Summer's Here

I haven't had much time for posting lately. Mommy is keeping me busy with our new summer schedule which consists of activities designed to exhaust my energy. Sometimes it works; sometimes not so much.

Anyhow, I never got to tell you about my trip to Atlanta a few weeks ago. It was pretty eventful. The first night we were there, I threw up in the bed - twice. It was everywhere! The rest of the trip, I didn't have much of an appetite, which mommy chalked up to my being too busy playing to eat anything. It wasn't until my stomach swelled up and I developed a bad case of diarrhea that she got worried. That was the night before we were supposed to go to Granddaddy's house, so Gran said I just didn't want to go. Ha! Nonetheless, mommy drove me up to the Urgent Care center, but they said I needed to go to Scottish Rite Children's Hospital. So...at 8PM, mommy, Hadley, Gran, and I headed to Scottish Rite. There were some really cool toys in the waiting room there - so cool that I went a little crazy with them. The triage nurse actually asked mommy if she thought I was really sick. Four hours, six x-rays, and three movies later, I finally fell asleep in the hospital bed...and the doctor declared that I was fine and could go home. They gave me some Thomas stickers to send me off. It was so incredibly cool - playing with life-size interactive sculptures in the waiting room, watching movies until midnight, and getting stickers...what more could a guy ask for?

I didn't think anything could top that...until Granddaddy took me to the fire station! I was able to inspect all of the fire engines, up close and personal. They even let me "drive" one of them. I wasn't able to actually take it out for a spin, but I got to steer for a good long while. It rocked!

Life back in Virginia has been pretty dull in comparison. We have been making lots of trips to the library (to get train books and train documentaries) and to the pool. Mommy bought me some swimmies/floaties, so I'm able to go in the deep end now. Needless to say, I'm pretty cool stuff.

(Watching a Train Documentary in my Thomas Hat)

Other than that, I'm just busy acting as the man of the house. Daddy is on vacation in Colorado (without us!!!), so I am running the show and keeping mommy and Hadley safe. Between you and me, I tried to get sneak into daddy's luggage, but it didn't work.

Summer Reading

We went to the library Monday morning to check out some fun new books. As you may or may not know, I am obsessed with trains, so we got a Thomas book, a book about train noises, one about engines waking up in the morning, and one about engines going to bed at night. Before leaving, however, I found “Aunt Harriet and the Underground Railroad,” and INSISTED mommy let me check it out. I thought it was a book about trains because it had a decidedly large train on the cover. Boy, was I wrong. Now, I know more about the liberation of mid-19th century slaves than most two year old ever dreamed of.

The Sleep Report

Well, I'm still waking up periodically throughout the night. I get lonely and need to know that mommy and daddy--and most importantly, my pacifier--are still around. Mommy finally figured out that I would be immensely happier with a stuffed animal to keep me company. My bunny is a great companion - her ears are just the right size for my fingers to hold.

She also tastes really good, too.

Georgia on My Mind

I went to Atlanta two weeks ago. It was my first time on a plane and I didn't cry at all! I was able to meet a lot of mommy's side of my family. They are all crazy!!!

Here I am with Uncle Devil & Aunt Ashley. He always wears Bulldog Red whenever mommy is around just to make her angry!

Gran taught me how to play "Spider." Mommy is trying to raise Thatcher and me to be card players so she'll have someone to play with at home. Gran also made me "fly like a fairy" a lot. Whenever she would lift me up over her head, I would stick my legs straight out in the air. She said I looked like a little fairy.

All that flying around like a fairy and card playing made me tired, so I'd take a nap on Papa Cecil.
Things got really crazy when my Aunt Leslie came to visit. Here I am demonstrating how I can talk like a pterodactyl.

After a few days (and a trip to the hospital for Thatcher), we went to "The Big R" to see Granddaddy and company. My great Nanny and Aunt Dee came to see me.

Nanny even got down in the floor and played with me. She actually fell over onto the floor at one point. It was really funny...at least to most of us watching it happen.

