52 Weeks of Arthur 2017: W46-52

Continuing this project from 2016, I'll be posting a roundup of Arthur pics every 9 weeks. See W1-9 here. W10-18 here, W19-27 here, W28-36 here, W37-45 here. And now on to W46-52:

W52: Checking out the aquarium at the library

Next up on the TBR pile:

52 Weeks of Arthur 2017: W37-45

Continuing this project from 2016, I'll be posting a roundup of Arthur pics every 9 weeks. See W1-9 here. W10-18 here, W19-27 here, W28-36 here. And now on to W37-45:

W42: Painting a pumpkin while dressed as Captain Kirk

Next up on the TBR pile:

Arthur: 4 Years Old!

Happy 4th Birthday to my Arthur Dent!

Likes: Paw Patrol; trains; cars; his baby brother Quentin; playing with friends; going to the library

Dislikes: Quentin playing with his toys; eating dinner; when daddy's at work upstairs but he can't go bother him

Sleeping: Decent sleeper. He goes to bed at 8pm and wakes up sometime around 7am. Very rarely do we get a mid-night waking.

Eating: Typically picky 4 year old. I can get him to eat a fairly nutritious breakfast and lunch, but dinner is such a struggle. Most nights he eats a bite or two of dinner and it done. I really wish I could get him to eat more at dinner.

Playing: So much imaginary play! Thankfully he can get Quentin to engage with him, so Arthur's not bugging me to play every 5 minutes. He also really likes simple board games. And of coarse anything he can climb or ride.

Milestones: He's got his letters and numbers down pretty well. We're starting with the basics of reading and writing. He's been doing a few simple PreK activity books. His favorite is the scissor skills book.

Making music at a friend's birthday party (September)

Out and About: So many activities! We try to do at least one big out-of-the-house activity per week. Another day is a closer-to-home activity such as a park morning. We also try to hit the library at least once every two weeks. We have to enjoy all the great California weather and attractions while we still live here.

Birthday project -- making a horse (October)

Loving the cars at Happy Hollow (October)

52 Weeks of Arthur 2017: W28-36

Continuing this project from 2016, I'll be posting a roundup of Arthur pics every 9 weeks. See W1-9 here. W10-18 here, W19-27 here. On to Weeks 28-36:

52 Weeks of Arthur 2017: W19-27

Continuing this project from 2016, I'll be posting a roundup of Arthur pics every 9 weeks. See W1-9 here. W10-18 here. On to Weeks 19 - 27:

W26: Watching the twins at Great America

W27: Enjoying the waterpark at Great America

Next up on the TBR pile:

52 Weeks of Arthur 2017: W10-18

Yet again, I completely lost track of time and weeks. Continuing this project from 2016, I'll be posting a roundup of Arthur pics every 9 weeks. See W1-9 here. Weeks 10 through 8:

W17: Music time at Bay Area Discovery Museum

Next up on the TBR pile:

Arthur: 3 1/2 Years Old!

Arthur’s 3 1/2 years old!

Hanging with little brother (November 2016)

Likes: Paw Patrol! Seriously still obsessed with this show. Loves to play with all his toy pups. Dinosaurs and dinosaur documentaries. Anything about space. His baby brother Quentin. Playdates with friends (especially C and J). iPad time. Baking with mom.

Ornament making at the Cookie Exchange (December 2016)

Dislikes: Being patient. Eating dinner (seriously the kid goes on food strikes somedays). Being at home multiple days in a row. Being kept indoors when it rains (not usually this rainy in the spring here). When playdates end.

Seasoned airplane traveler (December 2016)

Christmas Eve Shenanigans (December 2016)

Silly times at Grandma's House (December 2016)

Sleeping: Thankfully I've been given a decent sleeper. He goes to bed around 8pm with minimal fussing (maybe an extra potty break) and wakes up sometime around 7 or 7:30am. He hasn't napped for almost two years now. Oh well, at least he sleeps through the night...

