Melanie Lynn & Tyler James

Thank You!

2012-01-18T16:45:00.003-06:00

This is a picture of all the goodies T-Man received on his birthday! What generous family and friends we have! Thanks for making his 2nd birthday extra special!

Buzz Lightyear!

2012-01-18T16:42:00.004-06:00

Tyler is OBSESSED with Toy Story. All day, every day he walks around saying "Woody Buzz, Woody Buzz" which is roughly translated to he wants to watch Toy Story. For his birthday he snagged LOTS of Toy Story gifts one being these precious Buzz Lightyear pajamas from Aunt Stephy! Boy does she know the way to his heart!

Happy 2nd Birthday T-Man!

2012-01-18T16:32:00.019-06:00

Sweet Tyler James turned "two cupcakes" on Sunday. He is such a mess! We started asking him "How old are you?" and he say "Two cupcakes!" Love that baby!

The birthday party consisted of a small gathering of family at Mazzio's for pizza and cupcakes. Tyler loved all of his gifts and was just a little ham. He was hilarious when it was time to blow out his candle. We lit the candle and started to sing when Tyler proceeded to freak out crying....I guess because we lit his cupcake on fire?...as soon as Tim convinced him to blow out the candle and he realized the cupcake was saved, all was right in the world again. Ha!

Happy Birthday sweet little T-Man!

Glow Stick Party

2012-01-05T08:46:00.005-06:00

I've fallen victim to the Pinterest craze and although I haven't spent much time on there recently it has resulted in my redecorating the bathroom, organizing the kids toys and fashioning some great shopping list. Another great thing I found on there was an idea to have a Glow Stick Bath Time for the kids. M & T LOVE baths so it doesn't take much to get them excited. I got these glow sticks for $3 for 6 in the party section at Wal-Mart. Hours of enjoyment!

Please note, the yellow tint in the water is Elmo Bath Tints NOT pee! :)

Mommy brag!

2012-01-04T10:11:00.002-06:00

As a mother, it is my job to brag about my children. Even when bragging may seem insignificant because it's about coloring...I'm still going to brag. :) Please see above. The color sheet on the left was one of Melanie's very first color sheets of Pre-K. It was sent home with her on her first day of school. The color sheet on the right was sent home with her yesterday. Is her improvement not AMAZING! Granted, it's "just" coloring but I'm so so proud of the progress she has made. She is understanding direction (color between the lines) and learning all kinds of new things every day. It truly is the little things that matter as a mom.

Now a question: What the heck am I going to do with all of her school work. I've been keeping it in a box since the first day of school but obviously this isn't going to work. At this rate, by the time she's 18 I'm going to have hundreds of boxes. The problem is I couldn't possibly throw any of her work away. Help! What am I going to do?

Soooo grown up!

2012-01-03T13:50:00.002-06:00

Melanie has grown up so much in the past 4 months. She started school in August my precious little baby, so naive to the world around her. Now she's a a strong headed, very independent, still 4 almost 5 year old going on at least 15. All I've heard over the past few months is how we needed to put a lunch pail on our grocery list. "All of my friends have one!" She was adamant that a lunch pail was a necessity but honestly, it just kind of see it as one more thing for mommy to do in the morning :) Her persistence paid off though and for Christmas mommy and daddy bought her a lunch pail. Today was the first day and back and oh boy was she ever excited to bring her Hello Kitty lunch pail.

On the menu for lunch:

Bologna and mayo sandwich
Goldfish crackers
5 apple slices
small box of raisins

She went grocery shopping with me and picked out the menu specifically. Girl knows what she wants! :)

Happy New Year!

2012-01-03T11:31:00.002-06:00

Melanie & Tyler want to wish you a very Happy New Year! Make 2012 a great one!

Deer

2012-01-03T11:26:00.004-06:00

Tyler is in love with deer. Dead, alive, he doesn't care, he just wants to see them and touch them. Awhile back Poppy killed a couple deer and he loved having his picture taken with them. Melanie was pretty skiddish and asked tons of questions about what was going on. Tyler, he just wanted to touch it, rub it, play with it. HA!

Tyler at Halloween - too cute!

2012-01-03T09:41:00.000-06:00

Christmas Program

2011-12-30T14:27:00.005-06:00

Melanie had her first Christmas program at school this year. It was pretty cute but we bailed right after her portion because T-Man is not the best when it comes to sitting still and being quiet. She had one small part "and momma in her kerchief and I in my cap." She did great memorizing and reciting her part during the program. Even though, over the microphone and in the gym it sounded like goobled-garb....but I knew what she was saying!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-30T14:19:00.004-06:00

I lied...I have a handful of "Christmas" pictures but really nothing on Christmas day. I had a job change on December 1st and I think it really threw me off for Christmas this year. Where I'm typically all into shopping and planning I just slid by with minimal effort on my part. I'm not sure the kids knew the difference either. Of note this Christmas I had torn down the Christmas tree by around 2:00 p.m. on Christmas day and put up all the holiday decorations (I told you I wasn't in to it this year). Melanie observed that everything was gone and in the cutest most innocent little voice said "Is Christmas over?". I totally felt like a scrooge.

