Watermelon Festival

There apparently isn't going to be a Tofu Festival we can go to this year, so on Saturday we went to the Watermelon Festival at a big park called the Boston Common.

We took the subway into town, and walked through the park. By the time we got there, I was very tired and after lunch, I went to sleep.

I missed most of the action, but there was a Backyard Athlete competition, a band, and lots of free stuff. Mommy and daddy were excited about the food, including the best watermelon ever and some yummy gelato (not as good as Il Cono, but pretty good anyway). I don't understand why they ate again when we had just eaten. Grown-ups...

Afterwards we walked around the public garden, and I woke up to look at the ducks and the boats. It was so peaceful!

Overall, it was a really nice day, and I think I'm starting to like this new place. There's going to be a Pumpkin Festival this fall too, so maybe I'll have pictures from that one later. Bye for now!


Mommy and me unpacking our lunch from my new ride


Watermelon Festival Band


I don't know what these are, but they smelled good!


Whoa, that's a big horse!


Duckies!

I've got a new ride!

It was such a beautiful day today so I decided to take mommy out for a walk to the neighborhood library. She thought we should try out our "new" jogging stroller. Here I am checking out my new ride.


Mommy and daddy also got this from the consignment sale months ago, but I wasn't old enough to use it until now.

We miss everyone back in LA/OC. Have a great weekend! I'm going to take mommy and daddy to something called the Watermelon Festival tomorrow. Hope it'll be fun!

Happy Birthday, Ah Gong!

Today is Ah Gong's birthday, and it's also my 6 month birthday. Too bad we're not in Orange County to celebrate together. We miss you, Ah Gong.


Ah Gong and me when I was 6 weeks old


Us when I was 3 months old


Me and Ah Gong at Wat Thai last month


Most recent picture of me hanging out at Plymouth over the weekend.

Suk-san-wan-gird, Ah Gong!

Plymouth and the Fourth

On Sunday, I took mommy, daddy, and Uncle Nicky to the city of Plymouth. The weather was hot and muggy, but it was nice and cool when we got to the ocean.

First stop was the Plimoth Plantation. It's a place where people dress up like Pilgrims from the 17th century. There are natives too who are actually descendants of the original tribe.


We were confused whether these ladies were actors arriving late for work, but they actually appeared to be Mennonites. Some were even carrying cameras.


Me asking for my ticket. Or am I showing mommy the way to go?


Wampanoag village site. Somewhere under the pile of furs was a one year old baby. He is the son of the lady sitting next to him. I was jealous of his comfy looking bed because I wanted to take a nap too.


My friend the rooster. This chicken came all the way across the farmyard to my stroller to check me out. I was born in the year of the Rooster, so maybe he felt something in me.

After the Plantation, daddy wanted to go somewhere called Cranberry World. He remembered it from when his mommy and daddy took him to Plymouth when he was younger. It was the Ocean Spray cranberry juice factory/store. But when we got there, it was gone! He was very disappointed. So instead we went on to the Mayflower II and Plymouth Rock.


The Mayflower II, a recently built version of the original.


Aboard the Mayflower II. It was very small. This is almost half of the width of the ship.

The next day was the Fourth of July. We forgot the camera, but it was just as well. We started off our national holiday celebration with dim sum in Chinatown. It was surprisingly good, according to mommy and daddy.

Then we walked around Boston trying to find things to do. We first tried to go to the Tea Party museum, but it had disappeared just like Cranberry World!

So we walked around the wharf to Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market. There was nothing much going on there, but we did find a Beard Papa there. Mommy was very excited to see the Beard Papa. But we were so full from dim sum, so we didn't have any. We'll have to go back another time.

We were going to keep on walking, but I got tired. We headed home for a nap, but no sooner than we had arrived, it started pouring rain. I also went to sleep early so I missed the fireworks at the Charles River. Mommy stayed home to keep me company. Daddy and Uncle Nicky went. Daddy said they were the best fireworks ever! Maybe next year...

As requested...

