Tyson - October/November/December 2014

Our fall and holiday season flew by!  Here's a recap of what all went down.

In October we were lucky enough to get to borrow some of my friend Melissa's fun toys for conference weekend.  We figured new (to you) toys would help keep you occupied while I watched conference.  Boy did it work.  There was a box of train tracks and trains that you LOVED and played with pretty much the entire weekend.  Melissa's has a boy Tessa's age named Mason, so forever after you referred to these as Mason's trains.  As in, "For Christmas I want trains like Mason's."  Santa took note!

Just a dork.

You're kind of a pill when you get to be too tired to even think straight, and even when I can see you're about to fall asleep you refuse to take an actual "nap," and sometimes that means falling asleep sitting on the couch and slowly drifting down, down, down.

Sometimes your brother takes my phone from its spot in the toy room where it is playing music for you guys while you "clean up" and takes pictures of you all instead.  Look at those big browns!  They kill me.

October of course also means the deer hunt.  You had a blast (most of the time) playing with cousins and the dogs and just getting as dirty as possible.

Cousin Tinsley LOVES her Ty-Ty and pretty much whenever she is around you have a shadow. We also knew whenever you had managed to lose her because she would chant, "Where's Ty-Ty?  Where's Ty-Ty?"  I think it was pretty exhausting for you!

Early in October we went to the Hamblin's pumpkin patch to pick out our pumpkins instead of waiting until closer to Halloween when the pickings are slim.  We waited until the week of Halloween to carve them, and everyone's turned out awesome.

Just a dork with a bucket on his head - a throwback to your dad's bucket head picture I guess.

On Halloween it was just you and me hanging out at lunchtime (not a common thing with all the kids we babysit now), so I took you as my date to run errands and lunch at Junction.  You looked so stinking cute in your costume.  I was pretty mortified on our trip to the grocery store though when you told our somewhat elderly cashier that she looked like a witch.  She wasn't dressed up!  I know she had to have heard you, and I think I turned about a million shades of red and wanted to run out of there as fast as I could.  I guess it is better to say that on a day like Halloween than on a normal day, but I'm still pretty sure I would have cried if I were her.

I was SO excited for your Halloween costume.  I have always wanted to dress one of you guys up as a firefighter like dad for Halloween, and I was finally determined to do it this year while I could still somewhat talk you into it.  I found some old cargo-looking pants that we already had and dyed them dark green and headed to the thrift store with little hope of finding the perfect white shirt (I have bad luck finding stuff there), but low and behold there was a perfect button down white shirt in your size! It came home with us, and I dyed it dark yellow.  Then we just added a hard hat with your name and the FS logo on it, a fire shelter made out of some ribbon and a box wrapped in tin foil, and a borrowed toy chain saw and you were good to go!

I'm telling you, I don't think I've ever been more proud in all my life.  You were so adorable.  It was pretty funny when we went out trick-or-treating though because most people didn't really get it.  "Oh, look, a forest ranger.", etc.  At one house they had a fire in one of those portable metal fire pits on their driveway where they were sitting handing out candy, and they got a big laugh when you pointed at the fire and said, "Why do you have a fire there?"  They loved that you were a firefighter and so concerned about their fire.  The houses of our fire friends were my favorite ones because they obviously got your costume and thought it was great.

The Wildland Firefighter Foundation posted a picture of an older girl in her smokejumper costume, and one of the fire wives in town tagged me and encouraged me to share you picture with them.  I did, and it went crazy!  I think by the time things slowed down you had over 3,000 "likes" on the picture and a bunch of shares and fun comments.  It was fun, but a little creepy, to see it get so popular.

In November we finally found a day to get our pictures taken.  I wasn't sure how you would do, so I told the big kids that we were going to be all excited the day of pictures and act like it was the most fun thing in the world.  Sure enough they delivered and were telling you how excited they were for pictures first thing that morning!  Turns out you did pretty good, although your dad and I were cracking up wondering if our photographer would manage to catch any of you making a half normal face.  She did, but oddly enough, my favorites are the ones like this where that personality comes out!  What a handsome guy you are.

Just chilling on the couch wearing a giant Elsa wig and eating some pizza.  A normal day here.

