TGIF

Thank Goodness It's Friday!

After a long hard week of going to the pool, the grocery store, the Apple store for repairs...only to be described as vintage and beyond help, and to boot camp I look forward to Friday to kick off the weekend.

  Friday is my day. Hear that world. My day! How do I know that? Well because Friday mornings there is baby story hour! Yee Haw. We go to this bookstore and this nice lady reads us a couple of books.

Listen to the story!

Then we sing some songs. After that....You better brace yourself...We get shakers! We get to shake them to the music. We sing about stomping out our sillies and wiggling our waggles away! Or is it wiggle our waggles away? Oh what's the difference? It is great fun!

Shake your shaker!

After story hour 30 minutes, don't think I didn't notice. It's time for me to recover and my Mom runs me a bath? No, she runs me a nap. It's perfect (for now). Who says one must nap in a crib with a manufactured white noise machine. I prefer the motion of the stroller and the pitter patter of my Mom's feet. I just had the greatest idea. I should write a book about baby scheduling /whispering/increased IQ scores and sell it for a lot of money. I bet I could earn enough to pay my way to college.My Mom has spent plenty of money on those types of books and the secret is in the stroller! I could also write a self help book for adults advising them that a bedtime of 7:00 p.m. followed by a few short daytime naps, singing, and running is the secret to health and happiness.

Run me a nap!

My parents on the other hand look forward to the weekend to spend sometime riding terrain like this. My Mom says that looks like an easy switchback but it really is a hard one.I bet I could clear that corner easily on my bike. Of course, I'll have to touch my feet down because my bike doesn't have pedals, but I am sure just as soon as I am able to sit up unattended I'll be capable of clearing any switch back.

So the wheels of my parents bikes aren't the only thing that roll around here. I roll. Yup. I roll from front to back. It's this great game I play because I make sure to do it when my folks are not looking. See here is how things roll. One of my parents puts me on my tummy in my crib with a bunch of babyish toys to entertain me then he or she dares to leave me unattended and walks out of the room. Maybe they intend to leave for 30 seconds, maybe a minute, but for all I know it could be an hour. I don't want to do tummy time for an hour. No way! I object! I flip myself over onto my back. Then they worry something is wrong since I am entirely too quiet for tummy time. In they come surprised to find tummy time is over. OVAH! And I am the boss around here. Well, I am sure I will be. On second thought at least I hope to be just as soon as I learn to talk and read and probably write and learn to mind my manners. Ok...I might not be the boss around here for ....well a very long time.

  

The Big 4 -0

Well folks it's me again! Annika Ruth, reporting in on all things good in the world.

 

 I have been a little lax in my reporting. Please know I am sincere in my apology but I rely on my Mom help booting up the computer. She has been keeping my days pretty busy. After a full day, she makes me go to bed early, like 7:00 p.m. What about my unstructured down time?

 

I know lying on the floor with one sock off looks like unstructured down time but it is serious business. Tummy time it is. I am working my muscles. I know all about speed, agility, and core training. In fact I could coach a program.

Who is to say I don't coach a program?

In case you think I am inside watching a bunch of Mom's exercise because of winter weather. Think again....

 As of late the city I live in should be called Sun Diego not San Diego. My Mom tries to keep the sun off of me but she can't stop me from having fun in the sun.

As much as I'd like to get started on my ski career at the stage of my life it is mighty convenient residing where it can be 80 degrees in January. I have enough paraphenilia to lug around without adding cold weather gear. Speaking of gear...this is the real reason my Mom doesn't take me biking.

She can't fit her bike and my car seat in the car at the same time.

 Some days are filled with serendipitous suprises like having coffee with Dad in the middle of a workday.

Other mid day meet ups are not so fun! I heard the big 4-0 was rough. They ain't a kidding!

 

I'm the big 4-0. 4 months, zero weeks that is and shots were no fun at all!

Happy New Year

Welcome 2012! It's Annika Ruth and I'm ready to get this party started. Guess what? This is going to be a great yeat for me! First off I am going to turn one. I'm going to learn to sit up on my own and I bet by 2013 I'll even be able to take a few steps and say a few words.I'm probably even going to learn to chew! Watch out world.

 I started off the New Year with a bang. There actually were several bangs as I outgrew my size 2 diapers before the case ran out. It was like one day they fit and the next day not so much. In celebration of the New Year I moved out of my bassinet and into my big girl crib in my very own room. You are probably thinking this increases the likelihood I will ever have a sibling by epic proportions.

On New Years Day I discovered my voice. With my parents influence you probably thought I'd grow up to be an athlete or something in the medical field. However after reviewing this video I think I might be a singer or a broadcaster.

So in terms of celebration The Neuschwander Family did it up big. My parents alternated running with me with riding bikes. Sometimes my Dad gets off work early enough in the evening that we all can run together. However, only one person can push me in the stroller at a time so often on holidays and weekends one parent will run with me while the other one who obviously drew the short straw will go bike riding.


My Mom finished off 2011 with an "epic" New Years Eve mountain bike ride. The Carrizo Gorge Ride. It turned out to be quite a history lesson.  Check it out http://www.dankat.com/swhikes/carizo.htm

Abandoned railroad cars and bandannas (to keep out the dust) brings out the kid in everyone.

Turns out train track, gorges, and earthquakes don't mix. These trains fell off the track.

Bring your light for the tunnels!

Only bike trains on the tracks these days.

My Dad kicked off New Years Day riding with a little Palm Canyon action.

The movie of the ride is currently under production. I'm sure it will be released shortly.
Meanwhile my Mom and I schlepped ourselves to the top of Mt. Sillydad. Just so you know there maybe some fussing going due to that run ....and I am not the fussy one! Only a baby whines about a 900 ft elevation gain over 3 miles pushing a stroller.

Monday was good times with old friends .

Great Western Loop + Descanso + those ladies = a slow stroller ride for me tomorrow!

 Capping off the holiday with a visit from "Gramps". That would be Great Gramps to me. Gramps is a pretty cool guys if I do say so myself. He drove his RV down from Northern California and is looking forward to spending sometime using his inflatable kayak around Mission Bay. This is an activity he recently took up and enjoys very much...that is when it doesn't conflict with his membership to the 80 + ski club.