Fun with Gramma

Thank you Gramma for coming to visit. I had so much fun playing with you!

My Gramma came to visit from Minnesota. When I woke up from my nap, she was here. We helped my mama make a pie and we played with my toys. We even went to a toy store and I played with some fun toys (I think there might be some hidden in my house too!) Then we went to Suncadia and I saw snow. We played in the pool and I practiced swimming. It was so fun having Gramma over for slumber parties!

I cant wait to see Gramma again.

I'm 2!

Today is my birthday!! I can show you my fingers and tell you I'm "twooooo!"

Its been a fun day. I baked cupcakes last night with mama and daddy and then when I woke up this morning, they were decorated! Before school, I woke up to singing and then daddy made me pancakes with a candle. We sang again! Then I got to open 2 presents- a Pooh & Friends book which I cheered over and some pretend food so I can pretend eat at my little table. Mama and Daddy surprised me at school with a party. We had juice boxes and cupcakes! And the best surprise of all is that daddy brought me back home with him so we could play. For dinner we went to a restaurant where I got a green balloon, a cheeseburger and my favorite- fref fries! They sang to me at the restaurant and made me an ice cream sunday- I've never had one before. I'm also staying up late tonight watching a special daddy movie on the couch.

Its been a fun year. Some highlights:

- A big winter snowstorm and my first big snow fall in Seattle!
- I went to Minnesota to visit Gramma and Auntie Julia and Paul
- I went to Alderbrook with Jack and Bill and Barb and Cheddar and then got to go back with Gramma and Auntie Julia and Paul
- I played soccer and doing gymnastics
- I went to Hawaii
- I went to the zoo, lots!
- I went to Boise to visit my cousins and Auntie Susan & Uncle Brian
- I learned to walk and run and jump and belly flop
- I learned to talk in sentences and sing
- I picked apples and plums
- I flew on airplanes
- I went to the aquarium and the helicopter air show with my cousin Nathan
- I had sleep overs at Nana & Bompa's house
- I grew taller!
- I went to the dentist!

These are just some of my favorite times but mama is going to post some photos looking back on the year, sometime soon.

Right now I am working on going potty in the big potty, drinking only out of a cup, taking a shower by myself and playing the guitar and singing with daddy.

I love being 2! I'm getting to be so big, its fun!

Aloha!

My first trip to Maui! Well, my second really. I was there in my mama's belly a while back. I got to ride a plane and I cheered "we made it!" when we landed. It was very warm and sunny and I swam all day long. In the mornings we went to the beach but it took me a few days before I liked the ocean. On my last day, I just wanted to run in and out of the waves and have daddy carry me in the deep part. I loved the pool so much! I quickly became the belly flopper and liked to do it over and over. Gramma bought me water wings when she was in town and I used them to practice swimming in the big people pool. I even tried the water slide and got a cool ring and water football to play with. We watched the sunset and we sang a special song when the sun went night night. And, there was a Hawaiian man who wore cool beads and blew in a shell every night before sunset. Then he'd run around and light the torches. We watched him every night and I practiced yelling into my hand like the shell. On my last night, I got my picture taken with him and was so excited.

Here are a few pictures from my trip. And next time to see me ask me to say "aloha!" Come back for more photos to be added soon.

Cool summer vids

Summer Daze

I've been a busy boy the last 2 months.

Family Vacation: After my last post, my Gramma, Auntie Julia and cousin Paul came to visit. We all went on vacation together at Alderbrook. I had so much fun. Gramma bought me my first water wings and I loved to swim in the pool. Auntie Julia brought me a cool bowling set and cousin Paul gave me his cool flashlight for walking around at night! I fished, I ran, I played tackle football. I love my family for coming to see me. And I miss them already.

Bye plumes, hello apples. No more plumes but I've been very helpful picking apples from our tree. And, mama baked us pies!

Scootin' along: Jack loaned me his helmut ("emut") and taught me to ride a scooter. Now I have my own scooter and I even wear my emut on the tractor.

