A seat at Munchie's table

I bought Stephen a table and chair set from Aldi yesterday... 25 bucks for the set! While he was napping, I built all but one of the chairs, which has a rough chunk missing from one of the pieces. I plan to exchange the piece, if they'll let me.
Even though he was incredibly groggy after a late, long nap, Stephen knew just what to do.
Slurp.

Stephen's Guitar

Sometimes we get the feeling we're spoiling him, but we just can't help ourselves. Joe found this ukulele online for a pretty good price. Stephen wants to play with it several times a day. He can even use the pick to strum.

Tools

Stephen loves to "fix" things. He's especially fond of using his toy screw driver or a real allen wrench to tighten whatever looks like a screw. His IKEA changing table drawers keep falling apart :-( I love IKEA and really like the look of the Leksvik series, but the silly hardware they use to hold drawers together doesn't stay tight. (What are those round thingys in the corner of the drawer called?) After about a dozen open-shut motions, they loosen and the whole thing comes apart. We're getting ready to super glue the whole thing together so I don't have to deal with it anymore. Stephen saw the drawer on the bed and had to get a closer look :-)

Munchie Talk

I thought I should write a little bit about Stephen's first words... he has really good comprehension, but he's still learning to talk. Many of the words he uses sound very little like their English counterparts. So, here's a glossary:

da-DA? = Where's Dad?
mom-UH? = Mom, come get me.
da-daaaah = I love you, Dad.
ma-maaaah = I love you, Mom.
ah-KEY = keys
crock-KA = cracker (the "r" is actually silent, but if you imagine really hard....)
chi-KEY = chicken (the animal and the food), fish (the food), chickpea
chi-CHEE = choo-choo train
naa-na = banana
DAWG-eee = doggie
ONG-gong = goose or other long-necked bird
muh-muuh = cow
bwrrrrrr-bwrrr = car (he's really good at making this noise.)
bubba = Bubba, our former nextdoor neighbor's dog.
dawllllll = ball, or any other round or circular object or picture
MEE-o-MEE-o-MEE-o! = yummy (we think)
nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh! = no
laaa-la? = music, please?
luh-LUH = lion or any creature with a cat-like face, including those creatures in the previews for the movie Avatar.
muh! muh! muh! = I want
tick-AHH-ti-GAHH = tickle
bup-up-UP-UP! = airplane; helecopter (he points to the sky while he says this.)
UH-put-tee, UH-put-ee = I'm climbing; I'm waiting for you to give me a piggyback ride.

Scarlet & Gray all the way

Joe guest posts: In honor of the Buckeye's Rose Bowl win, I wanted to put this up. My OSU allegiance is well known (and well-jeered) down here in SEC country. Let em talk their mess. Buckeye nation is growing in their own backyard.

Last little bits of 2009

We're all hunkered down at home on New Years Eve... Stephen and I have the stomach flu, which has been going around at church and among our friends for several weeks now. But on a happier note, I've got some great photos from the holidays, which were happy and healthy:

Reading stories with Gramps.
Going for a Christmas Eve spin in the ole Tune Coupe.
Daddy! Why are you putting blocks down my shirt?
Taking in the lights and sights at Opryland.

Christmas on the Cumberland