The clock is ticking down on 2007. It has been a busy and exciting one for us. We took 3 trips (Arizona, California and Connecticut), we won a T-Ball championship, and advanced to riding a bike with training wheels. We have taken you along for this ride with more than double the number of blog posts from the previous year.
Thanks to all our family and friends for your kind words, and all our new parent blogger friends from mybloglog, linkedin, facebook, flickr and technorati. We wish everyone a happy and healthy new year and look forward to sharing more adventures in 2008.
Ty got a plethora of new little die cast cars from his favorite animated movie. It seems the Disney/Pixar marketing machine really knows how to keep their brands alive for many years. With all these new race cars from the Dinoco 400, we needed someplace to race them. This simple little figure 8 track has provided hours of entertainment because it appeals to one of the most basic of all needs in a little (or big) boy: crashing things is cool!
It's an Austin tradition. I am sure there are other famous streets in other cities around the country, but apparently the folks on 37th Street have built up a great reputation. It is not just having the most lights or covering every tree, it is all about uniqueness. This year we spotted a giant dinosaur, a tree made of old bicycles, and even a collection of Jack Daniels bottles cleverly hung across the front walk.
In one picture Ty stands on an Austin Monopoly board (see other photos I found) that covers the sidewalk with the names of local neighborhoods and funny anecdotes. And if you look behind him it looks like a giant lite-brite board with a clever version of "Noel". In the other photo, Ty bends down to inspect some of the rubber duckies lining the posts of one yard.
We may not get snow in Central Texas, and that may be the reason our town can be so creative during the holidays. Best wishes from Ty and myself to you and your families this season.
Could I be the coolest Dad? I have a Simpsons pinball machine in my bedroom. Ty stands on a small stool to reach the flippers. Recently his constant flipper action has landed him some decent scores. His favorite part is the multi-ball experience. The game also has real character voices from the show with some hilarious sayings like Grandpa saying "Back in my day, we didn't have flippers".
We were crazy enough to go out on "Black Friday" and hit the Stamford Town Center. It was decorated for the season and smiling Ty posed for an almost xmas card shot in front of one of the trees.
Okay. How psyched can you be to flick a plastic ant into the pants of Spongebob? I give you exhibit A above. Go Ty!
OK. I know the Pixar movie Toy Story is not a new one so my comments to follow may be ones that countless others noticed before, but I didn't feel like searching the web on this trivial matter.
Last night while we driving home from a friend's housewarming party, Ty was in the backseat watching the DVD of Toy Story. He has probably watched this movie 20 times and I have listened to the audio only of it almost that many times. During the first few scenes when Buzz Lightyear joins the other toys in Andy's room he is convinced he is the real Buzz (which is pretty much the plot line of the movie). Well if he thinks he is real, how is that he knows when Andy or any other real person comes close he has to freeze and become inanimate? I figured only the toys understood that. Or perhaps it is just programmed into him and he doesn't realize it?
You may be thinking that what does it matter because it is a fictional cartoon anyway and why should they follow common sense or logic? It never really bothered me the first 20 times I watched it, but somehow my mind wandered and just felt that it was "illogical". Your comments or links to this discussion elsewhere on the web are welcome. I will now resume your regularly schedule broadcast with more cute pictures of Ty.
This closeup from Ty with a crayon could say a lot of things depending on the context:
- He is learning the correct way to hold the crayon for drawing, but prefers his own style
- He is grabbing the crayon forcefully as if to indicate he will soon use it as a weapon
- Or perhaps he is demonstrating how to work the handlebar on a motorcycle (sound effects included)
For the trip I bought Ty this book of mazes he could trace. He ended up cruising through them quite fast, but was anxious to show his cousin Swann how to maneuver some of them. She liked it so much that we got her a book as well for her birthday.
We really lucked out this year. Most years when we are in CT for Thanksgiving, the leaves have already fallen off the trees. This year apparently New England had a very late fall and the colors were looking beautiful during our stay. This was shot behind my parent's house.
Ty posing in front of a traditional New England fireplace at my parent's country club. He is smiling after having a grilled cheese and french fries, which is one of his favorite meals (mine too).
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Now playing:
John Mellencamp - My Aeroplanevia FoxyTunes
Finally catching up to the shots we took in CT during Thanksgiving. Here Ty works on building something taller than he is while supervising engineer G-pop looks on.
Wow. Who would have thought my son would be hanging with celebrities? For any of you who watch the awesome NBC show Friday Night Lights (permalink on my right side panel) you may have seen last week's episode when Smash visits a fictitious college on a recruiting trip. When he is at an evening pool party for one of the fraternities, a football player welcomes him and has a few other lines. This "actor" was none other than our own Austin Wranglers' football star Dane Krager.
Flashback to our post last March here and see Ty posing for the camera with Dane.
Note: Hollywood agents can direct their requests for Ty's future appearances through his Dad.
Just got a few of Ty's pictures taken this fall at school by the professionals. I ordered the digital files so that I could share them with all of you. Here are 2 that I liked:
We are Inspi (RED) today to remind everyone to think about ways we can help those in need
