Mason's 2 Year Well Baby Visit

This morning mommy took Mason to his 2 year well baby toddler visit. He was in constant motion the entire time. The nurse said she wished she could have some of Mason's energy. So does mommy. Hmmm...maybe that's why mommy drinks so much coffee.

Mommy stripped Mason down to his diaper so he could be weighed and held him so the nurse could take his measurements. When mommy let Mason down from the exam table he tried to escape. He ran straight for the exam room door and tried to open it. Luckily the doctor showed up and he couldn't get away.

Here are his stats:

• Weight: 25 lbs, 13 oz (25th percentile)
• Height: 35.25 inches (75th percentile)

He's continuing his long and lean growth pattern. He's also hitting all of his developmental milestones.

Unlike my 2 year well toddler visit, Mason was in constant motion. (Mommy couldn't take a picture because she was making sure Mason didn't escape.) He ran from the window to the door over and over again. The doctor even commented on how much energy he has. She asked mommy if it was challenging keeping him fueled up and recommended he continue to drink whole milk because he needs all the calories he can get. She also gave mommy a tip to help get him into the car seat more easily: while everyone's getting ready to go let Mason run around on the front lawn, like a dog, to burn off some energy. Apparently she used to do this with one of her kids.

Mason is 2 years old!

Happy Birthday Mason!

Things he likes:

• Mommy: he's no longer attached to daddy like he used to be. Now he prefers mommy and generally wants her to put him to bed. Of course, this means we fight over mommy. She must feel really loved!
• Music: his current favorites are the Small World, Silly Songs (he calls it Bum Bum), and the Wheels on the Race Car CDs. We listen to them a lot.
• Swimming: He can put his face in the water, glide and kick. His favorite swimming activity is splashing.
• Trains: he likes to walk around the house with our toy trains and destroying the train tracks
• Reading: he'll grab mommy or daddy's finger and pull them away from whatever they're doing and say, "Read book. Read book." His favorite books right now include: Wheels on the Race Car (it's the book that goes with the CD), Wheels on the Go! and The Artist Who Painted the Blue Horse.
• Screaming: it's what he does when someone tries to take something from him. 
• Doing things his way: he definitely knows what he wants, when he wants it and how he wants to do something. For example, when he wants to do something by himself, he'll say, "Mason do," "Self," or "No mommy."
• Talking: I don't know why mommy was concerned that he didn't have a lot of words because he's pretty chatty now. People still have a hard time understanding what he says sometimes.
• Helping: his teachers say that he always helps to clean up at school
• Sharing: his teacher told mommy and daddy that Mason is very good at sharing. When one of his friends is crying, he'll bring a toy over to him or her.
• Harassing Tachi: he likes to grab Tachi's tail and lean on him. Tachi's pretty tolerant, but mommy and daddy are working on this one.
• Me: mommy says he's my biggest fan. He likes to do whatever I do, play with whatever I'm playing with and harass me

Things he doesn't like:

• Shoes and socks: he usually pulls his shoes and socks off in the car. At daycare, he takes his socks off every day. Sometimes he likes to hide them around the room.
• Getting into his car seat: he'll squirm or arch his back or stand up and get stiff
• Swings: he's never been a fan of swings and that still hasn't changed. he does like slides though.

To celebrate his birthday, we had dinner with our entire family. I told mommy that I hope Mason gets lots of presents for his birthday. Mommy told me that he probably wouldn't get very many because Christmas was just a few days ago. What?! That doesn't seem very fair. On top of that, he didn't have a birthday party with his friends. I overheard mommy saying that it's too hard to plan a birthday party during the holidays. Someone better tell her that she's dropping the mommy ball.

Holiday train ride

Matthew invited us to go on a holiday train ride at Vasona Park this evening. This is the same park that has the Fantasy of Lights event that Mason and I LOVED. Instead of driving around the park in our car, we got to ride a train to see most of the lights.

Mommy said that the train ride would be a good way to say good-bye to the Christmas lights until next Christmas. The train ride wasn't too long and wasn't too short. It was just right. When mommy asked me if I liked seeing the lights from the car or from the train, I said, "the train!" Duh...train rides are way better than car rides.

Thanks for inviting us out Matthew! We had a great time.

Merry Day After Christmas!

Just when I thought Christmas was over, Mommy said we had a few more presents to open today. How cool is that?!  So after breakfast, we opened our remaining presents - the ones under the tree and the ones in our stockings.

We went to have dinner, visit and play with Kyden, Sienna, Sierra and Sophia at Kyden's house. There were exactly 3 girls and 3 boys! Mommy was saying that it was so nice to have more girls around. Usually, there are tons of boys and only 1 or 2 girls. We spent the evening playing with Kyden and Sienna's toys and eating while the adults sat around talking, drinking wine and eating.

After everyone was done eating, guess what we did? Open more presents! When Auntie Christi asked who wanted to open presents, all of us jumped up from whatever we were playing with and ran toward the Christmas tree shouting, "Presents!"

Thanks for inviting us over Kyden and Sienna. We had a great time! What do you say we make this an annual tradition?

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone!

I love everything about Christmas - the lights, decorations, songs (my favorites are the Chipmunk Song - Christmas Don't be Late and the 12 days of Christmas), visiting family and friends, and especially the presents! Presents are the best part of Christmas.

