My blog has moved...

To make it easier on my Mommy - my blog has moved! To find out what my baby brother Eli and I have been up to, go to (and then bookmark!!)

http://thewaltonboys.blogspot.com.

Hope everyone will make the move with us! There's lots going on in our family...

I'm a big brother!

Welcome to the World, Eli Benjamin Walton!!

Riley's blog will be "moving" soon. There's no way I can keep up two so we'll have to find a name worthy of both my sweet boys. Will let you know as soon as we're up and going.

A "Lallow" Christmas Tree?

As you may have read in the previous post, we are (FINALLY!!) making progress with potty training. Today, we were outside playing and he told us he needed to go but I could see that he didn't really want to go inside to take care of business. So, like the refined, cultured Southern mother I am, I let him drop trou in the yard. To give him a target, I encouraged him to tee-tee on the Christmas tree his daddy had moved out near the shed - to which he responded, "I make a lallow (yellow) Christmas tree?" Of course, you can, sweet boy!

A few minutes later, he added "Merry Christmas....ho, ho, ho!" as he aimed.

Oh, to be the mother of boys!!

A couple of funny stories...

Riley's vocabulary and comprehension of information amaze me sometimes. Thought I'd share a few funny stories from the past few months...

Gifts for Baby Jesus

As we were lying in bed one night, Riley and I were discussing the details of the first Christmas. He began learning how things went down that night from his Sunday School teachers (Mrs. Peggy and Papa Moe) several weeks before, and I'm sure they had been discussing at school as well. I thought I knew all that he had covered but as he was drifting off, he said, "What about the murm, Mama?...The gold, murm and frankenscent?" Guess I didn't know all he had heard!

"Open it Up"

One day as we were getting ready for naptime, Riley decided he needed to give baby brother some sugars. He crawled over to me, put his hands on belly, and said, "Open it up" as he pulled up my shirt to kiss my belly.

"Watch your Language"

We've had to really be careful about the things we say lately as most of what we say, he repeats. While "Dang it" or "Oh, my gosh" seem fairly harmless, they sound a little funny coming from the mouth of a 2-year-old. So, we've tried to correct him and ask him to use other phrases such as "Oh, my goodness" and just this week, his Meems introduced "Fiddlesticks." So, what does he say in his moment of frustration?

"Oh, my gosh...and dang it...dadgummit!"

Should've known!

"Going back to Georgia"

For Thanksgiving, my older brother rode his motorcycle over from Georgia and made quite an impression on Riley. It's a tricked-out yellow number that's really loud! Despite my fears, I even let Shannon take me around the block on it. What a sight!!

So now, Riley will get on his ride-on toy and tell me, "I'm going back to Georgia, Mama!" and then strap on his helmet. One night, as he was riding around the house, he pulls up next to me on his "motorcycle" and says, "Mama, get on the back with me!" Oh, how I wish, my sweet boy!

"He's so CUUUUTE!"

While rummaging through the nightstand by my bed one day, Riley discovered a picture of a baby. He quickly surmised, "Look, Mama! It's baby brother!" I explained that it was not baby brother but him - when HE was a baby. He looked at it for a minute, seeming somewhat puzzled, and then began to smile. He looked up at me with those big brown eyes and concluded, "He's so CUUUUTE!"

Does it still count as a "blog"?

Ok. So it's just been 6 months since the last post. Does this even still count as a blog?

Let me explain why the long absence for those of you that may not have seen me in the last few months...I'm pregnant. For those with children, I am sure you understand. This pregnancy has been less than easy and no doubt "complicated" by my quickly growing and increasingly speedy 2-year-old. I've done well to take care of him and do my job during the last few months so my apologies for not doing better with the blogging.

Our Number 2 son is scheduled to arrive on or before February 9 (I'm praying BEFORE!). We have (FINALLY!) decided on a name - Eli Benjamin. Eli comes from Jeff's dad's side - his great-granddad Walton was Elisha. And Benjamin comes from my dad's side - my granddad's brother was Isom Benjamin as well as a great-great granddad Benjamin (Aunt Sue, check me on that!). Riley seems to be excited about his baby brother, and loves to talk to him, give him sugars and tells me frequently that "babies are fragile." Just last week, he wanted to sing "Rock A-Bye-Baby" to him; I thought I would drowned him in my tears as he laid his little head on my belly and sang to his baby brother.

