Halfy birtHday Handsome Hanky

guess wHo Had His Half birtHday last week???

i can't believe my BABY is now one and a Half years old.  How did it Happen?  i must say He is tHe Handsomest one and a Half year old boy in town!

but i did forget How Hard it is to get pictures from squiggly Half year olds. 

luckily tHere is anotHer boy wHo is almost 3 and a Half and He was Happy to Help!
after a great dinner witH His name sake Hanky celebrated witH some Half birtHday cookies on tHe porcH!  i stole the idea from my friend melanie. 

Hanky Panky is so mucH fun tHese days!
He is a monkey.  if i Had a dollar for every time i say Hanky sit down please, get down please or climb down please i would be a very ricH woman.  my personal favorite was wHen i was making my grocery list the otHer day.  i looked at tHe recipe, wrote down a few items and looked up into tHe eyes of one mr Hank sitting on my kitcHen table. 
He is finally starting to talk.  He will say cHeese wHile making His best cHeese face.  He is also adding a few otHer new words like cracker, apple, teeth, outside, Linde & Jeff.  We've still got some work to do but we are making progress I tHink.
He loves to dance.  especially car dancing.  notHing makes me smile like looking back to see tHose little arms waving. 
He loves to sing.  wHile He may not be the cHattiest kid on the block, Hanky will sing and sing.  tHe otHer night He rode Home from the park on micHael's sHoulders and micHael said He sang so quiet all tHe way Home. 
He Has an opinion.  Hanky Has no problem tHrowing down if tHings don't go His way. 
wHen tHrowing down Hanky loves an audience.  He will sHamelessly cut His eyes to see wHo's looking to decide wHetHer or not tHe sHow must go on.

but my most favorite tHing of all about tHis one and Half year old boy is tHat He looks just like his Aunt Linde!  see How's He's cutting His eyes in tHis picture?  if you know my sister you Have been seeing tHis look for way more than one and Half years.  it is so special to me tHat tHey are two peas in a pod in so many special ways only a sister and a mom could know, but in one very obvious way, too!
we sure do love you Hanky Panky.

Smoke!

You may remember that last year I made a goal to try 30 new restaurants in my 30th year, I blogged about some but it was kinda boring.  We had so much fun trying 30 new places.  Although I am now a mature 31 year old woman I still enjoy trying a new place.  A few weeks ago we had to perfect opportunity to try Smoke.  We were celebrating our buddy Josh, who is a total foodie and loves barbecue.  We thought Smoke would be the perfect place since it seems to be a blend of both.  

We were not disappointed!

 Josh had a big rib, he was a BIG fan. 

 The girls looked cute and dainty before we tore into our barbecue. 

Normally I don't post too much about what Michael and I do without the kids, because my blog is mostly a memory keeper for them.  But, people this is one of the two BEST burgers I have ever had!  I LOVED IT!  I could barely get it squished down for a bite, but I managed.  That crispy delicious-ness is an egg fritter.  HOLY COW!  So, so good!  I can't WAIT for an excuse to go back, anyone have a birthday coming up?

By the way the other best burger is on the brunch menu at The Grape, I read about it in Texas Monthly and in my opinion it was worth the hype.  Have you caught on that I love a good burger?  My family's Saturday night tradition of burgers and rotel dip have forever trained my taste buds in all the best ways!

Aqu-ry-ment

My work friends Amie & Melanie, and I planned a trip to the Dallas Aquarium.  When we planned it, in May, Avery called it the aquereement.  Unfortunately, Claire got sick so we had to reschedule.  We picked a new for June and had to reschedule again, can't remember why.  We finally had a date for August and poor Amie ended up having to work.  She graciously said we should just go on since Brady started kindergarten this year.

While we really missed Amie Charlie and Easton, but we had a BLAST!

We went to the Dallas Aquarium at Fair Park and I thought it was really great.  I have always heard that the Dallas World Aquarium was the way to go, but it is way more expensive. 

As soon as we went in there was a super sweet grandfatherly volunteer showing the kids cool creatures and letting them touch them.  Avery wasn't so sure at first, but he warmed up!

We started out by visiting cool things like freshwater fish and reptiles.  

Avery thought the white alligators and giant turtle were AWESOME!

But, the best part was the sting ray area!  We got to touch and see them up close.  It was TOO cool.  

Avery needed a little encouragement, but not much.  Thanks A for making me look tan, too!

Hank needed encouragement not to jump in the tank with the sting rays.  

There were also huge sting rays we just visited through the glass.  

If you need a fun way to pass a hot morning, I know 4 little people who would recommend the Dallas Aquarium! 

Thanks for driving all the way over Melanie, Brady and Claire!

And by the way, Avery can now say aquarium properly, such a big boy!

Back to School

Last Thursday we went to meet Avery's teachers.

Ms. Kara seemed really sweet.  She and Avery bonded over play dough.  I loved how she very sweetly but firmly told one of the other children that her name was Ms. Kara, not teacher.  I am hoping that she will be the perfect blend of kind, but firm that Avery responds to so well.  

Ms. Ale seemed very nice, too.  I like that she has 2 children who are 4 & 7, so she has lots of recent experience with 3 year old kids.  I also enjoyed overhearing her tell about the non-profit she and her husband started to provide boots to kids in need.  I am hoping this compassion will extend to a certain 3 year old boy who may nor may not stay on his nap mat.  

I am so excited to see what this school year will hold.  Hopefully, Ms Kara and Ms Ale will be just what the doctor ordered.  I know it's not a huge deal, but when you say your prayers next please say one for these two ladies.  They will be influential in Avery's life this year, and I am really praying that they "get" our little prince!

The first day is hopefully going well! 

