Keeping Up With Zackie

The great ice storm of 2009.

2009-02-01T17:16:00.008-05:00

The last week has been really different around here. It snowed, then sleeted, then snowed, and the tv didn't work, and we didn't have any lights, and it got cold in our house, and Mommy and Daddy didn't go to work much, and I got to play outside...

Mommy and Daddy seemed pretty stressed by it all, but it really didn't bother me all that much. I'm pretty flexible.

Everything is pretty much back to normal now, and Granny and Barbara have electricity again, too. Daddy bought a generator, and now Grandma and Grandpa are using that, so they can stay warm. I'm really glad that Mommy has stopped her twitching and fluttering around. She does that when she gets stressed, but it seems to mostly have passed now. Whew.

Stylish.

2009-01-25T13:32:00.004-05:00

My Uncle Gary and Aunt Angie sent me some stylish clothes for Christmas. Mommy and Daddy usually make me wear "practical" stuff, but I think I look darn adorable when I'm all dressed up...

Story time.

2009-01-14T19:17:00.003-05:00

Hey everybody. This story is an epic tale about dragons, and monsters and big teeth. Listen closely so you don't miss any of the exciting plot twists...

(Mommy's note: We KNOW it's not Christmas, but he likes the hat, darn it. We're doing the best we can here. Don't judge.)

Happy Birthday!

2009-01-06T18:43:00.006-05:00

It's my Aunt Barbie's birthday! Barbie, here's a song just for you!

Decorating the tree.

2008-12-21T21:17:00.006-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, Daddy and I put the Christmas tree up and got the house decorated. Daddy says if it were up to Mommy, we probably wouldn't even get to have a tree, but since we're willing to do all the work ourselves, Mommy let us put one up anyway.

Some stuff I know about decorating the Christmas tree: you get really dizzy sometimes.

Unbreakable ornaments are a good idea.

No, unbreakable ornaments are a REALLY GOOD idea.

GRANNY ALERT!!! Granny if you are reading this, you should stop. Do not proceed. The next video will make you all shakey and nervous, and we both know that's bad for your heart.

Daddy didn't put the ladder up quite quickly enough, and I tried it out. It works pretty well, but I need a taller one to get to where I need to go.

Our latest Chuck E. Cheese Adventure.

2008-12-17T06:36:00.009-05:00

(Mommy's note: This actually happened several weeks ago, but Mommy's eye just stopped twitching enough to allow her to write about it. He was up in that stupid tube and WOULD NOT COME DOWN for about 45 minutes. Mommy simply cannot figure out why that place does not sell tequila - they would do jam-up business, for certain.)

Balloons!

2008-12-11T16:15:00.004-05:00

Apparently, my Daddy works in a place where he can have as many balloons as he wants. It's true. He told me so himself. Occasionally, when he's feeling generous, he brings me a balloon. This time, I guess he was feeling REALLY generous, because he brought me one of each color! That Daddy. I sure do love him.

Christmas card photos - the outtakes.

2008-11-30T18:47:00.005-05:00

Where are you, Aunt Barbara?

2008-11-07T18:52:00.001-05:00

I thought you were going to keep this thing updated for me. What happened? Did you get too busy with the utility bugs?

Love, Zackie

147 (the number of pieces of candy I ate yesterday)

2008-11-01T12:20:00.010-04:00

So, Mommy and Daddy have been telling me about this Halloween stuff for a while now, but I think they downplayed a very important aspect of it. We talked about the costumes, and the jack-o-lanterns, and the trick or treating, but we didn't really dwell on the important part - the CANDY!

But I'm getting a little ahead of myself. Let me tell you about my entire day yesterday. I was up early (too early, according to Mommy) and I got to put my costume on first thing! By the way, I was a superhero! Mommy and I went to visit Granny and Aunt Barbara, and I had such a good time there. Granny is so good at playing, plus she's pretty funny to boot!

Daddy came home from work early, and brought me a pizza for dinner, then we had to work out some of the logistical details about who was going where:

It's a good thing I was there to help sort all that out. Anyway, after we decided that all of us were going to go trick or treating, we hopped in the wagon for a ride! Well, I got to ride. Daddy pulled me, and Mommy mostly took pictures.

Then the real fun started. We went to some houses, and here's the deal. If you walk up to a house and yell "trick or treat," you WILL GET CANDY! No joke. It really works. Watch:

Daddy kept saying things like "Save some for later, Zackie" and other such nonsense. Boy, it sure is a good thing, he's cute, huh? I preferred the suckers. I got 2,487 different ones, and I fully expect that they will last through the weekend.

