Waiting for a train

I've got choo-choos on my mind again. They seem to be on my mind a lot these days. Why is it that we boys like trains, construction equipment and other forms of public transportation (buses, trucks, and airplanes) so much? I don't have a sister so I really can't ask her if she has the same obsessions. Sometimes, to get out of the house, Papa and I go down to the train station to wait for the :14 Southbound and :19 Northbound trains. On the weekends, they only come hourly in each direction, but if we time it right we can see two choo-choos in about five minutes (and that's not counting the light rail line). We don't usually get on; we just go to see, smell and listen to the big diesels. If you ever stop by the house and we're not home, you may want to check out the Caltrain station. They're worth the wait, I promise.

What's the big deal?

So today shall stand as a landmark. Today, I voluntarily made a poo-poo in the potty. I haven't done that in a very long time. I will usually wait until nighttime when I have a protective diaper on to drop the bomb.

Mama, Papa and Hua have been trying to get me to go potty forever. In fact there's a poster next to the potty with each of our names on it. Whenever there's a poo-poo, the creator gets a sticker. Since Mama works from home, there is also a policy that the sticker is only valid upon visual confirmation by another family member, otherwise she would have an unfair advantage. Present score; Mama 4, Papa 10, Zeke 1. To sweeten the deal, Mama offered me a treat too. Tonight I got a big star sticker and a piece of chocolate. Hmmm, chocolate exchanged for poo, how apropos.

Backwards sliding

What kind of two-year old climbs up the biggest slide in the playground? This kind. Zeke do. Maybe it's because there is a short ladder on the normal ascent that I cannot figure out just yet (I still need a little help). Maybe it's because if I get tired I can just slide back down on my belly. Or, maybe I climb up the slide just because it's there. Daddy was surprised to see I made it all the way.

This week is Thanksgiving - the California Amagasus are going to bake a turkey, smash potatoes, stuff stuffing, sauté green beans, whisk gravy, and I hope that's all. We'll probably eat too much and fall asleep in front of the football game, which is not an entirely bad thing. We have much to be thankful for. We hope you do too.

Crayons and 150 posts

There are some crayons in this box. I know because I stuffed them in there just a moment ago. Now I am trying to get them back out. I like order and patterns, you see. For example, I like to put my toys in their place, then take them out, and perhaps put them away again. It gives me a sense of security in an otherwise chaotic World. A little birdie told me Mama and Papa were the same way when they were young. Papa still does it at work - he's obligated to because he's a scientist. They too gravitate toward order and patterns; I think it gives them comfort.

I just noticed that this is the 150th post of my blog. That's a lot of entries over my two+ years. There's no telling when I'll run out of ideas to ruminate upon. It could be when I hit 200 entries, or three years, or some other as-yet-to-be-determined milestone. I am not sure when it will happen, but I do enjoy writing about the things on my mind. I hope you've enjoyed reading them.

Grandpa Tetsu and choo-choos

Papa's father, my grandpa Tetsu, came to visit us last week. He was on his way from New Jersey to visit Japan where his family grew up. Lucky for us San Francisco wasn't too far out of the way and we got to spend some time together.

What better way to spend a lazy weekday afternoon than watching the commuter trains at Mountain View station? By the looks of it, Grandpa Tetsu is equally excited to see the big diesels pull into the station. He seems to have an affinity for choo-choos as big as his hat.

Anyone who likes trains that much is a good person in my book. I should know.

Jumpy houses

I know I am not supposed to jump on my bed at home. But there exist places in the World where they expect you to jump up and down. This is one of them. It's a temporary outdoor lot where they've established several inflatable playthings to attract kids under the larger guise of selling Halloween pumpkins. I fully expect a similar plan for Christmas trees now that it's November. So long as I am allowed to jump around, I'll be happy. Weee!

My likes chocolate

So where has chocolate been all my life? This is my first time, in almost two years and two months of Earthly existence that I've tasted chocolate. Unfair. I just know my parents eat it routinely - every day I have no doubt.

I went trick-or-treating on All Hallows Eve once it was dark enough outside. I wore my fancy new lion outfit and was a very good boy. So good in fact that my parents allowed me to have a piece of candy, and then another. We met many of our neighbors along the street and I got to stay up a little later than usual. Yay for Halloween. I can't wait until next year when I can stay out even longer and get more candy.

I call it "My likes chocolate" because I don't actually like to use the pronoun "I" when speaking. Instead I like to use the possesive "my" when referring to myself. Silly little lion. Either way chocolate is here to stay.