Me and Santa

The weekend after Thanksgiving, Mom and Dad took me to see this big guy in a red suit. He was pretty nice.

And the photographer had a fast shutter speed. See how still I look?
We opted not to get the picture of me climbing this Santa character. Or of me pushing the Radio Flyer cart into the scene. Or the one of me trying to destroy the camera by pulling on all the cables connecting it to the computer.

Swinging!!

Mom took me for a little playground time. We started on the swings and then went to the jungle gym, where a really cool kid showed me the ropes with the slides. It was a good time! Mom was actually most impressed by my holding her hand to walk between the swings and jungle gym. Of course, the return walk went somewhat less smoothly...

READ: I had a tantrum and threw myself my down into the dirt. Mom dragged me out of the park, kicking and screaming. Literally. She has no idea what's coming when I'm 2!

BWAH HA HA HA HA.

Pictures from my bday

I hate to make my adoring public wait (a whole month), but it took a little while to go through all the pictures from my party -- there were like 400. Megan is Mom and Dad's friend -- and babysitter and photographer. She's really a Jack (or Jill?) of all trades. She did an amazing job -- here's the cream of the crop!

Children's Museum

Last Friday, Mom took me to the Children's Museum for a little playdate with Escipion, Catherine, and Nola.

We had a good time, though some older kids invaded the toddler room and caused some trouble.


I discovered the joy of climbing up the slides. Or at least trying to. My efforts were futile, but it did keep me entertained for a long time. This trike thing that I reappropriated as a battering ram was also entertaining. Pity the fool. Or rather shins that I rammed...

I feel the need, the need for speed!


Why, yes, that is my Top Gun jacket. I had to take off my aviators inside as I couldn't see...

Lunch: Part 2 AND my hair cut

I am much neater now. Guess my hair really was in my eyes! I got my hairs cut, too -- it was fun, though I did try to go Sixteen Candles on the hair dresser by swinging my head suddenly... Next time.

Lunch: Part 1

Shocking that I'm not malnourished, right? If you put enough in front of me, I'm bound to get at least 5% in my mouth.

The other 95%? Well, let's see: sleeves - check, floor - check, bib pocket - definitely check, high chair - HA, pants - of course, hair - sometimes

Someone's gotta keep mom busy...

Inaugural trike ride

The week before Thanksgiving, Aunt Donna came over so we could play -- and Mom could go get her hairs cut.

She has a lot of hairs, so we had lots of time to take my RAD new trike (thnx Mimi and PopPop!) out for a spin around the neighborhood. It was loads of fun and as usual Aunt Donna wore me out.

I suspect I may have worn her out, too :)

Sunday stroll

You may have doubted me about this whole walking thing, so I did a little tour for Dad. Dad's phone unfortunately does not store much, but here's a little taste. An amuse-bouche, if you will.

Escipion's birthday

The week after my birthday, my buddy, Escipion, had his bday. It was a lot of fun. His Mom and Dad got a pinata -- and they even put stuff inside of it*.

I still think cake is gross, but Mom and Dad think it's pretty tasty.
Here's me and Mom goofing around:

She thought it was a good look. I'm not so sure that glasses really make her look smarter.



* Uncle JP has a good story about what happens if your parents forget to fill the pinata.

The Not-So-Distant Past

October, that is.
I know, I know, you thought I forgot. But really I was just so busy that I didn't have time to sort through all my pictures.
We had company mid-month. Dad's cousin, Natali came down from NYC. She was a lot of fun and we had a really good time playing together. We all went to Tot Shabbat, which was great -- like music class and Sunday school all rolled into one. I even sat in my little chair and played the maracas!

We also went to BBQ and Blues festival, which was pretty awesome -- though there was no instrument playing for me there.

The next weekend we went to Boo at the Zoo. Arrrr, matey.


Mom and Dad were going to dress me as a parrot, but thankfully I escaped that idea. Besides, it might have looked like I belonged with a different family, given that Chris's family were all birds.

Here's more pictures:


Then the next weekend it was finally Halloween! Woopee! I got to dress up as a monkey this time.

