Boys love fire trucks

Yes, choo-choo's probably remain at the top of my list of things I like to see. In fact I have cajoled Daddy into driving home from daycare along the tracks in the hopes of seeing the evening commuters. Hurrah! Fire trucks, especially when they are in the parking lot or have sirens blaring, run a close second. They are big, they are shiny, they are red. I like them, a lot.

There is some amount of fantasy involved with the trains and trucks I see. Could it be that I want to be an engineer or fireman when I grow up? Could be. Daddy says he is a Scientist, but I don't quite know what vehicles Scientists drive. I know both Mommy and Daddy drive Prius hybrid cars, but they are not nearly as endearing (at least to this little boy) as a big bad diesels.

I'll take the truck and the train anyday.

Reluctant lion

Halloween, it's the time of year when I get dressed up as a lion and go door-to-door to get treats. It is a small sacrifice to pay for the rather large haul in chocolate. Granted some of our neighbors are progressive and hand out useful items like pencils, notebooks and small stuffed animals, but for the most part I get a bunch of candy. Mommy had to help me carry the bag this year because it got too heavy for this little lion.

I remember what chocolate is from last year. It is brown, sweet and gives me great pleasure when I eat it. I try not to get it all over the couch when it melts on my paws. Mama and Papa are pretty tolerant of my antics.

Some housekeeping notes. I moved out of my crib and into a big-boy bed shortly after my birthday. The hope was so I would be able to help myself to the potty in the night if I had to. That hasn't happened yet, so I am still wearing a diaper overnight. Soon though I hope to be free from the Huggies trap.

Hooky with grandpa Tetsu

Last Thursday I got to play a little hooky from work. Hooky is when you aren't really sick, but you get to stay away from school or daycare. Grandpa Tetsu came to visit us in California on a short layover to Japan. We got to eat some yummy food, take a walk on the Pacifica Pier and eventually made our way down to the beach at Linda Mar. I like sand. I like water. When they come together with waves and grandpa it makes for a fun day. Fun, that is, until you fall into the cold, cold Pacific and get sand everywhere. Luckily for us it was nearly eighty degrees outside and once I got all of my wet clothes off - everything was fine again if just a little bit nudie.

Our shoes in the second picture demonstrate Daddy's more artsy side of photography. The shoes are certainly inappropriate footwear for a day at the beach. But all lined up in the sand, they represent three generations of Amagasus on a stolen beach day in October.

I hope everyone is well. If you haven't already noticed Mommy has started a blog too; it's the top link in the sidebar and is dedicated to everyday musings about me. I hope you enjoy it and visit me at both websites.

Time to fly

I uploaded this photograph, but had yet to publish it until now because I was having trouble finding the words to go with it.

My vocabulary is growing everyday and I have been inventing words like "No-K" which is personal shorthand for "No, okay." Daddy thinks it is funny. Mommy, being a professional writer, is not so sure. Being three years old is different than being two. Independence is a big thing and doing tasks helps establish my individuality. That's how I see it.

Halloween is just around the corner. I remember it from last year because it was the first time I was allowed to taste chocolate. I like chocolate. Grandpa Tetsu will also be visiting next week on a stopover to Japan; it will be good to see him again.

Happy three

Well, I made it. I am now three years old, that's good because two years old sounds so young and I am a big boy now. I can count to one hundred in English and Mandarin. I can keep my pants dry all day, including naptime (been doing that for a while now). I still love trains and Curious George. Singing the alphabet is old hat and assembling complex sentences are beginning to be the norm. Wow, what a difference a year makes.

Mommy had her birthday recently too. We went out for some yummy food with Uncle Billy and Auntie Carolyn. I had my first taste of an Oreo cookie. I like cookies. Daddy made some cupcakes for us to share at daycare. I like cupcakes too.

