Myron Harlan's Blog

Boats

2012-02-16T07:43:00.001-06:00

Myron has now entered the boat stage of development. He enjoys all aspects of boat life.

Boats at port….

Driving pretend boats…

And it is oh so much fun to watch them go (Myron watching a cruise ship from our hotel in Tampa).

Birthday Party in Florida

2012-02-15T17:08:00.001-06:00

The best parts about a birthday party in Florida…

CAKE….

and more CAKE…

PRESENTS…

ICE CREAM…

and DISNEY! (My conversation with Mary Poppins)

Myron turns 4!

2012-02-14T11:52:00.001-06:00

How is it possible that my baby is 4 years old. He is now officially a little boy. I can no longer call him, a baby, a toddler, or a little one. He is (and loves being) a big boy now.

One of the perks of Myron’s birthday is that Mama spent the whole day at school with him. He (and Mama) loved it. We started with some climbing and pretend boat play…

We then went on a little walk past the garden… (above Myron with Miss Ashley)

and then more climbing… we ended his school day with a special ceremony and bee pretend play.

Next came presents… and lots of them… he started with presents in CA… then a party in FL… and then more presents when we returned home. It was more of a birthday week than a birthday.

San Fran Saturday

2012-01-27T14:36:00.001-06:00

On this rainy Saturday we decided to take one last trip to the Academy of Sciences (before our membership expires).

A full rainbow followed us on our trip. Beautiful!

In the rainforest we saw huge butterflies… and one landed on Dada!

Myron’s favorite animals on this trip were the Cuttlefish and the jelly fish with blue polka dots.

Mama liked the Nautilus (pictured below).

After the Academy we typed “best parks in San Fran” into our phone and found the best one was only 200 feet away. There Myron climbed…

and climbed!

He enjoyed a cardboard slide

And then climbed some more…

Mama’s favorite quote from the trip: “Mama, did this wave die millions of years ago?”

(Myron riding the ‘wave’)

We ended our trip with a little Eel climbing and a nap. A good day in San Fran.

Christmas just keeps on coming…

2012-01-26T15:48:00.001-06:00

When we returned from FL… we had Christmas presents waiting. And I just open 2 more yesterday (thank you Kelly & AL and Ginnie & Tom – funny thing you both got him a flashlight and he loves them!).

Grandpa Schwichtenberg sent these cool Caterpillar trucks! They are rough and tough just like me!

Art!

2012-01-26T15:32:00.001-06:00

We arrived back home from the holidays with just enough time to put together my (some assembly required) art easel. I love it!

I am an active painter, drawer, cutter, gluer, art maker these days (more photos of my art to come).

Thanksgiving Surprises

2012-01-26T15:27:00.001-06:00

Okay so this one is a little out of order… but I didn’t want to forget our great 2011 Thanksgiving surprises.

We arrived at Greg and Linda’s just in time for Grandpa Schwichtenberg and Chevy to to surprise everyone! And they were surprised to see us too!

We also had a great visit with Aunt Debbie and cousins Andrea and Connor in Little Falls. I met them for the first time.

Christmas in Florida

2012-01-21T08:31:00.001-06:00

I found Santa just in time… and at the beach of all places!

“I want a Titanic, a pirate ship, and a garbage truck with arms like this” (holding his arms up like a fork lift). Myron was very good this year, Santa brought him 2 garbage trucks!

Spending Christmas Eve at the beach was awesome! My favorite parts were pushing around my Pirate ship…

and being buried in the sand! Although the water was cold!

We took in some holiday lights in Largo and then we got to open one present early – mine was a bobcat! So cool!

The next morning I was so excited I woke everyone at 7am Florida time (folks that is 4am California time) – I was excited!

I opened so many presents… my favorites were garbage bins and plastic rocks (yes, plastic rocks, go figure).

Then it was time to do some driving in Gracie’s new car! It was great, she love to ride, and I love to drive. We went for a drive everyday!

We also drove a big bicycle, we were great ‘drivers’… “go this way’'… “go that way”

Then Nana and I built an airport… I called it the Nana Airport then… but now it is Austria.

The next day we took a kayaking trip… Gracie and I were excited when we started… and tired when it ended.

I started in Dada’s kayak…

and ended in Mama’s. The water was calm and the weather perfect.

Our last day at the beach included a big hole (he loved that hole)…

…lots of rides on our beach cart…

and a beautiful sunset.

Presents

2012-01-12T17:59:00.001-06:00

Myron was really into opening presents this year… it didn’t matter what was inside the fun was opening!

open..

open… open… open….

and proceed to play with the box and Styrofoam.

(The titanic hitting an iceberg)

Tree Trip

2012-01-10T08:41:00.001-06:00

We did our tree hunting in the Sierra Nevada range this year.

A great hike and a great tree.

Home sweet holiday home.

Holiday Party!

2012-01-05T15:27:00.001-06:00

Holiday Party at Mama’s work was awesome! They had pirates, scuba divers, prizes, and surf boards!

