A charmed life

I know I talk a lot about what a lucky boy I am, but really, you have no idea! Even when things don't turn out as planned, which is par for the course in a toodler's life, there are still so many things to be thankful for. Like this past weekend. Mommy and Daddy had been planning for weeks to celebrate my birthday with a big party. All my friends were invited, and Grandma Vera flew in from Texas, plus Meme and Pop were coming too.

Boy were they surprised when I came down with a stomach bug the very day before the party! But everyone took it in stride (including yours truly) and we ended up having a little family celebration instead. We even sang happy birthday (twice!) and I got to blow out a candle on the yummy cupcakes that mommy made. All of this, plus a ton of fun presents made for a pretty great day.

But it gets even better. This Saturday, I get to do it all again with my friends! We're having everyone over for a Halloween dress up party and I'm going to be a cowboy. My friend Garrett sent me his costume (and the best birthday gift ever, but more on that later) and it comes with chaps and a vest with a real sherrif's badge, plus a cowboy hat and boots! The boots are a little big, but that just helps with my cowboy strut.

Check back for pictures of the big day...

meme house

I’m fresh off a weekend at meme and pop’s house and boy do I have a lot to share! Mommy had been talking all week about going to meme and pop’s and I was starting to wonder if it was ever going to happen. Then finally, on Friday, we set out for our weekend in the country.

After sitting in the car for almost three hours I was raring to go when we got there. Luckily meme was ready for me when we walked in the door. All the fun toys I usually play with were waiting…plus a few of new ones! So I got to burn off some steam while the adults toasted the official start of the weekend. I even got to “clink” with them, which I love to do.

Soon we were off to dinner and my favorite…pizza! Then we walked around and listened to music on the streets and went into the shops. It was fun, but I was pretty tuckered out by then. I’m a bit of a night-owl, but with all that excitement I was looking forward to snuggling up with giraffe and getting a few winks.

The next morning, much to mommy and daddy’s chagrin, I woke up bright and early. We had a jam packed day and I didn’t want to miss a thing. Mommy and Pop took me for a walk in the morning, but all I wasn’t so into it. From the minute we walked out the door all I wanted was to go back to meme’s house and play. I mean really, who wants to be strapped into a stroller when there are so many fun toys to play with…plus meme’s undivided attention! Can you blame me?

In the afternoon we all went to my friend Kaylin’s birthday party. I had the best time –pushing her baby “goller” and helping open presents. There was even a wading pool. But the best part was the food! I got to eat pizza, and cake, and some of mommy’s burger. And then Mr. Joe gave me a hot dog right off the grill. It was so yummy! But I guess mommy though I’d had enough ‘cause she swooped it up before I had a chance to finish. Oh well, at least I got a couple of bites.

Now you know why I love visiting meme and pop so much! I can’t wait for our next trip.

Happy July!

This is a big week for celebrations given my half-and-half heritage. First, it was Canada Day on July 1st and then today, we celebrated Independence Day. There have been fireworks practically every night for the past week, but the excitement doesn't usually start until way past my bedtime so I haven't actually seen any. Mommy's not sure I'd liked them anyway so I don't feel like I'm missing too much. Besides, with all the fun I had today who needs fireworks?!

Mommy and daddy's friends Mora and Simon came to visit from the big city. I always look forward to their visits because they're super nice and pay lots of attention to me! Before we went to pick them up from the train, mommy and I went for a walk to the park. We met some new friends -some big people and a little girl just my age! It was great. Then, we went to pick up Mora and Simon and headed for the beach. If you've been paying any attention you know just

how much I love the beach. Even on a day like today when it was pretty cloudy. The weather did little to dampen our spirits...we still had a blast. I just love puttering around the sane, picking up sea shells and wading in the water.

Eventually, we had to leave the beach to get home for my nap. While I got some shut-eye, the adults enjoyed a bbq with burgers, roasted corn and all the yummy summertime food that comes with the holiday. I was sorry to miss out, but I tend to do okay in the food department.

When I woke up I was happy to see that Mora and Simon were still there which meant more time to play! We were going to walk them back to the train, but the rain came so mommy took them in the car instead.

What a great day. Hope you had a "Happy July" too!

I love summer!

The past two weekends have been filled with more adventure than a little boy can ask for. Last weekend, I went to my second baseball game. Funny -it was exactly one year after I went to my first baseball game. You see, it’s becoming a bit of a tradition for me and daddy and pop to go see the Phillies on Father’s Day. That is, if you can call two years in a row a tradition. Whatever the case, I hope we do it for lots of years to come because it’s so much fun! Mommy and meme came too, but they mostly ate and talked and ate some more. Not like me…I got to see the Phanatic, and get my picture taken, and play in the fun zone! It was quite the day.

