Braelynn's First Birthday!

See! I TOLD you it'd be soon! Only a week later, we turned right back around (after having unpacked, and repacked on the same night) and returned to Connecticut to represent at my cousin Braelynn's first birthday party! (The picture above was stolen from Facebook by my Dad for reference, as Braelynn spent a lot of time sleeping while we were there...so we didn't get to take our own picture...she's very beautiful, though, right?!)

I know what that's like, trust me...I've had those days...especially at my own first birthday party, which was slightly overwhelming...


Now, just because the birthday girl was asleep, doesn't mean we had any less fun! There was still TONS of people to see, and stuff to do!

The little pool that I had all to myself last time, was a bit crowded with little ones this week, but that didn't stop me from hopping in and cooling off. (Somehow, I was the oldest kid there....how is THAT possible? I'm two and a half!!)

We also spent some more time playing baseball! Uncle Mike was VERY brave, and held the ball in his hand, making it MUCH easier to get a good hit off of it...look at that ball go!!!

I got to see Grandpa for awhile too...and we hung out, chatting it up while looking over some of Braelynn's birthday haul. (Yes, that's a water table that my Gramma Debbie got a great deal on! Braelynn is super lucky!!)

This weekend, we weren't limited to the little pool, as the big pool was finally ready for prime time! Uncle Mike helped me dip my fingers in to see if it was the right temperature for me, and it certainly was!

Soon enough, I had hopped in with Gramma Mindy, and cooled off like a big boy. (I'm still a little shy, thus the t-shirt, and water shoes...it's a habit? What can I say...)

Gramma Debbie came out to cool off a bit, but couldn't go into the pool since she had cut her hand a few days earlier. :-( Poor Gramma Debbie...it was nice to see her though! She was gracious enough to let me splash her, as long as I didn't get her bandage wet....I am happy to report that her hand is healing nicely, and NEXT TIME I'm getting her in that water with me!!

And what nice water it was! I got to splash around in my tube while Dumas and Lynette watched me...they were ALSO kind enough to let me splash them a bit (Though I suspect that they had ulterior motives, since it was pretty hot out, and I was cooling them off!)

As is typical with these events, I finished it off with a cupcake....oh how delicious it was...I hung out on the couch with Gramma Mindy, savoring the rich sweetness of it (Pink frosting, of course, as it's Braelynn's favorite color...or at least Auntie Steph HOPES it's her favorite color. ;-) ) and watching some Mickey Mouse Clubhouse...


What a fun party, with beautiful weather, and lots of nice people to hang out with...

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY, BRAELYNN!!!

TODDLER_TOUR_2011_LEG_4_BASEBALL AT GRAMMA DEBBIE'S!

As we sometimes do, we stopped at Gramma Debbie's on the way home to DC on Sunday a few weekends ago...Uncle Steve and Aunt Amy were there, and Dad was kind enough to pack my Toy Story bat and baseball set...


Aunt Amy tried to help me with my hand-eye coordination by throwing the ball to me, and having me hit it....I still have to work on that a bit...I understand the principals, but the timing isn't quite right yet...

Uncle Steve attempted the same method, and I had a bit more success, but a true hit continues to elude me...

It's not for lack of trying...I really swung the bat at those pitches, and tried as hard as I could to hit them the best I could...but trying to connect something so small with something else so small is proving difficult. Dad blames himself and his "non-sports" genes, but I think I can overcome.

Finally, Uncle Steve chased after me when I had sort of hit the ball, and rather than just tag me "out", he grabbed me, lifted me up, and made me beg for mercy (in a fun, baseball-y kind of way, of course. :-) )

After our game of baseball, it was back on the road (Man, I have truly logged a lot of miles being only two and a half) and off to see Dad again...


See you soon, Connecticut!! (Like seriously....REALLY soon....stay tuned...)

TODDLER_TOUR_2011_LEG_3_KEEPING COOL AT GRAMMA MINDY'S!

Sorry about the movie detour....I was just SO excited and I simply HAD to tell you about it!!

Now...back to catching up...several weekends ago, after the BBQ at Grandpa and Gramma Debbie's, we sent Dad packing back home to DC, and I continued on so I could hang out at Gramma Mindy's place for a couple days!

We headed off to the splash park near Gramma Mindy's, which is one of my favorite things to do!

I don't know how much I've talked about this place, but it's basically a giant maze of pipes and fountains that you can run around and play in...if you figure out the pattern of the water, you can even tell what fountain is going to spray next!

We were lucky enough to have JustRichy come along for the ride, and he hung out with me...now, he wasn't just a carefree observer....he hoisted up his pant legs, and got right in there with me!

We both did a lot of running around (Me a little more than him, but that's typical...I tend to run around a little more than most grown-ups) and enjoyed being cooled off during such a hot day!

I will admit, that it DID take me a little while to warm up to the splash park (as it does with most things) but once I was ready, there was no stopping me!

After we had had our fill of splashing about, JustRichy toweled me off, and we headed back to Gramma Mindy's...

