Holy smokes alive!!

You will NEVER believe where we went yesterday!!

Bright and early, we took a trip!!  After a bit of a drive, we got on a SCHOOL BUS!  (But it wasn’t the MAGIC school bus, because it had headlights instead of eyes).

And the whole time, I held onto my special TICKET!!

After we got off the bus, Mommy got in line and Daddy took me to get a sneak peek of someone special…

… And I’ll give you one hint: he’s a TRAIN!!!!!

And trains are my FAVORITE.

And then I got to RIDE it!!!!

(Whoah–sorry about the wonky lighting! Mommy’s camera got knocked off the “auto” setting for a few of these pictures…)

And not just me, but Scooters, too!!

Boy, were we excited!!

We picked an empty seat.

And we wondered what would happen next.

(Oh man, we’re sure cute!!)

Scooters got friendly with the neighbors–one of his favorite past times! :)

And Mommy just loved watching us all!

She says it’s heavenly to see us enjoy things we love.

And then–we were off!!

The ticket man came to check our tickets…

… And when Daddy couldn’t find his ticket (it accidentally got left in the stroller), he still got to stay!

Boy, it was the life!

I could chug-chug! all day long, I tell you!

And Scooters felt the same way!

“Ooh!!”

And can you believe the view? Whoo-ee!

After our train ride, we explored all the other fun things they had…

… Like a little locomotive just my size!!

“Hi, Daddy!!”

And I got to climb on REAL train tracks–like I’ve always wanted!!

And climb on REAL trains!

Mommy and I saw all the things we read about in my train books and see in my train movies–like couplers and box cars and tank cars!!

And THEN!!!!!!!

They had REAL little steam engines!!

With real boilers and rods and pistons and couplers on the wheels!!  (But they were super tricky and used butane for fuel in the “fire box” instead of coal or wood.)

The only thing that could have made it better is if I could have been the engineer and Daddy could be the fire man like we always pretend at home!

Scooters really loved the steam, too!

Along with his FAVORITE raisins. :)

Then we went out to see another load of passengers taking their turn on the train.

Whoo-eee!!!

“Hi, Thomas!!!”

Oh man!  He was chugging and steaming and blasting his whistle!!

There’s nothin’ in the world better than that, I tell you!

Well, unless you’re poor Scooters who got scared (Mommy felt so bad!).

But fortunately, he recovered quickly!

Then we enjoyed more of the sights… Like touring a real cab!

… And singing along with the entertainment!

I especially liked watching the crocodile!

And Mommy especially liked watching me.

And my adorable attentiveness. :):)

Then it was time to eat!

Which made Scooters happy. :)

Then I asked Mommy if the conductor had said, “All aboard!” when we got on the train and she said she hadn’t heard him.

So, I took matters into my own vocal folds.

AAAAAALL ABOOOOOOOARD!!!!!

Then Daddy told me NOT to take a bite of his sandwich.

“Please, Daddy??”

“Please may I have a TINY little bite??”

“No, I’m sorry, Son.  You absolutely CANNOT take a bite of my sandwich.”

*Hee, hee, hee!!*

Boy, we love to play together!!

Then we HAD to check out the toy trains!

And wouldn’t you know, little Scooters did me proud!!

The tracks were glued down…

…  Which was PERFECT for the little Scooty-tots!

Because then they didn’t get knocked around while he played!

And you better believe he knew exactly what to do with those trains!

He went right for the tunnel!

And boy was he cute. :):)

Mommy could have played with him all day long!

But, alas, all the fun and excitement was beginning to take its toll.

So, we hit ONE MORE set of model trains on our way out.

And then it was time to say goodbye to our “Day Out With Thomas”.

Goodbye, trains!!!  Boy, were you all a ton of fun!!

Thanks, Mommy and Daddy!!  I loved having my first train ride ever!

Ha, ha! Guess what, everyone! I invented a new game!! You want to know how to play it??…

Okay, first off, you toss the hockey puck (aka: your little brother’s stinky diaper!) into play.  Personally, I like to just toss the puck over the railing and see where it lands.

Then!  Get your hockey stick and jump in!

I like to play doubles with my Daddy.

