Seven years ago. But who's counting? Reagan is. That is who is counting.

They are giggling like crazy.

At the game! Highlights: Lainey was worried that the "guys in the black and white" (referees...hmm...this girl hasn't been to many sports games) were going to get knocked over by the players and she was slightly confused by the overly chatty masculine-looking female sitting near us. And even though confused, she was still somewhat polite. Walker didn't really appreciate her at all.

Typical. Walker thought the game was taking "400 million hours" and just really wanted to go after the next "round." (Ha!) 

He's super cooperative. And the lighting inside the American Airlines Center is terrible. If I were to provide a hashtag for this picture, it would be #mamaneedsbotox.

Yep. #stillneedbotox

I think he's trying to smile behind his hands. And clearly I'm confused about where to look when taking a selfie. :)

This is the photo that I posted on Instagram. :)

Walker is FIVE!

Walker is FIVE! We opened his presents before Lainey went to school on Tuesday. And he even let her help him! We have his party this Sunday. It's at our church. For the third year in a row. And he's excited because he's the "buhp-day boy" (birthday boy) and that means he can ride the orange scooter. I hope that goes over well with everyone at the party. I think that's the only reason he wants to have his party at the church...so he and his friends can ride scooters and tear it up on the gym floor! 

Walker loves to play Zingo. We have three versions - numbers, pictures, and sight words. Oddly enough, Walker is "reading" really well. He has picked it up quickly and can actually predict what words say. It's sort of amazing to me. I didn't know he could do that. Obviously, he still has a LONG way to go in the reading department, but the fact that he can read any words at all is amazing to me. And a little crazy! 

Walker told us that he's not going to cry anymore now that he's five years old. AND, amazingly, he didn't cry at swim lessons. I was shocked! And so happy that he didn't cry and force the swim instructors at Emler to secretly wish we hadn't signed up for swim lessons.

He got an Enderman! (Minecraft)

And he got THREE Minecraft T-Shirts!

He's so happy. He has already worn all three shirts this week. :) Even though it's been a little chilly. :)

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An interview with Walker...

1. What is your name? Walker Gordon Harris

2. What's your favorite thing to do? Love Mommy.

3. What's your favorite toy? Minecraft toys

4. What is your favorite sport? Running

5. What's your favorite book? I don't know. 

6. What's your favorite stuffed animal? All of the Minecraft ones.

7. What is your favorite TV show? The Garfield Show

8. To go to sleep, what do you need? Creepy. Ducky Blankies. Music. Dinosaur-y. Dream Lites. (He's referring to his turtle nightlight and his Longhorn Dream Lite.)

9. What is your favorite food? Pigs in a blanket

10. Now that you're five years old, what do you want to do? Play Legos. And not cry. Unless I'm hurt.

11. What else can you tell me about being a five year old? I can jump high on the trampoline. I got some new shoes. I wear big-boy clothes. 

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Some other random Walker facts...

Walker uses similes. Because that's normal. But it totally makes me laugh because you never know what two things he's going to compare. For example, he can finally - FINALLY - buckle himself in his 5-point harness car seat. And, might I add, this is wonderful for Mommy. Today, while he was buckling himself in, he got a little frustrated (and teary) and said, "I'm pushing this as hard as a tornado and I can't get it to go in!" Ha! Another time, he told me that he was "as cold as winter" after getting out of the water at swim lessons. I agreed with him. I think his lips had started to turn blue!

He likes to become a "rock" on the floor when refusing to get dressed or just after bath. He curls into a ball with his knees tucked underneath him. :)

He's a really good listener, and I usually only have to ask him to do something one time.

He does "magic tricks" which really aren't magic tricks at all. For example, Walker will hold a chip and say, "Mommy. Close your eyes. I'm going to do a magic trick." And I'll close my eyes. And when I open my eyes he will have eaten the chip. True magic, I tell ya. :)

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY sweet Walker. We LOVE love LOVE you. We're so excited (and a little anxious) to see what this year has in store for you!