Now, this is not to say that the fun ended once the splash park visit did...we also kept cool by hiding out inside at Gramma Mindy's...and what was waiting there for me...but PLAY-DOH!

They wisely set up a platter on the table so that I could mold my creations safely without fear of destroying any upholstery or carpeting...but even with that limitation, we had a ball!

(Note the cameo of Mom's old "Angela Stool" in the picture above...it used to be Mom's when she was younger! How cool is THAT!?)

Gramma Mindy even took the time to make me a small Play-Doh Teddy Bear, who I fell in love with immediately. When we were done playing, we placed him gently into one of the containers, so that I could see him again someday....he was just adorable...
As with most things, JustRichy proved to be an awesome Play-Doh teammate. We had a lot of fun using lots of colors to make our sculptures. I hope to one day own one of those playsets like I've seen for sale online. You know, the ones that make crazy shapes out of the Play-Doh. I think they are called "Fun Factories".

What? You think I only use the internet for this blog? I check out toys all the time...mark my words.


Mark them! :-)

Later, JustRichy and I followed tradition and played the piano together...this time around, we changed it up, and I played two keyboards at once, much like the great prog rock keyboardists of the 70's and 80's....it was pretty amazing.


As always, a good time was had by all, with more to come, I'm sure!

My First Movie!!!

I'll take a break from catching up with old blog entries by talking about something that happened just yesterday...why you ask?

Well, yesterday, Mom and Dad decided to take me to see a movie in the theater for the very first time!

They had been seeing previews for the new Winnie the Pooh movie (The first one that has been shown in the theaters in many many years) and thought that it'd be the perfect movie to take me to...and they were right!
While we walked to the theater, we all talked about who were going to see...Mom and Dad talked about Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, Kanga, Roo and Owl...but they had forgotten Eeyore! So I filled in the blank by shouting "Eeyore!!"

Before we knew it, we were at the theater....Mom and Dad bought tickets and some snacks, and we sat down in the theater...I was SOOOO excited....I sat on Dad's lap, and even tried a few pieces of popcorn (it was delicious, but I was engrossed in the movie and stuck with my pretzel bites instead....popcorn is apparently a choking hazard...but it was nice to test it out)

There were easily 215 previews, which were fun, but they were really trying my patience...I was getting so excited that I nearly exploded when I saw the preview for the new Muppets Movie...

The lights dimmed, and we were treated to a cartoon short about the Loch Ness Monster, which was fun...(And yes...Dad took this picture before the movie, so we weren't bothering anyone. :-) )

After the delightful little short, the main feature began, and I was simply entranced...I sat there for just over an hour, enjoying myself with the movie...I danced on Dad's lap during the songs, and really had a such a great time. Mom and Dad seemed to enjoy the movie as well. They told me that it was a new story, but retained the classic feel of the old Pooh cartoons...I won't spoil anything, but I will say that if you're in the mood for a good old-fashioned bit of hand-drawn animation that is just a joyful bit of fun, Winnie the Pooh 2011 is for you.

When the movie was over, I immediately wanted to watch it again, but I contented myself with watching the little bits of animation that played over the ending credits....

When it was over, we walked home, filled with the happiness that only seeing a good movie in a darkened theater with a bunch of other like-minded people can bring...

TODDLER_TOUR_2011_LEG_2_GRAMMA AND GRANDPA'S COOKOUT!

After the awful drive we had, it was a relief to finally make it to Grandma Debbie's and Grandpa's place! Since the drive was so long, I was happy to get to cool off in the little pool that Gramma Debbie had so kindly set up for me...


While they were cooking dinner (hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken skewers) I took my time having a blast in the pool.

It took a bit of convincing to get me in there, but Dad joined me while Mom took pictures, and we had a lot of fun playing with the ball and splashing each other.

Once dinner was ready, I got out, toweled off, and had myself a hot dog, in addition to some other lovely side dishes. Gramma is a great cook! Since I ate so well, I was rewarded with something I had never had before...an ice cream sandwich! Who can I hug for creating such a thing!?!? I mean, I enjoy regular old sandwiches as much as the next guy, but who came up with putting ice cream in between two chocolate wafers, and calling it a sandwich!? AMAZING!

Can EVERY sandwich be like this?! PLEASE!?

OK....I gotta bring it down...gotta bring it back down...I can only hope that another ice cream, sandwich (or six) lies somewhere in my future...

As dinner wound down, I had some time to play with my cousins Nicholas and Braelynn again, and though I was chastised for throwing a toy at Braelynn, and swinging a hanging swing at her (It was all out of love...I swear) in general, it was a good time, and we played together nicely. I was just getting a bit tired, having had no nap, and was acting out a bit...I have to get it down that I'm the big cousin here, and I have to provide protection and guidance for the little ones...

As is typical for weekends like this, Mom and I headed up for Gramma Mindy's for the weekend, and Dad went off to the train station to head back home to work...