One more notable thing was the morning after Christmas Melanie was getting ready and had an "ah ha" moment. She said "Mom, Christmas was Jesus' birthday! We didn't sing Happy Birthday to him!" ....and so we did. I mean, isn't she the cutest thing ever?

Christmas Tree Hunt

2011-12-30T14:13:00.008-06:00

Melanie's school is so much fun. The other day the teacher sent home a note that they were going to go on a "Christmas Tree Hunt" to pick out the classroom tree. I knew I couldn't miss this! I tagged along as 3 teachers and 30 some odd Pre-K and Kindergartners took the school bus to a field, scaled some barbed-wire fences and found the perfect Christmas trees. Melanie's faces in these pictures pretty much sum it up. The girls were whining and freaking out because of the tall grass and sticker bushes and the boys were running crazy. Good times!

Spoiled much?

2011-12-30T14:10:00.002-06:00

Prior to Christmas I told Mel she needed to clean out her room and throw out broken toys, donate ones she didn't want and generally clean. As we sifted through the piles we determined she has/had 35 Barbies alone. This doesn't account for other dolls, little ponies, etc. I'll admit it's pretty out of hand. The crazy thing is if she's missing one she knows exactly which one it is. It's like she has a little inventory in her head.

Bowling with Babes

2011-12-30T13:58:00.011-06:00

I don't really recall of another time that Tyler has been bowling, but that's not to say it never happened. My memory has pretty much went to crap after having two kids. I mean honestly this is ridiculous. Anyhow, we took Melanie and T-Man bowling the other day and they REALLY got into it. Tyler bowled a strike on his first time out (with help from the little dinosaur rolly thing) and Melanie could hold her own (using the bumpers). Great family time with our super competitive little kids. I have a feeling sibling rivalry is going to be cra-zy as they get older!

Halloween

2011-12-30T13:29:00.003-06:00

What, Christmas is over?! It's a day before New Years and I haven't posted Halloween pics? Can we all agree that 2011 was a complete fail in the blogging arena. How about a little resolution to blog more regularly. Someone is going to have to hold me to it though :) So here are the pics from my phone from halloween. Don't gasp in complete horror when I share with you that I did not take one single photo at Christmas this year. I wish I was kidding, I'm not. So bear with me. I'm going to photo dump the rest of 2011 in the next few posts and we'll start bright and shiny in 2012 with regular postings, pics and updates. Who's with me?!

Halloween Preview

2011-11-28T15:09:00.003-06:00

Ok, truth be known, I haven't pulled my actual point and shoot camera out in probably 6 months. This makes my blogging even MORE difficult because I have no pictures to show you unless I get them off my phone which in turn means it is never going to happen because I'm forgetful and lazy, but mostly forgetful. HOWEVER, I swear, I always do, I'm making an effort to get caught up and blog more consistently. See...my friend Angie...she calls me out for not blogging regularly. I'm on to her! :)

Ok, done rambling, until I upload the remaining pics from my phone...I leave you with Melanie and Tyler for Halloween.

Tulsa Run 2011

2011-11-28T15:07:00.007-06:00

Melanie cheered me, Aunt Stephanie and my friend Julie along for the 2011 Tulsa Run. Since the run was so close to halloween we thought it would be fun to dress up. 80's chicks all the way!

Cinderella Pumpkin

2011-11-28T15:04:00.005-06:00

Melanie's school had a painted pumpkin contest for Halloween. Of course we had to do something Cinderella related. Although Melanie didn't win, we thought her pumpkin was pretty amazing. Well, amazing until it rotted on our fireplace hearth for a few weeks and we didn't notice it. Nothing like pumpkin guts soaking into the bricks. HA!

The Shiner!

2011-11-28T15:01:00.004-06:00

Melanie went to school one morning without a black eye...came home with a black eye. We have no clue where it came from and she, to this day, has yet to admit what happened. My guess is that she was doing something she wasn't supposed to be doing. I mean, why else wouldn't she tell us? Anyway, it had to be documented, of course! She didn't think it was as cool as I thought it was.

Crimpy hair

2011-11-28T15:00:00.002-06:00

Melanie is obsessed with having crimpy hair. Luckily, I was raised in the 80s and I KNOW crimpy hair! :)

Rolling out her legs...

