Thursday, July 29, 2010

Something new at the playground....


So after weeks of avoiding it, and even being slightly afraid of it...I decided to climb on to the horse at the playground near our apartment. The horse is on a spring, and it really bucks you around when you get it going! I have to say, I wish I hadn't waited so long! It was so much fun! Dad would ask what I was doing, and I would happily yell "Ride!" And if he asked what the horse said, I would reply "Nay"

Because...that's what they say, silly!

Next up, I hope to conquer the swing...I do enjoy watching people swing on them, and I even enjoy pushing an empty swing around...but I'm not quite at the point where I will happily ride the swing.

I'll keep you posted.

Monday, July 26, 2010

TODDLER_TOUR_2010_LEG_6-Four-Day Weekend!!

This past weekend was a loooong one! I had SUCH a good time, but I am one worn-out little boy!

Dad had to go back to Connecticut for a big party on Saturday, and since he had to take both Saturday and Sunday off and had Thursday and Friday off already, he figured he'd give everyone a treat and bring me up for a four day weekend!

Mom got a bit of a break, and had a relaxing weekend, which included dinner with grown-ups, while Dad even got some time off, since he got to leave me with my family at various points during the weekend. Dad had a busy weekend, seeing tons of friends and family, and I tried to keep up the best I could...


I got to visit with DaGramma, and Grandpa, both of whom had so much fun with me! (And I had tons of fun with them!) I tore right into that little toy box, and spent a lot of time with the little numbers board with DaGramma.

DaGramma took me into the pool, and I had a little bit of trouble with that...it was a bit cold and scary, so rather than jump right in, I opted to sit on the deck with Dad and splash a bit...by the end of the week, I was in the pool like a champ when I was alone with DaGramma, but it took a bit of time to get comfortable with it...

DaGramma was also kind enough to provide me with a Sam-Size pool...

She filled it up with warm water, and I had SUCH a blast....I got to use some pool toys, and splash around a LOT since we were outside...

Friday saw a trip to my Auntie Stephanie's house to meet my new cousin Braelynn...I was a little nervous, and shy that day, but I was also VERY excited...I have seen pictures of the new baby, and couldn't wait to meet her!

At first, I just wandered around, and played with Braelynn's toys (It's been so long since I played with toys for a kid that little!) and chased my Auntie's cat around...but after awhile, when I saw Dad holding her and she was asleep, I finally walked up and gave her a little hug...I was keeping those little moments between us, and didn't keep hugging her whenever the camera came out...I wanted to savor those moments just between us...I gave her a few more hugs, and marveled at how tiny she was...I had a hard time believing that I was EVER that small! (Dad, of course, informed that I wasn't ever that small, since Braelynn is a lot tinier than I was...)

Later on, when she woke up, I asked Dad and Auntie Steph if I could hold Braelynn, and grabbed Auntie Steph's boppie pillow to show I was serious...they sat me down on the couch, and propped me up, to let me hold Braelynn...she was so tiny, and so soft...she looked up at me and kept making all these faces, and squeaking sounds...she was too adorable for words...

Can you tell how excited I am to be a big cousin?

After our visit was over (I even gave Braelynn a little kiss goodbye, and she gave me a little smile, though I'm told that was mostly gas...) we moved on to Gramma Mindy's to visit with her and JustRichy...

I feel asleep in the car and while I was sleeping, Dad moved me to the couch inside (While putting a chair up to protect me from falling) Suffice to say, it was a little crazy waking up on the couch surrounded by family after having fallen asleep in the car with just Dad...

I got to spend a lot of time there, and got to eat lunch with Gramma Mindy, Dad, and JustRichy...it was yummy, but I REALLY wanted to play the piano, so I cut it a bit short...

Later, JustRichy was nice enough to play catch with the big ball! I loved running to that very specific spot where I could get the most distance between JustRichy and I to get the most out of "catch"


As you can see, I have my Dad's sports skills, since I'm not even paying attention to the ball being rolled at me...


But I fooled everyone, because at the last minute, I turned around and caught the ball. I even managed to roll it back to JustRichy a few times...it was great fun!

I also got to go up and down the stairs a lot (With adult supervision, of course) and played with all the toys that were there!