Perfect

2011-12-21T12:34:00.001-06:00

In the car today. A song by Laurie Beckner comes on, entitled "I'm Not Perfect".

Lyrics: I'm not perfect, not I'm not. I'm not perfect, but I've got what I've got. I do my very best. I do my very best. I do my very best each day. But I'm not perfect and I know you like me that way.

Caroline: But I'm perfect.

Myron: Yeah, me too. We're perfect.

Thanksgiving Snow

2011-12-14T18:35:00.001-06:00

Our trip to MN included the first snowfall of the year – delightful!

To me the snow meant fun, shoveling, sliding, snowballs and so much more. To Mama and Dada I guess it means photo time… they spend the whole time (okay almost the whole time) taking pictures.

Best Friends

2011-12-14T18:26:00.001-06:00

This is me and my best friend Caroline. Sometimes I forget how great she is but most days we are happy as punch! (Mama is so proud of my tree hugging)

This is Caroline and I with her little sister Lucy… she is my favorite baby. I play ‘Lucy’ every night with Mama.

I love love love Lucy… sometimes too much.

2011-12-01T00:25:00.001-06:00

5x7 Folded Card

View the entire collection of cards.

Happy Fall

2011-11-15T15:37:00.001-06:00

Drawing

2011-11-15T15:14:00.001-06:00

Myron’s drawing skills are growing by leaps and bounds. This is the first picture he drew that resembles his intentions. Can you guess what it is?

Railroad tracks and a monorail track on the right side.

Daddy with arms, legs, hair, eyes, smile, nose and nostrils.

Airplane with jet engines.

Blue Spider

2011-11-14T06:45:00.001-06:00

For Halloween this year, I was a blue spider with polka dots and I loved it. The only thing I loved more was a visit from Nana.

Our first Halloween activity was Protected Path at my school. Nana dressed up like a web, mama as a bug, and dada a hockey player. They said we were a very interesting family. :)

The next day we carved pumpkins!

And harvested the seeds too!

The end result was some yummy seeds and some very fine jack-o-lanterns.

The night of Halloween included over 200 tricker treaters at our house and a night of spooky spiderness.

How I spend my days…

2011-10-26T18:34:00.001-05:00

My favorite days are Thursdays because I get to spend the whole day with Jenna and my BBF Caroline. But on Monday I fell asleep while Mama was in the shower and I got another whole day with them – yeahee!

We started our day with a little breakfast… and then a little doctor play. Poor Lucy, she had to get a shoot. I love my life-like doll Lucy. (For those of you who don’t know Lucy is Caroline’s sister)

Then I spend my afternoons (as Jenna puts it) “protesting wakefulness and pants”

And we end the day with some park play and more BFF giggles.

Halloween Costume

2011-10-07T12:37:00.001-05:00

Mama: Myron what do you want to be for Halloween?

Myron: A blue spider with flowers… and polka dots…

(He has given this answer consistently for two weeks now… I guess Mama is making a blue spider with flowers and polka dots).

Dragon Ride

2011-10-03T09:03:00.001-05:00

September was a very busy month for us. Florida, Disney, Amy, Ivan… it feels good to slow down just a bit.

We spent the last two weekends catching up on the little things… haircut (yes, way to short, again!), groceries, laundry… and of course a dragon ride.

Ivan and Co.

2011-09-23T17:20:00.001-05:00

Guess who came to CA? My best buddy Ivan!

We had a great time together… we visited Muir Woods…

My favorite ‘cave’ tree…

And our favorite beach…

Oh and he brought his little sister Delilah…

and his mama Amy too.

We made our fair share of mischief… but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Thank you for the great time Ivan (and Ivan's Mama and baby sis).

Florida

2011-09-20T16:26:00.001-05:00

We have arrived!

We started our visit with hugs and little practice surfing in Grace’s pool. I think I am pretty good at this… time for the beach!

Yeap…I am definitely good at this…

Grace preferred ‘hangin 10’ with AuntieOur favorite beach game was being buried…. Nana must have buried us 50 times… thanks Nana! The next day we went kayaking… and found our own island… fun! We did one more day at the beach… Put on my own sun block… and Mama and Dada did some real surfin.

When Nana and Auntie went to work we went to the Museum… I climbed like a spider… (yes, to climb like a spider you must stick out your tongue) Grace was really good at balancing the balls on air… I made a different game with the moving air… We also did a little state boarding…. and flying….And cog turning. My favorite parts were these larger-than-life cogs, the conveyer belt and the caves. In sum, a great day with my cousin Grace. Overall, I had a great time with Grace… I taught her how to use the potty and she taught me how to fix my hair. ; )

A trip to FL would not be complete without a trip to the Zoo.

We fed the birds, goats, giraffes, and felt the slimy sting rays. The next day we were off to Disney. We started our day with Downtown Disney and the T-Rex Café. Spooky and fun!

Our final vacation day was at Animal Kingdom. I met Minnie… and saw lots of Animals.