But when the play gets serious, Daddy goes solo!

Check out how he pulls the puck in nice and easy.

… And lines up for a straight shot.

He shoots!!

He scores!!!!!

The crowd goes wild and Daddy scores one for the team!!!  Way to go, Daddy!!!

Hey guys!  You know what?

I love sgabetti and meatballs, just like you!

Oh!  Hi Everyone!!

I want you to meet my friends!

They are Lady and the Tramp!

They were my good friends after Mommy read me their book one day.  I love my friends.  And I always have different ones!

My first one ever was Elmo.  My Papa and gg gave him to me when I was just a baby and after time, I really loved him.

And I’d stuff him in cereal boxes and sit him in my chair.

And before Scooters was born, he rode in the double stroller with me!

After that, one of my best friends was Tigger!

I earned him and the rest of the Hundred Acres crew and boy were they fun!

We loved having picnics together.

And Eyeore was a really special friend of mine.

Until I got the flu this last week and I accidentally threw up on him.  So Mommy washed him, but his hair melted in the clothes dryer and now I don’t like him as much.  And Mommy feels really bad. :(

But at least I still have Tigger.

And for a while, I loved Tia Mia and Don Diego.

They’re from Skippy Jon Jones books and they make me laugh.

Oh! And I’ve also got my trains.

And my construction vehicles.

(Who sometimes befriend animals from Noah’s Ark).

They’re sure good friends! And everyone needs good friends–huh? :)

Hi Everyone!  Guess what?!  I get to tell you about scoops and diggers!

Did you know that I love scoops and diggers?  It’s true!!

About five months ago, I developed a real passion for scooping and digging.

So I raided my fork drawer in the kitchen every day…

…  And excavated through the whole house!

Then Mommy would find my abandoned excavators on her desk.

Or on the couch.

Or on the floor.

And it would just make her smile.

Sometimes we’d get out the pinto bean bucket.

And I’d scoop and dig to my heart’s delight!

But one day Mommy realized my digging needs were outgrowing our little bucket.

And so she put her thinking cap on to figure out a solution.

Then she looked at her cute little peanut.

“Hello, my cute little peanut!”

Then she got an idea from  something she’d seen at work!  At her work, they have a big sensory table filled with pinto beans and that got Mommy to thinking…  How could she make one of those for me?

Then she remembered!  Our generous neighbors gave us a sand/water table they’d outgrown, so Mommy brought it inside, cleaned it up and filled it with pinto beans!

Oh, man!  Check it out…  All these little beans just waiting to be scooped!

**Dig!  Scoop!  Pour!  Dig, dig!**

Then Mommy broke out some other toys to add to the mix and it was great!

(Oh!  And then she brought in the water part, so I could play cars in that side!)

Then a special time of year rolled around… And while I preferred not to sit on his lap and tell him what I wanted, Mr. Santa Claus saw me clutching a pair of plastic scoops from breakfast…

… So then he brought me a real excavator on Christmas!!!

And we’ve been digging together ever since!!

Hey everyone! You know something that I like to do?…

First, I take a snack.

Then, I insert it into my mouth.

After that, I cover my ears.

And then start chewing!

It’s wonderful.

And one of my new favorite pastimes!

I can also chew without listening.

But truly?

This is much more fun!

—
p.s.

Mommy loooooooooves it when I do this.

Hi Everyone!!  It’s time to jump back in time again to last June…  When I was 26 months old and Scooters was only eight days old!  Daddy was still home on paternity leave and Mommy was feeling pretty mobile after her C-section, so we went on our first outing as an official family of four!!

And you know where we went?

The TRAIN STATION!!!

Note: Our enthusiasm looks suspiciously like irritation and shock in the above photo.  But truly, we were enthused.

We waited for a long time, but no trains came–until the very end!!

We were actually loading up the car to go home when Mommy heard the train whistle and we unloaded and booked it to the platform as fast as we could!

“Wook, Daddy!  Wook, Mommy!  A TRAIN!!!”

Then we followed an engine down the tracks a ways.

He was parked and resting.

Note: About this time Mommy realized she’d over-estimated her ability to be mobile and pain free.  She was missing her Percocet.

