First Birthday Party, Dr. Seuss Edition

On Saturday, December 22, 2012, at about 10:30 a.m., a curious visitor came to town.  He had heard that there was a special little boy turning 1, you see.

The Cat in the Hat!  He brought plenty of party guests...

Played lots of games, like...

 Apples up on top...

 Thing 1 and Thing 2 handprints...

 

 And pin the trunk to Horton (which Uncle Michael drew for us)...

 The Cat in the Hat created lots of chaos, listened while Grammy read books, and entertained the whole crowd. 

Then there was the food!  Oh, that food!

 Name tags,

 Cat in the Hat pizza,

 Grickle Grass (green beans--Greg's favorite food),

 One Fish, Two Fish,

 Pink Ink Yink Drink (Pink lemonade),

 Who-Hash,

 Bar-Ba-Loots,

 Truffula Fruit,

 And cake!

 Thing 1, the birthday boy, was in total awe of the cake.

 He wanted to grab it...

 He always refuses new food, but Mommy popped a bite in, amidst the crying, and...

 He attacked it!

 Next, came presents!  Poor Thing 1 was sick that day and not hugely interested.  He couldn't figure out why we kept tearing paper (usually a "no-no"), and then taking toys away just to repeat the process.

 All done, and quietly looking at the book, since the Cat in the Hat took most of the chaos away.

A fun day was had by all!

Smiles!!

Birthday Boy

Gregory is 1!  We can't believe it!  But somewhere along the way, we went from

this adorable, chubby little munchkin...

 To...

This sweet, almost walking and talking little man.

It's been a long year, full of adventures, but this little guy lights up our life!  And challenges us plenty, too.  He is cruising and exploring everywhere (nothing is safe anymore!), and taking small steps by himself.  He loves to growl, sing, dance, and play "bonk" (thanks to Aunt Katie).  He can roll a ball, almost climb out of bed, climb stairs, and taught himself how to get down safely.  He can sign "Night night," "help," "come here," "drink/milk," "eat," "paci," "outside," "up please," "down please," "more," "all done," wave byebye/hello, and say "Mama" and "Dada."  We're still working on please and thank you.  He is easily frustrated by a lack of communication, so we are trying to teach him signs for things as quickly as he will learn them.  We already have to spell a few words, like "bath" and "milk," because he knows the word all too well.  Green beans, bananas, spaghetti, sweet potatoes eggs, and animal crackers are his favorite foods.  He prefers food with plenty of seasoning and texture.  He loves beef, bacon, and coffee.  He is a solemn little guy--just takes everything in around him.  He enjoys figuring things out.  And the only time he'll laugh is when you chase him and come roaring out from behind the couch.  He is always on the go, but does love to sit and read books.  He refuses to perform new skills while being watched, but waits until no one is looking, and then takes off.  He's already showing himself to be a perfectionist, and doesn't like it when his hands get dirty.

He enjoys helping Mommy load (er, unload) the dishwasher, "fold" laundry, and wash dishes.  Still not too sure about the loud vacuum cleaner.  He prefers to play outside.  His most recent skill is learning to point, and asking you to name everything he touches while he tries to "say" it.  He likes technology just like his Daddy, though he is learning to not touch it...or the trash...or the toilet paper....or dump flour everywhere....or throw food off his tray...

And just the other day, I sang "Silent Night" to him, and he signed "night night" every time I said the word "night."  Smart little guy!  It's so much fun to teach him!

He enjoys playing with his cousins, and is learning to stand up for himself among the crowd. ;-)

His favorite color is red, and he is hoping to see snow when he travels up north soon.

Side note: I wanted to write this post on his actual birthday, but it didn't happen.  I plan to do quite a few posts before the New Year, though, as I have a few things to announce.  You'll also get to see more pictures of the little guy!

Smiles!

Corpus Christi Anniversary Trip

Once Upon A Time...

   In a Hot and Humid Place...

      Three eager Texans flocked to the beach.

 

 But first, they had to travel a long, long way.  And not just to any beach.  This beach was the beach of Brian's childhood, where he visited his grandparents in Corpus Christi, TX.

 As you can see, the ride was rough and the passengers had to hang on for dear life (though it was enjoyed greatly!).

 Along the way, a famous Dairy Queen, from Daddy's childhood, was visited.

 So excited!

 This little munchkin thought he could help Daddy drive faster.

 Vroom, vroom goes the car.

 Behold!  A castle building!

 So many sights to see!  Look there!  A ship, the Lexington, to be exact.

 Beware of the fierce fish ready to gobble up whatever lies in its path!

 Here is the beach boy checking out the sand.  The hat keeps our head and neck shaded from the record breaking heat.

 Thanks to the hurricane, the waters were very still--almost like a lake.

 But fun was still had by all!

 Splash, splash, splash!  The salt water is lots of fun, but we don't like it in our eyes.

 Daddy heads for cover as the beach boy revs things up.

 Playing in the water creates plenty of hunger...

 No worries--we lift the towel, and...

 Eat lots of sand! 'Tis much better than veggies, you see.

 Crunchy shells...

 Father and son...

 ...had lots of fun!

 Mother and child...

 Thirst quenched by Starbucks Salted Caramel Mocha Frapps!

That's all, folks! 

The end.

Smiles!

Quiet Book

This is the first in a series of catch up posts.  I decided to start with this one because I knew my Mom, Gran, would appreciate it most. 

Last week, Greg received a special package in the mail!  His first ever, I might add.  The results of this package are pictured below:

 "See, look how charming I can be!"

 "Hmmm, check out this colorful book!"

 "Look, Mom!  A giraffe!"

 "So colorful."

 "And this is how you turn the page!"

"My book!"

Smiles!!