Like last year, we had another jam-packed and mileage-filled Christmas. We spent Christmas Eve at Ethan's house, auntie Doris's house and auntie Bridget's house. Santa made an appearance at auntie Doris' house and handed out presents. Mason was not into Santa. When it was his turn, he kept saying, "No Santa. No Santa." But not me! I loved it and let him give me a kiss. I loved visiting Santa so much that I helped mommy and grandma get their gift from Santa. By the end of the night, Mason warmed up to Santa and gave him a high five.

As the gifts were being passed out at auntie Bridget's house, I commented, "I got tons of presents!" Then I got busy opening them.

This year Mason managed to stay awake through all the festivities. And he's mastered the present opening skill. He got so good at tearing wrapping paper that he started to randomly open other people's presents. Mommy and daddy could not keep track of who gave us what.

On Christmas Day, we drove all the way back home from Ethan's house because mommy forgot her glasses and contacts. Someone should've given mommy a memory enhancing medicine for  Christmas. After mommy put her eyeballs in, we went to Caylie and Nathan's house for Christmas Day lunch. We made
personal pizzas, played, and opened more presents. Nathan just slept, again. Caylie really liked playing with Tachi, but I'm not sure if Tachi liked playing with her. We finished up Christmas day with dinner and more presents at grandma and grandpa's house.

Thanks to all of our generous family and friends. I hope your Christmas was as bountiful as ours!

Caylie has a new brother

His name is Nathan Percy (yes, like Thomas the Tank Engine's friend or the character from Dawson's Creek). He was born on Dec 19.

We went to meet him today. Mommy asked me if I wanted to hold baby Nathan so she could take a picture. I wasn't interested. Who wants to hold a baby when there are toys to play with?! Apparently Caylie is also not very interested in her new baby brother. But she'll get over it and discover that younger siblings are loads of fun.

Nathan didn't do very much the entire time we were there. When mommy asked me to say good bye to Nathan, I replied, "But mommy, all he did was sleep the whole time." Mommy just chuckled and told me that's what babies do - sleep, eat, pee and poop. How boring. Hopefully, Nathan will be more interesting when he's older.

Partying with Uncle Ritchie and Auntie Margaret

Tonight we went to the annual Cordero holiday party. I love this party because their neighborhood gets all decked out for the holidays. Uncle Ritchie and auntie Margaret are also super great hosts and cooks. They put out a really yummy spread, and everyone also brings something to share. Plus they now have toys at their house.

After making gingerbread people and reindeer at the crafting table, we stuffed our faces with food. While everyone was finishing up their food, I got to play with my friends Kyden, Sienna and Zachary. Finally, all the grown-ups were done eating so we could go walk around the neighborhood and check out all the lights and decorations!

When we got back from our walk, we played the white elephant game. I like opening presents so when it was my turn, I picked a wrapped gift under the tree -- even though there were some very tempting items like sriracha sauce (not), flashlights, a playmobil toy, a nerf football and a frisbee. I got sand that stays together, like playdoh. I also got a mini-ratchet set that I think daddy will get some use out of.

Light and more lights!

Now that the holiday season is upon us, we've seen lots of Christmas lights and decorations around the neigborhood. Mason and I really enjoy the lights. Whenever, we drive past some house with Christmas decorations, Mason says, "Liiights!" Then he says, "More lights. More lights."

Friday evening, daddy said that he had a surprise for us after dinner. Even mommy didn't know what the surprise was. After dinner, we brushed our teeth, got changed into our pajamas and then instead of going to bed, we got in the car. We drove for a while and ended up at the Fantasy of Lights in Vasona Park. We had to wait about 30 minutes to get inside the park, but it was worth the wait! We LOVED looking at all the holiday lights.

This evening we went to Christmas in the Park in downtown San Jose with Grey. It was really crowded. Mommy, auntie Char and uncle Edric don't remember it being that crowded the last time they came. Despite the crowds, it was neat seeing all the decorations and trees. The best part of the evening was drinking the yummy hot chocolate that auntie Char brought! The not so good part of the evening was the ridiculously long line for the women's restroom at the Fairmont Hotel. Next time, daddy's going to take me to potty.

Winter Celebration

We had a winter celebration at my school today. The kids and teachers in my room have been busy preparing for the celebration. We made snowman costumes and learned a snowman song. The day before our celebration, Ms. Diana told daddy that I knew all the words to our song.

Mommy was very excited about my musical debut. She said this would likely be the first of many Christmas performances for me and Mason. When it was time for our performance, all the mommies and daddies whipped out their iPhones to capture the moment. We did a great job reciting the words to the song, but it was kinda hard for the grown-ups to understand the words.

After we were done, Ms. Diana called me to the front of the "stage" and asked me to say all the words so all the grown-ups could hear the words. I didn't know she was going to ask me to perform a solo on the spot. I was a little nervous, but I managed to get through all the words. Mommy and daddy said I did a great job on my solo!

Sorry, I can't post the video of the entire class "singing" the song because of privacy concerns for the other kids in my class. If you want to see the one with my class, email mommy or daddy. They'll hook you up. Here's the video of my solo performance:

It's kinda hard to hear the words because some of my classmates decided to join my performance. So, here they are:

I am a snowman, cold and white
I stand up tall, all through the night

With a carrot nose and a head held high
And a lump of coal to make each eye

I have a muffler made of red
And a tall back hat upon my head

The sun is coming out - oh my!
I think I'm going to cry.

Yesterday I was so big and round
Now I'm a puddle on lying on the ground!