2011-11-28T14:57:00.002-06:00

This is probably strange to those who don't run...but for my kids, it's totally normal. They make these things called "tiger tails" that you use to roll out your muscles after long runs. Being the resourceful person that I am, I decided a rolling pin is pretty much the exact same thing. Melanie like to replicate my "rolling".

Model Melanie

2011-11-28T14:55:00.007-06:00

She KILLS me!

Tulsa State Fair 2011

2011-10-14T16:14:00.013-05:00

I know, it seems like I gush a lot about Melanie's school but seriously, it is wonderful. Another perk to small school living...Fair Day! Seriously, I've heard about "Fair Day" from my parents and how when they were younger school was let out to go to the fair, but I don't remember having that luxury during my childhood. Melanie's school let them out on a Monday to visit the fair. Younger grades could stay home or go to the fair with their parents and the school actually took the older kids.

Tim & I both took of work that day and decided it would be family fair day. It worked out perfectly. I've never had the benefit of essentially having the entire fair to ourselves. Arriving at the opening on a Monday morning is the perfect time to enjoy the fair without the crowds and stress of that is involved. Melanie got the all-you-can ride pass while T-Man rode around his stroller taking it all in. I was a little worried Tyler would want to ride but he was perfectly content in his stroller (he would have been too short to ride anyway). We enjoyed the petting zoo, the expo building, lots of rides and a few fair foods *Pineapple Whip*. It was a great family day!

Farm Field Trip

2011-10-14T16:08:00.008-05:00

Melanie's class had a field trip to a classmates farm a few weeks ago and I was lucky enough to get off work to spend the day with her. We started the day with breakfast at school and then I joined her class on the field trip. The field trip consisted of a hot dog lunch, jump houses, hay rides and picking a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch. I had the best time and just love visiting her school. Her teacher is so sweet and doesn't mind if I do the over protective "mommy watching" thing. Matter of fact, Mrs. Smith let me stick around in the classroom while Melanie did school work and interact with her friends. I have such peace knowing she is in great hands day in and day out. Mrs. Smith & Mrs. Karen are absoulte saints for teaching pre-k. About 5 hours with of basically watching and following along with the kiddos and I was wore smooth out.

First Love Note

2011-10-14T16:02:00.003-05:00

Melanie is in Pre-K and so far we've had to deal with kissing, biting and now love notes. The other day I went up to Melanie's school and the teacher had a special note for Melanie from one of her classmates Payden. Melanie and Payden are quite the little couple. It's really the cutest most innocent little relationship but I tend to worry. This is the boy she was kissing and now a "love note" which was a piece of paper with a heart on the front and then directions to his house inside. Daddy needs to get the shot guns ready!

Accident Prone

2011-10-14T15:52:00.007-05:00

It is no secret that Tim tends to be a little accident prone. Broken bones, gnarly burns, stitches, etc. Sadly, I'm thinking his little spitting image is taking after him in that area as well. In a matter of about 1 week Tyler managed to scrape his nose pretty badly and, worst of all, chip and push back his front teeth. The nose and teeth incidents were seperate to boot. Seriously, I"m not sure how I'm going to raise a little boy. In his short year and a half of life I've had about five mini-heart attacks worrying about him. I'm afraid there are many more to come.

-- If you click on the photos it will enlarge them. Just so happens, I got a great picture of Ty's perfect pearly whites shortly before he jacked them up. Ah, it had to be the kid with the perfect teeth, right?!?!

Pre-K School Photo

2011-10-14T15:50:00.002-05:00

Melanie's first official school picture. Pre-K, age 4.

Hot Dog Dance!

2011-10-14T15:47:00.000-05:00

This one is for you Aunt B!

2011-09-15T11:32:00.000-05:00

Riding the School Bus!

2011-09-15T11:29:00.004-05:00

Melanie started school about a month ago and though the school bus passes right by our driveway every morning, we haven't made the big step of riding the school bus just yet. We are so blessed that Melanie's school is so tiny her school teacher is also her bus driver. I think this helped her have confidence to go at it alone. This morning in a very spur of the moment decision Melanie hopped on the bus for her first solo ride to school. I can't wait to talk to her tonight to see how it went.

Crazy Kids

2011-09-15T11:25:00.006-05:00

I swear it is dang near impossible to snap a normal photo of my children. Last night I was trying to get a picture of Melanie's hives. (She has had weird hives for about 3 days now, went to the doctor and they said to just give her benadryl?!...she's had hives one other time here but I'm not seeing any correlation). Anyhow....and then I was trying to get a picture of Ty's new 'do. *Thanks Dad!* I can't stand to delete their goofy photos. I just love their personalities!

Racing Baby

2011-09-15T11:23:00.003-05:00

T-Man loves his poppy, daddy and the race track probably equally. Everything else pretty much doesn't matter in his world. I snapped these photos at the track last weekend. He is such a big helper!