We were all getting tired by this point, and it was getting dark. It's a good thing Granny gave me some glow sticks to use. We may not have made it home without them. Anyway, we all had a great time, and I'm not sure why this all has to be limited to once per year. I'm going to look into that, and I'll get back to you.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

Jack-o-lanterns!

2008-10-30T18:02:00.002-04:00

I'm not sure if you all know this, but tomorrow is Halloween! I get to dress up and people will give me candy! How cool is that? Anyway, today, to get in the spirit, Mommy and I made Jack-O-Lanterns. They turned out pretty well, if I do say so myself. My Mommy, she's good at EVERYTHING! Tonight, after it gets dark, we're going to put candles in them so they light up. Pretty neat, huh?

Hannah!!!

2008-10-29T19:01:00.006-04:00

Some of you may remember my friend Hannah from The Boddeker Blog. Well, today, Hannah and I got together for a fun playdate! We did all kinds of stuff! We had a couple of disagreements along the way (is it a tractor or a lawnmower? is it a cracker or a pretzel?) but we mostly got along very well. We shared some hugs and kisses and juice and snack, and our Mommies got to visit a little bit, too! Here's how we spent the rest of the day:

We played on Hannah's "playground." And we jumped on the trampoline. We had a few spider and ladybug scares, but don't worry, we got it all sorted out. We spent some time admiring each other's footwear, and then we had a bit of an argument with a dog. We won. Later in the afternoon, we swam in Hannah's pool! Hannah has some mad swimming skills. I mostly hung out and played with a bucket, but it was still fun. Hannah, it's your turn to come see me. I'll have to come up with quite an agenda to top today. Thanks for the fun time!

Reminiscing...

2008-10-24T18:32:00.005-04:00

Well, Halloween is in one week. I've been thinking about how my mommy chose my Halloween costume a couple of years ago. I was just a kid then; I couldn't talk yet, so I wasn't able to tell her what I wanted to be. I'll have to say, she did a pretty darn good job in choosing a monkey costume. I was really cute, even if I do say so myself.

Now that I'm older, my mommy asked me what I wanted to be, so I told her and guess what -- she got me exactly what I wanted!!! I've already worn it around the house some (a kid's gotta practice, you know). I can hardly wait for Halloween. It's going to be so much fun!!! I'd tell you now, but it's going to be a surprise. Stay tuned for more updates!

In case you noticed I haven't been around much lately....

2008-10-23T17:59:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone. First of all, I want to apologize to all of my loyal fans who follow me so faithfully. See, it's like this. My mommy always helps me with this, but she's been very tired lately. She keeps mumbling something about the person who schedules her for work doesn't like her very much, and she keeps getting the bad shifts. I'm not sure what that means, but I do know that somestimes it makes her very tired. I think I'll recommend she take that person something for lunch one day, and maybe she'll be nicer to her. Also, sometimes when I'm tired, Mommy wants me to take a nap. Mommy, can you take a nap at work? It will make you feel better when you wake up; at least that's what you tell me.

Anyway, my Aunt Barbara is going to help me until my mommy gets some rest. She's never done this before, so I'm not sure how good she'll be, but at least I'll be able to get messages out to my fans.

Dancing ...er... King?

2008-10-10T11:16:00.004-04:00

My friend Hannah at the Boddeker Blog recently showed off some of her dancing moves, and I thought I should practice my dancing skills too. Maybe with a little work, Hannah and I could take this show on the road!

Random scenes from a 12 hour car trip.

2008-09-23T16:04:00.009-04:00

Well, SOMEBODY had to clean this mess up.

2008-09-23T15:37:00.006-04:00

Last week, we had a crazy windstorm, and it blew down a bunch of limbs in our yard.

Daddy kept getting distracted by the pretty flowers.

Mommy couldn't be bothered to put the camera down.

So, once again, all the hard work fell to me.

It took HOURS...

But I think I have us looking presentable again. Good grief, who knew it was this much work to keep your yard looking good?

My last vacation post :(

2008-09-11T14:17:00.010-04:00

Today was our last day on vacation, and on the beach, so I had a lot to accomplish. I wanted to make the most of my time. So...

I dug up some random things that only I could see.

I pretended that my boogie board was a kite.

I ran.

And I let Daddy bury me in the sand.

I wore my goggles and pretended to be a bird.

And I wore my cape and pretended to be a superhero.

I've had a great time on vacation, and I fully expect Mommy and Daddy to bring me back here whenever I want. However, I have to go take a nap now, because we're going out to dinner tonight, and Mommy says she doesn't want a "repeat of yesterday" whatever that means.

A "Running-Around" Day.

2008-09-10T19:06:00.003-04:00

Today, we didn't go to the beach AT ALL. Instead, we went running around all over the place. The first place we went was The Children's Museum of South Carolina, where I had a great time!