This one is for you, Uncle JT!

History Time

Now that mommy and daddy have unpacked a little, they decided to take a day off and take Uncle Nicky and me to see some sights. It being July 4th weekend, we went to do our patriotic duty at Minuteman National Historic Park today. I wish I could say that I learned a lot, but it was hot and humid, and there were just so many old buildings and people talking about how short children lived back then so I went to sleep. Mommy and daddy were excited about what they saw, but maybe not as excited as some.


The Minuteman statue at Lexington Common, also known as "Battle Green" where the first shots of the Revolution were fired


What I thought of the sights


Me and Daddy at Walden Pond. We walked around in the woods for an hour looking for this replica of some guy named Thoreau's house, and then we found the house right next to the ice cream truck in the parking lot!

A Mountain of Boxes

On Friday some men came into our apartment and filled it up with boxes. The boxes went all over the place and reached almost to the roof! They blocked the light and the wind from the windows. I was puzzled and a little dismayed when I came downstairs from my nap because the apartment had been so airy and beautiful before.

There were a lot of positives though.

• I got my swing. Now I don't have to sit on the floor anymore.
  
• I got my papasan. Now I can relax while I eat instead of worrying that mommy or daddy is going to drop me.
  
• I got my changing table/dresser. Now I can get my diaper changed up high again.
  

Plus I hadn't played with the toys on those things for so long that I was very excited to see them all again. It's like having brand new toys! And to think that mommy and daddy were feeling guilty for not buying me toys.

I also got a new toy. Mommy put me in my Exer-saucer. It's like a chair with toys all around it! It was like sensory overload the first time I went in it. I was smiling all day long and then I slept almost all night!


Apparently my parents bought this for cheap at the consignment sale months ago, and only now they're giving it to me?

Oh yeah, Uncle Nicky is visiting from Buffalo this weekend. He's Aunty May's sister and he takes really nice pictures and plays with me too!

We're Here!

We arrived in Boston on a rainy Sunday morning. I wasn't so sure I would like this place, but then the sun came out yesterday and it was gorgeous!

We've already been to Target, Costco, and IKEA. Our place is still so empty! And there's no Internet yet, so we've been going through withdrawal. Mommy says our stuff is supposed to arrive on Friday, so until then, we have a bare house and I won't be in touch quite as much.

See you again soon!

So Long, So Cal!

Okay, so this is it. Mommy and daddy say that we're leaving Southern California tonight for somewhere called "Back East." By the time you read this, we may already have touched down in the "Hub of the Universe." (How cool is that!? It's like Star Wars or something.)

I will miss everyone here, especially Ah Mah and Ah Gong, who have been taking care of mommy, daddy, and me for the last week. Please keep clicking on my website and we will keep in touch like that, ok?


This is how I'm going to Boston. Daddy's going to carry me on his shoulders! Bye bye!

Tripod?

Before we leave for Boston, Daddy wanted me to try one more milestone. So here I am tripoding. Or am I lying on my legs? I'm not so sure. Daddy is demonstrating behind me.

Moving down to the OC

Last Friday some men came and took all of our things away. We sat outside and watched all of our stuff get loaded onto a big truck. When I went inside again, everything was gone! I was very concerned, but then I saw that they had left my pack-and-play where I sleep and all of my toys. So it wasn't all bad.

That night we drove down to Orange County to Ah Mah and Ah Gong's house, where we've been staying ever since. I like it there. It's quiet and cool, and Ah Mah and Ah Gong are there to play with me.

On Saturday I tried something new:


Mommy and Ah Mah decided it was time to have some rice cereal.


At first, I wasn't sure if I would like it.


But I decided that it was okay and I wanted to drink the whole dish.

Later that day, we went to celebrate my Aunty May's graduation from UC Irvine.


Wait a minute, I know what this is for now!


But where's the food?


Uncle Chao makes a nice chair. He is soft.


Uncle Ryan, Aunty Ying, Aunty May and us. I am still ready for my food...

