Nolan informed us that there is such a thing as an "air piper." An air piper dies not have a front or a back, and it looks like a cement mixer but it's really not. An air piper drives on dirt and brings dirt to the flowers so they can grow big and strong.
The other night, we were trick or treating and Nolan turned to me and said, "There is no one in sight!"
-- Post From My iPhone
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Love
Nolan's contribution to the decorations for the Tiny Findings bake sale (postponed from Valentines due to snow).
-- Post From My iPhone
-- Post From My iPhone
Sunday, February 21, 2010
A conversation with Nolan
The scene: I come out of my room, dressed for work with my new silver ballet flats on.
Nolan: "What do your shoes look?" (Translation: Wow, look at your shoes!")
Me: "You like my new shoes, Nolan?"
Nolan: "They are coooool!"
Pause
Nolan: "I maybe have some." (Translation: "I would like to have some!"
Sigh. :)
-- Post From My iPhone
Nolan: "What do your shoes look?" (Translation: Wow, look at your shoes!")
Me: "You like my new shoes, Nolan?"
Nolan: "They are coooool!"
Pause
Nolan: "I maybe have some." (Translation: "I would like to have some!"
Sigh. :)
-- Post From My iPhone
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Snow!
Yes, that's a garbage can lid we're using as a sled. By the time we went out to look for sleds they were all sold out :( We had a blast anyway!
Post From My iPhone
Post From My iPhone
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Loop-de-loop
As a boredom buster during the big storm(s), Jeff picked up this cool Hot Wheels looped track where the car goes down a steep drop and then through a loop before flying into the air at the end. Nolan LOVES it.
-- Post From My iPhone
-- Post From My iPhone
Snow day!
Well, with the exception of a quick trip for bagels and provisions on Monday, we've been snowed in since Friday. But we're having lots of fun arranging and rearranging the Thomas the Train tracks, both on the train table and off.
-- Post From My iPhone
-- Post From My iPhone
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Snow!
Ok, so we've been WAY behind in blogging. We still need to share Christmas pictures and lots of other stuff. But at least we can blame it on the snow now. We got about 2 ft on Friday and Saturday, and as I type this on Tuesday we are due to get another 6-12 inches. The fed government has been closed since mid-day Friday, the longest time ever!
We've been spending lots of time hunkered down inside but we've made strides in potty training. Nolan peed in the potty once a few weeks ago but not since. I've used all of this time at home to encourage using the potty. Most of the time he says no but once last night and once tonight he peed in the potty. This is major progress!
In other news, he's been saying and doing some cute things. He's also quite bossy. Tonight I was going to take a shower after dinner and he said, "No shower! No shower! What is this I tell you?" (I think he means, "What did I tell you?"). Where did he get that from?!?
-- Post From My iPhone
We've been spending lots of time hunkered down inside but we've made strides in potty training. Nolan peed in the potty once a few weeks ago but not since. I've used all of this time at home to encourage using the potty. Most of the time he says no but once last night and once tonight he peed in the potty. This is major progress!
In other news, he's been saying and doing some cute things. He's also quite bossy. Tonight I was going to take a shower after dinner and he said, "No shower! No shower! What is this I tell you?" (I think he means, "What did I tell you?"). Where did he get that from?!?
-- Post From My iPhone
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Christmas in Georgetown
The other day we were waiting for Dad to get out of work so we went over to the Georgetown Harbour. They have a beautiful Christmas tree. There's also a Starbucks where Nolan tried his first hot chocolate!
-- Post From My iPhone
-- Post From My iPhone
Budding pianist
The nice lady at the Steinway store in the mall let Nolan play one of the baby grands. He was so gentle with the keys and was very focused.
-- Post From My iPhone
-- Post From My iPhone
Friday, December 4, 2009
Mom: Sea Urchins
Here's another funny Nolan story that I wanted to share and--most importantly--wanted to record so I don't forget it. I mentioned a few posts ago that Nolan is really big into the Planet Earth documentary series. One of his favorite scenes is the one where the sea urchins chew through the underwater kelp forests that are several stories tall. For some reason Nolan LOVES this footage, and he loves the sea urchins, which he also calls the "yellow and red things."
