Leaving His Mark

Everywhere he goes, he leaves little traces of himself...

Whether it's his blanket in the hall way...

A sippycup stashed away in the cupboard...

An entire package of noodles forced down the vent...

Legos tucked away in our shoes...

A roll of toilet paper completely unrolled...

Or toys floating in the toilet...

Or my personal favorite...a nice surprise of poo in the bathtub...

Or sometimes its the fact the book has been chewed to shrewds when we don't have a dog...

Or we can't find my phone...or remote...or shoe

(yes, I blame Tanner. but let's be honest, it's prob my own dang fault)

Tanner likes to remind us he was there.

And yes, one day I hope he'll be leaving his mark on society rather than my bathroom or kitchen.

But for now, I just smile at all the simple, silly things he does.

Craziness

We decided it was time to get some new family pics...since it's been over a year.

Tanner, however, had other plans.

He was not interested in all getting his picture taken.

He wanted to run around (the opposite direction of the camera).

But seriously, this was what most of Tanner was doing most the time.

And not to brag or anything, but Tanner is usually a very happy kid.

So I really didn't know WHAT to do.

He was constantly trying to make his escape.

And it didn't help that Anthony slipped on some rocks while

carrying Tanner - causing them both to tumble

and nearly give us all heart-attacks.

I kept wondering if he would ever smile.

This pic would have been SO perfect - if Tanner would have only SMILED.

But the photographer worked her magic...and was extremely patient. If we would have gotten ONE good picture, I would have considered in a MIRACLE.

But it turns out, we got much, much more.

Here are some of my favorites:

Tanner looks exactly like a Knickerbocker here,

his smile especially reminds me of my Dad

I love his deep chocolate eyes, light complexion,

and his little tongue that he always sticks out.

I'd swear he's going to be a philospher.

My two favorite men!

Seriously, does he get any cuter?

And my personal favorite...

The end result - photos that are priceless!

And seriously, Kathryn is not only one of the best, but most reasonable photographer so check out her blog for more information.

PS - I learned my lesson the hard way. Next time, I'm not going to forgot to give Tanner a snack and juice when he wakes up from his nap. In all the hustle and bustle of getting ready, I forgot the most important thing. And then totally forgot his diaper bag full that is always full of snacks. And I wonder why he didn't cooperate!!!

State Fairing

One thing I've learned...Everything is bigger in Texas.

And the State Fair is no exception.

It's home to everything Fried. It's proud originator of the Cornie Dog. But it doesn't stop there.

Fried Pickles, Okra, Snickers, Twinkies, Cheesecurds, Oreos, Coke, and even this year's winner - Butter - are just a few on the selections.

But every year I try something new - like the fried bacon - and have serious regrets. So this year, I stuck with the basics. A cornie dog and a funnel cake. There's a reason they've been around FOREVER! So good!!! But I didn't stop there - I also tried the Fried Cheesecake (disappointing!) and Cheesecurds (reminded me of WI as a kid - loved it!). But I so should have stopped after the funnel cake...

So we got ourselves some food, watched a few pig races (hilarious!),

and then checked out the petting zoo.

This was Tanner's favorite.

I was going to let Tanner try a ride, but we ran out of time by the time we circled the fair grounds looking for Anthony. Note to self - always stick together!!! And don't say, I'm next to the Cottonbowl cause the football stadium circles the ENTIRE park. We got lost - and it was so lame. And next time, don't go when it's Texas vs OU weekend.

But the best part was seeing Mary Poppins. Anthony and I made a date out of it while Chels took Tanner home. While I've seen a lot of musicals, but this was one of my favorites. It made me feel like a little kid again. And I loved the special affects - Burt was tap-dancing on the ceiling and Mary Poppins flew out into the audience. But for some reason the story really resonated with me - I love how Burt, the chimney sweeper - was their guardian angel looking over them. It's the people covered with dirt that you barely know exist that help you the most.

Happy Halloween!!

We had SO much fun with Tanner this year for Halloween. He was our little Alien!

And stripping it off a few times and throwing a tantrum...he finally did wear it. The things parents to do their kids...

First - we started the day with a trip to the Dallas Arboretum. It was so busy and crowded - but Tanner loves to roam the outdoors like a free spirit.

Second - we went to a Halloween carnival at church.

If Tanner would have had his way, he would have stayed in the bounce house the ENTIRE time.

He was like a little sumo wrestler - extra padding and all - along with his "helmet" so the more he fell, the more he laughed.

Tanner won't even try the cotton candy. I can't say I blame him, I've never been a big fan.

But he loves popcorn- he helped himself to several bags when I wasn't looking.

Him and a fellow alien were plotting to take over the world.

Last but not least - Trick or Treating around the neighborhood.

Tanner figured out quickly what this was all about - and loved grabbing pieces of candy and throwing him in the bag.

But really, it wasn't the candy he was after. When no one was looking, he'd sneak into their house and start running. I'd have to climb over several children and catch him down the hall. He's not the least bit afraid of strangers.

Along the way, Tanner helped himself to his loot - even with the wrappers on. Starburst and Smarties wrappers eventually dissolve in your mouth if you suck on it long enough. So we let Tanner eat those. And the rest of course, is for mom and dad :)

Tanner wasn't too excited about putting his costume on...again...

But he eventually warmed up to it...

Avery insisted Mommy dress up too.

nd when Chels was little, she always dreamed of being a witch.

PS - This year, I waited until the last minute to find a costume. I definitely do NOT recommend it. Several of the stores were completely sold out...but it did finally pay off. This one by far was the cutest and it was only $4!