Row row row your boat

On Sunday, Mommy, Daddy and I went to this big park in San Francisco. It was so neat! There are many things to do there, like chase squirrels, walk on logs, race Mommy on the grass, see all the pretty flowers and tall trees. There was a big lake and we got a boat. A boat is sort of like a car, but for water. There are no tires though. And there is no steering wheel on this boat. It has these long sticks that you move back and forth in the water and that somehow makes the boat move. But you can't see where you're going, only where you have been. Mommy almost crashed into a tree at the edge of the water. We went in two tunnels and had a family smooches. This is a picture of Daddy and me that Mommy took with her camera phone.

Blog buddy

My friend Chloe from Portland has her own blog. I like her color scheme.

Bath time

Last night I took a bath. Mommy says I should bathe more often than once a week. She's right. Sometimes I bathe twice a week. For some reason, it's a struggle for me to want to get in the bath, but once I'm in, it's a struggle for me to get out. Weird.

I washed myself in the bath tub. I sing a little song when washing my face. First I wash my "Chinny chin chin." Then my "Nosey nose nose." Then my "Cheeky cheek cheek." Then my "Other cheeky cheek cheek." Then my "Eary ear ear." Don't forget about the other "Eary ear ear." Good times in the tub!

Finley's Birthday Party

This past weekend I went to two birthday parties. On Saturday morning I went to a nice park near my school. I didn't go to school though because it was "Saturday," whatever that means. I saw some of my school friends at the park. The party was for Finley's 2nd birthday. I also saw Ella and Abe. There was this neat house at the park, but it wasn't hard like most houses. It was soft and squishy, sort of like a bed made out of a big balloon. I was nervous about this shakey house. The ground moved underneath my feet! Mommy came in the house with me and I felt better. We jumped in the bouncy house. It was a lot of fun. This is a picture of Abe, Mommy, and me having lots of fun.



The next day was Sunday. There was no school on Sunday either. I can't keep all these days straight. When do I go to school, and when do I stay home? Maybe by my next birthday I'll have this figured out. Anyway, Sunday afternoon we went to another park. This time there was a party for Simone. She also turned 2. We had apple pie. We blew bubbles. I went down the slide. I played on the swings. I saw one of my teachers, Paula, there. Good times!

Birthday Halloween Parade

Today is my birthday. I'm two! Yesterday, I was one. Funny, I don't feel much different today than yesterday, although I do feel different from how I felt at my last birthday. I was one then, and I was one yesterday. Weird.

At school there was a party for Halloween, though I'm told that Halloween isn't until next week. Why are parties never on the actual holiday? My birthday party was not on my birthday. This Halloween party was not on Halloween. I guess it's because these things are planned by grown-ups. Grown-ups don't make sense sometimes. Anyway, at this party, we all dressed up in our costumes and had a parade on the playground. I held Mommy's hand because she was a little uncomfortable with all those people around. Then I held Ella's hand. She dressed up as a green frog and said, "Ribbit! Ribbit!" I dressed up as Snoopy. I carried Woodstock around. A lot of people didn't know who I was. "Are you a mouse?" or "Oh, what a cute bunny!" Clearly, these people need to read more Snoopy comics and watch more Snoopy videos.

One of the activities at the party was this thing called "face painting." It's where you get your face painted. Mommy painted on some faces. She painted rainbows on some of the girls. She painted a cupcake with a candle on it on my cheek since I'm the birthday girl. Here is a picture of my cupcake cheek.

My 2nd Birthday Party

Yesterday I celebrated my 2nd birthday at a park. Many friends and family came. My classmate Abe came too! I am a bit confused at the fact that I am still not 2. My birthday is on Wednesday, but for some reason, we made a big deal out of it yesterday. I won't complain though because I ate a lot of cupcakes and got a lot of presents!

Speaking of cupcakes, here is a picture of the cupcakes Mommy made. They are in ice cream cones. Weird, but yummy.



One of my favorite gifts is a tiny stroller like the ones I play with at school. Bachan's good friend Sharon gave me the stroller. She also gave me this great baby doll. I love my new Baby. I took her to bed with me last night. Daddy says I still have presents to open. Whew, I may need to hire an assistant to help me with all my gifts. Maybe Elmo can help.

Tada!

Last night, I did a little physics. I stacked my cups up in a great tower. Here's me stacking:







Steady now....





Tada!!!!

Report Card

This week is Parent-Teacher Conference Week. Today Mommy and Daddy took me to school and hung around the classroom for a while. Then my teacher Marie, Daddy, and Mommy left the room to go and talk about me. I don't know why they just didn't ask me what they wanted to know.

