Over The Hills And Through The Snow

To Samantha's house Grandma will go. Yay to Grandma for driving in nasty weather to come spend the weekend with me. We had lots of fun!

Saturday was filled with together time and hanging out with our books and toys. Sunday morning came all too quickly. We enjoyed a great breakfast of eggs and toast and then headed to family room for some more together time.

Reading books is so cool!
But growing plants in dirt is even better!



Look at all the dirt on my hands.




And yet I go back for more!


Then we decided to brave the cold weather and walk on Main Street. We then ran into the Blue Rooster to thaw out. We ran into Bridget's parents and grandparents before settling down for a huge order of banana pancakes. Who can blame us for enjoying two breakfasts on a super cold Sunday?

Before we knew it Grandma had to head back to NoVa. But she paused for a great three generation picture.

Girl power!

Bonus Art

Mommy and I have to upload the pictures from a super cool weekend with Grandma, and yes, I did learn to say the word 'dirt'. I'll let you ponder that one while I summon the energy to post about my great visit with Grandma.

Meanwhile, here is a piece of art. No matter what you say, I'm extremely proud of my masterpiece. I really take art to another level.

Mommy And Me

In the middle of the night. So, if I haven't shared this secret before here it is flat out. Daddy sucks as the night caregiver. My Daddy is the bestest when it comes to taking care of me during the day. At night? We frankly don't like each other. I'm pissy because I am not being catered to and Daddy is pissy (there, I said it!) because he wants to sleep. The outcome of this strife? Mommy and me night time adventures.

Last night Mommy fell asleep on the couch and stayed there until 2am when I howled for cuddling. She rescued me and we rocked on the glider until she gently put me back in my crib. Then I screamed some more and she brought me downstairs for the great Married With Children episode where Steve sells Marcy's Barbie doll. It's a hoot, I tell ya. I just love cuddling in the middle of the night with Mommy. Can't get away with it too often, but sometimes all you need is some lovin'.

When the sun comes up, so does my fun time with Daddy. Being loved in shifts has its perks. Someone always wants to love me!

My Inner Ballerina

In the direction of perfectly healthy and normal in toddlerworld.

I am 24 pounds, 10 ounces- 50% percentile. I'm 32.75 inches- 75% percentile. Yay if I want a future in ballet!

Anywhoo, I'm totally on the right track according to Dr. M. I'm eating okay, expressing myself like a bonafide toddler and sleeping like a champ. My ears? Best they've been in over six months. See, I'm beautiful on the inside and out!


And the best part of the whole visit? For the second time in a row Mommy got the smackdown. Yeppers, Dr. M has to tell her that she's parenting incorrectly. Trust me- Daddy and I get a kick out of these visits!

Hooray!

Daddy's big project just got a huge boost from the FDA last night the same day Mommy's project went live. That means lots of late nights and celebrations a happenin' on the homestead. Even Roger seems to be in the festive mood.

Mommy gave me the surprise of my short life when she picked me up around 3pm today and spent all afternoon with me. On the agenda? Stopping by Daddy's office for a quick kiss or two before heading to Target to load up on banana mango (my current phase). Of course I had to squeeze in an awesome game of wandering Samantha. The kids clothing section is best for this roundabout activity. I can sure dart around corners faster than cart wielding Mommy. Score for the toddler!

Expressions 101

Mommy is tickled pink to see me in my grown-up chair. Enough so she breaks out the camera just to see me eat. What's up with that?

If I throw a smile your way will you back off? This is a great smile!
Not good enough? Let me see what else I've got up my sleeve.
That's it. Go find another kiddo to annoy!
No more camera!

Have Booster Seat, Will Travel

How else do you spend a cold Saturday? Watching our newly lit stone wall has been the highlight this week. We finally had the electrician out this week and I'm not so sure that he didn't move into our fifth bedroom. He was here three whole days and has at least one to go. Yikes that's a lot of work!

Anyhoo, the stone wall looks so much better lit up. I like to sit and stare at it. Like now...

And then head to the couch for serious Barney time. Quiet in the house!
Purple dinosaurs are awesome.
And funny!

Toddlers At The Table

With Mommy out of the way last week I discovered the wonders of sitting at the table like a Golden Girl, Sophia to be exact. Pop a few phone books under my rump and I'm good to go!

Mommy bought me a booster seat that fits on our grownup chairs and sat me square in front of the colorful United States of America map. Here's to good eats and good learning!

All meals these days begin with the banana mango dance and jarred fruit. I open the lid, take a bite, put the lid back on and repeat until I can set it down and say, 'all gone'.

Lid on.

Lid off. Spoon down, fingers working. Yummy banana mango!
Spoon in the lid- not as fruitful as the jar. Literally.
Maybe Mommy was right after all. The spoon seems to be the way to go.
Is that Virginia that just got walloped with fruit?

