the life of baby jude

Geeeeeez, Louise! You say one cute thing and suddenly you have to say it over and over again on camera? Jude don't play that game! OK, let me give a little backstory: while I was with Meema last week, she taught me the word, "delicious." Mama & Gaga had no idea I knew this word, or it's proper usage. Last night, I took a sip of Mama's beverage, made a funny face and then said, "Ohhhhhh, delicious!" in my cutest toddler voice. You should've seen the looks on their faces! They thought it was hysterical! Of course, my mother went straight to the camera so she could record me saying it. HA! She always seems to forget that I don't pose and I don't perform. Come on, they already have scads of pictures of me in the buff dancing, I have to keep *some* pride. So Mama kept forcing the drink on me and just to show her who's boss, not only did I totally ignore her and talk about other things, but when I finally did take a sip, I made a very dramatic face as if Mama had given me poison. See for yourself! Listen closely, though, I do say the magic word once and only once. I thought perhaps if would make her leave me alone. Sadly for everyone, it did not.

Bethlehem Early Childhood Center officially started their school year yesterday. As promised here are the pics of me in uniform. I mentioned a few blogs ago that as a two year old, I now have to wear it. So here it is! What do you think? Embarrassingly enough, Mama put my pants on backwards yesterday. But the tags were a bit confusing and I noticed some of the other kids had theirs on backwards, too. Oops. But besides that, I like it. And don't I look scholarly?

Here's a picture of me and my teacher, Miss Felipe, AKA "Miss Ba-beep-a." It's sort of a hard one to say, what can I tell you. I think my penchant for not posing for pictures is rubbing off on everyone around me.

Last week was a good one! Summer camp officially ended and we had a week long vacation from daycare. So the first half of the week I spent with Grandma Ginny. I felt really bad because the weather was so crappy, so we didn't get to go outside together or anything. And one of my favorite things to do with her is force her to walk me around the neighborhood over and over again! So I guess maybe she was happy it rained. But we still had a great time together! She brought me cool toys as usual. She always knows just what I like. I even suckered her into buying me a truck Pez dispenser. And by "sucker" I mean I picked it out and handed it to the cashier at ShopRite. So poor Grandma had no choice. She also came with us to pick out my shoes for school and then took us to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. What fun!

For the second half of the week, I went to Meema's house. As per usual, she had delicious food for me to eat (pesto! hummus!) and lots of activities for us to do. We went to the Dutchess County Fair and the Children's Museum with Mama's friend, Jen and her three sons, Andrew, Dalton & Ben. Meema even had a special big-boy bed all made up for me with fishy sheets! It was so very cool and way more comfy than my Cars bed! On Saturday, Mama came to pick me up and we went to the fair with her. We sampled all kinds of treats and went on some fun rides. As anticipated, I really liked the zeppole, but you're probably not surprised. I know I don't look it, but my food tastes are 100% Italian. Mama bought a root beer float for herself, but guess what...? I drank most of it. Ice cream and soda? Come on! Mama took me on a really fun ride that required lots of climbing and sliding. I giggled the whole way and I even heard Meema laughing down below as Mama tried to climb ropes with me in tow (and in a dress, no less, poor thing). It really was so much fun!

Thanks to Peepa Bobo for getting me this awesome Elmo toy. Grandma Ginny taught me how to air guitar. Now that I have to wear a uniform to daycare, maybe I'll get an Angus Young thing going....

Now, now, now, let's not get too excited. I'm not really using a potty and still spend the majority of my day in a diaper. But I'm not quite as adverse to the idea. The other day, I actually wanted to sit on the potty. Although I didn't do anything whilst sitting, I wasn't screaming and crying like the last time Mama tried to get me on there. Lately, I've found diapers to be a bit annoying. I usually expressed this by pulling on it and going, "Tiiiight! Tiiight!" And now that I have these comfy underwear, I'm on my way. I mean, come on, they have Lightning McQueen on them! Much cooler than the baby Mickey Mouse diapers. These undies are very "big boy." I'll keep everyone posted on my progress. It's officially POTTY WATCH 2007.Check out my "undies strut."

