Comfort food and the way home

Sometimes it's good to visit one's past. When I was very small and just beginning on learn how to feed myself, I used to eat Cheerios all the time. They are a favorite of parents because should one get stuck in my throat I could still breathe through it. Neat, kind of unsubstantiated, but it makes sense to me. Thankfully I never had to pull that trick despite eating handfuls of the stuff. They are also good for me because they are unsweetened, have loads of fiber and are made from whole grain oats. As you can see I still like to eat them as much as I did when I was younger. Yay for Cheerios. Yay for Zeke.

My parents were pretty amazed by the difference in my walking and running speed. I get plenty of practice at daycare with my buddies who are a little older. I also get to run around at the elementary school at the end of the street. There are literally acres of green grass and plenty of climbing gyms to play upon. Fast, fast, fast. That's what on my mind. Don't worry though, I know my way home. See ya.

Birthday pie

Happy Second Birthday to me. I can't believe it has already been two years since I entered this World. That's not very long when you consider my parents are both *many* years older than that. But two years has been my life in entirety: put another way, I've been here a little over 104 weeks, or 730 days, or 17,520 hours.

During that time, I've figured out that pizza is good food (I also know what my parents mean when they say, "b-a-g-e-l" but that's a different story). Mama and I celebrated a combination birthday dinner since hers came earlier this week. Even this deep dish of meaty goodness couldn't stand up to my fork. I ate a whole slice and wanted more but was warned to save room for cake and presents.

Thanks for reading my online blog entries these past two years. I've changed a lot; you have witnessed me learning to crawl, stand, walk, run, talk, and essentially potty-train. Don't worry though; I don't plan to rest on my laurels - I intend on building upon what I've learned. There is just too much Life out in front of me not to do so.

Naked gardening

Mama is spending Labor day weekend with her girlfriends. That means I get to hang out with Papa all alone for the next three days. What better way is there to pass time than naked gardening? I am not sure if Papa will join me, he obviously has lost some of his carefree childhood nature.

There is something great about being wrapped in the warm evening, dressed in my birthday suit and hosing the big purple ball. It's manly. That said, it would probably be better if Mama were here naked too.

It seems schools are back in session. The morning parade of elementary school kids and their parents has commenced. The traffic on the roads has increased and the days are noticeably shorter. Happy unofficial end of summer sports fans.

More water

I hope everybody out there is getting the idea that I adore water. Every weekend is filled with my favorite pastime. Whether it is a sprinkler in the backyard, or an exhibit at the zoo, I try to get wet whenever I can. We traveled up to Sacramento to see Mama's childhood friend Aeky and her family over the weekend. They have access to a nice cool pool to beat the summer heat of the central valley.

I have my water wings on so I can float around by myself. It's sort of like crawling before I could walk. Someday, I'll cast aside the arm bands and swim freely like Nemo the fish. I can't wait. Until then, I'll have to deal with the indignity of gratuitous corporate logo advertisement. Clever Speedo, very clever.

Come on in

Saturday was hot again. To beat the heat, Mama suggested that we go down to Santana Row in San Jose to cool off. She knew there was a small fountain there with a grassy area nearby - perfect for us to find some lunch and take a dip.

I find the trouble with most parents is they are less lenient about letting their kids into the water. Try as I might, most of the other kids were only allowed to put their feet in the cool water. Come on in, the water's fine. I get to sit in it, and crawl around until my heart's content. There were even river rocks in this fountain to shuffle about. This is exactly what happened the other weekend at Happy Hollow. Grown-ups seem to misunderstand the need for small boys to be wet. I'd bet they'd enjoy it. Secretly I know they were envious.

Dammit run

Mommy is in this crowd somewhere. I can't see her, but she ran this five-mile race with her friend Erika. Some of those guys in the front row have serious leg muscle definition. The shirtless guy with yellow shorts in the middle was the eventual winner.

Why is it called the Dammit run? Because the race starts at Los Gatos high school and follows the creek trail up to the substantial dam which holds back Lexington reservoir. As it should be, the course is uphill all the way out, dammit, and gets rather steep at times. Mama had a good time racing and already wants to do it again next year. She wants Papa to join her because it was so fun.

Papa and I had a good time waiting for the racers to return. Lucky for us we had some cut strawberries and a nice place to eat them. Go, go, go!

Any given Sunday

Just a random series of pictures with me playing in the backyard. This is not Thomas the Tank Engine, it's his friend, Percy. He's green and designated number six, Thomas is the blue one and has a number one on his side. I've been practicing my colors and numbers with Mommy and Hua at daycare. Woo wooo!

Happy hollow

There's this place in San Jose, CA that many other parents at daycare have been talking about. It is a city-run combination zoo and amusement park called Happy Hollow. We've never been there before, but I'm glad we went last weekend. I got to meet many new animals friends: capybara, wallaby, lemur, meerkat, macaws, a jaguar, and even a petting zoo, oh my.

Papa took many more pictures and put some in the Picasa online album. I thought that all the animals were having such fun that I should join in. That's why I am swimming in the pool. None of the other kids were willing to jump in the water with me. They missed out.

Is there anything cuter...

Than my butt on the internet?

The good thing is I have a nice tan line after visiting GrannyM for a week in Southern California. The bad thing is all vanity has been lost as my buttocks are now in the public domain. Have a great weekend everyone.

Potty, potty, potty

I am not quite two years old, but I have been getting better at sitting on my potty. I like to use it first thing in the morning and just before bath time. I know Hua at my daycare also likes to have me try to keep dry, but not all day. Sure I still wear diapers, but at some point I am going to have to give them up.

I get my own little potty too. While I was at GrannyM's house last week I got to use the big insert kind, one that sits on top of the seat that adults use. At home my blue potty sits in the corner next to the bathtub. I get to run naked from my room to the bathroom and sit down by myself. How fun. Please close the door on your way out.