Friday, August 28, 2009

Spoons and Forks Are Great (Maybe)

As you know, Mama and I got in trouble with my teacher, Ms. Jamie, because I was not using a spoon and fork as much as I should. So Mama and I have made it our mission to help me get better at it. Thought you might like to see my progress.

As you can see, feeding yourself can be quite messy and sometimes I get frustrated and throw my spoon on the floor and have a bit of a fit. Hey, I'm a toddler...I frustrate easily.


Here's a quick video to show you my technique. I almost always get some food in my mouth. Don't worry, I'll keep practicing...

Have a super weekend, everyone, and stay cool. I'm going to go swim at Tutu and Sir's house cuz it is REALLY hot here in Santa Clarita. I promise some photos on Monday...

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Thinking Out of the Box(?)

Hi, everyone!

So last night I realized that I could take the bins out of my toy storage system. I was really thinking out of the box, right? And I was wondering what I could do with it now that I figured out how to remove it.
I know! I could sit on it if I turn it this way...
Hey, I could probably fit in here if I turn it this way...
Whoa, my feet came off the ground! Now what?
I guess I could hide in here. No one can see me, right?
Wow, that was fun! Wonder what else I can do with this box? For toddlers like me, the possibilities are endless...

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

All About Me: Life as a 20-Month-Old

Hi, Everyone!

I thought I'd do something a bit different today. Since you are all fans of my blog and love hearing all about my adventures as a toddler, I figured you might like to gain a bit more insight into all that is me. Here it goes...

My Daycare: Notre Dame Infant Center and Preschool

Yesterday was my first day in the "Terrific Twos" classroom at my daycare. I was sad to leave the comforts of Miss Magdalena's room but it was time to move on. So me and four of my buddies made the trek down the hall to Miss Jamie's classroom. She has a lot of fun stuff to explore and pull off the walls (which I quickly learned was "not OK"). And we are the "monkeys" so the whole place is decorated with them. Totally cool. Some of my friends had a tough time adjusting on our first day (no pacifiers or ba-bas allowed, you have to stay on your cot if everyone else is still asleep and it was hard to be away from Miss Magdalena) but all in all Miss Jamie said I did pretty good. I'm supposed to work on my utensil skills (umm, I'm not the best with a fork and spoon quite yet) and I should probably toughen up a bit (I cry whenever Miss Jamie says "no, that's not OK") but my first day in the big kid class went well. Miss Jamie promised Mama that she would help me work on my words and vowed to help me expand my palate. She says she has one little boy in her class who ate nothing but crackers and now eats chicken. Hmmm, we'll see...

My Words and Mannerisms

So as a 20-month-old, I am continuing to work on my words. Dada says it's kind of like living with a caveman (mostly grunts and one-word demands). But I'm working on it...I learn something new every day. Here's a short list of the words I've mastered so far:

Baby (my first word)
Mama
Dada
Dog (I can also bark)
Car
Go
Up
Down
No (big *sigh* from Mama...I say it so sweetly that she almost does not get mad...it's all part of my evil plan)
Uh-Oh
Melmo (Elmo...also my word for all toys of the stuffed variety)
More (I mostly sign this one but I say it, too)
No more (I also have my own sign for this...I clap my hands and put my hands out)
Apple (also my word for all sorts of food)
Milk (I sign this one, too)
A-wa (water...I obviously speak a little bit of Spanish)
Pop-Pop (that's Mama's Dada)
Ella (my new cousin)
Jack (my good buddy and cousin)
Ball
Ka-boom (comes out more like ah-boom)
Eyes (also my word for pretty much all other body parts on my face...I'm working on nose, ears, teeth and mouth)

I also understand the signs for "eat," "please," and "thank you" and use them frequently. I can also show you most of my body parts (my favorite is my belly), run to my high chair when Mama says "are you hungry?" and bring you any toy or other item you ask for. I throw a ball really well and have started to kick. I also started saying "ouch" when I have a boo-boo. I also love to bring people books and will sit for about 20 seconds before I have to bring them another one (see "Noah the Focused"). Pretty good for a 20-month-old, right? I'd say!

Food, Glorious Food (?)
(well, maybe not...)

I'm not what you would call a foodie but I love to eat the things I like. My absolute favorite food is mac 'n cheese. I'd eat it morning, noon and night. I also love cheese. Again, I'd eat it all day if they'd let me. Sometimes Mama can't give it to me fast enough and I get cranky. Cheerios are still my favorite snack. I especially love them in the morning while Mama is getting my breakfast ready. And I love most fruits, including mandarin oranges, blueberries, strawberries, bananas, grapes, watermelon and raisins. I'm also quite fond of goldfish crackers and most of the wholesome Gerber snacks for toddlers (the fruit strips are awesome as are the fruit bits). I also love eggs and pancakes. I once ate five silver dollar pancakes at IHOP with Mimi and Pop in one sitting. And finally, I love yogurt. I especially like the one with the cereal in it. You get your dairy and grains in one bite. Awesome! And I love to wash everything down with milk. Delicious! Tutu says I eat like a Hobbit. I eat first and second breakfasts, a snack, lunch, another snack and then dinner. Hey, I'm a growing boy and I need lots of sustenance cuz I am sooooo busy all the time. It's go, go, go!

And there ends the list. Seriously, that's about all I'll eat on a regular basis. Sometimes at daycare I will eat hot dogs, taquitos and maybe corn but that's about it. Mr. Mario (he's our chef) makes me mac 'n cheese every day for lunch. One day last week he ran out of it and I threw a bit of a fit (I had them scrounging around in my cubbie for a back up plan). So now he makes sure he doesn't run out.