Checking out Great Grandma's bells (January 2017)

Eating: None of the things? We are deep into toddler pickiness right now. So hard to find things he will eat without giving up and serving mac n cheese or chicken nuggets at every meal.

Special Costco Pizza Day! (February 2017)

Playing: Arthur's really into imaginary play with his cars and dinosaurs. He's always making a dinosaur city or enacting car chases and such. He loves to show Quentin how to play with toys. Thankfully Q is finally at the age where he's starting to really play. He was always scared to go into the Bounce House and Obstacle Course at the indoor play place. He finally ventured in after Christmas and now loves them. If we go to that play, he bounces and jumps for hours. And of course he loves playdates with his friends. We try to schedule at two activities and/or playdates a week. Gotta get the wiggles out!

Milestones: Arthur's almost done potty training. He started in January and was doing well, but then had some serious regression in early March. He has masted poo in the potty, but still pees his pants some days. He's wearing his Paw Patrol underwear almost daily at this point. I think we're turning a corner.

Riding bikes down the street (March 2017)

Out and About: We get to travel to so many great places in the Bay Area. (One of the big advantages of living here, so much to see!). Arthur's favorites include any park, Mel's Play Place in Castro Valley (indoor play area), the library, Oakland Zoo, Bay Area Discovery Museum, aquarium at the California Academy of Sciences, steam trains at Tilden Park. Now that's isn't warming back up, we'll be hitting more parks, the pool, Great America with the twins (rides and waterpark), the beach (Arthur's already asking to go), and more of our usual places.

52 Weeks of Arthur 2017: W1-9

Somehow I completely lost track of time and weeks. So the first 9 weeks of 2017 is going to be posted late, but at least I actually did it right? Continuing this project from 2016, I'll be posting a roundup of Arthur pics every 9 weeks. Here are weeks 1 through 9:

W1: Checking out Great Grandma Frances's bells

52 Weeks of Arthur: W46-52

One of my 101 in 1001 Days goals is to take weekly photos of Arthur. I want to create a photo book for this year. Instead of posting them each week, I’m going to post in 9 week intervals. See W1-9 here, W10-18 here, W19-27 here, W28-36 here, W37-45 here. Without further ado, here are weeks 46 through 52:

52 Weeks of Arthur: W37-45

Arthur: 3 Years Old! (well, tomorrow at least)

Arthur’s 3 years old! Well, okay his birthday is tomorrow, but I'm posting today. Time has really flown by... Arthur had his 3rd year doctor visit this week complete with flu shot. That did not go well at all, but we made it through. Arthur is currently 36 pounds and just over 3 feet tall. He's hitting all the developmental milestones perfectly.

Likes: Playing with friends (especially J, V, and C), his baby and bis (blanket), his little brother (thankfully), jumping and running everywhere, cars and trains

Dislikes: Picking up his toys at night, being quieter when Q is sleeping, having a dirty diaper

Sleeping: I was going to write that he's a champion sleeper going down at around 8pm and waking around 7:30am. But... this week then happened. He's been getting up in the middle of the night and it's really hard to get him to go back to sleep. This may be due to the arrival of baby Q, but it certainly is annoying. I want my good sleeper back. As for naps, they have been nonexistent for at least a year now. It's a crazy day if he falls asleep during the day and usually ends with a cranky toddler after he wakes up.

Eating: Typical toddler pickiness. He's really not a fan of meat beyond chicken (and even then it depends on what is on it). Dinner time is always a crapshoot as to wether he will eat it or not. The other night I offered cheese, a peach, broccoli, and peanut butter pretzels (J and I were having really spicy food). Arthur ate the cheese and broccoli and then asked for seconds on the broccoli. So yeah I guess. But that doesn't guarantee that he will eat broccoli tonight. I'm not super worried about his eating. I just keep offering a variety of foods.