Week 7

Lainey's teacher sent me this picture. This is a note explaining why she loves her teacher. Because "she has [beautiful] hair and a soft body." :) 

flexible and bouncy :)

This is a picture of Walker smiling during swim lessons. I would like this particular moment to be documented...he does, in fact, have fun during swim lessons. However, the scene leading up to this point was not pretty. The silver lining is that is that you will get a (semi-) private lesson if you throw an all-encompassing, head-turning, screeching fit when it's time to get in the pool. :)

at Bahama Bucks :)

Lainey // You have a lot of fears. You won't go upstairs by yourself, and you don't like the sound that the toilet makes when it flushes. So you will flush the toilet and then sprint out of the bathroom. I know to stay out of your way. :) If you wake up before Walker in the morning, you will wake him up so y'all can go downstairs together. And, for the record, I know when you wake up. You are loud. And you stomp. And run. Walker is very quiet...I don't know he's awake until he actually makes it downstairs. 

Walker // You are still singing Christmas songs. And a couple of your favorite topics of conversation are tooting and pooping. You pronounce the word "earth" as "uhf" and you refer to "Wheat Thins" (one of your favorite snacks) as "Wea-Fins." :) 

Another Tooth Gone

These front teeth. Lainey knocked the first one out when she was 21 months old when she ran into the giant blue slide at the Wiggly Play Center. And, last night, she knocked out the other front tooth. (It was very wiggly, for the record. Unlike the first one!) She was trying to copy some crazy ninja move that Walker was doing and her tooth connected with her knee (and made a mark) and out it came. Then came the tears. She just "wasn't ready" for it to come out. She might just be a tiny bit dramatic. :)

She's not happy. It feels weird and it hurts a little but she's glad that she doesn't have to "worry about it anymore." So that's good. :) Poor girl. Fourth tooth lost - and all have come out in some weird way. 

Top right tooth: slide

Bottom two teeth in the center: Walker's bottom 

(He sat on her face two times - the first time was accidental, the second time was intentional because the method worked so well the first time.)

Top left tooth: her own knee 

A Busy Weekend

I'm NOT doing well with these blog posts lately. Truth be told, we are just busy. And my camera (ahem...uh, my phone) isn't out as often as it should be. I will do the best I can to recap each week! This past weekend, Lainey and I had a dance convention/competition and Ben and Walker went to the lease! By themselves! They had fun - Walker liked that it was "just boys." :)

Getting ready to head out on a three-hour drive to the lease...

by the campfire, at the lease with Daddy

on the way home

Lainey and Morg (just before Morgan vomited five times)...any bets as to how long it'll take Lainey to come down with the stomach bug? ;)

after competition, just waiting for awards

Big Sis and Little Sis

with Devyn :)

The girls...just before dancing on Saturday morning. Lainey is on the far left. 

***

This convention/competition was held at the same location as the NUVO convention/competition that we attended in December. This fact only occurred to Lainey about seven hours after she arrived at the hotel. Our conversation went a bit like this:

Lainey: "This place looks exactly like NUVO." (She's referring to the hotel.)

Me: "This is the same place."

Lainey: "It is?"

Me: "Yes." 

I love this girl, but she can be so clueless sometimes. I think it's because she's such a laid-back child. Book smart...yes. Common sense...not so much. She's very "black" or "white" at this stage in life - something either "is" or "isn't." Not much grayness or compromise in her world.:) 

Lainey's other thoughts on the weekend...shared with me at 10:15 p.m. on Friday night on our way back to Emmy and Tuck's house after competition:

• Lainey: "I sometimes don't like 'Hanging by a Thread.' Because it talks sad. And it makes me cry. But I just pretend my eyes are watering."  ("Hanging by a Thread" is a beautiful lyrical piece that her friends perform at competitions.)
• Lainey: "I think 'You Don't Own Me' is about girls who marry weird and ugly boys but are telling them that they don't need to do everything with them. They can do some things alone." ("You Don't Own Me" - remember the movie First Wives Club? With Bette Midler? That's what song Lainey's referring to. Again, it's a performance piece for some of the girls in her dance company! She loves this dance...it's actual title is "Prom 2025." It's an awesome piece and SO entertaining. I just smile throughout the entire performance!
• And then we discussed the meaning of selfish. And how McDonalds even exists in downtown Dallas. :) .....It was like taxicab confessions, from a six-year-old girl. :) 

At bedtime, she tried to figure out the best "formations" for her stuffed animals. "Formations" is a word her dance instructors use. Lainey tried to arrange her animals in several different formations for the night - I think she wanted them in prime cuddling positions. The girl loves her stuffed animals. :) 