Soccer is over. It was so fun. My favorite part was diving into the goal, which you're not supposed to do. Today, gymnastics started. This is tiring! But I learned the log roll!

And, I went to my first state fair. We pet horses and saw rides and lots of other animals.

Plooms

We have a new fun tradition at my house- picking up "plooms" We have a big tree in front of our house that has lots of them growing, hundreds of them! We've had neighbors knock on our door to ask if they can have some and today we made new friends as we passed them out to people walking by. Daddy took me this weekend to pick them up off the ground. And, today Mama took me outside to put them in a basket to share. I said "pick plooms outside" and she knew exactly what I wanted! It was so fun because Iris our neighbor came over. The plooms fall on her yard and she and Mama decided to share the fruit because Iris watered it when it was tiny for the people who lived here before. Iris picked me up and I got to pick some which was so fun. And then she played a funny game where we pretended they were balls. Then Iris took me around her yard with the hose so I could water her plants and I thought it was so funny when I sprayed her with the water! Then me and Iris went in my backyard and I showed her my somersaults. And, then she came over with a hot baked Apple Pie for me! Here are some pictures of our plooms and some pictures of me with Iris.

Pretty soon we'll have Apples and Grapes! And, I'm a great fruit picker!

Hot!

This is one of my new favorite words. And probably because its been hot everyday! This is me playin' with the hose to cool off. Mama thought it was funny to spray me, and so did I!

I love a parade!

I went to my first parade! It was in West Seattle. Here are some photos that Mama took. We saw pirates and clowns- my first time to see both. I got to eat a lollipop and mama bought me this huge green monkey. I had so much fun but then slept all the way home in my stroller.

This is me with my lollipop that mama didnt want me to have. Then it fell in the dirt and I was sad. This is me wearing my first button. And this is the cool monkey. And my nap home.

To the zoo!

Today I went back to the Zoo and we did some really cool stuff.

- I fed a Giraffe! I got to hold the branch real hard while he licked and ate the leaves off it. Do you know they have 7 bones in their neck, have an 18" tongue and weigh almost 2,000 lbs!

- I fed a bird today. Well, mama did. She held a stick in one hand and me in the other and we watched him eat real close to my face. He was yellow, a little Australian bird.

- I watched the Penguins eat fish! I was there when they had dinner. They were so cute they were diving into the water and chasing eachother.

We forgot the camera or else I'd post some proof.

Dave!

I think I have just figured out that Daddy is also called Dave. I like to yell "Dave!" as loud as I can with both hands around my mouth. Sometimes he even yells back!

Summertime Fun

Its been so long since my last post (how can it be 2 months already?)! Lots has been going on, and I am having a great summer with my mama and daddy and friends and family.

Some highlights
- For memorial weekend, we went to Alderbrook Resort to stay in a cabin with The Reilly's. Jack is so much fun- he's cool too 'cause he's a little older than me. We really like to run around on 1-2-3 go.

- I started Soccer! Every Monday at 9:30 mama takes me to soccer practice called Little Kickers. I even have my own jersey. We kick the ball, we kick over cones, we feed the "hippo" with "blueberries" (kicking balls into the goal). At at the end of practice we all put our hands in for a cheer and get stamps. One of my favorite things to do at soccer practice is to help my Coach clean up.

- I talk a lot! I can probably say 100 words and make sentences!

- My favorite animal is birds. I scream when I see them. Mama and Daddy bought me a bird feeder so I can sit in the backyard and watch them eat!

- I LOVE airplanes. These are probably my favorite thing right now, maybe I will be a pilot, a sky diver or an air traffic controller. I am always looking in the sky for planes. One day I went with my cousin Nathan to the Museum of Flight and we saw planes but I didnt like them there because they were on the ground.

- I dont like the swimming pool this summer. For some reason last year I loved it but this year its scary. I cling to mama and yell "goodbye wawa" but she keeps taking me to see if this will change. I bet it will some day.