Gramma Mindy read a book with me that, for some reason, my Mom just isn't into...her loss, man.

After lunch, Gramma Mindy gave me a little ice cream, which made for a delightful snack on such a warm day...I stood dutifully in front of her and let her spoon out the ice cream for me...

It was super yummy...

Friday night, I got to see Uncle Steve and Aunt Amy, and on Saturday Dad's friends Chris and Lynette came by to visit with me...since my staff photographer (Dad) was otherwise occupied, there aren't any photos from that stuff, but I can assure you that I was having a blast and sharing all the new words I've been learning with everyone...it's always nice to see everyone!

Later in the evening, in order to wind down a bit, I spent a lot of timing playing with toys, and sitting on the little stool that they had for me...it was so convenient....and everyone loves when I say "Sit! Sit!"


Before we left on Sunday, Dad and I made a quick stop by the bagel shop where Uncle Steve (and now JustRichy too!) works...we got to have a nice bagel breakfast, with juice, and hang out with Uncle Steve even longer (I saw JustRichy, too, but he was still in the middle of his shift, and had to work...it was fun watching him bake bagels though! What a neat job!)

We had a long and difficult drive back home, and Dad was bummed because we had had SUCH a great drive up to Connecticut on Thursday...I guess the curse continues. We have yet to really have a great drive up AND a great drive back on the same trip...

The drive was fine until Delaware, where we ran into some heavy rain...this continued down the coast until we arrived back home...to find Mom! Our building was one of the few around the area with power (Hooray for underground cables laid in 1964!) and I was SO excited to see Mom! Even though I had fun, and she had a nice long weekend break, we both missed each other a lot! I told her all the new words I had been saying, and she was super thrilled with my ever-expanding vocabulary!

The past couple days since we got back have been hard and a bit crabby, but it was worth the trip...it's always great to see everyone, and this weekend was PACKED with visits! What a great trip! See you all again soon!

Thanks for letting me turn on all the fans! (And sorry for kinda breaking one of the fans at DaGramma's...I'm glad she managed to fix it...)

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Visiting the Museum of Crime & Punishment!

I am currently enjoying an epic four day weekend trip to Connecticut...you'll get a recap of that in my next post.

Yeah, that's right...you won't have to wait a month to hear about it...what a novel idea, right?

Until then, let's talk Crime and Punishment...

So, Mom and Dad got discounted tickets to cool new museum down here in DC called The Museum of Crime and Punishment. It is a museum with tons of information and interactive exhibits in regards to the history of crime (and punishment, duh) in the US. There is a lot of CSI type stuff here, a crime lab, and they actually shoot "America's Most Wanted" here now.

Now, you may ask yourself...what is an 18 month old doing in a museum like this? Well...I can't read, and Mom and Dad kept me away from any gruesome picture or artifacts...so it all worked out. Whenever either of them wanted to see something that wasn't appropriate for me, they handed me off to the other parent.

There was still lots of cool stuff for me to see! For example, both Mom and Dad took me under this night vision/heat signature camera thingie...this is Dad holding me!


It really took Mom showing me what was going on for me to fully realize what was happening...

I also got into a driving simulator with Mom...it was super fun sitting in her lap and driving with her that way! It was pretty realistic, so the fact that Mom ended up driving off the road so early on, was kind of disconcerting..


Mom and Dad both helped me get onto a police motorcyle. Dad was worried since the sirens were supposed to go on whenever someone climbed on to it, but I think that I was too light to actually set off the sensors! Crazy, right?


I got to play with the tail light, and look all around the motorcycle, which was fun! Then Mom and Dad helped me get on to the bike so I could pretend like I was driving it like all the big boys do! I couldn't quite reach the handlebars, but I also couldn't reach the gear shifters, so I had nothing to worry about...


Even though I was nervous about the siren, I kind of wish it had gone on...it would have been pretty exciting...but either way, I had a lot of fun getting to ride the motorcyle...

I can't tell you how appreciative I am that I get to do so many cool things in so many cool places! Life, so far, is a blast!

Towards the end of the day, I was getting pretty tired, but Dad was kind enough to scan my fingerprint. I was super cool to see the red laser scan over my finger, and come up with a virtual representation of my fingerprint. I have apparently broken my parole. You may ask yourself how someone as young as myself could have broken parole...but the real question is, why was I on parole in the first place...

