My Favorite Things

One of my favorite things in the whole world is to watch Leo walk into school.  As he is getting out of the car in the morning, I always tell him "Have a good day, I love you" or some variation of this.  He looks at me with this mix of embarrassment and love on his face.  Occasionally, I will get a response, but mostly he just quickly shuts the car door and runs into school.  I smile every morning watching him racing in the school with a huge backpack on his back.  Today it hit me that the backpack no longer seems too big for him.  He has grown so much this school year.  I choke back tears, shocked at how quickly he has gone from my baby to a independent little boy. 

Walking into school on the first day of kindergarten

My other favorite thing is when Nora runs to meet me at the door.  No matter how long I have been gone, Nora comes running up to me and gives me the biggest hug when I get home.  She hugs me like I have been gone for days.  It thrills me.  I feel like a rock star with an adoring fan.  Nora holds me so tight like she never wants me to go again.  I absolutely love it because I know this will not last.  Leo is glad I'm home too, I'm sure, but his biggest concern is whether or not I bought him anything at the store.  It makes me laugh every time because rarely, if I have been grocery shopping or running errands, do I bring home a special treat for the kids.  I guess Leo is checking just in case.

I love this rotten smile!

Being mother of the year has many perks.  Now if I can only remember to enjoy them more often. 

Weekend fun

What makes up a fun weekend for the Harris family?  Well mostly just hanging out at the house in our pj's watching cartoons.  However, this weekend not only did we hang out in our pj's, we also made a trip to the local Walmart.  Saturday morning I needed two items from Walmart, angel food cake for a recipe I was making for dinner and cat food.  Now normally I do not take the children with me to Walmart for two very good reasons.  One, it takes three times as long to shop with the kids and two, I always end up with a buggy full of junk.  I debated in my head rather or not to just wait and pick up these few items later or to drag the kids along.  I decided to be brave and go.  Another challenge with bringing the kids is keeping Leo busy.  He really is too old to ride in the buggy although he still loves to.  I come up with the great idea to let Leo help me write out our grocery list.  Mother of the year, right?  I tell him to write down the two things that we really need at Walmart and help him spell them.  Then I tell him to think of a few other things we might need.  He quickly runs to the kitchen and comes back into Nora's room where I am trying to get her dressed.  He starts writing but since I'm busy with Nora I don't really pay any attention to the list.  He asks me how to spell bananas and I think "wow this is brilliant."  He is so proud when I ask to see the list.  Here it is:

I bust out laughing.  A TV?  Really?  I ask Leo where he thinks we need a TV and he says "my room of course."  So much for that brilliant idea.  I tell him that we have to save our money because TVs cost a lot of dollars.  I finish putting Nora's hair into pigtails and we are off on a fun adventure of Saturday morning shopping at the local Walmart. 

After shopping, Leo is complaining of his tummy hurting .  He doesn't have a fever but since he is going to the bathroom an awful lot,  we do not go to church on Sunday.  It's a stay in our pj's all day kinda day.  After lunch, I put Nora down for a nap.  Leo hasn't napped on the weekends in years.  Nora is now fighting naptime on the weekends because she knows Leo is at home and wants to play with him.  I have not outgrown naptime and am hoping for at least a little peace and quiet.  After about 30-45 minutes of hearing Nora talking and playing in her bed, I hear her calling Leo's name.  I listen and again she is calling Leo.  After a few times of Leo not responding, Nora calls out "Leo a woohoo Leo."  Yes, Nora is calling Leo just like she tries to whistle and call the dogs.  Woohoo Leo.  I crack up.  Only in our house do children try to call people as you would a dog.  Finally after no response form Leo, Nora gets quiet and I know she is sleeping.  Here is what I see when I go to wake her up:

Seriously how do you sleep with all those toys?  Leo loved to sleep with all his stuffed animals piled up around him.  Must be genetic!

Well just another typical weekend for the Harris family.