We ended our trip on a scary and sad note. Myron fell off Dada’s shoulders and landed head-first on the cement. He experienced his first (and hopefully last) ambulance ride, ER visit, and CAT Scan. Myron recovered quickly from the concussion and we ended our stay with a boat and mono-rail ride.

Grown-up Words

2011-08-26T16:32:00.001-05:00

Myron: Mama, what’s the word big people use?

Mama: What honey?

Myron: The word little kid’s can’t use.

(Pause)

Myron: I think I need it.

____________________________________________________

(Over dinner)

Myron: Is it chartreuse Daddy?

(Mama and Dada look at each other…. did our son just spontaneously use chartreuse in a sentence? )

Dentist Wiggles

2011-08-26T12:59:00.001-05:00

My first set of dental x-rays and watermelon flavored fluoride. Liked the x-rays… didn’t like the fluoride. “It’s doesn’t taste like watermelon, mama”

And yes, this is the picture with the fewest ‘wiggles’. Mama says the next time I go I get to watch a movie on the ceiling! I am very excited for this (but it makes Mama a little sad, two cavities to fill).

Bunny Gummy’s

2011-08-19T12:55:00.001-05:00

Six months ago we attempted to ‘bribe’ Myron with bunny gummy treats at swimming. He had a new teacher and was not following her directions, we explained “If you listen to the teacher, then you’ll get bunny gummys”. It didn’t work… so we dropped the ‘bribe’ tactic and just muddled through the new teacher transition. He is now doing great in swimming and really loves it.

This morning… (completely out of the blue)

Myron: Mama you need to give me Bunny Gummy’s today because I am going to listen at swimming.

Mama: Oh… okay….

Myron: Yeah… and you need to remind Daddy to bring the Bunny Gummy’s so that I can get them after swimming when I listen…

Mama: LOL

I guess the Bunny Gummy’s bribe did work (a little late)… and Myron clearly gets Mommy’s reminder roll ;)

More is better

2011-08-19T12:43:00.001-05:00

A tumble at Trader Joes resulted in spotted boa constrictor…

(Yes, Faux Martha I copies your title… it seemed to fit :)

Lost

2011-08-18T16:08:00.001-05:00

After nap time on Saturday, we lost Myron… We check his bed, he wasn’t there but he had clearly done some reading…

We checked the floor, he wasn’t there either but he had clearly done some readying, had snack, and used the potty…

We checked our bed… he wasn’t there but had clearly reenacted a tornado scene with the pillows and covers…

Dada checked the closest and he was no where to be found… we started to check the back yard… the gate… and just as we started to worry… Mama double checked the closet and found a scrunched up Myron in the corner… amazingly he did not wake up with a sore neck. Ah the adventures of nap time.

A Very Speical Day

2011-08-15T22:14:00.002-05:00

August 16th is a very special day... it's my Nana's birthday!

Happy Birthday Nana!

Love

2011-08-08T17:30:00.001-05:00

Myron: Mama, let’s talk about how much we love ourselves.

Mama: (smirk) Okay… I love you all the way to the kitchen.

Myron:I love you all the way to Papa and Grandma’s house.

Mama: I love you all the way to the moon.

Myron: I love you all the way to Nana’s house… and that’s pretty far Mama.

Summer

2011-08-05T15:33:00.001-05:00

Our summer in CA is going by quickly. We are enjoying lots of long bike rides, the state fair, and gardening. It has been unseasonably cool (only 90) and we are lovin it.

This is my fish print from the state fair. I painted the rubber fish and rollered it.

Our little garden is doing well. Lots of tomatoes and cucumbers. And for those of you wondering… yes, Myron is gardening in the nude… doesn’t everyone?

Rock Climbing

2011-08-01T14:07:00.001-05:00

It was only a matter of time… I am now officially a rock climbing enthusiast… really I just love the harness and the attention the girls gave me while I climbed… you know me anything for the ladies.

Bliss

2011-07-19T09:00:00.001-05:00

We were all set to Camp at Wrights Lake but they canceled our reservation due to snow pack (in mid July!). So we opted for a weekend at Bliss…. according to Mama it truly was bliss and a good decision.

Here are our camp views…

From the picnic table…

the fire pit…

and from inside our tent…

There are two great things about camping at Bliss… the beach…

and the hikes. We started with a little hike on Saturday.

This hike had lots of rocks to climb.

Mama said something about it being a blissful naptime too but I guess you’ll have to ask her about that… I slept like a rock.

The next day we did our big hike.

and 10 minutes into it I decided it was snack time…

but then we did some cave exploration…

took in some great views…

This view was one of Mama and Dada’s favorites.

by the end I was pooped!

and dirty! So we ended our weekend at Bliss with a drip in Lake Tahoe… it was ccccoooollllddd but I loved it!

Forehead Band-aid

2011-07-18T13:27:00.001-05:00

For those of you who missed it… I took on a tree branch with a hammer and lost. But I got to wear cool forehead band-aids for a whole week!