And then finally, on the way home, she started trying to interpret song lyrics. She said to me, "I think it says 'I still can't juggle.'" (She's referring to the song "Jealous" by Nick Jonas...the song lyrics say "I still get jealous." But I kinda like "I still can't juggle" better.) :) 

Week 6

Walker // You love a cream cheese and jelly sandwich for breakfast EVERY SINGLE MORNING. You would love the crusts cut off, but that doesn't always happen. :)

Lainey // You are such a cuddler. You frequently get in other people's personal space. If I'm at the computer, and you want to see what I'm doing, you'll lean into me. The entire left side of your body will glue itself to mine. Without you even realizing it. It sort of makes Walker crazy when y'all both try to watch a video on his phone because your hair gets in the way or you lean in too closely to him. You love sitting on the laps of the "big girls" at dance competitions...this is your preferred seat when watching other groups perform. Let it be known, however, that you don't like sitting in my lap. :) You also don't like watching yourself on video. If I video a dance (for practicing purposes) you don't like to watch yourself OR practice the dance. At home, you prefer to do your own dancing. 

Week 5

What a week it's been! Lainey got a VERY MILD case of the flu. So mild, that we decided to stick with our plans of going to see Shaping Sound in Ft. Worth! I'm so glad we went, even though it was against my better judgment. I don't break rules very often! This was a big step for us. But, as you can see by the picture, she feels fine. Her fever never got above 100.5. MILD.

From top to bottom...Lainey, Allyson, Faith, and Izzy.

Such a great show. Ally, Lainey, Izzy, and Faith.

Walker took this picture of Reagan. Poor dog.

The day has finally come where these kids play games by themselves. I'm not sad. Not one bit. I'm grateful that they no longer need me to participate/mediate! Play away, kids. Play away.

Walker's sweet picture of "Ducky Blankie."

And this is Walker's picture of our family. "It's yellow shirt day." So we're all wearing yellow shirts. LOVE THIS.

Tamiflu is horrible. Lainey tolerates it, but hates taking it. Walker vomits the entire (preventive) dose of Tamiflu. (For those who are interested...that's $130 down the drain. Literally.)

*****

And....my Week 5 notes to the kids...

Walker // You continually sing Christmas songs. Still. "Feliz Navidad" is a favorite, as well as "Jingle Bells" and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas"...and of course, you still like to substitute your own words for the real ones. 

Lainey // You continue to amaze us. This week, you're finishing your solo with Miss Annie at dance. She is awesome, you are such a hard worker.. and when I watch you...you're just SO strong. A beautiful, strong, graceful dancer who LOVES an audience. What's interesting, though, is that you don't love an audience in "normal life." You are nervous about people singing "Happy Birthday" to you (because you don't know what to do when all eyes are on you) and you don't like to watch videos of yourself dancing. You don't like to arrive late to events where all eyes will be on you as you enter the room (like coming in late to school after a doctor or dentist appointment). You're shy when it comes to accepting compliments from peers, and you get nervous speaking in front of groups (even if you know everyone well). But dance by yourself on a stage? You're totally fine. No problem. I wonder if this is common with performers/dancers? I'll have to research this! :) 

Week 4

Walker // You drive Reagan bananas all day long. ALL. DAY. LONG. You cover her with blankets, get in her face, talk silly to her...throw paper airplanes at her...(see above picture). But, one of the funniest things you've said to us about Reagan is that "she likes to giddy-up on Care Bear all the time." (All you readers out there: just infer what you thinks "giddy up" means.)

Lainey // This week, you are loving anything and everything Taylor Swift. :) Her songs, her videos...all of it. And you're likely to bust into song at any given moment. :)

Week 3

Walker // You are working hard on saying your "sm" and "sp" sounds. You will stop and focus on them if we ask you to. :) You're getting better and better! You also crack us up when you say "persons" instead of "people." We're working on getting you to "just try" things and to not cry when you don't get something right. You are four. You don't have to be perfect. But please...remember to eat at mealtimes. Many times you cry and get so frustrated about something small and insignificant when you just need food. Empty belly + a frustrating situation = BAD NEWS. For everyone involved. 

