Saturday, January 31, 2009

Como Zoo and Conservatory

Just a few amateurish tries, but I'm working on it.
From Goal Photos


From Goal Photos


Fish Aquarium in Tropical Garden
From Goal Photos


It was an absolutely gorgeous day, just what we needed to get us through another few below zero snaps. We got some sunshine, and out for a nice walk at Como. It was perfect. Papa even got out for some hole drilling when we got home.

Practicing pouring and sharing
From Goal Photos

Very intent "Montessori" like play, I've learned a lot from some books and good friends and am trying to encourage more of this play, but he just naturally does it. He initiated all this on his own, I just offered beans (not water) to pour.
From Goal Photos

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Just for smiles

Just a funny face.
From Goal Photos


A little better.
From Goal Photos


We were building roads tonight, acting out his current favorite book, the free one from Dolly Parton's Imagination Library and United Way. Easy Street. He loves it.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Company

We had a furry guest for about two weeks, Magoo loved it, and was amazingly gentle, he got a little more assertive or daring towards the end and wanted to pick up fizzy fuzz but for the most part remained mostly gentle.

From Christmas 2008

From Christmas 2008


Excellant, says Dr. Evil
From Christmas 2008

From Christmas 2008


(I apologize for the quality of these photos, they were taken with our camera phone and in certain situations leave something something to be desired)

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Birthday Blast

We had a very small but quaint homey birthday party on Saturday. I could mention all the things that went wrong at the party, like the cake not coming out very well in flavor, texture, and decoration, and food being served cold and chaotically, but who really wants to hear about my incompetencies? And hey, good friends over look those things right. I heard at least one guest say she had a good time and Magoo did as well, so that's what matters.

We started the day with a family gift opening. We bought him a bounce house on after Christmas clearance, it took FOREVER, to blow up and had a leak in one of the arms so had to be blown up several times through out the party. Magoo wanted a Thomas party so earlier in the week we made train engine sugar cookies and his friends could frost/decorate their own, that was a lot of fun. Other than the bounce house and cookies it was just wild mayhem!

Magoo loved all his wonderful thoughtful gifts, and interestingly made the rounds playing with each after all the party goers left and continued right after nap. Magnets, wiki sticks, magnet note board, frog book, workbook, moon sand, Word World cars, magnet note board, wiki sticks, Guessing book, workbook, magnets, extended tea party. Oh this was all after immediately popping every last balloon in the house, except the mylar Thomas balloon, of course.

Flouring the rolling pin for Thomas sugar cookies
From Birthday Fun


Opening cards in the quiet (panic-my own) of the morning before festivities, he opened and read each one and really loved them all. After papa read the first one to him he read the rest, "Happy birthday, Thomas." "The puppy is going under the water swimming, happy birthday puppy."
From Birthday Fun


I'm glad he's only three, as I'm not very good at hiding gifts yet. He saw this in the trunk last week when I was getting the backpack out to go hiking with him and said, "we have a jumpy thing too." I told some lie about it just being the box, he dropped it, but I'm not sure how much he really understood about my lie, and now I've reinforced that that was indeed what he was getting and that he can't be duped, oh well. If that's the only thing I need to work on, just call me boring!
From Birthday Fun


From Birthday Fun


If you think this cake looks awesome, believe me when I say, it's all in the angle of the photograph.
From Birthday Fun


Awesome magnetic note board. I wish I had an eye like our gift givers.
From Birthday Fun


Moon sand, lots of fun, but comes with lots of warnings . . .
From Birthday Fun


At the end of the day asking him to tell me something about his day is like pulling teeth from an angry bull. So I was pleased when he final let go with, "It was fun. I liked my friends [here]. I'm three."

Monday, January 5, 2009

Third and Final Christmas, with Oma's family

Hop on Pop on Pickle.
From Christmas 2008


Oma and me.
From Christmas 2008

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Christmas with Nanny

Making sugar cookies a.k.a. 3-day cookies. Flour everywhere, but lots of fun!
From Christmas 2008


Christmas presents!
From Christmas 2008



More snow fun, a blast sledding!
From Christmas 2008

Look at Cocoa go!
From Christmas 2008


From Christmas 2008