Marie said a lot of nice things about me. She said, "Pound for pound, Yoshi's the strongest one here. She's the only one who can do a chin-up by herself." It must be all that broccoli I eat. I impress her with my physical feats (she likes my physical hands too), like when I put my socks and jacket on all by myself. She also says that I understand everything I'm told. That's not entirely true though, because Mommy tells me that Daddy is stinky, but Daddy tells me he is NOT stinky. I don't understand this. Who do I believe?

Marie says I have an excellent memory, remembering things that I only experience once. Daddy says he wishes his memory was as good as mine. I told him my secret to remembering, but he already forgot it.

Marie also told Mommy and Daddy that I have the social skills of an older 2-year-old. I interact with others very well. I guess I'm very mature for my age. Maybe that's why I never get carded when I buy my juice at the store.

All in all, sounds like a good meeting!

Duckie Walks Doggie

Here I am setting up my Duck and Dog for a little photo shoot. Do you like how it turned out?

Quack-A-Doodle-Bokk!

Question: What kind of bird says "quack-a-doodle-bokk?"

Answer: The kind of bird that exists in my head. I call it duckeroosten.

I was pretending to be a duckeroostsen the other day and Daddy laughed. I told him he wouldn't want to run into that kind of bird in a dark alley. Daddy said, "I wouldn't want to run in a dark alley anyway because there usually is a dead end and I like running for a long time and I'd just have to run in circles and that would get kind of boring, plus it'd be dark so I'd run into the walls, and you know those walls aren't very clean so then I'd be really yucky, even grosser than I usually am after my runs, and that's pretty bad."

Okay, Daddy, that's more than I needed to know.

What? Me, Goofy?!

Before I started school, my teacher wanted to know a little bit about me. She asked Mommy to describe me in one word. Mommy said, "Goofy." I have no idea where she got that from. It's been a long time since I blogged. My life is very busy. I think I will ask for a PDA and cell phone for my birthday so I can keep track of all my appointments. It's very difficult to write my schedule down with crayons and for some reason all the phones I already have don't make outside calls.

Life is fast paced here in California. Daddy and I are out the door by 8:20 to catch the bus and go to the train station for school. Sometimes though, we run late so Mommy drives us to school in our car. I have lots of fun playing with my new friends. I love my teachers too. Marie, one of my teachers, was out last week and I really missed her. There was another not-Marie teacher that took her place in the meantime, but I wasn't used to her being in the classroom so I would go to the opposite side of the room to avoid her. I am happy Marie is back this week.

First day of school

Monday was my very first day of school. Monday was also Daddy's first day of school. We both go to the same school, at UC Berkeley, but for some reason, we are not in the same classroom. Here is a picture of Daddy and me getting ready. I put my shoes on before him. We take the bus and BART (a train). It's fun. I see all sorts of people before I even get in the classroom.

I have two teachers--Marie and Fong. I can't say Marie very well so I say "Ree." I can't say Fong at all. My teachers greet me when I come in the door. I get settled and then go to the table for breakfast. On Monday I ate cornflakes and orange juice. Then we play play play. Lunch is served around 11:30. My teachers read stories while we eat. It's fun. Then it's nap time. I have my very own cot to sleep on. I brought my blankie and Knitty Bear from home to cuddle with.

I wake up, have a snack like crackers and fruit, then play some more! So much playing!

I like my school, my new friends, and my teachers. I think I'll go to school for a while, at least until next week.

Old home, New home

Hi! It has been a while since I last blogged. Being a toddler sure is a lot of work. I've been so busy exploring, playing, and learning new things that I haven't found the time to write. But Daddy has been telling our friends to check out the blog to see what I've been doing, so the pressure is on!

We moved this past week. And not the kind of move like when I push Mommy off the sofa and say "Move!" No, this is where everything in the house gets packed up in boxes and then strangers come into the house and put the boxes and all the furniture in a really big truck. They drive away. We drive away. We drive for a long time. Way long.

Finally, after what seems like the time it takes to sleep 100 naps, we arrive in a place called Emeryville. This looks nothing like Portland. It's cold here. There are lots of big, brick buildings. We live in a place called the Emeryville Warehouse, but our stuff isn't in the entire building. There are other people who share this place. We each have our own large room, called a "loft."

