Upspy-down-ME!

Hahahah! I tipped over the top of the couch, and now I am "UP-SPY-DOWN!" (as oppose to "upspy-up")


As promised in the last post, here is a drawing of a truck. It has cool round wheels, and some REALLY cool flames painted on the chassy.


This is my Dad. He has mad eyebrows because somebody ate his chocolate! I decided to give him a few extra legs in case he has to run REALLY fast to catch the robber.


This is my friend Holden. He's sad because he doesn't like Lincoln. But usually he's happy!


Oh yeah. And here's my Momma, you saw this one before, but the resolution wasn't so good.


In further news, today while I was taking my nap, a REALLY big truck came here, and dropped some REALLY big boulders into the gravel next to our driveway! They are so heavy, my Momma couldn't even move them a single inch... on Wednesday they are going to be built into a boulder rock-garden/retaining wall in the back yard! Until then, I am going to be a construction worker around them (don't worry, my Momma made sure they were safe first... she tipped over the two wiggly ones so they wouldn't roll onto me).

To keep the boulders from damaging the neighbors' driveway, my Momma set up a "buffer" made of moving boxes for them to roll into. Things worked out fine, and they all landed just where they were supposed to. No cracks in the driveway, no dents in any cars.

This might seem like any old garage to most of you... the thing you don't know is that there was no floor space in here until today! While waiting for the truck with the boulders to come, my Momma cleaned up the garage. Things are sorted, and neatly stacked along the wall. If we wanted to, we could even park one of the cars in here. After I woke up my Momma let me play in the front yard while she raked all the leaves from the lawn (one of the neighbors trees didn't shed until now), and planted some seeds, and pulled up some weeds. It was a busy, productive afternoon!

I'm Baseball-Bat-Man!

The cute story of the day, unfortunately unaccompanied by pictures.. My friend Holden was wearing a red outfit today, which I really liked. I declared that it is his "Really really cool Superman suit!" Then I flexed my manly arm muscles, and declared "...and I'm Baseball-Bat-Man!" ...upon seeing my Momma's slightly confused look, I went to my room, retrieved my baseball bat, which sports a picture Batman. Clearly, his full name is Baseball-bat-man.

My Momma has been too busy to take many pictures of me, except occasionally on her cell phone, which she then sends to my Dad. Just so you don't get withdrawal symptoms, here are a few of them...
Drawing is one of my favorite passtimes. I began to draw recognizable cars and trucks about a month ago - with approx 3-7 wheels each. As of today, I have branched out to drawing portraits - all by myself! This is my Momma, with her yellow hair. She even has feet! I drew a picture of Holden being mad at the dog, and of Dad - complete with a beard, and mad eyebrows (to be featured in the next blog).

Last week my Momma and I both had a pretty nasty cold. It started in our sinuses, and then moved into our chest. My Momma even lost her voice (Dad thought that was pretty funny)! Well, after one particularly rough night, during which I was awake a lot and had a fever, I was playing in my room. Right in the middle of playing, I veeery slowly tipped over, and went faaaast asleep. I even began to snore. I was so conked out, the kitty even decided to get comfy on my back. I felt much better after sleeping like this for about 2 hours.

I think that Army guys are some of the coolest people around. One of my Dad's hats made it into my dress-up box, and along with these smoking-hot glasses, I am a COOL COOL ARMY MAN! Do you know what I do? I run around the house with my soft-plastic baseball bat and fight invisible monsters to protect my Momma, Lincoln, and the kitty!

This Monday, I decided that I wanted to have a beard, just like Dad. Being a grown man comes with a lot of responsibility... but I think I am ready for it!

Happy Valentines Bed!

Happy Valentines Day!

We had a nice day today. Dad got up with me, and we made pancakes for Momma, and then after breakfast we lazed around, and got a few things done. Then I got to take my nap at my friends' Ezra and Tori's house (Thank you!!!) while Momma and Dad went on a date!

When we got home, Momma and Dad had a special surprise for me:

After many months of letting me sleep on a mattress on the floor of my room, my Momma and Dad finally got around to setting up my big-boy captain's bed! They got it several months ago on Craigslist, and had stored it in the garage, in the hopes of refinishing it. Now they decided just to set it up, since by the time they get around to refinishing it, we'll probably need a bunkbed anyway (not saying anything here, so don't read into it)!

It's nothing fancy, but I absolutely LOVE it! I practised climbing in and out of it, and then sat and read books for about an hour (!!!) all by myself.

