Today was Hazel's birthday! She turned one today. To help celebrate, Bubbe came into town. We've had a really fun time. I've gotten really good at answering the questions "How old is Hazel today?" and "How old are you?"
Saturday, we went to Fuddrucker's for lunch, where I happily ate all of Mom and Dad's fries. I also sat in a booster chair, which is now my preferred method of seating at restaurants. Mom got me a pair of sunglasses, so I'll stop grabbing hers all of the time, and I have been wearing them everywhere. They were very popular at Fuddrucker's. Hazel has been doing a great job of drinking water out of cups and got to do that at lunch. Hazel and I also liked watching all of the other kids running around.
Bubbe noticed that Hazel's hair was getting long in the front, so she helped Mom give Hazel her first hair cut. It was only her bangs, but it looks really different. You can see her new look in the picture above.
I've been showing Bubbe how good I am at dressing myself. She's particularly impressed with my wearing multiple colored socks. Aside from my feet, I am quite creative with socks.
Monday is Mom's birthday, and as part of her birthday, she got a massage Saturday afternoon. While she was doing that, Bubbe and Dad took Hazel and me to Jungle Java. It's been rainy here, so I've been cooped up inside and had a ton of energy to burn off. I really had a good time at Jungle Java and impressed everyone by going down the big slide (on my belly). Saturday night, Bubbe stayed with us while Mom and Dad went out on a date. They seemed pretty excited.
Sunday morning, Dad and I went to soccer, where I am continually improving at kicking the ball. Then we all went out for Hazel's birthday lunch at Waterloo. We met my friends Clark and Benjamin, their parents, Clark's grandparents, and our friend Zhenya there. I had some delicious pancakes. Hazel had a great time and loved all the attention.
Sunday afternoon we took Bubbe and Dad to see the peacocks at Mayfield Park, which Mom, Hazel and I visited Wednesday afternoon during a nap strike. That day, I learned to make a cool peacock noise and saw them spread their feathers out. This time, Bubbe and Mom took a lot of pictures. We also took a short nature walk through a jungle.
Sunday evening we had another big birthday bash at home. Hazel got a cake (I helped blow out the candle), and a bunch of presents. She's enjoyed all of the new books and stuffed animals.
Dad and I have been trying something new on Sunday mornings. We've been going to soccer! It's a special soccer class for two-year-olds, on a giant indoor soccer field. There are about four other kids in my class. We do lots of fun things. My favorites are stretching (I can touch my toes!), red light green light, chasing shirt tails, and playing with cones (the orange ones, not my relatives). I'm still trying to figure out what to do with the soccer ball, although I am getting better at kicking it. You can see me kicking it through the hoop in the picture above. Mom didn't want Dad to have all of the fun, so she and Hazel came along for one class to take pictures.
Meanwhile, Mom and I have been up to our own special activities. We bought some plants from our local farmer Miguel and a small local nursery, and I helped Mom plant them. We have two different types of tomato plants, a bell pepper plant, some mint and some basil. I'm really excited about growing and eating our own vegetables.
I've been saying a bunch of new words lately, and putting together more phrases. I say things like "go home" when I want to go home, and "more beans please" when I want more of Mom's delicious homemade refried beans.
Hazel has been getting better at standing up, and she is eating more finger foods. Unfortunately, she still only has two bottom teeth, so it limits what she can eat. Mom and Dad have to watch me carefully to keep me from sharing food to her.
You can see pictures from soccer here. The link also includes pictures from an egg hunt, Hazel eating and playing peekaboo, and my new plants.
Spring is here! It has been gorgeous out lately, so we've been spending as much time as we can outside, before it's summer and it's too hot to leave our house.
We've been going to the park sometimes and playing in our backyard, usually more than once a day. I have been having tons of fun climbing on my playscape and slide, scooping sand in my sandbox, and shoveling stones into my dump truck. Meanwhile, Hazel's been enjoying my old swing.
When Aunt Lauren was here last month, Mom had the chance to clean up the yard after our dog Peepa. She has a special tool for this job called a pooper scooper, basically a little shovel and a rake. I thought it looked like fun, so I grabbed the bottom of my tee ball set and my toy rake and pretended to help. So that's another thing I spend time on every time we're outside.
When I am not busy working in our yard, we like to eat lunch and dinner out on our deck, which as you can see, Peepa especially enjoys. This week we had an extra special dinner out there -- our Passover seder. It was great. My friend Clark, his parents, and his grandparents all came over. Dad told us a story, we sang a song or two, and we had a huge meal.
