Fun at the Building Museum

The National Children's Museum hasn't opened in it's new location yet (at National Harbor, across the water from Old Town), so we don't have anything like that nearby. But there is a great playroom at the National Building Museum, which is actually right across the street from Mom's work. We went there with Memere and Grandpa the day after Christmas to play. The room is full of trucks and tractors, big legos, railroad engineer and fireman costumes for the bigger kids, and tons more. It's all building-themed. There's also a small model house, too! Here are some pictures.

Tooth #11

Well, tooth #11 popped in today, just in time to ring in the new year. It's on the bottom left, and it's one of the canines. Ouch!

Christmas Gift for Mom and Dad

Before leaving for the holidays, I made a Christmas gift for Mom and Dad at daycare. Here are some pictures of us unwrapping the gift. (It was after a bath, hence no shirt!)

More Christmas Pictures

Merry Christmas!

Well, I had a wonderful Christmas! The weather has been unseasonably warm around here, in the 50's or 60's each day, so I've been able to spend lots of time outside having fun. I even got to make it to the playground on Christmas Day!

Santa was really good to me! I got a train table and a cool Thomas the Train set, along with 12 different Thomas trains. I also got lots of great books, cool clothes, and other toys (mostly with wheels on them, ha ha!). And Grandpa made me a beautiful wooden toybox to put all of my great toys in!

I even have a new song, by the way. Whenever I see a sheep--in a book or in my farm set--I start singing "Baa Baa Black Sheep."

At least 10 body parts!

I can identify at least 10 body parts now! If you ask me where my feet are, I will kick them if I'm sitting down or stomp them if I'm standing up. If you ask me where my knees, nose, eyes, ears, mouth, hair or head are, I will point to them. If you ask me where my belly button is, I will pull up my shirt and show you. If you ask me where my elbow is, I will bend my arm and point my elbow up to the sky, sort of like I'm doing the chicken dance!!

I'm getting good at this stuff. Mom says she's going to have to pull out the old anatomy textbook to stump me now!

Flashback: O Tannenbaum

Here are some pictures from picking out our Christmas tree from a tree farm out in the country in Virginia, and then a picture of the final product!

Flashback: Thanksgiving

Finally, here are some pictures from Thanksgiving. I had a lot of fun playing in the leaf pile with Aunt Carly!

Tooth #10

Finally, I have a complete set of 4 middle teeth on the top and on the bottom! Tooth #10, the bottom-left second-to-the middle tooth, started popping in yesterday, after about a week of very inflamed and red gums.

I've also got another painful spot in my mouth. One of my premolars (see tooth #9 post earlier) has come in on both sides but there's still a strip of gums left where the rest of the tooth hasn't surfaced. Ouch!

New words

I have some new words lately! I have these cool touch and feel flash cards with pictures of different animals, vehicles, etc on them and this is how I learned how to identify (and bark like) a dog, tractor, and fire truck. Well, this past weekend Mom was so surprised when I picked up the fish flash card and said "ish" and the card with the smiling baby on it and said something that sounded like "ayby."

In other news, I am now preparing for my big transition in January to the Busy Bees room at daycare. Today I am going over to my new classroom for circle time and I'm going to take my nap on a cot. I napped on the cot yesterday and did a great job, so hopefully today will be the same. Mom thought the cots were pretty hard (they're only about an inch off of the ground and they're made of tightly-woven plastic, similar to yard furniture but without the "give"), so she's shopping around for a way-cool nap mat to put over top of the cot to make it more comfy. Check out this one with cars all over it, and note the seller's name!

New words and tricks

I've got lots of new words and tricks these days. When I see a firetruck or school bus, I start singing the song from my push firetruck toy or the "Wheels on the Bus" song (although you can't exactly make out the words). I also know what cows say ("moo") and, on a good day, what chickens say ("cluck," although this sounds more like I'm clicking my tongue). I also know what sounds cars make ("vroom")! I'm also saying "Hi!" My word for book is "DA!" (not sure where I got that from)

I can also find the mouse in the Goodnight Moon book, though I need a little help sometimes on two of the pages where the mouse does a really good job hiding. I can also point to the red balloon, the cow, moon, and kitty cats.

I just got a new Christmas book this weekend, The Bear Stays Awake for Christmas, which is a follow-up to The Bear Snores On, one of my favorite books. Anyhow, I recognized the bear on the cover from the The Bear Snores On immediately and demonstrated my fake sneeze to prove it to Mom and Dad. See, if you're not familiar with the first book in the series, there's a really great scene where the mouse is seasoning the stew and a pepper fleck makes the bear sneeze and wake up from his long slumber. I can't wait until we get to this page every time I read this book, and I love to sneeze along with the bear.