There is this super fun place down the street called Ikea. We've been there three times already. It's a good thing we haven't been there more times because I can only count to three. There is so much to do at this place. There are more drawers and beds to play with than I know what to do with. I like all the bright colors. Ikea must be a really big family to need all those kitchens, dining rooms, bedrooms, living rooms, and playrooms. But Ikea must be generous because people are always leaving with their stuff, and we are no exception.

Anyway, I must get started on my day. I just wanted to write a little something to let you all know that I'm now a California girl. I'll post pictures of my new home once Mommy and Daddy get this place cleaned up. It's a mess!

Land of the Midnight Sun

I spent this last week in Alaska. When we left Portland, it was dark, but when we landed in Anchorage, the sun was already coming up even though it was still night time. Mommy, Daddy and I only got a couple hours of sleep once we got to the hotel. The next day we explored downtown Anchorage. There are a lot of buses where we were. We went to the Farmer's Market. Later that night, Mommy went out with some friends to something called a Bachelorette party while Daddy and I hung out together. We had sandwiches for dinner. Mommy came home really late that night, and I wanted to cuddle with her a lot before she went to sleep. By the time we fell back asleep, the sun was already rising.

The sun is a funny thing in Alaska. It is out almost all the time. It's in the sky when I go to sleep. It's still in the sky when I wake up in the middle of the night, and it's still up when I get up in the morning. Doesn't the sun get tired? Maybe it should let the moon out to play every once in a while.

Mommy's good friend Kari took us to a place called Big Game Alaska so we could see wild animals up close. I saw deer, moose, reindeer, musk ox, bears, owls, a fox, a porcupine, and an eagle. We also saw some eagles flying around in the sky while we drove around Alaska.

I took my very first bicycle ride on Monday. Daddy and Mommy rode a funny looking bicycle. It was longer than a regular bike and they both fit on it. I rode in a trailer on the back of the bike. It was much faster than the jogging stroller Daddy pushes me in when we run. We rode down the coast. Daddy says we went about 20 miles. He and Mommy were all sweaty after the ride, but it was so easy for me, I fell asleep.

We took a long drive to a huge mountain called Mt. McKinley, though the locals call it Denali, which means the Great One. It's really big. There were lots of other mountains around too. We hiked up one called Mt. Healy. We almost made it to the top but then a lightning and thunder storm started on the mountain top and Mommy decided it wouldn't be a good idea to go where the lightning is.

Another long drive led us down to Seward on the Kenai Penninsula. We hiked out to Exit Glacier, which was no small feat, even for Daddy's big feet. We had to cross a lot of melted glacial waters. It was very cold. Mommy thought her feet were going to freeze off. She said she couldn't feel her toes, but I don't know what she meant by that because I saw her hands touch them. The final pass through one of the streams had a strong current that almost knocked Mommy over. It's a good thing Daddy held me. He's much more stable. We touched the glacier. It was cold, like an ice cube.

Mommy's friend Kari got married to a nice boy named Eric. Their wedding was in Moose Pass. They got married at the edge of a lake and Eric's plane was floating in the water next to them. I have no idea how a plane stands on water. I can't even figure out how a plane gets in the air. Every time I get in water I sink, and every time I try to jump in the air I fall down. There are so many mysteries in this world.

Kari and Eric had a nice wedding. Kari looked like a princess. Eric looked very handsome. The ring bearer ran into the lake during the ceremony. It looked like fun. I wanted to join him, but Daddy wouldn't let me. I really liked the watermelon and the sparkling cider at the reception.

On our last day in Alaska we take another hike to another glacier. We didn't venture far enough to touch this one, but we played a little on the run-off stream nearby. The water was very cold. We also drove through the longest tunnel in North America on our way to a little town called Wittier. It was dark in the tunnel.

We also drove up to Flattop Mountain. There was a great view of Anchorage and some mountains and lots of water. The wind was strong so we didn't stay out long.

Then we went bowling. Bowling is a funny game. First you take your shoes off and put on a special pair of shoes that is only for bowling. Then you take a really heavy ball with three holes in it. You walk up to this long wood floor and roll the ball on the ground. If you are good you knock over these white stick things that are at the end of the wooden path. If you are like me you roll your ball... very slowly... into what bowlers call "the gutter." Then the ball disappears at the end and then pops up where you started and the white stick things stand back up again. Magic!

Finally, at the airport, Mommy and Daddy try very hard to get me to sleep. I try even harder to stay awake. We stayed at the airport for a long time. Then we were stuck on the plane for a long time before it took off. But eventually we made it back home to Portland. Now all I have to do is catch up on my sleep for my next vacation. I leave Saturday and I'll be in Arizona, Southern California, and Las Vegas.

