Wrapping the year up with a bang

We are enjoying the holiday season to the fullest. First of all, Dad has lots of time off, so we've been having fun hanging around with him.

We kicked the week off by eating Freebirds, our Chanukah gift from Amy, Mianna and Gigi. It was yummy. Make sure you check out our photos to see how much I like beans.

Wednesday morning we looked outside to find that we had a visitor - an enormous possum slinking across the fence in our backyard. Dad wanted to send Peepa after it but Mom said she's too old and is no longer a match for a mean possum. Dad sprayed it with a hose while Mom banged pot lids together. Between the water and all the racket, the possum ran away into our neighbors' tree. Hazel said she thought it was kind of like a circus.

Thursday night we didn't have anything to do because Christmas Eve is pretty boring for Jews. Lucky for us, our synagogue had a great game/movie/Chinese food night. It was fantastic! I ran up and down a ramp, threw lots of food on the floor and threw a fit so loud it chased our rabbi away from our table, and made friends with a nice teenage girl. Mom and Dad really liked the food, and Hazel liked all the attention she got. Plus we got to stay up late.

Friday we had some visitors - my friends Clark and Benjamin came over to play. We had a great time. Clark's mom and dad brought an apple pie, so Mom was happy, and it was fun hanging out and sharing my toys with my buddies.

Another exciting surprise this week was every time I woke up from my nap the past two days, something changed downstairs and now we all agree it's like we have a new dining room. For Chanukah, Grandma and Grandpa got us a new hutch and we replaced our old light, which hung down from the ceiling and smacked Dad in the head just about every other day. Between the hutch, which hides lots of clutter, and the light, which makes the room seem much bigger, we all like our house a lot more. And Dad said it's nice to have conquered his nemesis.

Last year, we had so much fun looking at Christmas lights on 37th street that we decided to do it again this year, so that's what we did tonight. It was late, so Hazel and I wore our pajamas, and it was cold, so we really had to bundle up. My favorite part of the lights was a duck that had lots of glowing eggs. Hazel rode in her carrier under Mom's coat and a blanket, so only her little head, which was covered with a hat, stuck out. Hazel loved the lights and kept turning her head around to see them in every direction. See if you can find her in our photos from this week. It's like "Where's Waldo."

Goodbye Chanukah

Chanukah's over. I had a great time helping Dad with the candles each night, and I miss not doing that in the evenings since it ended, but we're having lots of fun with all our new loot. We enjoyed yummy waffles for dinner one night, thanks to Bubbe and Papa, who got Mom a waffle maker. Our house looks much nicer because we got some things to decorate with - new sheets for Hazel's room from Aunt Laurie and a toy storage bench from Aunt Pat, Uncle Neal, Aunt Susan, and Uncle Stuart. Hazel got a duck puppet, more beads, and a new car seat from Bubbe and Papa, and they gave me a latch board, a book, and a month's worth of Gymboree classes. Uncle Daniel sent us Babybug and Ladybug magazines, which are lots of fun to get in the mail and read each month. We're eating lots of Freebirds because Gigi, Amy and Mianna gave us Freebirds gift cards. We got some fun toy animals, sleeping bags and a xylophone from Pop and Mom Mom. And of course, we're still enjoying our birthday/Chanukah gifts we got from Grandma and Grandpa earlier this year - our picnic table, toy kitchen and playscape.

I've been helping Mom cook a lot lately. I used to only help her make rice, but since the pancakes last weekend, she is letting me help with other things too, like zucchini, a grilled cheese sandwich and smoothies. I really like helping out in the kitchen, and I love smoothies!

We were all sick this week and we went to the doctor Wednesday. He told us we just have colds which was no fun, but the real highlight of the trip was when we found out how big we're getting. I am 32 pounds and Hazel - who is getting really good at sitting on her own, by the way, and is also getting sneakier about grabbing anyone who walks by her when she's in her walker toy - is 16 pounds. The visit was also a chance for the doctor to take a good look at Hazel's teeth. Her second tooth came in while we were in Pennsylvania over Thanksgiving, and he said next up are teeth in the top front left side of her mouth. He said it won't happen next week but to expect to see them in the next month.

We haven't been going anywhere because we were sick and it's been rainy most of the time lately, but the past two days everyone felt a little better and the weather was nice so we went to the park. It was nice because we all could go since Dad was home for the weekend. Peepa and I really were glad to have a chance to run around.

Here are pictures of me helping Dad put the candles in the menorah, helping Mom make smoothies, and a cute picture of Hazel we took when we got home from the park.

Note from the editor (aka Mom): Before he went to bed tonight, Mitch asked me to proofread this blog entry. As soon as I sat down to read over the blog entry, a sudden, horrific scream eminated from Mitch's bedroom. Imagining that Mitch leapt from his crib, I ran to investigate. When I opened the door, Mitch was standing in the middle of his crib, pajamas open, pointing at his pillow with a terrified look on his face. On top of his pillow was his diaper. Fortunately, he must have been so startled when he took it off that he screamed right away and didn't have time to produce anything that messed up his crib. It was a very funny picture.

Happy Chanukah

Chanukah started Friday night, and Hazel and I are having a very fun Chanukah so far.

Friday night, we went to a Chanukah party at our friend Clark's house. It was great, because there were a lot of kids my age there. We started off by lighting the candles and saying traditional Chanukah prayers. Dad was very impressed that I knew what to do (like covering my eyes when the candles are lit) - looks like all of the parenting center visits are making an impression. Then we had a delicious dinner. There was even a kids' table for me to sit at. We ate latkes (not my favorite - I am not really a fan of potatoes - but I nibbled on one) and had some other really good food. After dinner, all of the kids retired to the playroom. Clark has a lot of cool toys - my favorite was his guitar. Hazel slept for most of the party. I was sad when it was time to leave, but Hazel and I both were pretty tired.

Another cool part of Chanukah is the menorah. When we brought out our menorah at home, Dad showed me how to put the candles in. I like making cool patterns with the different colors and it is very pretty when Dad lights it.

Chanukah presents are fun too. So far, we have gotten some really great presents. Aunt Laurie gave me a banjo, which reminds me a lot of the guitar I played with at Clark's. I've been playing with the banjo a lot the past few days. Grandma and Grandpa gave Hazel and me some bean bags, and Mom Mom and Pop gave Hazel some baby beads that are shaped like vehicles. Mom and Dad gave Hazel a cool alarm clock and gave me some magic markers and a watch. We are having loads of fun with our new toys and I am glad to know what time it is.