Are kind of silly. And maybe a bit vain. But I like to think I come from pretty cute stock. Thoughts?

I don't know what I would do without the 365 cereal bars. Blueberry is my favorite flavor, although I'll take any kind. Actually, I don't really have a favorite variety because, honestly, they all taste the same- delicious. You may have heard that I'm a bit on the picky side, but I'll always take one of these. Now, says Mama, if I'll only take to broccoli....

However, I did find one veggie I can take a liking to. Now that I have more than a few teeth, I discovered baby carrots. They're sweet and tasty and fun to eat. I like the crunch. Currently, I'm working on saying, "What's up, Doc?" Mama & Gaga don't seem to be all that amused for my penchant for nibbling on a bunch of different carrots, but finishing none of them.Where's the fun in eating just a few when you can put your 12 teeth marks in a whole bag? I have a feeling my eating experiences are only just beginning. Woo-hoo!

As mentioned previously, I'm not that into sleeping in my Cars bed anymore. In fact, I'll pass out anywhere but. This afternoon, our sofa was my nap spot of choice. Cozy.

Like most toddlers, I have a witching hour-- a time of the day where I'm a little crusty around the edges. This time is usually right after we get home from school. I'm hungry, a little tired, desperately wanting an ice pop, etc. However, after bath time and right before bed, I suddenly get a second wind. I think it has something to do with not wanting to go to bed. I want to read stories, watch Thomas ad nausuem and jump around the bed like a wild man, sometimes injuring my parents. Last night, I was especially full of energy. I was dancing with my toys, jumping all around and squealing. I thought I was being so funny that I kept saying, "Baby HA HA! Baby HA HA HA!" over and over again. I'm not sure what it means, but everyone seemed to get a real kick out of it. That's the best part about being a toddler just learning to talk-- you can spit out total jibberish and people think it's cute and funny. Something tells me you can't get away with that forever.

In not so amusing news, it looks like I'm getting my eye teeth finally. For some reason, I always get four teeth at the same time, which isn't any fun for anyone involved. And they're taking forever! Come on little teeth, grow already! Thank goodness for Tylenol. That stuff is liquid GOLD!

And one more update: tomorrow is my last day of "summer camp" before my week vacation. To celebrate we're having an outdoor BBQ. I heard talk of watermelon and cookies! Yippie! And then, starting August 27th, I go into a new class and have to wear a uniform because I'm TWO now. I'm going to look so cute!

I love "mimis" so much that I never want anyone to take them away! However, because I have such adoration, I want others to enjoy them as much as I do. Here is Mama giving the old mimi a go. She didn't seem that impressed, though. Maybe because it tasted like tomato sauce (note my face).

This is how I prefer to spend most nights-- laying in bed naked whilst eating grapes and watching TV. Mama took this picture, but it would have been even nicer if she were to be fanning us. I love my comfy bed! I don't even consider my Cars bed mine anymore. It's just decoration in my bedroom.This, right here, is where it's at!

I've been hard at work channeling my inner artiste lately. I really enjoy coloring pictures. And since Mama & Gaga were kind enough to buy me real crayons as opposed to the ones we got free at Chili's, I can really do it up. One of my specialties is the handmade thank you card. Nothing says "thanks" quite like a Joodles original. Mama thought that the one I am coloring above for Aunt Arlene (she babysat me last week) turned out a lot like Starry Night. I don't know about that, but the world of crayon art is kind of untapped. Maybe one day, I can be like this guy. Thank you, Crayola!

PS-- Pay no attention to popsicle dribble down my chest. Like a poet and his coffee, I find the icy goodness to really help me creatively.

OK, so I don't like sushi. And I've never really met a vegetable that I was too crazy about. But I am adventurous in *some* of my food endeavors. I love pesto pasta, spicy tacos, salsa and a new favorite-- hummus. I use these pretzel crisps as a vehicle for the chick pea-d goodness. I dip and then suck the hummus off. YUM! So a word to the wise: don't eat my hummus. It's been double dipped more than a few times. Man the world is full of such good snacks!

