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

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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!

Sunny Days on Thursday, August 27

This week's story begins last Saturday morning when I fell down the stairs. Needless to say, it shook me and scared my parents, but in the end I was just fine. The nurse assured my mom that her son took many a tumbles, and now he is at Virginia Tech! My brain is just fine! And so, my week got much better after that. The highlight was a visit from Moppy and Pop, and we all went to the zoo. It was great fun having them over--just like old times! Then, this evening Mommy, Daddy, and I went to the pool, and just as summer is closing I fell in love with the pool! I was splashing and dunking my face. And, for the first time, I put up a fuss when we had to leave. I leave you with a recent video. Just this week, I was able to pull open the heavy spice cabinet (which combined with sliding open the pocket door above the stairs inspired my parents with Pop's help to do more child proofing, but the spice cabinet stays open for my enjoyment once all of the lids got good and secure). And, what treasures are inside that cabinet! I like to shake the different jars for their musical capacity, and I also like to stack and count all of the containers.

Playdating on Wednesday, August 19

I have had lots of fun playdates this week. It has been great fun catching up with friends, those local and those a little further away. On Monday, we traveled to St. Mary's County to visit Sarah, Jacob, and Rachel. I was in exploration mode and toy heaven at their house! And, Mom had a great time catching up with her best pal, Denise. On Tuesday, we had Lauren and Luke over to our house. They were barely in door when Luke spotted one of my favorite books, Moo Baa LaLaLa, so we just had to sit and read that in the middle of the kitchen floor. Luke is five weeks older than me, a little over an inch taller, and he runs! So it was interesting to see what he could reach and get into--a warning to my parents! And, today we had a lovely lunch and visit at Lis and Gabe's. It may look like Gabe and I are just playing with bowls and spoons, but we are actually making music and contemplating the name of our kitchen band.

Birthday Wishes on Sunday, August 16

We had some fun adventures this weekend, including a day trip down to Virginia's Northern Neck. Though we spent a lot of time in the car, we were able to meet Nanny and Grandpa and celebrate Nanny's birthday. That was the highlight! And, I liked running around the big, empty model home and playing in the closets of one of the houses we checked out (not moving...just a scouting mission for property). Check out my birthday video message along with a bonus feature. I am into the ABCs!

Poolside on Thursday, August 13

We just got back from the pool, and I could barely keep my eyes open or head up to eat lunch! I had a great time wading in the baby pool but mostly walking around, going from mom to kid and checking out of their pool stuff. I met some of my playgroup buddies at the pool, and in this photo you will find us taking a snack break. Look at us sitting like big boys! This past weekend also included another trip to the Reston Zoo, because we had to show Mommy all of the cool animals (first we had brunch at Clyde's where I discovered bacon--yum!--see photo of me trying to pet the ostrich at the zoo and then of Daddy and me in the fountain outside the restaurant). This week, we also had a fun playdate with Lis and Gabe, Sarah and Evan, a visit to my new preschool, and a trip to the library. My new favorite library book is Big Little by Leslie Patricelli; I just crack up at the chihuahua! And, from this book I have added lots of new words to my vocabulary, like chihuahua, pacifier, and coins (those are all little things).

Feeding Goats and Lots More on Saturday, August 8

It has been a busy week. Since last we talked, Grandma (who I now call Nanny) and Grandpa came to visit, Daddy and I went to the Reston Zoo and fed the farm animals, Mommy came back from Vegas, we went to a show at Wolf Trap (I loved the puppets and was less impressed with the singing trio), and we found more water features to play in. Also, I also got a sandbox in my backyard! Upon having beach withdrawal, my cousin Keelyn suggested a sandbox. And, fortuitously, our neighbor was giving one away. So, Daddy and Grandpa carried the sandbox down the street, and my mom lugged back to our yard about 250 lbs of sand only to need a quarter of that. But, that is okay, because my favorite activity in my sandbox is throwing the sand out of the box!

Morning Adventures on Saturday, August 1

Well, it is the third morning in a row where I have flat out refused my morning nap. No tiredness or rubbing of the eyes in sight! My mom is blaming my two new molars. But you know, I am almost 16 months old! Maybe it is time to give up that baby morning nap (sorry Mommy!). However, that gave us some morning time for adventures before it got too hot and before my mom left on her Vegas trip. So... we went to the car wash (lots of "WA-TER" to watch), the farmer's market (loved the juicy samples of peaches and melons BUT sadly a sell out of corn), and then to a new water feature in downtown Ballston (probably meant to be more decorative than playful!). A fun morning!

Beating the Heat on Tuesday, July 28

To beat the heat, we have turned the backyard into a water park. Admission is free! Come on over.

Bye Bye Beach on Sunday, July 26

We had a beautiful morning on the beach--a great way to wrap up another fun week! My favorite memories of the week include trolley rides, donuts from WaWa, french fries on the beach, seagulls, sand, waves, hanging out with Pop, Moppy's hugs, the neighborhood dogs, good naps, and Daddy's arrival. Thank you, thank you Moppy and Pop! And, the perfect ending to a fun-filled weekend was to celebrate Eva's birthday at the Galica house and pool. Though, I am still not feeling these big pools, I had fun visiting with my family (my newest trick is to walk up to people and in a very sweet voice say "hi"), "plopping" things in the water (this makes me crack up), and watching the big guys play horseshoes. And, Eva gave me the first cupcake out of her cupcake cake--the piece with the big crab. It did not take long to wear much of the icing. Happy birthday, Eva! Also, check out Keelyn's stylin' new retainer in this picture. I have such cool cousins!

Drizzly Day on Thursday, July 23

It has been another fabulous beach week. It is already Thursday, and I do not know where the time has gone! Today was a bit of a wash out weather-wise--off and on rain for most of the day. Mommy and Moppy went on the 18th Annual Bethany Cottage Tour, and I got to hang out with my buddy, Pop. Most of our rainy day activities included playing with my stash of toys at the beach house, and one of my favorite things to do is play in the spice cabinet. Today, I took a book over and had a seat on the bottom spice drawer (see upper right pic). Though, we did manage to get in a bike ride to the bakery and a quick walk to the nature center in between raindrops and house tours. Tomorrow Daddy comes, and I can not wait to share with him all of my beach activities.

Relaxing Weekend on Sunday, July 19

We said good bye to my new friends and look forward to seeing them in Florida in the near future. And, then we just enjoyed a relaxing weekend--playing lots with Daddy before Mom and I headed back to the beach. Our outings included Gravelly Point to watch the planes take off from National Airport--I love planes and especially helicopters, always pointing them out in the sky. (And, Grandma taught me how to make the sound of a helicopter, which I do well!) On Sunday, we went to Clemjontri Park to get all of my wiggles out before the car ride to the beach. My mom learned the trick to an easy car ride--hit nap time and then just keep passing back french fries when I wake up!

Playing Tourist on Tuesday, July 14

First, happy birthday Eva! We are back from the beach for most of the week to host great friends, the Wolcott family. They are here from Florida after spending the first part of their vacation in New York. Today, they spent the entire fun-filled day downtown, and we joined them for part of it. We went to the Natural History Museum and then had lunch along the Mall. Still enjoying this great weather of sunshine and low humidity! And, especially enjoying the company of Adam and Bailey! Also, want to send out a special thank you to Moppy and Pop for a fun beach week. Pop took all of those great pictures of me, and if you would like here are more: http://picasaweb.google.com/ashley.jenni/BeachtimePart1?authkey=Gv1sRgCOiRxInq0auhGw&feat=directlink