I got to play, and explore, and mess with stuff, and nobody cared how loud I was. It was loads of fun!

We spent most of the afternoon tooling around Myrtle Beach looking for a shark that I could take home (long story - maybe I'll go into it another time), and then we went to dinner at this place:

And this is where it all started to go bad. Mommy called it "a complete and utter melt-down" and Daddy just looked confused and sort of sad... Mommy says that I must issue a blanket apology to anyone who happened to be eating there when we were there, and that I should send out a heartfelt thank you to the waitstaff who tried to console, cajole and otherwise bribe me with stuff so that Mommy and Daddy could eat. So, I'm sorry, and thanks. But good grief, Mommy and Daddy, what do you expect when you drag a two year old across the country? Little Mr. Sunshine? I don't think so...

Saving Mommy from the Shark.

2008-09-09T17:54:00.003-04:00

This shark ate my Mommy. It Ate. Her. Up. Whole. One minute she was there, and the next, she was inside the shark. Daddy and I had to be superheroes and go in to save her.

Here, let me tell you all about it.

Vacation, Day 2.

2008-09-08T17:25:00.007-04:00

We started the morning out at the pool. I didn't love it.

But I did love the outdoor shower.

This afternoon was the beach. I had lots of things to accomplish there. I tried to get all the water out...

And I ran from Daddy a lot.

Then I buried him in the sand.

Now we're back at the condo and in for the night. I'm shinier and blonder and really, really tired. I wonder how we're going to top this tomorrow?

Jealous?

2008-09-07T13:50:00.007-04:00

Because this is what I'm doing RIGHT NOW!

Killer Zombie Attack.

2008-08-24T11:43:00.004-04:00

(Mommy's Note: In case you can't understand what my adorable, loving 2 year old is saying, he's growling "I want to eat your brains." Now where in the hell do you think he learned that? As far as I can tell, our home has been Zombie-free for at least 6 months...)

Hunting with my Dad.

2008-08-21T09:27:00.007-04:00

Stop laughing. Daddy and I really do go hunting. Here's what we do:

Through the open pantry door, we quietly and patiently stalk our prey. Decisions must be made, and things must be sacrificed. What will survive? What will become our sustenance?

Which of these delicious and moist snack cakes must give its life so that we can be fed?

Ding Dongs or Zingers? Zingers or Ding Dongs?

Oh, delicious Ding Dong, thank you for making my tummy full and my heart sing.

The blasted bear is back, and this time it's a POLAR BEAR!

2008-08-19T17:48:00.002-04:00

My Grandma's Rice.

2008-08-17T19:18:00.004-04:00

The other day, my Mommy asked me what I wanted for dinner, and I told her that I wanted my Grandma's fried rice.

Well, I didn't get any THAT day, but the next day, Daddy and I called Grandma, and we told her that I REALLY wanted some of her rice.

See, my Grandma makes the best fried rice in the world. Now, I mean no disrespect to the fine folks at the Eggroll House, who make excellent rice and who have gotten me through my rice cravings in a pinch, but really, Grandma's is the best.

So guess what? My Grandma must really love me, because she came over and brought a great big bowl, all for me!

I've eaten in for at least two meals a day for the past two days, and I'd eat it for breakfast if Mommy would let me.

Thanks Grandma! You're the best! Did I mention that I love eggrolls, too?

Personal preference.

2008-08-15T10:01:00.007-04:00

According to Mommy, I have something like $1,458,543.90 worth of toys. She never seems to understand that really, all I need to have a great time is a stick.

They're mulit-purpose. You can poke things, hit things, and even pretend to be Darth Vader with a stick.

I never did find out what lived down this hole...

My stick even helps me take out all my aggressions in a constructive manner.

Mommy, save your money. Stick and I have this playing thing covered, ok?

Magical things.

2008-08-14T20:24:00.004-04:00

Sometimes, Mommy has to go to work, and she lets me stay home with Daddy. And sometimes, Daddy makes magical things happen.

Sometimes, Mommy leaves for work and there is a completely empty spare room upstairs.

And sometimes, when Mommy comes home, she sees this in the room formerly known as the spare room:

Old friends and new.

2008-08-07T15:59:00.006-04:00

Today, Mommy and Daddy took me to the play area at the mall to "run myself into the ground," as Mommy puts it, and while we were there, we ran into some friends!

See, a long time ago, when Mommy was a little girl, she had a friend named Karen. Karen and Mommy did practically everything together. They rode bikes, and played in the creek, and talked on the phone, and went on vacation (lost Smurfs and all), and loved Bo Duke, and ate lots and lots of ice cream cones and olives and Grandma Mary's spaghetti...

