Mister & Sister

Wedding bells

Most of you know that my dear niece Jennifer got married this past weekend.  She bravely asked Mister and Sister to be a part of her special day, not knowing how or even if they would "perform".  I had my doubts about both of them but as the day got closer, I thought that maybe between the two of them they could work together and make it down the aisle.  What we didn't plan for was 105 degree temperatures (heat index of about 112) for an outdoor wedding.  At rehearsal, Sister did a great job and just as I was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Mister had a huge meltdown.  He absolutely did not want to do his job and wailed and cried and pretty much just froze in his tracks.  I had to come up with some way to convince him that walking down the aisle the evening of the wedding would be in his best interest so I resorted to the strongest bribe I could think of.  That's right...I threatened to ground him from Braxton!  And gosh, wouldn't you know that on Friday night he walked himself all the way down the aisle and stood on the platform with the rest of the wedding party for the entire ceremony.  He was a superstar!!  Sister, on the other hand, had to be delivered to me at my seat before the processional even started.  The report I got was that she was rolling around on the ground in her white dress throwing a tantrum.  She was already mad at the world for trying to get her in some pictures, so by the time 7:00 rolled around, she was done with us all.  In the end, none of it mattered.  Jen and Joel were married despite the antics of my children.  You can enjoy the pictures here.  Here is a sneak preview...

 

Denial

Last night, we bought Sister a bed.  A big girl bed.  It is not yet assembled.  In fact, it is sitting in our garage where, as far as I'm concerned, it can stay for a very long time. 

Happy Father's Day

 

I hope you know how much you are loved.

The party's over

• We transitioned from Vacation Bible School last week to swimming lessons this week.  Mister reports every day that he is touching the bottom of the pool with his toes or he's putting his face in the water without "squeezing" his nose or he's swimming through a hula hoop.  I have yet to receive confirmation of any of this except from his buddy Braxton who we have been chauffuering this week as well.  I do think that next week I will sneak over and watch a lesson to see what he's able to do.  It's going to be a long, miserable summer if this child can't overcome his water issues.
• We've had some real challenges with Sister as of late.  She has become quite defiant and has mastered the fine art of tantrum throwing when she doesn't get her way.  The tantrums are being ignored so Sister has kicked it up a notch.  She now throws in "owie, Mommy" to try and trick me into giving her some attention.  She's a smart one, that Sister.
• We are looking forward to the week ahead.  Our dear Jennifer is getting married on Friday.  Mister and Sister are both in the wedding.  They will look adorable but we're all more than a little nervous about how they will (or will not) behave.  The wedding is at 7:00 and pictures are at 4:00.  That means an adjusted nap for Sister and a long day for Mister who really doesn't nap anymore.  Fortunately, Sister does respond well to her brother and will generally do what he says so I'm crossing my fingers that with his direction they'll both make it down the aisle without incident.
• The VBS program was super cute last week.  Mister, Braxton, and Andie Grace performed beautifully and had a lot of fun.  Sunday, the kids all came with us to services and came into the sanctuary to sing their songs again.  It was very cute and I'd love to share the video we shot with you.  Unfortunately, Curt discovered when he went to upload the video that nothing recorded.  Grrrr.
• We have a busy summer ahead.  Between stop over visits from various relatives, trips to Grandma & Grandpa Walker's, weddings, golf trips, and a girl's shopping weekend, we'll be pretty much going non-stop.  We are hoping to take our first official family vacation this year but at this rate it will be September before we can get away.  At least that gives us ample time to make some plans and find some family friendly places to go.  Our destination needs to be within a reasonable driving distance (6-7 hours, max) and we'd prefer our accomodations to include some sort of kitchen so we can save money by preparing our own meals.  We are open to suggestions.
• My preferred lens is on the fritz so I'm not taking many pictures until I can get it fixed.  My kit lens just doesn't do much for me.  Be patient!
• On that note, I seem to be better about getting pictures on Facebook quicker than I can put a blog post up over here.  If anyone is reading that has a Facebook, send me a friend request there.
• The title of this post is my clever way of letting Grandma W. know that the ticker has now been updated.  Thanks for the reminder.

The week in review

This has been a super busy week.  Mister, along with his friends Braxton and Andie Grace, has been going to Vacation Bible School at church.  I've been shuttling them back and forth and it's just been a blast eavesdropping on their four and five year old conversations.  I've been so proud of Mister for inviting his friends along.  Friday evening we'll have the pleasure of going to a program and I'm not sure who is more excited, the kids or me!  The kids are also singing in church on Sunday and Mister is beside himself.  He tells me about every other Sunday that he wants to go up on the platform and sing or play the instruments, so when he realized that he's finally going to get to do just that, you should have seen his face.  I can hardly wait for Sunday to get here.  I promise pictures from Friday night's performance, too.

Sister has been having her own fun this week.  She's had a standing morning playdate with the neighbor twins while I'm driving the VBS bus.  And today, she had her two year well check.  I was worried that it would just be a nightmare.  I had scheduled the appointment for 1:00, the exact time she normally goes down for her nap, so I was expecting an unpleasant visit.  I have to say that Sister surprised me.  She was completely cooperative and even flirted with Dr. Espe a little bit.  She wasn't wild about her shot, of course, but the screaming only lasted about 15 seconds.  She's as healthy as we thought and growing very nicely.  Her current stats are:

Height    35 1/4"
Weight    29 lbs

That puts her in the 75th-90th percentile on height and the 50th percentile on weight.  I did search the archives today to give you a comparison to Mister at the same age, but for some strange reason I never blogged the results of his two year appointment.  If I were guessing, I'd say that Sister is probably about the same height as he was but is probably a little more slim.  I'm going to look for the written report.  I'm sure I saved that.