Well, fast forward to Thanksgiving Day, when we were at Memere and Grandpa's house watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. There were a bunch of cheerleaders doing a dance routines with red and white pom poms. Nolan pointed to the TV and said, "Look Mom! Sea Urchins!" He's also pointed out that some of the decorative sea grass Memere and Grandpa have around their house looks like sea urchins.
We also got to see some sea urchins in real life when we were in Connecticut. We went over to the Mystic Aquarium and they had a large tank full of colorful urchins, starfish, and other ocean critters. The Aquarium also has 2 huge beluga whales, some seals, and lots and lots fish and other stuff to see. We had a great time!
Well, fast forward to Thanksgiving Day, when we were at Memere and Grandpa's house watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. There were a bunch of cheerleaders doing a dance routines with red and white pom poms. Nolan pointed to the TV and said, "Look Mom! Sea Urchins!" He's also pointed out that some of the decorative sea grass Memere and Grandpa have around their house looks like sea urchins.
We also got to see some sea urchins in real life when we were in Connecticut. We went over to the Mystic Aquarium and they had a large tank full of colorful urchins, starfish, and other ocean critters. The Aquarium also has 2 huge beluga whales, some seals, and lots and lots fish and other stuff to see. We had a great time!
Mom: Too cute!!
So this year Nolan is much more into Christmas. We've been reading a bunch of our Christmas books - from "The Polar Express" to "The Night Before Christmas," to "The Christmas Story." He cannot get enough of it. His favorite book right now is "The Sweet Smells of Christmas," which is a scratch and sniff book I remembered reading as a kid. He got this book as a gift for his first Christmas from Aunt Carly. In the book, a little bear and his mom bake gingerbread cookies, and ever since reading it Nolan is obsessed with gingerbread men and gingerbread houses.
Nolan also points out Christmas trees whenever he sees one and definitely KNOWS who Santa is. We're hoping he will sit on Mall Santa's lap when we go this weekend, unlike last year where Mom and Dad also had to be in the picture. So we've been talking about Santa a lot and trying to get him comfortable with the idea of the jolly old elf.
We asked him the other day what he wished Santa would bring him. His answer? "A Christmas tree" Then, "Cars." I think Santa can take care of those requests!
We're going to pick out our tree on Saturday, and it might even be snowing when we go! We're also hoping to make our gingerbread house and bake some gingerbread boys. It's going to be a great weekend!
Nolan also points out Christmas trees whenever he sees one and definitely KNOWS who Santa is. We're hoping he will sit on Mall Santa's lap when we go this weekend, unlike last year where Mom and Dad also had to be in the picture. So we've been talking about Santa a lot and trying to get him comfortable with the idea of the jolly old elf.
We asked him the other day what he wished Santa would bring him. His answer? "A Christmas tree" Then, "Cars." I think Santa can take care of those requests!
We're going to pick out our tree on Saturday, and it might even be snowing when we go! We're also hoping to make our gingerbread house and bake some gingerbread boys. It's going to be a great weekend!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Mom guest blogs: Some updates
Wow, it's been over a month since our last post. We've been really busy but that's no excuse.
Nolan is just doing the cutest stuff. First, he has become a really great singer. He sings all. the. time. He sings songs he learns at school (one that introduces the Spanish names for colors), and he even sings songs I make up on the fly. Back around Halloween we went to a big pumpkin patch and took a hayride. The tractor pulling the flatbed with the hay on it pretended at one point to be stuck in the mud. The wheels were spinning and spinning and Nolan got really scared. Eventually the tractor driver had a friend pretend to pull us out of the big mud puddle with a rope and we finished the hay ride. For the next four weeks at least, Nolan would bring up this incident and talk about how the tractor got stuck in the mud. One day I decided to make up a song about it. I sang it to the tune of the Bangles' "Eternal Flame":
Tractor wheels, they're stuck in mud (darlin')
Do you see my wheels spinning?
Round and round they go,
But we go nowhere.
Am I only dreaming,
Or is my tractor (tractor) stuck in mud?
Nolan sings "The Tractor Song" all the time now, so earnestly. It's hilarious. He can really hold a tune and he hits the high notes so well!