Now that Mommy and Karen are older and have kids of their own, they don't have time to do all that fun stuff any more. Mommy says that being a grownup is a lot of work. But today, I had the best time playing with Chloe and Zane, who are Karen's kids!

This is Chloe. She is six years old, is very, very tall, has beautiful long blond hair, and is just about the prettiest girl I have ever seen! She helped me to remember to stay inside the play area, and she helped me climb up things that were too tall for me.

This is Zane. Zane is 10 years old, and he is from Vietnam, just like my Grandma Johnson! Today, he showed me how to jump really high and really far from one thing to the next. He's really strong and really fast!

I had a really great time today meeting some new friends, and Mommy loved to have a chance to catch up with her friend Karen and Karen's Mom Kathy. We have to get together again sometime really soon! I don't want Chloe and Zane to forget me!

Learning to express myself.

2008-08-01T07:09:00.002-04:00

"Toddlers sometimes get frustrated because they do not have the language skills to express themselves." - National Network for Childcare

Mommy used to believe that sometimes I might feel frustrated because I don't have enough words to verbalize how I feel. She helps me by reading to me, and teaching me lots of new words, and helping me to describe how I'm feeling. It's going well.

A few nights ago, Daddy suggested that it might be near bedtime. I wasn't ready for bed, so I used my words to tell him about it.

Here's what I said:

"Crap. You stupidhead. My no want to go to bedtime. I go sit over here on the couch and you yeave me ayone, ok?"

Mommy isn't worried about my ability to express myself anymore...

Proof that Mommy has too much free time.

2008-07-27T05:57:00.001-04:00

As you can see, the recent push toward potty training is not going so well at my house...

2008-07-25T08:57:00.004-04:00

I mean really, who's got time to sit down and go potty? I'm much too busy for all that silliness. Do they make Huggies in a XXL?

I'm lovin' it.

2008-07-20T14:29:00.006-04:00

Key theme music. Bah da ba ba ba.

So, today, I got beat up by a pretty little girl at McDonald's PlayPlace. But really, that's more the end of the story. Let me start from the beginning.

Mommy and Daddy both had the day off from work, and Daddy asked me what I wanted to do today. I told him I wanted to go to "My Donald's" and eat ketchup. So they took me to the best My Donald's in the world - the one with the indoor PlayPlace!

Everything started out just fine. I played and Daddy watched me while Mommy went to get my ketchup. There was some more food, too, but really the ketchup is all that matters. Then I sat nicely and ate all my lunch.

After that was when it all started to go downhill.

After I ate, I got to go play again. I climbed up in the big tube, and Mommy and Daddy waited, and waited, and waited and waited... I was up there FOREVER! Then I burst out of the slide and ran over to my Daddy and told him this:

"A little girl pushed me up, and pushed me down, and hit my nose."

My nose was a little red. Daddy stood there and waited for the little girl to come down so he could speak to her about playing so roughly with me (after all, I'm only 2 and a half). She came down and I pointed and yelled "Right there! Right there!"

When Daddy saw her, he started to laugh. Can you believe that? Apparently it's ok to let little girls who are younger and smaller than you to beat up.

Doesn't really seem fair to me, though.

Anyway, soon after that, Mommy appeared with a Caramel Sundae and all was well again.

But I can tell you this. Going to My Donald's really wears a kid out.

I like to pretend.

2008-07-18T06:47:00.003-04:00

My new favorite game is "pretend." I like to pretend all sorts of things, like that I'm taking a nap. See my new red blankie? (It's really Mommy's kitchen towel, but don't tell her.)

I also like to play the "I'm Daddy, You're Mommy" game with Mommy. Here's how it goes:

Daddy (me): "Hi Mommy."

Mommy: "Hi Daddy."

Daddy (me): "Makin' lunch?"

Mommy: "Sure Daddy. What do you want?"

Daddy (me): "Some sammich, please."

Mommy: "Ok, Daddy. I'll make you a sandwich."

Daddy (me): "I go to work now, ok?"

It's hours of fun, really. Sometimes Mommy's eye twitches a little when we play, but I think she really enjoys it, too.

An open letter to the Bounty Corporation.

2008-07-12T08:07:00.004-04:00

Dear Bounty Paper Towels,

Why do you always have to ruin all my fun? It's a lot of work to get this dirty.

But it only takes seconds for Mommy or Daddy to come along with one of your paper towels with it's "quicker picker upper" action and ruin it all.

Mommy says she will only buy Bounty because she likes the select-a-size thing. She says I usually rate 5 or 6 with my typical messes, and 8-10 with the chocolatey ones.