PS- darn you weather in California. Why did you have to get the Phoenix airport shut down yesterday when you knew Daddy was taking a red-eye home to see me? I had to wait an extra day to see him and he's only in town for a week before headed out to Sin City next Saturday. Together time is precious and sometimes you're not very nice.

Between You And Me

I'm still working on my thank you cards from Christmas. Mommy is super embarassed and I'm not sure what happened. I have the cards in front of me and markers uncapped and suddenly my hands super interesting and everything else falls by the wayside.

And then I feel those Mommy eyes staring down at me and I carefully raise my head and prepare to look as innocent as possible.
How'd I do?

In Case You Were Wondering

That was me at Target last night who refused to leave the store.

The whole time we shopped it was fine to hang out inside the main part of the cart. Standing and balancing ever so carefully while Mommy twisted and turned through the aisles. Did I want to leave? Heck no. When she plopped me on the ground to put on my coat I siezed the opportunity and ran as fast as my uncoordinated legs would take me. Down the rows and into the girls clothing section. Mommy followed as best she could with a cart full of paid merchandise. Impromptu hide and seek games are always best in a large store, promise!

What finally got me in the car a solid 15 minutes later? The promise of cereal for dinner.

Slow And Steady Fills The Belly

Yummy. Ever wonder why I wake up super early and don't always make it to school right at 7am? Well, these days I prefer to feed myself.

I'm a slow and steady self-feeder. Don't know what I mean? Here's photographic story telling at its finest.

I carefully plant the spoon in the bowl and will the cute Cheerio onto my spoon. After the Cheerio meanders over, it's time to make way to my mouth. Success- note the Cheerio hanging from my pursed lips.


Can I repeat the successful sequence?
Third time's a charm!

And we have a bonus video just for traveling Daddies!

Oh, besides the whole Cheerio cheering, we had some milestones today. I went to toddler room A & B without crying. I had a great day playing and came home to find the track lighting circa 1982 has disappeared and awesome recessed lighting appeared in its place. And there is lighting over the stone wall in the family room and it looks awesome. I can't wait for the mantle to be created and installed. Our house if going to look great!

And to keep the milestones a comin' I totally rocked it dinner time by scrambling my own eggs on the stove and totally kicked it at bath time. Mommy put soap on her hands and I rubbed them to get soap on mine and then proceeded to make sure my buddha belly is the cleanest in buddhaville. When Mommy asked me to wash my arms I threw her a bone and extended the scrubbing frenzy to my entire upper body- same went for my legs and her head. I swear Mommy almost cried in realization that I'm a growin' up. What a sap!

Oh, and the whole story time? I'm diggin' Sheep in a Jeep lots these days. Mommy's favorite part? When the sheep shrug and so do I. She loves to ask me to shrug my shoulders when we're hanging out just to watch me respond like a monkey. Just you wait until I'm large and in charge!

Cheerios and Cheery Kiddos

Mommy brought me to her office while she dealt with audit stuff. I swear audits are for the birds. Her super nice co-workers wanted to be friendly and say hi but I was coming down off a week without Mommy and no way was I sharing her at all! I stuck by her side like gorilla glue- except when the bagel station called my name. Yummy!

Then we came home and I extended my nap schedule from the supposed to be 12-2:30 to 11:45 to 4pm. When I woke up it was snack time-

After watching me take my Cheerios from my tray one at a time and placing them gently into my spoon and then feeding myself Mommy got curious. She got me a bowl and some milk and served me my very first bowl of cereal. It was delicious! It was also messy after I ditched the spoon and dug right in.

Then we went some place super special and normally reserved for the other seasons. The park! And it was teeming with kiddos. I had a blast and even made some other kids my age jealous with my slide climbing skills. I can now officially get to the top and maneuver to the rickety bridge. Some very nice big kids helped me up and down the super big steps so I wouldn't fall. Living in Mayberry is great!

After a great egg dinner we snuggled on the couch to watch my new favorite show- Barney. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Burt for introducing me to the purple monster.

Life Is So Not Fair!

Daddy and I rushed to Newark this morning to bring Mommy home. We had a great reunion that involved eating yogurt while zooming down the Turnpike. Not all the tasty treat ended up in my belly. Thank goodness for leather seats!

At home it was time for lunch and then a nap. This is when sneaky parents did a parent swap. When I woke up, I found out that Daddy ditched me for a week in Phoenix. Seriously, what is with all the weekend travel?

Mommy and I spent all afternoon hanging out and before I knew it - bedtime.

Here's to a great Monday- and Mommy declared MLK day as her company's holiday. Yay for Mommy and me time!

An Obsession Is Born

So, now after a long week without Mommy it's official that I'm totally in love with Barney. Mommy is astounded at how obsessed I am with this purple monster. Look at how attached I am to the tv.
We have a new evening routine. Eat dinner, bath time with lots of books, get dressed, read books, watch Barney for ten minutes, sippy cup, teeth brushing and then bedtime. Life is good!

