Gabriel

I thought it might be a good idea to tell some current stats on the children so that I can remember them as they come along. Favorites, likes, dislikes, things of that sort.

First is Mr Gabriel.

Gabriel, at 22 months, is tons of fun!
Nicknames: Gabe, Gaby Baby, Goo-Boo (Good Boy), Goob (Goo-Boo shorted, lol), GableGobbles

Favorites:
Toys:
 
Gabriel is a little engineer--he likes to build things, see how things work and move. He likes dynamic toys--things he can manipulate. Aunt Julia and Uncle Jarrod bought Emerald a set of pink and white Mega Bloks for her 2nd birthday and Gabriel will play with them for hours and hours on end.
In a stroke of genius, Michael bought a $3 bead maze from garanimals from Wal-Mart....by far, one of the best investments ever made. Seriously, Gabriel gets endless enjoyment out of it, which is great for long car rides, doctor's office visits, and time at the restaurant before the food comes.

Books:
 
Gaby likes books with ridiculous sounds and a rhyming tempo. The first time I read "Mr Brown Can Moo" to him, he laughed sooooo hard. It was ridiculously adorable. I need to buy him a new copy--he has loved (and chewed) his copy into unreadability.
He also really likes "There's a Wocket in My Pocket" and "Where the Wild Things Are"--in the first, he probably likes the ridiculous words; in the second, he loves the monsters. To be honest, any Dr. Seuss is a big hit with both of the kids.

Songs: Gabriel tolerates me singing to him occasionally...but not too often. There is a song from Barney that he loves--it's about a train and goes "chugga chugga chugga chugga chugga--choo choo!" He loves the sounds. He also really loves "The Sausage Man Song", which is a big favorite of the Wagner clan :)
For cuddly times, I sing "You Are My Sunshine" and he really seems to like it. Maybe he is just used to it, lol.

Movie:

He loves Toy Story. Won't sit still for most movies, but this one is a big hit for him--the 2nd one as well. He also likes "Monster's Inc" and "Princess and the Frog".

Food: Goob loves vegetables and fruits, but ONLY if you give him variety. He loves Clementines and grapes and apples and pretty much whatever you give him IF you really mix it up. You can't give him the same thing two days in a row and expect him to be happy. He is not as big on meat or breads, but he likes tortillas and ham, so he is still getting them in.

TV Shows:

He likes the dancing veggies, about as much as he likes eating them, lol.

Activities: Gabriel will play on the swing-set out back for HOURS. He will sit in the swing and let me push him until my arms give out, just looking over the world and taking everything in. At school, his teachers tell me that he likes to watch the other kids run, lol. He doesn't run, he just watches everyone else.

Games: He cannot get enough 'Buzz Went the Bee'--he is super ticklish everywhere, especially on his collarbone, ribs, and thighs, so this game makes him laugh so hard. He really likes 'Patty Cake' too, especially if you throw his name in there. He is not very good at, but enjoys, hide and go seek, but I figure he will grow into it :)

Gabriel is a mama's boy, and likes nothing more than to be cuddled by a female family member while he pulls their hair. He is definitely a little man that prefers the ladies--he likes to rough house and play males, but likes his cuddles to be with Oma, Glo, or one of his aunts :)