Simon Says "Where Will These Feet Take Me?"

MiMi is fascinated by many things about me but today she got fixated on my feet. When you look at babies' feet, don't you just wonder where in the world these feet will take them? Well, these are MiMi's thoughts today. What houses will these feet call home? What schools will these feet spend years learning in, walking and playing among friends? What parts of the world will these feet travel in on many an adventure? Will they help me compete in sports? climb a mountain? push the pedals on a piano? swim in some faraway seas? walk down an aisle to marry? These are questions that we don't always stop to think about, but life is full of mysteries ... and our future is one big mystery. MiMi tells me that the important thing to remember is that until I am in charge of these feet and can direct them to whatever places, people, or adventures, I choose ... these feet will be close to Mommy and Daddy's feet and they'll keep me safe. And then one day I'll take off on these two feet and the adventures of life will begin and I'll move them when I want and stop them to linger where I want. What a happy thought!

Simon Says "Look At My New Playset!"

With a little help from a telephone book placed under my feet (remember I mentioned I was height-challenged for now), I can play in my new exerciser. It's loaded with entertainment. Right now I am pretty fascinated with what you grown-ups call "slots". I hear if I get good enough, there's money to be made (or was that lost?)! MiMi told me that my Great-Grandma Mross loves to play the same game, so I must come by it naturally! I hope you find your own kind of fun today!

Simon Says "At Least I Can Dress For The Occasion"

The holiday weekend is usually when everyone's swimming pools open for the summer and so Mommy and Daddy and I went over to MiMi's pool. We had a warm sunny morning here, but with all of the cool weather lately and the rainy days there wasn't enough heat to warm the pool ... not even the baby pool. I don't know about you, but dipping into cold water is not much fun at all. I can't wait to get back to my pool at swimming lessons because it's as warm as a bathtub! But, no matter, as you can see, I looked like a little hunk of summer love for my appearance pool-side!

Simon Says "This Is Memorial Day - Do You Have Your Flag Out?"

These are MiMi's flags on display in her front yard for this holiday. My Aunties Lauren and Rama made these flags. They like to build with tools too! Do you know what this special day is for? It is a day to remember and honor all of the men and women who have been in the military services who have given their lives for our country. That is quite a sacrifice and we all should honor them. I come from a family with many relatives who have been in or are in the military. Here they are: Col. William E. Kerrigan, USMC Ret. (Great-Grandpa) Lt. Col. Dennis W. Kerrigan, USMC Ret. (Great-Uncle) Cmdr. Kevin R. Kerrigan, USN Ret. (Great-Uncle) Col. Terence K. Kerrigan, USMC Ret. (Great-Uncle) Major Mark Lockard, USAF Ret. (Great-Uncle) Lt. Kyle Kerrigan, US Army (2nd Cousin) Capt. William T. Kerrigan, USMC (2nd Cousin) Capt. Colin Kerrigan, USAF (2nd Cousin) Cmdr. Joseph W. Mross, USN Ret. (Great-Grandpa) Robert Lee Brundage, USAF (Great-Grandpa) Mstr. Sgt. George Racicot, US Army (Great-Grandpa) Sp.4 Paul J. Racicot, US Army (PopPop) Sgt. 1st Class George Racicot, Jr., US Army (Great-Uncle) Our family has been so lucky that we have not lost one of our own, but I am sure that all of my brave relatives could tell us stories of some of their fellow soldiers who were lost. Maybe your family has lost a loved one and we know you miss them very much. So for all of them and for the others, let us all join the nation and take a minute at 3pm in silence to say "Thank You for Your Service"!

Simon Says "New Weights and Measures"

I had my four month old check-up at Dr. Duffy's office on Friday. I weighed in at 15 lbs. 2 oz. and I was 23 inches tall. That put me in the 65th percentile for weight and the 10th percentile for height. You'd be surprised at that if you have seen my Daddy. But they tell me he didn't sprout up to his tall height until his teens, so I guess I won't be the tall kid in the back row of all the class pictures for awhile. Here I am sleeping again, but that seems to be what happens to me after I get my series of shots. Saturday was a brand new experience - swimming class! I am all about splashing around in my bath so Mommy and Daddy expected to see me go crazy in the pool. I was still all groggy and did the best I could ... just wait until next week ... Michael Phelps watch out!