He also loves singing the Sesame Street song (Sunny Days), Old MacDonald, Mary Had a Little Lamb (he knows all 7 verses, too!), Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and many many more.
He also loves when Mommy tells him stories, which are abridged versions of books we've read together about Lightening McQueen and Thomas the Tank Engine. Mommy has told these stories so many times the same way that Nolan will even correct me if I miss a word or say something differently.
Nolan is also such a sweet boy with so much empathy. He will always ask, "Are you happy Mommy?" When we pick up Daddy from work he says, "How was your day, Daddy?" At dinner, it's, "Would you like some more food, Mommy?"
I'll post more soon. I promise we'll get around to posting more regularly!
Nolan is just doing the cutest stuff. First, he has become a really great singer. He sings all. the. time. He sings songs he learns at school (one that introduces the Spanish names for colors), and he even sings songs I make up on the fly. Back around Halloween we went to a big pumpkin patch and took a hayride. The tractor pulling the flatbed with the hay on it pretended at one point to be stuck in the mud. The wheels were spinning and spinning and Nolan got really scared. Eventually the tractor driver had a friend pretend to pull us out of the big mud puddle with a rope and we finished the hay ride. For the next four weeks at least, Nolan would bring up this incident and talk about how the tractor got stuck in the mud. One day I decided to make up a song about it. I sang it to the tune of the Bangles' "Eternal Flame":
Tractor wheels, they're stuck in mud (darlin')
Do you see my wheels spinning?
Round and round they go,
But we go nowhere.
Am I only dreaming,
Or is my tractor (tractor) stuck in mud?
Nolan sings "The Tractor Song" all the time now, so earnestly. It's hilarious. He can really hold a tune and he hits the high notes so well!
He also loves singing the Sesame Street song (Sunny Days), Old MacDonald, Mary Had a Little Lamb (he knows all 7 verses, too!), Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and many many more.
He also loves when Mommy tells him stories, which are abridged versions of books we've read together about Lightening McQueen and Thomas the Tank Engine. Mommy has told these stories so many times the same way that Nolan will even correct me if I miss a word or say something differently.
Nolan is also such a sweet boy with so much empathy. He will always ask, "Are you happy Mommy?" When we pick up Daddy from work he says, "How was your day, Daddy?" At dinner, it's, "Would you like some more food, Mommy?"
I'll post more soon. I promise we'll get around to posting more regularly!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Mom Guest Blogs: Emily-O-P
OK, OK, we have been seriously delinquent in posting new photos. But while we're dragging our feet I thought I'd give a few updates on what Nolan is doing these days.
He's been talking up a storm as usual, can count to 20, and knows all of the numbers from 0-9 and all of the alphabet. One funny thing, though, when he sings the alphabet song he pronounces L-M-N-O-P as "Emily-O-P." Too cute! There's a little girl in his daycare whose name is Emily, and there is also a character by that name in his Thomas the Train books.
He's also been asking us what certain letters spell or identifying numbers he sees on signs or even on our bedside digital alarm clock. He's an expert on shapes and colors, too. He knows all of the basics, and even some trickier ones like pentagon and hexagon. He has also been making a lot of connections, pointing out that something he sees while out and about is like something we have at home, or how two different things are the same color.
Nolan has taken a huge interest in the Planet Earth documentary series. He loves watching the amazing footage of all of the different animals and will often ask to see specific animals, like dolphins or elephants so we can pick those specific scenes. I'm loving it because it's a lot more interesting to me than Disney Cars (previously the only DVD Nolan has seen)! It's also great because we can watch it and talk about what we're seeing.
One last funny thing. Nolan is a world-class procrastinator when it comes to bedtime. He will ask for one more story, or one more trip out of the room to say goodnight to Daddy. Last night we were reading a Thomas the Train book and reading about Sir Toppam Hatt, who, as you can imagine, wears a top hat. Nolan asked to get his Washington Nationals hat so he can wear a hat too. And, silly me, I obliged.
