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...

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?!

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...

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!

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!

Welcome!

A hearty welcome to my new cousin Braelynn Ann Elliott...

She was born on July 9th 2010 at 10:46am....both my Auntie Steph and Braelynn are doing well....Auntie Steph gave birth like a champ (just as we knew she would) and is doing great as a Mom thus far...she is thrilled that Braelynn has a full head of hair (and had threatened to use those sticky bows on her if she was a little baldy baby)

Da Gramma was present and was quoted as saying "It's MUCH different when it's not you having the baby!"

I look very forward to going up to Connecticut in a few weeks to meet my brand new first cousin!

CONGRATULATIONS AUNTIE STEPH, AND UNCLE BRIAN!

MY FIRST PARADE!

And if the staff of my daycare is to be believed, the first of many...

Yep...on Thursday, Dad got an email saying that on Friday we'd be having the annual Independence Day parade around the office buildings that border my daycare!

What does THAT mean, you ask...well, I'm glad you did!

It means that we all get in a huge line that resembles a discombobulated amoeba, and walk around the office park...some of us in our finest red white and blue!

Getting the email kind of last minute, Dad scrambled a bit, but we pulled off finding me a cute outfit to celebrate the Fourth a few days early...Mom was out of town for work, so she didn't get to come, but Dad was kind enough to take tons of pictures for her...Out of respect for the kids, (I like to be careful to not post shots on the web of my classmates) I only posted a shot of us where you couldn't really make out their faces, but Dad also got some other great shots of us walking around the building. A lot of workers came out to see us, so it was fun! The bigger kids were waving flags, and holding spinning pinwheels. It was great!

In addition to the outfit, I surprised Dad by pulling out the cute Independence Day hat that I made myself. (I seriously did! The teachers cut the pieces out, and I stuck them on all by myself!)

Now granted, I wasn't always thrilled to have the hat on, but what kid is? I took it off a few times, but Dad always kindly put it back on for me.

We had a lot of fun, and even though the parade only lasted about 15 minutes, we made the most of it.

I was obviously a little confused and annoyed about Dad taking a picture of us, but I instantly changed my tune once he put me down and let me run around...

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!