Not a baby anymore!

Yesterday Tayne and I were talking and Pallas was being cranky so I told him that she needed a nap. He asked if it was because babies need more sleep, and I said yes, then he informed me that Pallas was being a baby today but that tomorrow she wouldn't be a baby. I started to tell him no, that babies stayed babies for quite a long time when it dawned on me he was talking about tomorrow (which is today) being her birthday - sniff!- as usual he was right, my baby isn't such a baby anymore, she's a one year old (and since she's walking pretty consistently these days we'll bestow upon her the title of toddler which is acceptable to Tayne as of October 15th because Wikipedia's definition of toddler includes ages 12- 36 months and he's a stickler for details). Anyway, because I'm to lazy to do a montage of then and now pictures, or through the first 12 months pictures, I'll instead leave you with a collection of brand new pictures from our San Antonio trip & party with the cousins!

Naturally we went to Sea World San Antonio, but since you've seen pictures of pretty much everything they have there I'll just include a couple of new things - here's Tayne showing us the Halloween version of the park map - Spooky!

We did visit the usual stuff, you'll be happy to know the penguins are doing well, and it's fun to watch Pallas there, you can tell she just wants to pick those penguins up and squeeze them if she could only devise a plan that would get her past the thick glass and through the water over to the island where they are standing, I really should get a picture or movie of her little hands doing that little finger wiggle over an imaginary ball/penguin while she watches them, it's too funny! AND yes, I realize this story has nothing to do with the picture of Tayne walking in the sand, but I only took movies (no pictures) at the penguin exhibit and I didn't bother to add those here.
Tayne had a good time trying to fling sand up at the people who would pass overhead climbing the nets, but as gravity is a harsh mistress, he didn't manage to get sand on anyone but himself - luckily he didn't get too much sand in his eyes -
This picture was just too cute with the two of them playing together in the sand... Now we move onto the "party with the cousins" photos - all three girls were wearing pink stuff (though you can't see Megan's shirt, it has pink on it and she's got a pink skirt on), being cute and posing for photos so there are probably more shots of them than Tayne in here - he was kind of outnumbered - but he had a good time too!)

Grandma Dee had lots of activities to keep everyone busy, here they are decorating pumpkins. Lindsey made a vampire dog, Tayne made an elevator, and I think Megan just drew a face on hers.
Pallas was a bit stumped for ideas so Lindsey did a face for her pumpkin. Here she's trying to convince Pallas to let her give that plain pumpkin a makeover - sassy!
We opened the gifts early, before candles and cake, mostly because the guests weren't hungry yet but they were interested in playing with the presents. Here they are discussing the ground rules for a game of cow bowling (one of the joys of infant and toddler games for the older kids is the lack of written rules for how to play, leaving them free to decide their own rules).
Tayne is busy timing something...
Time for an art lesson - here Megan is showing Pallas how to draw correctly after Pallas was only able to scribble on the paper she was given, I thought this picture was funny because it looks like she's giving Megan's picture a thumbs down rating (as if to say, "You didn't think I could draw, well this is what I think of your picture...")- every one's a critic!

I just couldn't believe how much she looks like a toddler and not a little baby in this picture...
Watch out Tayne! Crazy girls in pink are coming at ya!
They are really playing catch and throw here, I know it looks like Pallas is mad, but really she just threw the ball.
Here's another one of the girls being goofy and Tayne being "outta here"

You've gotta toot your own horn sometimes!

Just me moving Pallas somewhere (maybe over to her highchair for cake and candle time?)
Ah-ha! I was right, this picture she looks grumpy because she twice burned her finger putting out the candle before the song was done and we got to the "BLOW it out" instructions. Her little face is saying, "I'm only one, this is my first time at this, why would they stick something so flickery and interesting in front of me and not bother to tell me I'm supposed to blow on it instead of touch it, saying, "blow it out and make a wish" should not be the last thing it should be the first thing they tell me!"
Here Pallas and Megan were sharing a rocking chair, Pallas had fun but Megan was rocking too slow for her taste (see the happy smile on Megan and the weak, "yeah this is fun I guess..." smile on Pallas), sometimes she felt like she needed to lean forward and push on the cushion to make it rock faster. What a little daredevil.

That's all for now, gotta go play with the birthday girl and her super cool brother! The days are going by too fast.