Choo-choo!

Today my parents and I rode the train (aka lightrail) downtown to go to the "big library". I was a little nervous when the train first pulled up next to us on the platform so I had Daddy carry me on, but once on I sat in my own seat by the window and talked about the things we were passing as we flew downtown. I loved the train so much, I kept talking about how we were going to ride it home the entire time in the library.

The City of Minneapolis downtown library is AWESOME, by the way. They have a huge section for children, with a playroom, a reading area complete with blocks to stack and throw, and lots and lots and lots of very cool books. It's a great place to visit. And you get to take the train there.

Now, that's what I call "double cool!"

Christmas in Texas

I had a great time spending a week in Texas at my "eee-ma's house" visiting with Daddy's side of the family. Here are some pictures of my trip. (Thanks to grandma for letting Mama use her camera otherwise there wouldn't be a Christmas pictorial update!)


Papa helping me jump on the trampoline. Wee!


Texas is awesome! You can play outside in the wintertime!!!


Oh, yeah, those two.


Me and my cousin Will ("Whiiiiiiiiiiilllllllll" <---- sounds twangy when I say it.) I wanted to do everything Will did - if he had milk, I wanted milk. If he was playing with blocks, I was, too. I am sure this got to be slightly annoying for him, having a pushy little cousin tagging around all week but I had lots of fun.


Me and grandma playing the piano and singing - one of the highlights of my trip.


More fun with Will.


Playing the piano with Will on Christmas morning - Wake up everyone!


On the piano again. I love this thing!


hee-hee-hee-hee!


Look out! Naked toddler on the loose!!! (Oh, this is going to be so embarassing in 10 years!)

More Christmas pictures to come once we charge up our camera....

I'm going to have a little brother!

Yay! Christmas came early for our family this year - Mama, Daddy and I went to the "baby docto" on Monday where we watched the baby in Mama's belly on TV. It was okay for a while, and I was thrilled to find out I have a baby brother coming this spring, but after a while the baby show on TV got a little boring. Mama and Daddy smiled like goons the entire time while I kicked back on Daddy's lap with a snack and my "nutnee" (aka blankie). I was so good (quiet, still and undemanding - all very un-toddler like) during the baby show that I got five (FIVE!) M&M's when we left. I hope my brother is good like me because my parents really know how to treat a kid!

Oh, yeah, WOOO-HOOO! I'm going to be a big brother of a little brother!

PS Ultrasound picuture to be scanned and uploaded soon. Check back after Christmas.

"I ain't scared of no mouse!"

(Okay, now go back and read the title to the Ghost Busters theme. Good. You got it.)

Yes, folks, we have a mouse. A small quick little thing that seems to live under our fridge. Today I brought it a piece of cheese. (It was a piece of wooden cheese that's part of my magnet book, but I know mice like cheese and that's all I could find.) Like I said, I'm not scared of the mouse. "Mowww-sse."

"Neemee go school!"

Today was our first Early Childhood Family Education class. We are enrolled in Terrific Twos and so far so great! Class starts at 9:30 a.m. with a free play and parents stay with the kids. After about 30 minutes we start circle time, which involves parachute time, songs and group interaction, then at 10:30 the parents go into the next room for adult discussion and the kids do crafts, play with play-doh, have story time and snacks. We wrap up at 11:30.

Overall today's class was a complete sucess. Sammy loved all the toys - they had school buses, planes, and loads of "little people" not to mention tons of animals. He even skipped out on the part of parachute time because "Neemee play animals?" He was quiet and only one little girl followed him over, and for two-year-olds that's appropriate. I'm sure after he gets used to the toys he'll be more into the parachute, but I think the parachute smells kind of funny so maybe it's the funky smell that turned him away... (?) He also loved the part when the kids each got to pick two sticks and then sing a song about tapping them together - Sammy is a genius!!! - he picked up "two" sticks (yay! he sort of knows his numbers!) and then he followed the teacher's instuctions very well ("rolling the sticks" or "tapping way up high"). I guess he had fun while I was away, too, because there was no separation anxiety or anything and when I returned he was doing a happy skip in the room, and then told me about his play (and hopefully a bit educational!) time and snack. :)

We walked home from the school and by then he was beat. He was lounging on the couch with his blankies and saying, "Neemee go night-night couch."





This is him going night-night. Whadda nut!

When Twos aren't so terrific, but strangely amusing.

He goes to the fridge to get out the Eighth Continent, all the while whining, "Eight Cont-nent..."


Brings it to his little table...


Table's not dramatic enough - he puts it on the floor as he points and cries, "Eight Cont-nent!"


Trying to maintain the crying and whining even though he's eating and he's finally thinking it's pretty funny that Mama's taking pictures of all this.

Terrific Twos, oh yes.

How old are you?

Jess to Sammy, "What's your name?"

Sammy, "Neemee."

Jess: "How old are you?"

S: "One!"

J: "No, you're two."

S: "Neemee two!"

J: "Emma is seven."

S: "Emma seven. Mama eight."

ha ha ha

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!"

"It's beginning to look a lot like... a one-eyed dog-clops?!"

"It's beginning to look a lot like...a baby belly!"

Adventures in eating oatmeal

Pictures from Friday. Sammy didn't really eat a lot of his oatmeal (aka "meatmeal") at breakfast time but he was chowing down right before lunch. Cleaned his bowl and then ate lunch. Yay! He's eating again (sort-of).

New favorites and interests

1.) the MOON - I am loving the moon. I like to look up in the sky and say, "Neemee find moon!"

2.) Penguins - there is a penguin on my Christmas placemat that I like to point out. I am also very excited to "go bite-ight penguin sheet" - i.e. sleep on my new flannel crib sheet.

I'm still loving some old favorites: cars, trains, airplanes, cows and Elmo. Oh, and Christmas lights. Driving at night I am constantly saying, "more lights?" and then, "more lights!"


Oh, and one of my favorite shirts.

"Snow!"

I looked out the big window this morning to discover a dusting of snow on the deck. I kept telling Mommy "snow!" for the longest time (she thought I was saying "no") but she finally got it after looking out the window. (Hey, I'm two - some of my vocabulary continues to be a bit subtle.) Now I'm asking to eat snow.

Christmas Tree

We picked up our Christmas Tree this morning. I have been facinated with the whole process thus far - honestly, I have been waiting patiently all week for this tree to arrive so we could put "Christmas lights up!" inside the house - and I am very excited to finally have said tree here. Here are some pictures from our day...


Hooray! We brought the tree home and I "helped" Dada put the stand together.


"Tree"


I kept getting up next to the tree like this and saying, "Cheese!" I'm a nut.


Lots of pesky pine needles to sweep up at first. I'm a great helper.


Finally, my turn with the camera! I've been very excited to wear the "Woof" shirt I received from Cody and Ashley - I needed a picture of it, too.


Another fine picture from my perspective. They don't all come out so good..


I also took this one.


Mommy has the camera back - here's me and Dada in front of the newly lit tree.


And here's the tree! I helped put the tinsel on before going to bed. Maybe tomorrow we'll get to the ornaments.