Mexico: Tlaquepaque 2

Here we are enjoying the area around the main plaza in Tlaquepaque. The toy that Parker is playing with here is just about the best toy ever invented--somehow incorporates a bouncy ball and some string and some streamers, and is lots and lots of fun to throw up in the air and then watch it bounce around all crazy when it lands. Although, Parker also had no control over this toy, and I'm pretty sure quite a few people were interrupted by it hitting them on the head.

Mexico: Mascota

For the last night of our trip, we stayed in Mascota, a small town in the mountains about halfway between Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta. The road actually used to "end" at Mascota, and has only recently been completed all the way to P.V. The road is narrow and winding, very pretty and mountainous, but was definitely still a work in progress, as we drove through quite a few landslide areas on our way to P.V. This hotel that we stayed at in Mascota was built in the mid-1800s and used to be a religious refuge--it had a lot of character, and you could imagine pretty easily what it would have been like to be staying there in the 1800s!

Celebrating Christmas: The Bicycle

Jared brought Parker a "big boy bike" home from work! Parker was soooo excited--do you see that look on his face in the first picture?! He's been talking about going for a bike ride a lot lately (although he means on the back of Daddy's bike)...so Jared got to spend the classic "Christmas morning" putting the bike together without any directions, while Parker waited impatiently for it to be finished. Now Parker just needs to spend about a year or two more growing taller until he can actually ride the bike! I think this will be one to grow into.

Celebrating Christmas: The Basketball Hoop

Parker is totally in love with basketball right now--if the TV is ever on, he always wants to watch a basketball game! And if there is a full-size basketball hoop around anywhere, he wants to pretend that he can throw his ball vaguely near the basket. Grammy and Grandpa Mark got him his very own basketball hoop for Christmas, just the right size for Parker! He l-o-v-e-s to shoot hoops, and can make baskets now! It's a lot of fun to dribble around him and have him run right at you screaming and flailing his arms in the air--I think that's his attempt at offense. He screams "bingo!" when he makes a basket, "oh, missed!" when he misses, and we're working on "slam dunk," "swish," and "Shaq attack!" Don't you think he's got great form?!

Celebrating Christmas: The Train Table

Since we were in Mexico on Christmas this year, we waited until we got home from our vacation to "celebrate" Christmas with Parker and give him his presents (although he did get a few Hot Wheels on Christmas Eve!). So, we celebrated Christmas at home on a cold and foggy New Year's Day. Jared made him a train table, and Grammy and Grandpa Mark sent Parker a set of train tracks. Cousin Alex passed on a huge heap of his outgrown Thomas trains and tracks, which was awesome! Now Parker already has a really cool train set to play with, and he seems to love it!

Daddy's Little Helper

The Start of a New Year

2009 got off to a good start! The weather was pretty cold, so we got all bundled up to play outside...or just took the fun indoors!