The Summer (???) of Milo Marches On

I am love-love-loving The Summer of Milo^TM, but whether it's actually summer is highly debatable. I am still wearing fuzzy pajamas most nights, for pete's sake, and this morning I'm wearing my devastatingly stylish new sweater Daddy brought me back from Peru on top of my fuzzy pajamas (see picture at right). I don't want to complain; I hear that in another month (or two), even my ankles will be sweaty, but it's hard to imagine.

Despite the chill, I am making the most of The Summer of Milo^TM. I have been busy with trips to New Jersey and Michigan, visits to G.G., swimming, wagon rides, and adding about a hundred words to my vocabulary each day (or at least so it seems). Some of my newer, more complex, and frequently used constructions include "I coming!", "Where are you?", and (Mommy's favorite) "Hey! More juice!".

Since we've been so busy, I'm a little late on making this post, so there will be a ton of pictures. Mommy says she is busier now that the school year is over, which doesn't make much sense to me, since she is home all the time, plus she has me to help her. I think the real issue is that she is a little mopey now that this season of American Idol is over. Whatever the reason, she is helping me post now, so let's catch up, shall we?


My parents were folding laundry when I absconded with Daddy's soccer jersey. He graciously let me wear it.

In our hotel in New Jersey, I watched Curious George on TV, which is not uncommon - I just wanted you to see what I look like with my hair combed before I start tearing around and my hair starts to look like an old mop.

We rode the train to Manhattan for lunch. I slept through lunch, though, and when I woke up, my parents gave me my lunch in the park next to the Cathedral School, where I chased pigeons and a white peacock.


I got to go to Russ and Cory's wedding the next day, and Russ read me "Inside, Outside, Upside Down," one of my very most favorite books.

Back at home, I have gotten so tall that I can now see right into the knife drawer (yikes!) and can peek into the silverware drawer on the top. My parents did some rearranging, but I do like to explore, so they explained to me that the bottom drawer, the one with all the leftover containers, was my drawer. Since it was mine, I decided to make the most of it.


I have been super into my barn and animals lately. I also ask my parents, "What cow say?" and then I answer for them ("Moo!"). I also like to quiz them on sheep, pigs, chickens, and dogs. If I keep working with them, I'm sure they'll learn eventually.

Last Saturday, I met my friends Dyan and Greg under the Detroit-Superior Bridge to tour the lower bridge where the trains used to go. I wore my train engineer's hat and scarf that my grandpa gave me, although I prefer to take off my hat to show it off, so Mommy had to put it away for me. I loved it all - Greg, Dyan, trains, bridges, the river below, riding in the wagon. It was an awesome day.

I've been to Ikea a bunch of times, but my nonna had never been, so Mommy and I took her to the one near Detroit on Memorial Day. Toward the end of the day, I got really tired of shopping and screamed at the top of my lungs until I got them to get me out of there, but for most of the day I had fun hanging out with my girls and checking out the toy selection. Because I love to count, Mommy bought me my very own abacus, with which I love to play. On the way home, I got bored and started screaming again, so I was given a napkin, which I happily spent an hour tearing into hundreds of very tiny napkins.


I went to go see G.G. and my beloved Bailey was there. We were ecstatic to see each other and played drums together as loudly as we could.

Daddy got back from a little trip to Peru yesterday, and after we picked him up from the airport, we wanted to go play, but it was cold and windy outside, so instead we went to Great Northern Mall, where I played in the big corral they have for kids and climbed over the rides. Here, I was riding Bob the Builder's tractor and having a little chat with him. My parents thought I might be ready for an actual moving ride this time, so they put some quarters in the tractor and he rocked a little and sang the Bob the Builder theme, but I'm not sure what the big deal was. I just like climbing up and then off the rides.

It's library day, so I have to go take a nap now so that I feel good when I go. See you later.

Back In The Saddle

Hello, my peeps! I'm happy to report that I am no longer sick and am, in fact, 100%. Maybe 110%, I'm so full of energy. If you see me coming, watch out, is all I'm saying.

The Summer of Milo^TM is officially in full swing. Here's how it commenced:

I got Mommy this chocolate sucker for Mother's Day. She thought I was so excited because I was giving it to her, but I was just excited to have this much chocolate in my possession! As soon as she unwrapped it, I went to town on it. I couldn't help myself. Hey, at least if you are what you eat, then I'm a guy who loves his mom!

