Top 10 List: All Around Favorites

Someone asked me a question the other day. They said, "Landen?" I said, "Huh?" They said, "Landen, what do you like to do?" And so that got me thinking. There are a lot of things I like to do. Pretty much anything I'm doing is something I like. There really isn't a time, well, unless I'm getting a timeout. But other than that, I'm a happy kid so I'm happy doing just about anything. But if I had to, if I had to narrow it down to the top couple things that I like the most, well I suppose that list would look like this.


#10 - I like getting into things I shouldn't get into. Oh come on! This is good times. And you know I get a reaction from my mommy and daddy when I do this so this one has gotta be on the list. Unfortunately, that reaction can sometimes lead to a timeout so I can't put it too high on the list. But a list has to start somewhere so it will start here. I once grabbed the sunscreen from the stroller and started putting it on. Hey, I'm just trying to help out.


#9 - Playing in the lobby. We have a lobby in our building and sometimes mommy will let me go out there and play. Sometimes my friends will even be out there playing so we'll have a little fun together. And sometimes, just sometimes, I'll bring a toy or two into the lobby. I like to push the limits sometimes and see what I can get away with in the lobby. Like riding my tricycle around. Kinda relates to #10.


#8 - Bubbles. Bubbles are cool. They just hang there in the air and have all these cool colors in them. Plus they come in all different sizes. Big bubbles, little bubbles, really huge bubbles. What's not to like? I'm getting pretty good at blowing my own bubbles. It's all in the lips.


#7 - Riding the train, riding the train, riding the train. Yahoo! Now this I've only done once but it was so cool that it became an instant classic in my book. I have got to get me one of these. My friend Nicholas turned two a couple weeks ago and I went to his birthday party. Would you believe he had a real train that I was able to drive? Well of course you would because here's the picture!


#6 - Ice cream. One might think - this boy sure does talk about ice cream a lot. Doesn't he ever get sick of it? Um, it's ice cream. Gosh, I even feel guilty putting ice cream so low on the list. I don't want to offend ice cream but I do have other things that I like more. Did I just say that? Ice cream, I love you!


#5 - Playing with my friends. Nothing beats this (well okay four things do but I really like playing with my friends)! Friends are good for all sorts of things. They can play cars with me. They can watch movies and dance with me. They can go to the zoo with me. They can share deep conversations with me. And like my friend Mia, they can let me pull them in the wagon.


#4 - Playground, drinking fountain, daddy. This one is sort of a lot of favorite things all grouped into one. Obviously the playground would be on the list. Come on! Slides, swings, ladders, jumping, swinging. Playgrounds have it all. And one thing all playgrounds have is a drinking fountain. Forget the drinking part. I just like playing with the water! And who better to get all soaking wet with than my daddy. What's really fun is putting your finger over the water hole and pressing the button. We got some good distance with that shot!


#3 - Mommy. She's special because she does so much for me. I mean that's a list right there. Let's see - sign me up for camp, sign me up for school, sign me up for music, sign me up for swimming, sign me up for soccer. Oh and one of the coolest things she does that daddy certainly would never do, she lets me have my paci on the couch. That's me mum!


#2 - Did I tell you I went to Chuck E. Cheese for the first time? Hmm, well, I went to Chuck E. Cheese for the first time. I know! It was amazing. See you get these tokens and then the tokens let you play the games and the games spit out these tickets and you put the tickets into this machine that chews them up and counts them for you and you get your magic number and that magic number tells you how many prizes you can get. And just in case daddy forgets how much I loved Chuck E. Cheese and want to go back, every night before I go to bed I remind him that I want to go to Chuck E. Cheese. Honestly, I do!


#1 - Baby Lauren. I kind of wanted to put Chuck E. Cheese at the top spot because then maybe daddy would really get the hint that I want to go back but I think Baby Lauren is starting to read and I know we have to share a room together and I don't want her to throw her paci at me in the middle of the night. But seriously, I do love my sister. And I think my most favorite thing to do is take a bath with my sister. Here, let me explain it to you. I could be eating ice cream while riding a train that blows bubbles with my friends at Chuck E. Cheese when mommy says, "Bath time for Lauren" and I'd come running. Counting them down in LANDEN'S WORLD!

