Visitors – It's Campbell Time!

Autumn Antics Through the New Year

Fall of this year was pretty crazy. Renaissance Fest, Halloween without Mommy, you finally participated (a little) in your school pageant, and you got a visit from Grandma and Grandpa on your birthday weekend.

Then came the holidays. Thanksgiving at home, Hanukkah with Brandon and Maureen, another pageant (where you did participate) and Christmas with the sniffles.

It all began with a little trip to the Ren Fair with our favorite pair, Colin and Beth.

Hangin' wid my posse. — Hangin’ wid my posse.

Closely followed by additional piracy and the looting of candies. Unfortunately, mommy had to travel for an emergency, so it was just the boys on Halloween.

(Not sure what you meant here... didn't want to find out.) — (Not sure what you meant here… didn’t want to find out.)

Then a visit from Grandma and Grandpa. Some dancing was done and then a birthday was celebrated.

No, I'm not... yaaaawwwn... bored with you folks at all. — No, I’m not… yaaaawwwn… bored with you folks at all.

HEY! It's MY BIRTHDAY! — HEY! It’s MY BIRTHDAY!

It should come as no surprise that CAKE is why we do this... — It should come as no surprise that CAKE is why we do this…

Yes, I know it's DARTH. But Dark sounds cooler. — Yes, I know it’s DARTH. But Dark sounds cooler.

Shortly thereafter, we settled in for some days off and vegan food. You had your school pageant (where you faced the opposite direction of everyone else), but you DID know all the words to the song. In fact, you wrote them for dad when you visited his office.

Look, let me write it down for you, dad.

From there it was holiday shopping and decorating.

I've fashioned my very own Pope Mobile. — I’ve fashioned my very own Pope Mobile.

Let me show you how it's done, mother. — Let me show you how it’s done, mother.

The giant foot of a pre-schooler — What can I say? I am a growing machine!

Then off to get Santa pics and even more SHOPPING.

What do you mean, "good side"? They're ALL my good side. — What do you mean, “good side”? They’re ALL my good side.

A beautiful mommy. And hey... mine. — A beautiful mommy. And hey… mine.

What do you mean we're not supposed to PICK em? — What do you mean we’re not supposed to PICK em?

Your big brother and his wife came to teach you about Hanukkah. You loved the lighting of the Menorah.

((I can’t find any pics on my phone. I’ll have to upload those later))

Then suddenly it’s CHRISTMAS. Presents, a trip to see the lights on 34th Street in Baltimore and a special treat – ICE CREAM at a place called the Charmery (GREAT homemade ice cream) because it was so very hot this Christmas.

Uh... paparazzi, can you give me a second to wake up? — Uh… paparazzi, can you give me a second to wake up?

Diner kit? TIme to start Campbell's Pizza officially! — Diner kit? TIme to start Campbell’s Pizza officially!

Jeopardy Calendar? Oh, Santa. You SO get me!

MALEFICENT ON THE COVER? None else matters.

'Scuse our mess. We just opened the diner. — ‘Scuse our mess. We just opened the diner.

Ice Cream in winter? THANK YOU, CLIMATE CHANGE!

Other significant occurrences in this period:

You saw FOUR more movies at the theater: The Peanuts Movie, Good Dinosaur, The Chipmunks Road Chip, and Star Wars: Force Awakens (which you BEGGED to see and absolutely loved). You also let daddy know that going to the movies is your new favorite thing to do.
You learned what curse words are and you know better than to say them. You also know a range of “bad words” which aren’t as bad, but you still correct us if we say: “Shut up”, “Idiot”, “Stupid”, or “Crap”. On the OTHER end of that, you let one of our friends know that you know but could never say, “Duck spelled with the letter F” and when your shocked parents asked how you knew that word, your reply was, “Probably on YouTube.”
Your Wheel of Fortune obsession has waned. You still love game shows though and often talk about going to California to see Sony Pictures Studios.
There was a weird moment where you PANICKED when you heard “kids music”, but now you just tell us you don’t want to hear it. Your musical tastes are pretty eclectic, but OTHER than kids’ music, you’ll listen to nearly anything else.
You want a puppy. You love the neighbor’s dog and tell us all the time how you are getting one…
Your hair cutter is named Tessie and so is the dog next door. To distinguish which, you’ve said, “Tessie snip snip or Tessie woof woof?”
For some reason, NOW you’re a picky eater. You don’t like finishing breakfast this month and you’d FAR prefer a desert (in the form of a cookie) vs. eating anything healthy. When you’re old enough to read this, I hope you know what Mom and Dad fought you on this one.
We have a lot of friends in our lives, but you are absolutely locked into Colin and Beth. They love you too. 🙂

And thus, 2015 fades behind us.