But anyway, my point here is to ask you to please go pick on someone else for a while. Let a kid have some fun, will ya?

Love, Zackie

Blazer's Fun Zone: $5. My squeals of laughter: priceless.

2008-07-10T16:02:00.011-04:00

Today, Mommy and Daddy took me to the most amazing place in the world. It's called Blazer's Fun Zone, and man, when these folks name a place, they don't lie. It was FUN! They had a bouncy house, and several big giant slides... Mommy wasn't very good at the slides (she sort of wallowed off a few times), but Daddy was! We rode them over and over. And, on the way home, I figured out that we were only MINUTES from our house! I guess we'll have to go every day.

This is what happens when Mommy doesn't watch me closely enough (i.e. No Blinking, Mommy!)

2008-07-08T19:51:00.002-04:00

Consolation prize.

2008-07-05T06:43:00.008-04:00

This is how Mommy distracted me when Daddy left the house without me yesterday:

I seem to have a few ambidextrous tendencies. Daddy and Aunt Barbie, you guys might have to teach me how to use scissors someday...

Note the fierce concentration here. I'm completely devoted to my craft.

But as you can see, sometimes Art=Suffering. Since I'm now an official creative genius, I may need to add in an extra naptime. Making the world beautiful is pretty hard work.

Crash test dummies.

2008-07-04T06:47:00.005-04:00

My Granny got me this cool new helmet, so I figured the right thing to do would be to wear it and to practice crashing into things. I mean, after all, she went to all that trouble for me, it seemed like the least I could do. My favorite thing to crash into is my Daddy. He's not quite as thrilled with the new game as I am, but he's at least accepting of it...

Choo-choo!

2008-07-03T12:32:00.002-04:00

The one in which Mommy's head blows completely off.

2008-06-30T17:51:00.003-04:00

I've seen Mommy a little upset before, even grumpy a time or two. But yesterday when she got home from work, she was downright TWITCHY. I guess the house was a LITTLE messy, but Daddy and I had every intention of cleaning up... sometime... maybe next week.

A few of my favorite things...

2008-06-29T19:45:00.002-04:00

Books and chocolate. What more is there in life?

Run for the border.

2008-06-27T20:32:00.003-04:00

Sometimes when Mommy is at work, Daddy and I get the munchies. When that happens, we make a run for the border. Nachos = male bonding at its finest.

To monster.

2008-06-23T19:48:00.006-04:00

mon - ster. (mŏn'stər). verb. To run toward your Mommy or Daddy at a high rate of speed, while wiggling your fingers and growling. Often accompanied by the phrase "I MONSTER YOU!"

My most recent haircut.

2008-06-20T18:07:00.006-04:00

Those of you who have known me for a while know that I have A LOT of hair, and that it grows pretty fast. Therefore, haircuts are pretty important to me.

My Daddy is in charge of the haircut situation, or at least he has been since what my Mommy refers to as "the day she decided I would be an only child." The nice man who cuts my hair is named Bobby, and he is a great guy who's pretty patient with me.

As you can see, though, I am apparently a perfect angel when Daddy takes me in for a cut. I sit quietly in the chair, smile and giggle appropriately when I get tickled, and am just otherwise a perfectly well behaved toddler child.

All you can see here is some appropriate giggling when I get tickled. You couldn't ask for a better kid.

I would never misbehave in public, now would I, Mommy?

My Mommy is falling apart.

2008-06-19T07:01:00.009-04:00

My Mommy is usually the sensible one. She's the one who makes sure I eat a vegetable every week, that I get an occasional bath, and she's the one who always fusses at Daddy for feeding me junk food.

So imagine my surprise when Mommy gave me DONUTS for breakfast.

This is very clearly more of a Daddy type behavior, and quite frankly, I'm a little concerned.

And these weren't just any donuts, either. These were the tiny, sugary, sweet, melt in your mouth kind. Donettes, to be exact. Mommy, if I have done anything to contribute to your breakdown, I am truly sorry. I will stop hitting/spitting/pulling hair/screaming/running wild/biting/climbing/etc. if it means I can have my structure back. We kids need structure, you know.

A few recent photos (I'm so darn cute!)

2008-06-19T06:44:00.006-04:00

My Mommy's Little Red Wagon.

2008-06-15T06:47:00.006-04:00

I forgot to show this to you all before now. This little red wagon was by far the nicest thing Mommy got for Mother's Day last month, wouldn't you agree? I hope somebody gets Daddy a pony today! Happy Father's Day, Daddy!

Some clips from my latest Chuck E. Cheese experience.

2008-06-14T06:41:00.005-04:00

Oh, how I love that place. The screams of the other kids (and parents), the smell of dirty diapers and cheap tomato sauce, the flashing lights, the banging heads... It's ADHD in the making...