Tyler Dancing

2011-09-09T15:36:00.001-05:00

I debated whether I should even post this because the background music is a little crude. If you get offended easily, turn down your volume. But really, how cute is he dancing?!

And NO, we don't usually listen to dirty rap music with the kids. I was uploading my running music and this song was on. ;)

Melanie writing her name

2011-09-09T15:35:00.002-05:00

Tyler Giggles

2011-09-09T15:35:00.001-05:00

Sissy

2011-09-09T15:27:00.000-05:00

And of course Sissy need her photo made that day too! :)

18 Months

2011-09-09T15:25:00.006-05:00

Tyler turned 18 months and we remembered it was time for his photo with the racing tire. We did a very similar photo shoot for Melanie's 18 month pics and wanted to carry on the tradition. I'll try to scrounge up some of her photos for comparison. You can see all the pics at www.amcphoto.com Amanda continues to be amoung our favorite photographers!

Running Girls

2011-09-09T15:22:00.003-05:00

While I've been training for my first marathon, Melanie has started to pick up on the running bug too. "Marathon", "miles" and "rolling" are all part of my kiddos vocabulary! Ah, how that makes me proud! Melanie loves to join me at the beginning and end of my runs to as she says "put in her miles". She is going to run the Route 66 Fun Run again this year, so of course she needs to train! :)

Spaghetti Kids

2011-09-09T15:21:00.003-05:00

I've learned to pick my battles. Keeping the kids clean at dinner time is one I'm willing to lose.

T-Wizzle

2011-09-09T15:20:00.001-05:00

Body Art

2011-09-09T15:19:00.003-05:00

Melanie has lost her privilege to use ink pens. We don't allow body art until you're 18! :)

First Day of Pre-K

2011-09-09T15:06:00.009-05:00

Melanie started her first day of Pre-K on Wednesday, August 17th! After months of waiting to hear if Bristow could "make room" for Melanie in their Pre-K program I took matter into my own hands and just called a little school down the road from our house. Melanie started the Pre-K program at Gypsy and is now official a Gypsy Panther. The school is teen tiny and I absoultely love it. From the first time we visited I have always felt at home and I love how so many of the parents are involved. I feel like she has less of a chance of getting "lost in the crowd" here...not that Melanie would ever be overlooked! HA!

Three weeks into school and she's been disicplined for biting (apparently she was provoked) and kissing a boy! I've gone from being moritified to laughing hysterically when I get notes from the teacher because REALLY....what was I expecting?! Melanie is just a handful!

P.S. When I went to drop her off on the first day she practically sprinted to the front door of the school. She wasn't even remotely worried about the fact I was leaving her with complete strangers. I got to the car and bawled my eyes out the rest of the day. No, seriously....I had no idea watching my baby grow up was going to be so painful. I've already decided Tim will be in charge of taking Tyler to his first day. I can't handle it! :)

Girls Weekend 2011

2011-09-09T14:25:00.014-05:00

The weekend before school started Aunt Stephanie, Melanie & I went on a Girls Weekend trip. We're hoping to make it an annual tradition (hoping it gets easier the older the little girls get!) We went to Dallas, TX with one mission: SHOP! We stayed in the Westin at the Galleria and had a great time. Melanie went to the American Girl store for the first time and got a little doll that looks just like her. We also bought tons of school clothes, ate at a bunch of fun restaurants, got mani/pedi's and just had a great time in general.

The highlight for Melanie was when we visited Medieval Times for dinner the last night. Melanie insisted on showing up in full costume which proved to be a hit for the other guest. We were stopped numerous times for photo ops. "The Princess" was quite famous! She also happened to snag a flower from one of the knights during the show.

We had a blast and look forward to next year!

Senorita Melanie

2011-09-09T14:23:00.000-05:00

Bathroom Makeover

2011-09-09T14:10:00.005-05:00

The kids bathroom is the most neglected room in our house. Since the day we moved in around 2 years ago I've probably been in there 10 times. It's so much more fun to use mom & dad's bathroom, right?! Anyhow, after becoming addicted to www.pinterest.com I got the urge to do a complete overhaul on the kiddos bathroom. First I fell in love with aqua colored walls and then I found the perfect shower curtain. One Sunday afternoon, a gallon of paint and good scrubbing later...ta da! Yes, it's a little obnxious for such a small space...but my kids are obnoxious too! We love it!

Crazy girl!

2011-09-08T15:52:00.004-05:00

I know it doesn't seem like it but I really try to edit out photos and only post a couple of each "scene". In this case, I couldn't do it. I was in bed one evening when Melanie came prancing in with this outfit. Her face in some of these pictures just kills me. She is sooo crazy!

