Quick, make like an otter

On Sunday, we took a trip back down to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Our dear neighbors, the Fujiis, had given us a pack of tickets to see the fishes and sharks and things. It didn't take long for us to find some other friendly sea creatures as well. Including this guy, a toddler-sized otter sculpture. Daddy was intent on taking pictures, so I tried to imitate Mr. Otter in the hopes he wouldn't see me. I guess he caught me goofing off.





If you ever do get to visit this part of Northern California, I'd suggest you go and take a look too. They have an outer bay exhibit with an acrylic window that spans 54'x15' tall and it holds back 1.2 million gallons of sea water. Quite impressive; it is also the occasional home to juvenile great white sharks who eventually get released back to the wild (where they should be). We also ate at a nice restaurant where we were seated in an alcove which jutted out over the water. Ocean views on three sides! Couldn't have asked for anything more appropriate on a perfect day.

Christmas holiday

Hi everyone, I just wanted to drop a line to let you know I had a great Christmas vacation in Southern California. We spent a week with Gramma and Pop-pop in Westlake Village. We also got to visit Mommy's college girlfriend along with her family in Manhattan Beach. And my cousin Jacob three times! He lives with his family up in Ventura, just a short drive away.

Daddy also got to see his friend Joe from Roche days. Daddy was actually in Thousand Oaks for a job interview with Amgen (where Joe currently works) the week prior to Christmas, so it was ironic we were here again on family vacation. Small world for those drug discovery scientists.

As for Christmas, we set out a plate of cookies and a small milk for Santa. We didn't have any carrots so we substituted celery for the reindeer. Both Santa and his team must have been hungry, because it was all gone in the morning. Further evidence of their visit was the mountain of presents under the tree (I must've been a very good boy all year long). [Thank you everyone for the generous gifts.]

Pop-pop also got a surprise 70th birthday party. His daughter even made the trip out from Tennessee for the gathering. Jacob's Mommy and Daddy hosted the party with yummy food and a big cake. I hope we can see them again soon.

We are back in Northern California and Daddy promises to post more pictures of the trip. Happy 2009.

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.