Sister's birthday party was so much fun.  We were happy to have Grandpa & Grandma Walker in for the weekend as well as Aunt Dev, Aunt Brenda, and Adrienn.  I was grateful for the help getting the party ready.  We had our usual group of neighbors/friends over for a cookout after Mister's t-ball game.  The kiddos played in the water and had a blast.  Pictures of all of the festivities are here.   

Next week, Mister starts swimming lessons.  We're hopeful that he'll be more receptive to this round of lessons than he was the last time we tried.  So far this summer, he's been in the pool twice and has hated every second of it.  Cross your fingers for us!

I've started the newest album here. 

Two

My sweet baby girl,

Last night, I tucked you into bed, kissed you goodnight, and asked you if you'd always be my baby girl.  You shook your head yes and closed your eyes while I brushed away the tear rolling down my cheek.  This morning, when I wished you a Happy Birthday, I asked you if you were still my baby girl and you pointed a finger at me and shouted a resounding "NO!".  That just about sums up who you are, Sis.

We never know quite what to expect out of you, little girl.  You keep us on our toes and if we're being honest here, it's not always a good thing.  Some of your favorite things to do include taking off your clothes, removing your diaper so you can potty next to it, rolling Daddy's deoderant all over your body, and eating Lacey Loo Loo's kibble.  It doesn't seem to matter to you that you get scolded every time we catch you doing these things.  In fact, it suits you just fine.  I often tell people that you are my naughty one and I mean that in the most endearing way.  You are ornery and stubborn and full of spunk and I wouldn't have it any other way.

You also happen to be one of the funniest little girls I've ever known.  You discovered early on that it's fun to make people laugh, especially Mommy.  You know just what to do to get a chuckle out of me and you've even figured out that if you do it at just the right time, it can get you out of a lot of trouble. 

It's been a real joy watching your little (or big!) personality emerge this past year.  You love music and dancing, animals, and your brother.  Oh how you love your brother.  The two of you have become partners in crime and it fills my heart to see how close you are.  Of course you both drive each other crazy at times, but if there's one thing I know about you it is that your brother is your hero.  Whatever he does, you want to do. 

This morning, as you sit in the chair next to me, I see that little baby I met two years ago.  I see the same beautiful brown eyes.  I see that sweet little button nose, those chubby little toes, that perfect little mouth.  But if I look really hard, I also see the future of a beautiful young lady who is ornery and stubborn and full of spunk.  And I wouldn't have it any other way. 

Happy Birthday, sweet beautiful girl. 

Love,
Mommy

Mister at the bat

Saturday morning, we had the joy of watching Mister play in his first ever t-ball game.  It was quite a sight to behold, let me tell you.  I would report the final score to you but in this league, score is not kept.  There are no outs, either.  Mercifully, the games only last two innings or one hour, whichever comes first.  The pictures do not do it justice.

It was one of those moments...

It was bedtime at Grandma's house and for the first time, we were all sharing a room.  As we were putting the kids down, a very sleepy Sister said, "I wuv you, C____", to which Mister replied, "I love you too, M____, so much."  It was so sweet and completely unprompted and spontaneous.  I don't know how my heart didn't burst.

Guilty of neglect

The good news is, I'm not neglecting my children. 

The bad news is I am neglecting this blog. 

We have just been so stinking busy, it seems.  Between graduations, t-ball practices, end of year picnics, gorgeous weather, and various chores and errands I just haven't had a lot of down time to sit and post.  Tomorrow morning bright and early we are hitting the road for some Grandma & Grandpa time.  We're excited.  We just hope Curt will be there with us.  His skydive, rescheduled from last year, is tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. 

Confessions

• My kids watch TV.  Granted, it's all children's programming but "they" say it's not good for them.  "They" must not have a house to clean, meals to prepare, showers to take, etc. 
• I have no desire to get Sister potty trained.  Sure, I could live without the expense of diapers but the thought of my "baby" wearing panties makes me want to cry.  I'm also not enthused about the process itself.
• I still use a huge stroller for Sister when we're out and about.  I loves me a big stroller.  I can cram so much stuff in the basket under that thing!  So while my almost two year old looks a little silly riding in it, I couldn't care less.
• I buy lots of pajamas just so I don't have to do laundry quite as often. 
• My four year old son still drinks out of cups with lids. 
• I also still "assist" my four year old in the bathroom when he's doing more than just going potty.
• I don't change the sheets on my bed once a week.
• I have forgotten to brush my four year old's teeth several times.
• Sister still has her pacifier and will probably have it for several more months.  Mister had his until he was three.  I just don't care.
• I'm not above bribing my kids with snacks to get them to do what I want. 
• I've also been known to promise ice cream to the four year old in exchange for good behavior or eating a vegetable.
• I have no desire to ever work outside of the home again.  Ever.
• While I'm quite a soft touch on some things, I was pretty hardcore about bottles.  I cut both kids off cold turkey no later than their first birthdays. 
• I let my son wear barrettes, pink bracelets, and girl's (dress up) clothes.
• I love that Mister believes me when I tell him that Mommies know everything.
• I stole this idea from a local parenting magazine. Hey, what can I say!  It provided you with a new post to read, right?