Fairy

2011-09-08T15:51:00.004-05:00

Melanie is all about drawing right now. Specifically fairies, princesses and people. The other morning I woke her up to find this fairy on her hand.

Fishin'

2011-09-08T15:51:00.002-05:00

Sweet T-Man

2011-09-08T15:49:00.002-05:00

I can't resist...

2011-09-08T15:37:00.003-05:00

This picture makes me laugh for sooo many reasons. Seriously, how unhappy can this child be?

Summer Fun

2011-09-08T15:32:00.007-05:00

Melanie enjoyed a day at the splash pad for her friend Kelsey's birthday party!

Random Melanie

2011-09-02T16:09:00.005-05:00

Grandma & Grandpa J

2011-09-02T16:08:00.001-05:00

Dance Recital 2011

2011-09-02T16:07:00.000-05:00

Where were we...

2011-09-02T16:04:00.002-05:00

Well, I've officially set a a record for being an inactive blogger. No excuses (except the whole two kids, crazy life excuse I always use;)). I'm not even sure where we left off on updates and I hate to think we're going to lose a whole 2-3 months of updates about the kiddos...so we'll see.

I broke my good camera and my fill in camera is less than great so I've resorted to taking cell phone pics of kids. Not the best by far. I also switched cell phones recently so May - August we are lacking in the update area. I'll try to fill in the holes with a little bit of updates and then try to keep things up to date from there. Deal?!

Happy September!!

2011-06-01T15:39:00.001-05:00

2011-06-01T15:38:00.000-05:00

Dancer Girl

2011-06-01T15:37:00.002-05:00

I snapped this picture with my phone camera during a little dance performance Melanie did at the First Baptist Church in Bristow.

Melanie's 4th Birthday!

2011-06-01T15:22:00.002-05:00

Easter 2011

2011-06-01T15:15:00.002-05:00

2011-06-01T13:31:00.001-05:00

Comparison Pics!

2011-06-01T13:29:00.001-05:00

2009 vs. 2011

Branson 2011

2011-06-01T13:25:00.001-05:00

To say we love Branson would be somewhat of an understatement. Really, where can you go to get good wholesome family fun at a great price. I promise...they don't pay me to say these things.

You can relive our love for Branson trips by click on these dates: 2008, 2009, 2010.

This year we decided to go to Branson before the start of racing season for a little get-a-way. This is the first time the entire family went on a little vacation and boy was it fun! There is nothing like wrangling two little ones, juggling nap times, snack times and temper tantrums to bring you down to Earth. Going into this we knew that we would be flying by the seat of our pants, so it ended up working out pretty well.

We visited the outlet malls (of course!), the indoor water park and the Dixie Stampede. The kids had the best time but honestly Melanie could have just stayed at the hotel swimming pool the entire time and been just as happy.

We will definitely be visiting again because by now, it's obviously an annual family tradition. :)

**please forgive me for the obvious lack in pictures...I've fallen off the "snap happy" wagon.

2 months!

2011-06-01T10:38:00.002-05:00

Seriously, it has been a solid two months since I've updated this blog. Definitely some kind of record, although not one I'll be trying to beat anytime soon.

Sorry loyal blog readers....I promise to get back into the groove of documenting the kids crazy antics. They are oodles of fun and definitely keep us on our toes. I'll try to do a picture/video dump to get you caught up. Hang in there! :)

Melanie Hula Hoop

2011-03-30T10:14:00.004-05:00

Ok, I'll admit, I'm super proud of my child's new found talent. :) Forgive the crappy quality image, it was recorded using my phone.

Maggie's Birthday Party!

2011-03-30T10:07:00.010-05:00

Melanie went to her friend Maggie's 4th Birthday Party and it just happened to be a skating party. As it was Mel's first time to skate at an actual skating rink, we weren't sure what to expect. She picked up on it quickly though and LOVES to skate now. It was lots of fun!

Melanie's First Time Skating!

2011-03-30T10:06:00.001-05:00

Faker!

2011-03-30T09:54:00.003-05:00

This kid is learning to work the system. I love this photo of him "crying" in his crib. Fake, fake, fake!

Daddy Day Care

2011-03-30T09:50:00.002-05:00

This picture is a few months old but it needs to be noted. One day while I was working from home Tim was in charge of watching the kiddos. From our bedroom (where I was working on the computer) I heard this huge crash. As I ran into the living room this is how I found Tyler. Of course, Tim was laughing hysterically!

Ha ha!

