Moosetta Stone...

Greetings and salutations,

Well, I am officially one week into my phonics foray. I suspect that my initial endeavor ("gogurt" as most of you may recall), which came on the precipice of Thanksgiving, went electronically unrequited in favor of family gatherings. This, of course, is to be understood. However, the latest advancements simply cannot be avoided. Over the past seven days my vocabulary has multiplied by a factor of thirteen! Interestingly, roughly half of the aforementioned words have two syllables. And (drum roll please...), I even mixed in a sentence for good measure.

The genesis and meiotic development of my speech has been a process for me. For a period of time I was considering sending away for that Rosetta Stone jazz that Aquaman (i.e. Michael Phelps) was pitching. Yet, given my inherent work ethic (Thanks, Mama!), I elected to persevere on my own steam. While against my entrepreneurial nature, I guess that is one sponsorship deal that will fall by the wayside. On the other hand, maybe I could launch my own product for my peers. Moosetta Stone has a marvelous ring to it.

In any event, the truly outstanding results are listed below. I hope you share in the delightment of both Mama and Papa. They are absolutely relishing my development. Mama commented that it is like meeting a new person every time I learn a new word or gesture. Also, you really should take in my latest parlor trick first hand. When supper time rolls around, I grab the ol' bib and slap it around my neck. Not half bad, if I do say so myself. How else does one expect me to keep this healthy figure to which I have grown accustom? Well, here is Carter Sherman's Top 13...

Dog

and finally...

Dada and Mama

In conclusion, I would simply like to tell Mama that I hope you feel better soon. I know that Baby H2 can be ornery at times, unlike me. But regardless, please know that you are a fantastic Mama, and I could not ask for more.

Carter

Somone in heaven is always looking after me...

Bifidus Regularis...

Greetings and salutations,

On the eve of one of one of the greatest dining experiences of the year (i.e. Thanksgiving), I thought I would share a bit of delight in my life. And what better medium than my world-renowned, or at least household-renowned, blog.

Now, please allow me to set the stage. Mama and Papa have been working diligently to help me to formulate entities known as "words." As you all might recognize, I seem fairly well adept at structuring these "words" in a print format. These grammatical concoctions essentially flow from my fingertips as eloquently as Dickens or Melville. Wait, probably more like Matt Christopher (But who does not love Return of the Home Run Kid or Touchdown for Tommy?). Regardless, words emanate from my fingertips far better to date than then seem to roll off my lips. Clearly I comprehend words but have yet to utter them formally...until the evening of November 22nd, 2009 that is.

Those of you accustomed to my antics realize that I love a firm, well-stated challenge. On the aforementioned hallowed evening, one was presented to me. Mama, in the midst of preparing a nighttime snack for me, presented an interesting intellectual dilemma. She, with those loving half hazel, half yellow, half green eyes peered at me and said, "Carter, do you want milk or yogurt?"

I was instantly floored, not literally but fairly close. The lactose possibilities inherent in that question were striking. Smooth, hearty goodness sent from the diary gods to quench thirst or subtle, creamy textures with hints of fruity bliss in every delectable morsel? Oh, decisions! After pondering the inquiry for what seemed like hours but was assuredly seconds, I looked at Mama, pointed toward the heavens (from which both entities are sure to have originated), and replied, "Gogurt!"

Yes, you heard it here first! The initial voyage into the world of phonics uttered by one Carter Sherman was "gogurt." Mama was excited beyond words herself (A little too ironic, and yes I really do think.). This prompted a plethora of hugs and loves and a stat page to Papa and work to share the delightful news. Needless to say, the fridge was stocked with "gogurt" on the very next day. I guess it is true what they say, hooked on yogurt worked for me!Time is short, and I must run now as their are many preparations that must be addressed in advance of the upcoming holiday. Perhaps most importantly, I am preparing for my next proclamation. I think I shall go with, "Bifidus regularis". Yet another opportunity for sponsorship...I do commercials!

Until then, I wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving!


Carter

Someone in heaven is always looking after me...