Dad was away this weekend and Mom was sick, so we had to find fun things to do around the house. Mom had to feed me, so she made pumpkin pancakes and let me help. I was of great assistance; Mom said it reminded her of the Little Critter books.

There are still 4 more nights of Chanukah left, so we'll have more to share later (Dad keeps talking about playing dreidel). In the meantime, here are pictures from this week's adventures.

Happy Thanksgiving

We spent Thanksgiving this year at Grandma and Grandpa's in Pennsylvania. It was a really fun trip for all of us, especially me. I had a great time playing with Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Daniel, Aunt Lauren, Aunt Jen, Uncle Ben, my cousins Mianna and Amy, and all of my other aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Hazel and I did really well on the plane. Mom and Dad couldn't believe it. I liked looking out the plane windows, pointing at clouds, birds, and other airplanes. Dad surprised me at one point by pulling Duck out of our bag. I excitedly lifted Duck up so he could see out the window. Dad also read a lot of books to me, and the plane ride seemed to go by fast. I was even fine when we were stuck on the tarmac for an extra half an hour. Hazel slept most of the way there but found time to say "Mama" for the first time ever. By the time we finally got to Pennsylvania, it was dark and I was getting tired. I was so excited to see Grandpa when we landed. After not napping all day, Hazel and I fell fast asleep on the car ride to Grandma and Grandpa's.

When we got to the house, we were greeted by Grandma, Aunt Jen and Uncle Ben. It was exciting for me to see them again. After a wonderful dinner with everyone, Aunt Jen helped Dad give me a bath.

Uncle Daniel and Aunt Lauren came over too. I spent the next few days visiting our relatives like Aunt Cindy and Uncle Steve at their cool Celtic shop and hanging out around Grandma and Grandpa's house, adjusting to my new surroundings.

There is so much to play with at Grandma and Grandpa's! One of my favorite things to do was running around in circles around the house. I also found lots of new books to read, including some of my favorites from home. I liked playing with and feeding treats to the kitty, and playing with the toys in the playroom. I also liked stealing the TV remote control from Grandpa, turning off the TV, and running away. The TV remote looks a lot like a phone, so I pretended to talk to important people on the TV remote. Grandma helped me each morning to wash my face, brush my teeth and hair and to use cups in the sink in her bathroom to dump water everywhere. Grandpa helped a little too and Aunt Jen showed me how to make a river with a washcloth and the water. Hazel had a good time and impressed everyone with her speed while scooting around in a walker.

Thursday afternoon, I was surprised when I woke up from my nap and was greeted by a huge crowd. Everyone had come over for Thanksgiving dinner. Cousins Mike and Lana and Seth, Aunt Jane and cousin Molly, Mom-Mom and Pop, Grandma B (aka Gigi), Aunt Steve and Uncle Cindy, and Aunt Chris and Uncle Larry were all here. It was sure fun to have so many people to play with.

For Thanksgiving dinner, Grandpa deep-fried a turkey. It was delicious. I also ate corn, bread, and Mom even gave me a little bit of pumpkin pie. Yum!

After Thanksgiving, we had a couple of warm days so Grandma took me outside to play. I brought some boots with me and got to splash around in some puddles. Grandma also showed me how to pull a wagon up and down a hill, throw a giant plastic airplane, and rescue earthworms from underneath a sandbox. I had a lot of fun playing with Grandma.

Because of the colder weather, I got to wear some new clothes - a heavy jacket, my rain boots, and some warmer shirts. Hazel wore socks finally (thanks to Uncle Steve and Aunt Cindy for giving her some Irish socks from their store and Grandma's emergency shopping trip), and some tights. I wore my Batman shirt, which Uncle Daniel liked a lot. He wore his too, so we could match. Crime-world, look out!

Sunday morning we had a nice breakfast with Pop and Mom-Mom, then later that day, my cousins Amy and Mianna came over. Mianna is 6 years old, so she's a really good role model and playmate. She taught me how to make coffee and tea with Grandma's play kitchen set. We had a very nice breakfast together. We also chased each other around a lot. Mianna is really fun.

Monday, I stayed home and played with Grandma while Dad and Mom took Hazel to Chocolate World in Hershey. Hazel had a great time watching talking cows and Mom and Dad enjoyed free chocolate samples. On the way back, they visited Uncle Steve and Aunt Cindy's store again and bought Mom and me presents.

We ended our trip Tuesday with a quick visit to Gigi and lunch at the Famous Hot Weiner. We still smell like hot dogs from that trip!

Our trip home Wednesday was not the greatest. Mom and Dad said Hazel and I were the best behaved people they dealt with all day. We were stuck in the Harrisburg Airport long enough that Hazel almost learned to crawl - she kept pushing up on her hands and knees! Also, on the way off one of our planes, I showed them what a seasoned traveler I've become when I picked up our lunch bag, turned around to wave "bye bye" and raced off the plane.

You can see pictures from our trip here.

Ginny's pictures

Our pictures from Ginny are here!!!

(And here's Ginny's site too, in case you need to get your photo taken.)

New, New, New

As usual, there's lots of new stuff every day here. I am saying more things, like "baa" when I pretend I'm a sheep, "sss" for snake, "rahhh" for bears and lions, and I am nodding my head "yes." I made up a funny elephant noise, too!

I am also communicating in other ways. Today when Mom asked if I wanted to go upstairs, I smiled sweetly, shook my head no, said, "Bye," and drove away in the car Bubbe and Papa gave me for my birthday. I've started saying no to Mom once in a while too. She may be the only Mom in the world that likes hearing her son say that word.

Another fun thing is lately I've started learning to recognize some letters. My favorites are M, O, and S, but I can also point out the letters that spell the name of my favorite magazine, Babybug, which was a great present from Uncle Daniel.

Hazel is also full of new tricks. Sunday she grew a tooth!!! Just in time for pie o'clock, Dad says. In the meantime, Hazel is eating lots of other yummy things - bananas, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, applesauce, oatmeal and rice cereal. She can't wait to see what's next on the menu. She is a very enthusiastic eater. She grabs the spoon and screams when Mom doesn't feed her fast enough.

And for those of you who were worried about it, we are in the process of getting our deck fixed! I hope you like this picture (above) of me having fun midair, jumping on it.

Happy Halloween!

We had a fun Halloween week. We got ready for the holiday by going to an art class at Gymboree, where I made a pumpkin out of different colored construction paper, glue and - best of all - glitter. A few days later, I woke up and there was a real pumpkin carved suspiciously like the one I made in my art class. Dad said he liked mine so much he used it as the model for a nice jack o' lantern.