He's been talking up a storm as usual, can count to 20, and knows all of the numbers from 0-9 and all of the alphabet. One funny thing, though, when he sings the alphabet song he pronounces L-M-N-O-P as "Emily-O-P." Too cute! There's a little girl in his daycare whose name is Emily, and there is also a character by that name in his Thomas the Train books.
He's also been asking us what certain letters spell or identifying numbers he sees on signs or even on our bedside digital alarm clock. He's an expert on shapes and colors, too. He knows all of the basics, and even some trickier ones like pentagon and hexagon. He has also been making a lot of connections, pointing out that something he sees while out and about is like something we have at home, or how two different things are the same color.
Nolan has taken a huge interest in the Planet Earth documentary series. He loves watching the amazing footage of all of the different animals and will often ask to see specific animals, like dolphins or elephants so we can pick those specific scenes. I'm loving it because it's a lot more interesting to me than Disney Cars (previously the only DVD Nolan has seen)! It's also great because we can watch it and talk about what we're seeing.
One last funny thing. Nolan is a world-class procrastinator when it comes to bedtime. He will ask for one more story, or one more trip out of the room to say goodnight to Daddy. Last night we were reading a Thomas the Train book and reading about Sir Toppam Hatt, who, as you can imagine, wears a top hat. Nolan asked to get his Washington Nationals hat so he can wear a hat too. And, silly me, I obliged.
Friday, October 2, 2009
My favorite things
This morning Mom asked me what some of my favorite things are, and I thought I'd share my responses since I haven't blogged in awhile.
Favorite color: yellow
Favorite animal: elephant (although it depends on when you ask. Sometimes it's giraffe.
Favorite food: strawberries
Favorite DC landmark: Lincoln Memorial
I have also been learning about my five senses in school. I know that you hear with your ears, see with your eyes, taste with your mouth, touch with your hands, and smell with your nose.
-- Post From My iPhone
Favorite color: yellow
Favorite animal: elephant (although it depends on when you ask. Sometimes it's giraffe.
Favorite food: strawberries
Favorite DC landmark: Lincoln Memorial
I have also been learning about my five senses in school. I know that you hear with your ears, see with your eyes, taste with your mouth, touch with your hands, and smell with your nose.
-- Post From My iPhone
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
My Labor Day weekend
We had a great Labor Day weekend! I'll post pictures once they're uploaded, but I thought I'd share what we did.
On Saturday, we went to Burke Lake Park (I already posted about that). On Sunday, we went to church and then in the afternoon went to Dairy Godmother and had yummy frozen custard. (Yup, that's the same place that POTUS and his daughters went this past Father's Day). I had a chocolate and vanilla cone and Mom and Dad had peach cones. Yum! Later, we went into Old Town to walk around and enjoy the beautiful weather.
On Monday, we went to the zoo and had a blast. Then, we came home and Mom baked up a storm. She made monkey bread and I helped her make heart-shaped sugar cookies with sprinkles on top. I liked rolling the dough and cutting out the little hearts.
It was a great weekend!
On Saturday, we went to Burke Lake Park (I already posted about that). On Sunday, we went to church and then in the afternoon went to Dairy Godmother and had yummy frozen custard. (Yup, that's the same place that POTUS and his daughters went this past Father's Day). I had a chocolate and vanilla cone and Mom and Dad had peach cones. Yum! Later, we went into Old Town to walk around and enjoy the beautiful weather.
On Monday, we went to the zoo and had a blast. Then, we came home and Mom baked up a storm. She made monkey bread and I helped her make heart-shaped sugar cookies with sprinkles on top. I liked rolling the dough and cutting out the little hearts.
It was a great weekend!
I've got my reading cut out for me
I just found this great list of Caldecott Medal & Honor Books from 1938 onward. I think I'm going to make it my goal to read all of the winners. I can't wait to go to the library and pick the first few up.
I've already read one or two of the most recent ones - Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type. But there are so many more - I'd better get busy!
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/caldecottmedal/caldecotthonors/caldecottmedal.cfm
I've already read one or two of the most recent ones - Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type. But there are so many more - I'd better get busy!
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/caldecottmedal/caldecotthonors/caldecottmedal.cfm
The House in the Night, illustrated by Beth Krommes, written by Susan Marie Swanson (Houghton Mifflin Company)
- A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever, by Marla Frazee (Harcourt, Inc.)
