Sunday, September 19, 2010

New Haircut!

So, Friday's haircut was kind of an adventure!

After aborting the last attempt to tame this mop because our car was leaking gasoline (yeah....dramatic) Dad and I went out there again. Because my hair grew back so fast the last time, Mom and Dad agreed to cut it a bit shorter, though it did end up a bit shorter than anyone had expected.


Once again, the patient geniuses at Cartoon Cuts went to work cutting while I got to watch a lot of Elmo videos! She did a great job, and remarked at how still I sat, and how I just watched TV and laughed while she cut it...no yelling from me at all!

Afterward, they gave me a balloon, and Dad let me give the tip to the lady that cut my hair (though it took a bit of convincing...I mean, there was money...in my hand)

We went outside the salon, and saw that they were having some kind of event with numerous tables and fun things to do. There was a few people from a kid's play group doing a bunch of dances to some songs they were playing. They had face painting, and little girls were having their nails done...but by far the coolest thing was the man making balloon animals...and balloon hats....and all other kinds of fun shapes.

The guy had such a great sense of humor, and it was so much fun to watch him make other shapes for other kids...he made ducks in a pond (Which he was kind of tired of by the time I got up there) and swords, and a really cool fishing pole...Above, you can see him starting the pond with the blue balloon, while the woman holds the completed duck on the left.

When it was my turn to pick a shape, Dad looked at the list that the guy could make, and asked if I wanted a hat because he thought that I would get a kick out of it. I looked at the pictures, and thought that a hat might be fun...so I said yes...he gave me a choice between Elmo and a frog....Elmo looked really cool, and it looked just like him, so I HAD to choose that one (Sorry Mom) ...

The guy made the balloon hat, and was so funny while he was making it. He measured Dad's head and proclaimed it too small (HA!) and cracked a few other zingers. He was just so full of energy and was in such a great mood. Watching him twist those balloons into shapes that I recognized was just mind-blowing. By the time he was done, I had myself an Elmo hat made of balloons!

This is me checking out my new hat in the car's mirror. It is too cute! I LOVE it!

And here is a better view of it that Dad took so you could get an idea of how great this balloon hat was:

And for the three people in the world who have no idea what Elmo looks like...here's a shot so you can compare the balloon version with the real one...pretty good, right!?


After he was done I said "Thank You" (Or my version of it) and we headed home. Dad had to stop at the Urgent Care clinic to pick up some test results, and while we there, not only did we get to watch a little bit of Bambi, but they gave me YET ANOTHER balloon! So, I had a white balloon from the salon, a blue balloon that floated from the Urgent Care AND I had three balloons fashioned into Elmo's head! It was a VERY balloony day!

Yet another great day, and a drastically different new haircut...I definitely think we won't go as short next time, but I'm obviously still pretty happy with it!

I'm also digging my emo bed-head. It brushes down pretty neatly, but has this funny look after I take my nap.

Monday, September 13, 2010

ZOO! ELEPHANTS!

So...I don't know if you could tell by my somewhat excited heading, but Dad and I went to the Zoo...and they finished the new elephant habitat!

The elephants will soon also have a new state of the art building to live in, but for now they have a new state of the art yard to play in!!!

This thing is huge! I have seen sneak peaks of it when we would go to the bird house (The bridge in the pic above leads to the huge bird habitat) and it is really amazing. There is a huge yard with water and open space for the elephants to play in and they have lots of room to move around. The zookeeper had the elephants doing stuff to entertain us a bit while we watched, and then they just let them walk around and do their thing. A couple times, the youngest elephant went running, and I was shocked at how fast something so big could move!

Dad was kind enough to hoist me up (He's so nice to do so much hoisting so often) so I could see the elephants (Which I referred to as "Ell-fents"...I'm still working on that one...) We went on the bridge to get a better look, and it was such a cool experience to see them walking around like they would be in the wild, instead of confined to tiny cages. This is such a great zoo!

We also walked around and got to see a few other things...the otters were a fav, but we couldn't get any pictures this time, those sly devils...we also got to see one of the panda bears lazing around in his enclosure...

Those pandas are super neat! He was watching us watch him, and seemed pretty interested. I really enjoyed seeing him outside. All the other times I have seen the pandas have been inside their indoor habitat, so this was a fun change of pace!

