My Little Snow Bunny

Last year he wanted nothing to do with the snow.  Last year he ran screaming from his snow pants.  This year is an entirely different story and I had a hard time getting him to come in!

Nate's First Gingerbread House

Nate's Favorite Christmas Songs

and

The Holiday Card Photo

I am not one for a formal, or even an informal family portrait in holiday cards.  That's not really my style.  In fact, I don't really like formal or informal portraits of Nate.  What I like to include is an action shot, something that shows off his personality.  This is what we went with this year.

This Kid is Funny!

Nate was really funny today...

--  We were in the car this morning.  I had given Nate a cup with graham crackers and a few chocolate bunny cookies.  After he finished his snack he asked me, "Mommy, when we get home can I brush my teeth to get the cookies and bunnies off of them?"

-- Tonight, Jon was playing with Nate and stopped to go to the bathroom.  He said to Nate, "Do you want to come?" (we are on the cusp of potty training here).  Nate said he would then he said to Jon, "Daddy, don't pee on me like I did to pop!"

In other news, this monring was the first morining that Nate woke up with a completely dry daiaper.  And he took his T-shirt off all by himself.

Milestone and More Funny S**t Nate Says

Nate has mastered the Thumb Up hand gesture!
Now to move on to other hand gestures... (just kidding!)

-- The other morning in the car Nate did something and I said, "You're funny."  He responded, "Yes I am.  I'm Nate XXXX, and I can do thing!"

-- Nate proudly proclaims, "Happy Meorahakah!"  (That would be Channukah and Menorah combined)

-- Nate LOVES Tylenol.  I don;t know if it is the bubblegum flavor that he likes or that he knows it makes him feel better, but he called out, in a croaky-froggy voice, from his bed the other morning, "Mommy!  I need Tyelnol!  Listen to my throat... AHHHHHHHH!"

My Little Chatterbox

I know that I am completely biased, but I really do have a funny kid!  So that I don't forget the funny things nate says, here is another installment of: Funny S**t Nate says

-- Last night when asked if his tummy hurt he said yes.  When asked why he said, "because I ate too much food."

-- Nate tell anyone in front of a computer that in order to get to his favorite website (this Thomas and friend website in case you couldn't guess) that "you need to oogle Thomas mommy (or daddy or pop or mommom)"  You too can oogle things!

--  Nate gave me a big tight hug the other say and said "I going to keep you Mommy."  Mommy is going to keep you too Nate.

Color Me Surprised

Nate has been really into coloring lately.  "Mommy will you color with me?" is a frequent request in our house.  So, to make my life easier and because I am just that lazy, I got two sets of crayons and markers, one for upstairs and one for downstairs.  The upstairs set is in a plastic box with a lid and is sitting on the nightstand at the foot of Nate's crib. 

This morning when Nate woke up (at 5:50) I went into his room and gave him  some books to read and blocks to play with.  I then went back to sleep until my alarm went off.  I thought that Nate was a little too quite, but sometimes he falls back to sleep so I didn't really worry, until I went in his room to check on him.

He was very much awake.  Apparently he had figured out how to get the container of crayons and markers up and over the side of his crib and was very happily coloring his toys, his Thomas the Train books, his feet, and every animal of his sheets.

Luckily, they are washable markers and somehow they did not bleed onto the mattress pad.  I couldn't be mad, he was so happy coloring his little heart out.


I should have taken a picture of his sheets but I did not.  I will take a picture if the marker doesn't come out!

A Day out with Thomas (The Train)

Nate is obsessed with Thomas the Train, but let's face it, what little boy isn't. We decided that Nate should have the opportunity to meet his idol and so we made a trip to A Day Out with Thomas at the Strasburg Railroad. Nate had a great time! Jon and I kept thinking that we should not have picked the first day and a Saturday at that, although we both agreed that seeing Nate's face light up was the best part of the day.

We had to park in a corn field and take a bus to the station... Here is Nate riding unrestricted in a vehicle for the first time (he looks thrilled doesn't he?)

Waiting in line and watching for Thomas

And here he is when he finally sees the big T for the first time

After we took a ride on Thomas, we were able to take a longer ride on a different train.

Nate was especially impressed the the "train farts" (the weeshing of the brakes)

Pumkinland!!!

My mom and I took Nate to Pumpkin Land at Linvilla Orchards yesterday. It was a beautiful day and it was a (fairly) contained place for him to run around outside. He loved it! He ran up to every pumpkin, tried to pick it up, and said , "Mommy, look at this one!" It was adorable.

Funny Things Nate Says

This is my attempt to write down all the funny s**t Nate says on a regular basis:

1. I was trying on a sweater and Nate says, "I no like that on you mommy!" Thank you Mr. Blackwell!

2. I am in the shower this morning and I here Nate yelling. I ask him what the matter is and he tells me to open the [bathroom] door. I do and I see him in the middle of the hallway sitting in the laundry basket. He looks at me and says, "Mommy, you need to do the laundry!"

