Zain's Birthday in Dallas

Last weekend we went to Dallas for my cousin Zain's birthday party. I thought we were leaving on Friday. So on Thursday we were just having a normal day. I was swimming in my pool while watching Daddy mow the grass.




Mommy had to move me out of the grass when Daddy was trying to mow that area. I got to play some more by the house.



Then suddenly, Mommy and Daddy decided we were going to leave for Dallas on Thursday instead of Friday. They thought that driving at night would be easier since I hate my carseat. They were right! We left right around my bedtime and I fell asleep. When I woke up, we were at my Aunt Teeter's house. I went right back to sleep in my pack'n'play.

On Friday, Abuelita watched me while Mommy and Daddy went to the mall with Zain. Then, Mommy and me went to some stores together. We bought me a new booster seat and some new Texas Longhorns clothes.

That night, Big Daddy showed up!



On Saturday, Mommy, Daddy, me, Abuelita and Big Daddy went to some garage sales. Here I am checking out the stuff at one of the sales.



At the garage sales we bought a chair to hook my new booster on to. Mommy and Daddy hated my old high chair because the cloth cover always looked dirty. They love that this new chair wipes clean really easily.



Then it was time for Zain's birthday party. It was at Going Bonkers. Going Bonkers was such a cool place. Mommy and Daddy kept saying they would have loved to go to one when they were a kid. Dad said it was like an 8 year old's paradise. There were lots of places to climb. I stayed in the baby area though.





Zacchaeus played in there with me. Well, kind of. He is actually scared of me. Even though he's my big cousin, he is a little bit scared of me because I like to touch him. I'm sure in a year we will be good friends.




I even went down this big slide!



See how Zacchaeus is scared of me?



After playing for a while it was time for Zain's pizza, cake, and presents.



Afterwards we got to play some more. Zacchaeus and I played some arcade games.





Then Mama left and climbed in the big kids part with Zacchaeus. They were gone for a long time.



Mama saw me and Daddy playing from way up high.



When Mama finally came down she played with me in the baby area some more. I went on the slide some more with her and Daddy.



I really hope that we go back to Going Bonkers when I'm big enough to go in the big kid area. It looked awesome!

After we left Going Bonkers, Big Daddy and Abuelita went to a different mall with me, Mommy, and Daddy. This mall had a huge glass elevator and I liked looking out the glass. We didn't buy anything here though so we went back to Aunt Teeter's.

Aunt Teeter had some bunnies nesting in her yard.



That evening, me, Mommy and Daddy went to Chick-Fil-A. It was yummy! Then we went to Grapevine Mills Mall. That was Mommy and Daddy's 2nd time going there that weekend. They sure love that mall. The plan was to get me some new shoes, but we never did. When we left, I was so tired. I let Mommy and Daddy know that I wasn't happy by screaming in my carseat the whole way home.

The next morning was Daddy's first Father's Day! To celebrate, me and Mommy took him out to breakfast at IHOP.



While we were there, I got to try chocolate milk for the first time. I loved it!



When we left, I threw up chocolate milk all over Mama. It's not that it made me sick, it's just that I drank too much after eating too much food. I promise Mama, please let me have it again!!!

That afternoon, the whole family went to restaurant called, Babes. Zain and I hung out on this old truck that they made into a bench while we waited to go in.



I really didn't feel like being at a restaurant right then, so I kind of whined and cried a lot. Mommy, Daddy, and Big Daddy all took a turn taking me outside. Even though I kind of made the meal difficult, Mommy said it was so delicious and she definitely wants to go back.

After we ate, we went back to Aunt Teeter's to start packing up. While Mommy and Daddy packed, I played with Zacchaeus. He finally started to be less scared of me, but now we were leaving!



We headed home around 6:00. This didn't work out as well as Thursday night, because I hate my carseat and I wasn't ready to sleep. I screamed my head off until Mommy got in the backseat to entertain me. Mommy kept telling me that I better not act like that on our upcoming plane ride to Disney World.

We stopped in Oklahoma City at Wal-Mart and got me some milk. After I drank my milk, I slept till we got home.

I sure did have fun in Dallas, and I can't wait to go back!

My Own Spoon

I've been working on using my own spoon. Daddy was trying to teach me last week. I made a bit of a mess.

A busy day!

