Merry Merry!

And a Happy Birthday to Marna!

In honor of this merry day (or two), I thought I would show you all the holiday cards that my parents deliberated over for hours and hours before finally deciding on the last one here: "Naughty or Nice?" You have to admit, it was a difficult decision. And surprisingly so--especially after last year's photo shoot resulted in more than 150 unusable photos of me. (Mom decided to go with an old one she'd taken of me during tummy time). Maybe her hopes and dreams of my building my college fund from my earnings as an International baby model are not as squashed as she once thought. Good news, huh?

So here they are! Enjoy! And Merry Christmas!!!

18 Months...A Post By Poki's Mom

One minute old...



One day old...



One week old...



18 months old...



I can't believe my little bubba is already a year and a half old. I can remember watching the time crawl during his first 6 months, but really feeling like it was flying. I had no idea. The cliches are true...It seems like yesterday that he was born, but I can barely remember my life without him.

Scarlett's mom's post for Scarlett's 18 month birthday inspired me to list some fo the things Poki is doing these days.

I've lost track of how many words he says, but I know it's more than 150, believe it or not. He knows all his body parts, pretty much every animal and the noise it makes, and the names of the people he loves...and the trucks he loves. Some of my favorite words or phrases that he says are Love you, ketchup, jammies, back hoe, dump truck, laundry, and Okey Dokey! Poki's favorite things in life are his friends and family, trucks, milk, every fruit in existence, every book in existence (and saying "the end" when he's finished reading), the news, singing and dancing (usually at the same time), Meri (his lamb)and his blanket. He's gotten really good at eating with a fork, going up and down stairs, and uses his potty almost every day. Poki has recently started going into "time out" and will even put himself in time out when he knows he is doing something wrong. We're working on colors now and whenever I point out something orange, he squeals in delight and tries to eat it. (I told you the kid likes his fruit). He loves to wash his hands and brush his teeth. He also thinks it's very funny to smell his feet and exclaim "P.U.!"...maybe because I crack up every time. When he goes to bed at night, he yells "love you!" to us even after we leave the room.

I wish I could let you all into our life for a day so you can see just how much he changes from day to day. This blog is the best I can do, but it couldn't possibly paint an accurate picture. There is just to much to show and tell. I'm blown away every single day.

I love you, Poki. Happy half birthday!

Playdate With Will and Ruby

Friday, I went to Kid City with my friends, Will and Ruby. We had so much fun! Kid City is a great museum that I go to pretty often, and I never get tired of it--especially when I'm with my friends. Here are some pictures of our fun day. Believe it or not, we did more than peek out of things, despite what these pictures might indicate.

Will



Ruby



Me









Even though Kid City has rooms and rooms filled with fun exhibits, we had the most fun with the shoe cubbies...well at least Ruby and I did. Poor Will. I eventually gave him a turn, don't worry.



When it was time to leave, I sadly said goodbye to Will and Ruby. Then as Mom was walking me to the car, I said in a pitiful little voice: "friends." Mom thought she heard wrong so she asked: "Who, Carson? Who are friends?" And I said "Ruby...Will...Scarlett...News..." Yeah, I like to watch the news with Daddy. Anyway, I have such good friends and I totally know it!

Catching Up...

So sorry for disappearing this last week. My mom (also my secretary) has been very busy with end-of-the-semester stuff. Anyway, we are going to try to catch up soon--in the meantime, here are some videos my parents took today.

First, here is a video of me showing you how much I love trucks. My dad and I have pretty much memorized my giant truck book.



And here is a video of me performing one of my favorite songs (with a little help from a special back-up dancer).

A Call From Santa

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

This morning, I participated in a Thanksgiving tradition: I watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade with my mom and dad. There were tons of giant cartoon character balloons and dancers and singers. It was awesome! I loved it. And do you know the best part? I discovered Santa Claus. Yep. Mom's been telling me about him for a couple of weeks, but today I saw him. At first I called him Boompa (and one of his elves Shvia), but Mom explained that he's not Boompa--that he is sort of like Boompa, but that Santa is magical and loves well-behaved children so much that he brings them all presents on Christmas. This Santa guy sounds really cool! I was so excited about him that Mom thought it was time for me to call him. Apparently Mom has an "in" with the guy, so she called him up. Here is some video of that phone call. (Please forgive the following: #1. My mom's appearance. It was her promise to herself that she remain in her PJs all day today; bird hair, glasses, giant sweatshirt and all. #2. The dumb video camera. It cut off the first video. Santa's bringing Mom a new one for Christmas).

