Cleveland Browns (Away-Game) Tailgate and Pig Roast

Sunday, we tailgated with our friends, Courtney and Trevor, their family, and their other friends! Daddy and I put on our jersey's and jeans and got ready for the big game! Trevor has a bus all decked out with tailgating gear (ie. a couple flat screen tv's (one on the inside and one outside), a keg (mommy said I don't need to know what this is yet and not for a very long time)!

I have a special love for buses ever since I got my Little People Bus! The start of school and all of the buses that go through my neighborhood have only helped to strengthen this love! So when we arrived to the tailgate and I saw this big, black bus up close and personal, sitting in the drive way, I thought I must be in heaven! :)

I checked it out, just interested in the outside at first. Once, I warmed up to the bus a little, I timidly checked out the inside.

Da-da and I relaxed here (which was actually a bed for Trevor's parents dog but which was the perfect size for me)! We watched the game from a few of their many tv's throughout their house (including in their theatre in the basement as well as the tv hanging in the basement hallway outside of the theatre). Here we were watching from the patio tv. Da-da read ma-ma's mind as soon as she saw the tv and just a split second before she asked the question, ".....do you have to cover this tv or take it down when it rains or snows?" Nope, this was a weather-proof tv, even Cleveland weather proof as it can be in temps as low as negative 45 degrees with 3 foot icesicles hanging from it!

Having fun on the dogs couch!

It's not a tailgate without a little game of corn hole!

Ma-ma's little man!!!

So enthralled with the big kids! Look at me looking at them in awe!

Jackson, the dog, and I became fast friends!!! He was a good dog and let me give him lots of big bear hugs!

Helping Jackson look for whatever it was he was looking for. Food, I think!

I've never seen a waterfall in someones backyard before! So, of course, this caught my attention and I had to go check it out!!!

I found a very cool rock near the waterfall. And yep, that's my truck in hand....I don't go many places without my truck(s)!

Playing with my truck!

There were a lot of steps that I could drive it up!

Animal Noises

On top of my "woof-woof" dog sound and my ever so familiar "quack, quack" duck sound, I can also:
Meow like a cat

Roar like a Lion

Baa like a sheep or lamb

Neigh like a horse

and

Moo like a cow!

BOX

I can now say "box" and I thought this particular vocabulary word deserved an entry of its own. It's a special word because my da-da makes boxes!!! Okay, well da-da doesn't actually make the boxes but he designs them, measures them, sells them, and does whatever else needs done to the boxes to meet the customers satisfaction (except for running the big box making machines) every day! And he is darn good at it!!! And if that alone doesn't make boxes extra special to me, my gramps, my great-grandpa Sobel, and my great-great grandpa Sobel all did the same thing at the same place (and my gramps still does)!!! I'll always appreciate a good quality, Sobel Corrugated (that is) box!

My Fish, Finn!!!

Ever since our neighbor fish, who we pet-sat for a week, left, I randomly walk up to the counter in our kitchen (where he lived while he was here) and say "fish" and do my cute "uh-uh" with my hands up (in English - meaning "where is he?"). As much as it broke mommy's heart when I did this, she really did not want another animal to take care of...specifically a fish tank to clean.

Daddy told Aunt Heather about this and Aunt Heather said she wanted to buy me a fish!

Oh, do I have my mommy wrapped around my finger, or what!?!?! She finally gave in and gave Aunt Heather the okay to get me a fish!!!!

I was so happy when Aunt Heather brought me my very own fish!!! We named him Finn! And we all love him already!

Finn, the fish!

I was all smiles!!!

This is how mommy said I could pet the fish!

Just watching Finn swim!

Thank you Aunt Heather! I love you!

The Akron Zoo!

Mommy and daddy took me to the Akron Zoo last Saturday! It was a BEAUTIFUL day with lots of sunshine and it wasn't too hot...perfect day to walk around at the zoo! That also meant most of the animals would be out enjoying the day too!

We saw penguins!

I loved the penguins!
So did mommy, as you can tell (she was in charge of the camera)! And DUCKS!!!!

You already know my feelings towards ducks!!! :)

I had a tough time saying good-bye to those ducks and moving on to see the rest of the animals!

We saw llamas!

A great big turtle who mommy says may have been the healthiest eater she has EVER seen. The poor guy had a plate full of veggies to munch on. And we did not say a plate of dessert ANYWHERE!