3. He responds to many requests with "I busy."

4. He calls a Bull Dozer a "Dull Bozer"

Nate's Booklist

On the way home last night I asked Nate what books he would like to read before bed... he had a very specific and finite list:

1. The Bellybutton Book by Sandra Boynton
2. Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems
3. Pigeon Wants a Puppy by Mo Willems
4. Office Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann
5. Busiest People Ever by Richard Scarry (or as Nate calls it, "The Mr. Frumble book")

Nate on Vacation

Nate and I took our annual mother-son vacation last weekend. We went to see my best friend, her mother, and step-father. Nate had a great time!

We had lunch on the road...



Nate played with Legos (a vacation gift from Daddy)




Nate did get a boo-boo on his big toe, but some funky Band-Aids made it all better




Nate enjoyed some ice cream (Note the ice cream mustache and beard)




We took a walk through the marshes...




and stopped to look at the cranes with Aunt Mary




Nate liked the sharks at the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center



Maybe we partied just a little too hard (LOL)




So we watched a little Phineas and Ferb to recharge

Catching Up -- Adventure Aquarium

Looking at Lobsters

Playing with pretentrRays before trying to touch the real thing

Taking a rest on a turtle

Looking at the sharks in the touch tank

Trying to touch a ray

Catching Up -- Nate's First Hair Cut

June 19, 2010

Catching Up -- Nate's All Wet

Taken in May 2010

Hands Down!

Nate and I were playing trains yesterday and Beo (our big black lab) was sitting right next to me breathing down my neck. I said something to the dog along the lines of "missing daddy bub?" when Nate asked me "Mommy, is Beo missing Daddy?"

I responded, "I think he is buddy. Are you missing daddy too?"

Nate said, "Yeah, I missing Daddy too."

I said something among the lines of, "He'll be home soon," when Nate looked at me and asked, "Mommy, can Beo play trains without hands?" and he held up his hands in illustration.

[My jaw hits the floor and I stare at my toddler as if he had just explained the origins of the universe to me]

I responded, "No, buddy, I don't think Beo can play trains without hands. Why did you want him to play with you?"

Nate looked a little sad and said "Yeah mommy."

Is it just me or was that pretty deep thinking for 2.5?

The Blur

Waiting for Arrival

Last night Jon went to the supermarket to get rolls for dinner and some sort of treat for Nate.

When Jon left Nate asked me where daddy was going and I said to get you a treat for after dinner.

Nate was running around aimlessly, so I asked him if he wanted to go and play with the PlayDough and he turned to me and said, "No, mommy... I am waiting for my treat to arrive!"

On the Big Slide with Daddy

Current Pics

Play with trains at Grandma's house

Throwing water on mommy

Playing with pizza dough at Bertucci's

After Dinner Treat

Growing Up

Yesterday Nate decided to stop calling me "mama" and start calling me "mommy." More specifically "my mommy" either in reference to me or to Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa, (we have the same haircut). It is super cute to hear but it also means that he is growing up... {{sigh}}.

It was bound to happen, I know... but a mama's, oops I mean mommy's heart breaks just a little.

In other news, I gave Nate his first hair cut last night. It was a trim really. Just a little off the back to even things up and a little around the ears so he didn't look so shaggy. I will freely admit that I missed a few spots that I will clean up tonight, but all in all he looks pretty cute... and a whole lot like the big boy he is.

Lancaster, PA

Yesterday my mom and I made a "quick" trip to Lancaster to do a little outlet and fabric store shopping. Shopping with a toddler is an "interesting" experience. A lot less time is spent shopping and a lot more time is spent taking breaks... luckily for us there are a lot of playgrounds and petting zoos to keep Nate entertained.

Starting out the day right... on the slide

Meeting a Pony... he reached right up and stroked his mane
(mommy was SO PROUD)
Towards the end of the day... resting in the shade

All tuckered out on the way home

Mr. Fix It

Nate received a couple of belated birthday gifts recently, one of which was a tool box. He LOVES it! Here is Mr. Fix It in action.

Lost

Yesterday Nate woke up from his nap early. I was in the middle of making cinnamon buns so I gave him some books to read in his crib while I got the cinnamon buns in the oven to rise.

When I went back up to get him out of his bed he looked at me, cocked his had to the side and with arms outstretched (palms up) he asked "Where go mama?" I asked him if he wanted to know where mama went and he said no. So I asked his what it was he was looking for and he put his finger up his nose. "Nate, did you lose a booger?" and he looked at me and said "Yeah mama... where go?"

I was laughing too hard to answer him yesterday but today I can say, "I don't know where your booger went Nate... and I'm not going to start looking now."

Hungry Hungry Hippos

A Conversation with Nate

Me: So Nate, what do you think Beo and Jax (the dogs) do when we're not here?

Nate: Play, mama.

Me: Oh, what do they play with?

Nate: Nate's choo-choos

Me: They play with your choo-choos? ok, do you think they color and play with stickers too?

Nate: NOOOO, mama!!!

Apparently Nate has some insight into a dog's min that I do not have... I would have thought they would like stickers

Better Late than Never... Nate Turns 2

Since we were all sick for Nate's first birthday we decided to have a blow out second birthday party for him at MyGym... it was a HUGE success and he loved every minute of it!