Christmas shopping

Grandma and grandpa took me Christmas shopping today. We bought presents for Mason, mama and dada. While we were shopping, I told grandpa that I needed to buy a present to Logan from Logan. Grandpa started to laugh. I don't get why he thinks that's funny. Doesn't everyone buy presents for themselves?

Sharkie Claus

I've visited Santa every holiday season for all 3 years of my life. Last year Mason got to meet Santa for the first time too. Well, this year instead of visiting Santa Claus, we went to visit Sharkie Claus!

We waited in line for an hour at the Sharks Ice to have our photo taken with Sharkie Claus. I didn't mind waiting though. We got to watch hockey teams practice and do drills. They skated fast! There was also my favorite - a zamboni!

While we were in line, we got a glimpse of Sharkie Claus. Mason seemed curious and kept pointing toward the photo area. So, mommy and daddy thought he would be okay with Sharkie Claus.

Well, they were wrong. He did not like it - at all. As soon as we walked into the room, he started to cry. Anytime Sharkie Claus tried to interact with Mason, he'd freak out even more and bury his face in daddy's shoulder. I don't know why mommy and daddy thought Mason would be okay. He didn't like meeting any of the characters at Disneyland. Why would Sharkie Claus be any different? I hope Mason gets over his fear of characters soon. Otherwise, we're going to continue to have holiday photos like this one.

Happy Holidays! And Go Sharks!

Girls, girls and more girls

We had a very social day hanging out with girls today.

This morning we met up with mommy's high school friends, Auntie Jo and Auntie Christi. It's a rare occasion for all three of them to get together. Auntie Jo lives in So Cal so we usually only see her once or twice a year. We used to see Auntie Christi a lot more before they moved to their new home in San Ramon. PoPo, Sophia and Sierra's gung-gung and Sierra's gung-gung also joined us for brunch. We had a great time running around the planters outside the restaurant with Sierra, Sophia and Sienna. Kyden and Uncle Mike didn't make it. They were having a guys day. After working off some of our brunch, we walked to Starbucks. Is this what girls do when they get together? Have brunch and coffee?

After brunch, we headed back home for naps. We needed to rest up for the evening fun at cousin Caylie's new house. Since we didn't get to see them for Thanksgiving, we decided to have dinner tonight and check out her new home. Her house is really big! She has a dedicated play room right next to her bedroom. And she has lots of room to run around downstairs. We had loads of fun playing at her new home and can't wait to visit again! I hope uncle Eddie doesn't buy any furniture for the living room. It's perfect for us to drive our cars around!

I don't think we've spent this much time with girls ever. They're actually pretty cool and fun to hang out with. I hope we have more opportunities to play hang out ladies!

Being thankful

Mommy says Thanksgiving is a time to remember and celebrate all the things we're thankful for.  All week we've been talking about the things we're thankful for at my preschool/daycare. The majority of the kids in my class are thankful for their mommys. A few are thankful for their mommys and daddys. When it was my turn, I said I was thankful for my baby brother.

Mommy's also been talking to me about how fortunate we are and how we have so much to be thankful for. For example, we have a home and warm clothes. Some kids don't have those things. "And they'll shiver like this," I said as I grit my teeth and shook my arms as if I was shivering. So, this morning, mommy and I had this conversation:

Mommy: Logan, do you know what today is?
Me: Thanksgiving!
Mommy: What's the meaning of Thanksgiving?
Me: No school!

Mommy just laughed at my response. Well, it's true. I don't have school because it's Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving dinner was at grandma and grandpa's house. It was a smaller gathering than usual. Ethan was traveling to Texas for a Disney Caribbean cruise. Kimora and Kyle didn't make it because they were sick. I think they forgot to tell grandma and grandpa because they made enough food to feed an army. I'm not complaining though. More food for me!
 Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Dance party

Mason enjoys listening to music. Whenever he hears music, he starts dancing. Now that he's talking more, he likes to ask us to turn on the radio. I don't usually join him when he busts out his moves, but this evening I decided to get my groove my on. Do you think we'll ever win So You Think You Can Dance?

Bi-annual Tai family Disneyland vacation

A few years ago, we went on a Tai family Disneyland vacation. Well, we got back from a repeat of this same trip. I don't actually know if this well become a bi-annual event, but I really enjoyed vacationing with Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Jeff, Auntie Jeanette and Ethan. Here's a recap:

Sunday (11/10): We all piled into the swagger wagon and started driving. Mama and dada didn't tell Mason or I where we were going. They just said we were going to meet grandma and grandpa somewhere. We drove for a looooong time. I didn't understand why grandma and grandpa would make us drive so far. When we stopped in the middle of nowhere for food, I thought we were going to see them. But they weren't there. Mama said, they left us a clue: drive south. So, we did.

Mason and I did good on the long drive. We read books, played with toys, listened to music and stories, sang songs and even danced along to the music. Eventually Mason and I fell asleep. When we woke up we were stuck in traffic. I had no idea where we were, but mama and dada said we were close. When we got off the freeway, dada started pointing out stores and restaurants. That's when I said, "Dada, look. I think I see the Disneyland entrance and the mono rail!" Dada thought he could pull a fast one on me. I'm too smart for him!

Monday (11/11): We spent the morning at California Adventure. Now that I'm just barely over 40 inches tall, I got to ride some new rides! I rode Radiator Springs Racers with mama and dada. Dada captured it on video. The fast part starts at about 2:40.



