Well, I hope you’ve already made your latte and that you’re sitting in a comfy chair. We’ve had a busy week and have lots of pictures to share! (ooh…that rhymed!)

Last Sunday Mama, Papa and I and the Foxman family headed downtown to celebrate Halloween at our zoo!

They even let the lion out of his cage to nab a few treats of his own! (That’s Kyle dressed as Bob the Builder)

Oh yeah…my bucket is totally fuller than your bucket!

After my nap we went back downtown to watch the UW Men’s Basketball team strut their stuff in a practice game. They are looking hot!

Then on Monday, Mama, Aunt Robyn and I made eyeball cookies and I got to put all of the pupils (chocolate chips) on top!

AND when I thought nobody was looking…I tried to sneak a few morsels just for myself!

Voila…

They are ready to eat! Yum!

No, I am not a lost member of the Brat pack and this is not an 80s work-out video.

This is my special Ninja costume…

and you better watch out…

or I might just put the moves on you!

We also had a couple of unusually warm days (that means upper 50s to low 60s and sunny) so I went for a ride on my trusty broom…

and of course chased Mama and her camera through the leaves!

This weekend I found a special surprise from Grand’Mary in our secret hiding spot. It is a crazy chicken that moans and groans for Halloween and then breaks into the Chicken Dance. It is hilarious and I love to chase it…

until we both need a break! Have a Happy Halloween and a great week too!

Mama and I decided to make use of the cool, but sunny weather…

with a fall photo shoot. First, I need to pluck this yellow flower…

and stuff it into my pocket.

I’m feeling angelic today…

WOW…check out this glowing leaf. I am sure it fell from a very special place.

Check out this really cool tree I found.

It even has a built in bench.

I hope you brought some water to stay cool…cuz I am such a hottie!

I think this tree needs a hug…

and maybe a kiss? or maybe not!

I think this looks like a senior picture…Mama says I have a long way to go until then!

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee…

Okay…now where is the snow? Hopefully there will be some soon! Have a great week!

Nolan Tidbits

BOOKS: I love it when Mama and Papa read me books…especially if there are funny voices or singing involved. I also like to sit down and pretend to read books to myself…sometimes mimicking high and low inflections just like Mama and Papa.

MUSIC: I love all kinds of music. This past week I’ve been requesting a little Maroon 5, a little Pink, a little They Might Be Giants and of course a little Chicago. Papa played some System of a Down for me and I thought that was a little scary. I also like to listen to My Virtual Band songs and Halloween songs. In fact I’ll listen to almost anything at least once…as long as I get to hold the CD case!

GOOFY TODDLER: I love to randomly stop and pretend to do a somersault or hold my arms out wide and just spin until I can’t stand anymore. This afternoon, while riding in Papa’s car, I removed the soft pillow/head cushion from my car seat, put it on my head and broke out into an air drum solo. I also love to sit on a stool and blow dry my own hair after my swim lesson and shower. You wouldn’t believe what that does to all of the ladies in the locker room!

Mama says we’re going to make a birthday cake for Papa today. It’s a good thing Mama has three mixing bowls because I’d prefer to keep this one for my hat.

While the two rounds are baking in the oven we made chocolate frosting too. I didn’t care for the taste of cocoa powder, but Mama said I could lick the beaters. What she doesn’t realize is that when she went to grab the camera I grabbed her beater too…

and she’s not getting it back…

at least not until it’s clean!

Mama frosted the cake while I was napping–I think I know why she did that! I put candles and candy footballs all over the cake and even sprinkled a few pink pigs! What a creation!

We put a special tablecloth on the dining room table and even sprinkled leaves on the table and over the cake. I think we should decorate like this every day!

Mama must have some magic in her fingers…Papa’s candles are glowing!

Make a wish Papa…and do it fast because I’m not so sure about sitting here in the dark!!

Seriously….can I eat some cake yet or what??? I’ve been waiting patiently for HOURS!!!

Mama and I made Papa a really cool Badger photo album, but somehow it didn’t make it into this picture…

and Aunt Robyn & Uncle Pete found a really cool Simon Cowell birthday card (Papa is an American Idol devotee!!)…

and as a grand finale I made everyone get up and march around the family room while Aunt Robyn played my trumpet!! Overall, I think Papa had a really good birthday!!!

Apparently…we are more modern than we realized. See…we’ve invented this new thing. It’s called “making waffles and then freezing them” (see freezer picture below). Since it appears as though quite a few of you have never heard of this process…we’ve created an in depth how-to below…in case you’d like to try it too!

Go to Williams Sonoma (their waffle mix is incredible) or the local grocery store and buy all of your waffle ingredients.

Put all of those ingredients into your refrigerator until you are ready to make your waffles.