Lainey // You are still my child who needs sleep. Thankfully you will sleep late on days that you don't have to be awake for school or dance. It's wonderful. :) I don't have a picture of you from this week. But I had a dream last night that you lost your other front tooth! You haven't had two front teeth since you were about 21 months old. Your adult tooth is finally beginning to emerge in that open spot...you're going to look different (and probably talk differently) with two front teeth! Your other front tooth is loose...soon you will be without two front teeth. Just like in my dream. :) 

Bringing Back Sesame Street

So, yes, my kids will still play with toddler toys. :) I started teaching preschool at our church (also Walker's preschool) quarter-time (about 10 hours a week) and I LOVE IT. I'm adjusting to the schedule and the fact that everything for our week (as a family) has to be done over the weekend. Additionally, I try to get up to the preschool on Sunday to get the room ready for Monday. This past Sunday I took the kids and they did not want to leave. I had to keep finding things to do to in order to give them more time to play! 

They sorted the Sesame Street characters. :)

Week 2

Notes to my kids // Week 2:

Lainey //  Tuesday nights are terrible for you. You are at dance until 7:30 p.m., and it seems as though you hold it together until bath time is just about over. Then everything can be a challenge...even brushing your teeth because "the toothbrush hurts when it goes over [your] tongue." That's the level of tiredness we're dealing with. Thankfully you're pretty used to the schedule, you fall asleep quickly and sleep deeply, and you always bounce back the next day.  Lately, you are very emotional and becoming quite particular in your "likes" and "dislikes." Current dislikes...quarter-length sleeves, Cheez-its, and Wheat Thins. Current likes...drawing and art...although you are REALLY hard on yourself when a picture doesn't turn out the way you had imagined. Really hard on yourself. This is not typical of you; usually you are pretty easy going. I wish you wouldn't be so hard on yourself. You are only six years old. And you have the kindest heart. Love yourself, even when you make mistakes!

Walker // Your current favorite TV show is Sheriff Callie's Wild West. That's all you want to watch. As I've noted before, you seem to have a one-track mind when it comes to toys and TV shows that you like. :) Currently, you are "allergic" to meat and coats. When you want to tell me how long something is going to last, it's generally "1,000 100 years." (It's usually not that long.) And, you are finally - almost consistently - wearing Size 5 clothes. This is great because it seems like you didn't grow out of your clothes for the longest time. I think you were well past three years old when I finally gave away your 3-6 month shorts. You still don't like to wear "crunchy" pants or socks with anti-slip bumps on the bottom...they feel funny in your shoes. Basically, you would like to wear your black tennis shoes and comfy clothes all day long. No buttons or collars. :) But you seem to have gotten over your dislike of tags. Your "elf jammies" (featuring the Elf on the Shelf) are your favorite pajamas, and we're working on buttoning them (a hard skill). You are a sweetheart, and you always ALWAYS think about your sister when she's not with us. If you get a piece of candy and she's not around, you'll always get one to save for her. 

iFly

THIS was so cool! Lainey was fortunate enough to attend a birthday party at this indoor skydiving place in Frisco. It was really, really cool! I was proud of Lainey for doing it, even though I know she was a little nervous!

the girls

(Birthday girl Lauren is in front, and Lainey is just to the right of Lauren.)

flying

I smiled the whole time at the girls. So much so that my face started to hurt! :) It looked so fun! And I think it helped the girls relax a bit when they saw all the parents smiling! 

Swinging and Drawing

Walker LOVES swinging his Minecraft friends. Mooshroom, Creepy, Ocelot, and Sheepy.

Lainey made this for me at school. Yes. AT SCHOOL. It might be a sign I am getting Mom of the Year for 2015. She was so proud of it, and I just couldn't stop giggling when she gave it to me. I am hesitant to even post this on here, because it doesn't paint me in the best light, but at least I look fancy! :) 

Walker's School Pictures

I'm only posting this one because "this" is his typical stance when nervous, excited, intimidated, unsure, or skeptical of his situation. Clearly, he was unsure of this photographer guy. :) 

52 Weeks....52 Notes

I'm trying something new this year...in addition to regular blog posts - or maybe I should say semi-regular blog posts - I'm going to write short "notes" to both of my kids every week. Some weeks the notes will be longer than others. Like this first one. :) I hope that by doing so, I can reflect upon their little selves and remember the funny (and not-so-funny) things that they do. ;)