- I love to hang out with my friend Jack. I can say his name good and like to yell "Jackie!" really loud. This is a picture of me and Jack from this morning at Alki Beach. What a surprise they came to visit last minute. We ran in the water and threw sand. Well, I threw sand at Jack.

- I get in trouble at school for hitting. Its not nice but I dont know how else to tell kids to get out of my personal space. Or how to tell people when I am mad. At school I prefer to hang out with the teachers Tonya and Amy or the owner Stacie. But I dont really like to hang out with all the kids because its too overwhelming. I'm an independent kid who prefers just a few people around.

- My cousin Sam was legally adopted and I'm really excited because I get to be "big cousin" to him and teach him how to do lots of cool things. I like to call him Baby Sam.

- I love to hug people I love. I like to give big hugs and pat people on the back.

- I love books and reading at nighttime.

- I kinda like TV, for about 5-10 min. Tigger & Pooh and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse are my favorites.

Well, I will write more. Gotta run. Nana and Bompa are here for a visit. Lots of photos to share like frosting daddy's birthday cake and eating it in mouthfuls. And, going to my first baseball game at Safeco Field on Father's Day.

Blueberries, Blue Teeth

I love blueberries, they are my favorite. They are a special treat because my whole mouth turns blue and I want to eat them all at one time. I haven't had blueberries since my trip to Boise when I spilled them on the airplane and mama had to change my whole outfit and clean the seat. But this morning during breakfast, out of the top corner cabinet came out my blueberries, from their special hiding spot. This is the one thing I wont share with Charlie. My hands were blue, my face was blue, my teeth are still blue.

18 months...and counting.

Well I've officially turned 18 months. Where has all this time gone? I am one happy kid, love to keep movin' and love to laugh.

My passion right now is basketball. I LOVE to play and daddy teaches me all sorts of new tricks- like "The Michael Jordan" where I stick my tongue out while I play; he teaches me to squat my knees and guard; to catch; and to dribble. But no one needed to teach me to shoot, I was born with a good over the head shot.

I also love "soos" (or as other people call them "shoes). I like to bring people their soos, put mine on in the morning, and take them off when we come inside. Mama and Daddy took me into a store this weekend and I ran right to the soos rack. I picked up a cool pair of blue puppy rain soos boots. I ran around the store so no one could take them off. But I didnt get them, I had to trade the soos for my binky. I hope to get some soos boots soon.

I am still a great helper. I feed Charlie every day and take him out to go potty. I get his leash, I put my toys away and I help put other things away too. Helping is fun!

I dont like getting dressed or undressed. And I can throw a pretty impressive fit to prove it. But I do like what mama calls "handsome shirts" those are the kinds with buttons. I love wearing cool handsome shirts, and I also like to wear my baseball hat. They say I look handsome in that too. It makes me smile when they call me this so I run to the mirror to check myself out.

I went to my 18 month dr appt. I am 33" tall and 26.8 pounds. This makes me just about perfectly average as Dr. Zorn says. She said that I am way ahead developmentally because I say lots of words and can put words together. I am also very coordinated and strong. She thinks its ok that I still have a couple of bottles each day and that I get a binky. For this, I love Dr.Zorn. But, her nurse and those shots- no way. I scream but I am brave.

Since my last post, I got to spend the weekend with Nana and Bompa while daddy and mama went on vacation for some alone time. I went to the zoo, twice. I've been to the beach lots. And I got a new ball.

Check out some of my favorite moments- shadow stomping with Nana, swinging with Nana and Bompa, sitting on my ball after a long run on the pier, soos boot shopping, the zoo:

Speechless in Seattle?

Not me! I've got all sorts of new words. Here is a list of some of the words I am saying:


NahNah
Mama
Daddy
Ball
Charlie
Go
Thank you
No
Move
Money
Mine
Shoe
Bompa
Nanny
Baby
Ry-rie
Tonya
Where is it?
Doggy
More

Some new things I love to do:
- help mama and daddy do anything
- feed charlie
- let charlie outside to go potty
- brush my teeth
- shoot hoops (my new favorite fascination)

Binky Trail

I'm officially down to 1 binky, aka, my Nah Nah. I arrived in Boise with 4 of them. Left with 3. Home with 2. Now down to 1.

