Learn your animal sounds with Max Ludwig.

Today's lesson is: Animal Sounds! Your professor is Herr Maximilian Ludwig. He is a renowned expert in the imitation of animals, both barnyard and otherwise. Try not to be intimidated by his expertise; with practice you too can attain this level of superior imitation.

To make the best use of this exercise, try each sound yourself and then watch the video of Prof. Ludwig. Repeat as necessary. Learn from the master.

Question 1. What does a cow say?


*Please note: an additional lesson can be learned from this video. Don't let outside influences distract you from the task at hand. When you are imitating a cow, do not stop until you have perfected your MOO, no matter what distractionary tactics might be thrown your way.

Question 2: What does a monkey say?


Question 3: What does an owl say?


Question 4: **combo question: What does a chicken say? And what does a tiger say? (Yes, this is a tricky combination, but just go with it)


This concludes today's lesson. Yes, there are many other animal sounds, but these will give you a good foundation. Practice practice practice! There is nothing weird about interjecting a well-timed "moo" into a conversation or answering a question with a "roar".

Stay tuned for future courses with Prof. Ludwig. Some upcoming titles include: Introductory Riverdancing 101 and Daredevil: Don't be a Baby 103. Thanks for your participation.

17 Months Old.

I didn't even realize that Max was 17 months old today until someone at Mother Goose on the Loose asked me how old he was. I guess we've reached the point where I no longer really think of his age in months. Now I think of him as "almost 1 1/2" or just as a toddler. I also came to the shocking conclusion today at the library that he is now one of the "big kids" at  Mother Goose on the Loose. He was also definitely the most hyper today. I didn't even get to sit down during the entire half hour program; I chased him from chair to chair and constantly had to keep shooing him away from the double doors that he kept trying to open. He Never. Stops. Moving.

Over the past 3 months he has really changed a lot - so many new words, new interests, and new personality traits. It's really amazing. He truly is a little sponge, soaking in everything he sees and hears (note to self: remember this when spouting off at the mouth about things that are inappropriate for little ears).

Some of his favorites:

• Still loving animals. He knows so many animal sounds: baaack baaack (chicken), mmmmmmo (long m and short o for cow), a heavy breathing sound (his imitation of snorting for pig), roars for tigers/lions/bears, ah ah ah (monkey). I'm grooming him now to become a vet. Isn't that what children are for; to realize the dreams you always had for yourself but never managed to accomplish? We just need to work on his fear of loud monkeys if he wants to work at a Zoo.

• Loves trucks, cars, and airplanes. Trucks were his first love, and truck was one of his first words. Now just about any vehicle is referred to as a truck, including airplanes, which get him really excited. And angry; if he can't spot the airplane in the sky he sometimes gets infuriated. Oh, he thinks trains are good too.
• Running amok. He spends about 99% of the time he's awake doing just that. Here's a small example. (note the River Dancing, infused with a little squat-down move he adds when he gets REALLY excited.)

• Saving money. Every night when Chris gets home, Max wants his spare change to put in his Clemson piggy bank. I think he's saving up to buy his first kit car.
• Playing outside. The kid can't get enough. You would think all that fresh air and running around would result in some good long naps, but no. But I digress. He loves going for walks (well, he's in his stroller) with Bailey, riding his tricycle, sliding on his little slide, and getting into anything dirty he can find outside.

• Getting massages. Well, who doesn't?

• Playing with his cousins. Sam and Nathanael are going to teach Max to drive one day.

They're also going to teach him to play football. He's got a lot to learn where football in concerned. Currently he just stands in between Sam and Nathanael and River Dances in excitement when anyone makes a pass. But he'll get there.

• Warning us that things are "hot"...one of his first words and he uses it often. He's a bit confused about what it means exactly. He gets that it has to do with temperature, but he also will stick his hands out the door in the mornings and say "hot hot" when it's below freezing out, so we still need to work on this. Further complicating matters, I recently read him a book about a kangaroo and told him that the kangaroo goes "hop hop hop" so now every time he sees a kangaroo, he holds out his hand and pronounces that it is "hot". So cute.

Max also just this week started blowing kisses, which is the cutest darn thing in the world. Who could resist a kiss from this sweet face?

Ok, ok....

So, I've had multiple requests in the past few days for an update to the blog. I really wanted to get all of my pictures back into order on my computer before I blogged again, but if I wait for that to happen I might not blog until summer. So, I'm back, by popular demand :)

Let's re-cap Christmas, shall we? With all 4 Eddy kids' families in attendance at the Christmas Day shindig, it was a whirlwind. I think I shall re-cap with a highlights reel of our Christmas celebrations. Pretend like you're watching SportsCenter for Christmas. (I'm going with the football analogy because I'm watching the Orange Bowl right now - Go Tigers!!!)

• Last minute Christmas-card photo taken by Julie. Great photo, needed sunglasses. Massive squinting by the older two Ludwigs. Max was spared by his cap.

•  Last minute Max Christmas card pictures taken by yours truly. Lots of crying and refusing to cooperate. And even Max wasn't really into it (did anyone get that?). But a couple of cute ones; my kid has personality even if he doesn't have patience.

•  Trial-run of Chris's Christmas Weinerschnitzel. Max's first taste. Packed cheeks. Success. (Potato salad; not so much...maybe he needs to refine his palate.)
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• Pre-Christmas Eve church service photos by the tree; successful as always.


• Presents before bed in observance of German tradition. (But we didn't ring the little bell.)
  



Books in a Victoria's Secret box: awesome or disappointing? Max says awesome.


• Weinerschnitzel for Christmas Eve dinner after the little one is tucked away all snug in his bed with visions of sugar plums and stuff like that. Good as always, although the chef was hard on himself. Note that someone at the table elected to have a beer and someone else elected to have an orange Sunkist. I'll leave the question of who chose what up for debate. Talk amongst yourselves.

• Christmas morning fun: Up early for church at 8:45, which was pretty much a private audience with the preacher. Back home for more gift-opening, in observance of American tradition (the benefits of being a dual-citizen, eh Max?)

• Christmas morning Skype session with Omi and OpiLu. Gift opening witnessed live from across the ocean. Ah, the marvels of modern technology.

•  On to the Eddy family shin-dig. The elves got fancy this year.

•  Gifts, gifts, gifts...so many gifts that Max tried to take a nap in between opening...he was not successful, but he tried.

• Shenanigans included a rocket ship flying "to Texas" and a clandestine makeover.

• The fun never ends. On to Mema's for more Christmas excitement. Elf costumes are one-size-fits-all!

• The yearly tantrum did not disappoint: 1.5 minutes was all it took before Mema threw her game pieces all over the floor and stormed off. It's not Christmas until Mema cancels Christmas.

• More attempts at napping; poor kid can't catch a break - this day never ends!

I'll just be down here with the gifts if anyone needs me.

• Yep, more gifts.

• More cousin-time! Quickly followed by a swift departure before a major meltdown occurred. A busy but great Christmas day for our little man, who is now a certified pro at gift unwrapping!
  
  

•  Cousin time continued the next day at the park. Beautiful day and fun times with family. What Christmas is all about. (Warning: many, many pictures follow)