Birthday, Birthday......TURKEY

What a crazy two weeks! As of Thursday, November 20th, I am now officially a big boy 1 year old, and as of Thursday, November 27th, I'm now the proud experiencer of TWO Thanksgivings (well, a lot more if you count the three straight days of thanksgiving this year).


Me and mommy-mouse!


mmmmmMMMM!


My cake and cupcakes

My birthday was super duper fun, even though mommy (and daddy, shhhhh) cried for a week straight about how much they missed little baby Cohen. I got to celebrate for a whole week with all kinds of goodies and fun trips, but the best part was on my actual birthday. Mommy stayed home from work all day with me just to play! And at night, we went to my birthday party and all my favoriteist people were there, including all of my grandparents, aunties and uncles, and everyone else I could imagine! Tough job working a room of 30 people, but I think I definitely showed some skills.


Chewin on a bear and looking at a fire truck - yup.

Me and Reese with Miss Karla

Presents Presents Presents!

It took a little work, but me and mommy convinced everyone to wear Mickey Mouse ears so that we could have a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse party. I think everyone had a lot of fun, even though daddys ears looked more like a yarmulke or something. Just when I thought the fun had reached it's peak, mommy and daddy put a super tempting mickey mouse cake with fire on it in front of me, sang to me, and then actually let me eat it! I mean, usually they tempt me and then tell me no, but this time, they didn't!

Sid the Kid! I love Penguins

Dad! you gotta try this!

Post cake - notice the bluish tint?

While I didn't want my birthday to ever end, I have lots of memories, pictures, and meaningful presents to remember it by.....especially the memory about how food coloring does WEIRD stuff to the human body, inside and out! (you thought I was getting sappy, but then I went gross!)

Just doing some shopping

Me and Auntie Maeggie - she's going to be a big star!

Among other things that week, I got to go to a play called "Class Action" that my Auntie Maeggie was in at her school. Mommy and Daddy (amongst others) were scared that I might make a bit of noise, but I actually really enjoyed it and didn't make a peep except for the appropriate audience participation moments. I have to tell you - Auntie Maeggie was GOOD! I was so proud of her - I can't wait for her next effort. Can you do "the Lion King"?

Reese's birthday - she has the same birthday as me

Me and Miss Karla again

Driving Reese's toys - nice ride

A few days before my birthday party, I got to go to my friend Reese's house for her 2nd birthday. She has the same birthday as me, so I really enjoyed the party but it definitely made me excited about my own party. We got to decorate (read: eat) cookies, eat cake, and I even got to see Miss Karla again! Reese has a little brother named Dawson - he's only about 4 months old but he's coming to my school soon and we're gonna be pretty good buddies, I can tell.

Meeting my twin cousin - Scarlett

Thanksgiving was super fun this year too. I don't remember last year's thanksgiving cause I was only two days old, but I remember that mommy and daddy were both sick, and daddy's car got broken into that morning, so I think this one was bound to be my best ever! I got to spend time with all of my family over the course of a few day span which always makes me the happiest.

Just sitting in a shopping cart - no biggie

Me and my twin cousin Scarlett

Mimi doing her octopus impression to feed us

Of special interest was the fact that I got to meet my cousin Scarlett this weekend. Her mommy is actually my mommy's cousin who lives in Virginia, but for the sake of clarity, I'm going to call her my cousin. She is only about a month older than me, and since Emma and Eden are twins, I decided that me and Scarlett should be twins, especially cause we do a lot of the same things. She's pretty cool. I also got to meet my aunt Meghann for the first time - we definitely bonded! She and uncle John thought it was especially funny when I kept saying "Donald Duck" all weekend - old people are weird. I hope I never grow up.

YUMMMY!

I pose so well, but those other kids are real prima donnas

Anyways, my Thanksgiving weekend was straight EXHAUSTING, and I'm still partially recovering from it. I plan to get some random pics from last few months up when I get a chance, but hit me up with any special requests. I'm now a walking, talking machine!

Love you all!

Home after a long weekend - whew!

Trick-or-Treat?

Well, Happy Belated Halloween, or as I learned about on Handy Manny, "Dias de los Muertos". I had tons of fun this Halloween season, but as you'll see thru pictures, my costume schedule was a little intense, and I'm definitely ready for some down time before the next 3 major holidays: my Birthday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.