Riley will turn 3 in March and has become quite the entertainer. During the holidays, we were frequently blessed with his renditions of "Away in a Manger" (e.g. A Wave in a Manger) as well as "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" from the hearth (e.g. his stage). He really enjoyed the holidays this year - he was spoiled with lots of wonderful gifts. Among his favorites are his Thomas the Train (and James and Percy, too!) train tracks, his rocking horse built by Gran (and appropriately named "Johnny"), his scooter and Lightning McQueen helmet, and all his new Lightning McQueen character cars. His daddy has his tool bench assembled and ready for him to play with and I anticipate it will also be among his favorites - What little boy doesn't like power tools and a hammer?

Although he (and we!) are grateful for all the gifts from family and friends, the greatest gift for me was his understanding that we were celebrating Baby Jesus' birthday. He can tell The First Christmas Story of Mary and Joseph and their trip to Bethlehem, the birth of the our Savior in the manager, how the angel appeared to the shepherds and even knows that the wisemen brought Him gifts (gold, myrrh, and frankincense). What more can a mother ask for at 2 years old?

We have made significant strides in the potty training during the last week, and he now shares our (IMMENSE!) excitement at "making a lallow potty." We are still working on the other but are just thrilled that we seem to be headed in the right direction. The Lightning McQueen big boy undies were a huge hit and seemed to have been the jumpstart he needed; he does NOT want to tee-tee on Lightning McQueen. Who knew, right?

Ok. I'll end for now and try to find some time to upload some photos in the next post. You won't believe how much he's grown! Thanks for hanging with us and being patient!

Where is the summer going?

Wow! I can't believe we're halfway through June! Riley is loving summer - he'd play outside all day (if his Mommy & Daddy could hang with him). He loves his swimming pool with the slide we got him and has a new appreciation for his sandbox. He can climb into his clubhouse with no help and is also getting close to mastering the rock wall. His favorite thing to do is just kick and then chase balls around the yard. It makes me tired (and hot!!) just watching him.

Riley has become quite the singer in the last few weeks. He has a whole set he can do - "Twinkle, Twinkle," "You are My Sunshine," "I See the Moon" - pretty cute! 

One of my favorite times with him is saying our bedtime prayers. He can say most of the "Now I Lay Me" prayer followed by a 5-10 minute "God bless" session. He always says the usuals - Mama, Daddy, grandparents, cousins, friends at school... But a few nights ago, he really got me. Just I thought we were winding down, he says, "God bless....Oso and Paw Pilot." For those who don't have a steady diet of Disney Channel programming, these are characters from a fairly new show that he has really come to like. Too funny!

Riley has also become quite a helper. He likes to help load the washing machine and then the dryer and he loves to help start the dishwasher. I'm hoping this helpful attitude will continue well into his teenage years...when those are no longer fun tasks but chores!

Just last week we converted his room to a "big boy" room. It was really sad for me...I can't believe how fast the last two years have gone by. He's been sleeping in a full-sized bed for about a month and seems to love it. We got his room painted and new bedding on his bed one day last week while he was at school. He ran into his room, climbed up on the bed and said, "It's CUUUTE!" I guess he likes it! 

Will try to post some pictures soon!

So much to tell... Part II

So the trip to the Buffalo Animal Park was a good time as well. Riley enjoyed being able to touch the animals (WAY more than his mama did!).  He fed a giraffe - a big, huge giraffe - with no fear whatsoever.

Feeding Tall Boy - YUCK! 

A VERY LARGE Native American statue!

That zebra was pregnant!

WAY too close to the buffalo for mommy's liking!

Riley's first pony ride...it lasted about 5 seconds.

One tired boy after an afternoon at the Buffalo Park!

Easter was great - not so much the hiding and finding of the eggs, but just the time together and celebrating God's amazing gift to us all! We managed to keep both our butterflies alive this year so Riley enjoyed the butterfly release on the steps of our church. Easter goodies and the candy in the eggs were cool, but he wasn't really all that interested in the effort to FIND them!

Ready to hunt eggs at Moe & Peggy Yarbrough's...until he detoured to the swings.

Checking out the Easter goodies he found outside his bedroom door!

What a handsome boy! So sweet!!

Praying with Daddy on the steps of the church. What a great moment!!

There are so many milestones that I need to share, but will have to wait for another day! Much love to you all, and I hope the summer will provide more opportunities to share Riley's world with you!