Our Halloween festivities started Thursday, when we dressed up for a party at Dad's office. For my third Halloween, I dressed up as a lion. Hazel celebrated her first Halloween by dressing up as a pumpkin. The party was a great chance to play some fun games, color some spooky pictures, and I got a cool spider tattoo on my hand.

Halloween night, we decorated the front of our house with our jack o' lantern, my pumpkin from art class and another pumpkin picture I made at home. Then I put on my lion costume and Mom put on some bat wings and we went trick or treating while Dad stayed home with sleeping Hazel and passed out candy to other trick-or-treaters. This was my first time trick or treating, so we took it easy. We just went to a couple houses on our street, mostly people we know. I liked ringing the doorbells, putting candy in my ghost bag, and trying to run into the houses. I can't wait til next year. In the meantime, I will try to figure out where all my candy went. Mom says it's a Halloween disappearing act.

Aside from Halloween, Hazel and I have made some exciting progress. Hazel has been eating oatmeal with zeal, and tonight she tried sweet potatoes for the first time. She seemed to like it but was tired because of daylight savings time and kept trying to roll over and go to sleep in her high chair. All her eating is paying off - she has moved up to the next clothes size. While we're glad she is growing so well, we're sad to pack her cute old clothes away.

Thursday Hazel figured out that rolling is a good way to get around. Mom was playing with her while I was taking a nap, and she rolled halfway across the room. We are all excited about Hazel's new mode of transportation.

I am making great strides in communicating. I am using loads of signs and am really excited to be able to tell everyone what I want. I am also saying a few new words!!! At lunchtime Friday, I said, "All done." Mom couldn't believe her ears, so I said it again, two more times. Then I said, "Yeah" a couple of times, then "Oh no." My favorite saying by far is "Oh no," and I've been saying it lots since then, especially when we read Blue Hat, Green Hat, a funny book Grandma and Grandpa gave me before I was even born, which features a confused turkey.

Today I found a new hiding place in the kitchen. When Mom was making my breakfast this morning, I realized I can fit in the kitchen cabinet. It's a great place to take a break and hide from everyone.

Friday we all had our photos taken by our favorite photographer, Ginny B. We had a fun time in her new studio and can't wait to share our photos with all of you.

Another exciting thing is this week, a new babysitter started coming to our house. Her name is Dahlia, she's very fun, and we will see her for a few hours most Wednesday afternoons. We are all happy to have her help.

Here are links to pictures from this week, and a video of Mitch and Hazel playing.

Dad's home!

Dad was gone part of this week, so we tried to stay busy.

Monday we went to open gym at Gymboree. It's time they set aside when people who take their classes can come and just play on all the equipment. I loved it! When we signed up for my Gymboree class, they gave us two free art classes, so Tuesday we went to one of those. I didn't like it as much as my regular class, which is more physical, so I kept trying to run out of the art room to climb on the stuff in the area we're usually in. Now we know I signed up for the right class! Thursday we went to that class again and I had a great time.

Wednesday we went to the Austin Children's Museum. We hadn't gone in a while because last time we were there I wanted to press the elevator buttons the whole time, which was frustrating for Mom. This time though, I really engaged with everything they had there. I found a cool toy barn with little animals, a train exhibit I really enjoyed, an exhibit where I put balls in little holes and then when I turned a crank it played music, a toy kitchen, a place where I put milk bottles in a crate and sent them down a line, a fish that I put balls in, and a setup where I put different shaped nuts and bolts in holes that were those same shapes. It was great and we were sad to have to go home for lunch and a nap at the end.

Friday Dad took me to the Parenting Center at the J. It was nice to spend some time with him after he got back from his trip.

Friday night our friend Zhenya came over. Instead of hanging around with her, Mom and Dad left - they went to our friend Prabhakar's wedding. Hazel and I stayed behind to keep Zhenya company. I had a great time reading my books and eating a nice dinner while Zhenya tried to manage Hazel, who is teething and has been extra screamy the past few days. When Mom and Dad came home from their very fun night out, Zhenya and Hazel were worn out. They were both asleep on the bed in Hazel's room! We are all very glad Zhenya was able to come hang out with us.

We also went to the playground at the school up the street a lot in the afternoons this week. The weather is amazing here right now, so we are trying to take advantage of it. I am starting to enjoy slides more and have been testing out my balancing skills by walking on a concrete retaining wall an inch or two off the ground.

Yesterday we went to a fundraiser called "Mac and Cheese Smackdown" at Central Market. The best part was we ran into my friend Benjamin and his mom and dad. His dad saved the day by sharing some of their hard-to-come-by macaroni with us. It was nice seeing them.

Mom and I had a chance to go out with my bike trailer today. We went down a couple of hills and had a great time.

Hazel is getting really fast at walking around in her toy and is still enjoying rice cereal. She grunts and gets really mad if Mom isn't quick enough with the next bite. Because of her sore gums, she is having a hard time sleeping so both she and Mom are tired! We all hope Hazel feels back to normal soon.

Growing up so fast

Hazel and I are both growing up so fast, Mom and Dad say.

Today Hazel went to the doctor for her six-month well visit. Dr. Jones was very impressed with Hazel's strength. She thinks Hazel will be able to crawl around by the time she goes back for her nine-month visit!

They also measured Hazel at the doctor's office. She is doing a great job growing. She is now 25.5 inches (50th percentile) tall, weighs 14 lbs., 4 ounces (20th percentile), and her head is 40.6 cm (7th percentile) around. She will probably keep up the good work - she is continuing to enjoy eating solid food. To see Hazel's growth chart, click here or on the right side of the blog.

I have also had a couple of big moments the past few days. Yesterday Mom invented a new game that we call "Ready, Set, Go!" The way it works is I get in my car, then Mom or Dad says, "Ready! Set!" while I pick my feet up off the floor. Then when I am ready, I say, "Go!" and whoever is pushing me zooms me around the room, fishtailing around corners. I think it is very exciting to go so fast, and Mom and Dad are very excited that I am saying my first word (aside from Mama and Dada, of course)!!!

Today I lost my duck that I sleep with. After I showed Mom the sign for it, she helped me look for it, and called out to duck over and over. After I while I helped call duck once too! After that, we found it. It's fun being able to talk, and in the meantime I am really excited to be able to communicate with signs. I learned "milk," "grapes," and "bread" this week. It's fun being able to tell people what I want, especially when I am thirsty, want something different to eat, or am looking for my duck.