Favorite Book

If you have ever looked at my profile, you'll know that one of my favorite books (for as long as Mom and Dad have been reading to me...which is like...forever) is "Moo Baa La La La," by Sandra Boynton. For a while now, when my mom asks me what book I would like to read, I say "Moo," meaning this book. I love it when she sings the pigs' part. But now I've heard it so many times, I can practically read it myself! Check it out:

Boompa and Shvia

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, my Aunt Sofia (or as I like to call her: Shvia) came to visit me. Grandpa (aka Boompa) came up for a couple of days too! I have missed them both so much that everyday since they've been gone, I pick up the phone and pretend to call them. Here are some pictures Shvia took during their visit.

My new favorite game: Riding the Mommy horse.



Ready for the Ivy League. Columbia is an obvious choice because the blue brings out my eyes.



Me and Boompa giving our "pretty smiles" for the camera.



Me and Boompa heading out for the day.



I can't wait to see my Boompa and Shvia at Christmas!

A Dinner Miracle

Yesterday morning, Aunt Sofia (aka Shvia) and Grandpa (aka Boom-pa) flew back to Tennessee. (More about my visit with them to come!) Daddy comes home tonight, so Mom thought she would treat herself to a special night at home alone(since I go to bed at 8) with junk food and reality tv. We were out running errands when she saw a Wendy's and got a craving for a cheeseburger. She ordered a happy meal for me, thinking I would be the happiest kid in the world when I looked inside that Snoopy bag to find chicken nuggets. Yeah...not so much. We got home, sat at the table, and Mom excitedly put the chicken nuggets in front of me. I immediately picked them up and put them back in the bag. She tried convincing me that I liked chicken nuggets and that I should try one, but I refused. She then did the unimaginable. She offered me the thing she likes me to have the least: a french fry. I nibbled the end, then put it back on my plate. She asked me what I wanted to eat, so I turned in my seat, pointed at the fridge and said "boo-ber!" That's right folks! No chicken nuggets for me! Instead I ate almost an entire pint of blueberries! Mom sure can't complain about that!

"Pretty" Smile

Mom: "Hey Poki, smile for the camera!"

Poki:

Boo! I mean...Gobble Gobble!

Mom, Aunt Sofia and I made a new decoration for our front door to replace the ghosts from Halloween. As you can see, Mom and Sofia got a little into it. I just wanted to play with tape.

Now when I go to the front door, I still say "boo!" Mom keeps trying to teach me to say "gobble! gobble!" but so far I just say "Ticky! Boo! Gob Gob!" Hey--that's a start!

Aunt Sofia's Here!

Aunt Sofia is visiting for the week and we are all so excited! She actually wants to spend time with me alone, which is great because my mom has been buried beneath a pile of her students' papers. (In addition to the fact that she may or may not be addicted to My Farm on facebook...long story). Aunt Sofia has been taking me up to the park to play and chasing me around the house and reading me books and singing with me--you know, all my favorite things. She has even been giving me Russian lessons. I'm doing pretty well too!



As you all know (unless you've already begun hibernating), it's Fall. The leaves have all gone through their various stages of color change and now they're on the ground. I know I sound all melancholy (What? I know what that word means), but really, what happens when the leaves are on the ground? The best part about Fall, that's what! Playing in giant piles of leaves! I've never done that before! Remember people, last Fall I was still just a tiny baby. Now I'm a toddler and I can play in some leaves! That's basically what Sofia and I do when we go to the park. It's seriously fun, and of course, I look seriously cute doing it. Big surprise.





Check back throughout the week--we'll have lots more to post!

Song and Dance Man, Part II

Remember the other day when I told you that I have been singing the words to songs? (To refresh your memory click here). Well my mom has finally caught some of those songs on video. There are a few...and they are sort of long...but I think well worth watching! Enjoy!

A Breakthrough...? Let's not jinx it.

Tonight, when mom was lifting me out of the bath, I looked at her and said "pee pee." She asked, "Do you need to pee pee?" I walked over to the potty, sat down and pee peed. Now, I haven't wanted to say anything (because I only like to report good news), but all this week, while I have still sat on the potty a couple of times a day, I haven't done anything but sit. Mom thought the novelty had worn off--but tonight, I told my mom I needed to pee pee! Mom isn't getting her hopes up or anything, but she is super proud of me. She even gave me a special reward: a piece of chocolate! Yay me!

Aunt La La

Hey guys. I have a little present for you guys: a new president! Cool, huh? You're welcome.