We went up to Cedar to meet your new cousin Easton and happened to be there the day Cedar has their fairytale parade.  Lucky you got a ride on dad's shoulders on our way to the parade route.

You had a blast watching the cartoon and fairy tale figures go by and showed off your dance moves when the music played.  You can't tell too well here, but you're shaking that bum pretty good!

Just a picture of you on the carousel outside Honey's.  Our favorite thing to do is give high fives every time you come around.  Will you stay little forever please?

I don't even remember where we were going, but the whole family was in the truck going somewhere this day and you fell asleep.  When you woke up your hair was crazy and you were still acting a little punch-drunk.  I love the look on your face.

We had a good Thanksgiving in Hurricane this year.  I don't have any pictures and I have no idea why.  I think maybe I left my phone in the car so I wouldn't be tempted to be on it all day and could enjoy the day, but that also means no pictures.  Boo.

The weekend after Thanksgiving we went Christmas tree hunting on the Kaibab.  You became obsessed with a branch we cut off the tree and had to take it home.

"No, mom!  I can put it in myself!"  We ended up putting a few of them in a can with some water on Logan's dresser in your room and stringing some lights on them so you guys had your own "tree."

After we got our tree dad took us out to a lookout over the Grand Canyon and you didn't even fall off the edge!  We also got to go check on a burn they had done earlier that week and found that it had crossed the line they had made for it.  You guys thought it was cool to see some actual flame in the forest but wondered why dad wasn't jumping out of the truck to put it out!

Later that day was Kanab's light parade, and we opted to watch it from the sideline rather than go on the FS float this year.  It wasn't too long, but you guys thought it was fun.

Just a shot of this lovely habit you have of biting your toenails.  I take comfort in the fact that one day you won't be flexible enough to do this because it grosses me out to no end.

This just makes me laugh.  This is a pretty common look on your face, actually.  I'm not sure who did what to you, but you obviously were not too happy.

W
e took a quick trip to Lake Powell one Saturday in December so I could grab some supplies for our ward party.  This was your first time to the lake, and you didn't fall in or get eaten by a seagull or anything.  I'm going to call that a success!

We'd been pretty busy, and I'd been feeling a little stressed, so when it was nice one day I put all the stuff I needed to do aside and we went to the park!  We played on the swings and played frisbee and had a good time.  It was just the break we needed.

The primary was in charge of gingerbread houses at the ward party this year, and you guys had a fun time helping me pick out the candy when we went to Page and an even more fun time putting your houses together at the party.

Pretty sure you got every inch of open frosting covered with candy.

Santa came in the form of our favorite nursery leader, Brother Eddy.  Your stinking big brother told you it was Brother Eddy, and I'm not sure you would have figured it out if he hadn't.  Luckily you know that Santa can't be everywhere all the time and he has helpers, and Brother Eddy certainly looks the part every December.

You got to come with us to Tessa's Christmas program at school.  I think you were most excited for the cookies after, but you had fun pointing at Tessa and yelling, "There's Tessa!" every few minutes.

Another year, another Pollock Christmas party.  You were very consistent in what you told Santa you wanted this year.  Every time you said, "trains like Mason's."  The Santa would always go, "huh?" but lucky for you the real big guy knew what you meant.

Decorating sugar cookies was fun this year.  I have been not so nice in years past trying to keep things on the cleaner side of things, which isn't fun for anyone, so this year I decided I didn't care and let you guys at it.

Yours were pretty crunchy with sprinkles but looked pretty good for a nearly 3-year-old.  How could I tell these were yours?  Maybe because they all had mysterious bites taken out of them.

Christmas Eve festivities started off with our pajama boxes complete with candy and a new Scooby-Doo movie to watch.  We watched our new movie, ate candy and popcorn, and then went for a ride in the car to look at lights before heading home and getting to bed.  We've been struggling with getting you to fall asleep in your bed, but not this night!  We just told you Santa didn't come unless you fell asleep in your own bed, and out you went!  I wished we use that on you every night, but you have gotten better since then.

Christmas morning you had a hard time waking up.  You ended up in our bed at some point that night (another battle for another day), and apparently were too sleep-walky to notice the presents under the tree.  I brought you out still asleep, but you perked up pretty quick when you heard the excitement in Logan and Tessa's voices.  Opening stockings was the first item on your list.