Summertime Round up

Here it is, the summer of 2015. From pre-school graduations, to train museums, to birthday parties, rainy day drawings to outdoor fun, aquarium visits, Spy museums; we’ve done quite a bit this summer.

We were very excited that you would participate in this year’s graduation ceremony, since you were PAINFULLY shy in your Thanksgiving pageant. You did participate a little, but were more engaged when it was time to leave.

Haaaaaaaaay! I'm graduating. — Haaaaaaaaay! I’m graduating.

Apparently Jackson has my back. NO PAPARAZZI!

After graduation, mom and dad took you to the Columbia Mall where you revealed a newfound interest (though mild); you wanted a Captain America shield. You have told us a few times this summer that he was your favorite super hero, even though you still like wearing all your Batman shirts. Your real superpower? Stealing dad’s spot in bed and maximizing your space on the bed…

Oh yeah, I'm the new Capn' America. — Oh yeah, I’m the new Capn’ America.

My uniform is so comfortable I can SLEEP in it.

There were two major birthday parties; our next door neighbor Garret and your down the street buddy, Rohan. At Garret’s you proved your mastery of the slide. At Rohans, your love of an open sprinkler…

Speaking of open sprinklers, we got a blow up pool which had a couple of good days of use. Though the water gets so cold, you nearly freezed the first time we ever played around in it.

Post wading pool shivers, I do my best Jawa impression.

One of the drawings you did on a rainy day is going to remain a classic in this household. Daddy and his boss have a saying at work that you captured quite perfectly in a drawing. Ask me someday and I’ll explain it to you. You also haven’t slowed down with your general hijinks. But you have become a great helper in the grocery store!

HEY! I can't see out of this eye!? — HEY! I can’t see out of this eye!?

I'm the Captain now! — I’m the Captain now!

Just call me Captain Lucky! (Yes, you won 500 tickets on ONE SPIN)

On the sports front, the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup with our screaming support all the way. And you might have become an Orioles fan.

NEXT O's game, I better get to go with you. — NEXT O’s game, I better get to go with you.

Some of the mundane stuff that still provided us with laughter? Your haircuts with Tessie. “When your hair gets messy, go see Tessie” is the new rhyme in our house. You adore your stylist and for that, we’re thankful.

Who doesn't love flirting? AMIRIGHT? — Who doesn’t love flirting? AMIRIGHT?

A BIG milestone was your FIRST movie theater experience. You were perfect. You sat quietly, laughed at all the right parts and after it was over, revealed that your favorite character was… the villain. But in MINIONS, even the villains are pretty funny and tame.

I like this "movie" thing. Let's do it again, shall we? — I like this “movie” thing. Let’s do it again, shall we?

Later in the summer Daddy’s old friend from New Orleans came to visit (Scott Smith; though he and his family live in North Carolina now). The Smith family visited our house, had brunch with us in DC and we walked them all over the place.

Visitors? Let me charm them... — Visitors? Let me charm them…

The day we visited the B&O Train Museum in Baltimore was an extra special day because you got to see the trains from Chuggington! It didn’t stop there though, because we went aboard a big steam engine, did a lot of activities and visited a very large and interesting roundhouse.

Here... let me prove it. — Here… let me prove it.

Three for three! — Puttin out fires, three for three!

Some of the things we DIDN’T get on film were two different summer camp experiences you had. Both with Lifetime Athletic. But on a field trip day, Daddy decided to pull you out and go to the National Aquarium with you (more on that below).

Your obsession for game shows hasn’t really subsided, but you’ve at least provided us with some entertaining versions. You’ve scribed the Russian version of Jeopardy (or is it Wheel of Fortune?) in Cyrillic. And you were so fixated on a Mickey Mouse episode where Donald got “flipperboobootosis” that you actually made a puzzle board with the category “Sores on the Feet”.

Russian... yes, really — Russian… yes, really

The National Aquarium visits were both great. First dad took you on a day off. You and he went from tank to tank, learning about fish and you started a journal. You did pretty good work in it too, writing down names and trying to draw the animals we saw. The second time, was the whole family and it was a nice distraction on a very hot day.

Blub glub? I don't speak fish, sorry. — Blub glub? I don’t speak fish, sorry.

Who doesn't love bubbles?? — Who doesn’t love bubbles??

Hmmm... we appear to be over WATER! — Hmmm… we appear to be over WATER!