Hawkeyes

Good evening, all. I hope that everyone is well and regrouping after the Hawkeye loss yesterday. Mama told me about it because I took a late nap and missed the finale. I did spend the majority of yesterday evening pointing at the TigerHawk on Mama's shirt. I would look at her and smile and she would say "Go Hawks!" and I would put up my arms in the touchdown sign. Mama thought this was funny so I did it over and over again. (Honestly, you would think she would get tired of it. I sure did, but I kept on doing it just for her amusement.)

Speaking of the Hawkeyes, I think that I got so wrapped up in my Airing of Grievances in the last post that I forgot to tell you about last weekend. Here goes:

So last Saturday started off swell. Mama and I got up early and let Papa sleep in a bit since he worked late the night before. When he got up, we swiftly got ready for the Hawkeye showdown verses Northwestern. Papa thought that we must first have a nice big breakfast so that we would not be too terribly hungry during the game. Mama thought that it would be really great if we could go to the local IHOP and that way I could watch the Hawkeye Express come and go with fans for the game. For those of you who don't know, the Hawkeye Express is a great train that is painted Hawkeye colors that takes spectators from just outside IHOP down to Kinnick stadium and back for a fee. I must tell you folks, I LOVE trains, and when Mama requested and was granted a "window seat", I was in heaven! There were so many Hawkeye fans milling about waiting for the next train and before I knew it...there it was! It was massive and swiftly filled up with loyal fans and quickly reversed and headed back down to Kinnick Stadium. All the while, I pointed and clapped and looked at Mama and Papa to make sure that they were taking in the wonder that was the train. Too cool! I got to see that train come and go more than once and it was fantastic each time.

Here's a picture of me watching that great train from my great seat at IHOP.

Finally, we got to go to the game. We got there toward the middle of the first quarter, but Mama and I prefer that because then we don't have to fight with traffic quite so much. It was a great game, but I got pretty tired. After the band performed at half-time (which was awesome, by the way), I fell asleep in Mama's arms. I slept through most of the third quarter and awoke just in time to watch a few more minutes of the game before we left at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Papa had to work that evening, so he stayed at the hospital, but Mama and I headed to the mall to meet Grandma Anderson and Uncle Jess at the mall.

Here's a picture of me and Papa. Mama loves this photo and I'm kind of fond of it because it clearly shows that I DO have some hair! :-)

Here's a picture of the whole family sporting the Hawkeye Black 'n Gold. Mama's very fond of this picture because it's one of the last pictures before she got her braces off!

Here's a picture of the band that truly fascinated me.

Here's Mama and I while I was sleeping during the game!

Grandma and Jess were in town so that Uncle Jess could go to a college visit in Clinton. They both were very displeased with the visit so they came back early for a little shopping. We had fun and ended up going to Bochner Chocolates for some very pretty chocolates. They forgot to get pictures of the actual chocolates, but here's a picture of the fancy box.


By the way, the Hawkeyes ended up losing their battle to Northwestern while we were at the mall. Mama didn't break the news to me until we got home--I don't think she wanted me to pout. I'm also saddened to say that the Hawks lost their battle to Ohio State yesterday as well. Oh, well. I wouldn't have remembered if they went to the Rose Bowl this year anyway. :-)

Hope everyone is well. Have a great week!

Hugs and loves.

Carter

Airing of the Grievances...

Greetings and salutations,

I finally managed to wrestle Papa away from a couple of his other titillating obligations to aide me in expressing my thoughts in this fascinating and articulate electronic medium. We have so much fun espousing thoughts and concerns over contemporary conundrums that another foray into the ol' blogosphere was long overdue. With that prelude, I would like to turn your respective attention to the fact that another (or make that a second) holiday season is upon us.

For many of you, the holiday season really means Christmas. What other conclusion might one draw? Before the ghosts and ghouls had their spirits tucked away following a frightful yet mildly entertaining Halloween excursion Christmas decorations had exploded throughout our local retailers. With my only my rudimentary educational background in the subject of history, I would think that the Native American population would be astounded at this turn of events. I mean, many contend that those who established this great nation actually stole their land in an attempt to foster our burgeoning country. At present we have (at least largely commercially) phased out the holiday based on the generosity of the Native Americans assisting the naive pilgrims. That is just a thought from the Thanksgiving kiddie table.

