Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Manu is 18 months!

On Sunday, Manu turned 18 months!  

And you all know what that means - nursery!  Yes, I've been looking forward to this for a long time now.  In fact I've been taking him for a month now so that by this time Manu would have no problem being left in the nursery for 2 hours during church.  Well, and let's face it - I wasn't getting much out of Sunday School or Relief Society chasing him around and trying to keep him quiet and entertained.  We spent a lot of time in the hall.  I love nursery already.  Church seems so much more refreshing now.


We started our celebrations with a few unapproved art projects: table, door, fridge, stove....legs, nothing is safe.  This boy loves to color!


We made some delicious peanut butter snack balls.  Manu helped by scooping all the ingredients into the bowl, onto the counter and into his mouth.  


But, he's been learning to clean up after himself, too.  


I often call Manu a little wanderer because that's what he likes to do best.  He wanders from room to room investigating and finding things to play with and entertaining himself.  He has recently discovered numbers and letters and is fascinated by them.  He asks to sing the "ABDs"over and over (for some reason C gets left out unless specifically asked).

Whenever he hears the beep of a truck backing down our street, his face lights up and he runs to to door and says "truck! see, see!" So we go out and watch.  It's usually the garbage truck and really could it get more exciting than watching a big truck lift up and empty dumpsters?  It's been a slow week so far, stuck in the house with a cold, so sometimes that's the highlight of the day.

Manu loves to sing songs and will ask for more as long as I'm willing to sing.  Except for one song.  "I Am a Child of God" is only allowed at nap time and bedtime.  If I start singing it any other time of day, he thinks I'm going to put him in bed and starts crying.  I wonder what he does when they sing it in nursery....

Manu 1 year ago:  6 months old

Manu now!

What a difference a year makes!  Happy 18 months, Manu!  It's been quite the adventure being your mom and we're just getting started!

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Ketchup

... I mean catchup

... I mean catch-up

Ah! That's the one.  The holidays were wonderful and too short.  I'll post those pics soon (and by soon of course I mean eventually), but for now here's a few of Manu and I hiking Mariner's Ridge awhile back.

A "walk break" for Manu and a "stop walking break" for me on the  way up the ridge.  Unfortunately it didn't last long - ridges are not good places for toddlers to wander.  

It was a beautiful trail - steep enough to be challenging, but  easy enough that my out-of-shape self could pack 25 pounds of baby up there with out much trouble.  

Love these mountains.
And the ocean.

At the top - Manu passed out not too long after this and napped all the way down.
Shortly after this picture was taken, we met the then-mayor of Honolulu Peter Carlisle up at the top!