Cake

do i really need to explain? it's Thomas the Train! and it's a cake! full of candy! and my Nana made it JUST FOR ME! 'cause i'm 2.

here's my story and i'm sticking to it........

it was late the night of my birthday. i was tired and crazy from sugar and running around. and daddy tried to tell me it was time to go to bed. but IT'S MY BIRTHDAY! so i raised my hand (while holding my truck) to tell daddy that bed wasn't an option and he suddently rammed his head into my truck. full force. in this picture he's showing off his black eye and i'm crying. because it's my party and i'll cry if i want to!

Chuck E Cheese

daddy wanted to make my birthday special so that i would remember it forever so we went to Chuck E Cheese. Wyatt and Nessa came to play the games with me and friends of mama and daddy came because they were bribed with beer. we ate pizza, drank soda (NOT a fan), danced along with the show, and played all the games. it was a lot of fun and i promise daddy - i'll remember it for at least a couple of hours.

feed the dog

my favorite game at CEC was one where you pound on the dog bone to feed the dog some sponge balls. i was really good at this because i help feed the dogs at home. i usually give them too much and spill a lot in the process but they seem to love it when i feed them. anyway, for every sponge ball you shoot into the dog's mouth you get points. i played this game a LOT and won a whole bunch of tickets. then i got robbed - 182 tickets got me nothin' but a sticker. i think i lost it before we even left the place

par-tay

Wyatt, Nessa and I ate cake and ice cream and popped balloons. we tore open presents, played with toys, and ran around all crazy. all in all it was a GREAT birthday

DIRT

digging in the dirt is one of my most favorite things to do. i like to shovel it into my pail and then dump it out again. i like to add water and make mud. i like to scrape at it with a stick and fling it at anyone walking by. and i like to roll around in it so when mama changes my diaper she gets a pleasant surprise

it's MINE

i was just minding my own business, playing in the snow and dirt in the yard, when Hendrix decided he wanted the stick i was digging with. i don't know why he wanted MY stick - there were plenty of others in the yard. but it ended up in a tug-of-war and i was totally outnumbered as the other dogs all joined in and ganged up on me. you'll be happy to know that in the end the stick ended up with ME.

Papa

Papa took Wyatt and me for a walk up the mountain behind the house. we played in the dirt, pushed the dogs around, threw rocks, and enjoyed the view on top when we stopped for a snack. i'm looking forward to LOTS of exploring with Papa as soon as i'm potty trained. until then he won't take me anywhere without Nana because he's scared of dirty diapers. apparently it's been a life-long fear that he'll just never get over.

here Kitty, Kitty

we visited Grandma and Grandpa in WI early November and i had the best time playing hide and seek with the cat. he would hide and i would seek for a LONG time. the cat liked to hide under the bed so i would very quietly sneak into the extra bedroom, take my post on the floor, and wait. Grandma supplied me with grapes to keep me going.

Fall

Grandpa had lots of leaves in his yard which made for hours of fun. Mama and I rolled around and threw leaves at each other. by the time we were done i was very tired and my pants were FULL of little bits of leaves. poor Mama tried to ditch diaper responsibility to daddy but no luck.

Grandma's angel

Grandma made me an early birthday cake and i got to help. it was an angel food cake (because i'm such an angel) and tasted yummy. i ate more of the batter than the actual cake because i was so full.

Finley

we visited the Hooverzons and their newest addition Finley. she is really cute but kinda boring. she doesn't walk, or talk, or even eat real food, and she sleeps a LOT. i wasn't sure how i was supposed to play with her so i gave her kisses instead. it seemed like the thing to do.

American traditions

halloween is the BEST idea EVER! me and my posse (Wyatt and Nessa) hit the first house and i wasn't too sure - it seemed a bit weird to ring a stanger's doorbell and ask for handouts. but once i realized it was all about candy, i was ALL about getting there first. a couple of houses i tried to walk in to pet the doggies inside and others i grabbed into the candy bowl before it was even presented to us! i am SO ready for next year now that i have the hang of it

dry skin treatment

sometimes Nana mistakenly thinks that if she can't hear me, i must be behaving. boy, is she WRONG. after realizing things had been too quiet for too long she found me here, in her bathroom. i was trying to moisturize her sink and my hands by applying really stinkey lotion ALL over. i rubbed it in good and smelled like roses for the rest of the day.

pumpkin patch

Zach the Skunk, Wyatt the Monkey, and me - Superman - went to a pumpkin patch farm. we saw lots of animals, walked thru the pumpkin patch, went for a hay wagon ride, and kept out mommies on their feet. it was a lot of fun.

ridin'

the hay wagon ride was the best! a big fat farmer pulled us around behind his John Deere tractor all over the farm. all of our mommies enjoyed the ride too - Alicia, mama, and Kelly. they're all smiling in this picture because we were still being good. facial expressions changed shortly after this picture was taken.