Grandma and Pop-pop came to visit me for my birthday, just one night though. We had some yummy food with them and I got to open some presents. I like presents. Birthdays should come more often. Vitals: Ht 38.5", Wt 34.25 lb 75th percentile for both measures.

Wistful weekend

Mommy is going to see her girlfriends from college this weekend. She does this every year, and has been doing so since she graduated so long ago from Cal Poly. This year they are convening in Yosemite National Park. I hope Labor day isn't too crowded on the valley floor.

This also means I will be one-on-one with daddy all weekend. What are we going to do? Sometimes I get to do some Naked Gardening. I know we'll find some good food and maybe ride on a train. Daddy saw that the Monterey Bay Aquarium has a new white shark in their tank, maybe we'll go see him too. We'll miss mommy, but she'll come back on Monday and we can get ready for both of our birthdays. Go cake!

Yay Beijing Olympics

Congratulations to Michael Phelps. He just won his eighth Gold medal, eclipsing Mark Spitz's gold medal count of seven in the 1972 Olympics. In doing so, Michael also set eight Olympic and seven World records. It also brought his lifetime medal count to 16 (14 Gold!) making him the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time. Congratulations Michael, we were all hoping for this outcome and you made it happen. Astounding.

I am practicing my strokes in the backyard inflatable pool. I am not wearing swim goggles yet because I haven't figured out how to hold my breath underwater, but these Lightning McQueen sunglasses help with the glare. Mommy and Daddy hope that I'll be athletic when I get bigger. Maybe I'll be a swimmer like you Michael Phelps, your feats in the Beijing water cube are an inspiration.

The Scientist

I went to visit the Children's Discovery Museum in San Jose yesterday. I found a big black hole where I could deposit lots of blue balls. The balls would roll around and seem to accelerate as they got closer to the hole in the middle. Then they would drop out the bottom and start their journey again. Entertaining to say the least, I could've stayed there forever.

Papa had other ideas, as he dragged me away so we could play in the WaterWays display (water, more balls, a vortex and smocks), Bubbalogna (soap bubbles and thin films in all manners), a real ambulance and a fire truck. I guess that's not all bad. I was a tired boy after that.

I hope you are watching the Olympics. It has been an exciting start to the games in Beijing.

Thumbs up to Mommy

Er, actually it is a big-toe up to Mommy. You see, it was Daddy's 40th birthday last week and Mommy went all out. To start with, Mommy took the whole day off from work to play with Daddy; they drove out to Byron, CA to go on a surprise skydiving trip. Yep, skydiving, jumping out of a perfectly functioning airplane for the thrill of the fall from 10,000ft. Mommy did it too, but it was old hat for her - she had done her first jump years ago.


Later that evening, after the adrenaline had worn off and a short nap. Mommy took the initiative on a new Churrasco restaurant in Palo Alto. This is a Brazilian style of eating, whereby the waiters keep bringing skewers of meat to your table until you can eat no more. I am pretty sure all manner of barnyard animal was represented; lamb, beef, chicken and pork in addition to the sausages and extensive salad bar.

To top it off, Mommy organized a backyard barbecue (on Saturday) with many of their friends (who fortunately brought all of their kids to play with me). Grilled meat and a giant pot of chili accompanied the roasted potatoes and asparagus. It was a big week for food. Of course there was a cake but respectfully, no candles. It would've surely been a fire hazard. Daddy is grateful to have Mommy as his partner. I am happy to be their son. Thumbs up to Mommy.

Water in Florida

I thought so. It's a good thing we found some water down in Orlando. It was uncomfortably hot and sticky humid every day. Lucky for me, many of the separate resorts (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom...) had built-in water parks like this one. The fountains of water were randomly programmed to squirt up. It was my job to find out which ones were going to be active and put myself into the stream. These water activities were probably my favorite part of the trip. Oh, these and the hotel pool. The pool had a water slide and shallow entry area. I could've stayed there all day if only Mommy and Daddy would've let me.