Mama turns 35

2011-07-18T13:23:00.001-05:00

Mama officially turned 35 on Sunday. She opted for a day at the beach, her favorite Muir Beach.

While there I did a lot of inspecting…. my requisite beach streak…

and the I flew the kite all by myself!It was a great family day at the beach.

Dinosaur Party!

2011-07-11T13:14:00.001-05:00

Mama and I celebrated our ages this weekend. I turned 3.5 and Mama 35. I love parties! Mama let out her inner Martha for this one…

We had dinosaur garland, hats, bags, napkins, plates, cupcakes, fossils and dinosaur eggs!

I spent much of the party with my new best bud Declan… we dug for fossils together…

and did several inspections…rode our ‘bikes’, jumped, hid, and ate cupcakes together!

I was very fond of my new magnifying glass… it even helped me find dinosaur eggs…

Inside the egg was a dinosaur too!

Thank you everyone for making the party sooo fun… I told Mama I want another party tomorrow.

July 4th

2011-07-05T16:28:00.001-05:00

We celebrated independence day with a parade and block party.

Both were HOT…. really hot… but that didn’t stop me from having a wonderful time! At the block party I made a new best bud, Declan. We started a Strider ‘Gang’ and rode all around the blocked off street, we also were partners in crime. Above you can see the watermelon quarters we snuck away from the watermelon eating contest… so sneaky… and so yummy. We also did donut on string eating, t-shirt painting, sticker and glue art, and ended it with a little fireworks fun. It truly was a happy 4th (for me, Mama and Dada said they ‘melted’, but they seem fine to me).

July 3rd

2011-07-05T16:21:00.001-05:00

Ah… holiday weekends… time to play… play … play…

We went to Muir beach and did some fossil digging…

Some kite flying…

I even helped launch it… but alas we did not have enough wind to keep it flying.

We spent the rest of our day running and walking in the surf, climbing ‘big’ rocks, and following a stream… I love Muir Beach.

We ended the day with Leo’s first birthday party in Sonoma. Happy Birthday Leo!

Rebecca & Peter’s Wedding

2011-06-29T14:34:00.001-05:00

Thanks to Roey we do have some pictures from Rebecca and Peter’s wedding. Thanks Roey!

Myron made a new best friend at the Wedding, Roey’s daughter Andréa. He is still talking about her. I guess beautiful energetic brunettes are his thing. :)

Dada made a friend too… (Rebecca I chuckle at how similar our husbands are… must be that good MN stock).

I drank my first can of pop at Friday’s reception, loved it!

Myron’s favorite wedding shot. He wants to know if the car has rocket boosters.

Mama’s favorite parts of the Wedding, catching up with Darci, Julie and her family, and Rebecca. A wonderful Saturday.

The concept of a recipe

2011-06-23T14:22:00.001-05:00

As we sat down to have a smoothy for breakfast…

Myron: I don’t want it to taste different.

Mama: Oh, does Mama’s taste different than Jenna’s?

Myron: Yeah, why is yours different mama?

Mama: Because Jenna follows a recipe.

Myron: Recipe makes it good mama… what’s recipe?

Mama: It’s directions on how to make something you eat.

Myron: Mama you need recipe!

(Just as I thought my son was joining the ranks of my recipe-urging friends….)

Myron: Mama you should buy recipe.

Mama: LOL…Oh, honey mama doesn’t need recipes I have all the directions right up here (point to my head)

Myron: (thinking for a moment) Oh, that’s good Mama… but I like Jenna’s head recipe better.

More MN

2011-06-22T16:37:00.001-05:00

A trip to MN would not be complete without a visit to see my great grandma Stender and cousin Erin.

I love my cousin Erin….

love… love….

LOVE!

We finished our trip with visits to see cousins Sophia and Briella and Rebecca and Peter’s Wedding but our pictures from these trips are…. a little soggy.

My day with Ivan

2011-06-21T14:33:00.001-05:00

While in MN, I got one whole day with Ivan (and his mama, and Delilah, and Mama, and Dada).

We started the day with smash’em bash’em eggs.

Then we explored the Little Falls Zoo (just my size).

We fed the donkey…

And played with the bear cubs… Ivan played…

I played…

And even Mama played with the bear cubs.

Then Ivan gave me a ride through a tunnel.

We then headed up to the cabin for dinner…

And ended the day with a boat ride. What a day!

Minnesota Days Part 1

2011-06-20T11:18:00.001-05:00

We arrived at Papa and Grandma’s just in time to play in the big black truck…

Then we took in a little of Mama’s favorite, the St. Paul Farmers Market. They now have horse rides.

And Dada took me on my first scooter ride.

Then we went to cousin Joshua’s graduation. I liked his blue hat and dress.

Then we drove up to Little Falls for Delilah's Baptism.

There were a lot of boys there and a lot of plaid.

Highlights from the day included playing parachute….

little park play… (like father… like son)

And oh so much fun with bubbled in the bath!

All this in just our first two days in MN. It was a very busy trip!

San Fran Saturday

2011-06-09T14:32:00.001-05:00

It has been unseasonably cool here so we decided to skip the rainy day at home and headed to San Francisco.

