Monday, October 28, 2013

Football. Family. Friends. Repeat.

It seems like every weekend lately has revolved around football, friends, and family.  We watch the Denison Yellow Jackets on Friday nights.  We watch A&M on Saturdays.  And we hang with friends and family in between.  This weekend we went to the home football game.  We got t-shirts downtown and got to the game early enough to see all the pre-game festivities.  It's Harper's favorite part!  She loves the dancers, the music, the smoke from the football tunnel, and all the people everywhere.  Of course, everyone around us thinks she is hilarious because she gets so into the game.  




Cheering on the game

Hanging out on the back ledge

Sunday, we got to celebrate the 5th birthday of our sweet new friends, Rylan and Caycen.  Brock and Lindsey are our new friends that just moved here this summer as well.  He works at BMac with Cody and they have banded together since they are the only guys around.  They also invited us to go to Sherman Bible Church with them and we really enjoy it.  Plus, we love having friends to sit with - it's not so lonely!  So, their sweet twin boys had a birthday and invited Harper to celebrate with them.  We all went to the jump place at the mall and they all had a blast.  Harper LOVES playing, jumping, and running around any place like crazy.  

Rylan and Caycen at their Avengers Party


Harper's "cupcake" 
 (I didn't have time to make her a soy-free cupcake like I usually do, so it was one of her banana oat muffins from breakfast.  But she loved it because it looked like the party cupcakes minus the icing.  It was the best I could do that day!)



The kids all loved playing with the balloons.  

Her balloon popped later that day and she was so confused and sad.  


Fall with Friends

We have been enjoying a ton of time outside this fall.  The weather has been great and we have tried to get out as much as possible.  We try to see our cousin, Kelly, and her girls, Julianne and Tessa, at least once a week.  This year, Julianna started kindergarten so we have been playing with Tessa more often. But every time we head over to play, Harper reminds me that Julianne isn't there because she has to get on the "scoo bus."

Hanging out with J and T at the Dog Fair in downtown Denison one Saturday.

We ran into Kelly and Tessa one day at Target.  I think Kelly and I 
were both in need of a little shopping trip!  

Tessa and Harper read some books and were picking out books Julianne would like.

We have also joined a mom's group for Texoma.  There are a lot of moms that stay home and get together to play about once a week.  This fall, they spent a lot of time at different parks around Sherman.  It was nice because I got to know lots of new people and see new parks around the area.  At this play date, the kids did a bug scavenger hunt and played at the park.  




Yes, those are fake bugs.  

She finally figured out how to keep herself from going too fast 
on slides, so she loves doing them now.  


Every Wednesday, we go to the library for the Read to Win program.  They read, sing, dance, etc and work on getting kids to love books.  We get a new book each week when we read and Harper loves it. Plus, Kelly and Tessa are there to play with us and we love books.  Harper is the youngest kid there, and all she wants to do is run and sing even when the lady wants them to sit and listen to the story.  I try to keep her corralled, but sometimes I just have to let her go wild.  


Every week they get a stamp and she thinks it is so cool.  
She always likes to tell Cody that night what stamp she got at the "why-bary".

This week we made a bubble machine.  When she blew in the end of the bottle, the bubbles went through the sock and made a bubble snake.  She loves bubbles, so it was a great craft.  Until she forgot which way to blow and started sucking in bubbles.  

 


We also spent about two weeks outside painting the exterior of our house.  The new additions needed a new coat of paint and the existing stuff was really dark.  With the new windows, the white paint makes the house look much fresher!  It took me one day to scrape, one day to caulk, and 3 days to paint the first coat.  And when I say a day, I mean from sun up to sun down.  It was the most tired I have ever been in my whole life.  Painting the under part of the roof was miserable because I ended up with my neck at a 90 degree angle for 3 days.  Plus, I wiped my head against the roof and ended up with paint in my hair for weeks.  Harper had to play outside with me the whole time.  She was SO good.  I was so proud of her.  She played with the dogs, hit the baseball around, painted crafts, and drew with chalk.  She even helped me paint the house a little, which then required me to repaint, but she had fun!


Climbing on the dogs gate

Pulling out the big guns to keep her entertained.  She got a bubble gun for Christmas last year.  I hadn't pulled it out yet, so we tried it.  She loved it and we refilled it a couple times.  That is, until it broke about an hour after we opened it.  