My favorite part was when I was allowed to dip my finger in some grape juice and put it on my plate. Usually I get in trouble for doing things like that; I have whenever I've tried it since then, anyway. Clark and I had a great time playing with each other. At the end of the night, he found the afikomen, and I am glad we still have tons of leftover matzah.
Another exciting thing that happened this week is I started going to school regularly at Leaps n Bounds. I am going Tuesdays and Thursdays for three hours each morning. It's fun. When I get there, we go outside. When we go inside to our classroom, we play, do crafts, and have circle time, where we sing and hear stories. After I eat lunch, we rest and Mommy picks me up.
Today was a special day at school. When we came inside, I was surprised to see Mom. Then I was surprised again because she gave me a basket and we went back outside to look for Easter eggs! I did a great job finding them and I had a lot of fun. They were weird eggs though. They were not brown or white like the eggs we cook with. They were all different colors and when I cracked them, goldfish and marshmallow bunnies came out! It's a good thing I found lots of them, and lucky for me, I got to bring them home. I really like them. They are fun to play with in my kitchen and Mom gave me a real egg box to hold them in. I played with them all afternoon. Mom made me go outside, and I even insisted on taking them out there!
My teacher also gave me a basket to bring home, and in it was a bottle of bubbles that Mom blew for me. The whole experience inspired me to say two new words -- bubbles and egg.
Speaking of new words, I've been saying lots of new things lately, like king, bath, burger, work, home, and poop.
And speaking of poop, I have a funny new trick I play on Dad and Mom. There are diapers everywhere in our house because Hazel and I both wear them. When Aunt Lauren was here, she gave me a grill kit with little pieces of burger. So when no one is looking, I stick the burgers in a diaper and put it on the coffee table. When someone finds it, I say, "poop!" Mom thought I would just do it once, but anytime they put it away, I put it out again because it's fun hearing them laugh when they find it.
I've been pretending and imitating a lot lately. Yesterday I pretended to pick things up and throw them off the deck. (Mom said it's good I was only pretending to do that!) I've been changing duck's diaper, pretending to serve Mom and Dad food from my kitchen, and putting toy keys in my pocket.
Yesterday I got in my car and when Mom asked where I was going, I said, "Work!" Then I drove across the room, got out, and yelled, "Home!" It's pretty fun seeing Mom laugh that hard.
I have also been a real help around the house lately. I have been putting dirty clothes (mine and Hazel's!) in the laundry, putting my dirty dishes in the kitchen sink, throwing things that are on the floor away, bringing Mommy things she asks for, and giving toys to Hazel when she gets her diaper changed and when she cries.
I tried letting myself outside so Dad and Mom wouldn't have to take me out there, by learning how to unlock and open the back door, but evidently that wasn't the kind of help they wanted. One day last weekend I woke up from my nap and Dad had put a new Mitch-proof lock on the door.
Hazel is really coming along too. She is faster at crawling and pulls herself up constantly. She loves throwing all the Legos and trains off the train table in my room, and she once let go and stood up by herself when she was in her playpen. Mostly she still hangs on with one hand though.
Most fun of all though is she's really starting to imitate and interact with us. If we clap, play peek-a-boo, or raise our arms above our heads, she'll do it too. She also has a dance we call the Wiggle Dance, and if we ask her to do it, she will.
Even though she still only has two teeth, Hazel is enjoying more foods and eating tons more lately. She's been eating lots of orzo, peas, carrots, avocado, and macaroni and cheese. Today she had Cheerios for the first time. She loves them!
Our theme at Gymboree this week is safari. My teacher gave us these cool hats and I figured out a way to make a fun mosquito mask with the hat and the scarves we play with in our class. Mom and my teacher were very impressed with my creativity.
My friend Ethan is behind me. His mom took the photo. He goes to the daycare Hazel and I go to sometimes, Leaps n Bounds. It's not a coincidence; his mom is the one who told my mom about the place.
We have had a really great time the past couple of weekends.
Last weekend, I woke up one morning to a visitor -- Aunt Lauren! We had a really fun time. We spent some time having lunch with our buddy Prabhakar at a Mexican restaurant with delicious interior Mexican food, Polvo's, in South Austin, visited Dad and some friends at work, went to the Children's Museum, and ate lots of delicious food. She showered us with gifts -- I got a cool grill kit, Hazel got a beautiful print for her room, and we both got some nice new clothes -- and she taught me lots of fun new things to say. Hazel really liked snuggling her. We were so sad to see her go Monday, and we really miss her.