TODDLER_TOUR_2011_LEG_2_NYC IN SUMMER!

Well, Mom got to go on another business trip again last weekend (Look at me almost all caught up!) so once again, Dad and I accompanied her, and as always, we had a splendid time!

We arrived on Thursday, and went directly to a branch of the New York Library....the group that Mom was meeting was there, so while Dad and I checked out the stacks, Mom met up with her group and touched base.

Once she was done, she was kind enough to walk around the library with me (And by "around the library, I mean up and down the awesome staircase)

We went up and down a few times, and once we were done, we set off from there to find a spot to have dinner.

We went back towards our hotel, and found a little Italian place directly across the street...Dad asked if this was where I wanted to eat, and I replied with an enthusiastic "yes!"

We sat down, and had some really good Italian food...I shared spaghetti and meatballs with Dad, and we all had some fried mozzarella sticks. It was a nice little family place, and Mom swears that we were one of the few groups that wasn't friends with the owner. It was like a sitcom, but in a good way...

Back at the hotel, we had a chance to explore our very nice room...it was a bit small, but as always, I found the bed to be quite conducive to being bounced on.

Behind the bed was a really cool screen deal that opened and closed with a button next to the bed. It was cool to watch, and the lighting was very calming....

We also had a balcony with a gorgeous view of the Empire State building...

It was a little noisy out on the balcony, so we didn't spend a TON of time out there, but I enjoyed looking around, especially at the ornate carvings of cows over on the building across the street from our hotel...

OK...yeah, I know...those are actually carvings of lions, but I insisted for some time that they were cows, until Mom and Dad showed me the error of my ways, and convinced me that they were actually lions...Oh well, they were still really cool.

The next day, while Mom was at meetings throughout the morning, Dad and I went out on our own, and got breakfast at a little place just down the block. We also walked up to the big Times Square Toys R Us to try and find me a new pair of sunglasses (Mine were broken, most likely by me a few days earlier)

While we didn't find a new pair of sunglasses, I DID get to meet one of my heroes....SPIDERMAN! I don't have any pictures of the meeting, because they charged exorbitant fees to take pictures with him...however, he DID still take time to give me a high five, and shake my hand, which was VERY exciting!

We walked back to the hotel, met up with Mom, and hopped into the car to head back to Connecticut to visit with the fam for the weekend. Traffic was horrendous, and it was a record-breaking painful drive back to Connecticut...but it was worth the trip, as you will see in my next few posts!!

Leah and Teague's Wedding!

Mom and Dad sure do go to a lot of weddings!

Apparently, this is kind of a "light" year for them, in that they have "only" been invited to three of them, and are "only" going to two of them.

Crazy, right?

Well, a couple weekends ago, we got to go to a nice little olde tymey town hall for a wedding for some friends of my Mom's (Who over the years have also morphed into friends of my Dad's)

Even though Mom and Dad had hoped I'd sleep in the car on the way, I was so jazzed up about the Big Party, that I simply couldn't sleep...so it would be a grand experiment...a highly stimulating event, with me running on no nap for the first time ever.

Yeah...I know, right?


I was told several things about the event...the first part was the wedding, and I had to be quiet like in church, and the second part was the big party, where I got to be as loud as I wanted to be...and lastly, that I got to have cake at the end of the event...


I did my best to be quiet during the ceremony (though, I DID keep whispering to Dad "When is the part where we can be really loud?) and it was lovely...a very nice ceremony in a very nice little olde tymey former town hall. Sometimes I sat with Mom...sometimes I hung out with Dad...but the one constant was my Kitty. She was with me the whole time.


The wedding finished, and the first thing I said, obviously, was "Now we can go to the party, and be really loud!!!"


We got there, and the first thing I did, was sign the guest book....it was the classy thing to do.


Then I went right into the cocktail hour (although MY cocktails included cranberry juice, and other snacks)


I got to have a really good time playing with people I had met before, and also meeting some new people.


Dad and I checked out the garden outside, which was really pretty (and held my attention during such non-kid friendly events like family speeches)

This is me looking in the bushes, pretending that I'm playing "Journey to Ernie" and looking for Ernie in the bushes, just like Big Bird does on the show!!

As promised, Mom and Dad snagged me a cupcake from the tray since we were leaving early, and I tore into it with the gusto of a two and a half year old that had been waiting patiently for a few hours to get a cupcake.


The cupcake was DELICIOUS indeed....very nice choice...there were also whoopie pies and cake, but I had eyes only for the cupcake...so good.


Congratulations, Leah and Teague!!! You guys are great! Thanks for making us part of your special day!

And yes, as predicted, I didn't even make it the ten minute drive to the highway before passing out. I would have fallen asleep sooner, but Mom and Dad were talking about the darn wedding...I quietly said "Mommy, Daddy...stop talking please." and once they did, literally thirty seconds later, I was asleep...I had so much fun, and was so worn out, that I slept all the way home, and practically slept through my diaper change, and change into pajamas...Solid party, everyone...