I am learning to like peanut butter more. Today Dad surprised us by coming home for lunch, and he shared his peanut butter and jelly sandwich with me. It is really growing on me. I liked the sandwich a lot and kept asking him for more. It was fun, and I hope Dad comes home for lunch more often so he can share his yummy treats with me.

I also shared a big milestone with Dad tonight. Before my bath, I sat on my frog potty, which I do almost every day, but this time I went to the bathroom in it!!! No one is going to rush me with potty training, but it is very exciting to start getting my head around going potty someplace other than my diapers and the bathtub.

In less exciting, but still fun, news, yesterday turned out to be a beautiful day. After a fun morning at Gymboree, I didn't want to take a nap, so we went to the park near our house. I am really starting to like going down slides, so I did that a lot. Plus, we found an abandoned basketball on the playground, so we played with it while we were there and I figured out a new fun game. I carry the basketball up the playscape stairs (which is tougher than it sounds) and then shoot it down the slide before I go. It is loads of fun. While we were there, a cold front was blowing in, so it was cool and so windy it made us spin around in circles. I had a good time chasing Mommy and she had a great time chasing me (I am faster than she is). Also, I found a concrete wall that I like to walk on like a balance beam. What a great time.

Hazel is eating!

Tonight at dinner something very strange happened. It all started out normally enough. Mom made me a delicious grilled cheese sandwich, a pear, and some milk. I was happily eating, when suddenly, Hazel sat down at the table with us. And then (you won't believe it, but it's true), she started eating real food! Well, I'm not sure I'd call it food, but it was milk and rice cereal and she ate it from a spoon. Mom and Dad said I ate that stuff when I was her age, but I'm not sure I believe them. In any case, I have to admit that Hazel did a pretty good job eating for the first time. You can watch the video by clicking the image above, clicking on the Hazel's First Food link under videos, or just click here. If you want to compare, here's my first time eating.

Lots going on

We have had a lot going on here lately. Last week we met up with my friend Megan and her mom at a place called Jungle Java. We'd been there once before, a while ago, but I wasn't super interested in it the first time. This time though, Mom made me climb up in the big structure and I really played. It was fun and I hope to go back again soon.

Also last week, we had an exciting visitor. A police officer came to our house. No, he wasn't there to arrest me! There have been a lot of house break-ins in our neighborhood lately so we had the police come and do a free survey of our house to help make it harder to break into. The exciting part was at the end, Mom took me outside to show me his cool car. He was really nice. He showed us his computer and turned the lights on for me. Mom said that better be the last time I ride in a police car.

The very next day, more people showed up. I was taking a nap when all this banging started over my head. I woke up very confused, so Mom took me to the window to check out all the racket. There were tons of people outside with lots of trucks and ladders, and were VERY noisy. A few months ago we had a crazy hail storm and it damaged our roof, so the men came to give us a new one. I had a really good time watching all the activity out our window.

Today we continued our quest for excitement by going to a place called Gymboree Play & Music. Since I'm not in school, Dad and Mom decided I need to get out and do something, so this morning we set out to find a fun class. Hazel did a good job riding in her baby carrier (a ride I have also been enjoying lately) and I did GREAT and really enjoyed it.

I paid attention more than Mom expected and I liked climbing and playing on and with all the stuff. I really liked a red see-through scarf the teacher gave me - I kept running around with it over my head. It made everything look red!

I also ran and jumped around a lot and walked across a little balance beam they have, which is about an inch or two off the ground. All the kids in the class were boys, which was a new experience for us (everywhere we go, I am in the minority because most of the other kids are girls), and there was a dad there. It was good, so we signed up. I was so worn out when we got home, I ate a huge lunch and then practically climbed in his crib myself for my nap! I am excited to go back again Thursday!

Long weekends with Dad

Dad has to use up his vacation by the end of the year, so he has been spending some extra time with us on some Fridays. This was our second long weekend in a row, and he has next Friday off too. It has made life easier for Mom and lots of fun for all of us.

This weekend we checked out a gymnastics and dance class we thought I might take, but it was too serious for me. The other kids in the class were a little older than me and liked quietly sitting still more than I do.

The trip to the Northwest Rec Center worked out anyway though. On our way out to the car after bailing on the gymnastics/dance class, we noticed kids around my age hitting balls with hockey sticks. Mom, who played field hockey (very poorly but enthusiastically) for four years in high school, was really excited so we stopped to watch and find out more about the class. It's called Sportball, and they do all kinds of things with different kinds of balls. It involves a lot of running around, so it's more my speed. We will probably sign up for the next session.

After we left the Rec Center, we stopped at a playground behind an elementary school. We met another kid my age, and although there were two nice playscapes, I had a lot of fun running up and down the school stairs and wheelchair ramps. It was a nice morning and a good chance to blow off some steam.

Hazel has been having a lot of fun too. She has been hanging out in my old Jumperoo and we picked up an activity station for her. She likes pushing buttons that play music and chewing on a bird on the toy. I tried helping her push the musical buttons and she grabbed on to me and pushed me away! She's not very good at sharing, but she's still little so it's okay. I play with it while she's napping because I really like it too.

We've had a nice change of pace lately with the weather. We've had a few cool days and even some rain! It's been a good opportunity to wear my nice new jacket. Mom and Dad said I look like a cool dude.

Since I am still not talking, Mom and Dad started teaching me sign language the last few weeks. I started with "more" and "all done," which have helped me to stop throwing food on the floor. Before I knew how to tell Mom and Dad I was done eating with my signs, the only way I could tell them I was finished was to throw my food, so everyone is happier and less frustrated this way. This past week, I have also learned to sign "apple," "banana," "help," and "book." Hopefully this will encourage me to talk soon. So far, so good. In the meantime, I have been saying "ooo, ooo, ah, ah," to tell them when I'm thinking about monkeys.

Here are a few pictures of Hazel playing in her new toys, me in my rain jacket, and some pictures from Rosh Hashanah.

Home from Atlanta

Since we have been back from Atlanta, Hazel and I have worked on perfecting the skills we picked up there.

While we were visiting Bubbe and Papa, Hazel discovered that she has feet. The very day we got home, she figured out how to get them in her mouth. Ever since then she has been spending a lot of time gnawing on them.

