Cooking tips from Chef Cole

"OK, fellow toddlers. So by now we've all mastered cooking with a spoon and one bowl, right? Well, it's time to kick it up a notch. That's right, two bowls. You can make two meals at once! I know, it pretty much blew my mind when I thought of it, too." 12/21/2012.

Reading with Nana

Nana loves reading to her grandsons, and Cole sure loves having Nana read to him! This book is one of Cole's favorites: Wheels on the Bus. It's got all kinds of fun stuff--spinning wheels, pop-up buses, open-and-shut doors, wipers that move, crying babies whose mouths move, and passengers that bounce up and down. Cole gives it two enthusiastic thumbs up. 12/20/2012.

Mmmmmm.... Delicious!

One of Cole's favorite things to do is cook delicious meals for Mommy and Daddy. OK, so they're not real meals, but that doesn't make them any less delicious! Here, Cole is whipping up a gourmet soup (water). What do you think, Cole? Needs more salt? 12/15/2012.

The Funniest Chair

"Have you guys even seen the underside of this chair? It . . . is . . . awesome!" 12/4/2012.

Late November Christmas Sweater Photo Shoot Vol. II

"Would you guys like to see my teeth? You do? Oh, good." 11/25/2012.

Late November Christmas Sweater Photo Shoot Vol. I

Leaning on that rail like he was born to be a toddler Christmas sweater model. And the smile? He's a natural. 11/25/2012. 

Nineteen Months Old!

It's been a big month, folks. Cole started parent-toddler gymnastics this month, which has proven to be a bit of a trial. The other kids are at least several months older than Cole, so while they're dutifully walking on the balance beam, Cole is . . . shall we say . . . a bit less focused. OK, he's all over the place. It is exhausting. Keeping the kid going from task to task is an exercise in futility, but we signed up for it, so by Jove, we will do it. It's a little over his head right now, but it's still fun to run around with him on a mat for an hour each week.  And every so often, he cooperates.  (Oh, and he has mastered somersault position, so there's that.)

His awareness of letters and words just keeps growing. He's getting better and better at picking out particular letters without prompting. F and S are his favorites, and he gets a big grin every time he sees them on Daddy's sweatshirt. The best part is that each time he sees them, it's like the first time he's ever seen that letter. So excited. So adorable.

One benefit--really the only benefit--of living in an active construction area is that there are loads of construction trucks around all the time. From loaders to backhoes to excavators to dump trucks--we've got them all here, and Cole just flat-out loves them all. It actually gives us a moment's peace in the morning to get ready, as we can just set him up next to the window on top of an upside-down laundry basket, and he'll just stare intently at the construction trucks.

But the best part is watching his personality continue to develop. He doesn't always like to give us hugs or kisses, but he's always good for a "nuzzle," which is where he leans in and we rub our foreheads together. When he gets that coy look on his face and he asks (shyly, and with a smile on his face) "nuzzle?" Melts your heart. But beyond the heart-melting, there is also a music aficionado. He's started requesting specific songs on the drive home to keep him entertained. No, not songs on the radio or a CD--songs we sing to him. He has two favorites: "Baseball Song," which is actually "We're Gonna Win, Twins," and "Football Song," which is "Skol Vikings." By golly, we're raising this boy right. 11/21/2012.