The Academy of Sciences is having a summer of slither… so many cool lizards and snakes there. This is an Agama (Mama’s favorite).

This was a wiggly water monitor.

The aquarium had an Eel that was interested in me.

“He’s blue Mama. That’s my favorite color.”

Myron was very into the fish on this trip. “This is a really, really, really, really, really, big fish Mama”

He also enjoyed the ‘little scientists area’….

“I’m making an inspection Mama”

The trip would not be complete without looking at my favorite water critter….

The sharks!

I slept through the Golden Gate Bridge but enjoyed our rainy day in San Fran.

Garden Days

2011-06-09T14:12:00.001-05:00

Our backyard had a transformation. The desk was ‘holey’ (literarily) so it was removed and now we have a little garden in it’s place. Bring on the summer BBQs!

River Ride

2011-05-31T19:08:00.001-05:00

This weekend I took my first ‘bike ride’ on the American River Bike Trail. (Myron is riding his balance bike, he is now fast enough for use to bike too).

That’s Mama in the background riding her bike ‘bus”. When my legs were tired I rode in there too.

Reading

2011-05-31T09:22:00.001-05:00

Ah a relaxing Sunday afternoon of book reading.

Yosemite

2011-05-23T15:51:00.001-05:00

Nana few in from FL and we were off to Yosemite. I loved playing with Nana and Yosemite was beautiful…

Are we there yet? Nope just a road side break… but still pretty.

We made it! But it’s a little chilly… little did we know what was headed our way…

The deer here are brave… very brave… one come so close to me that Dada Mama had to step in… a little scary but cool!

Views from our first campsite. That’s Nana and me across the river.

It was a cold night… and we woke up to snow!

Views from our second campsite.

But even with snow… it’s never too cold for Smores.

It was another cold night… but we all survived.. and the next day we hiked up to mirror lake.

I loved this hike…. and climbing on everything in sight!

Don’t worry Mama or Nana were always there to catch me when I was a little too brave.

We were mighty rock climbers!

So this is why they call it mirror lake…

Another cold night… so we decided to leave a day early… it rained and rained but that didn’t stop us from enjoying one last day at Yosemite.

Some of my favorite parts of the trip… nana, hot coco, and riding the bus!

On our last day we did a soggy walk through Happy Isles.

We still managed to have some laughs…

and seek out some adventure.

Bye Yosemite!

Our trip home was uneventful… we avoided the ‘chains required’ roads and mad it back just in time for bed.

Mother’s Day Weekend

2011-05-20T15:36:00.001-05:00

Dada was in MN so on Mother’s day weekend, I had Mama all to myself! We went to the Auburn Farmer’s Market and I made friends with an Emu!

We did some ‘rock’ climbing…

And I learned some first aid for up coming camping trip… (yes I am like my Dada and Papa, I like reading manuals).

Then Dada came home and We gave Mama her Salad Spinner… she loved it… and I did too! Dizzy toys are funny!

Barbie

2011-05-09T14:39:00.001-05:00

(in the car)

Myron: Look a convertible!

Caroline: Like Barbie!

Myron: Who’s Barfey?

Tree Climbing

2011-05-05T14:46:00.001-05:00

I climbed up here all by myself!

Now I only need to figure out how to get down without an injury.

He fell 10 seconds after this photo…. putting an end to his short lived tree climbing career. No worries I am sure he will try it again… and again.. and again.

Folsom Lake

2011-05-04T16:25:00.001-05:00

A little Sunday fun at Folsom Lake.

I wasn’t a very fast hiker…like to stop and dig in the trail…

a lot! And we learned (once again) always stay on the trail! Water in CA attracts snakes like poop-poop does flies.

This solved the hiking and snake issues… but created a new plumber butt issue.

Easter Week

2011-04-26T15:00:00.001-05:00

Easter for Myron was a week of fun. Three Easter egg hunts, bunny crafts, egg dying, face (arm) painting, toy shopping, an Easter bucket, and a fancy dinner. What more could a kid ask for.

Okay, I am ready for this egg hunting thing…

This is great… eggs everywhere!

These egg have chocolate!

I am not so sure about this bunny character…

Oh, you have eggs… well okay then, I’ll come close enough for a photo opp.

My first bunny.

Egg dying is great…. although the dye doesn’t taste as good as it looks.

Then I found my Easter bucket… I really like this Easter bunny thing.

We ended Easter with a fancy dinner… it was a wonderful day! (Flowers Mama picked from our garden.)

Lazy Saturday

2011-04-12T07:24:00.001-05:00

The days are warmer now and we enjoyed a great lazy Saturday of outdoor play, grilling and giggles...

Growing up in tough…

2011-04-11T13:42:00.001-05:00

“But, I don’t want to pick up all the “O's”. I only like dumping Mama”

Picking out my own clothes

2011-04-08T15:36:00.001-05:00

Myron has started dressing himself… somedays is he quite stylish….

and other days… we’ll this picture speaks for itself.

