Off the charts

Ashton's doctor said he was actually off the charts for height now.  Good thing he already loves basketball so much.  Oh and naps, on the couch.  

It was a long week of partying for this birthday boy...

 2 year stats

Weight: 29lbs. 12oz. = 71st percentile

Height: 38" = 99th percentile 

(I think they just needed to give me a number)

The Big TWO

Birthday time again.  I can't believe another year has flown by.  I'm so proud of all of your achievements this past year buddy! From walking, to jumping on the trampoline, to flying down the street on your bike.  You've got an amazingly good arm and love anything to do with balls, cars, trains, airplanes, trucks, helicopters, motorcycles, firetrucks, and you are an avid stuffed animal lover.  You take such great care of all of your stuffed animals and love every single one of them and like to make sure that we love them all too.  You are getting more and more words by the day and I know you are working hard on this whole talking thing.  You are so much fun to be around and I feel so blessed and lucky to be your Mom.

This is right after your two year check up, buying some party supplies.  Sucker in one hand and a cookie in the other

I didn't have the ambition/energy to do a real party for you this year (sorry dude, but lets be honest you won't remember it anyways).  You still had quite the good birthday though I think.  

The day before your birthday your Grandma and Grandpa Snyder drove up and brought you a new big boy bed! Twin size!  Grandma took you to the store and let you pick out any toy you wanted, you found an awesome motorcycle that you love. We also celebrated with Panda Express and Root Beer Floats at our house. 

On the 27th Dad had to work so it was just the two of us.  We met up with your buddies Kayson and Landon Reynolds and had lunch at McDonalds and played at the play place.  Then we went home and watched Planes together like three times.  

The next day, Thanksgiving, was your day! We took down your crib, said goodbye to your binky and got your new room all set up! Grandma Beckstrand wanted to do a little birthday for you while we were there for Thanksgiving Dinner.  I should have known a "little birthday" = a BIG Ashton celebration when it comes to Beckstrand parties.  There were balloons and decorations and tractors and special Ashton things everywhere!  You got spoiled with so many presents and there was even a pinata in the shape of a space shuttle, which you thought was absolutely awesome until everyone started hitting it.  You took a few good swings at it but got pretty emotional when the bigger kids started breaking it.  Sorry bud, you will soon learn that pinata's are awesome and they are even more awesome when they get broken!

I made pumpkin dessert for your birthday cake (it was Thanksgiving after all) and you did a stellar job at blowing out the candles.  

We practiced a lot.  I'm not sure you fully understood what all this meant but you knew you would be 2 once you blew those candles out.  I was very proud of you for being so brave and doing it all by your self.

Mom and Dad love you so much Ashton.  Two years has gone by so quickly.  Wish I could slow it down while you still love to snuggle with me and need me to kiss any owie you might receive and hold your ears when things are to loud and you're scared.  Everything about you is everything I've ever wanted.

Halloween Puppy

  

Just like last year Halloween is still my favorite.  This year though Ash got to pick out his costume.  He chose to be a dog.  Which is fitting because sometimes I worry he really thinks he is a dog.  Anytime he gets embarrassed, scared, or overly excited he *poof* goes into puppy mode licking and everything. It's hilarious actually.

I had really high hopes for this year since we had such a blast last year.  At first I felt like everything was falling apart since all of the plans and activities I had wanted to take him to ended up with conflicts.  However, in the end, I was just as crazy excited as Ashton was Halloween night and couldn't keep from smiling.  

We did some pre-trick-or-treating at Station Park in Farmington with the Larsons the weekend before.  Then Halloween day we went over to the Reynolds for yummy soup and breadsticks before heading out the door with the boys.  Growing up in Washington we didn't trick-or-treat much, we did the trunk-or-treat thing and loved it, but we didn't go to too many houses.  I thought we would make it down one street, boy was I wrong!  We did the entire neighborhood.  

This kid got so loaded up, people give out sodas and bags of chips, toys, and king size candy this part of town (perks of living in a basement apartment in the fancy neighborhood).  Ashton was a little hesitant the first few houses, but was running everywhere by the end.  His costume had a tail on it that would wag when he ran, I couldn't stop laughing watching him.  It was past 9:00pm when we got him home, we were definitely the only parents with little little kids out by that time.

I tried hard to get a picture of all three boys looking at one time, but the sugar had already gotten to them and it wasn't happening.  Elmo, Race Car Driver, and Dog.

We couldn't get Ashton to say "trick or treat" instead he would run up and "woof" at them.  

Which usually resulted in him getting multiple pieces of candy because people thought it was so cute.  

Four days later and he still had a little stash, which is surprising for Ash, he is quite the sugar monster and LOVES his candy (almost as much as his mom does).  I really think Halloween should come twice a year right?