Another successful trip to the zoo! And a nap quickly followed it. (What else is new!? Dad told me that he managed to get me out of the car, change my diaper, and put me in my crib without me stirring...Now THAT is a nap!)

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Testing out the "Washable" part of Crayola's Washable Crayons


So, Mom was doing something in the front hallways bathroom, and obviously I was interested! I mean, anytime Mom or Dad (Or anyone for that matter) is doing something in a room I'm not supposed to go in, I automatically assume that it's super-interesting. So I want to get in there!
Mom closed the door behind her, and I wanted to get in, but she naturally refused...

But what others would see as an obstacle, I saw as opportunity. And it was right in front of me the whole time. This big white door in front of me, gazing back at me like a blank canvas, begging to be somethinged...crayons laying all around me...

So yeah....I did what any kid would've done in that situation...I started drawing! I picked orange (One of my favorites) and started saying "Drawing....draw....draw...." Mom heard me through the door, and put a pretty swift end to it.

Mom and I had a serious discussion about how I'm only supposed to draw on paper....she made some valid points, and I think for now my Banksy days are behind me.

I heard her and Dad talking about discussing "Making sure all the crayons are accounted for."

I do hate limitations on my art...and really, how can you be mad at this face?

EDIT: I have to add a PS here that the crayon came right off nice and easy with a moist paper towel that Dad used to wipe it off...The "Washable" is true....What will science think of next?

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

BIKE!

So...for some time, I have had some interest in bikes. Whenever I would see them parked against curbs, or see anyone riding one on the street, I would excitedly point them out (In case whoever I was with hadn't noticed the bike) and shout "Bike! Bike!"

Mom and Dad got the hint, and decided that, while I was a little too small to get a bike of my own...I was just the right size to take some rides with Dad. (Mom doesn't really do bikes, so this is Dad's department!)

Mom and Dad bought a little bike seat that mounts to the front of Dad's bike. It's uber-comfy for me, and doesn't affect Dad's ability to control the bike. It's very well designed. (It's an iBert seat, and you can click HERE to check them out.)

Well, they bought the seat, and then had to find the time to buy me a helmet. We went to a nearby bike shop, and the lady there showed me two helmets...a blue one with clouds on it, and the one that I ended up buying, which was yellow with a lot of crayon drawings on it. When she offered the two helmets, I was in fact the one that picked it out for myself.

Once this was taken care of (Safety first) Dad had to find time to install the seat. Luckily, he only had to install it once, because it's designed so that the mounting bar stays on the bike, and the seat can just be mounted and unmounted whenever you want to.

As you can plainly see, I was a bit impatient about getting on the bike, and insisted on wearing the helmet around the house...I hope they got the hint that I was excited...
Finally the day had come...the seat was installed, Mom and Dad were both home at the same time, and we all went down to the bike depot. First off, how come no one has ever told me about this place in our building? I mean...there are like 50 bikes, all parked in the same spot! There were even little kid bikes that I got to look at while Dad unlocked his bike...I was very good, and managed to stay in one spot, and not run off while Dad was unlocking the bike.

Once unlocked, he sat me down in my seat, buckled me in, and we were ready to go!
Here I am testing out the bell to make sure it was in good working order...Dad put me in charge of the bell, and I had to ring it whenever we passed someone on the trail to let them know that we were passing them. (Safety first!)

Dad and I took a test spin while Mom took pictures...

After the test run was so successful, Mom went off to do her thing, while Dad and I continued our ride. We stayed on sidewalks and crosswalks to keep away from traffic, and rode most of the time on the Capital Crescent Trail, which Dad often takes to work. It's right behind our building, and is a gorgeous ride...it was a rails to trails project (Old train tracks are re-purposed into bike trails) and most of it was in the woods. We got to see lots of people jogging, lots of other people on bikes, and lots of doggies!

Dad let me help him steer, though he politely declined my offer to steer on my own. Eh...maybe next time. I did so enjoy the wind in my face, and loved all of the sights and smells that made up the trail...it was so peaceful, and so much fun...Dad and I have already gone a second time, and I can't wait to do it again!

Monday, September 6, 2010

TODDLER_TOUR_2010_LEG_7-MAINE 2010!

Happy Labor Day to you all! To those fortunate enough to have the day off, and are looking for something to do, I present you with some holiday reading material!