Playing: Oh my the imaginary play is at full force right now! Everything is a big new game and only he knows the rules. We try to meet with friends for playdates at least once a week. He's also a huge fan of vehicles of any kind (trains, cars, planes, etc). Definitely his favorite toys overall. Although right now, he's fixated on his Paw Patrol figures. I think a few more may be in order for Christmas. We don't have Sky or Everest figures yet.

Schedule:Well, we had a schedule, but with Q arriving, that's gone out of the window for right now. Hopefully we can get back to a semblance of a schedule soon.

Out and About: Before Q came, we were out and about at least three days a week. Arthur's favorite places include the Oakland Zoo (his #1 fave place to go), any park, the library, Bay Area Discovery Museum (one of mom's fave places to go), Mel's Play Place (indoor play area), Target (for cars!), and Chabot Space and Science Center.

Birthday Party: Due to Q arriving at the end of September, I elected to throw Arthur's third birthday party mid September. He requested a Paw Patrol theme and I delivered. We had a small party of about 5 toddlers and a few babies which was the perfect number for our house. Arthur and his friends spent most of the party playing, but we did also have pin the badge on Chase game and an adopt-a-puppy game. Each kid got to punch out a puppy and take it home complete with an adoption certificate. Arthur loved his cake with Paw Patrol "candles" (really little figures). Yum yum! Overall, it was a great party and his last solo party. Next year, he'll probably be sharing a party with Quentin. Mommy can't organize two parties within two weeks of each other. Too much work!

52 Weeks of Arthur: W28-36

52 Weeks of Arthur: W19-27

One of my 101 in 1001 Days goals is to take weekly photos of Arthur. I want to create a photo book for this year. Instead of posting them each week, I’m going to post in 9 week intervals. See W1-9 here and W10-18 here. Without further ado, here are weeks 19 through 27:

52 Weeks of Arthur: W10-18

One of my 101 in 1001 Days goals is to take weekly photos of Arthur. I want to create a photo book for this year. Instead of posting them each week, I'm going to post in 9 week intervals. See W1-9 here. Without further ado, here are weeks 10 through 18:

Arthur: 2 1/2 Years

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.

52 Weeks of Arthur: W1-9

One of my 101 in 1001 Days goals is to take weekly photos of Arthur. I want to create a photo book for this year. Instead of posting them each week, I'm going to post in 9 week intervals. Without further ado, here are weeks 1 through 9:

Arthur: 24 Months / 2 Years!

Likes: Cupcakes! Baby, giraffe, and pooh bear. Reading all the books!

Dislikes: Naps. Not eating all the cupcakes/cookies.

Sleeping: Every few days, Arthur wakes up in the middle of the night crying. If I go in, he screams more. If J goes in, he usually goes back to bed. Hoping that this stage ends soon...

Eating: It's really hit or miss. Some days he eats anything and everything. Other days, he picks one food and that's all he will eat. Typical toddler behavior, but man does it annoy me somedays.

Playing: We are entering the realm of imaginary play, help us all! He's actually starting to get playing with others. Thank goodness I bought him more vtech track for his cars. He loves it!

Doctor Visit Stats: Arthur had his 2 year old appointment on Monday. We measured out at 30 lbs and 35 inches! No vaccines this time, but we did opt for a flu shot for Arthur and myself. The tech was incredibly quick. Arthur didn't even cry! Barring any illness, Arthur doesn't have to go back to the doctor until next October.

Schedule: Life is so busy with a toddler! We usually have a full day of stuff even if that includes laundry and making dinner.

Out and About: We've been all about our usual parent group activities and outings. My current favorite place is Habitot in Berkeley. It's so amazing! We can't wait to go back soon. As the temperatures start to get cooler, we're taking advantage of all the park time that we can!

Arthur: 23 Months

Only one month until my crazy one turns 2! I've almost finished planning his party. We're so excited to celebrate!

