Fall Festival 2010

Tonight we got Turner all dressed up in her Halloween costume and headed across town to our church's Fall Festival. There was a looming threat of heavy rainfall and possible thunderstorms, but thankfully we all got in about 1 good hour of playing and "trunk or treating" before the bottom completely dropped out of the storm!  Let's also not forget to acknowledge that it was approximately 80 degrees at this event - on October 27th! We all got quite wet, but all in all it was an awesome event!

When we started talking about Halloween costumes a couple of months ago, I started suggesting different options to Turner and even showed her some costumes on the internet.  One day I mentioned that she could be an M&M and she indicated that she really liked that choice.  When I asked her what color (knowing that I could easily purchase an M&M costume online) she clearly said, "Purple!"  Hmm.  "Turner, they don't make purple M&M costumes (nor purple M&M's for that matter)."  Her response, "But I want to be a purple M&M!  Purple is my favorite!"

I suggested that I could attempt to make this costume for her and she was sold.   The day we went to Hobby Lobby to pick out the material, thread, etc. I knew I was doing the right thing.  I was looking at some ribbon for another project, and before I knew it Turner had placed two spools of purple thread, one bolt of purple tulle, and one bolt of purple gingham in my basket.  This girl loves purple!  The costume was made in stages, and tried on periodically for sizing and logistics of movement.  I had valuable input from Mark and my Mom, and I am beyond thrilled with how it turned out!! 

Turner got a huge laugh out of this inflated M&M costume, worn by one of my former students!

There was a small petting zoo this year, and Turner seemed to enjoy attempting to feed the animals, despite their lack of excitement for the hay!

And of course, there was candy....

...and games....

...and good friends...

...and at the end of the night, one tired little girl!

And just for fun, check out how much our sweet girl has changed each year over the course of the three Fall Festivals she's attended!

Fall Festival 2008 - almost 1 year old

Parkway Fall Festival 2009 - almost 2 years old

 

Happy Halloween everyone!!
And a very happy birthday wish to our friend Star! 

Fits of laughter...

That's how you'll find Mark and me most nights...literally bent over at the waist, tears coming to our eyes, gasping for breath hysterical.  All because of Turner.  And she's really, really, not trying to be funny at all.  There's no way we can remember them all, but I think these three will make you smile.

Last Saturday night at Toomer's Corner, she was running around in the toilet paper and having a ball.  When Samford Tower chimed the hour she stopped dead in her tracks, eyes wide open staring at the clock.  She looked at me, then looked at Mark, and as honest as she could be asked, "Is that HEAVEN?"

Tomorrow night is our Fall Festival at our church and I borrowed our Panther Plinko game that my teammate built for our school celebration.  It's well constructed and really fun - but there are lots of 4" nails covering the front so that the circular discs will bounce down like the game on the awesome show The Price Is Right.

Turner asked me to bring it inside so she could play with it, and because I am a sucker I obliged.  It was propped up on the arm of our couch, and she decided she needed to bring her little art stool over to stand on, making her taller and allowing her to place the puck higher on the board.  After being told twice that the stool wasn't a good idea (in her typical almost-three-year-old defiance) she was still trying to step up on the stool.  I said, "Turner, get off the stool.  If you fall forward into that Plinko board your face might hit those nails and you could put your eye out!"  Immediately her eyes lit up and she shouted, "Oh YES!  Then I could be a PIRATE!"  I was trying to not smile, but I made the mistake of making eye contact with Mark.  We both got so hysterical we ended up hiding so she wouldn't see us totally out of control and unable to continue the admonishment due to her antics.

And tonight, she casually asked, "Daddy, do you want to watch me do tater tots?"  At least we thought that's what we heard, but we both looked a little questioningly at one another and asked her to repeat what she said.  "Wanna watch me do tater tots?"  About this time, I realized what she was saying, but didn't have a chance to explain before she demonstrated - by sitting down on the ground and while keeping both hands and both feet on the ground pushing her tummy up toward the ceiling.  She wanted us to watch her "table top" that she learned to do at tumbling class.

The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.  ~e.e. cummings

Her first trip to see the "Toilet Paper"!

Every Sunday morning during football season, Mark and Turner ride through Toomer's Corner to see if there is toilet paper hanging in the trees.  About a year ago we started talking with her about this popular Auburn Tradition, explaining why there was Charmin draped all over downtown Auburn on some Sunday mornings, that it only happens when Auburn wins, etc.

She became quite intrigued with this unique event.  For instance, it may be a Wednesday in July, but if we drive anywhere near downtown Auburn she starts into a monologue something like this, "Mommy, is that Samford Hall?  And, Mommy, do you know what might be up there at Toomer's Corner?  Do you know??  I think it's...TOILET PAPER!!" 

