Terra Cotta Warriors

While Gramma Mindy was here, we all went to The National Geographic Museum to see an exhibit about the Terra Cotta Warriors...


Here is NG's description of the exhibit...
...Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of China’s First Emperor, (is) an exhibition featuring treasures from the tomb complex including 15 life-size figures, weapons, armor, coins, and more.

Basically, these farmers in China were digging a well, and they just happened upon this giant buried batch of about 6,000 life-sized warrior statues, and other such fancy baubles. I'm told that the site was the size of two football fields...

While I have never personally SEEN a football field, everyone always uses them to describe large things, so I assume they're pretty large.

I was given my very own ticket (Which some guy rudely tried to take at the opening of the exhibit) and was very excited to be seeing such a culturally enriching exhibit. Dad walked me around in the Bjorn, and Gramma Mindy also helped carry me. They were nice enough to let me get down and walk around, since there weren't a lot of people in the main hall. It was fun to look at the statues from that angle, and I had a great view of the little placards that had all the info about the statues.

While we were looking around the gift shop afterwards, I decided to start crying whenever we crossed a certain spot on the ground, so shopping for souvenirs was abbreviated. We also had to abbreviate a stop back in to take a picture with a Warrior replica. All that we have to show for it is a blurry Sasquatch-esque photo with Mom. Either way, we were all having a lot of fun!


Why was I crying, you ask? I don't know...I'm a baby, and I rarely make sense.

Gramma Mindy Visits!

This week, I have been busy busy busy!

Why, you ask? Well...this week, Gramma Mindy had a break from work, so she took a train down to visit us, here in Bethesda!

It was nice for me, since I got to hang out with Gramma Mindy A LOT! She was kind enough to bring another toy from back at Christmas and my birthday, which we had left behind because we didn't have room in the car...it was great, because it felt like a brand-new toy, even though I had already technically received it as a gift! What fun! It was a plastic duck toy that has a stick on the top of it, which lets you push it along in front of you. The feet flap along, and it makes a quack quack sound (which is one of my FAVORITES!)

Mom and Dad also got a lot of help from Gramma Mindy! They got to see two movies (Avatar, and Up in the Air...) and were able to FINALLY paint my room! Now, my room is all set up the way I want it, and all we have to do, is some tidying up in the closet.

Gramma Mindy and I did a lot! We hung out, sang songs, and I got to show off my new walking skills. We both had so much fun! She was here for four whole days, and left Sunday on the train.

She was even nice enough to let me help her with laundry! (And by help, I mean she let me play in the basket while she sorted and folded laundry. :-) )

Walkin'....UPDATED WITH VIDEO!

Yep...I finally let Dad snag a bit of video of me walking around the apartment.

Really, it only had to do with the fact that I was a little embarrassed about not being very polished in my walking abilities...I just wanted to get a little better before I let Dad document it, you know?

Mom dropped me off at daycare today, and as soon as she had my coat off, I was off and running across the room to go play with my friends (and the toys, of course)

I practiced a lot today, and decided to throw Dad a bone...please excuse the mess....we're still (yes...still) in the midst of unpacking from the Move of the Century...in the background you can sort of hear one of my favorite toys yelling after me...

So here, finally...is the long-awaited proof that I am, in fact, a walking machine...

I'm walkin'....yes indeed...

While photos or video have been hard for my poor Mom and Dad to come by...the headline is, in fact true...I have decided that the time is right to be moving forward in my walking skills.

Dad and I were hanging out, in the living room, and I was right by the front door. I was standing up like I usually do, holding on to my stroller for support. I reached down to get my toy train. It was a little easier to hold on to the train with two hands, so I let go of the stroller, and just kind of stood there for a second.

I turned and looked over at Dad, who held out his arms and asked me to walk to him...

...so I did!

I took about five steps, which is more than I'd ever taken, and I landed safely in his arms. He was laughing, and clapping for me! I figured that, not only can I get around a lot easier, but I also get to have the people around me get all excited for me whenever I walk...

So why SHOULDN'T I do it more often, right?

I have started walking around the apartment a lot more...Mom has also seen me walk up to seven or eight steps at this point....she loves referring to my way of lurching around as "Old School Zombie"

I hope to get some pics or video up of me walking around...

...as soon as I let someone snag some footage of me doing it. :-)

Aftermath of Snowmageddon...

So, once the snow stopped falling (FINALLY!) on Saturday, Mom and Dad decided to get serious...

And serious meant bundling me up in a snow suit...and taking me out to explore the snow for the first time.

Now, if you are an avid follower of my blog (Which I am sure you are...) you recall that the other day saw my first trip outside into the snow for the first time...I walked around a bit, and got to feel the snow on my face and hands...it was a really good time!