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Monkeys at the Zoo...FINALLY!


This past Friday saw another trip to the zoo...and resulted in a vist to the long-promised monkey house! (Tecnhically they were apes and orangutans...but that's neither here nor there...they're all monkeys to me!)



Monkeys are one of my favorite animals, and it was super fun to finally get down there to see them. They are at the way bottom of the zoo (which is a heckuva walk) so we had never made it down there before during all of our other ventures...


First, we stopped at the kids petting zoo and saw alpacas, sheep, and cows! I even petted a cow, but that only lasted a second or two. The cow's fur (hair?!) was really rough, and it kind of bugged me out a bit. It was a fun experience, but not one I need to repeat all that soon...Dad washed my hands, and we headed off to the main event...


I was distracted by other stuff like waterfalls, turtles, and birds...but once I saw he Great Ape House looming before me, I only had eyes for the primates!


We went inside, and even though it was a little smelly, it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it'd be, considering how hot it was outside..



Almost right away, I saw some Orangutans, and I got so excited I couldn't contain myself! I started laughing, and almost felt like crying I was so excited! Dad asked me what the monkeys said, and I responded with my best monkey sound! People around us smiled, but I only had eyes for the Orangutans, which were swinging around their enclosure. They saw us, and it was so cool!

On the way out of the House, there was a small port hole window at the exit. Dad propped me up to look in, and one of the Orangutans saw me, and walked right over. He was looking at me, and I waved to get his attention. He was eating some food, and kept making faces at me. He stuck his tongue out, and generally seemed interested in me. Those big dark eyes stared back me, and I just got lost. I had to move over, so other kids could see him, but Dad still held me so I could get a good look...It's ough to see in the reflection, but his face is right there! Can you believe it? Even Dad was super excited about it!



After awhile, the Orangutan walked away, but when the crowd cleared, he came back to see me again! A woman even remarked that the Orangutan must have been I couldn't believe it! He had the sweetest face, and I can't wait to go back there to see him again! We finally waved "Bye bye" and walked away to let other kids get their turn, but I like to think I had a special connection with that guy. It was too cool...Next time I go, I'll have to check and see what his name is...


After some walks through the water misters (Which I just can't get enough of) we got in the car, and I fell into one of the happiest naps ever....

I wonder what we'll see next time we go to the zoo?!

Monday, July 19, 2010

TODDLER_TOUR_2010_LEG_5-Beth and Nelson get married!

And now....for our final catch-up post!

Yep....above is the cabin we stayed in for Beth and Nelson's Weddingapalooza at Camp Fantasy Carnival....

Try saying THAT ten times fast!

Mom's cousin Beth was getting married, and they were doing it up crazy granola...out in the woods, with a three day party...

It was my first time camping, and we did it during a wedding! How wild is that!? It was a whole weekend thing, where we were supposed to show up on Friday and stay there all the way through Sunday...

Car troubles (we had to take Klaus the Car in to get repaired yet again, and rent a car) and terrible traffic delayed our arrival into Connecticut...We didn't get in until Friday, and even then it was really late on Friday...we had plans to stop at DaGramma's place for dinner, and even though we still stopped, we actually just ended up staying the night. Auntie Stephanie stopped by during the last days of her pregnancy, and was nice enough to play some post-dinner catch with a HUGE ball! Look at that thing!

After staying the night, and getting refreshed, we headed out to the camp, where we were met with some chaotic last minute planning and execution (I am told that this was expected)

After setting up in our cabin, and after Mom and Dad helped the group put the finishing touches on the wedding area, we headed out into the woods for the ceremony...There were two guys playing gongs while everyone filed into the beautiful amphitheater...it was so peaceful, and relaxing that I passed right out...they stopped at one point, and I remember distinctly sitting up and saying "Again!", so they were nice enough to play some more, knocking me right out...


I was told that the ceremony was beautiful, and very unique to Beth and Nelson...it was all the more poignant since my Great Uncle Bill had been hit by a car a few weeks before, and somehow found the strength (and family support) to make it to the wedding in one piece....Beth and Nelson exchanged tearful wedding vows...


