August is over?

This has been a busy month! Tad's had lots of exciting adventures!

He started walking on his own, ALL over, not just when you trick him.

My brother's wife had another baby - Cannon. (Actually, in July, but Tad got to hold him this month.)

We took Kaysen (Cannon's older brother) to the zoo to give his mommy a break. Grandma came with us.

Tad continues to love his Aunt Crystal - almost as much as he loves to go swimming. Poor kid was blue by the time we got him out of the water.

A car show! He's been able to say "car" for awhile, now he's learning to say "hello" to every person we pass. It would be embarrassing if he didn't grin so big when he talks to them.

He did NOT love the petting zoo at the fair. Evidently he hates textured food and textured animals. :}

One weekend was super busy as we went to help with the family sheep. Tad took his first ride mutton busting - he didn't love it, we'll have to work on that. We got home, unpacked, packed, and went camping with Fred's sister and her family.
Tad did surprisingly well in the tent and didn't eat any dirt!
We tried pizza in the dutch ovens and they turned out great! We also tried monkey bread and a new chocolate cake recipe.

Home to unpack, pack, drop Tad off at Gma & Gpa's then up the canyon to go river tubing with the cousins! It was a perfect day for it and we even got to see a bull moose up close! We roasted marshmellows then went down the river again. I agree with Melodee, we should make it an annual event!

Finally, a couple of trips to the park to feed the ducks. Tad's learning how to throw the bread to them. He tries to eat the bread every once in awhile.

We still have a few more days, we'll have to see what else we can cram in!

Birthday pictures have arrived!!!!!

I made Tad a Tiger cake for him to tear into. While I was frosting it earlier in the day he wanted to keep touching it. When it was finally time to play in it, he didn't really want anything to do with it. He barely touched it.
We wanted to keep the party simple since he's one and won't remember any of it. We cooked dutch oven potatoes (that were amazing) and bbq pork sandwiches, corn, watermelon, fresh garden veggies, and oatmeal cake with raspberry, peach or apple fruit topping.

We've trained him not to play with his food, this picture looks like he's asking permission.

Fred smeared some on his face so he'd taste it and he made his gagging face then tried to get it out of his mouth.

Cousin Kaysen (1 yr & 1 day older) came to get a cupcake (I gave it to him, he didn't steal it).

Daddy trying to get him to play in it.
Finally, with A LOT of encouragement he dug in.

And had a grand time, but I don't think he even tasted any of the cake. I'd made oatmeal cake thinking it was a good baby flavor, but my kid still HATES texture.

Kaysen came back to try the chocolate frosting.

Finally, after what seemed like forever (to mom) he seemed to enjoy playing in the cake.
I wasn't worried about his clothes, but I sure didn't want to pick him up. So, we did what every good parent does and turned the hose on our kid! :}

Party goers expressed their concern, but look close at this kid's face. It was worth playing in the icky cake just for the hose at the end!

By the time I'd gone inside to get a towel to carry him inside, he'd been stripped of his wet clothes. Into some warm jammies and it was time for presents!
He was spoiled like usual. A new sprinkler that spins to play in and a swing for the tree. Plenty of clothes, books, a sand dump truck, a fun spikey ball, a riding dump truck, and a sports toy.

I have to say THANK YOU dear family & friends for not giving him any annoying toys. :}
Daddy tried to give him some ice cream. I think he ate about 2 bites and looked like he was in pain both times.

Don't anyone turn us into Family Services, he LOVED the hose!

Tad the two year old

I know, I know, you're all waiting as anxiously as I am for pictures of his first birthday (last Saturday). Unfortunately, my camera is on the fritz. So for now you just get the 1 year old doctor's checkup update.
* He still weighs a tubby 27 lbs. (He lost a pound when he started crawling, but gained it back.) The dr said if he hadn't been big all along he'd be concerned, so we'll just watch him. He says Tad isn't fat, just built, and he'd be surprised if he doesn't play football.
* He's 31 inches tall.
* He got 4 shots, his face turned tomato red, and he cried for about 30 seconds. He's been a little fussy tonight, but not bad.
I looked up the average weight and height of a two year old male, 26.4 lbs & 31 inches tall. See! I have a 2 year old. Besides that, he's been having slight tantrums to further convince me.
He also started walking on his own on Monday! Fred's dad said he'd walk if he'd stop thinking about it and the very next day Tad was toddling around the house walking everywhere - no hands!
Hopefully I can fix the camera soon, words won't do his birthday justice. :}

As much fun as the zoo was....

we don't need to pay for entertainment with this kid!

We took Tad to the zoo Thursday to celebrate his birthday (it's on Saturday, but we figured it would be less hectic if we went earlier). I wasn't sure he was going to enjoy it after he didn't respond to the first few animals, he was more entertained by the other kids around. Finally, we got to the elephant and when it moved he said "oh". After that he started talking to each of the animals we saw. We were there around feeding time so Tad got to see a couple of the animals up close. My favorite animals are the big ones, but Tad enjoyed any exhibit with a ledge he could walk along.

We also fed him ice cream for the first time. He looks likes like he's in pain, he really did like it.

So, the entertainment we didn't have to pay for was in our back yard. Fred & I were doing yard work so we could have family over for his birthday dinner. I turned on the hose to wash off a table and Tad climbed under the water pouring off of it. I left the hose while I went to do something and came back to see him getting a drink. He kept splashing his face and loved it! Fred thinks he's going to grow gills anyday!

Not so helpful things Tad has learned to do:

* Push the cutting board in. (Luckily only a spoon was on it.)
* Turn the water outside up / down - this is especially not helpful when you are walking across the lawn to see if it's reaching everywhere you need it to.
* Taking the teeth railings off of his crib (so he doesn't leave teeth marks in the wood). The first time he dropped one of these I was downstairs and just about had a heartattack thinking he'd fallen out of his crib.
* Turning his sippy cup upside down to chew on the bottom. He's learned if he pushes the "no-spill" tip against his tray water comes out and he can play in it while also soaking his cheerios.
* Put things in containers: he started by putting his washrag in a plastic cup during bathtime. I thought that was cute. Then he started putting his burp cloth in the garbage, and his favorite spoon that he chews on in the kitchen garbage can. (I'd been watching to see where he put it because he'd lost his blue one. I did find his blue one after a week- in the utensil drawer.)
I spend a lot of time telling him "No". He doesn't say it yet, just smiles and shakes his head back at us.
Fred watched him the other day go into our room towards the plug. He walked half way there, turned to see if he was being watched, walked a little further, looked again. He got to the plug with both hands on the wall, looked back towards the door then reached for it. What one year old knows to check the door that many times?
This morning I wouldn't let him in our room because Fred was sleeping. I closed the door behind me and he fussed for a second then went in his room and shut the door. (If you knock he'll open it and say "hello"!)
He is a funny, funny kid.