But, that was nothing.

Mom, Dad and I ventured back out onto the roof of our building, and had the whole place to ourselves (Except for some VERY dedicated smokers...) They suited me up in a warm snowsuit, tucked my pants into my socks, threw some gloves, an adorable hat and the cozy little mini Ugg boots that my cousin Amber bought on me, and we were good to go.

We had to rush upstairs because I immediately started overheating, but once they got me up there, it was sink or swim (Or in this case lay there prone on a pile of snow, or crawl)

Mom and Dad spotted me while I got my bearings. At first I was little nervous, because I felt the snow shift underneath me, and I wasn't sure it would hold...but once I was sure, there was no stopping me!

I was wiggling all over the place! It was so much fun to crawl around! You can see the little tracks I left in the picture above. I would feel the ground give way under my hands as I crawled, but because I was so light, I was able to keep going. Even though Mom and Dad sank in the snow when they tried to walk on it, I was able to skim right along top of it...it was funny to watch them sink in up to their knees, knowing that I could crawl right along top of it, and that the snow was deeper than I am tall!!! Mom and Dad were both clapping as I got better at moving through the snow. I was giggling, and having a great time, and both Mom and Dad couldn't stop smiling while they watched me!

It was SO cold, but that was part of the fun! I kept stopping to pick up snow, and squeeze it in my hands...it was so much fun to make this tiny little snowballs (It's good practice for the inevitable snow ball fights that I plan on getting into someday...)

There was so much going through my head all at once...I was cold, but had warm feelings of fun runing through me, and I kept alternating between squealing with delights, and saying "Brrrr..."

After we had a blast playing in the snow, Dad picked me up, and Mom took a picture to show off the results of my snowy play...

We headed back downstairs, and got all those cold clothes stripped off me so I could get all warmed up again!

As I write this, yet another blizzard is raging outside...I sure hope this means that I get to play in the snow with Mom and Dad some more!!

Snowmageddon...

As I finish the final rounds of antibiotics for my pink eye, and minor ear infection, I must touch upon Snowmageddon.

That's right...people are calling this latest blizzard Snowmageddon (After last year's Snowpacalypse, I'm not sure what we have left to call these huge storms) and this time we are lucky enough to not have to move to a new apartment in this snow! Dad still had to go out to work, and luckily he made it back and forth without any real problems.

On Friday night, before the storm got really bad, we all went up to the roof of our new building, and got to play in the snow for a little while!

Now, you have to imagine how exciting this is for me...for months, I have been looking at the snow through a plate of glass, and LOVED the way it drifted towards the ground all peaceful-like. I could stand there and watch it for HOURS...(Kind of like I did HERE)
But when Mom got home from work, we all went up to the roof, (after they bundled me up, of course) and I got to actually go outside while it was snowing!!

Mom was still feeling sick, but she was a trooper, and came out anyways! She was nice enough to take pictures, while Dad walked me around the roof. There were some bigger kids on the roof making a snowman, (Which I look very forward to doing someday) but I basically just walked around and enjoyed the snow for a little while. I liked how it felt when it drifted into my face, and I couldn't look around fast enough! It was coming from all directions!

It's one thing to be able to watch this kind of thing from inside...but being out there right in the midst of it, was beyond words. I hope I don't ever lose the ability to get this much joy out of something so simple! Plus, I get to wear adorable hats and warm clothes when I go outside in the winter, so that's always a plus.

Dad even put me down, and held on to me while I ran around in the snow. It was such a weird feeling! It was soft under my feet, like a mattress, but very slippery. Dad held on to my hands really tightly to make sure I didn't drop, but I thought I did a pretty good job considering the fact that I had never been on snow before!

I was so excited! I was just running around like crazy, because I didn't know where I wanted to go next! And all around us was the snow! It fell from the sky, and was blown around from where it had already landed on the ground already! I can't tell you how much fun it was to finally get out there!

Finally, Dad put me down, and let me pick up some snow. Let me tell you, say that snow is cold...but until you've held it in your little hand, you have NO idea! As I held it, I felt it get all melty, but I didn't want to drop it yet because I was so excited to be holding it. I was kind of surprised at how cold it was, but couldn't wait to pick more up. I can't WAIT to get out there someday and build a snowman...

Well...after I warm up my little hands, of course...

Tonight...we go out and see what it's like to play in 24 INCHES of snow!!

Riding in style...

Since I seem to be over the worst of my recent illness (after sharing some of my pretty pink eyes with Mom...she looks just like I did! You're welcome, Mom!) I figured we'd lighten the mood a little bit...keep an eye on the blog though, since my first foray into the Snowmageddon will be documented in the coming hours...once I get those pics transferred) was last night.

