Taking the Penguin for a Spin on the Ice - My First Ice Skating Adventure

While many of our friends were traveling to celebrate Christmas, Nana and Papa took advantage of my time off from school (winter break) to come for a great visit.  While we always love having them, I decided that we should do something new with them (since it may be one of their last visits to DC for a long time).

A few weeks ago, we borrowed a book from the library called Ducks Skates.  We've actually borrowed the book before - it is a winter time staple in our house.  This year, Amelia kept asking questions about the ducks' new and special shoes (ice skates).  Every time we'd read the book (which was at least 5 times per day, because we like to read), she would say "Why Ducks put on new shoes," or "How Ducks do that (skating)?"

Finally Dad said, if you all are so interested in ice skating we should just go one day.  So on 12/25, while everyone else was celebrating Christmas, I had suggested that we go ice skating.  It turns out Mom used to take skating lessons and Dad used to take Mom every New Years Eve.  It also turned out that Nana had not skated in 20+ years (or so she claimed, because she was good). 

I loved Ice Skating - they had special shoes for Big Guys and Penguins for 1st timers to hold on to.  Also, they had a cool car that drove on and cleaned the ice!  I was mesmerized.  By the end of our 1.5 hour adventure, I could push the penguin away and skate to it.

My first steps on the ice were pure excitement and joy!

The family (minus Amelia), taking a spin on the ice

I told you we were mesmerized by the Zamboni

You can check out all of our ice skating photos here (including a little video of my first steps).

Peace out,
Phin

Hello Pennsylvania, Home to Chocolate Museums and Fun Rides!

Cold, cloudy, and rainy days typically limit the amount of fun we can have outside. So when some friends changed their plans with us last Saturday and the weather was only supposed to reach a high of 34 degrees, Amelia and I figured we would spend the day playing at the house or a museum. 

Little did we know, Mom and Dad had a back-up plan (really would you expect anything less from Mom - she probably had 4 back-up plans).  So we piled into the car and headed for Pennsylvania.

Did you know Pennsylvania has all sorts of cool things we have already seen (the Please Touch Museum, our Poconos Lake House...) and a lot of cool things we had not seen (A chocolate factory/museum, train museums, a caboose motel, an Ice Cream playhouse, a Harley Davidson factory, Lancaster, amusement parks...). 

So, we decided to knock a few things off the checklist... first stop: Chocolate Museum and gift shop.

 

Here we are outside the Hershey Chocolate museum.  They had a fun car ride that takes you through their factory, where you get to see and smell the chocolate being made!  They also have a floor that spins in a circle at the same pace as the ride.  Dad says it is so you don't fall coming out of the ride.  I just thought a moving floor was really cool.  Best part about the ride (other than the singing cows), you got a candy bar at the end.  So we rode twice.  It's the milk chocolate, Hershey's milk chocolate.  It's moo-tricious.

 

Some of you may remember my Halloween costume from 2012.  I like to think this trip was a long time coming.

 After the chocolate museum, we bundled up with extra layers - so many layers I could hardly walk (although it might have been the crash after the chocolate that kept me from walking).  And we headed to Hershey Amusement Park (right next door to the museum - so cool).  There I got to go on my first ever ride.  Amelia and I boarded the rainbow balloon pictured above.  It was so exciting, I could hardly contain myself.  I was giggling so much that I made mom giddy with excitement.  Amelia had a lot of fun too, she even smiled.

After the balloons, we drove some cars (pictured above), drove a couple of spaceships (one went really high), drove a helicopter, rode my first rollercoaster (Amelia was too small to come on), rode my first monorail, and drove a 'moon car' (as dad called it). I love amusement parks and so did Amelia. 

Dad requested that I add in a note that we stopped in Lancaster on the way back for an Amish dinner and to see some horses and buggies ride through town. 

Oh Pennsylvania, you are so much fun every time I come to visit.  Check out all of my photos from this visit here.    You can also check photos from Mom & Dad's last visit to Hershey and Lancaster (with Aunt Mimi).

I had a little dreidel, and I actually made it out of clay

Yeah sure, we all have dreidels.  But, how many of us actually made them out of clay.  As of this weekend, we did.  Yup, that's right, we made our own dreidels out of clay - just like the song.  I included some of the pictures below - but you can check out the album here.

Now our house is decorated for Hanukkah... we just need some Latkes, lit candles, and friends (and something Grandma calls sufganiyot).

Here I am gluing my Stars of Uncle David together.  I wonder what he did to have stars named after him.