This past weekend, mommy and daddy took me to the Bronx Zoo. A couple of days before, mommy started telling me all about the zoo and the animals I would see, so I could barely contain my excitement when the big day finally arrived. At first I wasn’t sure what to do…I saw a couple of sea lions swimming around and some monkeys, but they were behind glass. But then, we went to the children’s zoo where I got to pet all sorts of animals, like goats, and sheep, and lamas! Okay, so I had a big of an issue before we went in because the animal man wouldn’t let me take my snack so mommy and daddy tried to tell me we could finish later. BIG mistake! Anyone who knows me knows that I’m pretty serious about my food. We got about ten feet in before mommy finally smartened up and took me back outside so I could finish. Disaster diverted.

Then, on Sunday after church, we went to the beach, which is one of my favorite things to do. Daddy bought me these cool trucks for the sand and I have a pail and shovel and a sifter for seashells. In fact, I have an entire plastic tub filled with stuff just for the beach. This time, we went at low tide which was really cool because there were all sorts of little rivers and puddles to play in. I’m not exactly a fan of the cold ocean water so the little pools were perfect for me. And there were lots of other kids there so I was entertained the entire time! Not even lunch could tear me away from playing. See earlier comment about food to understand how big a deal that is!

Two perfect weekends in a row -how can anyone not love summer?

Memorial Day

This past weekend was the absolute best! I don't even know where to begin. Mommy took Friday off so she could spend time with me and Daddy, which meant that we had four uninterrupted days of pure fun. Meme and Pop came from their house in the country to spend time with me. I just love when they come to town because we get to do all my favorite things. We went to the park, and out to lunch, and played at the beach. But my most favorite thing was when Pop played his "titar" for me! I love listening to him play, but I get even more excited when he lets me pluck the strings! I think I'm a natural. I must get it from Daddy.

Now that it's summer, I think we'll be spending a lot more time at the beach. We've already gone twice...and that's two more times than last year! The first outing I was a little confused by the whole sand thing. It felt scratchy on my feet and it was really hard to walk. But I think I'm getting the hang of it. I can't wait to go back!

Whew!

Okay...we're officially turning over a new leaf. At least, if I have anything to say about it. Life is happening way too fast to let months go by without letting you know all the exciting new things I've learned. And mom promises to help me capture the fun as it's happening...or at least within the same season :)

I can't think of a better way to get back in the groove then by telling you of the fun I've had with my grandparent's over the past few weeks. I'm SO luck to have five grandparents who love me and who come to visit as much as possible. First, it was papa Ed and nana Vicki for a couple of days at the beginning of the month. They got to spend a "day in the life of" which was really fun for me, but probably a little exhausting for them. We played outside and went to the park, which is my most favorite thing to do!

The next weekend Grandma Vera came to visit! We had so much fun playing with TT (that's Teresa for the adults) and we had a picnic in the park with mommy and daddy. I spent a lot of time exploring a little bridge that ran over a pond. I just loved looking at the water and the fishies. Maybe a little too much since I had a bit of a tough time pulling myself away when we had to leave. But who can blame me? Would you want to leave the great outdoors for a stuffy car and a nap?

At least I got to go back outside the next day when we went into the big city to meet meme and pop for Mother's Day. I was such a good boy during brunch at the big people's restaurant. We went to the playground first so I could burn off some energy after sitting in the car for an hour. I had so much fun playing on the slide and even climbing the stairs by myself!

These days, I'm talking up a storm. Mostly using single words with a couple of two-three word phrases thrown in. Of course, the conversations I have with my toys and stuffed animals are MUCH more advanced! Now, if I could only get mommy and daddy to speak their language. But at least they understand the important stuff, like "hold tight," which gets me a big hug every time.

Christmas Part Two

For those of you (like miss angie) who have been anxiously awaiting my return, mommy promises to give me more access to the computer so I can update everyone on life’s adventures. Starting with…you guessed it…Christmas part two! Now, it may seem silly to be talking about Christmas in March, but I just have to fill you in ‘cause it was SO much fun.

We started the holiday on an island in North Carolina. It was quite the trip. Not only did I get to fly in a plane (which I’m getting pretty good at, by the way) but I also got to ride on a boat. Papa Ed came with Aunt Amy and Uncle Paul to pick us up at the airport This was the first time I met my aunt and uncle ‘cause they live somewhere across the pond. It was great finally see them in person and we had a ton of fun together. So much, in fact, that they followed me all the way up to Connecticut after we left the island to spend some time at my house!