Meanies

Today Mommy, Daddy, and I hosted a baby shower for our neighbors Brandon and Marisa. I did not see any showers or their baby. They keep telling me that the baby is in Marisa's belly, but I don't understand why a baby would stay in there when there is so much fun stuff to do outside.

Earlier today, Mommy and Daddy bought a large cardboard turtle. They said it was a "pin-ya-tah." I made good friends with the turtle. Later, at the baby shower, Daddy hung up the turtle on the large tree in our front yard. Then people started hitting the turtle with a stick. I cried, "NO!!!" But they kept on hitting my friend, the turtle. I tried to rescue him when he fell, but Daddy hung him up again. Marisa whacked off one of the legs. Then another leg fell off. Then Daddy hit him really hard and the entire body flew off. I screamed. My buddy was dead.

But I suppose all was not lost. Instead of bleeding red stuff, candy came out of him. I ate a candy bar. Daddy said it was the turtle's spleen. Whatever it was it sure tasted good.

My owie

This morning, after Mommy and Daddy pushed me in the stroller while they ran, we went to the grocery store. There was a lot of yummy fruit there for us to eat. I had a lot of watermelon. It didn't taste like water. It didn't look like water either. It was very tasty though. I ate the red part. I ate the green part. While walking back to the car, I decided that my watermelon needed a break so I put it down on the ground. I also needed a break so I sat on the ground. Mommy didn't like that. She picked up my watermelon and took it away from me. I was very upset because I was not finished eating it. She said something about the fruit being dirty. "Waaahhhh!!" I let Mommy and Daddy know that I was not happy. Daddy told me to get up and walk. I didn't want to. I wasn't finished protesting.

Daddy tried to get me on my feet, but I fell. This red stuff started gushing from my lips. It tasted like salty metal. The red stuff got all over my face, my jacket, and my hands. I screamed. Mommy and Daddy didn't seem concerned about the watermelon anymore and they rushed over to help me. We went to a cafe where a nice man got a box with bandages, gauze, wipes, and a bunch of other neat looking things that I would have liked to play with if I were feeling better. The nice man helped clean me up. Mommy, Daddy and I thanked him and we were on our way home.

When we got home, I took a warm bubble bath. I washed my face. I splashed in the water. I felt a lot better. Mommy put some gooey gel stuff on my owies on my lips and on my chin. I put on jammies and lounged around. I would post a picture of my boo-boos but Daddy said something about not wanting to chronicle injuries. I have no idea what that means.

My Pet Cats

My neighbors Marisa and Brandon are going away for a few days. They are not taking their two cats with them though. I am in charge of feeding the cats and making sure they are happy. This is a picture Brandon took of me playing with one of their kitties. I like cats. They are not scary up close like big dogs can be. Do you think Mommy or Daddy would notice if I put the cats in the crib with me?

Rest, Stop!

Here I am at a Rest Stop on the way to California to meet my new cousin Siobhan. I didn't really rest though. I ran around on the grass. There were lots of pretty flowers. They smelled nice. Daddy helped me pick one for Mommy. I saw a doggie. Mommy juggled pinecones. I juggled pinecones. Daddy doesn't know how to juggle pinecones. Perhaps I will teach him one of these days. After we rested, we got back in the car and drove for a long, long time.

The OC

Here are photos that Auntie Wendy took while Mommy, Daddy, and I visited. We flew on a plane. Planes are big, much bigger than birdies. How do airplanes get up in the air? I can't even jump, yet those big hunks of metal can fly.

Anyway, I had lots of fun visiting Uncle Eric and Auntie Wendy. They live in a nice house. There is a water park down the street from them. I was a little scared at first of all the water splashing about, but once I saw Mommy, Auntie Wendy, and Daddy running through, I wasn't so nervous.

I went to the beach. The beach is a place where there is a lot of water and a lot of sand. Sand feels funny on my feet. I saw people standing on boards on the water. I saw kites. I saw birds.

I also saw my third cousin, Steven. He was just born. I know I met three cousins already so I don't know why he is called my third cousin. Steven slept a lot. I kissed him while he took a nap. I played in a bag while he slept.

Easter Egg Hunt

I went to the park by my house for an Easter Egg Hunt. Mommy and Daddy said I went last year, but I didn't remember, so Daddy showed me what to do. I first waited behind a pink ribbon until a man waved his arms and told us to go. Go where? I held my big duckie basket and Daddy started gathering little, shiny, colored eggs that were all over the ground. He put them in my basket. "That looks fun," I thought to myself so I did the same. I didn't have to venture far to find lots of eggs. I popped one in my mouth, but the shiny paper didn't taste that good. But, oh, the stuff inside the shiny wrapping was super yummy. I couldn't eat enough of them.

