Spring/Summer 2012 Favorite Pics

Thomas & Friends- Stockton Birthday

Mike remembers his dad always giving the brothers rides in the tractor whenever he tilled up their massive garden. Just continuing the tradition with Stocton.

Hiking Jump Off Canyon

Dinosaur Park

Hiking Hornet Canyon

I know. I know. We shouldn't have let him ride the elk. But he STILL talks about going to see the "moose!" It was months ago.

Union Station

Valentine's Day Cupcake- I just love the hands.

I can't get this picture to rotate, but it's my favorite of Mike and Stockton.

Petersen Cousins at Cherry Hill

Too Cool

Easter

Tracy Aviary with Petersen Cousins

Guess who's two?

I can't believe my baby boy turned 2! Well..back in May. Mike and I have been trying to transition from saying "baby boy" to "big boy" because he is a BIG boy! At his 2nd year doctor visit he was 38" long (95+%) and 33 lbs 7 oz. (95%). The doctor said he thinks Stock will be about 6'4". I know what you're thinking "No surprise!" But it is for us because ever since he's been born we've been told he has Mike's genes which would place him much shorter. I'm excited! I get to raise S, so he will date tall girls!

Stockton is a character in a half! Some days I can't believe what a teaser I have. Sadly, he's recently gone into to the "I'm not going to listen/follow parent directions." We are working on that though. We've been doing a lot with friends. It's fun to see him interact with others, even though I think sometimes he's the bad example. Oops! I never realized how adventurous he is! He'll do just about anything...as long as it's his idea. He is super vocal/singy! He's a belter, just like his mom. He also likes all the singing attention to himself, so he'll tell people to "Stop that singing!" so he can go solo. He loves going to nursery at church. Sacrament meeting is rough but we make it through. Recently, everything is about his daddy. Daddy has to give him a bath, Daddy has to read him stories, Daddy has to sing that particular song, & Daddy has to "nuggle" him. It gives me a lot of time, but what am I? Chopped liver? He loves to work in the garden with Mike and mow the lawn, and especially water the grass/plants. He still doesn't like to eat carbs/meat, but any fruit/veggie he's all about. Life is never boring with him around. We're lucky to have him about (that's what I've got to remember when he gets grumpy & nasty, right?)

We celebrated the big T-W-O by going on Thomas the Train at Heber Valley Railroad and having cake/ice cream/presents with the fam. Good times!

Saturday Outing

Moon Walk- Clark Planetarium
Unplanned and awesome; look at S's menacing eyes and ways sucking me into the evil vortex of death @ Clark Planetarium.

Playing at the jumping fountains at the Gateway.

Family Pic

First Train Ride on the Frontrunner

100 years old

Celebrating the 100th Day of School! Look at those 100-year-old first graders! Such fun!!

Eat your heart out! We're HOT 100-year-olds!!

aPUNK

Family Rule: Do not climb on top of the basket. Solution: Climb inside!
Fishy Face! S named the new goldfish "Aw"

Playing/Hiding with Mommy's Phone (yes, that's a rubber dinosaur in his mouth)

S is such an ca-razy kid! For a long time, I've been feeling guilt as a mom, placing worry on what people think of my mothering skills. "Do they think that I teach this kid anything?" and the like. You know that kid you hear sing/screaming at the top of his lungs during the middle of sacrament meeting? Or, the one oh so fond of tackling other people (yes...even adults)? Yup, that one's mine! It seemed to me that every other child his age was a Stepford, docile child, but that's from the outside looking in, eh? Anyways, a friend of mine gave S the best compliment and, in turn, reminded me how lucky I am. She said, "Stockton is such an animated kid! I love it!" It is so true! Every day I get such a kick out of him! And, when I wonder where he came from, it is very clear to me that he is a loverly blend of me and Mike. I mean, let's be honest. Have you had a conversation with me or Mike? We can talk your ear off! And, I'm coming to grips that in fact, I am a very stubborn, persistant gal who still can throw a little tantrum! Poor S, you didn't stand a chance with the genes. I wouldn't trade my boy for anything though!

My bro, Ry, aptly stated that the best word to describe Stockton is a punk. It is so true- in a good way though. Any who, Ryan started calling S a punk when he acts like it. It's pretty funny bc now S sees Ry and instead of saying "I-ee" for Ryan he calls him "apunk". S is such a teaser and incredibly clever. I didn't realize that toddlers could be so teasealcious! Some examples, I always say things like daddy loves you or grandma loves you, and he responds with NO-o (you know in a sing-song teasy voice). And, the other day I watched as my bro ignored S multiple times, and so S took his spit soaked popsicle stick and stuck it in Ry's ear with a dark sinister laugh (hee, hee, hee). I can assure you I didn't teach him that!

Here's some of my favorite phrases or things he's been doing. I apparently end a lot of my statements with "Okay?" Because now S is now responding with "o-gee or o-kee". When something really scares him like the sharks in Finding Nemo or the tigers in one of his books he waves his hand from side to side and repeatedly says, "No, no, no, no.." And if you didn't know, S is such a boy's boy. It's trucks, trains, dinosaurs, bugs, wrestling, etc at our house. Recently, S has upgraded his train noise from "choo, choo" to "chugee-chugee-choo-choo." When someone is hurting (by Stockton's hand or not), he will take another person by hand to make sure the hurt one is okay. He will forcibly make the person pat or pet the hurt one. And, lastly this kid's all about technology (Mike and I didn't teach him, let alone show him.) But he can navigate around our phones and IPad with ease. He loves his "shows," too! Much to my dismay, he will discover our hidden devices and hide himself, so he can play without me taking them.

He is hilarious! I LOVE him to pieces!