Tooth #9

Guess what Mom found today?! Tooth #9! You'll never guess where it is. First, a recap of teething adventures to date:

Tooth #1 - 10 months 0ld - bottom front-right tooth
Tooth #2 - 10 months old - bottom front-left tooth
Tooth #3 - 11.5 months old - top second-to-the-left center tooth (not one of the top two middle teeth, as is most common)
Tooth #4 - just shy of one year - top second-to-the right center tooth (now I had a huge gap where the two middle top teeth should be!)
Tooth #5 - 13 months - top left-center tooth
Tooth #6 - 13 months - bottom second-to-the left center tooth (now I have a row of 3 on the bottom)
Tooth #7 - 14 months - top right-center tooth (FINALLY all four on the top!)
Tooth #8 - 17 months - a random tooth in my top-left jaw, halfway between my front 4 teeth and where my molars will be
Tooth #9 - 18 months - the matching tooth in my top-right jaw, halfway between my front teeth and where my molars will be

So I've got a total of seven teeth in the front and these two odd teeth on each side of my top jaw. Still waiting for that fourth tooth at the front on my bottom jaw!

But yes, tooth #9 explains why I had trouble sleeping last night ...

Turkey Day and Meeting the Real Santa

Just thought I'd pop in to wish my dear readers a Happy (belated) Thanksgiving. We had a great week. Mom, Dad and I only went to work on Monday and then we took the rest of the week off. We went to visit Nana and Papi for Thanksgiving and also got to see Aunt Carly and Mom's Aunt Judi. We'll be sure to post pictures once Mom and Dad get their act together and upload them. Yesterday we had great weather so we got to spend lots of time outside, helping Dad decorate the house for Christmas and taking a walk down to the playground to run around. Mom says I scare her on the playground - I like to be such a daredevil and walk all the way up the big kids slide!

Then today, after a nice nap we went to the mall to take our picture with Santa. I say "our" picture because there was no way I was going to let Mom put me on the lap of that big man in red with the scary beard by myself! It was funny because Mom and Dad weren't prepared to get their pictures taken. (I'll post that pic soon, as well.) After all was said and done, though, I was excited to meet the Real Santa and even smiled and waved at him as we left.

I say Real Santa because who else would get paid $175 an hour to work in the mall!? You have to check out this story. (Oh, and read the first comment below the article - who knew Michigan was the only state to have a real Santa school?) Real Santa made national (and international) news because the mall hired a new photography company that came with its own "santa" impersonator and Real Santa sued to keep his job. Which he did, after thousands of people wrote letters and e-mails to the mall management. So yes, I got to meet the Real Santa today, after all!

Budding Picasso

Here are just a few shots of me creating my latest masterpiece (note the cute crayon PJs, too?) at my easel downstairs. This weekend, I also had fun taking stickers and sticking them all over a piece of paper with my crayon artwork on it.

Flashback: One Year

It's been almost 6 months since we took these pictures, but we just got around to uploading them this weekend. There are tons more, but here's just a quick sample.

Flashback: Halloween at home

After the Halloween parade at daycare, we went home and I helped Mom and Dad carve a pumpkin and hand out candy to all of the trick-or-treaters at our house. I was too young to trick or treat this year - I didn't need any candy (neither did Mom!) and we weren't sure if it would be too scary for me. Maybe next year! I had fun waiting at the door for all of the kids and waving "bye" to them when they left.

Flashback: Halloween at daycare

On Halloween day, I got to dress up in my monkey costume and parade around Mom's building at work.

Flashback: Sea Witch Festival

The weekend before Halloween, Mom, Dad and I visited Nana and Papi in Delaware, and went to the Sea Witch Festival at Rehoboth Beach. It was only me second time at the beach ever! I loved putting my hands in the sand and throwing little pebbles or shells. We spent lots of time enjoying the gorgeous weather, walking around the boardwalk, listening to the bluegrass/fiddle competition, and watching the doggie costume parade. It was so much fun, I can't wait to go back next year.

Flashback: Pumpkin Picking

I don't know how I'm ever going to get a decent blog going if Mom and Dad are slow uploading pictures! Oh well ...

So here are some fun picks from our morning pumpkin picking last month. We went to the same cool pumpkin patch that we went to last year. It's a cool place, they have lots of places for kids to climb and play, and tons of pumpkins, squash, and gourds. Gourds are extra yummy :)

Dear Santa

Dear Santa,

I've been getting a lot of requests to publish my letter to you on my blog again, so here goes!

I think I've been a very good boy this year again. Since last Christmas, I learned to crawl and then to walk and run. I had my first birthday, too! I started daycare and have been having lots of fun there, reading books and singing songs with my teachers, making art projects, and even going on field trips to the zoo and on a nature hunt with Mom and my teachers. I had my first (and second and third) haircuts, and took my first plane ride to visit Memere and Grandpa for the fourth of July. I'm learning to talk and understanding everything. I LOVE reading books (I could do this all day long) and I love to dance to music that Mom and Dad play. I took my second trip to the Sea Witch Festival in Rehoboth (third, if you count the year where Mom was pregnant with me!), where I also got to hang out with Nana and Papi at their house. It's been quite a year!

I already have so many great toys and books at home already, but I guess I'm getting older (I'm on my way to 2 years old!!) and I'll need some big boy toys and books, too.

