I don't want to Halloween

Sometimes Mama and Papa make me do things I don't like to do. Things like poo-poo in the potty, getting out of the bathtub and stopping the Thomas the tank engine DVD. One other thing that I don't like to do is wear Halloween costumes. They are scary and furry and hot and I don't like them.

This is a practice run from the weekend. I tolerated the first pumpkin costume that I received from Nana Mira, but this second one has got to go. No offense to Uncle Billy and Auntie Carolyn who bought it for me, but right now I am one angry lion. ROAAARR. I may come around by Wednesday when we are going door-to-door for treats, but not today. No way.

No more monkeys jumping on the bed...

I am happy because we got to go on a little vacation to the California central coast. We were celebrating the wedding between Mama's brother (uncle Beeyay) and his now-wife, Carolyn. We stayed in the cute little town of Avila Beach just a few steps away from the Pacific Ocean. The actual ceremony was just a little further South in Arroyo Grande. I got to meet many of Mama's family - most of them hadn't met me before.

Mama found a nice babysitter to watch me during both the rehearsal dinner and the wedding reception. Danielle was good to me, the only slip up was when I launched myself off the bed and got a bump on my lip. She told my parents about it, and they know I was just being my rambunctious self. No more monkeys jumping on the bed.

Papa took lots of pictures of the ceremony and reception. He posted them to his Flickr online photo account. This is a secret link which does not require a login or password to see the photos. Unfortunately you won't see any pictures of me over there.

A kiss goodnight

Papa's brother came down from Oregon for an impromptu visit. That's ok, he needed a break from work and had a few days off. He has visited us several times before but this time I was more accepting of his likeness to Papa. I can even pronounce "Uncle Misha" without much problem. He keeps a blog about his going-ons too (see right-hand sidebar). This picture is of me giving Uncle Misha a kiss before bedtime. It helps him sleep better; I know it.

Not much going on right now but we do have a big weekend planned. Uncle Billy (Mama's brother) is getting married this coming Saturday on the central coast. I expect to see lots of Mama's relatives from around the country. It will be fun to go on a little mini vacation.

Papa got a fish

Sometimes a plan just comes together. I didn't get to see Papa much on Saturday because he left the house before I even woke up. He said he arrived at Pillar Point Harbor before sunrise; it was still dark o'clock when he snapped the first picture of the calm, glassy water. Funny how he can get up so early on the weekend.

There was reason for the morning madness. He was meeting his friend John and some of his buddies for a try at salmon. The salmon are typically pretty far away at this time of year, North of the Golden Gate Bridge near Duxbury reef. It is a good 2-hour boat ride up depending on the ocean conditions.

The plan came together with three fish, two which measured about 39" and 27 lbs each and one other in the high teens. Lucky for the boat, because it seems many other boats had none.

John's fish is longer and heavier than his daughter Skye, which is pretty funny. Papa is happy to have caught one King this year. He likes to eat them, this one should last a while. Someday when I am bigger, I'll get to go with him and catch one too.

Come on, hurry up

I'm at the top of the BIG slide, about to go down all by myself. I can't believe you are standing back there Papa and letting me do this alone. It wasn't so long ago that I took my first trip down. And hopefully (as per last week's post) it will not be my last. What I do know, though, is a long and winding road is laid out before me. This slide affords me a nice perch to see both behind me and ahead to where I am going. I like this. Come on, hurry up, catch me if you can. Slide with me before we have to go home.

Gramma and Pop-pop

I had a good weekend. GrannyM and Pop-pop Bob drove up from Los Angeles to visit me. Actually they were up here for a bridal shower because Mama's brother or "Uncle Beeyay" (Billy) is getting married in a few weeks. Carolyn is going to be my new Auntie-in-law. We are all excited for them. Probably as excited as Pop-pop and I are for the airplanes flying overhead in the picture. We had gone for a walk down at the marshes in the San Francisco bay for some fresh air and to watch the birdies. The airplanes were a bonus.

Of course we went over to the school to enjoy the slides - I get to slide down all by myself now. GrannyM followed me down the big spiral one because she's really just a kid inside like me. I hope we never outgrow slides.

Whenever anyone sees me now, they think I am not a baby anymore. I had my second birthday at the beginning of the month (vitals 30 lbs., 36.5", 50 cm head circumference). My weight hasn't changed since May, but I have become quite a bit taller. Maybe that's why people think I am a big kid now.

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.