Thankfully, we've see a lot of toilet paper in that tree this year, but Turner has never been present to watch the rolling in real time.  She's seen the end result, but I imagine it's been a little like Christmas morning - you don't know how the presents get under the tree, you just know they are there and it excites you!

Yesterday, we had a church friend come and keep Turner so that Mark and I could go to the AU vs. LSU game and really enjoy the game - not having to worry about needing to get Turner home, or whether she's kicking the people in front of us in the back, or when she sits with my parents worrying that she's keeping them from watching the game, etc.  Turner couldn't quite understand why she couldn't go with us to the game, so I made a deal with her that if Auburn won, I'd take her to see the toilet paper and we'd get out and go play in it and let her actually do a little toilet papering herself.

The pictures below tell the rest of the story.  WAR EAGLE!!!! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fun Friday nights in Auburn!

Last Friday night, our family headed over to campus to enjoy the festivities associated with the opening of the new Auburn Arena.  We parked near Mark's office and had the special treat of riding over in the CWE golf cart - which Turner thought was too fun!  There were several inflatables outside in the grass which Turner thoroughly enjoyed, airbrushing/face painting, and autographs from the basketball players.  But perhaps her favorite activity of the evening was dancing to the music provided by the Auburn University Steel Drum Band.  This little girl can definitely cut a rug! 

Smiling with Miss Blanche - one of the Lady Tiger basketball players who we've known since she was about 4 years old! 

Enjoying the fun of inflatables and paint!

Fun at the Zoo!

Yesterday, we got up early (for us on a Saturday at least) and headed over to meet Tootsie, Pop, and BB at the Montgomery Zoo.  We went last October and had such a wonderful time and beautiful weather, we decided to make our zoo visit an annual October tradition.

I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the story...

We were thrilled that we arrived at the time that the baby Bengal tiger cubs were out in the cage.  These cubs were particularly friendly and stayed near the observation window - unlike their parents who tended to keep a good distance from the human observers.  We all enjoyed being able to see them up close!  You'll notice in the pic immediately below, Turner was giving her best "ROOOAARRR" to the baby tiger. 

Last year we got some cute shots of Turner in this bamboo near the tiger cage...we tried to recreate those shots and Turner (for the most part) obliged.  She almost got herself stuck between the bamboo, and you'll notice that when we said "put your face next to the bamboo" she pretty much squished it up there as hard as she could.  I am almost embarrassed at how she's already learned to "pose" and "cheese" when she sees my camera. 

You'll see quickly in these pictures, Turner is quite fond of her Pop.  And Pop does whatever Turner wants. :)

This is how she traveled from place to place....

Thanks Mom for snapping a good family picture for us!

Pop attracted the attention of one of the chimpanzees and again, they were super interested in the humans on the other side of the observation window. 

Checking out zebras with Daddy.

This past summer, the Montgomery Zoo opened up a giraffe feeding post, and it was the highlight of the day for almost all of us!  For $1 you get some plants and the opportunity to walk out onto a platform where you feed the giraffes, who are within a few inches of you almost face to face.  Giraffes are such enormous and intricately beautiful animals - I was overjoyed to get a closer look than normal! 

And of course, Turner thought that their tongues felt awfully funny on her hands when they took the food!

One of Turner's favorite characters was also visiting the zoo...couldn't pass up a photo opportunity with Dora!

I don't know why but I really like the picture below a whole bunch...not sure if it's that I happen to love the two people in the picture a whole lot, or perhaps I just love my Dad's stance and Turner just wanting to be near him?

But I did wish that we weren't looking at this spider monkey scratching his hind parts....

I couldn't resist taking a picture of two familiar characters who have obviously been a part of Extreme Makeover in recent days.  I guess Dora decided that blondes have more fun?  And maybe Charlie Brown decided that Rogaine and some hair dye would help him win the affections of "the little red-haired girl"??

As our time (and energy) ran out at the zoo for this year, Pop wanted to take Turner back around to see the rhinoceros that hadn't been out earlier when we passed his observation deck.  I am so glad Turner got to see this enormous animal!  She talked about it all afternoon! 

Last year, Pop and BB didn't get to come so this year was a special treat!  I am so grateful to my family for the great efforts they make to be a part of special events like this for Turner! I know my sister had to get up quite early to make the drive down from Birmingham, and all three of them drove back to Birmingham after the zoo - so it was quite a day of travel for them!  We are so glad y'all were able to join us! 

What a wonderful way to spend a Saturday morning!