Poison Frog Dart. You know what I mean... — Poison Frog Dart. You know what I mean…

This weekend we went peach picking and went to the park, where you were SO adroit on all the equipment. Daddy nearly had a heart attack when you went zipping up the rock wall, but it’s good that you’re building your muscles and your confidence.

Is it rude if I say, "Niiiice peaches!"? — Is it rude if I say, “Niiiice peaches!”?

Duck, duck... PEACH! — Duck, duck… PEACH!

The intrepid climber begins his ascent... — The intrepid climber begins his ascent…

PROFESSIONAL rock climber! MOM... catch me. — PROFESSIONAL rock climber! MOM… catch me.

Other things of note:

We are reading EPIC! (A book app) a few times a week. You’ve completed the 100 books challenge for the summer and aren’t slowing down!
You also like an app called Disney Appisodes, which let you control the book.
Based on Appisodes, you now watch Sheriff Callie, Miles from Tomorrowland and Chuggington as regularly as the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
Your game show fixation has gotten a little intense sometimes, but Wheel of Fortunes have given way to category boards and puzzle boards.
You told Daddy that you were going to “Take over Merkle… as the CEO. Of the cafe…”
When we go to Arundel Mills mall two things we have to do; Dave and Buster’s Arcade, Bass Pro Shop’s massive fish tank.
We’ve played a lot of Legos, board games (Mostly Hi Ho Cherry Oh) and have to figure out some toys to DONATE because you have so many.
We all spent the night at Colin and Beth’s again.

Kicking off Summer 2014

We certainly started July right, because your Mimi and Doc visited for a few days. We dragged them down to Washington DC to watch 4th of July fireworks with us and it was a crazy day. We started by visiting the National Gallery, then walked all the way to the Washington Mall. It was very tiring but you got in a LOT of snuggles. And the fireworks were great.

Hey. That looks like that FAMOUS painting... — Hey. That looks like that FAMOUS painting…

I'm just... pondering the art. — I’m just… pondering the art.

You can squirt me now, Doc... but you gotta sleep SOMETIME. — You can squirt me now, Doc… but you gotta sleep SOMETIME.

Here's Mommy with my alternate identity, Jimmy TWO HATS! — Here’s Mommy with my alternate identity, Jimmy TWO HATS!

Rollin' wif my JUICE! — Rollin’ wif my JUICE!

Then you were interested in World Cup for just a few minutes.

Yes, World Cup is... zzzzzzzz — Yes, World Cup is… zzzzzzzz

You’ve been going to a pre-school camp and according to Mommy, you’re having a great time doing that too. You’ve even met some new friends and bringing home a craft every day. Generally, you’re spending the summer enjoying our new house.

I believe it's called "Chill-axin" — I believe it’s called “Chill-axin”

We could also call this the “Summer of Writing”. You’re ability to write has just exploded. Every night you write new things and you even write stuff on the projects you bring home. And your drawings have gotten pretty funny too, but Daddy has to help you focus on them.

In case you wondrered where I got these.

We even had our first neighborhood cook out experience, and while you didn’t last long, you did a great job of enjoying the evening.

All in all, looks like it’s going to be a fun summer.

Marching up to Easter

March might have been an extension of winter, but on St. Patrick’s Day weekend you had two very special visitors to warm you up: Mimi and Doc! They hadn’t seen you for a while and it was very exciting. They brought you a special shirt just for St. Patricks, which you wore very well.

I'm ready for my close up... — I’m ready for my close up…

While they were here, Mommy and Daddy slept in your room. Of course you loved sneaking in bed with us. You proved you have your Mommy’s sleeping disposition though, when I tried to wake you up before you were ready.

We also took Mimi and Doc to some of your favorite places; Pasta Blitz, Eggspectation and Bean Hollow.

You almost drove Doc crazy with your ability to keep taking off your gloves faster than we can put them on you. But you made Mimi happy by playing puzzles with her. While we were in Ellicot City, Mimi almost bought an antique chair, but Mommy did buy a piece of art for the house. It was a short visit and you were very sad to see them go.

Don't worry Mimi. I can fix this. — Don’t worry Mimi. I can fix this.

When spring weather finally arrived, it did so with a nice series of warm weekends (we’re not going to mention those two days where it rained like a monsoon and that one day when it snowed again). So we’ve all tried to use them to maximize our fun.

I call this look, "Blue Steel" — I call this look, “Spring Steel”

Mommy replanted her AeroGarden plants so they would produce tomatoes and peppers all summer long. You were immensely helpful, carrying shovelfuls of dirt to new pots, helping put the spikes in and generally holding on to things Mommy needed you to hold on to. You also ate one of the very not ripe tomatoes and decided you really shouldn’t have.