What a beauty.

“Isn’t she beautiful, Scooters?”

“Scooters?”

Awww, would you look at that?

So sweet and peaceful.

Such a cute curve to his toes.

Little hands.

In the same position they were before he fell asleep.

What a cutie!!

“Hey Ma!  I’ve got a question for you…  What are the chances of you and Daddy grabbing that there locomotive and hefting him into the back of our car to keep forever?”

[I'm afraid the chances of that are mighty slim, Son].

*sigh*

“That’s what I was afraid of.”

Hi Everyone!!  How are you??

I know it’s hard to believe, but these pictures are from last May and June when I was only 25 months old.  I asked Mommy to post them so I could tell you a story…

Well, last April, Mommy gave me a special gift to use on our trip together. It was a magna-doodle!

It was compact, versatile and quiet (perfect for planes and solemn gatherings)– and I loved it!

My all-time favorite creation was…

The Snowman.

It all started at my Great-Grandmother’s funeral when Mommy whisper-sang Once There Was a Snowman while drawing it out for me.

From then on I was hooked.  I frequently asked her to draw and sing and eventually began to draw on my own!

At first, I started out simple.

But then the creative juices began to flow…

And my snowmen got taller.

And had faminies!

And every once in a while…

I threw in something really random.

Then I explored other mediums.

“Mommy, what are ‘mediums’?”

And Mommy explored the delicious roundness in my profile.

How sweetly my fingers held the chalk.

And how cute I was when I concentrated.

And without fail, my faminies always melted her heart!

But I still loved to go back to my magna-doodle.

And if Mommy was careful and stayed nearby.

(And admired my cute legs).

(And caught me before I erased!)

She was rewarded with a glimpse of something really unique–like my first crocodile!

But you know what her absolute favorite was?

When I drew a little piece of me.

Hi Everyone! Guess what??  We made egg salad sandwiches today for lunch and boy do I love those!

And if you don’t mind, I’d love to show you how I help make them.

Oh! And if I look paler than usual, it’s because I’ve been under the weather, but hopefully I’ll be on the mend soon…

Okay!  Now who wants to help Mommy??!!

I…

dooooooooooo!!

So, first!

Mommy hands me an egg.

Thanks, Mommy!

(Howy mackerew!  Wook at those cute wittow fingers!!)

Hooray!  Now, if only I could eat you now.  But Mommy says no.

Isn’t that right, Mommy?

[Yep, it is!]

Aww, hi there wittow egg!  I’m gonna swice you and eat you, okay?

Okay!

But don’t worry.

I’m very careful.

After that, Mommy takes it and turns it.

Is everybody catching all this?

You are?  Good!

Because then Mommy gives it back to me!

For more slicing!

Whoo-wee!  Would you wook at that!  I think it’s time…

For a taste test!

Or two.

Or three.

Or twenty!

Oh man, this is the life.

Uh-oh…

Whatzat?

Are you trying to take my egg??

Noooo, Mommy!!

Well, folks.

As far as I’m concerned…

My story is finished!

So, thanks for joining us!

And don’t forget to bless it!

With a yawn. :)

Hey, hey, hey–check it out!

Mommy’s finally starting her “Summer Series” posts about all the fun we had in the sun last year! (Give yourself a big pat on the back, Mommy!)

It all began last April…..

….. With a beautiful day that marked the beginning of “summer”.

The day I scooped my first sand ever (I think…).

And the first day of 2009 that I had to wear sunglasses, so you know for sure that summer had come! :)

We met our wonderful playgroup friends at the park down the street and really had some fun!

I went barefoot in the sand!

And got on my first merry-go-round ever!

I was a mite apprehensive at first.

But Mommy taught me how to sit down.

And hold on tight!

Then she’d push it at least .000025 miles an hour and I loved it!

After that, I got tangled in the web climber.

“Hi, Mommy! Someday I’ll be free again!”

“Ha, ha!” says Efan, “You’re so silly!”

Then I was free!!

(And so cute!)

After that, I just hung out.

Holy mackerel–I look so small!

Then we ran around the dry water park all crazy like we were little boys or something. (Ha!)

After that, things got serious.