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream . . .

. . . for ICE CREAM! There are a few certainties in my life: mommy and my baby sister never sneeze just once, daddy tells me to be quiet when baby Lauren sleeps, there's always someone waiting to hug me when I wake up and I like ice cream. Don't believe me? I like to eat it, serve it and even try different variations of it. So when the ice cream shop around the corner is practically giving it away you know I'm gonna be first in line. The whole concept of money still eludes me, except for the fact that I like playing with it (thanks, daddy). But mommy did say the store was giving away scoops for just a couple pennies.


Speaking of ice cream, I had some in the park the other day. Here are a couple before and after shots.

BEFORE

AFTER

Making a mess and loving it here in LANDEN'S WORLD!

There's a First Time For Everything

I'm starting to count on my fingers. One poker chip. Two poker chips. So with that I'm also noticing things that are happening for the first time. Here is a list of some recent firsts for me. I have a scooter that I love to ride around the house. I really wanted to take it outside but mama and dada said I have to wear a helmet like my cousin Ava. First helmet! If I could wear it to bed, I would.


Dada said he would take me to the park the other day but I was getting a little tired of the park near our house so I said, "New park!" First visit to the park with the sandbox this year! It was so nice out that I even got to take my shoes off.


We went to visit some of mama's friends the other night for dinner. They live in our neighborhood but way past mama's school. That's really far so mama and dada thought they'd treat me to something special. First time on the bus! Every time the bus stopped I thought it was our stop. I think I said, "we're here!" about twelve times (yes I can count to twelve).


Nana bought my little sister a giant ducky for the bathtub. It looked like so much fun for Lauren that I thought I'd give it a go. First time in the duck! Rubber ducky, you're the one, you make bath time so much fun.


Today was a very special day. Just like my visit to the park, I experienced something that I had done in the past, many, many, many, many times, but, hadn't yet this year. Something so big and so exciting as this definitely needed to be announced. First time eating ice cream outside this year! Folks, that's big in my book.


Of course I shall be expecting ice cream each and every day. Luckily I have two parents who will happily join me. Lauren, I can't wait until you have your first taste of ice cream. Enjoying my chocolate ice cream in LANDEN'S WORLD!

They Did It Again!

Okay, the first time I went along with it because it was something new. Besides, what did I know? I'm a trusting young lad and if mama and dada want me to sit down in a weird chair and look at the TV, hey that's okay with me. But the second time around I knew exactly what they were trying to do. They were going to take my hair again! I was not about to let that happen, however, dada was there to comfort me and he let me sit on his lap while the lady did her thing. I think dada knows he's going to have to sit with me each time I get my haircut from now on.


What do you think? Not a bad job but I do miss my curls. Well the next day it was business as usual around here with lunch out and a day at the playground. For lunch I nibbled on cheese sticks but highlight was one of my favorites - a plain bagel with cream cheese.


Off to the playground. Have I mentioned how much I like the playground? There's so much to do and I'm almost always going to find a ball or a bike to play with. This time around I decided to step it up a notch and play on some of the more advanced equipment. I know it's advanced because dada and mama get up off the bench when I walk over to it. I always know I'm into something good when they stop what they're doing and take notice.


Well, do you know what tomorrow is? The boxes are starting to pile up at our front door. Cards are gathering on the kitchen table and they're all addressed to me. Sure you don't want to guess whose birthday is one wake-up away? Counting down the minutes here in LANDEN'S WORLD!

J is for Jasmine

Jasmine came over last night, along with her mommy and daddy. I really like it when Jasmine's over because mama and dada will let me get away with a lot more. Sometimes Jasmine even stays late and we'll get to play in the bathtub together. Unfortunately, last night was an early night for Jasmine and her parents but we still managed to make a mess of the place. First Jasmine and I had dinner together. Jasmine like's hot dogs too so we each had one.


After dinner we turned on Blue's Clues for a while. Mama bought me my very own handy-dandy notebook, just like Steve! I had my crayons out and everything and I was writing down the clues. Jasmine wanted to run around a bit so we stopped watching and went into my room. Then she found my stickers and that's when the fun really started. Dada let us get into my crib and it was sticker time! We were putting stickers on the pillows, on the crib, and even on each other.