I MISS MY MOMMY!

Teething Time

So, the official count is: top two, top right looking at me, bottom two and, sit down for this, two mid-to-back ones on the top have broken through. Man those hurt coming in.

So, totally teeth making their debut. Drum roll, please..... SEVEN!

Why the announcement on a passive milestone? Well, the not so passive part is the intense pain I feel at night and the lack of understanding from Mommy and Daddy. They give me Motrin, water, hug and then back to bed. Teething bites the big one. If I were an adult they'd let me stay home from school and watch tv, eating ice cream. Because I'm a kid, they tell me to suck it up. Being a kid is super tough!

Thank goodness Grandma and Grandpa Burt are coming today. They'll take pity on me.

Cutie-Patootie

Daddy and me. As it should be.

I think we look alike. What do you think? Can't see it? Check out the hair.


And the smile.
I'm sure loving Daddy time. Hope there aren't any business trips in his future.

Warning- super cute photo ahead!

Wandering Minds Of Toddlers

Daddy has had to rush off to work in the mornings this week, so it's been Mommy and me in the morning. Of course breakfast takes a long time so I can feed myself lots of courses and hang on until snack time at school.

Anyways, from there it's downhill. I have to get dressed, brush my teeth and hair and then get out the door in fifteen minutes. I know! How can a curious toddler be expected to focus on all those activities without getting sidetracked. Moms!

After I got dressed I knew it was pottytime. Not to use the potty, but to sit and ponder the important things in life. Art time- crayons, chalk or markers?



Today? Markers! Whew- one less thing to figure out.

Today's going to be smooth sailing!

This potty thing is great.

Mommy roped me into my winter jacket, but I managed to wiggle free from her grasp and run right back to my homebase for a bit of meditation before schooltime.

Before I knew it the day was over! Then Daddy picked me up and told me that our house is going to start looking different. Something about wallpaper disappearing and new colors on the walls. Woah- like this week hasn't been enough of a transition!

Daddy brought me back to center by making eggs. Seriously, I can't get enough eggs!

While Mommy and Daddy talked about the decorating options I stole Mommy's calculator. She really couldn't get mad because she stole it from work five years ago. What's the statute of limitations on theft? I think she's in the clear. Me? Looks like I've got some runnin' to do.

This number thing isn't so bad. What kept Mommy up all hours this week?

Ah, the straw makes a comeback. Go milk 'sippy' cup and calculator. Samantha heaven!

Math sure is challenging. Whew, thank goodness for sustenance.

Rough Week at the Krempa-Burts

This week sure has been rough. I got a crash course in the meaning of 'year-end' for finance folks- that's Mommy- and big project milestones-that's Daddy. All around, it's meant me clocking in overtime at school. And this being my first full week in toddlerworld. The proverbial icing on the cake is my annoyance with Miss Kim. I can't believe she let school move me out of the picture perfect infant room, where I totally ruled the roost. You can imagine I'm not exactly thrilled with the world these days. Thank goodness good times are around the corner. Mommy and Grandma and Grandpa Burt are ships passing in the night as they fly out and in the same day. Mommy's headed to Michigan and then Florida, while Grandma and Grandpa are sacrificing their personal comfort to leave warm California for this here cold front.

Anyways, back to real life. Mommy and I have been 'enjoying' dinner time this week before she hauls me off to bed and logs back on to work. Mealtime takes a whole lot longer these days since I won't let anyone help me eat. Since toddlerworld makes me feed myself, I've declared a moratorium on assistance in any form you can imagine how messy life has become. Mommy is never buying me nice clothes again!

Mommy helped herself to a juice box that was lying around. Sad day in the K-B's when this is considered junk food! Anyways, I asked for some and Mommy thought it'd be fun to see my first experience with a straw.

Ah, the power of brand marketing. We watch Grover on tv and now he's in my kitchen!


This is very different from my sippy cup. Must study straw concept more closely. Seriously, I took to straw drinking like a fish in water. I'm an awesome juicebox drinker. Mommy was shocked and I was thrilled with my milestone.

Then it was time for some yogurt. I lost patience with the plastic spoon and dug deep down and let my creative juices flow. And hit the motherlode I did.

Hmm, my hand spoon is way more effective. Back for round two.

In for the kill.

Got my scoop of yogurt.

Success! If you look closely, you'll see the yogurt string from my mouth to hand. Bonus!

Yes, many bibs and outfits are sacrificed during my mealtimes.

And to think Mommy contemplates me skipping baths when she's tired.

You might not believe this but Mommy doesn't rush to pick me up when I decide mealtime is over. Something about degrossifying me first.

Oh, when Mommy won't give me more of a specific kind of food that I want I one up her. I simply reach down, pick up my bib and start to eat off the layers of food. Yummy!