Simon Says "My Dad's New Teacher - I Bet His Favorite"

For the past several years my Daddy has been working on the restoration crew for the USS Constellation at the Inner Harbor. Have you seen that beautiful big tall ship? Have you ever gone onboard for one of their tours? That is really a wonderful thing to do and you'll learn so much. Well, it takes a lot of work to keep that ship in ship-shape ... but it's the work my Daddy loves with tools and wood and you can get as dirty as you need to! Now my Daddy has a new job which is really like going back to school. And his new teacher is Bruce MacKenzie ... he'll be learning boat building from the best. Bruce was named Baltimore's Best Boat Builder by City Paper! They work in a beautiful shop at the Maritime Museum and they are building the Quarter Boats to go on the Constellation. Daddy feels so lucky to have this special job, but MiMi tells me it was his skill and hard work that made this possible. We are so proud of him! If you want to see a really good video that shows Bruce talking about boat building you can copy and paste the link to watch. Enjoy! Come down to the harbor this summer and visit the ship. They hope to have the new Quarter Boats done by early fall. The Maritime Museum Boat Builder and Teacher http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid18866171001?bctid=20276956001

Simon Says "It's Always Up or Down - If It's Down, Just Wait"

This month of May has really been all about ups and downs ... in our family we've had birthdays, anniversaries, new jobs, fun trips, time with long-lost friends, and lots of just good ole fun times together. But we've also had job disappointments, sickness, accidents, hospitalizations, a death, depression, worry and adjusting to new life schedules. MiMi says it's all like playing on a see-saw and we should remember that it can be fun too ... hopefully you'll be sharing the ride with someone you love and they'll help you come back up if you're down.

Simon Says "Work-Outs Are On The Daily Schedule"

For a boy who is turning four months old soon, I have already been challenged to "get in shape". I can stand and bounce on my legs like a six-month old, but now MiMi and I have to plan more tummy-time so that I can build some upper-body strength. MiMi says that carrying me around is helping to get her stronger ... I wish I liked my exercises as much as she likes having me in her arms!

Simon Says "Let's Party!"

Today is my Mommy's birthday!!! I worked hard to give her just what she has been wanting ... MiMi helped me wrap it ... she's gonna love it! Another thing Mommy will like for her birthday is to hear some good-news updates on Great-Grandma Kerrigan and Auntie Rama. I told you about Auntie Rama's surgery yesterday, and she was able to go home in the evening. We haven't talked to them yet this morning, so we hope that Aunties Rama and Lauren are resting. I never even got to tell you that my Great-Grandma went into the hospital yesterday too! She was feeling like the world was spinning and she wasn't on any amusement park rides. The doctors are giving her heart some special TLC and hopefully she will be able to go home later today. She still has to have her day of surgery which is now scheduled for next Friday, May 22nd. MiMi is stocking up on get well cards! My menu options have started to increase and now MiMi feeds me some cereal too ... so I'm thinking ... I might not be too far away from a nice big piece of Birthday Cake!!!

Simon Says "Here is the News We've Been Waiting For!"

Lauren just called MiMi at 4:30 and said that Rama's doctor came out of the OR all smiles (see that!) to report that Rama has been fixed-up good as new! The surgery took an extra long time because the bone was broken in several smaller pieces and a more complicated fix than he has expected. This boo-boo has turned out to be a little more than a boo-boo bunny could fix ... but it sounds like she has had very good care today. She gets to go home later tonight and now the trip down the road to healing can really begin ... and she won't be going by bike! Lauren will be a good companion and nurse's aide and Rama's friends are all offering to help out. We are so happy that she is being given so much TLC!!!

Simon Says "What's this?"

Recently I found this fun thing I can do ... and funny thing is, I find that everyone makes the same face back at me and then there are giggles. I think Daddy likes to get away with making this face because no one gets in trouble for doing this with a baby! Maybe it was just coincidence, but I found this expression right around the same time as MiMi introduced me to prune juice ... I'm just saying.

Simon Says "I Need To Give You More"

What? You didn't know? Well then I guess I need to give you some updates. My Great-Grandma Kerrigan is doing alright but says she's probably had too much time waiting for her day of surgery ... getting anxious and ready for it to be over. Everyone tells her she will feel better overall and she is looking forward to that! She'll have her surgery next Wednesday, May 20th. My Auntie Rama's surgery has been rescheduled and now it is tomorrow, Thursday, May 14th at noon. It can't come soon enough for her either. MiMi tells me that the doctor gets to use real tools like drills and hammers and screws ... hmmm, sounds like an interesting building project. I am hoping that they both have good experiences in the hospital ... my Angel, Grandpa Charlie will be hanging out near them to look out for them because he knows how a good hospital should work! My Mommy, my Oma and my MiMi all had wonderful Mother's Days ... Daddy helped me give them just what they love ... a picture of Me!!! He handmade frames and I smiled a BIG smile!

Simon Says "Remember the Rules!"

Can you see the rule on my shirt? I guess it's here to remind us that, "What Happens at Grandma's Stays at Grandma's!" Well, so far I don't have any "juicy" stories to tell you about from my days at MiMi's. She does a good job of keeping me entertained and I think I do the same for her! Oh, I thought of something ... today she gave me a "treat" between meals ... prune juice!!! Now what kind of "treat" is that? I didn't want to seem ungrateful, so I tried to swallow as much as I could, making some faces to show my feelings on it. I guess the point is ... I'm suppose to now give MiMi a "treat" in the next couple of hours. Hope she likes her "treat" as much as I liked mine!

