The Hamas!

People are starting to call me a jet setter: I just got back from the HAMAS!  That's the Bahamas, for all of you out there who don't speak toddler.  I took Mom and Dad to Atlantis, the fancy resort just off the shores of Nassau, for a five-day adventure (hosted in part by Dad's awesome company)!  I can't begin to regale you with moment-by-moment itinerary of our trip.  Suffice it to say that I loved Splashers! entirely as much as I anticipated.  So here are some photos:

The Ferdinand Statue!

main entrance hall to the Royal Towers

Dad's favorite slide: The Leap of Faith
AKA: Mom was too scared smart to go down this one.

The blue statue - I like this one!

This statue had snakes and I didn't like it.

SPLASHERS!!!!

Walking the bridge to get to the big blue slide - my favorite!

This little blue slide was fun, but for babies.

The big blue slide!  I loved going down this on my tummy like the big kids were!

The mermaid throne!

We are a very attractive family (even when we miss the little guy)

Squeezy huggies!
(With the Royal Towers in the background)

The property was beautiful. And HUGE.

Poolside with Dad

I got to pet a real, live shark!  It felt sandy. 
Then I touched some sharp shark teeth!

Just a $4,000 Versace purse.  No big deal.
(I dropped it on the floor seconds later)

Mom and me heading into the Annual Dinner

I gotta have more cowbell!

Limbo!  In Mom's heel, of course.
The big girls said, "Ah! How cute!" because I think they were jealous.

Junkanoo Parade!

My favorite Junkanoo princess carried me!  We led the parade!

Chilling in the bathroom with the Junkanoo princesses.

Virgil's after the parade: the barstool is a saddle!

Fishies!

Our last morning: on the beach

 And a little shout out to Gavin, who was hanging out with Grandma at Nico's house for the week:

I guess maybe he had fun too, even if he wasn't at Splashers!

Work with Mommy

Gavin got to go to work with Mommy a few weeks ago, which is cool and all.  But I wanted a turn at Mommy's work, too!  So on Tuesday, I packed my things, dropped Gavin off at day care, and jumped on the train with Mommy and Grammy.  I really enjoyed the train ride, but was a little miffed when I had to sit on Mom's lap as the train filled with commuters.

We finally got to Mommy's work and I started quietly exploring my surroundings.  I really wanted a few minutes to just look around before I started talking to any grown-ups.  Mom had a teddy bear on her desk who became a new BFF, and I got to coloring on Mommy's desk.  I also helped Mom organize her calendar and enter some data on the computer.

After a while, Mom had a meeting to go to, so Grammy and I went out into the galleries to visit "Tony" the dog (Owney) and ride on the BIG TRUCK!  Grammy says I wore out the seats on the truck.  I think she's exaggerating a little.  I did have fun driving the Freightliner, and I did not want to share with other museum visitors!

Next up was lunch with Mom and her coworkers in the big conference room.  I didn't really want to jump in on their conversation, so I stayed pretty quiet until it was time for hide and seek.  Those big conference tables were great for hiding under!  I had some really good hiding spots - no one could find me!  I ran off a ton of energy, and was ready for a nap.

I got to sleep under Mom's desk - with my new teddy bear BFF snuggled with me.  Mom only brought one blankie (what a rookie mistake) so I snuggled under her lab coat for some extra cuddles.

After nap, I played in the galleries for a little bit longer before catching the 4:20 train home.  I had a really fun day with Mom and Grammy!  I'm so glad I could come into the city!

Laura: September 2012

I was pretty good about noting all the cute things Laura said and did in September!  We are in the height of potty training, and she's doing pretty well.  I give some credit to her current princess obsession, since her pull-ups and undies are all princess themed.  Towards the end of the month, on the 23rd, Laura woke up around 2am, all panicked and disoriented trying to get to the bathroom: "I HAVE TO PEE!" To her credit, she did!  This was a few days after she woke up dry and announced, "I kept my diaper dry all night because I wanted to keep it dry. I'm a big girl and big girls keep their diapers dry!"  We're getting there!

In September, Laura's favorite books were Ferdinand, Stars, Caps For Sale, and Rainbow Fish.  Laura know Ferdinand almost completely by heart, and can find the word "Ferdinand" on every page.  We talk a lot about the little F, and try to find it in Rainbow Fish now too.