I'm actually writing today to ask for your help. My Aunt La La (Mom's sister, and really, best friend) has been going through a bizarre and stressful last couple of months. She has had some health issues that aren't being resolved as well or as quickly as we would hope. She posted a detailed message today on her blog in hopes that someone out there might be able to shed some light on the situation, or even just say: "You know, I've experienced something like that to..." It would be great if you guys could check it out and see for yourselves. Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated!

Much love to you all--especially Aunt La La.

Song and Dance Man

I have recently reached a pretty friggin' adorable milestone, if I do say so myself. I have started singing actual songs! Not just saying "do da do da." I sing "Dem Bones," as you saw in a previous post, and as of this morning, I sing "Five Little Monkeys." So far I just sing "Monkey! Jump!" and then pat my head and shake my finger, but it's obvious what I am singing. I also dance the "Hokey Pokey" and along to "When Your Happy and You Know It." My mom is doing her best to catch these on film, but so far I clam up when I see the camera...or else I get totally distracted, like this:



Oh well! Hopefully you'll see it soon!

Busted!

My mom is sick, so Daddy let her sleep in this morning. After my breakfast, unbeknownst to Mom, I had my first candy bar. When she woke up and saw the chocolate all over my shirt, Dad said excitedly, "Don't worry--I got it on video!" When she asked him to be more specific, he realized she didn't exactly approve of my eating an entire candy bar (although it was one of those mini candy bars), so he said, "He just ripped open the wrapper and stuck it in his mouth before I could get it away from him!" Uh huh...well, he should have remembered exactly what he caught on video when he told that little fib, because this is what Mom found later:







Busted, Dad!

Trick-or-Treat!

Happy Halloween, everybody!

Tonight I went trick-or-treating with my friends Scarlett, Pippi and Finn. We had so much fun! Here is a very small glimpse into our fun night.

Catching Up On The Week

I've been a busy, busy toddler these last few weeks, and my mom has been super busy too (She has a new blog, did you know?). We've fallen a bit behind in posting, but I'm here to catch you up!

First of all, last Saturday, I went to the circus. Not just any circus though--The Greatest Show on Earth! My dad took some great pictures with his fancy camera, but until he finds a minute to upload them, here is a video of me after the show ended...when everyone had gone. It should give you some indication of just how much I enjoyed the circus!



I'll explain those pink plaid pants later...

I also started out the week being so good about the potty that I started wearing training pants during my awake and at-home hours. My mom can't stop talking about my "cutie booty." Sigh...she's so embarrassing. Anyway, I have since moved back to my diapers full time because I have stopped having so much fun going pee pee in the potty. In fact, I've decided that I want to see myself going pee pee, so I tell Mom I want to sit on the potty, and then I stand up when I need to pee. At least I'm still showing some interest in sitting on the potty!





Here's something I bet you didn't expect: I have a new smile. Really, I do. Here is my natural smile (taken by Mom when she surprised us by coming home for work early):



And here is my new smile, which seems to be in response to someone smiling at me:



My mom thinks I see how people's eyes squint when they smile, and I think I'm supposed to do that too. Apparently my cousin Elizabeth used to do this when she was little too.

And, finally, here are a couple of videos taken of me preparing for Halloween.

Here I am playing with my new favorite thing. It's a card from Babi that plays music! I LOVE it. So much, in fact, that I played with it constantly until it broke...within an hour of opening it. I'm actually still playing with it, but it doesn't really play the music like it did before. Let me tell you guys, Babi gets me. She just gets me. Every present she gives me becomes my favorite. Thanks, Babi!



And this video is of me singing my new favorite song, which happens to come from my new favorite book all about bones. Just in time for Halloween!



Happy Halloween, everyone! Come back this weekend to read about my first trick-or-treating adventure!

Wordsmith

Recently, and perhaps not coincidentally, I have had a surge of bad behavior that happened to go along with a surge of language. After Granny and some of my mom's friends commented about my growing vocabulary, Mom decided to write down everything I said over the course of two days. The results were nothing short of amazing! My mom had no idea that I actually knew so many words. Here is the list, in no particular order:

Help, Eye, Ball, Happy, Man, Turkey, Cheese, Mum Mum (favorite snack), Rain, Max, Leroy, Pippi, Scarlett, Lion, Monkey, Bunny, Shoe, Socks, Dirty, Potty, Poopy, Pee Pee (as in urine), Pee Pee (as in my no-no-special-place), Meatball, Chicken, Apple, Pear, Banana, Milk, Juice, Hand, Wash, Bo Xu (the name of my panda), Boogie (the name of my teddy bear), Bear, Turtle, Bag, Diaper, Elmo, Pillow, Puppet, Door, Moon, Ghost, Boo, Whoa, Wow, Up, Down, Bottom, Cane, Yay, Ready, Kitchen, Hello, Telephone, Hi, Bye Bye, Mommy, Daddy, Hungry, Water, Toothbrush, More, Please, Thank You, Love You, Night Night, Blanket, Book, Dumptruck, Bus, Airplane, Car, Backhoe, Choo Choo, Go, Boom, Yes, No, Bowl, Cup, Spoon, Uh-Oh, Yummy, Yum Yum, Kitty, Doggie, Fish, Bathtub, Bubble, All Done, Here You Go, Hot, Ice, Nice, Broom, Chair, Blueberry, Watermelon, Laptop, Backpack, Coat, Hat, Shirt, Toes, Baby, Two (after Mom says "One"),Boy, Dark, Light, Dip, Vacuum, Rock, That, Meri (my sheep), Duck.

Can you believe it? I'm also now starting to put two words together like "dirty shoe," when picking up Daddy's shoe. Does that count? Cause I hear Mom say "Don't pick up Daddy's dirty shoe, Carson!"

Boo At The Zoo, Part Deux

Scarlett and I celebrated our first anniversary by revisiting the scene of our first date: Boo at the Zoo. For a reminder of how that first date went, click here.

It's amazing how much can change in a year. So amazing that my mom put together a little video celebrating the thens and nows. Check it out!



Happy Anniversary, Scarlett! We ALL love you so much and are so happy you're my friend. Sorry I wouldn't kiss or hug you. I'll make it up to you when I'm 16.

This Is HUGE!

I got my very own potty today! My mom was a little worried about this new purchase when we unwrapped it and I immediately grabbed the bowl and did this:



But then we took it into the bathroom, and mom asked me if I'd like to sit on it and "pee pee in the potty," and guess what I did? I went pee pee in the potty! On the first try! Yay, me!!!!

Dr. Doolittle

Okay, so maybe I can't have a conversation with the animals, but I sure do know what they're saying!

The Great Debate

Do I create art? Or does my art evolve?

You're both right! Watch my creation evolve right before your eyes!











Masterpiece!

Sing-Along

Tonight, while Mom was at work, Dad taught me a new song. As you can see, nothing keeps my attention for too long these days--not even a good old fashioned sing-along. (Especially when our next-door neighbor is playing the banjo with her blinds open!)

A Visit With Tata and (New) Cousin Margaux

This Sunday, my parents and I took a little trip of to Providence to hang out with my Great Aunt Tata and her new daughter-in-law, Margaux. We went to the Roger Williams Park Zoo, which seemed to be a really nice zoo...except that it was freezing and all the animals must have been inside sipping hot totties or something. Okay, maybe they weren't doing that, but I couldn't tell you what they were doing 'cause I didn't see them! That's okay though, because I did see Tata and Margaux, and that was the whole point of our trip!

Here I am bundled up with Tata and my monkey.



We did actually see elephants (because we went inside their house). To tell the truth, they were really the only animals we were dying to see, because I've never seen a real one before. Also, I've gotten so into my elephant impression lately that I will pick up any curved object (part of my train track, the letter "J" from my alphabet mat, a slice of apple), hold it up to my face and make my elephant noise. Cute, huh?





Here we are: Tata, Poki and Margaux!



Thanks for meeting up with us! We can't wait to do it again!

Stepping Stones!

This Saturday, my parents and I met Scarlett and her folks at a nearby children's museum: Stepping Stones. It was so much fun!

They had a really cool water room, which they told us to go to last, but we couldn't resist starting there!





They had fun costumes too. I really got into character here--I'm trying to fly away!





They had this super cool mechanical thing-a-ma-jig. I LOVED it. Harwell family, who does this remind you of?





I also got to pretend to be an EMT...



And a fireman! (Their uniforms have really fun sleeves.)



Then Scarlett and I got to ride a big kid bike.



Some of us were more responsible than others (note the helmet).



We also listened to a story read by a woman with the thickest accent from who-knows-where (it was that thick). She was very fun and sweet though, and Scarlett and I listened like two little...what listens well? Like two well-formed and patient ears. (I know, I know...that's the best I could come up with?!)



Finally, we went to an awesome playground that was right next door to the museum. This was the coolest playground I've ever seen. Scarlett and I each got hurt like 4 times!





And, as is often the case on these double-family-outings, I fell asleep before we even left the parking lot (snack still in hand).



UPDATE:
I forgot to post this video of Scarlett and me, along with our daddies, on TV. I think it is obvious that my dad had more fun than anyone else doing this!