Very serious.

It was me.

And Efan.

Just. Sitting.

But holy smokes were we cute!!

So Mommy (and Scooters in utero!) just had to get in on the action!

And then all my friends did, too!!

Man–what a fun day.

Mommy and I are so lucky to have such great friends.

Now, if only I knew how to get off this thing…..

Hi Everyone!! Sorry about the delay in telling my story… Mommy’s been spending the week attacking our house with great gusto and is thrilled to have it completely organized and recovered from all our holiday excitement.

(Oh!  And she may have spent a bit of leisure time she usually reserves for blogging to read a delightful book instead.   Boy did it make her laugh!  Now she’s got the entire line-up of novels from this author on hold at the library.  So… please enjoy her posts until these babies start rolling in!) :)

So, let’s see…  Where was I?

Oh, yes!  It’s our third full day in California at Grandma and Grandpa’s house.  And now that it’s just us here with Grandma, Grandpa and Aunt Elise, we got the royal tour of my Grandpa’s impressive projects…

Like his new composter!

Check it out! It’s completely enclosed, so there’s no odor or mess.

And even in the dead of winter, those little microbes are working up a storm!

And here’s another project: The new green house he built!

(Note: Check out that sweet fence he built around his garden. He needed to protect his food from all the deer and bears and other wildlife that prowl the mountain forests.  And now–it protects his new composter, too!)

The new green house is where he stores his finished compost in preparation for spring.  It’s also where he’ll start his seeds in the spring when it’s too cold to plant in the garden, yet.

Then Mommy spotted this and cried out, “So that’s how you make such nice furrows in your garden!! Holy smokes do I wish I’d had something like that 9 months ago when I was trying to plant our vegetable garden with an enormous pregnant belly and a garden of packed mud!”

“Hm, it sounds like you’ve got clay soil,” Grandpa replied, “Let me give you a few pointers on how to make it better…”

After that, Mommy tried to remember everything Grandpa said so she could go home and implement his suggestions.

And I ran around in the picturesque snow.

And explored Grandpa’s handmade playground.

And laughed and giggled so cute.

Until Daddy caught me!!

Aaaaahhhh!!!

Then Daddy put me on a gigantic snowball he made.  And while I was a captive cutie…..

Grandpa joined me!

And then Daddy!

And then Bobby!

“What did you call me?”

*Hee, hee, hee!*  Bobby!  I cawed you Bobby!

“Now you’re gonna get it, Bubbers!”

After that, I asked Grandma to sing my favorite church songs.

And I played along.

And then helped her play.

While Mommy’s heart melted through the carpet.

I was particularly fond of Grandma’s neck exerciser, but it didn’t know the song very well.

So I took over again.

“I love to seeeeeeeeee the temple!  I’m going there some daaaaaaayyyyy!”

After that, I took a nap.  And when I woke up…..

Snuggles was so cute and happy to see me!

So I tried to explain that after my naps, I often need a few minutes to find my sunshine again.

Snuggles said that was okay.

He said he’d give enough sunshine for both of us until I was ready.

So I took his hand in silent thanks.

And he covered my back until I was ready.

Then sure enough…..

I found my sunshine again and shared it with my Aunt Elise!

And then I discovered…..

…  sports on TNT.

But not for long, because then it was bedtime.

And while Snuggles and I slept, all the parents went out to eat at a delicious restaurant in town.

After that, Grandpa broke out the cards.

And played his favorite game: “The No Name Game”.

I think it’s a game that Grandma’s parents used to play.

They had fun and Mommy thought about growing up in Nevada when she saw their old cards from the casinos.

(Note: They never actually gambled in the casinos. They just got playing cards from a friend who worked in a casino because they only use each deck once and then toss them).

And wouldn’t you know, Mommy won her third game in a row!!  She couldn’t believe it.

The next day we packed up and headed back home.

Enjoying a McDonald’s Playhouse at lunch.

And some beautiful winter weather!

Boy–what an awesome trip. Thank you so much, Grandma, Grandpa and Aunt Elise (and our other wonderful family we saw there)–we had a fantastic time!!!

We love you,
Bubbers, Snuggles, Mommy and Daddy