Thanksgiving in Texas!

Mom and I are flying on Thanksgiving day to see our family in Texas.   Mom's ENTIRE family will be there.  We are sad to not have Daddy with us, but next time for sure.  I like it when Mom and I go on big adventures together.   She's a great travel buddy.

Never fails.  Something about the vibrations of takeoff that make me fall asleep.   

Makes for a quick, easy flight.

Best part about cousins, is plenty of kids to play with!  

Hudson was a good sport to pull everyone around in Grandma's garden wagon.

Sitting at the kids table, like a big kid!!

Playing cards with Grandma....

I'm too little to ride the zipline by myself (Grandpa made it even faster!) 

So Uncle John helped me out.

Grandma and Grandpa and my cousins!  (And Woody the dog..)

Mom and her brother and sisters (minus Eadie).  Susan, Mom, John, Rebecca, and Catherine

Uncle John was a good sport to haul us around on the "tractor."  It's nice to have uncles that want to help us do "boy things."

A trip to Cabela's was made, and I tried really hard to get Mom to buy this hat.  

She said if we lived in Saskatchewan she would, but alas, we don't.

Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa for giving us a great week full of food and fun, and lots of cousin play time!   See you in the spring!

Gingerbread shakeup

Due to scheduling conflicts beyond everyone's control, the annual Gingerbread construction took place BEFORE Thanksgiving this year.    I must say, for only being 2+ years old, I really can hold my own with these amateurs.

Church

Time to wow the ladies in nursery with a carefree church look that says "I don't take singing time too seriously... but snacks are another story."

Baby Gap meets John Deere

I'm the only kid that can pull this off.  Mom calls it "Redneck Chic..."

Incidentally, we were on our way to the "big" mall for a little Christmas shopping.   And when at the big mall, one must indulge in a little Lego store.   Dad was all to happy to accommodate me while mom shopped.

Mom says that Legos are ingrained into a boy's genetic code.   I don't know what that means, but I'm completely obsessed.    And I will tell you loudly, "NO baby legos!"   Duplos and Megablox are for chumps.

Halloween!

Halloween is an all day experience!  Mom and I got up early to make cupcakes for my Halloween party at the babysitter's house.   My friends appreciate my culinary prowess, and will eat anything I make as long as it has sprinkles on it.

I was a pirate this year!   I insisted I wanted to be Jake, but mom thought the Jake costumes were kinda lame.   So I ended up being a really cool Jack Sparrow/Captain Hook sort of pirate.   Mom taught me how to say "surrender the booty!" and we were on our way!   Dad had to take a conference call that night, so Mom and I went to trunk or treat at the church.  Here we are before we left:

It pays to know people at these events.  My aunt Lynnette and cousin Olivia were running the fishing booth, so of course I used that to my advantage.   

Backstage access was too good to pass up:

Oddly enough, I was only marginally interested in the trunk or treating part.  I didn't really understand the marching from car to car, and the chanting of "trick or treat!"  What does that mean, anyway?  Perhaps next year.

Happy Halloween everyone!!!!

The most interesting frog in the world....

..."I don't always protect sleeping toddlers.. but when I do, I do it with a cool pirate sword..."

Camping Weekend

Mom and Dad took me camping this weekend to Jones Lake State Park.   They were a little nervous because it was going to dip in the low 30's at night, but we were plenty warm.  Our campsite had electric hookup, so we plugged in an electric blanket and were toasty all night.   I learned to use the outdoors as my restroom, (to put it delicately) and then decided it was so cool that I wanted to do it every 20 minutes all weekend long.   Mom is too scared not to humor me, so I used this to my unfair advantage.  I almost feel bad about that, but not really.

This is my friend Megan.   Mom and Dad's friends the Crutchfields drove up from South Carolina to meet us for the weekend.  Mom knows them from growing up in New Mexico, and she and Mr. Crutchfield have known each other since kindergarten!

Here I am fishing.  I'm tethered to the pier with a dog leash, because my Mom doesn't mind humiliating me like that.

 I love fishing with my Daddy, and fished till I passed out.

LITERALLY passed out....

A great time had by all, and I think we should do it again really soon.   Mom and Dad think so too!

P.S.  Mom caught more fish than the boys!

Two words: STATE FAIR!!!!!!

I know I'm only 2.5 years old, but I NEVER miss the fair.  I've been coming since I was a wee lad.  I was lucky to have my cousins Alexis and Olivia join me, and we had a blast! My Aunts Sherri and Lynnette were there, and also my Uncle Bryan.  They took me on lots of rides, and we stayed out really late!  Some highlights:

Random kid.  And Olivia trying to be a good sport.

I like to visit the wildlife booth, and Dad likes to take me.  I think he really likes to show me off to his coworkers, and I'm OK with that.

*As a side note, I had my 2.5 year checkup before we left for the fair.  I'm healthy as a horse, and am hardly ever sick.  I'm 28 lbs, which is 30th percentile.  I'm 36 inches tall (40th percentile).   What I lack in percentile, I make up for in personality and stubbornness!   I did appreciate the option to get the flu shot squirted up my nose instead of my thigh like last year.   MUCH more comfortable.   My doc was also impressed that I've been potty trained for a few months now.  That's right, ahead of the curve is where I like to be!