So we were all back on the couch playing and jumping on dada when the bell rang and someone was at the door. It was dinner for the mommies and daddies. More food! Everyone gathered around the big kitchen table and mama even set up a place for me. I got to sit with the big people at the big table. I felt like such a, well, big person.


After dinner was over, Jasmine was playing around with my dada (I don't mind sharing him as long as it's with someone I really like). He kept picking her up and she would sit on his shoulders. This is something dada had tried with me in the past but I never really liked it, until last night. I saw how much fun she was having so I thought I would give it a try. Boy oh boy had I been missing out. Riding around up there was the greatest!



The countdown for the birthday continues. I have this piece of paper that shows all the different choo-choos you can buy. There are so many of them! I'll take this one, this one, this one, and that one. The list is getting longer in LANDEN'S WORLD!

Happy Birthday, Noah!

A friend of mine celebrated his third birthday yesterday. His name is Noah and he lives upstairs on the fifth floor. He has a new little sister named Margot. I wonder what it would be like to have a little sister. Hmmm. Anyway, the party was a lot of fun. There was music and it's just like the music class I go to on Wednesdays. We played with shakers,


and scarves.


After the music was over, it was time for the cupcakes!


Noah's mommy and daddy put out all these cupcakes onto the table and we were allowed to decorate them. So that's something I want to talk about - decorating cupcakes. Dada put some colorful little sprinkles on my plate and said I could use them to decorate my cupcake. Why would I want to do that? I mean if you had your choice between one snack and two, wouldn't you choose two? Right, so you see my point. Why not keep the sprinkles on the side and then when you're done eating the cupcake, move onto the sprinkles? It was a pretty easy decision for me.


After we ate our cupcakes (and sprinkles) Noah's daddy brought out the cake. All the mommies and daddies sang to Noah and then he blew out the candle. I felt so lucky to be sitting next to the birthday boy.


Speaking of birthday boys, someone is getting ready to celebrate their second birthday. Dropping subtle hints here in LANDEN'S WORLD!

Am I a Maui Boy?

Everyone kept saying I was such a Maui boy. What does that mean? Well let me just tell you about my average day while we were "on island" (I learned that from the locals) and you be the judge. I really didn't like to waste much time because there's only a limited number of hours that can be spent in the sun; after all it too goes night-night just like me. So by around 9am I was out the door and down at the kiddie pool by one of the hotels.

That would last until about noon and then it was nap time for me. After my nap the fun started all over again. There are so many things on Maui that I can't find back home in Brooklyn. I mean just look at some of these flowers!


Then came dinner (should be dessert but the rest of the world hasn't caught onto my suggestion). We had ribs one night and I tell you, I fit right in with the rest of the crowd.

And when the big sun would start falling towards the ocean, I was cliff diving off Black Rock.


Landen Cliff Diving from Brian Giambalvo on Vimeo.

I mean c'mon people, doesn't that sound like the typical day for everyone on Maui? Well if it's not then a tourist I am not. So then what am I? To quote one of my favorite songs,

Oh beep, beep, honk, honk
Can you spare a dime
Grab a bagel and a schmear
And we'll see the Guggenheim
From the Bronx to the Battery
It's all mine
I'm a city kid!

Singing loud and proud in LANDEN'S WORLD!

Leave the Trowel. Take the Rake

Why I love Maui, reason #329: we play in the pool every day! Today we didn't play in our pool, instead we decided to visit one of the hotels because they have this cool kids pool. And since I'm a kid, why not! This one had dancing fountains and water shooting up from the ground. It's so much fun because it's like playing at the beach without those waves. I don't think I like the waves because they're so big and I'm so small. But there is this beach just for babies because there aren't any waves. It's called Baby Beach. And since I'm a baby, why not! Maybe we'll go there tomorrow.


