Saturday, May 31, 2008
Washington, DC Trip
Andrew, Madeline and I tagged along with Nathan to an IT conference he attended in Washington, DC the first half of the week. We drove down Saturday morning (May 31) in an attempt to beat severe thunderstorms predicted for the east coast in the afternoon. We almost made it. The drive went fairly well, we left NJ around 7 am, but while stopping for lunch at a McDonald's in Maryland just north of DC, the rains began! We were quite happy to see the hotel, Gaylord National in National Harbor, MD, when we finally arrived two hours later. We spent the afternoon convincing Andrew to take a nap and then exploring the hotel. The Gaylord National has a huge atrium, with lots of plants and space for a toddler to roam around. It also has a pair of escalators between levels, which Andrew LOVED riding up and down.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
That rascal!
This morning when I had Andrew all set to go to school we were walking out to "Daddy's little car" when Andrew spotted a puddle. I purposely went out the garage instead of the back door due to the fact that we usually get a large puddle on the back porch that he splashes in (see previous post from last night).
This smaller one forms in front of the truck, so I steered him away from it even though he made a line straight for it.
I explained that puddles are only for when we come home from school not on the way to school. This caused him to pause, but eventually it sunk in and he hopped right into the car and away we went.
Once out of the car, I grabbed his lunch and a toy for him to bring in to school while he finished climbing out of the seat and out the door. He now wants to close the door himself (which he can do on the car and not the truck) so off he went pushing with all his weight into the door.
I bend down to pick up the toy which was left on the ground when I look up and Andrew is standing with one leg raised off the ground and hovering it over a puddle in front of the car.
With a look of an angel, Andrew proceeds to tell me "No puddle. After school..." then plunges his shoe into the puddle and giggles.
I control the half giggle, half stern statement and tell him that his foot is now going to be cold and wet all day. He settles down and then I remember that I have a full change of clothes in the trunk.
In to school we go, and he sits on my lap for a quick sock change before Daddy heads off to work.
Oh the minds of children.
Daddy
This smaller one forms in front of the truck, so I steered him away from it even though he made a line straight for it.
I explained that puddles are only for when we come home from school not on the way to school. This caused him to pause, but eventually it sunk in and he hopped right into the car and away we went.
Once out of the car, I grabbed his lunch and a toy for him to bring in to school while he finished climbing out of the seat and out the door. He now wants to close the door himself (which he can do on the car and not the truck) so off he went pushing with all his weight into the door.
I bend down to pick up the toy which was left on the ground when I look up and Andrew is standing with one leg raised off the ground and hovering it over a puddle in front of the car.
With a look of an angel, Andrew proceeds to tell me "No puddle. After school..." then plunges his shoe into the puddle and giggles.
I control the half giggle, half stern statement and tell him that his foot is now going to be cold and wet all day. He settles down and then I remember that I have a full change of clothes in the trunk.
In to school we go, and he sits on my lap for a quick sock change before Daddy heads off to work.
Oh the minds of children.
Daddy
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Splish splash...
Angela and I make it a point to let and sometimes encourage Andrew to splash in the puddles when we have a storm and we can control to some extent his timing.
We all enjoy seeing him run around and kick up his heels in the puddles and sometimes we even change our shoes just to have some good wet fun with Andrew.
I told this to a friend today who's son shares the exact same birthday as Andrew and he was shocked that we do this. I thought that everyone encourages this good clean fun! It's just a dry pair of socks and pants away from being cleaned up and no harm is done. So I can't wait to have Andrew and Jayen get together some day and encourage some of this rogue behavior in him.
Today after Momma picked me up at the train station with Madeline and Andrew in tow (we had some service done on the truck today), Andrew and I took an opportunity to check out the train station and see the train that I just got off of on my way back from NY.
Andrew was amazed at the size and kept just pointing and saying "BIG TRAIN DADDY!" It was neat. I told him that some day he and I can go on that train for a ride, which he thought I meant RIGHT NOW we can go for a ride on the train. The only thing that he had a harder time understanding was when I told him that I just got off of it from work.
He associates Daddy going to work with the two of us hopping in my car and dropping him off at school and then I disappear for a few hours only to have either Angela or I pick him up after a day of fun and learning.
So he was a little upset when he started wrestling with the idea that Daddy went to a BIG train for work today! I can only imagine the little gears turning in there wondering why he couldn't come with Daddy on the BIG train for the day.
Some day we will come to an understanding about what work is and isn't. But for now he will have to come up with an idea of what work is for Momma and Daddy.
All these little things added up to a relatively long trip home from the train station when he wanted to go for a ride on the BIG train and also couldn't understand why he couldn't splash in the puddles in the parking lot of the train station and Daddy wanted to go home first then we can splish splash in the puddles.
It's so much fun watching him interact with the world around him now. The other day we laid down on the grass in the back yard and were playing when he asked me what I was doing and I replied "Looking at the grass up close." We then both laid there noses to the ground looking at the grass while I explained what a blade of grass was and how little bugs and worms live in the grass.