I saw many of my friends there, like Anna, Landon, and Noah. I also saw Marcie, the nice lady who used to sing songs at the Place Where All The Books Are when I was a Book Baby. Anna had the same Ducky Basket that I had. Grandma gave me that basket last year. Do you think that Grandma also gave one to Anna? I didn't even know they knew each other.

Here I am with Daddy and Mommy's friend Dan. He is visiting from Europe, which is on the other side of the world. I hear the world is round like a big ball, and I didn't think that something roundy has sides, but I'm only 16 months and have much to learn.



Anyway, Dan is nice. He plays peek-a-boo and lets me play in his car. This weekend we are all going to Dan's uncle's place in Washington. I can't wait!

Mommy's Sweater

Mommy knits a lot these days. I try knitting, but I can't get the sticks and the string to make anything except a mess. I always get tangled up. Mommy had been working on a pink and white colored knitting thing for a while; then one day she wore her knitting and it wasn't connected to any sticks. She says it's a sweater. Daddy took a picture of Mommy wearing her knitted sweater while holding me. I'm wearing my favorite PJs. They have little cars on them.

Valentine's Dinner

Here is a picture of Daddy and me at Burgerville. This is a place to get super yummy burgers. Mommy said that there was cow and pig in it, but I didn't see it. All I saw was ground beef and bacon. Maybe they hid under the hamburger patties. Dinner was yummy. I really like the fizzy water. It tickles my mouth.



For lunch, Mommy and I drove downtown and picked Daddy up from work. We drove up to the highest point in Portland and had a picnic overlooking all the land. Actually, all I could see were clouds, so I guess we were up in the sky. Daddy also gave me very pretty, baby-sized roses. They are orange. Mommy got one big, red rose. I didn't have any flowers to give to Daddy so I gave him a hug.

Brooklyn's birthday party

On Saturday, I went to Brooklyn's house. She had a birthday party. She is two years old, but she doesn't look a day over 23 months. I met Brooklyn way back when we were both Book Babies at the place where all the books are. I wasn't even four months at that point.

At Brookie's house, there were all sorts of fun toys. I played basketball, I played grocery shopping, and I sat with my other Book Baby friend Ally on a chair. Speaking of chairs, I took a chair home. Brooklyn gave away a lot of her toys she no longer plays with, and she was nice enough to give me this neat chair that looks like a dump truck. She even autographed it.



Brooklyn had a big cake and shared it with us after we all sang a song to her. There was some fire on the cake, but her mommy and daddy blew on the fire until it disappeared. Everyone clapped. I clapped too, but I don't know why. Maybe because clapping is fun.

Words I know

These are the words I know how to say:
1. up
2. Mama
3. Dada
4. open
5. hi
6. ducky
7. dog
8. bye-bye
9. ball
10. wahhh!!
11. goo-gee

These are the words I know how to sign:
1. milk
2. more
3. diaper change
4. sleep
5. pacifier
6. water
7. all done
8. chicken
9. bread
10. up
11. brush teeth
12. bath
13. banana
14. apple
15. yogurt
16. shoes
17. where
18. please
19. help
20. O's (cheerios)
21. book
22. yes
23. no
24. meat
25. butterfly
26. dog
27. eat
28. hungry
29. spaghetti
30. music/dance
31. hurt/pain
32. bubbles
33. cookies
34. phone
35. gesundheit
36. fish
37. socks
38. pizza
39. car

SuperYo

SuperYo
Originally uploaded by littleyo.

Oh no! I've been unmasked. Now my true identity will be revealed!

I'm A Superhero

IMG_3806
Originally uploaded by littleyo.

This is my photo identification of my superhero status. I am an official Pink Robot Destroyer. Do you hear that, all you pink robots? Beware of the Mighty Yoshimi!

Happy New Year!!

It is now the year 2005. I was born in the year 2003. That was two years ago, but I'm only 1 year old. Funny how that works out. I'm sorry I haven't blogged in a long time. I've been pretty busy. I graduated from being a Baby to being a Toddler. I can walk really fast now, spin around in circles, say some words, and I know a lot of sign language (about 25 signs). I talk on the phone to Daddy, Uncle Eric, Ba-chan and Ji-chan. I no longer go to Book Babies at the place where all the books are. I go to a group called Tiny Tots. I feel little there because all the other Tots are bigger than me.