If you're wondering, I really liked it. I took grandma and grandpa on the racing ride too. I also got to ride Soaring with grandma, Uncle Jeff and mama. I liked that one too because it was like we were flying. I rode Soaring several more times during the rest of the week.

After our naps, we headed over to Oliver and Justin's house for dinner. We got to meet Justin and Jonah (his cousin) for the first time. Oliver was really cool about sharing all of his toys with us. Since it's such a rare occasion that we're all together, we took lots of pictures. Amazingly no one melted down during the photo shoot, not even the daddies.

Tuesday (11/12): We spent the day at Disneyland with Oliver and Justin. Auntie Kelcy also made an appearance. I rode Star Tours with mama, uncle Jeff and auntie Jeanette. Oliver, Justin and I rode the pirate ride. My favorite part is still the magic waterfall. Another new ride that I rode was Splash Mountain. That's right, Splash Mountain. I rode it with mama and dada. And I LOVED it. As soon as we went down the big drop, I said, "Fun mama! More!"

Mason really enjoyed riding "sma wol," "bear," "buzz," and "mewy roun" Translation: small world, winnie the pooh, buzz lightyear and the merry-go-round. He rode Winnie the Pooh 7 times today; 4 times with daddy and 3 times with grandpa. We finished off the day watching the fireworks. Mason really enjoyed the snow that fell when the fireworks ended. I liked the snow for a while, then I went to hide under the hood of our stroller.

Wednesday (11/13): We started out the day with a character breakfast at the Plaza Inn with Kimora and Kyle. Mason didn't care for the characters. He preferred to watch them from afar vs. getting to know them up close. After breakfast/brunch, we took a big family picture in front of the castle. Dada says we have almost have everyone from grandma's family. We're just missing uncle Mike, auntie Kelcy, uncle Jason, auntie Jessica, Jonah, auntie Kathy and uncle Tom.

We finished the evening with a special Tai family dinner to celebrate grandma and grandpa's 40th wedding anniversary. The restaurant, Carthay Circle, overlooked the Buena Vista Street and the Pixar Play Parade. Mason really enjoyed the parade. He kept asking for more when the parade ended. After dinner we hung out at California Adventure. Mason and mama rode King Triton's carousel 6 times while everyone else rode other rides. He really, really liked the carousel.

Thursday (11/14): We met up with Uncle Tommy and Auntie May for dim sum. I love dim sum. My favorite is cha siu bao. Instead of napping in the hotel, we napped on the way back from dim sum. Of course, we woke up as soon as it was time to get out of the car. Since we were awake and it was really warm, daddy, grandpa, Mason and I went to play at the pool. I rode the water slide and got in trouble a couple times because I was running.

After the pool, we headed back to Disneyland. I took grandpa on Splash Mountain. Do you think he liked it?

We also watched the Christmas parade and had a brief encounter with Sierra and Sophia. Even though we didn't get to spend very much time with them, it was still great to see them. Mama says we might be able to spend some more time with them over Thanksgiving weekend.

Friday (11/15): We spent our last morning California Adventure. Mason rode King Triton's carousel 4 more times! We also rode the ferris wheel with grandma and grandpa. After lunch, we jumped into the car and drove home.

Highlights:

• Seeing almost our entire family at Disneyland
• Hanging out with Oliver, Justin and Jonah
• Dim sum with uncle Tommy and auntie May
• Celebrating grandma and grandpa's 40th anniversary (what's an anniversary?)
• Spending the whole week with grandma, grandpa, uncle Jeff, auntie Jeanette and Ethan
• Riding new rides. Splash Mountain is now my favorite. I also really liked Radiator Springs Racers
• Mason talking more. He got pretty good at saying sma wol. His favorite rides: Small World, Heimlich's Chew Chew Train (he rode it 10 times), King Triton's Carousel (also rode it 10 times), Winnie the Pooh (rode 7 times) and Buzz Lightyear.
• Fireworks, snow and parades
• The awesome suite at the Grand Californian. Thanks uncle Jeff and auntie Jeanette for hooking us up!

Lowlights:

• My two major meltdowns
• Only seeing Sierra and Sophia for a short time
• Leaving Mason's crocs at Baja Fresh in Kettleman City on the way home 

Thanks auntie Jeanette and uncle Jeff for organizing such a great vacation! Mason and I are looking forward to another trip in two years.

Mason's first dentist appointment

Mason and I had a dentist appointment today. It was Mason's first dentist appointment! Mama was pretty sure that Mason wasn't going to like it because he doesn't like having his teeth brushed. She had hoped that he could come in with me to watch me get my teeth counted. But that that plan failed because she had to fill out a bunch of forms since it was Mason's first visit.

I did great! When they cleaned my teeth, I giggled because the brush tickled my mouth. And my teeth looked good! Dr. Amy (she works with auntie Margaret) said that I should keep up the good work. She also said that mama and dada need to keep helping me floss my teeth. Then it was Mason's turn.

I showed him how to sit in the big chair that goes up and down. Mama showed him too, but he wasn't interested. Unlike my first visit, she didn't show him any of the tools like Mr. Thirsty, the tickle brush or the water squirter. Turns out she was new at the office.  After a little reminder from the other dental assistant, she showed Mason the tools. He wasn't very interested in those either. 

Since Mason didn't want to sit in the big chair, they decided to have him lay on the dental assistant's and mama's lap. His head was on the dental assistant's lap while the rest of his body rested on mama's lap. That way mama could hold onto his hands. Mama was right. He did not like having his cleaned or brushed. He cried the entire time. Mama and the dental assistant tried to make him feel better by singing Twinkle, Twinkle and Wheels on the Bus.