// Walker //
-You are naturally funny. And smart.
-You are silly. Your favorite saying when you make a mistake is "Oh, poop."
-You put an extra "s" on words that don't need an extra "s." Like chests...you say "chests-es." And ghosts are "ghost-es."
-You're loving Legos right now. I packed away your trains last week. Big sad face for Mom.
-We're really cutting back on iPad/iPhone screen time with you (and Lainey)...and you are a much happier, more content person for it. It makes Mom happier and less frustrated, too. :) This started on January 1st.
-Recently, when building Legos with Daddy, you said, "Daddy, could you do this? My hands aren't workin' anymore. I been using them all day for eatin', and building Legos."
-Your favorite song (today) to sing is "Deck the Halls" but you have changed the words to say "Deck the Halls with Mommy Treasure...fa la la la la la la la la." :) You have a good ear...and a good memory for songs.
-And, as of now, you are telling me that you are saying "good job" and "good game" to people because you know Santa "is watching." You better believe it, Walker. He IS watching. (You've already written your letter to Santa for next year...so hurry up, December.)
-You're neat, and organized, and you throw away your trash without being asked. You won't eat on the couch because you don't want it to spill. (You don't like it when food spills out of your snack cup. And you really don't like to get anything on your clothes..especially not food or drink.)
-You are a perfectionist.
-You're also really good at saying "yes ma'am" and using your manners. (Well...let's be honest...you are four years old. You use your manners most of the time.) If I'm bugging you...like messing with your hair or something, you'll say, "Mommy, may you please stop doin' that?"
-You never let me get too far from you. Particularly if it's just the two of us in the house. If I leave you in a room by yourself, you'll give me about three minutes before you begin wondering where I went. You will yell, "Mo-mmy!?!? Mommy! Where are you?" and then your search for me begins. You do NOT like it if you can't find me (like if I'm in a closet somewhere and can't hear you yelling for me). You dissolve into tears before I can find you to assure you that I haven't left you alone. A time or two, when I've snuck out of the house to run Lainey to school while you were still sleeping, I found you on our front porch awaiting my return (we literally live across the street from the school, so I'm never very far from home). You haven't ever gone any further than the front porch, thank goodness, but I'm still not okay with you walking out of the house to find me. Lesson learned. I now always wake you up before taking Lainey to school (if your dad isn't home to keep an eye on you).
-And I can never, ever leave you in the garage or house or car by yourself. If I forget something, and you're already buckled in the car seat, then we count...and I have to be back in the car by the time you reach that number (usually 10 or 15). You're terrified that you're going to throw up in my absence or that I'm going to leave you. :( Clearly we have some anxiety issues that we need to work through! :)

-You are my sweetest helper and my best cleaner-upper. You listen...and I usually only have to ask you to do something one time (as opposed to your sister...she needs several reminders). You say that you are a good helper and a good listener because you want "presents." I try to remind you that we help others because we love and care about them. :) 

// Lainey //
-You are a sweetheart. A genuine sweetheart. (And sometimes a little sassy.)
-You cry at sad movies.
-You do not like being upstairs or downstairs by yourself. You and Walker sleep with your doors open to one another's rooms at night...and you do this because "Walker is brave." :) You have a tendency to get scared and let your imagination go wild.
-You are compassionate...and so joyful. You get excited about the smallest things.
-You misunderstand song lyrics constantly. It's hilarious. And we don't do much to correct you at this point...soon enough you'll figure the words out. For now, we love listening to you sing your words. Even if your tune is a bit off. ;)
-You are a wonderful reader...and you say your favorite subject in school is Science. You are not a fan of Math (although I am not sure why).
-You are terrified of gutters in the street. You'll make us stand in front of them when you ride your bike near them.
-Most of the time, you are a very laid-back child. You're creative and messy and "the sky's the limit" in your opinion.
-Misty Copeland is your favorite dancer.
-You are not quick to anger. You don't seem to have a short fuse (unlike your brother...he seems to get angry quite quickly).
-You cry, cry, cry when you are tired.
-You love your dolls and your Barbies. And your Shopkins. You also love cats.
-You are emotional...you have a tendency to cry about things that are small and seemingly insignificant (to your parents). When we dig deeper, we usually find that something else that had been bothering you and the 'small, insignificant thing' just sent you over the edge. You wear your heart on your sleeve. And I love you for that.