- How I Learned Geography, by Uri Shulevitz (Farrar Straus Giroux)
- A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams, illustrated by Melissa Sweet, written by Jen Bryant (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick (Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic)
Honor Books:
- Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad illustrated by Kadir Nelson, written by Ellen Levine (Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic)
- First the Egg by Laura Vaccaro Seeger (Roaring Brook/Neal Porter)
- The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sís (Farrar/Frances Foster)
- Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity by Mo Willems (Hyperion)
Flotsam by David Wiesner (Clarion)
Honor Books:
- Gone Wild: An Endangered Animal Alphabet by David McLimans (Walker)
- Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom illustrated by Kadir Nelson, written by Carole Boston Weatherford (Hyperion/Jump at the Sun)
The Hello, Goodbye Window illustrated by Chris Raschka and written by Norton Juster (Michael di Capua Books/Hyperion Books for Children)
Honor Books:
- Rosa illustrated by Bryan Collier and written by Nikki Giovanni (Henry Holt and Company)
- Zen Shorts illustrated and written by Jon J. Muth (Scholastic Press)
- Hot Air: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Hot-Air Balloon Ride illustrated and written by Marjorie Priceman. (An Anne Schwartz Book/Atheneum Books for Young Readers/Simon & Schuster)
- Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems illustrated by Beckie Prange, written by Joyce Sidman (Houghton Mifflin Company)
Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes (Greenwillow Books/HarperCollinsPublishers)
Honor Books:
- The Red Book by Barbara Lehman (Houghton Mifflin Company)
- Coming on Home Soon illustrated by E.B. Lewis, written by Jacqueline Woodson (G.P. Putnam's Son's/Penguin Young Readers Group)
- Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale illustrated and written by Mo Willems. (Hyperion Books for Children)
2004 Medal Winner:
The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein (Roaring Brook Press/Millbrook Press)
Honor Books:
- Ella Sarah Gets Dressed by Margaret Chodos-Irvine (Harcourt, Inc.)
- What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? illustrated and written by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page. (Houghton Mifflin Company)
- Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems. (Hyperion)
2003 Medal Winner:
My Friend Rabbit by Eric Rohmann (Roaring Brook Press/Millbrook Press)
Honor Books:
- The Spider and the Fly illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi, written by Mary Howitt (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)
- Hondo & Fabian by Peter McCarty (Henry Holt & Co.)
- Noah's Ark by Jerry Pinkney (SeaStar Books, a division of North-South Books Inc.)
2002 Medal Winner:
The Three Pigs by David Wiesner (Clarion/Houghton Mifflin)
Honor Books:
- The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins illustrated by Brian Selznick, written by Barbara Kerley (Scholastic)
- Martin's Big Words: the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. illustrated by Bryan Collier, written by Doreen Rappaport (Jump at the Sun/Hyperion)
- The Stray Dog by Marc Simont (HarperCollins)
So You Want to Be President? Illustrated by David Small, written by Judith St. George (Philomel)
Honor Books:
- Casey at the Bat illustrated by Christopher Bing, written by Ernest Thayer (Handprint)
- Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type illustrated by Betsy Lewin, written by Doreen Cronin (Simon & Schuster)
- Olivia by Ian Falconer (Atheneum)
2000 Medal Winner:
Joseph Had a Little Overcoat Simms Taback (Viking)
Honor Books:
- A Child's Calendar illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman
Text: John Updike (Holiday House) - Sector 7 by David Wiesner (Clarion Books)
- When Sophie Gets Angry-Really, Really Angry by Molly Bang (Scholastic)
- The Ugly Duckling illustrated by Jerry Pinkney Text: Hans Christian Andersen, adapted by Jerry Pinkney (Morrow)
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Burke Lake Park
Today we went to Burke Lake Park, which is just a few minutes from our house. We rode the train and checked out the marina. There is also an ice cream parlour, playgrounds, a carousel, and a mini golf course! We will definitely have to come back with a picnic lunch so we can stay longer.
-- Post From My iPhone
-- Post From My iPhone
Monday, August 31, 2009
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