Me and my cousins


Sometimes you need to just sit around on a pumpkin

I got this at Glamour Shots

A few weeks ago, mommy and daddy, and Auntie Jess and Uncle Josh took me and my cousins to the pumpkin patch. I found the concept to be confusing at first because I thought that pumpkins grew in those big cardboard boxes placed outside of grocery stores, but it turns out they actually grow in a field, so this was a place people go to pick them. Would have really helped if I had watched "The Great Pumpkin" BEFORE this little trip, but oh well.

There was a Haunted House in there - "I ain't scared"

I had to explain the difference between punkins and squash to mommy

Me and daddy looking at the chickens - cluck cluck

The pumpkin patch day was a ton of fun, cause we got to see carved pumpkins, a (not-so) haunted house, some chickens (ironic considering I had chicken strips at lunch immediately following this adventure), and we got to pick our VERY own pumpkins out of the field. Now, I was a little impaired by my big puffy jacket, but as soon as we got out there, I was so glad mommy was smart enough to put me in it and I felt bad for doubting her just cause it was sunny.

Me and my oldest cousin, Emma

Wait - there's 2 of you?!?

Hi Mr. Pumpkin. Can I take you home?

So, I feel like I should probably use this space to talk about our upcoming national holiday, which happens to be the 2nd greatest day EVER (trailing only November 4th, 2008 - need I say more?). It's my birthday of course! Me and mommy have been working tirelessly on my Sweet 1 birthday (not quite the same ring as Sweet 16, but it'll catch on), and the details are coming together nicely.

A lot of people have asked what kinds of things make good presents, and that's a tough question to answer because 1) I hate sounding so self-involved as to discuss my wantings, and 2) I have a lot of stuff. I have heard mommy telling people that while always welcome, I really don't need much of anything in the way of clothes. I also know that I seem to be at this age where new toys with different shapes, textures, sounds, working parts, and colors interest me, but who knows what that means. I have heard a cool idea of instead of giving children birthday cards, you give them a favorite childrens book with a message written inside. And while it's not as exciting now, Mommy and Daddy are pushing cold hard cash that can be used for Get Credits (http://www.get.wa.gov/) because what better for a kid who has everything than preparing for higher education? Either way, I hate writing this, but figured it might be helpful. Back to the regularly scheduled programming!

Pumpkins!

Auntie Jess luggging around trouble and trouble

Doesn't everyone want to ride a pumpkin?

I want a ride!

Perfect. Thanks!

Who would've thought twin pumpkins would be so hard to find?

One weekend, me and mommy did an art project for all my grandparents. Daddy seemed a bit skeptical when mommy brought home finger paints and markers and said "we're gonna have art time!", but I think he changed his roll when he saw how much fun we were having. I got to draw and paint on pumpkins, then trace a ghost using my foot, and put it all together. I'd like to think that my art will be worth something some day.

Draw draw drawwww!

My fingers are turning blue!

Wonder how this stuff tastes?

Body art

So this year, out of chance, sillyness, and fun, I got to have 3 different halloween costumes, and you better beleive I sported all 3. Mommy bought me an extra furry bear costume which I wore to my more classy events, but I also had a Ninja (smock?) that I wore around quite a bit, and it turns out that my Batman pajamas are quite costumey too. I didn't do any door-to-door trick or treating this year, so I practiced my Halloween beliefs over the course of two weekends, three grandparents houses, one office building, and the hearts of anyone that saw me.

What? You've never seen a bear playing piano?

Halloween campfire - I'm a bear - seemed natural

Smarter than your ave-a-ridge bear

Check out these claws!

On the weekend before Halloween, we made the southern grandparents trip (ok, that makes them sound a bit red neckey) and spent Saturday with Grammy hanging out at her house and going out to lunch and to the toy store, and Saturday night with Grandpa and Grandma. Auntie Maeggie had a pumpkin carving party and a bonfire, so I got to show off to all the other kids.

na-na na-na na-na na-na BATMAN!

Ninja's like fruit snacks too

On real Halloween day, daddy took me into the office and I got to trick-or-treat from a bunch of people that I don't really know, but it was fun. Then we went to Mimi and Papa's house for Halloween dinner, and I got to have a nice night with my family. Overall, I think I could get use to this whole people give me candy concept.

Gotta go for now - gonna drive south again to see mommy's aunt Amy and uncle Dale with Mimi and Papa, then see Grandpa and Grandma and Auntie Maeggie, then see Grammy and Great Papa, and then finally celebrate Auntie Shanlee's birthday. It's tough being a family man, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Me and Brady - he was a penguin