Sunday, January 30, 2011

SNOW DAYS!


So...we were warned, and this time it wasn't a drill...we got a pretty decent amount of snow! (For the area) Now...as you read this, you may be in an area that may have so much snow it feels like you have, for some reason, moved to the arctic tundra...please don't be bitter as I post with great excitement about seeing the snow...just know that I don't have to deal with things like "Snow Days" or "Long, annoying, slow drives" or "Shoveling"

Mom and Dad picked me up from daycare just in time, since the snow had really started coming down hard. It arrived right when they said it would, and it quickly blanketed the area in several inches of snow. Dad said it was some of the fastest falling snow he'd ever seen.

It made the commute a nightmare, and Dad let me watch a lot of the cars out our window for awhile. Later, he went down to help some of the people that had gotten stuck.


Of course, we're not here to talk about that....what was REALLY fun was the next day. Unfortunately, even though Mom stayed home the next day, she was really sick, and had to stay inside to work....so Dad took me outside into our courtyard for some snow fun! Often, they lock the doors to the courtyard when it snows (for liability reasons) but the snow was so fresh, they still had it open.

I stomped around the snow, carefully at first, and then started running around. I was laughing so hard because of how much fun it was!! I fell a couple times, but the ground was still so soft with perfect packing snow, that it didn't matter.

Speaking of good packing snow, we took the time to make our OWN snowman...Dad said the snow was packing better than snow he'd ever seen before! Dad made the base, and I helped make the torso...then, I did the little head all by myself. I worked very hard on smoothing it all out. How do you think it looks? Small but effective!

We met up with a woman and her daughter who were making a GIGANTIC snow man...they used carrots as the eyes, nose AND mouth...VERY creative. It was bigger than ours, but also took about ten times as long to make. Plus, the little girl had some amazing self-control to not eat those carrots right up. I mean, not eating coal when you're using coal for the eyes is pretty easy, but all those carrots? I mean c'mon...


And what trip outside in the snow would be complete without trying out some fresh new snow to see how it tastes?


And yes....before I get a barrage of messages...yes, Dad warned me to not eat the yellow snow, whatever that means...

For the record, the snow was delicious, even though Dad was being a big baby saying "Ew! Don't eat the snow, Sam!"


We went inside, and engaged in another time-honored tradition of a snow day...my first hot cocoa! Oh my....words can't describe how delicious this sweet treat was....it tasted so good. It was warm (Which surprised me at first, since I usually drink cold liquids these days, but Dad gently reminded me about all those months of drinking warmed milk back in my younger days, and I was OK with it...) It was so smooth and rich (and Mom and Dad told me that this was "The Cheaper Stuff" I can only imagine what "The Good Stuff" tastes like, because this is pretty awesome.

I will now commence asking for hot cocoa on a daily basis.

The next day, Dad and I went out to find the doors to the courtyard locked....the staff deemed it unsafe. So we did the next best thing, and hightailed it to the roof to find that they had forgotten to lock the roof door!

We quickly ran into the snow, and following Mom's suggestion, fell into the snow to make "Snow Angels" Basically, you lay on your back in the snow, and move your arms and legs around in a way that leaves behind a shape in the snow that looks like an angel.

Really, I was just laughing at Dad when he fell into the snow and wiggled around. I also couldn't stop laughing whenever I was laying there...it was so cold, but just so funny! I couldn't stop laughing!

The above is the result of my snow angelling...not bad for a first-timer, right?

Almost immediately after we finished, they locked the roof, and went back downstairs to have some more hot cocoa, warm up, and take a nap....I ADORE snow days!

Dad later found out that in his wild, reckless abandon, he dropped his iPod in the snow on the roof...it is currently sitting in a box of rice, in an attempt to get all the moisture out of it....wish us luck. Dad's quote?

"Eh...it was worth it to get to make snow angels with Sam for the first time. Next time I'll be more careful..."

Aw shucks...I dig that guy. Next time, when Mom is feeling better, she's coming out with us!!!

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

My Second Birthday!



I am here to FINALLY wrap up my Winter trip wrap up (Man...is January REALLY almost over already?)

As I said in the last post, much like these last couple weeks, "snow" was the word back in December (The other word was "Sick", but we'll skip that...) so my birthday party was a bit truncated...my Cousin Amber and Great Aunt Sue made it out (But only because they didn't get the message that the party was cancelled) It was super cool getting to see them, though!

Everyone was really nice, and sang Happy Birthday to me!


Since we were snowed in, we had to go sans cake and make do with what we had, which in this case was a giant cookie. Now don't get me wrong, the giant cookie was quite awesome, and it also had two candles to represent the number of years I have been on this Earth. It was pretty cool. (And yummy....I do love cookies...)

Even though I had gotten a lot of presents at Christmas, there were more to be had for my birthday. (Rumor has it, Dad's side of the family who got snowed in over there have even MORE presents for me! What's a boy to do?!) I got some more blocks, and a couple stuffed animals...some books, and even, for the first time...PLAY-DOH! I know that right now, it's just some soft stuff to squeeze and be silly with...but I see a lot of potential for this stuff in the future...stay tuned for more Play-Doh-Related adventures, I'm sure...