Anyway, another holiday whisked aside for the majesty of Christmas (which I must say I enjoy as well) is Festivus. Popular culture recalls this marvelous celebration from a 1997 episode of Seinfeld entitled "The Strike". One George Costanza is forced to recall a painful memory of a peculiar holiday seemingly created by his father in the face of a commercialized (imagine that) Christmas. Just to set the record straight, Festivus is an actual, honest-to-goodness non-denominational holiday created by the father of a writer for the show Seinfeld. For a little more scintillating background information, please feel free to visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festivus.


Background aside, I fully appreciate the nuances of this celebration (at least as much as a 15 month old can). This includes the subtly that it is normally celebrated on December 23rd. However, I am pleading for leniency on this matter. My attention span (and memory for that matter) may not allow me to recall the salient issues germane to this holiday. Consequently, I have elected to commence with this holiday on November 11th. While akin to "But he started it...", I figure if Target can sell Christmas stockings on Labor Day I can start the Festivus for the rest of us a couple of weeks early.

An intricate component of Festivus entails the airing of the grievances. At the tender age of 15 months, I think "grievances" may be a bit harsh. But with that said, I do have a couple of issues that I need to get off my chest, if I may.

1. The Diaper Genie II is a fabulous invention, please do not misunderstand. But let us not kid ourselves, my room still stinks. The smell alone made Mama regift breakfast two days ago. Mama and Papa, plop that thing in your room for a night and let me know what you think.


2. Who are we kidding, Mama and Papa? I really do not care for socks at this formative stage in my life. Just let that one go...


3. I will not be eating the apples, so just give up on that one. Apple puffs, apple jacks, apple juice, applesauce, apple pie, apple fruit snacks = all wonderful options. An actual apple = forget it.


4. Would you please stop reprimanding me for putting the strainer on my head? If it is really such a nuisance, put some of those clamps on the door like you did with all the other fun stuff.
   
   
5. I politely request that you, Mama and Papa, clean your own noses out with that green bulb thing and let me know how it feels.
   
   
6. One's temperature can be taken via various orifices. Let us try something else, shall we?


7. Hey, what happened to all that Halloween candy I diligently collected anyway?


8. Chicago Bears, please pull it together. The only thing more porous than our defense is my diaper after a long evening of whole milk right before bedtime.

While cathartic, the aforementioned musings are not the only sacred portion of the festival of Festivus. There are, of course the "Feats of Strength", such as when I elect to throw my cup clear across the kitchen. But more importantly there are the "Festivus Miracles." And for all of the grievances I have aired, they all pale in comparison to the miracle for which I am most thankful. Mama continues to assist in the growth and development of my future sibling. Every night I kiss Mama's belly to greet my sibling. Now that is a true miracle, which makes Festivus truly worth celebrating.

In closing, Papa let me in on a little secret the other day. We have this bond and he throws me some pearls every now and again. Yesterday he informed me that the best thing in the entire world is an unsolicited kiss from me, especially when he comes home from work. Papa also said that the second best thing in the entire world is an unsolicited kiss from Mama, especially when he comes home from work.


Carter

Someone in heaven is always looking after me...

Favoritest thing and funniest faces!

So, believe it or not, I was true to my word this time. I'm back to wow my readers with another addition without the month plus wait. Whooo hooo! However, since I gave you so much information last time, this one will be shorter, but will still boast some pictures featuring my smiling face!

My latest and greatest favorite thing to do is to point to and kiss the baby in Mama's belly. It's chubby and funny and I love it! Mama or Papa say, "Where's the baby in Mama's belly?" and I instantly pull up her shirt point, rub, and kiss her belly. Mama is convinced that I really don't know why I am doing it, but Mama and Papa really think that its really cute. Since they give me encouragement, I just keep it up. I love it when they clap for me and say "yea baby!" There aren't any picture of me doing my latest trick, but here's a picture of Mama's belly. Enjoy!


This evening, Alice came inside for one of her house training lessons. She was kinda wild today and didn't get to stay long, but we had fun while she was in here. Here's a picture of her and I in the house together this evening.