 

Here I am making my dreidel out of clay!  I like making things out of clay; I am really good at smushing the clay

 

We also took a break from all the decorations to drive a tuk-tuk.  Here's Phin driving.

Also, a couple of days after initially writing this blog post, we received a cool set of tools for Hanukkah.  These tools are designed just for our smaller hands - a smaller, lighter hammer; a saw with an e-z grip handle; a sanding block; safety goggles; a level - which we are uncertain what you use it for; and a cool tool box.  Check out the photos of our tools here.

Lots of Love and Happy Hanukkah,
Amelia

Fall 2014 Photo Shoot

It has been months since our last photo shoot and even longer since we took more staged pictures with just the four of us. Looking back at these photos, you will notice a few things:

• Dad has less hair,
• Mom looks even more pretty,
• Amelia has actually grown (hard to believe, I know), and
• I became even more handsome.

Because it has been so long since the four of us sat for pictures - and because I did not want to be remembered by my terrible school pictures - I suggested that we take some family pictures.

Unfortunately, Mom scheduled us to take photos on the coldest day of the year (it was 20 degrees out).  After that situation flopped, we decided to try it again when it was 50+ degrees outside.  Better yet, I suggested to Mom that pictures would be more fun and easier to schedule if we did them with friends.

So this past weekend, we met Noah and Oliver down at the Railroad Track Park at the waterfront (e.g., Oronoco Bay Park in Alexandria).  The deal was, Dad would take pics of them, Anne would take pics of us, and I would just take random pictures.  You can see some of my favorites below and the rest of the pictures here (including photos of the Levy family, you can just skip over those).

Sitting in front of a brick wall on the railroad tracks

 

Down by the river

 

Laying in the grass, showing my inquisitive face

 

Hugs!

Peace Out,
Phin

New York + Nyack, or Bust!

A few weeks ago, we made a road trip to New York to visit our friends, see the sights, tour the family's homeland, eat peanut butter, and have some fun.  Dad said we needed to visit New York City and Nyack before we moved.  It was a great trip, but it was not without hard work.

 

 

Upon our arrived (after a prolonged, traffic-filled 7.5 hour drive), we were greeted by a melee of leaves covering the driveway at Brendan and Oscars (our friends who were just in DC a few weeks prior).  The next morning, Amelia and I were put to work - here I am raking and cleaning the driveway of leaves.  I was told I have a future in yard work, but I still am awaiting payment for my first job (not much of a future evidently).

 

Because I was never paid for my work and since B&O had to work (while I was on vacation), I decided it was time to have fun with the leaves!

 

Later that day, we went to an exciting playground with diggers, saw a damn, went to the Hudson river, and ended the evening by running around a big house like a crazy man! 

 

The next morning we woke up early and went to see the sites from Grandpa's childhood.  We visited the house he lived in while he was a Big Guy.  We went to bakery where Amelia and I picked bagels and pretzels right as they came out of the oven.  And we visited Hilburg Ct, a street named after us.  Although we could not find Phin or Amelia Ct, so silly. 

 

Oh, and I learned how to use the camera!  You can check out some of my photos as part of the whole NY Visit album.  The photo below shows me taking a pictures of Mom, who was taking a picture of me, who was taking a picture of Mom, who was taking a picture of me, who was taking a picture of Mom, who was taking a picture of me, who grew tired of Dad trying to be funny at this point.  I gave him back the camera and ran back to the car.

 After our Tour of Nyack, we celebrated by having a multi-course dinner cooked by Dad and a celebrity chef (not sure why Dad cooked, but maybe he learned something).  The next day, we woke up early and drove into 'the City.'  I have been in Washington DC a lot times (as well as St Louis, Boston, Milwaukee...), but it was nothing compared to NYC!  We saw cruise ships, an old aircraft carrier (with a Space Shuttle on it), lots of taxis and buses, really tall buildings, and about 10 Elmos walking through Times Square.  I had no idea Elmo and his Sesame Street friends panhandled and posed for pictures for money - I guess income disparity is worse on PBS than I knew about (probably from recent budget cuts). 

After a visit to the nation's largest toy store and Hello Kitty chasing us for several blocks, we visited the NYC Transportation Museum in an old subway station!  As you can see in the picture below, I drove the bus there.  Dad said he was so proud that we made it there without any accidents, but said I should have still stopped to pick up passengers (we needed the money for the tolls on the way home).  

 
After the museum, we dropped Brendan off and he caught the train home (lucky guy), while we drove back to DC.  Oh, I forgot to mention, we also ate lunch at a peanut butter restaurant.  Can you believe it, they have a restaurant that just serves PB?!  Oh NYC, you are so fun; maybe I can open a PB restaurant in DC or Portland.