Turns out Mason had some plaque build up that he dentist had to remove with the scraper. Dr. Amy recommended some different "techinques" to help mama get a better view of his teeth and prevent him from squirming/shaking his head. Mama says they sound like a wrestling hold.

Mama was so busy holding Mason, that she forgot to take a picture. Oh well, you'll just have to use your imagination. 

After our dentist appointment, we went to Kyden and Sienna's house for lunch and a playdate. Auntie Margaret and Uncle Ritchie joined us too. Turns out uncle Ritchie is a big kid who likes to play with us kids. We had a great time playing with Kyden and Sienna's toys.

Argh! Moo!

What do a pirate and dog cow have in common? Nothing, except those were our Halloween costumes this year.

This year we went trick-or-treating in Grey's neighborhood. Mama thought it would be fun for us to trick-or-treat in his neighborhood because they have more kids. Plus Halloween is Uncle Edric's favorite holiday, and they go all out.

I didn't mind the decorations in the front yard, but I wasn't a fan of the giant furry spider in the bathroom or the scary monsters that would appear on the front window. I made mama stay with me when I had to potty. And I wouldn't go get my shoes near the front door because of the monsters.

After eating dinner and playing a little golf in the backyard, we changed into our costumes and headed out. After walking to a couple of houses, Grey insisted on being pulled around in a wagon. At first it was funny, but then the wagon came in handy when Mason was all done trick-or-treating.

Grey and I took turns ringing the doorbell. One time mama and Auntie Char told us to race to the front door. The first one there would be able to ring the door bell. That was a mistake. I beat Grey to the front door, and he got mad. He stopped his foot on the ground and shouted, "No!" After that, we had to take turns.

We got lots of candy, but we didn't get to eat any of it. Dada said I could trade my candy in for something else, like a puzzle or shooting car. Sounded like a good deal to me so I took it!

Oh and a special shout out to grandpa since today's his birthday. Happy Birthday grandpa!

Sunday at the Children's Discovery Museum

We met up with Caylie and her friend Dexter at the Children's Discovery Museum this morning. It's her first time there, so we thought we'd show her around.

First stop was the Wonder Cabinet, an area specially designed for us little kids. While she, Mason and Dexter were checking everything out, mama and I did an art project. After the art project, we joined story time where we sang songs and listened to a story. Then it was time for lunch.

After lunch, I showed Caylie my favorite exhibit. The water play area! She really liked it. Even Uncle Eddie liked the water play area. Mason, on the other hand, wasn't very interested. Or maybe dada just didn't want him to get wet. Instead of playing with Caylie and me, he hung out in the play kitchen area.

We had a great time showing Caylie the museum. I hope we can visit again soon.

Annual Halloween Potluck

This evening we went to Grey's annual Halloween potluck party. Every year mama wants to do a family costume where we're coordinated. So far, she hasn't been successful. Instead of wearing the costume mama bought for me, I decided to wear the costume from the Imagination parade. Mason used my cow costume from last year. Dada dressed up as Wolverine.

There was tons of yummy food, including Halloween cake pops that Auntie Char made. In addition to Grey, I got hang with Edison, Chloe, Abby, Ehren and Emily. We had a great time playing with Grey's toys, doing art projects with stickers, playing golf in the backyard and sitting by the fire pit.

It's beginning to feel a lot like Halloween

This afternoon we had our annual imagination parade at daycare. For those who aren't familiar with this event, it's my daycare's version of a Halloween parade. Instead of a Halloween parade where we wear our Halloween costumes, each classroom picks a children's book, makes costumes based on the book and we parade around in those costumes

This year I was a snake from Rumble in the Jungle. Sssssss... My friends were tigers, chimpanzees, giraffes, elephants and lions. I loved marching around the play yards. I smiled and waved at mommy and daddy.

Mason's class chose Boom Chicka Boom Boom for their book. Mason was dressed like a tree with letters on them. He wasn't very excited about the parade. In fact, he looked terrified at all the grown-ups standing around, watching him walk and taking pictures. When he saw mama and dada, he ran to them and started to cry. Mama had to walk the rest of the way with him. When they got back to his classroom, he kept saying, "Done. Done." and replying "No. No." when mama would ask if he wanted to keep going.

After the parade, we went to Grey's house so we could carve our pumpkins. I designed my own pumpkin. Mama and dada helped me carve it. It's pretty cool, right? Mama designed Mason's pumpkin, and he helped to empty the guts. We even took them outside, put candles inside and watched them glow. I loved it!

After today, it's definitely beginning to feel a lot like Halloween! 

Lemos Farm

We went to visit Lemos Farm with Caylie and Po-Po today. It's far. We drove up and over a mountain to get there.

I don't know why this place is called a farm because we didn't see anything growing there. They had a pumpkin patch, a "train" ride, pony rides, hay rides, a petting zoo and inflatable jumpy houses.  After taking photos at the pumpkin patch, we went to the petting zoo. There were only goats, which we fed through the fence. These goats seemed more aggressive than the goats at Happy Hollow and the Oakland Zoo. One of them tried to eat Mason's jacket!