Just make sure you put the lid on. Always put the lid on.

--------------------------


Once the snow abated a little bit, I got to go outside and play a bit...it was cool that Uncle Mat was there. We spent a lot of time outside enjoying the snow together! He carried me around, and we also walked all over, exploring the icy, snowy terrain.

JustRichy was around, too, and as always, we got to spend some quality time playing music together. I even got dressed up in a fancy hat and scarf, and convinced him to do the same!

So...much like the Postal Service...to paraphrase, there is no weather that kept us down! I was bummed that I couldn't see my Dad's side of the family, but I know that means that they'll be doubly excited to see me the next time!

Thanks for being patient while my posts got stuck in the clogged intertubes...once again, a snowstorm looms large over the DC area, and if it actually hits, I'm sure you'll be hearing more from me!

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Christmas II: Gramma Mindy's!


On Christmas Eve, Mom's extended family had the tradition of all getting together, so that they could be with their immediate family on Christmas Day. This year was no different, and we all got together at my Great Aunt and Uncle's place....There were lots of people there, and I was having a blast...(After I rocked a little nap in a big boy bed with JustRichy and Uncle Mat hanging out with me)


I got to play with some of my younger cousins, and my cousin Timothy was nice enough to (sort of) share his pirate boat with me. I can't I blame him for being a bit defensive...after all, I am exactly the same way.

Once again, there were a lot of presents, and lots of great food...it was tons of fun, and somehow managed to stay just below my threshold for large groups of people that I can handle.

Then it was time to bid Dad adieu, and as JustRichy headed out to drive him to the train station, I said goodbye and prepared for Christmas Day and my birthday...

After Dad left for home to get to work, we were obviously missing him, but vowed to still enjoy the rest of the break in Connecticut! This was made more difficult by the fact that Mom and I were both battling the beginnings of a pretty brutal case of strep throat, but we did our best. There was the aforementioned awful weather to deal with, so between being sick, and all the snow, Christmas was a subdued affair...

Which isn't to say it wasn't fun. :-)

Even though I had already seen the crazy generosity of Dad's side of the family, and should have been prepared, I was still stunned (See above paragraph) at all the gifts at Gramma Mindy's.


I got some blocks, a big stuffed Woody (From Toy Story) doll, more books and clothes, and one of the coolest things was my very own guitar! (Actually a ukulele, but its small size was preferred over an actual guitar)


Both Uncle Mat and JustRichy came over, and I got to hang out with them, which is always a nice present....


Before my nap, Dad was nice enough to call and talk to me for a bit to wish me a very Merry Christmas...it was fun to talk to him, but obviously we all still missed him very much.


Gramma Mindy also let me help with the dishes which was pretty awesome...I am told that I am a good helper, so I do love helping at any opportunity (When I am not helping, I specifically like to hinder. It's in my nature...it's how I balance out the universe. :-) )


Even though I was under the weather, I still had a fun time. I was bummed that I couldn't make it over to Dad's fam for actual Christmas day...but I wasn't worried about it, since I had seen them on Thursday, and also I just figured I'd see them for my birthday....

But those thoughts of leaving the house anytime soon went away once more snow rolled on in....

Monday, January 17, 2011

Christmas I: Gramma Debbie & Grandpa's!


Well...here we are...finally getting to all these posts about my amazing holidays...it took some doing (and lots of sorting of pictures) but I made it out the other side!

This was a busy holiday (Well, busier than most!) since not only was there a lot going on, but everything was happening in kind of a compressed time frame. Dad had to work on Christmas itself, so we drove up late on the Wednesday before the holiday weekend. We arrived at Gramma Debbie and Grandpa's house late that night, and I immediately went right back to sleep.

The next day was, as Dad likes to refer to it, FakeChristmas...basically, celebrating Christmas on a day that wasn't quite Christmas. I got to add my stocking to Gramma Debbie's Christmas tree...


When everyone arrived, it was crazy! Aunt Amy and Uncle Steve came and brought Nicholas with them...


He is still so tiny, and even though he was sleeping, I had to go wake him up since I was so excited to see him!


Auntie Steph also came along, and brought Braelynn with her. Braelynn and I continued to work on our tenuous agreement when it comes to sharing toys...


And then, without further ado, we tore into the presents! Everyone was SO generous! There were a lot of gifts going around...all the grown-ups exchanged their gifts, and us kids made out like bandits!


While I am super excited about all of my presents, and appreciate them all equally, some of the highlights were my very own Mr. Potato Head (Dad was also excited about this, since he now doesn't have to share his Special Edition Dark Tater with me...although he is still adament that he would have, if necessary) I cannot tell you how excited I am to have my very own Mr. Potato Head...now, I would have been happy getting any gifts at all this Christmas...but I will admit to pining for one of these guys like you wouldn't believe!


I got a VERY cool Grinch doll and book (not pictured) in addition to my very own fire truck, and set of small trucks. (Dad and I will have a lot of playing to do when we get home!)


