Noah Finn: 17.5 Months.

I've been rotten at being a blogging, ranching mama. I admit it, I've been absent--I haven't been around, I have to be honest. Keeping up with all of the changes (and struggles--oh, that post is going to be a long one) that living in the middle of nowhere in Malibu have brought along with struggling to maintain the momentum that Feeding Little Foodies had been gaining prior to the move has kept me whirling from sunrise to sunset. And, wait, I didn't even add my toddling toddler into this to-do list equation.

Nevertheless, I am aiming to regain my prior posting glory once more and have faith that it isn't too far off into the future.

In the meantime, I am going to make a list that I have been meaning to sit down and put together for a very long time now. So that 5, 10, 20 years from now, I can look back on this gloriously busy time and remember all of those beautiful little things that I am sure to forget otherwise. The thing is that this list has been changing in my head as time passes with it unwritten--it changes as I strive to keep up with a very quickly growing little boy.

Documenting Noah Finn at 17.5 months:

• He learned how to kiss with a pucker and sound effects two days ago--and he smooches us on the cheek every chance he gets
• Everything is "Daddy"--from the little Hispanic boy in his book to the sand sifter on the beach, it's all just "Daddy"
• Favorite words that come to mind: bottle, Miles, bye, hi, go, bubble, ball, shoes, magnet, mommy, daddy, vroom, mole, more, beach, bees, cherry, book, shhhhh, boo boo, poo poo, pee pee, dog, cheese, teeth, three
  
• He loves splashing, screaming, running and laughing in the surf with Dean
• His favorite foods are fresh mango, dried blueberries and nori
• He dislikes milk but he will drink it if he has to
  
• He isn't crazy about cookies or other sweets
• He loves saying bubble and pointing to the bubble bottle but is less than enthusiastic at the act of blowing them or watching someone else do so
• He is absolutely o b s e s s e d with beer bottles--full or empty
• He loves to throw things in the trash can (if it has a lid on it, even better)--especially rocks
• He loves to hold one stem of wildflowers (or rocks) in each hand for a very long time
• He doesn't care too much for swinging, but loves to slide and teeter totter
  
• He likes to give others raspberries (bellies or backs are preferred targets)
• Jumping on the bed naked after bath time is by far his favorite time of the day
• His favorite color is red
• He collects rocks (to later throw away, perhaps?)
• His favorite toy is Henry's plastic sand shovel
• He breaks out in spontaneous singing bursts of e-i-e-i-o all. day. long.