Pie and Leaves

Jack is home from Milwaukee and all is right with the world. When Walker saw Jack walk through the terminal gate after a week's absence, Walker dove out of my arms and ran full out and into Jack's arms yelling "Daddy! Daddy!" all the while. It was like a movie. I guess the kid missed his papa. I missed his papa too. But now we're all together again! So to celebrate, we cooked up a full Thanksgiving dinner. We did the turkey, the stuffing, the potatoes, the broccoli casserole, the rolls, the salad and most importantly the apple pie. As you can see below, Walker was VERY interested in the pie. His first pie, I think.


We also spent some time outside today "raking" leaves and playing in the back yard. Walker is the best little helper. He sweeps, rakes, compiles, dismantles, stacks and separates like a professional. When Walker is by my side, all the chores take three times as long , but are always three times more fun. He's teaching me how to live full out - all of the time.

This poor lonely creature was left outside after our playtime was done. I thought he deserved a mention.

Giving Thanks

I'm not going to lie. Today has been a tough day. No Jack, no homey smells permeating the house, no visitors, none of the usual markers of a family holiday. Walker and I are at the tail end of being ill and I'm feeling a little fried. All the kid care and extra exerted energy it takes to keep him from spinning out has taken its toll. Walker hasn't exactly been an angel today. I decided that Walker and I needed a little holiday pick-me-up, so we pulled out our little fake Xmas tree from last year and decorated it. We also enjoyed some Thanksgiving cheer during the last half of the day with Cecilia and her lovely family. We had a wonderful Gumbo and Walker's fave: mac n' cheese. Walker, who had railed in his room through what was supposed to be his afternoon nap, finally fell asleep in the car on the way home. To make the most of this quiet time, I took a detour to White Rock Lake. The sun was setting and I was able to take a few full breaths and give thanks for my many many many blessings. I am a rich woman - even if today was difficult - I have all that I need in this life.

Daily Art

Here is today's creation. Walker and I were home sick all day, so I thought a little therapeutic painting was in order. When asked for a title, Walker announced, "Cupcake".

Green Day

Walker has not been happy that Daddy is away for the week. And I think this displeasure is showing up as short but inflammatory fits. So today I vowed to keep the kid busy, happy and well rested. We began our morning at our favorite down town park. Walker has had the sniffles and a light cough for a few days, so when we returned home, I gave him a small dose of Children's syrup to help him sleep. After a three and a half hour nap, we headed back down town for a trolley ride and dinner for two. No tantrums, no tears, no problem.

This is what Walker made yesterday.

When I asked him for a title, he said "orange train". Its now framed and hanging in our living room.

Sunday in the Park with Walker

Walker and I had a lovely Sunday to ourselves. We played in the park this morning and then found some Mexican food for lunch. Walker ate an entire bowl of guacamole with a spoon and then decided to have a chip to wash it down. After an early afternoon nap, we spent the hours before dinner making a little good old fashioned art. After our painting foray, we washed off all the goo, wrestled into some clean clothes and are now happily watching "WALL-E" over a bowl of grapes. Happy boy, happy mama. (PS to Jack and Betsy: Notice the focused tongue shot at the bottom. Haha!)

Full House

Yesterday, we had the pleasure of hanging out with one of Walker's best buds, Camdyn. She and Walker got into all sorts of mischief. About half-way through Camdyn's stay, we were joined by Miss Mackey. Walker was so excited to play host to his girlfriends!