What Happened to Summer?

What happened to Summer? Actually, its still pretty hot in DC, it might as well be summertime. We've been pretty lazy putting up new photos, sorry about that. Just because we haven't put up photos doesn't mean there hasn't been alot going on!

One of the great photo-0ps I wish I could show you was our best-of-intentions-gone-terribly-wrong trip to the beach down in Norfolk. It was pretty funny, Mom & Dad had a good laugh after the fact. Unfortunately, the digital camera was out of commission for that shenanigan. Lets just say, as a baby, I like to put anything and everything into my mouth, including handfuls of sand. Mom wasn't too keen on that idea. Next thing you know, everyone is covered in sand and crying or yelling. That trip to the beach lasted all of 20 minutes, from the moment we pulled up to the moment we drove away. Mom & Dad chalked it up to a "learning experience," whatever that means...

I hung out with Mom a bunch this summer. As a result, I've mastered the phrase, "Mama." I've found its the golden ticket to getting my every heart's desire. Now Dad's class is finally over and I get to see him everyday. We have fun at the park, I especially like the baby swings. Daddy and I also watch football: Dallas Cowboys = Yay!!! Notre Dame = What the heck is going on? The Irish are off to the worst start EVER, but on a bright note, they now have positive rushing yards and two offensive touchdowns for the season. Mom and Dad watch the TV with disbelief saying, "We'll win next week..."

I visited my cousin Mariela twice this month! You can see a picture of her at the top of the page. Apparently she didn't think my joke was very funny. I don't know how I feel about not being the littlest baby in the family anymore, she kind of stole my thunder. But, she is so nice, I think I'll forgive her. :)

So that is the news around here. Everyone keeps asking if I'm walking yet. Nope, I find that I'm pretty speedy crawling, so thats my current means of transportation. I like to keep my folks on their toes though. Who knows when I'll take my first steps? I'm going to keep them guessing! Have a great day!

Summer Vacation!

We've had a very busy summer so far. Hopefully you still recognize Benny, it has been a long time since we've posted any pictures. We spent a couple of weeks in Montana visiting family. Benny spent lots of time learning new tricks from his cousins on the Casey side. His three older cousins taught him how to get around even faster, how to pull up on anything he can get his hands on, and the joy of playing with trucks and balls. He also got his first haircut from Grandma Geri. He looks more like a little boy now, rather than a baby. There is never a dull moment around here, he is definitely keeping us busy! Hope you have a great day!

Benny, aka "Cantiflas"

Some of you may be asking, "Who (or what) is Cantiflas?" He was a very funny Mexican comedian popular in the 1960's. Benny's association with Cantiflas started very early, in the womb in fact. One night, shortly before he was born, I could not sleep. Benny was having some kind of dance party. So, after several hours of tossing and turning and waking up Tommy, I got up and turned on the tv. Lo and behold, an old Cantiflas movie at 3am. We laughed, Benny settled down and finally I got some sleep that night. Since then, we've called him our little "Cantiflas" when he is giggling. Fast forward to now... Benny is becoming more vocal everyday, he says da-da, squeals, screams and giggles. (Much to my dismay, he hasn't said ma-ma yet, despite daily prompts and bribes.) It usually takes a little warming up to get him into full giggle mode, but lately he just spontaneously bursts into laughter. He is learning to pull himself up on things like his crib, the couch, ect. I caught him doing that yesterday and he just looked at me, grinned and laid down laughing. So, who knows what kind of joker he will turn out to be as he gets older.

Its been quite awhile since we've posted anything. One reason (excuse) is that Benny is now officially mobile. We're chasing him around. He is army-crawling like crazy. His first across-the-room trek was in Minnesota in front of Grandma and Grandpa and several aunts and uncles, and on Father's Day. Here are some pictures from the last few weeks. Have a great day!

Cool Toys

So out of the blue today, Mommy and Daddy surprised me with several awesome new toys: a stirring spoon and some food storage containers. This stuff is GREAT!! Some would say revolutionary! Wooo Hooo!! My new toys kept me entertained for hours. The stirrer is great!!You can gnaw on it, wave it in the air like a billy club, or even tap yourself on the noggin with it (Daddy got a little nervous with that move. He made me stop. He's such a Nervous Nellie). The containers are just as cool. You can play them like bongos. Where'd Mom & Dad find this stuff? It must have been expensive. I don't normally brag, but I was able to get my things to work without even reading the Owner's Manual. Once word gets out, every seven month-old on the planet is going to be clamoring for this stuff. It will be total chaos. Daddy mumbled something to Mommy about how one day they'll remember fondly when I could be entertained with simple, inexpensive toys. I've got to admit, he's right. I already want a motorboat for bath time. For right now however, I'm pretty pleased with my new acquisitions.

Change in career plans

There's been a change of plans. I've decided that when I grow up, I no longer want to be an astronaut/ race car driver/ Supreme Court Justice/ philanthropist/ guitar-playing rodeo cowboy. I now want to be a lizard. In the past week, I've learned how to flicker my tongue in-and-out. I have so much fun doing this that I can see myself doing this for a living. Daddy says I should keep all my options open.

We're coming off a pretty fun weekend. Daddy took Friday off from work and we went to Andrews Air Force Base for an airshow. We saw the Air Force's stunt team (the Thunderbirds), hundreds of airplanes, helicopters, and other cool exhibits. We also saw a vintage P-40 Warhawk, the type of aircraft that my great-Grandpa Baba (Dennis) worked on in China for three years during World War II. He was part of the famous "Flying Tigers" air unit. Afterwards Daddy took me over to an Air Force recruiter and signed me up. Daddy got a free refrigerator magnet for it. He told me not to worry about anything, the contract doesn't take effect until I'm 18 years old, plus he really gave them the name of my Uncle Tony. I guess Uncle Tony has a surprise coming to him in 2025.
On Sunday, we saw Daddy's godson Jonathan make his First Communion. Daddy was so proud. He says he remembers getting pictures of Jonathan when he was my age, except that Jonathan was living in Japan at the time. Daddy says he's amazed at how fast time flies. I'm not so sure. These past seven months seem like a lifetime to me.

Workout

Hello there everyone. As many of you know, my dad is a bit of a running fanatic. Uncle Andy and Aunt Sarah got this cool Jeep jogging stroller for me before I was even born! And now I'm finally big enough to fit in it. Dad started taking me out in it a few weeks ago, and it isn't such a bad ride. I usually just sleep and make Dad do all the hard work.

We went for a nice long run Mother's Day morning. It was a little brisk, but I think Mom overdid it a bit with the clothing. I thought I was back in Montana based on all the clothes she kept layering on. I will admit that I stayed nice and toasty warm.

Mom is trying to get a picture of me that shows off my new chompers, no luck just yet. We'll keep you posted. Have a great day!

All I want for Cinco de Mayo are my two front teeth

Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone!! Viva la Revolucion!!

This was a weekend of several notable 'firsts.' Not only did I experience my first Cinco de Mayo, Mommy & Daddy had a whole lot of people over for Margaritas and Mexican food. Sure looked like people were having a good time. I was tempted to try a margarita, but Daddy says I have to produce a photo ID that says I'm at least 21 months old. The next big thing is that my first teeth arrived!! The tops of the bottom two have just broken through the gums. The choppers had been on back order for the last six months, but they finally delivered. I like the look of them. A couple more of these babies and I'll be ready to sink my teeth into a juicy steak. I'm looking forward to incorporating a full set into a winning smile. The teeth are the coolest things since I found my feet. What a load of fun these things are. Whenever the ten little piggies and I get together we have crazy ol' time.