Fall Back: Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving means one thing: stuffing your face full of awesome food.

Okay, Thanksgiving means two things: stuffing your face full of awesome food AND family.

We got to do both for your Second Thanksgiving.

We had three turkeys; one with your Godparents, the Nodelands, and the Shields. One with an entire branch of the Roomiani/Powell/Zaehler/Weinstein/Cantrell Family tree. And a smaller one (dinner, not turkey) with the Weinsteins and Helfords.

Food was had by all; naps were had by all; fun was had by all.

Trips to the arboretum with Aunt Rebekka, playing chase with Kaelyn, and going to the playground with Pops and more...this was the week for family fun!

I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Fall Back: More Fun

This fall has been so much fun with you! You're old enough to enjoy things that you slept through last year (like the Fair and the Zoo and Pops' stories). So, while the weather was nice, we went to see some ancient animals at the Heard Museum.
Here you are feeding the T-Rex the biggest stick you could find. You got upset when the stick got caught in his massive jaws.




We also went to see some living animals at the Dallas Zoo!



You got to 'feed' nearly every animal (statue) you encountered. They were very appreciative. It's so awesome watching you use your imagination...and sharing with the animals in the process.
You actually barked at the penguins later...I guess that's what happens when you have penguin-sized dogs at home!
Even though you liked the animals a lot, you also enjoyed some of the zoo's less popular attractions: like the stairs and grates exhibit...


And we also partied like animals to celebrate Brady's first birthday party!


Brady's getting older too (#common sense statement), so you and he have more in common the more mobile he gets. You've actually started playing together!



When we're moving so fast and taking in so many sights and sounds with you it sometimes becomes a little too fast-paced to immediately reflect. But, as odd as it may sound, when your Mom and I take you to a zoo, or a nature trail with animatronic dinos or a party, the animals, dinos or cupcakes aren't the main attraction: you are! And here's where I officially start sounding like a over-sentimental old man...

But it's true: experiencing things with you as you experience them for the first time is wondrous. Seeing the world through your eyes where nothing is old and everything is exciting is such an adventure, and we're so happy that we're fortunate enough to be there with you.

You find amazement in an ant climbing around on a bolt holding together the chimp exhibit, paying no attention to the monkeys themselves...



...sooner or later you'll only see the chimps, which isn't a bad thing at all, it's part of growing up.

I'm just so thankful that we get to experience these moments with you and be with you as you grow and change the world around you...and I guess we're changing too. I didn't really care about the chimps either...I was more focused on the little boy who was focusing on the ants on the bolt; and that moment alone was totally worth the cost of admission. Lucky for me, though, that there are thousands of these moments to fall back on...and thousands more we've yet to experience.

Fall Back: Halloween

Your second Halloween was awesome! Such a difference one year makes...you've grown from a cute little monkey into a fine young pirate!




In fact, your whole family turned into a clan of pirates!


This was also your first year to really go trick-or-treating. Uncle BJ and Aunt Kari joined Brady (a dashing Mickey Mouse), Uncle Jeremy and Aunt Michelle for trick-or-treating in our neighborhood.

At first you were a bit iffy about the whole thing, but then we gave you your second lollipop of all time and then you were a full blown sucker for Halloween for the rest of the sticky, sticky evening.



You held up your pumpkin bucket for candy, waved thank you and bye bye to our nice neighbors and ate dutifully ate your lollipop for all 90 minutes of trick-or-treating.



Your Mom, Uncles and I managed to eat the rest of your loot over the next weeks. Perhaps next year you'll be able to eat one or two more pieces of your own candy!

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrren't you glad you were a pirate for your second Halloween?

Fall Back: State Fair

My oh my- how time flies when you're having fun!

Our Octobers and Novembers are always fun and busy, and this one has been no exception.

So: Flash back. A few weeks ago, your Aunt April, Uncle Taff, Autumn and Addison came up to Dallas for our second annual pilgrimage to the Texas State Fair.


It's amazing how much has changed in one mere year. Last year you were hardly old enough to really know you were at the State Fair, let alone have fun.

And the year before that (your semi-first State Fair), you were just there for the food.

But this year, you had a blast.

You rode one (1) ride with your Daddy!
(this was actually a bit traumatic for both of us...but at the end you still loved me and you didn't hurl, so it was a success)

Your cousins went on a few more:


You finally took a nap in the car exhibit (after we changed your diaper near a 2012 model).

You and your cousins went to the Petting Zoo and had so much fun feeding goats, lambs, and cows and looking at Kangaroos, Emus, Ostriches, Pigs and more. This was a perfect time for you to show off your animal sounds and your animal-feeding abilities.





It's almost as if we are training you to work on a farm. Which is good, since you, Addison and Autumn also got to spend some time working on a pretend farm. You were very good at watering the fake plants and planting your seeds. You milked a fake cow and threw a fake egg. You did not ride the tractor.


All in all, though, the best thing about the weekend wasn't the Fair or the food or the fried goodness (mmm...corny dogs): it was the family.


You got some good quality cuddles with your Aunt and Uncle (and Mimi and Pops too) and had a general blast playing with Autumn and Addison. Crazy family fun!



You and Autumn even actually wrestling! It was a sight to see. But don't worry, as always, you fought fair.