Our Little Hayseed...

Tom Joad, eat your heart out. He's got one tooth and one on the way, and that's all he needs! Although we think there are some other top teeth on deck. Hmm. (Click on the pictures to view them larger.)

Trip the Light Fantastic

On Saturday we took advantage of what was supposed to be one of the last clear nights for awhile and went to the Portland Zoo to see "Zoo Lights," the nighttime presentation of Christmas lights at the zoo. We bundled up warmly and went right when they opened to try to avoid some of the crowds, found our friends and off we went! Many of the animal cages were closed or off-limits at night, but a few were open (I guess those are the animals that can handle crazy psychedelic lights and bright camera flashes in the evenings?), including the baby elephant and the tigers who were apparently eating something...reddish.
The happy family cozy 'n warm, all sporting knitted caps by Katie!

An avenue of lit-up trees.

The zoo train

Frosty cold *B, party of one

More cool zoo lights!


This one's a peacock

Two-th! Subtitled: Alton's Latest

We have a second tooth! His first tooth is the top right front tooth, and the next one to come in is the top tooth just to the right of that. Clearly, this kid is a rebel and works at his own pace. When hearing about his first tooth, everyone tells me that babies usually get the bottom middle teeth first. Yup, I know. He likes to surprise people, what can I tell ya?

He started giving "kisses" a few weeks ago. If Andy or I pucker up and aim toward his face, he will oblige by turning his face to us and opening his mouth wide in an "O" shape. So we end up laying a big smooch on his open lips and he thinks it's hysterical.

In addition to "Ma ma maaaaa" and "dadada DA da da," he now has added the letter "B" to his vocal repertoire. So "bah bah ba ba bap bap bap BAAAAAA" is heard frequently around our house. He waves at everyone, including his own reflection and pictures.

He has been standing with help and pulling himself up on things for awhile now, but continues to get better all the time. He is a masterful cruiser (standing up holding onto a piece of furniture or big toy and walking, "cruising" along), and when he is standing up holding on to something, he sometimes lets go for a second or two and stands there unsupported by himself! Standing alone and walking are not far behind!

He has only had his new slide for a week and already has become very good at it! Watch the video below where he slides down by himself. You can also see one of his favorite new things to do: wave both hands up and down rapidly when he's excited. He kinda looks like he's doing jazz hands á la Bob Fosse.

He loves to fly high in the air! Getting tossed up by Daddy makes him smile and laugh.

Children's Museum

On Wednesday of this week we went for the first time to the Portland Children's Museum. What a fun trip! Andy was off (and behind the camera in all of these shots, unfortunately) and we headed over there in the early afternoon in between naps to explore and enjoy. We were amazed at how much there is to do and were already anticipating how much more Alton will like it when he's older. Waterworks, building stations, clay, face painting, a dress-up theatre and so much more. For this trip we stuck mostly to the Babies' Garden, a corner of the museum painted with tree murals and full of things for babies to climb on, through and around. Alton had a blast!





After the Babies' Garden, we headed over to the exhibit called "Building Bridgetown." They call Portland "Bridgetown" since it is home to a whopping 11 bridges! Several small tables with lights illuminating their centers sat amongst buckets of small, slender wooden pieces similar to something you'd find in a Lincoln Log set. Alton had fun knocking over the Jenga-esque structures I made, and relocated several pieces very meticulously from the table to the bucket; the kind of exacting behavior you'd expect to see in an older child. Our precocious little engineer!

Baby's First Thanksgiving!

We had a lovely Thanksgiving dinner with Matt, Di, their boys, Seth, and other relatives yesterday. Alton sat next to my place at the table in his booster chair and scarfed bits of white meat like nobody's business. He loves turkey! We all ate way too much and rounded off the meal with some delicious pies: Matt's apple special, of course, and Di made a double pumpkin pie taste test with one acorn squash pie and one pie of canned pumpkin. Two pies enter, only one pie leaves. We demolished almost all of both. Mmmm.

This Week I'm Loving...

Thanksgiving, of course! Can't wait for Alton's first Thanksgiving celebration. He likes ground turkey, so we'll see how he likes the roasted version. Mmmm. We miss everyone we are not seeing today and hope that they are all enjoying a feast.

Here are a few pics of me with my "doggie" at the Portland Children's Museum yesterday. That post is still to come!

Technical Difficulties

This week I experienced a technical hiccup...somehow an email that I had addressed to Mr. Andy Rhyne was re-addressed to everyone in my Contacts folder who "subscribes" to our blog. On Monday I was leading a story time at the library for our playgroup, and after typing up the songs we would be singing I was trying to run out the door with no time to print the copies all out, so I forwarded the doc in an email to Andy and asked if he could help a mama out and print out 12 copies for me. Very cute, I spent the time to make up a little song that had each of the kids at the story time "making" something for Thanksgiving to the tune of "Wheels on the Bus." Then you all got it and you know what happened...except you don't know all of the smart @$ replies that I got from everyone. So I thought that I would call out all the sassy comments that I got from all of you since you are all sooooo funny. Cheers. :-)

"What!? I had already printed out 12 copies in triplicate as a precaution. Now what do I do....CRAP!" -Julio
"So catchy too...Alton's going to make the Gobble, Gobble, Gobble...::wave arms like a turkey::" -Vid
"Um - Nathan just called and said he wasn't interested in making Stove Top stuffing. He thinks it's a bunch of crap that it's going to be Stove Top - it doesn't count if it doesn't come out of the bird!" -Chris
"I expect to see a performance on the blog or on the web cam!" -Jennifer
"That's what happens when you type with one hand!" -Gary
"12 copies?? What do you think-I'm made of money??? Who are you sending them to??" -Simone
"That is truly scary sh!t." -Simone
"This is a serious misuse of company funds! This will mean your @$$ Rhyne!" -K.C.

Merry Thanksgiving!

Alton was very lucky to receive a gift early. We will be driving to California to celebrate Christmas with the grandparents and aunts 'n uncles, but Nonna and Papa Carnine wisely made sure that he got their gift in Oregon, since it would not fit in the car to drive home. Here he is with his new slide and climber!

P.S. When this post was published and Alton watched me scroll through the pictures on the computer, he smiled at the pics of himself and waved.