My Mommy will do just about ANYTHING to get a good video for the blog...

2008-06-13T14:46:00.009-04:00

Including paying a WHOLE QUARTER to let me ride the horsey outside a restaurant. Never mind that I have heard her call these rides "silly" and "a waste of time and money" and "a shameless trap for parents of young children that SOMEBODY ought to be ashamed of" (whatever that means). The important thing here, folks, is that if she has the video camera with her, she'll let me do just about anything. So I've started hiding it in her purse. Take that, Mommy :).

Lawn Care 101

2008-06-12T09:58:00.015-04:00

As you all know, Mommy has taken something of an interest in the yard this year. Mommy can be a little, well, OBSESSIVE is the word Daddy uses, when she gets her mind set on something. So, I've had to help out a little and do some of the yard work lately.

On this particular day, Mommy decided that we needed to water the grass, because it hasn't rained in WEEKS. So, of course, she needed some help.

Gardening and lawn maintenance is hard work. So hard in fact, that it sometimes makes your shorts fall completely off.

It's important to get the sprinklers adjusted JUST SO.

I helped Mommy with that part.

The wetter I got, the harder it became to keep my shorts on. It's ok, though. I understand that there are people in foreign places, like California, who often garden in the nude.

I don't mind helping Mommy out. Trust me, she can use all the help she can get. Plus, helping my Mommy makes me feel all happy inside.

For those of you who might prefer to see this adventure in real live action, here are a couple of videos.

Happy Gardening, everybody!

Ice Cream!

2008-06-08T21:05:00.003-04:00

Mommy had to work today. Daddy was in charge. And that's all I'm going to say about that.

ABCs - take 2.

2008-06-05T17:46:00.004-04:00

Isn't it sweet that Daddy is trying to help me with my ABCs? Mommy assures me that he knows them all, but I'm not so sure... I'll keep pretending that I'M the one who needs help... Shhh. Don't tell him.

The games that Daddies play.

2008-06-05T17:21:00.005-04:00

Daddy and I like to play different kinds of games than the ones I play with Mommy. Even though Daddy tries to keep our play educational, sometimes we play so hard that I throw up. Sometimes, we play so hard that Mommy throws up. Either way, a good time is usually had by all.

Time flies.

2008-06-04T16:26:00.009-04:00

Here are some of the videos of out trip to the zoo (which, by the way, was WEEKS ago). I got to ride the big red train, which was quite a hit! We saw lions, and bears, and penguins, and monkeys and pumas, and giraffes (my favorites) and ate a lot of junk food, and just generally enjoyed the day.

And here are some photos of why my Mommy is so far behind on helping me with my blog:

Pirates are easier to play than cowboys...

2008-06-02T19:06:00.003-04:00

Because I know, without a doubt, how a pirate goes.

Wheee-haaaa!

2008-06-01T15:44:00.008-04:00

Daddy and I are a little bit confused about cowboys, and what cowboys say. Is it Yee-Haw? Or Whee- Ha? We're not really sure.

We're pretty sure it's Whee-Ha.

Ok, we've definitely decided. It's Whee-Ha. If there are any cowboys out there who disagree, feel free to post a comment.

Well, moving on... Despite not knowing what the proper cowboy vernacular is, I'm pretty sure about something. My Daddy is the best horse ever!

The other thing I know for sure is that my Daddy is a really good sport.

Wheeeee-Haaaaa!

It's 11pm. Do you know where your children are?

2008-05-28T23:22:00.005-04:00

(Mommy's note: I am a good and reasonable parent who always puts my child to bed at BEDTIME, which in this house is around 8pm. However, sometimes Mommy has to work late, and Daddy is in charge. That's all I'm going to say about that.)

Another Day at the Park.

2008-05-28T06:39:00.007-04:00

We went to the park again the other day. Daddy and I had lots of fun. Mommy had lots of good photo ops. All in all, it was a good day for the whole family.

By the way, this particular trip happened WEEKS ago. Mommy is a little behind on her blogging right now. Poor Mommy. She tries so hard.

Mommy (aka the paparazzi).

2008-05-22T07:04:00.003-04:00

My Mommy has this obsessive camera fetish, and it seems like she carries it pretty much everywhere we go, which sometimes is ok with me. I don't mind throwing a little something out to my fans every once in a while.

However, sometimes it gets to be too much and I have to take a more "Sean Penn" approach to the camera.

It's hard being so cute.

Perfect.

2008-05-20T18:56:00.002-04:00

Happy Birthday to Hannah!

2008-05-19T18:02:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow is my friend Hannah's birthday! Hey girl! Here's to you!