After the petting zoo, we decided to ride the train. This train didn't run a track. It was similar to the train that was at Kyden's 2nd Birthday Party. The pony rides weren't the same as at Funderland. This pony ride just went around in a circle, and

parents weren't allowed inside the corral. Caylie and I rode the ponies, but Mason didn't want to. He got scared when a pony tried to eat him in the parking lot. Hopefully that incident doesn't ruin pony rides for Mason.

After the farm, we went to get dim sum on the other side of the big mountain. We had a great time running around the shopping center, chasing each other and squirrels. Thanks for joining us at Lemos Farm, Caylie!

Guys night out

Dada and I had a guys night out at the Shark Tank. When I found out I was going to game, I jumped up and down with excitement. I couldn't wait to wear my Sharks jersey, do the shark chomp and see...wait for it...THE ZAMBONIS! That's right. The zambonis. Not the Sharks. Not hockey.

We left early so we could go grab dinner before the game and enjoy the pre-game activities:  watch the players skate around, the zambonis drive around and the giant shark head descend onto the ice so the Sharks players can skate out its mouth. I even got a new hat, Sharks bowl and a Sharkie (their mascot) poster. I got really good at doing the Shark chomp.



I enjoyed the pre-game festivities so much that when the game started, I was ready to go home as soon as the game started. Every 5 minutes, I'd ask dada, "Is it almost over?" or "Can we go home soon?"

Now you're probably wondering why Mason didn't get to come with us. After all, he is a guy and it was guys night. Mama and dada said he's still too young to go to the game, but when he is older I'm going to have to take turns with him. Or maybe we can leave mama and dada at home and just go to the game by ourselves!

Firefighter pancake breakfast

Greyson invited us to join him and his neighbor Kelcy to a Sunnyvale Firefighter Pancake Breakfast this morning.

When mama told me we were going to a fire station this morning, I became very motivated. While mama and dada were busy getting everything ready, I decided to get myself ready. (unprompted) I got a pair of socks, put them on, got my shoes and put those on - all by myself. I also grabbed my fire chief hat. You gotta bring a fire chief hat to the fire station! When I finished, I announced that I was ready to go.

Dada brought our firefighter rain jackets so we could wear them while we were there. Turns out a lot of other kids also had the same idea.

After we ate pancakes and sausages, we got balloons. Then we stopped by a tent about what to do if you catch on fire. I already learned what to do at school: STOP, DROP and ROLL. They had a mat on the ground so you could practice. Kelcy, Grey and I were not interested in practicing - even though mama, auntie Char and the nice lady working the tent encouraged us to try. The nice lady gave us a STOP, DROP and ROLL sticker anyway. Afterwards, I told mama I'm only going to show her my moves at home.

We found dada and Mason in line for a dress up and water play activity. We could wear kid-sized Sunnyvale fire fighter gear - hat, jacket, pants and boots - and then shoot water from a real firefighter hose at a pretend fire. It's a kid's dream come true! The line for the uniform was long and not really moving. Since I brought my own jacket, the firefighters said I could go shoot water from the fire hose without standing in line for the real gear. Woohoo!

Thanks for inviting us, Grey! We had a great time!

My first movie

Today, grandma and grandpa made a surprise visit with Ethan. Before they arrived, mama asked me if I knew what a movie was.

Me: No, what's a movie.
Mama: It's a big room with a big screen where you watch videos. It's also dark.
Me: Is it loud?
Mama: Yes, it can be.
Me: Is the room called a theater?
Mama: Yes, it is. What do you think? Would you want to see a movie?
Me: Okay.
Mama: That's good. I think grandma and grandpa would really like to take you to see a movie. Would you like to do that?
Me: Okay!

I had no idea that grandma and grandpa were going to be coming over today. But they showed up about 20 minutes after my talk with mama. Grandma told me we (me and Ethan) were going to the movies. Good thing mama explained what a movie was!

When we were getting ready to go, I asked mama if she was coming with us. She said, no, because this was a special grandma and grandpa only event. How come Mason wasn't coming? Mama explained that Mason's not old enough to go to the movies. When he's older, he can go too.

So, what movie did we see? We went to see Planes! Grandma and grandpa snuck in some snacks (apples, cheese and milk) for me and Ethan. We also bought popcorn. I did really good during the movie. I didn't need to potty. And I only asked grandma if the movie was over yet once. There was only about 15 minutes left.

After the movie, grandpa said Ethan and I had to take a nap. So, we closed our eyes. But as soon as grandpa said something about ToysRUs, I opened my eyes. Somehow, we fell asleep after that. Wehn we woke up, we were at ToysRUs. Ethan and I got to pick out toys from the movie. I picked Dusty for myself and El Chupacabra for Mason. No reason why he should be left out just because he couldn't go to the movie.

Thanks for taking me to my first movie, grandma and grandpa! I had a great time!

Fire engine birthday party

Kyden had a fire engine birthday party today. He's turning 4. At first, we thought it was just going to be a fire engine themed party. But a real fire engine showed up outside his house! And it wasn't because there was a fire.

We got to climb into the fire truck and check out all the gear, levers, knobs and of course, the steering wheel. Kyden also got fire hats to all of his guests. It was fun for about 5 minutes and then I was over it.  I went back into Kyden's backyard to play. 

How did Kyden get the firemen to show up at his house? Was this just part of the service they provided in Kyden's new city, San Ramon? I've heard that lots of people move there because it's a good place to raise a family. But having your local fire fighters come to kid birthday parties seemed really amazing. Turns out auntie Christi won a raffle fundraiser for a school. Wow! That's a really cool prize!