2011-02-22T14:30:00.004-06:00

I swear one day she'll hate me for posting these pictures. In my defense, she BEGS me to "take my picture mommy!" and this is how she acts. Love this kid! Oh and Wubzy, he's totally clueless! :)

Sledding Adventures

2011-02-22T14:15:00.017-06:00

Snow Angel

2011-02-22T14:11:00.005-06:00

I blame Dora the Explorer or some other equally annoying cartoon...but Melanie is/was obssessed with making snow angels. From the time the first flake fell she was screaming to make a snow angel. You can just see the bliss in her face!

A Snow-Wubzy!

2011-02-22T14:03:00.006-06:00

Wubzy's first time to play in the snow. It's serious business!

Blizzard 2011

2011-02-22T13:57:00.004-06:00

First the historical photos of the snow drifts around the house and stats:

23" - a Record Oklahoma Snowfall in a 24 hour period for our area, more elsewhere
4 - days off work
-23 - degree temperature (the reading on my car's thermostat one morning)
2 - stir crazy children!

Bathing Beauty!

2011-02-22T13:53:00.002-06:00

I took this picture because Melanie insisted I do so. She LOVES bath time. Especially because of all her Barbie's that "swim" with her. It's too cute to hear her talking with them with all their voices. She has quite the imagination!

Tyler's First Haircut

2011-02-22T13:44:00.003-06:00

Precious T-Man had his first hair cut just days after his first birthday. I only snapped a few photos as it was definitely a hands-on event. He did really well and looks like such a little man now!

Disney Princess Party!

2011-02-22T13:40:00.008-06:00

I had read online that the Disney Store was going to host a Disney Princess Garden Party, so of course, we had to go check it out. Melanie came dressed in her full Cinderella outfit. It was a hour filled of chaos, games, crafts and tons and tons of little princess wanna-bes. So cute! Melanie enjoyed herself.

12 Months!

2011-02-22T13:16:00.003-06:00

Happy Birthday precious little Tyler James. A year ago from your birthday we were overwhelmed with fear from your birth. When you were first born there were so many unknowns about your health, it was the scariest thing we've ever experienced. By God's grace you are the most amazing, healthy little 12 month old we know. Blessed isn't probably the right word to describe it but we are so blessed to have you!

At TWELVE months…

- You are wearing 12-18 month clothes. More 18 month than 12. You're in a size 5 Wide or 6 shoe. Aunt Stephanie got you some great sneakers for your birthday and you're doing great wearing them like a big boy! You're still in a size 4 diaper.

- If it's not moving...and maybe sometimes even if it is...you're eating it. You LOVE LOVE LOVE food. I'd say your absolute favorite food is a banana. You go c.r.a.z.y if you see a banana and will even pull them off the counter and bring them to us when you want one. You also love Geber's pasta pick-ups and Nutri Grain cereal bars.

- You go to bed around 7:30 or 8 p.m. and wake up betwen 5 a.m. - 6 p.m. You have really become an excellent sleeper. I like to think the months of torture from your colic when you were younger are finally paying off. :)

- You are no longer just a walker...but a runner! You run everywhere and have become more steady on your feet. You are stinkin' fast too!

- Your vocabulary is still slowly expanding. Mom, Dad, Dog and Pop-Pop (for Poppy)...mainly still a lot of rambling, but you'll be talking in no time. You're favorite word right now is definiltey "Pop Pop" and you almost whisper it. It's super cute. You also will say "sissss, sisss" for "sissy". Cute!

- You are DRAMATIC and have totally learned that you have everyone wrapped around your finger. You'll go from giggling uncontrolably to bawling in .2 seconds. It's cute and hilarious...now. Get back with me in a few months and I'm sure I'll be over it by then. I can't really blame you for this trait though. You're learning from the Master (Melanie)!

Happy Birthday our sweet, sweet little man! You totally complete our family and we couldn't imagine where we'd be without you.

Tyler's 1st Birthday, Part II

2011-02-22T13:01:00.012-06:00

These pictures are from our little "immediate family" party we had for Tyler the day after his birthday. You can definitely tell in these photos that he is not feeling very well at all.

I have to point out that on the top photo the pink card was made by Aunt Stephanie and Melanie, especially for T-Man. It read "Melanie and Aunt Stephy say 'Thank you Bubba!" Aunt Stephanie said Melanie insisted on the wording. Love it!

We also had a memorable moment when I decided it would be fun to light the "Happy Birthday" firework inside the house for Tyler. All I could remember from the firework is that you lit the candles and it spun in circles playing the birthday song. It didn't take long for me to remember the HUGE sparks once you light it. Ha ha!

More pictures to follow from the track the actually day of his birthday. They're guaranteed to be out of order as I need to steal them off Facebook. Thanks Kayla! :)

Melanie Singing!

2011-02-22T12:59:00.001-06:00

Sorry this out of order! I had to share. Miss Melanie singing "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" for Christmas. She's such a mess!

The Big ONE!

