Arthur's officially 2 1/2 years old! Time has really flown by...

Likes: Animals, cars, planes, trains, reading books, fries, playgrounds

Dislikes: Getting his hair washed, not being able to eat cookies all the time, leaving the park, large noisy crowds

Sleeping: Arthur hasn't consistently napped for probably 8 months at his point. Every once in a while he will tire himself out and fall asleep on the couch. Other than that, it's go go go from about 7:30am to 8:00pm. He still wakes up randomly in the middle of the night. Usually he wants water or a specific animal. Sometimes he seems to have nightmares. He's actually been falling asleep with his door open and the hall light on lately. We're going to be getting him out of the crib and onto a twin mattress on the floor in the next month or so. I want the switch to happen way ahead of the baby coming in October. Fingers crossed that it goes well!

Eating: What can I say, he's a toddler. Some days Arthur will eat anything put in front of him. Other days he eats practically nothing. Picky one day and eating random weird stuff the next day. His favorites include mac and cheese, chicken, fruit, yogurt, and cookies (of course).

Playing: Every minute is playtime! His favorite activities are throwing the ball around, riding his big wheel, playing with vehicles (cars, trucks, trains, doesn't matter), reading, and tickling. He loves going places to play with his friends and enjoys chasing kids around. Hopefully the weather will warm up enough soon so we can head to the pool. He's been asking to go since Christmastime. The pool may be heated, but not that much!

Schedule:Besides a set bedtime, we try to keep mealtimes relatively set. He usually needs a snack at some point in the afternoon (just in time for me to snack also). As far as activities, we try to schedule at least two days of activities and one-two days of house time. Packing too much in ensures a toddler meltdown. But so does staying home for too long. If the weather's nice, we can least play in the backyard.

Out and About: Arthur has lots of favorite places to visit.

• Oakland Zoo -- Animals! and a train ride!
• Bay Area Discovery Museum -- Awesome train table and playground including an actual boat.
• Various playgrounds -- We've been frequenting Seven Seas in Sunnyvale. They turned the splash pad at the beginning of April, just in time for a 90 degree day.
• Library -- We alternate between Castro Valley and Dublin to get our books.
• Target -- If we go, Arthur usually gets a matchbox car.