I was happy to see all of my relatives from around North America. Uncle Ru, his wife Soomi, and cousin Toshi came down from New Hope, PA; Auntie Maria and her husband, Lawrence with cousins Akio, Maya and Sasha from Montreal, Quebec; Uncle Misha and his new fiancee, Melanie from Springfield, OR; Grandpa Tetsu and Grandma Linda from Mahwah, NJ; Grandma Mira and Great-Uncle Kevin also traveled down from New Hope. A large group for sure, but we managed to find time to ourselves.

Anyway it's good to be home. We ate in restaurants all week. Yep, that's right, three square meals plus two snacks a day were included on our premium dining plan. We tried our best, but still had left over credits by the end of the week. Lots more photos of the trip on Papa's Flickr account (see link in sidebar). Stay cool.

We're going to Disney World

No, we didn't win the Superbowl or NBA finals, but we are going to Walt Disney World in Florida. I think Papa went when he was a kid but doesn't remember it very well. Besides, at that time there were no such things as Epcot center and Hollywood Studios, let alone the water parks. Good thing about the water, we are traveling in the last week of June and there will assuredly be hot temperatures and high humidity.

The good thing is the whole clan will be in converging in Florida. Uncle Misha, uncle Ru and auntie Maria; their respective spouses/fiancee and all of my cousins. Also Papa's mother, father, stepmother and my great-uncle Kevin will be in attendance. He is, after all, the gracious and generous sponsor of this trip. I hope we can survive the weather and any family differences that may erupt amongst the group of 17.

In the meantime I'll just play with this sprinkler in the backyard. It has been hot in the SF bay area, triple digits at times. Small boys like me need water to keep cool. See you when we get back.

Gravity always wins

You may remember this ball from about a year ago. It was the same one I was watering to make it grow better. That was then, this is now. I am much bigger, older and less naked now. I think that's a good thing.

Now I can sit on top of the ball and bounce off it on my butt. Mommy wants to get the family a set of Hippity-hops. You remember those sit-on toys that are essentially big rubber balls with a circular handle to hang on tightly. Could you imagine all three Mountain View Amagasus hopping down the street to the park? How fun. Anyway, I'm lucky this episode was on the soft backyard grass, because gravity always wins.

Happiness

Sometimes all that it takes is a walk to the park in the evening to make me happy. Actually, we usually ride my bike because it's much faster and maximizes our time in the sandbox or on the slides. Daddy recently reversed the body of the Skuut so that it is a little bit taller and steers better. I like it. Mommy also set the seat of the tricycle a little lower so I can push myself around on that as well.

Lots of runny noses in Mountain View lately. The flowers, trees and grasses are all doing their thing and dumping out pollen into the air. Good for propagation of the species, not so good for my nose.

Can I go to the park with you?

Boogers

Now I got you where I want you, now I'm going to EAT you! I sometimes pick my nose.

Alright, I'll come clean, I pick my nose all the time. The boogies bother me when I wake up or when there is pollen in the air, so I pick 'em. When Zadie is around, sometimes I'll feed her my boogies (she likes the salty goodness), plus it keeps the boogers off the couch or my sleeves. My parents like that. I even know how to blow my nose when it gets really runny. But booger mining is more fun. I am almost three years old, it is my right to have my finger up my nose to the first knuckle. Many, many times a day.

As they say, "you can pick your friends, you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friend's nose."

Summertime has arrived

How do you know that it is summer in Northern California? Well, let me count the ways. The trees and flowers are in full glory. The grasses on the hills have done their thing and are starting to go brown. The days start early with birds chirping and the evenings go long with lovely golden light. Oh yeah, you get to play naked in the backyard and pee on the nearest tree when necessary. Sometimes you pee for recreation, not because you have to, but because it's just so much fun.

Bring it on, summertime. I am totally ready for you.

Week at Grandma's

I am spending the week down in Westlake Village with Mama, GrannyM, and Pop-pop Bob. It is nice that Mama's work is portable and she's able to telecommute through the magic of the internet to do her job wherever she happens to be.

