TJ's 31st Month

How long can these monthly posts go on, you ask? I ask myself the same question every month. There must be an end to this madness, right? I mean, 31 months? This is getting ridiculous!! Do I combine the two kiddos into one monthly post? Do I keep the individual posts until they turn 3? 4? 5? Graduation from HIGH SCHOOL? Seriously, I need a finish month. An end date. But alas, this is not the month to end it. TJ continues to change like the wind, and I must document at least some of the details.  I'm not gonna lie, I'm totally over it. I'm over taking pictures, over posting pictures, and I'm certainly over the whole writing part. But this is our family history I'm talking about, which just so happened to be the basis of our lesson at church this week. This is not the month to end it.

Nap time was our greatest trial this month. Nap-time or destroy-a-perfectly-clean-bedroom-in-30-quiet-minutes-time?

He sleeps in the trundle bed beneath Ayla's crib, or at least that's where I put him before shutting the door and returning to a sight like this.

We went to Circus Circus in Las Vegas and TJ played two games. He popped a balloon with a dart.

And some horse racing game that Trent remembers playing a long, long time ago. TJ won a prize for both! "How lucky is that?" as he would say.

We stayed at the Flamingo hotel before Trent's parents came down. TJ loved the real Flamingos at the hotel.

We walked the strip on a few occasions.

TJ busted his best dance moves atop dad's shoulders when he heard music.

And we were able to check "Eiffel Tower" off the list of sights to see.   

The Bellagio's Christmas display was Amazing!

We went to a cactus garden with Grandma Doodle.

We beat Santa to his throne, so TJ acted in his stead.

TJ has the "HO HO HO" down pat

We ate Sunday dinner at great Uncle Chappell's home where we saw his Chappell Coal mine. 

We stuffed ourselves at buffet after buffet.

Santa delivered a few small presents to TJ on Christmas morning.

"Chuck and Friends" is what he asked Santa for.

He immediately asked Dad to play Chuck and Friends with him, so that's what they did on Christmas day. And every day since.

After opening presents we went up the mountain to play in the snow.

TJ enjoyed sledding.

Trent taught him how to make a snow ball.

And told him to throw it at Mommy!

It was definitely a Christmas to remember.

TJ loves to run to the mail box and help carry the mail in. Thank you everyone for the beautiful Christmas cards!

For New Years Eve we celebrated a few hours early with fireworks.

and streamers, and jumping off of high stools yelling "happy new year!"

TJ was very nervous to hold the sparklers.

He remained cautious but warmed up to them a bit.

My mom came down before and after Christmas, which is always a special treat for us all.

TJ loves his new Chuck dump truck.

Which can jump from one fence post to the next.

All of a sudden TJ started calling Trent and I "Dad" and "Mom" rather than "Daddy" and "Mommy." It makes him seem so much older, and I really don't like it.
Some of his common phrases are, "It's oh-tay" "You like that?" and "What going on out there?"
When he gets excited to see someone he acts a little crazy and "shows off." Thankfully he is a little more calm and less of a show off when it's just us at the house.
He doesn't like to share attention with Ayla. And he doesn't like when she knocks over his towers, or takes his toys out of the perfect line he puts them in.
This month he started to scribble a little less, and color inside the lines a little more. He also has drawn some pretty awesome masterpieces, my favorite being his "Christmas tree" that looks a whole lot like a Christmas tree!
We have two goals for TJ for the new year- to sleep without a diaper, and to sleep without a pacifier. I am scared to try either.