Like Dada

2011-04-06T14:23:00.001-05:00

Look like Dada – check, Act like Dada – check, Now All I need is facial hair….

Car Quote

2011-04-02T06:29:00.001-05:00

Myron: Jenna, you have two kids now.

Jenna: Yes, I suppose that is true. I have the baby in my tummy and Caroline.

Myron: And I'm your big kid. (quiet) Well, I'm AJ's kid but you just like to borrow me.

Paleontologist

2011-03-17T10:09:00.002-05:00

Filling the Rainy Days

2011-03-15T14:11:00.001-05:00

To fill our Raining Sunday we went BOWLING! I was very excited to go but when we were there it was just too many lights and sounds for me to handle. Maybe when I am bigger :)

Academy of Sciences

2011-03-03T15:13:00.001-06:00

On Saturday we took in the California Academy of Sciences. It was great! Guess what we saw at the entrance? I’ll give you a hint, it has little claws like this.

And roars like this!

We saw a real live fossil replica! I loved it!

They have a rainforest there... and one of the butterflies landed on Data and I. It was blue… because that’s my favorite.

They also had big fish… really big fish!

We touched kelp, starfish, and an anemone.

I drove the boat… and Data was a pirate “RRR matee”

Our last stop was the penguin pool and I got a new dinosaur book. What a day!

New Ride

2011-02-23T16:08:00.003-06:00

For Christmas Mama and Dada got a new backpack. One that can hold me! I love my new ride!

Dentist

2011-02-23T16:08:00.001-06:00

Myron arrived at his first official dentist appointment and the first thing he asks “Do you give shots here?” One of his books called “just going to the dentist” has a ‘shot’ scene. She reassured him they did not give shots and he went on his merry way. He had a great visit and on our way out, he approaches another little boy who just took a seat in the chair and told him… “They don’t give shots here” (in a very excited voice). The whole room broke out in laughter!

Then he went home and played dentist with Caroline and his babies. The babies went to the dentist with shots and he and Caroline when to the dentist with no shots. :)

Big Words

2011-02-23T16:00:00.001-06:00

As Myron grows he takes on bigger and bigger words… some successfully… and others… well here are some examples…

Myron: My boat has compellers (I think this a cross between computers and propellers)

Myron: I’m a tyrannosaurus rex and I have a mental toe (middle toe)

Myron: He is familyus? (famous)

Myron: I am a head butter shark (hammer head shark)

Myron: ganic field (organic fuel)

Muir Sunday

2011-02-19T07:06:00.001-06:00

The next day (of our Birthday weekend) included Muir woods, muir outlook and muir beach. I don’t know this Muir guy but I sure love his places.

We started with a family photo.

And then I showed everyone how ‘big’ the trees are.

Then we went to Muir Outlook… for some reason Mama always wants to hold me when we are out on the cliff (go figure).

Next stop was Muir beach… and we found a fossil!

And some chilly waves.

We end the day, watching the sun go down.

I ended the day tired but still ‘responsible, sustainable, adorable’.

and Frank too!

2011-02-19T06:49:00.001-06:00

The first present I opened was Frank (a combine tractor from the movie cars). We was with me the whole day (and still is a daily favorite!).

Frank opened presents with me….

played in the sand with me….

ate dinner…

and helped me blow out my candle.

And of course helped me eat my ‘smoosh cake’.

A Birthday for Grace and I

2011-02-11T13:51:00.001-06:00

Grace and I were together for our Birthday. We were the best of cousins on this trip (well, mostly). I turned ‘big boy 3’ and Grace turned ‘little girl 2’

We hugged (a lot) …

We ate cookies…

We biked…

Played in the sand…

and ate cake… what a day!

Dinosaur Logic

2011-01-27T14:55:00.001-06:00

Myron: Mama, I’m a tyrannosaurus rex.

Mama: Why are you a tyrannosaurus rex?

Myron: Because I like meat!

Dada is home!

2011-01-24T10:16:00.001-06:00

Dada returned from Austria on Thursday night. I was so happy to see him.

On Friday we had a special day just the two of us. We went to the Aerospace Museum! I loved it!

A jet engine!

Compliment

2011-01-19T12:37:00.001-06:00

Mama: Myron say thank you, she gave you a compliment?

Myron (looking around): Where’s the compliment?

Butt Funny

2011-01-17T13:52:00.001-06:00

Myron has now reach the stage in development when the word ‘butt’ is funny. “Mama you smell like butt” (laugh), “This brontosaurs is named butt” (laugh), “For dinner I want butt” (laugh). I don’t think mama is ready for butt funny yet :)

New Fish

2011-01-16T22:16:00.001-06:00

We have settled back into a semi-normal post holiday routine. Just in time for Dada to take his first trip to Austria for work. Myron is missing him… asking almost daily…”If I eat my dinner, will dada come home.”

Today we picked up three new fish, one to eat the snails (a clown loach) and two to clean the glass. Myron named the ‘snail eating fish’ “Chloe” and the the glass cleaners “Cucumber” and “Salty” (I guess he was hungry at the time).