Unfortunately Papa's job is less mobile; he's a scientist and thus has to go to a laboratory with fancy equipment to do his job. That, and he was recently let go from the company he's been with for almost nine years. Certainly longer than I've been around. Theravance, nee Advanced Medicine, has had to make some hard decisions, ultimately leading to the termination of 115 jobs which represents 40% of the workforce. Papa included. 115 families are being disrupted.

Papa isn't too sad about it, he sees it as an opportunity to refocus and assess priorities. Despite being quite specialized, there appears to be suitable positions available in the San Francisco Bay Area. Who knows, it may also be an opportunity to move away from the absurdity of Bay Area housing prices. So, if anyone comes across an ion channel drug discovery position, please let Papa know.

I wouldn't want Papa to wind up like me in the photo, laying around on the couch and watching too much TV. Though for the moment, it's not a bad place to be.

Eye see you

Sometimes it is good to take a little time to stop and think about what's important. Trains are important, bagels are important, peanut butter toast for breakfast is important. But beyond that Mommy and Daddy are really important.

They've been here from the very beginning, providing basic necessities. Things like milk, diapers, and a sleep schedule are standard baby raising. Now that I am a small boy, I am relying on some additional duties; they read to me, play with me, let me explore, and discipline me when I am naughty. They are being parents - good loving ones. Little do they know I am witness to their every move, I am learning and becoming my own person. Scary when you think about it, but I am a reflection of who they are. They make me want to be good.

Trains are my true love

You could just see it in my eyes. Last week's post about flying the 747 was well and good, but there was no excitement in it. No passion. That's just not right. Trains are where I'm ensconced. I had neglected to tell everyone the real reason I was at the aviation museum was because there was a European Train Enthusiast show going on in the lobby. It was actually a bunch of old crabby guys with a zeal for model trains and their miniature environment. We hardly spent any time looking at the aircraft, I only sat in the cockpit to appease Papa.

I think about trains first thing in the morning and go to bed with dreams of them in my head. Can you see the difference in my mood in this week's photograph? I can hardly contain my jubilation at the heavy diesel arriving at Mountain View station. No faking here, it's so real you can taste it.

Zeke pilots a 747

There is a small aviation museum near us in San Carlos. It consists mainly of a sizable collection of old and new aircraft. But, there's also an old shell of a Boeing 747 aft section, which includes the cockpit. How exciting to be in the right seat of one of the World's finest jetliners. Too bad I can't reach the yoke, see out the windows or feel the pedals on the floor. We'll have to come back when I am bigger.

Happy Easter 2008

I've been busy out in the yard. While I was playing in the park, the Easter bunny must've come and laid some eggs for me. They were everywhere, in the bushes, on the lawn and up high on the flower boxes. Not to worry, I found them all. There was even bread and cornflakes in some of them - how yummy for me. Some had chocolate, some had jelly beans, but I still like finding the ones with crunchy munchy cereal inside.

There were so many eggs that I was already looking to find the next one before the current one was in the basket. It has been a good Easter. That said, the questionable phenomenon of the Easter bunny being able to lay eggs confuses me to no end.

GrannyM's birthday

GrannyM and Pop-pop came to visit me this weekend. We had a very busy time while they were here. It had been Granma's birthday a few weeks earlier but she was sick and had to stay home. So we made up for it. We had dinner with everyone on Friday evening (and I got to skip my bath).

On Saturday, we went to the park with my bicycle and I showed everyone what a good cyclist I've become. Then we went to see Cirque du Soleil's lastest incarnation, Kooza. This is the non-animal troupe from Montreal which often features an eclectic mix of traditional and not-so-traditional circus acts. You have to see it to understand its appeal. Afterwards we met up with Uncle Billy and Auntie Carolyn for a fine meal at the same restaurant where Mommy and Daddy were married. Phew, it was a big day for me - and I got to skip my bath again.