Hazel is still very talkative and started spending a little time in my old Jumperoo. She is also rolling around a lot more, still only from her back to her tummy, not from her tummy to her back. Today she spent an hour at about 5 a.m., her favorite time of day, flipping herself over onto her tummy. She kept getting stuck on her belly and she let Mom know about it every time until Mom finally pulled Hazel into bed with her. If you ask me, that's a pretty smart way to get some extra snuggles.

As for me, I got a lot of practice turning doorknobs in Atlanta, a fun trick I have been testing out since we got home. I first opened a door at home months ago but they Mitch-proofed the main doorknobs we use and I forgot to try out the rest. Now, no door goes unnoticed. It is fun to keep Mom and Dad on their toes with this.

I have been making a funny little monkey noise (ooh-ooh, aah-aah) and have been having a good time playing with my nose. Also, Hazel and I have been playing with each other more. I tried sharing my drink with her earlier this week. I have also been pretending more with my stuffed animals and my little kitchen. Yesterday I wiped my nose, then wiped my monkey's nose. It made everybody laugh.

We also had a few new experiences this week. I also got to try peanut butter for the first time the other day. It was okay. Mom and Dad were expecting a stronger reaction (love or hate), but I'm pretty neutral on the stuff. Peepa sure seems to like it though.

Last week was Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. There's a neat tradition in Judaism on Rosh Hashanah called Tashlich that consists of symbolically casting away sins by flinging bread into a stream or river. Since we couldn't get to a stream or river, we used our little pool outside in our yard. Mom and Dad's plan was to dump the pool and let the bread flow away with the water, but Peepa had other plans. After we cast away the pieces of bread, Peepa jumped into the pool and ate them. I'm not sure what the symbolism of that was, but it sure was funny.

Hello from Atlanta

Mom, Dad, Hazel, and I came to Atlanta to help my great-grandmother Millie celebrate her 90th birthday. What a fun and busy week it has been.

We left Austin last week and it was my first time getting my own seat on the plane. I celebrated by not napping at all on any of the flights, and making sure the flight attendants knew what I thought of their "no standing on the seat while landing" policy. When we got on the plane, Hazel let everyone know we were aboard each time we got on a plane by screaming as loud as she could. Once we got settled in, she stopped though. Mom and Dad said this was not our best airplane experience, but it seemed fun to me.

When we landed in Atlanta, Bubbe and Papa were there to greet us. We are staying with Bubbe and Papa, who have a pool, and we've been taking advantage of the nice weather to play outside a lot. Not only is there a pool and a lot of toys, but Bubbe and Papa also have a hose sprayer that is a lot of fun. My favorite thing to do in their yard is run around the outside of the pool, scaring Dad.

While we've been in Atlanta this week, we've gone to parks, to the zoo, to visit Bubbe's work place, and to the Atlanta Children's museum. I went to the Varsity twice and ate an entire double cheeseburger myself. We've spent a lot of time with Aunt Laurie and Uncle Jonathan, my cousins Ellie, Emily, and their families, and many of our family friends. It has been quite a week.

Friday, my cousin Ellie came over to play. Ellie is a few months older than me and lives in Arizona. It took us a little bit to warm up to each other, but soon we were playing like old friends. We danced, jumped and ran around screaming together. She was really fun.

Saturday night was Great-Grandma Millie's big birthday party. All of Millie's kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids were there (31 total!). Hazel and I did a great job posing for pictures and sitting through dinner even though it was past our bed times. I even danced a little bit to the awesome piano player.

We head back to Austin tomorrow, but we've sure had fun this week. You can see pictures (lots of them) from our week here, as well as this fun video of me and cousin Ellie dancing with each other.

Mitch's 2-year well visit

Today we went to our nice, new doctor for my two-year well visit to find out how all the eating I have been doing has paid off. We learned that I'm 34.5 inches tall (40th percentile), 29 lbs 1 oz (60th percentile), and my head is 48.5 cm around (40th percentile). We can't believe I am in the 60th percentile for weight! The doctor said I'm really filling out, and even commented about how tall I was. Mom and Dad couldn't believe it. Dad even had to change the scale on my growth chart.

Everyone - Dad, Mom, Hazel and I - came along today, and the doctor said Hazel and I are both are very calm, easygoing and good. She also mentioned that I am exceptionally curious and independent. I must have really impressed her because I didn't have to get any shots!

We are still investigating my allergy, and I am getting a test done this week. I will keep you posted.

You can check out my latest growth chart, also updated on the right side of the blog.

Making Lemonade

This week we had lots of opportunities to make lemonade because life kept handing us lemons.

Wednesday we went to the library for story time, but they aren't having it anymore until mid-September. Bummer.

Then Thursday afternoon Daddy had the chance to come hang out with us because he had to get his car fixed. While the car was in the shop, we picked him up so he could come to the Children's Museum with us instead of hanging around the garage waiting for them to finish. When we got downtown, we found a sign on the door that said due to circumstances beyond their control, they were closed for the day.

Next we went home to get suited up for the splash pad at Terra Burger. But as you may know, we are in the middle of a drought and they bumped our water restrictions up to phase 2, so when we got there we learned that the splash pad is now closed for a while. Lucky for us though, just as we pulled in to Terra Burger, it started raining cats and dogs. Dad said it was time to make some lemonade out of all this, so Mom and Hazel hid under an awning while Dad and I braved it and played on the playscape while Mom ordered my dinner. It was a good thing I had my swim suit on!

Saturday we had a great time celebrating Shabbas at a family service at Congregation Agudas Achim. It was nice - we sang, danced, saw some friends we haven't seen in a while and I got to play a neat drum. I also enjoyed pointing out all the colors on a nice stained glass door, and a nice lady who was greeting everyone at the door had fun holding Hazel for a little bit. It was a great morning. I rejected my nap once again so we spent the afternoon at the Children's Museum, where I frustrated Dad with my love for their elevator.

Sunday morning it was kind of cool out, so Mom, Dad and I headed outside while Hazel napped. I ran off lots of fizz playing in my sandbox and on my slide, kicking my ball, swinging, blowing bubbles and squirting our hose. I was so tired that after a trip to the grocery store and some lunch, I took a nice long NAP!!! Everyone is very excited and hopes the nap strike is over.

By the afternoon, it was hot again so we all headed to the pool at the J, where we met up with Benjamin and his mom and dad. We were all very excited because it was Hazel's first time in the pool, but she didn't like it. The water might have been a little cold for her because she screamed when Mom went in with her - only up to her bum - and after we got out, her legs looked a little purple. Our quest to have fun was foiled again on that trip - just after we all got in the pool we had to get out for a five-minute safety break. Then we got back in and the fire alarm went off so we all had to leave. Anyway, we'll try swimming again at Bubbe's next week; Hazel might like it more anyway because Dad said their pool is heated.