Planes Fire & Rescue was a big theme this year, and we all got one of the figures in our stockings. You got the Sneaky Snacky Squirrel game, Magformers, legos (so Logan can't tell you not to play with them because they are all his), rollerskates, and, of course....

your "trains like Mason's"

They have been a big hit, and I'm pretty sure you have played with them every day since.  I love that they make you think about how to put the tracks together so they will work.

And our Christmas hug picture, my favorite.

Here you are trying out your skates.  You haven't been as impressed with yours as your big brother and sister, but hopefully as you get better on them you will enjoy them more.  In the meantime, we all have a good laugh when you put them on.

(Heck yes I am laughing and taking pictures instead of helping you up!)

We headed up to Grandpa Ralph's house soon after we were done opening presents and made it in time for breakfast even with the new snow on the roads.  You ate a bunch of pancakes and bacon before we headed over to Grandma Lori and Grandpa Rob's house to open more presents.  We spent a fun day there where you got a cute new outfit and another train track with some trains.

And of course, a few days later before we had settled into real life again it was your birthday.  The Hillier and Veater families came to help you celebrate, and everyone had a fun time.

Catching some air on your new "bounce bomb."  You got trucks, planes, and more "trains like Mason's," and overall I think you had a pretty good day.

Earlier in the month you had requested a blue dinosaur cake.  I'm not sure why I even ask you guys what kind of cake you want (or maybe when I ask I mean what flavor and you guys just pop off with a shape instead) because I am no cake maker.  The final result kind of looked like a dinosaur, was definitely blue, and tasted pretty terrible after being frozen so I could cut and shape it and then frosted in food-coloring flavored frosting.  You liked it though, and with that we said goodbye to the terrible 2's and on to the more terrible 3's.  We sure do love you though buddy.

You currently measure up at about 37.5" tall and 35-ish pounds, just 2 shy of Tessa's weight and definitely taller than she was at 3.  You are a favorite in this house when you are being funny and someone to steer clear of when you are grumpy, but we sure do love having you in our family and would be lost, and have less laugh lines, if we didn't.

And with that, your 3-year-old birthday survey.

Love you bud,
Mom

YOUR FAVORITE...

FOOD? Cereal (all day every day if you could).

CANDY? Airheads.

PLACE TO GO? Honey's (the grocery store). 

GAME TO PLAY? Sneaky Snacky Squirrel game (I'd say Uno is a close 2nd as we've started playing that as a family almost every night).

TV SHOW? Crashbox. (A kids show on HBO that we only have right now due to a free preview.  It's not mom's favorite cause it's totally weird.  There are different logic-type games they go through on the show, and one of them is called Dirty Pictures where you are supposed to use the clues to guess who the picture is of while the creepy characters wipe the dust off a little at a time.  The other day you said, "Mom, you don't like the Revolting Slob game, but you DO like Dirty Pictures!"  I sure hope you don't go around telling other people that or I'll have some explaining to do!)

MOVIE? Planes Fire & Rescue.

PERSON? "You and dad.  I like you and dad."

THING TO DO? Play.

COLOR: Blue.

PERSON TO PLAY WITH? Kyler.

TOY? Maru (from Planes.  I'd guess your trains and Magformers are up there too).

HOLIDAY? Christmas.

THING TO DO WITH DADDY? Fix his truck (?).

THING TO DO WITH MOMMY: Play the Sneaky Snacky Squirrel game.

THING TO DO WITH GMA & GPA H? I can't remember.

THING TO DO WITH GMA & GPA V? I can't remember.

NUMBER? 1.

ANIMAL? Cows.

CARTOON CHARACTER? Mayday (from Planes).

THING ABOUT ME? I can't remember.

PLACE TO BE TICKLED? Belly.

PLACE TO GO WITH MOMMY?  Honey's.

PLACE TO GO WITH DADDY?: Honey's.

DRINK? Lemonade.

TREAT? "Airheads I said!"

PLACE TO VISIT? "At grandma's house." 

BOOK? "Spooky Hour." (This is what we've been reading at night instead of a proper, cute, sweet, bedtime story. I'm a fan of "Spooky Hour," but I have to admit this routine is kind of weird.