Maine

Last weekend mommy, daddy, and I went to Maine for a short vacation. It was a really fun time.

We drove up to Freeport on Friday, and by the time we got there, I was hungry! Mommy and I ate on a bench, but this guy was watching over us so I didn't really eat that well.


Leon Leonwood Bean, or "L.L."

Inside the store mommy and daddy got all kinds of stuff, but all I got was this hat. I guess they got it because I'm getting to be very good at taking off my hats. Also, Mommy thinks I look like a cuddly teddy bear in the hat.


Why doesn't this come off?

On Saturday we went to Portland. I woke up at 6 am, so even though we dawdled and went to the beach to eat breakfast, we got to Portland an hour before anything opened.


Here we are at the Eastern Promenade, waiting for some museums to open

First stop was the Children's Museum.


Driving lessons in a fire truck


Daddy, mommy's hogging the 3-D glasses!

Then we went to the Museum of Art, but that was kind of boring. I had some milk in an old fancy parlor and ate my lunch beneath some giant apples, but otherwise, I didn't see anything interesting to me. Oh, there was one statue of a lady feeding a baby. I thought that was kind of interesting.

Later we went to the Portland Head Light, which is where we took this picture.



On Sunday I woke up early again and we went to Kennebunkport. Because nothing was open, we went for a walk on the "beach."


Maine version of "beach"


Where's the sun?

Afterwards we got to go to a museum of old trolley cars. That was really neat. They have a two mile track, and we rode on this old car from Philadelphia out to a pumpkin patch.


Philly streetcar


Pumpkin patch

After that we had a great lunch with one of daddy's co-fellows who lives in Maine and drives to Boston every day to work. She let me play with a fun keychain, but now I can't seem to find it. I think she must have taken it back when I wasn't looking.

We had a great time in Maine, but it was a busy weekend. By the end, I felt like this:

Do we have to call the Fire Dept?

Mommy surprised Daddy by inviting some friends over for dinner. She also made him this birthday cake. He had a very hard time blowing out all the candles, especially since some were trick candles.

Daddy wants to thank everyone for the well wishes and for thinking of him as he starts the prime years of his life.

I wish I could have cake too! Maybe in a few months for my first birthday!

Happy Birthday, Daddy

I love my daddy because he takes such good care of me. He wakes up with me early every morning and reads my favorite books to me. Sometimes, he also takes me on fun rides in the early mornings around the neighborhood. He also sings funny songs about little bunny foo-foo and kookaburra. After he comes back from work, he feed me my dinner, then gives me a nice warm bath (and lets me splash water all over the bathtub). And I can always count on him to read me bedtime stories about a gorilla in the zoo and a great green room. Mommy and I wish you a great big HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

To celebrate Daddy's last days of his 3rd decade, we went up to the Southern Coast of Maine for the weekend. Here's a picture of us by the beach at Fort Williams Park just south of Portland, Maine. I'll have Daddy help me post more pictures of the trip later this week.

Behind the Scenes

Some of you might have been wondering how I write this site even though I cannot talk or hold a pencil yet. For those people, this is a glimpse into how these entries are made.

First I carefully handcraft my writing:

Xdd55555555555y 5ttyt tlooulj43gy5gh jyyh8pppp;00pp0-0+}5ftttttttty7 hbj,j,uu;bhgbhgbhhlgl;
0p

Then I submit it to my editors to make sure the grammar and punctuation are right.

Final product:

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

See? Easy!

p.s. I am surprising daddy for his birthday. We are taking him on a short road trip, so I won't be able to write for a few days. Check back early next week!

Why I got a new seat

Newborn and 8 1/2 months later

My new car couch

The other day we went out for a ride, but I realized that something was different as soon as we got in the car. I was plopped down in a much cushier seat! I like how it's so much bigger. The old one was getting a little small for my long legs. I am so happy now!

Welcome Nihonjin

I appear to have been receiving many visitors from mommy's friend Hiroki who has linked us to his blog (http://blog.livedoor.jp/kuroda_lab/). Too bad I can't read Japanese (or English, for that matter). I hope he did not send you here to get his latest secret Xenopus protocols. If you came for that, I will have to start working. Mommy, can I have some froggies? :)

Weekend of Festivals

Mommy, daddy, and I spent the weekend going to festivals in town. On Saturday went into town for the Children's Book Fest. On the way, we stopped by Macy's where a nice lady gave me a balloon. I couldn't really hold it so good, so mommy and daddy helped me play with it.


This is my balloon


Where are the books?


The puppet show caught my attention for a few moments.


But then I got bored so I fell asleep. I remembered what happened to my carrot the last time, so I kept a good grip on it as I slept.