DaGramma also rocked my world by getting me my very own Piano....now, I not only don't have to drag out the big one we have, but I can carry this one around all by myself, and use it whenever I want! I can also bring it in the car with me, if I ever want to play on the go!


People were laughing because, not only did I take forever to open each present....but I would open a present, play with a toy for awhile, and then move on to the next. It has probably been too long since they were young enough to savor presents like this. :-) I was really enjoying my time opening the gifts, and enjoying them....I didn't want to rush Christmas, man!

I kept trying to give gifts to Dad when people gave them to me, but sooner or later I finally opened them all. (I'll have more pictures of Nick and Braelynn opening presents next year when they're a bit better at opening them themselves. :-) )

I wish I could highlight everything, because I got so much that was so great. Everyone was really nice to each other, and really came through with some great gifts.


After it was all over, and after cleaning up a bit (as you can see, the living room looked just like it did when Dad, Uncle Steve, and Auntie Steph were growing up, and had THEIR Christmases...) we had a nice dinner together...it was very low-key, but delicious.

At the end of the evening, everyone went their separate ways, and we all went to bed, our tummies full of food, and our hearts full of fun....it was a great second Christmas! I can't wait to do it again next year!

Coming up...we didn't really have a White FakeChristmas, but we certainly had a White Christmas...and a White Birthday too! Lots of snow!

Sunday, January 16, 2011

A Very Happy Birthday to My Mom!


Today is my Mom's birthday....even though I am feeling a bit under the weather, I vow to do my best to try and give her an easy day. That's something, right? :-)

Anyhoo...my Mom is awesome...one of the best around, and I just wanted the world to think about her for a little while, and take a moment to celebrate her and her awesomeness.

So obviously, I thought posting it on one of the most popular sites in the blogosphere was a good way to do that. :-)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!!

Friday, January 14, 2011

I got a new haircut!


Yeah, it's, like, my third or fourth one so it isn't really news, but I just figured I'd post a shot of my new 'do to say "Hi" and yes...I finally went through all of our holiday pictures so I could FINALLY post about Christmas and my birthday...you'll be seeing that in the next few days...

But until then, here's my new haircut! The stylist said that I was great, and that a lot of kids cry (I'm not judging them...I cry about a lot of stuff too...I just happen to enjoy haircuts, and the accompanying Dora the Explorer cartoon I usually get to watch) but that I was acting like a big boy. Not bad, right? Plus there were several grown-ups there getting their hair done (perhaps they TOO like Dora the Explorer and her monkey pal?) who were fawning all over me, which I can always handle more of...

They seem to have done away with the balloons (Perhaps for safety reasons, I'm not sure) so I asked Dad nicely if I could have a lollipop. He carried me around, carefully supervising me while I sucked on my grape lollipop. It was delicious, albeit a bit messy. So of course, I loved it...we capped off my trip to the salon with a rare visit to Burger King for some chicken and fries...all in all, a lovely day...stop back soon to see more about my birthday and Christmas!!

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Starting 2011 With an Upgrade at Daycare!

Well...I am still slogging my way through tons of pictures and tales from Christmas, my birthday and New Year's....I will post those as soon as I can. It was a busy week (Although Mom and I both fought pretty bad cases of strep throat through most of the holidays, which was rough) and I got to see a lot of people, do a lot of things.

Until then, I figured I should tell you the big news...I was once again promoted to a new room at daycare!

I had grown kind of bored recently with the old room, which led to me acting out a bit more than usual (or so the experts theorize) and it was apparently just the right time, since they had decided to move me over a couple weeks ago. Since we were away for vacation, I moved a little later than they had anticipated, but as soon as I returned, we were off!

We bumped into my friend Skyler while I was walking over to the new room. Mom was carrying me, and I asked her if I could get down and walk with Skyler. She said yes, and I asked Skyler if I could hold her hand on the walk in. She didn't say anything, but didn't pull her hand away, so I took that as a "yes" and I nodded, walking with her into the new room.

There were a lot of new kids (and some old friends I hadn't seen in some time) in addition to some new teachers. It was awesome.

And then Mom tried to leave.

I admit it...I panicked, I started crying and saying "I don't like it!" and asking to leave. Mom told Dad later that it was kind of heartbreaking...I didn't mean to break anyone's heart, but it was just SO overwhelming...

Mom finally left after she peeled me off of her leg, and after about 2 minutes if getting acclimated to my new surroundings, seeing the new toys and books, and getting comfy...I was OK. :-)

I had a pretty good day, and didn't even go back to my old classroom at all. Usually, they slowly get a kid used to the new room by having him or her in there for only a few hours at a time, keeping them in there a little longer each day until we're ready for full-time, but just like my transition to the 1 year old room, I fit right in, and didn't need to go back.

I will miss everyone in my old room...the teachers were great, tons of fun, and really helped me develop into the little boy that I am...the kids were a lot of fun, and I will miss playing with them, sharing with them (sometimes) and hanging out with them...but I know I'll be seeing them all around the daycare at some point.

I am now a member of the "Silverbells"....