Camping at Pinnacles

On Wednesday, Mommy, Daddy and I drove to a place called Pinnacles National Monument. We camped. This was my second time camping, but I honestly don't remember the first time. It all seemed new to me. We got to the camping place when it was already dark. Daddy built a fire, but it's not like building a building. He took a big knife thing and chopped some wood logs and made a pile. He took a lighter and made fire. Neat stuff. But it's important to stay away from the fire. Even though the flames are pretty, it is NOT to be touched. HOT!! Dinner was cooked on the fire. We had baked beans and hot dogs. For dessert we had 'smores. I just like to eat the marshmallows raw. Good stuff. A raccoon, which is kind of like a big cat with a stripe on its face wanted to eat our food. Daddy told it to go away.

Mommy put up the tent. I helped out by making sure she did everything right. The tent did not fall over so that must mean she did it right. I would have given her sticker for her good work, but I forgot my stickers at home.

We slept in the tent. I slept in between Mommy and Daddy. They slept in sleeping bags. I brought my Elmo bed that you blow up with air and slept on that. Mommy slept on my left side and Daddy slept on my right. But then I moved onto my tummy and then Mommy was on my right side and Daddy was on my left. How did that happen?

I counted the stars before I feel asleep. There were at least 5... million scabillion!

When it was morning, I turned to Mommy and said, "Mommy wake up! It's a beautiful day!" She looked up at the blue sky and said, "You're right! It IS a beautiful day!" We giggled. Daddy got up and made another fire. I got dressed and helped him while Mommy put the sleeping bags away. I noticed that there were footprints on our car. That raccoon walked on our car. Hey!


We had a yummy breakfast--bagels, cheese, sausage. I drank hot cocoa. Mommy and Daddy had coffee, although Mommy said something about how it was sludgy. I saw really big birds (but not the yellow Big Bird) fly overhead. Mommy said they were California Condors. Neat!

We heard rustling noises in the bushes. "Look! It's a deer!" Mommy and I investigated. We kept our distance, but we watched a pretty deer looking for breakfast. The deer saw me and watched me for a while. I didn't do much though except look back.

After breakfast, Mommy made sandwiches for our lunch and we broke down camp. That means we cleaned up and put everything away. Leave only footprints. Take only photos and memories!

Soon we went on our hike. It was hilly. It was hot. And it was pretty! Luckily there were lots of trees that shaded us. We passed by bat caves. We also walked through a rocky tunnel. "Tunnel!"

We ate lunch at a thing called a Reservoir, which looks like a big lake. There were tons of dragonflies flying around. Big red ones and small blue ones. We hiked some more. Then we hiked back. We stopped along the way to look at the pretty views and climb on some rocks.


We left the park and then drove to get ice cream! Yummy. I had a banana split with a scoop of cherry ice cream and a scoop of mocha almond fudge. Hot fudge syrup was poured over it, then whipped cream, then topped off with a bright red cherry. Delicious!

I had a good time camping. I told Mommy that next time I want Uncle Eric and Auntie Wendy to come with us. Mommy tells me that Uncle Eric has never been camping before. I told her that I will help him out if he comes.

Children's Fairyland

Last weekend, I went to a place called Children's Fairyland. I hear that this was the very first theme park made, and that some guy named Walt Disney based his park on this one. I like to watch a lot and really get a feel for things instead of blindly venturing into the unknown, so I didn't go on many rides. I just watched the other kids. I didn't like the spiral slide because it was dark and I couldn't see. I did go on a train. I rode in the caboose. That's the last car of the train. It was orange. We went in a tunnel. Tunnel!! I also played a lot in the sand. Oh, and animals! I saw donkeys, roosters, an alpaca, ducks, rabbits, a pony, and a sheep.

Updated!

New photos and videos are being updated at this very moment!

Jamba Juice!

Usually on Tuesday mornings Daddy goes on a walk with me and my classmates at school. We walk up and down the sidewalks, looking at all sorts of neat things. Sometimes Daddy, me, and one of my friends will hide behind a bush and then jump out at my other friends and yell, "Boo!" We all laugh.

This morning Mommy came with us on our walk. We went to the post office. We helped my teacher mail out letters. We put them in the big blue mailbox. We also went to Jamba Juice. We watched some people make smoothies. It's not too difficult, but you need a grown-up's help to use the blender. We all shared a big smoothie. A smoothie is a really cold, icy fruit drink. It's sort of like ice cream, but melty-er. It's not soupy like soup though. It's very yummy. Sometimes I drink too much and it hurts my head.

