We often use pockets to get Buddy to put his binkie away. This strategy has mixed success, but he has learned to really like pockets. This morning, I found him standing with both hands in his pants pocket.  So cool…and yes, He loves his Harry the Dirty Dog shirt and I don’t have to tell you why. Note the Johnny Tractor socks. They don’t fit but hey, they have tractors on them which is always an easier sell than grey. 

Just kidding…I’m back and Buddy is better than ever, but no promises of novel flash and style for this blog. I have a new phone and waded through some WordPress muck and am ready to be a responsible purveyor of Buddy pics and stories. 

Harry’s lately been speaking in complete phrases, counting to 13, and refining fine motor skills. “Mine” is a fun addition to his vocabulary, and more pleasant is his tendency to sing to himself. Row Row Row Your Boat, the ABC Song, and the Elmo Song are popular.  

He still loves sweeping, being outside, and reading. He loves donuts, chocolate and pasta. He’s not into veggies and so the battle begins. 

As for pictures, I will start back in the Spring…
For Easter this Spring, we had quality family time and then joined Katie and Jake for Greek Easter last weekend. It was hosted my a gracious family renovating a gorgeous old Victorian home. This wallpaper is a remnant of the past but a lovely backdrop. 

We were in Macon for a couple of weeks in the Spring and time with family was priceless. Many memories and an event I hope to recreate. Easter came close on the heels of returning home to NJ, so chocolate abounds in our home. Harry has the most loving family both close by and afar. We are so thankful!

Dowdell Easter – This was Erics sweater!

Greek Easter   
Time in Macon with Meme and Papa!! Love it!!!! Love them!!!              
Cousins Jake and Lily came to visit!!   

I feel the need to apologize for not having posted in…well, forever. Then again, I am reminded of the popular mantra to working mothers: You don’t have to apologize all the time. So then I start to wonder: to apologize or to not apologize? I am sorry, that’s certain. But should I say that I’m sorry? I don’t know, but suffice it to say: BlossomBlooming is on hold for a bit.

I have an old phone, and it’s totally maxed out on memory & storage, and pictures, videos and blogs take up LOTS of those things. I have been trying to rectify this situation since early December – because I wanted to have phone for the holidays, from which I haven’t posted the first picture!!! I won’t bore you with the ridiculous details of why I still have no functional phone, but I don’t. And until then, I won’t be doing much posting, as I don’t really have videos and pictures!

But as a short verbal update: Harry is AMAZING!!! 18 months is such a great time of life. He is working on his colors and shapes and numbers. He loves Sesame Street and his broom and looking at pictures. He is minorly obsessed with doggies. He reads books by turning the pages and notating whether there is a doggie on that page. So books now read: “Doggie; no doggie; no doggie; no doggie; no doggie; DOGGIE!!!” The same goes with pictures on the phone or in an album or frame. My favorite though is when he’s face timing with Meme and Papa and keeps trying to swipe the screen to get the doggies back into the scene. Loves doggies, this kid.

At his 18 month appointment, he was still tall and skinny. His pants fall off of him, so he’s started wearing a belt. A belt for an 18 month old?!

He went sledding a couple of weekends ago and had a blast. He squealed with joy and insisted on more until we were all exhausted. I should really try to download a few pictures / videos from this afternoon. It was enough to bring the brightest smile on the gloomiest of days, and at the least make those of us north of the Mason Dixon line appreciate this incessant snow a smidge.

Sampling of words:
Doggies
Sunshine – Eric’s favorite of his words
Harry
Gogo = Yogurt
Night, night
Bath
More & all done
Please & thank you
Move – I don’t know where he learned this but we are trying desperately to turn this into “excuse me” – as in “Move, Daddy” is so rude! “Excuse me, Daddy” is so cute!
Tissue – Because he has a runny nose 37% of the time
A zillion animal sounds and names
Colors and numbers 1-10 – Yellow is my favorite
Main body parts
Main family members, including doggies Abbey and Pucci
Classmates & teachers
Sesame Street characters – My favorite is Grover which is pronounced (frofro)
Mickey
Socks and shoes
Off
Tractor
Milk
Pasta
Ball
Remote
Phone
Pictures
Diaper
Potty
Stinky – Makes me giggle every time
Baby
Binkie – Of course
And the ubiquitous: No!

Until later….

Before I post about Thanksgiving…

Buddy got his first haircut two weeks ago. He did great! And looks so handsome. Rat tail no more. And no, we do not style and gel his hair daily…or ever but apparently that’s the mini fashion in NJ.

E and I are town shopping in hopes of buying in the Spring. We will be renting month to month, so we are hoping to be able to be patient and find just the right home sweet home for our family. So every weekend when we have a chance, we visit a nearby town to get a feel for a Saturday or Sunday in the area. There are several great options for us, and last weekend we found one more amazing town: Westfield.

Buddy behaved so well at lunch and had a great time in the park. He enjoyed the swings and the slide. He can slide all by himself!!! Loved it!!! He knows “more” sign language and kept asking for more slide.

He also has this amazing radar for doggies. He kept making the woof sound and pointing. We couldn’t spot a dog until finally I noticed one on a porch pretty far away. He has such an incredible attentiveness for certain things. It’s amazing. And yes, Bud and I are practically begging E for a dog with the new house. Begging.

Buddy also chased the squirrels and made friends. It was a delightful afternoon. He even stayed awake on the way home with the help of animal sounds and Sesame Street Christmas!

Eric is trying to get Bud to count. He’s ambitious. It’s pretty hysterical when he says “Buddy, say ‘one.'” And Bud says, “two.” But he can’t say one or three. Drives E crazy. But he still insists he can teach our 16 month old child to count.

But in E’s defense, he did elicit the first “I love you” last week!!! Will try to capture on video. His little “iuuu” is my favorite thing ever!

Buddy practicing his dinosaur for Halloween!!

Buddy has the best sounds these days!! All kinds of animals, as I have mentioned. The latest is choo choo train! Uncle Dan will be so proud when he visits at Thanksgiving.

We ventured apple picking last weekend. When we arrived, the line for the hay ride to the orchard was eternal. And then we learned that you had to first wait in line to get a hay ride ticket and afterwards, there was another very long line to buy the apples. Sheesh. Needless to say, with our active 15 mth old, we gave up on the apple picking and diverted to pumpkin picking, donuts, and apple cider. Mmm.

The thing is that our life has made that transition we have been waiting for since his first classmate started walking (ahem – 6 mths ago): when he just wants to run around and explore everything he can get into. He also enjoys making friends, saying “hi” and “bye” to everyone…and everything…even his stuffed doggie, Spot, and binkie. Eric tries to explain the concept of not greeting inanimate objects.

Buddy’s really amazing at his animal sounds these days. He has lion roar, bear growl, cow moo, duck quack, dog woof, and even horse neigh. He has elephant too but I don’t know how to spell the elephant sound.

The tricky thing is that he still uses mama and dada interchangeably. Isn’t that strange?? He acknowledges the difference between a duck and dog but not between me and E?!? So odd. I’m crediting strong team parenting.

Here are some pics of Buddy and the pumpkin patch. Photo creds to beautiful Aunt Katie, who we seem to never get pictures of!

Last weekend, he started walking more consistently but still wobbly.

By this weekend, he has it mastered enough to use his lawn mower. He has been waiting months to be stable enough to walk without putting weight on the mower and toppling it over. Now, it’s his favorite thing. So proud!

I know, I know. It’s been a month since I posted!! Where does the time go? Well, I know where the time goes: to this bundle of happiness:

Will post more later, but here is Buddy playing with his little cars.