Another big milestone for Hazel is she moved to her own room Saturday. She was sleeping in Mom and Dad's room at night. She would have stayed in with them longer but she has really been talking a lot lately and has started talking to herself for an hour at 5 a.m. She's happy when she does it, but it makes Mom and Dad, who want to sleep, very tired because she is so loud! She seems happy in her new room and we are proud of her.

Here are links to the latest pictures and a video of Hazel telling us what's on her mind.

4 months already?

Today was a big day for Hazel. She had her four month well visit with our new doctor. Hazel has grown a lot. She weighs 12 lbs, 14 ounces (35th percentile); she is 24.5 inches tall (60th percentile); and her head is 39.6 cm (25th percentile) around. Hazel tried to roll from her back to her belly while she was there and almost made it. The doctor said she is growing well and her neck strength is way above average. Yay Hazel!

Here's a link to Hazel's growth chart, or you can click on it on the right side of the blog.

I've had a big week too. Last Tuesday was my last day of camp. Here is a picture one of my great teachers took this summer when I was grilling up some bananas in our classroom. I learned this trick from my book Early Bird.

Anyway, since I don't have camp or school for the time being, Mom has been coming up with new things to keep us busy. We went to a place called Terra Burger, where they have a splash pad, sandboxes and great playscape, last week. I started out in the water before stomping through the mud on the way to the sandbox, which I rolled in. I will share pictures of this with you soon.

We've also been playing in the water at home. We got a cool new hose nozzle and Mom accidentally discovered how much I like being chased around with it. I also like it when she shoots toys out of my hands with the jet setting. It is hilarious. We also have a good time terrorizing Peepa with the spray.

There's even more water in our future - we plan on hitting the pool this week because the doctor told us Hazel is now old enough for the pool and sunscreen. We're super excited because not only can we swim here now, we'll be able to take her in the drink when we visit Bubbe and Papa next week.

Saturday we learned just how important it is to be wet when we're outside, when we enjoyed a morning at the park. We went to Little Stacy to celebrate our friend Elizabeth's third birthday. It was very hot, but I enjoyed running around the whole time we were there.

Because I have been having so much fun exploring the world, I have decided I am no longer going to slow down long enough to take naps. I've been jumping up and down, screaming in my crib whenever Mom and Dad put me in there, and I even learned how to open the crib tent. That'll show 'em! Everyone but me hopes this is a short-lived phase because while I refuse to rest, I am very overtired and crabby.

Another not so great development is we are pretty sure we figured out what I am allergic to - tomatoes. We're all really sad because it's something healthy that I love and it's in just about everything Mom cooks. My skin has been clear now for almost two weeks, so yesterday I had a little ketchup with lunch, just to see if I can get away with a little of it. Sadly, I woke up this morning and the rash/hives are back. So for now, it's no tomatoes for me.

Merman

Today was a super fun day! We got up early this morning and Mom's friend Zhenya came over. She was there to watch Hazel while Mom, Dad, and I went out on a ski boat on Lake Travis. Austin hasn't been getting much rain lately, so the lake is very low. In fact, its the lowest it's been in more than 20 years. All of the public boat ramps are closed. But Dad's friends Bob and Carrie have a boat in a private marina, so we could still go out.

When we got to the dock, Mom noticed that we were parking our car in a spot that is normally 30 feet under water. It was pretty surreal. The area where the lake used to be was full of dry rock. Mom said it looked like a nuclear wasteland. The good news is that there was still plenty of lake left for us.

We loaded up the boat pretty quickly and headed out. With all of the public ramps closed, there were very few other boats out - we had the lake almost to ourselves, which was nice - smooth water and plenty of room. Bob drove the boat slow so I could get used to the boat. I loved it! There was so much to look at and see. Occassionally we saw another boat that I could point at, but mostly we looked at the houses and docks along the shore.

When we got to a cove, we stopped the boat, and Dad, Bob, and I went swimming in the lake. I got to wear my new life preserver. Everyone we very impressed at how good I was at wearing it. I didn't fuss at all. I really liked being in the water with Dad, who said I am so good in the water, I am a merman. We swam and splashed and played with floating tubes. Eventually we had to leave, but I had a great time. I fell fast asleep on the car ride home.

After a quick bath and lunch, and a little playtime at home, we were off to a party! This time Hazel came with us. It was a housewarming party, and there were tons and tons of kids my age there. They had lots of toys for me to play with. Hazel liked looking at all of the other kids. My favorite thing to play with was the water dispenser on the front of the refrigerator. I loved pressing it and watching water go all over the floor. They also had some stairs on their patio that I liked walking up and down. I'm getting really good at walking up and down stairs. For lunch, we had hot dogs and corn, and since I ate a whole apple the other day, Mom let me eat the corn right off the cob!

Mom and Dad were impressed with how well I played around the other kids. Sometimes they came up to me and grabbed my toys, but I just found new toys. I also shared my toys with other kids too, by handing them to the other kids. We all agreed that it was a tiring but very fun day.

You can see pictures from our trip out to the lake here.

I love my sister

We've been so busy having fun, we haven't had time to write a blog post in a while. Last Wednesday was a big day for all of us. Mom thinks Hazel giggled for the first time! She did it again this weekend and today. It is really cute. She is a smiley, happy baby.

Hazel's really growing up before our eyes. She's very alert, has a very strong grasp, and coos a lot now. She's also starting to fall into her own little schedule. She likes to take a nap at 9:30 in the morning and she likes to go to bed at 6:30. Her other naps just happen throughout the day. Mom and Dad can't believe she's already old enough to be consistent, but she's really just doing it on her own each day. Mom and Dad are excited because when things are predictable, their lives are easier!

Speaking of Hazel, I have been much more interested in her lately. I try to touch her (and grab her when Mom's not looking), I have been pushing her in her swing, and I even hugged her! Yesterday, I kept trying to put my turtle birthday hat on her. Mom kept saying it's too big for her, but I kept trying anyway. Finally, when Hazel was asleep in her swing, I was sneaky enough to make it happen. It really made Mom and me laugh, but it woke Hazel up. Hazel has been more interested in me too. We really look at and smile at each other a lot.

The other thing that was really cool last Wednesday, was Mom cut my hair really short, which made me look like a big kid, and more importantly, we joined the Austin Children's Museum. We went again today after I got out of camp and had a great time. I like all the fun stuff there is to do there, like climb the stairs and ride the elevator. Oh, and they have lots of blocks, a chicken, a cow, a fish pinata, drums, and little pretend houses I like to play in too.

