The McDougal Family: October 2009

For Tanner's 2nd birthday, we decided to get her a "playscape" for the back yard. It is basically a swing set with a few bells and whistles. Clinton and Jason spent about 12 hours putting it together, and it was actually missing a few parts! The "rocks" that are supposed to go on the rock wall, which is the wooden slats that she is climbing on in the first picture, are supposed to be in next week. We are also missing a bolt for the see saw swing, which should be coming in with the rocks. Tanner LOVES this play set, though. We have been outside almost every day since she got it. She loves to swing and she says "bigger" when she wants to go higher. Then she tells us not to swing her at all once she gets going. She tells us, "go clean pool!". She wants us out of her hair, and cleaning the pool is what Clinton is usually doing outside if he isn't playing with her. It is pretty funny!

On a different note, the Mitschke's came to stay with us the night that Clinton and Jason started working on the play set. I made a pot of chili and we watched football and had a fire in the fireplace. It was a really good night. The night before, we had a fire with just us and Tanner was very intrigued. She couldn't stop looking at it, and she brought all of the pumpkins that we bought her and her Mr. Potatohead to look at the fire with her. It was really cute.

She loves her Uncle Jason and wants to be just like him!
Eating chili
Our first fire of the season, the night before Haley and Jason came.
Tanner and friends watching the fire.

Funny random picture that was taken the same weekend.

I can't believe my baby is already 2! The last two years have been the best two years of my life. It has flown by too quickly though! Tanner had a great birthday. That morning, we got up and got ready to go to the park for a picnic. We picked up Channing, Jaxson, and Tawny, and headed to the park in Jourdanton. We ate and let the kids play. We had a great time. When we got home, we woke up her daddy and we loaded up and headed to San Antonio to get Tanner's birthday present. We went to Kids 'R Us and picked up a swing set. We will be putting it together this weekend. I can't wait for her to get to play on it! Later that day, Gammie and Mac came in and we all got to spend some time together. We sang "Happy Birthday" to her several times that day, and she got lots of phone calls from people wanting to sing to her too. The next day, Cindy watched Tanner and Maddie while Cassie and I went to the track to run. After that, we went to the grocery store and got some things to make her cake and party favors for the party on Saturday. Randy and Cindy were such a huge help for me that day. Clinton had to sleep, so they helped me put everything together and get the house ready for the party. The next morning, we got up and partied from 9:30am-11:30am. We had a "Breakfast in Bed" party, and I decorated one huge table in the living room like a bed. I made her cake to look just like her bed. I thought it was appropriate, since this is the year that she moved from a crib to her "big-girl bed". I was pretty happy with how it turned out. Everyone wore their pjs and we ate breakfast foods. The kids made cereal necklaces, we watched a slideshow of Tanner's 2nd year, and then Tanner opened presents. It was a blast. Tanner got a lot of neat toys and pretty clothes. We had a really good time. For favors, we gave away mason jars with chocolate chip cookie muffin mix so that everyone could make their own breakfast in bed. It was a great morning, and I know Tanner had a blast. She fell asleep on the couch that afternoon, she was so tired!!! After the party, we all went outside for awhile so that Tanner could ride her new tricycle that GiGi and G-Paw got her. While we were out there, Clinton decided to wash the bugs off of the front of the car (they were really bad) and Tanner decided that she wanted to play in the water. She and Clinton were SOAKED! That evening, we went to Tawny and Paxton's to play games. We put Tanner to bed in their guest room, and stayed up playing Phase 10. It was a really good day. The next day, we got up and headed to New Braunfels. Jason made hamburgers and hot dogs and we celebrated my mom's birthday, which is October 5. Haley made a really pretty cake, and my mom got to blow out candles open presents.

At the park the morning of Tanner's birthday.

She was so tired that afternoon, she slept all the way to Toys 'R Us
This is her swing set. This is what it currently looks like. Hopefully, it will look a lot different after this weekend!
Preparing the favors
Gammie and Tanner helping me make the cake
The finished product...complete with Mr. Green!
The bed we used for breakfast in bed

The favors

Pre-viewing the slide show
This is a toy that Erin bought for Tanner. She is IN LOVE with it!! She also got a bowling set from the Huberts and the pins are all furry monsters. It is really cute. Clinton named them after the Jackson 5, so Tanner walks around the house going "are you, Michael Jackson?" when she is looking for them!
Big cheesy grin in her dressy pjs

My Aunt Linda came ready! She even had her stuffed animal!

Channing, Lauren, and Isabella. Channing and Lauren came in the same PJs!

Tanner and William

G-Paw and Sofi

Alma and Addison

Fallon, Brandon, and Logan

This is what it looked like on the inside

Cassie and Maddie
Blowing out the candle
Before she blew out the candle, she took it out of the cake and took a bite out of it! I was wiping wax out of her teeth!

Enjoying a piece

This is the tea set that Kathryn sent her. Thank you, Kathryn!

Her new tricycle!
Maddie and William

Randy and Cindy bought her these masks and everyone had such a good time with them that day!
Opening presents

Maddie reading a book in the playroom

She crawled onto the table and went "night night". She was even snoring!
Riding her bike for the first time

With her "Elmo pumpin"

Logan taking a nap in her bed
Playing in the waterhose

Haley and my mom wore the same thing without planning it. It was pretty funny!

Eating a donut
My mom brought some old Halloween costumes from when we were little and she had a great time dressing up in them after the party.

Jason and Sofia
We put her in the tree and she loved it!

GiGi's birthday cake