Lucky us

Me again, over at the school on another sunny day. I am trying out my big strides on the grassy area just in case I wipe out. It seems we boys like noise, chaos and wiping out. At least I do.

Grateful is the word that comes to mind when I think about where we live in Mountain View. It is a modest rental house in a beautiful neighborhood, but being so close to the school and Cuesta park makes it so much more comfortable. It is sort of like having a three-acre backyard and playground that someone else maintains. Lucky us.

Waiting for Easter

Papa found some plastic Easter eggs this weekend - I'm holding one in the picture. He thought that mixing the colors up would be more interesting than the monochromatic, matched tops and bottoms. He also thought that putting some uncooked rice inside and taping them shut would keep me entertained. He was right. Shakey, shakey, shake. They can even go in the bathtub with me.

Now I just have to wait for Easter to arrive so that I can find some more eggs. Mama says the Easter bunny comes to visit good little boys and distributes chocolate. What's chocolate? Hey, since when do rabbits lay eggs?

Sunny Saturday

The arrival of Spring heralds new growth; flower blossoms in full glory, small light green buds on the tree limbs, and the return of green grass to Northern California. It seems as if Spring arrived early this year - last weekend's time change has made the mornings darker but extended the evening sunshine. I find it harder to go to bed and now possess a strong desire to sleep well into the morning. You can't really blame me, I'm a small boy afterall. The biggest benefit though is the warmer weather. I enjoy being outside, playing in the grass, and soaking up the sunshine.

Both Uncle Misha (Papa's brother) and Uncle Billy (Mama's brother) celebrated their respective birthdays yesterday. How neat is that? Uncle Misha is going to visit from Oregon next week. Last time he came to visit I was kind of unsure what to think. He looks like Papa but different. I hope everyone is well, gotta go investigate some no-handed sippy cup maneuvers. Take care.

18 months and swinging

Well, it has been 18 months since I entered this World and what a time of change it has been. I went to see my pediatrician last week to, er, celebrate my 1.5 year birthday. She measured my vitals: 33 3/4" long (75-90 percentile), an even 26 lbs (50%) and 48.9 cm head circumference (75-90%). The nurse also gave me two more vaccinations - one last DTaP (diptheria, tetanus, and pertussis) shot and a new one for Hepatitis A. Yowie! I had to let out a wail because I was expecting it this time. As nice as Dr. Ghaffari is, I am not sure I like the doctor's office - bad things happen there.

Good things happen at home, like swinging outside in the eighty degree weather this weekend and getting to wander around the house in just my diaper. We spent lots of time at the elementary school; walking, playing with the wood chips, finding an abandoned matchbox car, and racing it down the ramp. Spring is just around the corner, I hope you already observed the new, improved daylight savings time shift and weren't late for work this morning. I would've liked to sleep longer too.

Book anyone?

Hi everyone. Papa was away this weekend because he had to go to Pennsylvania for some family matters. Thus Mama and I got to spend the whole weekend together. Too bad Papa was gone, the rain finally ended and we got two fantastic days of weather. There was lots of walking around to enjoy the sunshine and seventy+ degree air. It is good for the soul to be outside.

I have incorporated "book" into my vocabulary. Books have become quite a favorite pastime. I can pick my favorite ones off the bookshelf and bring them for someone to read to me. I like to sit between the legs of whoever is reading and have the pages turned for me. I can point at the pictures and say aloud what they represent; cheese, cat, dog, (ba)nana, duck, and of course, ball. Sometimes in the morning, I can even sit by myself and read to keep busy while may parents are getting ready. They seem to like it when I am able to entertain myself. Given a choice, I must say I prefer to have someone read to me. Book anyone?

Can't be left out

Last weekend my parents went ballooning in Napa. I saw the pictures Papa took, but didn't want to be left out. So I thought I would get in my own ballooning "basket" and pretend I went flying too. What do you think? It sort of smells like laundry in here, but I have the imagination of a child so if feels as if I am above the clouds. Maybe I'll get to go with them next time.

Huff elementary

With my new walking skills, the school playground has become more interesting. I can go where I want, when I want. Remember when I realized crawling represented freedom? It's just like that, but turbo-charged. Half the fun of the playground is the journey getting there and the wandering about while we are there. I have found a chain ladder but haven't figured out how to climb it (yet). There is also a wall with paintings of the school mascot. I'm trying to determine if the birds are going to eat me. It is supposed to be rainy today and for the next five days. Stay dry. I'm glad that I got out today before it got wet.

More Napa

The balloons in this photograph are two of the dozen or so in the United States that have an envelope capacity of 315,000 cubic feet. According to the pilot, this is the largest size that is legal to fly in this country. How big is that? Think 315,000 basketballs. Enough to lift at least sixteen passengers and the pilot with two propane tanks and basket off the ground. Impressive.

My parents say the most stunning thing about a hot air balloon is when the burner is off. It is quiet. It is warm. It is not windy. A nice way to spend the morning in wine country.

Papa says there are some additional Napa balloon pictures in the Picasa Web Album, just follow the link in the right hand sidebar. As before, the large-sized photographs from this blog are also located there in a separate album.

Napa ballooning

Mama and Papa were away this weekend. They went to a magical place called Napa; it is one of Northern California's premier attractions and a World famous wine region. GrannyM and Pop-pop Bob were on hand in Mountain View to take care of Zadie and me. [Thank you again!] I'm glad that my parents were able to get away and spend some time together. That said, I am glad that they came back because I missed them. A lot. I wonder if they missed me. I think so because they were home pretty early on Monday.

Of course there was wine tasting and fine dining in Napa, but the highlight of the trip may have been their hot air balloon ride. You can see the joy in their faces just prior to slipping the surly bonds of Earth. Looking down onto the other balloons is a perspective that is not often seen. A classic horizon shot of one of the other baloons in their group, and the underside of all four baskets prior to takeoff in the morning light. It looks like a great trip.

February happenings

Despite our weekends seeming to run together with our usual routines, I know there is change afoot. For one, GrannyM and Pop-pop Bob are coming to visit me next weekend. They have agreed to watch over me while Mama and Papa take a short break over Presidents' Day weekend. They are headed up to wine country for a getaway since they really haven't done much alone since I arrived. Sure they've had a few evenings out, but for the most part they are home taking care of me. Thank you in advance to the grandparents! This will be the longest time I will have spent apart from my parents.

In the pictures, you can tell that I am getting much better at walking about. The big blue ball is still a favorite toy - it's so bouncy and easy to catch. I have been getting better at feeding myself too. I can certainly guide the spoon into my mouth and lick it clean. What you cannot see is the lack of skills in loading the spoon with food in the first place.

Happy Valentine's Day this week. I hope you have someone to share it with. Happy Chinese New Year too. This year it occurs on the 18th and we'll be celebrating the year of the pig. Oink-oink. Lastly I've noticed the cherry tree blossoms (sakura in Japanese) are starting to bloom. Pretty early this year, but beautiful nonetheless. Maybe the blossoms have arrived to celebrate Grandma Mira's birthday.