No, mommy. Like THIS... — No, mommy. Like THIS…

Sun... so... very... bright. — Sun… so… very… bright.

I dub thee, "Sir Clummpa Dirt". — I dub thee, “Sir Clummpa Dirt”.

Under ripe tomatoes. Not as tasty as you'd think. — Under ripe tomatoes. Not as tasty as you’d think.

It smells like... (nom nom nom) — It smells like… (nom nom nom)

This past weekend we went to Washington DC to see the Cherry Blossom Festival. It was packed with people, but after a long walk up and down the Mall, we saw the Martin Luther King Jr. monument, The Korean War monument, the Vietnam War Monument and a LOT of cherry trees. We even sat for a bit in a glade as you shook the mature blossoms off some stems, ran around a lot and met some new friends. On the way home, we stopped at Starbucks near Laurel and you amazed us with a trick.

With a simple flick of my wrist... — With a simple flick of my wrist…

A blossom in the hand is worth...well, I dunno but it's fun. — A blossom in the hand is worth…well, I dunno but it’s fun.

Do you know a fellow named Brandon, by chance?

First trick? Balancing act... — First trick? Balancing act…

And for my next trick, I'll make the apple disappear. — And for my next trick, I’ll make the apple disappear.

Finally, this weekend we went to the Maryland Zoo’s “Bunny Bonanzoo”. You hunted some Easter Eggs (not much of a “hunt” really, but more like a harvest), traded them for some chocolate and then we were bored with the Bunny Bonanzoo. So we went over the hill and into the zoo to ride a train, pet some goats, see the elephants (where you fell asleep), and then Mommy and Daddy continued to walk, seeing giraffes, an okapi, and a great chimpanzee exhibit.

If this were a crime scene, it'd be an open and shut case. — If this were a crime scene, it’d be an open and shut case.

They're all empty? I'VE BEEN DUPED! — They’re all empty? I’VE BEEN DUPED!

So what would you like brushed? Teeth or back?

TOOT TOOT. The Zoo Train has left the station.

But tomorrow is the big day! Easter. What will the Easter Bunny bring??

The Holiday Whirlwind

Just chillin' with Santa — Just chillin’ with Santa

It was a very busy holiday for us this year. You got to see Santa TWICE, you had a visit from family and you got to see the White House and New York all in the same week!

Soon after Thanksgiving we bought a real Christmas tree (you helped pick it out) and decorated. Mommy went all out this year because of our new house. She has a lot of Disney ornaments that she dusted off JUST for you and we hung them from the bannisters so you could see them every day. We also took a trip to the Columbia Mall to see Santa Claus where you told him you wanted a “guppy” (actually a Betta fish like we had in Minnesota). You also told him that “zombies have beards too” which Daddy wasn’t sure was a win or failure, but it was funny in any case.

That "new house on Christmas" smell — That “new house on Christmas” smell

Campbell Train! (From Grandma and Grandpa)

Later in the month, but before Christmas, Grandma and Grandpa Yeoman from Indiana came to stay with us for the week, so we decided to show them a little bit of the East Coast.

Our first short journey was to visit the White House and see their Christmas tree. We met a lot of really nice people and did a good bit of walking. But boy the things we saw! Not only did we see where President Obama lives, but we saw trees for every state, a display of trains around the National Tree and you got to see Santa AGAIN! This time we visited him in one of his temporary workshops and he was just as kind and fun as ever.

Campbell's future residence? — Campbell’s future residence?

Mommy! Look! I'm trainspotting! — Mommy! Look! I’m trainspotting!

Hey Grandma! Come visit me when I'm President here? — Hey Grandma! Come visit me when I’m President here?

So, you think Daddy's hat is a good disguise? I mean, I already talked to Santa once this year. — So, you think Daddy’s hat is a good disguise? I mean, I already talked to Santa once this year.

Does your wife know you get around this much?

On the next day we took a very short trip to Ellicot City and had lunch at one of our new favorite places, Bean Hollow. We walked around a little more, did a little window shopping, and like magic, it began to snow in big fluffy flakes. That night, you opened a LOT of Christmas presents with Grandma.

Take me down, to the Ellicot City... — Take me down, to the Ellicot City…

The following morning we had an early breakfast and took a train to New York. You did a great job on the train ride and you seemed to really enjoy it. It was a little hectic when we arrived at Penn Station, but once we got into the cab you had a blast. Your favorite thing there? City maps; a touchscreen showing all the fun things to do in NYC but of course, you just had fun punching buttons and seeing the screen.