Another neat thing that happened last weekend was Bubbe and Papa sent Hazel and me an early joint birthday gift, and Mom and Aunt Lauren put it together for us. It's called a Learning Tower and it makes it easier for me and eventually Hazel to reach the counter so we can help cook. So far I have helped make smoothies, rice, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. It's awesome! It's fun to climb in and out of it, and Mom and Dad are happy that I can't really fall off a chair onto the floor anymore.
This weekend, we spent some quality time with Dad so Mom could work; we found a fun new way to go to my friend Benjamin's house -- Mom and I went in our bike/bike trailer while Dad and Hazel walked; and Saturday morning, we did something super cool - a group bike ride.
Before I came along, Mom used to do triathlons. She misses it, is out of shape, and wants to set a good example for us, so she decided it is time to start finding things like that we can do together. Her friend Al, who has an amazing story, had a cycling event with a family ride for his organization, Please Be Kind to Cyclists, so we decided to do it. The event had 40-mile and 20-mile routes, but the family route was more our speed -- two miles, mostly on a protected bike path. We squished Mom's bike, our helmets, and my bike trailer into the car and headed downtown for the 8 a.m. start.
About 10 people -- our ride leader, some kids, and their moms -- did the family ride. We were the only ones with a bike trailer, and we easily kept up with everyone else. It was great. I sang along the way and yelled things like "Whee," "Go, go, go," and channeling Aunt Lauren, "Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!" Mom said my sounds helped motivate her, and everyone thought I was funny, especially when they realized I was the only one who remembered to bring any water.
While we rode, Hazel and Dad enjoyed a loud rock band, and when we got back we enjoyed delicious breakfast tacos and muffins, and Al gave us a CD and a cake to bring home! There's nothing not to like about bike rides, in my opinion. Mom and I are excited for Hazel to be able to join us on our rides next month, once she turns one and gets a helmet. When that happens, we figure we'll be able to go out more often.
Sunday I woke up to a new face, our friend Sweta. She lives in Boston but was in town this weekend for a wedding. Lucky for us, she had a little extra time to visit. In honor of her visit, we went to Waterloo Ice House, a restaurant Mom recently discovered has delicious breakfast tacos and a huge fenced-in area with picnic tables and a playscape. I had huge blueberry pancakes, which Hazel kept trying to steal, and we all thought it was a perfect day to be outside.
In general, Hazel and I have been up to some new tricks. Hazel is interacting more. This week she held her arms up when she wanted Mom to pick her up, mimicked a sound Mom made at her, and has been pointing at ceiling fans when we turn them on. She is more fun by the day.
Meanwhile, Dad taught me to count to three and I have been imitating everything Mom and Dad do. Today I copied Dad when he was putting his laundry away. Then Hazel was being grumpy, and Mom decided to nurse her. I realized Duck was hungry too, so I climbed up on Mom's bed beside her, lifted up my shirt and put Duck to my chest. Dad and Mom thought it was cute and hilarious. I don't see what the big deal is. Ducks need milk too!
Pictures from all of this month, including our weekend adventures and the snow a few weeks ago, are here.
Dad was out of town most of this week, so it was just Hazel, Mom and me.
The day he left, Tuesday, we got lots of snow. Yes, we still live in Texas, and the inch or two on the ground was the most snow we've had in six years (so I've heard). As soon as Hazel went down for her morning nap, Peepa, Mom and I played in it on the deck. I loved sweeping it with a broom, sliding in it and feeling it in my hands. Peepa liked eating it. And Mom threw a snowball at me, which was hilarious. We couldn't stay out as long as we wanted to because since it's usually 75 degrees here, like it was two days before this happened, I don't have any gloves or mittens and my hands were turning red. Next time I will wear socks on my hands, but we thought of that too late for this time. By Wednesday it was in the 50s and sunny again, and all the snow melted. It felt magical while it lasted.
Although Hazel didn't get to play outside with us in the snow, she's been making her own fun. She is really pulling herself up to standing now, which means she can reach more of my toys. She especially likes pulling herself up at my train table so she can play with my legos and trains. I don't mind. I really laughed at her the first few times she did it and she is fun to play with.
I am doing really well sleeping in my big boy bed. Mom and Dad said it is going better than they expected. I am even napping better than I did in my crib and I am going to sleep pretty quickly at night too. Hazel is enjoying my old crib too, which we moved into her room. It actually has taken her a little longer to adapt to the new sleeping situation than it took me.
