SNOW!!!

Since we've moved to Reno, we've already gotten snow at our house twice! The first time was just a light dusting that melted away pretty quickly. However, just this last weekend, there was a great storm and we got loads of it! The whole neighborhood turned into a winter wonderland. It was really pretty....and really cold! Grandpa T was here to experience it with us. Here are some pics in front of our house:
I love the snow, really.....I'd just rather enjoy it from afar than in my socks.

Grandma and Grandpa O's house, which is at higher elevation, got even more snow! We went up there to do a trial run smoked turkey in preparation for Thanksgiving coming up. Mommy should have gotten some pictures there too, but she didn't :( Hopefully, there will still be some good snow there when we go back for Thanksgiving this week and she can make up for it.

Go Wolf Pack!

A couple Saturdays ago, I went with Daddy, Mommy, and Uncle Colin to see a collegiate basketball game for the first time. It was UNR versus Montana, and we were cheering for the Wolf Pack. The Wolf Pack had a rough start, but ended up with a great victory (final score 81-66). I LOVED watching the game! I could hardly peel my eyes off the court. Mommy and Daddy were shocked I was satisfied sitting still for so long. I enjoyed it so much, I could hardly stop talking about it throughout the following week. A couple mornings, I woke up and exclaimed among my first utterings "Wolf Pack! Basketball! Uncle Colin!" I'm so excited that Grandpa O has season tickets so maybe I can go see another game soon! Go Wolf Pack! Hooooowl!

I Graduated!

I graduated to level 2 in swim class on Thursday, 11/11. In order to graduate, I had to show that I can go under water for 10 seconds, cling to the wall for five seconds, and kick my legs to the satisfaction of my instructor. To celebrate my graduation, I got to ring a bell while everyone clapped for me. I also got a commemorative ribbon. What a long way I've come from crying throughout swim class to the salty swimming veteran I am now!

P.S. Kudos to Grandma Linda for capturing my graduation on camera!

21 Months Old

The leaves are changing and so am I! I am able to communicate very well now. I'm even starting to say some complete sentences. I also know my colors, letters, and numbers 1-10 pretty well. I love to jump, sing, dance, swim, play tea party, play with dollies, play with the Talking Tom kitty-cat application on Daddy's iphone, look at pictures, search for frogs in our garage, and spy on wild horses in our neighborhood. Whenever we see a wild horse out, I say, "Horsie - so cute!" I've also become a philanthropist. A couple weeks ago, Daddy was having a cookie treat, and I offered to hold his cookie for him. "Daddy, I hold your cookie?" Wasn't that sweet of me?

Some of the other cute things I say include: "blow bubbles," "Dada blow bubbles too?," "I fall right down," "kiss it," "yeah, ok," "choo-choo train," "bouncy house," "I tooted/pooped!", and "Dada on airplane - zoom! zoom!"

Please click here to see a video of me singing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeCxZXJayFQ

To see an online album with loads of pics from my 21st month, please click here: http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/sharing/shareRedirectSwitchBoard.jsp?token=261574492408%3A204653074&sourceId=533754321803&cm_mmc=eMail-_-Share-_-Photos-_-Sharee

Trick or Treat Talley!

We had lots of Halloween fun this year. We visited two pumpkin patches, attended a raging costume party, carved a pumpkin, and then for the grand finale, we went trick-or-treating in our neighborhood.

Below are some pics of our Halloween festivities:

At the first pumpkin patch, I got to go wild in a bouncy house, ride a choo-choo train, and ride a pony!

Click on this link to see a short clip of me on the choo-choo train:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fZtsD1z-Wcv=7fZtsD1z-Wc

At the second pumpkin patch, I got to see all sorts of cool farm animals and go on a hay ride.

(Please pardon the lack of hay ride pics. They didn't come out as Mommy hoped. Mommy felt she was having a bad face day. Fortunately, I can't relate to that.)

The costume party was put on by the Moms Club that Mommy joined. There were loads of mamas, toddlers, and babies in awesome costumes. I dressed as Minnie Mouse. Mommy used Baby Brother in utero as a prop and wore a chef's hat along with a shirt that had an oven with a bun in it.

(The black backdrop shots are pretty cool, heh? Mommy was in charge of setting that up and she's very proud that she made the pennant banner flag all by herself. So crafty!)

Halloween morning, Daddy carved our pumpkin for us. Mommy and I took care of the pumpkin guts.

For Halloween evening, Grandma and Grandpa O and Uncle Colin came over to see me in costume. Grandma O also came along with Daddy, Mommy, Pookie, Bubba, and me for some trick-or-treating fun while Grandpa O and Uncle Colin passed out candy at our house. (Yes, Pookie and Bubba went trick-or-treating with us! They wore adorable matching pumpkin costumes.) Click here to see a short video of me right before I went out for my first trick-or-treat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzZt-IYN0Gw

It was so cool knocking on doors and ringing bells to be greeted with compliments and candy! I think I'd like to go trick-or-treating more often. At the first house, I walked right in the door after I got my candy. I didn't realize I was supposed to leave after I did my trick-or-treat. Apparently, Daddy made this same mistake when he went trick-or-treating for his first time. I also got a bit of stage fright when it came to performing my "trick-or-treat" line, or as I say it, "Cookie Treat!" I felt more comfortable saying it after the door was closed and we were on our way. It's ok, Minnie Mouse is allowed to change the rules up a bit.

Click here to see an extensive collection of pics from all of this year's Halloween festivities: http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/sharing/shareRedirectSwitchBoard.jsp?token=461574492408%3A641105810&sourceId=533754321803&cm_mmc=eMail-_-Share-_-Photos-_-Sharee

Family Hang Time at the Casinos

After we got back from our trip to Cali, Grandma Linda, Me-Ma, and Papa Sugar came to Reno for a few days. They have been coming out to Reno for an annual mini family/friends reunion around this time for many years now. We met up with everyone in the evenings for dinner at the casinos. After dinner, we hit up the Midway at Circus Circus to watch circus performers and play games. Below is a pic of our whole group:

Top row: Carol, Uncle Harold, Grandma Linda, Me, Daddy, and Gordon

Bottom row: Me-Ma, Papa Sugar, Mommy, and Carl

And below are just a few more pics from our time together:

It was wonderful seeing you all! Thanks for coming out to Reno! I love you and I miss you already.