After the fire truck left, we ate lunch and played with Kyden's trains, Sienna's jumpy house and played golf on their putting green. When it was time for cake, all us kids flocked to the table and waited eagerly for auntie Christi to finish setting up the mini bundt cakes so we could sing Happy Birthday.

When the cake was done, it was time for the pinata. Unlike Abby's princess castle pinata, Kyden had a fire truck pinata. We used a plastic bat to whack the pinata, and it took a  LONG time to break. Auntie Christi even stabbed a bunch of holes all over the pinata so we'd have a fighting chance with a plastic bat.

This was also the first time we've been to Kyden's new house. It's far! I kept asking mama if we were there yet on the drive to his party. Each time, she patiently replied, "Not yet." After that drive, I understand why Kyden stopped going to gym in Santa Clara.

Even though the drive was long, I'm really glad we got to celebrate Kyden's birthday with him. I hope we get to go play at his house more often. Mommy says it's definitely doable, just needs some planning.

Happy Birthday Kyden! Thanks for inviting us to your party. We had a great time!

Fetish

Mirriam-Webster defines fetish as:
noun \ 'fe-tishˈfē-\
 
1. a strong and unusual need or desire for something
2. what mason has for hats, specifcially dada's Cal baseball hat

No one knows why he has such a strong attachment to dada's Cal baseball hat. He wants the hat pretty much all the time. He likes to wear it, even though it's too big for him.  Mama and dada think his hat fetish is cute. What do you think?

Oakland zoo

Caylie invited us to the Oakland Zoo today. We had a great time checking out all the animals. The highlights included:

• Watching the river otters frolic in their habitat. Mason liked it so much that he didn't want to leave that area.
• Petting the goats at the goat and sheep barn. Mason saw a goat climb up some "stairs" on the wall inside the barn. Caylie and Mason needed some reminders to be gentle.
• Seeing a baby baboon who was only 6 weeks old.
• Observing a giraffe drink water. If you haven't seen it before, it's funny. They do the splits so they can get their head low enough to the water. How many of you would fall into the water if you had to drink that way?
• Riding the train to the Wild Australia exhibit. We got an up-close view of emus and wallaroos as well as a great view of the bay.
• Checking out the sun bears. They were just hangin' out on the sun. One of them had an empty Costco size peanut butter jar. I wonder if he ate all the peanut butter that was in there.

The lowlight of the trip was when I fell and tumbled down the hill because I was running when everyone told me not to run. I was okay though. No broken bones or scraped knees. Just was just shocked and little frightened. 

Thanks for inviting us to the zoo, Caylie. Can't wait to hang out with you again!

Apple pickin' and puddle jumpin'

Edison invited a bunch of us to go apple picking at Gizdich Ranch in Watsonville. He's so lucky! His mom knows all about these fun activities. 

We met up with Edison, Greyson, Abby and Chloe at the orchard. There were four varieties of apples available to pick: red delicious, golden delicious, gala and pippin. We learned to pick the big apples from the branches and not pick up the ones that were on the ground. So, we started hunting for big apples on branches that we could reach.

The girls weren't really into apple picking. Chloe didn't want to get her shoes dirty. Abby's not into manual labor, even though her dad grew up on a farm. Us boys liked it enough, but we got bored quickly. We enjoyed chasing each other through the orchard and watching the tractors drive around a whole lot more.

After paying for the apples we picked, we headed over to the picnic area. In addition to picnic tables, there was an old tractor that we got climb on, a tunnel made out of hay bales and lots of ride on toys.

Thanks for inviting us apple picking Edison! We had a great time!

As we drove home, we encountered rain. Apparently it was raining back home all day. When we got home, mama and dada got our rain boots and rain coats so Mason and I could jump in the puddles. The rain boots and rain coats didn't help keep us very dry. Our pants were soaked and our boots were filled with water. It didn't help that Mason fell down in a puddle either.

A busy saturday

After our usual Saturday routine (mama takes me to the library; dada takes mason swimming), we went to my friend Abby's house. I sometimes get her dad confused with Chloe's dad.

Like last year, Abby's party was in her cool backyard. We played with giant bubbles (Mason and I had more fun splashing the bubble juice), dug in the sandbox, slid on the slides and swung on the swings.

The kids were scattered all over the backyard and inside the house too. But as soon as the cake was brought out, we all came running over. It's like some magical magnet that calls to us.

After the cake, there was a pinata. But instead of whacking it with a stick, we just pulled on the ribbons until all the stuff fell out. I picked out a lot of loot...smarties, chocolate and toys. Mama made me stop picking up more stuff from the ground because I had too much. Duh...the early bird gets the worm, mama. I prefer hitting the pinata with a stick rather than the kinder, gentler approach of pulling the ribbons. But I guess it really doesn't matter as long as we get the loot.

Happy Birthday Abby! Thanks for inviting me to your party.

After Abby's party, we went home to take a nap. I wouldn't go back to sleep when we got home. So mama took me to go meet up with Sierra (Sofia was sleeping in the car) at a nearby park. They were visiting for the weekend. It was so great to be able to meet up with them, even if it's only for a short time.

After the park, we went home to wake dada and Mason up so we could go to auntie Lanny's house. It was supposed to be a pool party for dada's volleyball team, but it was too chilly for the pool. Good thing auntie Lanny has four kids and lots of fun places to play. My favorite was the play structure that had swings, a climbing wall and a slide. I also liked digging in the dirt and rocks with Kyden. When mama asked what we were doing, we told her that we were making fruit salad.