You can check out the entirety our NYC photos here - including the ones I took.  Had I know what the school pictures would have looked like, I would have offered to take those.

Peace Out,
Phin

Worst Class Pictures Ever

I love my school.  I love the people in my class.  I love my teachers.  I love the new playground.  I love the activities that we do at school.  I love that they let me build trains and cars some days.  I love doing art there (I know, what a change from 2 years ago).  I love going to school and being a big guy.

But, I do not love having my picture taken.  And I do not love my class photos.  

A few highlights are shown below... there are many more terrible ones in the full album and a couple of decent candids (but nothing formal or really that great).



My class photo.  I cannot remember where I am going here (far left in stripes), maybe it was to check out the road in the background. 
How bad is this photo?  The teachers are not even looking.  In the subsequent photos, the class descends into chaos. 

Not sure why a photographer would even send this photo to the family.  Was this the expected reaction, "We have a lot of great photos of Phin, but what we really need are photos where Phin's face is obstructed."  I'm glad I no one else wore my orange and blue hoodie, otherwise we would not know this was me.   I told Dad not to complain too much, because I am smiling in this photo.

Bet you did not know we had such great, tall grass at school?!

Be sure to check out all of the photos (seriously, you will get a chuckle) from the 'professional' photographer school hired.

Peace out,
Phin

I'm a Big Girl (in case you didn't already know)

In case you forgot, I just wanted to remind you, I am a Big Girl now - not a baby.  Even though I'm a Big Girl, I still love hugs, toys, being silly, and crying really loudly for extended periods of time for no reason (I'm only two).  I earned my "Big Girl Stripes," as Daddy calls it, by sleeping through the night, wearing undies, sleeping in undies, and as of today having a Big Girl bed!  For today's nap, Dad removed the wooden side to my crib and inserted the foam bumpers.  Now, I can roll out of bed or get out of bed (which I know not to) whenever I choose!  It also means that I can use a Big Girl Pillow when I sleep, like Phinny (not pictured below).

 

Good bye diapers, changing pads, and bed rails!

 

Laying in my new Big Girl bed as practice

I'm so excited about my new bed!  We've been talking about it since our trip to Oregon.

Lots of Love,

Amelia Rose 

Pumpkin and Apple Picking with Our Neighbors

Last month, we rounded up our neighbors, the Driscolls, and went apple and pumpkin picking.  We love picking food and we do it a lot (it is a good escape from the City).  This time, we went back to the same place we went pumpkin picking when I was a baby (Hollin Farms).  Look how much bigger I am now, 4 years later.

They had pick your own potatoes, sunflowers, a corn maze, all the apples Amelia could eat (which is about 17 in one morning) and pick, and pumpkins!  When we get together with the Driscoll kids (either at our houses or in one of our courtyards), silliness and good times always ensures.  Dad likes to have the Driscolls over because when we play, we are all well behaved and quiet (something he says is rare; but, I'm always good). 

Regardless of what Dad says, we had a fantastic time, enjoyed some apples, got lost in a corn maze, rescued Mom from the corn maze, got lost again in the corn maze, rescued Mom again from the corn maze, got lost in the corn maze again, and were rescued and barred for life from the corn maze by Dad.  Oh, and we picked pumpkins and potatoes too. 

With Amelia, Audrey (the oldest), and Emma (the middle child) in front of a tractor.  Why?  Because it's a tractor and cool!

Digging our own potatoes.  I used a pitchfork and a shovel.  Amelia used a shovel that was as tall as she is

Hiding in the corn maze with Emma.  Bet you cannot find me.  BOO!

Using my binoculars to help Amelia find a pumpkin.  I think we were facing the wrong way.

We used the pumpkins we picked to make our Halloween Jackolantern.  We used the apples to make an apple cake - I made it nearly by my self (Dad measured the ingredients).  You can check out all of my pumpkin and apple picking (and MeMoo's apple eating) pictures here.
Peace out
Phin

Hapy Halloween 2014!

Happy Halloween everyone!
What a fun holiday.  People put out silly decorations.  We get dressed up and go check out their decorations.  People get really excited to give you candy and treats.  Then you rush home and share your candy (and fruit snacks) with people who knock on your door looking for candy.  I'm not sure who thought up this holiday, but thank you.