A recent discovery- I love running around the apartment and being chased! I usually run from the living room into my bedroom and then jump on my bed. Usually Mama or Gaga is running after me and then they tickle me to death! Then I run back out in the living room and "hide" near their bed. Repeat many times.

As you all know, I'm just learning how to really communicate. I haven't quite mastered the difference between "you" and "me." When Mama asks me if I want to be carried, she says, "Mama carry you?" So when I want to be carried, I naturally just same the thing to her. I guess I should really be saying, "Mama carry ME?," but I'll get it eventually. The same thing goes for the chasing. When I want to be chased, I take off and say in the sweetest little toddler voice, "I chase you, I chase you!" It's so adorable, that no one even mentions my incorrect usage. You gotta be forgiving, I'm only two after all.

I'm interested in everything that Mama and Gaga are doing, and what they're noshing on is no exception. Last night, I was served up some ravioli, but they had something that required a bowl of dark liquid and some sticks. Boy did it look fun! Gaga gave up his sticks (is it chopsticks?) for a short period of time, so I could give them a try. After I spilled some soy sauce, they decided that chopsticks and toddlers don't mix. It was just as well because that stuff was nasty. Raw fish, are you kidding? I barely eat cooked fish! I'll stick to my ravioli, thanks.

Hey, hey, hey! You think it was easy getting this physique? Do you know how many turkey hot dogs I had to eat to look this good? Yeah, I didn't think so.

Here's another picture that I think shows off my beach bod pretty well. Eat your heart out, girls.

Like most people on this earth, I like anything that ends in -cake. Cupcakes, pancakes, just straight up cake. Oh, but I also LOVE rice cakes, which aren't really as popular as the other cakes. Maybe it's just because I like to say the words so much. As I mentioned in my pool post, I say the word "cupcake" very distinctly, especially the "cake" part. The little voice goes up very high (just like Mama does, so I'm told) and I almost say it like it's a question. Although that could be because most of the time I'm mentioning any of these things, I'm doing so because I'm asking for one.

I bringing this up because I was lucky enough to have a cupcake on Saturday. Actually, I might've had more than one, who knows. Any party that involves cupcakes is alright by me. As expected, I ate it with my usual gusto. I'm pretty sure it's impossible to eat a cupcake without getting at least a little icing on your nose. Of course, for posterity, my mother had to capture it on film.

ME! I just keep getting cuter!

Imagine my delight when not only did Meema come down last Saturday, but she and Mama took me to another pool party! Oh, the fun! This time it was at Meema's friend Patti's house in Freehold. Aunt Patty and Uncle Doodles were there, too. Click on their names and scroll down to see my last "Joodles and Doodles" adventure! Anyway, the weather was iffy at best, but it turned out to be a nice day with no rain. Mama was very happy about this because after I had so much fun with Gaga the week before, she wanted a piece of the action. HA! Little did she know. A day with Jude at the pool is fun and all, but a lot of work. I like to be tossed around, jump in and out all day long, claim pool toys as my own (see above)-- all while not being able to swim. So it's a lot of work. But my adorable proclamations about how much fun I'm having seem to make it all worthwhile. I was a big hit at the party! I got a haircut that very day so I would impress. I was quite the friendly, little ham all day long. I even showed off my dance moves! The older ladies were going wild! I should mention that after Mama took my swimsuit off, I ran around naked for awhile and even did some dancing in the buff. Much to Mama's chagrin, I didn't get any tips. But the Joodles was in full force and everyone was loving it. The other good thing about summer parties is the food. I noshed on pretzels, chips and cupcakes (You should hear the way I say this!"Cupcaaaaaakes?") all day. What's not to like?

We slept at Aunt Patty & Uncle Doodles' house that night and the next morning, we went to Ocean Grove. It's a very cute little town down the shore. The weather seemed *really* iffy this time, so we killed our plans for the beach and did a little strolling and shopping. I was a prisoner in the stroller for most of the time, but I did get to eat a south Jersey staple-- salt water taffy. It's a little hard to chew when you only have 12 teeth, but I managed okay. Hey, candy is candy! We only spent a few hours there because the dark clouds rolled in, but I liked it. I hope we can go again soon. I know it's a favorite of my pal, Lucy.