You're probably asking yourself, "what about the veggies?" Well I don't eat them. Not even a bite. Mama still makes me eat the baby food kind so I get a least one veggie in me a day but other than that, I will not eat them. Yucky! I also dislike chicken and most other meats, rice (I have to scrape my tongue when someone tries to sneak some in my mouth) and tomato sauce on my pasta. You know my Uncle Jon and Auntie Darlene? Well neither of them ate much of anything as children and they lived. My Mama keeps telling herself that.

My Thumb and Lovie

As you may have noticed from following my blog, I am a thumb sucker. Yes, I admit, I am addicted to my thumb (another big *sigh* from Mama). But hey, it calms me and makes me so happy. What could be wrong with that? I'm also a bit strung out on my lovie. It's my blankie, which I have to have with me when I'm sad, tired, traveling in the car or sleeping. It's actually a receiving blanket that I used as a little baby. I have plenty of them and it doesn't matter which one I have as long as it feels the same. Again, for those of you who knew my Uncle Jon as a child, it appears that we are very similar once again. I will spare Uncle Jon the embarrassment of revealing his dirty little secrets but let's just say, for comparison's sake, that I quite accurately resemble him as a toddler. Enough said.

"Noah the Focused"

You have heard my Mama mention "Noah the Focused" from time to time on my blog and I thought I'd explain a bit further. My Pop named me this because when I get focused on something, I really get focused. I mean I will move toys from one bin to another bin over and over and over. I will read a book over and over and over, looking at each page intently and examining each picture with fascination. I will stand at a water table for hours pouring water from one bucket to another if you let me. Let's just say that I love repetition and routine so much that it has taken over my life. I even get a funny little look on my face when I am really, really focused. It's kind of a pursing of the lips and an intense stare. Mama and Dada say I'm just taking it all in and making my memory videos. My Uncle Jon did the very same thing. That's what Mimi and Pop say. Are you seeing a pattern here? I am definitely not like Mama or Dada as children. They were both pretty wild (that's saying it mildly). So I guess I take after Mama's brother. Funny, huh?

TV: Gotta Love It!

OK, so Mama admits that she has let me watch TV since I was about 10 months old. I only watch educational shows, though. I started out watching Sprout. It's a PBS station that carries children's programming all day long, including some very old episodes of "Sesame Street," "Bob the Builder" and "Barney" (we're talking 5 to 10 years old and they repeat the same ones over and over). They also have a cool program in the morning called "The Sunny Side Up Show," which features a chicken puppet named Chica and her friends who do the show LIVE from a barn. Chica cracks me up so I still watch her on weekday mornings after Mama leaves and while Dada gets ready for work. Mama and Dada were starting to go a bit crazy with Sprout so I've now graduated to Noggin, which is a Nickelodeon network for preschoolers and toddlers. It carries my all favorite shows, like "Yo Gabba Gabba," "Jack's Big Music Show" and "The Wonder Pets." The shows are a bit more lively and more educational on Noggin, in my opinion, so that's where I park my remote most evenings while Mama makes dinner. "Yo Gabba Gabba" is definitely my favorite show right now. I have little stuffed toys of all the characters and I bring them all out when the show starts. I stand in front of the TV, sucking my thumb and I dance and dance and have lots of fun. Nothing better in my book.

So hopefully you have learned something new about me and have gained some valuable insight into the life of a toddler. We are in for a very busy weekend (a 40th anniversary party for Mimi and Pop and Mary and Anton Lubeley as well as a visit to see Cousin Ella Grace to celebrate her 1-month birthday and Uncle Mike's birthday, too) so I should have tons to share next week. Until then, enjoy the rest of the week and see you soon...

Friday, August 14, 2009

BBQ Extravaganza!

Hello, my peoples!

My mama apologizes for taking all week to do this post. We were busy...

On Sunday we went to a neat BBQ and concert at Tutu and Sir's Country Club. Mimi and Pop came, too, so all my favorite people were there. I had a blast! I threw a football and ran all over the place and up and down the hill. I laughed and laughed and drank so much water my Mama thought I was part camel. Here I am with Mimi and my football.
The music was also a lot of fun. I danced and grooved up a storm! The band was a Rod Stewart cover band. I have no idea who he is but his music rocks!
Here are Tutu and Mimi enjoying their hamburgers and margaritas. Cheers!
Here I am with Mama and her sunglasses (stolen right off her face, of course). I had just tried my first bites of a candy bar. Milky Ways are the best, people! Honestly, you gotta try one!
Here's the whole gang enjoying the show...
And finally, I thought I'd take Mimi's sunglasses home with me. I didn't think she'd mind. You know how I like glasses.

So a fun afternoon was had by all! BBQs are alright. Let's do it again soon!

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Noah: The Lost Episodes...

Mama just came across a few photo gems and a video from a few weeks ago when we were at Tutu and Sir's house. She totally forgot to post them.

I thought you might like to see the cool side of Noah. Do I look like a rebel in these shades?
And do these glasses make me look smarter?

And here's a little video of some new dance moves I'm working on. I think I'm ready to go on tour.

Happy 60th Birthday, Sir!

My Sir (that's my grandpa) turned 60 on Monday. Everyone came out to the "frontier" to celebrate. We went to our favorite restaurant, Don Cuco's. Tutu and Sir were there and Auntie Nora, Pop, Mama and Dada, too. Here I am with some of my adoring fans, Sir and Tutu.
Then it was time to sing happy birthday to Sir. They brought him a birthday flan and he got to wear this awesome hat. I don't know what a "ponchito" is but it was exciting just the same.
And when we were leaving there was an amazing sunset right outside the restaurant. Wow!

So I hope you had a great birthday, Sir! I'm glad I was there to help you celebrate!