Today I’m officially 2 ½. Happy half birthday to me!! This year, I requested for my special day to be conveniently placed between Sweetest Day and Boss’s Day. Because I’m the sweetest. And the boss.

Here’s what life looks like these days, in pictures:

And here’s what life looks like these days, in summary:

• I’m happy and silly 95% of the time.
• I don’t get puzzled by too many puzzles; I welcome the challenge.
• When I clinch my teeth and get a special twinkle in my eye, get ready to be tackled because it’s WWF time.
• I’ve started digging for gold… in my nostrils.
• I’ve recently discovered the word “Why.” So, currently, a typical conversation sounds like:
  • Jaeger: Are we going to school?
  • Mom: Yes.
  • Jaeger: Why?
  • Mom: Because it’s a school day.
  • Jaeger: Why?
  • Mom: Because we can learn a lot at school. Did you just throw a Cheerio at my head?
  • Jaeger: Why?
  • Mom: Jaeger, please stop throwing Cheerios at my head; I’m driving.
  • Jaeger: Why? Can I have some milk?
  • Mom: Yes.
  • Jaeger: Why?
  • Mom: Jaeger, take your milk and let’s play the quiet game. It’s fun. And quiet.
  • Jaeger: Why?
• I love peanuts. All of them. Just give me the jar.
• I can turn the lights on and off. But when you’re in the shower, I only know how to turn them off.
• I’m making great progress on my manners. (Nevermind the nose-picking. And please excuse my occasional whine.) But, want me to share? No, thank you!
• While my feet skipped size 8 shoes and went right to size 9, my legs keep growing too! So instead of waiting for a flood to come, I’ve started shopping for 3T pants.
• I make a really cute alarm clock. But cute as I am, mom says it’s still alarming at 4:45 in the morning. So, some days, out of the kindness of my heart, I let my parents off easy and wake up at 5:30 instead.
• I’ve rediscovered my love for Mickey Mouse. (But Thomas the Train is still my true love.)
• I remain unconvinced that underpants are cooler than diapers.

Life as a 2 ½-year-old is sure to be one big adventure. And with each passing month, I plan to get faster and sillier. I will take more risks and outsmart the smartest. I will keep eating and growing. And eating. So watch out, age three…. I’m coming for you!

Before apple season turns into hot chocolate season and all the trees become naked, we decided to go in search of fun parks and more apples at Ecker’s Apple Farm.

That’s right, weekdays… we know how to have fun when you’re not around! We enjoyed live music, caramel apples, scenic overlooks, rock climbing walls, slides, shopping, and a pizza joint!

I had so much fun that I accidentally fell asleep on the car ride home and didn’t wake up until the next morning! Or perhaps that was no accident at all and actually part of the masterplan? Hmmmm…. well played, parents, well played.

…But just for good measure, we decided to check out the Maple Leaf Parade to confirm my untested theory that being in the parade is better than watching the parade.

The results?  Inconclusive.

Unfortunately (wink-wink), this means I’ll need to attend a few more parades to gather additional empirical evidence and further evaluate.

Pop Quiz: What’s better than going to the Oktoberfest parade?

Answer: BEING the Oktoberfest parade!

Trust me when I say I spent countless hours practicing my high-knee march in the living room with much enthusiasm and dedication. But, as it turns out, the living room fails to prepare even the most skilled marchers for how distracting and intimidating the paparazzi experience can be. Still, I’m confident that my camera-shyness and stiff-knees didn’t disappoint my fan club (mom, Grandma and Jackie)! In fact, I got lots of hugs, kisses, and high-fives to prove it.

I survived the 2016 Warrens Cranberry Festival! Dad had to work on Saturday, so mom and I tagged along with Grandma & Grandpa to enjoy some outdoor shopping. As it turns out, however, mom and Grandma were the main shoppers because I had to babysit Grandpa. (Luckily, he was well-behaved.)

We also met up with Great Aunt Mary and Great Uncle Peter and got to play in their camper! My favorite part of the whole day was the yummy meat & cheese tray, compliments of Peter. But I also had fun people-watching, listening to trains, jumping on the inflatable tiger, and taste testing a cranberry-infused cream puff!

My only regret was not getting to splash in the mud puddles that were scattered throughout the festival grounds. Of course, it’s just as fun to stay dry and clean… SAID NO ONE EVER. So watch out mud puddles, because next time, I’m not going to let a silly seatbelt hold me back.