On Sunday we got up and had bagels for breakfast, and then headed down to Happy Hollow in San Jose to see the animals. Lots of playing and feeding at the petting zoo, but no swimming this time. It wasn't quite warm enough to do that. My favorite part may have been pretending I was a goat and dominating the little mound of rocks in their enclosure. I'm sure they didn't mind that I was king for a while.

Lastly, we found a little cave to climb in next to the lemur exhibit. It was built so small people could have a secure, appropriately-sized place to watch the animals. We came home and had a big lunch, a nap and Mommy finally gave me a bath. It was nice to be clean again.

I can't believe it's Monday already. GrannyM and Pop-pop have gone home and the house is quiet. It was a fun, but exhausting weekend. We also lost an hour's sleep to daylight savings time, so don't mind me if I'm behaving a little crabby. It was totally worth it.

Zeum with friends

I know, I know, you're asking what is Zeum. I am not sure myself because I never went inside, but our friends in the first picture did and I'm pretty sure they had fun. Zeum is a multimedia arts and technology museum in San Francisco, but I'm still a little young for those things. Besides I was also feeling a bit under the weather from a virus I probably picked up from my new classmates last week. Our daycare has increased from the three older boys (me, Yusef and Aaron) to include three additional infants - Dou Dou, Yuen Yuen, and Wade are all new members to our group. Hua and Yang Duo have their hands full with the new babies.

Back to the picture though, the two girls are daughters of Mama's childhood friend, Molly. Their names are Tori and Casey and they also happened to be our neighbors when we lived in Montara. The boy is the son of a different childhood friend, Aeky. His name is Andrew and they live out in Sacramento. We went to visit them last summer and swam in the big pool near their house. We try to get together at least once a year to catch up.

There is a nice play area in front of Zeum where we spent quite a bit of time in the beautiful spring weather. Luckily there was a fountain with cascading water, a big sandbox, and several large slides. The second picture is me climbing down the stairs leading to the big slide because I decided it was too big once I was at the top. I think Papa really wanted to try the slide but felt funny going down by himself. Next time.

Puddles rule

Rain, rain, go away. Come back another day. It seems like it has been raining nonstop for almost a week. Lots of grey weather, lots of precipitation, and lots of puddles. This is my favorite puddle - probably the biggest and dirtiest one on the street and it happens to be right in front of my house. Yippee. When I am a good boy, I am allowed to ride my bike in the rain and get as wet as I want. I don't know about other girls my age, but for a boy this is extreme fun and can last for hours.

GrannyM was supposed to visit us this weekend for her birthday, but came down with a bad case of bronchitis. Hopefully she'll be able to visit when she gets better. We wish her well and hope for a speedy recovery. Maybe when she is able, the rain will have stopped. or for my sake, maybe not. Puddles rule.

Remember when...

I was just a baby and loved to pile these wood chips on top of the red pedestals like I was making a pizza? Remember when I wasn't even able to walk to the park by myself and had to be carried partway? Not anymore. I am growing up and behaving like a big boy. One that can poo-poo in a potty, keep my pants dry all day long, and ride a bike - by myself. Babydom is gone. Hello childhood.

Sometimes I think my parents are sad that I am getting so big and independent. They should just realize they, nor anyone else, can stop the relentless march of time. It's a one-way street with one speed - life speed. No worries, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Hurry up

Little did you know that I'd have to wait for you when you gave me this bike at Christmastime. I didn't give the bike so much as a brief sit upon before I became engrossed in the other toys. Now you can hardly keep me off of it on the weekends. Mama brought her bike out in the backyard so we could chase each other.

I've become quite adept at riding and balancing on two wheels. There are no pedals, but I can get going pretty fast just by taking long strides and coasting in between - scooting. Hills are another fun thing I've discovered, they make me go really fast. Papa usually holds onto the back of my seat when I'm going down, but I just know I could do it all by myself. Luckily I've had no big wipeouts, but I suspect that day will come. Right now I've got to go, please hurry up.