Now I know my ABC's (well, sort of).

2008-05-16T07:35:00.005-04:00

(Mommy's note: The little ~~devil child~~ sweetheart can and often does say all TWENTY SIX letters, in a reasonably orderly manner, but I have been chasing the little ~~brat~~ darling around ALL WEEK trying to video it. Aunt Barbara can confirm this - she saw it for herself the other day. However, this is the closest that we got. Use your imagination for the rest.)

Top down, wind in my hair...

2008-05-15T07:27:00.006-04:00

An action sequence.

2008-05-14T08:49:00.018-04:00

Dining alfresco.

2008-05-10T15:29:00.006-04:00

Sometimes Mommy lets me eat outside. She calls it "dining alfresco." I don't care what it's called, but I do think it's loads of fun! (Mommy's note: An added bonus is that it keeps all the crumbs off my kitchen floor. But I promise, we only do this when it's warm and sunny outside. Mostly.)

What a predicament.

2008-05-08T17:44:00.004-04:00

I love me some popsicles.

2008-05-07T09:44:00.007-04:00

Sometimes I pretend I'm a frog...

2008-05-06T08:36:00.003-04:00

And Don't Wear It Out!

2008-05-05T18:03:00.003-04:00

Sometimes I pretend I'm a train...

2008-04-26T08:16:00.002-04:00

A day at the park.

2008-04-25T19:13:00.005-04:00

Last week, Mommy and Daddy (who was playing hookey from work, by the way) took me to park. It was pretty fun. I slid down a bunch of different slides, I climbed up a bunch of different things, I swung on the monkey bars, I played in the sandbox, and I just otherwise had a fine time.

Daddy slid down the slide with me, and I think he had fun, too.

Mommy mostly took videos and said things like "Oh dear God, is he supposed to know how to do that?"

I think that as a family outing, it went over pretty well.

Even cowboys get the blues...

2008-04-14T05:31:00.004-04:00

Mommy took these videos and pictures of me when it was SUPPOSED to be my naptime...

She's as bad as the paparazzi, always trying to catch me in a MOMENT.

I wonder where the Olympics will be in 2020?

2008-04-11T12:41:00.006-04:00

'Cause it looks like I'll be ready by then...

Daddy and I practice hard every day.

And we're constantly working on my floor routine.

This one gets an 8 for difficulty, but maybe only a 7 for form. What do you think?

There's a big purple bear in my bed.

2008-04-08T17:37:00.005-04:00

And it's darn inconvenient.

See, here's what happened. One day last week, Mommy and Daddy put me to bed, but there wasn't any room for me, because the big purple bear was in my way. I'm not scared of it or anything, but there is simply not room for both of us in my bed.

So, I moved my blankie, my pillow, my little brown bear, and myself up on to my changing table. It's not quite as comfortable as my bed, but at least I'm not getting squished by the big purple bear.

Mommy came into my room in the middle of the night, and this is where she found me.

The next night, Mommy brought some Bear Away Spray into my room, and we sprayed the heck out of my bed. And guess what? It worked... at least for a little while. Then the bottle broke, and guess where I ended up?

Big purple bear, it's gonna be you or me. And I'm betting on me.

Aunt Barbie lets me get away with a lot.

2008-04-02T05:01:00.002-04:00

This is me, outside. In my pajamas. Sliding down a wet slide.

Aunt Barbie was supposed to be keeping an eye on me.

I love it when she comes to visit :).

YAR!

2008-04-01T19:31:00.004-04:00

Mommy was going through some stuff the other day, and she found this "new" hat! Well, she said it's not really new - that Katie got it for me when I was just a little baby. But that was a long time ago, and I don't really remember it, so it's new to me.

I really like to wear it, but Mommy keeps calling it a pirate hat. I beg to differ, and keep telling Mommy that it's a dinosaur hat. Whichever, it looks pretty cute on me, don't you think?

Putting on my shoes.

2008-03-29T10:23:00.006-04:00

I wanted to go outside yesterday and Mommy was NO HELP AT ALL. She kept saying things about it being "40 degrees and raining buckets" or some such... Anyway, I decided that I could just go without her, and I put my shoes on all by myself.

I just want to say, it's not as easy as it looks.

Then, after I went to all that trouble, Mommy tells me they are on the WRONG feet. What on earth was she talking about? They're the only feet I have...

Riding a tricycle is hard when you're three feet tall.

2008-03-28T06:22:00.004-04:00

Mommy and I played outside the other day, and she let me try out the new shiny red tricycle that I got for Christmas. There was one problem, though.

I couldn't really reach the pedals. I'm sort of "height challenged" like my Mommy.

It's ok, though. I improvised. Mommy says I have good problem solving skills.

