Happy Birthday Mr. Moo!

January 22, 2010 – 3:50 pm

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Miles turned two this weekend! During his second year he has gone from taking tentative steps holding onto walls, tables and chairs to a running, jumping, preschooler! These days he loves to help mama and papa cook, to cut a rug to all types of music, and play with anything that has wheels.

When Miles wants something he will ask for it over and over again – “I want chocolate milk, I want chocolate milk, I want chocolate milk. Pleeease.” We’ll respond “You want chocolate milk?” and he will say “Okay” as if it was our idea and he thinks it is fantastic.

We take Miles led walks every morning. He loves to point out the plants and always makes sure to tell you if the plant he is pointing to hurts or not “cat claw hurt”, “cactus hurt”, “mistletoe pretty”. Our walks also show just how good Miles’s memory is. Along our travels he stops each place we’ve ever seen a snake to see if one of his slithery friends has come back.

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He loves going to town and spending time with his grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. His Grandpa retired this month and he is so excited to start going on a lot more Grandpa and Miles adventures.

Miles can count to three using the usual number system and to twelve using his own number system which features a lot of sixes and elevens. He knows many of his colors, but, doesn’t get them right all of the time. Like many toddlers he has picked up a few of his parents verbal indiscretions but we have been pretty successful at redirecting these phrases with things like “Oh, goodness”. He loves reading books. His favorites are “Sakes Alive A Cattle Drive”, “This is London” and anything by Dr. Seuss. His favorite type of animal these days – octopuses! He still likes to cuddle with Mak the Yak when he is going to sleep but also insists on a few hot wheels and a VW bug he calls “blue car”.

All in all he is a great kid and, if the first week is any indication, this little guys “twos” are going to be terrific!

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Oh yeah – its been awhile since I’ve done stats!

weight: 23 lbs  (3th percentile)

height: 33 inches  (13th percentile)

head: ginormous!  (1,000,000,000th percentile)

He’s on the charts! He’s on the charts!


Halloween in the Mojave!

November 1, 2009 – 7:46 am

Yesterday, on top of being Halloween, was the 15th Anniversary of the Desert Protection Act. The act created the Mojave Preserve, along with formal protection of the 9,000 acre research station Matthew, Miles and I call home. It was a fun day with tours of the Kelso Dunes, Vulcan Mine and the Depot, music from the Needles Choir and the Fort Mojave Tribal Band, and recognition of the many people who work hard to protect our fragile desert. In addition to all of this fanfare there were trains, not just the regular Union Pacific trains, but, trains just Miles’ size!

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Miles was in heaven when he was invited to sit on these 1:8 scale diesel powered steam trains. We may not have many houses to trick-or-treat at, but we have trains, and for now that keeps our little train buff pretty happy.

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O-R-E-O

October 15, 2009 – 12:43 pm

Apparently twisting off the top cookie and licking the creamy middle of an Oreo is innate knowledge in the human species.

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