Sometimes Daddy makes smoothies at home. I help pour in the orange juice and frozen strawberries. I will eat some banana to make sure it tastes okay before putting it in the cup. Daddy uses the blender, but sometimes I will push the button to make it go. I love smoothies!

I still remember

I have not forgotten my trip to the doctor where the two men stabbed me with a needle. They took my blood. I wonder if I'll ever get it back. I still cry and get very sad and very angry when I think about it.

Today, Daddy had a bandage around his arm. It was the same place where I had my owie. I asked Daddy, "What happened?! You got an ouchie?" He told me that he also had blood taken out from him. "For running tests?" I asked. He said that the blood that got taken out is going to someone who doesn't have enough blood of their own. I gave him a hug and a kiss, patted his arm and said, "Oh, you'll feel better, Daddy."

Eight Eyes

Yesterday Mommy and I played dress up. Here we are wearing glasses. Notice we both have the same look on our faces. I don't know how glasses are supposed to make you see better. Mine are really dirty. And Mommy's only has frames. No inside part. Hmm...

We made another little video while playing, so stay tuned to my photo/video website for that!

Doctor visit

Today I visit with my new doctor in San Francisco. The waiting room has toys, a play kitchen, and a toy cash register that I play with while Mommy and Daddy scribble on some paper for the people working at the office. Soon the doctor's helper comes out to get us and she walks us into a room with all sorts of machines. We don't use any of them, but she has me stand against a wall that had a measuring stick to see how tall I am. "33 inches exactly!" she says. Then I stand on a scale to see how much I weigh. 25 and a half pounds. Next, we leave that room and go into another room. The helper tells us that my doctor will come in soon and then the helper lady leaves. In the room, there is what looks like a really cushy changing table with paper on it and a pillow. A lot of different black plastic and shiny metal doctor tools hang on the wall. Daddy and Mommy tells me what they are for and that the doctor will use them on me to check if I'm healthy.

Soon the doctor arrives. She's really nice, but I am shy at first. She asks Mommy and Daddy questions about me, and then she asks me herself. I tell her that my favorite breakfast food is toast and I love my pink socks even though I prefer oatmeal and my blue socks more (what she doesn't know won't hurt her though). She takes the heart listening tool from around her neck and asks, "Do you know what this is?" I say, "Sketh-a-scope!" She beams a big smile and says, "Wow! Very good!!" She has me point to where my heart is, and she listens to it go Boom Boom Boom. She listens to my lungs while I take big breaths. She listens to my back. I don't know what my back says. Then she takes one of those funny tools and looks into my ears and mouth.

She then goes into all that grown-up doctor talk with Mommy and Daddy, saying something about bloodwork. Soon we leave the doctor room and she tells me to run down the hall so she can see how I do it. I guess she doesn't know how to run. She says I'm a good runner and jumper. Yay! I get a big Winnie the Pooh sticker and a big Tigger sticker. Double Yay!

Then we go down the elevator into another room. I show off my stickers to a nice lady working at the front desk. A man comes into the waiting room and says my name. Mommy holds my hand and we all go into a little room that has a curtain for a wall and Mommy and I sit on a funny chair. Another man comes in the room. Both men are dressed in long white coats and have a picture of themselves on what looks like a credit card, but it's attached to their pockets. They seem nice. I look at this big blue rubber band that is being tied to my arm left. Kinda tight, I think to myself. Then one man tells Mommy to hold down my right arm. He holds down my left arm. Hey! What's going on? OWWIEE!! The other man takes a long, sharp, pointy needle and slides it in my arm! "EEEEEE," I wimper and watch them take a lot of blood from me. I try to stay strong and I don't let them see me cry. I'm a big girl! Soon (but not soon enough) it is over and I get a whole bunch of big stickers as a reward. I would rather have my blood back. I'm bandaged up and good to go. Mommy holds me while I wimper some more and Daddy says that I'm a very brave and I did a great job. I hurt and am confused and sad.

Once we get to the car I can't contain how upset I am. I bawl. "Waaahhhhhh!!! It hurts!!! I got a big owie!!! Waahhhh!!!!" Daddy gives me big cuddles and then puts me in my carseat. We drive back to school. I cry a bit.