Finally, after supper tonight, Mama had to take of my pants and shirt because I'm still pretty messy when I feed myself. I played until I got my jammers on in a onesie. This is a very special onesie that I got from Mama and Papa's friend Tarra who lives in New York right now. I actually got it around Christmastime last year, but it is just now fitting. I had a great time pointing to my belly/chest to show it off and making funny faces for the camera. Enjoy!




Hugs and loves...

Carter

Big Boy, Halloween, and more!

First and foremost, I must extend all my beloved followers a sincere apology. I know it has been a very long time since I have delighted you in the recent tales from my Crib, but by golly, I've been one busy boy! Since the last time we talked, I've been to two weddings, to Chicago, to Ankeny, to the doctor with Mama, to the doctor myself, and on a couple of fantastic Halloween excursions. Allow me to fill you in...

In the last week in September, we went to weddings on consecutive days for friends of Mama and Papa's. It consisted of a lot of riding in the car, good food, pretty clothes, kissing, and dancing. The happy couples (Callie and Dean Jensen and Calison and Andy Weiss) looked fantastic in their attire and provided a very nice evening for all of us. I of course got several looks, oohs, and ahhhs over my sleek boyish figure and designer clothes but I must admit that Grandma Anderson and Mama do the majority of my clothes shopping so I can't take much credit. Although, I must say that I do greatly appreciate all the nice duds.

This is a picture of Mama, me, our good friend Ben (a groomsmen in the Weiss wedding) and Papa.

Our next adventures took us on two trips to our beloved Wrigley Field in less that 2 weeks! Of course, I thought those trips were great. I love my Cubs and was glad that I could be there to watch the 2009 season finale. Unfortunately, they lost, but as most of us Cubs fans believe "There's always next year!" We'll see how they do. I have great hopes with the recent change of ownership to the Omaha based Ricketts clan. Good luck in the off-season Cubbies and, please don't break my heart next year!

This is a picture of Mama, Papa, and I outside the Bud Light Bleachers outside of our beloved Wrigley Field after our night game.


The next trip that I took was one with just Mama. We went to Ankeny to see Uncle Tyler and Laura's house in Ankeny. We also went to help them with wedding invitations as they recently got engaged and are getting married on New Year's Eve! I spent the day tormenting their cat Apollo and playing in their new house. It was a short visit at Mama is still feeling pretty sick because of the new baby and her worst time is in the afternoon/evening. I was okay leaving, though, because I was EXHAUSTED! All the playing really took it out of me.

So this picture has nothing to do with our Ankeny trip. Mama didn't get any pictures that day. However, this is a more recent picture of me and Alice. She's up to 90 pounds!

The next smaller trip that I took was with Mama and Papa to one of her appointments at the hospital. My new brother and sister makes her have to go to the hospital a lot for doctors appointments and although, I don't typically have to tag along (I go to daycare to play with my friends), Mama and Papa thought this trip was very important for me to attend because we saw the first pictures of my new brother or sister! He was she was just like me and VERY active. The ultrasonographer had a hard time getting the right pictures and measurements she needed because the little baby was jumping, dancing, and boogying in Mama's tummy. It was really neat to see my new brother or sister on the television screen. I just can't wait for him or her to come out and play with me!

Here's the new brother or sister!

About a week later, I ended up going to the doctor for my own visit with Papa. I was really glad that Papa could take me. We had a really good time and even though I missed Mama, I know that she was at an important work retreat. I received four shots at the doctor, including the seasonal flu shot, and even though it hurt I just cried for a few seconds and then stopped as soon as Papa gave me a big hug. Aside from the shots, I also got my weight and height checked. I am a BIG boy! I weighed in at 28 pounds 10.6 oz and was 32.3 in tall! I am in the 90th percentile for weight and 80th percentile for height--an all around big guy. That fact takes me to my next excursion.

Big boy in a super cute outfit!

On the day before Halloween, Mama and Papa and I met our next door neighbors Kate, Tim, and Graham at the North Liberty Rec center for a fun filled evening full of Halloween excitement! There was pictures, a maze, tons of fun activities, and lots of candy and goodies given out. This was not only a super fun night for me, but very important to Mama as she was going to miss Halloween trick or treating with me because of work. Anyway, back to the "big guy" info, the Rec center had many pool noodles strung from the ceiling for us kiddos to run through. Right away when I started running through them, a kid bigger than me ran smack dab into me. However, because of my utter strength, I did not fall down, get hurt, cry, or do anything other than keep on running. Our neighbor Tim and Daddy thought it was really funny that I plowed over a kid bigger than me, but what can I say...I'm just a tough dude.