We had such an action-packed day that Mason and I passed out on the way home.

Make your own pizza

I normally go swimming on Tuesday evenings. Today when dada and I got to the pool, we found out the pool was closed because someone had an accident in the water. No class today.

Dada and I decided to go to Pizza My Heart. They have Make-Your-Own-Pizza Tuesdays. So, I got to make my own pizza for dinner! They bring out rolled out pizza dough on a tray. They give you a squeeze bottle of pizza sauce, cheese and any topping you want in a small plastic cup. I made an olive pizza, and it was yummy! I ate 2/3 of my personal pizza. 

Labor Day bust

We had big plans for labor day weekend: 2 birthday parties and the Oakland Zoo with Caylie. Well, our plans were pretty much a bust because Mason got sick. We only managed to make it to one birthday party on Saturday.

Saturday night, Mason was very restless and fussy. When mama went to check on him in the middle of the night, he felt warm So she took his temperature...it was over 103! Mama broke out the infant ibuprofen and rocked Mason.

We decided to bail on Nate's first birthday party on Sunday. After Mason's nap, his fever was even higher - over 104! Since it didn't seem like the ibuprofen was working, she took him to the doctor. He said it was presenting like roseola, which is a sudden high fever for 3-4 days, followed by a rash that covers your entire body. It's pretty common in young kids between the ages of 6 months and 2 years. It's also contagious.

So to make sure that I didn't catch it, mama and dada decided to divide us up on Monday. Mama took me to Happy Hallow Zoo so I could hang out with Caylie and her friends. I rode the roller coaster and the frog hopper with Uncle Eddie, played at the playground and watched a puppet show. At the playground, one of Caylie's friend, Mia (she's 5), kept trying to play with me. But I just wanted to do my own thing.

When we got home, dada said Mason was really fussy all day and didn't eat very much. When he cried, he'd sound like a seal barking. So, mama took him back to the doctor. He ordered an x-ray of his upper respiratory area, basically his neck. Mama said that was really fun - not. Turns out Mason doesn't have roseola. He has croup, which is an inflammation of the upper airways. The doctor prescribed some steroid and warned mama that it was a stimulant. Great...just what Mason needs.

Water park fun!

We went to a Aqua Adventure Waterpark today with Greyson, Ehren and Emily. Mama had heard about this water park in Fremont and was very excited that dada bought tickets as part of a fundraiser at our school.

We loved it! There's a swimming pool, lazy river, toddler water play area, big water slides and a smaller water slide/play area. Even though Mason and I were too little for the big water slide and the pool, the rest of the water park was the perfect size for us. They also provide life jackets for us kids.

My favorite part was the lazy river. I liked floating in the inner tube and swimming around the river. Mason really liked the toddler water play area. He liked it so much that mama had a hard time coaxing him into the lazy river.

We had such a great time that we both passed out on the drive home. I can't wait to go back another time. mama said we'll probably have to wait til next summer. Who wants to come with?

It's so hard to say good-bye

We said good-bye to mama again. She went to someplace called Chicago for work for the entire week! When mama travels, we FaceTime with her in the evening and sometimes in the morning while we have breakfast. Mama's traveled before, and I've been fine. But this time, I had a harder time with the whole thing.

In fact, I broke down on Wed morning. When dada asked me what was wrong, I told him that I missed mama. :( When mama found out I was sad, she and dada made sure we could FaceTime every night she was gone. We'd talk about our day and sing songs. One time, mama even listened to dada read me my bedtime story too.
 
That helped, but FaceTime hugs and kisses just aren't the same as real ones. In case you're wondering, a FaceTime hug is when I wrap my arms around myself and mama wraps her arms around herself.

I was really happy when mama came to pick me up at school today. But then I got sad again. This time I was sad because I had to say goodbye to one of my really good preschool friends, Mitra. She's going to another preschool. We've been together since we were babies. Mitra's not the only one who's moving on either. A couple of my other friends have also left - either for the Pre-K room or to another school. I miss my friends.

Since I had such a tough time with Mitra and my other friends moving on, mama's really worried about how I'll do when the time comes for me and Henry to go to different schools.  It breaks her heart to think about it because we're BFFs.

Happy Hollow the Cisco way

Today was Cisco Appreciation Day at Happy Hollow Zoo and Park. We met up with Henry and Rheanne and their parents.

Rheanne, Henry and I rode the roller coaster first. We wanted to beat the crowds and long lines. Rheanne is really brave. She wanted to ride in the very front the 2nd time, but someone else was got in first. I think she would've ridden the roller coaster again and again, but her dad encouraged her to check out other rides.

We had a great time riding the rides and playing in the playground. Mason even rode on some rides by himself. I got mama to ride on the frog hopper ride with me. Dada thought it was funny that she screamed on the ride. I don't know why she screamed, the ride wasn't scary. It was fun!

After lunch, we checked out the events down in the meadow. There was music, which we danced to, and crafts. We made bear ears. We also got to see a real live black bear. Why bears? Because there was a teddy bear picnic happening today too. We didn't bring Oski, so he missed out. Maybe next time we can bring him.

We also played in the crooked house for a while. Then we went to visit the animals in zoo. Our favorite was the tortoise. We also stopped at the petting zoo. Mason did great with the goats. Rheanne didn't like the petting zoo very much. So, she just watched us feed and brush the goats.

To end the day, we rode the carousel. Mason liked this one!