Friday, May 30, 2014

Baby's First Conference

Hi friends!  I am twelve weeks old, and it's high time I made my blogging debut.  And what a story I have to tell - I went on my first flight last week!  All the way to Seattle with my mom for my first museum conference!  My big adventure started on Friday the 16th, when Mommy and Grammy bundled me into the car very early in the morning.  We drove up to Newark, and found Bimpy at the airport.  Then we drove all the way up to Saratoga to meet Aunt Torie, Uncle Parke and Uncle Taylor (who I had technically met before) for Torie's college graduation!
I don't want to travel in the suitcase!







Selfie with me, Torie and Mom

Mary Tyler Moore-ing it


After the graduation on Saturday (and lots of cleaning and some dinner), Mom and I stayed overnight in Albany so we could catch an EARLY flight out to Seattle through Chicago.  Mom learned on the first flight that a neck pillow would be very handy.  It was!  I used it for some activity time on the floor of the plane from Chicago to Seattle!
 When we landed, we went straight to the conference center.  Mommy got her conference badge, and I helped her wear it while she got changed and ready for her first presentation.  It went really well!
 We we celebrated with my first Seattle coffee.  MMMM...
 Mommy's sweet boss, Ms. Beth, watched me.  She's not as afraid of babies anymore, now that she knows I don't have cooties!
 We went to an evening event at the EMP Museum, and got to see the Space Needle.
 Then Mommy called me King Joffrey as I sat on the Game of Thrones throne (I take great offense to that, by the way, as I am a very sweet little boy).
 The next day, Mommy made me my very own conference attendee badge - complete with first time attendee flag!  That night (no pictures, oops) we went to the GWU Alumni reception, and then dinner with Aunt Alice and Uncle John!  Alice held me all during dinner, as I slept on her shoulder.  She was very comfy and I really liked being held by her!
 We went to the Public Market, but I slept through the flying fish and pretty flowers.
 That night, we went to the Seattle Art Museum which was cool.  Some of the art was a little... weird, like this silly rat on a bed... I think mom's face tells our reaction to it!
Other works were so very sweet and relatable.
There was also some Miro-inspired participatory art which mommy and I had fun with!
Wednesday morning was mummy's second presentation.  She moderated a session about Deaccessioning - and the session went really well!  Or so I'm told - I hung out in the hotel room with my favorite Aunt Alice!

After the sessions were all over, mommy and i went on a tour of the Seattle Art museum storage areas, and then just hung out in the city, enjoying the sunny weather!!
We got some more coffee, too!



On our last morning, mommy and I finally went for crêpes at the outdoor stand we had walked past all week.  They were a tasty last snack before boarding the plane back home.
I was a very good boy on the flight, cooing and napping for most of it!

Choo! Choo! I'm Two!!

I'm two, everyone!  Two years old!  Complete with all the tantrums and adorableness that comes with every two year old.  I am 26 pounds (30th percentile) and am 2' 10.5" tall (70th percentile).  As a two year old, I have started showing strong interests in various things... like trains!  I am very into choo-choo trains, which is why Mommy decided to throw me a train party!  Here are some pictures:

Mom saw a cute idea (on Pinterest, of course) to use aluminum loaf pans as train cars for the food.  I helped attach the wheels!  And then I helped eat all the fruit!


My party was on Mother's Day, so Mommy made a big thing of mimosas for all the mommies.  The rest of us had lemonade and iced tea.

We all wore cool conductor hats while we played outside!

Grammy and Bimpy created choo-choos for all of us using boxes and plastic tablecloths (another "Pinspiration" according to Mommy).  


Mommy found my special shirt on CafePress.  I love wearing it, since I love choo-choos so much!

Paul had a cute train outfit, too.

Grammy brought a die-cast cake pan that make little train engine and train car cakes!  Laura decorated them very beautifully, and Grammy arranged them on "train track" cake, made out of sheet cakes.

We played with our cardboard choo-choos long after the party ended.

I am two!  Choo! Choo!

Plumpton Park Zoo

On a recent nothing-planned weekend, we decided to meet up with our Aunt Liz and cousin for a fun day at the Plumpton Park Zoo.  It was sort of in the middle of nowhere, but about halfway between our houses.  It's a small zoo, but just the right size for our little legs!  Sadly, there were also loose peacocks wandering the grounds.  And a huge, ugly turkey (which Gavin loved. Typical little brother behavior).  And chickens.  I don't like those HORRIBLE CHICKENS! (exact quote).  But besides the horrible chickens, we did all have a great time.  Here are pictures!




The bear climbed the cage for a strawberry - I bet Gavin would do the same!