Books, babies and other bed time stories

Tonight before bed, Nora found a book I was reading and started pretending to read it.  Leo, of course, was quick to point out that Nora was holding the book upside down and "besides she can't even read."  Nora was so hurt by Leo fussing at her that she looked right at him and yelled "I baby."  Leo and I just looked at each other and died laughing.  Nora has no intention of growing up.  Being a baby is her answer for everything.  Whatever you do, don't call Nora a big girl.  She is very quick to remind you that she is a baby.  Where did she get this?  The obvious answer is that I still treat her like the baby.  No, she doesn't still drink out of bottles, but I do baby her a lot more than I did Leo for various selfish reasons.  One, it's just easier sometimes to carry her and only have to chase after one child.  Two, she is the baby of our family so why not enjoy it.  Three, do I really want to put her in a toddler bed that she can get out of at 5:45am like Leo has done everyday this week?  What's the harm in it?  I never really thought about it until Nora literally shouted it at Leo, "I baby." 

Is it time for Nora to get a little more independent and perhaps switch her to a toddler bed?  Is this the first step to a big girl Nora?  Nora has no problem with her crib and sees no reason to change.  Well for now, neither do I. 

Baby Nora her first day home from the hospital

Easter Weekend

As I watched the kids hunt for Easter eggs this weekend it hit me just how much they have grown up over the past year.  It's been a year since I have updated my blog and what a year it's been. 

Leo started kindergarten in the fall.  It's still shocking to think that I now have a school age child.  Overall he enjoys school.  He loves to read.  Leo can really read, another think that shocks me still.  He comes home from school and shows off all he is learning.  He loves to tell me something, like George Washington was the first president, and then is surprised that I know this fact.  He says "How did you know that?"  Well son, I too went to kindergarten a long time ago.  While reading and writing have come easy for Leo this year, behaving at school has not.  He still struggles with following the rules and realizing that he isn't in charge. 

Nora started attending a daycare two days a week.  For the first three weeks, she cried every time I dropped her off.  Although I knew that she stopped crying as soon as left, it's still hard to leave your baby crying.  I feel for all moms that dropped their babies into my classroom crying.   This is a new experience for me.  Leo would walk into any daycare so independent without looking back.  Nora, however, prefers to the baby and is a lot less independent than Leo was at that age.  Attending daycare has been a godsend for both me and Nora.  She gets the opportunity to be around other children and adults and I get to have two days to myself.  It's wonderful.

Of course Nora has grown by leaps and bounds this past year.  For one, she now walks, runs, and dances all the time.  She is getting more comfortable being around other people.  Her little personality is really shining through now.  Nora can be the bossiest little thing.  I guess when you are the youngest you learn how to get your way quickly.  And yes Nora will always be the youngest in our family!!!!  Every once in a while I think awww how sweet would it be to have another baby, but thankfully reality snaps me out of that dream quick.  I feel outnumbered with two kids, I can only imagine how crazy it would be to have three. 

Leo is no longer a little kid.  He looks like a big kid.  His baby teeth are loose and everything!  I don't think I'm ready for him to loose his baby teeth.  I have no idea why, but just the thought of him loosing baby teeth makes me so sad.  It's like the last part of him that is still little.  I have loved watching Leo grow into a little man, but I guess there will always be that part of me that will want him to be little forever.  He still reaches up and grabs my hand when we cross the street.  It seems like these moments with Leo are getting fewer and farther between.  I have to remind myself to enjoy them more often. 

In January, my Uncle Ralph and Grand DeAnn, as the kids call her, moved to Bridgeport.  Not only to our small town, but just two houses down.  Leo was so excited to have them living in our backyard!  A few short weeks later, Uncle Ralph lost his battle with cancer.  It was devastating to our family.  They were truly like a second set of parents to me.  Uncle Ralph and Aunt DeAnn were a part of every birthday, holiday and graduation.  All of my best childhood memories seem to involve them.  His passing was really the first time Leo ever had to experienced the loss of a close loved one.  We miss him everyday, but are so thankful that Grand DeAnn is here so close by. 

We have had lots of fun moments and some sad but overall it has been a good year for the Harris family. 

Eating chocolate bunnies Easter morning