New Years Eve 2010

2011-01-11T17:07:00.001-06:00

We started New Year’s Eve with present opening… everyone kept saying it was Christmas… the FL calendar must be different :)

My favorite in this round was a cement mixer!

Then we went out for brunch and went to the beach!

Kiki and I played together… giggled together… and

Kayaked!

Dada and I were great at paddling… but for some reason Mama and Dada were not as in sync. :S We kayaked over to honeymoon island and I had fun running around the sand dunes. I didn’t read the sign that said don’t run in the sand burr bushes… I ran in (with no shoes on) and cried until Mama ran in (with no shoes on) and then she cried too.

We stayed up late… made lots of noise at midnight and then crashed from a long fun day.

Christmas 2010

2011-01-10T14:32:00.001-06:00

I am a little behind but I’ll start at the beginning. My excitement for Christmas started with the tree and grew with….

cookie baking… and snowing…yes, snowing… I made it snow all over the kitchen…

and on Dada’s shoes.

Then we started packing for our big trip… I’m ready! But before we leave… it’s time for holiday music, random left-over food in the frig and presents!

My favorite presents (for this round) were the fire truck shirt and …

a digger!

We made the big hop to MN and our first stop… “Great Stender’s house”… and yes this is a picture of Erin, Jared, and I look (and smiling) for the camera – amazing!

The next day we made time for snow!

A toddler’s work is never done.

The next morning we did more presents! This time my favorite was the “real fire truck”.

We ended the day at Ivan’s house… I am getting tired just telling this story… and we’re not even done. Next we visit with Ria and Liam and then we were off to FL.

Our FL trip started with presents… I am really liking this pattern (airplane – presents, airplane – presents)

This present was a larger than life… digger… I loved it! (Thanks GG)

Kiki enjoyed new trucks too…

The next day we found a park… I drove the jeep…

and my digger of course!

A little boy’s dream…

2010-12-20T11:42:00.003-06:00

A man lift working in our front yard!

Ticker Bell

2010-12-20T11:42:00.001-06:00

“I love my tinker bell dress.” (pretending his blanket is a dress)

“I want to be fancy too mama.” (putting on make up)

Christmas Tree

2010-12-15T22:35:00.002-06:00

This year we went tree hunting…

I am ready!

Yeap, this is the one! And now we get to use tools… so exciting…

okay this was exciting but now I am done…

one nap later… it is time to decorate… Lights… a few candy canes…

Some special ornaments and…

Walala! Our Christmas Tree.

First Fishing Trip

2010-12-15T07:45:00.001-06:00

We ended our trip to FL with a little fishing. Myron was very excited to catch the “wiggly fish” and Mama was mortified to catch a wiggling sting ray.

Nana I walking out to the end of the pier for some fishing.

On our way out we saw a Manatee. So cool Nana now lives within walking distance of Manatees!

My first fish… a little scary.

Lowery Zoo

2010-12-01T15:32:00.001-06:00

During our visit to FL, Mama and Dada took me the Lowery Zoo.

Guess how we took this picture?

The zoo had all sorts of fun things… feathers… train rides…

goat brushing…

We ate lunch at a great restaurant with a view of giraffes, elephants and zebras!

At lunch, I made up this funny face…

and after lunch I fed the giraffes too…. (and I accidently took a bite of the giraffe cracker… it was yucky!)

Then we saw some turtles, manatees, alligators, flamingos, and…

ended the day with a little sting ray petting.

My Days in FL

2010-11-30T18:41:00.001-06:00

Florida was great! I spent my days…

driving front loaders…

eating ice cream…

splashing in the waves…

… building and castles and

crashing sand castles…

At Auntie’s work I even got to drive a real airplane!

Nana’s new house is awesome! It’s next to a big park…

Kiki and I loved it!

Kiki and I shared a lot on this trip, we shared smiles, swing rides, and some times shorts :)

More FL to come…

Disney

2010-11-25T06:01:00.001-06:00

It’s official, I am my father’s son. I love Disney! And just like dear old Dad one of my favorite parts was the monorail.

We did a short day at Disney and attended Mickey’s Magic Christmas Party with Nana, Auntie and Kiki.

We went on rides…

I saw my first 3D show…

ate ice cream…

watched fireworks and a parade…

and ate more ice cream. What a night!

Florida or bust…

2010-11-23T20:51:00.001-06:00

We are all packed… now we just need to get to Florida…

We arrived with only one flight glitch… I was so excited and so was Gracie (Kiki)… Nana has a fire truck I CAN DRIVE! I rode it round and round and Kiki went along for the ride.

And Nana has a real leave blower! I love it here!

Davis Farmer’s Market & the Rossi Family

2010-11-15T13:36:00.001-06:00

On Saturday we took in the Davis Farmer’s Market with the Rossi Family (David, Christy and Christopher).