Before I discovered my tail.
Mom was a devil (isn't she anyway?) and Dad was [arrrr] a pirate again.

We went trick-or-treating around the neighborhood. And one of our neighbors really tricked out my ride -- love the banana leaves!

And here's the full set of photos:


That was it for October, save for some cat chasing.

Eating,

pushing my mail cart around,

and generally being a diva...

CAT

Here I am stalking an unexpecting Zsa Zsa... Little does she know.


She is delicious.


Cat: It's what's for dinner

Clean queen

Just in case there is ever a doubt that I'm related to Mom...

We've got to vacuum every day:

Pesky cat hair and dust.

I feel the need...

... the need for clean.

Who knew that cleaning was sooo much fun!?!

And my new found love of peanut butter proves that I really am related to Dad.

Did you hear me?

I said:
I CAN WALK. BY MYSELF.

You may praise me.
Commence adoration.

Day 363

Dear Diary,
Day 363. What was on the agenda for today?

Nurse: check
Torture cats: check
Practice steering the mail cart: check
Eat finger foods: check
Poop: check, check
Have Mom feed me: check
Run errands with Mom: check
Nap: check
Playdate: check
Walk: check
Rearrange Mom's sock drawer: check
Walk again: check
Help fold laundry: check
Read: check
Walk-6-feet-just-to-make-sure-Mom-knows-that-I'm-not-joking-this-week*: check

Next week: running and seeing what kind of new dance mom does when I do so.


* Last week I took a couple steps to Mom's open arms, but decided that this whole walking thing was overrated -- despite the fantastic reaction -- and not worth pursuing. I changed my mind. I'm fickle, what can I say.

The Name Game

I totally thought my name was Marcus.

But apparently not. Hmm.

Marcus-o-Lantern

This weekend Mom and Dad painted some pumpkins to make Jack-O-Lanterns. They also dressed me up for something called Halloween. I was a bit late arriving last year, so I don't really know what they are talking about (but I hear it involves chocolate).

Here is a game we played: guess which one is the Marcus-0-Lantern?

hint: not this one.



hint: not this one, either.



hint: getting warmer, but not this one.



Here I am:


Check out these other pics of me and the jack-o-lanterns:

The Monarch

The Monarch

The saddest thing I saw today

Was a monarch: on the ground he lay.

A thing of beauty, orange and black

But there he was, flat on his back.

Walking by on the street

Black and orange BOB came within feet.

We thought it sad until

We realized not one but two lay still.

These kings of flight

Entwined in a last good night.

What cruel world is this

To cast such creatures amiss?

Can we share the _____?

popcorn popper?


grocery cart?


clackety-clack-clack walker?


Margaret's camera?

Hmm. Probably not.

But we can look pretty darn cute trying.

What's keeping me busy this week

Bring on the finger foods:

Not just the puffs. I have decided that it is ok to eat food that I feed myself. In fact, over the course of less than a week, I graduated from only puffs and my dirty sock to a whole repertoire of foods. It's very exciting. Both for me and mom.
There are of course bound to be some pitfalls along the way -- like the day she dared to put preserves on my bread. Fool woman. Trying to poison me. Again.
(It was delicious the next day, though. Presumably sans poison.)

Here I am loving on some pear (previously consumed: apple, bread, grape pieces, and my usual assortment of puffs). Hardly a new food, but the fact that I'm feeding myself and NOT squishing the pear: big.

In fact, I even like the food in my bowl to have some texture: alphabet pastas, anyone? beans?

Not eggs, though, those are still REVOLTING. Though major kudos to Mom for coming up with some interesting dishes in her attempts to get me to eat them.


Mom was beginning to think she'd be going to college with me to puree my food and feed me. Guess she can put that idea on the backburner.

Bring on the Swiffer:
And cleaning. I tell you, those kitties really do a number on the house. I'm just doing my part to help. (Because I surely don't contribute to the mess. At all.)

But then mom told me she wanted me to do baseboards. I don't do baseboards.

Woman, puh-lease. Baseboards?

Seriously, it is a daily affair...


But maybe I should reconsider that baseboard idea... Zsa Zsa is apparently getting shipped off to Cleveland...

Where is that darn package tape?