Don't bother me...

I'm eating. An asiago cheese bagel at that. This is serious stuff. I know my hair is all crazy from last night's sleep, but right now I am tucking into one of my favorite foods. Come back later when I am done, then we can talk. For the moment this bagel is more important than you.

Just kidding, I know you are important too. But a kid has to have priorities. Things like riding a bike, Thomas the tank engine, warm milk, bananas, and bagels. These are all high-ranking items. You and your silly antics, not so much. Don't take it personally, that's just how it is.

Trainspotting

Here we are again, down at the Mountain View Caltrain station. Papa sometimes takes me here on Sundays because he knows there are other things to do besides watching trains (although I don't see the point). The Sunday morning Farmers market is there which means we can go buy the freshest produce and find other goodies like fresh bread, frozen Chinese dumplings and local cheeses. Today Papa discovered a man shucking Swedish oysters for service on the half shell. A small squeeze of lime, a dash of Tobasco, and down the hatch. "So simple, yet so deliciously briny," Papa says. But I digress. We are here for the trains.

The rain was coming down pretty much all day. No worries, there was a nice shelter to hide underneath for the heavy showers and cozy hooded coats for the drizzle. Trains are part of my life and a little water won't keep me away.

Happy days

I am happy and Zadie, our dog is happy. Me first. I am happy because I'm over at my favorite playground running around on a sunny cool January evening. As you can see, I am wearing a big coat and little gloves to keep myself warm. It feels really is cold out here but we shouldn't complain - it's not as cold as either NFL playoff game today (minus 4 degrees in Green Bay, right around zero in Foxborough). Northern California is a pretty nice place to live when you think about it.

Zadie is happy because she got a bone this morning. She has been a good dog, and we updated all her vaccinations last week with nary a complaint. Mommy and Daddy bought a quarter of a cow at the end of last year. They found a rancher up in Cotati (near Napa valley) who raises organic, steroid-free, grass-fed cattle. My parents have been cooking at least one beefy meal for each other on the weekends. Today was Daddy's turn and he had an extra bone from a chuck roast. One bone for Zadie, lucky dog.

Back into the swing of things

It's well into 2008 and it has been wet out here in Northern California. That's ok, that means there are lots of puddles and mud for me to play in. That also means the reservoirs have been filling up for the long dry summer ahead. The sun was peeking out today so Mama and I took down the Christmas lights (as much as I love them, they wouldn't have the same appeal if they were hung up all year long). While she was up on the ladder, I watered all the flowers in the window boxes. She gave me the 1/2 cup measuring scoop and a watering can. I like repetitive tasks like this, especially when water is involved. But I think we'll have to wait until summer to go 'nudies' again.

We can't really complain about the wet weather though, most of my relatives are probably in freezing conditions, with snow and ice on the ground. I hope everyone can be warm.

New helmet, new bike and a puddle

Mommy got me a cool new bike helmet today because I've outgrown my old bumble-bee one from a while ago. Santa also brought me a bike because I was a very good boy this year. The Northern California weather created a big puddle in front of our house, but then the sun broke through. What a perfect confluence of goodness for me!

This bike is a "balance bike" and is called the Skuut. It is a cheaper knock off of the German-made LIKEaBIKE. It is made out of laminated plywood and thus lightweight, but the main features are; no pedals, chain or gears, no spokes to catch my hands or feet, and limited steering angles so I can't jackknife the entire affair. It has two wheels and a handlebar so it does teach me to balance and steer. Eventually when I graduate to a pedal bike, I should be able to skip training wheels altogether. The astute viewers will also notice the labeling is upside-down on the main body of the bike. That's because my legs are too short to have it the right-side up. The head tube angle is a little slack now, but eventually I'll get tall enough to switch it back. Catch me if you can.