Everything looks better in mood lighting!

Once we settled down in our hotel, The Ameritania, we decided to take a walk to see the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Plaza. Getting there wasn’t so bad, but once we arrived it was packed tight with lots of folks who had the same idea. You fell asleep when we got there so you missed a lot of the hub-bub. We also got to see a great light show on the side of Sax Fifth Avenue, but we were worried for your comfort because it was quite cold. So we made our way back to the hotel and met up with Uncle Chad and Aunt Amanita for dinner. It was hard to find a restaurant that wasn’t a chain (we were in Times Square), but we walked around until we finally found a little Mexican place that we all enjoyed. Daddy took you to the toilet there where you insisted had a kitty on the wall, though Daddy never saw it.

I'm a small moose, but I'm livin large. — I’m a small moose, but I’m livin large.

Tired Mommy and Daddy... — Tired Mommy and Daddy…

Mommy belongs here, I think... — Mommy belongs here, I think…

The next day we went to Central Park where we bought hats, treated you to your first bagel (and you loved it) and decided to walk around a bit, even though it had gotten colder than before. You had a bit of a melt down because you weren’t allowed to use the swings; not our fault because the playground section of the park was actually closed for the holiday. Aunt Am had suggested we see the carousel, but that proved to be an even bigger disappointment for you, since it too was closed for the season (Aunt Am didn’t know). After a good cry and some snacks, you pulled it together and we warmed up in a visitor’s center, then headed to FAO Schwarz.

From a famous movie you say? I just thought it was BIG!

Once we were there you were amazed. We saw lots of toys and you even picked out a bear you wanted Santa to bring to you (a little “Wall Street” bear) and you even re-enacted a famous scene from the movie, BIG. You were just about ready for a nap, so we took a break. But when you woke up, it was all adventure again. We went to the M&Ms store followed by a trip to the Disney store where you were enthralled by lanterns, you charmed the clerks out of several Monsters Inc. pins (especially, your favorite, Mike Wazowski) and Uncle Chad met us there to find some dinner.

He took us to a great place called John’s Pizzaria. There slogan was “NO SLICES”, which you remembered and said often. Uncle Chad also brought a Christmas present for you which you are still sleeping with; a monkey puppet called Bananas. After that we went to the Times Square Toys R Us where you, Mommy, Daddy and Uncle Chad wrote the crazy big ferris wheel (we got to ride in the Fire Truck car) and you saw a roaring T-Rex that was a little unsettling. Then back to the hotel where Grandma stayed with you a little bit while Mommy and Daddy met Chad and Am for a drink. What a wild two days!

Hey, Unca Chad! Help me terrify daddy up there!

The day before we went back, we squeezed in ONE more tiny adventure at the American Museum of Natural History. While it was crowded, we had a great time and you got to see Rose Space Center (where you learned about craters on the moon), the African Mammals room and we ate a quick lunch before running off to the train station. The trip home was not so bad, since you slept on Grandma most of the way. Before your grandparents left, we drove through the Symphony of Lights display (our second time, actually) where you pointed out the snowball throwing bears which you enjoyed BOTH times.

Bah! Tell me something I DON'T know. — Bah! Tell me something I DON’T know.

Some of the amazing lights at the Symphony of Lights.

Mommy made a nice vegetarian roast for Christmas Eve dinner and the next morning, we awoke to see all the great stuff Santa brought! Thomas the Train, your FAO Schwarz bear, Bob the Betta fish & the movie PLANES! Later that night, we drove over to Baltimore to see the famous 34th Street lights and go out to eat Chinese food. It was the perfect Christmas.

C'mon pal! We're going to New York. — C’mon pal! We’re going to New York.

Christmas... lights... so... bright. — Christmas… lights… so… bright.

This week we’re figuring out what to do for New Year’s Eve, but in the meantime you have lots of new things to occupy your dreams.

Why, yes, Bananas... I would like to go sledding... zzzzzzzz — Why, yes, Bananas… I would like to go sledding… zzzzzzzz

Happy THIRD Birthday

Ah, the fine subtle flavors of vanilla cake... — Ah, the fine subtle flavors of vanilla cake…

You are growing up SO FAST. On Wednesday, it was your 3rd birthday. However, Daddy had all day business meetings and you weren’t feeling well, so we decided to have our celebration on Saturday.

But you didn’t go without on the day of your birthday. Daddy went out and got you some board books about animals and made you a BIG fruit salad (what you requested for birthday breakfast). When you came down that morning, you ate breakfast with a whole menagerie of “Little Animal” books. (We’ve been reading them every night this week).

