Gravy

My Uncle Rob was in town for Thanks- giving. He drove all the way from Portsmouth, New Hampshire to stay with us. Aunt Paige couldn't come- she was visiting her family. We are going to visit them this summer.

Thanksgiving dinner was really good. All day Rob and Dad were outside by the grill keeping an eye on the turkey. I don't know why because it was really cold. Dad carved turnips and carrots into tiny footballs and sauteed them with butter and sugar. And we had mashed potatoes. My favorite part of the meal was the gravy.

Feelin' Groovy!

"Hello lampost! Whatcha knowin? I've come to watch your flowers growin'! Ain'tcha got no rhymes for me? Doo Bee Doo Doo, Feelin' Groovy!"

I took my first steps on Veterans' Day. Since then I have been cruising all over the place. Dad is always stomping around me and yelling, "FIRE! BAD!" and doing his Phil Hartman Frankenstein from Saturday Night Live.

I want to go faster than I really can at this point, so I fall over a lot and freak out Mum and Dad. But there is no carpeting in our house! Of course I'm not going to be happy when I face plant. Sometimes I wish I could go over to Mike and Melanie's- they have comfy carpeting.

Grandpa Barry's Smile

I changed my smile a couple of days ago. Now the corners of my mouth really stretch out, and I squint my eyes and nod my head, because I find some things so hilarious! Like Mum when she dances and Dad when he hides under my high chair.

Dad says I look like my grandpa Barry when he smiles.

Orangutans

Orangutans are funny. We saw some at the zoo. They spend all their time up in trees. That would be fun.

There is a place at the zoo where if you stick your head through an opening, you become an orangutan. Mum took this picture of me.

Mini Ditka

It was like seventy degrees today and Dad put this hat on me. He said I looked a little like a young Jim McMahon. I think that is the guy on the poster in the basement above the toilet.

Dad is starting to act weird because the Packers play the Bears on December 4th. He keeps singing, "...it's the most wonderful time of the year! There'll be bratwurst grilling and football watching and lots of good cheer! When the Bears beat the Packers this year!"

Daycare Sniffles

With apologies to Paul Westerberg-

Daycare sniffles, I take a tissue before I hit the town

Daycare critters scurry to that congested, nasal sound

Daycare sniffles, only thing that scares me is the dark

It’s 8:45AM, “Elsie’s late, where should Mum park?”

Sideways

My perspective and how I look at the world changes everyday. In fact, my theories of how the world works are being tested every minute.

Like when I tilt my head to the side, everything changes and looks funnier! Mum’s hair is on the left side of my line of vision, and that is hilarious! Everybody looks like they are going to fall over at any minute. It makes me crack up! I tilt my head all the time now!

Gigi

My grandmum visited this weekend! It was awesome! We went for a long walk on the canal, went out to dinner at the Winfield Grill (I had a veggie burger), watched Dad play squash, did some gardening, and watched football on Sunday. She also helped sort through my winter clothing. Check out this sweet fur I got from Kurt and Gabi!

I called Grandmum "Gigi" once, and it sort of stuck for awhile. But I still don't know what nickname I want to give her. I thought about it on the way to Daycare this morning. Maybe "Nanna". Or "Sassafras". I'll keep thinking.

She's gone already, though. It went by too fast.

Spaetzle

Dad made spaetzle over the weekend. He used this weird machine that sort of dropped this batter into boiling water. The whole time he was talking about this guy named Markus and this beer called Buble from this place called Allgauer and how when Markus visited us he made spaetzle and they drank Buble.

And then I remembered meeting Markus! Because he is Adina's boyfriend! They visited us from New York City when I was a few months old.

The spaetzle was good, but Dad just gave it to me with butter and the whole time I wanted it with soy sauce.

Judo Chop!

As Dad was taking this first photo I was planning my judo chop. I've learned how to give kisses now, so Dad keeps puckering up and planting them on me like, all the time! I do a few times and then it gets boring so I give him a judo chop. I think it's most effective when I get him in the nose.

Hey, I thought you guys were Bears Fans!

Geez! All Dad talks about is the Bears and here he goes and dresses me up as a Cincinnati Bengal for Halloween. Sure, Carson Palmer is one of the best quarterbacks in the league, and Mum and I laugh when Chad Johnson does Riverdance in the endzone after a touchdown, but the Bears are 4-3! Atop the NFC du Nord!

I liked my Halloween costume, though. My friends Andrea, Bob, and Pablo gave it to me.