One huge advantage of having a big boy bed this tall is that Lincoln can't come and steal my stuffed animals! In my own words, "In my NEW bed, EVERYTHING is SAFE!" I independently moved my toy animals into one of the drawers under the bed - for added dinosaur-guardianship?

My bear shrank!

My Momma spent some time this weekend sorting through some older CD-Roms that had a bunch of pictures on them, and she noticed a weird phenomenon: my stuffed animals shrank!

Here I am with my huge bear, Christmas 2006. I am exactly 6 months old.

Oh no! My bear got smaller!

I couldn't sit yet here, so my bear was good for holding me up.

Now it is I who help the bear: to run, jump, climb, and talk!

Hi bear. You be a good boy. Don't do no-nos, ok? See? I can even tell him what to do.

It sure is nice to be a big boy!

Hmmm. It appears that the couch corner shrank too. This was me in October 2006, when I was 4 months old...

...and this is me on the same couch now, when I am 31 months old! See? The couch is definitely smaller! I am growing faster than a weed!

The only one growing faster than I am right now is Lincoln! He weighs in at a whopping 25lbs now... and is learning to "come" and "sit" and "lie down" and "stay" and walk "heel" - he also really really likes to chase his own tail.

I sure like having a dog. I'm not one bit afraid of him. In fact, my Momma and Dad have to make sure I don't boss Lincoln too much, or tease him...

Dad is enjoying training Lincoln. And Lincoln likes being trained, it seems! You could hook up a generator to his tail and light a whole city block when he hears "good dog!"

Yep, yep, I love my dog! *squish!*

Fun Fun Fun!

My Momma and Dad's friends Jasmin and Timon visited us last week! It was SOOOO wonderful to see them again, my Momma told me to write. Here are a few pictures... my Momma stole some of the ones Jasmin took, since she was having so much fun she didn't get around to taking any:

We did a lot of fun things together, but going for a little hike up north on the WSU-Vancouver campus was probably my favorite. Except for going swimming TWICE, but we didn't take any pictures there.
Here Holden and I are climbing on the basalt pillars around the fountain - no water was flowing this time, unfortunately.

Hmmmm... do I jump? Do I not? Hmmmm.

Taking one of several breaks to have a snack. We walked in the forest, across the swamp, and then up to campus.

There was a huge bell, and my Momma lifted Holden and me up so we could yell into it to hear the echo...

...echo - cho -cho co co co oh oh o

We also got to clang the bell. It didn't ring, it clonked.

Despite the fact that we walked for more than an hour, part of it uphill, after our snack both Holden and I still had lots of "run" and "bounce" left in us!

Holden, Jasmin, Momma and me, walking. Timon took this picture.

Timon is my new buddy! He had to listen to "Hey Timon! Come here!" a LOT this week - I wanted to play with him, draw with him, examine the cool things he brought in his suitcase... and he even let me listen to his music!

...yeah. This is definitely some gooood music.

You are surely wondering how Lincoln is doing. He is a good dog. He is house-trained, with only the occasional pee-accident when people get too busy. He sits on command, and is good at walking "heel" when outside with a leash. He is also getting much better at not play-nipping, and has learned that both I and the kitty (who is half his size) are his boss. He loves my Dad and my Momma, and is overall a content little pup. Well, big pup. He is growing. I hope he will be REALLY REALLY big soon! (my Momma does not share the sentiment)

I love clowning around with my Dad. Hmm. I love doing ANYTHING with my Dad. He is such a cool cool Dad. I want to be just like him when I'm bigger.

Having fun with my Momma is fun too. Here she is refusing to open her mouth, despite my coaxing.

Ha! Nobody can withstand my charms. Open wide, Momma! Ha! Got your teeth! Come get them back! Oooooh! Nooo! Don't tickle me! Noooo, don't blow a rasberry on my neck! Eeeeck! Hahahahahahah *giggle*

We have a Puppy! A Puppy! A real Puppy! My Puppy!

My Momma and Dad took me to a few pet shelters today to look at puppies! We had a case of "love at first sight" - his name is Lincoln! He is 8 or 9 weeks old. He is an "everything" mix - Husky and Shephard and Akita, and Lab, and who knows what else. He has brindled-brown fur, a curly Husky-tail, a little bit of Husky markings, floppy ears... well, you can see for yourself.