That night we went to a birthday party at the family's restaurant. There, I met my cousin Miles. He is only 5 weeks old or something like that, but he is a big boy. He also has a lot of hair.


Me and Miles

It's so hard to say goodbye...

As many of you may know, I'm taking Mommy and Daddy across country next week for a new adventure in Boston. Actually, Daddy got a new "job", so all of us have to pack up and move. It might take us awhile to get settled in, so I might not be able to update the blog quite as often.

Anyway, Mommy, Daddy, and I have been busy making our rounds to see people one last time before we go.

On Sunday, Uncle Jimmy and Aunty Irene invited us over to their new house for a BBQ... but there was nothing on the grill. In fact, they don't even have a grill. It turns out that someone had started a rumor about a BBQ when we were supposed to order take-out. I don't know what the fuss was all about. While the adults chowed down on Baja Fresh, I had my classic breastmilk dinner.


Hanging out with the Thai gang. Did you notice that Aunty Leng and I matched?

Gizmo wanted to play with me again, but I was too tired and made Mommy and Daddy take me home early. So Gizmo made the aunties play with him. He really likes Aunty Kathy's pants for some reason.


Aunties Kathy and Leng being mean to Gizmo.

Yesterday, Mommy and I went over to Aunty Shelley and Baby Yasmin's place to hang out and say goodbye to them. Yasmin is my first friend, she is only one day older than me. We were neighbors in the hospital during our first days of life.


Here we are hanging out on Yasmin's cool alphabet quilt enjoying tummy time.

We hope to see everyone else in the LA/OC area next week before we go!

Foot in my mouf

Lately I have discovered a new toy... my feet! As with all new toys, these ones spend a lot of time in my mouth. I can only do this when my pants are off, so diaper changing has been harder for mommy and daddy. Every time I have diaper change, I get to eat my foot!

Disneyland hat

This week, Uncle Jeff and his family went to Disneyland. They invited me but I couldn't go. My parents thought I would still be too young. Anyway, instead of taking me, Uncle Jeff and his folks bought me a hat from there. It even has my name sewn into it.


My hat traveled all around the park. You can see how tall I'm not, Aladdin's lamp, Dumbo, Pirates, and Small World, and Mulan, who refused to wear my hat...


Later that night, they came by and dropped off my hat for me. It's a little big right now. I can't wait to be big enough to fit into it and go to Disneyland!

Five Months Old

I turned 5 months old today. Mommy compiled some of her favorite pictures to show how I have been growing. (You need to have Flash installed in your web browser to see it.)



Here are some of the things I can do:
- I can roll from my back to my tummy if I feel like it. I still haven't really figured out how to get from tummy to back though.
- I can "walk" when Gong Gong supports my weight.
- I take long afternoon naps.
- I can hold my foot up with my hands.
- I can reach for things to put into my mouth - including my left foot.
- Sometimes I can pass one object from one hand to the other.

Just one more month before I will be able to start on solid foods!

Graduation and more Thai food!

On Saturday, Daddy was honored at his "graduation" banquet. He's finally finishing his pediatrics training. Gong Gong and Grandma came all the way from Hawaii to celebrate. We are so proud of him.

Even though he has his "diploma," Daddy's still not at home tonight. Mommy said he still has to work two more weeks. I don't see why, when he has his certificate of completion. Come home, daddy!


Gong Gong, Grandma, and me hanging out on the terrace before dinner.


Uncle Jeff, Uncle Dan, Aunty Linda, and our family at the banquet

Today, we all went to the Thai Temple in North Hollywood for some yummy Thai food. Ah Mah and Ah Gong also met us there. Too bad daddy was still at work - he missed out again on yummy food. I know what that feels like daddy. I miss out every time.


Since it was so hot today, my two grandmas tried to cool me down with a cold bottle of water. It made me laugh. Ah Mah laughed too.

