Sunday, September 27, 2009

Between Raindrops on Sunday, September 27

I had the pleasure of Moppy and Pop's company this weekend. And, though the weather was a bit of a washout, we had a great time. The highlight was today's trip out to The Plains, Virginia. We visited a corn maze and farm. Since a lot of the weekend was spent inside, I was all too happy to stretch my legs and explore the muddy farm! My favorite was the wheel full of corn. And, I enjoyed the corn maze and did most of the leading (though never venturing too far from the start, so luckily we did not need to wave our flag for a corn cop rescue). The farm also included some pigs, sheep, chickens, and turkeys. And, of course pumpkins!

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Summer's Return on Thursday, September 24

Our adventures this week were made more fun by the return of warm weather. Though today was just hot, sticky, and a little smelly, as we hosted playgroup at the Reston Zoo. Our playgroup now consists of five little boys, including me, and today we all loved lemurs especially (though on sight, I called out "raccoon" on account of the lemurs' bushy striped tails). In this picture, we laughed and banged on the fence to get the lemurs to jump around and call out to us. Also this week, I enjoyed another day at preschool but barely made it to the end of the school day. I had tears of exhaustion in my eyes when my mom picked me up. But, I proudly brought home my first finger painting! On Tuesday, we met our buddies Gabe and Lis for some shopping and bagels. And, on Wednesday, I attended the Tiny Tots nature program at Long Branch Park. I had a bit of trouble sitting for circle time on the carpet squares as we learned about spiders, but I was much more attentive and into our hike as we looked for crawly creatures. It did not take me long, instead, to find sticks and acorns. My mom gave me a Native American name: Boy Walks with Stick.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

In the Woods on Sunday, September 20

We continued to celebrate a beautiful autumn weekend with just a bit of football and a trip to Potomac Overlook Park. They were having a special Sunday Afternoon in the Park; I watched a juggler (he even borrowed my stick to juggle along with some balls), saw a red-tailed hawk up close, and wandered through a butterfly bush maze. And, my parents got to try out electric bikes, which were pretty cool and quick. I just love being outside, and I did a pretty good job today of sticking to the trail on our little hike, though I was continually tempted to veer off and discover/find something interesting (if you notice in my hand of the top picture, one of my treasures from the hike was a small pine cone). All of the good fresh air over the weekend led me to an early bedtime, and tomorrow is my first full day of school.

Trip down South on Saturday, September 19

It was a great warm autumn day, and perfect for a ride in the country. My mom and I headed down to Calvert County, while my dad did a crazy thing--ran a half-marathon on hiking trails. Luckily, he survived, and not only that, he did quite well! Meanwhile, Mom and I enjoyed the annual Artsfest at Annmarie Gardens. There was something there for each of us--fun art for my mom and cool kids' area for me featuring beach balls and hula hoops! After, we went to the Hartsig home for laughter, merriment, adventure, and yummy food (see our group photos below)! It was great fun hanging out with my cousins both inside and out, playing with toys and running through the grass, and I learned my new favorite word "dagger". Thank you for wonderful time. Can I come back soon? My house is too quiet!

Trip down South (contd) on Saturday, September 19



Monday, September 14, 2009

First Day of School on Monday, September 14

I had my first day of preschool today! Like many kids on their first day of school, I was up and ready long before I needed to be! I was packed and eager with my new lunchbox, even though I did not really need it since it was an early dismissal. But, I took my juice in my lunchbox anyway. Finally, it was time to go, and of course I fell asleep in the car on the way. But, this little power snooze gave me just the jolt I needed for my morning. As soon as I heard the other energetic kids filing into the front doors, I was awake. I trotted off into the classroom with no hesitation, and since the school's policy is Kiss and Go, my mom reluctantly left and headed off to Starbucks. It was a good morning! According to my report (click on it to maximize), I especially enjoyed playing in the kitchen. I will be attending preschool one day a week, Mondays, from 9:15-1:15 pm. There are nine children in my class, and they range from nine months to 21 months. It is going to be wonderful school year!