Hugging one of the noddles in my chicken costume.

Finally, last night was Halloween. Papa got me all dressed and ready in my costume, video taped me for Mama and then took me on a six block excursion trick or treating for candy. And did I hit the motherload! Not only that, I got to eat my first candy last night too! Papa thought it was important for me to get some candy on Halloween since I probably won't get much more until next Halloween. Mama thought it was maybe a little unnecessary, but it sure made my night. Thanks for rooting for my sweet tooth, Papa!

Here's me being all cute in my chicken costume. I didn't mind wearing it one little bit...even the hood. I was great as long as Papa kept clucking like a chicken for me.

Well, I hope that you enjoyed all my stories of my recent excursions. I will try not to let it be so long before I compose another fun-filled blog about my daily comings and goings. However, I have said that a lot and have not been very faithful to my ever faithful readers. I apologize and I hope that you hear from me soon.

Hugs and loves...

Carter

And the Winner is...

Greetings and salutations,

The droves of Carter's Crib Notes groupies have once again shown their collective allegiance in fine form. A plethora of responses spanning the technological gamut have poured in. I am pleased to learn that many of you have prioritized my musings over the latest Food Network Challenge or Monk. Now, both are absolutely spellbinding, critically acclaimed programs that, coincidentally, remind me of my parents. Mama, of course, because she delights in either a) watching the Food Network or b) forcing Papa to watch the Food Network. Papa comes to mind because he has many unusual tendencies on par with Mr. Monk. With my formal training still pending, I am hesitant to start Papa on Clomipramine for his Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. But, with that said, he is teetering on the diagnosis.

In any event, throngs of individuals sent responses to the blog itself, Mama's phone, my parents' e-mail inboxes, and then most readily to Mama's Facebook account. Everyone but Uncle Tyler was confident in the diagnosis. Ol' Uncle Tyler called Mama and Papa twice to verify his suspicions. Better safe than sorry, particularly in this situation. In the past fourteen months nothing has proven to be more socially awkward (and potentially hilarious) than the person who assumes pregnancy only to encounter a non-pregnant person. Which leads to the moral of the story: there will soon be someone else to take out the garbage in the Hogrefe household. We are all expecting the newest addition to the family on May 2nd, 2010 (or thereabouts). Please keep Mama and Baby Hogrefe #2 (As tentatively titled until contract negotiations between Mama and Papa are settled; rest assured, a mediator has been contacted.) in your respective prayers.

And you should all know that Grandma Shirley and Grandpa Merle were the first to chime in with a response. Kudos to them, although rumor has it that their cable was out. This would unfairly eliminate a potential distraction. However, after a significant conundrum, I still think they deserve props, as the kids on my block often say.

This verdict, of sorts, had Papa and I considering another recent decision displayed on cable television, of all forums. As a guardian of popular culture for my generation, I was intrigued by Kayne West (whose name should perhaps be changed to Kayne South, as that is where his career appears to be heading) and his verbosity at the recent MTV Music Awards. Now, I am not allowed to view this type of programming for obvious reasons. In fact, MTV appears to be off-limits completely, except for 2:00 a.m. during the fifteen minutes that they actually play music videos. Since I am asleep at that particular time, Papa has explained the circumstances of this discussion to me.

For those of you who may have missed the aforementioned faux pas of common sense, while Ms. Taylor Swift was receiving her award for "Best Female Video" a hennessy-laden Kayne stumbled onto stage, commandeered the microphone, and pontificated about how Beyonce (or Sasha Fierce) should have won this award. His diatribe can be viewed on YouTube if you choose, but suffice to say that the pleasant, mild-mannered Taylor Swift was stunned and taken aback at the entire escapade. Papa remarked that the whole scene seemed strikingly surreal, but at least it culminated with Mr. West being escorted from the premises.