2011-02-11T16:35:00.008-06:00

Our precious little man turned one on January 15th. I feel horrible for taking almost a month to post this but you know how that goes. I'll probably post his birthday in at least two post...maybe three. Not only did Tyler have his big birthday on the 15th but his daddy drove in, by far, the biggest race in his life that exact same day. It was an incredible day for our family that has already made 2011 a year to remember.

Anyhow, back to Tyler's birthday. To keep with tradition we had decided to celebrate his birthday in the same way we celebrated Melanie's first birthday. A cake smashing picture session, along with a birthday lunch and then a small immediate family party that weekend. Of course, Tyler woke up running a high fever on his birthday so we took it easy and loosely stuck with our plans. Friday morning, the day before his birthday, we took him in for his photo shoot at http://www.amcphotography.com/. Amanda was so amazing in helping us recreate the identical cake smashing photos Melanie had. I'll try and remember to post some comparison pics later. Following the photo session we had lunch at our favorite little Mexican joint and then headed to the track. (Race track photos pending a later post as well.)

Precious T-Man

2011-02-11T16:21:00.002-06:00

Before I post his birthday photos, I wanted to post this picture. Look closely at his binky (yes, we still let him have a binky...don't judge!). See how he's eating half of it? This is how he runs around with it about 90% of the time. I justify his binky habit because it's not like he's actually sucking on it. It's more of a toy or something that he chews on. It has been instrumental in his teething! Anyhow, I love this cute little thing about him. He is just so precious in all his own ways.

Trick Riding!

2011-02-11T16:17:00.003-06:00

It's not too hard to believe she's already flipped this horse, right?! And Daddy can't wait to buy her a race car. Ha ha ha!

Christmas at Great-Grandma & Grandpa J's

2011-02-11T16:13:00.013-06:00

Christmas Morning 2010

2011-02-10T16:23:00.011-06:00

And the stockings were hung...

2011-02-10T15:53:00.001-06:00

Christmas Eve 2010

2011-02-10T15:28:00.005-06:00

Ok, I know this was a mere two months ago but we've been BUSY! No really, it's been a hectic time...so better late than never.

Christmas Eve was spent at Grandma & Grandpa Kent's. It was Tyler's first Christmas and he seemed to really enjoy opening gifts. Of course, Melanie was into it too!

Out takes

2010-12-21T13:04:00.011-06:00

You knew these were coming...anytime the camera comes out anymore it's an all out brawl between the two kids. Attention hounds?!...not my babies!

11 months

2010-12-21T12:31:00.003-06:00

Tyler James, you are 11 months old! My sweet boy is about to have a birthday! My last little baby...is going to be a toddler and not a baby. Somebody come help me wipe my tears...I can't handle this!

At eleven months…

- You are wearing 12-18 month clothes. You're in a size 5 Wide for your shoe but since I can't keep shoes on your feet you're wearing Robeez size 12-18 month shoes. Those work MUCH better! You finally graduated to size 4 diapers! You better quit growing or potty train quickly because diapers don't get too much bigger! :)

- You are my good little eater. You'll eat anything not tied down. You love Gerber cheese puffs and act insulted if we try to give you baby food because you love the real deal. I'm trying to get more comfortable with you eating solids, but I'm scared to death of choking. We're working on it though! You're on your last can of formula...don't judge people!....but as soon as this can is gone we're doing whole milk. You're only a few weeks away from your Birthday and you've tried cow milk successfully before.

- You go to bed around 8 p.m. and wake up betwen 4 a.m. - 6 p.m. You rarely wake through the night anymore unless Melanie wakes you up. You are a good napper still with at least one long nap during the day. You're a growing boy!

- You're about a 60% walker....crawling the other 40% of the time because I think you think it's faster. You're pretty steady on your feet and get super excited and then fall down.

- Your vocabulary is slowly expanding. Mom, Dad, Dog and Pop (for Poppy)...mainly still a lot of rambling, but you'll be talking in no time. I'm in no rush for that!

- You've learned to point and it's the cutest thing ever. If you want something you point at it and then if you REALLY want something you'll point at it and then to yourself and back again, over and over really quickly. I think it's amazing you're finding ways to communicate and really growing up so fast! You continue to be pretty dramatic which is just hysterical. No doubt you're learning the best drama queen there is...ah hem Melanie!

We abouslutely adore you little T-Man and are so ready to celebrate your first Christmas and birthday within the next month! You make us so proud!

Comparison Pics II

2010-12-21T12:28:00.005-06:00

Melanie Deer

Tyler Deer

Melanie & Mom

Tyler & Dad

I think it's fun to look back and see how much the kiddos look alike (or don't look alike) during certain stages. Since I had pics of both Mel and Ty in the deer outfit, I thought we'd compare!