Laura's favorite movies were The Little Mermaid and anything related to Babar on Netflix.  Laura will be dressing as Ariel from the Little Mermaid for Halloween, and I think we'll look for some Babar books the next time we're at the library! 

Laura blogged a little bit about her current PRINCESS obsession.  The force is strong in this one.  She wears my silver ballet flats (princess shoes) whenever she has a chance.  Here are some princess conversations I wrote down:

• Me: Laura, I love you my princess!

  Laura: (sigh) but I not a pwincess.  I don't have my crown or neckalace on!

(running through the house screaming) AAAAAH! There's a monster chasing me!!  He's trying to get my pwincess shoes!!!

After tears when I wouldn't let Laura wear her tiara to school, we had a long talk about wearing our princess crowns in our hearts.  We looked at pictures of Princess Kate, to see that real life princesses don't wear their crowns all the time!  Laura was rather unconvinced.

Laura insists on changing into a princess dress every day after school - her Steelers tutu dress is a favorite!

After soccer practice: "Princesses can kick the ball, too!"

Um, yeah.  Laura started soccer at school on Wednesdays.  She's growing up so fast!

And here are some other cute things Laura has said and done:

• Abra casabra the potato is gone! (it wasn't, but she definitely wasn't eating that potato)
• Dancing to 'mercials (ads) on tv
• "Play the clap one" means Laura wants me to sing Miss Mary Mack
• I figger it out!
• That puppy has beautiful eyes and beautiful wittle feet and I like his ears and wittle tail! I really like that wittle dog! That dog is like Jenny!  (I can't remember the last time Laura saw Jenny!)
• Arnisus - rhinoceros
• I don't think daddy's eating at the table with us. Looks like he's eating in the room where it's messy
• I think Gavin needs a bottle and a fluff
• Muffin mitt - oven mitt
• Pwobly I can buy housekeeping for my house if I ask Santa (I can't believe she remembers Santa!)
• Busquito - mosquito (they love her)
• (a sudden outburst of noise and wiggling in the car) A monster is wiggling me!!!
• (pretending to take her "kids" to the baseball game) I'm not able to get to the game!
• I don't actually want to listen (well, ok then!)
• Me: Laura, Don't sit on your brother.
  Laura: But he's a train!

Gavin: Four Months

Somewhere in the middle of September, Gavin turned four months old.  Somewhere just before October, Gavin was weighed (though not measured), so I have some of his four month stats to add to the running list on my phone of cute things he has done.  So without further ado, at four months Gavin:

Weighs 16 pounds!  I guessed a little higher, since he's been in size 3 diapers for a while now.  He's also moving into 9-month clothes, which are still a little big, but far more comfortable for him than his snug 6-month outfits!

Has been chewing on everything - mostly his bibs that need to be switched out for dry ones every hour or two!  He has been very fond of this little lovey, which is so soft in his hands.

Started eating solid foods!  Gavin is pretty good at actually getting the food into his tummy, and not just all over his face.  Oatmeal is very yummy, and he's a very hungry little boy.

Gavin also started rolling with more frequency this month, started sticking his tongue out, was all about his hands, and was super ticklish.  We love tickling Gavin, and getting those huge grins and not-quite-belly laughs out of him.  He is still our happy, snuggly little guy. 

Fishin' at Trap Pond

I got to go camping again this weekend with Daddy, Liz, Vin, Nico, Maria and Jarrett!  I love camping and was so excited to go!  We didn't go to Shenandoah (my favorite place) this time, because it was too far for the Philly contingent, so we went to Trap Pond in Delaware instead.  Ponds mean fishing, so I got my very first fishin' rod!

My favorite part of this camping trip was the fishing.  I really wanted to catch a sparkly fish, but the fish were all sleeping.  I didn't catch any, but it was still fun.  I also really enjoyed running, dancing, singing, and s'mores.

It was fun having baby Nico along.  I wish Mommy and Gavin could have gone, too.  Gavin had a cold, so he missed out on all the fun.  He can come along next time!

I a Pwincess!

I have been way into princesses lately.  It makes sense, since I am a princess!  I just can't fathom going anywhere without a tutu, crown and beads.  I especially love wearing princess shoes whenever I can borrow them from my mom.  Can you believe it, there are days Mom chooses to NOT wear her princess shoes!