Jack

mama's favorite word is the name of the animal in this picture with me. apparently i was acting like one the day that we went to this pumpkin patch farm. i wanted to pet the jack but all he wanted to do was eat my fingers.

Packer Backer

mama bought me this A Rod jersey when she was back in WI for girls weekend. there's nothing better than a fall Sunday afternoon, a tonka truck, and the Packers. i like to watch in style.

the Road Less Traveled

this road is actually traveled somewhat frequently since it leads to a favorite bike trail near Gold Hill. but for me a short walk can turn into quite the journey. there's so much to see! the aspen leaves ahead turning yellow, lots of colorful rocks at my feet, grasshoppers flying thru the fields to my right and left, and endless blue sky above me. ahhhh, i LOVE colorado!

break time

Mama, Daddy and I went up the mountain one sunny Saturday to enjoy the fall colors and visit the burn area near Boulder. we drove up Sunshine Canyon and were humbled by the landscape that the fire left. beautiful, lonely and sad - all at the same time. we stopped for lunch just outside of Gold Hill where i shared my apple with Daddy.

accident prone

Nana likes to take me to Splash, a really fun water park in Golden. i stand under the water fall, crawl around in the warm water, and love to play on the slide. in this picture i'm showing off my latest black eye - i've had several since i've been mobile. this time i was running up the stairs of the water slide and fell flat on my nose. it didn't hurt that bad and i actually cried harder when Nana made us leave Splash than when i hit the cement.

Wyoming

this summer we spent a few days up at Nana and Papa's shed in Wyoming. Auntie took me hiking and taught me how to identify poop, Daddy took me for rides on the 4-wheeler, Nana chased me around and fed me good, Uncle tried to teach me how to open a beer can, and Mama engaged me in a water balloon fight with the Leisters. we had a GREAT time and can't wait to go back soon!

road trip

one of my most favorite things to do is play in people's cars. here i'm in Auntie's car and Cisco is in the backseat. he thinks we're going for a ride but everyone is smart enough by now not to leave the keys in the vehicle. so i have to be happy with turning on the wipers, blinkers, hazards, lights, and radio. then i honk the horn, turn the wheel, and pretend to speed away. i can do this for HOURS

new detection invention

apparently my parents don't believe in those leash backpacks that some kids wear around the airport. you know, the ones that keep the kid within a few feet of the adult so they don't get lost? well, my parents are MUCH more creative than that. after getting sick of leaving their lawn chair to come find me around the Wyoming shed whenever they didn't hear me, they decided to arm me with a detection device. yup - you can see it here. two coors light cans tied to twine tied to my belt loop. i couldn't go ANYWHERE without them finding me!

caught in the act

i'm obviously doing something that i'm not supposed to be doing in this picture. i'm standing in front of the tv papa keeps at the wyoming shed and the front of my shirt is all wet. i'm not quite sure what i was up to (because i don't remember) but it looks like i was having fun! i always have fun.

Connor and Brooks

these are my friends Connor (doing the work) and Brooks (hiding behind the pogo stick). they came to visit this summer and we had SO much fun! running around the yard is my favorite - i have a knack for getting people to pull me around with just a smile in return.

zeb the builder

this summer mama and daddy tackled the latest project of new decks for the house. you can tell that this is a 'before' picture because the floor boards are rotted and the railing is thick vertical wood. i'm gearing up to help tear out all the old wood so that daddy and mike can put on the new wood. the gloves are a bit big but they're good for preventing splinters.

best friends

some of my friends have those big cushie bean bags that they lounge around in but i don't have any need for one of those. i have Sadie! she's warm, and soft, and provides just the right reclining area for me to relax. if i spill my milk, she licks it up. if i drop food, she cleans it up. if i pull her ear, she gets up.

RawHide!

Nessa, Zach and I totally have daddy wrapped around our fingers! he gets his exercise these days pulling us around the yard in the wagon. this round we let him bring his drink with him but made him run faster.

hidden tunnel

daddy bought me a tunnel for my tent. i used to love crawling through it and rolling around inside. but now i don't fit so good. i can't stand up in there anymore and when i roll i end up crashing into the tv. that makes daddy mad so right now the tunnel is folded up and hidden somewhere 'outside of my reach'. but don't worry - i'll find it. i always do!

new toy

Nana's work friend had a bit playground set that her kids didn't need anymore so daddy and papa brought it home for me. it has two swings, a slide, ladders, a sand box, and a pogo stick. it's the BOMB. this picture was taken before mama painted it to match the house. i love swinging REALLY high and if you're not pushing me high enough, i let you know about it!

