Walton Boys: MEN IN SKIRTS ;)

In case you didn't catch it, the above title is a spoof of a spoof -- Robin Hood: Men in Tights. And don't worry, it does make sense that the Walton brothers are both boys and men. See what I mean?

They look 12 years old, all in extra-way-to-large-for-each-of-them swim trunks (belonging to a once much larger man) because no one brought swim trunks of their own. I totally thought we got a picture of them all on the roof jumping in to the pool (tradition) but we only got video of that. 

It looks nice out, but it was actually pretty cold. 

This weekend we went to Dallas to see Sam (Scott's youngest brother) after getting home from his 2-year mission in Fiji. At first I was thrown off how much he'd changed because I was of his crazy Fijian accent. He sounded soooo different; but after a day and a half of being in Dallas either his accent started to wear off (doubtful) or I just got used to it and I began to see the "same 'ol Sam" as before, except a little more grown up, more mature, and more spiritual- a few great benefits of serving a mission.


It was super fun to see most of the Walton family in town for his homecoming. All but one of the 5 brothers  could make it and when these boys get together, you can only expect some good old fashioned entertainment.

Here are a few pictures from the short, day-and-a-half trip.

Saturday night: TRUNK OR TREAT at the church

                                    COUSINS!!!!

 Cousin Chloe the Clown (say that 5 times fast)

and Sydney Red Riding Hood

 Outside to the main event:

Family Christmas picture material,

 yeah? 

 The WALTON TRUNK is the coolest

I promised ya men in skirts, didn't I?

More correctly, they are called sulu va-taga (if I googled that correctly). This is pretty much what sam walked around in for the last 2  years as a missionary (Missionary Elders dress in church dress during the week as well as on Sundays). This is the culture in Fiji. It's what they wear. Scott was a big fan. He said they were nice and spacious and not constricting! Maybe we should move to Fiji so he can feel normal and comfortable at the same time. :)

So there, a little culture there for ya. 

Love it. 

7 out of the 8 siblings 

How cute :)

Real life leis the Tongans in the ward made for Sam's homecoming.

 Now THIS is Christmas card worthy. 

Except Scott's in a skirt. Dang it!

And I'm pretty sure he's not looking at the camera..

Bahaha I must reveal it. Scott was on his tipi toes. 

No way he's as tall as Justin :) 

A handful of the Waltons are missing from this group shot but otherwise, 

THESE ARE THE WALTONS 

(and Eisermanns and Neals, but you know what I'm gettin' at). :)

haha Deans bowl of peanut butter cracks me up, super random. 

Sleep Happy

The final declaration of our FHE (Family Home Evening) lesson with Sydney tonight: (a somewhat recent struggle in our home...)

(She's still trying to establish a good signature for herself). 

Oh, and just for the record, she didn't cry at all at bedtime tonight. She didn't even whine when I told her I was going to close the door. She's still falling asleep on the floor by her door, but she didn't cry!

Whatever suits her...as long as we are she is happy! ;)

Our Romantic Toilet

This might be disquieting to you, but hear me out- it's actually really,...romantic...(?!). 

Admit it, you've been a little past due on cleaning your toilets before, too. 

I am one that tries to keep a clean house daily, but it typically doesn't get cleaned until right before Scott gets home in the evenings. Our bed is usually the last thing I throw back together, minutes before he walks in the door, only to have it all messed up again a few short hours later (And I'm big on making my bed look like an Eddie Bauer display bed (from the days of Eddie Bauer Home). It seems pointless, but I know other women who are right there with me on this. I know he enjoys coming home to a clean house.

Dirty toilets are one thing I can't stand, and I get SUCH a satisfying feeling after cleaning one (keyword: 'after'), but ONLY if there's something to visibly scrub off with the toilet brush- it's typically a ring around the waterline (and to be honest, that's typically the only time I clean a toilet, when something visibly appears on the bowl). 

A couple weeks ago was one of those times where I was a little past due on cleaning that 'ring around the water line' in our bathroom toilet.