The question was now out in the open: Which video truly warranted this remarkable achievement? Thus, Papa and I thought that we would settle this Kayne Kontroversey (See, another absolutely adorable and awe-inspiring alliteration. Try it yourself; it is liberating. The previous alliteration was equally as satisfying, in case you missed it in the preceding paragraph.) in a scientific fashion. Papa and I settled down in front of the high-definition, wide screen monitor with YouTube loaded. The first nominee, All the Single Ladies by Beyonce was viewed in an uninterrupted fashion. As no surprise to Mama, I starred at the monitor and it appeared that for 3 minutes and 29 seconds my corneas did not require lubrication. Now, unlike my typical behavior, I did not completely shake my groove-thing. I primarily took in the austere of the video. But, I could not contain a couple of impromptu shoulder shrugs and a head bob or two.

My visual palate was then cleansed with a reprieve. Papa and I indulged in a bit of Blues Traveler's Run Around, a classic that I thoroughly enjoy listening to Papa sing (mostly because he actually knows the words, or at least thinks he does). With potential biases removed, we moved along to Taylor Swift's You Belong with Me. I would describe this entry as heart-warming with an intriguing plot line and a pleasant conclusion. Contrary to the first entry, I did actually blink during this video. However, I was equally mesmerized, and I even peered up at Papa and gave him a big smile toward the end. I saw where the video was headed and appreciated the inherent sentiment.

Well, that is all fine and dandy, but what shall the outcome be? Did Kayne possess a legitimate gripe? Personally, I delight in a tune reflective of the tastes of my mother. An upbeat tune with a passel of bass is enough to bring a smile to my face and to place a hip in my hop. However, the award in question was for "The Best Female Video". Truth be told, all Beyonce (and two of her colleagues) did was shake their hips, which is why I surmise that Kayne cast his vote for this video. Without question, Ms. Swift's video best satisfies the category true and comprehensive requirements.

In the end, Mr. West was incorrect in both his assessment of the cinematic offerings and the manner in which he elected to display his disdain. This has been shown to be the case via the patent-pending Carter Scientific Method, brought to you by YouTube. And do not forget folks, in the end the winner is he or she who is polite. After all, manners matter, at least that is what Mama tells me!

Carter

Someone in heaven is always looking after me...

The Power of the Internet...

Greetings and salutations,

I hope this latest posting proves to be satisfactory for the legion of followers that have grown up with me over the past thirteen months. It is on this hallowed occasion that I have elected to challenge you, my faithful readership. It is time to see who is watching TGIF and who is truly dedicated to my myriad of musings (Alliterations are vastly underappreciated in contemporary society. Strive to implement one each day, or substitute an onomatopoeia if you prefer.). As an aside, Papa informs me that this TGIF programming gimmick was all the rage when he was a lad. Apparently programs like Family Matters with a character named Stephen Urkel and Full House with those Olsen Twins were all the rage. Those situational comedies are now on Nick at Nite leading me to the inevitable conclusion that Papa is getting old.

In any event, this evening's exercise is also aimed at challenging the true power of the Internet when attempting to distribute information. While we should all routinely thank Mr. Al Gore for inventing this noble entity (and raising awareness with regard to Global Warming, etc.), it is occasionally pleasant to reassess the Internet's role in day-to-day endeavors.

Below is a photograph of a rather handsome gentleman. The keen observer will be able to detect an embedded, possibly encrypted message. I am merely curious to see how long it takes somebody to either: 1) Call Mama; 2)Post a message on her Facebook account; or 3) Lodge a comment on my blog. Let us see who the winner shall be. Good luck to all!

Carter

Someone in heaven is always looking after me...

Go Hawks!

Well it's official. I have been to my very first Hawkeye game. And in a very tense finale, they pulled through and got the victory. What a thrill. For those of you who are not aware, they played UNI and blocked 2 field goals in the remaining 7 seconds to stay ahead and get the win 16-17. Whew! It was pretty nerve wracking.

Photo of Mama and I after the game picking up our stroller in the first aid station.