Daddy's envelope doodles — Daddy’s envelope doodles

Both sets of your grandparents sent you some fun things and awesome cards. And later that day, mommy took you to Mall of Columbia to ride on the Merry Go Round TWICE in a row. Even though you were under the weather, you had a blast.

On Saturday we got up early and cleaned house. You went with Daddy to Target to buy some things for the party and you reminded him that he promised to buy you the Meowsic Keyboard for your birthday. And so he DID (much to the chagrin of Mommy. She’s the one that has to hear Frère Jacques in kitten meows all week).

We also had a great party. Ed Illig (Daddy’s new boss) and his wife Lisa and daughters Amber and Audrey (who were grown up) joined you. As well as Croom Lawrence (Daddy’s co-worker), with his wife Elizabeth and their daughters Eleanora & Josie. Finally, Brook and Braden, our neighbors, joined too! We had lots of balloons to kick around, a blackboard tablecloth (which went over great), Angry Birds plates and LOTS of cheese pizza. You and the kids played, the adults chatted and baby Josie chewed on things.

Elizabeth Lawrence and daughters, Josie and Eleanora

You got some VERY nice things from our guests: The Illigs brought you a big Pirate Puzzle, the Lawrence family gave you a doctor kit and Brook & Braden gave you an “Elf on the Shelf”. We’ll see him after Thanksgiving.

OH yes. And you had cake. Lots and lots of cake. Which is why you probably crashed so hard for your nap.

Hmmm... I think perhaps I should get the LION'S share here... — Hmmm… I think perhaps I should get the LION’S share here…

Oh. Blow it OUT. I thought said blow it UP. Whew.

How do you say... more please, sir? — How do you say… more please, sir?

We figured it was the sugar rush, but you continued to draw and play long after the guests left. You just couldn’t get enough of the blackboard tablecloth.

Just ONE more little detail, before we call this quits.

Later when you wake up from your nap, we’ll be going to the bookstore to spend some of the money Mimi and Doc gave you and you’ll probably be wearing something fun that Grandma and Grandpa Yeoman gave you.

All in all, a pretty great birthday week. We’re all very lucky to have such nice, new friends.

The Holidaze

In from the cold, we begin our holidays!

We had a fun time shopping for the family, even though it was a little late in the season. You had a great time until you got tired, then you went from disinterested to asleep.

Aren't we done yet? — Aren’t we done yet?

And then... zzzzzzzzz — And then… zzzzzzzzz

The day before Christmas Eve, your oldest (half) brother Brandon and his wife, Maureen, came to stay with us. Brandon almost felt invisible because you kept saying “Maureen, Maureen, Maureen!”

For our Christmas Eve lunch we took Maureen and Brandon to Galactic Pizza (one of your favorite foods), where you had your first experience with 3D glasses. (We’re not really sure you got the concept)

You also showed Brandon a thing or two about using the remote and controlling the TV (a skill you learned from Daddy).

No, No, Brandon! History Channel is HERE. — No, No, Brandon! Cartoon Network is HERE.

That night we called your OTHER (half) brother, your sister-in-law Ashley and your (older than you) nephew, Ben, on the Xbox.

On Christmas morning you got to open a LOT of presents. Some of your favorites include a very noisy cement mixing truck, a plushy Monster Bowling set, a Learn Piano with Elmo book, a Jake and the pirates bath toy (which you got a little early and played with every night since), a new Leap Top “computer”, and even though you haven’t played it yet, a Wii version of Wheel of Fortune.

So many presents they overflowed to the radiator

The Opening begins... — The Opening begins…

Other excitement of the holiday included building Gingerbread men virtually and nibbling on a Starbucks Snowman cookie.

Gingerbread you say? And I can't eat it? MAKES... NO... SENSE. — Gingerbread Man you say?

You’re other accomplishments:

You showed me the difference in “lounging” and “relaxing” on your big chair (Laying across it vs. sitting on it).
Conveyed your confidence over choosing the right letters on your alphabet blocks by saying “CORRECT” before we have the chance.
You’re very vocal about when you want to sleep (“Nigh Night”) or when you’re hungry (“Eat! Eat, please!).
The go to answer for “What do you want to eat?” is now Tofurky Pizza.
You’ve started requesting things like, “Pee Pee Potty Time” followed immediately with “NO Pee Pee Potty Time” (toddler contrariness).
You have had some stellar meltdowns; and yes, some that we couldn’t pinpoint the cause. We’re all working through it. 😉

A Chicago Holiday

We spent the last day of November and the first days of December on a little Chicago getaway. We had fun playing Tic Tac Toe while we waited for the plane. You did really well on the airplane, even though when we first got on, you were mildly panicked.