While I continued to sleep...

My cousin Robert and a doggie were the ring-bearers, which was super awesome...I would have been truly excited, had I not been sleeping...

Instead I lived vicariously through pictures taken at the wedding...the applause at the end woke me up, but luckily Dad was there to reassure me that all was well...and he even convinced me to clap a little bit in my half-asleep daze...

We moved on to the reception, where I proceeded to meet about 150 new cousins that I had never seen before...

Molly and Cory let me sit at the big table with them while we ate...I got to try a bunch of great food for the reception! It was truly delicious!

Since we were out in the woods, I got into the spirit of things, and got to blow some bubbles while we were eating lunch, which is a rarity in my life, since we tend to not blow bubbles whilst eating...

I also got to see some people that I had met before, but that I hadn't seen in awhile...my cousin Taylor was thrilled that she could pick me up, and proved it to everyone several times....We had a lot of fun playing throughout the weekend...


JustRichy was there too...he played in the band for the wedding, so we was dressed in the wedding colors of orange and purple...we had a lot of fun this weekend, and he spent a ton of time with me...he even rolled me around asleep in my stroller on Sunday while Dad, Mom and Gramma Mindy packed up...


And really...what more is there to say about the dessert than just saying...cupcake mountain?

Yes...I got to have some cupcakes...they were amazing.

At some point, this visor was put on me...I don't recall when exactly it happened, but I do like the way it brought out my eyes...someone remarked that I seem to allow hats like this or the hat I wore for Fourth of July to stay on my head more than I allow regular hats with tops...

Why is that, you ask? Well...I'm not telling, of course...

I had a bit of trouble sleeping because of the party atmosphere, but it did mean that I got to sleep with Dad and Mom for a little while...there was a lot going on that Mom and Dad got to see while Gramma Mindy kept watch over me...all in all, even though the weekend was crazy and chaotic, it turned out to be lovely time for all...

Before we left on Sunday, while Mom and Gramma Mindy went off to Church, and there was a brief bit of drama as I received my first bloody nose...the funny thing, is that there were all these roots in the ground, and uneven hills to contend with while getting around...and yet, I ended up taking a faceplant on perfectly flat, solid ground just because I was so excited and tripped over my own feet. I don't even know what happened...one second I was running and playing, the next my head was bouncing off the ground...and no sooner did Dad say "It's OK, at least you're not bleeding, sweetie..." did my nose start to bleed.

It hurt a lot, and there was a bit of swelling...I wasn't thrilled with Dad whisking me away and calmly dipping a towel into some cold water to press it against my nose...I cried obviously, but both Dad and JustRichy were there to keep me calm and stop the bleeding...

After that drama, all was well, even though my adorable little nose was a little bigger than it had been previously...

Because I was feeling a bit fragile, Dad walked me around and one of my favorite things to see was the bridge that took you over the waterfall at the edge of camp...it was so pretty, and the sound of the water was just so peaceful...I kept asking to go back because it was so nice...

Dad made sure to hold me, since it would have been dangerous to have me walking around on the bridge, but man...it sure was nice that he let me hang out there for so long...

For a first camping trip, things went well...lots of people playing with me, and I even got to play catch with no less than a hundred people...well, at least it felt like that many. Either way, another successful weekend was had...I can't wait to do it again!

And man...that bath when we got home was, like, the best one ever...I was one grubby little kid...

Thursday, July 15, 2010

A New Profile for a Growing Boy...





Yes it's true...after some time with the same picture and info, I decided that it was high time to update my profile...this is only the third update since Mom was pregnant with me...the first is above when I was in Mom's belly while I was growing and the second was after I was born and I was an adorable baby...I will still maintain my nickname "The Dot", but a new picture graces my profile, as does some new info that reflects my changing interests...the old profiles are still here in this post, to maintain a sense of history...but as all things do, I change, and am growing up! It's hard to believe that it was only a few months ago that I was crawling and not walking...

Enjoy the new profile and the new picture...it was taken at daycare for the Spring!