We played in the leaves….

took a few airplane trips to ‘ordia’…

Posed for a few photos…

and took Clarence for a walk! (The hoodie you see me sporting is my new dinosaur jacket and I don’t go anywhere with out it these days)

Whale Climbing

2010-11-12T16:39:00.001-06:00

Jenna, Caroline and I took on a new park yesterday… and mama thought I was too young for whale climbing… what fun!

Making a Nest

2010-11-11T14:02:00.001-06:00

First you rake it…

Then you sit in it and peep peep like a baby bird…

And then Dada Birdie jumps in too!

Two-year-old words of wisdom…

2010-11-09T16:05:00.001-06:00

“When my tummy grumbles, I have throw-ups.”

“The bad guys are coming, one, two, three, four bad guys” (counting on his fingers – the first time I’ve heard him count to four!)

“Actually mama…” (did my two year old just correct me with actually?)

“Can we have edge bowls mama?” (Translation: Can we have vegetables mama?)

Myron now goes into the bathroom on his own (sometimes) and the other day he runs out excitedly …“I stood up like Dada!” … Mama was proud (and scared of what she might find in the bathroom).

“I’m going to ask Christmas for a lawn mower”

Remind you of anyone…

2010-11-08T18:02:00.001-06:00

Okay so I got my haircut… and they cut it a little too short… Do I remind you of anyone?

I guess I am not named Myron Harlan for nothin :)

Hint… hint…

2010-11-08T18:01:00.001-06:00

Myron has been playing with his babies a lot lately… is this some kind of hint?

Dada’s Birthday

2010-11-05T17:06:00.001-05:00

It was Dada’s birthday on Wednesday… I picked out a present for him and wrapped it all by myself!

Jenna made Dada a cake… so yummy…

I helped Dada fly his airplane (his present) and helped him blow out his candle and eat his cake… I love Dada’s birthday!

(P.S. Yes I am getting a hair cut soon!)

Pumpkin Carving

2010-11-05T16:54:00.001-05:00

Each year I get better at this… this year I pulled off the top…

scooped out the middle and…

drilled holes for Mama and Dada to carve.

Bird Feeder

2010-11-02T14:26:00.001-05:00

Myron made a bird feeder at Merry Garden. He was very proud of his feeder and was excited to put it in the tree.

The only problem …. the squirrels gobbled it up before the birds even noticed it.

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T14:26:00.001-05:00

This Halloween I was a lion… a lion with a cold.

I enjoyed the Boo at the Zoo but about all I could handle was about 4 tricker-treat stops and a loop around Lake Victoria.

Then I was pooped and we headed home.

Purple Tongue

2010-10-31T13:49:00.001-05:00

Mama and I made popsicles – what fun! The best part, the purple tongue!

Pumpkin Seeds

2010-10-25T14:46:00.001-05:00

It may not be a big deal for most people, but boy was my Mama excited to roast her first batch of pumpkin seeds! They were delicious! And the pumpkin was good too!

Big Trees State Park

2010-10-19T19:02:00.001-05:00

I like when they name State Parks things I can pronounce and understand. We went camping at Big Trees this weekend and they did have big trees and lots of things to climb! This was the stump in our campsite, so cool for climbing… and I did a lot of climbing on this trip. I climbed on stumps…

I climbed on fences…

I climbed on more fences…

I climbed on rocks (and yes this is as dangerous and it looks)….

Dada taught me a thing or two about climbing. Like how to climb backwards…

And how to reach the water with my hand instead of jumping in it…

While climbing a ‘cliff’, we saw a Masticophis lateralis lateralis or as Mama calls it a California Striped Racer.

We all enjoyed climbing by the river.

And not to worry, I did eventually find water to splash and stomp in…

But then I got naked van time… yipee!

Did I forget to mention they have big trees…

really really big trees.

And even while walking on flat land I did find something to climb (and yes that thing behind me that looks like a cliff is a tree).

Autism Speaks Walk

2010-10-13T17:45:00.001-05:00

We did a walk for Autism Speaks… okay Mama and Dada did a walk, I went for a ride and took a nap.

Surprise Visitors from Madison

2010-10-12T13:03:00.001-05:00

Britt, Dave and their new baby Gema stopped in to visit on Saturday.

“Gema is a baby, her head is fuzzy.”

Fat Lip #4

2010-10-11T14:58:00.001-05:00

While Dada was in Germany I decided to take on a tree. I believe this is fat lip number 4.

Mama said I looked cute today… but don’t I look cute everyday?

It was a great trip…

2010-10-07T16:13:00.001-05:00

Our trip to MN was great… we managed to see so many special people but still missed others.

For those of you we missed… don’t worry we’ll be back for the snow in December. I already have my snow suit!

Great Grandma Stender

2010-10-07T16:10:00.001-05:00

A trip to MN wouldn’t be complete without a dinner at Great Grandma Stender’s house…

with ice cream!

and Cousin Erin! I love her.

I wasn’t in the mood for posed photos… but they did manage to capture one.

But only one. (Mama, Myron, GG, Erin, Julie, Jared)