Yesterday was a really busy day! First me and Mama walked to Grandma's house to let Minnie out. When I walk, I like to point at things that are "pretty" like trees and flowers.



Right as we got to Grandma's it started to storm! Thankfully, Daddy brought the car over so we could have a ride home.

Then my friend Ella came to visit! Now that we can both walk we have more fun than ever! We followed each other all over the house.



I'm giving this baby some kisses!



Ella didn't want to!



In my room, Ella and I took out every toy!



Then we played with the musical instruments that Mommy's friend Jill Corrigan sent me. We turned on my CD too and danced to the music. Thanks Jill!




Mommy wanted to take a picture of me and Ella together. Mommy said it's a lot harder to take a picture of us now that we are toddlers. Last summer, we would just lay on the ground.






After Ella left, I took a nap. Then Mommy and Daddy took me to Greg's to swim. Greg is Melanie's daddy. He calls me Tony.





As much as I love swimming at his pool, I like following his doggy, Tippy, around even better. I walked around and around the pool chasing after Tippy.

When we got home from swimming, I went right to sleep (without a bottle of course!)

This weekend we are going to Dallas! I can't wait to see my cousins and my Big Daddy and Wita!

Twilight Tuesday

Now that it is summer time, we get to go to the Zoo for Twilight Tuesdays. It's a lot cooler outside and it's not very crowded. Two weeks ago we went with Ella and her parents. This week they came and my friend, Ben, came with his parents!

Something new we did this week was eat at the zoo. Mommy and Daddy got to eat Sonic, and I got to eat Cheerios. Then it was time to see the animals!

See my new cup holder strap? It keeps my sippy cup from falling on the ground when I'm done with it. I'm trying to learn to put it in the cupholder, but sometimes, I just throw it.



Ben was looking really cool in his sunglasses!



I had on Ben's old Zoo shirt. He wore it last summer when we went to the zoo together. It's so nice that he shares his old stuff with me.



In that picture, I'm looking at this animal.



I love my Daddy!



All the Daddy's and the kids!

Workout Time

Grandma is on an Alaskan Cruise right now, so that means Mommy and Daddy are watching me all day instead of Grandma being around in the morning. The fun part about this is that I get to workout with Mommy and Daddy.

In the morning I wake up and Mommy feeds me breakfast. I have to have a good breakfast so I can workout. Lately, I've been having some cheerios, a scrambled egg, and some orange. Then Mommy takes me a for a 2 mile jog in the jogging stroller. Usually I do a good job and just point out the trees and flowers, but one day I did try to climb out. I wanted to run with Mommy. She didn't like that too much.

When we get home, Daddy is finishing up his workout. Then Mommy does her workout. While Mommy does P90X, I do some pullups with Daddy.







I also like to carry this heavy ball around. It looks like a basketball, but it weighs a lot. I refused to carry it so Mama could take a picture though. You'll just have to take my word for it. Sometimes I carry it over and put it on Mama while she is doing her pushups or situps.



After Mommy and Daddy are both done with P90X, they do 8 minute abs or Ab Ripper X. While they do that, I like to climb all over Mommy. She says it makes it hard for her to do crunches when I'm climbing on her, but I think it's so much fun. I also like to play with her belly button while she does crunches. It makes her giggle. I love my mama!

Climbing!

On June 13, two weeks before I turn a year old, I started climbing the stairs. I was very sneaky that day. You see, Mommy always sits on the couch downstairs and watches TV. She can see me everywhere in the basement except at the bottom of the stairs. I play over there sometimes by hiding and then looking at Mommy.

That day, Mommy was calling for me, but I didn't peek at her. It's because I was halfway up the stairs! Mommy came over to see what I was doing and I turned around and gave her a big smile.

Luckily, my cousin Halie was staying the night so she and Mommy took a spot at the top and the bottom of the stairs and I got to practice going up over and over and over!





I climb with my right knee and use my left foot to lift myself higher. I'm pretty fast at it too! Of course, I don't get to climb the stairs much though because Mommy and Daddy already put a gate up. When they do let me practice I like to go up the second flight of stairs and push the gate open. Then I hurry up and go around it so I can shut it before Mommy and Daddy get in. I think it is so funny to shut the gate on them! Eventually, I open it up and let them upstairs with me!