Two-Minute Christmas

It's my understanding that a lot a parents wait in anticipation for Christmas morning. But parents aren't all a flutter about their own haul from Santa. Instead, parents get excited about seeing the look on their kids' faces as they notice the tree has basically exploded with pretty papers and ribbons. And the reason I understand this is because it happened to me last week. 


Admittedly, I was not prepared. This is, after all, only my second Christmas, and I don't really remember the first one. (I might have slept through it.) Luckily for me, Mom filmed the whole thing, and with a little direction I eventually got the hang of it. Here's a snippet of me being pretty non plussed about the whole thing. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to study my hours of unedited videos so that I'll be better prepared for next year.

Happy Holidays!

Greetings and good wishes to all my friends and family this holiday season. 

I hope I get to see you all again in the new year.

Adventures in Suburbia: Fabricated Snow

Greetings readers! I hope you are all staying warm and toasty in the winter season. Of course, it is a little easier to stay warm and toasty when you live in H-town. I only just started wearing my puffy coat to school! And this weekend it was so warm outside that I only needed a sweater and a hat on our usual Saturday morning playtime in the park. I was ready to swing and slide my heart out, as usual, but when we got to the park it was totally different. The hills were covered in snow! Apparently, snow isn't very frequent in H-town, so to help celebrate the holidays the nice people at the neighborhood association went out and bought some snow for the local kids. And there were tons of kids! Mostly they were older than me and running around, and slipping and sliding, and crafting big balls of snow that they were launching at one another. I was kind of stunned and just stood there taking it all in for a long time. 

But with Mom and Dad flanking me, I made it through, even when some snowball shrapnel hit me in the face. Did I cry? Absolutely not. Did I even budge? Not even. Eventually I mustered enough courage and made it to the swings. Good times. Then we ate some catered holiday sandwiches. Very good times. I got really tired and freaked out when Mom tried to put me on some random guy's lap. I mean, he had on a pretty stylin' red velvet suit, but come on Mom, I don't know this guy from Adam. We started home, but on the way I got distracted by some super cool bikes. Can you say vroom, vroom?

Special thanks to Grandma and Grandpa for my matching hat and mittens. I got lots of complements from the moms.

From the Archie Archive

Mom rediscovered this video tidbit from a couple months ago when we were in the midst of moving madness. Sharing it with you is just my way of saying Happy December!



Special thanks to my Auntie Nora, who gave me the Orioles onesie featured in this dance number.

Adventures in Suburbia: Pinecones

Pinecones from Archie on Vimeo.

Gobble Gobble

Happy belated Thanksgiving everyone! I had a pretty great day yesterday. Even though it wasn't technically my first Thanksgiving, it sure felt like it. In the morning I watched some of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, and I think we were all a little surprised by how much I loved those Broadway dance numbers. The outfits, the choreography, the music! It sure put me in a celebratory mood. Then Dad and I went to the park for some play time while Mom set up shop in the kitchen. There were kids everywhere, and I climbed up a jungle gym and slid down the twisty slide all by myself! After my nap, Mom put me in my fancy shirt and off we went to meet up with old friends, make new ones, and give thanks to our good fortune by stuffing our faces. 


To all my friends and family, you are my fortune. I give thanks for you.

Green bean casserole? Mmmm, casserole!

Mmmm, toys and new friends!

Farewell, Sweet Friend

Along with feeding, clothing, cleaning, and snuggling me, Mom and Dad have taken it upon themselves to teach me life skills. Take for example the apparently important skill of Knowing When to Leave a Party. (Given some of the stories I've overheard, I'm not entirely convinced that this is a skill they themselves have mastered, but I digress.) 


On Thursday Mom and Dad made a tough call. After several months of extra pets and keeping a careful watch, they decided it was time for Nikki Kitty to leave the party. I know they hope that this difficult decision has saved our friend from additional pain. We, on the other hand, are left to feel that the house is a little more empty and has a little less love in it since she's gone. 


Thank you, Nikki Kitty, for being my companion and helping to take care of me even before I was born because you loved my Mom. Thanks for teaching me the joy that a pet can bring into someone's life, and that animals deserve to be cherished as well as respected. I'll miss you.