Reindeer T-Man

2010-12-21T12:24:00.004-06:00

The T-Man finger point!

PRECIOUS!!!

We broke out Melanie's old deer outfit, just in time for Tyler to wear it. He's growing so fast, I'm surprised we didn't miss the chance. He looks so cute as a little deer!

Chaos!

2010-12-21T12:19:00.004-06:00

In the evenings we try to keep a little routine of playtime, dinner, baths, stories and bed. Sometimes...that all goes out the window and we just have chaos. As seen in the photos above! The other night while I was trying to throw together some dinner Melanie was cycling through the house while talking on her cell phone (an old phone) and Tyler who I thought was tucked away in high chair watching TV was actually crawling through the house, high chair be damned! Yes, this is our reality!

Comparison Pics

2010-12-21T12:15:00.005-06:00

2010

2009

2008

2007

Not the best pictures, but you get the idea. Melanie around Christmas time the past 4 years. Ugh, my heart just sank a little when I counted up how many Christmases she has had already. She's growing up way entirely too fast!

Bristow Christmas Parade 2010

2010-12-21T12:06:00.008-06:00

As tradition, we made our way to Bristow the other evening to view the little Christmas parade! Melanie and Tyler really enjoyed all the people, lights and noises. The very best part was at the end when Santa was coming down the lane. Melanie was sitting on her daddy's shoulders when she started screaming "Santa! Santa! It's Melanie Kent! Santa! It's Melanie!". Seriously would have brought tears to your eyes. She LOVES Santa Clause and was so happy to see him!

My little helper!

2010-12-21T12:00:00.003-06:00

I've heard of kiddos climbing up on the dishwasher before, but like many other things, Melanie never did it. So the other night while I was unloading dishes I was kind of stunned to see my little Terror...I mean T-Man, scaling the dishwasher. This kid is trouble waiting to happen...cute...but trouble!

Tyler Walking!

2010-12-21T11:57:00.001-06:00

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-12-21T11:41:00.012-06:00

We enjoyed Tyler's first Thanksgiving at Grandma & Grandpa Kent's house this year. I swear our kids think that every holiday is an event to get presents. They are sooo spoiled! Melanie got a Barbie box that she hasn't put down since Thanksgiving and T-Man got a new train toy from Aunt Laura (the spoiler!) Tyler love his first Thanksgiving and all the food that was involved. I don't think I've ever seen him eat so much food at one time. He was in heaven. Melanie's favorite part was the Cool Whip or "white stuff" as she calls it. We eventually gave in and just let her eat it straight from the bowl. It's not that bad, right?!

Rt. 66 Marathon Weekend!

2010-12-20T15:28:00.010-06:00

Melanie ran her first official foot race on Sunday, November 21st! I was registered to run the Rt. 66 Half Marathon and noticed the 1 mile run was going to be held while I was out on the trail. Tim, Melanie & Aunt B decided they'd take on the fun run together. Reportedly, Melanie gave out about half way through the run and decided she was "Done!". Of course Daddy and Aunt B gave her a pep-talk and she finished....although not the happiest finisher! She did receive a pretty cool medal! Her favorite part was definitely the inflatable slide at the after party!

Mommy sure wishes she'd pick up the running bug because a running buddy would be sooo great in the future! :)

10 month out-takes!

2010-12-20T15:19:00.017-06:00

This kid is seriously so cute that it hurts...really!! :)

10 months

2010-11-16T16:38:00.006-06:00

Tyler James, you are 10 months old!

At ten months…

- You are wearing 9-12 month clothes. You're in a size 4 Wide for your shoes and even those don't fit very well. Size 5 shoes are just a little too tight. We are on your last pack of size 3 diapers, so you'll be moving up to size 4's any day now.

- You continue to be a little piggy. You're slowly weaning off baby food and pretty much eating big people food all the time. Amoung your favorites are diced carrots, macaroni and cheese, cupcakes and coffee. You can thank your Poppy for those last two!

- You are continuing to sleep through the night! (Praise the Lord!) The last time change really did you in and now you go to sleep at 8 and we usually have to drag you out of bed in the morning. On the weekends you wake up before us but usually sit in your crib and play quietly. GOOD BOY!!

- You're still crawling like crazy and have mastered cruising between furniture. You try like crazy to walk and will take a few steps. It's just a matter of time.

- Your vocabulary is the same. I'm not wishing the endless talking on you yet, because I know whenever you start, you'll never stop.

- Your such a ham! You LOVE attention, especially your sister's. You two get along really well when you're not tormenting each other. It's cute and funny NOW, but I'm sure we're going to have our hands full in the future.

We love you sweet little Wubzy! I can't believe you're going to have a birthday in two short months!