Mall-a-palooza

Sometimes life's simplest and least expensive pleasures are the most fun and memorable :) I say that because Little Biscuit gets such a thrill just from going to the local mall and checking out the sights and sounds. His favorite things to do there (besides the pet shop of course) are watching the carousel and getting on all the kiddie coin rides...he doesn't even really want us to put money in them - he just likes to sit and "drive"! (Good thing too - I can't see myself paying $1 for a 30 second ride!!) Anyway, it was a fun way to spend an evening out last weekend - and free too :D

"Hey look Aunt Hannah, an elephant!" (She collects them...)

"That carousel is so cool - can I have one for Christmas?!"

Gentlemen, start your engines!

Look, Mommy! I've got a backseat driver!

"Somebody needs to clean these windows." :)

"Race ya!"

"I think I can, I think I can...get this train to go!"


"How come the wheels on this bus don't go round and round?"

"The engine on the bus goes clankety-clank; everybody gets off the bus!"

Fitness Adventures

Little Biscuit believes it's never too early to get started on the road to good health (this is his new philosophy now that he is fighting off his third week of antibiotic-resistant double ear infection). Here he'd like to demonstrate his latest regimen for exercise...diet will be discussed at a later time when he feels like eating again :D (he definitely does not recommend skipping meals in general!)

1. He warms up with some stretching followed by chest and back exercises.

2. Then he does a stint on the treadmill to get the heart rate up.
3. He keeps up his cardio workout with a little boxing.
5. After that he heads to the weight room. (He always has to add a few more to the rack).
6.) Uuuummphh! (Boy am I strong!)7.) He does an easy cool-down on the bike...but he can't quite reach the pedals on this one. Not to worry, he has a backup handy...

8. This one is JUST RIGHT :D

The All-Purpose Box Tunnel

One of Little Biscuit's favorite aspects of train tables are the cool tunnels he gets to push things through. So when we had a giant cardboard box leftover from his early Christmas present, I knew I had to put it to work :) Here's a peak into some of the action it's been seeing lately, and what Biscuit has been using his new tunnel for:
1. For farm trucks...
2. For tiny race cars...3. For small trains...
4. For big trains...5. Um. For...tot-sized train lovers!?Oh well...I guess he likes it :)

Pat the Biscuit :)

Here are Biscuit, Mommy and the puppy.
Mommy and the puppy can do lots of things.
Biscuit can do lots of things too.

Mommy can pat the puppy's head.
Now Biscuit can pat his own head.

Mommy can roll a ball to the puppy.
Now Biscuit can roll a ball to the puppy too
The puppy can make a face for the camera.
Now Biscuit can make a face for the camera too.
Mommy can say, "Bye-bye puppies!"
Now Biscuit can say bye-bye to the puppies too!

'Twas the Month Before Christmas

'Twas the month before Christmas and all through the house
not a person was healthy (except for one spouse).
Outside was too windy to play in cold air,
And we were really too tired to go anywhere.

Those old winter blues were settling in
At the thought of being homebound again
for a whole season of snow and unfriendly ice;
We knew indoor diversion would be oh, so nice.

And so way before Christmas, before it was time,
We gave out a present (a holiday crime).
We didn't wrap it or stick on a bow
But Little Biscuit still knew the way toddlers know

That something exciting was on its way--
something was special about this blah day.
So what to his wondering eyes did appear,
A wooden parking garage with all its great gear!...
A car wash, toll booth, and a gas pump, woo-hoo!
Four levels of fun - an elevator too...
A pad for the chopper that came with the set,And bright wooden cars that are as cute as cars get.Roadways and ramps and street toys galore,
Hours of playtime, and maybe some more!Vrooming and beeping and such joyous tot chatter,
I sprang from my stupor to see what was the matter!
Boredom and brain fog had fled! Not in sight!
Merry Christmas (it's early!) and to all a good night :D

Juffuddy Day: a get-silly but not scary Halloween alternative

Well, although our family doesn't get much into the halloween scene or trick-or-treating (we aren't fans of its roots and what it celebrates), we made up our own dress-up holiday today so Little Biscuit could get in on some innocent costume fun, in advance...I like to call it Juffuddy Day (Just-for-Fun Dress-up Day). It's based on Prov. 8:7 so it's about honestly dressing up silly just for the fun of it, and not for any scary/evil, deceptive reasons, etc. Since this holiday has totally different origins than halloween we can celebrate guilt-free ;) It was also cost-free because I just let Little Biscuit parade around the store in the cute costumes he liked that were for sale and took pictures to remember it all by. The best part was, he didn't have to pick just one character!

Biscuit the Tank Engine...Choo! Choo!
Swashbucklin' Jack Sparrow, Jr...(Well, Captain Jack, Sr. can't bring this ship into Tortuga all by his onesies, savvy?")Sheriff Lil' Biscuit, fastest draw in the west (as long as he's got a crayon!)Sir Biscuit the Brave Knight meets...a tickle dragon!?Lightning McBiscuit (his personal favorite - "ca-CHOW!")

Flashlight Fun for Little Ones

A while back I "turned on the dark" for Little Biscuit to experiment with a flashlight for the first time (he's always liked flashlights, but he's never actually played with one with the lights out). Here are a few games we tried...

Shadow puppets...







Strobe light effects...

Who's light is it, anyway?Say, "Aaaaaaaaaaaaah!" (He's showing me his teeth!)