Easter arts & crafts with Daddy

2008-03-27T06:43:00.006-04:00

The Easter Bunny was really nice to me this year! In addition to a bunch of yummy chocolate (my favorite!) He brought me some cool new art supplies!

There's paint, and markers, and crayons, and paper, and...

Whatever these things were, they got taken away from me pretty quickly. I think they're called "dangerous" because that's what Mommy kept saying when I picked them up. Then she started mumbling things about "fine motor skills" and said I could play with them "later." Whatever, Mommy. I'll bet Daddy will let me have them the next time we do arts & crafts together.

Terrorizing the cat, part 487

2008-03-26T05:36:00.005-04:00

Super secret stuff - for babies and kids ONLY!!!

2008-03-25T20:02:00.004-04:00

Hey kids! I've come across a very important thing that I'm willing to share with you all - The Secret for Babies, so to speak. IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE! Grown-ups, please respect my wishes and stop reading now...

Ok kids, here goes.

You can get your Mommy to do ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING you want her to. All you have to do is copy my movements from the above video EXACTLY. She will be eating out of your hand. I guarantee. If you have any trouble getting the kiss throwing just right, e-mail me and I'll walk you through it.

It's worth the time and effort. Trust me on this one.

An important call.

2008-03-22T06:27:00.003-04:00

Puzzle time!

2008-03-21T17:30:00.003-04:00

Mommy and Daddy are helping me learn my shapes. I know square, and circle, and triangle, and I'm working on diamond, hexagon and octagon. Hexagon is pretty hard to say, though. Mommy got me this puzzle to help me learn, and I can work it all by myself! (Mommy's note: please try not to notice that the afternoon sun is streaming in the window and that he is still wearing his pajamas. He can say "hexagon" for goodness sake. What more do you want from me?)

I love to play with Hannah!

2008-03-20T18:18:00.009-04:00

Last week, Mommy and I went to play with Hannah and Hannah's Mommy! We had such a good time!

We got to feed Trooper the horse some carrots...

We "Cheesed" for the camera...

We picked and ate some lovely dandelions...

We hid in the forest...

We got pulled around in a wagon by Hannah's Mommy...

And I got to climb high up in the sky on the rock wall of doom.

I'm sorry it's taken me so long to post about it. Mommy has had the dreadful cold hacking cough pass out sleep all the time bug, and she's been NO help in getting my blog updated. She seems to be a little better now, though, so I should have more to post soon!

Fun with Hannah!

2008-03-14T06:05:00.003-04:00

Today, I am making a guest appearance on

The Boddeker Blog

I'll post my own stuff in a day or two, when Mommy gets around to helping me.

Some hats I enjoy.

2008-03-11T17:41:00.005-04:00

Sometimes Mommy lets me pick out my own clothes.

2008-03-10T17:42:00.004-04:00

Grape is my favorite artificial flavor.

2008-03-09T09:29:00.005-04:00

The other day, Daddy took me to get a haircut (I need LOTS of haircuts) and my regular guy wasn't available. The lady who did it was great, and did a good job, but when she was done, she asked Daddy if I could have a S-U-C-K-E-R.

I didn't know what a S-U-C-K-E-R was, but Daddy said I could have one. I found out that it is a bunch of grape deliciousness on a stick. Don't worry Granny, nobody let me run with it!

A Snow Day.

2008-03-08T18:03:00.011-05:00

Today was a snow day! Mommy and Daddy didn't have to go to work, and we had SO MUCH FUN! Daddy and I lazed around this morning while Mommy made pancakes and bacon (Daddy's favorite!).

Then Mommy got me all bundled up so that we could go outside to play.

Snow is fun!

After we came inside, I was all rosy-cheeked, happy and tired. I thought the day couldn't get any better, but then...

Mommy made Hot Chocolate!

After Hot Chocolate, I borrowed Mommy's hat and took a nap.

Then later, Daddy let me eat some snow with a big spoon. Really, we all had a pretty good time today. Is it going to snow again tomorrow?

The Boinga Boinga Dance

2008-03-03T05:16:00.002-05:00

My Daddy and I have MOVES!

Daddies are just different from Mommies, I guess...

2008-03-02T14:05:00.002-05:00

I ALWAYS get messy when I eat. Really, the only thing that changes is how I get cleaned off. Mommy uses paper towels to wipe my hands, and then she carefully brushes the crumbs off me. Daddy, however, has other ideas. His method is a little louder, but much more effective. Mommy, you might want to give it a try sometimes.

Sometimes I get stuck in stuff...

2008-02-28T13:37:00.002-05:00

Wii remote or telephone?

2008-02-26T05:13:00.002-05:00

You decide.