Another birthday party!!!

You'll have to forgive me as I move through the archives in an effort to fully get the blog back on track...some stuff may be out of order, but in the next week or so, I hope to have things right where I want them to be.

And what better way than to start off with a party!


Yep...I was invited to my second big group birthday party with all my friends, and this time we went to Gymboree! It was a little crazier, because I think there were more people at this one...but in general, it was lots of fun! I got to see a lot of my friends outside the confines of Daycare, and got to play with lots of stuff!



We did a lot of group activities, including some fun songs that I got to accompany the music with on the maracas! And once again, I battled against one of my greatest fears and played with the parachute. This time around, I got right in there and shook the parachute with all the other kids! As I've gottne more comfortable with it, I have found that it's a lot of fun, and only as scary as I make it, since I'm one of the ones shaking it, you know? Truly a blast!

In addition to the organized games, there was a lot of freeplay time, and I used it to climb through some tunnels, play with the plethora (Yes...I said plethora) of balls they had, and of course to make great use of their climbing sets!



Once I made it to the top, I got to climb all around, and get a really good look at the event, and I must say, not only was it well-attended, but it certainly seemed like everyone was really enjoying themselves. Mom and Dad were having a lot of fun chasing me around, and I was having a blast interacting with my friends.


As the party wound down, we ended it as we always end it...with some pretty awesome cupcakes! Recently, Mom mentioned a party they were having, and I immediately inquired as to the availability of cupcakes. I mean, any party I've ever been to (Well...any GOOD party) has featured cake in either cup or regular cake form.


I DO like these parties...I can't wait until I get older, and they start showing up more often. And if there's anything that Mom and Dad can attest to...is that you can never be too old for cupcakes. :-)

Re-boot?

So yeah. I suppose one of the words you can use to describe my blogging as of late is...lax.

I'm sorry about that. Things have been busy (of course) and before you know it...it's been a month, and there has been no postings.

Things certainly have been happening...Gramma Mindy came to visit again, daycare has been a blast, I'm heading to Pennsylvania today to visit some of my Dad's side of the family, then I'll be heading to New York City again in a couple weeks, and yes...I pooped in the potty, in addition to peeing in the potty (Which was reported on last month)

I am talking up a storm, and am constantly learning new things to say...I have tried to tone down the bossiness, but let's face it...that's not going away any time soon...

Eating has gotten to be a bit difficult, as I have gotten a bit difficult about eating...there's no specific reason, necessarily, only that I am two...and I may as well get use that excuse while I can.

My goal is to hopefully post a few times a week, even if there is no epic event like a family visit or road trip...I know that some people out there still read this, and I want to be able to keep you informed...I know that life may seem pretty pedestrian to me at times, but that doesn't mean that everyone thinks that.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for hanging in during my lulls...keep an eye out for more posts...I promise this time I'll keep up. :-)

My first Pee on the potty!

Ladies and gentlemen....after numerous attempts of having me sit on the toilet for awhile waiting for something to happen...I finally peed a little! There was much clapping and cheering from Mom and Dad, so obviously this was kind of a big deal...since I am too classy to take any pictures of myself on the potty, I'll give you an idea of what it looked like with the above image...big boy underpants, here I come!!

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!!!

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.

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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!

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....

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!