Merry Christmas, Happy 2nd Birthday!

This Christmas and 2nd birthday were so much fun since Grayson was so excited and got the concept of gift opening. Plus, we were so blessed to have both Grandma Cheryl and Grammie Focht from Florida with us. Christmas Eve we drove down to the city and went to the Natural History Museum and Butterfly exhibit. Christmas AM, the big Santa gift was the kitchen set which was the highlight and has been ever since. After nap, Grayson helped decorate his cupcakes and had a little snitch! Birthday celebration was in the evening. He loved everyone singing to him and being able to blow out his special Lightning McQueen candles. This also preceded to go on the week after his birthday until all the cupcakes were gone. Thanks to all who made the day special for him.

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween from the Future Fisherman! Grayson got the whole Halloween concept and was very into it which in turn was so much fun for Ryan and I. We first got to join him at his Daycare party, and since he was so excited to have us there he was running around pretending to fish and pretending to be a fish and also saying "Mommy here, Daddy here too!"

We then all went out together and he got a little confused when people were sitting on the porch instead of inside so a few very obliging neighbors went inside so he could do the knock knock and then the trick or treat. He loved putting the candy in the bucket and then moving on to the next house. He would say, " One more house!" Plus it was such a mild night with no clouds that he was able to see the Moon which is his current obsession. The evening got topped off with a piece of chocolate and Thomas the Train show... what more could a boy ask for!

Try Not to Laugh!

Catching Up

A month in a nutshell: Burke Lake Park for train riding, train watching and carousel riding on two different occasions once with Grandma and once with Daddy and alot of conversation regarding " Train coming" "Find Train" and "Tunnel!"

Apple picking at the Tarara Wine Festival: He picked two apples put them in the bag then said "All done," but he could not get enough of the jumping in the moonbounce.

A few days in Ohio for Great Grandpa's Birthday Celebration: Grayson helped sing Happy Birthday, and had a blast with a few of Great Grandpa's birthday balloons.

Family outing at Great Falls Park: 5 minutes looking at the falls, 45 +minutes playing with a mud puddle and a big stick, throwing rocks in a drain pipe and eating his lunch on a tree stump. The activities matched up with my favorite shirt: the gymborree 100% boy shirt

Shadow

Shadow discovery is the newest Grayson adventure. He is always looking out for it and saying, "Shadow there," but as you see from the video even something as cool as a shadow can minimally distract from the latest train phenomenon.

Lake of the Woods

Last weekend Grayson and I went to spend the weekend with Grandma Cheryl and Bob at his lake house. We had such a great time playing on the lake beach and Grayson got his first ride on a boat. He was not very happy with the life jacket on but once we were going he loved the "big bumps" as he calls them, when we hit the wakes and he also liked the spray of the water on his face.

When our beach vacation plans fell through his week, Bob generously let us go back to the lake house for a couple day get away. We had a blast together building sand castles, collecting lake shells, and swimming in the warm lake water. Grayson became so comfortable with the water that he would walk all the way out to where the water was right at his chin and would blow bubbles. Plus, he was really trying to put his face all the way in, but hasn't learned to keep his mouth shut. So he would make an awful face and try to rub the water off of his tongue with his hands and then eventually Ryan or I would get him juice to get the taste out of his mouth. But not even a minute after his drink, he would be right back at it again.

In addition to the beach fun, there were many opportunities for Grayson to use his new favorite phrase "Oh, Man!" It was hysterical to hear him say that while he was running this cars and trucks into the sandcastles or when a water skier would fall off their skies.

All in all it was a fantastic time, and a big thank you to Bob for letting us stay there.

I'm a Big Kid Now

This is the first time that Ryan pulled out the camera and Grayson really started hamming it up. I wonder who he gets that from, ha ha! The banana even brought out, a "Popeye, the sailor man," face.