Once at school, I show everyone my stickers, my bandage, and tell them all about my visit to the doctor and how I got poked with a needle and that my arm hurts so don't touch it!

In six months, I get to go back for another visit. Mommy says that I will have forgotten this whole ordeal. Unfortunately, my memory is better than Mommy realizes...

My weekend

This past weekend Mommy and Daddy went on a road trip to Las Vegas to celebrate their anniversary. Did you know there was a time when Mommy and Daddy were not married? I did not know that. I thought they have been together forever. I stayed with Bachan and Jichan at their house. Jichan put together a new toy for me on Saturday. It's a very fancy pretend kitchen! Here is a picture of it. [NOTE: those kids are not me!]

Yesterday was my cousin Siobhan's 1st birthday party. I went to the party with my cousins Kelly, Katie, and Madison. It was fun! We sang Happy Birthday and had cake. Yummy! I love playing with my cousins. I can't wait to have sleep overs at their house this summer.

Mommy and Daddy had lots of fun in Vegas. Mommy even drove with Elmo and Zoe. Here is Mommy with her monster friends.
Daddy brought back a new Grover doll for me. He's very soft, fuzzy, and blue. Not Daddy, silly, Grover!! Grover looks sort of like Cookie Monster, but without the cookies and the craziness.

I'm going back to Bachan and Jichan's house on Friday so I will bring some of my kitchen toys from my house to use there. Yay!

Chocolate bunny

This evening I ate my chocolate bunny's yummy tummy. Mmm! Mmm!!

The Easter Beagle

On Friday at school my friends and I colored eggs. Why? I have no idea, but it was fun. The eggs were so pretty. I also made a basket out of a tofu container. I used orange and yellow fuzzy pipe cleaners for a handle. Colored tape and stickers decorated the outside. I put all my eggs in one basket. When I got home, I accidentally pushed the basket off the table and onto the floor. All the eggs broke. "Waaaahhhhhhh!!!! My eggs!!!! Wahhhhh!!!" I cried a lot.

Yesterday morning, Daddy helped color more eggs with me. Yay for Daddy! I put them in the refrigerator very carefully. They did not break. I was relieved.


Early this morning while Mommy, Daddy and I slept, the Easter Beagle came into our home and hid my colored eggs all around my house. I hear that the Easter Beagle is really Snoopy dressed up like a bunny. How silly. He must have put on my bunny hat. I found all the eggs and then hid them again for Mommy and Daddy to find. What a fun game! Snoopy, I mean the Easter Beagle, also left me a super duper yummy treat. Chocolate! But not just any kind of chocolate. It was shaped like Little Bunny Fu Fu! I ate his ears and feet. I'm saving the rest for later.

Now looky here

This morning at school a nice doctor gave my classmates and me vision tests. This test isn't like the tests Daddy takes at his school. This test involves the doctor shining a flashlight into my eyes, holding a spoon on over my eyes (silly, the spoon is used for eating!), and having me wear funny glasses that make the world look fuzzy. During the test, I watch a little bit of Dora on TV, and a Pooh Bear and Tigger doll dance on top of the tv. Neato! It was very quick, and the doctor said that my eyes are doing well. She gives me a fish sticker that I put on my poncho. I aced that test.

Thanks, Grandma and Alex!

The other day a package comes to me from Nevada. Nevada is the state next door to us. The package is from Grandma and Alex. I open it up. It's a present! It is a beautiful yellow dress with a hanky scarf for my head. I put it on over the clothes I already wear. Pretty! I like the Tweety Bird bag. It has a flower keychain on it. Mommy takes the flower keychain off and I put it in my purse for later. I also have a nice card that I put with my other card that I got in the mail earlier from Uncle Murphy and Auntie Nadine. I say, "It's my birthday!" Mommy says, "No, it's for Easter." So I say, "It's my Easter!"

Spring Break!

This week is Spring Break. This means that Spring is here and we all need to rest. Either that, or Spring is Broken. We started off the week with some sidewalk chalk drawing. It didn't last very long with all the rain.

Mommy and Daddy wanted us to go camping, but we haven't had a dry day in a long time. They looked on a map for any dry place and there are none in California. Maybe they need to look at a map that isn't wet.