Scott knew the bathroom was on my agenda to clean that day, and when I first saw it, I thought it was some weird affect of letting the 'ring' sit for too long without cleaning it (the camera flash gives it MUCH better lighting than I had when I noticed something weird).

(Scroll down..)

Almost there...

I've never smiled so big or felt more in love while cleaning a toilet.

...And I've never been more proud to show a picture of my nasty, dirty toilet bowl 

(not that I show it to people often). Don't you feel so lucky?!?!

Haha :)

I LOVE U TOO, SCOTT!!!

Syd's 2nd Birthday

 WE LOVE YOU, SYDNEY!!!!!

On Monday, October 8, 2012, our little baby girl turned 2 years old. She's such a big girl these days- it's crazy how they transform from babies to little girls in the blink of an eye. I'll tell you about her actual birthday, but first, a short bio update on her current life:

"Sisser", (as she calls herself) is exploding with curiosity and desire to learn. She insists on being the one to open and close the door when we leave home, and when we come back, she MUST be the one to stick the key in the lock and turn it. She will not step down either, no matter how many mosquitos are buzzing around us and how impatient mommy is getting. She can actually get it in and push it open!!
When I help her say sentences, phrases, count or do the alphabet, she always says "MORE!" with a big smile on her  face. My favorite is practicing the phrase- I love you. "I....Yuh....YU! We catch her talking to her baby in her bedroom at night. She can be found practicing "I...Yuh...YU" over and over again to her baby. 

Her longer sentences are an accumulation of some of the different words she uses a lot:

"I Yuh (love) Yu (you) Dadda skoo (school) more stinky one two, (she doesn't like to say 3) four five mamma yaaaaay!! Pool nigh night?!"

But most of the time, she can communicate pretty well with about 3-4 words at a time. "I wan mo cheee" (I want more cheese, just in case you didn't figure that out) is number one on the list of most repeated phrase right now I think. 

And this is way old news by now but within the first two weeks that we'd moved here to Galveston, we were riding the fairy boat and when Scott turned around suddenly, Sydney's passy flew right out of her hand and into the ocean. Sydney saw it, didn't know what to say at first, then said "Bye, bye, Passy" and that was the end of it.

Moments before the passy went bye bye forever.....and moments after. (2 months ago...)

I think she parted with it so well because she understood what happened to it. 

I would consider her well potty trained now. If we are at the park with no potty around, she knows how to pull down her pants and squat in the grass ;). Boys aren't the only ones who can pee so conveniently :). For the most part, 99% at least, she's accident free and she does very well "staying dry" during naps and night time. She uses both her little potty and the real potty- depending on which one's closer. 

She loves to push her baby doll in the stroller, play with play doh, talking and reading books!!! 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HER BIRTHDAY....

Scott and I decorated the hallway outside of her room after she went to bed the night before so that she could wake up and feel special right away...

GOOD MORNING!!!

We let her open a present before daddy left for school in the morning...I rigged which one she picked so we could use it before her friends came over that night :)

Sydney's friend Lawson got to come over all day on her birthday and play.

They had lots of fun together. 

(His baby sister was sick in the hospital). 

Daddy let her open another present when he got home from school :)

Her favorite accessory!!!

 We made use of her new mini curling iron, as planned,

All ready for the guests!
Lets see how many people we can squeeze in this tiny space :)

Husband and wife? I think soooo!!! 

They probably got married because of their resemblance in picture-taking-head-cocking. 

Sydney had a hard time concentrating on anything else once she opened her "NEW BABY!!!". She didn't even take a bite of her cake..she just wanted to get down and mother her new baby.
This was our "big" ($7) present to her :). 
We knew she'd LOVE it! 

Stitches update: Syd got her stitches removed from her knee last Friday. Everything looks pretty good! She'll have a nice scar to remember Galveston by.
Grammy sent her some band aids in the mail and Sydney put them on her baby's knees, as if she was recovering from stitches too. Cute :)
 


 

Testing out her birthday loot!

Thanks to all who helped make Sydney feel special for her birthday!