chit chat

talking on the phone is one of my most favorite things.

when i'm upstairs in the office i like to get daddy to call nana and papa on the speaker phone. and when i see the laptop i like to get daddy to call grandma and grandpa on skype. anytime i can chat i'm ready. this time the call was for mama but she didn't feel like talking.

streaker

i absolutely love being naked. naked in the morning, naked in the afternoon, naked at night, naked in the cold, naked for dinner, naked, naked, naked. sometimes right after bath i slip out of mama's grip and head for the living room where i like to run around with my big tonka truck. no one can catch me. sometimes i even find a quiet corner and laugh while i pee on the carpet!

walk like a flamingo

this summer we got a family membership to the Denver Zoo so i got to go see the animals quite a few times. here we are watching the flamingos and i'm trying to imitate them. they sure stand funny! did you know they get their pink color from the stuff they eat?

LOL

i'm laughing because daddy just farted. Oh, wait, that was ME that just farted!

the perfect size

not even 2 and i can already palm a basketball. and i seem to fit nicely into this "coffee table" where mama and daddy hide my toys. every night i like to get out ALL of the blocks and spread them throughout the living room.

the next Mohammad Ali

i've decided that, since i'm named after a Spanish boxer (alias The Killing Boy), that i should start to look the part. this is my get-up after a bath. now that i've got the robe i just need to work on getting rid of the smile.

Jaws 4

there was this one incidence that made me a bit scared of the water in my aligator pool. you see, one day i decided to get my face as close to the water as possible without actually being in the pool. and then suddenly - i was IN the POOL! freaked me out a bit. enough that i didn't want to go back in for a few days until mama got in with me with all her clothes on! i've been just fine ever since. in this pic i'm showing daddy how to chill.

clean up crew

i just LOVE to eat. green things, red things, brown things, yellow things, red things. i eat 'em all! and no matter how much of a mess i make, mama just calls in one of the dogs (they take turns) and it's all cleaned up in just a matter of seconds.

Livin Large!

there's nothing better than a warm summer day, a deck with a view, and a comfy chair. i like to take the time every now and again to kick back and relax, wash away all the stress that is my life. in this picture you'll notice that in my time of zen SOMEONE interrupted me to take a photo so i showed him what i thought of THAT.

livin' it up!

we went camping at the land over the memorial holiday weekend and had a great time! it got cold at night but i wasn't worried. every time i woke up i hit daddy in the head to make sure he was awake and would keep me warm. and during the day it was so nice we went hiking a couple of times. mama hurt her back so daddy had to carry me in the backpack. i made sure he didn't forget i was back there by hitting him in the head. i've decided that this one act seems to get me what i want with daddy so i may continue to try and use it. doesn't work with mama though. trust me.

big helper

i was helping daddy get his chainsaw ready to cut down some big trees. we have lots of trees that need to be cut up into firewood. mama says it will take us a lifetime to clean up the woods. sometimes i wonder how long that is. but mostly i don't think about stuff like that. i have better things to ponder - like how can i keep nana from taking this screwdriver away from me......

personal driver

told you i was a charmer with the ladies! i convinced Nana to pull me around in my wagon allll weekend. we went back and forth, up and down the meadow. and then when she thought she was done, i wanted to go again! i had a great time camping with Nana. she lets me do stuff that mama and daddy don't. but don't worry nana - i won't tell!

stuff to do while camping

mama didn't bring any of my books to read so daddy gave me the manual to his sirius radio. now i'm the expert on install AND operation. guess they can't leave me here if i get into trouble - they won't have anything to listen to on the way down the moutain!

new pet

these are my friends tommy and tyler and their new puppy, jack. i think i'd like a new puppy. we have three dogs but they're all so big that i can't hold them and tell them what to do. they just lick me and hit me with their tails. mama and daddy like them because they clean up the floor after i eat at the table. and i like them because they let me jump on them and pinch their ears.

vacation

we went on a vacation in may - we got to fly on a plane and everything! mama said i was very good on the plane - it helped that the nice lady next to us gave me some of her mcdonald's french fries. have you ever had them? they're the BOMB! and we stayed at a hotel with a pool! i like to jump off the side and daddy would catch me under the water. it was lots of fun until i got too cold and we had to sit in the hot tub.

adult drinks

Grandpa Bob let me try his beer. and now i completely understand why a hard working man might like a cold beer after a long day in the field. i can totally relate.

great grandpa

this is my great grandpa. he has LOTS of cool john deere tractors and stuff on his farm. he gets to drive them around all day. hope i get to be like him when i'm older.