Will he always be this sweet?

He wanted to take his babies to sleep with him the other night and this is what I found when I checked on him later that night...

Making Lemonade

Our Meyer Lemons have finally started to all turn yellow and ripe on our 2 trees. Walker has been patiently waiting to pick them for months and today was finally the day! There were 4 lemons that were ready between the 2 trees and when I asked what we should do with them he quickly responded "Make Lemonade!"

He sat in his usual helper spot - sitting on the counter in the midst of it all - and helped me juice the lemons. After I juiced one of the lemons I tasted it before throwing it in the sink to see how the flavor was and Walker asked if he could do the same. I handed him the lemon half and he proceeded to bite a chunk out of the lemon skin and all! I couldn't help but laugh and he laughed also and said "That lemon is sour Mommy".

He then helped me scoop a few tablespoons of sugar into the jar and I caught him sneaking a taste of the sugar from the canister. He had a big smile and said "I really like this flour mom. It is very yummy!" He is definitely going to have my sweet tooth. I can remember growing up and looking for anything in the house with sugar to eat - which there wasn't thanks to my ultra healthy mama (to which I am so thankful now!) - so I always resorted to eating lemons dipped in sugar! I am sure Walker would have gladly done the same if I would have showed him my tricks but I decided I would let him figure it out on his own.

Lemonade made with home grown Meyer Lemons is yummy! Walker doesn't really drink lemonade - I think he has had it once at a friend's house - and he drank 2 glasses before our scooter ride/play date and then another glass when we got home.

He was sure to save some for his daddy to try when he got home from work. Adam still had his suit on but Walker wanted him to try it right away so he drank some right after he walked in the door. Adam talked about how good it was and Walker quickly responded "Yes, it is awesome."

I think awesome must be his new favorite word. When I asked him what his friends thought of his Shrek baby for show and tell he responded "Awesome."

He was telling me about his school day on the way to the park for our lunch date and he said "I had an awesome day mom. I am so glad I am in Mrs. Walstead's class." I am so happy that he is having a great year and comes out full of stories and beaming each day I pick up from school.

He had homework for the first time ever this week. He had to complete a wreath about things he was thankful for in his life.

Hopefully not in order of importance he said...

I am thankful for lovely crunchy leaves to step on.

I am thankful for hats.

I am thankful for batman masks.

I am thankful for bear hugs.

I am thankful for daddy.

I am thankful for mommy.

I am thankful for a big sand beach and beach toys.

I am thankful for being blessed to be his mama. He is such a sweet sweet soul.

Walker kissing Elle!

Tonight after bath Walker was asking where Elle was and I told him she was still in my tummy. The he asked to feel her kick. So he puts both hands on my belly and she kicks and I said "She kicked you! She must really like you Walker." To which he responds, "Yes, she does really like me." I told him she probably thought that he was so awesome because he was big and going to be her big brother and he said "Yes, I am awesome."

28 weeks...

Halloween

Walker was Batman for Halloween this year. In September, he was positive he wanted to be Diego for Halloween so I bought the outfit along with matching rescue pack, flashlight and watch for him. He was beyond excited until a friend gave him some Superman pj's. Then he wanted to be Superman until we saw the Batman pj's at the store. Then it was Batman and continued to be Batman until Halloween. Thankfully, Halloween Express has really fast shipping and we were able to get his costume on Thursday afternoon just in time to wear to school on Friday for his Halloween party.

We have gone to the same neighborhood Halloween party since Walker was 6 months old. Each year it gets a little bigger and Walker seems to have more fun! This year he even bobbed for apples!

This was the first year that we took Walker "Trick or Treating" in the neighborhood. He had an absolute blast and it was so fun to watch him having such a great time. I stayed on the street with the stroller and he ran up with friends and cousins to each door and proudly said "Trick or Treat" and I overheard him say "Thank you" at almost every house! He would then turn to run to me saying "Candy, Candy"!

He definitely enjoyed Halloween this year but next year I'm going to have to limit the Halloween shows on Noggin - he keeps telling me I am scared - there are spooky things - when he has to go to bed.

Halloween Parade at School

Hanging on the couch with Dad before heading out to the party

Batman and Mom

Batman and Dad

The Real Batman (the pretend Batman would be the pj's that don't include the mask)

Showing off some Batman Moves

More Batman Moves

The whole costume at the Halloween Neighborhood Party!

Trick or Treating with his friend Jessica - don't they look excited!

First Soccer Game!

Go Gators!!