Well...it's been a long time coming, but once you see this thing, you'll understand why.

It's kinda epic.

Two weeks ago, for only the second time in my well-traveled life, Mom and Dad took me to the cabin up in Maine. And when I say up in Maine, I mean up in Maine... the exit is literally one of the last ones on I-95 in Maine before you hit the Canadian border.

See the little red "A" in the picture above? That's Houlton...see the line on the right where the "95" highway icon mysterious changes to a more Canadian-looking green highway sign? Yep...that's Canada. Pretty cool, right?

All except for the long drive....while I had fun looking at all the trucks and buses....and reading tons of books...and playing with tons of toys...and singing tons of songs...it was a LONG drive. Mom and Dad talked about doing it in between 8-10 hours from Connecticut where we had stopped depending on traffic...we actually had a pretty sweet drive up there...made it in decent time considering the number of times I kindly requested a stop...but it was still a long time, man. It WAS a beautiful drive being so far out in the country, though...

Once we got there, it was amazing...two little cabins in the woods on the lake just the way I remember them...Gramma Mindy had gone up earlier, so I was excited when I got to see her there waiting for me.
She was nice enough to get me a few toys, including that pink bucket and a shovel that I really loved playing with in the lake down by the dock.

Mom and Dad also hung out with us at the dock, and we had such a nice time out by the lake. The scenery was beautiful, and the weather was perfect, except for a few drizzles...but even that wasn't so bad.

One of the other fun things we did was ride in the paddle boat...THAT was an adventure....first they put me in a life vest (Safety first) which was designed for little kids, but was still kind of puffy on me. (I'm runty...what do you want from me!?)

As you can see from my expression, I was a bit skeptical about this whole proposition...

But Mom and Dad eased me into the paddle boat. Dad held me on his lap, and both Mom and Dad paddled to get us out onto the lake...

We got pretty far out on the lake! It was such a great view, and we got to get a really good look at the cabin from far out, while Gramma Mindy stayed behind on the dock to watch us have fun, while taking some pictures of us!

I was laughing a lot, and having a great time (though in some of these pics I look a little concerned, since it was all a bit new to me, and that life vest was pretty hardcore)

We arrived back at the dock, and Mom helped me get that vest off of me. I was happy to be back on dry land, but certainly enjoyed the ride while we were out there.


The paddle boat is one of Mom and Dad's favorite things to do in Maine, and I can totally see why...

With Gramma Mindy keeping watch, I even hopped in the boat later while it was docked on land to practice driving it. I'll be a pro by the next time we go up there.

Gramma Mindy and I spent lots of time down by the dock playing in the water. Sometimes Mom and Dad joined in, and other times it was just me having some Gramma Mindy time.

I did a lot of splashing and playing. While I had a simply adorable bathing suit, I sometimes just dropped into the water wearing whatever I happened to have on at the time...

For some inexplicable reason, I felt the need to splash my face, and drink some of the lake water. Dad calmly remarked that he couldn't wait until we had to take me to the hospital to battle whatever lake parasites would infect me, but I made it through unscathed.

Which obviously means that next year I'll tempt fate and drink some more lake water. It was delicious. Crisp, cool...refreshing! What could possibly be wrong with that!?

Sometimes, when I got bored with running around the camp, I would hop in the car with Mom or Dad, and practice driving. I wanted to get a 16 year head start, and I gotta say...it is a different view from up here! So many buttons, and levers! LOTS of fun!

I have sat up here a few times with Mom or Dad to play for a bit, but this was probably the most driving I have gotten to do. Mom was a good sport about hanging out with me, and although everyone mentioned the irony of me wanting to hang out in the car when I had another 15 or so hours of driving ahead of me, I still had a blast!

In addition to the times at camp, we also spent a fair amount of time in town. Houlton is a great little town, with lots of unique little stores, and friendly people all around. Mom, Dad, Gramma Mindy and I went to a place called "Zippy's" for lunch one day, and I sat by myself in a big kid chair while I ate a delicious lunch of chicken tenders and french fries. Mom was semi-annoyed with Dad since he prematurely introduced me to ketchup, but I think that I can keep my need for the red stuff at bay. Mom knows of many kids that can't eat anything without an abundance of ketchup, but I think I will be the exception to the rule. I like it as an add-on, but don't need it to drown out the other subtle flavors of my meal.