To celebrate me getting well, we went to Edgewater Park to run around. We picked up some pizza (I liked the garlic sauce/fresh tomato kind best) and Nonna brought an apple cake and we had a breezy picnic by the lake. Then I got to run as hard as I could and also pick dandelions.





I am so into shoes; I guess I take after my parents that way. I have been trying for a while to put my parents' shoes on, but it's hard to do when your feet are so much smaller than the shoe. Finally, though, I've figured it out, and I've been stomping around in their shoes all week.

Now that the Summer of Milo^TM is here, I'm not going every Thursday to G.G.'s any more, and I've been missing her, and Bailey, too, so yesterday Mommy took me over for a visit, and I had sooooooooo much fun!

Mommy and Me

Happy Mother's Day to all the mommies out there! I'm being extra-sweet to my mommy today by giving her extra hugs and kisses, and tonight after Daddy gets home, we're going to take her out to dinner.

I'm feeling pretty good today, but I've been sick ever since I woke up Wednesday morning. I don't really like being sick. I've needed to be cuddled up to one or both of my parents 24/7 to help me feel better. I felt so bad, I would periodically sigh and tell my parents mournfully, "I sick!" So I haven't done too much this week, but I do have a couple of pictures for you:







I found the camera and wanted to take a picture, so Mommy helped me take this picture of Daddy:

I stopped by to see my Oma as she was getting off work, and she gave me some great kisses:

We went shopping for summer shoes, and I got these cool shark ("SHAKES!") sandals, and then Daddy found a hat with sharks on it, too, and thought I needed it. Here I am, in my shark hat (you can't see the sharks, but they're on the top) and my shark sandals (the sharks are on the soles) and my kukuxumusu shirt I bought in Barcelona a couple of years ago, when I was like four months old, with the oil chasing the tomato, and my snazzy plaid shorts, and my giraffe folding chair, all ready to go to a neighborhood cook-out:

G.G. informed my mommy while I was sick that Blue's Clues is my favorite TV show; my parents didn't know it, because we don't get that show on our TV at home. So yesterday I got a new DVD ("DDD!") with Blue and also Dora and Diego and some of my other favorites from G.G.'s house, and I love it so much. When I woke up this morning, I asked for milk, and then I asked for Blue:

Once I got a little Blue fix, I was ready for breakfast. Here I am, counting (!) my bananas. Really. I love, love, love to count!

Since it's Mother's Day, here are some pics of me and Mommy when I was younger:



I have to go get dressed now and brush my teeth and all that stuff. I felt too bad to brush my teeth for a couple of days this week, and - PEE-EW! - was my breath yucky! I have some catching up to do!

Getting All Old School On You

People around here have been remiss in capturing my fabulousness in pictures this week. I don't want to name names - but I could if I wanted to, because this week I've learned my parents' names, the ones besides "Daddy" and "Mommy". But I digress. I just have a couple of new pictures this week, from my 24-hour jaunt to Newark and New York for Daddy's birthday. Daddy had a meeting there Thursday, and Friday was his birthday, so Mommy and I flew to meet him Thursday night to celebrate. My personal highlights were playing with some new animal toys in the hotel room and swinging in an amazing oversize swing at Riverside Park. Tune in after those pics for an explanation on how I'm going old school.





So the thing is, I started this blog when I was about 7 1/2 months old. My life ever since has been fairly well documented, but the early days are kind of hazy for me. My solution: feature occasional flashbacks of the original highlights here on this blog. Accordingly, I present "My First Bath(s)"!

The first sponge bath was terrifying! I was all exposed and cold, and I was getting dampened after I had just gotten dried out from being submerged for nine months. NOT cool.

Lucky for me, Nonna was nearby. She wrapped me up in this towel that I think used to be my cousin Johnny's, and things were a little better.

Then, just when I was getting to the point where I could at least tolerate the sponge baths, they put me back in a whole dishpan of water! I was visiting Nonna at her old place in Florida when my cord finally fell off, and this was my reward???

Oh, the indignity of the kitchen sink bath and the coffee cup shower!

I'm happy to report that baths have gotten much, much better.

*****

On a final note, I've posted a new poll (near the top of the sidebar to the left) for your consideration. I love musical instruments of all kinds, and my parents keep wondering aloud which one I might want to focus on and eventually start lessons for. I'd like to give my input, but I'm not sure myself. What do you think?