These are jellyfish but the picture didn't come out the best. They didn't look like any of the fish I've seen before!

We saw Lions!

And Tigers!

And Bears! Oh, my!!!!

This is a barking deer though we did not hear him bark!

One of the best parts of the Akron Zoo was the little "petting zoo" area where I could feed and touch the animals! I wasn't real interested in petting them and when it came to feeding them, I kept my distance and threw the food to them! Though I didn't want to get up close and personal with these sheep, I still thought it was very neat!

Ahhhh, enjoying a nice cold drink of water and a relaxing wagon ride!

That day at the zoo was free ice cream day for the zoo members (which, unfortunately, we were not this year). But the animals received a special treat too that day! They each got some of their food surrounded by a block of ice. Kinda like an ice cream cone! They spent the day licking their blocks of ice, trying to get to their food!

The Little Things That Entertain!

"While we try to teach our children all about life our children teach us what life is all about."

I found this quote and it describes perfectly what I have been trying to put into words pretty much ever since Noah was born! Noah has taught me more than I could ever have imagined (and it has only been 17 months)! One of the biggest things being how to appreciate the little things in life....such as an empty diaper box!!! Noah entertained himself for many minutes intermittently throughout the day with what most of us would consider trash. He explored every inch of this box, both inside and outside. He experimented what happens when he climbs on top of it and how to balance himself as he climbed off of it. He tried to see if he could fit inside of it and after realizing there wasn't much room decided it was much more fun to be on top of it. Giggling and smiling the entire time!

Noah, didn't limit himself to the empty box. He found some of Bailey's bones and entertained himself giving them to Bailey and taking them away again. Then when Bailey decided he wasn't that interested (or didn't want to play with and Indian Giver anymore). Noah chased him around the house trying to give him the bones! Again, nothing but giggles and smiles the entire time!!! Whenever, I am pre-occupied with something else (usually cleaning up after a meal) and I hear Noah's giggles, I know he is usually chasing Bailey around, trying to catch him to give him hugs, trying to give him something (that he usually doesn't want bad enough to let Noah catch him), or trying to get something that Bailey has (which Bailey knows he won't get back for quite awhile if Noah does catch him).

Thank you, my Noah, for reminding me to appreciate even the little things in life!

My First Molars!

Ma-ma found a surprise inside my mouth the other night while she was giving me my bath. She thought I had something in my mouth that I wasn't suppose to have. When she reached in to get it, she discovered something very pointy and sharp that wouldn't come out. To her surprise, it was a molar!!! After looking a little longer, she realized I didn't have just one, not only two, but THREE molars had made their entrance into my mouth and the fourth one is trying very hard to join them! I don't mind these molars joining the rest of my previous 6 teeth, I just wish they would decide to make their grand entrance during the day and not at night when I am trying to sleep!

Block Party 2009!

Our neighborhood block party was last weekend and while daddy went down to party in Columbus, mommy and I stayed home to party.....well, in our neighborhood! And PARTY we did!!!

Well rested after a good nap and all dressed up!

Hanging out with my great neighbors, Grace and Sam, waiting for the festivities to begin!

The block party began with a bike parade!

I was in my wagon but then wanted out so I could clap for all the kids on their bikes!

We had a balloon maker and magician (though he didn't get to do his magic because everyone wanted balloons)!

I was waiting patiently for my turn....

and waiting......

and watching.....

all of the other kids get their balloons.....

and waiting......

still so patiently and so ADORABLY! I finally got my balloon. A DUCK, of course! QUACK, QUACK! (Which mommy failed to get a picture of because she was too concerned with keeping me from squeezing and popping it)!

Then the Aurora ambulance came to visit! I saw it coming before it even turned the corner and took off running, looking over my shoulder every now and then telling ma-ma to hurry!

The ambulance was so cool!

Then, the Aurora fire truck came!!! It was like icing on the cake!

I checked out all of the neat things on the fire truck. Here are the jaws of life.

I was showing one of our neighbors, Dave, the ambulance and fire truck!

The wheels were especially exciting because they were so big!

It's not a party without corn hole!

I had beginner's luck!

And a playmate!

I put all of the bags in the hole!

And looked for them underneath!

It was time for the ambulance and fire truck to leave, so I waved good-bye as they drove off honking their horns!

Before the party was over, I won a hula-hoop contest, maybe because I was the only contestant!

I found the hula-hoops to be quite entertaining!