Simon Says "Another First For Mommy"

I feel like I'm one lucky little guy. There's someone who loves me to pieces and even if she's not with me every minute, every minute she is thinking about me and wondering what I'm doing. I only have one Mommy ... and right now Mommy only has one baby ... but MiMi was telling me that Oma is a Mommy of two, MiMi is a Mommy of four, Great-Grandma Kerrigan is a Mommy of seven, and there are some who are Mommies of many, many more. That's a huge amount of loving going on there! And it's not all fun and games ... no, Daddy tells me it's a boatload of work (my Daddy spends his days repairing or building boats and he knows a thing or two about work too) ... but back to Mommies ... I'm thinking they all probably deserve more than one day a year to hear about the great job they are doing. Tomorrow is "Mother's Day" and MiMi showed me a little book she got from one of her "babies" that's called, The Incredible Truth About Mothers, and it is filled with some of the cutest animal Mommies and babies. In his book Mr. Bradley Grieve says, "In return for all her countless hours of devotion and sacrifice, a mother just wants her children to be happy. Oh, and to occasionally hear four very special words: I love you, Mom!" So here goes ... I want you to know this today, tomorrow and everyday ...

Simon Says "Daddy, Mommy Today Is Your Day To Celebrate!"

Happy Anniversary!!!! One year ago today ... MiMi tells me it was a whole week of the most fun and the island wedding of your dreams! MiMi also tells me that maybe one day we can all go back again and build sand castles on Honeymoon Beach!

Simon Says "Does MiMi Always Mean What She Says?"

Today I could have sworn that MiMi said we needed some practice and then said "target" and I thought she said target practice and this is not at all what I was expecting. Oh well. I can sleep through almost anything while in my stroller. When she says, "You are the cutest baby in all the world", well I think she's probably said that at least four other times. When she says, "Now don't go getting any crazy ideas buster" ... well, that's what makes life more fun. When she says "I love you" and "I don't know what I'd do without you little guy", well, that I know I can believe. Now what do you suppose she means when she says "I could just gobble you up you are so sweet"? I'm keeping an eye on her ... you just can't always be sure.

Simon Says "Do You Know Your Angel?"

MiMi has been telling me about Angels ... don't they sound just like best friends? I think it is really nice to know that there is someone near us, looking out for us, ready to listen, and perhaps make us feel as though they have their wings wrapped around us to protect us. My very special Angel is my Grandpa Charlie. MiMi thought this little bear would be a nice reminder. Do you see his wings? Here he is by my side and I like to think he's always there. If you don't know your special Angel, just whisper "Hello, are you there?" ... then listen closely ... maybe deep in your soul you'll hear them say, "Yes, here I am!"

Simon Says "Rainy Days and Mondays - That's Today"

MiMi and I are hoping that perhaps your day was brighter than the one we had here in Baltimore. We try to remember that this is such a lovely gift for all of the gardens and the farmers must be happy too. MiMi told me about April showers, but this is May isn't it? MiMi's friend Jeff reminded her of one of her favorite singers this morning and so she downloaded their music onto her iPod and we danced and swayed to The Carpenters' Rainy Days and Mondays and lots of their other songs too. MiMi says she just can't seem to help herself when she has good music and a "cute guy" in her arms, she just has to dance!

Simon Says "My Poor Auntie Rama"

Today my Aunties Lauren and Rama and their friend Lindalisa went biking on some trails near their home in Atlanta. Aunt Lauren called MiMi to tell us there was a terrible accident. They were coming down a long hill and going pretty fast and suddenly Rama had to swerve and brake hard and she crashed to the ground. She had to go by ambulance to the hospital and she has broken her left arm in two places and dislocated her shoulder. MiMi says that is a major "OUCH"! After about 6 hours in the Emergency Room they went home, but poor Rama is going to be feeling sore and sad for a while. Please say a little prayer that this will heal quickly and poor Auntie Rama will be smiling like this again soon! Here's an update ... I think Rama is talking to MiMi in this picture. MiMi broke a bone and has dislocated her shoulder too, so they now speak the same language of boo-boos. We hope Aunt Rama gets some good news from the specialist today.

Simon Says "Bring on The Weekend"

Do the weeks seem to fly by for you too? MiMi and I had a great week ... we had a house full with Aunt Lauren visiting and that was nice. Now she's gone home to Atlanta and I'm home with Mommy and Daddy. We're usually off and running to do errands, see friends, take walks and just hang out. It gives MiMi a chance to rest up and not think about bottles or diapers for a few days. And MiMi put together a new "entertainment seat" for me on Friday and I heard her yelp when she pinched a finger or two, so she probably needs a rest! There's a new blog about a little boy Sammy and his Mommy that MiMi thinks you'll find more than entertaining ... so if you like that sort of thing, go to http://monkeymamablog.wordpress.com