A highlight from this week is my teachers told Mom I said "more crackers" at camp. I have yet to demonstrate this to Mom and Dad, and the jury's still out.

When we left camp today, we took a detour on our way to the car. Mom showed me a cool garden with a fountain in it. At first, I cautiously stuck my hand in the water. It doesn't look like much, but the rushing water is very loud. Mom thought it was cute and took a couple of pictures. Then I was brave and jumped in! It was a nice cool ending to my hot day of camp.

By the way, July was the hottest on record (which started in 1860!) in Austin. It is more than 100 degrees just about every day. We are READY for fall. I've been spending a lot of time on the weekends riding around the neighborhood in my bike trailer, but it's almost too hot for it. Yesterday morning when Hazel napped, Mom pulled my pool (and my nice new swimsuit) out. It was great.

When we got home today, we had even more fun. I helped Mom make some rice, then she turned around for a second and when she looked at me again, I was standing behind her, eating a whole apple I found on the kitchen table. As usual, she laughed at me, but she cut the sticker off and made me wash it before I could eat the rest. At least it was organic!

Here are tons of pictures of how much fun I'm having with Hazel. There are also some of me riding around with Mom, splashing in my pool and the fountain, and playing at the Austin Children's Museum.

She did it!

This has been a week of major happenings around here. The biggest news of all is...Hazel finally did it! She's been trying to roll over for a while and yesterday, while lying in her play gym, she finally made it. I was napping when it happened, but Mom told me all about it. One minute Mom looked at Hazel and thought, "She is really close to rolling over." She looked down at a book she was reading for a minute, and when she looked back up, Hazel was on her belly! Hazel looked pretty shocked for a few minutes, then spit up, then screamed, and when Mom picked her up to nurse her, she immediately fell asleep for a little bit. We are all very excited and proud of Hazel.

I am also up to new tricks. Since climbing/jumping out of my crib a couple of weeks ago, I have suddenly been climbing on everything. I'm getting even faster at walking up the stairs and I have been climbing on all our chairs. My most impressive stunt is climbing up into my booster seat. It is a fun way to tell everyone I am ready to eat, and I can even buckle myself in.

I have really been playing with my new kitchen and all the pretend food, utensils, pots and pans I got for my birthday. I love it so much, we spent our whole day yesterday downstairs. Any time Dad or Mom try to convince me to go someplace else, I scream like a banshee, so we skipped the Parenting Center yesterday and I ate breakfast while playing this morning. One of my favorite things to do is put all the food in the microwave, then put it in my lunch bag that I take to camp. Dad and Mom are glad I am learning to pack my own lunch.

Mom put my favorite CD, Jack Johnson's Curious George soundtrack, on my new mp3 player. Since she did that, I like the mp3 player even more than ever. I have been walking around with it and listening to it while playing with my kitchen. I even take it in the car with me sometimes.

I love camp more than ever. I am really enjoying my new teachers, Joann and Dganit. The first few times, transitioning when Mom left was rough and I really cried until she was gone, but this week went much better. Tuesday when Mom carried me in, Joann came over to us and I reached out to her so she could hold me. Mom was so happy she took lunch to them when she picked me up. They really liked it and asked Mom for the potato curry recipe the next day.

One sort of sad thing that we have been dealing with is I had a terrible rash because I am allergic to something. I went to the doctor Monday, who gave me some medicine and said it's probably a food. We are trying to narrow down what I am eating so we can figure it out, but we think it may be strawberries, blueberries or tomatoes. Papa said he wishes it was liver or something else that tastes yucky. We all agree with him. One good thing is it gave us a chance to meet our new doctor (we switched). She is very nice.

You can see pictures of Hazel and me here.

Another busy weekend

We had a nice, fun weekend. Friday we kicked things off with a visit to the Parenting Center. The fun really began Saturday though. When we woke up, we had a quick breakfast and got dressed, then Mom took me out in the bike trailer again. We had a fantastic time! We dropped a book off at the library, picked some potatoes and a plum up from Miguel, then went to the playground for a while. We were happy to spend some quality time outside together. It was nice, and we can't wait until Hazel is big enough to ride in the bike trailer and run around on the playground with us too. Hopefully by then it won't be 102 degrees out anymore!

Sunday morning was also a ton of fun. We headed over to Clark's house. His dad got a new car - a 1973 VW Thing - that Mom and Dad wanted to ride. They also wanted to check out their new metal roof because we need to get a new roof too. Anyway, it worked out great for me because we had a really great breakfast and I got to hang out with Clark. I like showing him how to do new things like climbing onto strollers and pushing buttons on his parents' DVD player. Hazel had a good time too. She likes hanging out with Clark's dad. He likes her too - he made a cool Andy Warhol-esque picture of her that Mom is going to have made into a poster for her room. He said she is his muse.

We wrapped up our nice weekend with a dinner at Dad's favorite restaurant, Freebirds. I had a chicken quesadilla and refried beans. I was hungry. I ate most of the quesadilla and all of the beans, and I enjoyed looking at the decorations and making faces at the Freebirds employees (they made faces back at me and made me laugh). Dad has good taste - I love Freebirds too!

Party! Party!

The rest of our visit with Bubbe was as exciting as the beginning. When I woke up Friday morning, Mom said we were going to do something fun. Boy, was she right. We went to the Jewish Community Center where I go to camp, but instead of going to my classroom, we went to the big swimming pool. We have been there before but not in a while, and this time we met up with the folks from the Parenting Center and had Tot Shabbat outside. It was really a great time and Mom was very happy to finally have a chance to play with me in the pool. We agreed that it was nice Bubbe could hang with Hazel and we could have a little special time together, like the old days. Of course, it was nice coming home to everyone too.

When we came home, I went down for my nap. I was too excited to sleep, and since I am now two years old, decided to try something new - jumping out of my crib! It wasn't such a good idea though. I scared the heck out of Mom and Bubbe and bumped my head. It made a loud thud, but by the time Mom and Bubbe made it upstairs to rescue me, I was already back on my feet, standing in the middle of the room crying. It didn't take too long for the lump on my head to go away.

That night Mom put me to bed on my mattress on the floor because she knows it's only a matter of time before I do it again. It worked out great, but at nap time the next day, I didn't want to stay down on the mattress or in my big boy bed, so Dad put me back in my crib. They said they decided I am not ready to give up my crib yet, so today we bought a crib tent, which will keep me inside the crib, safe and sound.