Our first night in Chicago was Friday and we were picked up at the airport by our old friend, Nick Hahn. We checked into the Hotel Sax where you made a new friend, Mr. Murphy, who helped us with our luggage. For the rest of the trip, every time we approached the hotel you’d exclaim, “Mistah Moiphy elevatah!”. You loved your free run of the room and the remote was your favorite thing to run off with.

We took Nick and his family (his wife Justine, and daughters Quinn and Teagan) to eat at the Chicago Diner where we were joined by Jeremiah Lobdell, Daddy’s former intern. You LOVED the food at Chicago Diner and ate everything on your plate.

On Saturday we looked at the Christmas windows at Macy’s on State Street. We walked through Millenium Park,then we went to the Art Institute of Chicago, where you stomped around on the open deck at the Modern Wing and marveled at the art. It might have been Mommy’s favorite place we went.

We later met up with Igor Davila (aka Uncle Iggy) and Daddy’s old co-worker, Lisa Barlow. We later met up with Igor’s girlfriend Juliana and spent a little time at the Christkindlmarkt.

That Sunday we took the South Shore Line to see your Grandma & Grandpa Yeoman. They drove us to a restaurant in Valparaiso, IN called the Industrial Revolution where we celebrated your GREAT grandmother’s 93rd birthday. You had a pretty good time, because the restaurant had a train that circled above us. Before we left you saw Grandma’s Christmas lights in her yard. Later that night, we returned to Chicago and you were fascinated by the frost your breath made on the train window.

On Monday we had an AWESOME day at the Navy Pier Children’s Museum. There was SO much for you to do. We started with the Cardboard exhibit where you colored on nearly everything, you thrilled at knocking things over and went crazy over the spinning wheel that was in the room.

Next you had a blast pushing buttons and playing with the fire engine buttons at the Chicago Fire Safety exhibit.

From there we went to a water room where you painted with water, splashed like crazy and helped Mommy get Daddy wet!

Our next adventures took us to a room filled with tiny things where you enjoyed pulling out the drawers, an oversized garden where you got to be a butterfly, digging for dinosaur bones, shopping at a miniature store, and frolicking in a Northwoods style trail where you had a great time dropping whiffle balls down a track.

Later we walked through Navy Pier and bought some of that famous Garrett’s popcorn. At lunch, you did something we never saw you do before; fell asleep while you were eating! But it was a good nap, and after, we got our Santa pictures and you got to yell, “Hello Elf!” to his helper.

Later that night we went to Chicago Diner again and met our friend, Paul Ripa who you delighted with your vocabulary and ability to high five.

On Tuesday we spent the day at the Lincoln Park Zoo. But before we went we walked up Michigan Avenue and visited the Mac Store, the Disney Store and The Lego Store in Water Tower Place (Your favorite? The Mac Store).

While we missed the Zoo Lights exhibit from the weekend, but there were still plenty of things to see and do. Youeven tried to “comfy, cozy” one of the huge lighting displays (but to be fair it was a teddy bear). And you really loved the freedom to run around in a zoo that was mostly empty because of the time of day we went.

We went to Pizza Due with Jeremiah, where we introduced you to deep dish Chicago pizza. Clearly, a favorite, since you ate almost a whole piece by yourself. You also solidified your friendship with Jeremiah. We walked down to the Chicago River and the Tribune building and Jeremiah took a great picture of the three of us.

Finally, on that Wednesday before we left, we spent some time with our friend Kris and his mother, Cheryl. They had lunch with us at Frontera Grill, a famous Chicago restaurant.

A busy week but a good one.

New things:

When asked your favorite DJ – “Dee Jay Dead Maaaussss!” (Blame Daddy)
When asked your favorite music – “Bach”
You do a pretty good rendition of Jingle Bells
You’ve started making up songs and carry a pretty good tune for a two year old.
You recognize nearly EVERY brand the first time we tell it to you: The new ones are Einstein Bagels, Kare 11, Costco, Old Navy, Kirkland, Macy’s (“Red Star Macy’s!”)
You know where YOUR personal ornament is on the Christmas tree
You combine two words that you know don’t go together, then gleefully decree, “MAKE NO SENSE!”
You have a wicked sense of humor and laugh at things on TV (sometimes even when it’s not very appropriate, for instance this week it was flood victims)
And tonight you told your first fib: Mommy asked where the crayon marks on her desk came from you said, “Doc”. When she asked where all the crumbs came from, you said, “Elmo” just as convincing as you please.

A bad day turned good.