Now that I recounted the game for you, let me tell you about how Mama and I ended up at the game. Last night, while Mama was working, Papa called Mama very excited with some "big news"! He scored SEASON TICKETS to the Hawkeyes this year because of the sports medicine fellowship he's working on developing. Mama jumped on the offer and picked up the tickets on her way home from work. Papa was not able to attend the game today, so Mama and I saddled up and went to the game. It was a 11:00 kick-off and we left our house late so we arrived at the game after the 2nd quarter had started. Mama was a little stressed out by the time we got there because of being late, the pedestrian traffic, and being reprimanded for bringing a stroller into the stadium. However, her mood immediately changed when she saw exactly where the seats were. They were on the 30 yard line, Iowa side, 13th row! They were AMAZING! And we get these seats all year!

Here's a picture from the fantastic seats!

Even though the seats were great, I was a little restless today. We ended up leaving before half-time started because I kept kicking the lady in front of me in my restlessness. Mama thought that it was okay, though, because at least we got to see some of the game and we missed all the horrific traffic.

Here's a picture of Mama and I in our seats.

Well, I've got to head to bed. I know it's early, but there was so much activity today, I missed my afternoon nap.

Love to everyone!

Carter

P.S. Happy birthday to Papa tomorrow! Love you, pops! :-)

Mastering the art of ambulation...

Me maxin'and relaxin'.


Good evening, my find friends. Sorry I have been delayed in providing a tale of what I have been up to, but lets be real...this walking stuff takes a lot of time and is really tiring! (Mama's helping me with this post and she says that it's tiring for her and Papa, too!)

So, for the past 2 weeks or so I have been walking almost exclusively. I am getting really good at it! And for the past two days, I've been really practicing my walking on the grass in our yard and in my friend Graham's yard. (He's my next door neighbor and has a really great play set that I like to go over and watch him use and use myself--he's teaching me some fun big boy things!) Anyway this walking thing has become quite fun for me. I can walk very long distances and if I fall, I just jump back up and keep going again. I can also walk and carry things at the same time! My favorite things to carry are one of my bats in one hand and one of my balls in the other hand. Mom always worries that I'll fall and crack my noggin on something when I'm carrying stuff, but the few times that I have, I haven't hurt myself.

That being said, I definitely did fall and hurt myself on Saturday. I was walking and I looked up at Mama to give her a big grin and when I did, I tripped over my bat and WHACK! I smacked my face on one of Mama's wooden chests in the living room. Of course I didn't strike my head on the corner protector that Mama so lovingly and thoughtfully placed for my still oversized in relation to my body head. Nope...I struck it about 1 inch past that spot with my left cheek. Check out the pictures. They don't do it justice. I've got a real shiner!

Anyway, things here have been good. We went to a Cubbies game on Friday. It was awesome, but I got pretty tired of sitting in in the 8th inning. Of course, just after we left, the Cubbies came back from their deficit and ended up winning and we missed the excitement, but it worked out well 'cause we also missed some of the horrific traffic.

Alice, Mama and I have been going for long walks every morning lately. The other day we saw a whole bunch of the Iowa State Bird (do all of you remember what that is?) Look at the picture and see if you can see them. They were very pretty. We alternate taking my Radio Flyer wagon and my stroller. I like them both very well, but the wagon provides me much more sun protection since it's got a great canopy. Mama and her obsession with me and sun exposure is really overwhelming sometimes. :-)

Here's me giving Alice a little pat as we walk. She's a good friend.

I was not fortunate enough to get much pool time at the end of the season. It was way too cold and rainy for swimtime according to Mama. She scoffed and said some funny comments about how global warming was "a real problem this August with highs in the 60's". I don't really know what she was talking about, but maybe someday I'll understand. I look forward to getting in some indoor pool time in the next month or two. We'll see how it goes.

Well, I'd better get going to bed. Mama works a short 4-hour shift tomorrow, but it's the early part so I have to get up at 5 AM to get ready to go to school! But the good news is, my good friend (and another neighbor) Finn just started in my room this week so we'll get to play together!

Hope everyone is well. Hugs and loves to you all!

Carter

Water oh water...how I love thee!

Today I decided to blog about my true affinity for water. Sure, I've talked about it before, but it's become such a great part of my life (and since I'm already 2/3's water it makes sense) I wanted to tell you all about it!