1 is missing in our house
1 was left on the plane
1 was somewhere in Boise

And then...

arriving via text message, my missing blue Nah Nah. Now how can I get this sent to me for my 6 am wake up call?

My first real hair cut

This is me getting my first real haircut. Mama didn't tell daddy and daddy doesn't like it. I hated getting it cut. You can see me tolerating the process. But after she was done I got a cool mohawk and then we went to the park to slide and run. I dont think I will be getting my hair cut again for a long time

Now I know why my friend Jack was so protective when mama and Barb tried to sneak my last cuts at Jack's house!.

My 3rd trip to Boise!

I had such a fun weekend! Uncle Brian got us passes to come see everyone in Boise. Mama and I left on Saturday morning and I even had my own seat. I was very restless on the plane because I wanted to play and not sit. But mama brought my favorite books and snacks- blueberries. But then I dumped the berries everywhere and made such a bad mess that mama had to take off my pants and shoes and socks so I wore my diaper on the plane!

When we got to Boise, Uncle Brian met us in the airport and took us to see Auntie Susan and my cousins Connor, Nathan and Laura. It was sunny but cold. Laura played with me lots! I was afraid of their dogs big time. I used to like Chopper but now he is way too scary and I didn't want to ever be on the ground unless they were outside or put away. Sorry Chopper and Brutus!

On Saturday afternoon, we went to the Boise zoo! It was sooo much fun. I saw so many animals I have never seen before and I ran and ran and ran. Mama bought me a cool shirt to wear this summer to remind me of the fun time I had at the zoo. I cant wait to go back. Its my favorite zoo!

Sunday we went on a long road trip and I got to go into the mountains to see Cascade and Donnelly. I wore my McCall Idaho shirt that Auntie Erin bought me when she visited there. We got out in the snow, met some friends and went to lunch. When we came home I danced on the fireplace. You can see me where standing up there while Uncle Brian fixed the fireplace part I ripped off.

My flight home was on Monday. I don't know why but mama spent the whole time apologizing to the people around us. I was just trying to have fun and move on her lap! Things I did on my flight

- threw my binkies at everyone around me
- threw my books in the aisle
- threw my cup at the man across the aisle, it was cool, my cup landed right in his lap!
- kicked the seat in front of us
- flipped up the tray of the man next to us, hey I didn't know he had a full glass of ice water on the tray!
- screamed
- ate the binding of my favorite book
- pooped my diaper really bad the people around us kept staring
- flirted with the lady behind us

Even though I don't like flying (I take after my daddy), I had such a great time in Boise. I love seeing my cousins and staying at their house and I can't wait to go back this summer and play at their park and swim!

Playing with Brayden

What a cool surprise. I woke up from my nap and mama told me that we were going to play at Auntie Michelle's house to see Brayden. We even got to bring Charlie. Brayden has lots of cool big kid toys like a slide and a bike and trees to climb. I brought my ball to share. We ran in the pasture and kicked the ball. Brayden let me sit on her bike and they even let me bring home a bike my size for the summer. I cant wait to ride it!

Shoe Shopping!!

Nana has a tradition where she gets to buy her grandkids their first real pair of shoes. So, mama wanted to wait until I was officially walking before we shopped. It was so special. Nana took me to Nordstrom and I could pick out ANY pair I wanted. Bompa came too, that was fun. You can see me looking at the selection and then trying on the pair she bought me. And, to celebrate my first pair of shoes I got a stuffed animal and a balloon!! I am such a lucky boy!

Minneapolis!