After Zippy's, we stopped at the Houlton Dairy ice cream stand. I am told that Mom and Dad go there daily whenever they're in Maine, and I can see why. Homemade ice cream that tastes good, and is inexpensive. SUCH a great place....I can't wait until next year! Dad split a butterscotch dip cone with me...and for that, he is awesome.

In addition to trips into town, and playing on the lake, we also did a lot of relaxing. Mom and Dad called it "recharging their batteries" which I don't quite understand yet, as my batteries are fully charged after every nap. They read a lot, and Mom and Gramma Mindy both worked on a puzzle. Dad loved hanging out in the hammock near the lake, and I stopped by to hang out with him for a bit. The sunglasses were obviously a necessity to maintain my aura of "cool"

We spent a lot of time in the cabins themselves, often listening to music that I got to pick out, which was pretty awesome! Once I learned how to work the radio/cd player, I became the unoffical DJ for the week.

I even had my own little spot for when I ate lunch, and wasn't sitting in my high chair. It was a comfy ottoman to sit on, and I got to put my food on the table in front of me. I always feel so big when I get to eat when I'm not in my high chair.

We also spent a lot of time out on the porch, looking out onto the lake. It was so tranquil on the porch (except for when the jet skis came by...Dad said they they were called a "Sea Doo" I immediately picked it up, and started saying "Sea Do" when I heard the motors, to everyone's delight. I even sometimes mistake a motorcyle engine for a Sea Doo. I guess the fact that they're on land should tip me off, but I just get excited is all.
Dad was kind enough to prop up his legs while he was enjoying his morning coffee and reading to let me play for a bit.

On the picnic table, I met a real-life caterpillar for the first time! After reading about these furry little guys in books all these months, it was exciting to finally get to see a real one up close. After petting him gently for some time, I got a bit overenthusiastic, and started poking him a bit. He curled up into a little ball, and Dad kindly helped him get back into the woods. I had fun hanging out with him during the time we had, though...He was so soft! Wouldn't YOU poke him!?

This cabin has everything!

Sadly, as with all good things, our trip to Maine came to an end. Vacations are never quite long enough, it seems, but we packed a lot of fun into the time we had there. I got to have my own little rock to sit on near the lake while I was hanging out with Gramma Mindy and Mom...

...and know that I can always go back there at some point to enjoy it...everyone can feel free to use my rock, but know that it is, in fact, my spot.

I enjoyed the cabin so much, and can't wait to go back there next year....I will miss sitting in Poppy's big chair...he's my Great-Grandfather, and the reason we all have this cabin to enjoy together. He bought it years ago, used to spend summers up here, and he left it to his grandchildren when he passed away several years ago...Even though I never had the chance to meet you, you were still kind enough to leave me a little present to share with my family...thanks Poppy!


The drive home was long again, but I fell asleep towards the end. Mom and Dad quickly dropped me off, happy and asleep at Gramma Debbie's, and they went off to see a movie (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World...they highly recommend it)

The next day saw another drive back home, and thus ended our vacation...we'll be off the road for awhile to recuperate from the driving, but it was totally worth the trip. See you again soon, Maine!

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Maine Bookends...

Sorry it's been awhile....such a long, lovely vacation (but still somehow too short) and so many pictures to go through...so many stories to tell...It's a biggun, I must say...It'll arrive soon, though. I promise!

To tide you over until my big epic Maine post, here is a quicky from my swing through Connecticut...

Whenever Mom and Dad head up to Maine, (most times) they cut the trip in half by having a stop-over in Connecticut. It breaks up the trip, and makes the drive a bit easier, while also allowing them to have a quick family visit...such was the case on this trip. The weekend we drove up, we got to see some people (I got to see lots of people while Mom and Dad did wedding stuff for my Dad's friend) and on the drive back, we got to stay over at Gramma Debbie's. As always, she had Pooh and Eeyore waiting for me (and introduced me to that little Snoopy blanket)

As I was getting ready for bed, I gave Eeyore a kiss goodnight...and then jumped right out of bed to play some more. :-) Sometimes I get so excited about being up and playing, that I conveniently forget that it's bedtime.

It's always nice getting a quick visit in whenever I can...next up...MAINE 2010!