This was the picture in his online ad. He was described as sweet and mellow - which we could already tell at the shelter, and he continued to be at home!


He got to travel home in a laundry basket - the pet carrier we brought along, anticipating a... well.... smaller... dog... would have been too small for Lincoln.

Lincoln got to walk around a bit with my Dad and me while my Momma was in the store getting some doggy-things.

Here I am getting to know Lincoln from a safe perch on Dad's back. I was very 'hands-on' with Lincoln at the shelter, and liked his puppy-kisses, but then at home got just a little shy.

Hmmmmm, says Lincoln. This puppy-chew tastes JUST as good as the shoes that are now all put away IN the closet.

Oh yeah. In case you haven't noticed already, he has the "I am your very true servant and desciple"-underdog look down pat.

Not the most interesting picture, but this way you can see Lincoln's "stripes" - and my Momma LOVES those floppy ears.

After a good long play (actually several good long plays and a little walk outside on our lawn), and a good meal (and subsequent going poo), Lincoln did what all dogs should. He flopped down at our feet, and snoozed... occasionally looking up at us with loving puppy-eyes, thumping his tail, then snoozing some more. Look at the little smile on Dad's face. He is very pleased.

Ah yes. This is actually an "old" picture from yesterday - Holden and I are fishing for whales in the puddle at the bottom of our driveway! We made this game up ALL BY OURSELVES while my Momma was busy gardening nearby.

Mommaaaaaaaah! I have a steering wheel in my nose!!!!

For those of you who have, at some point, been young, I am sure you are aware of the art of delaying sleep. You know, all those excuses you make why you are still awake, and are in need of parental attention? Well, I tell you. My Momma and Dad are tough cookies.

The following excuses DON'T work, and are inevitably refuted with refusal to comply, or the appearance of a very grumpy parent in the doorway of my room, telling me what kind of trouble I will be in if I don't sleep:
-Daaaad! I'm lonely! (-hug your sheep!)
-Momma! I'm thirsty! (-you had plenty to drink at dinner!)
-Daad! I need to go potty! (-you just went potty Mark, before going to bed!)
-Mommma! Somthing hurts! *the trick with this one is to come up with WHAT hurts BEFOREhand... haven't quite mastered this one* (-stop pinching/biting yourself!)
-Daad! I'm hungry! (-you'll have to wait until breakfast)

Anyway, you get the idea.

Well, yesterday I invariably stumbled upon a fool-proof method that not only caused my Momma to appear RIGHT NEXT to my bed RIGHT AWAY, but it also resulted in about 20 minutes of intense attention! And hugs! Take out your notepad and pen, and try it on your own parents:
-"Mommmmaaaah! Help! I have a steering wheel in my nose!"
My little Jeep had recently lost its steering wheel... and while trying to find things to do within reach of my bed that were NOT 'sleeping' I came upon it. As I explained to my Momma (following her question as to WHY I had put it in my nose), "I just wanted to see if it fits!" It took some 'top-down' massaging my nose from the outside, and lots and lots of encouragement and nose-blowing... eventually the steering wheel came out with a *plop* and a sigh of relief from my Momma.

Unfortunately, after this I STILL was told to go to sleep... and my Momma threw the glorious little steering wheel in the garbage. She just has no regard for a good delay-mechanism. No appreciation. And I am now officially forbidden to put car parts of any kids into my nose (as well as coffee beans, see previous blog post from several months ago).

Silly Dad, EGGS don't talk!!!!

My Momma and Dad are such silly-heads.

When I eat my multivitamin-gummy-bears every evening, they dialogue the bears' cries of distress as I chew them. It sounds about like this (in a high voice): "Oh no! Mark you big meanie, you just bit my foot off! Hey! Ouch! Help! He's eating me all up! Oh dear! Now I have no more head! Eeeeeh! Oh no! He's swallowing me! Eeeeek, now I'm in his belly! Help help! I'm turning into his blood!" (the "turning into my blood" part was my own interpretation of something I heard once about what happens when you eat... now my Momma and Dad use it, too).

Well, this morning I was eating pancakes, and didn't feel like eating my egg. My Dad cut it into a few pieces for me, and told me to eat a bite. Then he proceeded to make 'distressed-food-being-eaten' noises. Sheesh. He just didn't know anything. My comment: "Silly Dad, eggs don't talk!"


...and for those of you who simply can't do without pictures... here I am on Dad's lap watching him play the "monster-fall-down-game" (aka WoW).