We also spent one of the days painting pumpkins.  One of our favorite fall traditions!

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Weekend Football and Family

 This weekend was full of lots of fun things.  We also got to discover a new love for Harper...FOOTBALL.  We went to our first Denison High School football game.  I think Cody was really excited to be back in the stadium, watching the game, in his hometown.  We pumped Harper up about the game and she got all dressed up in yellow and black.  We are still working on calling the mascot a Yellow Jacket instead of a bumblebee.  We get there early to watch all the pregame activities, and then we leave around 8am (end of the 1st quarter) for bed.


Harper loved watching everything going on at the game.  This home game was the Denison Homecoming so there was a ton of activity.  All the students were there and excited about the mums and the dance.  The homecoming court came out onto the field before the game, all dressed up.  Then, the drill team came out and danced and the cheerleaders came out to yell and tumble.  She seriously loved it.  She was enamored.  She yelled, clapped, danced, and begged them for more.  She wasn't quiet during the moment of silence, but that was only because she was asking when they were going to dance again.



Buddy has 2 extra tickets, so when we go we sit with him.  It's a big deal too, because he finally got the best seats in the whole stadium.  A few years ago, the ticket agent called him to let him know these were open.  50 yard line, all the way in the back (it's only one level) where there is a wall to lean against.  Only in a small town does the ticket agent know exactly where certain people want to sit.  And, Uncle Robert got new tickets this year so the Spiegel's could sit with him.  So now they are only two rows in front of us and a few seats to the left.  It's fun to get to see them, but I'm guessing everyone around us wishes these three rambunctious kiddos would sit still.    

Julianne and Tessa

Harper giving the Spiegel's hugs

Saturday morning, Harper got to go to the Lowe's workshop with Cody.  She loves to hammer.  I mean, loves it!  And it's a pretty simple build, so it goes pretty good.  Plus, she gets to wear this little apron with these patches ironed on and she thinks it's pretty cool.  





After Lowes, KK came up to see the house and hang out with us for the day.  Harper loved showing her all her stuff and her new room.  My mom and I went antique shopping while Harper napped and found a great little boutique.  We had CJ's for dinner, which is our favorite little cafe/coffee shop.  And we watched the A&M game.  Sadly, we played Alabama and lost.  But it was a great game.  One we should have won.  And Harper even watched with us.  It's funny that she even likes to watch football on tv.  She's from Texas for sure!



Finally able to get the thumb up!  



Sunday evening, we went to Sandy Point with Buddy and Serena.  Harper got to wade in the water and play in the sand.  It's probably the last time she will get to enjoy her bathing suit this summer.  We played for a long time and then she played in the sand while we ate dinner.



Even though it was a full weekend, it was actually very fun and relaxing.  We got to spend lots of time with family and we enjoyed hours of football.  We are definitely from Texas!

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Meeting Sweet Cayden!

Jessica and Cory finally had their baby boy last Monday!  His name is Cayden James Largent and he is precious.  He is such a cutie and looks just like Cory.  He seems to be a very good baby.  All the normal first week tiredness and baby drama, but he is healthy and happy.  


Jessica and I were talking Saturday about getting together on Monday for coffee because she wasn't due until the end of the week.  However, she was having contractions and feeling like it might be sooner.  When I called at 9pm to check on her, she was getting settled into Labor and Delivery.  It didn't take too long and he was born at 3am.  I woke up almost every hour that night checking my phone for updates, and I got the best picture at 6am.  


Since I was already going to Dallas on Monday, I got to visit them in the hospital that afternoon.  They were doing pretty good for 36 hours into parenthood.  They are going to be great parents - I'm so happy for them!



Wednesday, October 16, 2013

September with this Crazy Toddler

So the last few months have been a little rocky.  I am finally ready to admit defeat.  This kid has hit the two's with a serious vengence.

I honestly don't know how she got up in this seat. 
I just came out and there she was.