So sometimes I wear them for her:

Fluffy crown, Mardi Gras beads, Tutu outfit, and Mom's shoes

I managed to wear a tutu every day last week.  Even to school!  My mom just made sure I had shorts on underneath.  So obviously, I made a point of wearing my best tutu and crown to play soccer with my dad on Saturday!

Fluffy crown, Panda sweater, Nightgown, Tutu,
Disney Princess sneakers a size too large, and soccer ball

Last night, I changed out of my jeans and t-shirt to slip into something a little more becoming of my station.  A party dress, obviously.  What you can't see in this picture is that I have an extra tutu on under the dress, as well as Mom's princess shoes.  I was really cry-ey when I had to take my dress off to go to bed.  I shouted, "How can I be a princess without my pretty dress on?"  Mom and Dad tried to assure me that I am a princess even in my jammies, but I remain skeptical.

Sparkly crown, Mardi Gras beads, Party dress, Tutu, and Mom's shoes

I love being a princess, don't you?  I just need to convince Mom and Dad to let me sleep in my tutus (and crown and beads) at night!  Jammies are for commoners.

Rolling!

Gavin is so proud of himself!

Much as Laura was at the same age, two and a half years ago!

Take Us Out to the Ballgame

Laura has been to a few baseball games, but yesterday afternoon was my first!  Mommy and Daddy (following a great weekend celebrating at Mandy and Reid's wedding) took Laura, Grandma, Grandpa and me to the Orioles game!  It was perfect weather for a little guy like me to be out and about - nice and sunny, but not very hot. 

Laura was very excited to see her favorite part again - the escalator!  She loved riding up the escalator all by herself (with a little hand from Daddy getting on and off).  My favorite part was... everything except the noisy cheering early in the game.  After the Orioles started to lose, the crowd died down a bit and I enjoyed the game a lot more.  The cheering early on was a little scary for me!  But you wouldn't know it from this picture:

I am just one happy dude, so pleased to have been included in this excursion.  Let's go O's!

And just for the record, here's a few pictures from Mommy and Daddy's weekend in CT:



Laura: August Recap



I wasn't the best at noting all the adorable things Laura said and did this month.  I swear, I need to install a webcam for the backseat of the car to just record everything she says back there.  When Laura is in the car, she doesn't stop talking for a minute. 

Laura's most discussed point in the car during August (and September so far) has been poor road quality.  She doesn't like how she gets bumped in her seat.  I told her that the roads are bad, because they were made cheaply, so now she is focused on spending "The Monies" from her piggy bank to fix them. During one really long diatribe, Laura expounded on how bad the roads were, then discussed how she would fix them, then offered up the monies, and finished with "that's my idea!"  Politician in the making?  

Laura also:

talked about waterpillars this month,

told me "I very nice at sharing"

announced "I wanna be a bannerina!" (ballerina)

and sang many rounds of "Pocket and a rosie, rosie, rosie!"  (which is continued with "asses, asses, we all fall down!")

My Little Reader

I distinctly remember sitting on the love seat in our house in Florida.  The pastel blue and pink plaid one.  The one where Bear was lost under a cushion for three whole weeks – an eternity.

I remember sitting on that couch on my dad’s lap reading my favorite story for the bazillionth time.  Ferdinand.  I remember turning the pages to my favorite illustration: the one with the lovely ladies with flowers in their hair.  I remember reciting memorized passages.  And suddenly!  A word on a page.  No longer individual letters, stark and black on a white paper.  But a drawn word.  A picture I could read. 

F-E-R-D-I-N-A-N-D

And now I sit on a recliner sofa in our house in Maryland.  The green leather one.  The one that Ries started to eat as a puppy seven whole years ago – an eternity.

I sit on that couch with Laura on my lap reading her favorite story for the bazillionth time.  Ferdinand.  She turns the pages to her favorite illustrations: the one with the men in funny hats, and the one with Ferdinand peeking out into the bull ring.  Laura recites memorized passages.  And suddenly!  A word on a page.  No longer individual letters, stark and black on a white paper.  But a drawn word.  A picture she can read.

F-E-R-D-I-N-A-N-D

In my two and a half years as a mother, I am not sure I have ever been so proud of Laura as I was last night when she found every "Ferdinand" in her favorite book.  Pride in part because my daughter is one smart cookie.  But mostly pride in her love of books and ready.  I hope Laura’s love only grows throughout her life.