 
Avery marched in and was having a grand old time in 2 seconds flat!

 Meeting new friends. 

Playing with play dough with old friends, too!

Best Vacation Ever

We just got back from the best vacation!  

Here's how to have the best beach vacation ever!

#1-Travel with the best vacation friends EVER!

We have been literally around the world with the McCords and there is no one else I would have wanted to have all this fun with.  It helps a ton that Adelaide and Avery are both 3 and think each other are the greatest things since grits.  Little brothers won't be out done at the ripe old age of one, so Hank and Graham were fast friends as well.  I loved their hugs that always ended in them falling down!

#2-Choose a great location!  

The beaches were gorgeous, the towns picturesque, the water just right!  I am so glad we got to experience Seacrest, Rosemary Beach and Seaside for our adventures.  We stayed in Seacrest and played in Rosemary and Seaside.  

#3 Have a beach vacation destination that offers other fun, too!

I loved riding our bikes (this is Michael lugging the boys) to see the sites.  We used them to get dessert most nights and even a fun lunch one day!  While we had so much fun at the beach it was really great to have other options, too.  It is a lot for little ones to be at the beach all day, and for dads and moms to man them and haul all their stuff to and from the beach multiple times a day.  So having other options for fun made our trip even more enjoyable!

#4 Do your research! 

Evan and Annalee (not Ben and Suzie) did so much to help us have an amazing trip by talking to their friends that had been in the area!  My friend, Emme also gave me the scoop after her family went.  It was great to have a loose plan before we got there to maximize our fun!  Have I mentioned we have the best travel friends, ever???




#5 Have punkin kids who are easy to please!

 From the condo

 to a grassy field near the Sugar Shack

 to the beach, these little ones were happy and easy to please (for the most part.)  I was so thankful so many times for flexible, adaptable kids who made it so much fun for us to see the sites through their eyes!

#6 Don't leave home without your nebulizer or sunscreen.  

While our visit to the allergist this spring has kept Hanky's allergies much better controlled he of course started getting sick and wheezing as we were leaving town.  Thank goodness for modern medicine, and fun friends to keep a kiddo entertained for his treatment!  
I am also proud to say that one of the world's pastiest little boys spent 4 days in Florida at the beach and did not get a sunburn, yay for rash gaurds and sunscreen.  
#7 Have an attorney to create "the policy" for us!

There is always an unspoken policy among us that we just do what works for our families and don't stress about it.  I think this is the only way to travel with friends, that way you can do what you need to and know everyone is okay with it.  For example, one of the mornings Avery chose to wake up Hank at 6:45, NOT cool, so by the time we were headed to the beach he was a falling down mess.  So, the McCords and Michael & Avery went on to the beach and Hank and I stayed home for a nap.  
This year Evan drafted an addendum to the unspoken policy that we will not apologize for ratty kids or adults over and over.  We all know 3 and 1 year olds have their moments, as do 31 year olds.  It was so great to just enjoy the trip, although we all did forget and apologize a few times.  But, it always broke the ice to say oh no we have the policy, don't even go there!

#8 Leave bright and early, or make that dark and early for a crazy long car ride.  

We all made sure to pack up our cars the night before we left Texas and Florida so that we could leave at or before 5am.  While this wasn't so great when the kiddos didn't immediately go back to sleep like we had planned, it was SO great when we were to Florida by mid afternoon.  


#9 Take a little boy with boogie board dreams to the beach!

#10 And be sure and take one that thinks sand and snacks are super fun!

 
Can you tell we had fun?  I could go on & on!

Bittersweet Smiles

We've had some changes in the smiles at our house that are pretty bittersweet. 

If you look closely we have had a death in the family, Avery's left front tooth.  It's very sad.  Avery thought it was great fun to go to the dentist and get special pictures taken, he even got a balloon and a treat.  Now I am hoping that his tooth will be one of the 60% that get less brown and fade to just yellow in the next 6 months.  I know good mother's aren't supposed to say that their kids are anything but adorable, but come on a brown tooth is NOT the cutest. 

 And, Hanky has found his cheese face for the other bittersweet smile. 

While I think that is the most hilarious punkin smile ever, it also makes me pretty sad.  Baby boys don't know how to say cheese when you bust out your iphone.  Only big boys know how to say cheese.  


Good thing these bittersweet smiles are too cute to resist.  

My Prince

Michael has been quite the knight in shining armor lately.  I think I'll brag!

A couple of weeks ago I had a busy, fun-filled day.  We went to some friends house for a play date in the morning, Avery got to make pizza and ice cream with his buddy Marin.  Then I had just enough time to go home to drop the boys off with a sitter and then go to straight to the dentist. 

Of course half way home I realized I left my cell phone on the counter when I was going to take a picture.  So then I had no phone, no dentist address, no time to go get the phone, no way to let my friend know I needed to come get the phone, and no clue how to get to the dentist.  Nice!  And I HATE going to the dentist, ironic since most of Michael's clients are dentists.  Luckily, Michael and my friend talked.  He called me at home, told me how to get to the dentist and then went and picked up my phone at our friend's house and brought it to me at the dentist's office. 

The following Monday as we were cruising through Houston, on the way home from a fabulous beach trip (this was where I read my latest book club book,)

some debris came out from under the car in front of us.  The next thing you know we have a flat tire.  Once again my prince saved the day pulled off and changed the tire.  If I had been alone or alone with the boys, I would have been up a creek waiting forever on a 100+ degree day for roadside assistance.  Instead in about 30 minutes all was done and we were on our way!

I sure am glad for my knight in shining armor, sometimes I really like being a strong independent woman.  Other times it is really nice to be taken care of.