This week I have been testing out more new words, like "water" and "more beans" (thanks to Amy, Gigi, and Aunt Laurie, who gave us yummy Freebirds gift cards), and twice while Dad was gone, I said, "Dada home," which Mom was really excited about. I am also paying more attention to the teacher in my Gymboree class.
Tonight all of us went to a Purim celebration at our synagogue. I wore my lion costume from Halloween, and got lots of compliments. Everyone was very impressed with my fearsome lion roar. We ate hot dogs, danced to some fun songs, played with the water fountain, and ran up and down ramps. But my favorite part was playing in a bounce house. I had never been in one before, but when I saw other kids jumping around, I really wanted to try it - even enough to wait in line for it. Dad waited with me in line and tried to convince me to be patient. When it was finally my turn, I ran and jumped around for my entire allotted sixty seconds. When it was time to come out, I came without any fuss. Mom and Dad sure were proud.
So you may have noticed it has been a while since we posted a blog entry. That is because I am keeping us all EXHAUSTED and too tired to write.
The most exciting thing for me is I am talking a lot, all of a sudden. Just last week alone we counted 12 new words, just off the top of our heads. Some of the words are red, blue, green, purple, in, out, up, and more. Yesterday I learned "kiwi," which sounds like "wheeghee" to me, and today I learned "home." Mom and Dad are thrilled and I am having a lot of fun with all my new words. Not to mention my new favorite fruit (the kiwis).
Speaking of kiwis, I am kind of obsessed with them. I am really pretending a lot lately and I also really like spending time in the kitchen. I have been incorporating all these things into games like yelling "wheeghee! wheeghee!" while trying to pull out the cutting board, like Mom does when she is getting ready to make me a kiwi. I have also been sharing my fruit with my best friend, Duck, whose pants I have been changing a lot lately, using my own wipes and diapers.
At the same time, I am keeping Mom and Dad busy showing them what it means to be two. I have my own opinions and ideas and I am really starting to be vocal about them. For instance, I do not like my car seat or booster seat. EVER. While the car seat is evidently not optional, we have made some mealtime changes. For lunch and breakfast at least, I have been sitting at my own little table next to Hazel's highchair and Mom and Dad are teaching me to stay seated while I eat. That's a good lesson to learn anyway, they say.
(My speech therapist says all this newfound independence is a developmental milestone, by the way.)
Tonight I threw Mom and Dad for the biggest loop of all though, by jumping out of my crib. When Mom asked what hurt, I pointed to my noggin. So now we are on to our next major challenge -- my move to the big boy bed that has been in my room for about a year now. If any of you have any good advice about how to make this transition, please post it in the comments section of this blog. Seriously. We need your help.
Hazel's sunny little personality is emerging too. She is clapping a lot, is starting to wave, cracks herself up blowing raspberries, only crawls on her hands and knees now -- and she is FAST! -- and has started pulling up on things. She is really starting to enjoy reading books and playing musical instruments. At the end of last week she also went from crawling to sitting and a few times when Mom went in to get Hazel at the end of her nap, Hazel was sitting in her crib instead of lying on her belly, as usual. Hazel is much happier for all this and is a lot less fussy now. We think she must have been very frustrated before she was mobile.
We have had a few fun events in the past week or two. We celebrated Tu B'Shevat, the Jewish birthday of trees; Valentine's Day, with lots of fun presents from Grandma, Grandpa, Bubbe and Papa; and best of all, Daddy's birthday! For Dad's day, we challenged him with a scavenger hunt, which he had to do in order to find all his fun presents. After that, we went to Fuddruckers for burgers. I hear there was cake but that must have been after I went to bed.
For pictures of our latest adventures and smiles, click here.
Today was Hazel's birthday! She turned one today. To help celebrate, Bubbe came into town. We've had a really fun time. I've gotten really good at answering the questions "How old is Hazel today?" and "How old are you?"
I've been showing Bubbe how good I am at dressing myself. She's particularly impressed with my wearing multiple colored socks. Aside from my feet, I am quite creative with socks.
Sunday morning, Dad and I went to soccer, where I am continually improving at kicking the ball. Then we all went out for Hazel's birthday lunch at Waterloo. We met my friends Clark and Benjamin, their parents, Clark's grandparents, and our friend Zhenya there. I had some delicious pancakes. Hazel had a great time and loved all the attention.
Sunday evening we had another big birthday bash at home. Hazel got a cake (I helped blow out the candle), and a bunch of presents. She's enjoyed all of the new books and stuffed animals.