Needless to say, I can't believe Aunt Dee ever fed her son with those things.

For the Record...

...I'm back to being swaddled. Apparently, mommy says I nap better (read two hours vs. 10 minutes) when I'm bundled up nice and tight.

Three Months and Counting

We've had a big weekend. Friday was mommy's birthday, so Thatcher and I took her to the mall. Thatcher played on the playground while mommy and I hung out watching him and the other children who were trying to get some energy out during yet another rainy day in our nation's capital. Afterwards, mommy bought Thatcher a new Cars tumbler from the Disney Store. We went to Caribou so mommy could get a free birthday coffee, and she asked them to fill Thatcher's new cup with water. One mocha and one Cars tumbler full of ice water later, we were off to H&M so mommy could try on some dirt-cheap trendy clothes. While mommy was seeing if she could fit into her old size, I mentioned to Thatcher that it wasn't really fair that he had gotten a new cup and now it looked like mommy was going to get some new clothes; all the while, I had nothing to show for our outing. My big brother said not to worry; and with that, he dumped his entire cup of ice water all over me. I didn't even cry...because I knew mommy wanted to keep shopping, which meant I would get a new outfit so we could stay out! Thanks a lot, big brother!

The outfit that Thatcher soaked...seriously, I've had it forever...I needed something new.

In other news, my Nana and Papa came to visit us last weekend. We had so much fun. It was nice to have someone new hold me and make a fuss over me. I put on my best smiles and gave lots of coos to ensure that they'll come back soon.

Nana and mommy took me to have my picture taken while they were in town. It didn't go so well because I had just discovered my hands and put them in my mouth every time the photographer tried to take a shot. Mommy ultimately gave up and decided to take me back a few days later. I still wanted to eat my hands the whole time, but mommy was able to get some good shots once she tucked my hands behind my back!




Lastly, I've finally convinced mommy to stop swaddling me. It's been a bit of a challenge because I startle myself when I try to fall asleep...which makes falling asleep rather difficult unless I am swaddled. Mommy finally figured out that I'm okay if I can just hold onto something, preferably her finger. Because that isn't always an option, she started giving me my bunny to sleep with. I can hold on to her ears and drift off to dreamland. It isn't quite mommy's finger, but it will work in a pinch. Don't worry, mommy makes sure my bunny's body is nowhere near my face, so it won't obstruct my breathing!

Terrible Twos

It's official. I have hit the terrible twos.

Exhibit A: As you can see, I don't really care to have my picture taken lately. Gone are the days when I would squeal, "Cheese," any time I saw a camera nearby. I am just too busy mastering the art of the tantrum to stop for a photo shoot.
Exhibit B: If we leave the house and don't turn left out of our neighborhood, I become quite agitated because I want to go to the "cub." It's even worse if we do turn left out of our neighborhood and then DON'T end up going to the club. It is rather cruel of mommy to drive me right by the club...and then make me go to Target with all the other commoners. It's just not right. Mommy and daddy say they didn't know it was possible for a two year-old to become a country clubber, but I'm proving them wrong.
Exhibit C: I only want to eat cake. All cake, all the time.
Exhibit D: If the television is on, it better be on Thomas. Enough said.

In an attempt to instill a bit of a work ethic in me, they have put me to work mowing the patio. Little do they know, I actually enjoy working in the yard. Whatever you do, don't tell mommy and daddy, though.

In other news, mommy took me to the library for the first time this week. It really is my kind of place - there are loads of books there and I can take as many home as I want! It rocks! I just can't get enough of books. Every night, after mommy or daddy tucks me in, I sneak out of bed and read all of my books. Sometimes, I pile them all in bed with me and then there isn't any room for me to sleep, so I have to go get mommy or daddy to make some space for me. Other times, I just sit in my monkey chair, reading my bible until it is too dark for me to see. When mommy finds me doing this, she always comes in my room and tells me how proud of me she is - but that it is really time to go to sleep. Without fail, though, if I'm reading the bible, she never seems too upset.