For Halloween this year, Mom and Dad made Amelia and I choose a family theme together. It's not easy agreeing with Amelia - she wanted to be a monkey and a pacifier.  I wanted to be a train.  Finally, we agreed on emergency vehicles.  I was a fire truck, Amelia was a police car, Dad was traffic light, and mom was a firefighter.  Someone called us the "Safety Family."  We were pretty safe trick-or-treating, so they may be right (we went out early, stayed on the sidewalks, and only knocked on doors with lights on).

You can see more pictures of our costumes and our carved pumpkin here.

Peace Out,
Phire Truck Phin

New Yorkers Invade Our House...Brendan and Oscar Come for a Visit

This past weekend, our friends from New York (Brendan and Oscar) came down for a visit.  Usually, we see them at the Poconos Lake House, so this was a special treat.  While Oscar was delayed by work, we did not let that stop us.  We took Brendan to the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum.  While there, we got to act silly, see a space ship, dress up as astronauts, and fly an airplane (see the pic below).

This was the scariest flight I had ever taken - even though we never left the ground.  Neither of us could reach the pedals or see over the instrument panel.  Maybe, I should have stood on Memoo's shoulders.  Next time I guess.


While a museum alone would have been enough to entertain our visiting friends, this weekend was also the bday party of my friend Noah.  Dad says he's my "bestie", but I'm not sure why Dad is making up words or calling Noah names.  Either way, the party was at the carousel at National Harbor.

Amelia was really silly at the carousel.  She only wanted to ride on the bench and not sit on the animals.  Here I am riding on a tiger... roar.

After the carousel, we got to ride on the Ferris Wheel - my first one ever!  It was cool, we were in glass compartments that went really, really slowly high into the air.  I could totally see my house from way up there!

You can check out all of my pictures from this past weekend here.  Right now, I'm busy touring around Portland... so I will let you know how that goes upon my return.

Peace Out,
Phin

Potty Training - Six Weeks In

Six weeks ago, I made the transition to undies... and I love it!  Aside from being able to show off my slender tush (without the poof of a big diaper in my pants), I love wearing Elmo undies everyday!

So far, everything is going great - I sleep in undies during the nap time and I keep my diaper clean during the night time.  Dad says that after we get back from Oregon, we are going to try sleeping in undies during the night time - so exciting, no more diapers. 

Here is an action shot from last week - notice how little my tush is without 3 inches of diaper padding.  We were sweeping all of the leaves into one big pile

 

Without a diaper, I can sit much more comfortably now.  Look, I'm sitting by a komodo dragon @ the zoo and am completely comfortable - I'm not worried one bit (aside from that look on Phin's face)

Lots of Love,
Me-Moo

Fall Camping! Back to Westmoreland State Park

After we went camping last time, I could not wait to go back to the same park!  I really loved splashing in the Potomac River, playing in the sand, sitting by the campfire, eating s'mores with Amelia, and sleeping in the tent.  

Finally, I convinced Mom and Dad that we should go camping again at Westmoreland State Park.  Only this time, we should avoid the poison ivy and invite some friends.  Surprisingly, many of my friends (really their moms or dads) were not interested.  Thankfully Abigail and her parents were up for it (although her dad had to miss out at the last moment to go be on tv).  

 Before camping, we made a stop at the Strattford House - the old Lee's of Virginia's homestead.  It was not interesting and the house was unattractive.  But as you can see from the picture above, they had cool branches and dead leaves.  I played with the branch while Dad finished the tour.  He said I did not miss much, besides the gardens - which were not in bloom.  Who has gardens without flowers?

 After touring the house, it was on to the beach!  I was warned that I was not allowed to go in the water this time... but I went in a little anyway.  Oops Mom (hehe, I'm trouble).  After playing for a few hours with our friend Abigail and her mom at the beach, it was time to go set up camp.

 Best part about camping (other than living outside), is definitely the s'mores.  This time, Dad let me roast my own s'more over the campfire.  It was fun (and smokey).  Dad taught me how to keep it near the fire so it will get toasty, but not catch on fire.  But, I did not listen and caught it on fire... Oops Dad (hehe, I'm trouble).  It still tasted great when I put it between graham crackers.  

That night was quite the adventure.  After a little more playing, Amelia and I went to bed.  After a few hours, Amelia started yelling for a long time - she's so silly.  Mom finally took her into the car and they "slept" there for the rest of the night.  Eventually, Dad coaxed me back to sleep... but I woke up an hour later and made owl, woodpecker, and lion noises all night.  Dad thought I was being silly and kept pretending not to hear me.  Eventually, he jumped across the tent and gave me a bear hug... we pretended to be woodland animals the rest of the morning.