Monday, July 12, 2010

TODDLER_TOUR_2010_LEG_4_A_LONG_VISIT


In one of the last of my long ago catch-up posts, I'll take you through a long weekend that Dad took me back to Connecticut for...Mom had a business trip to go on, and since Dad had to take that Saturday off anyway, he decided to use it to take a long trip back home...well, a longer trip than usual, anyways....as soon as we got out of the car, DaGramma was waiting for me with a ball, which I proceeded to have a blast running around after. I was kicking it, and chasing it...it was SO much fun!

I spent a lot of time playing in the big big yard! I even got to ride the tractor with DaGramma! It was loud, but super fun!

I got to look at the bird bath, where lots of birds were bathing themselves...it was neat knowing exactly where they'd land, so it was easier to spot them!

Also, Auntie Stephanie (who was ready to pop with my first first cousin! Yes...I meant to say "first" twice, since it is the first time I will have a first cousin) went with me waaaayyyy in the back yard to explore for awhile...it was a lot of fun!

There was even more outside play, when I got to play around in DaGramma's little flower garden (her vegetable garden is off-limits until I'm a little older, and can help her pick veggies without destroying everything!)

The flowers were pretty, and the pinwheel was a lot of fun to play with!

Once we finally got inside, DaGramma showed me where all my toys were living...in a small basket right near the front of the house! All the fun stuff was organized in one place, so it was manageable, yet right there whenever I wanted to play with it...and obviously, I wanted to play with it all!

Since we were there for a longer amount of time, I had the chance to see two of my Uncles! I got to see both Uncle Steve (fresh off his postal shift)....

...and Uncle Mat who was on his way to a wedding that was conveniently nearby DaGramma's place!

As you can see, both Uncles were extremely into the idea of tickling me, which was fine by me, since it made me laugh so much!The visits with them were, as always, far too brief, but I really enjoyed the quality time I got to spend with them...that alone was worth the extra time in Connecticut!

Since I was spending so much time in Connecticut, Dad and I also stopped by Gramma Mindy's for awhile...she was in the midst of setting up for a dinner party (we felt bad for interupting, but it was the only time we could coordinate...) and even though she had a lot to do, she still spend a lot of time hanging out with me!

After eating (begrudgingly, since I don't know what was in that container they tried to give me...I know that there were tons of veggies in there that I usually like, but the sauce was blech) I even got to play with the piano like I usually do when I go there!


And I discovered that, just like DaGramma, Gramma Mindy had set aside my toys into a little bookshelf unit...

So now I know that no matter which Gramma's house I go to, there is always A) Loving Family, B) A neatly organized collection of toys, and C) Fans that I can request to spin at any time, day or night.

With Dad's supervision, I even got to crawl on the stairs...the ceiling is waaaayyyy up high, and it's neat to look up there to just watch it continue onward, as though it goes on forever....

While Gramma Mindy put the finishing touches on her dinner party, she gave me a new toy to keep me busy...apparently this is still a left over toy from my birthday and Christmas, and I must say...it was GREAT. You roll it forward, so that the little wheel rolls, and there are little brigghtly colored wooden dowels (with faces painted on them) that move back and forth, making a heckuva racket! It's great! My description is terrible, but hopefully the picture does it more justice...either way, it's super fun!

Once Gramma Mindy's dinner guests arrived, it was getting late, but she still got to show me off to them. As is typical, they were taken with me, even though it took me a little while to warm up to them...

She really enjoyed getting to hang out with me, and tell people all about me...also, I have a tortilla chip in my hand in the picture above...and it is awesome.

Dad and I headed back to DaGramma's for one more night, and before we headed out the last day, I got to explore a bit more in DaGramma's house...I found a Sam-Sized gap next to the fridge (where I am told, Dad also used to spend some time hiding when he was not so Dad-Sized...) this is also where all the seasonal magnets were hidden.


Sorry for breaking that one magnet, by the way, DaGramma...I didn't mean it...

Before we finished packing up, Dad and DaGramma put me in this special onesie that sums up the feeling about visiting the grandparents:


Lesson learned...and once again, and great visit with the grandparents, some Uncles....and some dinner guests of Gramma Mindy...fun times!

And with this post...I'm all caught up! The next few posts are about stuff that's happened in the last few weeks...and then from here on out...it's alllll about the future! Stay tuned! And thanks for being patient while I caught up...as you can see, it's been a busy month!