Walker had a great first game! He scored 3 goals for our team and the only goal for the other team! We figured he just wanted them to have a point on the scoreboard! He dribbled it from one end of the field to the other to score 2 of his goals. Adam did an awesome job coaching the kids and I think that all of them had a great time!

Huddled up pre-game before they yell "Go Gators"

"Go Gators" - it may have been some of the kiddos favorite part of the game!

Walker's 1st Goal!

Getting a "Hi-Five" from Dad for his goal!

So excited he scored! He jumped up down about ten times after he scored each time. It was so cute - you could just see blonde curls going up and down around the mass of kiddos.

His game on face!

Post-game celebration with Coach Green!

Walker asked the other day "What do I call you daddy at soccer when he has that whistle?" To which Adam replied "Coach Green." Then Adam asked him which one he liked better Coach Green or Daddy and Walker quickly replied with a hug "Daddy!" He was looking at the photos this afternoon with me and Walker kept saying "Look at Coach Green, he was teaching me soccer!"

I'm so glad that Walker gets to have this experience because he loves sports but am more glad that he has this special time with Adam.

First Day of Stay and Play at school

Monday was Walker's first day of Stay and Play at school. I was a bit nervous for him because last year we only stayed until 12 every day so I didn't know how he would react.

I was waiting at the doors to get him and he walks out with his teacher red faced and a complete mess in the BEST kind of way! He had left over peanut butter on his face from lunch, a sand/dirt streak under his chin and sweaty little hair from playing on the playground. He walks up to me saying "Mom, Humpty Dumpty and shows me his artwork. Then he shows me an arrow and says that it points to things." I asked him if he had a good day staying with the "big boys" at school and in his proud 3 year old voice says "Yes, I did."

It was one of those momma moments when a normal daily activity of your child makes you want to burst at the seams with pride. He was so happy and independent when he walked out of the school doors that day. A feeling that I hope he feels in all the new adventures he tackles along the road...

The Beach!

First Family Vacation - Watercolor, Florida

Going for a swim with dad

Playing tractors in the sand

Throwing the football with dad

Checking out the ocean with dad

Too much fun - fell asleep on the bike ride back from the beach

Fishing with Dad

First Fish!

We spent the last week in Watercolor, Florida at the beach. It was wonderful.

We flew as a family for the first time (Walker has flown once before with me to San Francisco when he was 10 months old), swam in the ocean, played in the sand, swam in the frog pool, kayaked on the lake, Walker caught his first fish, we took a canoe ride, Walker flew his first kite on the beach, rode bikes, ate wonderful seafood...

and that was just in the first 24 hours!!!

Watercolor was wonderful and it was a great choice for a family vacation. Walker's favorite part of the trip was definitely the beach, Adam loved kayaking and I loved having the three of us together!

Gigi went along with us on the trip to enjoy the beach and spend time with Walker. She was our restaurant expert - reading the reviews and then choosing our nightly dinners - which were fabulous!

Walker was very excited about this trip and patiently waited each day for Tuesday to get here so we could fly to the beach! He chose his own carry on bag - Diego of course. He rolled it through the airport on his own filled with his movies, books and toys. He and I sat together and Adam and Gigi sat across the aisle from us. He was very excited until right when the plane was going to take off and decided he didn't want to go to the beach after all and needed to get off the plane. Nilla Wafers and Mr. Brown Can Moo to the rescue! He wanted to hold hands on the take off and landing of each flight we took and he also made sure that Adam and Gigi were holding hands and that their seat belts were buckled. Once we could use Adam's laptop, he watched his movies the entire flight and didn't make a peep! He was a bit confused when we landed at the airport in Florida because he didn't see a beach. I forgot how literal 3 year olds are and he assumed that the airplane would land on the sand and we would walk out of it onto the beach.

Adam took him fishing at the lake there and he caught 3 fish. He wasn't quite sure about touching the fish but he did love to hold the shrimp bait and throw them into the lake - go figure! He liked to hold the fishing pole and pull the fish out of the water.

Kayaking was fun - Adam did all of the work! Walker and I sat in the front seat and Walker would paddle occasionally and ask daddy "Stop paddling, Daddy. I need to row."

The next day we went on a canoe ride which Adam and Walker paddled and I sat up front. They were both fun - I enjoyed the canoe more - Adam the kayak. I think Walker liked them both - as long as he could hold his paddle and row.

Walker loved the beach - his favorite things to do there were dig in the sand and make sand castles with dad, throw the football with dad, find shells in the water, jump the waves, play with tractors in the sand and swim with his float suit on in the ocean. Every morning we would ask him what he wanted to do today and regardless of what we listed he would always say "the beach!"

We loved it so much we hope to make it a yearly tradition!