Twenty-Six

I'm a little late on my twenty-six update.  I was so busy working on my road-trip skills I hardly noticed the calendar.  So, a belated update.

Twenty-six is a pretty good age.  I think I've finally achieved a solid two-year-old attitude, complete with fit-throwing skills and and irrational-behavior skills.  Most of the time my mom and dad think I'm a pretty awesome toddler-peep.  Once in a while I throw in a ridiculous fit just to keep them honest.

I love playing.  My favorite toys are my blocks (legos), my musical instruments, cooking in my kitchen, my doctor kit, and any stickers I can get my hands on.  I love reading library books and I usually have them memorized pretty quickly.  I like art projects too, especially my stamper dot paints.  And rocks are the best toys in the world.  I like to collect them and bring them home. It's pretty awesome when the playroom is covered in tiny rocks.  I'm pretty into imaginative play.  I love to play pretend trip to the zoo, pretend tea party, and pretend mom is a baby and needs a new diapie.

My chattering is at an expert level.  Some of my favorite phrases include:
1.  "___ is the best ___ in the whole world" or "____ is my best _____ ever ever ever."
2.  "I love daddy/mommy/Sissy/Hanky so so so much."
3.  "I want to do it all by myself!"
I also like to sing my way through things.  I can make up songs about anything and I'm guessing I'll have a recording contract before long.

I continue to be a pretty excellent sleeper-peep.  Mom and dad think it's because they trained me well.  It's really just that I love my b-guck (binky) so so much and my crib is the only place we're reunited.  I go to bed between 8 and 8:30 pm and wake up between 7 and 7:30 am.  I was waking up earlier but mom and dad threw such a fit about it I adjusted my schedule.  They can be kind of whiny.  I nap about 2-3 hours each day too.  In the mornings I like to have milk and watch Mickey in mom and dad's bed.  But don't try and give me cold milk.  My sophisticated pallet will throw a fit.

I use the potty about 2-4 times a day, depending on my mood.  I've had days where I stay dry all day and wear underpants and go on the potty, but sometimes a toddler-peep just wants a diaper.  Mom keeps being all, "In August we're going to say good-bye to diapers!" and I'm all, "We'll see, I can smell your lack of motivation a mile away."

My eating skills are pretty good with a side of picky.  If mom and dad would just let me eat fruit and bread and cheese and cupcakes all day long, we wouldn't have any problems.  But sometimes they make me eat chicken and turkey and hot dogs and pasta and vegetables.  I'm usually agreeable.  Except when I'm not.  I'm finally pretty good with a spoon although I prefer to sit back, put my feet up and let mom do the spooning.  It makes her feel needed.

I've had a pretty busy summer so far.  I've been going to the pool lots, going to Camp School (glorified daycare), playing at parks, and seeing friends.  This month I start nature class too! 

I still have only twelve teeth but I'm pretty sure more are coming because I have an uncontrollable urge to chew my fingers all day.  I'm not sure how tall I am but I'm probably about 24 or 25 pounds.  I'm wearing 2T clothes mostly (with a few 18-24 months for good measure).  And I'm still sitting backwards in the car because mom is neurotic and swears she's never turning me.

Well, I think that covers twenty-six.  Maybe by the time I'm twenty-seven I'll no longer have a mullet.

Pool Party

It is super fun to have friends that live close by, stock chalk, and keep the baby pool filled on a hot summer day.

Vacation Part Five

On my last morning in Chicago mom was all, "We have to see the big lake before we leave town!"  In theory this sounded like a splendid idea.  So after we went out for breakfast we  went to Fort Sheridan.

The lake was pretty neat looking from the path.  And it was huge!

Turns out, that was the only way the lake was neat.  The waves were way too loud and crashy when we got close.

I was completely unimpressed.  So mom snapped a couple pictures quickly to prove we were there and then we left town to head back to Madison.

I was super excited to get back to Auntie Maddie's apartment and see Maddie and Grandma.  To celebrate, I ate watermelon and made my best "cheese" faces.

We spent the rest of the evening with Maddie and Grandma, having dinner and getting ready for our big drive home in the morning.

To be sure mom wasn't lonely, I decided to sleep in her bed one more night.  I know she appreciated it.  She was all, "Thanks Peep!  I was hoping to have peep-legs and toe-talons all over me all night long!" and I was all, "You're welcome, I am here to make you happy."

I had a mega awesome first vacation.  I missed my dad and Sissy Dog a lot but I loved all my adventures (except the loud waves at the pond) and getting to eat in lots of restaurants and snooze with mom.  I hope we get to have another trip soon, but next time, I'm taking dad too.

Vacation Part Four

After the zoo and my long rest in the car I woke up and mom was all, "Peep!  I have some things to show you!"

Mom brought me to see her old school!  Our first stop was a place mom lived and met lots of friends.  She was all, "Maybe you want to do candle passes and secret hand shakes and talk about founders someday too!" and I was all, "Mom, that sounds medium lame but I'll keep an open mind."