Trip to the Sunshine State

Mommy, Ah Gong, Ah Mah, Uncle Nick, and I got to Florida on Saturday morning. Daddy had to stay in LA to "work" again. Too bad, because he missed out on a great trip and lots of yummy food.

I was asleep for most of the flight to Atlanta and the connecting flight to Fort Lauderdale. When I woke up again, I was surrounded by luggage!


Whoa, you expect me to carry all of these bags?!!

I found out later that Mommy just wanted me to keep an eye on them while she, Ah Gong, and Uncle Nick went to get the rental car. Where was Ah Mah during all of this? She was busy calling Great-uncle Willy to let him know that we were on our way.


Great-Uncle Willy and Great-Aunt Ann

After meeting up with Great-uncle Willy and Great-aunty Ann at their restaurant in Sunny Isles Beach, we went to the hotel to rest and clean up.


Mommy blowing up my hot tub.


I had my own crib. Here I am eyeing the metal bars of my cage.

After I got all cleaned up, we went to meet Laow Mah (Great-grandma in Chinese) for dinner. She came all the way from Thailand for Aunty Lana's wedding and to meet me!


Laow Mah giving me a kiss

Something strange happened that night after dinner. There were lots of loud cracking noises coming from the sky that were followed by flashes of light. Mommy said it was a thunderstorm. It sounded pretty scary to me. Luckily we didn't get caught in the heavy rain for too long.

The next morning, we went back to Great-uncle Willy and Great-Aunty Ann's restaurant, which got transformed for the wedding. While Ah Mah helped to get traditional food ready for the couple, I hung out with Mommy, Uncle Nick, and Ah Gong. I was in a better mood that morning since I slept really well at the hotel thanks to Mommy snuggling me all night (I got scared in the big boy crib, and I didn't want to sleep in it so Mommy let me sleep in the big bed with her.)


Uncle Nick thinks I look like the "Thinker" in this picture. Thinking about eating, that is.


Mommy and me on the veranda. Thanks, Uncle Namphol and Aunty Vivian for the cool BabyGap outfit. Too bad I soiled it right after the picture was taken. Luckily, Mommy brought another outfit for me to change into.


Aunty Lana's friends made the ice sculpture and the cake. Uncle Nick was so impressed with the ice sculpture that he wants one when he gets married.

Aunty Lana, the bride, is Great-uncle Willy's oldest daughter. Uncle Tony is also Thai, so they had a Thai wedding followed by a Chinese tea ceremony.


Here is Ah Mah blessing the happy couple by pouring water over their hands. Mommy and I didn't get to do this since I got hungry and mommy had to feed me.


Here's a family picture after the Thai ceremony. Behind Laow Mah and Aunty Lana is Uncle Yong, Aunty Lana's brother. The groom's father and older brother made the letters in the background - pretty cool, huh?


I know how to "wai" - putting my hands together to greet or pray. Great-aunty Yi holding me while listening to the monk's blessings for the happy couple.


Aunty Lana and Uncle Tony presenting tea to the bride's parents


The ceremony and reception was so long, I got bored and fell asleep on Ah Gong


Aren't they cute?

After the wedding, we all went over to Aunty Lana and Uncle Tony's new house. Apparently, the elders needed me to "play" on the wedding bed to ensure that Aunty Lana and Uncle Tony's first born will be a boy.


Uncle Tony promised me a handsome reward if he does get a son. I'll be paid double for twins!

The next morning, we went to see Great-uncle Chai, Great-aunty Yi, and their daughter for breakfast before our flight back home. I got to play with Aunty Muntoa's toys.


Pikachu is so cool - it talks, moves, and lights up. Mommy, can you get me one?

I was on my best behavior during the flights back to LA. Mommy thinks I'm getting the hang of flying on the plane.


Playing with Ah Gong on the plane back to LA.

Overall, I had a great weekend. Ah Mah, Ah Gong, and Uncle Nick all entertained me when I got bored. Ah Gong even sang some Thai songs to me and I laughed so much! I'm going to miss them when Daddy, Mommy, and I move to Boston in a few weeks.