These are some of the highlights of my fun Minneapolis trip. I got to stay at Gramma's house and play with Leo. Gramma made this fun game for me where I can put the ball into the cup! It was also so so cold. Grandpa said it was so cold that it was actually warmer in the freezer than it was outside! But because it was so cold I got to debut my new coat and silly hat! One day Auntie Julia and daddy and mama took me downtown and we walked around the shops. You can see here that Auntie Julia likes the shoes I picked out myself!! I loved seeing Paul and Gramma and Grandpa and Auntie Julia. And, I cant wait to see them here again soon!

What's new with me?

I cant believe its been 2 weeks since my last post. So much has happened but I've been too busy to write I guess. I still dont have my Minneapolis photos to post but they are coming soon. I am having lots of fun and stay very busy.

As I grow taller I realize I reach more things and thats fun. I can open drawers and reach into them to pull out fun little surprises like the can opener or spoons. The mellon ball thingy is my favorite so far.

I can run really fast now without falling. So I like to run everywhere because I can get there faster.

I am also a really good helper. I like to help do all sorts of things like empty the dishwasher, brush my teeth, wash my hands, put away groceries, swiffer and put things in the trash. Helping mama and daddy is my new favorite thing to do.

Getting bigger can be frustrating too because I prefer to do everything myself. So sometimes I get in "trouble" because I wont sit in my highchair any more and won't eat unless I get to do it myself. Sometimes I get really frustrated because I dont get everything I want so I have temper tantrums. Those are not very fun but I think I do it because I dont know how else to tell them I am mad for not getting my way. I think its time for me to use a booster seat at the table and not have a highchair.

I am a very good climber. I can climb anything! The ladder to the slide at the park. The stairs. The gate at the top of the stairs. And, up and down furniture. Its fun but I dont understand why everyone insists on helping me, that makes it not fun.

Its possible I might be a great soccer player one day. Everyone comments on how amazing I am at running and kicking the ball at the same time. I can do it forever without getting tired. One day daddy took me in the backyard to play and I ran so much I was winded and had to stop. Which was fine, because then I discovered a new fort- the garage! Its full of all sorts of things not meant for kids.

I am still taking my naps good. I nap at home from about 10-12. At school we go to bed at 12:30.

Today I am off to play with Brayden at her house. She has a big yard and a slide. Mama said we get to bring Charlie and my ball. It will be so fun. Then Jack comes over for dinner. Lots of playtime with my buddies today!

Valentine's Day Eve

My Mama took me to school today for our Valentine's party. We all brought Valentine's for each other and put them in these little red bags. Inside the bag were lots of goodies: cookies, candies, a book and cards. Then my teachers Sarretha and Amy spoiled us with treats. All the kids were supposed to bring treats and their parents (like my mama) brought the boring stuff- graham crackers, apple juice and fruit. So Ms Sarretha went to the big kids room and brought up the good stuff- cheese puffs, chips and dip and cake. I sat at the table but had to change chairs because unlike my friends, I dont like to sit still. My mama learned our snack time rules today:

1) put your hands on your lap when waiting for a snack
2) no getting up from the table
3) no walking around with food, if you eat you must sit
4) no dropping food on the floor
5) everyone helps to clean up
6) get in line to wash our hands

I don't follow any of the rules, except I like to wash my hands. And sometimes I will help clean up. But now that Mama knows the rules, she said we are going to have these same rules at home.

You can see that I ate all the sugary foods. My teachers laughed at mama when she took me home. They said to her "have fun!" but it wasnt really that fun. I threw a temper tantrum in Target and we had to leave. I was so hyper that even I was miserable with myself. I came home and just wanted to go to bed for the night.

No candy for me on the real Valentine's Day!

Messing around

This is me meeting my cousin Sam, we're hanging out doing what we love most- drinking from our bottles. Then I was trying to slide down this toy slide made for toy cars. Ryan has since let me borrow this toy, thanks Ryan! You can also see me here coloring inside my Valentine's cards that daddy designed for my friends at school. And, these other photos are of me climbing out of my high chair. I do this every time they put me in here, I can twist out and then stand. Even if the straps are on. I'm that good. Really.