Gotta boogie

Mama and I went to Southern California to visit GrannyM and Pop-pop Bob. We are spending the whole week down there so I'll have plenty of time to play with my grandparents. Papa is staying in Northern California where he'll take care of Zadie dog-dog. Mama plans on working through the week via the internet - too bad Papa's science job isn't portable like that.

Anyway, we have lots planned to do already. I've been to the swimming pool with my water wings, I think I am going to get to see Jake my cousin, and maybe even visit the ocean at Carpinteria like Mama did when she was young. Hope everyone is well, I've gotta boogie.

It's official

I am a boy, therefore I adore Thomas the Tank Engine. He is pretty much ubiquitous these days if there is a small boy like me in your house. Thomas comes with the territory; I've had a Thomas ride-on toy since I was very young, and a couple of the small wooden trains from my cousin Toshi. This particular engine is from Kem and Uncle Misha from their last visit. It has some bottom sensors so it can follow a water trail that is drawn on a special canvas mat. Sort of like a free-form track set. It plays the same saloon music as the ride-on train, but I like it just for pushing around on the ottoman.

Papa says he didn't have Thomas when he was a kid. Grandpa Tetsu has a big train set that I saw when I visited them at Christmas. I think all small boys must like trains - maybe dadas and grandpas too.

p.s. New vocabulary: fish, shoes, socks, num-num (meaning I'm hungry), more (meaning I'm still hungry), apple, eyes, and hat.

Happy Easter

I've been training for this day. I've picked up some rice-filled eggs earlier, and plucked some oranges from the backyard, but today I had a real Easter egg hunt. Mama and Papa dyed some hard-boiled eggs. They also filled my plastic eggs with one of my favorite things to eat - wheat bread. They hid the eggs around the backyard and I found them for my basket. I can't wait to go inside to eat my treats.

Mama also made a 'meat rabbit' for dinner. She felt that it would be unfair if I couldn't eat a pair of chocolate rabbit ears, so in substitution she created a rabbit-shaped meatloaf. I got to eat part of the ears for my supper. Easter is a pretty good holiday.

Aim for the sky

Sometimes we have to set goals for ourselves. For instance, here I am trying to make a basketball shot on a 10' net with a tennis ball. Quite a feat for a 19-month old. But I need to have goals or I'd get bored with myself.

I was watching the gusty and cold Masters golf tournament on television today. It ocurred to me everyone was having a hard time just making par. Tiger Woods is in the final pairing while Phil Mickelson is just four strokes off the lead going into tomorrow's final round. I have strong admiration for both Tiger and Phil for it seems that they've always set and achieved lofty goals. The competition between them can only make them individually stronger. Since 2001, Tiger has won this tournament three times, Phil twice. The eventual winner tomorrow will take home a check for $1.3M and the much-coveted green jacket. Good luck to everyone down in Georgia.

I am going to keep shooting until I get it right. You can count on it.

Tastes like chicken

Just a random post to keep everyone abreast of what is happening in California. I am changing my daycare facility again. It will be hard to leave the current one since I have spent almost a whole year there. It was hard leaving my first daycare in Pacifica way back when. The current caregivers have already expressed their sadness for my departure. I will miss them too; they really are a wonderful bunch of people. The upside is that I will be joining a different daycare where I will be learning Mandarin Chinese. Tomorrow is my last day because the next day is Good Friday - which means it is Easter weekend. Yay.

I have fun imitating Mama, in fact that's her hairbrush in the picture. I found it in the bathroom when she wasn't watching. Some new words were added to my vocabulary this week. I said 'mother' the other evening. 'Elmo' is my Sesame Street friend. Mama asked me to say 'hammer' so I repeated it after hearing it just once. My parents are so easily impressed.

April oranges

Happy April. I can't believe it is the second quarter of 2007 already. Life just happens - marching undeterred toward the future. I am thinking less heady thoughts. I am picking up oranges in the backyard.

Remember just before Christmas there were some oranges in the non-festive family photograph? Well the oranges have matured and we've been eating them in earnest for the past month. They continue to fall down though - there are just too many of them. Picking up oranges will be good practice for the Easter Egg hunt next weekend.

p.s. Our friends, Alex and Stacey, welcomed their second child into the World last night. Their first one, Quinn is about my age. Congratulations to their burgeoning family, the Amagasus are very excited for them.