This is going to be a fun Summer!
-Daddy
We all enjoy seeing him run around and kick up his heels in the puddles and sometimes we even change our shoes just to have some good wet fun with Andrew.
I told this to a friend today who's son shares the exact same birthday as Andrew and he was shocked that we do this. I thought that everyone encourages this good clean fun! It's just a dry pair of socks and pants away from being cleaned up and no harm is done. So I can't wait to have Andrew and Jayen get together some day and encourage some of this rogue behavior in him.
Today after Momma picked me up at the train station with Madeline and Andrew in tow (we had some service done on the truck today), Andrew and I took an opportunity to check out the train station and see the train that I just got off of on my way back from NY.
Andrew was amazed at the size and kept just pointing and saying "BIG TRAIN DADDY!" It was neat. I told him that some day he and I can go on that train for a ride, which he thought I meant RIGHT NOW we can go for a ride on the train. The only thing that he had a harder time understanding was when I told him that I just got off of it from work.
He associates Daddy going to work with the two of us hopping in my car and dropping him off at school and then I disappear for a few hours only to have either Angela or I pick him up after a day of fun and learning.
So he was a little upset when he started wrestling with the idea that Daddy went to a BIG train for work today! I can only imagine the little gears turning in there wondering why he couldn't come with Daddy on the BIG train for the day.
Some day we will come to an understanding about what work is and isn't. But for now he will have to come up with an idea of what work is for Momma and Daddy.
All these little things added up to a relatively long trip home from the train station when he wanted to go for a ride on the BIG train and also couldn't understand why he couldn't splash in the puddles in the parking lot of the train station and Daddy wanted to go home first then we can splish splash in the puddles.
It's so much fun watching him interact with the world around him now. The other day we laid down on the grass in the back yard and were playing when he asked me what I was doing and I replied "Looking at the grass up close." We then both laid there noses to the ground looking at the grass while I explained what a blade of grass was and how little bugs and worms live in the grass.
This is going to be a fun Summer!
-Daddy
Memorial Day Weekend
The weather was gorgeous, high 70s and sunny this weekend. Friday afternoon Nathan & I met with the architect about her first drawings for our basement remodeling project. Saturday and Monday we ran a few errands and worked around the house. Sunday we went to the Bronx Zoo in the morning and then had an early dinner over at the Ls'. Andrew enjoyed getting to play with Sabrina and Joseph Junior, and they both enjoyed taking turns holding Madeline.
Some pictures from our trip to the zoo. We arrived right before 10:00 AM when they open, which worked out very well. While it was crowded, not too bad for a holiday weekend. Also, by the time we left at 1:00 PM, the lines to get in were huge!
First ride on the bug carousel. Andrew had a lot of fun with this, but as you can see from his expression, riding the carousel takes a lot of concentration!
Nearby to the bug carousel is the butterfly pavilion. Such gorgeous gardens with a koi pond, and of course lots of butterflies.
Then a ride on the shuttle, "little train," over to the children's zoo for some more fun and a visit to many favorite animals from our last visit.
Some pictures from our trip to the zoo. We arrived right before 10:00 AM when they open, which worked out very well. While it was crowded, not too bad for a holiday weekend. Also, by the time we left at 1:00 PM, the lines to get in were huge!
First ride on the bug carousel. Andrew had a lot of fun with this, but as you can see from his expression, riding the carousel takes a lot of concentration!
Nearby to the bug carousel is the butterfly pavilion. Such gorgeous gardens with a koi pond, and of course lots of butterflies.
Then a ride on the shuttle, "little train," over to the children's zoo for some more fun and a visit to many favorite animals from our last visit.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Dinner on the porch
As it starts to get warmer out, we've moved outdoors for dinners. So nice to get outside after a long winter!
Andrew helping clean the tree pollen off the table with his spray bottle. The spray bottle can also be used to spray plants, the ground, and pretty much everything else on the porch, but NOT people & Momma's chair... although sometimes these get sprayed "by accident" too!
Andrew helping clean the tree pollen off the table with his spray bottle. The spray bottle can also be used to spray plants, the ground, and pretty much everything else on the porch, but NOT people & Momma's chair... although sometimes these get sprayed "by accident" too!
Monday, May 19, 2008
First visit to the Bronx Zoo
We went to the Bronx Zoo on Saturday. A first trip for all of us. Nathan and I had heard it was very nice, but were impressed even beyond that with the exhibits and size of the zoo. We were able to explore the Children's Zoo and a number of the other animal exhibits on the way to and from where we parked, but it will take a few more visits to see it all! Here are some pictures from our day.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Point Pleasant Visit
Here are a few more pictures from our weekend with the Ws'. Saturday afternoon Lindsay and Andrew napped (the latter a little reluctantly!) and then dinner, and a quick trip to the local playground for the kids before bedtime.
On Sunday, Mother's Day, we went out to brunch, which was a fabulous wrap-up to the weekend.
On Sunday, Mother's Day, we went out to brunch, which was a fabulous wrap-up to the weekend.
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