Until then...we move on to my stylish ride!

So, whenever we go grocery shopping now, I have gotten big enough to be upgraded to the shopping cart seat.

That's right...I get to sit RIGHT THERE in the cart! Me and groceries, all riding together. You can see in the picture how blurry my legs are because I am kicking them with JOY, folks. That's right, JOY! You may not remember what it was like, but I'm here to tell you that it's an upgrade! (OK...so maybe it's an upgrade from steerage to second class, but it's an upgrade nonetheless! First class would entail a bit more padding in the seat, methinks...)

Dad put me in one of those cart mounted car seat type deals awhile back (I slept through 90% of the shopping trip) but NOW I get to sit up top like a big boy, and look at everything as we zip around the grocery store.

I am even in a convenient enough spot, that I can grab random food items when I want to, even though I am quite aware of the fact that I'm not supposed to be doing that at all.

Like seriously. Not at all.

But, the way I figure, Mom and Dad know for a fact that one of my favorite things is to grab at things that are new to me (and things that aren't necessarily new to me, but are widely known to be "not for babies") and play with them. Much like the stories Dad tells about the most fun places being the ones that have signs that said "No Trespassing", I feel a certain extra jolt of fun, when I know I shouldn't be playing with something.

So yeah...not only do I get a great spot for people watching, I can more easily grab different things on all SORTS of high up shelves!

Now, the only problem with this situation, is that I only like being in there for about 60 minutes, and inevitably Mom and Dad take about 68 minutes to go grocery shopping. This, predictably, causes a problem. However, as long as Mom or Dad is OK with carrying me during the last bit of the trip (and periodically giving me some yogurt bites...more on those later) I'm A-OK.

Pink Eye Update...

Well, I'm still tired, but I'm feeling much better.

My fever has gone down somewhat, and I am in better spirits, but I still don't feel quite like myself...

Mom and Dad have been giving me some anti-biotics, eye ointment and extra fluids (Which I am, of course, refusing)

We'll keep you posted, but it looks like I'm going to live. :-)

Pink Eye For Sam...(Or...how I learned that I am afraid of balloons)

Yep...you read that right, folks...even though I was perfectly fine at the end of last week, Saturday night I started getting really hot (I had a fever...) and my eyes got all red and itchy (my left one getting REALLY red on the eyelid).

Mom called the doctor, who suggested that I be brought to the walk-in doctor. They were out of appointments for the day, so they scheduled me for Sunday.

As Saturday wore on, I felt worse and worse, and Mom and Dad gave me some Tylenol to combat the fever...

Sunday morning, I was feeling much worse...my eyes were mischievously glued shut, and were very weepy and miserable...I was exhausted, and had no appetite...my fever was high (Almost 102) and we went on our merry way to the doctor for a 2:20pm appointment.

Someone will have to explain to me someday why a "2:20 Appointment" means I get seen by a doctor by 3:30.

We encountered a new-fangled computer tablet-based check-in system which apparently comes from the future, where somehow mankind has found a way to make checking into a medical clinic even dumber, and more convoluted. Even though I had been there before, we had to fill everything out as though it was our first time, because God forbid they transfer everything over from the PaperPast to the TabletFuture.

I got excited to see that they were giving balloons out to the kids, and so I asked for one. (Yes...I sort of said "Balloon") but once I got one, I was horrified. Yeah, I had some balloons at my birthday party, and had seen them out and about in my travels, but to actually have one right there in your face, bobbing up and down, seemingly under its own control?

It was too much...I punched it away, but it floated right back at me (Because Mom or Dad were holding the string) and after some terse words, you can see from the picture above that I was not only not feeling well, but had the energy to watch the balloon carefully.

I don't trust that thing...

After seeing the doctor (and watching a bit of "Stuart Little 2" which is hard, because now I'm obsessed with finding out how it ends...) who was very nice, by the way...we discovered that I did, indeed have pink eye (Or Dad will tell you that I had conjunctivitis so he could sing his "Conjunctivitis, what's your function...itis" song to you...) and an ear infection...

We were sent away with a prescription for some pink antibiotics (Fun!) and some eye ointment (Not so fun...) Last night we tried them both, and I get mad when I think that only one eye is getting the ointment...then they sneak it into the second one.

We also had a bit of an overflow with the pink stuff, because it was more than I was used to...my hair was all sticky, and Dad had to wash it before putting me to bed...

After a vomiting episode (I am embarrassed to admit.) drinking some apple cider, and having a pretty high fever right before bed, I managed to get some sleep, and I feel a bit better today...

I'll keep you all informed...

Sorry for the epic post, but this is a pretty epic deal, here...