It was pretty fun to explore the houses.

Next mom took me to see a giant big arch.  I thought it was pretty awesome and was all, "Maybe I'll be a Wildcat too!" and mom was all, "That would be great, as long as you're a genius-peep on scholarship or an athlete-peep on scholarship!"

Finally we took a break from walking around to sit on the steps of an apartment and sing "Where is Thumbkin."  I'm sure that all the people living there enjoyed my concert.

When our Northwestern exploration was done, we drove a little again to see friends Caitlin and Mike.  They had a mega fun house with toys and puppies!

But even better - Caitlin loves ice cream just like me!

After we had a yummy pasta dinner we went out for ice cream and I got my very own.

That night we had a sleepover at Caitlin and Mike's house.  I was a champion sleeper.  It was so much fun to visit them.


Stay tuned for part five!

Vacation Part Three

Mega super early the next morning we packed up for the next part of our trip - Chicago!  I didn't know a lot about Chicago but mom promised another zoo, a big pond, and lots of fun.  She didn't disappoint.

On the way to Chicago I got to watch a little Curious George in the car.  Mom was proud of herself for rigging things up to work with my rear-facing carseat.  She thinks I'll be rear-facing until I'm nine.  Lame.

Our very first stop in Chicago was the Lincoln Park Zoo!  Of course, we headed straight for the giraffes.  

Next we saw the polar bear.  He was pretty awesome.  I got to peek him through the glass...

... and swimming all around.  I could have watched him all day.

My friend Addison and I watched the merry-go-round.  It was fun to watch but I didn't want to ride.   I'm not scared or anything.  I just like to practice watching-skills.

The zoo adventure was super fun because there were lots of friends with us - mom brought her friends from college and they brought some toddler-peeps for me to meet.  

Zoos are hard work.  So, approximately twenty seconds after getting into my carseat, I took a little (almost two hour) rest while mom drove and drove and drove.  I'm lucky she was so committed to my nap she sacrificed her own.

Mom didn't want me to miss out on the "Chicago experience" so she got one picture of me and the skyline.  If you squint, you might be able to see it.

Stay tuned for part four!

Vacation Part Two

The next morning after I had my milk and Mickey time, I had a little oatmeal breakfast.  Mom and I had to sneak around because Grandma and Auntie Maddie were still having a snooze.

Since I'm such a fan of breakfast I was all, "Mom, let's go eat again!" and mom was all, "That's a great idea, Peep, how about bagels!?"  Sometimes she just gets me.  I love bagels.  And I love restaurants that give me a cup AND a straw.

After breakfast we headed to the zoo.  I love zoos, but this one was extra awesome because they had two hanky-guys and they were sooo close to me.  I could practically pet them.

Even though there were lots of kids there, I could tell the hanky-guys loved me best.

I made sure we visited the turtles too.  I love turtles.  Unfortunately the turtles were near the snakes.  Turns out, I don't love snakes at all.

My friend Ethan came to the zoo too.  He was pretty nice, except he wouldn't share his b-guck with me - medium lame.  He's a baby though, so I didn't hold a grudge.  

Mom was a little sad because her very favorite polar bear was hard to see.  So I was all, "Look mom, I'm the cutest polar bear here!"  

After lots of fun (and possibly some tantrums and whining related to my lack of sleep the night before) at the zoo, I went back to Auntie Maddie's apartment for some lunch, a nap and some tats.  Obviously I need tats.  Who goes to a college campus and doesn't leave with a tattoo?!?


Stay tuned for part three!

Vacation Part One

After twenty-six months of house arrest, I finally got to go on my first peep-cation a week ago!  It was awesome!

A lot of work went into getting ready.  I was super helpful with the packing.

Once we got on the road mom was all, "Grandma can drive and I'll sit in the back with you, Peep," but I was all, "I need a little privacy, mom."  I'm two years old.  I don't need to be watched all the time.

We took a nice break at a lovely place with flowers and rocks.  I thought it was neat but mom was all, "This is just a rest stop, Peep, it's not that exciting."  Hmph.  She always has to ruin my fun.

Finally we arrived at our first stop - Madison!  I was so excited to see Auntie Maddie and all the awesome stuff in her apartment.  I found lots of monkeys, a microphone (baseball on a shot glass), and lots of windows to peek out.

We went out for dinner and I ate my sandwich like a big girl.  I only dropped it on the floor once.  But don't worry, over a week later and I don't appear to have any damage.

After dinner I was all, "Let's go explore the campus.  I  want to experience college life!"  So we went to a lake and saw ducks and drunk kids and heard music and had lots of fun.

Since there were so many older, cool kids around, I thought I better try and spruce up my look a little.  I'm pretty sure the lip balm made me look at least two and a half.

I had a really fun first night.  Even better, mom felt bad that I was a little unsure of my surroundings so I got to sleep with her in a big bed!  Amazing.  The next morning I was relieved to find out mom remembered to bring milk and Mickey on our trip.


Stay tuned for part two!