Likes: Baby, pooh, and blankies -- loves his lovies; Daniel Tiger, Sesame Street, and Super Why

Dislikes: Staying in the house, not going anywhere -- He loves to go out and do activitie

Sleeping: We've had a few rough nights in the last month. Thankfully it doesn't happen often, but those nights are killer! And he's not been taking naps at all lately. I'm guessing that the days of two hours of quiet in the afternoon are gone.

Eating: He's been a garbage disposal lately. I'm thinking a growth spurt it on it's way. His favorite foods right now are peanut butter sandwiches and cheese.

Playing: Last week we were at a planning session at a friends house. Arthur had so much fun running around with his friends. Their special game was playing in a plastic bin. Aw the imagination of littles!

Out and About: This past month has been about our favorite places (Oakland Zoo, Happy Hollow, park, library). On Thursday we are going to check a great indoor play place in Berkeley. I bought a Groupon saving 50%. I love when I find those deals. I hope Arthur enjoys it!

Arthur: 22 Months

We've done a huge photo cleanout, so I don't have a ton of photos for the July 16-Aug. 15 time period.

Likes: His babies (Pooh bear, Cabbage Patch, giraffe, and monkey), apple juice (new discovery), coloring (especially on non-paper surfaces)

Dislikes: Listening (ha ha! such a toddler!), nap time

Sleeping: Randomly he has been waking up in the middle of the night. Usually he will go right back to sleep if one of us goes in and comforts him for a minute. Seems to be very random right now. But usually he is sleeping 8pm to 7:30am. Nap time is a whole other issue. Some days he naps 3 hours, some days he naps 1 hour, and some days he doesn't nap at all. I can never anticipate how nap time will go. Kinda frustrating for me.

Eating: Still eating all the things. Even with his occasional pickiness, Arthur is a great eater. His favorites right now are lots of veggies, fruit, and crackers.

Playing: We are entering the realm of imaginative play. Ugh! but yeah for development. Usually the imaginative play revolves around cars and trains. It's a lot of fun to see him play independently.

Doctor Visit Stats: We aren't scheduled to go back to the doctor until October, but the other day Arthur weighed himself on our bathroom scale. He is currently 29 pounds exactly! His weight gain has definitely slowed down lately. All that running everywhere burns a lot of calories.

Schedule:Still working on creating a nice routine for our Castro Valley life. We've been averaging 3 activities a week and a weekend activity.

Out and About: Along with our usual Oakland Zoo, Happy Hollow, and CDM, we're hitting up the Castro Valley park a lot. Also, we've been heading back down to South Bay to see friends and visit our favorite parks. Plus this has been the month of birthday parties. We just went to a triple birthday party: three 2 year olds! (not triplets, three families) Included with play and cake, they held the party at a huge park with great play structures. Plus, we all got to ride the train and carousel!

Arthur: 21 Months

Getting so close to 2! I need to start planning his birthday party soon.

Likes: Cars, cars, and more cars. Oh yeah, and trains and planes and boats. Tickle fights. Chasing the twins.

Dislikes: Bath time. Not eating all the time.

Sleeping: Other than the occasional random wakeup, Arthur sleeps from 8:00pm to about 7:30am I'd say we're doing good. Nap time is another story. Arthur's currently on the nap for a day, don't nap for the next three to four days plan. I'm not the biggest fan of this plan. I would love for Arthur to actually nap more consistently.

Eating: Just about everything. I love that he actually eats what I put in front of him. Makes meal times just a bit easier. Now if we could figure out the snacking situation. He wants to eat all the time. It's getting a bit ridiculous now.

Playing: We've been working on kicking a ball lately. He also loves playing with all of his train tracks.

Out and About: We went to our usual monthly places Oakland Zoo, CDM, and Happy Hollow. We also attended a friend birthday party at a park and the pool. Our favorite new spot was the new Magical Bridge playground in Palo Alto. It was amazing! For a little bit extra, there was a jazz trio playing for some kids while we were there. Lots of fun. This past week, my mom came for a visit. We hit the zoo and the city for some great day trips.