Last weekend, we made a return trip to Lark Toys. We ate ice cream and fudge, read books, played with toys and rode the carousel! It was all fun and games until we had to leave. But luckily, I didn’t walk out empty-handed; Grandpa and Dad spotted a super-duper airplane kite that wanted to come home with us. And so today, the fun continued as we played in the wind, pretended to be pilots, and flew that plane as high as a kite!!

We went in search of apples today…

[Spoiler alert: We found them!]

I survived my first couple weeks in the 2-year-old room! It was a slightly rough transition with lots of morning tears at first, but by the second week, Mom did much better.

My new teacher’s name is Angela, but I still like to run into my old room to say “HiiiiiByeee!” to Kim before starting each day. I was happy to see some familiar friends in this new room, especially Huddy & Sonia, but there’s a lot of kiddos I don’t know, so maybe I’ll expand my buddy circle this year?!

Since returning to campus, I’ve been able to experience neat-o things, like a musical show by the UWL Marching Band, Awareness through Performance, puddle-jumping from rainstorms, and just your casual hang-outs with mom’s favorite college students. Plus, later this month, on September 29, I’ll be participating in our very own Oktoberfest Parade!

I’m confident I’ll learn a lot this year, but one thing I know already: Life. Is. Good.

First day of school photo! (Complete with bee sting on my cheek and mosquito bites all over my body.)

Look out teachers; I’m ready!

Watching the UWL Marching Band

I loved the band!

Cheering on my ATP buddies! (Thanks for changing the world!)

Momma & Bobby, hugging before he leaves for Minneapolis.

Me and Jamie at the Clocktower

In case you’re ever looking for me, you might find me in the office, playing with my new Thomas the Train Track Master set! Wanna know how to get one of these?

Step 1: Be a really good, patient, charming kiddo while mom and dad are running boring errands.

Step 2: Like, so good that mom and dad feel compelled to stop by Toys R Us as a reward for such impeccable behavior.

Step 3: Listen closely as they say “You can pick out ONE toy,” and notice that they gave no other parameters.

Step 4: Strategically find the biggest box in the store that features Thomas the Train. Innocently and with great enthusiasm, point to your discovered toy and say “I found one!”

Step 5: Keep looking irresistibly cute as mom and dad squirm, wishing they had given more parameters.

Step 6: Scream and clap as you watch mom & dad place the big box in the backseat of your vehicle.

Step 7: Smile and giggle the whole way home about how you just beat the system.

Step 8: Enjoy being the proud, new owner of ONE nice toy!

Tomorrow, I’ll make my return to the classroom to get schooled. I’m excited to meet my new teacher and make new friends, but before looking ahead too far, let’s take a moment to look back…

…because this was the summer of water slides and pillow fights! It was the summer I discovered my love for puddles and how to speak in complete sentences. This was the summer I experienced separation anxiety and then overcame it through my quest towards independence. I spent my days solving puzzles and inventing new dance moves, and in the evenings, I learned how to tight-rope-walk along the edge of my crib. I could often be found trimming my own nails (with my teeth) or zooming around the house on my scooter. I rediscovered my love for “root berry” soda and I was introduced to my new favorite songs: “Can’t Stop the Feeling” by Justin Timberlake and “Oh Donna” by Ritchie Valens (thanks to a visit from Aunt Donna). And in between all the camping, fishing, hikes and bike rides, somewhere along the way, my feet grew and my pajamas shrunk.

This was the summer of 2016.

But, beyond the boundaries of Deerwood Drive, many other events also shaped the summer of 2016:

• The world lost a legend: Muhammed Ali, a professional boxer and activist.
• A little boy, about my age, fell into a gorilla exhibit at the zoo. As a result, Harambe, the gorilla, was killed to save the boy’s life.
• One of the largest U.S. massacres occurred in Orlando, at Pulse Nightclub. This was a hate crime and an act of terror against the Latinx queer community, the deadliest incident of violence against LGBT people in United States history. 49 people died and another 53 were wounded.
• Also in Florida, a two-year-old toddler got attacked and drowned by an alligator.
• Racial unrest, police brutality and disproportionate killings of unarmed black men continued to plague the country. Most recently, protests were happening as close as Milwaukee, WI.
• Residents of Louisiana were flooded by what’s been called the worst US disaster since Hurricane Sandy.
• Hillary Clinton became the first woman nominated by a major party for the United States presidency.
• Summer Olympics took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We cheered on the athletes from our couch. Luckily, we scored front row seats to most of the events!

This was the summer of 2016…

…sometimes wonderfully historic while also tragically scary. But within the good and the bad, there’s always much to be learned from what’s going on around me. So tomorrow I will make my return to the classroom to get schooled. Wish me luck as I figure out how to navigate the 2-year-old room!