Toddler Ones

So about a month ago, very quietly and without fanfare, I graduated. There was no ceremony or anything, I think Mom brought the ladies who used to take care of me some pastries or something. And then the next Monday I stopped going to Mobiles and having breakfast in the high chairs and started going to Toddler Ones and having breakfast at the table. In a chair. With a bowl. And a spoon.

I wasn't crazy about it at first, but now, check me out. I'm a Toddler. I eat cereal with my friends. That's Daycare Eli there with me. Do you see his hair? He's got excellent hair. He's already gotten something like three haircuts and he's only a couple months older than me. Meanwhile Mom is putting off my first haircut. You probably can't tell from the picture but my hair is getting kind of long in back. Eventually she's going to have to get over it and trim those curls.

Gone camping

So I went for my first camping trip last weekend. We went to Mount Raineer National Park in Washington which is where my mom used to go when she was little (though probably not as little as me). I call this picture you see here "before." This was within hours of our arrival at Cougar Rock Campground. That's my pretend Aunt Kristin. She and her husband Matt have been camping with Mom and Dad for years. Notice how happy and clean we are (well, you can't see me from the waste down, I wasn't exactly clean...they had already started calling me "Muddy Juddy.")

This is how all camping trips start out: With the optimistic, squeaky-clean, I-love-nature smiles and a nice beverage and snack enjoyed once the tents are put up.

And truth be told, we did have a lot of fun. Despite the rain and the fact that dogs (Seeger and Kato, Matt and Kristin's dog) weren't allowed on any of the hiking trails. I learned how to throw a frisbee (kind of) and I played with two really nice big boys Jared and Nick. Jared and Nick's mom, Alison, is from England and she's married to Kristin's brother David. They're the other people Mom and Dad always camp with. Apparently they always get rained on, but they keep signing up for it.

Anyway. I call this picture after:

We are just about to make our escape after a night of rain pounding on the roof of the tent. As you can see we're not looking quite as cheery. 'Course that's Mom, not Aunt Kristin. Can you see what's on my feet under my Crocs? Smart Wools. I wore them all weekend long. Mom insisted. Before we left, Dad suggested just buying me a pair of socks at The Gap. But Mom said cotton socks would kill me. We had to go to REI for the Smart Wools.

Thus, it looks like I will live to see 16 months.

Littler than me

Uncle Art took this picture of me telling stuff to my cousin (okay, really second cousin, but who cares?) Eleanor Grace Powell. We call her Ellie G. She is just a month old so she has a lot to learn. Who better to teach her than me?

Anyway, we went to a party for her at Aunt Carol and Uncle Lloyd's house on Saturday. There were lots and lots of kissy aunts and cousins there. Everyone was cooing over Ellie G. and I admit she's pretty cute. She has long arms and big eyes. But she doesn't know any tricks. She was this little bundle being passed around but she was happiest when they laid her down on the grass and she could look at the trees. Then I came over to tell her stuff. And I showed her where her nose is.

Ellie got lots of presents. My mom is always saying how there's so many more cute clothes for baby girls than for baby boys. I personally wouldn't know. I think I'm a pretty good dresser. Oh and guess what else? See that soda can I'm sitting with? I got it out of the ice chest all by myself. Pretty soon, I'll even know how to open it!

SLIDERS!

My mom is probably the only one who remembers that show.

Anyway. I love to slide. Big slides, little slides, doesn't matter. I climb up, I slide down. And I think that's pretty good for a kid my age.

The other day we were at park and there were these twins there, a boy and a girl, who had just turned two. Their mom was talking to my mom and she asked about me: "How old is he?" I was just climbing up for another slide down. "14 months," Mom said. The other mom got this horrified look on her face. "If the twins were that active when they were 14 months old, I don't know WHAT I would have done!"