The Big 5-0

Last weekend, we went to New York so Daddy could get a new passport. As our plane was taking off, Daddy asked Mommy how many flights I've taken. She didn't know, but they got out a pen and paper and started counting, and they realized that flight was my fiftieth. I don't know what the big deal is, because flying is old hat to me, plus I have no idea what "fiftieth" means, but my parents thought it was really cool.
While Daddy was at the passport office, Mommy put me in the portacrib and went to take a shower. Wasn't she surprised when I leaned over the side of the tub and greeted her with a cheery "Hello!" I didn't let on how I got out, but my parents suspect I jumped over on to their bed, which was closer to me than the floor, to which I say, maybe yes, maybe no.

Since Mommy was all wet, she didn't get any pictures of me climbing out, but she did catch me in the bathroom later, experimenting with the extremely loose toilet paper holders.


























After Mommy and I got dressed, we went to Washington Square Park to wait for Daddy. I was promised a trip to the dog park, but much of the park is being remodeled or something, and Mommy felt it wasn't safe to take me through the construction zone to get to the temporary dog runs. We tried to at least see the dogs through the fence, but it was not working out, so we went to the construction-free end of the park and enjoyed a snack of peanut butter cracker sandwiches. Then I tried to share one of my sandwiches with a pigeon, but I didn't have enough for all the pigeons who wanted to hang out with me, so we moved on to the playground to avoid getting pecked to death. This slide was the perfect size for me to climb up and slide down by myself. I also discovered I could run down the slide, much to Mommy's dismay.

After Daddy met us, we had a yummy lunch at Red Bamboo, where I ate bamboo nuggets, basmati rice, broccoli, and chocolate fortune cookies! MMMMM, I love fortune cookies. Then we stopped in one of the nearby parks (I can't remember all their names), where I hugged this seal.

I'm getting tall enough to hold on to handrails and to take at least some stairs by myself. See?

We stopped at Jacques Torres to warm up with some cinnamon hot chocolate and some orange hot chocolate and, for me, chocolate milk. They had the biggest stuffed animals I have ever seen in my entire life in there!

After a whole day of playing and walking around, I was ready to unwind with some dinner and some funny face-making with Daddy.
The Holiday Inn Express on 29th has the best hotel breakfast ever, and on the first morning I sat at a table like a big boy and ate french toast and bananas, but the second morning we were all pooped, so Mommy brought our breakfast upstairs to us. The desk was too high for me to eat at - until we pulled out the lower desk drawer.
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I don't really remember Valentine's Day from last year, but I have learned it is a great day. I got all this mail, addressed to ME, like a card from my Oma and Ono, and another one from my Grandma T. My Nonna gave me this cool backpack with my very own sleeping bag inside. Part of it is green and covered in frogs, and part of it is purple, which is currently my favorite color. Or at least, it's the color I can best recognize and pronounce thus far.
My parents gave me some Valentine-y Little People, and my very own DVDs of Elmo and Bob the Builder. I love Elmo and all that, but I am completely mezmerized by Bob the Builder. He can fix it, yes he can!

Hugs and Valentine Kisses to all!