Hail to the Redskins on Sunday, September 13

So, it was not a stellar Redskins' performance, but I had a good taste of football on Sunday. Mom's pal, KK taught me to yell out "Touchdown!" And, I did so with enthusiasm but unfortunately it was not always for the Redskins.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Autumn is in the Air on Saturday, September 12

Cooler air and milder temperatures meant lots of time outside today--mostly just hanging out, but also going for a bike ride, helping Daddy with a project (you can see me measuring the boards), and picking pumpkins that we grew in our garden. We have a total of three; they are not the biggest pumpkins but good color and shape! The other big event of the day was that I got my first haircut. The word on the streets of Arlington is to see Annie at the Westover Barber Shop for a good, quick haircut. She is known for her work with little ones. I sat quite nicely with Daddy and was praised for keeping my head still enough to get a good cut. The curls in the back are gone (without the humidity they were beginning to look a bit mullet-like), and I now look like such a little boy, according to my parents! I am all set for my first day of school on Monday. On Friday, we attended my preschool's Open House, and I met my teachers and some of my classmates. I loved the classroom--so much to do! I can't wait for Monday.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Vacation Continues on Thursday, September 10

We are now home from the beach, cutting our week a bit short due to the weather. But my dad still has off, so that works for me! We fell back into our home routines, and I had a fun Thursday playgroup. After my nap, Mom, Dad, and I went downtown to the Building Museum. There is a fun room for kids, the Building Zone, with lots of different building materials--blocks, legos, houses, train table, links, and magnets. While I had a great time, I think I enjoyed the main floor of the museum much more. There were wide open spaces to run and huge columns, arches, and natural light to enjoy. And, there was a beautiful fountain right in the middle. In one of these pictures, my mom has just caught me from my beeline to the fountain but check out the fantastic architecture. After all of the playing and running, I took a brief rest on top of a pile of pillows in the kids' room. A good time--this is definitely a museum that I can grow with. P.S. Happy Anniversary, Moppy and Pop!

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Rain Go Away on Tuesday, September 8

Since the rain woke me at 5:30 am, my mom thought it was a good day for one of those eliminated morning naps. So, she is taking advantage of some quiet morning moments to post more photos. Luckily, we do have a rain plan--outlet shopping! However, we do not have a rain plan for the rest of the week, and the forecast has turned quite bleak! But, in the meantime, I will share more of the days when there was sun (also I will post a video back on the last entry of the jazz funeral). First, may we only say this once in our lives, but we were inspired by Tori Spelling. We saw a picture of Tori and Dean riding their children in these cool bike seats attached to the front of the bikes. So, a little research and an Amazon order later, we have this awesome seat. I love it! My mom and I can talk and sing the entire bike ride. My old seat was on the back of the bike, and my mom could not see my pointing out of sites. And, sometimes I would try to take off my helmet. But, this new seat keeps me quite engaged! And, notice that my mom is much cooler than Tori Spelling since she wears a helmet! On our bike ride yesterday, we rode over to the Sea Colony Villages to feed the ducks in their ponds.

Monday, September 7, 2009

Chattering Teeth on Monday, September 7

Happy Labor Day! Today's beach time was a bit chillier and much windier than yesterday, but that did not stop me from hittin' the sand and water first thing this morning. Each time my parents brought me out of the water, I would ask, "Back?" I wanted to go back to the water! Eventually, my lips turned blue and my teeth chattered, so my parents wrapped me up and promised more beach time later. The rest of the day consisted of another bike ride, a walk down to the Boardwalk, and good eating at Bethany Blues (I even ate swordfish!). And, to close out the summer, Bethany ends the season with a jazz funeral procession, complete with mourners dressed in black weeping over the end of summer and a casket with Summer 2009 laid to rest; I loved the brass instruments and even did some dancing on the Boardwalk. Check out the quick video clip, and you can also see the crowds that are attracted to this event!

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Back to the Beach on Sunday, September 6

Ah! Back to the beach! After a week of summer cold symptoms, new molar side effects, full elimination of the morning nap, poor eating, and irregular sleeping, we are all happy for an end-of-the-summer getaway. Needless to say it was a long week of grouchiness, but we now see the sunshine! Unfortunately, Moppy and Pop are not here but enjoying a week in Maine. However, we have jumped into their beach traditions. Already, we have taken a trolley ride, biked around town, eaten Dickey's frozen custard (which I am still not sure about), and had pizza and arcade games at Grotto's (my first bites of pizza! not bad!). And, of course, we beached it first thing this morning (after the walk to WaWa for coffee and donuts--beach tradition #34). I ran my parents ragged as I just wanted to be in the ocean, following the waves in and out, up and down the shore. After a few hours on the beach and cleaning out the pounds of sand that made its way into all of my crevices, I could barely keep my eyes open for the short ride back to the beach house. I then napped for well over three hours (yipee! says my mom). After tomorrow the crowds should clear out, the forecast looks decent, and we are here most of the week--can't wait!