On Sunday, there was a Greek Fest at the nearby Greek church. There was lots of yummy Greek food. I even had some of mommy's pastitsio even though I had my lunch already.


Moussaka and Pastitsio

It was so nice out so we walked up to the craft festival. It was at the park where daddy brings me running some days and mommy takes me to the stroller exercise class. It was too hot, though and nothing for babies, so we went up to the top of the park and had a late afternoon snack.


Piggy back ride on daddy!

Apple Picking

Kung Kung and Grandma left earlier this week, but before they went, we went apple picking! On Sunday morning we met some friends from my exercise group, and off we went on a little train into the apple orchard.


Apple time! Mommy examine the goods.


Daddy, leave that one alone. We have one of those already.

Later we went to the petting zoo. There were all kinds of animals: emus, reindeer, sheep, piggies (you can't pet the reindeer or the emus). There was a magician too, but it was getting late so we had to go.


Mr. Goat and me at the petting zoo


They even had a big bat flying in the sky


Kung Kung, me, and Daddy under the grapes


Me, Daddy, and Mommy with some Jonagold apples

We stopped for lunch at the end of the train ride. Mommy let me have a carrot while we watched some people flying through the air on a big swing. It looked like a lot of fun!


I don't remember picking this one.


Trapeze school at the apple farm

I'm going to miss Grandma and Kung Kung. I'll see them again when we go to Hawaii in the winter!

Kung Kung and Grandma's Visit

After we came back from Cape Cod on Labor Day, I've been spending lots of time with Kung Kung and Grandma. We went shopping in Coolidge Corner on Tuesday and Grandma got me a new toy and 2 more books.


Playing with my new toy

Afterwards, we went to the library where Grandma read me one of my favorite books, "Ollie the Stomper".


You can see Kung Kung in the background doing his Sudoku.

Later in the week, I took Kung Kung and Grandma to the New England Aquarium so that I can go see my jellies again.


More jellies!

We breaked for lunch at La Famiglia Giorgio in the North End. I was asleep while the adults stuffed their faces with italian food. When I woke up, all I got was some mushed up corn for lunch.


Here's Mommy and me with the giant clam.

On Friday, we went to the Franklin Park Zoo for StrollerFit class. This time, we got to hang out after class to have lunch and see the animals. We saw zebras, giraffes, camels, sheeps, and this handsome creature.


Aren't I cute?

We also went to the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum. Here's me asleep with Mommy and Grandma.


At the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum

Later that day, we met up with Aunty Linda and Uncle Suy - Ah Mah and Ah Gong's neighbors in Orange County. They came to Boston to see their son off to college. They also brought lots of presents for us from Ah Mah.


Meeting Aunty Linda and Uncle Suy for dinner

Cape Cod Part 2

After lunch on Sunday, we went to a museum/zoo. I liked looking at the jellies that they had. They are sooo mesmerizing. I could stare at them for hours!


Mmmmm... Jellies....

Then we went to look at an osprey that had made its nest outside the back window of the museum.


Is it my turn to look yet?

The rain stopped so we went for a walk outside.


Kung Kung, Grandma, me and mama


While we were in the gift shop, grandma bought me a new toy. I love grandma and Kung Kung.


Everything was so green


Since it was nice, we hiked all the way to the beach


Here's Kung Kung touching the Atlantic

That was all I could take for one day so we went back to the hotel and I passed out.

The next day we got to see more neat things. One was this place where they make little fish into big fish. It's called a Hatchery, and they had long pools of water with all kinds of trout in them. There was an osprey watching the trout too, but the nets over the water kept her out.


Sandwich Fish Hatchery

After the Hatchery, we went to this old house. Mommy and daddy told me that the tour guide gave them some tips on how to raise me 17th century-style. First, they said they have to save all of their leftovers and add them every day to a pot over a fire. That's my food. I eat it out of a wooden trough that never gets cleaned. Yuck. Then they said that when I'm not eating, I have to be tied down to a crib so I don't crawl into the fire. That lasts for three years. When I'm three, then they can let me out, but they just tie me to a chair instead. Oh, and I get bathed once a year. I go last, after mommy, daddy, and everyone else in the house. I'm not so sure I like the 17th century.


Hoxie House of childhood horrors!

I liked the Grist Mill much better. It's a water-wheel powered corn-grinding place where they make a nice coarse looking corn meal. The tour guide there didn't give me any problems. Then again, I was pretending I was asleep.


The insides of the grist mill. The big metal rod spins the wheels that grind the corn.


The water supply for the mill.


Mommy, make me some mush! Or some cornbread!

I liked Cape Cod a lot. Hopefully I'll get to go back when I'm bigger.