Mama and I go to the pool just about every day that she doesn't work. And since she's been off work for a little over 2 weeks, there have been a plethora of trips. Lucky me! Most recently, my favorite trick at the pool is a little game Mama calls "Dunk the Boy!" I really like this game and try to do it by myself--without much success--but I digress. How this game works is Mama takes me out to the deeper part of the pool where I can't touch. She hangs onto me and says "1, 2, 3, Go!" and then she dunks me. Although it sounds simple, Mama is proud of the fact that it's teaching me how to count to three as well as how to hold my breath. I have been trying to tell her that I'm a pretty knowledgeable dude and I already know these things, but she insists. If Mama does not play "Dunk the Boy!" enough I kick her and try to escape from her grasp until I can dunk myself. Mama says it doesn't work very well, but I disagree. I get dunked and then Mama rescues me. It actually works out quite well.

The next trick that I have started at the pool does not involve Mama much at all. I stand along the edge and play with my toys. Then I throw a ball into the pool and dive after it. Mama calls this game "Rescue the Drowning Victim". I don't find that very amusing, but Mama's got a weird sense of humor so I'll let her have her way this one time. Of course after I dive in after the ball, Mama doesn't give me the chance to right myself and return safely to the side. She just grabs me and looks at me intently (sometimes with panic on her face--it's actually quite comical) and puts me back to the side of the pool. The other day she told me that we had to leave because it was getting too stressful playing "Rescue the Drowning Victim". I'll just have to keep doing it to break her in. Ha ha ha.

The final trick that I am perfecting is walking in the pool. Initially I tended to ambulate much more in the pool that I did at home and although that is leveling itself out a bit, I still love to take off from Mama and walk away. I do pretty well and if I do fall in the pool where it's too deep for me, I flip myself over and try to get my little face out of the water. Mama typically does the grab me, look at me, and return me to where I was thing, but again, I'll just have to keep breaking her in.


Another exciting water fact is that my friends Andy and Calison gave me a water table for my birthday! See the picture above if you are not sure what that is. This thing is fantastic! I can use this when the pool is not yet open or when I just feel like cooling off for a minute. It's got this cool spinning wheel that is activated by water, a cup (probably my favorite part), and two sail boats. This thing is the coolest! I really love to play with it and think that the only thing that would make it better is if Mama would let Alice play up on the deck with me in my water table. Mama says that would be too messy. I just think she's too strict. I'll keep begging her and eventually she'll give in. I'm just sure of it!


If you all notice, Mama and I are blogging only about her and I up to this point. So here comes the good part...Papa joins the blogging circuit! Whooo hooo! Today Mama, Papa, and I went on a picnic and swim trip to the Coralville Reservoir. It was great! First we ate on a picnic table in a shaded area overlooking the beautiful lake. (See the picture above). Mama made a fine meal of gourmet sandwiches and intricate salads with an accoutrement of crudete. Okay, so I'm embellishing a bit. It was really just turkey sandwiches, lettuce salads, and veggies and dip, but it was quite tasty on this hot summer day. After the feast, came the best part that I'm completely jazzed to tell you about. We went swimming in the lake! Now when I say 'we', I must be more specific. It was really just me swimming. Mama and Papa did not have their swim gear, but I had strategically placed my swim trunks in the car when Mama wasn't looking. I'm a thinker! Papa walked me out so that I could stick my face in the water and kick my legs and paddle my hands. I really liked that part. Mama was being a total woos on the shore because she thought that the bottom of the lake felt "gross". What a BABY! And to think--she's the oldest one of us and 27 years older than me! I kinda liked the squishy stuff under my feet and really had fun playing in the sand both in the water and on the beach. Mama told me that she thought that we would be finding sand in every crevice of my body for many days to come--and that was after my bath when we got home! The sand was great, but I didn't like it on my hands very much. I stick them in my mouth a lot and sand just isn't very appetizing.



Well, I'd better head off to bed. Mama, Papa, and I had a late dinner at The Vine in Coralville this evening. I feasted on a burger, some bun, a couple of french fries, some applesauce, and lots of water. I'm stuffed and exhausted from my exciting day that I got to spend with my Papa. I love you, man! :-)

Have a good night everyone!

Carter Sherman