The Five Stages of Moving

Can you believe it is November already? Where did October go exactly? I guess mom packed it up with all the other odds and ends and forgot about it. The transition to our new house has certainly kept us busy, but we're finally moved in. All these changes have been a lot to cope with for a young lad like myself. I've heard the adults call what I'm going through "an emotional roller coaster." Let's take a closer look, shall we:


First off, we've got bargaining, which is then promptly followed by a touch of despair.

But don't worry readers, that sadness is then channeled into high-pitched elation. (Check out my teeth, by the way. There are seven of them in there!) And then I mellow out into a state of acceptance.

Finally, we have what some may deem the most crucial state of all; hunger. It's pretty much what all my emotions eventually resolve into.

Anyone out there want to share their cheese stick?

Boxed In

My mom has been pretty preoccupied in the evenings, focusing all her attentions on wrapping our worldly belongings in paper and then putting them in huge cardboard boxes. I'm not entirely sure what's going on, but I'm starting to get a little worried that she's forgotten I exist. So I've come up with a plan to remind her how helpful I can be.

The Amazing Ever-Changeable Archie

I'm learning and processing so much new information about my world every day that sometimes I wake up and I know new stuff and it seems like magic. Presto! This is my favorite soft toy! Presto! This is where my books live! Presto! Drinking my milk bottle is the last thing I eat before I get to get out of my chair and run around some more. And sometimes getting out of my chair doesn't happen in as timely a fashion as I want it to, at which point I perform what is to date my greatest feat of transformation: From this...

...to this. Voila! Thank you, thank you. I couldn't have done it without my parents. And for my next trick...

School Daze

This week I started school. Well, actually, it is more like day care but mom and dad call it school. And I haven't fully started. I'm what they call "transitioning," which means I go in for increasingly more time each day throughout the week. 


So far so good! I'm meeting lots of new friends. There are five other kids who are the same age as me, and all the teachers are nice, and I get to walk around and explore all the new stuff. So far, I've found a little plastic shark that I like to chew on and some jingle bells. But my favorite item by far is this set of practice stairs. I love climbing up and down these steps over and over again. And since there are only three steps, my mom doesn't freak out about me falling. It's a win-win!


One of the older girls is pretty cute, so I'm practicing my courting moves. What do you think? Maybe she'll let me take her back to my place for a juice box.

Whirling Dervish

I'm home again from another whirlwind trip to visit my Nanna and Pop Pop. I also got to spend time with lots of my friends in DC and Baltimore. I was so busy with adventures that I didn't have time to see everyone, but I sure did get around.


I went on lots of walks with my Nanna around the neighborhood and in her beautiful garden. And I spent one day exploring DC until I crashed out on the Metro.

I went for my very first bike ride with Pop Pop, then pushed the boundaries of fashion as I waited for my first visit with our awesome dentist.

On the plane back home I got my very own big boy seat. What a trip! I barely kept still, except when I was sitting. I'm kind of dizzy from all the new things I did. 

Hmmm. Now that I think about it, maybe this is why my head is spinning...

Bonus Post: Baby Dinosaur

Mom says these pants make me look like a baby dinosaur...ROAR! (Said pants featured prominently in previous post--roar!)

What she doesn't realize yet is I am a baby dinosaur. ROAR! Witness my path of destruction.

New Tricks

Today is the oldest I've ever been. Luckily for this salty old dog, age is not necessarily synonomous with maturity. I've been having a super fun time figuring out how my body works and all the new things I can do with it. I'm definitely walking better, and running too (either after Nikki Kitty or away from my parents).


Here's something I just discovered I could do, so I've been doing it every chance I get. 

It's good to approach things from a different perspective every once in a while. You never know what you'll notice...or what fun you'll have!

Before & After: Cupcake

August is almost over, and what a month! Mom and dad and I went back to Baltimore to celebrate a very special occasion--my birthday, of course! I got the best birthday gift ever: spending the day with heaps of friends and relatives. I'm such a lucky guy.


Our neighbor, Judy, brought over an amazing gift that she made with her very own hands: a giant cupcake just for me! I actually didn't know what a cupcake before my birthday. Why?! Why, I ask, would my parents keep this delicious sweet treat a secret?

Hmm, maybe I can see why I don't get to eat this every day. What a mess! Thanks everyone for coming to celebrate my big day, and special thanks to Judy for the cupcakes and auntie Jess for being my official photographer!

Hot Pursuit

My innate talent for directing alternative, budget films emerges...directing or thievery.

My Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades

People, this is serious. A week from today will be my very first birthday! I know mom and dad a planning a little fete in my honor. They haven't said anything to me about it specifically, but it is hard not to notice all the scraps of colored craft paper flying around the house these days. I'll still look surprised of course, but now I have some time to plan my outfit. I was testing these sunnies out the other day.

What do you think? Are they party appropriate? After all, I don't want to look too excited and spend all my cool points in the first few minutes. This way I can maintain a little mystery, at least until I get my first birthday kiss. Eeeee, I can't wait!

Busted!

Busted! My lip, that is. Please don't be concerned; I'm quite alright. I took a bit of a spill exploring the bathroom. I mean, there's only a limited time during which I'll be able to fit around the back of the toilet, so I just had to check it out. It turns out that my balance isn't great yet, and with all these new teeth coming in, well, it's just like 1+1=2, right? 

Mom got pretty freaked out for a while. But even in the panic of my bloody face she was still worried about getting blood on my shirt. Priorities, mom! 

Kissyface

We got some great news last night. My Auntie Katherine gave birth to a baby girl. Welcome to the world, Jane! I'm practicing my kisses for you.




Open mouthed, of course. Didn't you know that I'm part French!

Hot Fun in the Summertime

Me and mom went to a nearby playground yesterday to test out my new walking skills. I'm not gonna lie; I fell down a lot. It is hard walking on uneven ground, and my mom made wear shoes. I much prefer to have bare feet, well, bare everything, really, but dad says those pictures aren't appropriate for the blog. 

Can you tell how rosy my cheeks were getting? We were only out there for 20 minutes before I started burning up in the sun and humidity. Mom had to scoop me up and put me back into the car toot-sweet. Oh, colorful jungle gym, we shall meet again soon, my love!

One Small Step for Man

One small step for man...is one big deal for babykind. Look at me go! 





I'm so excited about my new independence. I can get almost anywhere now! Sure, I fall down a lot, but mom and dad say that it's ok because everybody falls down some time. Then they hold my hand and help me get back up again. Every explorer worth his salt needs a trusty assistant, and I've got two! Thanks mom and dad for being brave with me as I start my new adventure.

Holey Moley

Oh my gosh! There are holes in my nose!

And my finger fits them perfectly!

The Rare Half-Naked Pea-Eater of Baltimore County

Hello again, loyal readers.  It has certainly been a while since my last update. Well, me and mom are back at home with dad now, and I have finally recovered from my jet lag. What an amazing time I had in Australia! It was so great meeting all my family; I miss them so much already. I've been reflecting on my visit to the Land of Oz a lot since I've been home, but more on that another time. 


While I was gone I did a lot of growing up. Mom and dad keep saying how now I'm like a little boy, and not like a baby anymore. Just to prove them right, the pediatrician gave us these stats during our recent visit. Weight: 18 lbs 14 oz (25 percentile); Head Circumference: 17.5 in (25 percentile). That's not bad, but you may want to sit down for this next statistic. Height: 29.5 inches...drumroll please--that's the 90th percentile, people! If you know my mom, then you know that's pretty amazing! Of course, there's a lot more to growing up than numbers; there's maturity. Oh, and there's also motor skills. Check this out:

Food tastes so much better when you feed yourself! Am I right?

Before I sign off, I want to send out a special thank you to all my friends who checked in on me during my jet lag hiatus. Thank you! I'm back in the blogoshere, baby! 

Wake Up Maggie

We have lots of daily routines here at my Nanna Doreen's: playing in the garden, watching soap operas, having a cup of tea and a biscuit in the aftenoon. And every morning all of us are greeted by the sound of magpies singing to us from the back steps. My Nanna goes out and hand feeds them little slices of sausages, and I get to help. It's a special thing we do together, and I get so excited that I start kicking my legs and try to jump out of Nanna's arms so I can touch the birds. At first this made the magpies really nervous, but I think throughout this last month we've built up an understanding: I don't grab for them, and they don't bite my fingers. I sure will miss them when we leave for Sydney tomorrow.

Bye bye maggies. See you next time.

These Are Not the Droids You're Looking For

Ummm, so, I have to admit that I don't really understand this post. My mom made me write it and kept giggling to herself about it. Knowing her and my dad, I'm guessing I need to channel all my super geek powers into decipering its code. Much geekiness has been genetically imprinted on my brain, but where oh where to begin?