After everyone woke up (if they were not still up from Amelia's midnight yelling), we ate breakfast and took a hike to fossil beach - where we found shark's teeth last time.  While I did not find any stray teeth, I did find this huge tree that washed on shore.  After many attempts, I was unable to return it back to the water.  Next time.

Oh well.  You can check out all of the photos from our camping trip here.

Peace Out, 
Phin

Happy Fourth Birthday To ME!

Happy birthday to me.  Happy birthday to me.  Happy 4th birthday, Phineas.  Happy birthday to me.

A few week back (Sept 20), we celebrated my fourth birthday.  While many family members said "it seems like you were just born," they are wrong.  I was born 4 years ago.  You can see how much I have grown - Here I am at birth, at 1, at 2, at 3, and now at 4.  Wow, I have really grown - I'm such a big guy now.

We had a great party for my birthday - all of my friends came (seriously all, there were 25 friends there + their parents + my family).  We had pizza, Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes, and an awesome under the sea show.  There was a shark, seahorse, crabs, snails... lots of cool stuff!

 In the photo above, I am check out the really cool giant snail.  He was bright orange.  While he hid in his shell most of the time, he did come out and waive his 'foot' at me.  Hi snail.

Here I am blowing out my candles!  I blew them all out - that means I will get to turn 5 (and get a wish). 

Birthday parties are so much fun.  We should have them more often.  Earlier in the month, we had a birthday party for my stuffed hoodie bear, as well as my stuffed Elmo (and Aunt Carol and Cousin Bibeth).  Later in the month, Amelia's Curious George and rainbow monkey had birthdays.  I love birthdays - so fun!

You can enjoy the rest of my birthday party photos here. 

Peace Out,
Phin

Mr. Bubbles Orange Green

World, say hello to Mr. Bubbles Orange Green.  You may call him:

• Bubbles
• Bubbles Green
• Mr. Bubbles
• Mr. Bubbles Green
• Mr. Green
• Mr. Bubbles Orange Green (his full, legal name).

Bubbles Green (as I refer to him) was adopted from the pet store last night.  Big thanks to Aunt Mimi and Uncle Wes for his house and rock garden.  Bubbles Green is an orangey-yellow Betta fish.

Bubbles Green gets to live in my bedroom on the top of my bookshelf.  He likes to eat blood worms (ewwwe) and some other gross looking foods.  He also likes to swim around and look out the windows of his bowl.  I have introduced him to my favorite stuffed animals.  And I read him a couple of books this morning.

Here is Bubbles in his cup from the pet store.  He got to watch us eat dinner last night. 

Mr. Bubbles Green in his bowl for the first time.  I got to pick out the orange plant to match Mr. Bubbles Green

Here he is watching me eat an early birthday cupcake from Barnes and Nobles (Thanks B&N)

Here I am playing hide-and-seek with him.  He's hiding behind his plant.

Welcome to the family Mr. Bubble Orange Green.

Peace Out,
Phin

ps- this is probably my last blog post as a three-year-old.

Elmo Undies Take 1

 Can you tell what's different in the 2 photos below, aside from the obvious vantage point, colors, location, outfits, angles...?

 

I'll give you a hint.  In one, I'm wearing a diaper.  And in the other I'm not.  Hmmm... 

 

 

 

 

 

The top photo is from Saturday, when Dad took Phin and I to the waterfront to feed the ducks.  The bottom photo is from this morning, when after days of nagging, Mom and Dad finally agreed to unchain me from the sogginess of wet diapers and let me wear Elmo undies.   I've only been using the potty without crying since Thursday (today's Tuesday) and I've never successfully told Mom and Dad that I had to use the potty before I went in my diaper.  But, I am persuasive (who could say no to me).

 

Halfway through the day... nothing is destroyed (yet).  But Mom makes me sit on the potty every half hour.

 

Lots of Love,

Amelia

 

PS - Today is Phin's first day of preschool for the year (in case you were wondering, which I know you were not).

 

A Story in only 8 Pictures

I wanted to write a blog using pictures - since I am still learning my alphabet.  So here is my attempt with a series of pictures Dad got while we were peach and apple picking this weekend.  I put a summary on the bottom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-------------------------
Summary in text:
1) I find a Peach I like
2) I stretch really far for the peach
3) I fail to get the peach
4) I clap my hands and ask for help
5) Our friend Max (he's 4 and taller), comes to my rescue
6) Max gives me the peach
7) I drop the peach
8) I give up on peaches and move on to apples

Lots of Love,
Amelia