Getting to Know Gater

Because I entered the world with a bit more "commotion" than Gates, friends and family had a unique opportunity to get to know me from a very early age. From my birth to heart surgery to full recovery, my parents shared a lot about me and my personality.

I recently realized that Gates (fortunately) was not afforded the same "get-to-know-you" opportunity. I thought I'd share some fun facts about my little brother.

Nicknames: Gater or The Destroyer
Often compared to: A caveman or small dinosaur
Favorite words: Done, goal, hot dog, dad, hike, and shhh
Favorite noises: Grunting (like caveman)
Favorite foods: Pretty much anything
Favorite non-foods he likes to eat: Toothpaste, hand sanitizer, sidewalk chalk, dirt, and hairspray
Favorite thing to throw: Anything
What makes him laugh: me

Favorite item: His blue blanket
Fastest way to make him mad: Put shoes on his feet or a hat on his head
Fastest way to make him happy: Let him smash something (a fort, a block tower, etc)
Most impressive meal: At one breakfast, he ate a banana, strawberries, a waffle, 4oz smoked salmon, a smoothie, and a turkey dog (wow, I know)
Most impressive snack while grocery shopping with my mom: A banana, an apple, and a power bar (the guy at the checkout counter was impressed)
Best friend: me
Favorite game: Hide-and-go-seek chase
Favorite appliance: The microwave
Favorite activity: Tackling people, smashing stuff, and pushing buttons (on toys, elevators, phone, appliances, doorbells)
Best sound: His laugh. He cracks himself up all the time and laughs like an old man, it's awesome
Loves: Music, dogs, balls, and ANYTHING I'm doing/playing with
Skill: Stellar climbing skills. We keep finding him on top of stuff (closet shelf, patio table, ladder)
Disposition: Slow to warm up to new people and places. Can be feisty if you don't give him his space. Once he's comfortable, look out. He'll tackle you and explore every corner of a new environment

He's pretty awesome. I hope you get to know him as well as you've been able to get to know me. If you do, I guarantee a lot of laughing.

Halloween

What's not to love about this holiday - candy, dressing up, parades, playing tricks - non-stop fun! We had several Halloween events so we decided to dress in different costumes for each one. Here are some of the highlights...
Bikers

 
Football players (and spider cookies)

 Batman, Robin, the Batmobile, and the words from the comic strip

Gates not only got to be my sidekick, as Robin, he got to operate the smoke machine while I ran through it.

Our grandparents came to town and joined in the craziness. We had around 500 trick or treaters - insanity but so much fun (my parents bought 500 glow lite bracelets and we went through all of them!) Whether you're 1 or 100, Halloween is definitely a treat!