Waffle Making Day:

Mash up some bananas–or whatever fruit you prefer until there are little to no chunks remaining.

Mix your fruit into the waffle mix or flour/baking soda/powder combo.

Do a taste test and if you’d like add a dash of cinnamon, nutmeg and/or allspice—at least that’s my favorite combo.

Pour your waffle batter onto a clean and pre-heated (we prefer the 6 or 7 setting) waffle iron using the 1/2 cup measuring cup–don’t put too much or it will overflow–and close the lid.

Then watch and wait. Note: When using a runny fruit–such as mashed bananas–a small amount of smoke may escape from your waffle iron. This is normal. Within 30 to 45 seconds the machine will beep/chirp and…

VOILA!! You will have a beautiful golden waffle like this one. Doesn’t it make you hungry just looking at it?

In fact, they are so good…you may have to enlist the help of Batman to stand guard.

Once breakfast is over and you’ve polished off the last of your diluted O.J….

Feel free to put them into your freezer so that by the time your 7pm snack time hits…they will be good and frozen…and ready to eat again.

Thank you to Uncle-ish Scott for the extra waffle mix. We will continue to make lots and lots of waffles using your waffle iron. Please keep reading below the newest Nolan Tidbits and come back soon…I’m going to make a post about Papa’s birthday!

NOLAN’S TIDBITS:

Occasional OCD Moments: Our trash pick-up day is every Tuesday. About 2 months ago I decided that if the garbage trucks were sloppy and knocked over the neighbors cans or forgot to close their lids that I’d go around and tidy them up as soon as the trucks are gone.

New Music:Mama and Papa took me to see another performer in the Kids in the Rotunda program at our downtown Overture Center. They were awesome. They are called Yid Vicious and played something called Klezmer music, which is Yiddish folk music. They used a clarinet, a violin, a bass guitar, a coronet, an accordian, a large drum set and something called a theremin, which you’d have to see to believe.

Afterwards Mama and Papa brought me home and we listened to another group that plays similar music. They are called Jewbacca. Apparently they used to have a really good drummer named Scott something. I have this antique trumpet that my Grandma Lily gave Papa and I like to pretend to play the trumpet along with the music.

Cookie Monster: I’ve only seen Grandpa Sam and Uncle Nathan so many times thus far in my life, but Mama swears I am following in their Cookie Monster footsteps. I just can’t help it. Cookies are so yummy and Mama is so slow about eating hers (plus she gets out of her chair a lot)…it makes it easy to just reach over and eat hers too!

Mama created a night of Halloween in our basement!

We pulled out our costumes…

Whoa!! Papa’s a little too scary for me…I’m outta here!

Maybe I’ll give this scary mask a try!

I even got kissed by a DARK ANGEL—

wearing glittery sunglasses and laughing a crazy laugh!

Dear Aunt Tammy….I do love you, but no way is this a Viking helmet!

As long as I live in Wisconsin (and Mama & Papa are alive) it’s just going to have to be a knight’s helmet.

Sometimes I make a big mess under my chair. So today I thought I’d help Mama mop the kitchen floor.

Although once I got started I realized the mop was better used as a dance partner!

TA-DA!!!

We went to the zoo this weekend, but I don’t think it’s going to be a very fast visit sitting on this turtle. I do have some exciting news though: we have some new animals! We now have Porcupines, a Red Panda, a Wallaby, Gibbons that sound like a singing choir and pretty soon we’ll have our very own Meerkat exhibit!

They also added a new playground. Yes…it’s as scary as it looks…

but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t fun!!

AND on our way out we stopped to look at the zoo’s new waterfall and all of the crazy goldfish swimming around. I’d say it was almost like visiting the zoo for the first time all over again!

NOLAN TIDBITS:

Mama has been posting pictures on this website for a very long time. So, we decided it was time to add something new. In this section I’m going to list some of my favorite things and share stories about some of the crazy things I am doing.

Favorite Music: That’s difficult! I love the Music Man and Mary Poppins’ soundtracks, but I also still love to listen to Michael Jackson and dance to “Who Let the Dogs Out.”

Favorite Food: I am crazy about frozen waffles. Yes, I really like to eat them frozen. I also throw a full blown tantrum if you cut or break any of my food into smaller pieces. I’m a big boy now– I want them whole! (Ne touchez-pas!)

Biggest Change:I love to talk in complete sentences and tell stories and pretend to be other people/things. This past week I woke up one morning and told Mama that I was a caterpillar building a cocoon and that pretty soon I would turn into a beautiful butterfly.

What Have Mama & Papa been teaching me:I love to say “well…” (just like Mama does) and rub my chin at the same time (just like Papa does…well…he rubs his goatee because his chin is covered!)

I think that’s all for now, but stay tuned for more great Nolan Tidbits next week!