Thankful for Fun (Week 45/52)

Thanksgiving was a great time at our house this year. We had both Uncle Marks, Aunt Megan, and of course Papa Wilkinson around to help us celebrate. 

We had an awesome week showing them all the great things Oklahoma has to offer, and Colin loved having more people to play with.

So excited when he saw "DeeDee" (Megan) walking toward us at the airport

We drove to OKC one day to check out some sites

Enjoying a warm fall day while at the Oklahoma City National Memorial

On the ride home from OKC everyone took a nap

On Thanksgiving morning we were all busy in the kitchen, including Colin

A fun little group shot (minus Colin, who wouldn't sit still)

One day we headed up to Bartlesville, OK,
home of the one skyscraper Frank Lloyd Wright ever built.

Colin and the Marks!

Colin was so upset when they all left. We took them to the airport, and when they got out of the car and he realized he wasn't going on an airplane too, he proceeded to cry for at least half an hour.

In fact, we all miss them. Come back soon!

Playing Puppy (Week 44/52)

Aside from pretending to sleep, one of Colin's favorite games is to act like a puppy dog. He crawls around on the floor, he pants like a dog, and he even likes to play fetch.

You never know when the mood is going to strike him, and he will start eating out of his bowl without hands, or he will crouch down on the ground to pick a ball up with his mouth to bring over to you.

What do we need a real dog for? Things never get boring around here with our Colin puppy!

Independent (Week 43/52)

As with any kid his age, Colin is slowly but surely establishing his independence. Unfortunately, he has become very bossy in the process :)

He is not afraid to let you know that he will be doing something, and that you need to stay put while he runs inside to grab a ball, goes into the kitchen to get a snack, etc. Of course, the best part about it is that he still does little communicating with words.

Instead of saying "me," or "I," or "Colin," he pats his chest. Then to he uses his hand to signal you to stop and stay where you are, where says, "no, no, no."

He also likes to pick out his own shows on Netflix to watch. Good thing he's so practiced on using the ipad he can get to any app he wants and can scroll through all the pictures on Netflix to find the one he wants, then taps on it or presses play/done/whatever he wants it to do.

He is also very opinionated about what he wears. Shirts, pants, shoes...on most days he has to approve it before he will put it on.

Oh the joys of growing up! :)

A Gourmet Halloween (Week 42/52)

It's true, we are parents to the cutest chef on the block! And I have my sister Kimberly to thank--she made the costume for her daughter a few years ago :)

Halloween was a great time at our house. We went to a trunk-or-treat held by local businesses in our downtown area the Saturday before Halloween, so by the time the actual day came around, Colin knew exactly what to expect, and he was EXCITED.

Our good friends, Tate & Eleece, went with us to the trunk-or-treat, so Colin demanded they come trick-or-treating with us on Halloween. They also enjoyed some pumpkin-shaped pizza from Papa Murphy's with us.

I am also lucky enough to say I know a local photographer through church who had taken our family pictures a few weeks before, and she asked if she could borrow Colin as a model to practice with a new lens, so we went out a few days before Halloween and took a few shots. He only kind of cooperated, and unfortunately, we didn't get any pictures that showcase his amazing disco pants. Because what chef doesn't wear crazy pants with his uniform??

 

Another Check-Up (Week 41/52)

At the end of October we headed to the pediatrician for Colin's 2-year check-up! He only had to get a flu shot, so that sure made things a lot simpler. He had a blast in the waiting room, and enjoyed the castle in the exam room. And although he was a little nervous about the actual exam, he seemed to know what was going on. When the pediatrician asked Colin which ear he wanted her to look in first, he pointed to his knee. He really wanted to see his reflexes. 

Although I don't have his stats in front of me, he was approximately...

Weight: 28 lbs
Height: 36 in

I feel like he has been growing a ton just recently...the shorts he was wearing all summer were either size 12 or 18 months, but now he's finally growing into all of his 2T fall/winter clothes.

He is growing like a weed!

Gone Fishing (Week 40/52)

We recently took a little trip to Roaring River State Park in Missouri for a fishing trip. We rented a cabin and spent hours by the river while Matt caught some fish. Colin had an amazing time throwing rocks and leaves into the river and helping daddy work his fishing pole. 

The light in this picture is awful, but it shows perfectly Colin's version of "fishing"--holding a stick like a fishing pole, then throwing it into the river.

And I'm happy to report Colin only fell into the river once :) These pictures don't show it very well because of the lighting...he is completely soaked up to his belly button. He was on the edge of the river using the net to scoop up leaves, and he stepped onto some leaves that he thought were on the shore, when he went straight into the water. It scared him quite a bit, but it was pretty hilarious.

We had a great time, and now any time we drive past a pond, lake, or river, Colin "talks" about how we went fishing.