An exciting evening followed our exciting afternoon. We had Hazel's baby-naming at our temple. It was rescheduled from a few months ago, when Hazel got sick. Mom and Dad were worried about how well we'd behave during the services, but we both did great. The Rabbi welcomed Mom, Dad, Hazel, myself, and Bubbe up to the front of the congregation, said a nice prayer, and announced the Hebrew name for Hazel that Mom and Dad picked out - Chasya Bina. It means protected and wise, which Mom and Dad hope are characteristics Hazel has one day. After the service, Dad and I ran around the social hall - I really love having the wide open space to run around. Our friends Ken, Lara, and Clark came to cheer us on as well.

We got to see Lara, Ken and Clark again, as well as our other friends we get together with sometimes for Shabbat - Josh, Karen and Benjamin - when they came to help celebrate my second birthday Saturday morning. We started out by playing in the pool. Not just my little pool, but a giant pool our nice neighbor Candace let us borrow. We also played in my sandbox and on our new playscape. It was great spending so much time outside. I also rode in my tree swing and spent a lot of time going up and down the stairs on the deck. It has a railing, so I was able to walk up and down the stairs without crawling by holding on to the railing. Mom and Dad thought it was pretty funny, but they didn't realize that I was actually practicing my stair-climbing. That night I surprised everyone by walking all the way up our inside stairs! I just held on to the wall for stability. I'm still a little bit shaky, but pretty fast. For now, I'm still crawling when going down the stairs, which everyone is happy about.

In the little bit of downtime we've had, I have been playing with all my great new birthday presents. I have a fun new cash register like the one I played with at Grandma and Grandpas, a cool travel tray and game from Aunt Lauren, fridge gears from Clark, Lara and Ken, a bubble blower and bulldozer from Benjamin, Josh and Karen, some pretend food and dishes from Aunt Susan, Uncle Stuart, Aunt Pat and Uncle Neal, and a new kitchen from Grandma and Grandpa. I also got lots of nice cards, checks and gift cards that will be fun to use.

Sadly, Bubbe had to leave today. It was so fun having her around, but she said Papa needs her around too. Hazel and I miss her already. I spent a while looking around for Bubbe this afternoon, but she is nowhere to be found. I heard we will get to go see here in September though; I can't wait.

One thing I forgot to mention earlier this week is Tuesday our friends Megan and her dad Russell took me, Mom and Hazel to the Austin Children's Museum. We had a fantastic time and wanted to thank them for taking us. We hope to hang out with them again soon.

Mom and Bubbe took some great videos of me and Hazel this week. There's one of me playing with pillows, dancing, driving my new car, and one of Mom and Hazel.

Here are lots of pictures from my party and Hazel's baby naming.

Hazel here

Hi! It's me, Hazel. I am almost 3 months old, and it's time for me to find my voice and write my own blog posts once in a while. Plus, Mitch is two and very busy now, so he doesn't always have time for this.

I wanted to let you know about a few new things I've been up to lately. This week Bubbe is visiting and we have been having lots of fun. Yesterday my big brother Mitch went to camp, so Bubbe, Mom and me had a ladies day! We started out by hitting my favorite clothes store, Gymboree, where I tried on (and bought) some cute hats. Grandma turned Mom and me on to Gymboree last month and now we're hooked. We found loads of hip new threads for me and Mitch for fall and winter. Next we hit Costco, where we got some yummy food and some pjs for Mitch and me. It was a super fun day.

I've been showing Bubbe all my new tricks: I'm really pushing myself around with my legs, talking a LOT, smiling up a storm and showing off my big dimples, grasping things, and sticking out my long, long tongue. Bubbe said I have a little lizard tongue!

Anyway, make sure you check out Mitch's birthday blog post to see pictures of our fun girls day out.

Happy Birthday to me!

This has been a huge week for me. Yesterday when I went down for my nap, I could feel excitement in the air. I was so wound up, I didn't go to sleep and after a little while, Mom came up to get me. We came downstairs to find Daddy home from work in the middle of the day, with a surprise guest - Bubbe!

Then this morning I awoke to quite a scene. Mom and Dad came into my room singing happy birthday. I didn't even know it was my birthday, but I was pretty excited that everyone was singing for me. But that was nothing compared to what came next. When I came downstairs, there was, sitting in the middle of the living room, a brand new car! Bubbe and Papa got it for my birthday. Thanks, Bubbe and Papa! When I saw the car, I just stopped at the bottom of the stairs and stared at it. Then I ran over to it, opened the door, got inside, turned the key, honked the horn, and rode around the room. I loved it! What a surprising morning.

The day just got better from there. This week has been a better time at camp because I got a new teacher, Miss Joanne. She is amazing! My first day with her was Tuesday and today Mom took me back to her. I got to splash in the little pool, and my teacher gave me a green scarf to put over my head so I can see the whole world as green. We have a huge paper mache tree in our room with a slide in it that I like, a cool spaceship made from a box, and today I rode in a box that we pretended was a car. The other thing I've been enjoying is a can filled with red circles (Mom called them poker chips, but she got in trouble for that - the teacher told her they are called red circles). I'm taking nice long naps there now too.

We've been having a great time, but I had a little accident at camp Tuesday. I was running full speed across a big room and I fell. I was going so fast, I skidded on my nose so I have a little carpet burn there now. Mom says my new boo makes me look like a boy who has lots of fun.

After camp today, Mom brought me home to see Bubbe and Hazel and I found my car again. I rode around in it all afternoon, and Peepa joined in the fun. She likes my car too. I also found I could put my duck, bear, and monkey in the car.

Dad came home early from work, and we all went to a groovy place called Threadgill's for dinner. The last time we were there was right before Hazel was born, when Aunt Lauren was here. It was delicious. I had some jalepeno corn bread muffins, chicken, corn, carrots, and sweet potato fries, but my favorite thing there by far was the fried okra. Mom and Dad were surprised by how much I liked it; we even had to order a second helping for me.

After we got home, I got a banana cake and opened a couple more presents. I didn't have a chance to open all of them though, because I wanted to play with the first few I opened - my very own computer, from Aunt Laurie, a copy of Best Nest I get to keep (before I had to read the one we got from the library), and my own mp3 player (now I don't have to get Mom and Dad to lift me up to turn on their CD players). Anyway, it's not nice of them to give me a nice present and then take it away, even if it is so they can give me another one!

You can see pictures from our fun day here.