Instead of camping outside, we camped indoors for a day. I had my first 'smore. It was super duper yummy. First, you take graham crackers and put some pieces of chocolate on them. You then roast marshmallows in the toaster oven on a piece of shiny foil and make them get gooey. You put the hot marshmallows on the chocolate cracker, then put another graham cracker on top. It makes the best sandwich ever! Mm! MMm!!! I also popped a couple marshmallows in my mouth and went bonkers. Mommy said something about "baby crack" but I didn't notice anything broken.

Mommy and Daddy set up the tent inside. It took up the entire living room. The tent smelled a little stinky. Just this week, I got a new air-bed and it fits inside the tent. That's where I slept. Fun!

Today, I watched a movie at a movie theater. I actually snuck in for free, lied about my age, and smuggled in some food. Mommy calls me a "rebel" but I say, "I'm Yoshi!" Silly Mommy. I saw Curious George. It was really fun! Mommy said that I also saw Spiderman 2 and another film or two in the theater, but I was too young to remember. Anyway, Curious George is about a cute little monkey and a man in a yellow hat. Unlike a book, a movie has moving pictures on a big screen, kind of like a TV screen, but HUGE! It takes up an entire wall. And not a small wall--a big one. I sat on the seat and ate popcorn and watched the movie. I can't wait to go to another one but Daddy says I will have to wait until he can afford to spend another 35 bucks on a matinee.

I also got mail from my Portland friends, Jay and Julie. They know about my potty training progress and decided to help me along with a new book. I love getting mail! I also love Jay and Julie! If you can't see my video, click here.

Fishies

Yesterday I went to the Aquarium in Monterey. An aquarium is where you can see animals that live in the water. I saw sea turtles, otters, sharks, jelly fish, and so many other things. I picked up a starfish. I didn't know it was alive so I tried to squish it. I felt bad when Daddy told me that it's an animal and I almost hurt the starfish. It really doesn't look anything like a fish. It does look like a star though. I also saw penguins, ducks, and other birds. Penguins can't fly even though they have wings. Big Bird is like that too. I can't fly either, but I also don't have wings so I guess that makes sense. I watched an octapus swim around. I also ripped a piece of kelp apart. I hope that was okay to do.

Tagger

I decided I needed to add some color to that wall.

Out and about

This morning Mommy and I walked around the neighborhood. At times I ran. This is one of those times.


Before we set out on our walk, Mommy and I spent some time drawing with chalk on the sidewalk. I took a break and hung out on the wall of our building.

test

Now that I've just about mastered the English language, I'm now learning HTML. Does this video work for you?


Daddy and me on a train!

Now for some nerdy talk: This movie uses quicktime. If your browser uses Windows Media Player instead of Quicktime as the default player, the video may not play. Please tell me if you can't see the video. I'm learning how to embed videos and do other html stuff for my blog.

Choo-choo

Saturday I hiked at a big park on a big hill. Mommy and Daddy came too. I watched people ride horses. I looked at dogs. I noticed large birds fly high. I rode on a train through the park. Here are two pictures of me on the train. You can see a video of me on the train here.

Giddyup

When Uncle Eric and Auntie Wendy visited us, we went to some whineries in some Sleepy town called Nap-ah!. I didn't hear anyone crying or complaining. I didn't see anyone napping either. Here I am riding this funny looking guanaco with two humps on his back. I didn't get too far. Maybe he was taking a nap too.

Underwear

I now use the potty enough so that Mommy and Daddy let me wear big kid underwear around the house. I still have to sleep in diapers or pull-ups though (what a drag!). It's only a matter of time before I'm fully potty trained. I have some spiffy Elmo underwear that I get to wear when that time comes.

My big head

In my class, there are wooden gates to keep us kids from getting into places we really want to go to. Each gate has three port holes for us to peek our faces in. Each hole looks smaller than the size of my head. Note that I say "looks smaller." My friends and I stick our faces in these holes and look to the other side. One day last week, I lean back against the gate and somehow I get my head stuck in the hole. Seeing as how I am backwards, I step forward to try to get my head out. No luck. I somehow turn around and now an faced toward the gate. I pull my head. I'm stuck! I panic. "Wahh!!!!" Daddy is there for Parent Participation. "Daddy!!" I cry. He and my teacher Fong try to pull me out. Fong brings out some goopy stuff called Vaseline and rub it all over my head. Daddy lifts me up and pulls while Fong attempts to squeeze my head through. Still no luck.