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Being by the beach during Christmas sure was fun. Every day we went out to see the ocean and pick up sea shells. We even went to the playground! The island is big but you can’t take your car so we zoomed around on electric carts. At first I thought it was a “wa-don” like my red one at home but it was a lot faster.

I had my own room at Papa Ed and Nana Vicki’s house, which was great for me, but even better for mommy and daddy. And there were Christmas decorations everywhere. We each had our own stocking and there was a Christmas tree and a fireplace!

On Christmas Eve we went to church with all the island folk. I was a little restless (you know, waiting for Santa and all that), so mommy spent most of the service entertaining me, but it was still nice to listen to the music and see all the other kids.

The next morning I woke up to tons of presents and lots of yummy food. Papa Ed made a fire in the fireplace which was really cool. And that night daddy cooked a big dinner for everyone. Aunt Amy and Uncle Paul brought crackers from England, but not the kind you eat. These ones were filled with candy! I wasn’t so sure at first ‘cause they made a loud noise but I was brave.

So much more happened on our trip but I still have Christmas part three to cover so I’ll end for now. Be back soon!

ps - mommy is having trouble uploading pictures but she hopes to share some soon

No Excuses

I figured it would be in poor taste to throw the little man under the bus for not keeping you up to date on his latest musings, so I thought I'd interject and shed some light on the past few months. Actually, it can be summed up quite quickly in describing this very day -good intentions, not so good outcome.

At the moment, I'm sitting in the restaurant of an airport hotel in Toronto, Canada. Nice to visit my homeland, but I'm quickly reminded of many childhood winter days spent waiting for the school bus all the while doing my best imitation of a human snowman.

We got hit with a doozy of a snowstorm this afternoon, which rendered all flights cancelled. I was suppose to be flying home tonight to steal a few precious moments with the bean before heading to Atlanta on a 6 AM flight tomorrow. Last night, when I learned of the impending storm, I changed my flight to bypass NYC and deposit me directly in Atlanta, but to no avail. Now, here I sit...no beanie, no meeting...nothing but a mediocre bed on a smoking floor at the Park Plaza. BUT, it could be worse. I could be sleeping in the airport!

Of course it's not all bad. Ryan continues to amaze us on a daily basis. His vocabulary is growing at a rapid pace and we're constantly being introduced to new words. Some a little easier to understand than others, but all equally fun to decode.

That's all you'll hear from me for awhile. Forgive the backlogging in advance, but we'll need to step back a few weeks to give you a full sense of what's transpired. Hopefully you'll find it as interesting as us!

Christmas Part I

The past couple of weeks have brought so much excitement it's hard to know where to begin! You'll have to bear with me since I don't want to leave out any details and since I'm such a busy boy these days it might take awhile to get through it all.

For the past few months mom has been talking about how much she loves this time of year. At first I wasn't really sure what all the fuss was about, but boy do I get it now! The past month has been jam packed with fun -getting to visit with ALL my grandparents and meet my aunt Amy and uncle Paul for the first time. And I got to take a plane ride and my first boat trip -wow. But I'm getting ahead of myself already. First things first...

On December 15th meme and pop came to CT for Christmas part I. On Saturday night mommy and daddy went to the big city to see the ballet. It sounded like fun, but I was just as happy to go out to dinner with meme and pop. We went to their favorite restaurant in Greenwich where I'm a big hit with the wait staff. We had all sorts of yummy food and pop let me play with his cell phone, which is a new favorite toy of mine. Then, on Sunday, I got to experience all the joys of Christmas -just a little bit early. Apparently I've done this before, but I was really little and slept through most of the excitement. If only I'd known!

We started the day by going to church. I got to play in the nursery with miss Jackie who takes care of me sometimes when mommy and daddy go out. As usual, I had a ton of fun and the hour flew by. Before I knew it, it was time to head home where we all settled in for a relaxing day of eating, opening presents and more eating. I got some really cool toys and my very own phone. I even got new toy bins to keep everything in. And I loved ripping into the wrapping paper to uncover each new surprise. But that wasn't all...we also got to cheer the Eagles to a victory! I was pop's good luck charm wearing my official jersey. Nevermind the hat...that was mom's idea of a cruel joke.

If you ask me, that weekend was as much fun as a boy could hope for...but lucky me, there was still more to come! Next up was Bald Head Island, NC with papa Ed and nana Vicki and my first ever chance to meet my aunt and uncle from across the pond. Follow that up with a visit from grandma vera and you can understand why it's more than a little boy can tell in one sitting. More later!