My sweet, angelic little girl has turned a little bossy.  She uses the word "mine" (sometimes mines, so cute!) about 150 times a day.  We tell her nothing is hers and it's all ours and that we just share it with her.  Harper doesn't buy it.  Right now, it's all about finding the balance between doing it for her because it's difficult, and letting her do it by herself so she learns.  She wants to do EVERYTHING.  Plus, she wants to make decisions for herself now, even when we tell her what she has to do.  She screams to not to get in the bath, the carseat, go to bed.  She then screams not to get out of the bath, the carseat, etc.  She doesn't want to do this, or that, now, or later.  She is a little independent.  But no matter the fit, we pick her up and take her where she needs to be because those tears don't phase me (not the fit ones...).

Loves trains.  Hates train rides.

We are not potty trained anymore.  We were solid for the month before we moved and about 2 weeks into the new house.  But suddenly she started peeing in her clothes and hating her potty.  She fights us every time we ask her to go, she screams when we put her on it.  Sadly, my emotions were hitting an all time high of disappointment and anger, which I know doesn't help.  So after about 6 weeks of potty messes, we decided to go for pull-ups.  It was hard to admit that she wasn't potty trained anymore - more a feeling of embarassment and failure, but it's fine now.  I almost don't even care.  Now, I can drive to and from Dallas without worrying that we'll have to stop 5 times.  So, there's a silver lining.

She asked to help clean.  Who am I to say no?

Food has been very different the last few months as well.  She isn't eating as well.  She is finally old enough to know what is good and what is not as good.  We tried soy again this month to verify her allergy, and it was a few hours of crying and tummy problems.  So we are back on homemade, fresh, and healthy foods.  Sadly, she misses a ton of foods that she sees everyone else eating.  Harper loves noodles, cheese, peanut butter, potatoes, and bread (rolls, biscuits, pancakes, waffles, etc).  She has pretty much written off most fruits and vegetables.  But she does love snacks like raisins, bunnies, and more bread.  And though she doesn't like milk or any juice like most kids her age, she LOVES sweet tea and coffee.  Now, this is my sweet tea and coffee so they are sweet and gooood, so I don't blame her.  But really?  And when I say like, I mean she drinks at least half of mine when she can.

Bawling for a solid 5 minutes because she wanted mac 'n' cheese.
She eventually stopped crying and discovered she liked what I gave her.

Her first sucker (from the sweet lady at the bank - love small towns!).  
It only lasted about a minute before she dropped it and it got filthy.

The sleeping situation is going good.  She is sleeping in her big girl bed and still hasn't gotten out yet.  She has somewhat starting not falling asleep during naptimes when it seems like we don't get enough energy out in the mornings.  But she still just lays there and plays, talks to herself, prays "Dear God, Thank you for me...." (so cute!), or sings songs (Happy Birthday, Twinkle Twinkle Twinkle Little Star are her favs).

Sleeping on the way home from Kristen's at 7pm because 
she wouldn't nap that afternoon.  

Her speaking has improved so much in the last few months.  She is speaking little sentences and knows tons of vocab.  She does like to end sentences in prepositions, which I hear is wrong.  But she'll say "Go this way, that way, there."  She is also remembering a lot more stuff.  Like if I promised to take her to the park after nap.  Or where we went yesterday and what we did.  She just seems so smart and big!

Discovered new rain boots (2 sizes too big) and loves them.

Her new words and phrases are pretty cute and funny and I want to remember them (because I know I'll forget soon!).  She says...  Give ___ back-a-me! (when she wants something back).  Sick, Momma? Poor Mommy (Playing doctor).  1 Book.  2 Books.  5 Books!  2 Books! (when bartering before bed).  Scoo Bus (seeing 10 school busses on the way to Cody's work).  I wake up (when telling me to come get her from bed).  Try it (when whining that she doesn't like something and doesn't want to eat it).  Har do (telling us she wants to do it herself, which is usually repeated a few times).

Finally big enough to slide on her own!

She is still a great kid to have at home.  She plays great by herself but will let me guide her activities as well.  She has finally figured out the 4wheeler.  Instead of constantly running into walls and furniture, she stops and turns herself and keeps going.  She now rides for quite some time and then comes to me crying that her thumb hurts from pushing the button so long.  We started getting about 30 library books each week and she is reading more than ever.  She is also still loving coloring and painting, which we do each week for preschool.

Playing with Clampitt Paper bandaids from Pop.   

Fell running outside and almost bit through her lower lip.  
She hurts herself all.the.time.  Poor buddy.  

So here's to the rest of the twos.  May they get better or pass quickly.