I feel like Winnie the Pooh when he got stuck in in that hole from eating too much Hunny. My friends ask, "What's wrong with Yoshi???" I'm really embarrassed and desperate at this point to get out. "Waahhhh!! I'm stuck!!! I need help!!!" Daddy tries his best to calm me.

Fong tells me that the only way to get my head out is to remember how I got it in there. She goes on and says I need to get in the same position and do everything backwards. Hmm... think, Yoshi, think! I tell myself. I close my eyes for a moment and relax. Aha! I know what I need to do. I get into position and moments later Daddy and Fong get me out. I'm saved!

The next day, plexiglass covers the holes.

Yummy!

My newest talent is balancing bubbles on my tongue. I then eat the bubbles. Last night, Mommy asked me, "What does it taste like?" I said, "CHICKEN!!!"

My Movie!

Check it out! If you have problems getting the video to play, click here.

Presidents' Weekend

I don't know who the presidents are, or why it was their weekend, but I sure had a good time. They should rename it Yoshimi's Weekend. A brief list of what I did:

made gingerbread cookies

blew bubbles in our apartment building

went to the Apple store and played games on the computer

went to the park to play with my friend Abe

went to another park to play my friend Alyssa and ride on boats

painted with watercolors that Mommy's friend Naomi gave to me (I like Naomi's cat Wolfie)

went to a birthday dinner for Aunt Laura and I saw my cousins too

Snoopy for dinner?

Tonight we had spaghetti and veggies. I asked Mommy what the name of these veggies are. Here is what we said:

Me: What this, Mommy? [I point to these flat, green, pod-like things. They look like smooshed edamame]

Mommy: Snoopys

Me: No!!!! [I laugh]

Mommy: Yes, they are Snoopys

Me: No!!! [silly Mommy]

Mommy: No, not Snoopys. Snow-pees.

Me: No!!!

Mommy: They are. Snow. Pees.

Me: It's not Snoopy!!!

Mommy: Okay, then what is this? [she points to the spaghetti]

Me: Woodstock!

Feel better Jichan

Jichan loves to nap. He welcomes a nap like I welcome a cookie--wholeheartedly. Sometimes when I am at Bachan's and Jichan's house I take a nap with Jichan. Here I am on the sofa. Jichan holds me. I hold my doll Nick. The other day Mommy told me that Jichan got sick and had to spend a couple days in a big building with lots of doctors. I drew him some pictures and Bachan took them to Jichan. He liked the pictures very much. Most of my drawings are balloons, but I drew a special Elmo picture just for Jichan.

Jichan is at his home now where he gets to rest a lot. It's a good thing he likes naps because he gets to take a lot of them. I get to see him this coming weekend. Yay!

Knew Kntting

Not too long ago, Mommy knit herself a pair of fingerless gloves out of blue silk yarn. Then she knit Daddy a pair of wristbands. I told her it was my turn for something knit. She made me a pair of fuzzy slippers using fuzzy yarn from Bachan. I like looking at them. It makes me happy. But when I put the slippers on they tickle my toes. "Too fuzzy!" I say. Mommy threatens to give them away to my little cousin Siobhan and I tell her that I want to keep them. Mommy also made me a pair of matching fingerless gloves. I like to wear my gloves on my hands and wear Mommy's gloves on my feet, but only when Mommy isn't looking.

I love coffee

Mommy and Daddy drink a lot of coffee. In fact, Mommy gets pretty grumpy when she doesn't have it. Usually I drink hot cocoa, but when Mommy and Daddy aren't looking, I take a sip of their coffee. Woah that's bitter! But still, I smack my lips together and say, "Yummy!" The best part about coffee though is the chocolate covered cookie that goes along with it. Super yum.

Me, Myself, and I

Life is tricky. Sometimes there are things right in front of you and you go to touch them, but it feels nothing like what you expect it to. I walked into a bathroom with Mommy and lo and behold, there are three of me. I'm one of them, and there are two other Yoshis staring back. How is this possible? I tried playing ring-around-the-rosey but their hands were cold and flat. I think they were stuck behind glass. I tried to pull them out. No luck. We laughed and played pattycake. Then I had to go. It looked like they had to go too. We all waved and said "Bye!" (at the same time even!).

Introducing...

...Isaac Browne!

Mommy and Daddy's good friend Dan is now a Daddy. Here he is with his baby. The baby's name is Isaac. They live on the other side of the world, and since I don't know how to swim or fly, I probably won't visit them any time soon. Maybe they can come visit me.

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.