Catching Up

Good day to you all, my friends. How have you all been doing? Hopefully you've been keeping up your spirits during this winter month. Big brother played with a snowman today that Daddy made from snow on our balcony. I hope that next winter I can play with a snowman too, but one made with backyard snow (we move into our house in a couple of weeks!). Big brother still teases me, saying that Mommy and Daddy got a house because I am a penguin, and I need a big frozen room, and that I will be fed a bucket of herring a day. Big brother is a kidder, that's for sure! Not that I'd mind having a skating rink for a room, and not that I'd mind a bucket of herring. I have become ever so interested in Walruses (or Walri, whatever the plural of Walrus is) lately, and have read that they are partial to buckets of herring. If I did have a frozen rink as a room, I'd get a pet walrus and feed it the herring. Wouldn't big brother be jealous if I had a walrus for a pet.

Well, enough with the dreams of walrusdom. What have I been up to lately? Well, let us see. A few days ago, Mommy, Nanny O., and I went to a big fancy thing at a big fancy place, and we had to dress up (well, I was naked, but Mommy and Nanny dressed up). It was an auction and dinner in support of the Special Olympics. Mommy got the tickets from her place of work, and we had a fun time! There was lots of people there, and everyone was wearing nice clothes. The men looked like penguins, so I suspect many of them were trying to be Pablo. Lots and lots of people spoke into a microphone, and we all had very fine food. I ate a squash soup. It was very tasty. Anything that is squashed has to be good (well, at least according to big brother, who routinely squashes his food before chowing down on it).

Mommy and Nanny made lots of bids on lots of cool things in the silent auction. They bid on a coffee maker for Daddy, and a car for big brother to drive, and a set of tools for my Daddy (so that he can put things together for Mommy and fix the things that big brother and I break). Well, we had the winning bid for the tool set! Horray! Mommy and Nanny and I were so happy. I did a happy dance and kicked bladder, and that made her mad. Golly, what a set of tools it is, folks. There are screw drivers, and ratchets, and pliers, and hex keys, and wrenches, and it is all so sturdy and pretty and it came in a case! Daddy was pleased as punch to get it, as was big brother who has been playing (under strict supervision!) with many of the tools.

Mommy also won a Special Olympics bear for sitting at the right spot at the table. It is a lovely bear, and right now it is sitting in big brother's chair watching TV. Mommy said that the bear is for me when I become an Outsider. Mommy and Daddy said that some day when I am older I can be in the Special Olympics! Daddy is trying to persuade me that floor hockey is the way to go, but I think I'll be the judge of that one. Don't worry, Pa, I am sure it will be my first choice anyway! Big brother said that a Corn Popper motocross would be more up his alley, but I am not sure is any sporting organisation offers that as an event. Big brother said that they do, and you take your corn popper through an obstacle course with mud and trees in the way, and you make it go over jumps and through puddles and stuff. I think big brother is just being zany.

Mommy, Daddy, big brother and I also went to visit with a family who has five boys! The youngest two have Down syndrome like me. It was a very fun visit, and big brother showed off how much of a crazy toddler he has become. He was racing around, trying to mount the many, many stairs in their home. He was here, there and everywhere. Only the youngest of the boys were home at the time - the rest were in school. This little guy was a little older than big brother, and let me tell you, he was a delightful chap! I spoke to him for quite some time while Mommy was jabbering, and Daddy was chasing big brother. This lad told me that he had leanred to crawl, and was working very hard on mastering the fine art of walking. Why, you might ask? To run around like a mad man like big brother? Nope! To play hockey in the basement with his own big brothers. Upon mention of this, him and I got to talking quite a bit. I remembered what Daddy had said about me playing hockey. A rivalry was born. Let's just say that in five years or so you'll see a few good matches between the rookie of the year (me, of course) and this fine fellow.

I think that is all the catching up on events I have to do. I hope all of you are well! My warmest wishes to each of you. Have a super duper day!