Well, this morning you were supposed to go for some minor surgery. Daddy and Mommy were very worried (because that’s what they do) and the surgery was cancelled last week. However, this morning they cancelled it AGAIN just before we got there.

The bad part of today was you had to get up at 6:00 am for nothing. The good part was, Mimi and Doc had breakfast with us again before they left for North Dakota where they are going to take pictures.

Words you learned since this weekend:

Chicago (when asked “Where were you born?”)
Blackhawks (Bakhaak!) in relation to Chicago hockey
And for some reason, you love to say “Hockey Puck!” which you just recently mastered.

Reading, Huzzah, Batta-batta, Achoo!

Well, what a way to end your summer! It’s been a very, very active last few weeks, so we have some catching up to do:

On the weekend of the 8th we packed in the fun by going to the Target Children’s Book Festival in Hyland Lake Park. While you LOVE books, there was not much for guys your size to do, so we spent a good amount of time either coloring or pushing you in the stroller while you continue the coloring trend.

Coloring — Red is for Target! Lucky it’s your favorite color

ColoringContinues — Keep ‘er steady, mate! I’m colorin’!

That VERY next day, we went with our friends Paul, Kerry and Octavian Sage to go see the Renaissance Festival.

GangstaLean — Sporting some pirate gear for Ren Fest.

The Mighty Paul — Leader of the Sages, the Mighty Mr. Paul!

It was quite exciting, but pretty dirty too. We did an enchanted forest walk which ended up making Mommy and Daddy (and at one point, Mr. Paul) carry your stroller up some precarious hills. You laughed like a little prince the entire time, happy to be bouncing up and down in your carriage. You met a pirate who gave you some of his gold.

Yarrrr — Yeah, cute hat Pirate. Now gimme yer gold!

And you decided that you’d had enough just around noon, so you promptly conked out and napped for the majority of time left there. We also bought you a wooden boat from the same vendor as last year (who made your awesome pirate bath time boat).

Snoozy — Yes… let’s go see the… Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

You went to swimming lessons the next week and had your usual great time. You ALSO surprised us when instead of waiting for Mommy to slice your apple at dinner, you just grabbed it and tore into it like a little man.

APPLE! — Slices? We don’t need no stinkin’ slices!

Not long after, we got a visit from Mimi and Doc! They came to see you because you were supposed to have surgery, but it got postponed. And good thing too, since you, Mimi and Daddy all got sick that week. But it didn’t stop you from enjoying all the new toys Mimi and Doc brought you.

BEFORE we all got sick, we took Mimi and Doc to Mall of America where we visited Legoland. We also went to Kokomo Cafe (where you’d eaten before), and you decided a fistful of ketchup would look great in your hair. Needless to say, it was a pretty short trip.

On that Sunday, we took you to your very first MLB game where we got to see the Sox pummel the Twins. Of course, you spent most of the time coloring the Twins coloring book, but you did a great job of handling a long day of sitting down. After the game was over, we went to Champp’s for a celebratory veggie burger.

Funny — OK, sister, now sing “Take me out to the ballgame”.

PatientZero — Here Mimi! Have some germs!

Ballgame? I thought this was the world's largest coloring festival. — Ballgame? I thought this was the world’s largest coloring festival.

Hey! Where's my Old Style? — Hey! Where’s my Old Style?

For the rest of the week we recovered from our illness. On Friday, Mommy took you to get a haircut.

Since we were feeling a little better this weekend we took Mimi and Doc to French Country Meadow for breakfast, then went to the art museum. We didn’t stay too terribly long, but it was a lot of fun. Mimi and Doc enjoyed watching YOU enjoy art, playing in the kids’ area and just being your charming self. You were tired and so was Mimi, so you went home with her and Mommy to take a nap, while Daddy and Doc went to shoot some pictures downtown.

Snuggle family — Hey mom! YOUR turn for germs!

Tomorrow you’ll get to see them again and I’m SURE we’ll have more adventures to talk about.

New words this month:

Honeydew (spoken flawlessly)
Meat (followed by, “no meat! Beji, beji” for veggie, veggie)
Beer (Hmmm… maybe it was that Ren Fest we took you to?)
Grapes (pronounced, “Guuk”, but we understand what you mean)
You know almost ALL of your colors (“Wed, Boo, Puhpah, Back, Geeeeeen, Yehyoh”)
Keypad, Keyboard and Apple TV (which sometimes comes out “Appa Tee vee Dee Vee Dee”)
You say “Beep beeeeep!” when you hear us activate the car alarm (which does actually beep)
and actually, you repeat pretty much EVERYTHING you hear now…