Then we went to lunch. I don't remember what the restaurant was called. I don't remember where it was. I don't remember what mommy, daddy, or tutu ate. But what I do remember is the dessert I ate. Okay let me just say this was the most amazing thing ever. Sure hummus and pretzels and hot dogs and clementines are great, but, why bother? Why can't we just go straight to the dessert? And another question - I'll share my shovels and pails at the beach, I'll share my blocks and cars at home, and I'll even share my hot dog with daddy, but, share my dessert? Who do these people think they are?


So they told me it was Hula Pie. Sounds good to me. It's Hula Pie for everyone in LANDEN'S WORLD!

Saturday Morning Pancakes

Saturday mornings are special because daddy makes pancakes. He lets me stir the big blue bowl. There's something about daddy's pancakes that make them different from pancakes I've had anywhere else. Well, not everywhere. I remember having the same kind of pancakes when we visited my great-great-great-great-great-great-wonderful-super-smart-funny-loving-amazing-grandfather. Hmmm, I wonder if daddy learned how to make his pancakes by watching my great-great-great-great-great-great-wonderful-super-smart-funny-loving-amazing-grandfather?


Oh! And let me not forget. Mommy had some good news for me and I want to share it with all of you. I'm going to be a big brother! Can you believe it? I'm finally going to have someone smaller than me around here. Mommy already tells me to kiss the baby and I kiss her belly. It's soon going to be +1 here in LANDEN'S WORLD!

Oh My Darlin!

That's what daddy sings when I eat one of my new favorite foods. Clementines! It's a catchy tune and a tasty treat. And I get to eat them everywhere I go. Whenever we're out at a restaurant, and it really doesn't matter which restaurant, at some point mommy or daddy will pull out a clementine and peel it for me. Funny thing is, they always pull it out right around that time when I get a little bored with whatever it is I'm doing and want out of the highchair. Sometimes when we're at home and I wander over to my stroller, if I reach into the pockets of the diaper bag I might just find an extra clementine. Jackpot! Oh I just run right over to mommy and daddy and bang - I'm in my chair eating that clementine. I wish it were that way with pacifiers but unfortunately when I find one of those in the diaper bag and stuff it in my mouth, they're so quick to yank it out. Oh so close to happiness. Just another day in LANDEN'S WORLD!

Christening

I look around me and see a mommy and daddy who truly love me, grandparents who travel tons and tons of miles to see me, pictures of me everywhere (somebody must think I'm really cute), great grandparents who can't stop talking about me, and I live in one of the coolest cities in the world, and I think to myself - wow am I blessed. Well this past weekend I was literally blessed and now I can add to that list - I have two wonderful godparents. Thank you, David. Thank you, Christine.


These past two weekends have been all about family. Let's not forget it was still October so we were still celebrating my first birthday. Two weekends ago, my grandpa Ryan visited me. See what I mean? He came all the way from Florida just to see me. Now, mommy and daddy tell me he came to visit back in June of last year. I wasn't born yet so I guess I'll have to take their word for it. Anyway, during that trip, they all walked across the Brooklyn Bridge. Well this trip, we all walked across the Manhattan Bridge and I was actually around to see it. Pretty cool!


Then even more family visited just this past weekend. There were aunts and uncles, grandmothers, and great grandparents, oh my! It's been non-stop fun around here. If you take away all my toys, all the cell phones I can get my hands on, all the hummus, all the lollipops, and all the episodes of Elmo's World, as long as my family is around I'll be happy. But don't let my mommy and daddy hear me say that because I don't know if I could live without playing with cell phones! That's what makes me smile, all in a day in LANDEN'S WORLD!

Still The Birthday Boy

Well I didn't have more cake, but, I did have a CUPCAKE! It's like my own little cake. I loved it. My shirt loved it. My pants loved it.



It's still October so I'm still celebrating. Last Saturday, mommy and daddy threw a big party for me. They invited all my friends, some of their friends, and the band! Oh I told you all about this - Music For Aardvarks. Well they came. It was so cool. The singer, Sivan, mentioned my name in almost all the songs and at the end, he sang Happy Birthday to me! I walked around and told all my friends, "Yeah, I'm with the band." So let's see who was here - there was Matan who lives across the courtyard from us, my bestest buddy Jasmine who lives on the other side of Flatbush, her friend Tess, my big buddy Harrison who lives in the same building as Jas, Charlie who is two weeks younger, little baby Mia, pretty Emelia from Manhattan, my East Hampton buddy Jack, sleepy Theo, and lovely Maggie. The whole gang was here! And they were all here to see me. Thanks, to all my friends.

Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me. Why not sing it again? It's my world. It's LANDEN'S WORLD!

Birthday Boy

Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me! And so many more! Monday was my first birthday and boy was it special. I rode on a plane, I saw Grandma and Grandpa Ryan, I ate cake. I ATE CAKE!

Now this cake thing, how exactly does it work? Do I get it every birthday? It's really soft and I liked the way it felt on my fingers. Soon after this picture was taken, I had cake all over me. I like cake. Maybe I can have cake on my pretzels, instead of hummus.


So my birthday isn't just one day. This Saturday my mommy and daddy invited some of my friends over, along with a band. The band is called Music for Aardvarks and they sing some really cool music. One of my favorites is the one about being a kid in the city. Actually, it's called City Kid. And then there's the one about the Staten Island Ferry. Actually, it's called Staten Island Ferry. I wish everything was this easy to remember. That's on Saturday and we're going to have lots of fun and food and hopefully more cake!!! Then, two weeks from this Saturday, we're having another party. This one is for all my family. And since everyone will be staying the weekend, it's more of a weekend party. Pretty much the whole month of October we'll be celebrating my birthday. My uncle Thomas also has a birthday in October. My Great Grandpa Giambalvo has a birthday in October. My aunt Christine has a birthday in October. And then, before you know it, it's Halloween and we're walking down Seventh Avenue for the parade! I went last year. I was a three-week old pumpkin.


It started getting cold out. Mommy and daddy have some new clothes for me, plus Tutu Kathleen sent me some great clothes for the colder weather. Oh, and Grandpa Ryan gave me some way cool boots. I can't wait to wear all my new clothes! Well, to tell you the truth, I really couldn't wait. I already tried on my new hat. Whadya think?


Well one more time for the folks who we're too shy in the beginning . . . Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me. Why not sing it again? It's my world. It's LANDEN'S WORLD!

Who Am I?

Well I already told you my name - it's Landen. But what is it that a devilishly young, handsome dude like myself does in a way hipster city like Brooklyn? I eat. Yeah, I like food. Hey I'm only eleven months and just a few days before my first birthday old, so I gotta eat like it's going out of style! I love hummus. Oh let me tell you. Hummus on crackers. Hummus on bread. Hummus on my face. Hummus on an apple. If it has surface area, I'm putting hummus on it. I'm also a big fan of cheese. My parents have me eating all sorts of funny cheeses, but do you really think I care whether it's Gouda or Gloucester? I just like the different colors. Oh and don't forget pretzels! The pretzel rods are my favorite because they fit right in my little hand. And of course, hummus on pretzels. I've moved onto milk, but that's a recent development. Love that whole milk! I still drink out of my bottle, but at lunch and dinner I get milk in a little plastic cup and slurp at it like a puppy. I've tried a straw a couple times now but just can't seem to get the hang of it. Oh and I have my sippy cup but mainly that's for water. I just can't seem to hold onto it (probably because of the hummus all over my hands).


Around the house I have building blocks and those funny foam squishy blocks. I really like those. Daddy and I put those in our mouth and make funny faces at each other. I'm not quite walking yet but I certainly get up and down quite well on my own. There are these two entertainment playgrounds that I stand at all the time. One sings to me about "rocking to the numbers" and the other sings the alphabet, in english and in spanish. Those two things are loads of fun but what I really like can't be found in our house. It's the SWINGS! We live in Park Slope and one thing Park Slope is known for is being a great place to raise a family. There are parks all over the place and all of them have swings. At first I had a little trouble with the swing and mommy would put a blanket behind me for a little extra cushion. Now I'm a pro at the swings and mommy swings me high into the sky!

I'm getting to be a pretty good sleeper. I have a pretty good streak going for sleeping through the night. Daddy said something about not talking about a streak, during the streak, so that's all I have to say about that. Then in the morning, I wake up, catch some Elmo's World, and do it all over again. Pretty nice life, huh? That's what it's like in LANDEN'S WORLD!