To make it easier for you and your elves, I created a wish list at Amazon.com here (if the link doesn't work you can go to the Amazon web site and search for my wish list using my name). Santa, I know you're a bargain hunter because you have so many kids to shop for, so you might want to comparison shop outside of Amazon for some of these things. I've seen some of the toys on my list cheaper at Toys R Us, and there are often TRU coupons and sales in the Sunday paper!

This Melissa & Doug toy tool set is so cool, too. (Baby Center is having a great sale and free shipping right now, I think)

Oh, and this touch and feel puzzle combines two of my favorite things: wooden chunky animal puzzles and touch and feel books.

These soy crayon rocks are sure to bring out my inner Picasso. Too bad they're out of stock right now, maybe they'll get some back in soon!

And I love this cool Zutano guitar shirt.

Love,
Nolan

Mom Guest Blogs: Cute Nolan Story

So I got a call yesterday at my desk at work from daycare. One of Nolan's teachers wanted to share a cute story with me. They were in circle time, singing "The Wheels on the Bus" and all of a sudden Nolan got up from the circle and walked away. He came back a few moments later with a book in his hand - "The Wheels on the Bus" book. What a smarty-pants!

This is such a fun age with Nolan. We can see him learning new things every day. His spoken vocabulary is still relatively small but he understands EVERYTHING, even two-step directions like "Go get that book and bring it to Dada."

Back by popular demand ...

I've been getting lots of requests for a Christmas list. I'm working on one on Amazon.com like last year but first want to make sure that everyone takes it easy this year. I don't need much - I just can't wait to celebrate the holidays with my family!

Nolan-Approved: Veggies I will eat!

I'm not the biggest veggie fan, as anyone who has been to our house at mealtime can attest to. Mom and Dad try so hard but every veggie that makes it into my mouth quickly finds its way back out, usually pushed out by my tongue and accompanied by a crinkled-up nose and a "bleh" verbal protest. But Mom has recently had some success and thought we should share:

I really loved the "Lily Pad Pancakes" (which are chock-full of pureed peas) from the great book, "Toddler Cafe." There are so many great recipes in this book we can't wait to try them! Although we're a little nervous to try the "Minty Pea Pops," which, among other ingredients, includes peas, cream cheese, peppermint extract and chocolate chips, all frozen on a stick!

I've also loved many of the hidden-veggie recipes in "Deceptively Delicious," but especially the macaroni and cheese (with pureed white beans and cauliflower), grilled cheese (with pureed sweet potato or butternut squash), and sloppy joes (pureed sweet potato and butternut squash).

Another recent winning strategy has been soup! Mom will drain most of the tomato base from veggie soups like Amy's Organic Alphabet Vegetable Soup and I will scarf down the carrot, potato, green bean, and celery chunks in the soup. I guess it helps that everything is so soft and the flavor of the tomato soup base has soaked through!

And then there are the old standbys - Dr Praeger's spinach or broccoli pancakes, and Morningstar Farms spinach and artichoke bites. And I'm still a HUGE fan of artichoke pizza!

Nolan-Approved: Melissa & Doug Fishing Puzzle

I received this Melissa & Doug puzzle for my birthday about 5 months ago but Mom and Dad just brought this magnetic fishing puzzle out for me this past weekend. I absolutely LOVE this puzzle. I concentrate really hard and hold the fishing rod above the fish until I hear the "click" of the magnet attaching to the metal brad on the fish. This is the best puzzle ever!

New things

Since I last wrote, I'm doing lots of new things. I know what cows say ("moo!"), and have developed quite a cute fake laugh (a high-pitched squeal/giggle), especially when we read "Red Hat Blue Hat" by Sandra Boynton. I'm quite the voracious reader these days, I could spend all day having Mom and Dad read to me.

I also turned 17 months old the day after election day. And now that the election is over, everyone in D.C. is excited about the big transition. Not that transition, silly. My transition from the infant room to the big kids room at daycare! We're not sure when it will happen, but it usually happens at 18 months. I may not transition until after the holidays, though, with Thanksgiving and Christmas around the corner.

Fall fun part deux!

Here are some more pictures from our weekend trip to Cox Farms.

I got to meet some really cool goats - they made me laugh big time. I loved chasing them around and trying to give them hugs.

Fall fun!

Memere, Mom, Dad and I went to the nearby Cox Farms this weekend to enjoy a beautiful, sunny fall day. Cox Farms had lots of live animals to look at and pet, slides, hayrides, live music, and much more. We each got to take a pumpkin home, too. Here are some pics. Enjoy!

In case you were wondering ...

... who I am voting for.

This is me, kicking it at the playground down the street from our house. The shirt was a gift from my cool Aunt Carly!

Giddyup!

Here's a cute pic of me next to the rocking horse that Grandpa made for me for Christmas. It is SOO much fun to ride. All I need to do is walk up to it and tap the saddle and Mom or Dad will put me up so I can ride.