Cracked Up

Toddler learning how to undress himself. Hilarity ensues. The payoff is precious.

We're Cracked Out!

Now, in other parts of this fine city, cracked-out means something entirely different than it did at the Mercier house on Friday night. But, I can assure you, our version of cracked-out was totally innocent. We spent the evening painting Easter eggs with Mason and Kellyn. Cracked-out is what Kellyn dubbed Rob's dropping of an egg (thus, cracking it) and what the kiddos would scream anytime another egg was dropped thereafter.

All told, we painted 18 eggs. Seventeen of them survived the actual painting process -- though judging by the nearly all-blue one I ate for lunch today after the shell was removed (see video below...I'm pretty sure there's a connection), I wonder if we shouldn't have been more judicious in catching those cracked-out eggs before they hit the dye.

Mason, as you can see, really liked the act of cracking an egg.

Kellyn was a bit more dainty with hers, preferring the paint-by-brush technique.

And when we finished up, they were both in need of a bath...especially Mason, who was doing his best Incredible Hulk imitation.

Now I know my A-B-Cs!

Hair Today Gone Tomorrow

For a while Mason has needed a haircut. However, because Mason's Mom likes his curly hair, it took a while to get to the point where his inability to see overtook his shaggy-haired look. But the time had come. He was starting to look like a hippie:


You can tell Macey's hair is getting long when you wash it and you can create extreme hairstyles. Our favorite is the Sanjaya (for all you American Idol fans), also known as the USC.
I've got to say Mason sure does handle getting his haircut better now than he did in the past. Before, we needed to make sure we cut quick, because after he knew what we were doing he'd freak out. Now, he takes it in stride and just watches the video we have playing for him, this time it was Curious George. He even looked at the locks of hair falling and kept cool (and it is, was a lot of locks).
Well now there has been a transformation, our our little surfer boy has changed to a debonair, dapper little guy. But his hair grows fast and it's only a matter of time before we start debating when haircut number six comes. If Mom has her way, it won't be for awhile or at least until his hair is close to his eye level.

Not Quite Ready For Nathan's...

Mason had his first real New York City hot dog (not cut up into teeny-tiny pieces or anything) as we walked through Central Park on Saturday. Quite a cute site, him all bundled up, sitting on the park bench and eating it from both ends.

We had grand plans of attending this family friendly event in the park, which turned out to be a dud aside from the free carousel. Mason loved the carousel. Good thing it was free, because we rode it three times. Once on the giraffe, once on the zebra and once on a good-old-fashioned horse. He also got a elephant-shaped balloon from one of the clowns before we left the crowd behind and headed for the great outdoors.

Aside from amusing us with the aforementioned hot-dog eating moment, he was a riot as he toddled all the way across the park -- we're talking the whole width of the park, people. A big deal for a kiddo who only wants to be carried or in his stroller.

He was a chatter box the whole time. Talking to the "big fluffy squirrels" he knows from his This is New York book and pointing out the horse-drawn carriage while making horse noises (and imploring Mommy and Dad-o to do the same).

All in all, just a simple day in the park, but so much fun seeing it through his eyes.

The Out of Towners

Our string of family visitors continued this month with Uncle Kirt and Auntie Julie (since they set the date, she's officially an Auntie!) We had so much fun with them. It was all pretty low-key. They did a little sightseeing during the day, taking some time out to drag Mommy out to lunch on a couple of occasions. At night, we all hung out -- going to our favorite pizza place, buying funky fun hats in Chinatown and being serenaded by some old Italian gentlemen on our quest for a good Little Italy meal. It worked. We ate there and it was delicious. Mason LOVED the bathroom there, and announced on numerous occasions that he had to poop. He did...once, but the rest of the time he mostly wanted to play. In the bathroom. Maybe he has some Uncle Kirty in him -- remember those Port-a-Pottie days?

They had to leave on Wednesday, but Mason is still talking about the fun he had while they were here. Most especially, he loved riding the Ferris Wheel with Uncle Kirty at Toys R Us and seeing the dinosaurs with Auntie Julie (at the Natural History Museum). He even recorded this little diddy for the two of you...

Thawing Out

Mason and Mommy were lucky enough to make yet another visit to Colorado to close out 2007. We landed in a snow storm, waited for at least an hour to find our luggage and were on our way to Grammy and Papa's house.

What did we find there? 18 inches of snow. A house full of Aunts and Uncles and yet another stack of presents for Mason to open.

We spent our long weekend doing a lot of relaxing. A lot of eating and working out Mason's brand new snow suit:

On the sledding hill...



While building a snow man...

While Papa pulled him around on the sled...including helping him *get air* by flying off the retaining wall in the front yard, making Mommy very nervous...

Tackling Uncle Clint...

And being plopped in the snow banks...

As you can tell, he loved the snow. We all got cold and wanted to go inside, but he was toasty and warm and hard to coax in. He helped Papa shovel the snow, then Papa sent him in the front door, only to watch him toddle straight for the back door and back into the elements.